Geldof Explains Gap in Benefit Concerts

NEW YORK (AP) _ For years, Bob Geldof balked at recreating the 1985 Live Aid event because he thought he couldn't top himself. <br/><br/>``Not to be immodest, but the first one was perfect in almost

Monday, June 20th 2005, 10:11 am

By: News On 6

NEW YORK (AP) _ For years, Bob Geldof balked at recreating the 1985 Live Aid event because he thought he couldn't top himself.

``Not to be immodest, but the first one was perfect in almost every sense,'' Geldof told the latest edition of Time magazine. ``Artistically, people seemed to up the ante, and the performances were pretty great across the board. Huge amounts of money were raised, not a penny lost, and politically it elevated the issue onto the global table. The whole thing just worked, unbelievably.''

But Geldof gave in to pressure from U2's Bono and screenwriter Richard Curtis, and the three friends are organizing Live 8, a series of free concerts scheduled July 2 worldwide to raise awareness of poverty in Africa.

The concerts are intended to influence the leaders of the world's richest nations meeting in Britain for the G8 summit.

Bono said the focus has changed in the 20 years since Live Aid.

``It's the journey from charity to justice,'' he said.