DMB, U2 Lead Live 8 Shows

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The Dave Matthews Band, U2, Madonna, 50 Cent and Paul McCartney will headline Live 8, a series of five concerts around the globe on July 2nd. The mission of the shows, spearheaded by Live Aid organizer Bob Geldof, is to urge citizens of the world's most powerful nations to call on President Bush and leaders of the other seven wealthiest countries to act to eliminate poverty at the G8 Africa Summit on July 6th.

"The G8 leaders have it within their power to alter history," said Geldof from London today at an intercontinental conference. (Dave Matthews was stationed in Philadelphia.) "They will only have the will to do so if millions of people show them that enough is enough."

The five Live 8 concerts will take place at Hyde Park in London, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Circus Maximus in Rome, and the Museum of Art in Philadelphia. Among the other artists set to perform are Coldplay, Mariah Carey, Sting, Jay-Z, R.E.M., Lauryn Hill, the Killers, Elton John, the Cure and Brian Wilson (see lineups below).

The concerts will be televised (a U.S. network is yet to be determined) and Web cast on America Online.

The Live 8 lineups:

Hyde Park, London: Mariah Carey, Coldplay, Dido, Keane, Elton John, Annie Lennox, Madonna, Muse, Scissor Sisters, Paul McCartney, Joss Stone, Stereophonics, Sting, Robbie Williams, U2, R.E.M., Velvet Revolver, Bob Geldof, the Killers, The Cure, Snow Patrol

Museum of Art, Philadelphia: Bon Jovi, Maroon 5, P Diddy, Stevie Wonder, Jay-Z, the Dave Matthews Band, Sarah McLachlan, Rob Thomas, Keith Urban, 50 Cent, Kaiser Chiefs

Eiffel Tower, Paris: Jamiroquai, Craig David, Youssou N'Dour, Yannick Noah, Andrea Bocelli, Calo Gero, Kyo, Placebo, Axelle Red, Johnny Halliday, Manu Chao, Renaud

Brandenburg Gate, Berlin: A-ha, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Brian Wilson, Lauryn Hill, Bap, Die Toten Hosen, Peter Maffay

Circus Maximus, Rome: Duran Duran, Faith Hill, Irene Grandi, Jovanotti, Tim McGraw, Nek, Laura Pasini, Vasco Rossi, Zucchero

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Song Stories

“Everyday People”

Sly and the Family Stone | 1968

"Everyday People" managed to trailblaze in two different ways -- it was one of the first pop hits to deal with the subject of racial harmony, and it utilized Larry Graham's "slap" technique on the bass guitar, which would soon be copied by countless other bassists. Graham once said about his pulsating style, "I'd never done that before … that's where the freedom of creativity came in for the band, that we'd be allowed to do that." In 1978, the song's line "Different strokes for different folks" would be borrowed for the title of the hit television show Diff'rent Strokes.

More Song Stories entries »

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