Music to Lose Money By

Live8's German organizer, Marek Lieberberg, admitted to The Independent on Saturday that the July 2 concert "has failed to attract the support of politicians or business sponsors" in Germany. According to the British paper, "the lack of support meant the rock bands appearing at the event risked having to pay" for the million-euro show themselves.

"One can only feel shame," Lieberberg said. "In England and America there has been incredible support from business and politics for this thing. We have written to about 50 major German companies and banks for backing, but we have either heard nothing from them or been turned down. Germany will be the only country in which neither a national business sponsor nor the city itself has provided a cent. Given the problem that we are addressing, I think this is absolutely unbelievable."

Lieberberg said that Berlin's city government didn't show any interest until the city's mayor was invited to join Geldof at a press conference. "But," he added, "the mayor didn't show up."

Kerry noted last week that Geldof's 1985 Live Aid concert "may have done more harm than good" anyway.

Link to The Independent via David Carr at Samizdata.