Nov. 13 will mark one year since the attacks in and around the Bataclan concert venue in Paris. To commemorate this somber anniversary and its victims, Germany's Zeit Magazin—a supplement to the weekly Die Zeit newspaper—has released a striking memento for its Nov. 10 cover.
The cover was shared yesterday by deputy chief editor Matthias Kalle on Twitter. The frame of the magazine has been used in its entirety to resemble a ticket stub from the Eagles of Death Metal concert that took place during the shootings, where 90 people lost their lives:
Das Cover unserer nächsten Ausgabe... pic.twitter.com/AfCNZUdPBs
— Matthias Kalle (@MatthiasKalle) November 8, 2016
The tweet reads, "The cover of our next edition."
The simplicity of the image has resonated with many, particularly here in France. Anyone who's ever kept a ticket stub will understand why—whether this small rite of entry is intentionally kept, or merely fished, crumpled, out of a jeans pocket, the feel of it between your fingertips can throw you back into an entire night—its raucous noise, the drinks you had, the people you brought with you.
Those memories are usually a pleasure to relive. But for some, every ticket stub since that night has been a mixed joy—anticipation mixed with trepidation for what might happen, and happiness combined with relief when the night is over.
Journalist and author Sophie Fontanel shared the cover on Instagram, writing, "#zeitmagazine cover this week. When a detail tells everything. The idea everybody could have been able to have. And nobody had."
The Bataclan has been shuttered for the past year, with an unending flow of candles, keepsakes and photographs marking its darkened threshold. This Saturday, Nov. 12, Sting is slated to reopen the venue with a charity concert in advance of the one-year anniversary.
Sting agreed to appear "first, to remember and honor those who lost their lives in the attack a year ago, and second, to celebrate the life and the music that this historic theater represents," he said. "In doing so, we hope to respect the memory as well as the life-affirming spirit of those who fell. We shall not forget them."
Exclusive concert in Paris for re-opening of @le_bataclan just announced for Sat., Nov. 12. Details/ticket info at https://t.co/lrpZj6pppQ. pic.twitter.com/VkMcbdnidx
— Sting (@OfficialSting) November 4, 2016
Tickets for the Sting show went on sale yesterday. A three-piece band will join him to perform songs from his new album, 57th & 9th.
The Bataclan first opened in 1865. Sting last played there during a Police tour in April 1979. Since the attacks, it received a €280,000 ($308,239) restoration grant, with French security officials giving it the nod for re-opening two weeks ago.
Last week, Bataclan director Jerôme Langlet said he hoped the Bataclan would eventually surpass the tragedy and regain its place as a leading music venue. Still, numerous French musicians have been hesitant to agree to perform there in the future—not out of fear, but out of respect for the dead.
That may change post-Sting: Some 24 concerts are currently scheduled in the months to come, including '60s British legend Marianne Faithfull and Senegal's Youssou N'Dour and his Super Étoile de Dakar band.
