Live Earth Sydney Concert
Ok, so technically it’s a bit of a stretch to make Live Earth a travel related event, but let’s just say it was a global event and we are a global company. Viator are proud partners of Carbonfund.org and try to educate our customers of the impact which travel can have on the environment. Is that enough of a connection to include it on the Viator Travel Blog?
I say yes!
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| John Butler joins Paul Kelly on stage |
Despite the cynics of the world joining forces to disparage the event, the Live Earth concert series was a huge success around the world on the weekend. They may not have been organized by the almighty Bob Geldof and incessantly meddling Bono of U2 fame, but Al Gore proved there are more members of the global music community with a conscience than just these 2 aging rockers.
Yes these guys often live extravagant lifestyles with what appears to be little regard for the environment, but that does not automatically disqualify them from being part of the event. If we apply that logic, surely only those who already live a “green” life should be allowed to attend. Maybe, just maybe the whole point of these concerts was to raise awareness and provide a little education for those feeling a little helpless.
Ok, rant over, onto the fun stuff - Live Earth Sydney!
In a word, awesome! The first few acts got the crowd warmed up for the big guys to come later on. The line-up was an Aussie music fans dream come true. The only way it could have been improved is if Hunters and Collectors and Midnight Oil reformed (not going to happen, but I came live in hope…), and possibly if the organizers had reconsidered the order of play. Seriously guys, Jack Johnson second billing? He may have been the only international act, but he was oddly out of place in the who’s who of Oz rock. Don’t get me wrong, he was good, but following on from Wolfmother, not the best choice.
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| Eskimo Joe get the crowd on their feet |
For me the show started with Paul Kelly. He has been around for years and is responsible for some classic pub songs, including From Little Things Big Things Grow, a particularly apt song for the day which got the crowd cheering as he was joined on stage by Missy Higgins, Kev Carmody and crowd favorite, John Butler.
Surprisingly early in the play order, Eskimo Joe hit the stage for their 30 minute set. One of the hottest Australian bands around at the moment, the Joe blew the crowd away and didn’t stop to take a breath, using every minute of their allocated time.
Up next, Missy Higgins took to the stage for her solo set and was clearly happy to be there. One for the girls, it wasn’t long before the crowd sing-a-long got back into full voice as she belted out Scar. Things got a little more serious when the ever political John Butler Trio hit the stage with a blistering drum solo and some serious banjo playing. JB himself took the opportunity to spread his views on Nuclear energy but as with Wave Aid 2 years ago, the glaring omission of Something’s Gotta Give left the crowd wanting just a little more from the boys.
Next up it was time for the big haired Andrew Stockdale and Wolfmother to let rip with a few eardrum bursting numbers. Clearly one of the big name drawcards to the event, they hit the stage running and didn’t stop until the very last riff of Joker and the Thief. The high energy of Wolfmother was followed by the gentle, laid-back melodies of Canadian Jack Johnson. He sounded OK, but I admit I used the opportunity to do another beer run so I can’t really comment!
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| John Butler Trio sends a message to the world |
By the end of the night, the 48,000 strong crowd were well and truly warmed up for the long awaited performance of the reformed Crowded House. Let’s face it, this is what the majority of the crowd were here for. As they took to the stage it was like they had never gone away and the crowd loved it! Sticking to the old classics, the crowd swayed and crooned along to Don’t Dream it’s Over and Weather With You. No more complaining about the long queues at the bar (reportedly up to 1 hour, but I queued longer than that for the bathroom!), all was forgotten as the masters did their thing.
At the end of the day, the musos put on a fantastic show, it didn’t rain and a few people got a little education on the state of the planet and what needs to be done to fix it. Rome wasn’t built in a day and global warming won’t be reversed with one series of concerts.
It’s easy to criticize events like this but for those who didn’t attend or even watch the televised coverage, what gives you the right to comment on the impact of the shows. I consider myself fairly aware of environmental issues and do what I can to reduce my impact on the earth, but I don’t claim to be perfect. I had never considered that buying locally produced products saves the emissions created when transporting goods from afar, therefore I learnt something from the day. If everyone who saw the shows took away one piece of new information, isn’t that a start?
Let’s face it, it’s just a concert, it’s not meant to change the world.
If Live Earth has awakened your inner travel bug and inspired you to check out our planet before we destroy it, check out Viator’s list of things to do in the cities which hosted concerts over the weekend - Sydney, Tokyo, Shanghai, Johannesburg, London, Hamburg, New York and Rio de Janiero.
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