'We Will Not Surrender': Paris' Bataclan to Reopen Despite Bloodbath Attack

In an instant on November 13, the legendary Bataclan theater in Paris became synonymous with the horrific terrorist attacks on the French capital that left some 130 people dead. But the theater’s co-manager told Billboard that the doors won’t be shut for good.

The concert hall was founded in 1864 and became a nightlife hotspot after it landed in the hands of brothers Joel and Pascal Laloux. Over the course of its history it has hosted world-renowned musicians like Lou Reed, Jeff Buckley, Blur, Prince and Oasis, among many others.

Joel told the Guardian that the Bataclan had been like a baby to him for the past 40 years, and even though he and his brother sold the venue to French media conglomerate Lagardere in September, he believed the new owners would transform it into something even more spectacular.

Who could have guessed that a horrific bloodbath could have put an end to all those hopes and dreams?

The venue's current co-manager, Dominique Revert, has vowed that this is not the end.

"It will reopen, no question about it," he told Billboard. "Hearts will be heavy for a few months, a few years. But we will reopen. We will not surrender."

Revert himself wasn't present the night of the hostage situation and shootings which took the lives of 89 innocent people at the venue.

There was speculation that the Laloux family's jewish descent, and the fact that the Bataclan used to host events in support of the Israeli army and Jewish charities, had somehow influenced the choice of the terrorists' primary target in Friday's attacks. The venue's management had reportedly received threats from radical extremists in the past. But Joel himself says such suggestions are nonsense, and believes that the attackers chose the concert hall simply because it consistently gathers crowds.

"When a concert is held at the Bataclan, there are between 1,500 and 2,000 people," he explained.

Laloux learned of the attacks while he was marking the Sabbath in Israel, where he now resides. He said his phone was ringing so insistently, he just had to pick up. And he couldn't believe the scale of the tragedy when he turned on the TV. 129 people died that night in a series of coordinated terror attacks.

Despite the initial shock, Laboux agreed with Revert that the longtime favorite for Parisian concertgoers shouldn't be closed forever, but recovery will take some time.

"I have huge hope that with the enormous outpouring of solidarity in France and worldwide there is a human desire to make sure that this place is not assassinated," he said.

When the Bataclan does reopen, Laloux added, he sees himself "in the crowd, in the front row."