Sophie Ellis-Bextor pays tribute to 2015 Paris attack victims with ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’
The singer performed in Paris, and paid tribute to the venue’s history. (Getty)
Sophie Ellis-Bextor has paid tribute to the victims who lost their lives in the 2015 Paris attack whilst on her European tour.
The singer performed at the Bataclan in the city on 5 March and honoured the 90 people who lost their lives following a terrorist attack in the venue nearly 10 years ago.
On 13 November 2015, the Bataclan was attacked by three Islamic State terrorists during a performance from the band Eagles of Death Metal.
Three gunmen wearing suicide vests opened fire on the venue. Police later arrived at the scene when two of the men detonated their vests, while the third was shot dead by officers before he detonated his.
The attacks were part of coordinated terrorist attacks in the city on the same day. Three further suicide bombers detonated their vests outside the Stade de France during a game between France and Germany.
Another group opened fire on people at cafes and restaurants in Paris, with a total of 130 killed and over 400 wounded across the city.
Before singing her hit track ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’, she spoke to the crowd to memorialise the victims of the mass shooting at the theatre. “‘Murder on the Dancefloor’ is not a song with any evil in its heart,” Ellis-Bextor began.
“The whole intention of that song, like this venue, is to bring joy and music onto the dancefloor. So in tribute to that spirit and in tribute to everybody who has ever danced right here at the Bataclan, this is ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’.”
Despite the singer being called out for a “word fail” by some, others praised her tribute to those who lost their lives there. One called her concert “an unforgettable evening in the name of resilience”, dubbing the Bataclan “a place wounded and resurrected” following her concert.
Her 2001 track recently returned to the charts following the release of Emerald Fennell’s riotous big-screen drama Saltburn.
Without giving too much away, the camp ode to death by disco soundtracks an unlikely scene in the new queer film, which sees Keoghan dance completely nude. Yes, his penis is paraded about for the world to see.
