This is all very interesting.

I can understand why Amanda would feel so upset at what she saw when she got to the concert. However, I do think she under-estimates the seriousness of the celebrity/autograph situation. These poor people - they get really popular and successful for being extremely good at something, yet really it is a curse. Being hero-worshipped by so many millions is dangerous as the masses will not generally consider your safety in their desperation to get an autograph, a kiss, whatever. You get no privacy, and we all know tons of money doesn't make you happy. On the contrary, people like Beckham get so much money it is pretty much impossible for them to get in touch with real human values. So I have sympathy for them because they need to have special treatment everywhere they go, and they spend their whole lives being manipulated by greedy agents/managers/businesspeople etc.

I'm also certain that the unfeasibly high wages are a part of the problem of equality in the world generally (pretty obvious, really). Yet you can't begrudge Beckham for being extremely good at football and for wanting to do what he's best at - and do it at the highest level. And before anyone says he should give his money to charity, check your facts. You might find he already gives a higher proportion of his cash to charity than you or I. (I don't know the truth of this and I can't be arsed tracking down the details, but it's good to do this if you are intending to be critical).

Also on the subject of facts, last time I checked Becks was sponsored by Nike's rivals Adidas. Adidias may not be perfect, but I am extremely impressed by the fact that they have recently made a huge push towards eliminating the use in their products of chemicals that have been shown to be poisonous to the Earth. "Of course they should do this," you might say, but how many companies have actually done it? For atopic (highly allergic) people like me, the elimination of chemicals in the atmosphere cannot come quickly enough. I don't expect Adidas to solve all the world's problems, but I'm sure glad they're dealing with that one. And remember, it's only because they are successful that they can afford to implement the changes necessary to see through such a transition in their manufacturing processes.

And so the dust settles on Hyde Park, Live8 and the thousands of stragglers waiting for the first tube home. Our glorious editor kindly provided a tv for some of the day in front of the Londonist dungeon bench and one third of the Londonist Music team sat back to watch the chaos unfold.

Live8 has been a perplexing experience. On the one hand it's been the single biggest act of global protest the world has ever seen. On the other it's been plagued with dodgy line ups, accusations of pandering to the corporate hospitality industry and the feeling that it's all probably a bit of a waste of time. Musically and organisationally it was often a complete shambles and yet none of this should matter and yet often does. All of which make it a tough call.

The first cracks are immediately apparent. The dreaded VIP (nice toilets, no queues, food, alcohol!) area, where some are most definitely more equal than others creates a vacuum at the front of the stage. It doesn't seem to dull the party going on behind but the arial shots show the great disparity that is unforgivable in an event such as this. And stuck in the middle of it all is Londonista Ken who penned a few words from the horrors of his comfy chair and free champagne whilst flirting with the great and the good:

Having been truly apathetic about Live8, having no opinion one way or the other and not even planning to watch it on tv, it was an odd feeling being presented with Golden Circle tickets at 6pm the night before the event.

Apathy transformed into guilt and a certain cynicism on Saturday, however. We felt somewhat uncomfortable being in such a privileged position, swanning about in the Golden Circle (which contained so much free space, picnic blankets were laid out comfortably and blue-eyed, blond-haired children were able to hare around playing 'it') while behind us were people crushed up against a barrier.

"Of course, we didn't feel so guilty about it that we'd willingly give up our comfortable privileges and swap places with the unfortunate masses, though." The question is, is that attitude something that translates to the bigger picture?

Back on the beeb there's a lovely shot of a pretty young thing dancing at the back of the VIP area in front of the 'poor' people crushed up at the barrier that separates them, and Londonist suddenly visualises a full on zombie attack on said young thing. Now that would have been a statement on the redistribution of wealth. Eat, as they say, the rich!

From what looks like a disused London Eye pod Jonathan Ross provides an ongoing stream of inane drivel and bad pronunciation. Links are cut, interviews lost, sound goes walkabout and Robbie Williams hits on Fearne Cotton like a contestant from the Big Brother house. It's quite painful. Nice to get a couple of shots of Posh and Becks who now look like the King and Queen of high class porn. Londonist decides that if ever Ross gets to Glastonbury we're packing it all in to become Country Music fans. Even worse is that the beeb fail to play any of the videos that are being broadcast on the screens thereby removing some of the political impact of the event and reducing it to an extended chat show.

Musically too the first part of the day is a bit of a shambles. It's never easy when you're trying to turn over so many bands in such a short space of time and the show quickly starts to over run. The gaps between bands are almost as long as their three or four song sets. The art of a long day of music is to start big, and then to drop down and build slowly throughout the day. Which is why U2 do well bringing their theatre of the absurd to the opening but unfortunately their own shows mean that bands such as Coldplay and REM come on early to be followed by Keane (who in a stunning display of massmedia irony are announced as a band to make you happy), Travis and Snow Patrol. REM certainly are one of the most effortlessly brilliant stadium rock bands playing today but the Stipe with the stripe's rallying cry of We're REM and this is what we do seems to fall on bad sound, and an interesting cut away to an interview with Razorlight! And why Velvet Revolver are so high up the bill when no one really knows them is beyond us.

Annie Lennox perfoms a stirling version of These Dreams and the Bridget Jones of pop, Dido ruins 7 Seconds with Youssou N'Dour. Travis do an amusing cover of Staying Alive and Ms Dynamite gets away with not only being one of the token black artists but also Marley's Redemption Song. Collaborations are the order of the day. Coldplay save a ropey performance with Richard Ashcroft but Elton John looks like he can't get off the stage fast enough after Pete Doherty stumbles through Children Of The Revolution, clutching a cheap lighter between his teeth he can hardly hit a note. Career suicide or acceptance into the mainstream - you decide. Personally we thought he sucked goat.

There's much lauding of Sir Bobo (Bob + Bono) but it's left to Snoop Dogg to inject a much welcome degree of irreverence to the proceedings for the first time, ignoring there's such a thing as a naughty words watershed. And it's at this point that noisy Londonist has to leave the fray. Much of the day has already been prone to over bearing worthiness and a guest appearance from Satan himself, Bill Gates, calls us to question motives once again. But these are moot points in the grand scheme of things. Because one thing becomes abundantly clear. Even more frightening than everyone clicking their fingers every three seconds to show another human dying in poverty is the mention that 8 men purport to control the fates of millions, of billions. 8! That's utterly fucking terrifying and that's before looking at who those 8 men are.

It's easy to tear the day to shreds on so many levels and yet you're left with the nagging doubt that any form of criticism will lead to your head being posted on traitors gate. It's easy to sneer at the old timers who cram the top half of the bill, after all, how many of us were glad our new favourite band weren't caught up in the mid stream mire of the uncool (and yet how many of them will become the Stings of the next 20 years?) And yet as (dear God we hate to say this) Jeremy Clarkson pointed out, for all it's faults at least they're doing something. And here's the crunch. This event was directed squarely at the normal folks. The everymen and women of this country, the middle of the road folks, the Dido lovers, the Heat readers, the massed middle classes and the white van people. Those who have vague thoughts of making the world a better place but still leave litter strewn across the main field of Glastonbury or no doubt the green grass of Hyde Park. It's not about the hey scenester bloggers or the too hip to be square fashionistas, musos and trend setters. And in our rush to remove ourselves as far as possible from Sir Bobo's rantings the question remains as to what we're doing about the horrendous injustices that perpetrate the world today. Or are we as guilty of the comfortable complacency that we accuse the others of? Because reading Naomi Klein and writing poetry isn't exactly going to change the world either.

And that's why Madonna, Robbie Williams, Macca, The Who and Pink Floyd - back on stage together for the first time in over 20 years get the rousing receptions they do And if there's one indication that there's nothing that's broken that can't be fixed it's this performance, despite the pained look on Dave Gilmour's face. Geldof's been pretty clever in booking the bands he has. He's pulled in those who will pull in the people he wants to talk to. Those with the bulk of the voting power. And he's done it across each of the shows the world over.

Live8's success or failure in the long run will ultimately not be what happens at Gleneagles next week but in how the 3 odd billion people who watched the event across the world change their lives as a result. If even 1% start rocking the boat, as well as the vote then something good will have come of it. Do we think that a couple of big gigs will change the attitudes of the most powerful men in the world? Of course not. Anyone who thinks baby Bush gives a flying fuck about anything not wearing a turban and sitting on his doorstep is either rabidly Republican or seriously deluded. If you want a government to listen to the people you're only going to do it with a gun pointed at their head or the threat of removing them and their office at election and there's a definite no weapons clause at the gates we're sure.

It may end up being a glorious failure after all the music has faded into history but one thing still remains. 200 000 people in London, 1.5 million in Philadelphia, hundreds of thousands more across the world and billions sitting at home gathered together under the banner of wanting to make a difference and no matter how fickle, all will have been given cause to think at some point. That in itself is an enormous success and testament to the pig headedness of a few individuals. The greatest threat to the world today is complacency. As Ghandi once said:

For evil to triumph it is only necessary that good people do nothing.

For an event on such a massive scale that occasionally feels like a really creepy version of the Oscars it's on the level of the personal that the changes need to be made. There are no easy routes to resolving the horrendous problems we've created in Africa and it's going to take more than a million Geldof's to come near to start cleaning them up. The hypocrisy of many world leaders in their attitudes towards the homicidal African dictators they once supplied or supported should rankle in the throats of every human being. But at the same time it's undeniable that if we continue to leave things as they are then they're not going to get any better. One man doing one little thing makes little sound but a billion people doing little things can make shock waves that will echo for generations. No matter whether you feel Live8 was cynical posturing or the tide turning if it's made you think a little more, and if those thoughts turn to actions no matter how small there may indeed be no reason to have to have another twenty years down the line.

Live8 Golden Circle - Get to the Back!!!!

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sweaver Jul 2 2005, 06:58 PM Post #1


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Is it just me or is the majority of the golden circle at Hyde Park full of cardboard cutouts?? They are sooooooooooo booooooooooring - they could at least try and look as though they are enjoying themselves!!!
They could have done their corporate mingling at home - making way for another load of tickets for people that will actually enjoy music as well as supporting the cause.
I have had my moan now - back to dancing in front of the tv!


UEF Jul 3 2005, 03:19 PM Post #2


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Talk about the privileged few etc. >:( Was really annoyed at the shseer size of the circle, and if I'd been camping out all night to face that on my entry to the site there would have been murders.


sl1ppy Jul 3 2005, 04:31 PM Post #3


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Was in Gold Circle and kept getting filmed by random roving cameras because I was the the only f**ker dancing and jumping up and down.

One of the most boring audiences I have ever stood in a field with.

Maybe its because I paid £500 (from a tout) that I felt compelled to enjoy myself. Or maybe most of them weren't really music fans an wanted to see 2 bands.

There were about 10 bands I really like playing.

And I got to see the greatest line up of the greatest band of all time. I cried.



sarahsez Jul 3 2005, 04:41 PM Post #4


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Yeah, you sound like a deserving person to be there, but soo many weren't. It only seemed to fill up after quite a few bands had been on. Was a rididuclously large size.


nsyncsuck Jul 3 2005, 07:04 PM Post #5


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QUOTE(sweaver @ Jul 2 2005, 07:58 PM)
Is it just me or is the majority of the golden circle at Hyde Park full of cardboard cutouts?? They are sooooooooooo booooooooooring - they could at least try and look as though they are enjoying themselves!!!
They could have done their corporate mingling at home - making way for another load of tickets for people that will actually enjoy music as well as supporting the cause.
I have had my moan now - back to dancing in front of the tv!


QUOTE(UEF @ Jul 3 2005, 04:19 PM)
Talk about the privileged few etc. >:( Was really annoyed at the shseer size of the circle, and if I'd been camping out all night to face that on my entry to the site there would have been murders.


Jealousy is a terrible thing!! I was in the golden circle right at the barrier and i am not any corporate person i was just a competition winner like everyone else!!

Although i do aggree there were alot of people there cause there companies gave them tickets most of them left though (probably to get some more Pimms)


5co77ie Jul 3 2005, 07:19 PM Post #6


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Golden circles are always full of cardboard cut outs excepts U2s which are picked at random.


Jim the Magic Anteater Jul 3 2005, 09:20 PM Post #7


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i was in general standing, and to be honest it made no difference to my enjoyment of the whole thing. it didnt matter how close you were, the atmosphere was amazing, by the sounds of it better than the gold circle


spungletrumpet Jul 3 2005, 10:32 PM Post #8


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QUOTE(sl1ppy @ Jul 3 2005, 04:31 PM)
Was in Gold Circle and kept getting filmed by random roving cameras because I was the the only f**ker dancing and jumping up and down.

One of the most boring audiences I have ever stood in a field with.

Agreed - I was working at the gig and had Access All Areas so at least I was considered mature enough to drink alcohol!! -
No one seemed to be smiling and even fewer actually dancing... Even backstage it seemed like more of a corporate junket than a gig!!

It was more like being at a wake than a world changing concert!!!


MadMo Jul 3 2005, 11:04 PM Post #9


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QUOTE(nsyncsuck @ Jul 3 2005, 07:04 PM)
Jealousy is a terrible thing!! I was in the golden circle right at the barrier and i am not any corporate person i was just a competition winner like everyone else!!

Although i do aggree there were alot of people there cause there companies gave them tickets most of them left though (probably to get some more Pimms)


If you think the gold circle area was full of competition winners you are very much mistaken. 5% MAX went in competitions.......35% went in corportate packages, the rest were the media and their hangers on. I know someone who got a VIP ticket simply because his g/f has some job that is vaguly in the media. Am I jealous? No.......pissed off? yes.

The following article about sums it up.


QUOTE
"Live 8 was all about inequality, injustice, the gulf between rich and poor. That was the big political cause. So that was the way they organised the concert.

Somewhere near the stage was a promised land, the Gold Circle, filled with VIP's who's paid up to £600 a ticket to be close enough to reach out and touch the stars.

This was a land where beer and champagne flowed like water, where Jonathan Ross reigned supreme in his Perspex bubble, enthroned high above the crowds below.

That was the First World of rock, Live8's G8. But there was another, far bigger Live 8 population. Further back, massed behind a fence that cut them off from their betters and denied the right to alcoholic beverages, were the huddled masses, the pop proletariat. They - well, we - were Live 8's Third World.

We proles faced a tricky dilemma. We could attempt to get near the stage in the hope of being able to see the glittering icons we'd come to worship. I tried that but I was still miles from the action when I was beaten back by the sheer mass of bodies, the claustrophobic, steaming press of human flesh.

So I took my position about one-third of the way back from the 200,000 strong crowd. The stage was so far away that the performers were invisible. Of course, there were video screens. But if you tried watching them, another weirdly alienating problem arose. The sound and vision were out of sync. Singers could be seen mouthing their lyrics a good two seconds before we could actually hear them.

There was no doubt the atmosphere was less than electric. The music wasn't very loud. Westminster Council noise restrictions meant that, for most of the crowd, it was no more ear-splitting than if they were listening at home on a stereo."

Whilst others queued for hours to get in, I managed by sheer luck to find myself one of the first few thousand into the park. Yet despite this, due to the relatively few vantage points, I decided to relax at the back, behind one of the large video screens. To be honest we were quite happy there, until U2 came on. Not only was the sound quiet, but the sound/video were out of sink. This left for a very flat atmosphere. I then made my way closer to the stage, and ended up just behind the VIP section. Relatively speaking we found a good spot, couldn't see the stage, but the sound was much better and the video screens either side of the stage were in sink.

All in all I did have a good day and at least I can say I didn't fork out £700 upwards for the tickets. But the sense of irony of what the concert was trying to promote was evident throughout.

...as yes the crowd in the VIP section looked dull as dish water. That is fact not fiction. I was there, I saw. Some looked bored, some looked confused. I may have not been in the golden circle, but at least where I was had a atmosphere.


SuperBear Yesterday, 12:21 PM Post #10


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the sound/video were out of sink.
That's a cruel effect of light travelling faster than sound... They put a delay on the pictures to improve matters for the majority, but there's not a whole lot that can be done about.

I was pretty f'ed off at the size of the Golden Circle - they had a huge amount of space!



Lauz_Abbott Yesterday, 02:37 PM Post #11


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yeah they could have fit soooo many more people into the gold circle bit of have just scrapped the whole gold circle bit.


matt0502 Yesterday, 02:44 PM Post #12


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i was in the gold circle and the area i was in was full of people who were really enjoying themselves. I dont know about further back, but the people at the front, such as myself, really enjoyed it and arrived at the queue either the day before or very early in the morning. Besides, the reason they had a gold circle was to pay for the gug, and i dont know about anyone, but i didnt see any alcohol in the gold circle whatsoever. Dont stereotype everyone there, some of us had a fantastic time and aren't complainaing about it. everyone should consider themselves lucky to go to such a gig and furthermore, the musically was just as important as the message we were trying to convey, we want to make poverty history. Why are you all moaning?


sweaver Yesterday, 06:46 PM Post #13


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QUOTE(nsyncsuck @ Jul 3 2005, 07:04 PM)
QUOTE(sweaver @ Jul 2 2005, 07:58 PM)
Is it just me or is the majority of the golden circle at Hyde Park full of cardboard cutouts?? They are sooooooooooo booooooooooring - they could at least try and look as though they are enjoying themselves!!!
They could have done their corporate mingling at home - making way for another load of tickets for people that will actually enjoy music as well as supporting the cause.
I have had my moan now - back to dancing in front of the tv!


QUOTE(UEF @ Jul 3 2005, 04:19 PM)
Talk about the privileged few etc. >:( Was really annoyed at the shseer size of the circle, and if I'd been camping out all night to face that on my entry to the site there would have been murders.


Jealousy is a terrible thing!! I was in the golden circle right at the barrier and i am not any corporate person i was just a competition winner like everyone else!!

Although i do aggree there were alot of people there cause there companies gave them tickets most of them left though (probably to get some more Pimms)


Its not a jealousy thing - I was quite happy at home watching the event from my tv screen with all of my friends and a bbq.
So many people said before the event that it would be better than the original live aid - the bands were great and did the event justice. However I think that some of the audience, and the big gap around the gold circle spoilt the film footage. I'm sure when the video is released these gaps will be cut out but the crowd in front of the stage for 05 will never compare to that of 85.
It was a shame to see the likes of Madonna having to almost beg to get the crowd going - good on her for trying though.


lucky1 Yesterday, 09:13 PM Post #14


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QUOTE(5co77ie @ Jul 3 2005, 07:19 PM)
Golden circles are always full of cardboard cut outs excepts U2s which are picked at random.


Yeah 5co77ie.

I was in the "golden circle" at U2's Cardiff gig. Its called "the bomb shelter" in reference to their current album.

You couldn't ever accuse that particular "golden circle" of standing around and not being into it. I've got the bruises to prove it.


EvolutionUK Today, 01:01 PM Post #15


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I was in the Gold Circle at Live 8, about 20 feet from the stage, and everyone was lovin it, dancing around, enjoying themselves, and I didnt see any corporate type people, so all this whining that people who werent in it seem to be doing sounds like sour grapes.

At least I was there, in the Gold Circle, and loved it.

lucky1 Today, 10:16 PM Post #16


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EvolutionUK Posted Today, 01:01 PM

"I was in the Gold Circle at Live 8, about 20 feet from the stage, and everyone was lovin it, dancing around, enjoying themselves, and I didnt see any corporate type people, so all this whining that people who werent in it seem to be doing sounds like sour grapes.

At least I was there, in the Gold Circle, and loved it. "



I think that the "whining" is mostly to do with the great empty spaces in the front section and everyone else being squashed together quite a long way back from the stage.

I'm glad you enjoyed yourself though.

This post has been edited by lucky1: Today, 10:18 PM

Wow aren't celebs great???!

That no-brained tosser Bekham has sported boots made by the animal abusing scumfucks Adidas that are made of kangaroo skin. Good old Adidas destroying the environment.

Go wash ur fucking brains out and get rid of the shit that they are infested with.

"no-brained tosser Bekham"

"animal abusing scumfucks Adidas"

"wash ur fucking brains out and get rid of the shit that they are infested with"

"shitty 'hole ridden' article"

"Anarchism not fucking liberalism!!!"

I don't think anybody would miss either of the above comments if they were removed from the site. Except of course the idiots who wrote them. C'mon guys, you could at least learn to spell! Then maybe you could learn to construct something that resembles a convincing argument.

I was interested to read about what somebody who had been to the concert thought of it.
I couldn't bear to even watch it on TV myself - and I've been trying to work out why. I love music and art, especially anything that inspires social change or empowers people. Like something you feel with every cell of your body. Artists who can resonate with peoples awareness on that level can pass on a true generational change in conscious awareness. A paradigm shift.

Did you feel that at Live 8 ?

Did it energize you, move you, connect you ?

Did it make you stand in the middle of a supermarket stunned and wondering where all this shit comes from ?

Did it celebrate any of the unique and unspoiled culture of any of these poor countries?

Or did suggest that culture goes hand in hand with poverty?

I was lucky enough to see the New Doors of the 21st century last year and I experienced one of those hair raising moments. A message from Jim Morrison to us all. I was amazed at the relevance The Doors and Mr Mojo Rising's lyrics for me, still today...

I hear a very gentle sound
Very near yet very far
Very soft, yeah, very clear
Come today, come today

What have they done to the earth?
What have they done to our fair sister?
Ravaged and plundered and ripped her and bit her
Stuck her with knives in the side of the dawn
And tied her with fences and dragged her down

I hear a very gentle sound
With your ear down to the ground
We want the world and we want it...
We want the world and we want it...
Now
Now?
Now!

three huge video screens around the stage at this point were playing a montage of 'POWASQUATSI' images that was making every hair on my body stand on end. I felt like I was tripping. Then at the end the whole stage went black, apart from the centre screen. It projected the most beautiful shot of our planet I had ever seen.

then Ian Ainsbury shouted:
REMEMBER WHEN WE WERE IN AFRICA!!!???

that just set me on fire. You were the man Jim.

I'm not an activist but I live every day of my life like one. But social change can only come from within the water of your body. Not debt cancellation.

Interesting article. I wrote about this issue earlier this week on my blog ( http://rachwarwick.blogspot.com) Here's what I wrote:

"The Irony of Live8

A small percentage of the crowd (those who paid for their tickets, and not on ebay either), were allowed in the "inner circle" where they had a perfect view of the stage and were served plenty of refreshments, including alcoholic drinks (Pimms by the gallon from what I heard). The rest of the crowd were too far away from the stage to see anything more than tiny dots and weren't allowed alcoholic drinks. As the majority of the crowd (the deprived group) were behind the privileged minority, they were able to enjoy the concert without having to worry about the injustice going on behind them.

Sure, that's an exaggeration. Not being allowed alcoholic drinks is a minor deprivation and you do kind of expect to not be able to see much of the stage at that sort of gig... BUT

It did strike me that this scenario represents the world really well. The West enjoy their lush, comfortable lifestyle, ignoring the plight of the struggling countries because as long as we can't see them, we don't have to think about them."

I think the golden circle was disgusting, with the exception of special needs groups, but its a sad reflection of the way this world works. People in rich countries have an "I've got it so I'll have it and stuff the rest" attitude.

It IS necessary to have a gap between the stage and the crowd although it doesn't need to be that big. The reason being that if the crowd surges forward, the metal barriers can be pushed down and there is space for people to run into. Without the metal barriers and the space, a crowd surge would result in those at the front of the crowd being crushed against the stage which wouldn't give way. But it's no way necessary for celebrities to be in that gap. Grr!!

ok, i was in the golden circle at live 8. i'm not a corporate swot. i'm an undergraduate with a £2000 debt. i won the tickets in an aol competition and YES the money i paid for the text went to the charity. there were no celebrities there, that was in their area, where you needed performers passes. please get your facts right before you accuse the innocent people. we were not allowed alcohol either, and of all the people i spoke to, 1 couple were there due to corporate reasons. everyone else won competitions, or were disabled, or journalists. these people were not cold, they were just as excited as you lot. and actually, i went to a robbie williams concert in berlin recently and there was no gold circle or anything. there were only 9000 people there, yet i almost couldn't breathe at the front. if there is less to push for, things like the hillsborough crush might not have happened.