Some of the highlights from the Live 8 concert in Rome:
-Country music was the highlight in Rome with country music couple Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. McGraw opened his set with his new single "Drugs or Jesus." He followed that with "Live Like You Were Dying," before bringing out Faith, who launched right into her current single, "Mississippi Girl." She then went on to perform a slowed-down version of "Breathe" and a version of Janis Joplin's classic hit "Piece of My Heart."
-Duran Duran did a four-song set that included "Sunrise," "Ordinary World," "Save a Prayer" and "Wild Boys."
-courtesy 13wham.com
ROME - Crooner Francesco De Gregori launched Italy's Live 8 concert on Saturday, and British band Duran Duran belted out "Save a Prayer" a track they also sang at the Live Aid show for African relief 20 years ago.
Under a blazing sun, thousands gathered in Rome's ancient Circus Maximus to watch Faith Hill and a string of Italian stars in one of 10 concerts across the globe to help raise awareness about African poverty.
"We as a species of humanity have to take responsibility for our brothers and sisters in Africa," Duran Duran singer Simon Le Bon told the crowd. "Today is the beginning we're going to keep watching and we're going to keep doing it."
-Courtesy Associated Press
Rome has watched the Bono/McCartney show on video screens thanks to a live link-up with London and now Duran Duran take to the stage. Rome returns the compliment by beaming their performance back to Hyde Park. Lead singer Simon Le Bon starts the set with a call to everyone to take responsibility for our brothers and sisters in Africa. Then he shouts today is the beginning as the band launches into recent hit Sunrise.
The crowd goes wild for old favourites Ordinary World, Save A Prayer and Wild Boys the song they played at Live Aid 20 years ago. This, says Le Bon, is their second chance to sing it and their second chance to save the world. The crowd cheers, gets hosed down and cheers some more.
-courtesy Sunday Herald
Italian singer Francesco De Gregori kicked off the Rome event under a scorching afternoon sun at the Circus Maximus arena. Follow-up acts included Italian rocker Zucchero, country singers Faith Hill and Tim McGraw and veteran pop group Duran Duran, who performed at 1985's Live Aid. Officials estimated a crowd of more than 40,000 people at the ancient arena.
"For Italy, it will be the greatest concert in the history of Italian music," Rome's mayor, Walter Veltroni, said.
-courtesy CBC Arts
Live 8 kicked off in Rome Saturday with the 200,000- strong crowd in the city's Circus Maximus blessed with sweltering heat and summer sunshine.
Many in the crowd had waited since early morning to grab the best spots in the ancient arena.
International stars in the Eternal City's Live 8 lineup such as Duran Duran and Faith Hill will join Italian acts such as Zucchero, Laura Fausini and Jovanotti for the seven-hour spectacular.
Volunteers at the venue were distributing up to a million free bottles of water to prevent audience members collapsing from heat exhaustion.
-courtesy Deutsche Presse-Agentur
Faith Hill, Duran Duran and a host of Italian stars took the stage Saturday in Rome's Circus Maximus - where ancient charioteers once competed before emperors - to help raise awareness about African poverty for Live 8.
Italian crooner Francesco De Gregori kicked off the event under a scorching afternoon sun, before giant screens flicked to the opening performance of the concert in London's Hyde Park - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by Paul McCartney and U2.
Rocker Zucchero was up next in Rome, followed by Duran Duran.
The British band's frontman Simon Le Bon, dressed in a white jacket and white pointed shoes, sang favourites including Ordinary World and Save a Prayer - a track the group also performed at the Live Aid show for African famine relief 20 years ago.
"We as a species of humanity have to take responsibility for our brothers and sisters in Africa," Le Bon told the crowd. "Today is the beginning we're going to keep watching and we're going to keep doing it."
-courtesy Associated Press Roma
Photos courtesy of Associated Press
