VARIOUS: Live Earth concert highlights

Mock rock legends Spinal Tap reunited for London's Live Earth concert on Saturday (July 7), performing spoof environmental single "Warmer Than Hell" that describes the Devil complaining about high temperatures in Britain. Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer were back together for the first time since 2004, when they celebrated the 20th anniversary of "This is Spinal Tap", the "mockumentary" movie that catapulted them to fame. Rob Reiner, director of the film, introduced the band ahead of the appearance at Wembley Stadium, one of nine gigs being held across the world to raise awareness of climate change and encourage people and governments to go green. In a throwback to the movie, the group opened their brief set with "Stonehenge", complete with miniature-sized replicas of the ancient British monument carried on by two dancing dwarves in monks' habits. Spinal Tap completed their performance with a rousing rendition of "Big Bottom", when they were joined by more than a dozen artists from other bands at Wembley for the concert. The group's contribution to Live Earth does not end there. Other acts included Snow Patrol, David Gray, Damien Rice, Paolo Nutini, Corinne Bailey Rae, the Pussycat Dolls and Terra Naomi, an unknown singer-songwriter from New York. Stars also included Ricky Gervais, Geri Halliwell, comedian Chris Rock, former tennis hero Boris Becker, Sex and the City and Desperate Housewives star Kyle MacLachlan and actress Thandie Newton took to the stage to talk about global warming and introduce the acts. Organisers say the power used to put on the Wembley concert is being sourced from renewable energy. The audience is being asked to commit to Live Earth pledges, which include using energy-saving light bulbs, and turning off computers when not at work. Proceeds from the Live Earth spectaculars benefit climate crisis charity The Alliance for Climate Protection, founded by Al Gore. Plastic water bottles and cups were being used at Wembley, and the audience were urged to recycle them in bins at the stadium. But some were just lying around in ordinary bins. Meanwhile, pop stars were also doing their bit to "save the world" in New York, Washington, Sydney, Rio De Janeiro, Johannesburg, Tokyo, Shanghai and Hamburg. An estimated two billion people were watching the concerts, the brainchild of former US vice president Al Gore. But some have raised questions about whether Live Earth, which follows in the tradition of Bob Geldof's Live Aid, can do anything more than boost the profile of the stars taking part. Some indie bands, such as the Arctic Monkeys, have stayed away, saying it is hypocritical for jet-setting acts with higher than average carbon footprints to illuminate the problem of global warming.

ITN Source | July 12, 2007

Tags:. .charity. .bins. .tokyo. .gore. .ancient