Eagles of Death Metal Escape Paris Hostage Situation After Terrorist Attack on Bataclan Concert

UPDATE: There are at least a reported 100 people dead inside Paris, France’s Bataclan concert hall on Friday, according to AFP and the Associated Press. The band playing the venue, Eagles of Death Metal, took to Twitter late Friday to express concern over members of their entourage who were still missing, and sorrow in general for the victims of this tragic attack.

UPDATE #2: According to the Los Angeles Times, one of the band’s crew members was killed, and another was shot and wounded.

(photo: Variety)

Eagles of Death Metal, the Southern California garage rockers whose sold-out show at Paris’s 1,500-capacity Bataclan concert hall was the target of an horrific terrorist attack, have escaped from the hostage situation unscathed. Facebook messages posted by the French band Red Lemons and Los Angeles musician Ricky Gaez, aka Ricky Vodka (the best friend of EoDM touring guitarist Eden Gallindo), say the band is safe. It is still unclear how many of the band’s crew members made it to safety.

Yahoo Music journalist Lina Lecaro spoke with Vodka; Vodka said he had a brief phone call with Gallindo, who was at a Paris police station, and Gallindo was “shook up, but OK.” Gallindo later posted a message from the station to concerned friends and fans.

Emily Dorio, wife of EoDM drummer Julian Dorio, also confirmed to the Washington Post that the band had escaped. “He called to say that he loved me and he was safe. Everyone onstage was able to get off,“ she said. The drummer’s brother, Michael Dorio, told CNN the band was about an hour into their set when they heard gunshots inside the Bataclan; they then “stopped playing, hit the deck, and went backstage and exited as fast as they could.”

According to KESQ News Channel 3, EoDM frontman Jesse Hughes escaped the Bataclan via a back-door exit.

Eagles of Death Metal, who in fact are not a death metal band, were founded by Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme (who was not on tour with the group in Paris) and fellow Palm Desert rocker Hughes. Over the course of 11 years and four albums (this year’s Homme-produced Zipper Down was their first release since 2008), EoDM’s revolving lineup has included Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins of the Foo Fighters, Samantha Maloney of Hole/Motley Crue, Jack Black, Brody Dalle, Abby Travis, Mark Lanegan, and others.

However, EoDM have mostly remained a cult phenomenon, and never received much mainstream attention until they unexpectedly and tragically found themselves at the center of Friday’s Paris crisis.

For continuing reporting on the Paris attacks, follow Yahoo News’ live blog.