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Here's something to read if you're mega bored. Photos later.
Christina’s Live 8 Review
(that’s right, I was there, you weren’t, get over it)
BEFORE THE CONCERT
We wake up at about half 8 on Wednesday morning, get ready etc, walk up to Murrayfield at about 10. Now, Adele hasn’t been to Edinburgh since primary school, and last time I was there I never stepped outside the Royal Mile. It was quite a cuffuffle. It took us like…an hour to get there, but finally we did arrive and we spoke to a man to ask about our tickets (the reason why we went up early). He said they were standing tickets. We were like, right, cool. It’s a bit cold for standing but fair enough. Walk BACK and it only took us under half an hour. But it was definitely the same way. Weird. So we get properly ready and head back up for about half 2. Get there, go to the standing bit, “Sorry, these are seated tickets” “We were told they were standing tickets…” “By who?” “One of YOU” “Well, they’re not, sorry.” Right. So we had to sit from 2.30 until 5 for no reason. What’s that? Rain? Obviously. Can’t have Scotland on TV and NOT have it rain. Everyone was walking around in bright orange ponchos (I wasn’t, I bought a Live 8 t-shirt instead. Better in the long run.) So it’s pouuuurrrrring down, our legs and feet hurt and we have nothing to do. Got chips, sat on the edge of something (a shop or something) and waited with everyone else. Decided to get food and stuff, so we went and got donuts and drinks, yum. After a long while people start queuing up to go in.
Get to our seats. They’re far back from the stage but not far away, if that makes sense? Basically no matter where you sit, you can still see pretty well, and because we were quite far back we got more of a straight view of the stage rather than side on (like at Oasis). They play clips of Live Aid to keep up amused and we just sit and watch everyone coming in.
THE CONCERT
Phwoar.
The Proclaimers opened it with 500 Miles. I swear, that song got the best reception of the whole night. Usually at the beginning everyone’s a bit timid and shy, but everyone was jumping up and down and singing as loud as they possibly could. It was AMAZING. It’s a fucking anthem. Tried to phone Jemma.
Jamie Cullum was next. Sigh. He’s so adorable. Toddled on and sat at his piano, unfortunately I cannot remember what he played. How silly is that? I’m pretty sure it was All You Need Is Love, but I may be getting confused with something else. Tried to phone Jemma. Then Natasha Bedingfield came on, we at first thought it was Joss Stone so that was a disappointment, but not as big as the one later that night. Will explain when I get to it. She was pretty good live, didn’t get THAT good a reception but still good. I just stared at Jamie the whole time thinking of ways to steal him. Putting him in my pocket was the one I figured would most likely work the best.
McFLY were next I think (I’ve got them in my phone but I don’t think they’re in exactly the right order). They sang All About You and were very good, I was impressed. Really clear and happy and yaaaay. Tried to phone Jemma.
Next were, I think, the Sugababes. We sat down and ate our crisps.
By this time a few presenters and comedians had been on. They were Eddie Izzard, Lenny Henry, Peter Kay and Bono. Lenny was hilarious, Eddie was pretty good, Peter Kay played a whistle-y thing and Bono did a speech. Oh, Davina McCall was there too, bit of a surprise. She was lovely.
Next was Annie Lennox. Amazing performance, got the crowd going etc.
WetWetWet were maybe next. Man, Marti(y?) Pellow is one sexy man. Everyone sang along to A Little Help From My Friends and, y’know, that famous one.
I do believe that Feeder were after them. Now, I love Feeder. Well, I say that, I don’t even have any albums. But anyway, I had no idea they were there. Lenny Henry (I think, god, don’t you hate when you can’t remember anything from gigs?) introduced them and was like ‘So here they are….FEEDER!’ and I just stood there like… “What?” and they came on, and I fucking squealed like a…squealy thing. They sang Buck Rogers and probably got one of the best, if not THE best reception since The Proclaimers.
At some point round about this time, Susan Saranndon (excuse my terrible spelling) came onstage. She said some stuff, and then did what I’d been waiting for all bloody night. She introduced Sir Bob Geldof (wowzer, just as I typed the ‘B’ ‘I Don’t Like Mondays’ came on on Random). I got my camera out and then my phone to call Celia (what the hell, C? You hung up in the middle of him!). Awwww he was adorable. Dressed in a white suit and all…cute. He then introduced who he described as Ireland’s best band,
The Thrills. They sang Santa Cruz (You’re Not That Far). Ahhh amazing, the crowd loved it and started clapping along at ‘Oh you gotta be, oh you gotta be, still livin’ by the sea’ etc. So good. So fucking good.
On the message I saved in my phone of all the people there, next up is Embrace. They sang Ashes which was good since it’s the only recent song of theirs I like. Meh. That’s all I’ll say about them.
Next up was a BIG surprise. George Clooney. Haha, yeah…we got rather excited. I can’t remember what he said, but he did a little speech about Live 8 and all the support from America too. Sex on legs. Old, getting wrinkly legs, but there’s still sex clinging on.
Next I’ve written down Midge Ure. I think this is when he sang? No idea. Everything he did was brilliant though, the crowd loved him and near the end he was making fun of Bob and Bono for being Irish, and Bob said ‘There wouldn’t BE a Scotland without the Irish’ and all the crowd went ‘Oooohhhhhhhhh’. It was funny. But that was near the end, I’m getting distracted here.
Next I’ve got Will Young. We went to the toilet at this bit so I can’t comment.
Right, I don’t have anything after this but I have 4 more acts that I can remember and I know the order, so here goes.
Snow Patrol. Ohmigod. They sang Run, and were brilliant. The crowd gave them a MUCH better reception than they did at London, well, I thought so anyway. Beaaauuuutiful.
Travis. Everyone cheered for them as they came on (more so than most of the others). Fran said that he was backstage and as performers came off, some hadn’t performed to a Scottish crowd before, and were just like…‘Oh my god’ and he smiled in a sort of ‘Well done’ way and everyone cheered and clapped. They played Driftwood which was nice, and then he got everyone to do the ‘Ahhhh’ bit at the beginning of Why Does It Always Rain On Me (violin on the actual track I think). Everyone did it, and it actually sounded great, proper singing. He just smiled and said ‘You’re amazing’ (or something like that, could’ve been ‘fantastic’) and again, everyone cheered, then they started playing it. It got a GREAT reception, everyone was jumping up and down and singing along. Lalala. Loved it.
Next was The Corrs. They sang Breathe (is that what it’s called?) I actually quite liked it. OH. RONAN. Hold on, I forgot about him. He was pretty good, near the beginning. Sang Rollercoaster and we sang along etc. I was pretty impressed. Right, The Corrs, for the second song they started singing and then Bono walked on. He gave the lead singer a flower and he joined in. Then they started slow dancing and it was really sweet, then like…linked arms and walked around in a circle, twas funny.
WAOW. JAMES BROWN. Fuck. He started with I Feel Good which was GREAT because Adele and I had been singing it all day walking to and from Murray field (along with I Predict A Riot because of, well, the riots). That man can move. I fucking had a hard time getting a photo of him because he wouldn’t stay bloody still for one second. He also sang Sex Machine, and…shit…I can’t remember the other one. Will Young came in for one song and then went off, he was pretty good. He went on for a while, and then, about 2 hours after it was meant to finish, it DID finish. We walked home. And went to bed.
(If you want the speech by Bob Geldof that I recorded, I’ll send that. There’s also a video of a bit of Driftwood, one of a bit of Run and one of Grant Nicholas talking).