U2 set to debut new song, Ahimsa, before Sydney show

Less than 24 hours before their first Sydney show, U2 has dropped a new song titled Ahimsa - a collaboration with a legendary composer.

U2 has dropped a new single ahead of the band’s first show in Sydney. The track, titled Ahimsa, was written “to mark U2’s first ever visit to India” and is a collaboration with legendary composer A.R. Rahman.

The band teased the single yesterday, as the Edge’s long-serving guitar tech Dallas Schoo confirmed the band was working on a new album during the U2 Conference at Studios 301.

Ahimsa derives from a Sanskrit word and describes a Hinduism virtue of respect for all living things and avoidance of violence towards others.

U2 will perform their first ever concert in India next month and in an interview with Indian TV in September, Bono described Ahimsa as “India’s greatest gift to the world”.

U2 band members pictured on arrival into Sydney. Picture: Matrix

He said he became aware of the virtue via their studies of Martin Luther King who had in turn been inspired by the teachings of nonviolent protest by Mahatma Gandhi.

“We come as students of the source of inspiration that is Ahimsa, of nonviolence which India gave us. It’s the greatest gift to the world,” Bono said.

“And it’s never been more important.”

In a statement, The Edge said: “It has been an absolute joy to work with A.R. on this track. A superstar and a talent both towering and generous, we are especially excited to visit his homeland in just a few weeks”.

“India has been on our bucket list for a very long time, the principles of ahimsa or non-violence have served as an important pillar of what our band stands for since we first came together to play music. We can’t wait to experience the culture of India first hand, a place that brings together the modern and the ancient all at once.”

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Bono performs in a "pecs" shirt during U2’s PopMart concert at SFS in 1998. Picture: News Corp Australia

Bono and The Edge were among the guests at a dinner party to celebrate the birthday of the band’s long-serving guitar tech Dallas Schoo at Porteno restaurant in Surry Hills on Wednesday night.

Schoo regaled the U2 Conference gathering of academics and superfans in Sydney on Thursday with a revealing tale of what went on behind the scenes when U2 was forced to play the only concert without all four members at their Zoo TV gig at the Sydney Football Stadium on November 26 in 1993.

Clayton had reportedly been on a bender and was bedridden; he has been sober since that time.

Schoo said the three band members called him into their backstage tent about an hour before the concert with more than 40,000 adoring fans already in the stadium to ask him if he could take over guitar duties with The Edge switching to bass.

The decision was then taken for Clayton’s bass tech Stuart Morgan to fill in.

“They said ‘Adam’s not going to make the show, Adam’s sick … and Bono goes ‘Can you play Edge’s parts? Edge is going to play bass,” Schoo said.

“I knew for that particular setlist most of the hooks …(but can I play the Bullet The Blue Sky solo? No. Can I play anything more than the main chord structure? No.

“But they were in dire straits, it was too late to cancel, they had a stadium full of people.

“Part of me was ‘Man, is this my moment?’ Part of me wanted to say I’ll give it a go … but this isn’t a blues band, this is serious, to be able to play within those beautiful chords of Pride … they’re waiting for an answer and it was no, I can’t do it.”

Replacement bassist Stuart Morgan performing with U2 at the SFS in Sydney during their Zoo TV show in 1983. Picture: Trent Parke

Morgan was then summoned to the meeting and asked if he would feel confident about taking on Clayton’s duties for the night, which was a dress rehearsal for the band’s filming of the next night’s show for a concert movie.

“They sat him there … and said we’re going to give this a go. We’re not going to announce you, you’re going to come up with us Stuart, with a hat, say nothing … we play three or four songs and then Bono was going to say “People, you are not going to believe this. This is not Adam Clayton, this is a guy who’s putting in on the line. What do you think?’

“And the place went berserk. Good ol’ Stu delivered.”

Their next tour of Australia for PopMart in 1998 also proved poignant for the band with U2 including a tribute to Bono’s close mate Michael Hutchence who had died the previous year.

U2 perform at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday and Saturday with the band expected on stage between 8pm and 8.30pm. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds kick off at 7pm.

Originally published as U2 set to debut new song, Ahimsa, before Sydney show