In the often self-congratulatory world of rock n’ roll; it isn’t hard to suffer from high self esteem. The most common side-effect of that is the messiah complex. My twinkle of star power can save the world of its impending problems. An anthem for war, a gig for AIDS, a calendar for animal rights, a school for western education and an adopted child for a wholesome family. It’s the rock star burden. On the other hand, it contributes to a collective thinking that people of underdeveloped nations cannot solve their own problems. They need the good samaritans of the western world. Over the years, there have been concerts for just about every cause — Eric Clapton (recovering heroin addict, 1973), Bangladesh (flood ravaged, 1971), Nelson Mandela (long term prisoner, 1988) and of course Live Aid/Live 8 (Save Africa, 1985 and 2005).

And what remains is an impending question on aesthetic, credibility and the actual beneficiaries. Live 8 may have done a little bit for Africa, but not nearly as much as it did for Pink Floyd, playing together after 22 years. That holds for most artistes who line up to increase album sales and consciousness credibility. But do they actually care about the causes for which they furiously perform?

Sting has passionately campaigned to save rainforests over the years. His chef Jane Martin was asked to travel 147 kilometres to cook a bowl of pasta for his children. Talk about carbon footprints. Madonna takes on the problems of Africa? Sketchy, especially since she’s known to routinely waste food and indulge in the kind of wardrobe excess that could clothe a whole relief camp.

But of course, these are country mice to the city bandicoot — The self-styled saviour of the poor, St. Bono. He moves U2’s business empire to Holland to avoid paying tax, plays private gigs for jailed financiers and flies around Father Jack, his full time priest and personal spiritual advisor, in a private plane. All along, he urges us to ‘make poverty history’. God helps those who help themselves, I had heard. Bono and the conscience league of rock have gotten that right. Except, I wonder if they’d share that secret with the third world.

— Dhillan Chandramowli, a media consultant