Live Earth Rocks The World

Worldwide Concert Series Goes Off Without A Hitch

(CBS/AP)  A 24-hour music marathon spanning seven continents reached the Western Hemisphere on Saturday, with rappers, rockers and country stars taking the stage at Live Earth concerts to fight climate change.

"Times like these demand action," said former Vice President Al Gore, speaking to the sold-out crowd of about 52,000 in New Jersey's Giants Stadium.

With other shows in London, Sydney, Tokyo, Kyoto, Shanghai, Hamburg, Johannesburg, Rio de Janeiro and even a performance by a band of scientists at a research station in Antarctica organizers promised the biggest musical event ever staged, dwarfing the Live Aid and Live 8 concerts. Organizers estimate 2 billion people heard Live Earth's music in person, on TV or on the Internet.

Live Earth venues featured aboriginal elders, chimpanzee calls from scientist Jane Goodall, a holographic Gore and more than 100 of the biggest names in music including Bon Jovi, Linkin Park and the Beastie Boys.

---

Photos: Rockin' Live In Jersey
Photos: Live Earth In London

---

One of the day's musical highlights was at the New Jersey show, where Keith Urban and Alicia Keys performed a fiery rendition of The Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter," with Keys belting out her part with a ferocity that would make Merry Clayton proud while Urban wailed on his guitar.

Theirs was not the only socially-conscious song from the 1970s to be dusted off for a celebrity duet. At the London concert, John Legend and Corrine Bailey Rae sang Marvin Gaye's "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" which Keys also performed in her solo set in New York.

Then there was the "concert" from Antarctica which featured just one band: Nunatak. Described on their Web site as the British Antarctic Survey's Rothera Research Station's "house band," the 5 members are all scientists investigating climate change and evolutional biology on the Antarctic Peninsula.

The concerts are backed by Gore, whose campaign to force global warming onto the international political stage inspired the event. At concerts around the world, musicians and celebrities encouraged fans and one another to take little steps, such as not leaving electrical devices plugged in when not in use, or changing to low-energy light bulbs.

At the London show, the stadium's nonessential lights were turned off before the closing act Madonna came onstage, leaving the venue dark except for the glow of exit lights and the flashes of cameras.

2"Let's hope the concerts that are happening around the world are not just about entertainment, but about starting a revolution," said Madonna, who sang a song she wrote for Live Earth called "Hey You."

The Beastie Boys wore their feelings on their sleeves, performing a furious set of their hits in tailored green suits and shades when they took the stage at Wembley Stadium.

"Let's all try to do our parts and see if we can get it together," Beastie Boy Adam Yauch told the crowd.

In New Jersey, rocker Melissa Etheridge pounded out her song "I Need to Wake Up," which was featured in Gore's documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth," and won an Oscar for best song this year.

Gore later introduced Bon Jovi, which hails from the Garden State, telling the crowd that the band was one of the first to volunteer its musical services when the concert was announced. Band members didn't make any environmental statements during their five-song set, but that didn't seem to matter to their cheering fans.

Gore also made a live video appearance from Washington to open the first show on the other side of the world in Sydney, Australia, and a few hours later appeared onstage in Tokyo as a hologram.

---

Photos: Live Earth Around The World

---

The former vice president attended the New Jersey show, taking mass transit from Washington. He called on members of the crowd to commit themselves to a seven-point pledge to combat global warming, including steps such as demanding a moratorium on building new coal-powered plants and fighting for more renewable energy.

"I would like to ask each and every one of you to answer the call," Gore said.

Many of the celebrities and musicians — if they mentioned global warming at all — focused on what everyday citizens could do to help out and stayed away from partisan politics. Among them was actress Cameron Diaz, who told the New Jersey crowd that this day "is not about gloom and doom. It's a celebration."

"I'm getting solar panels, using sheep's wool insulation, it's all kind of reclaimed wooden stuff," singer K.T. Tunstall tells CBS News correspondent Michelle Miller. "But most of the time I'm on the road and so that's really where I really need to focus my energy when it comes to green stuff."

Musician Dave Matthews says it's all about the little things, like bringing your own mug to your favorite coffee shop.

"It's not like we're gonna save the planet but we might as well grab at some straws before we all go down, you know," he told Miller.

One of the exceptions was environmental activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who called on attendees to "get rid of all those rotten politicians we have in Washington, D.C."

Organizers promised the huge shows were made green by using recycled goods, shuttling some concertgoers from distant parking lots in bio-diesel buses and using biofuels for generators.

---

Photos: Live Earth Preps

---

Critics have faulted the Live Earth concerts for lacking clear-cut, achievable goals, and for lauding rock stars whose jet-setting, high-consumption lifestyles can often send a different, less environmentally friendly message.

In London, after fans went home, the stadium's floor was covered with discarded plastic cups and litter.

Many of the musicians acknowledged that they weren't rock stars when it came to the environment but said it was important to start a discussion about climate change.

"If you want to peg me as not being entirely eco-friendly, you'll win," said John Mayer, speaking to reporters after his set. "I also think it's very difficult to judge the success of a movement. ... You can't find out by 9 o'clock this evening how much awareness was raised. ... What you're really talking about is the placement of an idea at a rock show."

At other shows around the globe, an estimated 50,000 people grooved through a set by singer-guitarist Jack Johnson, while country stars Garth Brooks and Tricia Yearwood opened the Washington concert and Linkin Park entertained fans at a Tokyo concert.

3On Rio's Copacabana Beach, thousands gathered as the sun set to hear Lenny Kravitz, Macy Gray, Pharrell Williams and Brazilian superstar Jorge Ben Jor. And in Johannesburg, the concert ended with the artists and audience clapping out SOS in morse code a reference to the evening's theme of answering the call to save the planet.

The shows appeared to come off without major hitches despite some 11th-hour activity. The concert in Washington was added Friday, and a Brazilian judge rejected a last-minute bid to shut down South America's concert after a prosecutor had argued safety could not be guaranteed for an audience of 700,000.

At the New Jersey concert, the crowd was dotted with people who heeded the call to wear green. Many said they were already taking steps at home to lead a little more green lifestyle, and felt the concert wasn't just about music.

"Personally, I think it makes people more aware," said Sherry Ramsey, 44, who came to the concert with her husband by plane and train. "It was mass transit all the way here."

[honest_news]

"Has anyone figured out why Kanye West was allowed to join The Police on stage? He ruined a perfectly decent performance with his off-key singing and rap blather. He was totally out of his league standing on stage with four world class musicians and I didn't get the connection. Did they not have a time slot for him? Was Sting looking for street cred with teenagers or was this just a huge blunder on the part of some production assistant?"

Posted by Muzzlebush


Muzzlebush -- my sentiments exactly. Here's what I posted earlier:

I stayed up to watch Sting and the Police.

He gave it his all, but his voice belied his age.

To make matters even worse, Kanye West came onstage to absolutely destroy their last song, "Roxanne". Perhaps he thought that he was helping Sting out, but his hip hop nonsense made him sound like a two-year-old badly miming the lyrics, off-beat and way off-key.

Still, it was good to see Sting, Stewart Copeland and Andy Sommers back together on stage, and when Sting did manage the high notes, he was sterling.

[muzzlebush]

Has anyone figured out why Kanye West was allowed to join The Police on stage? He ruined a perfectly decent performance with his off-key singing and rap blather. He was totally out of his league standing on stage with four world class musicians and I didn't get the connection. Did they not have a time slot for him? Was Sting looking for street cred with teenagers or was this just a huge blunder on the part of some production assistant?

[cbsguest6]

I just saw the funniest thing on this Live Earth concert, Madonna jammin' on a guitar and shouting obscenities!
Now thats' funny!

[leadtrader]

LiveClean.com has a discount card that has lots of environmentally friendly
company's on the Card such as Paints, Solar products, Cleaning products,
Soaps, etc. 12 categories on the Card. I have one and use it. It's a good
start in developing healthier habits and behaviors.

[sharncedar]

Ever seen an air traffic map try this for example:

http://flightaware.com/analysis/allflights_movie.rvt

Every one of those jets is pouring out CO2 like mad, right into the upper atmosphere, and that's JUST THE US a small part of the world. Jet traffic is increasing rapidly with Asia absolutely accelerating in their use of faster and more destructive transportation as they go mad in the name of globalization.

How does 3 or 4 little silly Al Gore groupies changing their lightbulbs figure in the madness that is 6 billion crazed, energetic souls consuming, consuming, consuming, burning up their lives, all the energy they can get their hands on, burning up their souls in frenzied frantic motion days and nights? What you are seeing is a species suicide, no different from a Petrie dish of bacteria growing without control until they suffocate themselves. The only difference is you are inside the Petrie dish, so it somehow "matters" to you silly little creatures but in fact it matters nothing at all. No one can exist in defiance of natural law for an extended time, and our entire culture is in gross defiance of all natural laws, rock music with its hysteria and grotesque waste of energy one of the prime exhibits of our excess energy that presages our demise.

Frantic, wriggling bacteria do you think rock music or Al Gore will save you? They are just more noise, more activity, more waste, hastening the burn out and finally the silence that will at last come to the earth.

[honest_news]

Quick note: In my last posting, I noticed that I refered to Australia and Canada as "counties". My bad -- I meant to type "countries"... I'll blame it on a temperamental "r" key.

It's given me poblems on pevious postings, too.

[honest_news]

When LiveEarth got under way late Friday Night, I tuned in to the Australian concert via video stream on their website. The stream was preceded by a couple of video short-subjects that provided a humorous take on recycling.

They were excellent! So good, in fact, that I cycled through them again rather than watch the concert. I have a Masters in TV/Film Production and I have worked for more than two decades as a video producer, and I have to say that these shorts put our own low-budget/independent video efforts to shame.

Australia and Canada are producing top-notch programming. I used to think that our network fare was being farmed out to these counties to slash costs -- but considering the caliber of their actors and writers/directors, it's clear to me that they have the creative edge as well.

What has happened to us? Where are the new Spielbergs, Scorseses, Coppolas? Martin is making commercials cajolling his fellow 60-year-olds to stay creatively active -- is this because the current generation is brain-dead from the tedium of video games and bromidic anime?

[frb01]

I am in favor of conservation, just would like to know how many trips were made in private jets or charter jets to perform at these shows and what the cost was. I don't think they were getting there in Toyota Prius's.

[hawksprings]

LIVE EARTH JOHANNESBURG OFFICIALS BLAME CLIMATE CHANGE FOR POOR TURN-OUT

http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/live%20earth%20johannesburg%20officials%20blame%20climate%20change%20for%20poor%20turn-out_1036572

You won't hear about this in American Mainstream Media. It doesn't fit the 'template' of human-caused global warming.
There'll be no news that appears to contradict The Consensus.

...
...

[thisandthat1]

Good for you, Roger. You changed your light bulb. Sheeesh!

[roger_inkart]

Out of the 2 billion who watched the concerts, I doubt anyone will remember in 30 days (without looking) even one part of Al's 7 part pledge.
Posted by thisandthat1 at 07:02 PM : Jul 08, 2007

I replaced 4 lightbulbs in my house today.

Perhaps people won't recall the pledge verbatim, but the spirit is there. Don't assume everyone is so apathetic as you are.

God, what is wrong with you people? Why are you so negative that you spend so much time bashing Al Gore?

Perhaps the fact that in one day, he did something more incredible, more worthwhile and memorable then any of you right-wing goofballs will do in your entire sad, little lives.

[thisandthat1]

Out of the 2 billion who watched the concerts, I doubt anyone will remember in 30 days (without looking) even one part of Al's 7 part pledge.

[roger_inkart]

How can anyone complain about a movement to save the earth.
Posted by jen89 at 11:37 AM : Jul 08, 2007

Well, leave it to the irrational lunatics on the right. Anything that doesn't fit in with their warped world view must be attacked. Especially when they are threatened by it - like they are here.

[sharncedar]

Gee it was hot today playing tennis i said let's call the rock stars maybe they'll help. It was a bon mot, tres funny at the time.

[hypnotoad72]

Why sign pledges? Just do it or don't. Pledges assume you have loyalty to the person who wrote the contract.

Those who have the loudest voices tend to be the most likely to be hypocrites to the cause they claim to fight for. The same has been said for other subjects as well.

[xzavierbrown]

Mr. Gore, singing and dancing DOES NOT SOLVE ANYTHING. The whole planet is already AWARE of Global Warming. It is time to STOP MILKING THIS ISSUE and go past the 'awareness' stage.
The reason why Live8 and all those liberal sing and dance bit DID NOT WORK is that the YOUR FELLOW LIBERALS never meant it go past the 'awareness' stage.
So, stop driving your Hummers and your Limmos. If you and your fellow liberals DO CARE. start PERSONALY DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT and not ASK PEOPLE TO STOP DRIVING GAS GUZZLING CARS and then turn around and be limo'ed home

[andor3]

Al Gore and friends remind us that you can work hard, advance important causes, help people, and have a great time doing it all. It's the classic liberal mindset and why liberal values built the USA and propelled us forward.

So we remember: when conservatives come along with their negative energy and idiotic concepts that the way to progress is through killing people and blowing things up, we remember not to argue with them--just laugh at their silliness, sing them a nice song and tell them no.

[littlejudy2]

Everybody can benefit by learning tips to save on their electrical bill, have a healthier environment around their home, and spend less money on gas.

I just didn't like it when, say, Melissa E. started preaching. Making it a partisan issue shouldn't have been the focus, imho.

[hawksprings]

I watched some of the concert coverage yesterday.

There's nothing I enjoy more than watching elitist rich people telling me how to live, to cut back and conserve, to do with less, and then watch them get back on their private jets to fly home to their mansions to sit next to their heated pools.

Excuse me, but I just got a little throw-up in my throat.

...

[mcvet]

After all these are the losers who sold us George Bush INSTEAD of the person he attacks! Why? Why attack Al Gore? Why try to belittle him in everyone's eye's? It is something used extensively by the Third Reich and McCarty, to keep people from focusing on the abuses of their OWN Government. Why do some people feel the need to hate so badly they will not even LISTEN to what someone else has to say? Fascism, and that's what this is, is UGLY!!
Posted by skyk at 11:40 AM : Jul 08, 2007
+ report abuse

You make very good sense! It seems that all we've done as a people in the last 30 years is play the game of attack and shout down anyone who doesn't support the "Party" line. The problem is that the "Party" are a bunch of Southern Fascist who still use the same garbage they used 60 years ago. We should wise up it would seem to me. Sieg Heil Bush!!