Stadium headliners U2 did something pretty unusual last night: Bono and Co. served as a backing band for longtime friend Gavin Friday at the Irish singer’s AIDS fundrasier “An Evening With Gavin Friday and Friends” at New York’s Carnegie Hall. Above, you can see the night’s finale, as Friday — former leader of goth-punk act Virgin Prunes — croons David Bowie’s 1972 hit “The Jean Genie” while backed by U2 and Courtney Love, among others.
During the show — a benefit to raise money for (RED) in its battle against AIDS in Africa — U2’s members, in various configurations, performed T.Rex’s “Children of the Revolution” and The Velvet Underground’s “Sweet Jane” with Lou Reed, as well as Friday’s own “I Want to Live,” “King of Trash,” “Another Blow on the Bruise” and “The Last Song I’ll Ever Sing.”
Other performers last night included The Pogues’ Shane MacGowan, John Zorn and Lady Gaga — and, for the first time in 20-odd years, the Prunes themselves (featuring Guggi and The Edge’s brother Dik Evans),who performed “Sweet Home Under White Clouds” and “Caucasian Walk” (sorry, video hasn’t surfaced yet ).
See video of “King of Trash” and “Sweet Jane” after the jump…
Video: U2 and Gavin Friday’s band, “King of Trash,” Carnegie Hall, 10/4/09
Video: U2, Lou Reed and more, “Sweet Jane,” Carnegie Hall, 10/4/09
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