They said it was going to be bigger than Live Aid, but on a damp gray London afternoon in a crumbling football stadium, NetAid felt like one outdoor charity show too many.

NetAid drew a full house, not many of whom knew exactly why they were there. Ending Third-World debt? Helping refugees? Paying homage to Robbie Williams? The show lurched between a lineup with a nostalgic 1980s atmosphere and a worthy, compassionate exercise, but it never captured the imagination for long enough. The on-stage visuals were distinctly uninspiring. The logos and slogans looked like a hotel foyer gearing up for a marketing meeting.

The Eurythmics opened the day with their dark protest tune "Save the World Today." Dressed in urban guerrilla chic David Stewart and Annie Lennox struck a somber note with slower hits like "There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart)." They would have been better served at the sharp end of the concert.Slick mini-sets from the Corrs and Catatonia raised the spirits, although the latter's singer, Cerys Matthews, may have been unwittingly accurate in her response that "this won't change anything, but you've got to try." Just as the Cars tried to sum up Live Aid with "Drive," so the Corrs attempted to define the day by singing a milquetoast version of R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts."

George Michael was the first major star to make an impact. He arrived in a swiveling leather chair and won several ovations just for standing there, smiling and soaking up the warm applause. "Fast Love," "Father Figure" and a jaunty "Freedom 90" finally roused Wembley from its slumber. Unfortunately, Michael, who had been gracious in thanking the audience "for coming to a day that's so late in the year," later misjudged the mood by refusing the BBC permission to show his performance. His management felt "there were too many technical difficulties beyond George's control." Surely that wasn't the point.The viewers missed seeing George in skin-tight Travolta disco gear while sporting what looked like the world's most expensive welder's goggles. They probably wouldn't have missed his take on the depression-era standard "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime," which sent many folk to the rest rooms.

With Bush, Bryan Adams and the exuberant Welsh group Stereophonics providing the amiable grunge and pop-rock element, NetAid could have been any day in the field until the veteran David Bowie appeared in his shirt and suspenders. He began with a well-crooned "Life on Mars" and "China Girl," flubbing the lyrics on occasion, but flummoxed everyone with his Hours... material and an overcooked "Drive in Saturday." Nice to hear a tacky "Rebel Rebel" again, though.

At least Bowie had some coherent take on the event. He wasn't Aladdin Vain. "Bono called me up a year ago to do this in Berlin, but it went down the tubes. When it resuscitated, I immediately said I'd be there. It's really a gateway for people who want information on various charities. NetAid provides an access for those who empathize with a cause. People say the Net is addictive but this is a good call so it's a positive addiction."

Britain's favorite star, Robbie Williams, justified his star billing with the failsafe triumvirate of "Let Me Entertain You," complete with a "Day Tripper" riff ending, "Angels" (which he introduced as hymn number 108) and the inevitable "Millennium." Black-suited Williams seemed genuinely pleased to be topping the bill. "It was almost too big to handle, but it's not about just talk," he said. "It's about getting everybody together and giving hope to tragic lives." On another day we might have expected to hear the announcement "Robbie Williams has left the building," as he ran off the stage straight to the airport for an American flight.

The audience may not have known what NetAid was all about but sections of the crowd enjoyed spotting celebrities in Wembley's Royal Box. Those on display included ex-Spice Girl Gerri Halliwell, Mick Jagger, Jerry Hall and family, Catherine Zeta Jones eating french fries while chatting to Boyzone's Ronan Keating, and Boy George in a trademark hat.

Not really a truly memorable event then, but a good cause will always win the day. As Annie Lennox remarked, "The crowd was receptive and it was fantastic out there. You can be cynical and ask what's the point of these rich rock stars who are rolling about in wads of cash doing something like this, but I think together we can be a very powerful force." Or as Robbie Williams said: "May the force be with you. Always."

MAX BELL
(October 11, 1999)