Synchronicity: 1983/84

If music was the message, Amnesty got it across loud and clear...

The travelling all-star musical marathon billed as 'A Conspiracy of Hope' rolled into the Rosemont Horizon Friday night with a twofold purpose: to make people aware of Amnesty International, a human rights organisation which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, and to make some good rock and roll.

It's hard to know just how much consciousness-raising was accomplished Friday, but the quality (and quantity) of the music was never in doubt.

Nearly five hours of rock and roll produced several standout performances and a couple of surprises. Sting, for instance, was billed as a solo act, but when he took the stage to close out the evening's entertainment line-up, he was accompanied by his old Police mates, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland.

Lou Reed, who had done a set of his own earlier in the show, returned to the stage during U2's set to joined Bono and the rest of the band in the anti-apartheid song, 'Sun City'. And comedian Robin Williams turned up unexpectedly to do a number of manic jokes (none of them particularly funny) about dictators, TV evangelists and giving birth.

Dick Gregory also stopped by to offer a few words about the work of Amnesty International, and a dozen or so other celebs did their bit via videos which were shown during set changes. It's hard to argue with most of the group's goals: to work to free those who have been persecuted and imprisoned for their beliefs (''prisoners of conscience,'' as Amnesty International refers to them). But according to one of the celebs on video, Amnesty International also opposes the death penalty anytime, anywhere, a philosophical stand that plenty of people might have serious problems accepting.

The music, however, sometimes spoke as loud or louder than the messages Friday night. One of the concert's most memorable moments came when singer Peter Gabriel ended his set with 'Biko', a haunting tribute to slain South African poet and activist Steven Biko.

The show, featuring Sting, U2, Gabriel, Reed, Bryan Adams, Joan Baez and the Neville Brothers (with concert producer Bill Graham as master of ceremonies), opened with a brief, two-song set by the Nevilles. The New Orleans group is currently trying to widen the audience for their musical gumbo of funk, blues, jazz and Mardi Gras sounds, but there wasn't much opportunity for them to strut their stuff in the limited time allotted them. Next up was Joan Baez, who performed 'The Times They Are A-Changin' a cappella and talked about torture chambers, then teamed up with the Nevilles for a few numbers including ''Amazing Grace''.

With Baez, the obligatory ''do-gooder,'' out of the way, the crowd was happy to move on to some rock and roll ably provided by Lou Reed. One of rock's genuine originals, Reed and his band performed 'I Love You, Suzanne', 'Turn to Me', and 'Walk on the Wild Side' to the crowd's appreciative cries of ''Loooooooo.''

Reed was followed by Gabriel, whose synth-driven rock sound has recently reached the mainstream via his current hit single, 'Sledgehammer.' That song and 'Shock the Monkey' were crowd pleasers Friday, but Gabriel's sombre 'Biko' was what brought down the house.

A short intermission followed Gabriel's set, with the second half of the concert consisting of Adams, U2 and Sting. Adams reprised his Top 40 hits, including 'Straight from the Heart' and 'Summer of '69', and drew a particularly strong response from the crowd.

But the biggest reception of the evening was accorded U2, featuring lead vocalist Bono and a guitarist known as The Edge. The band's anthemic sound has never sounded better, and Bono was in particularly good spirits.

(c) The Chicago Tribune by Lynn von Matre

Police reunion tops Conspiracy of Hope concert...

An estimated 17,200 people attended the fifth of six A Conspiracy of Hope benefit concerts in Chicago's Rosemont Horizon Friday night.

At least another $600,000 was raised to benefit Amnesty International, the Nobel Prize-winning organization that works to release prisoners of conscience from jails around the world.

Seven acts were scheduled to perform during the concert, which lasted more than five hours. Promoter Bill Graham was emcee of the concert. The program included a few exciting surprises.

Chief among them was the reuniting of The Police. Police frontman Sting has appeared on the entire tour, but the band reunited Wednesday (for what we believe is the first time since its Synchronicity tour) at the Amnesty show in Atlanta.

The group took the stage at the Rosemont without ceremony around 11:30 p.m. Friday, opening with 'Message in a Bottle'. During the 35-minute set. Sting nonchalantly introduced the band, featuring Stewart Copeland on drums and Andy Summers on bass (as well as a keyboard player and two female backup singers) as the crowd offered a thunderous ovation.

Skipping songs from his recent solo LP, Sting led The Police through a few of its older hits and a number of its more politically inspired tunes. Among them were 'Spirits in the Material World'. 'King of Pain', 'Driven to Tears', 'Wrapped Around Your Finger', 'Every Breath You Take', 'Roxanne' and 'Invisible Sun'.

Bono, frontman of the Irish rock group U2. joined Sting during the latter song to sing one verse.

U2 preceded The Police with an exciting 45- minute set, opening with 'Pride (In the Name of Love)'. During the song, a portrait of Martin Luther King appeared on the large video screens above the stage, offering an eerie tribute to the slain civil rights leader. As fans sang along. Bono exhorted them, "Sing it for John Lennon for Jimi Hendrix for the Rev. Martin Luther King."

Bono led U2 through a moving set of the band's most political material, including 'New Year's Day', 'Sunday Bloody Sunday', and a brilliant cover of Dylan's 'Maggie's Farm'. Following it, he dramatically tied a fan's banner around his head and, like Blind Justice, aimed a spotlight into the audience.

U2 wound down its set with a stirring cover of The Beatles' Help, and Bono danced with a female fan who seemed overwhelmed by the experience.

It was interesting that whenever artists covered material they generally selected from the works of Bob Dylan or the Beatles. Canadian rocker Bryan Adams, who performed before U2, delivered an impressive version of 'Get Back'. which he started solo but finished with his ace band. Other tunes performed included 'It's Only Love', 'Straight From the Heart' and 'Summer of '69'.

Adams, who earned a strong ovation for his no-frills, hard-driving style, opened his set with 'Kids Wanna Rock' and 'Run to You'. While his music did not especially lend itself to the political tone of the evening, his impassioned words did.

"Even though this is a rock'n'roll concert. it's for a cause, he reminded fans. "The cause is simple: We want to get people out of jail who shouldn't be there."

Peter Gabriel, backed by an excellent four-piece band, offered strong versions of tunes from his new album, including 'Red Rain' and 'Sledgehammer', as well as a somewhat older hit, 'Shock the Monkey'. He toned down his charismatic art-rock style for the final number, 'Biko', his stirring tribute to Stephen Biko, a prisoner of conscience who died in a South African jail.

Rocker Lou Reed opened his set with 'Its All Right', leading into an up tempo reading of 'Suzanne'. As fans danced in front of the stage, he sang his new tune, 'No Money Down'. Noting it was "a real pleasure to be here as part of Amnesty International," Reed wound down his 30-minute set with 'Walk on the Wild Side'.

Between Reed and Adams a few special videos were played of artists who did not perform at this show but may appear at today's concluding concert. Among them were Phil Collins, Pete Townshend (who offered a great acoustic 'Won't Get Fooled Again'), and Eric Clapton with Jeff Beck.

Also, before U2 came onstage, comedian Robin Williams made a surprise appearance and delivered a sometimes funny but mostly caustic routine concerning the denial of basic civil rights in other countries.

The show opened with a film about Nelson Mandela before the Neville Brothers took the stage for a brief set. The band was soon joined by long-time peace activist Joan Baez, who sounded just as flawless as she did when she played Clowes Hall a few weeks ago.

Baez, who sang none of her own material. performed Tears for Fears' 'Shout' with the Neville Brothers as well as stirring covers of Bob Marley's 'No Woman No Cry', The Beatles' 'Let It Be'. and a moving 'Amazing Grace', with extraordinary harmonies from Aaron Neville.

Amnesty International executive director Jack Healy addressed fans during the evening about what his organization is trying to achieve, and showed a disturbing film which detailed grotesque human-rights abuses. He encouraged fans to join the cause and support Amnesty International. plus

The show concluded with all players surprise guests Tom Bailey and Alannah Currie of Thompson Twins returning to the stage to sing a stirring cover of Dylan's 'I Shall Be Released'.

As noble and sincere as the cause is, it was a disturbing irony to note that the front page of Saturday's Chicago Tribune carried a banner headline reading "S. Africa Suspends Reforms." The story concerned actions taken by South African president P.W. Botha, who placed strict restrictions on foreign journalists (two of whom were arrested) and sanctioned the arrest of nearly 2,000 people as he called for a new state of emergency on the 10th anniversary of the Soweto uprisings.

Those interested in receiving information on Amnesty International, or those would like to make a contribution, should write to Amnesty International, P.O. Box 37137, Washington, D.C. 20013.

(c) The Indianapolis Star by Jill Warren