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For the official Live Earth website click HERE
What is it? Live Earth is a monumental music event that will bring together more than 2 billion people on 7/7/07 to raise awareness about global warming. With 24 hours of music across 7 continents, and performances by more than 150 of the world's top musicians, Live Earth will engage, connect, and inspire individuals, corporations and governments to take action to solve the climate crisis.
Live Earth News
The Live Earth concerts have drawn to a close, with the curtain going down in New Jersey in the US, after a finale performance from The Police. Rock stars around the world performed to hundreds of thousands of music fans to highlight climate change.
Concerts were also held in Washington, Rio de Janeiro, Johannesburg, London, Hamburg, Tokyo, Shanghai and Sydney. The event was organised by former US Vice-President Al Gore, as part of his campaign to try to "heal the planet". Mr Gore addressed the crowd at the end of the New Jersey event, urging the audience to act to save the planet: "Thank you for coming to Live Earth. Put all this energy in your heart and help us solve the climate crisis." He also appeared at a smaller event at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, giving a speech which was relayed to the concerts around the world, calling on the developed world to reduce carbon emissions by 90%.
But critics have said it was hypocritical for performers who fly around the world on tours to push the message of cutting down on carbon emissions. George Marshall of the Climate Outreach Information Network told the BBC: "Having the richest people in the world saying, 'Hey! We all need to cut back a bit!' is, let's face it, absurd."
Madonna brought London's Live Earth concert to a close, playing a song she had written for the event. After performing Hey You accompanied by children in school uniform, the singer swore at the audience and told them: "If you want to save the planet let me see you jump."
Speaking from Wembley, Snow Patrol lead singer Gary Lightbody told BBC Radio 1: "We're here to learn how to make our tours cleaner. We already offset our travel on our touring, but our shows themselves are quite far behind. "We're not the Red Hot Chili Peppers, who've been offsetting for years - and more power to them."
Reformed group Genesis, featuring Phil Collins, were among the first acts to perform at London's Wembley Stadium. The Beastie Boys, James Blunt, The Foo Fighters and Spinal Tap also played. Duran Duran opened their set with the perfect song for the occasion, Planet Earth. "Everyone who did not arrive on a private jet put your hands in the air," said lead singer Simon Le Bon, who also raised his hand.
German concert-goers were treated to performances by Snoop Dogg, Enrique Iglesias and Yusuf Islam, while UB40 and Joss Stone were performing in Johannesburg.
The Sydney event began with a traditional aboriginal welcome before Australian politician and former Midnight Oil frontman Peter Garrett made an appearance, saying it was up to citizens of developed nations to push for action to reduce pollution. "Your voice matters, make it heard," he said. Reformed New Zealand group Crowded House were joined by many of the other Sydney performers at the end of their set, for a rendition of the 1991 hit Weather with You.
The Tokyo event was opened by the band Genki Rockets at the Makuhari Messe hall, east of the Japanese capital. Japanese singer Ayaka urged people to do what they could. "We can start helping by doing something small," she said. "I started to carry my own eco-bag so I don't have to use plastic grocery bags, and use my own chopsticks instead of disposable ones."
In New Jersey, actor Leonardo DiCaprio was among the celebrities introducing the acts. "Our actions from this day forward will help determine just what sort of future we pass on to our children and to their children," he told the crowd at the Giants Stadium.
Responding to criticism that the event creates even more carbon emissions, organisers have insisted they were keeping the concerts as green as possible, with proceeds being spent on power-efficient light bulbs and other measures to offset the shows' emissions. "We've booked this show with acts that were touring in the area at the time so we could keep the carbon imprint down," explained producer Kevin Wall.
Thousands of plastic cups were left on the Wembley Stadium floor at the end of the London concert, despite organisers urging the audience to put them into recycling bins provided.
POSTED: SUNDAY 08/07/07 - Source: BBC Online
Sydney and Tokyo have begun a worldwide sequence of Live Earth concerts aimed at raising awareness of climate change. A total of 150 artists will be performing in nine cities, including London and Washington, over 24 hours.
The concert line-up is as follows...
Sydney - 0110 BST (1110 local)
Tokyo - 0400 BST (1200 local)
Johannesburg - 1100 BST (1200 local)
Shanghai - 1130 BST (1830 local)
Hamburg - 1300 BST (1400 local)
London - 1330 BST
Washington - 1530 BST (1030 local)
New Jersey - 1930 BST (1430 local)
Rio de Janeiro - 2000 BST (1600 local)
POSTED: SATURDAY 07/07/07 - Source: BBC Online
Washington DC has been added as a venue for the series of Live Earth concerts, organised by former US Vice-President Al Gore to highlight climate change.
Country couple Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood will be among the artists performing on The Mall in the US capital on Saturday.
POSTED: FRIDAY 06/07/07 - Source: BBC Online
The Live Earth concert in Rio de Janeiro will now go ahead on Saturday after a judge overturned a decision to cancel it over safety concerns.
Organisers of the event persuaded the judge that adequate security measures were in place to ensure the concert on Copacabana Beach could go off safely.
The Rio event is the only free one in the series of eight worldwide concerts to highlight climate change.
The line-up includes Lenny Kravitz, Macy Gray and Pharrell Williams.
POSTED: FRIDAY 06/07/07 - Source: BBC Online
The Latin American leg of Live Earth could be called off after a judge cancelled Saturday's concert in Rio de Janeiro over safety concerns. Police claim they do not have enough officers to guarantee crowd safety at the open-air gig on Copacabana beach. Brazilian promoters of the event, the only free show in the series of global concerts highlighting climate change, are hoping to overturn the decision. The Rio line-up includes Lenny Kravitz, Macy Gray and Pharrell Williams. Aside from the US acts, Rio will play host to a number of native performers, including singer Xuxa, reggae rock band O Rappa and rapper Marcelo D2. A giant beach stage in front of Rio's Copacabana Palace hotel has already been erected, with organisers hoping to attract up to one million visitors.
POSTED: THURSDAY 05/07/07 - Source: BBC Online
US rock singer Lenny Kravitz has been revealed as the headline act for the Brazilian leg of Live Earth. Other acts confirmed for the concert on Rio's Copacabana Beach include Pharrell Williams and Macy Gray.
POSTED: FRIDAY 29/06/07 - Source: BBC Online
The Turkish leg of the Live Earth concerts on 7 July has been shelved due to insufficient sponsorship and lack of time, organisers have confirmed. A series of live performances in Istanbul are to be replaced by screens relaying the concerts from other cities around the world. Purple Concerts told Associated Press: "There is no possibility to hold a live performance due to lack of time."
POSTED: WEDNESDAY 27/06/07 - Source: BBC Online
The hosts of London’s Live Earth gig were announced today. The main hosts will be Radio One presenter Chris Moyles and comic Russell Brand. They will also be joined by a handful of other guest hosts.
POSTED: TUESDAY 26/06/07
The U.K gig artists have been confirmed and appearing at Wembley on 7th July will be...
Beastie Boys, Black Eyed Peas, Bloc Party, Corinne Bailey Rae, Damien Rice, David Gray, Duran Duran, Foo Fighters, Genesis, James Blunt, John Legend, Kasabian, Keane, Madonna, Metallica, Paolo Nutini, Pussycat Dolls, Razorlight, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Snow Patrol, Terra Naomi.
POSTED: MONDAY 25/06/07
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