Red-hot acts line up for Live Earth

MADONNA, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Razorlight are among the acts taking to the stage for a star-studded concert at Wembley Stadium to highlight the threat of climate change, it was announced yesterday.

They will be joined by Keane, Snow Patrol, Duran Duran, the Black Eyed Peas and Genesis for the London leg of the global series of Live Earth concerts which take place on July 7.

The other performers announced for the Wembley event were the Beastie Boys, Bloc Party, Corinne Bailey Rae, Damien Rice, David Gray, the Foo Fighters, James Blunt, John Legend and Paolo Nutini.

London is just one of the cities taking part in the event across the globe, along with Shanghai, Johannesburg and Sydney, while there will also be concerts in Japan, Brazil and the US.

The full line-up globally will feature more than 100 acts.

Announcing the details of the concert, Live Earth founder Kevin Wall said: “This monster line-up will ensure Live Earth meets our goal of bringing together people from around the world to combat the climate crisis.

“Live Earth will not only span all seven continents, but the musicians who have answered our call span multiple genres and generations.”

The concerts are forming part of a global publicity drive on climate change, tagged SOS (Save Our Selves), headed by former US vice-president Al Gore.

Organisers hope that more than two billion people will be able to tune in to coverage of the 24-hour event on television, radio and online.

Mr Gore said: “By attracting an audience of billions we hope Live Earth will launch a global campaign giving a critical mass of people around the world the tools they need to help solve the climate crisis.

“But ultimately, corporations and governments must become global leaders taking decisive action to stop global warming.”

Proceeds from the concerts will create a foundation to combat climate change led by The Alliance for Climate Protection, chaired by Mr Gore.

Registration for tickets to Live Earth London — which will all be priced at £55 (€80.75) — will open at midday on Friday, April 13 and close at midday on Monday, April 16.

Organisers are expecting overwhelming demand for the concert and will be allocating tickets by ballot, with successful buyers notified on Wednesday, April 18, about how to purchase their tickets.

Mr Wall also announced that Live Earth will stage gigs at Sydney’s Aussie Stadium, Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana Beach, Johannesburg’s Cradle of Human Kind, Japan’s Tokyo Stadium, and the Steps of the Oriental Pearl Tower in Shanghai.

The line-up and venue for the US leg of the event will be announced later today, Mr Wall said.

The concerts will be streamed live online by MSN, and broadcast on the BBC in Britain. It’s not yet known if viewers in Ireland will be able to enjoy the shows on RTÉ, but they will also be shown on more than 120 networks around the world, organisers said.

The Live Earth event will mark the beginning of the global campaign urging action on climate change.

Ticket applicants can register their details at www.livenation.co.uk/liveearth from midday on April 13 until midday on April 16.