British singers Paul McCartney and George Michael (L) perform at the Live 8 concert in Hyde Park in London last Saturday. - REUTERS
LONDON (AP):
BONO EFFORTLESSLY worked the crowd. Half a globe away, Bjork strutted the stage. Bill Gates was cheered like a rock star. And on the continent that inspired the unprecedented Live 8 extravaganza, Nelson Mandela outshone them all.
Live 8's long, winding road around the globe Saturday has been an eclectic marathon.
From Johannesburg to Philadelphia, Berlin to Tokyo and Rome to Barrie, Ontario, musicians and fans sang and danced through a global music festival to raise awareness of African poverty and pressure the world's most powerful leaders to do something about it at the Group of Eight summit in Scotland next week.
Fittingly, London's rambunctious flagship show approached its midnight climax with The Long and Winding Road, sung by Paul McCartney after a set that included Get Back and Drive my Car - alongside George Michael.
The concert had begun 10 hours earlier with McCartney and U2 giving a rousing performance of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. A thunderous roar erupted from the 200,000 strong crowd 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.
This time, the scale was bigger - 10 concerts instead of two and, thanks to the Internet, a potential audience of billions. The goal was also different: "We don't want your money," said Live 8 banners in London. "We want you."
ONE MILLION
Organiser Bob Geldof promised to deliver "the greatest concert ever." Crowd estimates taken at Live 8 venues indicated more than 1 million people attended the shows.
Hosting the Philadelphia show on Independence Day weekend in the United States, actor Will Smith said people had united for a "declaration of interdependence."
"Today we hold this truth to be self-evident: we are all in this together," Smith said. He was beamed around the world by satellite as he led the global audience in snapping their fingers every three seconds to signify the child death rate in Africa.
Neil Young brought an end to the global concerts with a rousing edition of his trademark song Keep on Rockin' In The Free World before 35,000 roaring fans at Canada's Live 8 event in Ontario.
HIP-HOP RULED
Hip-hop ruled the day in Philly, with sets from host Smith - reprising his past life as the Fresh Prince, alongside DJ Jazzy Jeff - as well as Kanye West. West delivered some of the harshest words of the day, lamenting "politicians who drive home in their Bentleys every night and watch thousands of Africans die."
Earlier Bono, dressed in black and wearing his trademark wraparound shades, wrapped the London crowd around his finger, getting tens of thousands to sing along to the 'anthemic' One and Beautiful Day. The crowd cheered when a flock of white doves was released overhead.
"So this is our moment. This is our time. This is our chance to stand up for what's right," Bono said.
In Johannesburg, Mandela drew bigger cheers than any of the acts at Mary Fitzgerald Square.
