Confessions of a Misguided Trio

Live Earth is a Win for Global Yawning...

I have just had the great honor of reading the best review of a concert I think I have ever seen/read/heard...

The Telegraph's Neil McCormick wrote a scorcher of a review which can can read in whole here.

Some personal highlights...

"If you wanna save the planet, jump up and down!" urged Madonna. Can global warming be stopped by an out-of-breath, middle-aged, super-rich narcissist in a leotard and high heels?


The superannuated pop queen was certainly up for the challenge, but judging by the negligible response to the text message number displayed on stage, I suspect the public may have been justifiably confused by the link between aerobics and the environment.

As global satellite multi-media musical entertainment, Live Earth was just about adequate. As a platform for stadium politics, it was a dismal affair. "Can you help save the earth?" bellowed Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles. Cue muted murmur of support.

"We might be screwed if that's the response," he half-joked.

We know what to expect by now: bands play three songs each; celebrities make speeches; short films illustrate the cause. The portmanteau aspect tends to drain momentum, and with no Bob Geldof figure to drive the event along, Live Earth lacked urgency, emotion or sense of internal narrative. Instead we had Geri Haliwell, chattily complaining about "this freaky weather".

The whole tone felt misjudged: Al Gore appeared by satellite, to no great reaction in the stadium, and seemed to be addressing a small audience of native Americans, not seizing the world by the reins...

... The bill was, if we're honest, not particularly impressive. Live Aid and Live 8 were the greatest gatherings of musical talent ever seen, but they didn't happen by accident. On this evidence, Gore lacks the persuasiveness and contact books of Geldof and Bono. Where were the great campaigning rock bands of our times?

There was no U2, Radiohead, Coldplay, REM, Bruce Springsteen or Bob Dylan (indeed, no classic veterans at all, which may have accounted for the failure of the singalongs). Where were the collaborations and reunions? Live 8 got Pink Floyd, Live Earth got Spinal Tap...

...Gore's film, An Inconvenient Truth, woke a lot of people up to the very real and imminent dangers of climate change. But the inconvenient truth of Live Earth is that it was a soulless telethon, with no clarity or drive.

The concluding lyrics of Madonna's closing song, Hung Up, may be ironically prophetic: "You'll wake up one day / But it will be too late."

I watched part of Live Earth over the weekend, and have to admit, even the re-emergence of Crowded House didn't do much for me... If I see one more short film about how screwed the earth is, I just may have to go for a drive to the nearest winery... Somewhat ironic I know...

Labels: Live Stuff

posted by Mark @ 8:40 PM