Bruce Springsteen and Coldplay frontman Chris Martin took the reigns of U2 last night (December 1st), for a special World Aids Day concert in New York’s Times Square. Billing themselves as 'U2 Minus 1', the Irish rockers were down a member after frontman Bono was injured in a cycling accident last month.

Bruce SpringsteenBruce Springsteen stepped into Bono's shoes on Monday night in Times Square

Despite the special gig only being announced hours prior, thousands of people crammed into Times Square for the once in a lifetime opportunity to see U2 and Bruce Springsteen share the same stage. The Boss lent his vocals to the U2 classics ‘I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For’ and ‘Where the Streets Have No Name’ alongside band members Adam Clayton, The Edge and Larry Mullen Jr.

More: Three Metal Plates, 18 Screws And Five Hours Of Surgery: Turns Out Bono’s Bike Spill Was More Serious Than We Thought

Coldplay frontman Chris Martin took the lead on ‘Beautiful Day’ and ‘With or Without You’, telling the crowd that "Dreams come true, for young and old people alike.” Country star Carrie Underwood also performed at gig, playing ‘Change’, accompanied by U2’s The Edge and new single ‘Something in the Water’.

Former President Bill Clinton put in a surprise appearance at the event, giving a brief speech telling the audience, “You only have a minute and a half of halfway-serious talk and then it's all fun.” Before reading from an email hat Bono had sent him earlier in the day, closing with the line, "We're going to win this fight.”

More: Shock Horror! Kanye West Reportedly Holds Up Flight From Paris (And He Doesn’t Even Apologise)

Kanye West performed an 8minute medley of his hits, including ‘Power’, ‘Jesus Walks’, ‘Black Skinhead’, ‘Stronger’ and ‘Touch the Sky’. However MTV reports that the Yeezus rapper was in his usual form, shouting to the side of the stage after the beat kept going for a few extra bars at the end of ‘Stronger’, “Laura, next song! We’re on TV,” West is said to have shouted. Poor Laura.

Kanye WestKanye perfromed a meledy of hits at the New York gig