The Day the World Watched
What a day. England and Australia played out a thrillingly tied final, in a triangular One Day Series which involved Bangladesh in the initial stages. Venus Williams beat Lindsay Davenport in the longest Wimbledon Ladies' Final. Andy Roddick beat Thomas Johansson in a bruising Wimbledon Men's semi-final. The two Ferraris qualified third and fifth at the French Grand Prix, with a little help from Raikonnen's engine change.
For me, a common thread ran through these contests - the outcome was in doubt until the very end. Either team could have won off the last ball in the One Day final. Williams faced Davenport serving for the match in the second set, and match point in the third, before prevailing. Roddick was seemingly aided by the netcord in his battle of the tiebreaks with Johansson.
In the sport that holds me enthralled, both Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello put in faster first sector laps than the eventual driver at pole, Fernando Alonso.
However, it was the Live 8 concert that held centre-stage through nearly twelve hours of the day. Fittingly, the best musical moments, for me, of the Hyde Park event came toward the fag end of the show, when Sting, The Who, Pink Floyd and Paul McCartney rang the curtains down on what is probably the most powerful demonstration in the history of the planet. The Philadelphia and Barrie concerts must have carried on past what was 4:30AM Sunday Indian Standard Time, but VH1 who telecast the show in India, concluded with the Hyde Park finale. I am not complaining - I got to watch the four men who have dominated my musical firmament - Dave Gilmour, Nick Mason, Roger Waters and Rick Wright. They came together after more than 2 decades to play for a cause Gilmour described as far more pressing than the disagreements between the band and Waters. They played Breathe, Money, Wish You Were Here and Comfortably Numb, only a few of the songs that epitomized the Pink Floyd ethos. I only wish they had all day to play.
We had far more to thank Bob Geldof for, just as fans of music : U2, REM, Pet Shop Boys, Dido and Youssou N'Dour, Annie Lennox, Coldplay, Travis, Green Day, Duran Duran, UB40, Bon Jovi, Dave Mathews Band ... the list could go on, and I am talking of just my favourites - those of them I watched perform.
Lasting impressions from Live 8 -
The appearance on stage of Birhan Woldu, known in this world of sound bites as the Face of Famine. Her radiant smile underlined Geldof's assertion that Live Aid and Live 8 and other such efforts do make a difference. Her dignity in the face of weird attempts by Madonna to co-opt her into her set re-iterated her continent's search for justice, not charity.
Nelson Mandela in a 46664 pullover exhorting the G8 not to look the other way.
Will Smith leading an estimated three billion in a different way of marking time - a poignant reminder that a child dies every three seconds due to poverty. The snapping fingers were every bit as telling as a clenched fist once was.
Thank you, VH1.
Thank you, all of you who organized Live 8.
Thank you, the three billion who watched.
The G8 must respond at Gleneagles Hotel. The G8 website has a feedback section. Wouldn't it be nice if every one of the 27 million who signed the Live 8 List would also write in at the G8 site?
[ Technorati Tags : live8 PinkFloyd Music G8 India ]
For me, a common thread ran through these contests - the outcome was in doubt until the very end. Either team could have won off the last ball in the One Day final. Williams faced Davenport serving for the match in the second set, and match point in the third, before prevailing. Roddick was seemingly aided by the netcord in his battle of the tiebreaks with Johansson.
In the sport that holds me enthralled, both Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello put in faster first sector laps than the eventual driver at pole, Fernando Alonso.
However, it was the Live 8 concert that held centre-stage through nearly twelve hours of the day. Fittingly, the best musical moments, for me, of the Hyde Park event came toward the fag end of the show, when Sting, The Who, Pink Floyd and Paul McCartney rang the curtains down on what is probably the most powerful demonstration in the history of the planet. The Philadelphia and Barrie concerts must have carried on past what was 4:30AM Sunday Indian Standard Time, but VH1 who telecast the show in India, concluded with the Hyde Park finale. I am not complaining - I got to watch the four men who have dominated my musical firmament - Dave Gilmour, Nick Mason, Roger Waters and Rick Wright. They came together after more than 2 decades to play for a cause Gilmour described as far more pressing than the disagreements between the band and Waters. They played Breathe, Money, Wish You Were Here and Comfortably Numb, only a few of the songs that epitomized the Pink Floyd ethos. I only wish they had all day to play.
We had far more to thank Bob Geldof for, just as fans of music : U2, REM, Pet Shop Boys, Dido and Youssou N'Dour, Annie Lennox, Coldplay, Travis, Green Day, Duran Duran, UB40, Bon Jovi, Dave Mathews Band ... the list could go on, and I am talking of just my favourites - those of them I watched perform.
Lasting impressions from Live 8 -
The appearance on stage of Birhan Woldu, known in this world of sound bites as the Face of Famine. Her radiant smile underlined Geldof's assertion that Live Aid and Live 8 and other such efforts do make a difference. Her dignity in the face of weird attempts by Madonna to co-opt her into her set re-iterated her continent's search for justice, not charity.
Nelson Mandela in a 46664 pullover exhorting the G8 not to look the other way.
Will Smith leading an estimated three billion in a different way of marking time - a poignant reminder that a child dies every three seconds due to poverty. The snapping fingers were every bit as telling as a clenched fist once was.
Thank you, VH1.
Thank you, all of you who organized Live 8.
Thank you, the three billion who watched.
The G8 must respond at Gleneagles Hotel. The G8 website has a feedback section. Wouldn't it be nice if every one of the 27 million who signed the Live 8 List would also write in at the G8 site?
[ Technorati Tags : live8 PinkFloyd Music G8 India ]
posted by daemon at 4:48 PM
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