U2 has announced that they’re cancelling a pair of concert that were planned for tonight and tomorrow night in Paris, in response to the terrorist attack that struck the city on Friday, and the ongoing state of emergency that’s been declared. The show, part of the band’s current Innocence + Experience tour, was also set to be broadcast live on HBO; obviously, that broadcast won’t be going forward at this time.
The band, which was in Paris yesterday to prepare for the show, issued the following statement via their web site:
“We watched in disbelief and shock at the unfolding events in Paris, and our hearts go out to all the victims and their families across the city tonight. We are devastated at the loss of life at the Eagles of Death Metal concert, and our thoughts and prayers are with the band and their fans. And we hope and pray that all of our fans in Paris are safe.”
The band also reaffirmed its desire to go ahead with both the concert and the HBO special at some point in the future, once an appropriate time has been found.
UPDATE: U2 frontman Bono clarified during a conversation with a radio interviewer today that the decision to cancel the shows came from the French government—which continues to operate under a state of emergency—and not the band. “I understand perfectly why,” he said, adding, “It’s up to the French authorities and the city to decide when we can go back.” Bono also reiterated his and his bandmates’ horror at the attacks, saying, “These are our people,” and referring to the attacks as “the first direct hit on music that we’ve had in this so-called War on Terror.”