DVD of Live 8 music event to launch next week

DVD of Live 8 music event to launch next week

MUMBAI: Arguably the biggest concert event of the year Live 8 will be available on DVD from 7 November 2005.

The concert which was held in eight venues around the globe including London aimed at raising awareness about poverty and coincided with the start of the G8 Summit.

The concert was the brain child of Sir Bob Geldorf. Geldof has said that he wants the DVD to be the biggest-selling DVD of all time. In India the eevnt aired on VHI on 3 July 2005 for a marathon 12 hours.

EMI had obtained the worldwide DVD rights to Live 8 concerts in June 2005. Live 8 had given the rights to EMI after the music company pledged a hefty donation to the organisation.

A percentage of the proceeds from the sales of the DVD will go to charities working in Africa. The likes of Pink Floyd, The Who, Robbie Williams, Paul McCartney, Mariah Carey, Coldplay and U2 performed at Live 8. The event has already earned $12 million in gate receipts. The show more or less cost the same to be organised.

Media reports further indicate that merchandising sales have already crossed the 1 million pound mark. Corporate hospitality at London's Hyde Park concert brought in more than 500,000 pounds. Book rights were sold for $420,000 and photo rights for $340,000. Meanwhile Geldorf is upset that rap star Eminem had refused to perform at the event.

The Live 8 concerts were aimed to mobiliase public opinion on poverty and put pressure on leaders of rich nations like America to thrash out a deal on poverty. They eventually agreed to double aid to poor countries by 2010 and to cancel the debts of 18 countries.