Pop Benefits : McCartney, Clapton, Pink Floyd . . . the Rock of Ages

A charity concert featuring many of the biggest--and oldest--stars in British rock drew 120,000 well-behaved fans to the expansive grounds of a 500-year-old manor house on Saturday.

Among the performers at the 11-hour concert held at Knebworth, 30 miles north of London, were Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney, Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, Pink Floyd, Phil Collins with Genesis, Elton John and Tears for Fears.

Proceeds from the concert will be shared by the Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Centre, which uses music to help rehabilitate children suffering from mental and physical disabilities, and the BRIT (British Recording Industry Trust) School for the Performing Arts, which is set to open next year in London.

While the veteran artists’ collective years in the music business rival the age of the medieval mansion uphill from the stage, the concert was more than a nostalgia event. Nearly all of the musicians performed songs from recent albums in addition to playing the classics.

As part of an hourlong “supergroup” set, Clapton, John and Mark Knopfler joined forces to play some of each other’s biggest hits--including 1967’s “Sunshine of Your Love” from Clapton’s days with Cream.

But Clapton also played songs from his latest album “Journeyman” and Knopfler introduced a new song, “Love You Too Much,” which he told the crowd “I might put on my next record and I might not.”

John, who looked very much like Malcolm Forbes with his white hair and sport coat, received a charged response from the masses when he performed his latest hit, “Sacrifice.”

Plant balanced new material and old and was joined by Page for several songs, including the Led Zeppelin classic “Rock and Roll.” To the supreme joy of the audience, the McCartney and Pink Floyd sets consisted almost entirely of vintage material.

The magnitude of the Knebworth show and its rural location gave the event an old-time rock festival feel. Traffic clogged the M1 highway between London and the site and concert-goers crowded onto the vast tract of green hillside that rolled gently upward from the stage.

Thousands of people were seated at least a half mile from the performers. At that distance, the giant video monitors on both sides of the stage looked like portable televisions and it was impossible to see anyone on stage.

Chris Bedgood, 20, of nearby Welling, was one of the farthest people from the front, but he didn’t mind. Just the opposite. A Pink Floyd fanatic, he was anxious to see the band’s light show. “We’re in the best place for the lasers,” he said with a wide grin.

Around him were numerous others of a like mind.

“I’m here for the chance to see Pink Floyd,” said 47-year-old Ken Hope of Northampshire.

“I like anything from the ‘60s,” said 19-year-old Russell McCullough, who had driven in from Wales. “Anything loud.”

Closer to the stage was a heliport, complete with strips of red lights for night use. A small army of helicopters kept shuttling stars, their entourages, VIPs and whoever else had the clout.

The artists hope to raise $10 million with the concert, with most of that to come from the sale of TV rights and a double album of the concert that will be released in August. MTV will show four hours of the show on July 14.

Backstage, performers tended to gravitate around the makeshift Hard Rock Cafe that had been constructed. There was beer and hamburgers for everyone and, apparently, free “Hard Rock” jackets for the well-known. Jimmy Page had a leather one.

After Plant’s set, Phil Collins appeared solo and with Genesis. He not only performed his own oldies, including “In the Air” and “Sussudio,” but sang a selection of other people’s oldies as well. During a medley that began and ended with the Genesis hit “Turn It On,” Collins pranced around the stage and sang, among other things, “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling,” “Twist and Shout” and “Pinball Wizard.”

The supergroup set followed and then it was McCartney’s turn. His 45-minute set was almost entirely Beatle tunes that he has played on his tour. But he also included the medley of Lennon songs--”Strawberry Fields Forever,” “Help” and “Give Peace a Chance”--that he had performed at a homecoming concert in Liverpool earlier in the week.

Finally, Pink Floyd took the stage at about 10:30 p.m. Hundreds of people in the darkness of the crowd wore green luminescent rings around their heads, complementing the music and light show nicely.

As the band played “Wish You Were Here,” it began to drizzle, but the crowd remained still. After a long version of “Money” and then “Comfortably Numb” from “The Wall” album, the band concluded with a spectacular version of “Run Like Hell” that ended with a fireworks display.