The Live Earth Concert in London began with the SOS Allstars: Roger Taylor (Queen), Chad Smith (RHCP), Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters) backed up by a team of drummers from around the world performing a dynamic percussion piece based around the International Morse Code Distress Signal (· · · — — — · · ·), better known as the SOS. Nothing demonstrated the mixed messages sent out by Live Earth better than this vibrant drumming piece, partly because it seagued into Queen's hoary old, classic rawk anthem 'We Will Rock You' thus acknowledging the troupe of dinosaur rock acts that were to take the stage in the name of a good show and partly because the SOS signal is usually sent by ships in distress such as the Titanic and the Lusitania which are already sinking. The only problem is that, in Earth's case there are no lifeboats to hand and, unless UFO obsessives are right, no passing spaceships to take us on board. I am not qualified to argue either side of the coin in regard to climate change, but I do know as an experience diver and surfer that when you send out the distress signal, its already too late to save the ship.
Oh, and in case you thought that Al Gore's interest in Green politics began with 'An Inconvenient Truth', check out this spoof film made by President Bill Clinton just before he left office.
And finally, New Scientist asked its readers to calculate the electricity bill of the Live Earth gigs.
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2003 - Witnness 2003, a comprehensive review by Brian Kelly of the 2 days of what transpired to be the last ever Witnness festival (in 2004 it was rebranded as Oxegen when Heineken stepped into the sponsor shoes).