More than a hundred people were gunned down at the Bataclan theatre in Paris late Friday during a concert by the US band Eagles of Death Metal.

The 1,500 capacity venue, which was sold-out, is one of the biggest in Paris but a Friday night out for hundreds of young rock fans was suddenly turned into ‘a bloodbath,’ for a full 10 minutes, witness Julien Pearce a reporter for France’s Europe 1 radio station, told CNN.

Its genteel origins couldn’t be further from that image, reports AFP.

The concert hall, built in 1864 in the chinoiserie style, is aptly named after Ba-ta-clan — a ‘Chinoiserie musical’ by German-born French composer Jacques Offenbach. However its original pagoda roof no longer exists.

Situated in eastern Paris it is near the spot where a policeman was killed during the deadly jihadist attacks centred on the satirical Charlie Hebdo magazine in January.

Since it was reopened after restoration work in the 1970s, the Bataclan has become one of the favourite nightspots for Parisians with an eclectic programme of rock and pop concerts, stand-up comedy, discos and cafe-theatre events.

Among those who have graced its stage over the years are Lou Reed, Prince and Oasis.

The building, with its large hall and balcony, is classified as a historic monument.

Friday night’s events ensure that the name Bataclan will now be remembered internationally for tragedy rather than music.

The Bataclan’s website was down early Saturday.

U2 cancel Paris concert

Irish rock band U2 cancelled a Paris concert planned for Saturday following a series of attacks in the French capital which killed more than 120 people.

‘As a result of the ongoing state of emergency across France, the U2 Paris concert scheduled for 14th November will not be going ahead as planned,’ the group wrote on their website late Friday.

The band, one of the world’s most celebrated music groups, added they were ‘fully resolved to go ahead with this show at an appropriate time,’ along with the promoters and the HBO television network which had planned a live broadcast of the concert.

U2 already had performed in Paris on Tuesday and Wednesday, and another show has been planned for Sunday, although it is uncertain whether that performance will go ahead.

The statement was posted on the www.U2.com website.

A wave of coordinated attacks, including shootings, explosions and a hostage taking at a music concert, left more than 150 people dead throughout Paris on Friday.