U2 stars busk for the homeless after long hiatus
The band serenaded onlookers with a song from their latest album, as well as carols
Bono joined The Edge for the U2 stars’ first performance since 2015 at the annual Christmas Eve charity busking session outside the Gaiety theatre in Dublin, performing along with a host of other famous Irish musicians in aid of the city’s homeless.
The event took place in support of the Simon Community, a homelessness charity which helps people who are homeless or at risk of becoming so.
The U2 members serenaded onlookers with a song from their latest album, as well as two Christmas carols - ‘O Holy Night’ and ‘O Night Divine’ - before they were joined by an ensemble to sing ‘Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)’, a rock song originally sung by Darlene Love in 1963.
Crowds had gathered around a makeshift stage on Grafton Street from 4pm on Monday. Other performers included organiser Glen Hansard, Damien Rice, Danny O’Reilly, Imelda May, Luke Clerkin, Mundy and Roisin O.
Rice played a slowed-down cover of ‘Creep’, the Radiohead song from their first album, while Hansard played guitar for a rousing rendition of George Michael’s ‘Faith’, sung by a man named Philip who is currently in a Dublin hostel and is assisted by the Simon Community.
There are almost 10,000 homeless people across Ireland , including nearly 4,000 children. Inner City Helping Homeless, a Dublin charity, said more than 100 people were found sleeping rough on Dublin’s streets on Sunday night.