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"for that matter Genesis"

With Peter Gabriel? Now THAT would be awesome. Although I'd love to see Genesis and Pink Floyd gigging again, if they got back together for Live Aid only I'm not sure it would be so great as they'd only get fifteen minutes or so with no "Show" (We all know how big a part of a Floyd show or a Genesis show the lights and production are) and, in all likelihood, a poor sound. Neither band have played together in years so they may well be a bit flat.

Both Floyd and Genesis with Phil Collins could shift a Live Aid level number of tickets on their own so I'd personally prefer to see them do their own thing. I think there's a good chance of seeing Genesis again in one form or another (I can see Phil Collins playing with them again but I doubt Peter Gabriel would although I would love to be wrong), Pink Floyd...who knows?

You do have to wonder if Geldof has some sort of grudge against Gabriel. With all PG has done to promote world music, he was conspicuously missing for Live Aid, and this time around---missing again. He may not be the biggest name in rock, but he still sells a shitload of tickets, can get a crowd going quite easily (witness the Amnesty tour and the Mandela concert, for example), and is one of the best musicians and songwriters this country has produced, imho.

Whether you throw in his ex-backing band or not, he'd be worthy of a place on the stage.

Incidentally, the ethnicity of those playing the London gig is really pissing off the black community. Where are all the top notch, high profile black acts?

Considering all the fine work he's done on such worldly matters, perhaps it's not a case of 'does Live 8 need Gabriel', but 'does Gabriel need Live 8'?

btw - from the BBC: 'Jonathan Ross will present the BBC's coverage in the UK, while Graham Norton will report from Philadelphia.'

Oh spare us, please.

"one of the best musicians and songwriters this country has produced, imho."

I agree, he is awesome, off the scale. Thinking about it he doesn't get a lot of credit for anything he's done. Even on the technical front alone he was way ahead of his time when he was experimenting with sampling and drum sounds back in the mid-eighties.