Watch U2 join Ukrainian band Antytila at Electric Brixton gig
U2 joined Ukrainian band Antytila on stage at Electric Brixton last night (February 26) – watch footage of the performance below.
Antytila performed their album ‘MLNL’ – released on the second day of the Russia-Ukraine war – at the London venue, with funds going towards the Ukrainian Armed Forces and humanitarian aid.
Bono and The Edge of U2 later joined the band on stage for a surprise performance. “A privilege to join Antytila at Electric Brixton last night to perform ‘Mothers Of The Disappeared’,” U2 shared on social media alongside pictures of the intimate show.
“These musicians – Taras, Dmytros, Sherhi, Dmytros, Mykhailo… The people of Ukraine, don’t want to be at war.”
“They want peace, but not without freedom,” they added, words Bono spoke on stage.
A privilege to join Antytila at Electric Brixton last night to perform “Mothers Of The Disappeared”.
These musicians – Taras, Dmytros, Sherhi, Dmytros, Mykhailo… The people of Ukraine, don’t want to be at war
They want peace, but not without freedom. pic.twitter.com/Cp0mZlc0D8
— U2 (@U2) February 27, 2023
They performed an emotional rendition of the track from U2’s 1997 album ‘The Joshua Tree’, dedicated to the “mothers of Ukraine”.
“This is obvious, but these musicians do not want to go to war, these people do not want to go to war, but I wouldn’t fuck with them,” Bono can be heard telling the crowd in one video clip.
He added: “Never pick a fight with someone who’s ready to lose everything. I would not mess with the Ukrainians ever.”
“In the wind we hear their laughter / In the rain we see their tears / Hear their heartbeat / We hear their heartbeat,” Bono sings on the track.
Find clips and photos of the performance below.
Bono y Edge tocaron "Mothers Of The Disappeared" junto a la banda ucraniana Antytila, en el Electric Brixton, Londres, este 26 de febrero.
Vía @u2songs y @raphal80#Bono #TheEdge #Antytila #London #PeaceOnEarth pic.twitter.com/ogMd2avXBW— U2 PERU – Comunidad (@u2peru) February 27, 2023
@laa_tiana @Antytila / Антитіла @U2 #antytila #u2 #supportukraine #london
Larry“Great honor to stand on the stage with you again, guys,” Antytila wrote on social media. “More pleasure – not in the underground,” they added, referring to a concert they held in a Kyiv bomb shelter in May last year.
“Bono and the Edge took part in our gig in London. Thank you all!”
They also told fans to “stay tuned” for a “big documentary going out soon”, and tagged U2. They added: “Looking forward for this.”
Back in March last year, Antytila spoke to NME from the frontline ahead of a benefit show.
“There are a lot of social messages in our music,” frontman Taras Topolia said. “We’re not just for entertainment – we like to say something important through our music. We try to show people some light and say that everything will be alright, even if it seems hard right now.”
He continued: “We try to explain to our fans how to resist and live through dark times, as much as we love to write songs for fun and dancing.”
The band have also had support from Ed Sheeran, teaming up with Antytila for a reworked version of the latter’s song ‘2Step’.
Back in August, Sheeran was then joined at his Poland gig last week by the Ukrainian band, where they gave a live debut of their collaborative remix.
The post Watch U2 join Ukrainian band Antytila at Electric Brixton gig appeared first on NME.
Hollie Geraghty
NME
