Tibetan_Freedom_Concert

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Tibetan Freedom Concert

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, 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 2001, 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.

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

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, Noel Gallagher, 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 relesed on November 4, 1997.

Washington D.C.

RFK Stadium June 13th & June 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

Alpine Valley Music Theatre, Wisconsin

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, Gangchenpa, 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

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 concert staff were moving people inside the stadium's inner tunnels, 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.

R.E.M., Radiohead and Red Hot Chili Peppers (originally scheduled for the first day's concert) returned to perform the following day.