Page 2 | Live Aid 1985 - were you there?

IPlayMyGuitar · 2024-01-28T23:27:39+00:00

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.

Moier · 29/01/2024 10:36

No I'd just given birth to my first daughter.
My friends went.

Floralnomad · 29/01/2024 10:38

I went with my sisters , I honestly can’t remember much about it and I know at the time I went to a Springsteen concert either a week or two before or after and enjoyed that more . We also went to the Queen tour in 1986 at Wembley and that was excellent .

yadayadayada2023 · 29/01/2024 10:39

RaelImperialAerosolKid · 29/01/2024 06:59

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.

the lyric is 'rage' not 'race'

Mirrormeback · 29/01/2024 11:20

Had it on TV in the background whilst hanging out with my friends

Justleaveitblankthen · 29/01/2024 11:24

I had worked that morning as a Saturday Girl at the hairdressers. Watched the first part on the big telly, then off to the black and white portable for the Philly part.
Nipped back down excitedly to watch Madonna in full colour with her tambourine 😂

Original poster

IPlayMyGuitar · 29/01/2024 11:33

Do you remember the teddy bear being thrown around the stadium to chants of "who's got the bear'?

OP posts:

crumpet · 29/01/2024 11:45

Don’t remember any story that Queen had to beg to be included due to South Africa. They were definitely seen as generally uncool at the time, and the Live Aid performance woke a lot of people up to their talent.

Original poster

IPlayMyGuitar · 29/01/2024 11:54

Queen were not top of my list to see on the day - I was really excited about Bowie and I am a huge Who fan. So I was really surprised when they were the stand out band of the day at least they were for me.
The story on the TV show i watched was that Geldof bumped into them one night and pressured then into appearing.

OP posts:

SoupAnyone · 29/01/2024 11:59

We had a viewing party at a friends home (all late teens early twenties, Uni students). Had an amazing party in the garden while watching it. Super super afternoon / evening

LardoBurrows · 29/01/2024 12:20

Didn't go to the concert, but me, my mate and my boyfriend all watched it at my flat in Shepherds Bush (happy days) and I've never forgotten Queen's performance, they were awesome. They were so professional, pumping out one hit after another and just smashed it.

I remember being sorry that I wasn't there, but on the other hand it was a hot day (I think) and I'm rubbish in the heat.

beguilingeyes · 29/01/2024 12:43

The thing that Queen got, that nobody else did, was that you had to play stuff that everybody knew, for a global audience, not just your latest single (Adam Ant) or just two songs (U2...yawn). They played a medley of pretty much everything. No wonder they went down best.

FormerlySpeckledyHen · 29/01/2024 12:46

@IPlayMyGuitar Teddy was even written about in the reviews in the papers. I’ve got copies somewhere in the loft.

FormerlySpeckledyHen · 29/01/2024 12:49

Concord being flown over the stadium with Phil Collins on board on his way to Philadelphia after his set, and the endless helicopters 🚁 ferrying artists in and out also stand out for me.

FatOaf · 29/01/2024 12:56

I watched on a portable black & white television I'd borrowed from my mum (never had a television myself until then).

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

For me, The Style Council and Sade were the highlights. But U2 and Queen stood out for how they handled such a massive audience. I'd never liked Queen and didn't expect to enjoy their set, but I had to admit their performance was great (and I did like Radio Ga-Ga, anyway).

FormerlySpeckledyHen · 29/01/2024 13:07

Rockin’ All Over The World

MrsMoastyToasty · 29/01/2024 13:08

I watched the whole thing on TV from start to finish. For me it was a momentous week. I had only left school the day before (6th form at my school returned for the final week of term for final assembly etc).

Whattheduck · 29/01/2024 13:20

I did my cousin worked with Queen at the time so went with him
I have it on dvd still watch it now and again such a great day

HipHop63 · 29/01/2024 13:23

No but I remember being at my Grandma's house with Mum and it was on the TV, Mum wanted to go home but Queen were up next so she let me watch all of Queen perform. It was around tea time from memory. They literally stole the show, they were phenomenal considering it was all last minute for them too.

I went to see Queen live in around 2016 at Wembley and later when Freddie died went to the AIDS awareness concert which was at Wembley 20th April 1992 with 77,000 other people. That was amazing, we kipped the night in the car as it was too late to drive home.

beguilingeyes · 29/01/2024 16:06

I was at the Freddie Tribute too and enjoyed it more than Live Aid, I think. How great was George Michael.

friedeggandtoast · 29/01/2024 16:16

SheerLucks · 29/01/2024 01:46

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.

This is all utter bollocks

NeverDropYourMooncup · 29/01/2024 16:24

beguilingeyes · 29/01/2024 10:29

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...

The image of Farouk Bulsara as a well known Nazi and white supremacist doesn't really work, does it?

LoreleiG · 29/01/2024 16:24

Well I missed the memo about Queen being uncool as I was only seven. They are the most memorable part of it for me -that and Sting singing Money for Nothing with Dire Straits.

LardoBurrows · 29/01/2024 17:47

beguilingeyes · 29/01/2024 12:43

The thing that Queen got, that nobody else did, was that you had to play stuff that everybody knew, for a global audience, not just your latest single (Adam Ant) or just two songs (U2...yawn). They played a medley of pretty much everything. No wonder they went down best.

Absolutely this. Bono climbing down to commune with the audience, just embarrassing.

TheCadoganArms · 29/01/2024 21:13

LardoBurrows · 29/01/2024 17:47

Absolutely this. Bono climbing down to commune with the audience, just embarrassing.

Show quote history

I thought he jumped off the stage to assist some woman in the crowd who was getting squashed against the barrier. U2 were due to finish their set with Pride (in the name of love) which was their big hit at the time. Apparently the rest if the band were furious with him for making them miss their slot.

TheCadoganArms · 29/01/2024 21:16

beguilingeyes · 29/01/2024 12:43

The thing that Queen got, that nobody else did, was that you had to play stuff that everybody knew, for a global audience, not just your latest single (Adam Ant) or just two songs (U2...yawn). They played a medley of pretty much everything. No wonder they went down best.

Pretty sure Paul McCartney 'got it'.

Live Aid 1985 - were you there?

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