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.

Comments

[Rhywun]

"Germany will be the only country in which neither a national business sponsor nor the city itself has provided a cent."

Vee haff vays of making you give!

[R C Dean]

Am I supposed to shed a tear because a bunch of millionaire rock stars may have to reach into their own pockets to support their own charity?

[Eric the .5b]

Worse yet, RC - They won't make any money off the charity!

Not sure what the significance of it all is, but hey.

[zach]

i dunno Dean, it is a scary thought. i mean, if you have to pay for your own charity concert, well then, you may as well just donate your money directly to african AIDS relief. and that would be downright sensible. we can't have our rock stars going around acting sensible.

[aaron]

Maybe they shouldn't have booked a-ha.

[bubba]

Do we taunt the Germans for not living up to the European touchy-feely hype, or do we give them credit for understanding that Live Aid was counterproductive?

I'm conflicted. 🙂

[jon]

Tax people into the stone age and expect them to voluntarily give more money to private charity!?!?

[Dave]

This would all change if they would only get DAVID HASSELHOFF on the bill.

[dead_elvis]

I work in the non-profit sector, and I've seen fundraiser after fundraiser throw away money hiring expensive talent for a benefit gala concert, only to end up losing money. I don't know what kool-aid benefit organizers around the world collectively drink, but they *always* overestimate income for these things, and almost always lose money. It looks like Geldoff is going to try to use shame to make for his own poor planning.

The other effect at work here is the same thing that doomed the "Us" festival and Woodstock anniversary concerts. When something catches on and becomes a success spontaneously (like Woodstock or LiveAid), it simply can't be re-created at will.

[zevatron]

I would never have thought that John Lennon would express these sort of opinions regarding benefit shows. Sounds like he got burned before.

[Stevo Darkly]

i mean, if you have to pay for your own charity concert, well then, you may as well just donate your money directly to african AIDS relief.

But then no one applauds.

[Andrew Ian Dodge]

Well alot of the people showing up to plays these gigs are actually attempting to put some oomph into their failing careers. For most of em' it has bugger all to do with Africa and more to do with showing off to the world. I mean Motley Crue playing Live8?