this summer's live 8 concerts are shaping up to be the global event of the summer. previously geldof organized these shows sometime in the mid 1980s to raise awareness for the poverty stricken african continent. this year's free concerts are an attempt to raise awareness for the continued plight of the african people, more focus on easing the african debt. awareness doesn't feed children and provide a solution to the aids crisis but what the hell do i know about charity work. geldof was knighted for this sort of shit.

i find it hard to believe this "global" event and the logic behind the free shows. people are hungry, people are dying; why not get some bands together and play a few free shows at the same time to raise awareness?

in droves people will turn out for the shows but what impact will this have? our elected leaders will hear the united voice of the g8 citizens calling for more attention & support; that day at least. speaking from the canadian experience and our PM's buddy-buddy image with bono looked cool in the papers. "look how hip paul martin is hanging out with bono! man, he rocks!" like martin didn't have a clue what he was doing and and at the same time he doesn't strike me as the type to take bono seriously unless reporters are in his face. bono was promised great canadian aid a while back and since then the dollars earmarked for africa have slowly siphoned off. apparently bono is pissed with martin's upkept promised and voiced his anger at a u2 show not to while ago. way to go bono, being promised something by the government and then have it being reduced or completely cut off is the canadian way. you are now an honourary canadian!

but my biggest complaint against the event is this: the concerts are being held in london, paris, edinburgh....barrie, philadelphia, rome, berlin and....barrie.

if you're going to hold an event that's part of the worldwide concert festival, for the love of god, do not stick in barrie; the armpit of this country. even the canadians who get upset that toronto is always chosen as the nation's representative for any internationally staged event surely would rather have seen it going to toronto. personally, i wish they chose vancouver or montreal but barrie?