Madonna, U2 and Coldplay are among the bold-faced names slated to participate in Live 8, a multi-city concert event aimed at fighting poverty in Africa, organized by rocker-turned-humanitarian Bob Geldof.
Live 8 will consist of five concerts in five different venues all on July 2. Performers will include Will Smith, U2, Mariah Carey, Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder.
The concerts, to take place in Philadelphia, London, Berlin, Rome and Paris, will be free and are aimed at getting the attention of leaders participating in the G8 group of nations meeting on July 8 in Scotland.
The announcement of Live 8 comes 20 years after Geldof's first Live Aid gigs that raised millions for Ethiopian famine victims. Unlike with Live Aid, however, Geldof says, "We don't want peoples' money. We want them." The intention this time, he explains, is to form a global movement to send a message to the world's richest nations to help solve Africa's plight.
In making his announcement Tuesday, Geldof was flanked by his partner in Band Aid and Live Aid, Midge Ure, and by Elton John, who will also be perform on July 2.
"I was reluctant to do this again," said Geldof. "I couldn't see how anything could possibly be better than that glorious day 20 years ago – it was almost perfect in what it achieved." But, he went on to say, once he had Bono and U2 on board, "then I had the (new) event."
Additional acts will be announced over the next few weeks. To date, the American concert will include Will Smith (hosting), Bon Jovi, Maroon Five, Dave Matthews Band, Sarah McLachlan, Rob Thomas, Keith Urban, Jay Z, Stevie Wonder, 50 Cent and P. Diddy.
In London: Coldplay, Mariah Carey, Dido, Keane and the Scissor Sisters. In Rome: Duran Duran, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw. In Berlin: Lauryn Hill and Brian Wilson.
Geldof also hinted that he might be successful in reuniting the Spice Girls for the event. "It looks very good. That's all we can say."
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