Speculation continues regarding the staging of a Live Aid style event in London to coincide with next month's G8 Conference, which will take place in Scotland. Bob Geldof originally denied he intended to stage a second Live Aid this summer, but it now seems likely the Band Aid Foundation will stage some kind of music event in the UK capital in early July to promote world poverty issues as global political leaders meet at the conference. Geldof is said to be in talks with artists interested in getting involved in what is being called Live 8. He is also reportedly negotiating with the BBC regarding the broadcast of the event. Reports suggest that, as with Live Aid, a second event will be held concurrently in the US, though this time it is likely to be held in Washington DC - in 1985 the American leg of Live Aid was held in Philadelphia.
While Geldof and Band Aid remain tight lipped on the Live 8 plans, they have denied involvement in a similar event reportedly being planned for the Scottish capital, Edinburgh. According to Scottish newspaper The Scotsman, plans are afoot to stage a major music event at the city's Murrayfield Stadium to coincide with the G8 Conference. Scottish groups Franz Ferdinand and Teenage Fanclub have reportedly expressed an interest in getting involved, while Robbie Williams, Oasis, Travis and Coldplay have all reportedly been approached. The paper also says Edinburgh based Unique Events, who organise the city's famous Hogmanay Street Party, are in talks with local authorities about policing such an event. However a spokesman for Band Aid told reporters: "There will categorically be no Live Aid concert in Scotland. There is absolutely no truth in this whatsoever."
Elsewhere, the Daily Mirror reports that the proposed date for a Live 8 event - 2 Jul - will coincide with a planned strike at the BBC, throwing into question the Corporations ability to broadcast the live event. An insider at the Beeb told the paper "We hope that the unions wouldn't want to stand in the way of something as major as this. We believe everyone will feel the show must go on".