Pink Floyd to reunite for Live 8

2005-06-13 08:29

London - After a break of almost 25 years legendary British pop group Pink Floyd are to reunite to take part in one of the concerts organised to mark the G8 summit in Scotland next month.

David Gilmour, Nick Mason, Roger Waters and Richard Wright will play at the Live 8 concert in London's Hyde Park on July 2, one of five masterminded by pop star Bob Geldof to draw attention to the plight of millions of poor Africans.

"Like most people, I want to do everything I can to persuade the G8 leaders to make huge commitments to the relief of poverty and increased aid to the third world," Gilmour said.

"It's crazy that America gives such a paltry percentage of its GNP to the starving nations."

Pink Floyd, famous for their film The Wall, in which Geldof appeared, and albums such as Dark Side of the Moon broke up in the 1980s after personality clashes between Waters and the rest of the band.

Waters last played with the group in 1981 though other members continued to perform for several years.

"Any squabbles Roger and the band have had in the past are so petty in this context, and if reforming for this concert will help focus attention then it's got to be worthwhile," Gilmour said.

The London concert will star ex-Beatle Paul McCartney, Dido, Keane, Elton John, Annie Lennox, REM, Sting, Robbie Williams and The Cure, according to Geldof, former leader of the Boomtown Rats, who was the driving force behind the 1985 Live Aid concert to raise funds to combat famine in Ethiopia.

There will be Live 8 concerts in Philadelphia in the United States, Paris, Rome and Berlin.

Leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States will meet at a luxury hotel in Gleneagles on July 6 and 7 with initiatives to help reduce poverty in Africa at the top of the agenda.

- AFP