Live 8: My Review I was There!

[big screen satellite]

well i thought i'd write a review of my Live 8 Day...

Friday 10am: sat at home working, phone rings..."Hello this is Capital Radio you've just won two tickets to Live 8"

Me: What? You're Joking...

Capital: Can you come and get the tickets from Capital Radio today or tomorrow?

Me: Duh? Yeah....

phone loads of people tell them that i've one, firstly the wife, who thinks i'm taking the piss...

entering an email competition in Heat Magazine, paid off...and i only sent in one email too...

Saturday 9:59am - leave Hove Sation for the 1hr journey to London, and rather than head to Hyde Park make my way to Capital Radio in Leicester Square...Train is full of people who won tickets in the text vote...surprisingly quite a few people from the south had won...;)

Saturday 11:15am- pick up tickets...check to see if they are vip ones (golden circle) sadly they are not...we are rthen resigned to the fact that whereever we stand or whenveer we get there we will be watching mostly on the screens in the park...so decide to go to Planet Hollywood for lunch and walk to Hyde Park after that....

Saturday 1:00pm - make way to Hyde Park after a nice load up in Planet Hollywood and a couple of pints (no beer on sale in Hyde Park - whatsoever)

Saturday 1:15pm - get to Hyde Park - burst out laughing at the size of the queue to get in - organisers have no idea of how to get 200,000 people into an entrance beig enough for about 100 people at a time...(gates opened at 12:00am for a 2:00pm start)

The police couldn't care less for people pushing in or who was going where..thier leave had been cancelled this weekend and they weren't gonna be inside watching...so there was mayhem...

1:45pm - after 30 minutes queing one way behind approx 100,000 people the police tell the queue to turn around and we suddenly jump 50,000 place closer...and we are walking (where as previoulsy we were shuffling)

2:00pm the gig starts...we are still outside in the queue...can hear bits of macca & bono blaring out 20 years ago today...

2:15pm still outrside - find out that most of the queue behind us has been let in a gate that we passed 10 minutes previously - now we are one of the last 5,000 people to get in...what a fuck up...not too bothered though because we were never gonna be at the front anyway, so just getting in will be good...

2:30pm - finally get to the ticket gate...after walking basically the whole perimiter of Hyde Park...

2:31pm Hand over tickets and walk in - its astounding, the emmence swathe of people in front of us...have missed U2 and Coldplay (who i don't like anyway - so no loss)

[//\/\/]

"no beer"

so they couldn't even organise a piss-up?!

[big screen satellite]

thought i'd start an extra bit so it doesn't get too long in one go to read...

basic Hyde Park set up appears to be:

Main Stage, Pit, then Inner Gold Circle containing 15,000 people, some of which have paid for 'pacakges' involving hotel rooms, some of which were radio and magazine winners (not us sadly) lucky bastards who all have loads of room and front row privileges, then a big gap to the main barriers holding back the rest of the crowd of 185,000 people...all the people down the front of this can only see the stage and the screens on it...probably standing all day, and not getting a great view. The further back you get there are 4 massive screens showing the gig - however watching these and listening to the music is terrible as they are about 1/2 second out of sync (all day)...we take our places sitting on the ground (loads of space at the back) in front of a screen to the right of the stage as you look at it...near the food, toilets and merchandise stall...queue's for this are immence too...

firts artist we sit and enjoy is Elton John...introduced by the Little Britain boys

he's ok...but is sadly let down when that drug addled bean pole Pete Doherty turns up and ruins a perfectly good song...

Dido's up next...in the meantime my wife ants a nice red t-shirt...start the queue for these...waste of time, and well before i get to the front of the queue...some guys says taht they only have a few sizes of a few of the t-shirts left...it 3:05pm and they have basically run out of merchandise totally (later we find out that this is the case at both merchandise stalls)

1 hour in to the gig and they have run out of merchandise - talk about a missed opportunity...did they not realise people would wanna buy something of this momentuous day? Maybe will buy something from the website:

live8live.com (http://www.live8live.com) where we find out they will sell you all that was available on the day...

decide to splash out £10 on a programme - a nice glossy 200 page book showing the bands taking part all over the world...

sit back down to watch Dido..who performs very well...if not exciting the crowd around us that much - whic looks like a big picnic all watching tv screens - we cann ot even see the stage from where we are.

Dido then gets on old Yusson N'dau (sp?) to sing seven seconds - the old Neneh Cherry track...its done very well...

after Dido we decide to assess our situation and move to a location that is closer to the exits - already planning the way out before 199,998 other people...

walk to the same spot we were in but on the other side...find a much better position a bit closer and with better views of teh stage, and three screens - which are still out of sync

Take us a while and the Stereophonics start - they are OK - but i've never liked them so arn't that bothered by their guitar riff rock - the crowd seems to dig them tough....

Last week I was in Hyde Park to watch New Order - with just 20,000 people, this week its Live 8 and 10 times that many...last week i was two people from the stage - this week 150,000 people are probably in front of me...still i'm not sweating and moshing with 5,000 otehr 30-40 year old blokes...next week my wife will be here again to watch REM...Hyde Park regulars - yep you bet...

and talking of who else are here next wek - REM come to the stage...Stipe has his trademark blue makeup on... begins to bash out the anthems - the poignant 'everybody hurts' goes down well...and the Andy Kaufman song...Man in the Moon...i'm no great fan of REM either, but i can appreciate a decent band when i see one...next week's full gig will be a good one...my wife has gold circle tickets for that!!!!

Check our printed off 'estimated' set list and see that its Ms Dynamite up next - not bothered either way by her...

the people next to us ask us about who's on when...and we find out that they are from Brighton - not only that the girl, Sarah, lives literally two roads away from us...200,000 people and you end up sitting next to someone from almost your own street...small world eh...?

Ms Dynamite -s shite in my opinion...and never really gets the crowd going...especially all the fat balding pink floyd fans at the back...maybe those down the front are digging it more...

Inbetween acts our screens show short films about the plight of the aficans - which is why we are all there and why you lot watched - it brings everyone down to earth...

also between bands we get to see recorded tracks by acts elsewhere around the world, Duran Duran, Pet Shop Boys, Brian Wilson, Will Smitrh , Destiny's Child...we're not missing out - which is cool...

while waiting for bands which takes between 5-10 minutes we estimate that the gig is gonna run beyond the 9:30pm end time stated...calculate at 15 minutes per band (the supposed maximum) and 5 minutes change over time that we will be running to 10:45pm - we wanna leave by 9 really to avoid a crush and missing the train home...its at least a 30 minute walk to Victoria station...our position and exit vantage point are ideal...its about 6:30 now...

check list - Keane are on next - never seen them live - except on TV at Glasto - and they looked very good...they had played here in the week as part of the Wireless festival...come on to raptuous applause - they belt out three of their 'hit's to much acclaim...i enjoyed them - will buy album next week i think....at least some people will be doing well out of playing Live 8 i think synically...well they will its simple that the bands playing make more money - more radio play - more album sales...they aren't doing a heroes of Live 8 day (today) on VH1 and not paying royalties are they???

Keane are followed closely by Travis...sing, turn and why does it always rain - which is certainly a crowd pleaser - at least most peolle know it...

we get up for every act and sit back down inbetween...its tyring and we havent been standing like those down the front have for the entire gig...still the bastards have gold circle tickets - fuck em ;)

As travis end we look forward to Annie Lennox - last time i saw her live was in 1983, at the Brighton Centre with the Eurythmics...she sits at a piano plays a mving song (can't recall the name) and we don't see her, instead a film she made when she went to Africa, showing people all who are HIV...its very moving

then she breaks into Little Bird, and then Sweet Dreams, which gets the crowd a singing!

UB40 next...not that fussed by them - they perform a medly of hits - to some confusion - despite 23 albums in 25 years...not that many people know their songs...remain seated - can't be arsed watching this lot...

oooh check its snoop dogg next - its 15 minutes or so before he comes on..must be doing something special - realise that they have to move off all the instruments for a set of decks to be installed...bad set positioning for Snoop who proceeds to play his 'hits' with all teh profanitites intact - laugh as its going out at 6:30pm on national and world wide telly...

'makes some motherfucking' noise is said more than once...:D

what did they expect...snoooopp doggie daaaaawg!

he's cool even if his brand of music might not be to everyones taste the 14 year old girl in front of us with her trendy mother seemed to enjoy it...put "yer mother fucking hands in the air"

we had to smile :)

razorlight - didn't really know much about them - still don't really...their final song was the best...the guy strutts his stuff like a young Mick Jagger...and did get the corwd pumping up the front...

currently our BBC set list has been correct every band in the right order - even if the songs predicted are totally off...

Madonna's on next...she should be good...(saw her at Wembley in 87 - so she knows how to rock a Stadium-esque crowd)

before we get Madonna - bobs back on (he performed with the boomtown rats at somepoint earlier - "i don't like mondays" but can't remember who between) Sir Bob - shows us a film that started it all - with who's gonna drive you home playing over the top of it...some peopole have tears in their eyes...

Bob brings on the girl in the vidoe - who is still alive...she thaks us for helping her country...Madonna comes on stage, the young girl remains on stage with her translator and proceeds to dance a bit with madonna - who sings like a prayer with her gospel choir - she and they are resplendant in white...she is a true acomplished performer...well she has had 20 years of practice, since Live aid in 1985....

we get Ray of Light and an epic version of Music which goes on forever with lots of crowd participation....everyone is smiling - Madonna rocked - easily the best so far (for me)

also inbetween bands we have had guest stars and speakers...Bill Gates...Kofi Annan, Ricky Gervais...some introduce bands some preach a message...all are roundly applauded...even the crowd persuade Ricky to do his 'office' dance - which he vowed never to do again...it was a day of surprises

some didn't come off...Justin Timberlake didn't appear...he was in Philly, in America...Brad Pitt did...introducing Annie Lennox after a speach about why we were here....

[big screen satellite]

{ohh - 10,000 Thread character limit....}

hence the splits...never seen that before....

back to the day, Snow Patrol come up next, bashing out a couple of hits - not everyone knows then here...but they perform admirerably...ends with the phrase up next its "the Killers"


oooh set change...they are running at least 1hr 30minutes late already and no one has overrun by a lot...may be Madonna did 20 minutes - but even at 15 minutes plus 5 minutes changeover there is not enough time in the alloted bits for it all to fit in...

still its the killers...both my wife and I really wanted to see these...

how disappointing then that after "All These Things that I've Done"

"Ive got soul, but i'm not a soldier, Ive got soul, but i'm not a soldier

they leave the stage - one song!!! one bloody song - we were gutted...time must be running short - who else are they gonna cut...?

Ah Joss Stone, she's only young they'll curtail her too we're sure...

we were wrong, and as good a voice she has - she never really gets our part of the crowd going perfoming a real slow second track...comes across well but not really a crowd pleaser at our end

its getting late now...we said we would leave at 9ish...decide to see the Scissor Sisters - because they rock - we've heard ;)

and then make our plans to leave, not bothered by Velvet Revolver, Mariah, Sting, but will be gutted to miss the legendary Who & Pink Floyd...even though i wouldn't really know if they were good or not...realise we will miss robbie, but we estimate that he's at least an hour off and we're both now suffering back pain...

so watch the Sisterhood, Scissorhood?...they do indeed rock, Lara & Take your Mam out...then belt out a new song - is this the place for that...suppose they couldn't really do comfortably numb - with Floyd on later....they go down very well indeed...

its 8:50...the sun has just come out...but we decide to leave...it takes us until 9:30 to get to the station just by walking - pass lots of people outside - just sitting down on Park Lane listening to the crowd and muffled sounds coming from the park..they just had to be there, i suppose...

the Police - who've been there since 8am are making plans for the mass exodus predicted at 9:30, which earlier in the day had been extended to 10:30 will be infor a long wait...because there are 8 more acts to come at 15 minutes plus changeover time in between, to come

regret leaving, because will miss some classic bands, but decide its the best decision...as we will be pushing catching the last train at 1am if we stay it out...and we are dead on our feet - not sure how the people at the front are surviving...


train is there at 9:36 so we get it and travel home - we aren't the only ones to leave early as there is a slow exodus of people leaving to get home...wish we had a hotel booked now...maybe thats what a lot of people had done...

but we are lucky - on Friday at 9am i was preparing to watch teh whole thing on TV...come 10am we had won tickets and we were lucky to be there...

it was an amazing place to be...part of history...signing up to hopefully may a mark...whether it will work is yet to be seen...

i don't wanna get ito the politics of it all because i'm not the right person...if you feel compeelled to help sign up at the live8live.com site to get your voice heard here (http://www.live8live.com)

the train we get home is a fast one and we're back by 10:30am - the extended gig time is now...but we reckon that they won't have finished by teh time our taxi gets us home 15 minutes later...

get in in time to catch the Who and Floyd on TV plus the McCartney ending....they did look impressive - but i'm not sure if all the people in the crowd were sure what they were hearing, although the cameras did pick out fans who knew the songs...TV coverage did look pretty good though....

the gig ends at 12:00 midnight...wow...we were so glad to leave...imaging 150,000 people trying to get out of a royal park with limited exits all trying to get home...we would have been stuck in London for the night for sure....

i'm sure most of those who stayed - and there seemed to be loads would have said it was worth it....but we totally enjoyed out 'free' day...and we have the memories and aches to prove it...hope my pictures of the screens come out ok...:)

np: The Killers - Hot Fuss...to make up for the disappointment of their short set

but we can't be annoyed by anything in the day really - even the chaotic entrance, and out of sync screens...it was a free gig and it was amazing....

i hope you enjoyed it on TV or if you were there anywhere around the world...

DVD and CD to come apparently...bow sign up and see if it does make a difference....

Mattval1

[lloyd]

You were very lucky to win tickets. Nice that it all in all turned out in a good day. Crowds looked massive on the telly indeed.
I was lucky that I could recieve BBC2 (later 1), dutch telly and german WDR so I could switch between those and see a lot of the concerts all over the world.
Let's hope indeed that it makes a difference, in any way.

[Jason Roth]

I watched Madonna do Ray of Light (on MTV) and thought she was horribly off key. And what was with that retched scream mid-song.

Poor performance.

[big screen satellite]

I watched Madonna do Ray of Light (on MTV) and thought she was horribly off key. And what was with that retched scream mid-song.

Poor performance.

ray of light was the low point of the three songs - and i would think that its perhaps one of her hardest song to do live...

Music & Like a Prayer were great though...its hard to judge 'keys' though when you have crappy speakers and 200,000 people singing along too...