U2 DUO Bono and the Edge spread some much-needed Christmas cheer in Ireland with an acoustic performance of the festive favourite Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).
A song made popular by Darlene Love, U2 previously covered the track for the 1987 festive compilation A Very Special Christmas.
The performance came as part of a special holiday episode of the Late Late Show inspired by the annual celebrity busking gigs that traditionally pop up around Dublin’s Grafton Street during the Christmas holidays.
Covid-19 may have prevented what has become something of a holiday tradition, some of Ireland’s finest musicians were determined to keep the spirit alive.
U2 were joined by an impressive roster of fellow musicians for their acoustic set with Glen Hansard, Philip Powell, violinist Vivienne Long and the Heyday Choir all lending their services.
Bono and the Edge also performed a poignant version of Walk On from their multi-platinum 2000 album All That You Can’t Leave Behind.
The U2 pair also spoke to host Ryan Tubridy about the difficulties the band experienced when it came to donating 10 million euros to Ireland’s Covid-19 efforts, including PPE for frontline workers.
Bono explained: “Any public advertisement of giving away money is PR, so I just want to be clear about that. So if we are giving anything publicly, I think you’ve got to accept its a kind of exercise in self-promotion, and we’ve always tried always to avoid that — in this country especially — over the years.”
“There was a lot of fighting in the band about this, but we felt like we had to come out and show solidarity. If we can’t be really useful, let’s find the people who are and try to get them protective wear.”
The Edge added: “We’re so fortunate, and so many people were far more impacted than we were, but actually it’s the people risking their lives to help others, they really needed support and deserved support.”
