Live Aid@40

[Ally Bongo]

8 minutes ago, glasgow jock said:

Hard to believe it was 40 years ago.  Was a great day and an innocent 20 year old thought we'd change the world. 

A more cynical 60 year old realises we changed fuck all.  Nowadays Westminster provides weapons and support to allow another country to blow children to bits while they wait in line for food and water .  And if you protest against these acts you get arrested.  

While I've enjoyed the nostalgia and memories of Live Aid it just highlights what a fucked up world we now live in.

 Also I was devastated when my favourite band of that time ( Tears For Fears ) pulled out the concert at the very last minute - I don’t think they ever revealed the reason why???

Memories Fade !!!

Initially, I was pissed off because Bob had announced we were doing it without even asking us and it was smack in the middle of a year-long tour," Tears For Fears star Curt Smith told NME, saying that Live Aid was "bad timing" for the duo.

He added: "It was the first week off we had.

"We kissed and made up with Bob and did 'Everybody Wants to Run the World' for him [for Sport Aid] afterwards.

"We didn't think us not performing would affect the amount of money they were raising in any way, so we didn't do it so we could have that break."

Asked if they regretted missing out on such an iconic event, Curt said: "No, because we were exhausted.

"I realised we'd pulled out of his huge event, and there was this amusing moment where we were in Hawaii on the day it was happening, and there was a local cover band playing 'Everybody Wants to Rule the World' in this little bar.

"I'm like: this or Live Aid? I don't know!"

[dan cake]

6 hours ago, Toepoke said:

Remember reading a quote from one of the girls he pulled out the crowd, something like "He was sweating and smelled terrible, I went right off him after that". 😄

 

Doesn’t come as a shock he’s always looked like he needs a wash. Lasted about 5 minutes into the 3rd part of the documentary till Blair appeared, he makes Bono look like an amateur in the sanctimonious prick stakes

[Hertsscot]

1 hour ago, glasgow jock said:

While I've enjoyed the nostalgia and memories of Live Aid it just highlights what a fucked up world we now live in.

 

For any mistakes that may have been made, there's no doubt that there was a genuine feeling, albeit a naive one, amongst organisers and the public that things could change for the better. There was also a sense that we should do something to help others.

I was surprised to see Stuart Adamson in one of the clips ((in episode 2 of the documentary?) as I hadn't recalled Big Country taking part. As it was it turns out they hadn't, as it was thought the band had split up. Another nostalgic but sad memory in light of what happened in the future.

[fringo]

I don't think Live Aid was ever about changing the world. It was simply about getting food and aid to Ethiopia ASAP whilst governments did little (or too slow even after Band Aid).

Queen were superb and I've watched their slot on youtube regularly in recent years. There was a documentary on Queen a week earlier which also featured some of it. Possibly the bet live performance from anyone I've seen on TV (or internet) ever)

I quite liked Quo too but Queen were incredible with brilliant tunes (& Freddy as the frontman).

Amazing day.

[fringo]

Just now, fringo said:

I don't think Live Aid was ever about changing the world. It was simply about getting food and aid to Ethiopia ASAP whilst governments did little (or too slow even after Band Aid).

Queen were superb and I've watched their slot on youtube regularly in recent years. There was a documentary on Queen a week earlier which also featured some of it. Possibly the best live performance from anyone I've seen on TV (or internet) ever)

I quite liked Quo too but Queen were incredible with brilliant tunes (& Freddy as the frontman).

Amazing day.

 

[slasher]

13 hours ago, Ally Bongo said:

The draught beers in Ewings were excellent and i think the heavy was very popular - it might have been 70 shilling or something other than just heavy - cant remember 

Was a cracking wee dark pub with a good juke box 

Hamilton was buzzing back then, especially for an underager like me. As well as Ewings, there was the Crown, the Peacock, Sands Hotel then down the town Jilts and the Manor and the two nightclubs down the bottom cross. I met Mrs Slasher in Park Lane when I was a bit older.

Great memories! I’ve a vivid recollection of doing my homework in the Zambesi over a pint and a plate of lentil soup!  🤣

[Ally Bongo]

42 minutes ago, slasher said:

Hamilton was buzzing back then, especially for an underager like me. As well as Ewings, there was the Crown, the Peacock, Sands Hotel then down the town Jilts and the Manor and the two nightclubs down the bottom cross. I met Mrs Slasher in Park Lane when I was a bit older.

Great memories! I’ve a vivid recollection of doing my homework in the Zambesi over a pint and a plate of lentil soup!  🤣

This was taken in the early 80s so probably just before Charlie Bent took it over and did it up

The County is just a few doors down and it closed first 

I was in it on it's last day one lunchtime and there was a huge hole in the floor and someone kept playing Eloise by The Damned on the Jukebox at full blast and that was in the charts in 1986- drinks were half price 

Never ventured in The Crown,  which was up the street to the right of this photo  as it was more snobby than the other two and a bit stricter with underage drinking 

 

Edited July 17, 2025 by Ally Bongo

[glasgow jock]

On 7/16/2025 at 3:56 PM, Ally Bongo said:

Initially, I was pissed off because Bob had announced we were doing it without even asking us and it was smack in the middle of a year-long tour," Tears For Fears star Curt Smith told NME, saying that Live Aid was "bad timing" for the duo.

He added: "It was the first week off we had.

"We kissed and made up with Bob and did 'Everybody Wants to Run the World' for him [for Sport Aid] afterwards.

"We didn't think us not performing would affect the amount of money they were raising in any way, so we didn't do it so we could have that break."

Asked if they regretted missing out on such an iconic event, Curt said: "No, because we were exhausted.

"I realised we'd pulled out of his huge event, and there was this amusing moment where we were in Hawaii on the day it was happening, and there was a local cover band playing 'Everybody Wants to Rule the World' in this little bar.

"I'm like: this or Live Aid? I don't know!"

Cheers Ally

Taken my 40 years to find that out 🤣

[DoonTheSlope]

What happened to the money I wonder. Just like Comic Relief

40 years it’s been on the go and Africa is still no further forward but in that time Lenny Henry and Bob Geldof have both become became multi millionaires 

[Hertsscot]

2 hours ago, DoonTheSlope said:

What happened to the money I wonder. Just like Comic Relief

40 years it’s been on the go and Africa is still no further forward but in that time Lenny Henry and Bob Geldof have both become became multi millionaires 

The money, both then and subsequently, have saved tens or hundreds of thousands of lives. Yes, Henry, Geldof etc all have become very rich but were already going that way.

It also raised awareness amongst the general public and probably lead to campaigns to cancel debt and to raise the money given in ODA.

I'm sure that the likes of Geldof would admit to being very naive about the political and economic causes of poverty and famine back then but to his and others credit they've continued to try to do something.

We live in a world where our Labour Govt. slash ODA and Trump glories in cutting foreign aid which will in effect kill many of the worlds poorest and most vulnerable people, Oxfam America estimate those cuts potentially lead to 3 million preventable deaths each year.

[exile]

4 hours ago, DoonTheSlope said:

What happened to the money I wonder. Just like Comic Relief

40 years it’s been on the go and Africa is still no further forward but in that time Lenny Henry and Bob Geldof have both become became multi millionaires 

Not sure what you mean by that. Africa has some of the strongest growth in the world. 12 of the world's 20 fastest growing economies are in Africa. Africa has two of the five fastest growing sub-regions (East Africa and West Africa) - higher than anywhere in Europe. Their growth rate is maybe 4 or 5 times higher than Europe. Compared to 40 years ago, I'd say Africa has probably progressed further forward, relatively, than Europe.

If you are sceptical about the value of giving money to Africa, it may be because they are doing pretty well relative to us, not because they are 'no further forward'. 

[Caledonian Craig]

Well I certainly don't see continuous news reports about famine in Africa so things have surely improved. I am not saying that is all because of Live Aid though necessarily.

[TDYER63]

I watched this documentary a couple of weeks ago. Urgh, it was so nostalgic I remember the whole day like it was yesterday. I actually cried seeing the piece of film with The Cars backing track again. 

Big festivals and concerts are ten a penny these days and its so easy to watch them from your home, but in the 80’s this was a massive thing. Bob Geldof was an absolute force of nature and deserves credit for what he achieved. I am pretty certain he would have become rich and successful no matter what , he was never going to be a shy retiring wallflower.
The fact his profile and bank balance were raised in direct response to him mobilising such a massive charity event is in fact well deserved, IMO. 

[Orraloon]

On 7/16/2025 at 3:53 PM, Ally Bongo said:

might have even been 80 shilling which back then was 4.5%

By far the best pint you could regularly get in Scotland around that time was McEwans 80, which was indeed 4.5% That often caught the tourists out, as it was a lot stronger than your typical English pint. And, it was really easy to drink a lot of it, as if it was being poured correctly, you used compressed air rather than CO2. Made a very smooth pint. You can still get it in a few "select" pubs in Dundee, but it hasn't been brewed in Scotland for about 20 years. It's now brewed in the old Charlie Wells brewery in Bedford. I think they recently changed it's name to the Eagle Brewery. As you might have guessed it's still one of my favourite pints although we have many more good beers to choose from these days.