According to Stereogum, U2’s Bono and the Edge did a surprise concert in Kyiv on Sunday at a bomb shelter inside of a subway station. They performed “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” “Angel Of Harlem,” “With Or Without You,” “Desire,” and covered “Stand By Me” (replacing “me” with “Ukraine”) with Taras Topolya, a Ukrainian soldier and member of the band Antytila. “Your president leads the world in the cause of freedom right now … the people of Ukraine are not just fighting for your own freedom, you’re fighting for all of us who love freedom,” Bono told a crowd of up to 100 inside the Khreshchatyk metro station. He continued to say in between the performance “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.”
U2 is the latest band to show support for Ukraine. Sonic Youth recently released Live In Kyiv, Ukraine 1989, with all proceeds from the album sales will be donated to the non-profit organization World Central Kitchen, which provides meals to Ukrainian families suffering from the invasion. Ozzy Osbourne, Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Elton John, Celine Dion and U2 also contributed to Global Citizen’s “#StandUpForUkraine” social media campaign.
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