FROM BOB GELDOF MEDIA RELATIONS OFFICE…
Michael Drayton | 07.07.2005 16:19 | G8 2005 | Repression | Social Struggles
I felt a need to air my views directly to Sir Bob Geldof, however I was unable to find anyway of contacting him directly so I decided to send an email to Bob's 'media relations office (hoping that they may pass my concerns onto him) knowing that Sir Bob, being an Irishman and I with knowledge of his very modest background and roots, he should fully understand how I, and many others felt at the Live8 event within Hyde Park…
LIKE THE BANNER!
I felt a need to air my views directly to Sir Bob Geldof, however I was unable to find anyway of contacting him directly so I decided to send an email to Bob's 'media relations office (hoping that they may pass my concerns onto him) knowing that Sir Bob, being an Irishman and I with knowledge of his very modest background and roots, he should fully understand how I, and many others felt at the Live8 event within Hyde Park…
I asked if the highly inappropriate and blatant 'class-divide' via the golden circle was out of his control or not. I asked this question in order to make the decision on whether I should carry on trusting his 'genuineness' and 'integrity' as I am currently a loyal follower of his beliefs and actions. I must make it clear that I don't follow 'just anyone' without this kind of 'proof' as there is so much corporate 'white wash' going on nowadays with corporate funding available to 'buy' anybody!
At this particular event, I feel that celebrities and VIPs should have made an effort to mix in order to demonstrate unity and equality at an event carrying the particular message that was intended. The only reason that VIPs actually require 'refuge' is due to the fact that they isolate themselves from the general public, creating a 'mystique' with the inevitable consequence of fuelling obsessions within the minority. When will people see that rock stars and VIPs are just people, that's all, just like you and I, 'doing their job' just like nurses, carers, police, tradesmen, factory workers, farmers etc., however WE don't feel the need for 'refuge' at such events?!
Following is the response that I got from Bob Geldof's 'media relations officer' Jonathan Wingate…
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FROM: Jonathan Wingate (Bob Geldof Media Relations):
jonathanwingate@onetel.com
DATE: 06 July 2005 10:23
SUBJECT: Live8 'Golden Circle' Blatant Class Inequality Complaint…
"I do not know who you are or why you are contacting me (I deal with Bob's media relations), but I suggest you stop moaning and pinch yourself because you were lucky enough to win tickets. What exactly are you complaining about, and why are you sending this to me? I feel your attitude is extremely negative, and you should still be in dreamland because you got tickets and most people who applied (including my girlfriend and my best friends) did not. I must also add that your tickets should have cost you the price of a text message, and you were able to get tickets for such a tiny amount of outlay merely because of the cost of most of the tickets in the Golden Circle, so again, I am not quite sure what your issue is here - you got to see the best gig of the last 20 years, the most important musical event of the last 20 years, in fact - for the princely sum of £1.50. You can't even buy a pint of lager for that!
I was at the original Live Aid 20 years ago, and I did not expect VIP passes etc, and I was delighted to be stuck in the middle of the crowd at Wembley, so I am a bit confused as to why you have some sort of issue with this stuff now. It sounds to me like you should be working for some anti-globalisation organisation if you feel that strongly about this. Also - if you feel so strongly about the issues involved, elitism, Nike etc, I assume you are going up to Scotland to protest. If you are, then at least you can say you have done your bit as opposed to merely complaining about the event and the way it was organised.
I would be very interested to hear your thoughts. I do not usually reply to emails such as this, but your negativity has inspired me to write back to you."
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MY REPLY TO JONATHAN: 07 July 2005 09:59
Hi Jonathan, thank you for your email reply. I will now do my best to answer it…
RE: I do not know who you are or why you are contacting me (I deal with Bob's media relations), but I suggest you stop moaning and pinch yourself because you were lucky enough to win tickets.
MY REPLY: Thank you so much for replying Jonathan and I will now explain why I contacted yourself. I really did / do feel the need to air my views to Bob himself, therefore I am hoping that you may pass this email onto him as I know that Mr Geldof, (he being an Irishman - and I knowing his background and roots), will fully understand how I, and many others felt at the Live8 event in Hyde Park. I would like to know if the golden circle's blatant 'class-divide' via the golden circle was out of his control or not in order to make the decision on whether I can carry on trusting his 'genuineness' and integrity as I am a loyal follower of his beliefs and actions at present, however I don't follow 'just anyone'.
RE: What exactly are you complaining about, and why are you sending this to me? I feel your attitude is extremely negative, and you should still be in dreamland because you got tickets and most people who applied (including my girlfriend and my best friends) did not.
MY REPLY: Jonathan, I sent the email to you, as I believe that there are still serious class and inequality issues still to be addressed here within the UK (but let's get Africa sorted first). I, and others (there was a lot of talk in the crowd during the gig), including George Clooney who confessed his feelings with regards to the golden circle at Hyde Park during his interview with Edith Bowmen at Live8 Murrayfield, witnessed a sickening and blatant 'class divide' at Hyde Park on Saturday 2nd July 2005 which spoilt the event for both Amanda and myself as it made a mockery of the inequality issues raised on Saturday 2nd July 2005. I just hope that the G8 'suits' will still listen to the message even though the event was dissempowered by the golden circle divide… if they do then I will feel a whole lot better. Sorry that I sent the email to you as I couldn't find an email address for Bob Geldof himself anywhere, therefore I saw yourself as the nearest that I could possibly get to communicating with Bob via email and this worked (thank you). I can understand why you may have taken my views as "negative" as I presume that you are from an educated middle-class and therefore privileged background (please correct me if I'm wrong)? And I take it that you didn't have to get up at 2am following 2 hours sleep followed by a 4 hour drive to London, then the tube followed by a crushed queue for 6 hours only to be placed behind a massive golden circle containing 5% competition winners, 35% corporate packages and the rest being media and their hangers on who could just 'walk in' whenever they pleased following a luxury and relaxing stay within a hotel across the road somewhere?!
RE: I must also add that your tickets should have cost you the price of a text message, and you were able to get tickets for such a tiny amount of outlay merely because of the cost of most of the tickets in the Golden Circle, so again, I am not quite sure what your issue is here - you got to see the best gig of the last 20 years, the most important musical event of the last 20 years, in fact - for the princely sum of £1.50. You can't even buy a pint of lager for that!
MY REPLY: I do not wish to disclose the amount that I spent in order to obtain tickets via text message as I am more than happy to contribute towards the very valid funding, however, to my knowledge, there where very few people that merely paid a "princely sum of £1.50" for their "dreamland" tickets as most where willing to text message well over 100 times in order to increase their chances of winning… some spending up to £200.00 in fact! Yes I understand that the 'privileged few' within the golden circle paid more than I, however they are most probably a lot better of that I and therefore can afford it. The whole 'inequality' of the situation is that I most probably work as hard, or even harder than they, for a much lower wage simply because I didn't get access to a 'golden' start in life… does this make it any clearer to you Jonathan?
RE: I was at the original Live Aid 20 years ago, and I did not expect VIP passes etc, and I was delighted to be stuck in the middle of the crowd at Wembley, so I am a bit confused as to why you have some sort of issue with this stuff now. It sounds to me like you should be working for some anti-globalisation organisation if you feel that strongly about this. Also - if you feel so strongly about the issues involved, elitism, Nike etc, I assume you are going up to Scotland to protest. If you are, then at least you can say you have done your bit as opposed to merely complaining about the event and the way it was organised. I would be very interested to hear your thoughts. I do not usually reply to emails such as this, but your negativity has inspired me to write back to you.
MY REPLY: The UK class inequality issue really does need to be address Jonathan. You can most probably gather from the way that I write that I am a reasonably intelligent person whom sits behind 'closed doors' due to the fact that I had a very poor education and raised within a poor rural area. I don't really know how to begin to explain how it feels other than to suggest that you watch Johnny Rotten's DVD release titled "The Filth & The Fury" as, metaphorically speaking, it is impossible for you to understand how toothache feels unless you've experienced it for yourself. I had presumed that Live8 was about issues created by globalisation Jonathan and therefore actually an "anti-globalisation" event? And I had presumed that Western "elitism" had caused many of the issues raised by the event? You have confused me now.
I posted my views onto a major internet discussion site in order to see if others understood how the golden circle had made me and others feel at Live8, Hyde Park. Following is the huge response that I received almost immediately following the posting. The replies speak for themselves, therefore I am worried by the fact that you couldn't understand and or see my point? I am hoping that you will be able to obtain an explanation from Sir Bob himself in order that I can post his reply onto the discussion website as it is quite obvious to me that there are many others that felt the way that we did, I will inform them all that I have written to you. Please read on Jonathan…
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TITLE: Live8 Inequality / Live8 'Golden Circle' Controversy...
Hi, we were lucky enough to win tickets to Live8 at Hyde Park. We left very early and travelled to London in order to be at the gates by 6:30am and to our joy we where very near to the front of the queue! When the gates opened at around midday we ran into the park in order to find a place near to the stage only to discover a 'golden circle'? We found ourselves so far from the stage that the groups were reduced to mere ants! Wasn't this concert about equality, or am I missing the point? Why were the 'privileged few' allowed so close and us mere peasants kept back? I believe that the VIP's should have had to either mixed in with the crowd or be enclosed within an area along the side of the park and not the front as this demonstrated sheer class divide which made us feel physically sick!
Also to top it of we was informed that David Beckham was present within the Golden Circle... Beckham accepts huge amounts of 'sponsor' money from third world labour abusing corporations like Nike & Adidas, what on earth is going on!?
We don't wish to mock the event, as we are both completely 'for the cause' however we did witness sickening 'double standards'.
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Re: from UEF (03.07.2005 15:19)
>:( I was really annoyed at the sheer 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 for sure!
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Re: from Nsyncsuck (03.07.2005 19:04)
I was actually within the golden circle right at the barrier and there were a lot of people present only because their companies had given them tickets, most of them left early, probably to get some more Pimms!
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Re: from Spungletrumpet (03.07.2005 22:32)
I was working at the gig and had 'access to all areas' so at least I was considered mature enough to drink alcohol. 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 event!
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Re: from MadMo (03.07.2005 23:04)
If you had presumed that the gold circle area was full of competition winners then you are very much mistaken as only 5% MAX went in competitions, 35% went in corporate 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 flashy job that is vaguely within the media. Am I jealous? No... Pissed off? F*CK YES!!!
Live8 was all about inequality, injustice, the gulf between rich and poor. That was the big political cause. So this was the way that 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.
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. I made my way closer to the stage, and ended up just behind the VIP section. Relatively speaking we found a good spot, but still couldn't see the stage.
The sense of irony of what the concert was trying to promote was evident throughout. That is fact not fiction, I was there, I saw. Some looked confused?
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Re: from SuperBear (04.07.2005 00:21)
I was pretty cheesed off at the size of the Golden Circle - they had a huge amount of space!
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Re: from EvolutionUK (04.07.2005 13:01)
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.
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Re: from Matt (04.07.2005 14:48)
This explains why the concert was so lacking in passion and spark. The corporates at the front were totally lifeless. As you say the lack of political nous is stunning. A protest at poverty that favours a rich / poor divide. How hypocritical!
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MY REPLY: Hi Matt, yes it was lacking in "passion and spark", you're right, however that was partly due to the upsetting issues that had inspired the event and the images that were displayed on the big screens showing the terrible, unacceptable and tragic situation within Africa. People were actually crying around, all were deeply moved by the event. But still… how hypocritical of the event organisers to actually display a 'class-divide' within an event of this nature?! I do seriously think that there are serious class and inequality issues to be addressed within our own country after we have Africa back on its feet again!
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Re: from Tom (04.07.2005 15:44)
There were giant video screens in Hyde Park. There were giant video screens put up so that everyone could watch the concert.
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MY REPLY: Now really Tom you're missing the point, we did notice the screens but if screens were really as good as 'the real thing' why do you think people bothered to camp overnight outside Hyde Park in order to get as near to the stage as possible then? Why not simply have the groups broadcast from some other place if screens are the key? I witnessed a sickening and blatant 'class divide' at Hyde Park on Saturday 2nd July 2005 and that spoilt the event for us both as it made a mockery of the issues raised. There really is NO excuse or argument for this 'kick in the teeth' via class and status.
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Re: from Louis (04.07.2005 16:30)
Perhaps you were in fact watching ants. (Homepage:
http://www.daveches.co.uk)
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MY REPLY: You could be right there Louis, for all we know they could have been ants… no wonder "the corporates at the front were totally lifeless" as mentioned by Matt!
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Re: from Bobby (04.07.2005 18:58)
At least Eavis hides them backstage. Sad but true - and normal at any big gig, even others where you might expect a more egalitarian vibe. Still, you got to go to the gig, and I watched some of it on TV in my warm dry house - I'm not jealous - we're both luckier than many. Speaking of corporates - I see Nokia were the only firm tactless enough to be advertising. Would that be why Bob was mentioning the benefits of mobile phones to poor rural African communities, except ones in Congo perhaps.
http://www.seeingisbelieving.ca/cell/kinshasa/
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MY REPLY: I get your point Bobby… and I do agree that "we're both luckier than many", like I say… I do seriously think that there are serious class and inequality issues to be addressed within our own country, but not until after we have Africa back on her feet again. However I witnessed a sickening and blatant 'class divide' at Hyde Park on Saturday 2nd July 2005 and that spoilt the event for both Amanda and myself as it made a mockery of the issues raised. I just hope that the G8 suits at the golf course in Gleneagles will listen… and if they do then we will be much happier!
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Re: from Musicandchips (05.07.2005 15:01)
Homepage: http://musicandchips.blogspot.com
One of the reasons given for the circle is safety; with over 200,000 people the circle is supposed to help prevent crushes at the front of the stage. It is a feature of most really big shows these days (Glastonbury an obvious exception).
Also the 'golden circle' was not just a VIP area. Competition winners, special needs groups, all kinds of people had tickets. If you want to talk about a class divide, within the 'golden circle' were areas requiring special guest passes giving away thousands of pounds-worth of free alcoholic drinks and food. These areas were the resting places of the celebrities and VIPs, not the area in front of the stage.
Despite this, these areas are required. Like it or not, a lot of media interest in any event (and therefore the public platform for the message or issues involved) is fuelled by the prospect of easy access to multiple celebrities, who simply wouldn't come if there was no refuge from the autograph- and photo-hunters.
Personally I agree with you that it's a jip for those who have spent a lot of time queuing for a decent spot. I liked your idea of an area down the side, but there are wider issues to consider.
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MY REPLY: Surely it's still possible for people to get "crushed" even behind the circle?
We both completely accept your VERY valid point regarding "special needs groups" but as far as "competition winners" go, I thought that the SMS texting thing was the "fund raising" competition? After all we spent around £150 on our mobile phone bill in order to get our tickets (which was fine as it was in the name of an EXTREMELY valid cause and one that we both believe in). The celebrities and VIPs should have made an effort to mix in order to demonstrate equality at an event of this nature. The only reason that they actually require "refuge" is due to the fact that they isolate themselves from the 'general public' therefore creating a 'mystique' with the inevitable consequence of fuelling obsessions in some members of the 'general public'. Why can't people see that rock stars are simply people (like you and I) 'doing their job' just like nurses, carers, police, tradesmen etc. however we don't feel the need for refuge at such events?!
I personally don't think that these 'golden circle' areas are required, nor should they be allowed (even the name 'golden circle' smells of class superiority)! I will never be attending a gig with a 'golden circle' again in my lifetime as I view it as 'snobbery' to the extreme! I cannot believe that you mentioned, "…a lot of media interest in any event is fuelled by the prospect of easy access to multiple celebrities, who simply wouldn't come if there was no refuge from the autograph- and photo-hunters". Ah Didums… where's the violin? WELL THEY SHOULD HAVE JUST STAYED AT HOME THEN IF THAT'S THEIR ATTITUDE!!! How about if soldiers on a front-line took that attitude? Or if doctors and nurses that had just worked a 12-hour shift then faced with a really sick patient took that attitude?
Pampering to the 'rich and privileged' simply promotes a general desire to be 'rich and privileged' due to the fact that it becomes obvious to the 'easily affected' that this type of 'status' is beneficial to them. The following consequence, for this type of person, is a desire to become extremely greedy and selfish. Then this situation usually inflicts extreme poverty on others! I hate the class system… it stinks!
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Re: from Neil (05.07.2005 18:37)
My day at Live8…
Hi, I wish to throw in my experience of the event itself. I had the opportunity to go along, and being both curious and an REM fan thought I'd check it out.
The first thing was that the site was completely enclosed by a massive fence. This was frustrating on the way in, when people had to queue for at least an hour to get through one entrance in a huge boundary, but was even more annoying on the way out. We left early, but was refused exit from most of the marked exits having been told that these would only open at the end. We had to go all the way back to where we came in (in the north of Hyde Park, quite a walk) to get out. It felt very claustrophobic. This kind of crowd control for free events is a relatively new development. At one time there were many free events in London that were open access and attracted huge crowds - Rock against Racism gigs in the 70s, GLC gigs in the 1980s, gay pride up until the mid-1990s. If things got too crowded, people regulated themselves by spreading out over a larger area or going home. Now even free events are ticket only and contained, preventing any of the spontaneous possibilities of loads of people getting together in a park to have a good time. Notting Hill Carnival seems to be next on the hit list, with plans to move the focus to Hyde Park being raised again.
Inside Hyde Park, it felt very much like the crowd were there to be extras for the TV show. The volume was low for a gig/festival, which destroyed any musical atmosphere, and the screens were out of sync with the sound. Bizarrely people only seemed to get animated when there was a camera pointing at them, perhaps because they felt so remote from the event. Every time the camera swept over the crowd people went mad and started cheering.
A gathering of 250,000 people demanding the abolition of poverty would be pretty amazing, even if the politics of the organisers were dubious. But it didn't feel like that - rather it was an assembly of atomised individuals self-consciously taking part (participating is too strong a word) in a media event. We'd only been there half an hour when we heard the couple next to us say - 'we've done it now - lets take some photos to show people we were here, and go home. We can get a t-shirt on the way out'. That summed up the event, along with having one of the richest people in the world, Bill Gates, talking about abolishing poverty from the stage. He got a cheer as a celebrity, with my lone boo seemingly unheard.
Nothing surprising, but depressing nevertheless.
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Re: from Beev (05.07.2005 23:51)
This is all very interesting…
I can understand why Amanda and Martin would feel so upset at what you saw when they got to the concert. However, I do think they under-estimates the seriousness of the celebrity/autograph situation. These poor people - they get really popular and successful being hero-worshipped by so many millions as the masses in their desperation to get an autograph, a kiss, whatever. You get no privacy, and we all know tons of money doesn't make us happy? On the contrary, people like Beckham get so much money it is pretty much impossible for them to stay in touch with real human values. So I have sympathy for them really because they need to have special treatment everywhere they go. I'm also certain that the unfeasibly high wages are a part of the problem of equality in the world generally (pretty obvious, really).
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Re: from Richard (06.07.2005 00:06)
Live8 - A Glorious Class Divide?
And so the dust settles on Hyde Park, Live8 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. The aerial 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 'privileged' children were able to run around playing nicely) 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!
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Re: from Sweaver (06.07.2005 00:12)
Live8 Golden Circle - Get Back Jo Jo!
Was it just I or was the majority of the golden circle at Hyde Park full of cardboard cut-outs? They were so boring! They could have at least tried to look as though they were enjoying themselves? They should have done their corporate mingling at home - making way for people that would have actually enjoyed the music as well as supporting 'the cause'!
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Re: from Powerdown (06.07.2005 00:27)
Wow aren't celebs just great?!
That no-brained t*sser called David Beckham has supported boots, made by the animal abusing Adidas corporation, that are made of kangaroo skin! Good old Adidas… destroying the environment! Go wash your brains out and get rid of the sh*t that they are infested with Beckham!
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Re: from Chris Brave (06.07.2005 07:54)
e-mail: chrisdenbrave@unite.com.au
When the music's over, turn out the light…
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 people's awareness on that level can pass on a true generational change in conscious awareness… a paradigm shift.
Did you feel that at Live8? "NO".
Did it energize you, move you, connect you? "NO".
Did it make you stand in the middle of a supermarket stunned and wondering where all this sh*t comes from? "ALREADY WONDERED THAT".
Did it celebrate any of the unique and unspoiled culture of any of these poor countries? "NO".
Or did suggest that culture goes hand in hand with poverty? "DON'T KNOW".
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 your body. Not from debt cancellation.
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Re: from Rach (06.07.2005 14:45)
Homepage: http://rachwarwick.blogspot.com
Live8 golden circle - a reflection of the world…
Interesting article, well done! I wrote about this issue earlier this week on 'my blog'. 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!!
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RESPONSE FROM: Jonathan Wingate (Bob Geldof Media Relations): jonathanwingate@onetel.com
DATE: 07 July 2005 10:40
SUBJECT: Live8 'Golden Circle' Blatant Class Inequality Complaint…
"Well, you are perfectly within your rights to feel like this.
Please do not put my email address on the internet via this stuff you have put up - and my reply to you is private, so keep that off the internet. I replied to you from a private perspective, merely out of politeness given that you were so frustrated. I am sorry you feel like this, but what can I do? Interestingly, why do you assume that I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth?"
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MY REPLY TO JONATHAN: 07 July 2005 10:50
Hi Jonathan, I assumed that you "was born with a silver spoon in your mouth" as there is NO WAY that I would be able to land a job like yours even though it would be a breeze (no offence).
Are you going to speak to Sir Bob on behalf of myself and many others that feel the same way Jonathan?
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NO REPLY FOLLOWED MY REPLY???!!!
I asked if the highly inappropriate and blatant 'class-divide' via the golden circle was out of his control or not. I asked this question in order to make the decision on whether I should carry on trusting his 'genuineness' and 'integrity' as I am currently a loyal follower of his beliefs and actions. I must make it clear that I don't follow 'just anyone' without this kind of 'proof' as there is so much corporate 'white wash' going on nowadays with corporate funding available to 'buy' anybody!
At this particular event, I feel that celebrities and VIPs should have made an effort to mix in order to demonstrate unity and equality at an event carrying the particular message that was intended. The only reason that VIPs actually require 'refuge' is due to the fact that they isolate themselves from the general public, creating a 'mystique' with the inevitable consequence of fuelling obsessions within the minority. When will people see that rock stars and VIPs are just people, that's all, just like you and I, 'doing their job' just like nurses, carers, police, tradesmen, factory workers, farmers etc., however WE don't feel the need for 'refuge' at such events?!
Following is the response that I got from Bob Geldof's 'media relations officer' Jonathan Wingate…
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FROM: Jonathan Wingate (Bob Geldof Media Relations):
jonathanwingate@onetel.com DATE: 06 July 2005 10:23
SUBJECT: Live8 'Golden Circle' Blatant Class Inequality Complaint…
"I do not know who you are or why you are contacting me (I deal with Bob's media relations), but I suggest you stop moaning and pinch yourself because you were lucky enough to win tickets. What exactly are you complaining about, and why are you sending this to me? I feel your attitude is extremely negative, and you should still be in dreamland because you got tickets and most people who applied (including my girlfriend and my best friends) did not. I must also add that your tickets should have cost you the price of a text message, and you were able to get tickets for such a tiny amount of outlay merely because of the cost of most of the tickets in the Golden Circle, so again, I am not quite sure what your issue is here - you got to see the best gig of the last 20 years, the most important musical event of the last 20 years, in fact - for the princely sum of £1.50. You can't even buy a pint of lager for that!
I was at the original Live Aid 20 years ago, and I did not expect VIP passes etc, and I was delighted to be stuck in the middle of the crowd at Wembley, so I am a bit confused as to why you have some sort of issue with this stuff now. It sounds to me like you should be working for some anti-globalisation organisation if you feel that strongly about this. Also - if you feel so strongly about the issues involved, elitism, Nike etc, I assume you are going up to Scotland to protest. If you are, then at least you can say you have done your bit as opposed to merely complaining about the event and the way it was organised.
I would be very interested to hear your thoughts. I do not usually reply to emails such as this, but your negativity has inspired me to write back to you."
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MY REPLY TO JONATHAN: 07 July 2005 09:59
Hi Jonathan, thank you for your email reply. I will now do my best to answer it…
RE: I do not know who you are or why you are contacting me (I deal with Bob's media relations), but I suggest you stop moaning and pinch yourself because you were lucky enough to win tickets.
MY REPLY: Thank you so much for replying Jonathan and I will now explain why I contacted yourself. I really did / do feel the need to air my views to Bob himself, therefore I am hoping that you may pass this email onto him as I know that Mr Geldof, (he being an Irishman - and I knowing his background and roots), will fully understand how I, and many others felt at the Live8 event in Hyde Park. I would like to know if the golden circle's blatant 'class-divide' via the golden circle was out of his control or not in order to make the decision on whether I can carry on trusting his 'genuineness' and integrity as I am a loyal follower of his beliefs and actions at present, however I don't follow 'just anyone'.
RE: What exactly are you complaining about, and why are you sending this to me? I feel your attitude is extremely negative, and you should still be in dreamland because you got tickets and most people who applied (including my girlfriend and my best friends) did not.
MY REPLY: Jonathan, I sent the email to you, as I believe that there are still serious class and inequality issues still to be addressed here within the UK (but let's get Africa sorted first). I, and others (there was a lot of talk in the crowd during the gig), including George Clooney who confessed his feelings with regards to the golden circle at Hyde Park during his interview with Edith Bowmen at Live8 Murrayfield, witnessed a sickening and blatant 'class divide' at Hyde Park on Saturday 2nd July 2005 which spoilt the event for both Amanda and myself as it made a mockery of the inequality issues raised on Saturday 2nd July 2005. I just hope that the G8 'suits' will still listen to the message even though the event was dissempowered by the golden circle divide… if they do then I will feel a whole lot better. Sorry that I sent the email to you as I couldn't find an email address for Bob Geldof himself anywhere, therefore I saw yourself as the nearest that I could possibly get to communicating with Bob via email and this worked (thank you). I can understand why you may have taken my views as "negative" as I presume that you are from an educated middle-class and therefore privileged background (please correct me if I'm wrong)? And I take it that you didn't have to get up at 2am following 2 hours sleep followed by a 4 hour drive to London, then the tube followed by a crushed queue for 6 hours only to be placed behind a massive golden circle containing 5% competition winners, 35% corporate packages and the rest being media and their hangers on who could just 'walk in' whenever they pleased following a luxury and relaxing stay within a hotel across the road somewhere?!
RE: I must also add that your tickets should have cost you the price of a text message, and you were able to get tickets for such a tiny amount of outlay merely because of the cost of most of the tickets in the Golden Circle, so again, I am not quite sure what your issue is here - you got to see the best gig of the last 20 years, the most important musical event of the last 20 years, in fact - for the princely sum of £1.50. You can't even buy a pint of lager for that!
MY REPLY: I do not wish to disclose the amount that I spent in order to obtain tickets via text message as I am more than happy to contribute towards the very valid funding, however, to my knowledge, there where very few people that merely paid a "princely sum of £1.50" for their "dreamland" tickets as most where willing to text message well over 100 times in order to increase their chances of winning… some spending up to £200.00 in fact! Yes I understand that the 'privileged few' within the golden circle paid more than I, however they are most probably a lot better of that I and therefore can afford it. The whole 'inequality' of the situation is that I most probably work as hard, or even harder than they, for a much lower wage simply because I didn't get access to a 'golden' start in life… does this make it any clearer to you Jonathan?
RE: I was at the original Live Aid 20 years ago, and I did not expect VIP passes etc, and I was delighted to be stuck in the middle of the crowd at Wembley, so I am a bit confused as to why you have some sort of issue with this stuff now. It sounds to me like you should be working for some anti-globalisation organisation if you feel that strongly about this. Also - if you feel so strongly about the issues involved, elitism, Nike etc, I assume you are going up to Scotland to protest. If you are, then at least you can say you have done your bit as opposed to merely complaining about the event and the way it was organised. I would be very interested to hear your thoughts. I do not usually reply to emails such as this, but your negativity has inspired me to write back to you.
MY REPLY: The UK class inequality issue really does need to be address Jonathan. You can most probably gather from the way that I write that I am a reasonably intelligent person whom sits behind 'closed doors' due to the fact that I had a very poor education and raised within a poor rural area. I don't really know how to begin to explain how it feels other than to suggest that you watch Johnny Rotten's DVD release titled "The Filth & The Fury" as, metaphorically speaking, it is impossible for you to understand how toothache feels unless you've experienced it for yourself. I had presumed that Live8 was about issues created by globalisation Jonathan and therefore actually an "anti-globalisation" event? And I had presumed that Western "elitism" had caused many of the issues raised by the event? You have confused me now.
I posted my views onto a major internet discussion site in order to see if others understood how the golden circle had made me and others feel at Live8, Hyde Park. Following is the huge response that I received almost immediately following the posting. The replies speak for themselves, therefore I am worried by the fact that you couldn't understand and or see my point? I am hoping that you will be able to obtain an explanation from Sir Bob himself in order that I can post his reply onto the discussion website as it is quite obvious to me that there are many others that felt the way that we did, I will inform them all that I have written to you. Please read on Jonathan…
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TITLE: Live8 Inequality / Live8 'Golden Circle' Controversy...
Hi, we were lucky enough to win tickets to Live8 at Hyde Park. We left very early and travelled to London in order to be at the gates by 6:30am and to our joy we where very near to the front of the queue! When the gates opened at around midday we ran into the park in order to find a place near to the stage only to discover a 'golden circle'? We found ourselves so far from the stage that the groups were reduced to mere ants! Wasn't this concert about equality, or am I missing the point? Why were the 'privileged few' allowed so close and us mere peasants kept back? I believe that the VIP's should have had to either mixed in with the crowd or be enclosed within an area along the side of the park and not the front as this demonstrated sheer class divide which made us feel physically sick!
Also to top it of we was informed that David Beckham was present within the Golden Circle... Beckham accepts huge amounts of 'sponsor' money from third world labour abusing corporations like Nike & Adidas, what on earth is going on!?
We don't wish to mock the event, as we are both completely 'for the cause' however we did witness sickening 'double standards'.
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Re: from UEF (03.07.2005 15:19)
>:( I was really annoyed at the sheer 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 for sure!
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Re: from Nsyncsuck (03.07.2005 19:04)
I was actually within the golden circle right at the barrier and there were a lot of people present only because their companies had given them tickets, most of them left early, probably to get some more Pimms!
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Re: from Spungletrumpet (03.07.2005 22:32)
I was working at the gig and had 'access to all areas' so at least I was considered mature enough to drink alcohol. 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 event!
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Re: from MadMo (03.07.2005 23:04)
If you had presumed that the gold circle area was full of competition winners then you are very much mistaken as only 5% MAX went in competitions, 35% went in corporate 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 flashy job that is vaguely within the media. Am I jealous? No... Pissed off? F*CK YES!!!
Live8 was all about inequality, injustice, the gulf between rich and poor. That was the big political cause. So this was the way that 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.
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. I made my way closer to the stage, and ended up just behind the VIP section. Relatively speaking we found a good spot, but still couldn't see the stage.
The sense of irony of what the concert was trying to promote was evident throughout. That is fact not fiction, I was there, I saw. Some looked confused?
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Re: from SuperBear (04.07.2005 00:21)
I was pretty cheesed off at the size of the Golden Circle - they had a huge amount of space!
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Re: from EvolutionUK (04.07.2005 13:01)
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.
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Re: from Matt (04.07.2005 14:48)
This explains why the concert was so lacking in passion and spark. The corporates at the front were totally lifeless. As you say the lack of political nous is stunning. A protest at poverty that favours a rich / poor divide. How hypocritical!
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MY REPLY: Hi Matt, yes it was lacking in "passion and spark", you're right, however that was partly due to the upsetting issues that had inspired the event and the images that were displayed on the big screens showing the terrible, unacceptable and tragic situation within Africa. People were actually crying around, all were deeply moved by the event. But still… how hypocritical of the event organisers to actually display a 'class-divide' within an event of this nature?! I do seriously think that there are serious class and inequality issues to be addressed within our own country after we have Africa back on its feet again!
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Re: from Tom (04.07.2005 15:44)
There were giant video screens in Hyde Park. There were giant video screens put up so that everyone could watch the concert.
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MY REPLY: Now really Tom you're missing the point, we did notice the screens but if screens were really as good as 'the real thing' why do you think people bothered to camp overnight outside Hyde Park in order to get as near to the stage as possible then? Why not simply have the groups broadcast from some other place if screens are the key? I witnessed a sickening and blatant 'class divide' at Hyde Park on Saturday 2nd July 2005 and that spoilt the event for us both as it made a mockery of the issues raised. There really is NO excuse or argument for this 'kick in the teeth' via class and status.
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Re: from Louis (04.07.2005 16:30)
Perhaps you were in fact watching ants. (Homepage:
http://www.daveches.co.uk) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MY REPLY: You could be right there Louis, for all we know they could have been ants… no wonder "the corporates at the front were totally lifeless" as mentioned by Matt!
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Re: from Bobby (04.07.2005 18:58)
At least Eavis hides them backstage. Sad but true - and normal at any big gig, even others where you might expect a more egalitarian vibe. Still, you got to go to the gig, and I watched some of it on TV in my warm dry house - I'm not jealous - we're both luckier than many. Speaking of corporates - I see Nokia were the only firm tactless enough to be advertising. Would that be why Bob was mentioning the benefits of mobile phones to poor rural African communities, except ones in Congo perhaps.
http://www.seeingisbelieving.ca/cell/kinshasa/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MY REPLY: I get your point Bobby… and I do agree that "we're both luckier than many", like I say… I do seriously think that there are serious class and inequality issues to be addressed within our own country, but not until after we have Africa back on her feet again. However I witnessed a sickening and blatant 'class divide' at Hyde Park on Saturday 2nd July 2005 and that spoilt the event for both Amanda and myself as it made a mockery of the issues raised. I just hope that the G8 suits at the golf course in Gleneagles will listen… and if they do then we will be much happier!
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Re: from Musicandchips (05.07.2005 15:01)
Homepage:
http://musicandchips.blogspot.com One of the reasons given for the circle is safety; with over 200,000 people the circle is supposed to help prevent crushes at the front of the stage. It is a feature of most really big shows these days (Glastonbury an obvious exception).
Also the 'golden circle' was not just a VIP area. Competition winners, special needs groups, all kinds of people had tickets. If you want to talk about a class divide, within the 'golden circle' were areas requiring special guest passes giving away thousands of pounds-worth of free alcoholic drinks and food. These areas were the resting places of the celebrities and VIPs, not the area in front of the stage.
Despite this, these areas are required. Like it or not, a lot of media interest in any event (and therefore the public platform for the message or issues involved) is fuelled by the prospect of easy access to multiple celebrities, who simply wouldn't come if there was no refuge from the autograph- and photo-hunters.
Personally I agree with you that it's a jip for those who have spent a lot of time queuing for a decent spot. I liked your idea of an area down the side, but there are wider issues to consider.
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MY REPLY: Surely it's still possible for people to get "crushed" even behind the circle?
We both completely accept your VERY valid point regarding "special needs groups" but as far as "competition winners" go, I thought that the SMS texting thing was the "fund raising" competition? After all we spent around £150 on our mobile phone bill in order to get our tickets (which was fine as it was in the name of an EXTREMELY valid cause and one that we both believe in). The celebrities and VIPs should have made an effort to mix in order to demonstrate equality at an event of this nature. The only reason that they actually require "refuge" is due to the fact that they isolate themselves from the 'general public' therefore creating a 'mystique' with the inevitable consequence of fuelling obsessions in some members of the 'general public'. Why can't people see that rock stars are simply people (like you and I) 'doing their job' just like nurses, carers, police, tradesmen etc. however we don't feel the need for refuge at such events?!
I personally don't think that these 'golden circle' areas are required, nor should they be allowed (even the name 'golden circle' smells of class superiority)! I will never be attending a gig with a 'golden circle' again in my lifetime as I view it as 'snobbery' to the extreme! I cannot believe that you mentioned, "…a lot of media interest in any event is fuelled by the prospect of easy access to multiple celebrities, who simply wouldn't come if there was no refuge from the autograph- and photo-hunters". Ah Didums… where's the violin? WELL THEY SHOULD HAVE JUST STAYED AT HOME THEN IF THAT'S THEIR ATTITUDE!!! How about if soldiers on a front-line took that attitude? Or if doctors and nurses that had just worked a 12-hour shift then faced with a really sick patient took that attitude?
Pampering to the 'rich and privileged' simply promotes a general desire to be 'rich and privileged' due to the fact that it becomes obvious to the 'easily affected' that this type of 'status' is beneficial to them. The following consequence, for this type of person, is a desire to become extremely greedy and selfish. Then this situation usually inflicts extreme poverty on others! I hate the class system… it stinks!
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Re: from Neil (05.07.2005 18:37)
My day at Live8…
Hi, I wish to throw in my experience of the event itself. I had the opportunity to go along, and being both curious and an REM fan thought I'd check it out.
The first thing was that the site was completely enclosed by a massive fence. This was frustrating on the way in, when people had to queue for at least an hour to get through one entrance in a huge boundary, but was even more annoying on the way out. We left early, but was refused exit from most of the marked exits having been told that these would only open at the end. We had to go all the way back to where we came in (in the north of Hyde Park, quite a walk) to get out. It felt very claustrophobic. This kind of crowd control for free events is a relatively new development. At one time there were many free events in London that were open access and attracted huge crowds - Rock against Racism gigs in the 70s, GLC gigs in the 1980s, gay pride up until the mid-1990s. If things got too crowded, people regulated themselves by spreading out over a larger area or going home. Now even free events are ticket only and contained, preventing any of the spontaneous possibilities of loads of people getting together in a park to have a good time. Notting Hill Carnival seems to be next on the hit list, with plans to move the focus to Hyde Park being raised again.
Inside Hyde Park, it felt very much like the crowd were there to be extras for the TV show. The volume was low for a gig/festival, which destroyed any musical atmosphere, and the screens were out of sync with the sound. Bizarrely people only seemed to get animated when there was a camera pointing at them, perhaps because they felt so remote from the event. Every time the camera swept over the crowd people went mad and started cheering.
A gathering of 250,000 people demanding the abolition of poverty would be pretty amazing, even if the politics of the organisers were dubious. But it didn't feel like that - rather it was an assembly of atomised individuals self-consciously taking part (participating is too strong a word) in a media event. We'd only been there half an hour when we heard the couple next to us say - 'we've done it now - lets take some photos to show people we were here, and go home. We can get a t-shirt on the way out'. That summed up the event, along with having one of the richest people in the world, Bill Gates, talking about abolishing poverty from the stage. He got a cheer as a celebrity, with my lone boo seemingly unheard.
Nothing surprising, but depressing nevertheless.
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Re: from Beev (05.07.2005 23:51)
This is all very interesting…
I can understand why Amanda and Martin would feel so upset at what you saw when they got to the concert. However, I do think they under-estimates the seriousness of the celebrity/autograph situation. These poor people - they get really popular and successful being hero-worshipped by so many millions as the masses in their desperation to get an autograph, a kiss, whatever. You get no privacy, and we all know tons of money doesn't make us happy? On the contrary, people like Beckham get so much money it is pretty much impossible for them to stay in touch with real human values. So I have sympathy for them really because they need to have special treatment everywhere they go. I'm also certain that the unfeasibly high wages are a part of the problem of equality in the world generally (pretty obvious, really).
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Re: from Richard (06.07.2005 00:06)
Live8 - A Glorious Class Divide?
And so the dust settles on Hyde Park, Live8 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. The aerial 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 'privileged' children were able to run around playing nicely) 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!
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Re: from Sweaver (06.07.2005 00:12)
Live8 Golden Circle - Get Back Jo Jo!
Was it just I or was the majority of the golden circle at Hyde Park full of cardboard cut-outs? They were so boring! They could have at least tried to look as though they were enjoying themselves? They should have done their corporate mingling at home - making way for people that would have actually enjoyed the music as well as supporting 'the cause'!
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Re: from Powerdown (06.07.2005 00:27)
Wow aren't celebs just great?!
That no-brained t*sser called David Beckham has supported boots, made by the animal abusing Adidas corporation, that are made of kangaroo skin! Good old Adidas… destroying the environment! Go wash your brains out and get rid of the sh*t that they are infested with Beckham!
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Re: from Chris Brave (06.07.2005 07:54)
e-mail:
chrisdenbrave@unite.com.au When the music's over, turn out the light…
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 people's awareness on that level can pass on a true generational change in conscious awareness… a paradigm shift.
Did you feel that at Live8? "NO".
Did it energize you, move you, connect you? "NO".
Did it make you stand in the middle of a supermarket stunned and wondering where all this sh*t comes from? "ALREADY WONDERED THAT".
Did it celebrate any of the unique and unspoiled culture of any of these poor countries? "NO".
Or did suggest that culture goes hand in hand with poverty? "DON'T KNOW".
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 your body. Not from debt cancellation.
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Re: from Rach (06.07.2005 14:45)
Homepage:
http://rachwarwick.blogspot.com Live8 golden circle - a reflection of the world…
Interesting article, well done! I wrote about this issue earlier this week on 'my blog'. 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!!
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RESPONSE FROM: Jonathan Wingate (Bob Geldof Media Relations):
jonathanwingate@onetel.com DATE: 07 July 2005 10:40
SUBJECT: Live8 'Golden Circle' Blatant Class Inequality Complaint…
"Well, you are perfectly within your rights to feel like this.
Please do not put my email address on the internet via this stuff you have put up - and my reply to you is private, so keep that off the internet. I replied to you from a private perspective, merely out of politeness given that you were so frustrated. I am sorry you feel like this, but what can I do? Interestingly, why do you assume that I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth?"
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MY REPLY TO JONATHAN: 07 July 2005 10:50
Hi Jonathan, I assumed that you "was born with a silver spoon in your mouth" as there is NO WAY that I would be able to land a job like yours even though it would be a breeze (no offence).
Are you going to speak to Sir Bob on behalf of myself and many others that feel the same way Jonathan?
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NO REPLY FOLLOWED MY REPLY???!!!
Michael Drayton
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