Live Earth concerts to rock the world

The Live Earth series of global concerts, spearheaded by former American Vice President Al Gore to promote awareness of global warming and other environmental issues, is set to take place on Saturday (July 7th) on all seven continents, over 24 continuous hours. All of the acts are donating their time and are performing for free.

The two biggest line-ups are Giants Stadium in New Jersey and Wembley Stadium in London.

Al Gore said on Larry King Live on Thursday that there would be some surprise acts announced on Friday (July 6th), and that there would be performances at two locations that have still not been announced. He also said the Black Eyed Peas would perform a brand new song during their London set.

Paul McCartney has been reported to be in talks to be the closing act at the London show.

The show scheduled for Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil was halted by a judge earlier this week, but organizers addressed his security concerns and the concert is going forward as planned.

The Rio de Janeiro show is the only free Live Earth concert, and is expected to be the biggest, drawing from 700,000 to a million people.

Linkin Park is headlining the Tokyo concert. Joining Linkin Park at the Tokyo concert will be chart-topper Rihanna and a number of Japanese artists.

While the purpose of the event has been questioned and there are politicians who still dispute the link between global warming and human activity, Linkin Park lead singer Chester Bennington still says it's a worthwhile cause: [ Click to listen if you have a backstage pass] "Let's say the worst case scenario is that there's no connection, and it's just the way that the world is moving and we're not contributing to it. Great. But at the same time, you know, what's the worst thing that could happen? You know, we have cleaner air, we have less greenhouse gases going into the atmosphere, people are using less energy...there's really not a downside. But, you know, if there is a connection and we keep going down the path that we're going, that's not an option that I'm willing to gamble on."

Bon Jovi will be playing at the New York-area show at Giants Stadium in New Jersey.

Lead singer Jon Bon Jovi says he's looking forward to it. [ Click to listen if you have a backstage pass] "Yeah! I think me and (Dave) Matthews might be the only guys that ever played Giants Stadium, that are on that bill. But, I think it's a good cause, I think that, you know Al is the smartest man I've ever met, so I'd do anything for him. Sure, a couple songs on a hot July night, why not?"

He also says that he hopes the media helps to make the event a success: [ Click to listen if you have a backstage pass] "I don't know how the media's gonna handle it. You know there are those who are gonna tell you its gonna be great and others that are the naysayers that try to tell you it's no gonna be. So, I hope so."

The Live Earth concerts will be broadcast throughout the day on NBC, MSNBC, Bravo, CNBC, Telemundo and Sundance at various times. Check local listings for coverage. There will also be a three-hour program of global highlights on NBC in the evening.

The North American show at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey will feature A.F.I., Akon, Alicia Keys, Bon Jovi, Dave Matthews Band, Fall Out Boy, John Mayer, K.T. Tunstall, Kanye West, Keith Urban, Kelly Clarkson, Ludacris, Melissa Etheridge, Roger Waters, the Smashing Pumpkins, Taking Back Sunday, and the Police.

The U.K. show at London's Wembley Stadium will include the Beastie Boys, Black Eyed Peas, Bloc Party, Corinne Bailey Rae, Damien Rice, David Gray, Duran Duran, Foo Fighters, Genesis, James Blunt, John Legend, Kasabian, Keane, Madonna, Metallica, Paolo Nutini, Pussycat Dolls, Razorlight, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Snow Patrol, Spinal Tap, Justin Timberlake, Timbaland, and Terra Naomi.

Hamburg, Germany will feature Chris Cornell, Shakira, Enrique Iglesias, Katie Melua, and Snoop Dogg, alongside many German artists.

Sydney, Australia will feature Wolfmother, Jack Johnson and Crowded House, alongside local artists.

Rio de Janeiro features Lenny Kravitz, Pharrell Williams, Macy Gray, and local artists.

Shanghai, China will feature British singer Sarah Brightman, alongside local acts.

Johannesburg in South Africa will feature Joss Stone, UB40, Angelique Kidjo, and local acts.

In Antarctica, a small group of scientists at the Rothera Research Station play in an indie band called Nunatak, and will perform two songs. The band will perform to a sold-out crowd of 17 people, which is the entire population of the research station.
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