MGMT issue statement about France attacks, Le Bataclan, people they knew at the EODM show

photo of 1 World Trade Center honoring France, via

FROM MGMT:

To Everyone:

We love France. We love Paris. MGMT are fortunate enough to have played Le Bataclan four times, including three consecutive nights in the fall of 2010.
The people of France and Paris have always loved us back. Grateful isn’t a word that adequately describes our feelings.

Three people instrumental in our reaching and loving France were at the Eagles of Death Metal show last night at Le Bataclan:

Delphine, our wonderful record label French bulldog, who fought tooth and nail for us to do the things we wanted to do; to be crazy; to go on French TV wearing Thanksgiving costumes with a vat of pudding; who took us to marvelous places in Paris; she was at Le Bataclan. She is okay. Unharmed somehow.

Arnaud, part of the pair of French live music promoters who saw us play a show at Glasslands in NYC in 2007 and said “we want to bring you to France”. They did. Arnaud and his partner Pascal placed a big bet on us and we have never forgotten. Arnaud was shot in the chest last night. We have heard he made it to the hospital, had surgery and will survive.

And we also just found out Nick Alexander, who was one of the top crew members and merch sellers MGMT has had and one of the nicest guys in rock. He sold merch for us on our two European tours in the Fall of 2010, including those three nights at Le Bataclan. We are crushed to find out Nick is one of the victims of last night’s insanity who didn’t make it. If you have a t-shirt from that tour, wear it proudly to honor Nick.

Our thoughts and positive vibes are with anyone who was affected by what happened last night, including our good friend from The Whigs and Eagles Of Death Metal touring drummer Julian Dorio.

We make music and play music to help make people happy. It is what every band we’ve ever met wants to do. Happiness, like music, comes in many different forms and styles. But happiness doesn’t come the way we saw last night. We all need to figure out how to make happiness win. Then the Aliens will come back and smile and bring us many amazing gifts.

We love you France. We love you Paris.

MGMT