Gavin, 3 July 05
I watched the live8 concerts realising how out of touch I have become with this popular musical scene. Once I regularly listened to night time radio 1 – when the Mark and lard show graced the airwaves, and could pretend to be keeping up with the pop market.
Now I realise it’s the acts from the 60s/70s/80s that I recognised. To be honest my musical tastes have always been more akin to Andy Kershaw’s – his world music show was a Sunday night treat. So really the Eden project concert would have probably rocked my boat more than any of the Live8 extravaganzas.
I wasn’t sure if Madonna was taking the piss when she sang “music makes the people come together” to an audience where the first fifty yards in front of the stage were reserved for Pimms swilling corporate clients, while the rest were cordoned behind fences and security.
I endured such wonderful sights as Bill Gates singing the praises of Tony and Gordon and pretty much the rest of the acts being politically neutral.
My highlight was Ms Dynamite. I think it is only through comparison with the rest of the acts that her contribution appeared quite so coherent and relevant. The rap section added to one of her songs insisting that slavery has only been abolished in name, while the attempt to free trade will only more make slaves by another name of the people of Africa was spot on. This is what the whole debt/relief/trade thing so badly dodges.
Hell maybe I’m biased though. Ms Dynamite has always been a favourite of mine – both lyrically, vocally – but most of all in personality. She has an infectious smile and prescence that put her comeback after eighteen months way above Pink Floyd’s attempt after eighten years.
