Bryan Adams, Barenaked Ladies, Gordon Lightfoot to perform at Canadian Live 8

Toronto Star Website:

June 21, 2005.

Barrie gets Live8 concert
Our Lady Peace, Barenaked Ladies to perform

ANGELA PACIENZA
CANADIAN PRESS

Bryan Adams, Jann Arden, Bruce Cockburn, Gordon Lightfoot and The Tragically Hip are among the performers who will take the stage in Barrie for the Canadian edition of next month’s Live 8 music extravaganza.

“We’ve had an incredible response from the artistic community,” said concert magnate Michael Cohl, who announced the lineup and location at a news conference this morning.

Barrie, about an hour’s drive north of Toronto, will be one of eight cities holding simultaneous concerts around the world on July 2 to raise awareness of poverty before leaders of the wealthy G-8 countries — which include Canada — meet in Britain.

The shows are set to feature some of the biggest names in music, including U2, Madonna, Paul McCartney, Coldplay and Sting.

Cohl said the Canadian show — to be hosted by comedian Tom Green and actor Dan Aykroyd — will begin at 11 a.m. and run until about 8 p.m.

Tickets will become available online Thursday at 10 a.m., he added.

There had been rampant speculation about where the Canadian show would be held, with Toronto and Barrie duking it out for the tourism dollars the show will undoubtedly bring to the area.

The other shows will be held in London, Paris, Berlin, Rome and Philadelphia, Tokyo and Johannesburg.

Live 8 has been spearheaded by musician Bob Geldof, who organized the massive Live Aid concert 20 years ago to raise money for African famine relief.

Although the Live Aid shows — held in London and Philadelphia on the same day — raised $40 million (U.S.) for poverty relief, the Live 8 shows will be free. Geldof has said they are intended to raise awareness.

“It’s so important that Canada is involved,” Geldof said today through a videotaped message.

“I just want to thank all the bands, as ever, the pied pipers of our culture.