Live Earth

Live Earth


The Cliff Edge.com


July 7, 2007


by Ray Bennett


LONDON 4:45: Damien Rice and David Gray perform together, with just guitars, on a platform that stretches into the audience. Rice’s lilting but deceptively rich voice fills the stadium with a pleasing rendition of his song “The Blower’s Daughter” and the pair of them have everyone joining in loudly on the fatalistic anthem that sums up English football hopes in the new Wembley more than saving the planet: “Que Sera Sera.” After some more lecturing, this time from “300″ star Gerard Butler, cheery U.K. rockers Kasabian (left) start on time and quickly re-engage the crowd. Thandy Newton comes on to talk about conserving power and using it responsibly, urging people to turn appliances off rather than leaving them on stand-by. She’s supposed to cross over live to Washington for Al Gore but he’s not ready so the British “Crash” star has to vamp, which she does with good humor. Gore comes on the screens to start the American leg and recite the Live Earth pledge. The former veep paraphrases Lincoln: “We must disenthrall ourselves to save the planet.” He introduces Trisha Yearwood and Garth Brooks on the Washington stage, but the country stars are immediately cut off in London in favor of Paolo Nutini. The fourth-generation Scotsman cuts a shy, withdrawn image but he has a strong voice and a thumping band. Soon afterwards, the Black Eyed Peas bound out onto the extended platform and the house is jumping until they pause for an earnest but unfortunately rhymed rap plea on behalf of our poisoned planet. The Peas save the day, though, with a dynamic delivery of their song “Where is the Love?”


http://thecliffedge.com/blog/2007/07/07/wembley-hopes-and-cheery-rockers/