A crowd more than a mile long stretched out from the steps of the museum. Many estimates exceeded 1 million people — compared to the 90,000 who were on hand for Live Aid at the city's JFK Stadium 20 years ago.

Will Smith gave a shout out to the Declaration of Independence, a copy of which was in a framed case onstage with him. "Today we hold this truth to be self-evident: We are all in this together," said Smith, who came on a short time later to perform, entering to Jadakiss' "The Champ Is Here." Walking on a trail of rose petals laid down by his backup dancers, Big Willie was carried in on a throne and jumped right into "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It." Even with hits like "Switch" and "Summertime," Smith received his biggest ovation for the theme song to his sitcom, "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air."

Twenty years after Run-DMC were the only hip-hop group on the Live Aid bill, the Black Eyed Peas were one of half a dozen rap acts on the various bills, doing a funky reggae version of Bob Marley's "Get Up Stand Up" with assistance from the reggae icon's son Stephen and wife Rita.

Maroon 5 tore into a cover of Neil Young's "Rockin' in the Free World."

Destiny's Child took the stage to the strains of "Survivor" and caught fire during "Say My Name," with Beyoncé doing a Mary J. Blige-like gospel throwdown. The ladies in the audience sang their hearts out during the set closer, "Girl."

The crowd screamed, "Hova! Hova!" when Linkin Park took the stage, expecting their mash-up partner Jay-Z to join them. Once Jigga did make an entrance, it seemed like at least 100,000 in the crowd threw up the Roc-A-Fella triangle hand sign.

Kanye West performed "Diamonds From Sierra Leone" backed by a string section that included eight female violin players wearing black dresses and painted-on black masks across their eyes.

London @ Hyde Park:

Coldplay teamed with shoeless ex-Verve singer Richard Ashcroft to perform his band's signature hit, "Bittersweet Symphony," and drew a massive response from the audience. Coldplay singer Chris Martin shouted to the rooftops and jumped around during the closing refrain of "In My Place."

Geldof, all in white, jammed with Travis on a cover of the Boomtown Rats' "I Don't Like Mondays," which features the fitting line "and the lesson today is how to die."

A bleached-blond Brad Pitt introduced Annie Lennox and hammered home one of the day's other repeated messages. "By the time this concert ends this evening, 30,000 Africans will have died because of extreme poverty. ... This doesn't make sense. This is why we're here tonight."

R.E.M. — led by singer Michael Stipe in a painted-on blue mask — got tens of thousands of fans bouncing along and singing to "Man on the Moon."

Snoop Dogg wowed the crowd with "Drop It Like It's Hot" and "Who Am I? (What's My Name)?," which ended with the audience shouting "peace" and "love."

Velvet Revolver singer Scott Weiland crooned his heart out on "Fall to Pieces," rocking black pants, a red shirt, white tie and red military hat.

Elton John was joined by ex-Libertines frontman Pete Doherty for a cover of T. Rex's glam-rock classic "Children of the Revolution."

The Who, who reunited 20 years ago for Live Aid, smashing through a set that included their classics "Who Are You" and "Won't Get Fooled Again"

Mariah Carey said she changed her set list the night before the show after hearing the African Children's Choir, who joined her on the song "Make It Happen." Also sitting in was "American Idol" judge and longtime pal Randy Jackson on bass.

McCartney closed the show with "Get Back" and a duet with George Michael on "Drive My Car."

Tokyo @ Makuhari Messe:

Like many sets, the one by Good Charlotte seemed infused with new meaning in light of the day's theme. As the group played "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous," lines such as "I'd like to see them spend a week/ Livin' life out on the street/ I don't think they would survive," almost sounded like a challenge to the G8 leaders.

Björk performed in front of a string orchestra with a harp player.

Berlin @ Siegessäule:

In addition to a blazing take on "American Idiot," Green Day paid noisy homage to one of the legendary sets from the original Live Aid with a cover of Queen's "We Are the Champions." Dressed in a black shirt and pants, red tie and wearing white arm bands that read "Make Poverty History," singer Billie Joe Armstrong began the song crooning along to a piano before the band burst into the rousing, sing-along chorus.

LINKS:

Unofficial US Live Aid site

Unofficial Live Aid fan site

Official Live Aid DVD site

BBC news stories about the Live Aid DVD

Unofficial Behind the Scenes site

http://www.herald.co.uk/local_info/live_aid.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/3604680.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/3530269.stm

David Rieff, Prospect Magazine, July 2005, "Dangerous pity"

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