OFFICIAL: Breaking news PF to reunite!!!!!

Who needs facts with a good page 3 and tales of Neil Kinnocks parents originating from Mars

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'All I can say is that when Wenger squared up to me on the touchline, I had to hold myself back because he doesn't know how strong I am.'

No Pink Floyd in this article, I guess we all knew.
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LONDON (Reuters) - Charity rocker Bob Geldof on Tuesday announced plans for five star-studded concerts aimed at pressuring world leaders into eradicating African poverty.

Twenty years after the Live Aid sensation, the man dubbed "Saint Bob" for organising the 1985 concert to save the starving in Ethiopia wants to influence the G8 group of industrialized nations which meets in Scotland in July.

"Here we are again," Geldof told a news conference in London, adding that he hoped to use Live 8 concerts "to tilt the world a little bit on in its axis in favor of the poor."

"We don't want your money, we want you, because every few seconds a child dies needlessly of extreme poverty," the Irish singer added.

"Eight world leaders in one room in Scotland on the 8th of July can save millions and millions of lives, but they'll only do it if enough people tell them to."

Five free concerts will be held on July 2 in London, Paris, Berlin, Rome and Philadelphia, organizer Harvey Goldsmith said.

The stars due to appear at the London show include Mariah Carey, Coldplay, Elton John, Madonna, Paul McCartney, REM, Scissor Sisters, Sting, Robbie Williams and U2.

Acts confirmed so far in Philadelphia include Bon Jovi, Maroon 5, P. Diddy, Stevie Wonder and actor Will Smith.

The concerts will coincide with a rally in Edinburgh organized by Make Poverty History, an umbrella group campaigning to cancel poor nations' debt and boost aid that plans to form a human chain around the Scottish city to raise awareness.

RALLY TO PRESSURE LEADERS

Live 8 organizers are hoping for one million spectators at the July 8 gigs and up to two billion viewers around the world.

Philadelphia officials said Live 8 and a separate Elton John AIDS concert on July 4 could attract up to three million people in the city alone.

"I don't think it will be a logistical problem for us," Mayor John Street told reporters in Philadelphia.

Prime Minister Tony Blair has lobbied to help Africa during Britain's presidency of the G8 this year and will host G8 leaders at a summit in Gleneagles in Scotland from July 6-8.

But campaigners fear discord between G8 nations on debt reduction and aid, combined with reluctance in Washington, will wreck Blair's ambitions.

Blair will discuss a range of issues including Africa during talks with President Bush in Washington next week, a spokesman for his office said.

Campaigners also warn that African schools and hospitals could receive no new money from the G8 summit, which could cost as much as 100 million pounds ($180 million) to stage.

"We are really concerned that we're a long, long way away from any kind of breakthrough on tackling poverty in Africa," said Oxfam policy adviser Max Lawson.

Elton John, who has his own AIDS charity, said the latest initiative would mean more to him than Live Aid.

"I went to Africa in January and saw the situation for myself there, and saw the ignorance and stigma that people are fighting against," he said.

"He's (Geldof) encouraged ... musicians to really think about what they should be doing instead of playing and just driving around in flashy cars."

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No matter where you go, there you are.

Well ... Here's an article that's been hanging off Yahoo...

U2, McCartney, Coldplay Top Live 8 Lineup

05/31/2005 1:07 PM, E! Online
Josh Grossberg

Bob Geldof is at it again.

Two decades after he masterminded Live Aid, the largest charity concert ever mounted, to fight famine in Africa, the 58-year-old singer-activist has announced an encore.

On Tuesday, Geldof unveiled a Live Aid sequel, dubbed Live 8, that aims to be bigger than the original and will feature a who's-who of the top music acts in the world, including Paul McCartney, U2, the Rolling Stones, Madonna and a reunited Pink Floyd, participating in a series of mega-concerts.

The free gigs will be staged July 2 in London, Paris, Berlin, Philadelphia and Rome and simulcast on television and the Internet.

At a news conference, Geldof stated that the goal this time around will be to raise awareness of poverty in Third World countries, particularly in African nations, ahead of the annual G8 meeting in Britain attended by the leaders of the world's most powerful industrial nations, among them President George W. Bush.

"We don't want people's money. We want them," the Irish popster told a news conference Tuesday, adding that the July 6-8 G8 summit offered a "unique opportunity for Britain to do something unparalleled in the world...to tilt the world a little bit on its axis in favor of the poor."

Coldplay, R.E.M., Mariah Carey and the Cure are among those performing with McCartney, Madonna and U2 in London; Dave Matthews Band, Bon Jovi, Stevie Wonder, Sarah McLachlan, Will Smith, Jay-Z and P. Diddy will take the stage in Philadelphia; Jamiroquai, Placebo, Andrea Bocelli and Youssou N'Dour are among the headliners in Paris; Lauryn Hill, Brian Wilson, A-ha and Crosby, Stills and Nash will lead the Berlin bill; and Duran Duran, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw will command the stage in Rome.

Meanwhile, several other A-list acts, including Pink Floyd, the Rolling Stones, Usher, Snoop Dogg and Destiny's Child, have signed on to perform, but there's no immediate word on where they'll be playing.

Speculation of a pending Spice Girls reunion was quickly squashed by Victoria Beckham's publicist--not that the Girl Power group would have been welcomed. According to an account in London's Daily Mirror, Live 8 organizers rejected the quintet out of concern its inclusion might undercut the seriousness of the event.

The original Live Aid, held simultaneously in 1985 at London's Wembley Stadium and Philadelphia's RFK Stadium, featured an all-star lineup led by McCartney, David Bowie, Queen, Duran Duran, U2, Bob Dylan and Led Zeppelin.

Geldof says Live 8 should exceed its predecessor in terms of viewership--it will be beamed worldwide to more than 2 billion people over various cable and satellite channels. AOL will carry the shows live on the Internet.

Tickets for the London event, which will take place at Hyde Park, will be given out via a lottery on June 6. Tickets for the other venues--Berlin's Brandenburg Gate, Philly's Museum of Art, Rome's Circus Maximus, and a venue in Paris to be announced--will be distributed via a similar lottery system.

Live 8 organizers hope the massive turnout will help pressure G8 leaders to take immediate action to forgive Third World debt and establish programs to eradicate poverty and injustice in developing countries.

Organizers are also hoping to stage concerts in the three other G8 countries: Canada, Russia and Japan.

Here's a complete rundown of the acts and venues confirmed thus far.

* LONDON: Mariah Carey, Coldplay, Dido, Keane, Elton John, Annie Lennox, Paul McCartney, Muse, Razorlight, REM, Scissor Sisters, Snow Patrol, Stereophonics, Sting , Joss Stone, Robbie Williams, U2, Velvet Revolver, Bob Geldof, the Killers, Madonna, The Cure
* BERLIN: A-ha, Bap, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Die Toten Hosen, Peter Maffay, Brian Wilson
* PHILADELPHIA: Will Smith, Bon Jovi, Maroon 5, Dave Mattews Band, Sarah McLachlan, Rob Thomas, Keith Urban, Jay-Z, Stevie Wonder, 50 Cent, Kaiser Chiefs, P. Diddy
* PARIS: Andrea Bocelli, Craig David, Calo Gero, Jamiroqaui, Kyo, Yannick Noah, Youssou N'Dour, Placebo, Axelle Red, Johnny Halliday, Manu Chao, Renaud
* ROME: Irene Grandi, Faith Hill, Jovanotti, Tim McGraw, Nek, Laura Pausini, Duran Duran, Vasco Rossi, Zucchero,

Here is the Live 8 website: http://www.live8live.com/theconcerts.shtml

No mention of Floyd yet there.

Now, as optimistic as I am, it seems hard to fathom they'll reunite. However, I've seen Nick Mason quoted, several times, talking about if they did reunite he could only see it at a large charity event, etc.

Which is exactly what this is ...

I gave up on seeing the Floyd perform together again a long time ago.


I am, however, going to Live 8 in Philadelphia. It's just too bad that they couldn't get some better people to perform like they have for the European concerts.

Though it's Philly, and I know there's a multitude of fans for Diddy, Jay-Z and 50 Cent.

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“Our steak and martinis is draft beer with weenies.” -George Jones

Kaiser Chiefs are ace and well worth seeing but you can shove the rest of the Philly lineup where the sun don't shine.

Pretty much, yeah. Dave Matthews is ok, and the Chiefs make it worth the short trip into the city, but most of the rest is crap.


And I admit I am dying to see Bon Jovi. No laughing.

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“Our steak and martinis is draft beer with weenies.” -George Jones

Huddersfield?

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aj7f3B1VCYM

Hyde Park, London

* Mariah Carey - no thanks
* Coldplay - Okay for nowt I suppose
* Dido - Zzzzzzz ...
* Keane - Bunch of big tarts
* Sir Elton John - Do me a favour
* Annie Lennox - Where's your bus pass love?
* Madonna - Rough as a bear's arse
* Muse - Ace
* Razorlight - Ace
* Scissor Sisters - Ace
* Sir Paul McCartney - "Paul, could you give me a leg up, dear?"
* Joss Stone - Not bad
* Stereophonics - Welsh
* Sting - Deadest corpse in a morgue etc
* Robbie Williams - Great live act even though he's Norman Wisdom in disguise
* U2 - Okay for nowt
* REM - do me a favour
* Velvet Revolver - ?????
* Bob Geldof - He's having a laff!
* The Killers - Ace
* The Cure - Who knows - could be great could be awful
* Snow Patrol - Ace

As much as I'd love to see The Floyd settle their differences, I'd tend to doubt they'll do this Live 8...

...and being a Philly resident, that would be the ONLY way I'd go to it, given the, IMO frankly s***y lineup.

I tend to doubt they'll do it this century.

....so, do you think you will you still be around?

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aj7f3B1VCYM

I'm everlasting my friend.

... it's just that Wacko Jacko is selling off Neverland, and the rest of his gear, to pay his lawyers bills...so you might get his hyperbaric chamber on the cheap? Might even smooth out some of your wrinkles!

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aj7f3B1VCYM