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But like its template - 2006's Live 8, the global concert devoted to poverty in Africa - the mission of Live Earth is somewhat amorphous. Its aim is to 'trigger a global movement to solve the climate crisis'. Whatever Live Earth's accomplishment tomorrow, it will be difficult to measure.

Former United States vice-president Al Gore, who teamed up with Kevin Wall to set up Live Earth, believes the world needs to rise up as one giant public voice to influence 'a new political reality'.

'The tipping point in the political system will come when the majority of the people are armed with enough knowledge about the crisis and its solutions that they make this cause their own,' he said in an interview. 'Then, you will see the entire political system shift dramatically.'

Wall, an Emmy-winning concert producer who produced Live 8, hopes Live Earth will change attitudes about global warming.

'This concert is not the solution,' he said. 'This concert is providing, hopefully, that global tipping point to start to get us into empowering people, get them into the tent.'

RELATED LINKS  Live Earth - Performers' listing

Live Earth will send proceeds to the Alliance for Climate Protection, a non-profit organisation chaired by Gore.

Tickets for the US concert range from US$83 (S$126) to US$348. Wall was originally inspired to put on Live Earth after seeing An Inconvenient Truth, the Oscar-winning documentary on Gore's global warming slideshow. It made him ask himself 'what can I do?', he said.

Concerts are scheduled for New Jersey, London, Johannesburg, Shanghai, Tokyo, Sydney and Hamburg.

An eighth show in Rio de Janeiro was cancelled by the police due to security concerns.

More than 150 artistes will perform, including Madonna, the Police, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Alicia Keys. Sixty short films and 30 public service announcements have been produced, which will be broadcast between performances.

Also planned are more than 6,000 parties in 119 countries - ranging from home viewings to museum festivals.

Live Earth organisers have been mindful of lessons learnt from Live 8, which was planned just weeks in advance by Bob Geldof to rally support for Africa. Envisioned as a sequel to 1985's Live Aid (which benefited famine in Ethiopia), Live 8 did not charge for tickets and generally kept to a vague message urging help for Africa.

The underlying point of Live 8 was to pressure world leaders who days later met for that year's G8 Summit in Scotland. Some success could be claimed: The G8 nations committed to doubling aid to Africa, from US$25 billion annually to US$50 billion by 2010. The leaders also endorsed a deal to cancel the debt of 18 of the world's poorest nations.

Since then, Geldof has created the website www.thedatareport.org to audit how faithfully the G8 nations keep to their promises.

This time around, Gore says they are making particular efforts to sustain any momentum gained by Live Earth.

'We've listened to the advice of Bob Geldof and others who have been such great pioneers, and we've taken their advice in designing this event as not the end in itself, but the beginning of a three- to five-year campaign,' he said.

But Geldof has been critical of Live Earth. In May, he told a Dutch newspaper: 'Live Earth doesn't have a final goal.

'I would only organise this if I could go on stage and announce concrete environmental measures from the American presidential candidates, Congress or major corporations.'

Other music stars like rock group Arctic Monkeys question whether Live Earth performers are suitable climate change activists.

'It's a bit patronising for us 21-year-olds to try to start to change the world,' said drummer Matt Helders, explaining why the group is not on the bill at any of the concerts.

'Especially when we're using enough power for 10 houses just for lighting. It'd be a bit hypocritical.'

Bass player Nick O'Malley added: 'And we're always jetting off on aeroplanes.'

At a news conference last week, Gore and Wall mapped out some of their goals for Live Earth.

They unveiled a '7 Point Pledge' that concert-goers will be asked to sign. Those who sign it promise to pressure their country to sign treaties to cut global warming pollution, personally reduce carbon dioxide pollution and plant trees, among other things.

Part of the thrust of Live Earth is to communicate what consumers can do to minimise their impact on the environment.

'The problem with it is that it's a very complicated issue,' Wall said. 'When you think about yourself recycling a piece of paper, how does that connect to an iceberg in the North Pole?'

Wall and Gore have also taken measures to maintain the concert's green integrity by enlisting the support of the US Green Building Council and John Picard, a former member of former President Bill Clinton's Green White House task force.

Live Earth is intended to be an eco-friendly event with power supplied from renewable energy sources and ground travel from hybrid or high-efficiency vehicles where possible.

'This is going to be the greenest event of its kind, ever,' Gore said. 'The carbon offsets and the innovative practices that are being used to make this a green event, I think will set the standard for years to come.'

While the former vice-president has repeatedly said he will not run for president next year, he said it is a 'main goal' of Live Earth to make climate change an important factor in the election next November and beyond.

'We're prepared to carry this on for three to five years,' he said. 'I'm optimistic that we'll reach the goal before then.'

AP, AFP