Guardian News and Media/London
U2 reunited on Saturday to perform their first live gig in four years. The Irish band played at a hotel in Beverly Hills, appearing as part of a star-studded benefit concert for Haiti relief.
The third annual Help Haiti show, organised by actor Sean Penn, was held as part of Golden Globes weekend at the five-star Montage Hotel. U2 were the surprise closing act, playing three classic songs - I Will Follow, Desire, and Vertigo - for an audience of mostly celebrities.
Earlier in the night, Bono and the Edge had appeared on stage to accompany Haitian singer Anaelle Jean-Pierre, who sang a version of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah.
The programme also included a performance by Israeli musician Asaf Avidan, speeches by Idris Elba and Emma Thompson, and compere duties by CNN fixture Anderson Cooper. “Haiti pulses with life,” Cooper told the crowd, according to Variety. “Tonight, we celebrate that life, and that hope and that strength.”
While U2 haven’t gigged since 2010, Saturday night’s show is not expected to be their last performance of 2014.
The rockers’ 13th studio album is reportedly out in April through U2’s new deal with Island Records, with live dates sure to follow.
According to Billboard, the LP may be announced on February 3, during a Super Bowl television ad. Altogether, Help Haiti’s patrons raised about £3.6mn for the J/P Haitian Relief Organisation, who have been working to rebuild the country after its catastrophic earthquakes in 2010.
Saturday night’s donors included Piers Morgan, Julia Roberts and Michael Douglas, as well as Charlize Theron and Chris Martin, who allegedly fought a charity bidding war over an original Banksy painting.
The following night, U2 received a Golden Globe award for their song Ordinary Love, from the soundtrack to Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom. “This really is personal for us,” Bono said.