Eagles Of Death Metal's Jesse Hughes has credited U2 with saving his life and his band's existence, with the singer signalling out Bono for goading him into returning to the stage. Hughes made his comments when talking to eonmusic's Eamon O'Neill following the band's set at Aftershock Festival in Sacramento.
The Irish rockers invited Eagles Of Death Metal onto their stage in Paris in December 2019, less than a month after the attack which left multiple dead at their concert at the Bataclan in the city.
Said Hughes about the night; "I don't think I've gotten an opportunity. I appreciate that question because I need to address this. That saved my life. That performance, and their insistence that I perform on stage that night, made it so I could perform again ever."
Speaking about what the gesture meant, Hughes said; "They are true fans of rock and roll. They are the real fucking deal. Every member of that band are the real fucking deal, and they did so many things for us they didn't have to do because they're fans first. So what I owe U2 is something I could never possibly repay to them. I couldn't possibly repay them, and that's what makes them the real saints of rock and roll. Everyone else may be full of shit, but Bono, The Edge, Larry and Adam are the tops, and they saved our band's life."
Going into detail about how the appearance at the AccorHotels Arena happened, Hughes confessed; "Well, I was tricked. To be honest with you, I wasn't intending to play, and Joshua [Homme, Queens Of The Stone Age] and Bono concocted this plan; their attitude was like; "you can't stop". I thought we were just going to be introduced on the stage and walked out, and right before that night's performance is when they laid it on me what they wanted.
"I was pissed. I was actually going to get into a cab and leave, and it wasn't that I was afraid to go on stage again, but at that moment, I never wanted to be cheese in a trap against my friends ever again. For all intents and purposes, I had retired, but Bono actually came backstage and went, 'I thought all Americans were supposed to be like John Wayne? I guess you're just a pussy like everyone else,' and when he walked away, I was like, 'no, no, no, no, you know what? Fuck you!' And he saved my life".
Elsewhere, Jesse revealed that work on the next Eagles Of Death Metal album is beginning, and that for the first time ever, will involve the band's touring members, and not just Jesse and partner Joshua Homme.
Read the interview here.
