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Live Aid - The Musical


toneknob

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Coming to the Old Vic in the New Year: https://www.oldvictheatre.com/stage/event/just-for-one-day

 

"Relive the day music brought the world together. Featuring the songs of Bob Dylan, David Bowie, The Who, U2, Queen, The Police, Elton John, Paul McCartney, The Pretenders, The Cars, Status Quo, Paul Weller, Sade, The Boomtown Rats, Bryan Adams, Diana Ross, Ultravox and more, this is the story of Live Aid and the people united by it. Political unrest, social revolution, boom and bust. In a decade of neon and noise, one moment made the world stand still and brought 1.5 billion people together – and they all have a story to tell about ‘the day rock ‘n’ roll changed the world’. "

 

What do you remember of the day?

 

I've recently been through the entirety of the show (well, 99% of it - playlist below - there's no Led Zep obviously) and while some of it is amazing it, Saturday afternoon in London gets a bit of chore on occasion - mostly thank to bands who are playing their latest and (not so) greatest rather than running through the hits as the better performances exhibit (Queen, Bowie, Ultravox, etc).

 

_

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I was into U2  at the time and couldn't be arsed to pop along to Wembley for a few numbers. I'd gone to Milton Keynes to see them a few weeks before so stayed at home and watched on the box. A decision I still feel was a mistake. Not much of a Queen fan at all but they were excellent, Simple Minds across the pond did a good spot I thought....not sure what went on with Bob Dylan and friends though. I thought it was a pretty good day to be fair.

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The day that Queen covered themselves in glory, and Led Zeppelin covered themselves in something else.

 

we still use the mantra ‘Queen at Live Aid’ in one of the bands I dep for - meaning no messing around during soundcheck. 5 minutes at the absolute maximum.

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10 hours ago, Rayman said:

I had been on a stag night the night before…. I was running between the front room and bathroom all day…..

 

I remember Bono….. then going to throw up 

 

My first ever gig was Dire Straits the night before Live Aid - they were half way through their endless run at Wembley Arena on the Brothers In Arms tour. On the day they played their Live Aid slot at Wembley Stadium, paused for a restorative half of mild and a Capstan No 6, then played another full set back at Wembley Arena.

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8 hours ago, PaulThePlug said:

^ I read somewhere that Jimmy Page had some newfangled self-tuning machine-head type thingy...

Maybe he had it on Uke Tuning... like the little button on the clip on tuner!

Such a shame...

 

I've never seen the Zep set from Live Aid - my second (and last) 4-hour VHS tape had long run out by the time they came on. I'm equally curious and terrified to see it.

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14 hours ago, toneknob said:

What do you remember of the day?

 

Very little.

 

I didn't have a TV at the time so I didn't see it. I had found the BandAid single musically and lyrically cringeworthy and all of the bands I knew were playing were either too mainstream or past their sell by date IMO, so even if I had the opportunity to watch I doubt I would have taken it.

 

I probably spent the day reading and/or working on composing new songs for my band.

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14 hours ago, toneknob said:

 

What do you remember of the day?

 

14 hours ago, toneknob said:

 

 

_

I remember going to work, at lunchtime we were in a Pub, someone put a TV on and there it was 'Live Aid' - which was described to me as something to do with Bob Geldof's charity thing. Status Quo were on and we went back to work. 

 

When I got home Live Aid was still going and I saw U2 were on, my thought was that 'this is that band that Dave at college likes' but as an event it still didn't 'resonate'.  Sometime later, in a different Pub it was on a TV and a girl had a rant about the length of Bob Geldof's hair - it was a pub and so didn't / couldn't  hear any music. Went home and spent 38 years catching up on snippets of it and a lot of opinions of others.

 

A few years later I built a water tanker, paid for with 'Live Aid' funds.

 

There you have it - 'Live Aid'  

 

 

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I was a student living just down the road in Woodgreen. Watched most of it on a tiny black and white TV in my bedsit. I don't remember The Led Zep set and knowing my attitude to current pop, I would probably only have taken notice of the likes of Bowie and Status Quo. I did like Queen, so they would have been on the radar too. 

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7 hours ago, toneknob said:

 

I've never seen the Zep set from Live Aid - my second (and last) 4-hour VHS tape had long run out by the time they came on. I'm equally curious and terrified to see it.

It’s embarrassing. I’ve not sat through their set no matter how many times I try.

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I was 15 at the time and on the France leg of a student exchange scheme, staying in Biarritz. I was probably surfing that day so the whole event passed me by. Not yet seen a second's footage either. Having looked at the playlist I'd have tuned in for Sade, though a huge open air fest was not the best stage for her. Might YT her at LA now.

Edited by Barking Spiders
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On 11/10/2023 at 17:58, vbance said:

I was into U2  at the time and couldn't be arsed to pop along to Wembley for a few numbers. I'd gone to Milton Keynes to see them a few weeks before so stayed at home and watched on the box. A decision I still feel was a mistake. Not much of a Queen fan at all but they were excellent, Simple Minds across the pond did a good spot I thought....not sure what went on with Bob Dylan and friends though. I thought it was a pretty good day to be fair.

Me too.
u2 stole the show, imho. Bad was, and still is, one of my favourite songs ever 

I was 14 and spent the day wired on black coffee and biscuits 

Edited by Geek99
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On 11/10/2023 at 16:42, toneknob said:

What do you remember of the day?

 

I watched the start and the first few hours with my sister and then we got a bit bored and drifted away. I think we tuned in now and again during the day and evening as well.

 

We enjoyed we saw iirc, but it was very clear early on that Queen were never going to be bettered.

 

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48 minutes ago, MacDaddy said:

“Doing that show was the biggest f**king mistake in the world. Knighthoods were made, Bono got it made, and it was a waste of f**king time. It was the end of rock ‘n’ roll"

Adam Ant.

 

He played one song that no one knew, no wonder he's angry 

 

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4 hours ago, MacDaddy said:

“Doing that show was the biggest f**king mistake in the world. Knighthoods were made, Bono got it made, and it was a waste of f**king time. It was the end of rock ‘n’ roll"

Adam Ant.

That’s because he was sugar honey iced tea 

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On 11/10/2023 at 23:36, PaulThePlug said:

^ I read somewhere that Jimmy Page had some newfangled self-tuning machine-head type thingy...

Maybe he had it on Uke Tuning... like the little button on the clip on tuner!

Such a shame...

 

Didn't that a$$ hat Phil Collins make a total dogs dinner of it on the drums too?

Edited by Marky L
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20 hours ago, paul_5 said:

It’s embarrassing. I’ve not sat through their set no matter how many times I try.

 

I thought I'd have a look at it - that day I started watching it at home then went to the pub which was frequented by a lot of Tamworth musicians and watched more of it, but things did start getting a bit cloudy. Anyroadup, just found it on Youtube. Rock and roll - Plant's vocals are awful, Page's solo too. Skipped Whole Lorra Lorra Love and listened to Stairway - vocals and guitar good until the solo, when Page just plays an endless succession of bûm notes.

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I pretty much recorded it all (inc US stuff) on VHS video. There may be a few bits towards the end that got missed, but most of it is recorded for posterity on a large number of TDK 180 tapes!

 

Re. Zeppelin. There’s been recriminations over the years… https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/jimmy-page-regrets-led-zeppelins-reunion-phil-collins/

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4 hours ago, tauzero said:

 

I thought I'd have a look at it - that day I started watching it at home then went to the pub which was frequented by a lot of Tamworth musicians and watched more of it, but things did start getting a bit cloudy. Anyroadup, just found it on Youtube. Rock and roll - Plant's vocals are awful, Page's solo too. Skipped Whole Lorra Lorra Love and listened to Stairway - vocals and guitar good until the solo, when Page just plays an endless succession of bûm notes.

Just watched it. One could blame with quality of vid and sound but I've watched vids of Django & Stefan Grappelli from the 40s that still sound cleaner and tighter. Also watched all clips of other acts, like Status Quo, luckiest pub band in the world; Madonna...oh dear and so it goes. I'm not a fan of Queen or Bowie but they easily put on the best performances across both shows, Wembley and US, Queen having the edge. Watching on small screen decades later these two performances still stand up way way better than the rest.

Edited by Barking Spiders
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4 hours ago, Old Man Riva said:

I pretty much recorded it all (inc US stuff) on VHS video. There may be a few bits towards the end that got missed, but most of it is recorded for posterity on a large number of TDK 180 tapes!

 

Re. Zeppelin. There’s been recriminations over the years… https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/jimmy-page-regrets-led-zeppelins-reunion-phil-collins/

I watched it pretty much from around 4/5 pm onwards, as I had to go out with the family- I was 16. 
 

As for the Zep set…. Well I think Phil Collins said in that link that he was under prepared. But they had Tony Thompson already on board, who was touted at the time as one of the world’s best drummers . So my take is that it was ego only on them insisting on two drummers- and some of Page’s playing was shoddy as sh*t. But who am I to criticise really- I play in pubs, clubs and Holiday Camps. 
 

And two drummers? Who do they think they are? Adam and the Ants? Ha

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36 minutes ago, E sharp said:

Page’s playing was shoddy as sh*t.

Always was. To me, he sounded like he was playing, whilst falling down stairs, even on studio albums and I say this as a Led Zeppelin fan. That said, a great writer, producer arranger and acoustic player.

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5 hours ago, Old Man Riva said:

I pretty much recorded it all (inc US stuff) on VHS video. There may be a few bits towards the end that got missed, but most of it is recorded for posterity on a large number of TDK 180 tapes!

 

Re. Zeppelin. There’s been recriminations over the years… https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/jimmy-page-regrets-led-zeppelins-reunion-phil-collins/

 

Page blames Collins in that article - the drumming seemed OK, the lead guitar was absolute crap, and the vocals initially were also crap.

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