U2 dedicate ‘Pride’ to festival-goers killed in Israel
During their show at the MSG Sphere in Las Vegas on October 8th, U2 dedicated ‘Pride (In The Name Of Love)’ to those who lost their lives in Israel at a music festival due to attacks from Hamas.
As it stands, over 260 bodies have been recovered in Israel. Many of those were music fans who attended the Supernova Sukkot Festival which took place three miles away from the Gaza border. The music event was attacked during the early hours of October 8th as rockets were initially launched at the festival site before the gunfire began.
While Bono dedicated The Unforgettable Fire track to all those who have died on both sides of the conflict, the U2 frontman made a special point to pay tribute to the music lovers who were killed at the festival.
“Sing for our brothers and sisters. Who they themselves were singing at the Supernova Sukkot festival in Israel,” he told the audience. “We sing for those. Our people, our kind of people. Music people. Playful, experimental people. Our kind of people. We sing for them.”
Bono added: “In the light of what’s happened in Israel and Gaza, a song about non-violence seems somewhat ridiculous, even laughable, but our prayers have always been for peace and for non-violence. But our hearts and our anger, you know where that’s pointed. So sing with us and those beautiful kids at that music festival.”
He then changed the lyrics to ‘Pride (In The Name Of Love)’ and sang: “Early morning, October 7, As the sun is rising in the desert sky, Stars of David, they took your life, But they could not take your pride.”
One survivor who attended the festival told Ynet: “It happened in an instant. The terrorists arrived on the right side of the road and then got out of a large white vehicle, a type of van. They shot from close range, it was terrible.”
Watch U2 perform ‘Pride (In The Name Of Love)’ below.
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Music Newsletter
All the latest music news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.