Last week I was fortunate enough to be able to attend Live 8 at Molson Park in Barrie. Most people have heard what the critics and media analysts had to say about the event. So now that we've all taken the week to reflect on things, I'm going to give you the Bacon perspective on the event. I went to the concert with no expectations and no media bias and now I'd like to share the experience with you. Live 8 was, and will always be one of my favourite concert experiences. It was a beautiful Saturday morning. The birds were singing, the air was cool and fresh and the sun was beaming down. Most importantly, a great lineup of artists rocked the crowd hard, and spread the word about a very critical cause.

Before the concert, a lot of critics were shooting down the Canadian Live 8 lineup. Complaints that the event didn't measure up to the lineups in London and Philadelphia were unwarranted. I say who cares about London or Philadelphia! Those were the only two cities 'officially' involved with Live Aid, so of course they had the best lineups. However, there is nothing wrong with Canadian Content! We have so many great artists in this country that really don't get enough credit, and the performances at Live 8 proved it. Tom Cochrane and Bryan Adams started the day off, both with excellent sets. Adams in particular proved that he is definitely an international artist with a high level of professionalism. Later in the day Canadian bands continued to rock the stage. Though not my personal style of music, Simple Plan had a fun set. Sam Roberts put on a great show as did The Barenaked Ladies and as always The Tragically Hip also rocked.

The headlining acts were all great. Deep Purple rocked hard and was one of the tightest bands all day long. Though I was disappointed with Motley Crue's decision to play a slow country ballad (all I wanted to hear was Girls, Girls, Girls!), they did play Dr. Feelgood, which made up for it. Neil Young was also quite amazing. To see him get up there and perform only a month after his aneurysm was quite inspiring. Besides, I was able to see an official star-studded jam of Rockin' in the Free World. I think that officially makes any concert-goer a veteran! There were some acts on the bill that many people had little desire to see, but the organizers did a good job of putting them all in a group... which gave us a good hour or so to hang out in the beer tent! The rest of the show became a bit of a blur from that point forward but the good times and good feelings were still all there!

Live 8 wasn't only about the music though, it was also about the message. Many critics believed that these events would bring little to no awareness to the G8 or to the world. Though they may not have accomplished much in turning the world's poverty situation around I do respect the fact that these artists and organizers are actually doing something! John Derringer, DJ of Toronto radio station Q107, was saying at one point that "the world doesn't need to be shown the problems in Africa. We know what the problems are and we just don't care enough to do anything about it!" At least Bob Geldof and the participating artists are doing something about it. They got up off their asses and decided to make a stand. That's what rock and roll is all about! It's about sticking it to the man and trying to change the world. It's up to the world to listen.

I got a lot out of the message of Live 8. In particular, Bruce Cockburn was very inspiring, and really talked and sang about the issues. He's seen Africa and the way things are and you could feel it in his voice as he spoke and as he sang. He was very moving and very inspiring. The critics may think the concert was a waste of time and effort, but I support the Live 8 cause and encourage you all to take a second and think about things. Remember that it's up to us to make choices for ourselves and by doing nothing we choose to ignore our own opinions!

Visit www.live8live.com to learn more about this event and to show your support!