Friday, July 06, 2007

"The last thing the planet needs is a rock concert"

So said rock patriarch Roger Daltrey of The Who regarding erstwhile American Vice President Al Gore's Live Earth concert set to start tomorrow.

I haven't said anything about anthropogenic, anthro-centric global climate change in quite a while. Not that there haven't been oodles of news stories; it's the quantity that gets to me. I'm juicing up for a couple, three reviews of the news here shortly.

But this story about pop stars expressing doubt about Live Earth roused me enough to laugh, at least. Here's what some of them are saying besides that gem by Daltrey. Bob Geldoff, organizer of Live Aid and Live 8:
"Why is he (Gore) actually organising them?" Geldoff said in an interview with a Dutch newspaper in May, adding that everyone was already aware of global warming and the event needed firm commitments from politicians and polluters.

Rock group, Arctic Monkeys
have become the latest music industry stars to question whether the performers taking part in Live Earth on Saturday are suitable climate change activists.

"It's a bit patronising for us 21 year olds to try to start to change the world," said Arctic Monkeys drummer Matt Helders, explaining why the group is not on the bill at any of Al Gore's charity concerts.

"Especially when we're using enough power for 10 houses just for (stage) lighting. It'd be a bit hypocritical," he told AFP in an interview before a concert in Paris.

Bass player Nick O'Malley chimes in: "And we're always jetting off on aeroplanes!"

Large parts of the band's hometown of Sheffield were flooded at the end of last month after a deluge of mid-summer rain that some blamed on global warming. Two people were killed.

But the band wonder why anyone would be interested in the opinion of rock stars on a complex scientific issue like climate change.

"Someone asked us to give a quote about what was happening in Sheffield and it's like 'who cares what we think about what's happening'?" added Helders.

"There's more important people who can have an opinion. Why does it make us have an opinion because we're in a band?"

The Pet Shop Boys, Neil Tennant,
attacked the arrogance of pop stars who put themselves forward as role-models.

"I've always been against the idea of rock stars lecturing people as if they know something the rest of us don't," he was reported as saying by British music magazine NME.

OK, it isn't all that humorous. All of these folks taking themselves way too seriously about an event that is the modern equivalent of a rain dance.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

The fishing forecast for Saturday, July 7, is rated "GOOD", according to ESPN's Daily Fishing Forecast web site, leading many to believe the turnout for tomorrow's LIVE BAIT Global Worming™ Concerts on the Water will be high.

Taking place at local fishing spots across the country, LIVE BAIT events are aimed at outdoor lovers who would rather go fishing than waste time in front of their televisions watching LIVE EARTH concerts organized by former vice president-turned global warming alarmist Al Gore.

While music for most LIVE BAIT events will be provided by chirping crickets, croaking bullfrogs and other natural musicians, some heavy-metal entertainers -- including Evinrude, Johnson, MerCruiser and Yamaha, among others -- are expected to perform as well.

There are no prizes for most fish caught, largest fish or any other category. Instead, fishing enthusiasts are simply encouraged to go fishing and, as much as possible, to use LIVE BAIT -- preferably worms -- since scientists recently confirmed that worms are a leading cause of global warming (For more info, see this Bob McCarty Writes™ post, Global WORMing Responsible for Global WARMing).

Fishing enthusiasts interesting in purchasing LIVE BAIT t-shirts and other commemorative merchandise can do so by clicking here.

Steve Erbach said...

Bob,

Thank you for the good time reading about LIVE BAIT!

Steve Erbach
The Town Crank