GABRIEL DEFENDS GELDOF’S ‘WHITE’ LIVE 8 GIGS
British rocker PETER GABRIEL has leaped to SIR BOB GELDOF’s defence for supposedly ignoring black acts in his LIVE 8 line-ups.The SLEDGEHAMMER star, who is curating Live 8’s offshoot show AFRICA CALLING at the Eden Project in south-west England, insists he can understand Geldof’s choice of artists, which includes globally celebrated stars such as MADONNA, SIR PAUL McCARTNEY, U2 and STEVIE WONDER.
Last week (ends10JUN05), BLUR frontman DAMON ALBARN attacked the Live 8 gigs for failing to include African artists among the performers, especially as the concert aims to raise awareness of poverty on the developing continent.
He says, "Bob’s sole criteria is that he has to keep millions of eyes around the world glued to the television and he felt if it was some remote part of China or Latin America, if it was an unknown artist … people might switch off.
"So if they didn’t sell 10 million records they weren’t going to be invited. I don’t agree that’s the right thing to do, but I fully understand."
16/06/2005 17:52
