Clapton Rocks Tsunami Benefit Concert

01/22/2005 10:22 PM, AP


Headline acts including rocker Eric Clapton , pianist Jools Holland and The Manic Street Preachers drew more than 60,000 people to a charity concert raising money for Asian tsunami relief.

Fans packed the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday for the seven-hour concert featuring 20 British bands and solo artists.

The concert has been billed as Britain's biggest charity show since the 1985 Live Aid concert, which drew stars from around the world to raise money for African relief.

Paul Sergeant, manager of the Millennium Stadium and organizer of the event, said the concert was on track to raise more than US$1.9 million.

"People have come from all over the country from as far as Aberdeen and Penzance. It's a massive gig for the stadium, for Wales," Sergeant said.

The concert was organized in just 20 days, and the initial release of 60,000 tickets sold out within three days. An additional 1,000 tickets were snapped up within 20 minutes of going on sale.

The musicians were not being paid for performing, with all the money raised going toward relief efforts in tsunami-affected regions.

The concert started with 24-year-old Welsh opera singer Katherine Jenkins, who opened with a version of "Amazing Grace."

Other performers on the program included Charlotte Church , Badly Drawn Boy, Feeder, Lemar, Lulu, Craig David , Goldie Lookin' Chain, Snow Patrol and Brian McFadden, and the rock band Keane.