During the Hyde Park concert, British comedian Peter Kay jokingly introduced the Spice Girls while he was introducing The Who.
(meta data) TITLE: 'Welcome to the greatest rock concert in the world' | Music | The Guardian (meta data) AUTHOR: https://www.theguardian.com/profile/imogentilden (meta data) PUBLISHER: https://www.facebook.com/theguardian (meta data) PUBLISHED DATETIME: 2005-07-01T20:13:06-0400 Skip to main content The Guardian - Back to home Support The Guardian Available for everyone, funded by readers Search jobs Sign in current edition: US edition Art & design TV & radio Live 8 This article is more than 14 years old # 'Welcome to the greatest rock concert in the world' This article is more than 14 years old Imogen Tilden and agencies Fri 1 Jul 2005 20.13 EDT First published on Fri 1 Jul 2005 20.13 EDT Bob Geldof and Annie Lennox wave to the crowd at the finale of Live 8 in Hyde ParkPhotograph: MJ Kim/Getty "Ladies and gentlemen, it's two o'clock. Welcome to the greatest rock concert in the world." Thus began simultaneous Live 8 shows in London, Paris, Rome and Berlin. Other concerts worldwide made this the biggest ever music event, with millions attending and billions more watching on television. Backstage, Bob Geldof said: "Everything that's rock 'n' roll is ever meant to be is happening now." The man who organised the whole spectacle admitted that he only finally relaxed once the concert got under way. "There's nothing more to do now - it's either crap or it's great and so far it's great," he told reporters a couple of hours into the blockbusting event. First off was Paul McCartney who opened proceedings in Hyde Park with a rendition of Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (opening line, "It was 20 years ago today"), backed by musicians dressed in the iconic Sgt Pepper brightly coloured uniforms. Bono and U2 then took over, performing It's a Beautiful Day with lyrics especially customised for the event. Overhead, grey clouds gathered, but the crowd greeted the performers enthusiastically. Following U2 were Coldplay, who opened with In My Place. Among the spectators were Chris Martin's wife, Gwyneth Paltrow and their daughter Apple. Richard Ashcroft sang his best known song, Bitter Sweet Symphony, backed by Coldplay. Martin sneaked in a small tribute to Status Quo - who opened Live Aid 20 years previously, singing a few words from their song Rocking All Over The World. The singer called Bob Geldof "a hero" and thanked the organiser, referring to those who were cynical as "stupid". Their brief set ended with Fix You. Elton John performed next, closing with a duet with Pete Doherty. The two sang Children of the Revolution. Geldof then made a brief appearance, to introduce Bill Gates as "the greatest philanthropist of our age." Gates - the richest man in the world - and his wife Melinda have given $5bn (£2.82bn) towards relieving poverty. Gates paid tribute to Geldof and the event's other organisers. "I believe that if you show people the problems and you show them the solutions they will be moved to act," he said. "I have learned that success depends on knowing what works and bringing resources to the problem. We know what to do. The generosity we are asking for can save millions of lives. Some day in the future all people no matter where they are born will be able to lead a healthy life." Dido was up next. The North Londoner sang White Flag, and then was joined on stage by Sengalese singer Youssou N'Dour to sing her breakthrough hit, Thank You. The two also performed N'Dour's 1994 smash hit Seven Seconds. Both singers played later at the Eden Project in Cornwall, where over 4,000 people were watching some of Africa's best musicians. Acts on the bill there included Thomas Mapfumo from Zimbabwe and his group the Blacks Unlimited, dynamic female vocalist Maryam Mursal from Somalia, and Senegalese hip hop group Daara J. Eden's organiser Peter Gabriel spoke earlier of his "disappointment" that Geldof could not have made more space for black artists on the bill at Hyde Park. "I am very happy that we are here today," he said. "It was important that there was the opportunity for African voices to be heard." Guest presenters at the Cornwall event included Angelina Jolie. Eden's chief executive Tim Smit said: "What is so exciting about hosting this is that what has been created is a cultural palette and people can get a chance to hear a wide range of sounds of Africa. It is very moving and emotional and I hope it catches the mood of the time." At Hyde Park, Stereophonics followed Dido, and then Ricky Gervais introduced REM. Gervais reprised his famous dance routine from BBC TV series The Office, for "the first and last time only" to the delight of the crowd. Thousands of people gathered in city centres in Manchester, Wrexham, Cardiff, Birmingham, Liverpool, Hull, Leeds, Gateshead, Bournemouth, Plymouth, Belfast, Inverness and the Channel Islands where screens had been erected to allow people to watch the event free of charge. Ms Dynamite was followed by Keane, who played Everybody's Changing and Somewhere Only We Know, to roars of approval. Razorlight frontman Johnny Borrell chatted backstage before his band's set. "I'm not nervous," he told reporters. "I can't wait to get out there. It's great to be here, taking part in something that needs to be done," he said. Borrell is too young to remember the original Live Aid concert of 1985. "This is not about what happened 20 years ago," he said, "This is about today. My message to the G8 leaders is that this is their chance to make a lot of difference in the world and to come back fulfilling their promises rather than coming back with empty promises. This is their chance to show the world politics is not just showbusiness for ugly people." At 5pm Geldof came on stage to announce that more than three billion people were watching the event. Over in Philadelphia, events were just beginning, with Will Smith on stage to open the US's Live 8 concert. The actor and singer introduced live link-ups with the crowds in Berlin, Paris and Canada. He spoke of a Declaration of "Interdependence," and urged the crowds to help end world poverty. "Every three seconds, somebody's son, somebodys' daughter, somebody's future is gone. Dead" he said. "With a stroke of a pen eight men can make a difference and end the misery of millions of people." Geldof returned to the stage in London, this time as a performer. "I know it's cheeky, but I couldn't resist playing on this stage," he told the crowd. He sang a powerful version of the Boomtown Rats' hit single, I Don't Like Mondays. "Thanks for letting me do that," he said, leaving the stage to huge cheers. Annie Lennox was introduced by Brad Pitt. The Hollywood star talked about the first trip he made to Africa: "I was startled by a young woman with Aids, who grabbed my arm and said 'Please bring us the drugs, please help'. "By this time tomorrow evening, another 30,000 Africans will have died because of extreme poverty. This does not make sense. This is why we are here tonight." Former Eurythmics singer Lennox picked up where Pitt had left off. "We are here today to urge the leaders of the G8 summit to take action for the people of Africa and all the nations where poverty and despair are a way of life," she said. Her set included Why, Little Bird, followed by the Eurythmics' classic single Sweet Dreams. UB40 were next on stage. They performed a crowd-pleasing set consisting of a medley of Food for Thought, Who you Fighting For, Reasons, Red Red Wine and Can't Help Falling in Love with You. As evening drew on, US rapper Snoop Dogg upped the ante with Ups and Downs, What's My Name, Drop It, and Nuthin But AG Thang. Celebrities including Sir Paul McCartney and Victoria and David Beckham were spotted nodding in time to the music in the crowd. "It's the biggest event that ever happened in my career, in my life," said the rapper after his performance. "There are so many people watching around the world and it's for a great cause." Snoop, sporting a white jacket with a large gold medallion in the shape of a pistol underneath, was also the first act to swear live on stage. He certainly wasn't the last. Young guns Razorlight strutted on stage, determined to make an impact. Frontman Johnny Borrell got the crowd going with chart hits Somewhere Else, Golden Touch and Vice. "We are here to make poverty history and we have a chance," said the singer. "If we can make enough noise then we can make them listen so have a good time and whatever you do, make sure you make a lot of fucking noise." Geldof reappeared to introduce 24-year-old Birhan Woldu, one of the starving children featured in footage broadcast during the original Live Aid concert. Geldof explained that through Live Aid money, Ms Woldu's life was saved, and now, 20 years later, she has just passed her agricultural exams at home in Ethiopia. Madonna clasped the young woman's hand, keeping tight hold while performing set opener Like a Prayer. The queen of pop and her band were dressed all in white, like many of tonight's performers. The famously foul-mouthed singer asked London if it was "fucking ready? Ready to start a revolution? Ready to change history?" She also sang Ray of Light and Music. "I was so hyped up with adrenaline I don't remember it actually happened," Madonna said afterwards. "It's surreal to see so many people in front of you. It's the biggest audience I've ever played to and the closest to home I've ever played. I'm pretty sure my kids could hear me singing, they live just down the street from the park." Next on were Snow Patrol who played Chocolate, followed by the anthemic Run. A barefoot Joss Stone - at 19 the youngest performer on the London lineup, performed Super Duper Love and I had a Dream. Shortly after 8pm The Scissor Sisters bounced onto stage. Singer Ana Matronic told the crowd to "put on your dancing shoes", and the New York group sang Laura, Take Your Mama, and a new song - the first act to do so - called Everybody Wants the Same Thing. Matronic told the crowd they were going to "rewrite history." A definite change of pace and style came with Velvet Revolver, just before 9pm. The American quintet, an offshoot of Guns 'n Roses, sang Do It for the Kids, Fall to Pieces, and Slither. Among those in the audience at Hyde Park apparently enjoying the generic heavy metal set was Paris Hilton. Jonathan Ross, having a Spinal Tap moment, was less enthusiastic. "You can come out now," he told TV viewers. Sting followed, performing hits including Message in a Bottle and Every Breath You Take. Mariah Carey, backed by the African Children's Choir, and, true to form, wearing a dress at least two sizes too small, sang Make It Happen, Hero and We Belong Together. As night fell, David Beckham came on stage to introduce "his good friend" Robbie Williams. Williams is one of the day's most eagerly anticipated performers. His arrival brought a much needed shot of adrenalin; he opened with Queen's We Will Rock You, segueing into Let Me Entertain You, mixed with the Killers' "I've got soul but I'm not a soldier" riff. A rendition of his classic track Angels finished the brief set. Peter Kay apologised for not being Robbie, and led the crowd in a mass karaoke version of Do You Know the Way to Amarillo? The comedian introduced "the Spice Girls! No. The Who? The Who!" Appropriately enough, the classic band performed Who Are You and Won't Get Fooled Again. Half an hour later, huge applause greeted Pink Floyd's arrival on stage at 11pm. Today's concert marks the first time the legendary band have played together in over 20 years. Speaking earlier to reporters, they were reluctant to suggest this could be the start of a reunion tour. Under the slogan NO MORE EXCUSES the band played Breathe, Money, Wish You Were Here and then finished with Comfortably Numb. And finally, nine and a half hours since he opened the extraordinary day, Paul McCartney returned to the stage, wearing jeans and a white shirt, carrying his guitar. Macca, looking tired, opened with Get Back. "I remember you lot from this morning," he quipped. George Michael joined McCartney for Baby You Can Drive My Car. The concert closed at midnight, three hours late, with a mass rendition of Hey Jude. Most of the day's performers - including Geldof - joined the former Beatle on stage to sing the much-loved tune. The TV coverage continued with The Kaiser Chiefs in Philadelphia, but Jonathan Ross, joined briefly by Michael Buerk, whose TV reports on the Ethopian famine kickstarted the whole Live Aid movement over 20 years ago, and the team at Hyde Park signed off for the night. The first of the world's concerts kicked off this morning in Tokyo at 6am, and the final notes of music will come from Molson Park in Barrie, Canada, 19 hours later, with today's other concerts in Philadelphia, Moscow, Johannesburg, Paris, Rome, Berlin, Cornwall and London. The Hyde Park concert was broadcast to 85% of the world's population. Special guest presenters included Brad Pitt introducing Annie Lennox, David Beckham doing the honours for Robbie Williams, Ricky Gervais, and Little Britain stars Matt Lucas and David Walliams. Kofi Annan, Cat Deeley, Davina McCall, Michael Portillo, Chris Evans, Harvey Weinstein and the BBC's political editor Andrew Marr were among the onlookers, with Jonathan Ross introducing the live television coverage. Earlier in the day, Nelson Mandela appeared on stage in Johannesburg. "Sometimes it falls upon on a generation to be great. You be that great generation. Let your greatness blossom," said the former president of South Africa. "Of course the task will not be easy. But not to do this would be a crime against humanity, against which I ask all humanity now to rise up." The aim of the concerts is to raise awareness of poverty in developing nations in the run-up to the G8 summit, which takes place in Gleneagles on July 6. "This is without doubt a moment in history where ordinary people can grasp the chance to achieve something truly monumental and demand from the eight world leaders at G8 an end to poverty," Geldof said. Live 8 Guardian Hear Africa campaign 2005 The Who Reuse this content
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Live 8
Notable absences.
In the weeks leading up to Live 8, British newspaper "Daily Mirror" began a petition, garnering support for British rock band Status Quo to play at the event. Originally offered a 6pm slot, the band already had commitments in Ireland and therefore requested an earlier slot. Their request was rejected by the organisers as there were no available slots. 
 There were speculations by the press that English girl group the Spice Girls would reunite for a Live 8 performance, in what would have been their first appearance as a five-piece since May 1998. At the Live 8 launch in May, Bob Geldof confirmed that organisers were trying to get the group to reform for the event. Ultimately, the Live 8 reunion did not materialise due to a holdout by Spice Girl Mel B.