With the devastating events still unfolding from Paris this evening, I had planned on running a concert featuring Wolf Alice, live from La Cigale during the Inrocks Festival going on in Paris today – a concert which, by the way, took place only hours before the attacks broke out. One attack, taking place at another concert at the Bataclan, took the lives of (as of this moment) some 118 concertgoers. The attacks could just as easily have taken place at La Cigale during Wolf Alice’s set as it did for the Eagles Of Death Metal’s concert. But the fact the attacks have taken place at all goes beyond comprehension.
A sense of numbness pervades everything right now. While Paris is on lockdown, while the country comes to grips with this ongoing story, while the world fathoms the depths of senseless hate, it would seem inappropriate to run a concert, as if to pretend nothing was wrong; deny the shock and horror and the stark realization that it can happen anywhere.
Concerts are gatherings of people who come together in celebration, to express enjoyment for the notes which transcend space and time, which no no prejudice or hate. For something as sublime as a gathering over the cause of music to be turned into a scene of carnage and hate is a violation of basic principles, of human values, of the human spirit.
So I am left speechless – and as much as I would love to run Wolf Alice live at Les Inrocks tonight, I just can’t.
My thoughts are elsewhere and my heart is broken.
I hope you understand – I’ll be back tomorrow.
Be safe – be well – love someone.
