DURING the summer of 2005 Mike McCartney was present at the main UK
venue for the LIVE8 concert in Hyde Park in London. He was a guest of
his brother Sir Paul McCartney and the show's organizer and founder
Sir Bob Geldof.

Throughout the course of the event Mike took a series of private and
quite personal photographs of the performers, the celebrities and
other activities that took place over the day. They have formed a
remarkable, if very intimate, photo diary of the event. Most of
Mike's pictures are unique from the point of view that they were
taken from within the `golden areas' – those behind the scenes that
were not accessible to the majority of press and official public
relations photographers, and certainly no member of the public was
able to visit them.

In many ways, these photographs are an astonishing and
unusual `unofficial' record of the day's activities, particularly
considering Mike's special relationship with so many of the
celebrities. He was able through those friendships and close links to
photograph them at their ease and in `more natural poses' as they
took part in what is regarded as the most astonishing showbiz
gathering so far into this 21st Century.

Now many of his wonderful images are to be published in a
special `one off' photo-diary book that records and celebrates this
particular aspect of LIVE8. A special limited edition of 1,000 copies
is to be published by the Wirral based firm of Cities500
International Publishers, who also published Mike's earlier
photographic anthology: Mike McCartney's Liverpool Life.

The luxurious LIVE 8 book has the endorsement and full support of
both the event's creator Sir Bob Geldof and Sir Paul McCartney, both
of whom have written personal forewords.

* Extracts from the Forewords *

Paul McCartney – "Live8 was one of the greatest days of the year,
possibly the decade. Bob Geldof telephoned me, explained the idea of
Making Poverty History and aiming the concert at the G8 conference. I
was sold. Bob's a great salesman.

Luckily, my brother Mike was there with his trusty camera to record
the day and capture many of the exciting backstage happenings. This
book is made from a selection of those pictures and he and I are
proud to have been there together and to have been a part of this
momentous event."

Bob Geldof – "God those bloody McCartneys. You ask one of them to
pitch up - the musical genius one, and next minute the photographers,
designers, guitarists, activists, mothers, babies, sisters, aunties,
uncles and the rest all come and get stuck in. There must be
something in that Liverpool mud.

Here's the brother's bit. The photographer, poet, hit songwriter one.
He who captured perfectly a coming moment and a different age just
before it happened with his Box Brownie or whatever. Who felt
something long before everyone else. Who could hear the sound of it
being born downstairs in the sitting room long before everyone else.
And he shot it. Here he's at it again with his Box Brownie digital.
Taking shots of maybe another age being born."


ABOUT THE BOOK

• The book in the first instance is in reality an additional
fundraiser for Sir Bob's charity and linked to the LIVE8 theme `Make
Poverty History'.
• Cities500 - under the separate imprint of Woodland Publishing - is
producing 1000 limited edition copies of the book.
• The aim is to commemorate and celebrate the LIVE8 event one year
on – hence Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Bob Geldof have endorsed Mike
McCartney's concept of the book. He has worked in collaboration with
and Cities599 to make available in book form those fabulous yet
informal photographs taken behind the scenes during that remarkable
day.
• The book helps to re-focus the attention of the world back to that
G8 meeting in Edinburgh and the LIVE8 concerts that highlighted the
plight of the hungry, disposed and needy of Africa some 20 years
after the original LIVE AID concert.
• We believe it is a perfect opportunity to support the ethos behind
the LIVE8 concept as well as being an ideal opportunity to further
the largely philanthropic work of the musicians and others throughout
show business: those who helped draw the world's attention to the
desperate plight of Third World countries.
• The book is to be officially launched by the Liverpool Capital of
Culture Company on June 29th (2006).


PEOPLE WHO APPEAR IN THE BOOK

Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Bob Geldof, Bono and U2, Brad Pitt, Sting,
Jeremy Clarkson, The creators of Little Britain – Matt Lucas and
David Walliams, Coffey Annan, Chris Martyn, John MacInroe, Peter Kay,
Harvey Goldsmith, Slash (ex Guns n Roses), Madonna, Richard Curtis,
Killers, Peter Blake, Sir Ian McKellen, Joss Stone, The Scissor
Sisters, Bill Gates, Pink Floyd's drummer Nick Mason and David
Gilmour – with his family - and, of course, one of the seminal band's
founder members, the inimitable Roger Waters, along with George
Michael and Fran Healy from Travis.

The books are being published as a gift for Band Aid Trust and the
proceeds from the sales will go to support their efforts.

To order your own copy goto http://www.ReLive8.com/store

There will only be 1,000 copies printed in Hardcover and I already
ordered two.