Oxfam yesterday announced plans to channel the spirit of last year's Live 8 concerts into a month-long event which is in many ways its polar opposite.
In contrast to the enormous gigs of last summer, the charity unveiled Oxjam, the umbrella title for thousands of small-scale gigs and events across the country. Franz Ferdinand, Kaiser Chiefs, Goldfrapp, Magic Numbers and the Automatic have signed up. The charity is in talks with dozens of other acts to perform alongside local bands in community halls and back gardens as well as at established venues.
Oxfam, which has been supported by Coldplay and other big names in its Make Trade Fair campaign, hopes ordinary people will come forward to stage more than 2,500 events. Kaiser Chiefs lead singer Ricky Wilson said Oxjam participants could "keep up the momentum" of the Live 8 anti-poverty concerts. "Whether it's shaking a tambourine for hours, dancing till the break of dawn or forming a band on the spot - big or small, it doesn't matter," he said.
Source: http://society.guardian.co.uk
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