My Live 8

I'm trying to figure out how to write this. I could talk about the fight against political correctness (Ie: the prescence of beer, and the pure enjoyment of sneaking it past security. More appallingly, watching the Cars video. Some people in tears, some in awe, and some cracking in joke, the music drowning out their laughter.)

There were also boos - against Mariah. And Many Pink Floyd fans were appalled at Robbie Williams...why did the Killers only play one song? (that got big boos), why were the Kaiser Chiefs in Philadelphia and Mariah Carey in London?

It's 2 minutes past 2pm. I am absolutely exhausted. I am so tired I am wavering on the keyboard. I've been up, pretty much all night. Live 8 was...MEGA, GRANDIOSE, BEAUTIFUL, TRUE. It was absolutely BRILLIANT.

As you know, my best friend won tickets so I came with her. We packed sandwiches, bottles of water, notebooks and pens and money and sweets. We met up at a piccadilly line station and managed to get to Hyde Park corner without any real trouble. We even managed to find our way into the right queue. What a queue - all we saw were heads as we slowly moved forward for hours. Across the road was London Pride. I wish I could have gone, being as I haven't even done it yet, and by the time I do I'll be 18 which is quite pathetic. Most gay people are quite jaded by the age of 18. So across the road they were in bright pink, or glittery floats, in leather, in heels - woah, brainfreeze... I think I flirted with a couple of them.

Of course there was the odd homophobic/crazy Catholic going on about marriage and repentance and the Apocalypse etc etc, and quite a few people were annoyed about Pride interfering with all their fun. Whatever. We even got interviewed by a very nice, and very pretty BBC radio journalist - if you heard anything about sandwiches or about a person called Ria that would be me. Anyways, by the time we got into the actual park I realised the view won't be so brilliant. The ground was swimming with tabloid papers and when we got to the actual site thousands of people were there already who must have camped out or got up at the crack of dawn. After stepping on everyone we found ourselves stuck behind a giant lights pylon thingy and speakers so we couldn't actually see anything. If we wanted to see the artists faces, we had to look at one of the screens. I hate to say it, but I hardly saw any black people - I think I saw...6 black people among all of the heads (excluding the acts). But you know what? I got over that.

I'm not sure what was wrong with the crowd. I think they felt hard done by as the golden circle got the best view and all got was a screen, it could have been the horrid grey sky. The audience was quite unrecpetive. Me and Ria waltzed on the spot for people like REM and Everybody Hurts, but everyone just gave us weird looks and just stood there. Stereophonics were fantastic. This was at the point I was feeling disappointed. But the gorgeous Welsh rockers brought me right back up.

The crowd seemed to know their music very well. When it started at two with cuts from Live Aid we all sang and clapped along (Ah, for the want of Queen.) It seemed that all the songs, we sang along, clapped along. I'd say we were very obedient. And no one left their posts. In between acts we might find a small square for me and Ria, sitting on the bit of metal for the pylon site, next to this mad Robbie fan.

Ok:

Highlights:

Sting - Got me singing Message in a Bottle

Scissor Sisters - I heard a new song! Finally all of the crowd was dancing. And...they brought the blue sky out

Stereophonics - Truly rocked out. I have to see them in concert now.

Coldplay - I wish they stayed. Sigh...But at least they played Fix You. I would have loved the Scientist though.

Elton John - I'm not ashamed I was dancing to Elton John. Pete Doherty was wasted but not as pale, and...actually sang the song. But I wish he'd just get over himself and get some decent friends.

Keane - Watching the pianist rock out his piano, classic. Bedshaped brought out the emotion in everyone.

The Who - Showed us how it was supposed to be done. I hadn't had fun like that in way too long...well...

Pink Floyd - Blew Me Away. Ria is way more into them. Everytime she started to drift away I would just say Pink Floyd and she would squeal. Putting them last really tested the fans I think. After all, they hadn't played in 24 years, and may never will again. This made us stay despite Mariah Carey and the blank, smug face of Robbie Williams (however, the mad lady in black who had seen him in Knebworth and was a real screamer was definitely great entertainment. And, she knew all the songs we loved.)

Razorlight - So, so hot. Ria agrees, but she's in love with the bassist
Travis was a laugh, but it started to drizzle just after Why Does it Always Rain on Me? and I got worried. From what we got in Philadelpia, Kaiser Chiefs were quite stupendous. I think what annoyed the Hyde Park was that many wanted to see people who weren't performing, like Muse and The Cure. I didn't see them at all!

My favourite bit is when Bob Geldof came on with the girl who was about to die in the Cars video. What struck was her beauty, her intelligence and her strength. She didn't just survive - you can tell she thrived. And, she had the most beautiful smile, I swear. How can people possibly argue to leave people like her to die. Money gets through if you give it to the right source.

It's time for change, and I think its very possible. If the leaders can stop being sympathetic despots, then they will open their trade, drop the debts and somehow get rid of these other Tyrants in power taking the money from the countries who need it so badly. And to stop themselves from exploiting all the beauty, talent and assets these countries have. With the music, the natural resources and the creativity of the people of Africa they should be the richest nation. They simply cannot be exploited like this anymore, and people are really taking notice. I think, that Gordon Brown and Blair are doing a good job. They're getting started. They were working on this way before Live 8 - this is to the benefit of other countries, especially America and Russia.

It's pretty straightforward for once:

Fair Trade. Cancel Debt. Double Aid.


I haven't got a problem with that. I can't get to Edinburgh, but protestors, I'm begging you, give 'em hell. Make sure they don't get away with half-baked promises and Conservative compromises. Please. 50,000 are dying needlessly everyday. A number almost too great to comprehend, happening all the time.

Nah, I think it'll be alright.

Let's hope so.



And that, was my Live 8. One of the best days of my life.