Bono: We’re going to put on our best for Paris
U2 are to take to the stage in Paris next month after cancelling two concerts in the wake of the terror atrocities.
The Irish band will play on Sunday and Monday, December 6 and 7, at the AccorHotels Arena in Bercy in what frontman Bono has vowed will be special shows.
“So much that was taken from Paris on the tragic night of November 13 is irreplaceable,” the singer said.
“For one night, the killers took lives, took music, took peace of mind – but they couldn’t steal the spirit of that city.
“It’s a spirit our band knows well and will try to serve when we return for the postponed shows.”
In Dublin, where the band are tonight opening a four-night hometown run, Bono added: “We’re going to put on our best for Paris.”
The rescheduled concerts are planned for the arena on the banks of the Seine in the Bercy area, near the 11th arrondissement, where terrorists targeted the Bataclan concert venue and pubs, cafes and restaurants, killing 130 people.
U2 said returning to Paris was about honouring a commitment to fans.
Tour promoter and producer Arthur Fogel said: “The band wanted us to reschedule as soon as possible so that they could honour the commitment to their audience.”
All tickets for the cancelled shows will be valid for the rescheduled dates. Fans who cannot go will be offered a refund.
The Monday show will also be broadcast live on HBO.
It is part of the Innocence and Experience tour, which honours the music that first inspired the band to pick up instruments.
One of the few artists to defy safety concerns to play in Paris in the wake of the atrocities was veteran Northern Ireland punk band Stiff Little Fingers, formed in 1977 at the height of the Troubles.
