Manager of Paris' Historic Le Bataclan: 'We Will Reopen. We Will Not Surrender'

Although Paris'151-year-old Le Bataclan will now always be associated with the horrific terrorist attack of November 13th, when three gunmen interrupting a concert by the Californian rock band Eagles of Death Metal murdered 89 people and wounded 200 others, the club's co-manager, Dominique Revert, insists the tragic event will not define the historic venue.

"Hearts will be heavy for a few months, a few years," he tells Billboard. "But we will reopen. We will not surrender."

The 1864 building has been a beloved part of Parisian culture and nightlife since its beginnings as a cafe and music hall, hosting acrobatic, ballet and vaudeville acts. The great Maurice Chevalier sang there and the wild west showman Buffalo Bill Cody was the first American to appear on its stage.

From the mid-1920s through most of the 60s, it was a movie house, but reopened as a live music venue in 1972 with concert by reunited Velvet Underground members Lou Reed, John Cale and Nico.

The thousands of artists who have performed there since include Sam Smith, Prince, Hole, Blur, Kanye West, Paramore, Kendrick Lamar, Oasis, Snoop Dogg, The Roots, Jill Scott, 30 Seconds to Mars, New Order and Ellie Goulding.

Le Bataclan has been subjected to threats of violence before, due to past owners Joel and Pascal Laloux's perceived support for the state of Israel and for hosting a concert in support of the Israeli border army. The family sold the venue in September to French media giant Lagardere.

"No words can express the magnitude of our grief," says the Bataclan website, www.bataclan.fr. Those who wish to come pay their respects or to retrieve their belonging or the belongings of loved ones are advised that authorities are still working at the site.

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