Vax Live concert: Meghan Markle gives first TV appearance after Jennifer Lopez, Foo Fighters and more perform
Fundraiser was designed to ‘reunite the world’ following the pandemic
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Vax Live, a concert designed to “reunite the world” after the coronavirus pandemic, aired on Saturday (8 May) after taking place last weekend.
The pre-taped event brought together celebrities and political leaders, including President Joe Biden, Prince Harry, Jennifer Lopez and Foo Fighters. Ben Affleck, Chrissy Teigen, Jimmy Kimmel, Sean Penn and David Letterman also served as guest speakers during the event staged at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
Global Citizen, an action group seeking to “end extreme poverty by 2030”, was behind the show, which doubled as a fundraiser for the organisation.
Lopez opened the evening with a moving rendition of “Sweet Caroline”, welcoming her mother Guadalupe Rodríguez onto the stage. Rodríguez sang her own version of the Neil Diamond classic, changing the lyrics to “Sweet Jennifer” – as she used to do when Lopez was a child.
Eddie Vedder provided another of the evening’s highlights, in an energetic set introduced by Sean Penn.
In a guest appearance, Olivia Munn discussed the rise of hate crimes targeting Asian American people amid the pandemic. Several of the evening’s speakers stressed the importance for countries not to stockpile doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, sharing it instead with nations which need it.
Prince Harry appeared onstage on two different occasions during the show. He and Meghan Markle acted as campaign chairs for the event, promoting vaccine access equality and voicing their support for vaccination efforts. Meghan couldn’t attend the event in person, presumably because she’s currently pregnant with her second child, but she contributed a pre-recorded video message which aired during the broadcast.
“As campaign chairs of Vax Live, my husband and I believe it's critical that our recovery prioritises the health, safety and success of everyone – and particularly women, who have been disproportionately affected by this pandemic,” she said in her remarks, which marked her first TV appearance since she and Harry spoke with Oprah Winfrey for a headline-making interview which aired in March.
She added: “My husband and I are thrilled to soon be welcoming a daughter. It's a feeling of joy we share with millions of other families around the world. When we think of her, we think of all the young women and girls around the globe who must be given the ability and the support to lead us forward.”
Foo Fighters delivered the longest set of the evening and were joined by AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson for a rendition of “Back in Black”. Dave Grohl and his band mates, like the rest of the acts at Vax Live, seemed visibly thrilled to be back on stage, and gave an energetic, thrilling performance.
Follow the event as it happened with our live blog:
“Get vaccinated. It’s safe,” President Joe Biden tells viewers in an joint address with Dr Jill Biden.
OK, we now have the answer as to why Jimmy Kimmel wore a superhero suit for his bit with Ben Affleck. As part of the skit, he said Affleck had told him to dress up and wear a suit, leading to a misunderstanding. Kimmel also referenced Affleck’s role as Batman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League.
Oh! Prince Harry’s back, and I have a slight feeling he’s about to introduce Meghan Markle’s video address, which hasn’t aired yet.
Update: I was wrong! South African actor Nomzamo Mbatha takes over from Harry and introduces a segment about vaccine access inequality in her home country.
David Letterman has entered the chat! “You know me from TikTok,” he cheekily tells the crowd. The audience, of course, knows him from – let’s see – his long career in comedy, his years of hosting The Late Show with David Letterman, and more recently, his Netflix show My Next Guest Needs No Introduction.
Letterman, as it turns out, was introducing Foo Fighters! Dave Grohl recently teamed up with Mick Jagger for an anthem addressing the absurdities of the pandemic:
Mick Jagger mocks anti-vaxxers and calls government ‘p****s’ in surprise new track
Amusing song also takes aim at TikTok and Zoom
ACDC legend Brian Johnson joined the Foo Fighters on stage to give a head-banging rendition of Back in Black.
Following an appearance from Joe Biden and First Lady Dr Jill Biden earlier in the star-studded concert, Kamala Harris addressed viewers of Vax Live.
“If you are already vaccinated thank you for stepping up,” the Vice President said. She then went on to encourage everyone to get vaccinated against Covid-19, saying “it is our responsibility as global citizens.”
Meghan Markle gave a recorded message for the Vax Live concert, speaking out about how the pandemic has disproportionately impacted women of colour. You can read the full story here:
Meghan Markle makes first TV appearance since Oprah interview
Meghan Markle addressed the viewers of the Vax Live concert in a special video message on Saturday night.
Meghan Markle’s pre-recorded message marks her first TV appearance since she and Harry spoke with Oprah Winfrey for a headline-making interview which aired in March.
“My husband and I are thrilled to soon be welcoming a daughter,” Meghan told Vax Live viewers in her address.
“It's a feeling of joy we share with millions of other families around the world. When we think of her, we think of all the young women and girls around the globe who must be given the ability and the support to lead us forward.
“Their future leadership depends on the decisions we make and the actions we take now to set them up, and set all of us up, for a successful, equitable, and compassionate tomorrow. ... We want to make sure that as we recover, we recover stronger. That as we rebuild, we rebuild together. Thank you.”
You can read more from her speech in the story below:
Meghan Markle makes first TV appearance since Oprah interview
Meghan Markle addressed the viewers of the Vax Live concert in a special video message on Saturday night.
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