U2’s Bono and The Edge are the latest artists to show their support for Ukraine, following an invitation from President Volodymyr Zelensky the pair travelled to the war-torn country to perform an acoustic set. On Sunday, the iconic musicians visited Kyiv to perform a 40 minute in Khreshchatyk station, due to the country’s recent turmoil the metro station has been re-purposed as a bomb shelter. To share the news of their intimate set, Bono and The Edge took to Twitter with the hashtag #StandWithUkraine.
President @ZelenskyyUa invited us to perform in Kyiv as a show of solidarity with the Ukrainian people and so that’s what we’ve come to do. — Bono and The Edge #StandWithUkraine
— U2 (@U2) May 8, 2022
The pair’s performance drew a large crowd of both soldiers and civilians, and many audience members filmed the special event and shared the videos on social media. The Irish rockers showcased a set list which included their 1987 megahit “With Or Without You”. The pair also performed other beloved hits such as “Desire”, “Vertigo” and “Angel of Harlem” in addition to a rendition of the Ben E King classic “Stand By Me”, within the lyrics the duo replaced “Me” with “Ukraine”.
During the cover, the pair were joined by a special guest, Ukrainian singer Taras Topolia. The 34-year-old singer songwriter is from the Ukrainian band Antytila and became a solder when the country became invaded. Throughout the concert, Bono and The Edge were also joined onstage by other Ukrainian musicians who were forced to join the military due to the ongoing conflict.
Speaking to the audience Bono gave the supportive message, “The people in Ukraine are not just fighting for your own freedom, you are fighting for all of us who love freedom, We pray that you will enjoy some of that peace soon.” The 61-year-old activist and singer continued to rally the crowd, “This evening, 8 May, shots will ring out in the Ukraine sky, but you’ll be free at last. They can take your lives, but they can never take your pride,”
Bono recently spoke with Mark Austin from Sky News whilst visiting Borodyanka, a Ukrainian town which became occupied by Russian forces several weeks ago. Within the interview, the singer gave his opinion on the unfolding conflict and stated that he felt that “younger people in Russia will know what’s going on“, he continued to add that he has faith “in the younger people in Russia to throw this man” to evict Putin from his position.
He proceeded to discuss the struggles of Borodyanka’s population, “You can’t ever really have a sense of what these people have been through, I’m not sure words can fully express what they’ve been through.” Bono continued, “The story I wanted to tell today… is how many Ukrainians died fighting fascism, fighting the Nazis: nearly eight million. And then to be called fascists is just ridiculous.”
The surprise concert is not the only form of support in which members of U2 have participated within; earlier in the year the band released the song “Walk On Ukraine”. The single highlighted the struggles and conflict in which has hit the country, the acoustic track is a revised version of the band’s hit “Walk On”. Throughout the band’s long career, they have become known for their philanthropy, in 2005 the Grammy-award winning group were given the Amnesty International Ambassador Of Conscience Award for their efforts in combining music with the fight for human rights.
