Live 8 line-up announced
Circus Maximus in Rome, London’s Hyde Park and the Eiffel Tower in Paris are among the venues for Live 8, a series of concerts being organized by Bob Geldof, the driving force behind the Band Aid and Live Aid campaigns for African famine relief.
The July 2 concerts, which will be free, also will be held at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin and in Philadelphia, organizers said today.
Performers include Coldplay, Madonna, Paul McCartney, R.E.M. and U2 in London; Will Smith, Bon Jovi, Dave Matthews Band, Stevie Wonder and P. Diddy in Philadelphia; Crosby, Stills and Nash, Lauren Hill and Brian Wilson in Berlin; Jamiroquai, Youssou N’Dour, Yannick Noah and Placebo in Paris; and Duran Duran in Rome.
The events are aimed at raising awareness of poverty in developing countries just days before G8 leaders meet in Britain. Organizers didn’t immediately announce which artists would perform at the concerts or where the concert in Philadelphia would take place.
They said there were plans for concerts in other cities in G8 countries, but didn’t give further details. Japan, Canada and Russia are the three other nations in the G8.
From AP Wire
The organisers of Live 8 have announced the performers’ names in alphabetical order “because so many stars were taking part” it was impossible to choose a headline act.
In London‘s Hyde Park, those performing include Mariah Carey, Coldplay, Dido, Keane, Sir Elton John, Annie Lennox, Madonna, Muse, the Scissor Sisters, Sir Paul McCartney, Joss Stone, Stereophonics, Sting, Snoop, Robbie Williams, U2 and REM.
In Philadelphia, acts performing will include Will Smith, the Dave Matthews Band, Bon Jovi, Stevie Wonder, Puff Daddy and Jay-Z. Among artists scheduled for Berlin are A-Ha, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Lauryn Hill and Brian Wilson. The concert in Rome will feature musicians including Faith Hill and Duran Duran. In Paris, Jamiroquai, Craig David, Youssou N’Dour and Yannick Noah will be among those taking part.
Geldof said the concert was not going to be “gloomy and doomy” and was “not for charity but for political justice”. He said organisers had “scrambled like crazy to put this together”, adding: “I think we’re almost there. The continent in those 20 years… has gone into economic decline by a factor of 25%. The result of that is we see people dying on TV screens every night. This is to finally, as much as as we can, put a stop to that. It seemed to me that we could gather again, not for charity but for political justice.”
From Ireland Online
