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Sunday, July 08, 2007

Live Earth - A Review

I spent all of yesterday cycling through the channels that were covering the Live Earth events, most of the time looking for something worth watching. As I said then, they really dropped the ball as far as coverage of the events goes. They showed one or two songs from the headlining bands, then the entire sets from bands only college kids have ever heard of. It was exactly as depressing as any concert you’ve ever been to where the opening bands play for an hour, then the headliner plays for 20 minutes and doesn’t even do an encore.

And even after that, after everything was said and done and they were showing the “highlights” on NBC, they showed the same four or five acts they had been repeating on the other channels all day. I saw Duran Duran do Girls on Film three or four times (which was a good performance, but still), Red Hot Chili Peppers do California at least four times, Alicia Keyes and Keith Urban do Gimme Shelter four or five times. I waited all day long to see Beastie Boys, Spinal Tap, Metallica, and that band of scientists from Antarctica. I lucked-out (literally) and caught the B-Boys’ set on Sundance, but only saw two songs from Spinal Tap, and two from Metallica (out of four different channels - and only once, each); I never got to see Nantook or whatever the name of the band from Antarctica was. And if I hadn’t been constantly flipping stations and caught them accidentally, I wouldn’t have seen Spinal Tap at all - and they pulled out nearly every bass player at Wembley Stadium for Big Bottoms (that was great, that was really worth it!).

At least they showed The Police’s entire set, as well as Roger Waters’ and Bon Jovi’s (even though the latter only played two songs anyone outside of Jersey has ever heard). But I have to admit I feel a little ripped-off, having spent the entire day cycling between channels and still winding up watching several hours’ worth of no-name acts and a scant few minutes of sets from bands anyone knows or wants to see.

Of course, I’m sure I’ll be able to purchase the 5-disc Master Deluxe Super Widescreen Edition DVD in another week or two. Made of 100% recycled materials, of course, and for the bargain-basement price of $399. Ah yes, what’s a good idea to change the world really worth if the corporations don’t make an obscene amount of money off it?

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