AMNESTY’S RED-LETTER FINAL SHOW

Amnesty International officials reported Monday that its nationally televised, 11-hour “A Conspiracy of Hope” concert Sunday at Giants Stadium here resulted in more than 35,000 new Amnesty “freedom writers.”

Amy Leveen, Amnesty’s telecommunications coordinator for the concert, said viewers phoned a pledge line, vowing to write post cards monthly to target governments demanding the release of specific prisoners who have been arrested for the nonviolent expression of political or religious views.

She said the “freedom writers” figure is expected to go even higher because viewers, in addition to calling the 800 number, were also invited to join Amnesty by writing to the organization.

In launching the six-city tour on June 4 in San Francisco, Jack Healey, executive director of the U.S. section of Amnesty International, had set a goal of 25,000 new members who would be called freedom writers, a play on the ‘60s Civil Rights movement’s phrase freedom riders.

“I couldn’t be more pleased with what we’ve accomplished,” Healey said backstage, following an emotional meeting with the dozens of musicians who had appeared on the bill here. The musicians who donated their services for all six shows (including the June 6 show at the Forum in Inglewood): U2, Sting, Bryan Adams, Peter Gabriel, Lou Reed, Joan Baez and the Neville Brothers.

“This is the first time governments around the world have been attacked on television for 11 hours for human rights abuses, including the torture of thousands of people,” Healey said, standing amid more than a dozen former prisoners of conscience whose releases had been aided by Amnesty.

“There are signs that the publicity from the tour is already having an effect. We held our annual meeting in Washington last week and we try each year to visit embassies of countries with poor human rights records. Only one or two used to agree to see us. But this time, more than a dozen accepted our invitation. I think it’s a direct link to this tour.”

Though the purpose of the two-week tour was to raise public awareness of the international organization, which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1977, the U.S. chapter is expected to net about $3 million from box-office receipts, T-shirt sales and membership dues. About 120,000 persons attended the six shows, including 55,000 here.

While rock attractions such as U2 and the Police were the musical highlights for most of the young audience, the concert lineup here was expanded to include diverse musical styles and artists from around the world. The added attractions ranged from jazzmen Miles Davis and Stanley Jordan to the gentle folk music of Peter, Paul & Mary to the socially conscious reggae of Third World. A special guest was Fela, the dissident Nigerian songwriter whose recent release from prison was aided by Amnesty International.

Two other special guests underscored the ties between this unprecedented caravan and the resurgence of social awareness in pop music: Bob Geldof, who was awarded honorary knighthood last week by Queen Elizabeth for his organization of 1985’s Live Aid concerts, and Steve Van Zandt, the catalyst behind “Sun City,” the blistering anti-apartheid record that was named best album of 1985 by numerous pop critics.

Adding to the political-rock atmosphere in the area last weekend, Geldof and Van Zandt performed “Sun City” at an anti-apartheid rally that attracted an estimated 40,000 persons Saturday afternoon at Central Park. Joining them were several of the artists who appeared in the Amnesty show, including the four members of U2, Peter Gabriel, Jackson Browne and Yoko Ono.

Asked backstage Sunday if he accepted the suggestion that rock fans are getting tired of the growing strain of pop charity and political rallies, Van Zandt replied:

“No way! I don’t care how jaded or cynical some people have become, there is no way you can get tired of making the world a better place. Once your social consciousness is raised, there’s no going back. Once you are educated, you don’t become uneducated again.”

When Geldof was awarded an honorary knighthood last week, the quick-witted and frequently wry Irishman simply issued this press release: “Thank you very much. . . . I hope to be the first knight on the charts.”

Backstage Sunday, however, Geldof acknowledged that he was deeply touched by the recognition.

“The best thing about it is I think the reason I received it is that the public demanded it,” Geldof said.

The absence of Geldof’s name from the queen’s regular list of honors in December resulted in sharp criticism of the British government, which selects the people to be honored.

“The truth is, I didn’t give it (the omission) a second thought until the phone started going crazy with journalists asking what I thought,” Geldof said.

“I really couldn’t say anything. If I said I didn’t care, that would be insulting all those people who wanted me to get it, and the honor system itself. And if I said, ‘Yes, I should have got it,’ people would ask, ‘Who the hell does he think he is?’ So I just stayed shut about it.

“When it was finally announced last week I felt great . . . the way people reacted. Friends told me at home that there were street parties, and some bar owners even gave their customers free drinks.”

Geldof was scheduled to return Monday to Los Angeles to finish work on a solo album being produced by Dave Stewart, the guitarist and songwriter for Eurythmics. The album--Geldof’s first solo effort after several records with the group the Boomtown Rats--will be released by Atlantic Records.

Asked about an article in the July issue of Spin magazine that charges that Live Aid officials’ misunderstanding of Ethiopian politics has led to a situation where the $100 million raised for famine victims is actually adding to the human suffering in the country, Geldof said he didn’t want to discuss the article.

On the broader question of Live Aid’s funds, he did say, “Live Aid is absolutely incorruptible. It has worked. We have tried to channel the money through well-established agencies and not governments, so that every penny goes to someone who needs it.”