Outside of music circles, no one had ever heard of Bob Geldof before the runup to “Live Aid”, the global rock concert that took place on this date in 1985. My apologies if you are (or were) a fan of the Boomtown Rats, of which Geldof was the lead singer. Not exactly a household name. But Bob Geldof was the driving force behind "Live Aid", the most ambitious music/live performance undertaking in history!
Designed to raise money for Africans facing starvation, the concerts in Wembley Stadium in London and JFK Stadium in Philadelphia (among other arenas) attracted a worldwide audience of over a BILLION people in 110 nations and raised an estimated $125 million in famine relief.
What started as a trip to Ethiopia began a snowball effect. “Do They Know It’s Christmas” was the direct result of that trip. Performed by “Band-Aid”, composed of members of the Culture Club, Wham!, Duran Duran, Phil Collins and U2, the single raised $10 million.
Drawing on that success, “We Are The World” followed and then the thought of a global concert started to get traction. More than 75 acts performed that day-a virtual “Who’s Who” of the music industry. One of the highlights was the performance of Elton John in Philadelphia, who traveled from London via the Concorde after taking the stage at Wembley earlier in the day.
But back to the essential question: Where is the modern day “Live Aid”? Are we so self-absorbed in the economic crisis that we have failed to look at the millions of people worldwide who are STILL living day-to-day, keeping death at bay by the slimmest of margins?
I think that we are ready for the music industry to step up again and lead the world into a renewed level of awareness and shared responsibility for our fellow human beings. I know that the radio industry was instrumental in promoting this—and we certainly would be again!
Below is a clip of Madonna at Live Aid for your viewing pleasure!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5YmzHOMBps
If you’d like my blog in your box-just let me know! Tim.moore@citcomm.com
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