First published in The Sunday Mirror, Sunday 3 July 2005

 

HEARTS OF GOLD

 

By Ben Todd

 

Macca and U2 blast out Sgt Pepper’s with the vow: This is the moment we can change the world

 

Sir Paul McCartney yesterday proclaimed Live 8 “a moment that could change the world.”

 

The former Beatle, who headlined the Hyde Park extravaganza 20 years after topping the bill at the original Live Aid – said the new event was carrying the idealism of the 1960s into the 21^st century.

 

Sir Paul opened yesterday’s concert alongside U2 with a version of the Beatles classic Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

 

Afterwards Bono told of his joy at sharing the stage with Sir Paul: “Paul McCartney. What a gift to the world,” he said.

 

Despite rumors beforehand that Sir Paul, Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen would wear bright Sgt Pepper outfits for the performance, they turned up in tshirts and jeans. But the French horn players who joined them at the end of the first verse were dressed to thrill in all their psychedelic glory.

 

Sir Paul, 63, explaining the decision to start the concert with Sgt Pepper, said, “It was suggested to me by Bob and Bono, the mad Irish boys – God bless ‘em – that it would be a good kick off for the whole occasion. And it will be 20 years, almost to the day, that we all gathered together for Live Aid, and closed the show with Wembley Stadium singing another Beatles song, Let it Be.

 

“It was a day that had huge impact, a landmark in our history, and I was very proud to be involved. I seem to recall that at Live Aid I was being referred to as an ‘elder statesman’, so what does that make me now? An even older elder statesman.

 

“And theres nothing wrong with that. I feel like an ex-president of rock and roll.”

 

Sir Paul said how honoured he was that his songs were wanted for such a worthy cause, but said that was the power of The Beatles.

 

“Everyday I get people of all ages, from all walks of life, coming up to me and saying ‘Thank you for the music, its made a difference in my life.’

 

“What we did in The Beatles really over took us and our intentions. When it is remembered and loved that way, you can only appreciate that something mighty has happened. I think the same thing is happening with Live 8 now. The idea is overtaking us.

 

“In some ways Live 8 is carrying on the idealism that became part of music in the sixties. When we started, we all thought that we were just doing it to earn a bob and pull the birds and it turned out to be much more than that. Music and politics began to fuse at that level, we are talking about the same things – peace, love and fairness.”

 

He explains how he and the other Beatles would speak out. “We were thinking people, we had opinions, and we started to realise we weren’t the only people who held these opinions. We always used to say, ‘These are not our ideas, these are our generation’s ideas.’ We had the platform. We could give voice to them.

 

“I look at G8 and I can see world leaders but I can also look at the bill of Live 8 and and see world leaders, in a completely different sense. Political leaders talk about ‘hearts and minds’ but that is also what music deals with – We Shall Overcome during the civil rights struggle, Give Peace a Chance during the Vietnam War.

 

“These anthems became very important. Music can carry simple, powerful ideas.”

 

Sir Paul said Live 8 wasn’t about money. “It’s a consciousness raiser. Its about speaking out in behalf of the African people being born this very moment into eternal debt. There is no way they can get out of it on their own. All we are trying to do is get that debt excused.

 

“It’s a little amount to us but its everything to them. So the musicians are just being the spokespeople once again.

 

“We want governments to get behind the idea, moved hopefully by the will of the people. This is a moment that could change the world.”

 

 

 

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