Brandon Flowers urges musicians 'not to be afraid' after Paris concert attack

Rocker Brandon Flowers has urged his fellow musicians to play on in the aftermath of last week's (13Nov15) Paris terror attacks, insisting it's "important not to be afraid".

Almost 90 fans attending an Eagles of Death Metal concert at the French capital's Bataclan theatre were killed on Friday night when gunmen stormed the building and opened fire.

The American rockers were able to escape the horrific incident uninjured, but the band's merchandising manager, Nick Alexander, and two record label executives, Mercury Music's Thomas Ayad and Universal Music Group employee Marie Mosser, were among those who lost their lives in the drama.

Following the concert shooting, part of a series of co-ordinated terrorist attacks across the city, acts including the Foo Fighters, Marilyn Manson, Prince, U2 and Motorhead cancelled gigs across Europe out of respect to the victims, but Flowers is now encouraging his fellow musicians not to shy away from performing, and urged music fans not to stop attending concerts.

"Some of the greatest experiences in my life have been at concerts," he tells Britain's Loaded magazine. "To think that people will be afraid to go to concerts now is a shame. I hope we don't let what happened get the better of us.

"I'm not the ambassador for all musicians. And I totally understand why some people have been cancelling tours. What happened was heartbreaking. My heart goes out to the people who died. But I feel it's important to try not to be afraid."

Meanwhile, New Order have joined the likes of Madonna, Coldplay, Pearl Jam and Justin Bieber in paying tribute to those who perished in the Paris atrocities by dedicating their comeback show in London on Monday night (16Nov15) to the dead.
Before performing a rendition of Atmosphere by his former group Joy Division, frontman Bernard Sumner told fans at the O2 Brixton Academy, "I'd like to dedicate this song - in fact the whole set - to the victims of the appalling, senseless violence."

He also shouted "Vive la France (long live France)!" at the start of the show as the band kicked off its first tour without former bassist Peter Hook.