U2 on Manchester Bombing: 'They Hate Everything That We Love'

Senior Writer

During a Tuesday night appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, U2 spoke out about the Manchester terrorist attack that left 22 concertgoers dead following an Ariana Grande concert Monday night.

"They hate music. They hate women. They even hate little girls," Bono said of the terrorists who carried out the bombing (which the Islamic State militant group claimed responsibility for). "They hate everything that we love, and the worst of humanity was on display in Manchester last night."

Bono also was hopeful about the resilience of the city. "Manchester has an undefeatable spirit, I can assure you," he said to cheers.

It's not the first time U2 has found itself responding to a massive terror attack. In late 2015, after 89 people were killed during an Eagles of Death Metal performance in Paris, U2 brought the Eagles of Death Metal onstage for a show of unity. Years earlier, U2's "Walk On" became an emotional anthem of resilience after the September 11 attacks, especially when the band performed it during a televised benefit concert.

During the Kimmel appearance, U2 also discussed such wide-ranging topics as Donald Trump (Bono's not a fan), advice from Bruce Springsteen and when the next U2 album is finally going to arrive (answer: "definitely within the next 27 years").

Following the discussion, U2 gave a surprise gospel-tinged performance of the 1987 hit "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For." The band is currently on tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of The Joshua Tree, which is getting a deluxe anniversary reissue that's out next month.

Watch the performance below.