Live Earth London wraps with Madonna Spectacular
Live Earth London has drawn to a close with a spectacular headline set from Madonna. The queen of pop, an adopted Londoner, turned each song into a show-stopper in a vintage performance. She was backed by a choir for Hey You (written especially for Live Earth), rocked out on guitar with robotic dancers for Ray of Light and was joined by members of gypsy punks Gogol Bordello for a crazed hoedown version of La Isla Bonita.
She also took time to thank Live Earth organizers Al Gore and Kevin Wall “for giving the world the wake-up call it so badly needs.” The set closed with her U.K. No. 1 Hung Up, turning a packed Wembley Stadium into the world’s biggest disco, before Madonna handed over to New York to carry on the festivities.
It was a fitting conclusion to a day that managed to combine plenty of great music with the central message of raising awareness of climate change. This was illustrated to dramatic effect just before Madonna’s set, when actor Terence Stamp led a ceremonial turning off of all Wembley’s “non-essential lighting.”
From a review by Billboard.com.