Music News
Live 8 concert in Berlin draws 100,000
By DPA
Jul 2, 2005, 14:16 GMT

Berlin - Germany's Live 8 concert as part of the global musical marathon aimed at aiding the world's poorest countries, drew about 100,000 people in downtown Berlin, organisers said Saturday.

With the city's main east-west axis closed off as a concert venue, people packed the Street of the 17th of June next to the historic Brandenburg Gate in partly sunny and warm weather.

Following the opening by the Toten Hosen band a further 20 groups were playing through early evening including Chris de Burgh, Crosby Stills & Nash, A-ha and Herbert Groenemeyer. Also taking part is German super-model Claudia Schiffer.

The concert was part of 10 being held around the world aimed at highlighting poverty and starvation in the run-up to the annual Group of Eight (G8) summit of industrial nations which is being July 6 to 8 at the luxury Gleneagles resort in Scotland.

Organised by Irish rocker Bob Geldof, other Live 8 concerts are being held in Tokyo, Paris, Rome, Moscow, Philadelphia, Johannesburg, London and Toronto.

There is also an alternative Live 8 concert in Cornwall in England where a line-up of exclusively African artists will take to the stage under the slogan, Africa Calling.

About 10 million fans are expected to descend on the venues worldwide to watch a total of 160 bands perform.

London's Hyde Park is the central venue and about 200,000 people are due to watch U2, Pink Floyd, Madonna, REM, Elton John, Coldplay, Paul McCartney and Sting perform.

It is hoped that the Live 8 concert will prompt leaders of the G8 to offer the world's poorest countries greater support in alleviating poverty.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who hosts this years G8, has vowed to make fighting poverty in Africa the cornerstone of meeting.

Artists performing at the Live 8 concerts are expected to call for more aid for Africa, debt cancellation and fairer trade.

In an open letter published in British newspapers, Geldof said the organisers of the concerts had gathered "the largest mandate for action in history" to end the poverty "killing 50,000 each day" in Africa.

Organizers say more than 80 per cent of the world's population will have the chance to experience the Live 8 event on television, radio, Internet or on their mobile phones.