Paris attacks: pianist 'drove 400 miles through the night' to pay tribute

The man who played John Lennon’s Imagine on a grand piano outside the Bataclan theatre has told the Guardian he felt it was his “duty” to pay tribute to the victims of the Paris attacks.

Davide Martello, who was in a pub in Konstanz in Germany when the attacks began, decided within minutes to put his piano on a trailer and make the 400-mile trip. “I phoned my friend to talk about it, got in the car and drove all through the night,” he said.

The pianist was watching the France v Germany football match when the explosions began at the Stade de France. “I just knew I had to do something,” he said. “I wanted to be there to try and comfort, and offer a sign of hope.

“I can’t bring people back but I can inspire them with music and when people are inspired they can do anything. That’s why I played Imagine.”

Residents and visitors have been leaving flowers and candles outside the Bataclan, location of one of a series of deadly attacks in the French capital on Friday evening, killing at least 129 people.

The 34-year-old, who also performs under the name Klavierkunst, is known for travelling around conflict zones to play the piano and previously performed at the sites of the Charlie Hebdo attacks earlier this year.

Martello also appeared in the Taksim demonstrations in Istanbul, the Maidan revolution in Kiev and the civil war in Donetsk, according to reports.

Martello has previously been recognised by the European parliament for his “outstanding contribution to European cooperation and the promotion of common values”.

According to his website, his goal is to “play in every capital of the world with his grand piano”.