Sting reopens Paris Bataclan amid tears, cheers and controversy

PARIS - Rock star sting on Saturday reopened the Bataclan, the Paris concert hall where terrorists massacred 90 people, with a hugely symbolic and emotional show to mark the first anniversary of France’s bloodiest terror attack. But in a sensational turn of events, the concert hall’s co-director said he had prevented two members of the US group Eagles of Death Metal, who were on stage when the bloodshed started on Nov. 13, 2015, from entering. “They came, I threw them out - there are things you can’t forgive,” said Bataclan co-director Jules Frutos, furious at Eagles frontman Jesse Hughes for his claims that some of the venue’s Muslim security men were complicit in the attack. “He makes these incredibly false declarations every two months. It is madness, accusing our security of being complicit with the terrorists... Enough. Zero. This has to stop,” Frutos added. Hughes, a rare right-wing rocker and supporter of US president-elect Donald Trump, has also said without evidence that Muslims were celebrating outside during the venue during the siege. Sting began what had been billed as “the toughest gig in rock” with a minute’s silence for the 130 people who lost their lives in a night of Daesh (the so-called Islamic State) gun and bomb attacks across the French capital. The British singer - who spoke French throughout the gig - told the crowd that “We will not forget them” before launching into a set that walked a perfect line between celebration and reflection. “Tonight we have two tasks to achieve,” he said. “First to remember those who lost their lives in the attack, and then to celebrate life and music in this historic place.” Many in the crowd wept during the first song, “Fragile” as sting sang “Nothing comes from violence and nothing ever could”, but the singer then got the place on its feet clapping and stamping with “Message In a Bottle”. “I’ll send an SOS to the world,” he sang. “Only hope can keep us alive.” Scores of survivors of the Bataclan assault attended the packed concert, the dominant event in a weekend of otherwise low-key commemorations. Among them was Aurelien, in his thirties, determined to have a good night despite the pain of returning to the scene of so much horror. “It’s the first time I’ve been in a public space for a year. I haven’t been to the cinema, to a concert. I get my shopping delivered,” he said. “Tonight I’m taking my life back like it was before. It’s a duty, there’s an obligation to be here - because there are 90 people who can’t come anymore,” he added, visibly moved, his hands trembling. Having paid tribute to the late singers David Bowie and Leonard Cohen, Sting introduced a new song “Inshallah” (“God willing” in Arabic) about the migrant crisis, to whoops from the crowd. “This song is about a family on a boat” trying to get to Europe, Sting said. “I don’t have a solution for the migrant crisis but I think we can find one through empathy.” The biggest applause of the night, however, was for “Desert Rose”, a song sting originally recorded with the Algerian singer Cheb Mami. Performed with the Lebanese trumpet star Ibrahim Maalouf, its driving Arabesque beat felt like a defiant retort to extremist dogma from which the gunmen sprang. - AFP