Mon May 30, 7:20 AM ET



PHILADELPHIA - Two decades after the original Live Aid, when rock stars raised money for Ethiopian famine relief, singer-activist Bob Geldof is planning another star-studded, humanitarian event.

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Live 8 is set for Saturday, July 2, on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, a city spokeswoman said. The event will coincide with a second show in London, publicist Laura Perez told The Philadelphia Inquirer in Sunday's editions.

Details, including the lineup and other possible venues, remain secret. They are expected to be unveiled Tuesday morning at joint press conferences in Philadelphia and London, according to Perez.

The name "Live 8" is a nod to the G-8 summit, a meeting of the world's leading powers, set to start days later in Scotland. Geldof has pressed for the world's wealthiest countries to do more to fight famine and poverty in Africa.

Live Aid, held July 13, 1985, brought Mick Jagger, Madonna, Tina Turner and other stars to town while others performed at Wembley Stadium in London. The effort raised tens of millions of dollars for Ethiopia.

"What started 20 years ago is coming to a political point in a few weeks," Geldof told the BBC last week. "There's more than a chance that the boys and girls with guitars will finally get to turn the world on its axis."

The singer Sting has confirmed that he will take part in the event. "Bob called me up and said I was doing it," Sting said. "He doesn't ask you, he tells you."

Zeppelin?

Mariah is a definate for this event. That's all i know.

Come on jacko! Please do it (if free).

How good would this be 4 jacko?

I pray for him to do a piano version of "i'll be there".

thesexofit said:

Freedom pending.

i've had similar thoughts. Bob likes Mike. Can't see him being up for it mentally or physically though.

Marrk said:

Remember the brit awards? Bob gave that speech. It was corny.

Mike can do it easy. he'll have a few weeks. Just get the jacksons and do the same old medley. As old as that is, the crowd would love it. Michael knows his routines back to front.

damn...how many times am i gonna have to fly to philly this summer!?! i'm not sure where u2 will be geographically around the time of the philadelphia date but they are a sure bet for one of the shows. bruce springsteen, madonna...who else is a shoe in?
[Edited 5/30/05 18:34pm]

SassyBritches said:

They are supposed to be playing Vienna, Austria that night, I think.

Stax said:

What?

minneapolisgenius said:

I am just speculating. Perhaps they would do a second Live Aid/8 reunion?

If you saw my post in the other LIVE AID thread, PINK FLOYD (yes, with Roger Waters) is reuniting for this at the London show. I need to be at the London show!

I think our boy and Sir Bob should have a pow wow about Prince performing @ Live 8.

Look at the line up so far: I remember the last one, this should be good.


Organizers of Live Aid announce five new concerts with major stars
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at 15:46 on May 31, 2005, EST.
By CATHERINE MCALOON


British musician Bob Geldof in London Tuesday. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)
LONDON (AP) - Twenty years after the Live Aid concerts to raise money for African relief, musical superstars are joining in a five-city spectacular to raise pressure for a political solution for African poverty.

"We don't want people's money. We want them," Bob Geldof, the driving force behind the Band Aid and Live Aid campaigns, said Tuesday as he announced plans for Live 8 concerts on July 2, just days before leaders of the world's richest countries, the G8, meet in Britain.

Musicians including Madonna, Paul McCartney, U2, Bon Jovi, Brian Wilson, Crosby Stills & Nash, Coldplay, Sarah McLachlan, Sting and Joss Stone will grace stages in London, Rome, Philadelphia, Berlin, Paris and Rome.

The 1985 Live Aid concerts, held in London and Philadelphia on the same day, sold out both venues, drew a television audience of millions around the globe and raised $40 million US for poverty relief in Africa.

Since then, Geldof said, Africa had only become poorer.

"Twenty years on it strikes me as being morally repulsive and intellectually absurd that people die of want in a world of surplus," Geldof said.

"This is to finally, as much as we can, put a stop to that."

Geldof said he had resisted any recreation of Live Aid, but relented to pressure from U2's Bono and others.

"It seemed to me that we could gather again, but this time not for charity but for political justice."

The aim of the concerts was to create attention and "political heat" ahead of the G8 meeting in an effort to persuade the leaders to agree to cancel Africa's unpayable debts, double aid for the continent and make trade fair, Geldof said.

Africa is expected to be high on the agenda of the meeting of the group of eight wealthy nations - which includes Britain, the United States, France, Germany, Russia, Canada, Italy and Japan - under the presidency of British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Blair has said he wants rich nations to write off the debts owed by the world's poorest countries and to double international aid, initiatives the White House has ruled out.

"We obviously welcome any campaign which raises awareness of the need for action in Africa," a spokesman at Blair's office said Tuesday. "The prime minister is obviously working very hard to secure a comprehensive outcome for Africa at the G8 summit."

The concerts will be free of charge with musicians donating their services. Other costs will be met by corporate sponsors.

Venues for the July 2 events include London's Hyde Park, a location near the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, the Circus Maximus in Rome and Benjamin Franklin Parkway at the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of in Philadelphia. Geldof said negotiations for the Paris venue continued.

Geldof enjoyed modest success fronting the Irish punk band the Boomtown Rats, who had a British No. 1 hit in 1979 with I Don't Like Mondays, but found fame through the Live Aid appeal.

He said organizers had "scrambled like crazy to put this together."

Elton John, who will perform at the London concert, sat alongside Geldof at the news conference and said he was happy to be part of an event that was drawing the "creme de la creme."

"When the Live Aid concert happened 20 years ago I was pretty much a self-obsessed drug addict and, although I was really pleased to be part of a great day, I really wasn't adult enough or mature enough to realize the full consequences of what we were doing.

"Now I'm fully aware of what's going on and seeing the injustices going on," John said.

Geldof said after the concerts, people would be encouraged to get to Edinburgh, Scotland where he expects a million people to gather for a mass protest as the leaders meet in nearby Gleneagles.

He encouraged school students to skip school and workers to take time off to be a part of the mass gathering in Edinburgh.

"What's better, two days of work? Two days of geometry? Or participating in something you will remember all your life."

Geldof said he had invited Pope Benedict XVI to join the Edinburgh gathering.

"I think he should show up. I think it should be his first gig," Geldof said.

Those performing in London for Live 8 include Mariah Carey, Coldplay, Dido, Keane, Elton John, Annie Lennox, Madonna, Muse, the Scissor Sisters, Paul McCartney, Joss Stone, Stereophonics, Sting, Snoop, Robbie Williams, U2 and REM. Fans will enter a lottery by cell phone text message to obtain a ticket.

Organizers have said more acts will be added, possibly including the British all girl group the Spice Girls, who would need to reform for a performance.

"I spoke to them this morning, it looks very good, that's all we can say," Geldof said.

In Philadelphia, acts performing will include McLachlan, Will Smith, the Dave Matthews Band, Bon Jovi, Stevie Wonder, Puff Daddy and Jay-Z.

Among artists scheduled for Berlin are A-Ha, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Lauryn Hill and Brian Wilson.

The concert in Rome will feature musicians including Faith Hill and Duran Duran. In Paris, Jamiroquai, Craig David, Youssou N'Dour and Yannick Noah will be among those taking part.


A look at the Live 8 concert lineups announced Tuesday by organizers:


LONDON:

Mariah Carey

Coldplay

Dido

Keane

Elton John

Annie Lennox

Paul McCartney

Muse

Razorlight

REM

Scissor Sisters

Snow Patrol

Stereophonics

Sting

Joss Stone

Robbie Williams

U2

Velvet Revolver

Bob Geldof

The Killers

Madonna

The Cure


BERLIN:

a-ha

Bap

Crosby, Stills & Nash

Lauryn Hill

Die Toten Hosen

Peter Maffay

Brian Wilson


PHILADELPHIA:

Will Smith (host)

Bon Jovi

Maroon 5

Dave Matthews Band

Sarah McLachlan

Rob Thomas

Keith Urban

Jay Z

Stevie Wonder

50 Cent

Kaiser Chiefs

P. Diddy


PARIS:

Andrea Bocelli

Craig David

Calo Gero

Jamiroquai

Kyo

Yannick Noah

Youssou N'Dour

Placebo

Axelle Red

Johnny Halliday

Manu Chao

Renaud


ROME:

Irene Grandi

Faith Hill

Jovanotti

Tim McGraw

Nek

Laura Pausini

Duran Duran

Vasco Rossi

Zucchero


©The Canadian Press, 2005
[Edited 5/31/05 17:54pm]

where is the money going? Africa?
[Edited 5/31/05 18:32pm]

lilgish said:

$$ going to political solution for african poverty

Stax said:

Yeah, we could all hope.

But they won't. Robert Plant is touring this whole summer, and I'm sure he wouldn't be up for it anyway.

But I am going to see him in July though.

Jamiroquai? Lauryn Hill? Madonna? Stevie Wonder??


This is gonna be AMAZING!!

Wipe that keyboard down, David!

minneapolisgenius said:

Man, if their original Live Aid set was so bad they insisted it stayed OFF the DVD, I wouldn't hold up much hope for them appearing on this one.



Not unless they get a bit longer to rehearse this time round, anyhow

Slash said:

I agree. But the main reason they sucked so bad was that Jimmy was so strung out, he could barely stand up. That and Phil Collins on the drums. I think they would be in MUCH better form this time around.

minneapolisgenius said:

Is that what it was, in Pagey's case, he was drugged up? I don't really know the ins and outs of his life after Zep, but I am surprised that he was still caught up in that shit by such a late time as 1985...Mind you, when you are in one of the biggest groups ever and overnight it is snatched away from you by a death in the band, the temptation to self-destruct must be pretty huge...


Sad. Very sad.

Slash said:

Yeah, from what I've heard, Page was going through trying to kick heroin right during Live Aid. Apparently he had a doctor backstage to look after him in case something bad happened because he was going through withdrawal. He kicked it right after Live Aid is how the story goes. He was addicted from around '77 to '85.

And after Bonzo died in '80, he didn't pick up his guitar for nearly two years.
[Edited 6/1/05 4:53am]

onenitealone said:

minneapolisgenius said:

8 years of heroin addiction I know he ain't setting any world records there, but still.....

Silly boy

And I bet the little bugger picked up that guitar two years later and STILL peeled off riffs and licks direct from Satan's own box of World Class Riffs And Licks (TM)(c)(R)





Apparently, due to European red tape, there are now TWO "l"s in "Still" edit.
[Edited 6/1/05 5:07am]

I just found out Jimmy Page was born on the same day as my mother!


I have never seen them in a room together, ya know.....

Slash said:

Slash said:

Yeah I know.

And about your mom, I'll have to see pics to compare the two of them.

(just a lame attempt on my behalf to have an excuse to post Jimmy pics )

purplegypsy said:

No, they're not...

MartyMcFly said:

YOur source is a random Floyd Web site? Have you read any of the reports by the offical news sources?

Pink Floyd Plan To Reunite


Legendary rockers Pink Floyd are to reunite for a performance at charity concert 'Live 8' in London. The band's classic line-up of Roger Waters, Dave Gilmour, Rick Wright and Nick Mason, which recorded the 1973 classic album 'Dark Side Of The Moon', will hit the stage at the 2 July fundraiser for the first time since they last played together in the mid-1980s.
[Edited 6/1/05 6:12am]
[Edited 6/1/05 6:14am]