Eels frontman Mark Everett was been given the Freedom of the City of London ahead of his concert at the Barbican Centre on Thursday (July 24, 2014). Everett was previously mistaken for a terrorist in the capital.

Mark EverettMark Everett performing with eels in Venice [Getty/Frederick M. Brown]

In 2010, Everett, or "E", was questioned by police in London's Hyde Park after they mistook him for a suspected terrorist. The singer, who boasts an impressive and full bodied beard, was taking a break from a day of interviews when authorities approached him after he appeared to fit the description of a suspicious person they were looking for. "Not every guy with short hair and a long beard is a terrorist. Some of us just want to rock," he said at the time.

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Speaking at the Freedom of the City ceremony on Friday, Everett told BBC News, "To go from being a suspected terrorist, to having the Freedom of the City is quite amazing .It shows that anything is possible in London. I love this place."

Mark EverettMark Everett can do whatever the hell he wants in London [Getty/Mark E. Everett] 

Everett was nominated for the award by two of the City of London's senior officials and was surrounded by band-mates and fans at the ceremony.

The band, who formed in 1995, have a cult following though broke into the mainstream with hits like Novocaine for the Soul and Susan's House.

Previous recipients of the Freedom of the City include the Oscar winning actor Colin Firth and the writer, broadcaster and actor Stephen Fry.