Famous free gigs

16 June 2008 03:58pm

Given their top music status, Coldplay are not begging for publicity for their new album, shunning the limelight except for a few select interviews and an exclusive free gig for their fans.

They are not the only band to have gone on stage for gratis. Here we take a look at some other examples of free gigs.

:: Radiohead

Not content with allowing fans to pay what they wanted for a download of their latest album In Rainbows, Radiohead played a free gig at Brick Lane's 93 Feet East this January. This had been intended to be an in-store gig at Rough Trade record shop but, when numbers swelled, had to be relocated.

:: Ms Dynamite

The Mercury Award-winning star joined forces with Doves to hold the first large free event for Love Music Hate Racism. The campaign seeks to bring together different genres of music (and fans) to send a strong message to extreme right-wing political groups such as the BNP. It has since attracted other acts such as Belle And Sebastian, Dizzee Rascal and The Libertines for free gigs across the country.

:: Rod Stewart

In 1994 Rod played a free New Year's Eve gig on Copacabana beach in Rio, Brazil. Attracting 3.5 million people this gig is recorded as the largest free gig in history.

:: The Rolling Stones

The Stones played a free anti-global warming gig in Los Angeles in 2003 where they were introduced on stage by former US President Bill Clinton.

:: George Michael

George wanted to thank the nurses who looked after his mother when she was dying of cancer, so he held a free gig for NHS nurses at the Roundhouse in Camden. "The nurses that helped my family at that time were incredible people, and I realised just how undervalued these amazing people are," he is reported to have said.

:: Madonna

The Queen of Pop joined The Kooks, Nelly and Usher on the line up for Radio 1's Big Weekend in Maidstone, which claims to be the biggest free ticketed event in Europe. Starting off as One Big Sundays, it turned into One Big Weekend, over two days and with four stages.

:: Bjork

Bjork will be campaigning for the environment as she is set to join Signor Ros at a free concert in a secret location in Reykjavic in Iceland at the end of this month.

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