• U2
• Foo Fighters
• The Flaming Lips
• Blondie
• Billy Idol

Mick Jagger performs at Live Aid
Photo: Frank Micelotta / Getty Images

There's a good reason why, 20 years after Live Aid, Bob Geldof still looks exhausted.

Even as he hustles to coordinate 10 global events in support of his ambitious July 2 sequel, Live 8 (see "Good Charlotte, Bjork In For Live 8 Tokyo; Moscow Concert Added"), Live Aid — a still-unprecedented feat of good will, logistics and old-fashioned guilt-tripping, all masterminded by Geldof — looms large as the show that proved music can actually change the world. (See photos from Live Aid.)

Live Aid was the biggest, but it wasn't the first all-star charity show. Rockers had been lending their efforts to various causes for years, from ex-Beatle George Harrison's Concert for Bangladesh in 1971 (which aided refugees of that war-torn country) to the anti-nuclear power No Nukes show in 1979.

But Live Aid was different.

For one day — July 13, 1985 — an estimated 1.4 billion of the planet's five billion people stopped and watched Geldof's "global jukebox," and were treated to one of the biggest, most ambitious concerts ever staged. At one point, according to a stage announcement, 95 percent of the world's television sets were tuned in to Live Aid — an even more incredible statistic when you consider that it happened before the Internet, cell phones, e-mail, text messaging, instant messaging and blogging. Through music and an eminently worthy cause, much of the world actually felt connected — even at the height of the eminently selfish "Me Decade."

	Live 8 artists stress debt relief, critics of the plan sound off and the G8 summit is explained in "Live 8: A Concert To End Poverty" on Overdrive.

That might explain why, 20 years later, even though I recently acquired the shows on DVD, there is still a stack of VHS tapes in my attic somewhere that contain most of the broadcast in all its grainy glory. They've been packed and unpacked, moved and temporarily heaped in the junkpile more than a dozen times as I've moved around the country. But they've never been tossed.

I won't lie: I've never watched them, but for some reason I just can't let go. Maybe I thought I'd want to show them to my kids, or pop them in some day to remind myself of a time when, despite all the other turmoil around the globe, the world was made aware of injustice and rose up together to try and make a difference.

It all started with a song ...

The seeds for Live Aid were sown in 1984, after Geldof saw a BBC documentary about the famine in Ethiopia — which claimed more than 1 million victims in 1984-85 alone — and decided to write a song to help raise money for the starving citizens of the East African nation.

Geldof (then singer of the Boomtown Rats) teamed with Ultravox leader Midge Ure, gathering 40 of the British Isles' biggest stars of the time to record a song for African famine relief under the name Band Aid. "Do They Know It's Christmas?" featured memorable vocal contributions from Bono, Sting, Boy George, George Michael and several less-memorable others (Britain's biggest stars at the time included Paul Young, Heaven 17 and cross-dressing non-singer Marilyn) became a worldwide hit, raising more than $10 million for the cause. It sold more than 3 million copies in the U.K. alone, making it the biggest and fastest-selling single in British chart history at the time.

The Band Aid single set off a slew of companion songs across the globe, from the Michael Jackson co-penned USA for Africa smash "We Are the World" to Canada's "Tears Are Not Enough," as well as songs from France, Spain, South Africa, Holland, Australia, Jamaica and Belgium.

It also opened the floodgates on a rush of benefit songs and events for a variety of causes, from Little Steven's anti-apartheid "Sun City" to the well-intentioned American homeless-relief effort Hands Across America, in which 5 million people raised nearly $100 million by forming a (slightly broken) chain from New York to California. There were also the popular Comic Relief benefits for the homeless and the annual Farm Aid shows for struggling American farms.

How do I know? Well, because somewhere near those Live Aid tapes are a stack of T-shirts, singles, buttons and/or baseball caps from all of the above events. I participated in Hands Across America (and bought the shirt), I watched multiple Comic Relief specials (and bought the shirt the first three times), I went to the first Farm Aid show (and yes, bought the shirt) and I distinctly remember annoying my friends by endlessly playing the multiple remixes of the still-funky "Sun City" single.

... And peaked with the show

On the cover of the recently released "Live Aid" DVD is the now-iconic logo of the event (an Africa-shaped guitar), the date of the shows and the tag line "The day the music changed the world."

	Check out pictures from the 1985 Live Aid concerts.

The event was tagged as a music event like none the world had ever seen, but even the advance hype couldn't accurately portray the momentousness of the occasion. After all, no one had ever tried to coordinate two massive concerts on two continents with the world's biggest music stars, and make the whole thing a sufficiently slick TV event to encourage the kind of donations Geldof had in mind.

Relying on satellites, a Concorde jet and lots of good will, Geldof split the show in half, with the majority of the English artists performing in front of 74,000 fans (including Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana) at Wembley Stadium in London and the rest taking the stage for 90,000 fans at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia.

Keep a few things in mind: Geldof got the acts to perform — for free — at a show that was organized in just three weeks. Before the days of instant digital communication, someone had to figure out how to coordinate the satellite-linked broadcasts of the two shows, along with beamed-in and taped performances from Holland, Japan, Austria, Yugoslavia, Norway, Germany, Australia and what was then still called the Soviet Union.

Luckily, Geldof had a few aces up his sleeve, among them, the reunion of the surviving members of Led Zeppelin for their first gig together since the 1980 death of drummer John Bonham, as well as reunions by the Who and the original lineup of Black Sabbath.

Then there was Phil Collins. The Genesis drummer and solo star made history during the broadcast when he started the day out by playing his hit "Against All Odds" and performing with Sting in London and then hopping a supersonic Concorde to make it to Philly to sit in with the reunited Zeppelin. (The notoriously sloppy set was not included on the "Live Aid" DVD at the request of the surviving Zep members — ditto Santana's performance.)

As people from 160 countries tuned in to watch, Geldof pulled together some amazing, one-of-a-kind collaborations. Among them: Mick Jagger and Tina Turner tearing up the stage for "It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)," Madonna — described at the time as an "up-and-coming singer" — joining the Thompson Twins, Nile Rodgers and Billy Idol guitarist Steve Stevens for a ragged take on John Lennon's "Revolution," and Neil Young re-teaming with Crosby, Stills & Nash for "Teach Your Children."

In addition, the London show cemented U2's place as one of the best live bands in the world, placing the group on an international stage that they have yet to relinquish, both as a live act and as a force for positive change. Their unforgettable performance — "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and a 12-minute version of "Bad" — saw Bono running down the lip of the stage and encouraging fans to come forward, then jumping 10 feet into the mud to slow-dance with a woman as the band vamped behind him.

Among the other artists who participated in the concerts: Queen, David Bowie, Elton John, Paul McCartney, the Pretenders, Adam Ant, INXS, Elvis Costello, B.B. King, Sade, Run-DMC, Judas Priest, Bryan Adams, the Beach Boys, Santana, Tom Petty, the Cars, Eric Clapton, Duran Duran (in their last performance with all the original members before reforming two years ago) and Bob Dylan, who closed the show with a performance of "Blowin' in the Wind," featuring the Stones' Keith Richards and Ron Wood.

Each artist was given no more than 17 minutes to play, and the performances were interspersed with short films documenting the famine, as well as impassioned pleas from Geldof to donate to the cause.

At one point, the phone center in the U.S. crashed when 700,000 pledge calls came in at the same time. By day's end, more than $70 million had been raised.

The 16 hours of music (televised by both ABC in an abbreviated version, and all day by MTV) ultimately raised more than $200 million for the cause, with Ireland generating the most donations per capita, despite the fact that the country was in the midst of a major economic depression at the time.

And Geldof? He was given an honorary knighthood (honorary because the Irish cannot receive full knighthood) and earned the nickname "Saint Bob" for his efforts. Though he swore he'd never attempt a sequel, here he is again with Live 8, marshaling the biggest stars on the planet again.

Looking back, some of the performances and acts at Live Aid were, to be honest, pretty awful. Between the Who's set being cut in half due to a blown generator, Geldof kicking his microphone cord out during a song, and the trainwreck that was the "We Are the World" Philadelphia finale, much of the event doesn't really hold up on a musical level.

But even 20 years later, the spirit of Live Aid is what still moves, and that's the most important part. And this time, Geldof doesn't want your money — he wants you to speak up.

MTV, mtvU and VH1 will broadcast from Live 8 beginning at noon on Saturday (see ).

Get involved: Learn about the poverty crisis in Africa, the proposed solutions, and how you can help. Plus find all of our coverage of the international Live 8 concerts and more at our thinkMTV Live 8 hub.

• Bob Geldof
• U2
• Led Zeppelin
• The Rolling Stones
• The Who

Coldplay's Chris Martin performs at the 2005 HFStival on Saturday
Photo: Eddie Malluk/WireImage.com

BALTIMORE — If you find yourself surrounded by 40,000 fans, 40 bands, three stages and 85 degrees, you've apparently waded chest-deep into the summer concert season.

(Click here for photos.)

For years, folks east of the Mississippi have welcomed the start of that season at the HFStival, now staged in Baltimore after thriving for 15 years as a Washington, D.C., staple. Quite a bit's changed since WHFS-FM started ushering in the arrival of summer — most notably the station itself, which disappeared from the dial earlier this year. It has since resurfaced as an online entity and also takes over Baltimore's Live 105.7 on nights and weekends.

What hasn't changed, however, is a beefy lineup — Foo Fighters, Coldplay, Good Charlotte, Billy Idol, Garbage, the Bravery, Sum 41 and others — and a first chance to get a true taste of rock the big stadium way. The summer concert season started early Saturday morning in a parking lot two blocks away from the M&T Bank Stadium but found its motto inside, when New York Dolls guitarist Sylvain Sylvain urged, "If you wanna sing, then sing. If you wanna dance, then dance. If you wanna f---, then f---." Yes, the signs of summer were everywhere, as you'll see.

10:35 a.m. - First tailgating of the season: Sure, it's going to be a long day, but it wouldn't be summer without making it even longer. Grills were fired up, coolers were fully stocked and car stereos were fully cranked, churning out Foo Fighters, Billy Idol, Good Charlotte and the day's other big draws.

	Foos, Coldplay, Good Charlotte play HFStival

10:56 a.m. - First awkward sponsorship of the season: Amid gyro vendors and funnel cake booths loomed a 15-foot tall inflatable Marine towering above a recruitment stand. "Well, it was either the Marines or a henna tattoo, so I decided to enlist."

11:02 a.m. - First "brunch set" of the season: Nothing goes better with bagels than rap-rock, so Baltimore's own Thirdkind hit the HFS local stage, officially kicking off the show.

12:14 p.m. - First beach ball of the season: The waiting is the hardest part, and as the sun-soaked crowd waited for the Bravery to take the stage, a red beach ball helped fans pass the time. By the time the Bravery launched into "Public Service Announcement," four of them caromed between hands near the front of the stage and you could actually feel summer fall across the stadium.

12:20 p.m. - First shirtless crowd-surfing of the season: A big summer show just doesn't seem right without viewing the band through a random tangle of arms and legs jutting upward from the pit in front of the stage. The Bravery provided the soundtrack for the first batch of this summer's surfers. Granted, the band's sound made it feel like the summer of '83, but it was pure summer nonetheless.

12:35 p.m. - First bikini tops of the season: Being a rock star has its advantages, but it comes with a hefty price tag as well. Image is everything, so if you've committed to black leather, jeans and black boots à la the Bravery's Sam Endicott, you're stuck with it no matter how high the mercury climbs. The common folk are not bound by such rules, so as the midday sun soars toward its peak, women stroll across the floor of the stadium in jean shorts and bikini tops.

12:43 p.m. - First heat-induced casualty of the season: Every year, fans are warned to drink plenty of water and pace themselves, and every year hundreds of them wind up being passed — sweaty and limp — from the crowd to security guards who hand them off to paramedics who get them shade and liquids. The first one of this season was treated near the end of the Bravery's set. By that point, even Endicott had chucked the jacket and stripped down to a polo shirt, sparing him the same fate, presumably.

1:10 p.m. - First round of hacky sack of the season: As Louis XIV wrapped up their tight set of swaggering rawk with the radio hit "Finding Out True Love Is Blind" (which is what you're supposed to do at a radio festival), four fans near the back of the crowd put foot to footbag (digging the sound, but seemingly oblivious to the band's ties, vests and revved-up showmanship — "If you don't sweat, you aren't earning it," the band's Jason Hill would later explain).

3:25 p.m. - First temper tantrum of the season: The archenemy of the big stadium show could easily be the temper tantrum. R. Kelly, Axl Rose, Courtney Love ... all have cut shows short for one reason or another, ending the fun and harshing the buzz. This summer's first such move came early, as Ian McCulloch unceremoniously dropped his mic and led his band, Echo & the Bunnymen, offstage after onstage monitor problems sabotaged their attempts to get through the first song of their set, "Lips Like Sugar," not once, not twice, but three times.

3:52 p.m. - First unscheduled exit of the season: By late afternoon, the smell of the summer concert season — a heady mix of sweat, smoke and beer — abounds, so it's no surprise to see two of Baltimore's finest escorting a shirtless, bleary-eyed fan out of the stadium. He is truly a pioneer, as hundreds more will undoubtedly follow before the summer concert season is over.

4:05 p.m. - First girl on a guy's shoulders of the season: Every year, hundreds of concertgoers fall victim to the plague of this two-headed beast. He-man decides to give his lady "a hand," and suddenly the only thing you can see is the business end of a pair of jean shorts instead of the show you paid top dollar to see. This year, the plague arrived during Garbage's set. As Shirley Manson and company rocked through a thick collection of hits like "Stupid Girl," "I Think I'm Paranoid" and "Only Happy When It Rains," these 10-foot tall creatures popped up in front of the stage like sweat-soaked dandelions.

5:57 p.m. - First sunburn of the season: As punk journeyman Mike Ness and Social Distortion delivered the goods, the effects of the all-day affair started to show. Thick bands of white skin could be seen peeking out from under tank top shoulder straps on otherwise red bodies, and one fan boasted a burn so bad you couldn't tell where his face ended and his Manic Panic hair started.

6:58 p.m. - First big set piece of the summer: You gotta go big for the summer stadium crowd, and hometown boys Good Charlotte delivered. The band shared the stage with gargoyles, tombstones and their now-familiar "Nevermore" arch (all the more appropriate in the land of Edgar Allan Poe). The crowd responded big as well, creating a 40-yard-deep mosh pit by the time the band launched into "Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous."

8:12 p.m. - First public evacuation of the season: The summer concert season and its mix of sun, excitement, chemicals and overcrowding can do strange things to people. Perhaps that's why that guy was puking into a garbage can about 10 feet from a men's room.

9:10 p.m. - First weather emergency of the season: The phrase "rain or shine" hangs over the summer concert season like a demented threat, and by the time the sun was preparing to set on Saturday, the "slight" chance of showers finally delivered. While the rain brought a welcome bit of cooling relief during Billy Idol's set — a high-octane, hit-heavy set that was arguably the high point of the show — M&T Stadium personnel paused the show after lightning began crackling overhead. An announcement urged fans to vacate the stadium floor, and thousands did. The rest, however, waited out the rain delay first by creating long Slip 'n Slides out of vinyl Miller Lite ads ripped from the now closed beer stand and cheering each other on as they slid through what in about four months will be the Baltimore Ravens' end zone. After about half an hour of rain-soaked fun, the music resumed.

10:04 p.m. - First cigarette-lighter moment of the season: It's probably no surprise that Coldplay — purveyors of moody, atmospheric epics — inspired this classic concert behavior, but the surprise may have been how the band got there. Frontman Chris Martin was animated and downright playful during the band's set, dropping show-specific lyrics into hits like "Politik" ("Give me heart, give me Dave Grohl" he sang before closing the song by plaintively repeating, "It's a nice day for a white wedding" over and over in a nod to Idol), and acknowledging the band's last HFStival appearance, a somewhat less-than-stellar set in 2001. Martin even got cheeky when introducing the gentle "Fix You," saying, "If you feel like moshing, take a drink of water. If you feel like kissing someone, now's the time," before rolling out the song that launched a thousand Zippos.

10:35 p.m. - First hometown hero of the season: Yes, there were other D.C./Baltimore-area natives on the bill (Good Charlotte, the Bravery and more), but Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl was the inarguable homecoming king on Saturday. Summer stadium gigs are usually thick with local references (even Spinal Tap ran down Shelbyville when rolling through Springfield), but Grohl went all out, talking about listening to WHFS while growing up and his history with the festival. He even closed out an otherwise blistering set by dedicating the (relatively) lilting "Everlong" to Ocean City, Maryland, telling tales of road trips, beer runs and sun-washed fun. The sun may have gone down long before Grohl's dedication, but the summer was in full effect.

For more sights and stories from concerts around the country, check out MTV News Tour Reports.

• Coldplay
• Foo Fighters
• Good Charlotte
• Garbage
• The Bravery

Madonna (file)
Photo: Rick Rowell/ABC

Madonna and husband Guy Ritchie were spotted on the streets of London Thursday night dressed as a nun and the pope for a kabbalah party to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Purim, which commemorates the day Queen Esther saved the Jewish people living in ancient Persia from extermination. "Yes, she was dressed as a nun and Guy was dressed as the pope," Madonna's publicist, Liz Rosenberg, said. "Some Catholic groups are saying stuff, but Purim is a joyous holiday occasion. Madonna and Guy had a great time drinking and dancing. It's funny, because she said that she was happy that the pictures of her are out there because her father would be so proud. She said that when she was a girl she wanted to be a nun and she guesses that she's still a nun at heart." ...

Forget Xzibit, P. Diddy now wants to pimp your ride. The hip-hop mogul is extending his Sean John brand into the automobile industry with a new line of custom-designed aluminum rims dubbed "Sean John Wheels," according to The Associated Press. The rims, which are expected to retail for $700-$3,000 each, will hit stores next month. ... The bulk of her legal struggles behind her, Courtney Love may be back to making whoopee again, at least on film. The singer is in the running to play "Deep Throat" star Linda Lovelace in an upcoming biopic named after the infamous adult-film actress, according to Daily Variety. ...

The White Stripes' still-untitled follow-up to 2003's Elephant is due June 14, V2 Records has announced. ... If you can't wait to hear Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee's upcoming star-studded solo album, Tommyland: The Ride (August), just wait until you hear what the tattooed rocker has in mind for an encore. "My next album is going to be an all-dance record," he said. "I've been DJing a lot lately and I want to make one just for the club kids. I've been recording beats and I'm going to work on it after the Mötley tour." ...

Despite being one of the most celebrated acts of the college-rock era (or perhaps because of that), Dinosaur Jr. never performed on national television. But now that the band has re-formed with its original lineup — frontman J Mascis, bassist Lou Barlow and drummer Murph — to play a couple of overseas summer festivals, it's also going to make the leap to living rooms across the country when it performs on "The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson" on April 15. The following night, J Mascis + the Fog, plus, as a press release puts it, "VERY special guests," will take the stage at Los Angeles rock club Spaceland. ... Between the time he spends with girlfriend Parker Posey, not combing his hair or recording his new album, Cold Roses, you'd think Ryan Adams would like to savor what little free time he has. But that's not the case. Because according to a post on Ryan-Adams.com, the messy-mopped troubadour will be hitting the road with his new band, the Cardinals, for a string of dates starting April 27 in Northampton, Massachusetts, and running until May 9 in Asheville, North Carolina. Cold Roses is due in stores on May 3. ...

Cave In frontman Stephen Brodsky has a new side project called the Octave Museum. The band features Brodsky on vocals and guitar, Johnny Northrup of Thee Electric Bastards on bass and Kevin Strongbow of Scissorfight on drums. The band's set to make its live debut in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on April 20. Meanwhile, a collection of mostly unreleased Cave In demos should hit stores this summer through the band's former label home, Hydra Head. ... Billy Idol is kicking off a tour to support his first album of new material in more than 10 years, Devil's Playground, starting April 9 in Philadelphia. In addition to new tunes such as "Scream," "Bodysnatcher" and "Super Overdrive," expect to hear fresh takes on classics "White Wedding" and "Rebel Yell." The 31-date tour wraps in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on May 27. ...

03.25.2005

According to sources close to both MCs, T.I. and Lil' Flip were involved in a melee on the streets of Houston on Thursday. Sources say T.I. was at a local radio station telling listeners he was going to be out in Lil' Flip's 'hood of Cloverland. When T.I. and his crew finally arrived in the area, Flip and his entourage confronted them; a fight ensued, but no one was injured and no arrests were made. Representatives for Tip and Flip declined to comment. ...

On the eve of the 10-year anniversary of Eazy-E's death, the rapper's label has announced it will re-release Eternal E: The Best of Eazy-E with the addition of a DVD of videos. The Gangsta Memorial Edition of the album, due in stores August 30, will feature the 16 tracks released on the 2003 version, along with videos for Eazy's "We Want Eazy," "Only If You Want It," "Eazy-er Said Than Dunn" and "Neighborhood Sniper," and N.W.A's "Appetite for Destruction," "100 Miles & Runnin' " and the title track from the group's landmark gangsta rap album, Straight Outta Compton. ... Testimony in the Michael Jackson trial on Friday continued to center around fingerprint evidence found on the adult material seized from Neverland. Fingerprint testimony had started on Thursday but had mostly focused on the techniques of the science instead of the evidence found. On Friday, though, detectives testified that five prints found among the "adult material" were identified as the accuser's, two were from the accuser's brother, and 12 were identified as Jackson's. "I can't take anymore," Judge Rodney Melville joked about the dry testimony when he ended court 15 minutes early. Meanwhile, Jackson attorney Brian Oxman returned from his brief hospitalization for pneumonia. ...

Showing she definitely just wants to be "Friends" with hubby Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston filed for divorce on Friday (March 25), citing irreconcilable differences, The Associated Press reports. Pitt and Aniston were married in July 2000; the Hollywood power couple had announced a separation in January via a joint press release. ... Farnsworth Bentley celebrated his birthday with a few hundred of his closest friends Thursday night at New York's Cielo, where he also screened his BET "Rip the Runway" hosting debut. Among those in attendance were Kanye West, Swizz Beatz, Common, Jean Grae, Pharoahe Monch, DJ Absolut, Black Sheep's Dres, Miri Ben-Ari, the Alchemist, and "America's Next Top Model" winner Eva Pigford and her former fellow contestants Yaya and Toccara. ... Later that night, Just Blaze kept the party jumping over at club Table 50, where he acted as the house DJ. While Just spun early '90s classics from Brand Nubian, N.W.A, and others, Q-Tip, one of the top MCs of that era, got on the mic and acted as hype man. Farnsworth, 3LW and Irv Gotti were a few of the luminaries who popped up on the scene. ...

This week, 50 Cent became the first artist since 1964 to score four simultaneous top-10 hits on Billboard's singles chart. "Candy Shop" and "Disco Inferno" — from his chart-topping album The Massacre — and the Game's "Hate It or Love It" and "How We Do" tracks, which feature 50 on guest vocals, are sitting at #1, #5, #6 and #8, respectively. The Beatles were the last act to achieve such a feat, with songs dominating the chart's top five spots. ... In his latest crusade against violence in rap music, the Reverend Al Sharpton has asked the FCC to deny airplay for 90 days to artists who encourage or take part in violent acts, according to The Associated Press. Sharpton also wants to target radio stations that encourage this type of violence by having them fined and their licenses reviewed. So far, the FCC has declined to comment. ...

While in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to play the tsunami-aid concert Force of Nature on March 18, Will.I.Am toured the area to view the devastation, and has since decided to help rebuild the area more directly. The Black Eyed Peas rapper has hooked up his charitable foundation, the Will.I.Am Foundation, with Octogon, LLC and Force of Nature to construct new homes in the region. "Seeing the disaster with my own eyes has been life-changing," he said in a statement. "Seeing the children on the street and families displaced makes it clear that we need ... to help rebuild the homes lost." ... The African Well Fund will launch its third annual Build a Well for Bono's Birthday fund-raiser on March 27 at the Hard Rock Cafe in San Diego — the same night and city where U2 kick off their Vertigo Tour. The AWF raises funds to build wells in African countries like Uganda and Ethiopia, where clean drinking water is scarce. Donations will be collected until March 10, Bono's birthday. For more information, check out AfricanWellFund.org. ...

The Flaming Lips and the Pussycat Dolls rocked out Thursday night to usher in the new Mazda MX5 Convertible at an event called "Hot in the City" at New York's Gotham Hall. Those in attendance included Ashanti, Danger Mouse, Carson Kressley, and actresses Samaire Armstrong and Bree Turner (Lindsay Lohan's co-stars in her upcoming film "Just My Luck"). ... A live DVD of Ben Harper playing with the Blind Boys of Alabama at the historic Apollo Theater in New York's Harlem is slated for release on Tuesday, according to Harper's official Web site. ...

U.K. rapper and grime poster child Dizzee Rascal is gearing up to tour North America for the first time, in support of his most recent album, Showtime. Dizzee's trek starts March 30 in Vancouver, British Columbia, and wraps April 30 in Chicago. ... Just because Guided by Voices broke up doesn't mean that former leader Robert Pollard is slowing down his deluge of releases. He's just released a four-song EP called Zoom and is prepping reissues of the band's 1986 debut EP, Forever Since Breakfast (due Tuesday), on hand-numbered red vinyl with bonus tracks. For true collectors, look for the rare, vinyl-only live album from 2000 recorded under the name Hazzard Hotrods (October), which was improvised live in a video store in 1990. December will bring another massive compilation of GBV songs, Suitcase 2, with more than 100 never-before-heard versions of classic and unreleased songs. And look for albums by the side projects Moping Swans and the Circus Devils in May. ...

• Madonna
• Diddy
• Courtney Love
• The White Stripes
• Dinosaur Jr.

JC Chasez (file)
Photo: Jive Records

JC Chasez has started work on his second solo album and is eyeing a late summer release date. "It's a futuristic look at the past," Chasez said of the LP at last week's American Music Awards, where he accompanied girlfriend Eva Longoria from "Desperate Housewives." ...

Lindsay Lohan's doctor has ordered best rest for the singer/actress as she is once again suffering from a high fever, according to her spokesperson. She recently spent a few days in the hospital when she couldn't shake a lingering fever. Her debut album, Speak, will hit stores December 7. ...

No Doubt's Gwen Stefani has been added to the list of performers for the Billboard Music Awards, set for December 8 in Las Vegas. "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest will serve as the show's emcee, while Macy Gray, Kelly Osbourne, and country stars Gretchen Wilson and Big & Rich are slated to present trophies. ... "American Idol" finalist La Toya London has signed with contemporary jazz label Peak Records and will release her debut album in early summer. ...

Fat Joe has told reporters that his old crew, Diggin' in the Crates, is working on a new LP. D.I.T.C. also features Lord Finesse, Showbiz and Buckwild, among others. ... The Flaming Lips, Death Cab for Cutie, Ben Kweller, the Dandy Warhols, the Walkmen and the Raveonettes are among the bands recording classic oldies for Stubbs the Zombie: The Soundtrack, the audio companion to the video game of the same name set in 1959. Due March 15, highlights include the Lips tackling "If I Only Had a Brain" from "The Wizard of Oz," Death Cab's take on the Crew-Cuts' doo-wop classic "Earth Angel," and the Dandy Warhols' cover of "All I Have to Do Is Dream" by the Everly Brothers. ... It seems like everything Conor Oberst does, he does to the second power. Not only will he release two new Bright Eyes albums — I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning and Digital Ash in a Digital Urn — on January 25, but he'll be embarking on two separate tours to promote the records. The first leg of the tour kicks off January 14 in Omaha, Nebraska, and will feature the quiet, folky tunes of Wide Awake. In May, he'll begin the Digital version of his tour, with electro-punks the Faint serving as his backup band. ...

Moby will release his next studio album, Hotel, on March 22. The New York musician's vocals are featured on 10 tracks and Laura Dawn appears on two. ... Henry Rollins — who's preparing his "Shock and Awe ... My Ass" tour DVD for a February 1 release — will be hosting his own show on IFC starting in December. Called "Henry's Film Corner," the IFC series will premiere December 4 with director David Fincher as Rollins' first guest. The series will air the first Saturday of every month. "Here's the bottom line. Everyone hates a critic, but everyone is a critic, so why not me?" Rollins said in a statement. "I'm no expert on film, I'm no columnist, I'm a guy who likes a good movie and I'm sick and tired of walking out of a theater, being CGI'd to death, so if you wanna find out about some films you should see, this is the show for you." Rollins is also expanding and revising his tour diary, "Get in the Van," for release in December, at which point he'll embark on his fourth USO tour, this time heading to Afghanistan from December 10-18. ...

Terry Melcher, a producer and songwriter who worked most memorably with the Beach Boys and was an influential figure in the creation of the California surf sound, died on Friday after a lengthy battle with cancer, according to Reuters. Melcher, who was 62, produced hits for artists including the Byrds and Pete Seeger, and also worked with Bobby Darin, Ry Cooder and the Mamas and the Papas. ... Billy Idol has set a March 22 release date for his new album, The Devil's Playground, featuring the single "World Coming Down." "We got rock and roll, we got punk, it's got energy, it's gonna kick somebody's ass!" he said. ...

Southern California's Unwritten Law are readying their fifth album, Here's to the Mourning, due February 7. It follows 2002's Elva. ... Oasis' Liam Gallagher has been cleared of charges stemming from a 2002 brawl in Munich, Germany. The singer was ordered to pay a $65,200 fine in exchange for prosecutors dropping the investigation into whether he started the fight, according to The Associated Press. Gallagher had been under investigation on suspicion of bodily harm for kicking an officer outside the nightclub of a Munich hotel on December 1, 2002. ...

11.22.2004

A-Town and the Lou have collided: The latest remix of "My Boo" features guest vocals from Nelly and new lyrics from Usher. Alicia Keys, however, is nowhere to be found on this version of the song. ... Meanwhile, Usher said backstage at the American Music Awards last week that he and Keys would like to continue recording duets. "Good collaborations always continue," he said. "It's not [a relationship] with me and Alicia, we just have great chemistry in the studio." ...

Fantasia fans may want to think about waking up early on Thursday. The "American Idol" winner will perform her single "I Believe" at the 78th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Fantasia will be atop the U.S. Postal Service's float, along with Olympians from the 2004 summer games; while Gavin DeGraw, performing "I Don't Want to Be," will ride along on the Hess "Bridge to the Future" float. ... Hilary and Haylie Duff helped their dog Bentley become a mini-celeb earlier this month by entering him as a model in a doggie fashion show in Los Angeles. With sister Hilary cheering her on, Haylie walked the "dogwalk" with Bentley, who wore a sweater with a skull-and-crossbones collar as she carried his "bone bag" for him at L.A.'s Century Plaza Hotel. ...

Nick Lachey is slated to host VH1's "Big in '04" special, which will be taped at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on December 1 and air on December 5 at 9 p.m. Presenters include P. Diddy, Mandy Moore, Joss Stone, Jamie Foxx and Donald Trump. The Black Eyed Peas, Maroon 5, Outkast and Usher are up for Big Musical Artist. Up for Big Family, no surprise, are the Simpsons and the Hiltons. Paris Hilton is nominated for another award as well, Big Catchphrase for "That's Hot"; she'll be vying against Dave Chappelle's "I'm Rick James, Bitch," Donald Trump's "You're Fired" and Arnold Schwarzenegger's "Economic Girlie Men." ... The Ying Yang Twins are planning a March release for their follow-up to Me & My Brother. A January tour is also in the works, according to the duo. ...

The bassist formerly known as Twiggy Ramirez has been putting in some studio time with Trent Reznor as he works on the next Nine Inch Nails album. Photos of Jeordie White working with Reznor surfaced on NIN's Web site, and in a radio interview last week, White's former employer Marilyn Manson claimed he was now in Nine Inch Nails. There's been no official word from the NIN camp, however. ... Nirvana fans can bid on a lunch with Krist Novoselic on his private plane as part of People for the American Way's annual Auction for the American Way. Beginning Sunday and ending December 5 on eBay, the auction will also include autographed memorabilia from Madonna, the Pixies, Green Day, Maroon 5 and John Mayer. ...

Paul McCartney will make an encore Super Bowl appearance this year when he takes the stage to perform for the big game's halftime show on February 6 in Jacksonville, Florida, according to the NFL's Web site. McCartney last appeared at the Super Bowl in 2002 when he gave a pregame performance. "We're looking forward to rocking the millions at home and in the stadium," the former Beatle said. ... The Osbournes' mansion in Buckinghamshire, England, was burglarized on Monday (November 22), according to Reuters. Thieves reportedly climbed through a first-floor window and stole a large amount of jewelry. London police said that "the disturbance woke the residents and a man grabbed one of the burglars. The offender managed to struggle free and then jumped out of the window and made off." Ozzy and Sharon are currently living in the mansion. ...

American Basketball Association 2003-2004 champions the Long Beach Jam, whose roster includes Master P, opened their season with a victory Saturday against the Dennis Rodman-led Orange County Crush. Lil' Romeo supported his dad by signing autographs at halftime. ... New York club-scene legends Danny Tenaglia, Junior Vasquez, Tony Touch, Beverly Bond and Peter Rauhofer are inviting socially conscious dancers to shake it for a good cause. The producers/DJs will perform at Move Against AIDS, a dance-a-thon on December 11 at New York's Jacob Javits Convention Center to benefit the Gay Men's Health Crisis, the nation's oldest AIDS service and advocacy organization. More information can be found at MoveAgainstAIDS.org. ... Since working with Ashlee Simpson on the song "Unreachable" off her debut, the members of Goldfinger have re-teamed to record material of their own for the first time in two years. They're calling the album Disconnection Notice, and it's due out February 15. ...

• JC Chasez
• Gwen Stefani
• Fat Joe
• Death Cab For Cutie
• Billy Idol

• Britney Spears
• Jennifer Lopez
• Michael Jackson
• Whitesnake
• Jessica Simpson

Clive Davis threw Alicia Keys a birthday party Wednesday at New York's Capitale, in which he toasted her album Songs in A Minor going 10-times platinum. Keys has already started working on her next album, which she expects to be out in October. Describing the new LP, she said, "It's going to be on fire." ...

Audioslave have selected Burning Brides to open their inaugural tour, which kicks off February 21 in Denver. The Philadelphia rock trio are supporting last fall's Fall of the Plastic Empire, which includes the single "Arctic Snow." ...

Suge Knight, the controversial head of Tha Row Records, has assisted the families of two children who were killed in separate incidents on January 20 in Los Angeles. Knight is helping the family of 7-year-old Horace Ray Ferguson, who was shot in his grandmother's yard, relocate from Compton to a safer area; and the family of 2-year-old Osvaldo Martinez, who was shot point-blank while eating at a Burger King with his mother, to pay for his funeral. ...

Bruce Springsteen will show 'em who's boss when he and his E Street Band perform on their first television special on February 28. The show, titled "Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band," is expected to feature cuts from their Grammy-nominated album The Rising and favorites such as "Darkness on the Edge of Town," and will be broadcast on CBS. ... First football, then basketball, and now Bon Jovi will represent for all the rowdy golf fans in the house. The band and tourmates Goo Goo Dolls will co-headline Tiger Woods' sixth annual Tiger Jam benefit concert, which takes place April 19 at the Las Vegas Mandalay Bay Events Center. ...

Elliott Smith fans in New York got a treat Wednesday night when the singer/songwriter played a free acoustic show in the basement level of the East Village bar Lit. Smith's show, a poorly kept secret, filled the club to capacity for the hour-and-a-half set, which mostly comprised new material ... Before there was a "Rebel Yell" and "White Wedding," even before there was a Gen X, there was Generation X, Billy Idol's original punk band. For fans and those requiring a crash course in vital Idol (who was known then as William Broad), the three-disc Generation X Anthology is set for release April 8 and includes singles, B-sides, live tracks and the previously unreleased Sweet Revenge LP, among other rare gems. ...

Prog metalheads Otep have lined up a one-month club tour to support the band's latest album, Sevas Tra. The trek begins February 12 in Los Angeles and confirmed dates run through February 21 in New York. Additions are expected. ... Ministry have recruited Mike Scaccia to perform with them on the upcoming tour for their new album, Animositisomina. Scaccia, who has played with the band before, will still reunite with his former thrash metal group Rigor Mortis, it just won't happen as soon as originally planned. Scaccia hopes to work on new Rigor Mortis material on the road and hook up with his ex-bandmates between legs of the Ministry tour. Rigor Mortis' debut LP will be re-released in March. ...

01.29.03

Pink is returning to the studio the first week of February to begin recording the follow-up to 2001's hit Missundaztood. The singer's spokesperson could not confirm what producers Pink will be working with, but said she will also be recording the title track for the new "Charlie's Angels" movie, which will hit radio and video outlets in May. The film, which features a Pink cameo, is due in June. ...

Simple Plan have been tapped to open all the dates of fellow Canadian Avril Lavigne's Try to Shut Me Up! Tour. The band continues to support its debut album, No Pads, No Helmets ... Just Balls, which is nearing sales of a quarter million copies, and hopes to be wearing its game face throughout the tour, which begins April 9 in Toronto and wraps May 17 in Philadelphia. ... The Library of Congress has selected Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five's 1982 hip-hop classic "The Message" to be among the first 50 sound recordings to be entered into the national registry. The registry, created to preserve important recordings, also includes Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, President Franklin D. Roosevelt's radio "Fireside Chats" and Aretha Franklin's "Respect." ...

Pete Yorn has set an April 22 release date for Day I Forgot, the follow-up to 2001's Musicforthemorningafter. R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck and Elvis Presley's backing vocalists the Sweet Inspirations have participated in Yorn's recording sessions with producer R. Walt Vincent. ... Despite the departure of co-founder John Davis a year after releasing 1999's One Part Lullaby, Folk Implosion, best known for their 1995 hit single "Natural One," have returned with The New Folk Implosion, so named for the two new members surrounding ex-Dinosaur Jr. bassist/ Sebadoh frontman Lou Barlow. The band's first tour in two years kicks off February 27 in San Francisco and runs through April 9 in Los Angeles. ...

The City of Detroit has selected techno pioneers Carl Craig, Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson to produce this year's Detroit Electronic Music Festival rather than Pop Culture Media, which has produced the festival since its inception in 2000. Like previous years, the DEMF will be held during Memorial Day weekend. ... Moody and intense instrumental trio the Dirty Three are set to embark on a North American tour April 3 in Champaign, Illinois, in support of their sixth studio album, She Has No Strings Apollo. More than two dozen dates later, the trek winds down May 5 in Vancouver. ... Third Eye Blind frontman Stephan Jenkins seems to be feeling a little less clairvoyant than he was last year. He's changed the name of the band's upcoming disc from Crystal Baller to Out of the Vein. The album is currently scheduled to hit shelves April 29. ...

• Alicia Keys
• Audioslave
• Marion "Suge" Knight
• Bon Jovi
• Billy Idol

Billy Idol
Photo: MTV

Fans of Billy Idol won't have to spend another summer dancing with themselves. Beginning July 20, they'll have thousands of Idol admirers to share in their synth-rock reverie.

The former Generation X frontman will begin his six-week trek at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas and wrap up August 18 in Englishtown, New Jersey, according to his publicist.

The peroxide punk is on the road supporting two albums: last year's Greatest Hits and VH1 Storytellers, released in February. The best-of set features favorites like "Eyes Without A Face," "Rebel Yell" and "White Wedding," as well as Idol's covers of Tommy James & the Shondells' "Mony Mony," the Doors' "L.A. Woman" and Simple Minds' "Don't You (Forget About Me)" (see "Billy Idol Working On More, More, More New Material"). The Storytellers LP, grounded in the VH1 series that gives artists an opportunity to reveal the stories beyond their songs, expounds upon such head-scratchers as "Cradle of Love," "Flesh for Fantasy," "Sweet Sixteen" and "Dancing With Myself."

Billy Idol tour dates, according to his publicist:

• 7/20 - Las Vegas, NV @ Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino
• 7/21 - Alpine, CA @ Viejas Concerts In The Park
• 7/23 - San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield
• 7/24 - San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield
• 7/26 - Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
• 7/27 - Seattle, WA @ Summer Nights At The Pier
• 7/28 - Vancouver, BC @ Orpheum Theatre
• 7/30 - Kelowna, BC @ Skyreach Place
• 7/31 - Calgary, AB @ MacEwan Hall
• 8/1 - Edmonton, AB @ Jubilee Auditorium
• 8/3 - Minnedosa, MB @ Little River Rockfest
• 8/6 - Sturgis, SD @ Legendary Buffalo Chip
• 8/8 - Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
• 8/9 - Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
• 8/10 - Green Bay, WI @ Oneida Casino
• 8/11 - Clio, MI @ Clio Amphitheater
• 8/13 - Detroit, MI @ State Theatre
• 8/14 - Toronto, ON @ Kool Haus
• 8/15 - Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theatre
• 8/17 - Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
• 8/18 - Englishtown, NJ @ Old Bridge Race Track

• Billy Idol

Neil Young sings at Saturday's Bridge School benefit.
Photo: John Shearer

MOUNTAIN VIEW, California — Neil Young's annual Bridge School Benefit concerts traditionally take place around Halloween, so you'll have to forgive the 20,000 fans at this weekend's second show if they think they saw rock and roll ghosts on Sunday.

Yes, that was a leather-clad Billy Idol holding a cheat sheet while singing Buffalo Springfield's Vietnam-era protest anthem "For What It's Worth" as host Young stomped around ripping off stinging solos on an acoustic guitar. Although it was one of the strangest phantasms, the ghosts of the past were lurking all over on that crisp fall day.

In an all-star acoustic event known for strange-bedfellow hook-ups — Sunday's included Dave Matthews with Tracy Chapman and Pearl Jam with Ben Harper — it was not the collaborations, but the apropos covers and new songs that were the hallmark of this year's shows.

And unlike the traditional show-closing all-star jam, this time Young and his pals were mute at night's end. Their silence made for some of the most powerful, moving music of all. As Young — sporting a by-now-familiar FDNY baseball cap — and Crazy Horse performed an instrumental version of John Lennon's "Imagine," placards with the song's lyrics were displayed on the video screens for the audience to raise its voice and recite the song's humanitarian message.

Though the shows benefited the Bridge School, co-founded by Young and his wife for children with physical and speech impairments, pleas for peace, tolerance and understanding were the order of the day.

Young opened the event with his traditional solo rendering of "Sugar Mountain" as well as a cover of Bob Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind." He would reprise the song at night's end in a subdued performance with his usually raucous cohorts in Crazy Horse. "How many times must the cannon balls fly/ Before they're forever banned?" Young sang in his quavering voice, summing up the tenor of many of the day's sets.

R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe apologized in advance for any "bum notes" he might hit during the band's majestic performance of "Everybody Hurts." It was unclear if he was talking about his sore throat or the difficulty of hitting high notes while singing the lines, "Everybody hurts/ Everybody cries ... hold on." But when he bowed his head and raised his right hand in a peace sign at song's end, it seemed certain emotion was at the forefront of his mind.

Matthews took the stage alone and performed a restrained set that included the duet with four-time Bridge veteran Chapman on the humble paean "Eyes of the Maker" as well as a bittersweet solo cover of Willie Nelson's "Funny How Time Slips Away."

Five-time Bridge School performers Pearl Jam opened with a rousing tribute to the school's students, who took their traditional spot on a riser at the back of the stage. "You can figure out who this is for," Eddie Vedder beamed as the band ripped through the Who's "The Kids Are Alright."

Vedder, wearing a green army jacket and khaki pants, prefaced "Last Soldier," the second of two new songs the band performed Sunday, by saying that guitarist Mike McCready had written the tune just a week earlier. The folky, vintage Neil Young-like song featured lines about a new generation's trepidation about going to war.

"There's no time for laughing/ There's no time to cry/ Soon I will be leaving/ Look me in the eye," Vedder sang, his eyes half-closed. "The oath I took not so seriously/ My decision's been made/ By someone I can't see/ I don't know them, and they don't know me."

Vedder took on a Dylan-esque snarl for Lennon's "Give Me Some Truth," spitting out the lines "I've had enough of reading things by neurotic, psychotic, pig-headed politicians," as the band picked up steam behind him and the song came crashing to a crescendo. After an intense duet with Harper on "Indifference" and the live debut of "Low Light," the set closed with the band's playful cover of Arthur Alexander's "Solider of Love," in which Vedder pleaded, "Lay down your arms/ And surrender to me."

While artists traditionally tone down their sets for the Bridge shows, someone apparently forgot to tell '80s rocker and three-time show veteran Idol. Decked out in full leather gear, dark shades and trademark sneer, Idol performed raunchy, fist-shaking versions of his hits ("Cradle of Love," "Eyes Without a Face," "Rebel Yell") while slapping hands and mugging for the kids. Guitarist Steve Stevens accompanied Idol on a toned-down version of "White Wedding," with the singer supplying percussion by slapping his leather-clad bum.

While Idol updated the lines to "For What It's Worth" to suit the times ("Nobody's right if Donald Rumsfeld's wrong"), it was Young's reworking of his 1987 song "Mideast Vacation" that highlighted his show-closing performance. In a set that included "Long May You Run," "Love and Only Love" and a cover of the Beatles' "All You Need is Love," it was a spectral, spooky rendition of the forgotten '80s song that made the loudest sound.

Accompanied by the crashing of cymbals and an ominous gong, Young and Crazy Horse performed a haunting version of the prophetic tune. "I went lookin' for Bin Laden aboard Air Force One," Young sang, replacing the song's original pariah, Muammar Qadhafi, with today's enemy. "They chanted, 'Death to America'/ I was feelin' like a fight," Young sang, his voice sounding weary and confused. "When they burned me in effigy/ My vacation was complete."

It was hard to forget who the show was for, but this year's Bridge gracefully managed to pay tribute to the kids and a world in need of some healing.

• Dave Matthews Band
• Dave Matthews
• Pearl Jam
• R.E.M.
• Neil Young

Method Man live at "MTV20: Live and Almost Legal"
Photo: MTV

NEW YORK — After two decades of rock, shock, hip-hop, teen pop and fashion disasters, the ghosts of MTV past, present and future visited the Hammerstein Ballroom Wednesday night to celebrate the cable channel's 20th birthday.

From original VJ Martha Quinn to "Total Request Live" heartthrob Carson Daly, from '80s provocateur Boy George to current sexpot Aaliyah, the faces and forces who have become synonymous with the network turned out to pay their respects. (Click for "Mariah Carey Had 'Breakdown,' Her Publicist Says"). Taking her place was another one of MTV's favorites over the last 20 years, the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

"Give it away, give it away, give it away now," Anthony Kiedis sang to close the last performance of the night.

But the singer was all wrong. The crowd was giving it up. No cake was served, but with free lobster, chicken and wine on the menu, who can be greedy. After all, it wasn't even a 21st birthday party.

• Limp Bizkit
• Method Man/Redman
• Jane's Addiction
• Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Kid Rock

Foos, Coldplay, Good Charlotte Play HFStival, 05.14.2005

• Foo Fighters
• The Bravery
• Garbage
• Good Charlotte
• Coldplay