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(L-R): The Edge, Larry Mullen Jr, Adam Clayton of U2, Bruce Springsteen, Carrie Underwood, Kayne West, Coldplay’s Chris Martin at the World AIDS Day (RED) concert in Times Square in New York
U2, which has played only select shows since a 2009-2011 tour, announced the free show in Times Square with several hours of notice to raise awareness and funding on World AIDS Day.
But with frontman Bono injured in a bicycle incident last month, the Irish superstars offered the microphone to two of the rare vocalists who rival U2 in celebrity.
“Dreams come true for all, old and young people alike,” a humbled Coldplay frontman Martin said on the stage set up underneath Times Square’s famous flashing screens on a rainy night.
Martin, who has long cited U2 as an influence on his work, joined The Edge and the rest of the band to perform With or Without You and Beautiful Day — staying faithful to Bono’s lyrics and style while struggling to match his range.
Closing the hour-long concert, Springsteen summoned the depths of his emotional force to sing Where the Streets Have No Name before a more understated rendition of I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.
Leaving behind his usual guitar, Springsteen cast a surprisingly similar physical appearance to Bono as he grabbed the microphone, with The Edge audibly driving the music.
Also performing were country singer Carrie Underwood and hip-hop star Kanye West, who energetically blended hits such as Stronger and Touch the Sky — while noting that he had to condense his set for the sake of television viewers.
The concert was organised by the Bono-backed Red campaign to mark a decade since the United States dramatically ramped up support for fighting AIDS.
Bono appeared briefly in a video at the concert in which celebrities listed items — such as French fries and lipstick — that cost the 40 US cents required to provide daily treatment.
“Two pills a day is what it takes to stay alive if you’re HIV positive,” Bono said.
Former US president Bill Clinton, who explained that Bono asked him to address the concert, said that 2014 marked the first time that more people around the world received life-saving drugs than were newly diagnosed with HIV.
“Twenty-six years ago, we could never have had an event like this on World AIDS Day because to be diagnosed with AIDS was a death sentence,” said Clinton, referring to the start of the annual commemoration.
“We are going to win this fight,” Clinton said.
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