It might have palled against the big Amnesty International shows of the late 80s because of lack of publicity as much as from the lack of huge stars. True, Madonna was there, with New York media darlings Pussy Riot, but neither performed.
Maybe the lineup was suited for a new generation or at least a hipster-inducing one at Brooklyn’s Barclay Center. Anyway, got these thoughts from a friend who went to the event Wednesday and was not entirely impressed:
Biggest moment of clarity – nearly five hours in, they trot out Tegan and Sara as the next-to-last act of the night. It took four and a half hours to get to TEGAN AND SARA? That’s a sign you don’t have the best lineup ever seen.The Flaming Lips portion was a disaster. Just embarrassing. Three songs – the first featuring Yoko Ono (does anyone really hold her in any sort of esteem?), the second a cover of “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds” that felt like a five-minute joke, and “I Shall be Released” as the night’s big finale, where they had to trot out Amnesty staff to fill the stage because most of the night’s lineup had ditched. Is there even possibly a better way to encapsulate the difference between the Gabriel/Sting/Bono/Springsteen shows and this one – last night’s lineup couldn’t even be bothered to stay for the final exhibition of community! The audience was down to maybe 20% of capacity by then, by the way – I have to think Wayne Coyne looked upon the room and thought he would have been better off going earlier.Loved seeing Blondie, though Debbie Harry’s voice is totally gone. I could have come closer to her original sound. And would have had secutiry not been so vigilant.The photo pit was basically a mosh pit with long lenses. Packed in like sardines, and they couldn’t leave, because there was a new act every 15 minutes. Watching them was like a second show as people argued, jostled for poition, and gegerally acted like New Yorkers in rush hour traffic.There is something seriously wrong with Lauryn Hill.Colbie Caillat showed up in a pair of orange short shorts that made me wonder if she was late for her shift at Hooters. She made it clear to me that there are certain artists who should not be employed when the goal is to promote thoughtfulness.That show should have been called AMNESTY ROCKS WITH A STEADY PARADE OF OPENING ACTS.The show ended a few minutes before 1AM, by which time those who had stuck it out for close to five hours to catch the finale could have technically been termed prisoners of conscience.