before you start talking about the need for debt relief on the part of the poorest africa countries, it makes sense to get at least a bit of background on the imf/world bank policies of "structural adjustment" and from there maybe to think about the extent to which what is being proposed via the eu--what the live 8 thing is attempting to advance at the level of the g8 by the publicity generated by this concert.
this article is not bad as an introduction to the general dynamics of the brave new world of neoliberal debt generation. structural adjustment is an almost perfect circle. there is no reason not to forgive teh debt of the poorest countries--the consequences of not doing it is grinding the lives of millions even further into absilute squalor--not as a function of the policies of the states themselves even--but as a function of how structural adjustment works.
http://www.globalissues.org/TradeRelated/SAP.asp
and here is a short overview of the debt relief project and the obstacles (it is cursory, but an ok place to start):
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4081220.stm
more information is easily available with a search.
as a kind of disgusting sidelight to all this, a short article about the international arms trade with reference to these same poor countries:
http://www.sundayherald.com/50470
as for the show itself, it sounds like a fine idea that is routed through an excuse to book a lot of really shitty bands. i am considering going to the philadelphia show despite the fact that there is not a single band on the bill that i even like even a little and that the whole thing is only indirectly aimed at the audience that actually turns up.
actually now that i read through what i just wrote, i cant figure out why i would go. except that it will happen about a 10 minute bikeride from here.