Pharrell Williams heads up 'Live Earth' global climate concert

More than 100 artists will take part in a global "Live Earth" concert on June 18 to galvanise demands for climate action, former US vice president Al Gore said Jan. 21.
      
"We are going to have one event all over the world on all seven continents," he announced at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
      
Singer-songwriter Pharrell Williams, responsible for the planet-wide hit "Happy", will be the show's musical director.
      
Gore predicted a TV, radio and online audience of two billion for the extravaganza.        

It will seek to ramp up pressure on governments over a UN climate pact, due to be concluded in Paris in December.
      
"This is the year of climate," Gore said during a presentation on global warming and its impacts.         "The Paris negotiation is crucial. If we're to ensure success, we need the political will."       

The event will be organised by US producer Kevin Wall, who also took charge of the 2007 Live Earth concert to boost climate awareness.
      
Wall said the June 18 event would comprise concerts "in major stadiums".
      
"We start in China; Sydney, Australia; Rio de Janeiro; Cape Town, South Africa; New York City; in Paris, we're ending at the national stadium," he said.        

"These events will run four to six hours."       

A band will play from Antarctica to account for the seventh continent, added Gore, who became a campaigner on climate issues after leaving office, and was a co-recipient of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with the UN's top climate science panel.
      
"We have major, major artists, some of the biggest artists ever collected, with one message: 'Take climate action now,'" said Wall.
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