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Post by Gene Hunt on Jul 13, 2023 20:51:24 GMT
Exactly 38 years ago today, Live Aid took place at Wembley Stadium & JFK Stadium in Philadelphia. Phil Collins took both in both concerts, travelling from Heathrow to the USA on Concorde. Gene.
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Post by Sam Tyler on Jul 13, 2023 21:28:12 GMT
Wow, 38 years, and I'm sure like me many remember it so well, thanks for the reminder Gene. I do remember that I was working doing overtime that weekend but getting back home to Annie in our first house I recall being glued to the box with the "simulcast" on Radio 1 so having the stereo speakers either side of the TV (we were still waiting for NICAM at the time) and sinking a few tins with a couple of our neighbours. It was a huge event that will live on in so many people's memories. I'm sure most will have their favourites but who could forget Status Quo, Queen and The Who? Sam.
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Del Boy
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Post by Del Boy on Jul 14, 2023 7:46:52 GMT
38 years ? Seems like yesterday. I remember watching it right from the kick off with Status Quo at mid day. We had it on the radio too for taping purposes And it was on in our house all the way to the end. I was fascinated by the dual set up with America and the Phil Collins story was great. Many great performances throughout but Queen absolutely owned that gig at the end of the day.
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Nightfly
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Post by Nightfly on Jul 14, 2023 9:26:28 GMT
I was still living at home at the time and knew the parents wouldn't want to sit through hours of pop, so watched it on a tiny black and white portable telly listening in mono as there wasn't FM radio coverage in the area at the time.
It must have been a technical nightmare to pull together from the BBCs point of view, particularly with what they had to work with back then. Geldof had a lot on his hands too, tempering all the egos that go with the music scene and just getting them all to conform, get on stage and perform, then get off. I'm sure I read somewhere that when it was all over, he caught the late night bus back to his home. No cars laid on for him etc.
I don't think we will ever see anything like this in our lifetime again.
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Del Boy
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Post by Del Boy on Jul 14, 2023 19:21:44 GMT
It ran like clockwork from the viewers point of view, don't remember too many hiccups. I got more out of it than my folks did I seem to remember as there was a lot of contemporary 80s acts on amongst the older artists. Nik Kershaw, Howard Jones and The Style Council spring to mind. Here's a rundown link of the day: Live Aid Set List
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Nightfly
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Post by Nightfly on Jul 14, 2023 21:52:52 GMT
Thanks for the link, Del. That's an extensive rundown. Quite a lot of it I don't remember seeing, so I must have ignored Bob's "Don't go to the pub tonight" directive at some stage during the day. It mentions a technical breakdown during The Who set, though I'm unsure if it was a satellite issue for overseas viewers and didn't affect us in the UK. I read his autobiography years ago and he mentioned the tension/ill feeling between The Who members backstage. It certainly didn't show on the clips I've seen of the day since.
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Cartman
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Post by Cartman on Jul 15, 2023 11:45:56 GMT
TBH, I sort of dipped in and out of it a bit. I remember Queen being particularly good, and I enjoyed Quo and Bowie. Nik Kershaw was very good too, he came in tight at the very tail end of my interest in following the charts and I thought he was promising
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Del Boy
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Post by Del Boy on Jul 17, 2023 5:38:35 GMT
Looking at the list there's a lot of blanks from what I remember watching. I don't remember seeing the Boomtown Rats early on.
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Post by Dirty Epic on Jul 17, 2023 6:02:28 GMT
Nice work on the gig list Del, I honestly can't remember much of the original gig apart from Quo an Queen and Bob Geldof's infamous 'Give us the Money' quote too. Yes it was Queen who ruled and owned the show and had them on Radio 1 too and looked/sounded excellent. I know there were a few contemporary acts on but not many (if any) from the alternative/indie scene and I think as time's gone on a few of these acts have had a bit of friction/been non plussed about the whole Live Aid/Band Aid thing in general. Valid cynicism or jealousy you decide? The Who were in that early middle age phase of at each others throats at the time perhaps a hangover from Keith's death and the usual wrangling about power, status and money so Live Aid aside I think also a reaction to their material like You Better You Bet from the period (at the time and since has been more positively appraised) being panned at the time. IIRC didn't they have a long break until the early '90's when they went on the road again? Yep won't be long until the 40th for this event and regardless of what it 'achieved' in the end it was a brilliant rock and pop event which has not been matched since.
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Post by Dirty Epic on Jul 18, 2023 21:41:42 GMT
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