SIR Paul McCartney and the Irish rock group U2, dressed in Sgt Pepper costumes, are due to open next weekend’s Live 8 concerts singing “It was 20 years ago today” — a reference to the Live Aid concert of 1985.

The lyrics were the opening line of the Beatles’ Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band concept album.

McCartney will return to the stage in London’s Hyde Park seven hours later to end the show by leading an ensemble rendition of The Long and Winding Road, a rallying call for people to travel to Edinburgh to put pressure on the G8 summit starting four days later.

Sir Bob Geldof, who has organised a series of eight concerts on four continents ahead of the summit at Gleneagles, revealed details of the running order over dinner in Rome last week.

“It will be a surprise for everyone,” said Geldof, not realising his words would be reported by a journalist from La Repubblica, the Italian newspaper, seated at the same table.

“Paul McCartney will end it. He’ll sing The Long and Winding Road, and for us it’s the symbol of this road, the road which will lead us to the G8.”

Yesterday a spokesman for the organisers of Live 8 confirmed the Sgt Pepper-led start to the worldwide show as Geldof appeared on stage at Glastonbury to appeal for support.

It will be the largest global broadcast in television history with 5.5 billion people — 85% of the world’s population — able to tune in through a variety of media, including television, the internet and mobile phones.

“It was 20 years ago that the media said Live Aid was the greatest show on earth. They were right then but wrong now,” said Geldof’s spokesman. “Over 140 television networks will broadcast Live 8.”

Geldof turned down the chance of inviting Michael Jackson to top the bill of the American version of Live 8 less than three weeks after his acquittal on child sex charges. Bono, U2’s singer and Geldof’s ally in the campaign to cancel the debts of Third World countries, was keen on the idea.

But Geldof said: “Musically he (Jackson) is a genius; humanely, I believe he is innocent. But he has been through a terrible time. He’s strained and tired. He needs tranquillity, not to return under the spotlights in an event like this.”

Geldof also revealed that Pink Floyd, reunited with founder member Roger Waters for the first time in more than 20 years, will play three songs: Breathe, Comfortably Numb and Wish You Were Here.

Yesterday Geldof held hands with Glastonbury organiser Michael Eavis and persuaded the audience to link arms and chant “Make poverty history”.

Both U2 and Coldplay, Live 8’s other headline act, have other concerts the same evening — U2 in Vienna and Coldplay in Glasgow — which is adding to the logistical problem of staging 25 acts in seven hours at Hyde Park.

Madonna had been rehearsing a duet with Sting, Geldof said, but the planned performance has since been dropped. Instead Sting is believed to be using Spitting Image-style puppets of Tony Blair, George Bush and other world leaders for a rendition of the Police song Every Breath You Take — with the words changed to “We’ll be watching you”.

Meanwhile, organisers of a concert in Edinburgh on July 6 are angry that Geldof has insisted on playing while they have had to turn down Franz Ferdinand, the chart-topping act. Pete Irvine, who is staging the event at Murrayfield stadium, accused Geldof being an “arrogant prima donna”.

The Sunday Times has joined with AOL to raise awareness of the Live 8 campaign against poverty. For your chance to win one of 50 pairs of tickets to Saturday’s concert call 09063 660 480 (UK,60p/minute) or 1550 927 780 (RoI, 95c/minute) For full terms and conditions see the newsprint edition of News Review

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