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From an article on Canoe:
"We can understand Geldof’s incredibly simple point, that in a world of surplus, none should go hungry. Prime Minister Paul Martin and all leaders of heavily industrialized economies, like Canada, must do their part to honour the minimum targets of the Millennium Development Goals.
The main one emploring the richest countries to finish what former Canuck PM Lester Pearson started: spend 0.7 per cent of their Gross Domestic Product or national income on foreign aid. In Canada’s case it would mean raising our aid spending by 15 per cent each year for the next decade.
According to Tragically Hip frontman Gord Downie we’re currently lagging at around 3.8 per cent.
Out of all those artists who spoke at Live 8 in Barrie, Downie’s rage was the most effective. When he played “Ahead By A Century” he tweaked the words to “You should be ahead by a century” and emphatically delivered the line “and the disappointment is getting me down.”
Anyone who had witnessed the ever-intense Downie in the press tent minutes before, knew he was referring to Martin’s broken promise to Bono to up his aid contributions to meet the Millennium goals.
“I think I was like any other Canadian, who was floating along for a long time thinking that we we’re tops in the world in this department of compassion and it turns out we’re actually not and not only are we not, but we’re lagging way behind,” Downie delivered through clenched teeth. “I don’t know what foreign policy we’re clinging to in this country.”
As Downie sees it Canada can’t afford to get this next one wrong.
“I saw the 90-year-old veterans strolling down the streets of Holland about a month and a half ago and the streets were lined with children and their grandparents and people thanking Canadians for what they did to liberate Holland in World War II. I think this is the war that Canadians want to fight, I really do. I think this is the one we’re really interested in fighting and we can afford it.”
The Barrie show struggled to find a groove musically and emotionally until Downie and the boys stormed the stage more than seven hours after Tom Cochrane kicked things off. After finishing their set with Dan Aykroyd playing harmonica on “Poets,” Downie left the stage after getting the crowd to chant “NGOs, NGOs, NGOs,” in deference to the work that private organizations like Make Poverty History do to try to end suffering around the world."
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Isn´t there anywhere you can watch the Hip´s performance? I was a wreck yesterday, I sat in the sofa following the concerts and thinking, "Have they been on, are they gonna be on, are they playing right NOW?!" Well, you can imagine. I even came to the point when I wondered what clothes Gord would wear on stage. :?
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Yes, you can watch the Hip's performance at aol.com. That was the way to watch yesterday's performances. The Internet came of age as the way to watch live events. You could switch between six of the concerts, there were no commercials, no hosts, no audio hiccups, no censorship; it was beautiful.
Anyway, they're showing replays at the moment (as I write this, it's at the Barenaked Ladies set) and, if I read the site correctly, the concerts will be on-demand all summer.
Cheers,
John
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A correction of my earlier fuck-up:
It was M@W that had the false start, not Poets, and our man Corby did some nifty research on the "Freddie Mercury" deal. Here's the updated catalogue entry:
Freddie Mercury: Throughout 2004 and 2005, a rant featuring a line from Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody," and referencing that bands legendary lead, emerged during a few songs, most notably; Poets: "Seventy days to cross the ocean/Seventy nights when no one's gunna hear you fall/Like Freddie Mercury/I sometimes too wish I'd never been born at all." It appeared twice during The Hip's July 2 "Live 8" performance in Barrie, Ontario. Corby Hart notes that ships travelling from Bohemia (modern day Czech Republic/German border region) often took about 70 days to cross the Ocean. The Concord, originating in Rotterdam, launched from London in 1683 and landed in Philadelphia (Germantown) 76 days later.
And how cool was it to see Gord with Neil. He seemed humbled to be sharing a stage with Bruce Cockburn, Gordon Lightfoot and Neil Young.
It was odd to see him looking pensive as he stepped away from the mic sheepishly to let a few of his idols sing. A very different Gord from the usual front man.
You can see him approach Neil and shake his hand at the end of the gig.
A very cool day, and I'm sure a very cool moment for Gordie.
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This just in from Chicago: Page 3 of the Sunday Chicago Tribune featuring 3 pictures from Live 8....First a shot of Bob Geldoff and Paul McCartney amongst fans, second a shot of lots of fans watching Madonna, and third a shot of "Tragically Hip vocalist Gordon Downie performing in Barrie, ON". It's a great photo.
sonofdad
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I'm with direwolf on this pic. WHAT A GREAT PIC!!!!!! I saw the Hip and saw Neil's first two songs but had to leave before the finale. I got a kick out of watching Lightfoot chatting it up with Neil just before Neil took the stage. To some people, that doesn't interest them. To me, I was watching two of the greatest songwriters in music history chatting backstage on CTV. Great stuff!
Oh yeah, WHO THE HELL IS BUCKCHERRY?? I'm glad I'm not the only one confused with this one.
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Were was the TOOL POLICE when that Buck Cherry dingle d*** hogged the mic???? I would have rather heard a cameraman sing a verse! :rambo:
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that buckcherry guy had no business doing what he did in the finale...he even pulled the mic away from Lightfoot at one point...brutal
Ben Mulroney...beyond annoying, same with the other CTV on-air people.
The director should be fired too...during Oh Canada at the end, there was Neil and Gordon Lightfoot singing side by side and not once did they show a closeup...panned by once, yet showed many closeups of others, including 3 or 4 of the 'Ladies....
Neil's set, especially the new song, was soooo beautiful
Gord and Neil trading off the 1st verse of Rockin'...beyond words!!!
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I've done some quick looking around with little success. Does anyone have or know of a site that lists each artist and what songs they played?
Much appreciated.
Darren
![[Image: n070250a.jpg]](http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465/1d/media.canada.com/cp/national/20050702/n070250a.jpg)
