Sir Paul to top Live8 bill
Sir Paul McCartney landed the headline spot at Live 8 after threatening not to perform at all. The 62-year-old former Beatle told organisers he wanted to open Saturday’s Hyde Park concert and close it or he would ‘think seriously’ about taking part.
They have bowed to his demand and Sir Paul will start the show with a version of “Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” – reworded to honour the achievements of Bob Geldof – and round it off eight hours later with “The Long and Winding Road”.
In a compromise to clashing egos, he will share the stage for the opening number with Bono and U2. Both stars and the rest of the band will pay homage to the Sergeant Pepper legend by wearing the multicoloured militarystyle suits the Beatles wore on the 1967 album cover.
A Live 8 source said Sir Paul’s headline slot had ruffled a few feathers. “Some of the more fragile egos are upset,” he said. “Bono, in particular, was quick to demand a share of the opening number and sees what he has done politically over the years as a bit more relevant to Live 8 than what Paul has to offer. Remember, these are the biggest rock stars around. Whatever order they sing in there is going to be friction.”
From The Daily Mail