Since the Live 8 concert was announced at the end of May, the rumour mill has gone mad with claims that Pink Floyd were playing at the show. Brain Damage were called this morning by Pink Floyd's manager with the fantastic news that the band ARE INDEED reuniting with Roger Waters to play the Hyde Park, London Live 8 show, on July 2nd!
I was told that David Gilmour only made the decision on Friday night, which no doubt prompted a hectic day yesterday, getting the others - Nick Mason, Richard Wright, and old bandmate Roger Waters - committed to the show. David was keen for us to share this with you; they did not decide to participate weeks ago, and have just left it until now to maximize publicity...
David had this to say about the landmark action to reform the band:
"Like most people I want to do everything I can to persuade the G8 leaders to make huge commitments to the relief of poverty and increased aid to the third world. It’s crazy that America gives such a paltry percentage of its GNP to the starving nations. Any squabbles Roger and the band have had in the past are so petty in this context, and if re-forming for this concert will help focus attention then it’s got to be worthwhile."
Obviously, the question comes to mind: how did the reunion come together? Here's what the band's manager told us: "Bob [Geldof] engineered it, he talked to David and he [Bob] talked to Roger and Roger then called David."
Tickets are only available as part of a "lottery" - which closes TONIGHT (Sunday). To apply for tickets, fans have to answer the following question:
WHAT CITY IS THE FORTHCOMING G8 SUMMIT HELD NEAR THIS JULY?
A. Berlin
B. Moscow
C. Edinburgh
Text A, B or C to 84599
Each entry costs £1.50* plus your operator's standard text charge.
The text competition will close at midnight (British Summertime; GMT +1 hour) on June 12th. Winners will be chosen at random by computer and notified by text message after June 13th with details of how they can collect their tickets - either online or from collection points around the UK. Due to the tight deadlines the organisers are working to, you will need to be able to collect your tickets within ten days of notification of winning, otherwise you will forfeit them.
The London event will be fully accessible, however you will need to change your winning ticket for a "special access" ticket. When they distribute tickets to winners of the competition they will clearly detail how to get in touch and change your ticket.
* Ask bill payer's permission before texting. The first £1.6 million raised from the text competition will go to The Prince's Trust which is sharing a proportion of the income with Help a London Child. The rest, after paying the costs of the global LIVE 8 concerts (free events), will go to the Band Aid Trust. Full terms and conditions are available online through this link.
The Live 8 concerts are called "The Long Walk To Justice", and more details can be found at www.live8live.com. Here's the official line on what the shows are all about, and what you need to know if you want to attend:
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS TO ATTEND
FREE CONCERTS IN EUROPE AND AMERICA,
WHILE BILLIONS WATCH ON TV
AND PARTICIPATE ONLINE
TO DEMAND G8 ACT TO END POVERTY
HERE’S THE PROBLEM: Every single day, 50,000 people are dying, needlessly, of extreme poverty. More than were dying at the time of Live Aid. Dying of AIDS, dying of hunger, dying of diseases like TB and Diarrhoea. Dying, often for want of medicines which we can buy over the counter in a chemist.
HERE’S THE OPPORTUNITY: On 6 July 2005, the 8 leaders of the world’s richest and most powerful countries meet for the G8 summit in Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland. Around the table will be George Bush, Tony Blair, Jacques Chirac, Gerhard Schröder, Silvio Berlusconi, Paul Martin, Junichiro Koizumi and Vladimir Putin.
In front of these 8 men will be a costed and cogent plan - the result of a year’s work by the Africa Commission - a plan to drop 100% of the debts owed by the world’s richest countries by the world’s poorest countries, to double the amount of high quality aid which is spent in those countries adding an extra $50 billion, and to change the injustices of the trade laws so that those countries can build a future for themselves.
These 8 men will have it in their power to save literally millions of lives. There’s never been an opportunity like this before - and may not be again in our lifetime. The G8 could put an end to the greatest scandal of our time!
HERE’S THE EVENT: At the G8 summit, those 8 men will have the choice to change the way our world works; but they won’t unless enough people tell them to.
That is why LIVE 8 is happening. To make them do the right thing.
It happens alongside a huge international campaign - the Global Call To Action Against Poverty - Make Poverty History in the UK, Bono’s One Campaign in the USA - millions of supporters in 71 countries, including all the G8 countries.
20 years on Bob Geldof, the driving force behind 1985’s Live Aid, has consistently refused to revive Live Aid - but he now believes this July’s G8 conference is a unique opportunity. "Charity will never really solve the problems. It is time for justice - and 20 years after Live Aid, people now demand it of these 8 men."
LIVE 8 will be held on 2 July 2005. Five simultaneous free concerts are confirmed with the cream of international rock and pop artists performing in London, Paris, Berlin, Rome and Philadelphia. Hundreds of thousands will attend with billions more watching the international broadcasts.
Historic venues have been selected. Hyde Park, London, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Philadelphia - the Cradle of America and the Live Aid City in 1985, the historic Brandenburg Gate in Berlin and the staggering Circus Maximus in Rome - and plans for concerts in the other G8 capitals are being developed.
More details of the events, and how to get tickets for those events which require them, can be found at Live8Live.com.
Our thanks to Pink Floyd Management and LD Communications for their assistance, as ever.
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