After queuing overnight to be the first in line for tickets and braving the crowds of the London Underground, we finally found ourselves amidst more than 130,000 people for the biggest musical event of our lifetime: Live8 2005 in Hyde Park.
The lineup would have impressed even your grandmother: Coldplay, U2, The Who, Sting, Pink Floyd, The Killers, Paul McCartney, Elton John and Mariah Carey, just to name a few. We couldn't help but notice, however, that we were some of the only people not already sporting the "Make Poverty History" wristband (think "LiveStrong," but white). This campaign, devoted to ending the structure of poverty in Africa, was the real reason everyone gathered in Hyde Park that day.
The concert began with a musical milestone in and of itself: Paul McCartney performing "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" for the first time ever live, with none other than U2 filling in for John, Ringo and George. Nothing could have better set the stage for the epic twelve hours of music that were to come: Rousing sets from U2, Coldplay and Elton John followed.
In between sets, enormous screens surrounding the stage broadcast videos encouraging viewers to travel the "long road to justice" and raise awareness for the dire situation of the African poor.
Though a fantastic day of music overall, there were certainly highs and lows, the lowest of which was Mariah Carey. Her lackluster songs and diva antics did little to endear her to a crowd hungry for anthems and classics. We were also unimpressed by younger, less-experienced bands like Travis and Keane, who just seemed out of place.
Yet, five of the acts seemed right at home on the Hyde Park stage. In a night full of spectacular music, the following artists demonstrated what it means to entertain at the highest level.
Madonna: To our surprise, the Queen of Pop put on one of the most entertaining shows of the night. Even though she only sang three songs, a great deal of time and effort was clearly spent on the choreography and staging. Backed by a large chorus and troupe of breakdancers, "Madge" remained onstage until every single person in Hyde Park was singing "music makes the people come together" along with her.
The Who: These aging rockers proved they still have as much energy and talent as ever. Roger Daltrey's voice rang clear and strong, and Pete Townsend proved that he is as fantastic an artist as he is showman when they performed "Who Are You?" and "Won't Get Fooled Again." While many of the younger Live8 acts seemed content to strum simplistic chords and strut on stage, it was refreshing to see and hear true musicians.
Annie Lennox: We were completely captivated by the pure emotional power of Lennox's opening song, "Why," accompanied by sobering video footage of HIV-positive African children. But as the iconic first notes of "Sweet Dreams" played, Ms. Lennox proved that she is still a star. Her voice, simultaneously tender and powerful, was the best we heard all day.
Robbie Williams: Relatively unknown in the States, Robbie is the UK's biggest pop star. So when he appeared on the Hyde Park stage after a two-year performance hiatus, his first song was all but drowned out by the deafening roar of the crowd. We found ourselves screaming along with them, powerless in the face of Robbie's charisma and onstage presence. As he belted out his anthem "Angels," the scene of 130,000 people swaying in unison was even more impressive than singing the "Good Ole Song" at Scott Stadium.
Pink Floyd: The very fact that Pink Floyd was onstage at Live8 was remarkable: It was the first time the band had played together since they broke up 28 years ago. Yet they still brought the night to a whole new level. The pure virtuosity of their musical skills in "Comfortably Numb" and the emotional longing of "Wish You Were Here" were unmatched by any other act. Our personal favorite moment of the night came during "Comfortably Numb": The stage, dark up till then, suddenly exploded with blazing white lights as David Gilmour began his iconic guitar solo.
These five acts, coupled with the dozen other performers, made Live8 London the greatest night of music performance on earth, ever. But what will come of this momentous event? Will there be relief for the African poor, or will people simply trade in their yellow "LiveStrong" bands for the now trendy "Make Poverty History" ones? Since Live8 aimed to raise awareness, and not money, we think of it as a huge success. But if real change is to occur in Africa, hopefully the G8 leaders in Edinburgh were listening along with the rest of the world.
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