Live Earth: A Global Chorus on Climate Change
Madonna got 70,000 people on their feet demanding action on climate change in the finale to the London leg of Live Earth concerts.
"If you want to save the planet let me see you jump" she said. Madonna thanked former US Vice President Al Gore "for giving the world the wake-up call it so badly needs and for starting an avalanche of awareness that we are running out of time". The singer was one of the key highlights of the concert, which also featured the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Duran Duran, the Black Eyed Peas, Kasabian and even spoof band Spinal Tap.
An estimated two billion people around the world watched the Live Earth concerts to highlight the problem of climate change.
The 24-hour music marathon spanning seven continents saw rappers, rockers and celebrity hosts taking to the stage.
"Times like these demand action," said former Vice President Al Gore, speaking to the sold-out crowd of about 52,000 fans in New Jersey's Giants Stadium, near New York City.
With shows in London, Sydney, Tokyo, Kyoto, Shanghai, Hamburg, Johannesburg, Rio de Janeiro — and even a performance by a band of scientists at a research station in Antarctica — organisers delivered the biggest musical event ever staged.
I Count - the campaign of the Stop Climate Chaos coalition - is the UK NGO partner of LIVE EARTH UK, where a spectacular line-up of seventeen headliners performed before 70,000 people at Wembley Stadium. Speaking backstage, Ashok Sinha, I Count Director said: “Live Earth is not just a great day for music. It’s a springboard for action. Through I Count we will give visibility to people’s personal actions to reduce their carbon footprint and call on political leaders of all parties to listen and act”.
Watch the I Count film featured on Wembley stage screens:
The message of this film is simple – individually we are great – together we are irresistible. Taking steps together we can tackle climate chaos and persuade governments to do so too. Directed by award winning Gerald McMorrow and with a soundtrack by Malakai, this film features many famous faces including T4's Alex Zane, Richard Coyle, Billy Elliot star Jamie Bell, actress Sophia Myles and cool new band The Metros.
Watch Spinal Tap reuniting in the name of saving the planet or watch some award-winning films commissioned by Live Earth.
The film also features rising star Terra Naomi, a singer-songwriter who was personally invited by Al Gore to perform at Live Earth London, something Terra was rightly excited about. She has written exclusively for us about her experience of Live Earth:
"I'm sitting backstage in my dressing room at Wembley Stadium. A year after seeing 'An Inconvenient Truth' and writing 'Say It's Possible,' I have just played my song on stage to a stadium full of people. I don't think I can accurately describe the feeling of standing on that stage, looking out at thousands of faces - over 70,000, actually - it all seems like a dream and it was only moments ago.
As you might imagine, this has been the most incredible performance experience of my entire life. (I think I'm probably the only artist here today to go from playing 100 person venues to playing Wembley Stadium!) but as this extreme excitement subsides, I am wondering what will happen next. Standing on stage, I was full of hope. I could sense the excitement of the crowd. I want to believe that today marks the beginning of major change. I want to believe that people around the world will take this seriously and pay attention to the reality of our situation. I want to believe that it is not too late.
"My emotions, pre-performance, were all over the place - excitement, anxiety, fear, elation, hope, despair - it was intense!! And as soon as I walked onto the stage I was overcome by a sense of extreme calm. I knew my reason for being here tonight. I felt the support of every person in this stadium, felt the hope and the passion of all these people and remembered exactly why I wrote this song - this is the beginning. A wake up call to the world. I now look to I Count for the next steps in tackling climate change. together we can all make a difference."
Terra rose to fame with the video of her song 'Say It's Possible' on YouTube, inspired by Al Gore's film 'An Inconvenient Truth'.
'Say It's Possible' won YouTube's Best Music Video Award and has had over 6.5 million views (and counting).
Keep an eye out for exclusive footage of Terra taking the tube to Live Earth – watch this space....
What next? I Count campaign rocks beyond Live Earth >>
Sign up to the I Count campaign here >> and find more ways to take action against climate change >> Or text 'I Count' to 84424
We’ve teamed up with We’re in this Together to support the Live Earth Concert. Visit them to find out about some household names who can help you save carbon >>
Pictures courtesy of Getty Images
