Concert In The Key Of Me
What is it about rock stars and charity events that brings out the cynic in me? Well lets be fair, not just rock stars but any so-called celebrity gathering to raise money for “a worthy cause” has a tendency to...
Posted to Music by gypsyman on June 29, 2005 03:59 AM
Pink Floyd Reuniting for Live 8
Four members of seminal British rock band Pink Floyd will play together for the first time in 24 years at London's Live 8 charity concert for Africa on July 2, publicists for the event said on Sunday. Guitarist David...
Posted to Music by Craig Lyndall on June 12, 2005 04:54 PM
Critics take on Live 8 Lineup and The Daily Music and Tech News
Damon Albarn criticizes Live 8 lineup as being, “just too damn Anglo-Saxon”. Critics have commented that there is a dearth of Black and African artists on the bill. In London only Snoop Dogg and Ms. Dynamite...
Posted to Music by Katharine Donelson on June 10, 2005 01:08 PM
Geldof Announces "Live 8" Concerts
20 years later Bob Geldof announces "Live 8," a repeat of 1985's Live Aid concert, with monster line-ups at five locations around the world to highlight the ongoing problem of global poverty and debt. "20 years on, it strikes me...
Posted to Music by Eric Olsen on May 31, 2005 01:34 PM
Article comments
1 - Lono
Thanks for the comprehensive listing, Eric. I know there is a lot of babble out there about how you can't save the world and these rock stars are just narcisissists and all that.
My thought being, good for them! What else were they all doing this weekend? Of course they can't end hunger, but these rock stars are doing more than any of us. Even if they only set an afternoon aside to play some rock songs... I appreciate that as a fan.
One last grave concern, when will Rob Thomas' 15 minutes be up? I just don't get it with that guy, and I am a very tolerant rock fan.
2 - Eric Olsen
I'm with you on both Rob and on the "hey, it can't hurt and good shows are always good" frame of mind - thanks Lono
3 - Mark Saleski
i'm amazed at the amount of cynicism out there.
...maybe i shouldn't be.
4 - Eric Olsen
they aren't the world, they aren't the children - or they're jealous
5 - Lono
Also, I have often opined that this step by Floyd is part of a plan to fully re-uinite and do a world tour. I just learned that sales of their box set (according to mega retailer HMV) Echoes: The Best Of was sent soaring by 1343% today.
Talk about a mandate from the people!
6 - Eric Olsen
just added a Floyd pic - check out those grizzled mofo's
7 - Lono
Yeah, as I was panning down I went right past the new pic because I assumed it was the Who... seriously.
8 - SphinxMontreal
Where were David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Bruce Springsteen, Mick Jagger and Bruce Springsteen to name a few? Did they not want to be part of this historic occasion and be remembered for their greatness in ending poverty?
Most of these artists, who appeared in Live Aid, are very classy and do not shove issues down your throat like some of the snobby riff raff that performed on Saturday.
You can judge Live 8 more accurately by those who did not appear than those who did.
9 - Lono
also, where were my gen x heroes... Pearl Jam? Red Hot Chili Peppers? How about Metallica... or even Beatallica?
10 - theSliver
It's clear that there was a very different perception of Live8 in the US than say in the UK. In the US the broadcast was controlled by MTV, in the UK it was by the BBC, so no commercials over here. The BBC also tried (somewhat vainly), not to appear to be supporting the event as that would tip it over the edge of its Charter, supporting charity is one thing, supporting a political movement unsupportable.
There was a lot of concern here at the lack of African performers and even though there was WOMAD down in Devon at the Eden project I agree with Peter Gabriel (who partly organises and largely funds WOMAD), that it would have enhanced the London gig to have more African artists and wouldn't have turned off the audience as Geldof maintained.
As it was I think I'd rather have been at the Eden project with a few thousand people watching Angelina Jolie wander around than amongst 250,000 in Hyde Park.
It wasn't that African artists were confined to the South West for any reason, WOMAD takes place every year and its permanent venue is now the Eden project.
There did seem to be a deal of confusion elsewhere as to the aims of the events, not being bombarded with demands for money every five minutes was a relief for me but for some it seems to have been disorienting.
It was no bad thing that it happened and it did no harm, if it did good and emphasised to those 8 men that there are larger considerations at times than just national interest then even better. There's at least one of them though that seems impervious to arguments such as that.
11 - Eric Olsen
thanks Sliver, very good information