“This is a joke in very bad taste” says a spokesperson for the venue where 89 Eagles of Death Metal fans were murdered in a 2015 terrorist attack
At first glance, the footage that ricocheted all across the Internet earlier this week appeared to show Bono and The Edge performing U2's 1991 classic “One” at sites all across Paris. One of the videos was filmed right in front of the Bataclan concert hall, where 89 fans were murdered in 2015 at an Eagles of Death Metal concert while U2 were prepping for a show at the nearby Bercy Arena.
It was actually a stunt by Bono impersonator Pavel Sfera and Edge doppelgänger Steve Richards. According to French newspaper Le Parisien (via Stereogum), they told Bataclan employees they were actually Bono and The Edge and attempted to enter the venue. “They introduced themselves as U2 before admitting that it was a joke,” a Bataclan employee told the paper. “In the meantime, they performed a song in front of the hall on the sidewalk. This is a joke in very bad taste that probably went beyond them and to which we do not wish to give more attention than it deserves.”
The 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris forced U2 to postpone two concerts in the city for a month. When they returned to the venue for emotional shows that honored the victims, they invited Eagles of Death Metal onto the stage to perform Patti Smith's “People Have the Power” and their original song “I Love You All The Time.” The show was broadcast on HBO.
It's unclear if Sfera and Richards were completely aware that they were stepping on sacred ground when they performed in front of the Bataclan. According to Sfera's official website, he's been a professional Bono impersonator for 25 years. “On multiple occasions, Pavel has been a stand in double for projects on behalf of Bono himself including a Vogue magazine photo shoot,” read his bio. “Pavel has volunteered for decades working with orphanages in many countries, disaster relief organizations and now engaged with organizations mitigating effects of climate change surround regenerative and alternative agriculture.” (And for a mere $75, he'll also send you a personalized video on Cameo.)
The timing of the stunt caused some initial confusion, even in U2 fan communities, since Bono has a longtime tradition of performing Christmas songs on the streets of Dublin during the holidays. But even though Sfera has nailed Bono's current look, he hasn't come close to mastering his singing voice. The real Edge is also quite capable of performing “One” without the help of an additional guitarist. Richards was accompanied by an additional musician at the performances around Paris.
The real U2, meanwhile, are currently working on their long-awaited follow-up to 2017's Songs of Experience. This is the longest they've ever gone between albums of new material, and the (real) Edge recently told Rolling Stone that they're not in a hurry. “We've got an awful lot of material to wade through to see what it is,” he said. “We're at that great honeymoon period of a lot of experimentation, and looking at all kinds of possible themes musically. I think the guitar will be a big part of the next record, but I don't think it's going to be a heavy rock album. I think it's going to be a very different kind of use of the guitar, not a straight-up rock thing.”
