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Stars confirm plans for Live Aid follow-up
MICHAEL BLACKLEY
BOB Geldof and Midge Ure confirmed last night that they are planning a follow-up to Live Aid to coincide with the G8 summit at Gleneagles.
But they insisted that they would not be calling the event Live Aid II. It is believed that they are to have a number of concerts worldwide, rather than one big festival, as was the case with Live Aid.
At yesterday's Ivor Novello awards, the former Ultravox frontman and Thin Lizzy band member, Midge Ure, said: "I can say there's never going to be a Live Aid II, but there's something brewing. It's big and it's as petrifying as the build-up to Live Aid, if not more so. We'll have all the biggest names we can find. But it's not just about big names, it's about making a point."
Ure and the former Boomtown Rats frontman Geldof were at the awards to pick up the prize for best-selling UK single for Do They Know It's Christmas? by Band Aid 20. Among the other celebrities in attendance were the Welsh singer Tom Jones and the former actor and frontman of The Who, Roger Daltrey.
It seems certain that Geldof and Ure will have used the event to try to find candidates to sign up for the charity event. When rumours first spread that the G8 could host a Live Aid-style event, Franz Ferdinand were said to be one of the frontliners to headline the event.
During the ceremony, Geldof also admitted that the concert was likely to go ahead in a few weeks. He said: "Once more into the breach.
"What started 20 years ago is coming to a political point in a few weeks. There's more than a chance that the boys and girls with guitars will finally get to turn the world on its axis and I need you there with us. What we do in the next five weeks is seriously, properly, historically, politically important."
The pair collected an award from Sting, who sang on the original Band Aid record. The singer/songwriter revealed that he will be taking part in the Live Aid follow-up.
"Bob called me up and said I was doing it. He doesn't ask you, he tells you," he said.
It is not yet certain which venues are likely to hold any of the events, although London's Hyde Park has been pinpointed as a favourite, with the likely date being within the first week of July. The G8 aummit will run at Gleneagles Hotel from 6-8 July.
This month, Geldof caused controversy when he confronted Jack McConnell, the First Minister, and called on him to tackle corruption in the African state of Malawi head-on during his visit there.
Mr McConnell had been anticipating that Geldof would boost his own attempts to crusade against poverty, but instead he asked: "How can Scotland, in all conscience, have a relationship with a country that may be corrupt in its political structures?"
Hell...if the Spice Girls can get back together for one show...why can't VH?
Artists that are rumored to appear are Franz Ferdinand, Sting, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Oasis, Spice Girls, Rolling Stones, and many others.
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