Live 8 rocks the globe
2005-07-02 16:44
London - Paul McCartney and U2's Bono rocked London's Hyde Park with a rousing performance of Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band on Saturday to kick off the main event in the Live 8 extravaganza rolling around the globe.
A thunderous roar erupted from the crowd of about 150 000 as the two iconic performers belted out the first line: "It was 20 years ago today ..." - a nod to the mammoth Live Aid concerts that raised millions for African famine relief two decades ago.
From Johannesburg to Philadelphia, from Berlin to Tokyo, musicians and fans gathered for a global music marathon to raise awareness of African poverty and pressure the world's most powerful leaders.
While electrifying the crowd with an opening set that included Beautiful Day and One, Bono launched an appeal for lifting Africa out of its misery.
"We're not looking for charity, we're looking for justice," Bono told the sea of spectators. "We cannot fix every problem, but the ones we can we must."
The first concert kicked off in Japan, where Bjork and Good Charlotte joined local bands for a concert that failed to generate much interest in Asia's only G8 nation.
It rolled on to Johannesburg where 24-year-old Zambian singer Lindiwe opened before a crowd of 2 000 to begin with.
Numbers increased to 5 000 and police predicted that they would grow further as people were attracted to the open-air venue which has a capacity of around 40 000.
'Do not create a generation of cynics'
German crowd-pleasers Die Toten Hosen kicked off Berlin's Live 8 concert with a string of power anthems.
"This is no rock concert, it's a reminder about next Wednesday," singer Campino told the crowds.
In an open letter to the G8 leaders, which appeared in several British newspapers on Saturday, organiser Bob Geldof said the summit will disappoint the world if it fails to deliver an extra $25bn in aid to Africa.
"We will not applaud half-measures, or politics as usual. This must be a historic breakthrough," the letter says. "Today there will be noise and music and joy, the joy of exuberant possibility. On Friday (the end of the summit) there will be great silence as the world awaits your verdict. Do not disappoint us. Do not create a generation of cynics."
'Africa has good things to give'
The concert in Johannesburg and a concert featuring African artists in southwestern England were organised following criticism that African artists had been left out of the Live 8 concerts, despite the event's aim to raise awareness of the continent's plight.
"Africans are involved in helping Africa, which doesn't happen too often," Cameroonian singer Coco Mbassi said before the Eden Project concert. "We're presenting a different image of Africa - showing that Africa has good things to give."
There are shows on Saturday in all the G8 countries -the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Japan and Russia - as well as in Johannesburg, where former President Nelson Mandela was expected to address the crowd.
On the net: www.live8live.com
- AP