Murrayfield concert plan for G8 summit

Quoted from: http://www.timesonline.co.uk

SIR Bob Geldof and Midge Ure are behind plans for a Live Aid-style concert at Murrayfield stadium to coincide with the G8 summit at Gleneagles hotel.
Some of the world’s biggest music acts, including Oasis, Robbie Williams, Bono, Annie Lennox and Sting have been approached to play at the event.
It will follow a Make Poverty History march in Edinburgh, which is expected to involve 250,000 protesters and is intended to put pressure on world leaders to drop Third World debt.
Fathers 4 Justice is also planning to disrupt the summit. The group, which campaigns for better child access for estranged fathers, hopes to embarrass the government in front of world leaders.
The concert is scheduled to take place on July 6, four days after a similar event at London’s Hyde Park. Geldof and Ure, who organised the original Live Aid concert at Wembley in 1985, were in the capital this week to discuss arrangements.
Pete Irvine whose company, Unique Events, organises the annual Hogmanay street party in Edinburgh, is also expected to be involved. Irvine confirmed there had been a meeting to discuss the event but would give no further details.
It is hoped that the expected 70,000 sell-out will also feature Scottish bands such as Franz Ferdinand and Mull Historical Society, who are not on the bill for the event in Hyde Park.
The plans were welcomed by David Anderson, leader of Edinburgh council, who said: “We will, of course, be involved in making sure it all goes smoothly. It would be an enormous challenge but it could be very exciting.”
Murrayfield said the event promised to bring extremely high calibre performers to the stadium.
Colin MacIntyre, of Mull Historical Society, said he would be keen to take part, if approached: “I don’t think musicians should necessarily be running around shouting about politics but this is really about basic humanity. I can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t want to be involved.”
Cerne Canning, manager of Franz Ferdinand, said: “We were approached about the Hyde Park gig a few weeks ago, but unfortunately we can’t do it. However, if we are approached about the Scottish concert we would be happy to sit down and talk about it.”
Organisers of T in the Park are believed to have ditched plans for a one-off music festival in Perthshire to coincide with the summit.
It had been hoped to attract bands known for their strong views on racism, capitalism and the war in Iraq, such as Asian Dub Foundation, Badly Drawn Boy and Massive Attack.