It's almost mandatory in a way to discuss the upcoming Live 8 concert -- Eight cities around the world will play host to a who's who in music as they try and get an apathetic public aware about the situation in Africa.
Timed to coincide with the G8 summit -- when the world's eight richest nations meet on a golf course to negotiate stuff -- the goal of Live 8 isn't to get the USA to sign onto the Kyoto treaty (or even acknowledge that global warming exists), but to get people to encourage more aid to Africa.
U2 will be there, as well as Coldplay, 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg, Die Toten Hosen and Green Day. To be blunt, I didn't want to write about this, but I felt like I HAD to (much like a homework assignment). I still can't help but wonder how much of this concert will have an impact? Is all the shouting and yelling really being heard?
I'd like to say that it brings awareness of the international community to people, but I can't help but be cynical. Bono's preaching about how the music fans are smarter and savvier about politics and how this is a chance to educate people, while at the same time, he's praising the Shrub for his actions (while asking for more cash -- I kinda like the balls of that action).
It has been good news to hear that the United States is canceling its third world debt. But I wonder if that really hits home with people about the potential impact. I just remember when the We Are The World single came out and how people loved it and sang it during recess. And I couldn't help but wonder if it really meant anything to them a year later -- or even a decade later.
I guess that's why I'm approaching Live 8 with trepidation. I don't know if people will really care. But I suppose if someone takes a message from the music, it's better than nothing. I just am not feeling that great about the impact that will occur. I don't see it has a huge historical event -- but if people prove me wrong, I'd love that.
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In other U2-related news, there's an interesting article in the New Statesman about whether or not rock anthems still exist. I think that they do -- but it's rare in these days of hip-hop and weighty drum beats.
The modern-day anthems that get me going are actually kinda of bitter and angry -- I mean, if you read the lyrics of "One," that's a pretty pissed-off song with anger in it. Simply the lines, "Is it getting better? Or do you feel the same?" aren't exactly fist-pumpers.
But the chorus, "We're one, but we're not the same/We've got to carry each other" is the message that people remember. For me, its the idea that no matter how much pain occurs in relationships or between people, there's a certain point where you have to lay down your arms and attempt to work things out. For me, that's a pretty good message.
The Arcade Fire's Wake Up is also a typical anthem tune -- stately, driven and with an easy to sing chorus, it's a fun song to get the fists pumping to.
Actually, lemmie pose the question to you guys -- what do you consider anthem songs and why?
2 comments:
You know what's weird? I'm glad Live 8 is happening, but I'm not too keen to actually see it. We're in a much more distractable era than we were in the 80's where one would wake up at 5am to see Ultravox and the Boomtown Rats. Now there's so much out there fighting for our attention, a bunch of rock stars getting together for a cause is not what it used to be, I may check it out, but it is not the media event the original event is. I would have donated money regardless. I think it's also me being older, I think.
As for recent rock anthems, metalheads don't really do universal "feel good" anthems, music about alienation and anger doesn't tranfer over well that kind of perspective. ;) It's actually a remake, but Rage Against the Machine's recording "Renegades of Funk" feels like an anthem song to me. It gets me moving, gets my fist pumping, but it's also got a real revolutionary message.
Maybe that's why I'm feeling weird about the concert. I really don't see a lot of people even tuning into it because of how much other stuff there is in the world to distract someone.
Admittedly, I'm also afraid that MTV and VH1 are just going to tune into the big acts and miss out on some cool shit like the possible reunion of the Spice Girls (yes I'm sad), Barenaked Ladies and Annie Lennox in favor of stuff like Maroon 5. That's not going to make me want to watch at all.
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