Irish megastars U2, who brought the conflict in Northern Ireland to American audiences with the single "Sunday Bloody Sunday," and Ash, the Irish alterna-trio which has scored widespread success in Europe, will join forces today to make a peaceful political statement today when they play a free concert in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

The concert, which is being held to raise support for the Good Friday referendum, will be simulcast on BBC's website from 3:30 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. EST, and is expected to draw close to 3,000 people to Waterfront Hall. The two men integral in helping forge the Northern Ireland peace accord, David Trimble and John Hume, will also speak in favor of the proposal, which is being voted on this Friday, during the event.

In related news, Ash is using the concert to take a break from its recording schedule, as the band was in the studio last week mixing their new single, which is due out in June. According to a publicist for Ash, the band has tentatively

set September 8 as the release date for the follow-up to its 1996 album, "1977.