Live Aid 1985 - were you there?

[IPlayMyGuitar]

Anybody else around who went to Wembley to Live Aid? I've just been watching something about Queen and their performance. I remember they were unbelievable - nobody else came close. I've not met anybody else who was there.

Yes, along with the 5.5 million liars who said they were.

I watched it live on TV with my family, but when Queen came on we all left the room and did something else.

The film and the myth says one thing, but Queen had recently played at Sol Kersner's opening of his big casino in South Africa, when all other artists were boycotting it. Queen grabbed the money and played, which was a huge no-no and they apparently had to literally beg Bob Geldoff to let them play.

Everyone knew this and so they were a very unpopular inclusion.

So it's very strange now to read that their's was the performance of the night, when nobody at the time considered them worthy of even watching.

Viewing the YouTube footage now though, they were incredible - I guess they had a lot to prove.

@SheerLucks Queen had recently played at Sol Kersner's opening of his big casino in South Africa, when all other artists were boycotting it. Queen grabbed the money and played, which was a huge no-no and they apparently had to literally beg Bob Geldoff to let them play. Everyone knew this and so they were a very unpopular inclusion

Really?? have never heard that rumour!??

............. Other reports say:
Legend has it that Bob Geldofʼs invitation to Queen to play at Live Aid ran along the lines of: “Tell the old faggot itʼs going to be the biggest thing ever…” Freddie, naturally, found that irresistible.

Never heard that one either. In fact, BG announced Queen in the weeks leading up to LA when the band hadn’t said yes.

Not sure about the circumstances leading up to their Live Aid appearance but Queen most definitely played in South Africa during the boycott and were very unpopular at the time as a result. Their image was rehabilitated by Live Aid and South Africa conveniently 'forgotten'.

I was 11 and watched it all at home, on the phone to my mate almost constantly.

Funny, I sort of remember something about Queen and SA now you mention it. But they weren’t my cup of tea so I wasn’t very interested. I watched the dvd a few weeks ago though - they were incredible.

I remember the 'sun city' boycott - and that Queen played there. There was also a lot of controversy about their lyrics 'this race that lasts a thousand years' - all conveniently whitewashed by the film.

That's the lyrics for A Kind of Magic from Highlander - a film about nigh on immortal beings competing/fighting to win - 'there can be only one'.

I was there

I was flying into Heathrow that day and passed over the top. It was pretty incredible to see all the people filling the stadium.

Yes, i was very lucky to be there!

I heard some of it from the back garden of my grandmother, when I was not mowing her lawn!!

Yes, I went with two of my brothers

The entire department from work went - we were in the seats not the arena. It was hot and humid and I bailed around 7pm.

I didn't go but it was on live at my 21st birthday party, we had a brilliant night and felt as though we were in the middle of something big .

No (I wasn’t born!) but I did go to Live 8, the 20-year anniversary concert they did in Hyde Park. It didn’t have anything like the impact of the original but it was a great day!

We videoed it all on our beta max. We were at a party at the neighbour’s house and kept having to run up the road to change the tape. The first tape was in black and white because we had only had the beta max a few weeks and we pressed a wrong button.

I was there with my BF at the time and he had queued for hours to get our tickets! It was a fantastic day and so well organised. I have never forgotten it and I thought Queen stole the show.

This is pretty much all nonsense. It’s true that Queen’s popularity had definitely waned at that time…but they still had a massive fan base, they absolutely did not have to “beg Geldof” for a spot, and their incredible performance at Live Aid put them right back at the top for a good while.

Yes, I was there. Right down the front and I’m caught in a photo of the crowd in the Live Aid book that accompanied the concert (came out later - I got it for Christmas).

It was as incredible as people say. One thing that’s not mentioned is the way we all got there and sat on the ground having picnics etc before the first performance. Once Mel and Gryff left the stage (having intro’d The Quo), the band started the first notes to ‘Rocking All Over The World’ and everyone on the ‘pitch’ got up and ran forward with enormous excitement and joy! It was IMMENSE!

Queen and U2 were amazing.

I wasn't there, but it was my 12th birthday!

I was kinda there - we had tickets for Dire Straits at the Arena so we were in the near vacinity and amongst the departing crowds. I honestly can’t remember where the then boyfriend parked. He was an expert in where to access tricky venues etc. - possibly his best characteristic 😂

I was a young teen and while I do remember it being on, I wasn’t interested in any of those acts so didn’t watch it.

I just looked at the line-up. I loved the Style Council, but I didn’t even realise they were on.

I was there. I still have my ticket and t shirt. I was 23 at the time and had no trouble getting tickets. I went up to the stadium box office the night before they were supposed to go on sale and bought them then. We went mostly for The Who who weren't really a going concern at the time. We were fairly near the front and can be seen a little bit in the Status Quo bit of the DVD.

"So it's very strange now to read that their's was the performance of the night, when nobody at the time considered them worthy of even watching"

This is nonsense. You might not have watched them, but I don't know anyone else who avoided them and that's not counting the 72,000 of us in the stadium. There was a lot of noise about Sun City in the media, but it didn't really affect their popularity at all. It wasn't a mainstream thing.

"I remember the 'sun city' boycott - and that Queen played there. There was also a lot of controversy about their lyrics 'this race that lasts a thousand years' - all conveniently whitewashed by the film."

This is even more nonsense. There was no controversy or whitewash. That song came from Highlander and the lyrics were about the character in the film. I don't even know what you're trying to insinuate here. Suddenly Freddie Mercury is a Nazi?!?!??

The recent Bohemian Rhapsody film also made me laugh when in the run up to Live Aid one of the band asserted that they 'hadn't played together for years'. Talk about dramatic licence...they were on tour at the time! They played Wembley Arena for three or four nights the previous September... I was at that too... and were in the middle of a huge tour. Radio Gaga has just come out and went to number one in 19 countries. So much for waning popularity...

LOL Quite. Along with everyone owning a bit of the Berlin wall.