Live 8! It’s Official! Bob Geldof Details Multiple Global Concerts and All Star Performers Line Up
By Arlene R. Weiss © Copyright May 31, 2005
Updated 6/29/2005
Bob Geldof has made lightening strike twice! 20 years after organizing Live Aid in 1985, to raise awareness and funds to help with relief to stem the African Famine, Geldof is now realizing his dream of a major music event focusing and demanding the global public’s awareness and attention to actively peruse concrete resolutions to worldwide poverty and to the blight of “debt, aid, and trade” issues plaguing Africa. Geldof has put together Live 8, a mammoth music event conceivably larger and no doubt to prove every bit as historic as the beloved Live Aid.
Today, Bob Geldof officially announced that the much heralded, greatly anticipated Live 8 will be not one, but a minimum of at least five simultaneous music concerts to be held Saturday July 2, Internationally, at London, England’s Hyde Park, at Circus Maximus in Rome, Italy, at the Palais de Versailles in Paris, France, at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, West Germany, (at Park Place in Barrie, Canada...Updated 6/23/2005), (at Makuhari Messe in Tokyo, Japan...Updated June 27, 2005), (at Red Square In Moscow, Russia...Updated 6/27/2005), and at the Museum Of Art in Philadelphia, USA.
Additionally, Cornwall, England will host The Eden Project/Africa Calling, a companion concert to benefit the Live 8 cause, also held Saturday July 2, 2005, hosted by Peter Gabriel and showcasing music artists from Africa. (Updated 6/23/2005)
At an International press conference today at London’s Grosvenor Hotel, with Elton John sitting beside him, and John stating that he was exceedingly proud to be performing at the upcoming event, Geldof discussed that the concerts, all of which will be free to the public, are being staged to assist in raising worldwide public awareness of poverty in developing nations, specifically in Africa, only days before many of the Western World’s leaders meet to address the issues of third world poverty, hunger, and the spread of the AIDS pandemic, at the historic G8 Summit which takes place July 6-July 8, 2005 in Gleneagles, Scotland.
Geldof noted that in precise timing with the G8 Summit, that Live 8 will be a significant platform to address and raise awareness of global poverty. “Here we are again. Live 8 is a unique opportunity for Britain to do something unparalleled in the world and at the beginning of the 21st century, and that is to tilt the world a little bit on its axis in favor of the poor. What Live Aid did joyously, and enthusiastically, was open up the avenues of possibility. Live 8 invites you to walk down them.”
Geldof was joined at the media conference by collaborators for Live 8, which included original Live Aid co-founder Midge Ure, Live Aid concert promoter Harvey Goldsmith, current IFPI Chairman/CEO John Kennedy, and Elton John, who also performed at Live Aid. John proudly exclaimed that “I would go on a dangerous mission with Bob. I trust him with my life. He is an honorable, honorable man and I admire him so much for what he’s doing here.”
Discussions are still going on to discuss plans to stage more concerts in the cities of the other three G8 nations, Japan, Canada, and Russia.
The BBC will broadcast the televised event Internationally around the globe and coordinate feeds to local television affiliates in various countries. AOL will also stream the shows live on the Internet. Tickets will be available through competitions via various media.
Geldof urged people across the globe to support the Make Poverty History campaign, by traveling to Edinburgh after the concerts to actively participate in the Edinburgh demonstrations which will be conducted simultaneously as the G8 Summit is being held..
Geldof in typical well intentioned and lionhearted colorful bluster, bluntly espoused “If anyone is not going to come to our party…and it’s going to be one hell of a party…they can f**k right off”.
“These concerts are the starting point for “The Long Walk To Justice”. We will not tolerate the further pain of the poor while we have the financial means and moral means to prevent it. The boys and girls with guitars will finally get to turn the world on its axis. What we started 20 years ago is coming to a political point in a few weeks. What we do next is seriously, properly, historically and politically important.”
The lineup as of 6/29/2005 and subject to the addition of more artists includes:
London:
Coldplay
Pink Floyd (Reunited Original Members)
U2
Sting
Bob Geldof
Mariah Carey
Dido
Keane
Snow Patrol
Sir Elton John
Annie Lennox
Madonna
Sir Paul McCartney
Razorlight
Snoop Dogg
The Killers
Velvet Revolver
Joss Stone
Stereophonics
R.E.M.
Scissor Sisters
Robbie Williams
Ms. Dynamite
Travis
UB40
Philadelphia:
Will Smith
Destiny's Child
Def Leppard
Alicia Keys
The Black Eyed Peas
Linkin Park
Bon Jovi
Dave Matthews Band
Stevie Wonder
Sarah McLachlan
Jay-Z
P. Diddy
Josh Groban
Maroon 5
Rob Thomas
Toby Keith
Keith Urban
Kaiser Chiefs
Rome:
Faith Hill
Tim McGraw
Duran Duran
Jovan Otti
Nek
Laura Pausini
Vasco Rossi
Zucchero
Paris:
The Cure
Muse
Andrea Bocelli
Sheryl Crow
Dido
Shakira
Tina Arena
Cerrone/Nile Rogers
Axelle Red
Craig David
Calogero
David Hallyday
Diam's
Disiz La Peste
Faudel
Florent Pagny
Johnny Hallyday
Kool Shen
Kyo
Louis Bertignac
Placebo
Renaud
Yannick Noah
Youssou N'Dour
Berlin:
Green Day
A-Ha
Audioslave
Roxy Music
Crosby, Stills & Nash
Lauryn Hill
Brian Wilson
Bap
Die Toten Hosen
Chris de Burgh
Renee Olstead
Sasha
Joana Zimmer
Juan Diego Florez
Juli
Katherine Jenkins
Reamonn
Sibermond
Soehne Mannheims
Wir Sind Helden
Barrie:
Motley Crue’
Neil Young
Jet
Deep Purple
Bryan Adams
Blue Rodeo
Bruce Cockburn
Barenaked Ladies
Our Lady Peace
The Tragically Hip
African Guitar Summit
The Bachman Cummings Band
Doba Caracol featuring Kna’an
Gordon Lightfoot
Great Big Sea
Jann Arden
Les Trois Accords
Sam Roberts
Simple Plan
Tegan & Sara
Tom Cochrane
Tokyo:
Bjork
Good Charlotte
Def Tech
Dreams Come True
McFly
Rize
Moscow:
Pet Shop Boys
Bravo
B-2
Moral Code X
Spleen
Valery Sutkin
Eden Project/Africa Calling:
Angelique Kidjo
Maryam Mursal
Salif Keita
Thomas Mapfumo
Tinariwen
Daara J
Shikisha
Ayub Ogada
Modou Diouf & O Fogum
By Arlene R. Weiss © Copyright May 31, 2005 Updated 6/29/2005
Sources:
http://www.live8live.com/
http://www.billboard.com/bb/daily/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000938641
http://www.nme.com/news/112519.htm
http://www.pollstar.com/news/viewnews.pl?NewsID=4034
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