Concertgoers who attended the Sunday night show of U2 in Paris went through full body searches as part of the rigid security measures implemented at the first large-scale cultural event in the French capital since the Nov. 13 terrorist attacks.
The New York Times reports that tour, initially set on Nov. 14 and 15 but was postponed after the city was placed under a state of emergency, will end on Monday night. The last "Innocence and Experience" show would be broadcast by HBO at 9 p.m. Eastern.
A crowd of about 17,000 people showed up for the concert held at the AccorHotels Arena, a few miles from Bataclan, the music hall that was stormed by gunmen while another concert by Eagles of Death Metal, an American band, was playing. Toward the end of the concert, U2 frontman Bono got a French flag from the crowd and placed it on his shoulder. He later draped in in front of the drums.
In French language, Bono told the audience, "Tonight we are all Parisian. If you love liberty, then Paris is your hometown."
U2 had Patti Smith as surprise guest for the 27-song concert. She sang "People Have the Power," a 1988 song. There were reports earlier that the special guest would be Eagles of Death Metal band, but it was Smith instead. Billboard reports that the band will push through in February 2016 with its postponed Paris concerts, although Eagles of Death Metal had not confirmed it.
Bono adds that terrorists rely on people being terrorized to resume normal activity, which they would not be. He says, "We felt the biggest and the only real contribution we can make at moment like that is to honor the people of Paris, who brought us the concept of liberte, egalite, fraternite."