Megastars to rock the world in giant Live Earth concerts
by Robin Millard2 hours, 42 minutes ago
Madonna, Genesis and the re-formed Police will top a galaxy of stars rocking the world against climate change in seven mammoth concerts around the globe on July 7, organizers said Tuesday.
More than 100 acts will perform in the giant 24-hour Live Earth concert relay -- the brainchild of former US vice-president Al Gore -- spanning Sydney, Tokyo, Shanghai, Johannesburg, London, Rio de Janeiro and New York.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Genesis top the bill at London's Wembley Stadium while Bon Jovi, The Police and Smashing Pumpkins will headline the concert at New York's Giants Stadium, organisers said.
"Live Earth -- the concerts for a climate in crisis", dreamed up by politician-turned-environmental campaigner Gore, are intended to highlight the threat of climate change.
Organisers hope the concerts will raise awareness of the issue just as the 1985 Live Aid concerts raised awareness of starvation in Africa. They aim to reach over two billion people on television, radio and the Internet.
In London, Duran Duran, the Foo Fighters, the Black Eyed Peas, Keane, Snow Patrol, Bloc Party and the Beastie Boys will also perform at the 90,000-seater newly-redeveloped Wembley stadium.
Razorlight, Corinne Bailey Rae, Damien Rice, David Gray, James Blunt, John Legend and Paolo Nutini are among the other confirmed acts who will take the stage.
The New York concert features Kanye West, Roger Waters, Dave Matthews Band, Kelly Clarkson, Fall Out Boy and Melissa Etheridge.
They will take the stage in the 80,000-seater Giants Stadium alongside Alicia Keys, Ludacris, John Mayer, Akon, AFI, Rihanna and KT Tunstall.
"By attracting an audience of billions we hope Live Earth will launch a global campaign giving a critical mass of people around the world the tools they need to help solve the climate crisis," Gore said.
"We hope the energy created by Live Earth will jump start a massive public education effort.
"Live Earth will help us reach a tipping point that's needed to move corporations and governments to take decisive action to solve the climate crisis."
Starting in Sydney and ending in New York, the event will deliver a call to action and the solutions needed to answer the call, organisers said.
"This monster line-up will ensure Live Earth meets our goal of bringing together people from around the world to combat the climate crisis," said Live Earth founder Kevin Wall.
"Live Earth will not only span all seven continents, but the musicians who have answered our call span multiple genres and generations.
"Live Earth will be a monumental event both in terms of entertainment and in turning the tide against global warming."
Proceeds from the concerts will go towards a foundation to combat climate change. Tickets for the London gig will cost 55 pounds (108 dollars, 81 euros).
The other Live Earth concerts will take place at Sydney's Aussie Stadium, Tokyo Stadium, a Shanghai venue to be confirmed, Johannesburg's Cradle of Human Kind and Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana beach.
Gore is the author of a bestselling book on global warming "An Inconvenient Truth," which was made into the blockbuster documentary which won a pair of Oscars in February.
The last mammoth international concert series was Live 8 in July 2005, designed to pressure leaders from the Group of Eight industrialised nations to change their approach to poor countries.
It took up the baton from the unprecedented Live Aid, held at Wembley and at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia in the United States.
Way to figure out that mass amounts of people in one area using mass amounts of fuel to get there, and to power everything up, is the solution to global warming. Why didn't we ever think of this before!
