h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I did. The music was great, I'm talking about London. But it was also great what I saw from other places. There was superb video stuff to the with the bands and the feelgood factor was massive. good on you Bob Geldof

I watched the whole thing and thought that the start was rotten. The first 3 ir 4 hours in fact. U2, who I think are the best band in the world, were crap and uninspired. Ms Dynamite was a let down and Dido really can't sing.

However it did get a whole lot better...Madonna was great. The Killers really should have had more than one song. If they had they would have been the stand out act. Robbie Williams, who i usualy detest, proved that he's an exceptional showman and did his best to steal the whole show. And the best thing for me was Razorlight. Superb!!

The shame then was that they had The Who and Pink Flloyd to finish it. The end seamed dull, instead of a flourish.

Now it's all over visit this site:

http://www.makepovertyhistory.org/

No, The Who really made it for me. Peter Kay kinda looked like he didn't want to be there, but I've never seen him perform before so I don't know if that's part of his act. We were discussing the ending - wifey wanted to end with 'Do they know it's Christmas' but I reckoned that would've been a bit corny and dated.

I didn't start watching properly until later but what happened to Oasis, Franz Ferdinand and The Darkness?

The Who were blinding (come on, it's impossible not to do windmill air-guitar to the intro of 'Won't Get Fooled Again'), Madonnna was good, and it's a shame Kaiser Chiefs weren't in London. Ms Dynamite was disappointing, and Geldof still can't sing (shame, as the Boomtown Rats were a fine band in their day).

Overall it was erm adequate.

Lets hope it works.

Did not watch it but saw a few snipits Sting was good.

I'm currently watching highlights from the Eden Project thing here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/thelive8event/

Puts the Hyde Park stuff to shame.

What makes you say that roymondo? In what way was it better?

What makes you say that roymondo? In what way was it better?

I found some of the musicianship staggering. While the London event was good, there was nothing that a good pub band couldn't pull off (with the surprising exception of the Snoop Dogg set). Ayub Ogada and Uno & Geoffrey Oryema were both stunning.

I thought the BBC camera work was excellent, especially when compared to the other places.

The BBC certainly know what they're doing. I remember that during the 80s, Channel 4's 'The Tube' provided the best live coverage (directed by Gavin somebody or other. Taylor?) - Queen at Wembley being a defining moment, but the BBC have grabbed the baton and do great things. Although it's probably past its sell-by date, there's still no better music programme than Later.
I'd like to have seen some of this year's Glasto footage, but unfortunately I didn't have a VCR in my tent!

I thought it was great Enjoyed the start with Paul and U2, Madonna was a high point and Coldplay were brilliant again. Razorlight were really good but I wished The Killers could have been on longer

It was a bit of a gear change though, going from Robbie to Peter Kay It was a bit of a comedown.

Almost forgot, Pink Flloyd were brilliant too

Was it me, or did three quarters of Pink Floyd look unimpressed by Roger Water's comment that it was 'Quite emotional playing with these three guys again'?

I forgot about Razorlight - rather good. Even had dynamics and stuff.

Can't comment as I didn't watch any of it.

Me neither. I was playing a gig in a field in Norfolk.

Boffo, a good one!

Highlights for me were Scissor Sisters – who i'd never really heard before, Madonna (with a when Bob Geldof brought on the young Ethiopian woman whose image as a baby was burned into our brains via Live Aid 20 years ago), Robbie (the big show-off ), and the Floyd Wish You Were Here brought another and Comfortably Numb made me come out in

mmmm..... Fern Cotton.....


I enjoyed Velvet Revolver too, though wasn't impressed at all with singer Scott Weiland's hat bearing SS insignia, whatever his stated reasons are for wearing it

And how close did Peter Kaye come to being decked by the roadie from The Who?

Lx

A few comments, but first - just who were the people in the "Golden Circle" at the front that kept the proper ticket holders about 200 yards away from the stage? The only reason I say that is I did a "Compare and Contrast" during the show by looking at the audience in the Live Aid DVD. At Live Aid, the people were allowed right up to the stage, and the reaction showed their excitement. In contrast, the people in the "Golden Circle" (Who I can only assume were trust fund chicks, hooray henries and record company hanger ons) looked vaguely bored most of the time. Even the front man of Coldplay said in his interview "Who WERE those people at the front?"

Other niggles were Madonna dragging that poor girl around the stage and then dancing in front of her (I can only assume to try and make her do the same). Thankfully, her translator came on and saved her eventually but only after she had been made to look like a fashion accesory. Truly a cringing moment for me, as was Maria Carrey wheeling on another bunch of African kids and trying to force one of them to speak when he clearly didnt want to.

There were some highlights for me, the opening, U2, Robbie (Who definately stole the show and the scissor sisters.

Overall though, strangley flat when you compare it to the Live Aid Wembley footage.

When Madonna was onstage holding hands with the Ethiopian Girl, the symbol of what worked about the original Live Aid, I was almost shuddering in fright at the memory of Madonna, Britney and Christina Aguelare, and was just waiting for the crass moment when Madonna yelled 'End Third World Debt!' and turned round to snog her. It's difficult to take these media attention hungry people seriously.

Other points of note for me were

When Peter Kay announced 'The Spice Girls' as a joke but the audience bought it with a group intaken breath and suddenly got excited. Doh!

When snoop started asking people to put their m****** hands in the air and wave the m****** like you just dont care at about 5.30 in the afternoon, and the beeb cameremen happened to be showing shots of children up on their parents backs enjoying the, up to then, family atmosphere.

Robbie's bubble getting burst when people didnt know the words to Feel.

George Michael making a suprise appearance and being completely inaudible.

Macca doing a truly truly godawful cr*p cover version of Helter Skelter

But is was all worth it just for the Who. Fantastic.

I watched the Cornwall concert, but they kept butting in and doing interviews instead of showing footage.

You know what would be great is to see a review of Live 8 in the next Post. Do we have people from different countries who watched the different footage?

It was a good show. Though I think a sniper should have taken out Peter Kay. I can't believe they let him sing that god awful song. When you look back on it in 20 years time, do you really think people will still like that crap concept song? At least they kept the Crazy Frog away.

I only saw bits, so I had no idea who that poor girl that was standing next to Madonna was. I felt sorry for her. Even after you have told me, it seemed strange.