Live 8 Spoiler From VH1

The skies over London’s Hyde Park had been threatening to open up all day long. Heavy gray clouds hung lazily in the sky, pregnant with raindrops.

A cold breeze whipped over the barren park- grounds, sending the assembled Live 8 crew and band techs running for their windbreakers and hoodies. Most of the grass in the park had turned from a robust green to a tired, weary brown, and huge tracts of mud had been opened up by foot traffic and the odd Caterpillar tractor. Even the ducks in Hyde Park’s pond looked miserable – and they live here.

And in the middle of all this, standing on a barren stage, Madonna had chosen to wear white – fabulous, virginal white. In fact, she’d dressed her entire backing band (complete with a full gospel choir) in white too, the type of wardrobe mandate only Madge could make. And this was all just for her soundcheck, which lasted for the better part of an hour.

Before an audience of about 100 stagehands and various members of the media, she ran through a bumping medley of her hits: “Like a Prayer,” “Music,” “Ray of Light,” all of which had grips and gaffers dancing in their workboots while Sting braved the drizzle to watch. In fact, the music was so loud that the throngs of fans gathering outside the concert grounds – on the other side of a massive field, across crowd-control barricades and huge green walls put up only days ago – were able to hear it. And they were dancing too.

From VH1