Geldof Confirms Live 8

LATEST: Rock campaigner SIR Bob Geldof has confirmed charity concert Live 8 will go ahead this summer (02JUL05) - but warned music fans the gig will not be "a Live Aid 2".

At the 50th Ivor Novello Awards in London last night (26MAY05), where Geldof and his Band Aid 20 co-organiser MIDGE URE picked up the Best Selling UK single prize gong for DO THEY KNOW IT'S CHRISTMAS?, the musicians told of their plans for the musical extravaganza in the British capital's Hyde Park.

Geldof said, "What started 20 years ago is coming to a political point in a few weeks.

"There's more than a chance that the boys and girls with guitars will finally get to turn the world on its axis. What we do in the next five years is seriously, properly, historically, politically important."

Former ULTRAVOX star Ure added, "We'll have all the big names we can find. It's big and it's as petrifying as the build-up to Live Aid, if not more so."

As STING presented Ure and Geldof with their Novello trophy, he confirmed he would be joining the superstar line-up, which is rumoured to include U2, Madonna, Sir Paul McCartney and a Spice Girls reunion.

Sting explained, "Bob called me up and said I was doing it. He doesn't ask you, he tells you."

The organisers of Live 8 aim to raise awareness of poverty in Africa as part of the Make Poverty History campaign.