Rock, rap, reunions at Live 8 concerts

Live 8 then rolled on to Johannesburg. That show, plus one featuring African artists in southwestern England, were organized following criticism that African artists had been left out of an event aimed at their own continent.

“Africans are involved in helping Africa, which doesn’t happen too often,” Cameroonian singer Coco Mbassi said before the England show. “We’re presenting a different image of Africa.”

Near Paris, an eclectic lineup including Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli and Goth-rockers The Cure played to a crowd of 100,000 at the 17th-century Palace of Versailles. Faith Hill and Duran Duran joined Italian stars in Rome for a concert at the ancient Circus Maximus, which was packed with about 200,000 fans.

German crowd-pleasers Die Toten Hosen kicked off Berlin’s show — which attracted about 150,000 people — with a string of power anthems while reminding revelers that helping Africa stood above the music.

“This is no rock concert, it’s a reminder about next Wednesday,” singer Campino told the crowds, referring to the G-8 meeting.

Canadian favorite Tom Cochrane started that country’s concert with “Life is a Highway” before 35,000 roaring fans on a crisp sunny morning in Barrie, Ontario. And in Moscow, where 20 years ago residents heard little or nothing about Live Aid because of tight Soviet information controls, tens of thousands jammed a square in the shadows of the Kremlin.

Jo Hale / Getty Images Madonna performed several of her hits at the Hyde Park show.

In London, Madonna performed “Like a Prayer” hand-in-hand with Birham Woldu, an Ethiopian woman who as a malnourished toddler appeared in some of the most wrenching footage of the 1984-85 famine. Her life was saved, Geldof said, partly through donations from Live Aid viewers.

As night fell, Sting performed “Every Breath You Take” as a message to the G-8 leaders — “We’ll be watching you,” he sang. The Who belted out their classic “Who Are You?” to a backdrop of images of the G8 chiefs.

And the crowd went wild for the reunion of ’70s supergroup Pink Floyd — the first time guitarist David Gilmour, drummer Nick Mason, keyboard player Richard Wright and bassist Roger Waters appeared onstage together since 1981.

London concertgoer Tula Contostavlos, 19, said she was there to see Mariah Carey — and to send a political message.

“Obviously some people are here for just music,” she said, “but they’re forgetting what’s important and what they’re here for.”

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