Kevin Winter/Getty Images for NARASU2‘s Bono and The Edge took part in a concert special called Songs from an Empty Room that aired Saturday on Irish TV and featured the duo playing an unlikely acoustic cover of Led Zeppelin‘s “Stairway to Heaven.”
The show raised money for people who work in the live-events industry, which has been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The special featured various Irish artists performing at select empty venues around Ireland, while the U2 members contributed a pre-taped performance that apparently was shot at either Bono’s or The Edge’s home.
In the segment, Bono gives a shout-out to U2’s Irish road crew, calling them the “best in the world,” and then explains why he and The Edge decided to perform the Zeppelin classic on the special.
“There is one annoying aspect of Irish crew,” the singer maintains. “Wherever you go in the world, whatever venue you’re playing…you walk into the venue, it’s a big moment, and you’ll hear a song we said that we’ll never, ever play…That’s right, ‘Stairway to Heaven.’ These professionals believe they play this better than the band. And you know, it might be true.”
As Bono tells his story, The Edge starts playing the song’s opening. Bono then says, “Anyway, to honor Irish crew,” and proceeds to singing a fairly faithful rendition of the rock anthem.
When he gets to the lyric “it makes me wonder,” Bono stops singing and quips, “It makes me wonder…if they’re not right.”
The entire two-hour show can be viewed at RTE.ie.
Proceeds raised by Songs from an Empty Room benefit two charities — Minding Creative Minds and the Association of Irish Stage Technicians Hardship Fund. For more details, visit SongsfromanEmptyRoom.com.
By Matt Friedlander
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