Eagles Of Death Metal have shed tears at the Bataclan theatre in Paris where scores of their fans were gunned down in the November 13 terror attacks.
The US rock band visited the concert venue – now a shrine to the dead – to lay flowers less than a month on from the indiscriminate atrocities.
They embraced one another as they read messages in silence, fighting to contain their emotions.
Frontman Jesse Hughes wiped away tears before speaking briefly to thank the small group of fans at the site, also there to pay their own personal tributes.
The band made the emotional visit after a surprise return to Paris when they joined U2 on stage for an encore on Monday night, belting out the Patti Smith anthem People Have The Power.
Eighty-nine people were killed in the Bataclan out of a total of 130 murdered in bars, cafes and restaurants in the unprecedented shootings.
The California band escaped the carnage by hiding in a dressing room backstage in the Bataclan and later told how they want to return to Paris to finish their performance.
After Monday’s gig they joined U2 and friends, family and the tour team for a private gathering in a top hotel.
In a Facebook post, the band thanked the Irish stars and said they had “reminded us that the bad guys never take a day off, and therefore we rock ‘n rollers cannot either… and we never will”.
They paid tribute to “everyone in the world who continues to prove that love, joy and music will always overcome terror and evil”.
The front of the Bataclan and neighbouring streets have become a focal point for people to express their sorrow and disgust at the terrorist attacks.
During the concert U2 added a poignant mark of respect to the victims of the attacks with a huge display of the French tricolour and the names of those who died on a screen in the centre of the AccorHotels Arena.
In a video interview with Vice News last week, Hughes said he ”cannot wait” to get back to Paris.
He said: ”I want to be the first band to play in the Bataclan when it opens back up, because I was there when it went silent for a minute.”
Co-founder Josh Homme said: ”We don’t really have a choice. We have to finish the tour.”