The journey of equality begins: Live8

Live8 London, stage

Are you ready for U2’s hit and run performance at Live8 this Saturday? The band are kicking off the day at London’s Hyde Park, playing ‘St Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ with Paul McCartney and then, according to a schedule sent out to affiliate broadcasters, a short set of three songs: ‘Vertigo’ en ‘Beautiful Day’ and ‘One’. (Please note, other schedules state U2 will only do ‘One’.) After their Live8 performance they will jet it over to Vienna to continue their Vertigo Tour on the same day. It’s not as impressive as Phil Collins’ Concorde stunt 20 years ago, but a valiant effort nonetheless.

Live8 stage

Our London spy had a look in Hyde Park earlier today. Here’s what we would call a pretty unique look at the stage as it’s being prepared for tomorrow. Our correspondent reports an early soundcheck has begun: Annie Lennox is billed first for that. The ‘golden circle’ area is about twice as large as U2’s and the media area looks like a NASA substation. There’s a scrolling screen at stage eye level, featuring drop the debt messages and there’s currently a grand piano on stage.

London’s buzzing with activity already. Fans were camping from Tuesday night for Wednesday 3pm, just to get the tickets to watch it on the big screens. Check out the London running order in The Mirror. Hands up who wants Jake ‘Scissors Sisters’ Shears on stage with U2.

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44 thoughts on “The journey of equality begins: Live8

  1. And of course, Bono has also been going on how he’ll join the Make Poverty History march in Edinburgh that same day. The good folks at Vertigo Air must be making overtime that day…

  2. And of course, Bono has also been going on how he’ll join the Make Poverty History march in Edinburgh that same day. The good folks at Vertigo Air must be making overtime that day…

  3. I heard him say ‘you can march with us in Edinburgh’ or something to that effect. That doesn’t have to mean he’s there himself.

  4. I heard him say ‘you can march with us in Edinburgh’ or something to that effect. That doesn’t have to mean he’s there himself.

  5. Must have been at either London or Glasgow where he literally said he’d be there then… He was quite specific about it, and I’m 100% sure he used the word “I” when talking about joining the march.

  6. Must have been at either London or Glasgow where he literally said he’d be there then… He was quite specific about it, and I’m 100% sure he used the word “I” when talking about joining the march.

  7. OK — I’m heading down there now. Lucky enough to win tickets. Armed with my trusty 20D, 70-200 f/4 lens and recently acquired 2x teleconverter. Gonna need all that zoom as even with an 18 hour wait, I’m gonna be miles away – especially with that huge ‘snob circle’ up front. A little disappointed that U2 are playing just ‘One’. Really thought that Crumbs would make a debut – but that would be too logical!

  8. OK — I’m heading down there now. Lucky enough to win tickets. Armed with my trusty 20D, 70-200 f/4 lens and recently acquired 2x teleconverter. Gonna need all that zoom as even with an 18 hour wait, I’m gonna be miles away – especially with that huge ‘snob circle’ up front. A little disappointed that U2 are playing just ‘One’. Really thought that Crumbs would make a debut – but that would be too logical!

  9. Ah, that article clears it up somewhat. There’s TWO marches… One is the make poverty history one on July 2nd, and there’s one on July 6 as well, marking the start of the G8 summit. Apparently the plan is to march past Gleneagles, but the local MPs are up in arms over it…

    Sounds like tons of fun! I’d go there if it wasn’t a work day ๐Ÿ˜›

  10. Ah, that article clears it up somewhat. There’s TWO marches… One is the make poverty history one on July 2nd, and there’s one on July 6 as well, marking the start of the G8 summit. Apparently the plan is to march past Gleneagles, but the local MPs are up in arms over it…

    Sounds like tons of fun! I’d go there if it wasn’t a work day ๐Ÿ˜›

  11. So I’m the only hand up for Jake Shears, then? Come on, they could play a “Filthy Gorgeous” remix of “Discotheque”… that’d “raise awareness!”

  12. So I’m the only hand up for Jake Shears, then? Come on, they could play a “Filthy Gorgeous” remix of “Discotheque”… that’d “raise awareness!”

  13. Sure hope they’ll play more then one song!

    I’ve got some doubts about this, but “the Irish rockers will don colourful Sgt Pepper’s uniforms for the performance of The Beatles classic, according to US news show Access Hollywood.”

    I bet Larry can’t wait to get in one of those uniforms, lol.

  14. Sure hope they’ll play more then one song!

    I’ve got some doubts about this, but “the Irish rockers will don colourful Sgt Pepper’s uniforms for the performance of The Beatles classic, according to US news show Access Hollywood.”

    I bet Larry can’t wait to get in one of those uniforms, lol.

  15. Oh I’m up, I’m very up.

    We got a broadcast schedule at work, it appears U2 are also doing Vertigo and Beautiful day, though it doesn’t say so on any other schedule I’ve seen.

  16. Oh I’m up, I’m very up.

    We got a broadcast schedule at work, it appears U2 are also doing Vertigo and Beautiful day, though it doesn’t say so on any other schedule I’ve seen.

  17. I’d give up my right arm for a duet between U2 and the Scissor sisters….preferably all wearing sgt Pepper uniforms. And I would be watching it on tv, “cause you can’t see tits on the radio…”

  18. I’d give up my right arm for a duet between U2 and the Scissor sisters….preferably all wearing sgt Pepper uniforms. And I would be watching it on tv, “cause you can’t see tits on the radio…”

  19. I think u can guarantee the Vertigo, BDay and One list. Listening to the BBC broadcast of the Twickenham Vertigo today, it felt spot on. Lift off..BDay fits perfectly. One is One…nuff said.

  20. I think u can guarantee the Vertigo, BDay and One list. Listening to the BBC broadcast of the Twickenham Vertigo today, it felt spot on. Lift off..BDay fits perfectly. One is One…nuff said.

  21. On CNN Bono said, when asked “why live aid again?”, they we’re doing the gig so they could play the right song. I think that means “Pride”.

    I read somewhere else they’d be playing “City of Blinding lights” a song- which seems to me – to be a love song to Tokyo. Although I’d let the kiddy rockers off with such poor selections, to many music fans – and U2 fans esspecialy – you’ve got to be careful with such loaded songs. What hasn’t One been accosiated with – I have a “one” tea-cup. “one life, one teaspoon”. I kid you not.

    They should play John Lennon’s “How Do you Sleep at Night?”. For many reasons – its a great song too.

  22. On CNN Bono said, when asked “why live aid again?”, they we’re doing the gig so they could play the right song. I think that means “Pride”.

    I read somewhere else they’d be playing “City of Blinding lights” a song- which seems to me – to be a love song to Tokyo. Although I’d let the kiddy rockers off with such poor selections, to many music fans – and U2 fans esspecialy – you’ve got to be careful with such loaded songs. What hasn’t One been accosiated with – I have a “one” tea-cup. “one life, one teaspoon”. I kid you not.

    They should play John Lennon’s “How Do you Sleep at Night?”. For many reasons – its a great song too.

  23. Er…Callum? ‘How do you sleep’ is a song John Lennon wrote to let out the anger and hate he felt at that time towards Paul McCartney, after the Beatles just split up. A lyric from the song: “The only thing you did was ‘yesterday’ and since you’ve gone you’re just anoter day’. Speaks for itself a bit doesn’t it? Hardly appropriate for a show where McCartney himself will be performing. Btw, Macca responded to Lennon on his next album with ‘Let me roll it’, a song sรณ very ‘Lennon-esque’in everything, that it is really a parody. The lyrics were a lot less hateful though: “My heart is like a wheel, let me roll it to you”. And that concludes professor Wendy’s lecture on internal Beatles conflicts today, thank you!

  24. Er…Callum? ‘How do you sleep’ is a song John Lennon wrote to let out the anger and hate he felt at that time towards Paul McCartney, after the Beatles just split up. A lyric from the song: “The only thing you did was ‘yesterday’ and since you’ve gone you’re just anoter day’. Speaks for itself a bit doesn’t it? Hardly appropriate for a show where McCartney himself will be performing. Btw, Macca responded to Lennon on his next album with ‘Let me roll it’, a song sรณ very ‘Lennon-esque’in everything, that it is really a parody. The lyrics were a lot less hateful though: “My heart is like a wheel, let me roll it to you”. And that concludes professor Wendy’s lecture on internal Beatles conflicts today, thank you!

  25. Just heard the same thing about them wearing the original Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart uniforms.

    Man, that’d be awesome… but, ehm, wouldn’t they be one suit short? And, ehm, #2… would Bono even /fit/ that suit? I mean, he’s no exactly tall or anything…

    Someone had better get pictures of this!

  26. Just heard the same thing about them wearing the original Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart uniforms.

    Man, that’d be awesome… but, ehm, wouldn’t they be one suit short? And, ehm, #2… would Bono even /fit/ that suit? I mean, he’s no exactly tall or anything…

    Someone had better get pictures of this!

  27. flygirl… your so right.

    I can’t believe I didn’t spot that. Well, I’m not a big Beatles past and present time but anyway. Johnathon Ross were just interviewing Kene – who said they had just walked across Hyde Park and heard / watched Bono and Maca doing more Sgt. Pepper’s – no uniforms mentioned.

    I’m booting up the PVR, I’ll see If I cant get some torrent thing going – that’s going to be legal I would imagine, no one can hold rights to an event about ‘getting it out there’.

  28. flygirl… your so right.

    I can’t believe I didn’t spot that. Well, I’m not a big Beatles past and present time but anyway. Johnathon Ross were just interviewing Kene – who said they had just walked across Hyde Park and heard / watched Bono and Maca doing more Sgt. Pepper’s – no uniforms mentioned.

    I’m booting up the PVR, I’ll see If I cant get some torrent thing going – that’s going to be legal I would imagine, no one can hold rights to an event about ‘getting it out there’.

  29. So if U2 dresses up as Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band then I guess that McCartney will dress up as The Fly? Or Mcphisto? ๐Ÿ˜‰

  30. So if U2 dresses up as Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band then I guess that McCartney will dress up as The Fly? Or Mcphisto? ๐Ÿ˜‰

  31. ‘he’s no exactly tall or anything… ‘ Yeah, rub it in, e! Actually, there not very tall in Ireland in general, I noticed last week, when we were there. I felt like a giant with my very Dutch 5ft10.

  32. ‘he’s no exactly tall or anything… ‘ Yeah, rub it in, e! Actually, there not very tall in Ireland in general, I noticed last week, when we were there. I felt like a giant with my very Dutch 5ft10.

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