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LIVE AID: 20 YEARS ON
BBC TWO is currently doing a twenty-year on 'story of Live Aid', which is interesting for a few reasons: not least the portion where Bob Geldof recalls watching Michael Buerk's original Nine O'Clock News report - back when it wasn't about the Geldof brand, when it was about a clear, obvious, pressing need. The human Bob from 1984 was a much more impressive figure than the Saint of 2005.
The clearly still-rankled Midge Ure tries desperately to pretend that he's put all the upset of being locked out of Live Aid behind him; while Bob continues to maintain that it had nothing to do with Ure anyway.
The most familiar element, though, is the anger at the lack of black artists at Wembley. Bob, in archive footage, is seen defending the decision - it has to be about who will make the world watch, it doesn't matter if they're turquoise or dayglo or black. If there was a little less silver in his hair, it could have been from last week. Talking in 2005, Harvey Goldsmith is illuminating:
"Political correctness wasn't that terrible at the time, so we didn't have to have a one-legged lesbian there."
So, the co-promoter of Live Aid and Live 8 feels that having a few black artists on a pro-Africa event is "political correctness." That's encouraging.
6 comments:
It did seem that Annabel Giles was voicing much of Midge's frustration, so much so I'd suggest therapy.
So, shall we start taking bets as to which band will be used for the 21st century equivalent of 'Drive'? Keane? Coldplay?
Ian
Sir Bob's obviously remembered that Japan is part of G8:
http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=1&id=340770&display=all
The Live 8 version of Drive? I'm betting it'll be some footage from twenty years ago, edited with more positive images (gratitude-filled smiling faces; perhaps one or two eyes turned upwards looking at Sir Bob on his African travels). Bound to be Everyone's Changing, isn't it?
I suggested Faith No More's "We Care a Lot" as the new "Drive."
Which is still available in the popular MP3 format at:
http://glammerocity.blogspot.com/2005/06/whos-gonna-tell-you-when-its-too-l8.html
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