Paris Attacks: Live Music Industry Appeals for $53 Million in State Aid

The live music industry in France has taken a hit and is appealing for $53 million in state aid following the Paris attacks of Nov. 13 that left 89 people dead and 99 injured at an Eagles of Death Metal concert at Le Bataclan. France's National Union of Producers, Distributors and Theatres, otherwise known as Prodiss, is calling for emergency financial enforcements to support live business in the country.

Prodiss released a translated statement that read, "Directly affected by this national tragedy, our sector today needs the support of all players in our ecosystem, including that of public authorities."

The organization continued with, "The mattress to absorb a crisis does not exist. That is why it is necessary to reassure the profession by increasing the amount of emergency funding," additionally expressing that the $53 million in state aid would be of benefit in order to help with, "the additional resources deployed to secure facilities and also to deal with the decline of ticket sales."

Ticket sales in Paris have fallen by around 80 percent since the vicious Nov. 13 attacks, according to Prodiss. The organization represents 340 companies, multiple venue halls, distributors, festivals and producers. The French culture minister Fleur Pellerin has already donated $6 million in order to support all of the promoters, venues and artists involved, but according to Prodiss it is simply not enough.

The scene of the tragedy, concert hall Le Bataclan, has been closed since Nov.13 while the investigation into the ISIS attacks continue, but the co-manager Dominique Revert has assured the public that it will reopen in time. The venue also recently released a statement that read, "No words are sufficient to express the magnitude of our grief. Our thoughts are with the victims, the wounded and their relatives."

It has not been announced as of yet when exactly the venue will reopen and the shooting during the Eagles of Death Metal concert hit the music industry hard. Amongst those slain were several label employees, a Mercury Records executive, the band's own merchandise manager and a music journalist for Les InRock.

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