Band last performed the Darlene Love classic live in 1987 during one of their famed Rattle and Hum concerts
U2 unwrapped their rendition of a yuletide classic for the first time in nearly 36 years Friday as the band covered Darlene Love’s “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” at Las Vegas’ Sphere.
U2 had only performed “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” in concert on one other occasion: Back on December 20, 1987, the band closed out their Joshua Tree tour with a gig at Tempe, Arizona’s Sun Devil Stadium. Performances from that show ended up on their Rattle and Hum, and while that night’s “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” wasn’t included on that album, the band would release a music video of a soundchecked rendition of the classic:
Saturday night’s gig at the Sphere marked what was originally supposed to be the final gig of U2’s Las Vegas residency; it’s since been extended until March 2024. Perhaps to promote the added dates, the band shared a new live video of Achtung Baby’s “The Fly” that better captures the immersive power of the Sphere than the usual YouTube-uploaded fan clips:
Bono and company wrap up their U2 UV: Achtung Baby residency on March 2, with the run totaling 40 shows.