Tibetan Freedom Concert
| Tibetan Freedom Concert | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Alternative rock, Rap, Punk rock |
| Dates | April, May, June, July, August, September |
| Location(s) | San Francisco (1996), New York City (1997), Washington D.C. (1998), Amsterdam, (East Troy) Wisconsin, Sydney, Tokyo (1999), Tokyo (2001), Taipei (2003) |
| Years active | 1996 - 1999; 2001; 2003 |
Tibetan Freedom Concert is the name given to a series of rock festivals held in North America, Europe and Asia between 1996 and 2001 to support the cause of Tibetan independence. The concerts were organized by the Beastie Boys and the Milarepa Fund. The idea for a Live Aid-style concert for Tibet was conveived by members of the group during the 1994 Lollapalooza Tour.
Organized in June 1996, the first concert was held in San Francisco and featured acts such as Red Hot Chili Peppers, Björk, Smashing Pumpkins, Cibo Matto, Rage Against the Machine and De La Soul. It drew 100,000 people and raised over $800,000 for Tibetan and social justice causes. Additional concerts were held until 2003, generating public awareness about the Tibetan plight, particularly amongst young people. The concerts helped spur the growth of Students for a Free Tibet worldwide.
Milarepa Fund
The Milarepa Fund was initially created to disburse royalties to Tibetan monks sampled on the group's 1994 album Ill Communication. The Milarepa Fund's co-founders were Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys and social activist Erin Potts, then in her early twenties, whom Yauch had met on a trip to Nepal. [1]
Tibetan Freedom Concerts at a Glance
San Francisco
Polo Fields, Golden Gate Park June 15th & 16th 1996 $800 000 raised 100 000 Attendees
The Smashing Pumpkins, Chaksam-pa, Beastie Boys, A Tribe Called Quest, Pavement, Cibo Matto, Biz Markie, Richie Havens, John Lee Hooker, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rage Against the Machine, Sonic Youth, Beck, Foo Fighters, Björk, De La Soul, Fugees, Buddy Guy, The Skatalites, Yoko Ono/Ima, Beck
Speakers: Chimi Thonden - Tibetan Activist, Palden Gyatso - Former Political Prisoner, Shen Tong - Chinese Democracy Activist, Robert A.F. Thurman - Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies, Columbia University
New York City
Downing Stadium, Randall's Island June 7th & 8th 1997 $250 000 raised Over 50 000 Attendees
Noel Gallagher, Foo Fighters, U2, Sonic Youth, Biz Markie, Alanis Morissette, Patti Smith, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Radiohead, Yungchen Lhamo, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, A Tribe Called Quest, Beastie Boys, Rancid, Björk, Pavement, Blur, Michael Stipe & Mike Mills, Taj Mahal and Phantom Blues Band, De La Soul, Dadon, Chaksam-pa, Nawang Khechog, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Eddie Vedder & Mike McCready, KRS-ONE, Porno for Pyros, and Lee Perry featuring Mad Professor & the Robotiks Band
Speakers: Palden Gyatso - Former Political Prisoner, Dechen Wangdu - Tibetan Activist, Chuck D - Public Enemy, Xiao Qiang - Human Rights in China, Nane Alehandrez - Barrios Unidos
Tibetan Freedom Concert, a compilation album covering events of that concert, was released on November 4, 1997.
Washington D.C.
RFK Stadium June 13th & 14th 1998 $1.2 Million raised Over 120 000 Attendees
Beastie Boys, Radiohead, Sean Lennon, Mutabaruka, Money Mark, A Tribe Called Quest, Dave Matthews Band, Sonic Youth, Nawang Khechog, Wyclef Jean, Herbie Hancock and the Headhunters, Buffalo Daughter, R.E.M., KRS-ONE, The Wallflowers, Blues Traveler, Live, Pearl Jam, Luscious Jackson, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Chaksam-pa, Pulp. Many bands, including Kraftwerk and Beck, were cancelled after lightning strikes at the beginning of Herbie Hancock and the Headhunters' set on the first day of music.
Speakers: Xiao Qiang - Human Rights in China, Lhadon Tethong - Students for a Free Tibet, Palden Gyatso - Former Political Prisoner, Wei Jingsheng - Chinese Democracy Activist and Former Political Prisoner
Free Tibet '99
Amsterdam, East Troy/Wisconsin, Sydney, Tokyo
June 13th 1999 Over 55,000 Attendees $50,000 raised
Run DMC, The Cult, Beastie Boys, Blondie, Tracy Chapman, The Roots, Live, Eddie Vedder, Otis Rush, Cibo Matto, Handsome Boy Modeling School, Rage Against the Machine, Wu-Tang Clan, Chaksam-pa
Speakers: Xiao Qiang of Human Rights in China, Lhadon Tethong of Students for a Free Tibet, Nawang Pema- Tibetan Nun
Rai Parkhal, Amsterdam
Garbage, Blur, Urban Dance Squad, Alanis Morissette, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, Luscious Jackson, NRA, Gang Chenpa, Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts, Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros, Thom Yorke
Speakers: Erin Potts - The Milarepa Fund, Ama Adhe - Former Political Prisoner.
- Tokyo Bay NK Hall, Tokyo
Hi-Standard, Buffalo Daughter, Brahman, Audio Active, Kan Takagi, Scha Dara Parr, Kiyoshirou Imawano, Nawang Khechog
Speakers: Alma David - Students for a Free Tibet, Jurme Wangda - Liaison Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama
- Sydney Show Grounds, Sydney
Regurgitator, Spiderbait, The Mavis's, The Avalanches, Neil Finn, The Living End, Celibate Rifles, Not From There, Gerling, Jebediah, You Am I, Garpa, Blackalicious, Eskimo Joe, Trans Am
Speakers: Lobsang Lungtok - Former Political Prisoner, Jo Shaw - Students for a Free Tibet, Australia, Dorji Dolma - Australia Tibet Council
Tokyo
May 13th 2001 Tokyo Bay NK Hall Over 6000 Attendees
Thee Michelle Gun Elephant, Brahman, UA, Chaksam-pa, Boom Boom Satellites, Buffalo Daughter
Speakers: Palden Gyatso - Former Political Prisoner, Zatul Rinpoche - Liaison Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Adam Yauch - Beastie Boys, Tomoko Tahara - The Milarepa Fund
Taipei
April 20th 2003 Stadium of Songshan Tobacco Factory Over 8000 Attendees
Beastie Boys, LMF, Tizzy Bac, Nawang Khechog, Bobby Chen
Speakers: Tsegyam Ngaba - Taipei Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Adam Yauch - Beastie Boys, Hsiao Bi-khim - Taiwan Tibet Exchange Foundation, Freddy Lim - Chthonic
Washington D.C. Incident
As Herbie Hancock took the stage during the Washington, D.C. Concert at about 3:00 PM, (June 1998), a storm system formed over the open-air RFK Stadium. While Hancock played, lightning struck a fan named Lysa Selfon. She was treated on-scene by EMTs and taken to the burn unit of a local hospital. Twelve people were injured; four critically. Selfon suffered the worst injuries and was visited in the hospital by a number of performers. Her burns were worst on her chest, where her underwire bra attracted the electricity and probably caused cardiac arrest.[2]
R.E.M., Radiohead and Red Hot Chili Peppers (originally scheduled for the first day's concert) returned to perform the following day.[3]
See also
Immediately following the lightening strike, the female spectator suffered full cardiac arrest with loss of breathing and heart beat. after initial attempts at CPR failed, she was quickly moved to the old baseball dugout, where the on-site Event Emergency Physician resuscitated her by placing a breathing tube and initiating bag ventilation. she made initial movement soon after and was transported to DC General Hospital located immediately next to the RFK stadium concert site. After full recovery of breathing and circulation, she was transferred later that evening to the Burn Unit of the Washington Hospital Center for local care of her burn injuries. The fact that she was on her cell phone during the lightening is what was determined to cause this spectator to be struck. The burns suffered on her chest may have been caused in part by a jump of the current to her underwire bra, but did not cause her cardiac arrest.
References
- ^ "A History of the Milarepa Fund". Beastiemania.com. Retrieved 2008-03-22.
- ^ Colton, Michael (1998-07-30). "A Flash of Fame For a Good Cause". Washington Post. Retrieved 2009-04-22.
The burns – the worst of which are on her chest, where the metal underwire of her bra attracted electricity, probably causing her cardiac arrest – are just the beginning of her problems.
- ^ Jackie McCarthy (1998-06-24). "Can Music Save the World?". Seattle Weekly. Retrieved 2006-08-23.
- ^ Milzman, D. P., Moskowitz, L., & Hardel, M. (1999). Lightning strikes at a mass gathering. Southern Medical Journal, 92(7), 708-710.