ZIG-A-ZIG? NAAAH

There's a certain part of us which accepts Bob Geldof's decision to not invite the Spice Girls to play Live8 on the grounds that they're not "popular" enough:

"I can't afford to have bands who won't pull the crowds. This is a political event, not a cultural one.

"If I get people who are currently selling 15 million albums, then there's an audience of at least 15 million people for the concert. It's a question of who is popular right now; that's the way it is.

"The whole thing with the Spice Girls isn't about my personal taste - my kids sing their stuff. But there just aren't enough people out there who would want to watch them."

But... hang about... what did Midge Ure tell Channel 4 News last week? "[Live 8 is about] entertainment, fun; it's a social gathering." So is it a political event, or a cultural event?

More to the point: So, you've got to be selling fifteen million albums to qualify for a slot, have you? Much as we love The Cure, we're not entirely sure they quite have that weight behind them; nor have Duran Duran sold large piles of records recently - certainly not as recently as the Spice Girls have. Velvet Revolver? Annie Lennox? And, perhaps the biggest question of all: when did you, Sir Bob, sell fifteen million albums? Wouldn't it make more sense to offer your slot to someone who has - if it really is a question about who is popular now, of course?

music live 8 music bob geldof spice girls