Found it by accident last night. Missed the first 30 minutes, but the remaining 5 hours+ (!) was pretty good.
Springsteen, Bon Jovi, McCartney, Rolling Stones (who cut their set short after only 10 minutes for some unknown reason), Nirvana with Sir Paul, Billy Joel, Alicia Keys, Clapton, Roger Waters, Chris Martin with Michael Stipe, The Who and many more.
After the concert, they planned on auctioning many of the instruments and gear used that night. 

I watched it for about a minute or two....then the appeals for money started...you got all these very successful millionaire artists asking poor little me for money....I couldn't take it anymore.

57Gregy


...Rolling Stones (who cut their set short after only 10 minutes for some unknown reason)... 

They didn't find out until then that they weren't going to get paid.

I watched a very little bit of it...very little... money pleas and bad singing..... flipped the channel to Duck Dynasty 

Didn't watch... bad person... slinks away...

I hate to say it but most of those bands would do better on PBS although they did raise some serious cash for the sandy relief, just hope a lot of the funds go directly to those in need and not provide year end bonuses for the funds managers.

Every time I hear or see the Rolling stones I think "man those guy's are getting old" and it makes me feel old knowing that.

I watched about 3 hours of it. Here's my take of what I saw. Keep in mind I've seen all these performers live in times closer to their prime than this show.

Springsteen. He did what he does. One of the girls singing backups was singing horribly flat for the first 2 songs.

Roger Waters. For someone who spent most of his career loathing live performance, and then crafting some kind of moody genius persona, to come out and start mugging and running around the stage like someone completely different was just weird. He sang flat alot also. His band was killer though. Eddie Vedder guesting on Comfortably Numb was the set highlight.

Bon Jovi. Meh......

The Stones. Played a new song and an old one. Sounded good, looked like crypt keepers. I think Mick wanted to keep things tidy and not blow the pay per view coming up later this month.

Eric Clapton. Voice sounds as good as ever. Played as a power trio and was just a class act. 

The Who. Played 8 songs and generally kicked ass. Townsend can still play, and Daltrey has lost more than a bit, but he handles it pretty well. A video bit of Keith Moon singing was kinda cool.

Alicia Keys. This girl was a BEAST! A few tunes by herself and her piano and she flat blew the room apart. And this was after Springsteen, The Stones and The Who. Just a huge talent.


As for the fund raising, it was really a minor part of the night when I was watching. Every act but the Stones played for roughly a half hour, and then about 10 minutes of either Adam Sandler, Billy Crystal, or some other celeb making a few jokes and urging folks to help out other folks if they could. I've been to NYC since the storm and it's pretty devastating what's happened. TV doesn't do justice to the destruction. I didn't mind the fundraising.

Randy

I heard on the news that the concert raised $48 MILLION, and that did not include the phone donations....  not bad.

Hi,

I'm not a great fan of a lot of these "plug-n-play" things ... specially when you can tell that some of these people are not even trying!

The whole ego thing is out of control, and people like the Stones, are the representatives of the folks that will never give anything back to anyone, or any cause!

I suppose that 40 or 50m is a nice amount to help the needy folks, but in the end, it is a mere pittance to what all those folks have taken home all these years ... and Mick himself, probably could write a check that big ...

I would appreciate these more if they were better rehearsed and the bands sounded better. But to think that "progressive" music does not give anything for any cause? ... Hawkwind alone has done more free benefits and probably raised more money for more causes, than you and I can count!

I didn't see it but I am sure they will be replaying it or I can get it On Demand from Comcast. You did a good review, IMO.
 
Even though I didn't see this, being familiar with the performers and going on what you had to say, I think...
 
Springsteen. He did what he does. IMO... another meh.
 
Roger Waters. He was like that when Floyd got together a few years ago for some big show like this. I remember thinking, "He looks like he wants to get the band back together. David was just rock soild, spot on, and un-readable."
 
Bon Jovi. Meh......  I'l call your Meh and double it. I hope this does not cross the TOS line BUT... I wish entertainers would stay the heck out of politics.
 
The Stones. I recorded and, just yesterday, finished watching Crossfire Hurricane, I think it was an HBO special celebrating 50 years of the Rolling Stones. Most of it was very good I thought with some good behind the eyes stuff, especially about Altamont and how they were really scared and felt trapped. At the end they played a recent bit and wow... I know what you mean about crypt keepers. I would like to see Wyman back for this new thing but I think he is happy searching for relics with his detector around the Engish countryside. It is amazing that they are still at it. Most bands breakup and then the individual musicians either try and fail or just start doing something else. Some preservere like the Stones, Steve Miller, and a few others. I've had quite enough of Aerosmith, they need to age a bit more gracefully I think. I wonder what Jimi would be doing, he would be 70 years old now. I bet he would be doing more standard blues like Clapton... speaking of...
 
Eric Clapton. He is a class act who has been through a lot. I was listening to Live Cream II yesterday when I went to town. As good as he is, IMO.. he lost something, maybe the passion, after Cream and Derek and the Dominoes. I also listened to a bit of the Layla album while driving yesterday... what passion in the playing there. "When You're Down and Out"... there is real magic there that personally, I don't hear anymore when I listen to Eric. Interesting note. I read in an interview with Andy Johns re: Clapton's gear on Layla. Andy said that Eric was heavy into laying a Fender Champ flat on the top of a Leslie cabinet and recording it. He didn't go into detail about the micing but I thought that was interesting because I had always heard he used a Champ, I just never heard about the Leslie cab thing before.
 
The WHO... I want to see it. Your description really makes me want to see it!! Pete is a wonder, they all were.
 
Alicia Keys. Yeah, I am not a fan, I am not a non-fan, I just haven't paid much attention but from what I have heard of her I can totally believe that she took over. I am looking forward to seeing that too, thanks to your review!
 
I saw a clip of Adam Sandler on TV and was repulsed. I guess I am getting too old and don't "get it" anymore.
I really appreciate the good review. I likely would not have taken the time or interest to find it and see it but now I will because of your pithy but good review... I wish I knew how to be pithy but obviously I cannot control my fingers. I am comfortably hopelessly verbose.
 
Julien