Edge and Bono performed The Hands That Built America at the world premiere of Martin Scorsese's Gangs of New York.

U2 wrote the song, one of two new tracks on 'U2:The Best of 1990-2000', specifically for the soundtrack to the Scorsese film and Edge and Bono gave the track its debut live airing at the after-party for the premiere in New York City Public Library.

The two attended the showing of the film at the Ziegfeld Theater along with stars of the film Daniel Day Lewis, Leonardo DiCaprio and Cameron Diaz.

Gangs of new York is a three-hour opus is set in the mid 1800's when New York's immigrant melting pot boiled over into the bloodiest street battles in American history. The drama, a project Scorsese has been working on for 32 years, stars DiCaprio as a young hoodlum who vows to avenge his father's death in 1840's New York. He is sworn to kill rival gang leader Bill "The Butcher" Poole, played by Day-Lewis. Diaz plays a thief who falls in love with DiCaprio's character.

Director Scorsese had wondered if the film would ever hit the screen. At the premiere, he said, 'I can't even quite believe it's here tonight.'

'We're just happy to be part of something so ambitious.' said Bono.

Gangs of New York opens in the US on December 20th and in Europe in January.

Catch a trailer here www.apple.com