Happy Fortieth Live Aid! Memories of The Global Jukebox

The first words spoken by broadcaster Richard Skinner as Live Aid kicked off.

If Charles and Di attended an event together, then you know it happened eons ago! Well, OK, forty years to be exact. Those opening words, spoken by British broadcaster Richard Skinner, were heard all around the world on 13th July 1985 as the biggest, grandest and most ambitious of benefit concerts in the history of benefit concerts began... This was Live Aid, and this was to be a moment in history that was going to be remembered and talked about for years to come by all those who attended the concerts (either at Wembley or Philadelphia) those who were there via their TV sets... and the poor souls who wanted to avoid it but couldn't! Because let's face it - Live Aid was just EVERYWHERE!!! Though there couldn't have been many who wanted to lock themselves away and only venture out once Live Aid was over. We certainly didn't!

The Prince and Princess of Wales. The 1985 version!

Forty definitely seems to be the magic number this year. Popular soap operas EastEnders and Neighbours have both celebrated turning forty. And now this month we celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the biggest and baddest musical event there ever was - Live Aid! Gosh, what a cool year 1985 was! So if you're turning/have turned forty yourself this year, then you're in great company. This musical charity fundraiser was one like we'd never seen before: a transatlantic dual-venue event; a glimpse into Bob Geldof and Midge Ure's phone books; a huge satellite link-up; rap taking to the mainstream stage courtesy of Run DMC; a global audience of just under two billion... and for over twenty minutes, we had a new reigning monarch - and we don't mean the Prince of Wales! Is it even possible to talk about Live Aid without mentioning Queen's iconic (or whatever the adjective is that exceeds 'iconic') performance at least once? Freddie - we hope you're keeping them entertained up there... #forevermissed

And yet somehow Cher didn't get the memo and had to be told by a fellow passenger on a Concorde flight about the musical charity extravaganza that somehow her musician mates neglected to tell her about, and the whole world was going Radio gaga over! Had Angel been Cher, she would have styled it out and acted like she knew about it all along ("Yeah, of course I know! I'm heading that way now. I just, er, wasn't sure if you knew. I'd hate for you to, um, find out that no one bothered to tell you.") But seriously - how did she not know???Oh and the passenger was none other than Phil Collins who, after playing his set at Wembley, was rushing over to take to the stage at Philadelphia - the only artist to play both venues. Go on, Phil!

Live Aid: What's it All About?

At Nostalgia Pie, we're all about reminiscing and strolls down memory lane (just in case it's escaped your attention!) When we did the posts to mark Live Aid's thirty fifth anniversary (gosh, it'll be the fiftieth before any of us know it!) one of the things we loved was talking to people who remembered that time well. Although none of them had actually been to either concert, they all remembered watching it on TV and all the buzz and excitement that surrounded the event. Oh, and it was all for a great cause:

The people of Ethiopia were dying of hunger. There was no food because there was no water as it hadn't rained for years. So the pop stars got together and held a concert. All the money they made went to the people of Ethiopia. Bob Geldof was the main man! - Christopher, London

Don't forget Midge Ure, Christopher, but thank you for summing it up so perfectly. Live Aid - tagged as the 'Global Jukebox' - was a benefit concert held in the summer of 1985 as part of an ongoing musical fundraising scheme, in order to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia. The concert was the brainchild of Boomtown Rat (now Sir) Bob Geldof and Ultravox's Midge Ure. They organized that huge-scale, dual-venue event (the American part of Live Aid saw a concert held simultaneously across the pond in John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, US) in just ten short weeks. So if you wondered why Bob Geldof looked as though he was in need of a couple of espressos and Midge Ure had tears in his eyes even when he wasn't dancing, there's your answer - sheer exhaustion!

The guys in charge: Bob and Midge!

Nostalgia Pie did a series of posts to mark the thirty-fifth anniversary of Live Aid, and one of the things we loved was getting to hear everyone's recollections and reminiscences of that time. Therefore to mark Live Aid's fortieth anniversary, we thought why not post a collection of recollections! So here's a Whole Lotta memories from those who remember or vaguely remember Live Aid; that blazing hot day in July 1985, and the magical, mystical time that was the 1980s...

Live Aid was one of the best things I have ever experienced. In the lead up to it, everyone was so excited and everywhere you went, people were talking about it. It was all anyone at work could talk about and we were all planning to watch EVERYTHING! I remember it was a very hot day, and my sister and I stayed up all night, watching Live Aid and we didn't go to sleep until about 4am. I'm so glad I've been asked about Live Aid because it has brought back some very special memories. Live Aid was like a big party that the whole country was celebrating. I don't think we've ever experienced anything like that since. - Marilyn, Essex

My original memories of it as a ten year old was that I'd never seen anything so long! In the paper, I remember the complete listing of the artists was long and BBC coverage then was about eight hours of solid TV. Mind boggling to a ten year old. Just remember that it was the only thing talked about for ages after and the first of its kind. - Jay, Cardiff (@greenjourney94)

I wasn't there but I saw it on TV. I would say that Queen was the highlight without a doubt. How they brought the house down and raised the amount of money they did during the time they were on, going over the one million pound target. Probably the first and the beginning of how a live concert could bring awareness and raise money for a great cause. - Anne, Essex

It's remarkable to think that forty years have passed since the iconic Live Aid event. I was just eight years old when I watched the event on television in my room, and the memory remains vivid. The experience of witnessing such a momentous occasion at a young age, during the musically rich 1980s, was truly special. The standout performance of the event was undoubtedly Queen's, which was nothing short of extraordinary. To this day, Queen holds the top spot as my favourite group, and their performance continues to inspire me. - Stew, Idaho (formerly Scotland) (@stewcoull and @blockbuster_be_kind_rewind )

All I can recall is that it was a magical day. Everyone was watching it on TV. The bands were great! Bryan Adams singing Summer of '69 in Philadelphia... It was a great day. Thoroughly enjoyed Live Aid - Brings back memories... - Esther, London.

I remember Live Aid very well. It called the attention of music fans around the world. Bob Geldof got to reunite bands that had split before the event like Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin. Personally I found the event a dream come true for rock n' roll fans. At the time I couldn't fly to London to see my fave bands perform: The Who; Status Quo; Queen; Dire Straights...Or I would have gone. Live Aid was not broadcast live in Brazil. We got to watch it on MTV Brazil. Interesting to point out that same year in January, we had the first Rock in Rio." - Robert, Brazil ( @bobbyrock_brazil )

Live Aid was held a year after my wedding and was televised worldwide. It was a full house at Wembley Stadium, and the guests included Paul McCartney, Queen, Elton John... and I think David Bowie was there too.” (Yes, he was! - Angel!) - Manual, London

I was twenty years old... carefree; loved life; dancing; discos, Top of the Pops... every sort of music from country to rock n roll to Irish ballads. And Live Aid... Loved the way all the singers came together and how they sounded. Especially George Michael! Oh and we had no mobile phones! - Trish, Ireland

I was actually in Ipswich on a training course back then. In a complete moment of madness - I did a sky dive! That's my memory of that time! - Ray, Essex

I have very clear memories of watching Live Aid, back in July 1985. I was sat with my sister, eating snacks, and we enjoyed this amazing and iconic moment in history. All those amazing musicians and artists performing for the world. Such a great cause. - Neil, Manchester (@sonic_sounds_68 )

What a night to be alive back in July '85! I'll never forget watching Run DMC take the stage in Philadelphia - the only hip-hop artists to perform at Live Aid. Madonna was another stand-out for me. But the icing on the cake, the moment that still makes my skin tingle to this day, was watching Queen. With Freddie at the helm, he held the entire world in the palm of his hands as he chanted, "We will, we will rock you!" An iconic moment that will live on forever as one of the most legendary rock concerts of all time - B.A. Keating, California, USA (Via Essex!) (@bakeatingauthor)

Nobody back then envisaged the impact Live Aid would have on future generations. It was bigger than Woodstock tenfold. Enough said! - Cletus, London

The first band was Status Quo and the first song was Rockin' All Over the World. It was one of the hottest days and the concert was brilliant! I remember Phil Collins being at Wembley and then flying off straight after to be at the concert in Philadelphia. Top bands that raised their profile were Queen and Led Zeppelin. We've had other concerts but Live Aid was the most memorable. - Vincent, Essex

I'd barely turned seven years old at the time of Live Aid so I was young, but luckily, just about young enough to recall bits and pieces. Funnily enough, I have significantly clearer memories of the build-up at school where we were handed cardboard collection boxes. I remember being really proud of the fact that with the help of friends, family members and neighbours, I'd managed to fill my donation box to the brim with coins, all of which were being sent to Ethiopia. I hope that they were sent there. That's what our teacher told us at the time. Hmmmm... LOL!

As I say, I was a young whippersnapper at the time, but the mid-eighties are my first clear and evocative memories so it's quite apt for this to appear on a nostalgic website. - Alex, a Brit in North Carolina (@alexg.2022)

As a kid from the MTV generation, Live Aid was a major feature of my childhood. It was exciting to see that giant mishmash of talent coming together for like a really good thing. And there wasn't a lot of hype there would be today. They just did their thing! Sadly, we've never been able to replicate it. Today's music industry is set up solely to generate profit unto itself, and anything humanitarian in appearance is a marketing device, it seems. We got too greedy and too jaded. WE NEED ANOTHER LIVE AID!!! - Lydia, Washington D.C. USA

Angel's Note:

I'm glad I can say I watched Live Aid when it was first broadcast. It's just a pity I can hardly remember anything! I mean if I can remember blowing out the candles on my birthday cake to celebrate turning two and even remember the dress I was wearing (I'm not kidding!) how can I not remember much about Live Aid when I was a few years older and definitely old enough to remember? This is one mystery for Carol Vorderman to solve, I reckon.

Madonna

I know I was at home with my mum, and in our velvet-flock wallpapered living room with chintz carpet (it was the eighties!) and I just remember seeing a steady stream of well-known pop stars taking to the stage in what appeared to be an all-day Top of the Pops! I do remember seeing Madonna. And I can ever so hazily recall performances by Paul Young and Nik Kershaw of whom I was a big fan. Then Dad came home in the evening, and being a pop and rock fan himself, settled down to watch the evening performances.

I would have been in infant school at the time of Live Aid, and I'm very surprised that our school (shout out to William Davies Infant School in Forest Gate!) didn't do any kind of fundraising for the event as they normally would do. At least - I don't think they did! I do wish I could remember all the excited chatter and anticipation leading up to the big day - and being a part of that. And I'm gutted that I don't remember watching Queen doing what they do best by being the absolute legends that we all know they are, or seeing Freddie's vocal warm-up live on stage. I wonder if I'd have the same effect if I did warm ups in the middle of my pronunciation classes with my group of English language students... Nah, even with light-washed denim jeans and a broken mic stand, I'd never be able to pull it off the way Freddie did! As I sat there glued to the TV, totally entranced by all my fave pop stars, I didn't realize that I was watching history in the making, and that it would be many years later before I realized why Live Aid is praised as by many who are fortunate enough to remember it well as the greatest live concert of all time!!!

These Are The Days of Our Lives

When asking people for their memories of Live Aid, one thing we noticed about those who remembered it well, was how they came alive when recalling memories of an event that occurred four decades ago. Quite an achievement considering some of us can't even remember why we opened the fridge door! They absolutely lit up. Their love of that time and for that event was just spilling over, especially when they recalled other events that were happening in their own lives at that time. Never underestimate the power of nostalgia, people! And after having watched Live Aid ourselves from start to finish, we can see just why it means so much to so many people. There are just no words to describe the feelings you get from watching such an event so for those who were actually there in person... we can only imagine...

If you still have doubts over how great Live Aid was, this pic should tell you everything you need to know!

For those of us who were too young to remember or hadn't been born yet, everyone's accounts of that day just made us want to climb into the nearest time machine and head back to 1985 so that we could experience it all for ourselves. For those who remembered it, they wanted to get into the time machine with us so that they could experience it all over again. And who could blame them! (Come on! We've got driverless cars - when are they gonna get started on that time machine???)

I hope you've enjoyed reminiscing with us and reading everyone's recollections of the event. And I have to say a big, fat thank you to all these lovely people who willingly took the time to share their memories with us - even though they'd all been approached at the eleventh hour. As I said to Alex in North Carolina, someone who has as much disregard for word limits as I do, I felt like Bob Geldof rounding up all the artists for Live Aid. But at least this 'Bob' didn't have to badger anyone!

Thanks guys. I'm truly grateful. It's been lovely hearing your stories and going on a journey back in time with you. I owe you all a drink - for real. But just the one! x

B.A. Keating summed it up best - what a time to be alive! Happy Live Aid Day, everyone!

Photos: YouTube

Blog graphics: Angel Noire