There may have been a lot of people at Hyde Park who were only there for the music, and felt that the constant political messages were an interuption or just the price to be paid for the entertainment – and I’m sure you could say the same of the various anti-racist, Red Wedge, anti nuclear and other campaign-related concerts in the past.

But I think the majority of the audience were at least aware and sympathetic. I can’t imagine anyone being totally opposed to the ideas. Some might have reasoned arguments about whether aid or debt relief will work, but I can’t imagine anyone actually being happy with the idea of such a large proportion of the world being in extreme poverty.

Did it work? The aim of the event was supposed to be to raise awareness, and I guess it has done that. Live 8 has been mentioned in all the media for weeks and is hardly ever mentioned with the issues of poverty being raised too, so awareness in the public must be higher. I imagine that world leaders are aware of the problems and do not need their awareness raised, but maybe they needed to be aware of how many of their constituents feel strongly about the issues. Maybe there is another awareness too. Taking the US as an example, how many people there really know how little their country does in relation to others? Do they know what the general public in other countries think of them as a result? Are they happy with that?

Bob Geldof has been criticised for taking a simplistic attitude towards the problems of Africa, but at the end of the day he is someone who, having seen the results of famine could not bear to do nothing. You cannot fault his motives, his determination and his single-mindedness about it all.

There can be no harm in having more of the public aware of the issues and having an opinion on them.