LIVE AID | The day the music died

[@AndyEdwardsDrummer]

This video was demonetised for including Bob Geldoff talking!!! Where would this money go? So I have muted that section.

[@markkusyrjala7919]

Wow! It was like a...joke. This is getting authoritarian isn’t it! (That last ”isn’t it” with Andy Edwards accent)

[@AndyEdwardsDrummer]

@@markkusyrjala7919 It is so strange. They claimed it was the song 'Do They Know It's Christmas' but it was not playing, so they have copyrighted what he is saying as being part of that song! Really odd

[@garyh.238]

@@AndyEdwardsDrummer Another example / symptom of the "corporate" approach

[@deansusec8745]

Oh screwem. Overrated

[@a.champagne6238]

"Ask the puppet masters who pull the strings Who gets the money when the puppets sing? Ask the corporations where the money goes Ask the empty bellied children what are we singing for." "Slag Aid" by Chumbawamba (1986)

[@Vurt.451]

Live Aid ... the beginning of rich people calling on minimum wage people to donate to poor people.

[@glitterkitty1979]

This

[@eleghari]

...and stealing all the donations (Bono & Geldof)

[@keithcrispin1368]

What all these elite arseholes seem to forget nowadays when calling everyone far right and racist same goes for the Burn Loot Murder gang

[@stud105]

Guilt tripping the UK for decades.

[@robicenco1701]

Even worse than that because there was no minimum wage in 1985!

[@tparker2095]

Led Zeppelin's 1985 reunion disaster was NOT Phil Collins' fault! Robert's voice was carelessly strained from constant touring, Jimmy was a recovering heroin addict playing unrehearsed songs on an out-of-tune guitar, and Tony Thompson constantly overplayed unnecessary fills on the drums like he had ten arms for his 15 minutes of fame. Meanwhile, Phil Collins and John Paul Jones sat back and held the rhythm together like two professionals. I have never understood why anyone blames Phil Collins, there is not a single piece of evidence in history showing that Phil messed up their performance. People lack common sense. Great video, Andy!

[@brunoprimas1483]

Correct. You just have to watch the performance to realize this .

[@jimmycampbell78]

Yes you're right. And on many occasions after 1976 John Paul Jones was holding Led Zeppelin performances together, true professional that he was.

[@jimmycampbell78]

It's Page that blamed Phil Collins. But you can see from the performance and particularly the interview afterward. Plant and Jones are embarrassed, Page is wasted.

[@brunoprimas1483]

@@jimmycampbell78 Page was a mess. Low class to try to defer the blame.

[@charlesbronson4282]

It's the stigma of Phil Collins that ruined Zeppelin's performance

[@johnhoblock5872]

"Live Aid was the biggest cocaine money laundering scheme of all time" -Frank Zappa

[@eleanorwalmsley635]

The man who cut through the bull shit, got straight to the point

[@kjemma]

No wonder. Roughly every single one of the people performing on stage was either addicts, or recovering addicts. Not exactly the cream of the crop of people, to say it mildly. The only thing I will give them, is that they were good muscians and/or singers, but it stops there.

[@schyllic]

The music never stops

[@spindriftdrinker]

@@eleanorwalmsley635 He had some good zingers, no doubt - but Zappa was no prophet either.

[@eleanorwalmsley635]

@@spindriftdrinker oh definitely, but he definitely let you know what he thought.. 🤣 🤣 🤣

[@johnny_fomo]

Our parents’ generation thought that everything would be better if Bob Dylan was running things. Our generation was confronted with the horrifying reality of Bono attending the G8 summit.

[@hansemannluchter643]

Isn't it "Pope Bono I"?

[@matthewatwood8641]

Your generation was stunningly naive. Bob would agree with me too.

[@thomasalexand]

Bono is an attendee of the criminal World Economic Forum: "You will own nothing and be happy."

[@LordHasenpfeffer]

@@thomasalexand BAM! Thank you for your bravery in stating that. I believe after "The Joshua Tree" someone knocked on the doors of Bono and Co. to give them an offer they couldn't refuse. Hence the insane shift in their output from the band that took pride in having little-to-no stage show to suddenly having ever-expanding stage shows thru which NWO/WEF propaganda could be promoted. I've called myself a fan since 1987... but that doesn't make me blind or unable to call it what it is.

[@MisAnnThorpe]

@@matthewatwood8641 Very true. Unfortunately, those that succeeded it were/are no less naive.

[@erikdolnack846]

In all fairness to the original Live-Aid concert in July 1985, go back and watch as much footage as exists, you won't see any corporate logos anywhere. The stage was bare and simple. There probably was some corporate sponsorship, but it was hidden tastefully, unlike all modern music concerts today.

[@garyhundsrucker7771]

Worse than that is how the music industry used social crisis for financial gain! Go look up photos of all the African slums still growing around Johannesburg and see if they made even the slightest dent in Apartheid!!;)

[@UranusMcVitieFish-yd7oq]

Pepsi sponsored Wembley, Coca-Cola sponsored JFK Stadium.

[@riiidiculoso8697]

@@garyhundsrucker7771 Live Aid was a fundraising event to assist those suffering from famine in Ethiopia, about five & a half thousand kilometres away from Johannesburg. It was around the time of Live Aid, however, that international awareness & opposition, as well as militant domestic opposition to apartheid in South Africa were coming to a head. In ‘87 the NP and ANC began negotiations for ending segregation and introducing majority rule. Apartheid legislation was repealed in 1991, and multiracial elections began in 1994. That’s 30+ years now, since apartheid was dismantled. If Johannesburg has slums, they are, by definition, African. If Johannesburg has Black slums, it has nothing to do with apartheid, and it certainly has nothing to do with foreign music industries. Your comment is completely nonsensical.

[@garyhundsrucker7771]

@@riiidiculoso8697 I only know what I saw and it didn’t look good. A whole lot of economic disparity goin’ on!

[@riiidiculoso8697]

@@garyhundsrucker7771 you saw what you saw.

[@TonyBlackNYC]

Agreed on many points. I'd add that MTV lit the fuse, LiveAid was the bomb...American Idol was the bulldozer, the IPOD finished the job.

[@ramblingsadrift6477]

Very good surmation

[@idahomike4254]

So the iPod killed music?

[@jazzpunk]

...friends of mine with iPods? Played only singles, the hits. That's music?

[@christopherwhittaker2620]

No, I couldn’t disagree. More regarding live aid being the bomb. It was a huge Much loved event by music lovers around the world.

[@christopherwhittaker2620]

Music hasn’t died. You’re just getting older. The music scene has changed dramatically regarding how it is sold. I personally have no issue with that because for decades, the record companies were ripping us all off massively. The price of albums and CDs was ridiculous. There are more festivals than ever before. There are more gigs in the UK than ever before. I can’t speak for America. There’s a whole music scene out there that the young people are into. Small gigs in small venues Is a big part of the music scene these days. Where many bands get to play and enjoy themselves instead of it being a handpicked few dominated by the record companies. There is a lot more bands doing it DIY. It seems to me, Andy and most of the people in the comments are just dinosaurs. Moaning and whining and showing their age basically. I say this as a 57-year-old man who has always loved music. But I don’t buy it for a second that the music has died. It’s one of the most ridiculous things I’ve heard in a long time. Add to that live aid was a hugely popular live concert around the world. Millions of people still remember exactly where they were when they watched it. I genuinely believe Andy here, he’s just putting out lazy Clickbait content. It’s kind of sad to be honest.

[@b2tall239]

It was 37 years ago 😉 I was at Live Aid in Philadelphia from start to finish....roughly 15 hours. I was a few months short of my 21st birthday. We each had a cooler filled with food, water, and alcohol. I don't remember anyone there whining and complaing about a guitar out of tune or someone's timing being off. Nobody cared. It was the most amazing concert experience I've ever had and I doubt very much if it will be surpassed, at least for me.

[@Atlas65]

It was actually 38 years ago. I'm turning 39 in the next month 😉

[@chrishills2427]

@@Atlas65 Surely to god it was 39 years ago lol. What's going on here? Did the video creator film this 12 years ago? The fuck?

[@brigidsingleton1596]

Live Aid was 39 years ago... I used a calculator because due to the comments above, I wasn't sure I could rely upon _my usual method of counting_ (due to my having dyscalculia) ...my fingers / thumbs!! (2024 - 1985 = 39, says my calculator!) ?!

[@gaymerguy69]

"Fun Fact", 🤔 the calendar we are using for 2024 is, for the most part, the SAME as we used in 1985 -- except, 1985 was NOT a Leap Year. 39 Years ago is correct though.

[@rexel666]

One of the biggest bands in the world at the time, the Human League, famously turned down Live Aid claiming, in later interviews, that the event hadn't been properly explained to them: "someone from Virgin records just asked us if we wanted to make a record with Bob Geldof and we immediately said no."

[@ВладимирКруглов-к9о]

By 1984 the HL weren't "one of the biggest bands in the world", not by a long shot.

[@DAVIDE-bk8by]

I was 21 on the day. I recall only a month or so after the discussion by student mates was saying exactly what you said here. The idea that it had sanitised rock n roll and also it did the bands that appeared no favours as it sort of took the star quality and lumped them together in a big gang. All that was thing talked about back in the day

[@judgedeath7193]

Live Aid was a fundraiser for the Ethiopian Army

[@Thenogomogo-zo3un]

Thank you. Geldof got a wake up call when he went over there to find out where the money went. The government men there were dressed in suits and driving around in Mercedes etc. When they met him they thought Geldof was some sort of tramp and was advised to change into suit and get a shower, haircut or he wouldnt be taken seriously. A whole shipment of trucks were confiscated by the military and import/customs there. Food sent by the US which was to be distributed for free ended up being sold in markets, Money to be used for 'aid' got spent on arms and ended up in Government ministers bank accounts Geldof didnt play politics after that At least people didnt forget him

[@raycowan1387]

All the money gays and trans are raising for Palestine go to Hamas. Who knows where the billions are going we send to Ukraine. No one is held accountable. Sad 😢

[@loganstroganoff1284]

​@@Thenogomogo-zo3unthis is why you don't send money or supplies to Africa. It has been a money pit for well meaning and virtue signaling westerners since the first Christian missionaries landed on the continent .

[@nicholassmith479]

Entirely predictable

[@chrisredding6673]

Yes; all the money went to Ethiopia. It's lovely now. 🙂

[@artomatt]

I'm not sure I completely followed all of the twists and turns of your argument, but it's hard for me to see that one event as so significant. I think the enemy of great music is the concentration of wealth in the industry into a relatively few corporations that can exert too much control. And that's been happening at least since Elvis Presley became more of a movie star than a rock and roller.

[@valueofnothing2487]

It was just a big concert with a lot of stars who were popular at the time. Is that so strange or remarkable?

[@Khayyam-vg9fw]

@@valueofnothing2487 No, it was that, of course, but it wasn't *just* that.

[@keriford54]

I agree that Live Aid didn't cause the change, but I think it can be a good marker, I actually think the change started earlier. Through the 1980s the music scene became more corporate rather than internally driven. By 1987 a threshold had been passed.

[@carlosgaspar8447]

@@keriford54 yes, i think andy is using that event more as a marker than a precipice from which there was no return.

[@mark-be9mq]

Drugs, wealth, fame & excess did quite a bit to mute talent, corporatize music & hollow out the art & artists

[@greggibson33]

Rock was about revolt... it was about protest... it was about changing the status quo... it was about channeling anger.... Rock is in hospice care now.

[@colinburroughs9871]

hospice care bands are on tour though..

[@greggibson33]

@@colinburroughs9871 Doesn't mean rock is not dying.

[@stephenfisch615]

Beethoven’s music is still being performed today. Just sayin’.

[@greggibson33]

@@stephenfisch615 Interesting... it literally had nothing to do with my comment but...

[@pfzt]

Oh, they changed the status quo alright. Bourgeois green party/liberal hypocrisy started to get mainstream momentum that night. It became ok to protest things that capitalism did on the other side of the globe while still enjoying the benefits back home with the academic credentials, the six figure job, inner city brownstone and Amnesty International/Greenpeace memberships.

[@riobabic8960]

The day pop music died was in 1987 . The last independent radio station was closed on Long Island by the American equivalent of the Crtc in Canada !

[@arribaficationwineho32]

Tom petty wrote a song called The Last DJ

[@psychbookman8613]

Wow...this was really brilliant. In a moment of nostalgia-seeking, I recently purchased the programs from the two shows, and was struck by the corporate sponsorship ads in the back. As I reflect on it, it is the bands who did NOT perform at Live Aid (Clash, Madness, Cure, Smiths, Depeche Mode) which I appreciate most today. Perhaps that is not coincidental.

[@timarmstrong3251]

The Kinks - unfashionable to the last!

[@BenLapke]

I was born in 1956 in the USA, lived through the dreck of the early sixties, the British Invasion of the mid-sixties, psychedelic rock, hard rock in the early seventies, singer songwriters of the early seventies, Jurassic Rock of the mid-seventies, punk rock, new wave, hair metal, heavy metal, disco and grunge, and you are absolutely right.

[@christopherwhittaker2620]

No I couldn’t disagree more. There are more festivals than ever before.There are more bands performing out there than ever before the differences. The record companies don’t control at all like they used to and have lost the ability to rip people off with the prices they charged for albums and singles. There is a whole scene out there that is more popular than ever. However, it is all done Differently to how it used to be done. A lot of bands produced themselves promote themselves et cetera. There is more of a scene in smaller venues, smaller clubs et cetera. But at the same time festival is a hugely popular. What is an as big as it used to be a stadium rock. But that does not mean music has died. Far from it it is thriving, but on a more independent level and on a more DIY kind of way where The big giant record companies don’t control at all and don’t milk all the profits for themselves. Andy who made this video and a lot of people in the comment section are dinosaurs and are just showing their age. And I say that as a 57-year-old man who still loves his music both old and new. I enjoy going to see new bands these days, which tends to be in smaller venues. And I’m not having to pay ridiculous prices for their music. because the record company is no longer control everything and that is cool in my book.

[@Rockky67]

I’d say the day the music died was actually 1999 when Napster came out. Don’t get me wrong if it hadn’t been Napster it would have been some other file sharing app, but it suddenly meant that music was essentially value less. Even home taping needed some master record to tape from. Since then musicians have had to branch out to become ‘acts’ and become saleable as wallpaper for cat videos on social media.

[@ArturdeSousaRocha]

I agree with you but also not, because there are other events that could be called that. I think the day music died was when record labels started getting accurate sales numbers straight from barcodes scanned at the cash register, because now they didn't anymore have to go with gut feeling or experimentation to find out what sells or not. That eliminated left field entries for the most part.

[@julianchristopher147]

The value was being run down earlier than that. Frank Zappa referred to record company production overruns, where the number of albums made and sold was more than was disclosed to the artists. From The Real Frank Zappa Book.

[@tlister67]

I have thought that once purchasing music as an individual pieces died out, we no longer have an investment in that album/song. We are now purchasing essentially everything in a bundle and there is not feeling that you have to give an album a chance. When you paid $15 for a CD in the late 80s I was damn sure going to give it several listens. I still purchase physical media but honestly mostly used.

[@iangray7904]

Spot on.

[@cc352]

I have to agree. I am a baby boomer that became aware of the music scene around the mid70s. From the 60s onward, each decade had a distinct music culture that clearly identified it. 60s had the British Invasion and hippie movements. The 70s was when the classic rock artists really took off along with disco. The 80s had the metal bands and the new wave movement. The 90s had the grunge movement. As of the turn of the century and now close to a quarter century after 2000, I still can't identify what the "music scene" is. Seem to me it's just existing as an industry with no real identity. Age of "American Idol"? Tried asking my 2 teenage children and even they can't really give me an answer.

[@richwest6282]

What I can remember was all the stars wearing their latest summer casual cool fashions, which the people in the crowd didn't have, lol.

[@vixapphire]

I remember long haired rock stars wearing blazers in promo shots, and not talking about their audiences as "the kids". They took themselves seriously as artists.

[@christopherwhittaker2620]

If that’s all you remember then I pity you. You’re simply talking about the fashion of the day. But not every actor or every band were wearing pastel coloured suits. Live aid in the UK and America was huge across the world. People still talk about it to this day and can’t remember where they were when they watched it. Andy here he’s just having a little moan about it all because he’s a bit of a dinosaur

[@Brianthecatlover]

All artists of Live Aid were there for themselves. A lot of albums from these artists re-entered the charts and made them an extra few quid from their worldwide live performances. Don’t kid yourself they were there for the starving of Ethiopia.

[@eleanorwalmsley635]

Oh definitely and they were all paid.. Only Freddie was brazen enough to admit, he doesn't do anything for free.. He used to call himself a musical prostitute 😂😂😂😂😂

[@CB-xr1eg]

Gelfof conned them all. He'd speak to one band and tell them about other big names that had agreed to appear, but he hadn't even spoken to the names he mentioned. He was a total bullshitter. I remember his outburst on the telly..."F*ck the address give us yer money" 🤣

[@dibdab101]

so what?...why are you more bothered about that than what it set to achieve. being more upset about virtue signalling than the help actually achieved, is virtue signalling at its finest.

[@bjornlangoren3002]

I beg to differ. Queen's performance was phenomenal, and was a gift of a lifetime to the ones lucky to be at Wembley. Wether they did it for Ethiopia or not is not very relevant, they certainly did it for the fans.

[@dibdab101]

@@bjornlangoren3002 whether they did it or not for Ethiopia is not very relevant???.... Wow.

[@gunsguitarsandgambling3614]

I’m 60, grew up in Southern California, and ya, it’s been dead for a long, long time. When I was in my teens, for me, it wasn’t about “changing the world” it was about having fun. Music purely for fun, not for some “cause” and the simple truth that hardly anyone apparently understands anymore is that happy people make the world a better place.

[@toddmcdaniels1567]

Ba da Boom! Nailed it, Andy. This might be your best yet. Not just because I agree. I didn’t know that I agreed beforehand. This was a virtuoso improv upon a theme over a unique chord progression with Live-Aid as the tonic (figuratively speaking).

[@mnbv990]

agreed.

[@christopherwhittaker2620]

100%, not nailed it. Just an opinion. Period. What Andy is doing here is showing his age. He’s a bit of a dinosaur as a lot of the people in the comment section. Music has not died. Festivals and live music is his popular if not more popular than it has ever been. There is a lot less control by the big record companies. That is The big difference these days. The way music is sold has changed. We are no longer getting ripped off by the record companies who were charging extortionate prices for albums and CDs. There’s a lot more independence in the music scene and a lot more bands with a DIY approach. There are a lot more small venues booming on the new Younger music scene. I’m sorry to say you are coming across as one of the dinosaurs. Lots of new music is out there if you make an effort. But if you are just into the music of the past and don’t try anything new then I guess you will agree with Andy. If you were happy getting ripped off with the price of CDs, then I guess you will agree with Aunty. The music scene has changed and some of us have embraced it and some of us moan about it.

[@michaelcapewell4811]

As soon as Geldof was given a Knighthood, they all wanted one 🙄

[@effdonahue6595]

And then it was Good Knight Irene 🤓

[@SuperNevile]

As soon as Jagger accepted one, Rock really became the establishment. "You can't always git what you want"...Yeah right....🙄

[@johncarroll772]

Apart from Bowie

[@RebeccaTurner-ny1xx]

Apparently Bowie declined his.

[@michaelcapewell4811]

@@RebeccaTurner-ny1xx yes we know. There’s always one that proves the rule. George Harrison refused an OBE. Not because he didn’t want it as such, but he felt insulted that he wasn’t offered a Knighthood like McCartney. It all seems random. How come Van Morrison is a ‘Sir’ but the likes of Clapton, Page, Plant, Daltrey, Townsend, even Noddy Holder or Mark Knopfler or JustinHayward etc etc aren’t? When they give one to John Lydon then Parliament will crumble. 🙄

[@LordEriolTolkien]

I remember the event: the media wouldn't shut up about it. I remember not watching it because, as it has been pointed out in the comments, it was the ultimate mainstreaming and corporate sanitizing of the counter culture... if ever there really was such a beast.

[@ryanjacobson2508]

Except that the whole counter culture thing was kind of a myth from the get go...... Most people only consume from a narrow range of stuff that is selected by a small number of Gate keepers. That was especially true in the 50's-80's, when broadcast TV was huge and the Internet wasn't widely available.

[@lucasoheyze4597]

What an idiot 😆

[@redpillnibbler4423]

It was social engineering.

[@rogerforsman5064]

@@redpillnibbler4423 Your pills are not working!

[@mrsherwood2599]

That night was my first gig. It was empty 😅😅😅

[@stuartmorris9855]

I remember Carlos Santana saying that Woodstock (1969) could never be repeated - you could never re-create the spirit, the dream, the love, and the inspiration behind it

[@arribaficationwineho32]

He was right. They tried and it was a disaster

[@TheGravygun]

It may have something to do with him being on 300 mics of owsley acid when they hit the stage

[@hansolo9585]

It was lightning in a bottle. Alamont killed that dream quick

[@g.pmoore4293]

In his book Mr Geldof says that several major black stars turned down the chance to perform at band aid so really their refusal to play helped create the saintly white rock star image.

[@rijntje73]

Those that refused were probably much more rooted in reality and aware of how ugly the idea of Live Aid actually was.

[@juliedurden9479]

Live Aid was on my birthday! We celebrated by going to different venues and private parties where everyone was watching it. I am so grateful to have those memories!

[@bertsbooks2505]

Remember Sounds mag used to run these comedy top ten lists? Around that time there was a 'ten places you don't want to be', one of which was 'anywhere near the pub jukebox when We Are The World comes on'!

[@addersdewinter7495]

Live aid was the world's first massive virtue signalling event... I hated it. The corporate world has ruined music ... always be yourself never follow the crowd. Bob Geldof is a nasty piece of work, I will never forget how he treated the British fishermen during the brexit period. 😮

[@dylanpritchard498]

You’re following the crowd by banging on about virtue signaling, which you definitely weren’t saying in 1985.

[@Wulfyr]

​@@dylanpritchard498 Virtue-signalling hadn't been named as such at that point in history but that's what Live Aid was. The term for it in those days was "moral posturing" and was an accusation often levelled at elements of journalism at the time. There was something sickeningly smug about the whole thing. Most of the aid was diverted by Ethiopia's Marxist regime and sold either for weapons or to further enrich themselves. This was the same regime that was responsible for every factor apart from the drought conditions that led to the famine in the first place. I don't blame them for trying but the hype around the event obscured a lot of the realities on the ground. I don't know. At best it was misplaced optimism. All they really achieved was to help prop up the Ethiopian regime until the end of the Cold War. Even at the age of eleven it gave me a saccharine feeling that I couldn't quite understand or articulate at the time.

[@hermanhawtrey8578]

Yeah what an awful person he was for not just turning a blind eye to all that starvation. 🙄

[@Wulfyr]

@@hermanhawtrey8578 Like I said I don't blame them for trying to do something but it all turned a bit self-congratulatory and resulted in perpetuating the causes more than it alleviated the symptoms. I have no doubt that many involved were genuinely idealistic about trying to help fellow humans. I also suspect that many artists got in on the act because it was one hell of a gig to have had on one's CV.

[@hermanhawtrey8578]

@@Wulfyr yeah I imagine it was roughly 50/50 in terms of motives.

[@Fee-Nix]

@1:49 This is right. Artists gave their performance time on stage for free. Who paid for their FREE FLIGHTS to the concert area? Who paid for their FREE Backstage FOOD? Who paid for their FREE Backstage ALCOHOL? Who paid for their FREE Backstage V.I.P. area? Who paid for their FREE Backstage toilet facilities? There Is No Such Thing As A FREE LUNCH.

[@mayhem492]

Good argument, well made. Luckily for me I was/am a Zappa fan, so managed to appreciate an artist who continued to evolve, experiment and challenge, while avoiding getting sucked into the abyss you describe.

[@grahamnunn8998]

I agree, and must confess this is not quite the first time I have heard this theory. A lot of the older artists like Clapton found their back catalogue selling and they went back to big gigs again. No coincidence that the CD was really starting to peak and the record companies could see a way to re-sell old albums of these "legends".

[@patrickmoore6159]

I really enjoy your perspective. You throw out a number of ideas; each of which could (should?) be its own segment!

[@ronbo11]

"Rockin' in the Free World" by Neil Young came out 4 years after Live Aid. Young had just finished recording "Old Ways" for Geffen Records which went back to his country/folk rock style. At least he played the strong rocker "Powderfinger" as his last song in his set.

[@TheBlackHelicopterRevue]

The money raised went entirely to Ethiopian President, Mengistu Haile Mariam, and his Communist regime, who had no intention of alleviating the famine. The famine victims were in anti government areas. The money was used to upgrade the army weapons in order to oppress the people more effectively.

[@jaysterling26]

Your description is in the dictionary for ,' irony' ( the quote marks are unironic).

[@patbeardmore]

Live Aid was the peak in terms of rock and pop's relevance in mainstream culture. It was a celebration of pop and all of the star's alligned to produce something that can never be repeated - at a time when the level of talent was just huge. It's interesting to do the experiment - pick another time and then choose your Live Aid lineup. The early 80s would be your chosen time. Who would you have now? Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.

[@CrystalShip8899]

The level of talent was huge, you lost me at that point.

[@CB-xr1eg]

@@CrystalShip8899 I agree, you had all the huge talents performing...and Status Quo.😊

[@bloopville]

I go back a little further for my hypothesis for when the music died. Live Aid was just a symptom. In 1980, my wife had been working at a station with a real program director. He searched for music that balanced listenership with personal taste. The DJs had input into the music and local bands were promoted. Some of these bands had nice careers and a few are still touring, today. Then, she was offered a better air shift on a bigger station. This station used Lee Abrams, who created the Album Oriented Rock (AOL) format and later went on to help found SM Radio, which merged into Sirius. The playlist was reduced down to 100 songs and the local DJs and Program Directors lost all input into the music. This forced bands to release 'radio friendly" songs that fit into this format. Instead of the desire to have a unique sound, bands strove to fit into preexisting styles. So, I was sitting around with Lee at a party at his cabin in Colorado. It wasn't a wild rock and roll party, even though there were a couple of A listers there. As politely as I could, I gave him my opinion that the popularity of his service was going to kill this thing we call Rock music. Lee was super smart and very nice. He said "I know."

[@jenniferlawrence2701]

Bono and his consequences have been a disaster for the human race.

[@scitsalcoryp]

best comment here

[@riobabic8960]

Bono makes you want to puke !

[@andremcpherson1424]

Problem with Bono is that he's way too big headed and way too far up his own backside to even realise!!

[@gill.5116]

Bono the little man with the giant head and the biggest ego

[@theselector4733]

😅😅😅

[@jlcougilljr]

Thanks for this Andy!! I clearly remember this event like it was yesterday brother! I was so pumped for it to finally air on MTV that day and praying there wouldn't be any technical issues for being one of THE largest live broadcasts in human history. BUT MOST OF ALL, it was totally electrifying in the fact that the mighty rock gods Led Zeppelin were going to take the stage, as well as, really hoping to see Sir Paul and Black Sabbath too, but performance wise though-Queen ruled the day and the audience without question what-so-ever!!... it was simply fucking awesome brother!!! , Jerry

[@fromchomleystreet]

Basically, you seem to be saying Live Aid is responsible for the fact that rock stars are old farts now. It’s just the passage of time that did that. And the idea that popular music wasn’t “corporate” until a charity concert - where everybody gave their time for free and not a single corporation got to display their logo - is one of the most bizarrely naive theories I’ve ever heard. It’s one of the few moments when popular music WASN’T corporate. Popular music has been fundamentally corporate for more than a century.

[@keithparker1346]

I've been listening to old 50s chart music in Britain and discovered that apparently the first charity record was in 1956. Music has been corporate well for a long long time

[@anauldlad]

The Clash brought the worthy in. Strummer with his family ambassador background, well travelled and full of concealed middle class guilt!!!

[@IainFrame]

It's the same now. Most successful new artists have rich parents. You basically need to buy your way in.

[@johncarroll772]

And Strummers brother who was in the National Front

[@freakybeaky1]

Just saw a clip come up of Rik Emmett commenting how badly the Clash treated Steve Wozniak re Us Festival ‘83. Triumph then invited him to introduce them before they played the best set of the event on Heavy Rock day. Why I’ve gone back to listen to honest Classic Rock all these ‘alternative’ knobs and smart arses.

[@Ken_oh545]

Ha ha, only today I introduced my 6 year old daughter to her first Clash song (Death or Glory) mind you being a middle class ex public schoolboy I strongly identify with The Clash 😂

[@JohnMccann-ld3yr]

The clash were absolute shite

[@steverogers2635]

I think this was your best video yet Andy. Keep them coming brother!

[@AndyEdwardsDrummer]

Thanks! Will do!

[@darrylmayeski5914]

Andy’s dad said The Concert for Bangladesh was the end of the line for rock and roll.

[@chrisfactmanolitsis5070]

It was actually the BEGINNING of all the charity nonsense. Wonder where that money ended ?

[@hansolo9585]

Nah the concert for Bangladesh was financed out of George’s pocket, not by corporations looking to make a return

[@markocarroll5746]

Andy, your eloquent monologue brings a nostalgic tear to my eyes, God! How I yearn for the days of exploding toilets and dwarves with cocaine-bearing hats. Alas, no more..

[@johnbarnes934]

I am in total agreement. While it was a great day and a tremendous achievement, it signalled that rock had become the establishment instead of a force for youthful rebellion. I've used the phrase the day music died many times over the years in relation to this and was often shouted down for being too cynical.

[@MisAnnThorpe]

Do you not think that pop/rock music was always controlled by the establishment or at the very least from the moment that its potential to influence and shape the thinking and therefore behaviour of the masses, became understood?

[@theredraven]

Youthful rebellion is overrated.

[@MisAnnThorpe]

@@theredraven Especially when that "rebellion" is sold to the youth by rich, powerful old men.

[@derekroberts6654]

it’s a paradox…

[@keithparker1346]

How was rock youthful rebellion?

[@Lexington125]

The Cars for me are under rated , even their 4 song set at this clusterfuck was brilliant , imo . Can picture lead singer in his Nikes and Orange Aviators lol cool as ❤

[@davefieramosca6974]

I remember the day live aid was on TV and I had to go to work. All I could do is think I have to see Zeppelin. There was all this talk about the reunion, who was going to play drums? And would they put out a new album? So when I got to work, I turned on the small TV set that sat on the pop machine and tuned it in the best I could and watched live aid. You could of come into the store I worked at and walked out with half of the of store. I wouldn't of cared. I had to see Zeppelin.

[@thermionic1234567]

Was it as horrible as the narrator is making it out to be?

[@BellsCuriosityShop]

Pretty much

[@davewestner]

Dude, let me start by saying I enjoyed this. And you're REALLY close with your theory that Live Aid changed music. About 2 weeks early. The day the music really died was in August of 1985, when Starship released, "We Built This City." Unfortunately, wikipedia doesn't give the exact date of the release of that tune. Just says August 1985. And personally, I remember when that song was first played on the radio in my part of the world, and I shut off the radio right after that song was over and didn't listen again til 1991. That said, I think the two are related. Or at least they are time markers so we can point to those two events and say, "yeah, that's when it happened"

[@WowbaggerTheInfinitelyProlonge]

I have often thought the same thing about that idiotic "song." Too funny! Some months back, Starship was offering to send messages to people for a fee as part of some website service. I remember thinking how low they had sunk, and I considered offering them $100 for a public apology for "We Built This City."

[@davewestner]

@@WowbaggerTheInfinitelyProlonge hahaha! I'd throw in a few bucks for that apology offer!

[@keithparker1346]

​@@WowbaggerTheInfinitelyProlongeit's a good pop song

[@freakybeaky1]

Us outsider rock bairns thought it was a tune… missed the cheap, easy line aimed at ‘the polis.’ 🤷‍♂️

[@jdraven0890]

Ironically, that song (which indeed sucked so hard that I stopped using radio to wake up to) was supposedly sending an anti-corporate message, but it's one of the most soulless, over-produced things ever.

[@quirkessence9446]

I was 26 that year. Heavy into music, both as a fan and as a band member, guitarist. You are right 100% on all points 👍

[@thebat2785]

What a great video! I'm glad you read out the whole line-up! I am even older than Andy, and I remember Live Aid and watching it live! This is the biggest advantage of being old .Seeing some of these and a lot others bands ( Rainbow Rising tour for example ) live in their prime is something I would not trade for anything . I even met Bob Geldolf out here a long time ago and saw him in Boomtown rats

[@yw1971]

8:36 - Kate Bush actually started in sort of punk. But only live & never recorded. She rarely mentioned it. Dell Palmer (her BF & Bass player) told it in his clip

[@robrockstv781]

i stayed up for the whole weekend watching live aid.the 80s were cool.

[@MacLuz]

Very interesting aspects, Andy! In general I like to follow Your socialphilosophic thoughts on music. In 1985 I was 27. Musician. Definitely something changed towards the end of the eighties.

[@elaineandjohn9599]

Best part was Mike Love ragging on Jagger not having the guts to play on stage with the Beach Boys, then a couple hours later there’s Mick doing Satisfaction totally ghosting Love. Just beautiful

[@deeceea9488]

Lol Mike Love is low hanging fruit. A total tool.

[@mumbles215]

Love is the biggest putz there is. Came up with some good baselines tho. Catchy.

[@curlyken01]

Bob Geldof was a forgotten pop star at the time, he became very rich off the back of Live Aid.

[@robertfmorton]

I disagree. The Boomtown Rats were one of the most popular bands at the time.

[@curlyken01]

@@robertfmorton...They hadn't had a top twenty hit for four years prior to Band Aid, and their album released in 1982 just about broke into the top 30, so they weren't really "one of the most popular bands at the time" were they?

[@thebillryan]

@@curlyken01 Geldof made his money from selling off the production company Planet 24 that he co owned, in 1999 for somewhere estimated between 15 million and 24 million. They were a small company that were responsible for the genre bending big Breakfast show on UK's Channel 4 . Not everything is a conspiracy fella.

[@MisAnnThorpe]

@@thebillryan Geldof was living in a squat on Dinsmore road, Balham, south London. He also held the rights to the Band Aid merchandise. Who said anything about conspiracies?!

[@thebillryan]

@@MisAnnThorpe He lived in a squat in the late 70's when the Boomtown Rats were trying to launch themselves as a band. Not in the 80s. Bob Geldof does not hold the rights to the Band Aid 'Merchandise". Do you have a credible source for that? Please cite your evidence. The Band Aid Trust holds the rights to the revenue and is responsible for distribution to projects that aim to help the poor in several countries. "Bob Geldof was a forgotten pop star at the time, he became very rich off the back of Live Aid" That's the conspiracy. And I wasn't talking to you fella.

[@simonhodgetts6530]

Personally, I’d say the day the music died was when Michael Jackson sold out to a soft drinks company, and his music became nothing more than a series of grunts and whoops over a drum machine and synth sequence. Live Aid (the Wembley concert at least) was an awesome event - back in the days when bands could play.

[@vordman]

Yeah, it's easily forgotten there was a concert in Philadelphia too. Everyone remembers the Wembley show, and especially Freddie Mercury.

[@mumbles215]

It’s funny cause being from Philly everyone here forgets there was a UK show lol

[@benhinds2971]

I love this. First time. I could listen to this all day. I think you have many valid points. You have perspectives that never would have occurred to me. I agree with you. And you sold me that it is very possible for popular music to get "better" and resurrect the fundamental aspects that made it important to humanity.

[@luciferpantykrist7570]

The big bands sold a lot of CDs afterwards, so the record companies made some shekejs, as did the bands/artists. But from what Ive read, muxh if not most of the cash raused for Ethiopia went straight to warlords to buy weapons etc etc. The road to helk is paved with charriddee singles.

[@philipbenner]

The food was left to rot on the trains, no one who needed the benefits received a thing!!!

[@luciferpantykrist7570]

@@philipbenner still no shortage of Africans now, it would seem...there are enough for everybody!

[@TheHumbuckerboy]

It has been reported that every act except for Adam Ant reaped a massive harvest of profits due to playing at Live Aid. Also as far as I remember the total raised on both sides of the Atlantic back then was 29 million pounds. I always wondered exactly how that vast amount was spent .

[@ВладимирКруглов-к9о]

@@TheHumbuckerboy Some reaped massive, some not, it veered wildly. Mostly "classic rock" performers benefited while 1980s "new wave" ones had mostly short-lived spikes and for the most part were finished by 1987 as major forces.

[@garydobbs-k7w]

Love your thoughts on where music fits into the world, haven't seen anyone approach this anywhere else

[@richardhoward7503]

As an African I found the whole thing incredibly patronising and classic 'white saviour' behaviour. 'Do they know it's Christmas?' They have one of the oldest churches in the world, so, yes, they fecking knew it was Christmas.

[@theorisoe3630]

Where are you in Africa?

[@goodgrief888]

I was a junior in high school when that song came out. I was shocked that they’d write such a blatantly insulting and embarrassingly bad song under the guise of aiding Africa. I loved all of those musicians and felt like they were destroying their careers coming out with that horrible condescending song. Then the Americans came out with “We Are The World” and I thought “We have a contender!” in the realm of condescending and lacking humility. An even worse song, with an even more condescending message. But this time saying it straight out “We are the world. We will save everyone!” The gall.

[@goodgrief888]

@@MG53v8 sadly, I begrudgingly bought both because, well, you had to save Africa.

[@athonygraham8353]

Don't believe you. Were you one of the guys saved from a death of starvation in Africa? At the time, were you angrily and hatefully munching a Mars bar or eating a loaf of bread in a refugee camp, eating food that had been thoughtlessly and racially patronising and hatefully provided by people who just wanted to help their fellow humans, who they saw in terrible privation and need? You sound more like a stereotypical white middle class socialist offence taker, an entitled, privileged self hater, but does absolutely nothing about it, because it would involve you doing something. You wouldn't be making this witless, offence taking, entitled, small minded, halfwit statement if all the caring people of the world hadn't got together to actually save you. I've never met anyone who was saved from starvation by other people's charity ever say anything like what you said. I just bet you're a bearded, fat white Socialist taking offence on other folks behalf, sitting in your "privileged" over priced orthopaedic chair that someone else paid for, in your mum's basement taking offence at kindness and love and hating and seething at everything.

[@MeMe-mq4zu]

More would of starved if it didn't happen

[@davidtoups4684]

I was a Junior in High School washing dishes in a local restaurant that day. We had the concert playing on TV all day. We even put a TV in the kitchen so we could see it. It was quite the event. I still have my VHS recording of the 3 hour special ABC ran that evening.

[@mihranbobson7753]

Another fabulous, insightful Sunday show Andy… bless you…

[@AndyEdwardsDrummer]

Many thanks

[@StevoLloyds]

For me, Live Aid was when Madonna rose from nightclub PA ne'er do well to global pop star. Her performance was literally breathtaking. She danced and sang well, and continuously, with extreme amounts of energy. She acted like a major star, natch. I agree that Live Aid was the end of rock and pop music as a rebellious (sometimes even genuinely) art form. But this really started in 1984 when certain artists signed up to either wear Versace or Armani suits and the thrustingly inventive MTV era UK pop stars started to run out of sterling material (Spands, DD, FGTH) and Coke flooded the market and destroyed their judgement. Three more years and a couple of really cheap synths and drum machines meant that anyone could make a loop based, repetitive dance track, and the dream was all but destroyed. Crafted songs, with meaning, novel structures, inventive chord changes and harmonies were out. Screaming monosyllabic words in a silly voice over a squelchy bass line and programmed drum track became acceptable, desirable, the norm. Live Aid created a self selecting 'Elite' who featured as much in Hello / Ok as they did in the music press. Music became a product of passing relevance, the real deliverable was the narrative, the lifestyle, the love life. The best demonstration of this is BandAid 90. What a bunch of nobodies and late to the party has beens. All this lead to the culture war of today. Fuck the Woke. But not literally, please. BTW Punk was a watershed moment. It got away from the idea that sound quality (excluding the Sex Pistols here btw) and musical ability (excluding the Stranglers here) mattered as much, if not more than, the song, performance and it's relationship to society, culture and real lives. It also reintroduced humour and self deprecation. Jilted John anyone?

[@MisAnnThorpe]

Do you really believe that someone can dance around like Madonna and sing properly at the same time?

[@Camille_Anderson]

Yes, I've seen Madonna live up close, & she really performed her heart out on her tours. She could sing & dance for two hours a night. She was incredibly energetic and beautiful. Seeing her up close on three of the tours I can honestly say she is so charismatic and commands the stage so powerfully.

[@MisAnnThorpe]

@@Camille_Anderson When it comes to the choreography routines in her live performances, Madonna is an absolute perfectionist and so the routines are repeated and repeated, ad infinitum, until she is satisfied. The thing to remember about Madonna is that she was always, first and foremost a dancer. It doesn't matter how well you are able to dance and sing, the simple reality is that you CAN'T sing and dance the way Madonna does, at the same time. It has to be either/or.

[@timhutton6802]

Fuck using the word "Woke". It's only used by culture warriors. Apart from that, I agree.

[@ВладимирКруглов-к9о]

The rise (or, more precisely, solidification) of M*d*nn* is one truly depressing outcome of Live Aid.

[@a.champagne6238]

Listen to the Chumbawamba song 'Slag Aid' off their debut 'Pictues of Starving Children Sell Records.'

[@museonfilm8919]

I watched Live Aid when I was 16, and yes, even then I realized it was a 'peak' of........something. So potentially, the music industry saw Live Aid as the last hurrah for old school artists and bands.

[@paulhatton9564]

Such utter bo**ocks. Music hasn't died. There are a sh*t load of fantastic musicians/bands out there today. And I'm from the Live Aid era. You may not personally like certain bands, but that doesn't mean it's bad. More people buy music now than ever before. We have easy access to purchase music, and we do. My parents thought music had died back in the eighties, my grandparents thought my parents' music was bad, and so on and so on. Music is evolving as it always has.

[@1eflat]

Great Perspective on Virtue-Signaling - started in the 80's - Madonna, the best example of clown creation.

[@jimmycampbell78]

Yes. Taylor Swift is this current era's version.

[@lorenzo6mm]

The "Classic Rock era is definitely on its last days. The Boomer generation is dying. Any one born after 1963 is NOT a Boomer. Under 60. Death is the final word. I always said thirty years ago that MTV and Madonna changed everything in "Rock Music." I believe TODAY proves my POINT EXACTLY..........MTV ....and ..... MADONNA..........smartphones... More like STUPID PHONES.... For Twits and Btchs....and corporate Click Bait.....music. ....the.......End...........2024.......! The Woke Taylor Swift Gen Z etc... history erase has man beings. The reinvent the music.. Wheel......badly....Generations of machine music.....beat mapped... Pitch shifted.......drum machine.... Sampled ........."music"........the Music for the Brain Dead....... The Bubble People...... Beta Males.........1.6 birth rates Karens... The E.L.E. of population implosion and Musical and Females on Marriage and babies strike....death by stupidity.

[@muziktrkr]

I didn’t think Madonna back in the 80s was virtue signaling at all, but Bono EMBODIED virtue signaling because they were making fun of him of it in a big way back then. He cut back on that a lot as far as using U2 as his soapbox went, built his own soapbox where he would go on speaking tours and start his own foundations and charities separate from the band. Madonna did some anti AIDS efforts but she lost friends to it when they were still in their 20s so it rattled her. Madonna became a virtual signaler much much later.

[@luciusblackwood2640]

@@jimmycampbell78 Taylor is an accomplished musician on multiple instruments and writes her own music. And she's good at business. She's the full package. I don't know what you want.

[@gill.5116]

@@luciusblackwood2640I want that alien giraffe to stop writing songs about being 13 when she is pushing 34

[@davidstafford9921]

Andy, the might be your most important video yet.

[@jontaylor5482]

This is great. He nails my discomfort with all of these big charity events perfectly. And the reason why I love ‘We Care A Lot’ by Faith No More so much…

[@thescarletandgrey2505]

The coolest performance: Ultravox/ Midge Ure with his sunglasses, grey coat & grey Stratocaster, camera shot from behind showing him facing off to the masses!!!!

[@tipsy1973]

Sadly that was the last time the band played live together :( Midge was a bit of a prick and we got U-Bend and not until 2012 did we get a real ultravox album again. Return to eden tour was great.

[@davidblantz]

I'm from the 60's revolution and it's easy to believe the pinnacle of rock music started and ended at Max Yasgur's Farm in Bethel, New York with Woodstock in 1969. Virtually all of the cutting edge musicians performed there from Sly to Santana to Jimi Hendrix. They performed their stuff, no producers or record companies got them to comply with their obsession of hit writing, they told them to f*ck off. And that and that alone set that era of music above the rest, and the best, most important works became the legends in musical history. Woodstock remains the highest point in Rock musical history.

[@chalkandcheese1868]

Woodstock was more famous, but Monterrey was the better concert.

[@fossilmatic]

It is unfortunate that the debt incurred meant the rights were sold to the corporates, who then selected “the most important” whom then went on to become our perceived “legends”. Many of the acts on the subsequent official soundtrack shared publishing companies or booking agents. But it was a turning point. As Neil Young observed, big business undoubtedly saw the news reports and moved quickly to capture the market it demonstrated.

[@davidblantz]

@@chalkandcheese1868 that's a subjective observation for the most part.

[@davidblantz]

@@fossilmatic your observation is understood but my statement was about the artists works, not the results of the indebtedness of the promotion of the event. What the artists presented on stage obviously has nothing to do with a financial result of the event. It was THEIR music, not a corporate partner's idea of what they should do or play.

[@ryanjacobson2508]

Have you guys ever looked into how many of the 60's artists had families with deep military and intelligence backgrounds (Jim Morrison's dad was a Navy Admiral, for example)? If you really believe that such a massive movement was entirely organic and spontaneous, you are being naive.

[@KubieQ]

The day the music died was when corporate music industry held a meeting in the early 90s (contracts and non disclosures signed) stating that they were going to promote rap into a state of thuggery and hoes to get bodies into the corporate prison system for profit. The party of the non racial music of fun sexy or soul and dance music from 50s thru the 80s music was over. rap was really good up till about 1992. It was the beginning of the destruction of music quality and creativity. Corporations crushed the party and are now crushing the economy. Its the slow generational shutdown of the United States. They hate our freedom and our free culture. They want to control it all…until they have your soul chipped and all wearing the same bland overalls.

[@ryanjacobson2508]

Also in the 90's, regulations on media ownership were lifted. Thus allowing monopolization and stifling any really cultural diversity and free thought.

[@misscoutts6193]

Too many egos.

[@roboi2241]

They killed two birds with one stone, degenerated black culture into the most degrading elements while glamorizing it to sell to impressionable youth around the world while incrementally destroying music culture. As someone with African heritage myself, I never greatly took to hip hop even in its' early form, as an urban culture maybe but musically offering very little and I never trusted its' supposed authenticity as a music art form or why it was promoted as such. When it degenerated into glamorizing violence etc and brought about generations of would be bloods and crips beyond America and wanting to appropriate the lowest perceived aspects of black America I suspected its' promotion had calculated detrimental socio-political objectives.

[@mr.g1758]

I kinda hated when Run DMC teamed up with Aerosmith in that horrible video. Would Aerosmith need to do a Run DMC to promote themselves?

[@metaldams78]

I was in the comment section a few minutes ago for a video for extreme metal pioneers Venom. A 13 year old chimes in saying his father introduced him to that music. I respond saying I was hiding Venom cassettes from my father when I was his age. The timeline of me doing so was very slightly after Live Aid, but your point stands.

[@LordHasenpfeffer]

Live Aid was still one helluva concert. You can't fault the players for doing it. The hidden hands of the Globalist Master of Puppets was pulling their strings just as they'd always done since the invention of their new modern mythology. They needed that mythology to steer humanity in the direction they wanted us to go. Ultimately, though, they failed to achieve their goal and that's why the mythology has died. Live Aid was without question the turning point just as you've described... but it's not the reason for all that's happened since. The reason is "They failed." And for that we should all be celebrating. Being freed from the rudder of Globalism, humanity is once again free to chart its own course and freely redefine its destiny.

[@bougeac]

I remember that hot day in 85 well, watched it on tv and recorded chunks of it on to vhs. You’re bang on with your opinion, even then I felt something was ending.

[@colined]

39 years ago. You were born 1 day before me and it was 39 years ago for me.

[@written12]

Amazing how fucking fast time motors. Disturbing, isn’t it?

[@elkeulu1623]

I was also wondering about that math at the beginning. 1985 is not just 27 years ago, not even just 37.

[@mongeyjames9170]

The Smiths didn't do it as Morrissey said what about the poor starving English!

[@fleadoggreen9062]

Well when were you born ?

[@colined]

@@fleadoggreen9062 🌎 day 68.

[@wattage2007]

Simon LeBon's note always deserves a mention.

[@EmoBearRights]

Yeah - I'm a Duranie I seem to gravitate towards epic eff ups. On the OG Dancing with the Stars in the UK - the soap opera twink I liked forgot both his routines in the quarter final luckily he'd established as a good dancer before that point and got saved by the public.

[@greengrass1072]

Yes it does. I was a fan of them at the time and still am to an extent. A View to a Kill was the number one song in America that week and hearing LeBon sing that bum note was like nails on a chalkboard for me. I could still see the camera cutting to Andy Taylor looking up to the sky in disgust after the note. If you watch their set now from Live Aid here on KZbin you realize how out of breath LeBon was. They hadn’t played live together for a while and it showed.

[@jerseyforhawks]

Live Aid was a mirror to the pop/MTV culture. It was two days of TV based fun. It was huge. Loved it.

[@AndyEdwardsDrummer]

TV based fun...the best sort of fun!

[@Thenogomogo-zo3un]

From the US standpoint it was for MTV No-one in the UK knew what the hell MTV was in 1985 or the cable/satellite thing either. Maybe got a 2 second glimpse of your band performing on TOTP or see their video, until next week

[@dg1019]

I've said this before, there is no one left to shock. Think about this, I was a shirtless stage diver in mosh pits in my 20's at Pantera and Jane's Addiction shows. Last week I went to see my granddaughter at her elementary school play. Big cultural difference between me and my grandfather at the same age I am now.

[@John-k6f9k]

The Sex Pistols are nearly 50 years old now. All the punks of 1977 are middle aged now. The extreme metal fans of the early 80s are grumpy old guys complaining about how there's no good music anymore. Even the Nu Metal kids of the late 90s likely have kids in high school now.

[@Ellen.G]

I was in my parents basement with a bunch of friends watching live! One of the best things I have ever seen!

[@Liasisws]

Same, we spent all day watching in sleeping bags and video taping all our favourite groups. Great memories!

[@WInnerwinnerchickendinner.]

What was incredible in the late 70's while rock n roll was in the punk post punk stage people around the world had turned onto soul ,contemporary R&B and The Bee Gees owned the charts around the world.They took over from The Beatles and had no1,no2.no3.no4.no5.and no6 chart singles in the USA Billboard 100.This is off the radar in the world of pop music.

[@mathematrucker]

Something triggered me in a conversation with a friend in late 1986 to launch into an impassioned rant about the musicians and the music they were making then being completely unlike the musicians and the music around the time of Woodstock. I agree wholeheartedly with your views here.

[@luciferpantykrist7570]

Andy says in the intro that Live Aid was 27 years ago, it was actually closer to 40 years ago. I remember it well. Im 55 now so around 15/16 at the time.

[@kgrant67]

Yeah, he just misspoke. It was 37 years ago. We're the exact same age. Man we're getting old lol

[@AndyEdwardsDrummer]

Yes, i made a mistake...they happen all the time in my videos///just ignire them

[@timlapalme7027]

Great video Andy! Thank you for taking the time and observing patterns that most others aren’t paying attention to! Bravo. Live Aid has always been the high water mark for me for music, and you helped give thoughtful perspective as to why.

[@coachplyoguy2637]

The final 20 or 30 minutes of this video were amazing to listen to. Andy, you are very deep and you can see and observe the complexities of society and cut through the shit. You have a superb ability to articulate profound ideas like freedom of thought, speech, and expression and wrap it around what is happening now compared to 40 years ago. Thanks for doing this.

[@joemalone7385]

I'm proud to say that I never purposefully sat and watched a single minute of live aid. I was 19 at the time.

[@georgeaye7535]

you missed the concert of a liftime then

[@user-qq6rr2je4q]

After playing England Collins took a Concorde and jetted over to the US to play that concert hours later. Legend

[@misscoutts6193]

Still hasn't got a knighthood.

[@alihenderson5910]

Rich man gets on a plane. And that impresses you?

[@user-qq6rr2je4q]

Hymc

[@SuperNevile]

Legend in his own lunch time.

[@MattSmith-ky9do]

Geldof raised a king's ransom in donations which he promptly handed over to the Ethiopian government, who was responsible for the famine in the first place. They then used the funds to buy arms from the USSR which resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands and the displacement of millions. To this day, Geldof believes that he did something good and deserves his knighthood. You will find that same self-congratulatory righteousness in the actions of every do-gooder virtue signaler. They don't give a fuck about cause and effect. They only care about their optics. Great video essay, btw. I agreed with every point.

[@eleanorwalmsley635]

I think he knows what he did... Yet couldn't care less... It was all cash back for him... I knew someone who toured with Bob, said he was the hardest nosed business man he ever met... Could peel an orange in his pocket

[@CB-xr1eg]

@@eleanorwalmsley635 Shame he wasn't so fastidious about his personal hygiene and appearance. I've never seen him when he doesn't look like he needs a good bath/shower some clean/pressed clothes and a haircut.

[@ВладимирКруглов-к9о]

@@CB-xr1eg That is the first visual sign of a psychopath along with dirty language (which he's too very fond of). Paints a picture of his straight away.

[@undersoundproductions1915]

17:40. You're on to something

[@davidmitchell7181]

Any responsibility for famines etc in Africa can be firmly placed at the feet of colonialism.

[@pontifexvonhummer9459]

You totally nailed it. This is a staggering work of simple insight.

[@haydoncooper3744]

As a drummer, musician and music fan i am so glad I found your channel, brilliant Andy.

[@shawnkennedy855]

Bono has never left that stage.

[@neilburns5934]

Bono is mr virtue

[@richardbuckley1232]

So true!

[@davidcoleman757]

He discovered his A-hole that day, climbed up it and has been there ever since.

[@scitsalcoryp]

Their performance sucked ass

[@gill.5116]

Haha 😂 you win the internet today

[@oldman4353]

I think that Metallica, Anthrax, Megadeth, Slayer & Guns & Roses still had edge in the late 80's.

[@guydammit3287]

I'm on a kick where I'm wearing out the first couple Megadeth albums, especially the first one. Metallica was my first show but I saw Megadeth, Slayer Anthrax and Alice in Chains on their first album tour... great show to put it lightly

[@mumbles215]

Metallica was my first show too. Their 80s stuff is still untouchable. Cause AIC at 1993 lalapolooza

[@guydammit3287]

@@mumbles215 I was at that one in Columbus and my buddy had this goofy girl that he liked but she didn't like him back that way, it was kinda sad 🤣 but she had a curfew so we missed AIC and Primus (and the silly girl got grounded for a month anyway because we were like 5 minutes late we were all kids!)to this day I remind him how much he sucks for making us miss AIC in their arguable prime PLUS Primus! (matter of fact,I'm about to remind him right now!)

[@davidandrew5368]

I remember waiting to hear/see Bob Dylan, Keith Richards, & Ron Wood, as I'd never listened to Dylan. And witnessing/hearing the worst 20 minutes of music been played on tv. It put me off Dylan for life, & still haven't got into him, & I'm 57 now. Anytime anyone mentions someone who's looks meant more than his talent, then the first prize should go to Sid Vicious.

[@eleanorwalmsley635]

Yeah, I'm not a Dylan fan, but his talent shines through Hendrix covering All Along The Watchtower

[@CB-xr1eg]

Dylan has written some of the best songs of the 20th century, the thing is you don't want to hear him (try to) sing them.

[@Carol0000P]

@@CB-xr1egI agree with what you said, but apparently there are some in the music industry that seem to think he is one of the best singers of all time. He may be among the best music writers, but singer, definitely not.

[@cheechalker8430]

Was this filmed 12 years ago? Because 1985 + 27 = 2012 I was 17 in 1985 as well - what a time to be young!

[@erikdolnack846]

Live-Aid separated the men from the boys: the older 1970s bands such as Status Quo and Queen who had decades of experience playing outdoors to massive crowds were solid and great, while most of the younger 80s bands were exposed as being completely out of their element in large open-air arenas. There were some exceptions, however: Led Zeppelin sucked, while U2 were amazing. In my opinion, U2 owned the day; their live performance of "Bad" was the best performance by anyone that day, in London or Philly.

[@lupcokotevski2907]

You are right about the legends Andy. RIP Wayne Kramer. A few weeks ago, Melanie Safka.

[@deansusec8745]

Geez! I spent a whole school bus trip listening to REO freakin speedwagon for more than an hour! IT damaged me for life.

[@mumbles215]

When I was a bouncer I’d put REO or Air Supply on loud at closing time to clear the bar out. Worked every time quickly. Lol

[@ThePhudD]

I didn’t know Albert Steptoe was in Reo Speedwagon

[@CB-xr1eg]

'Arold!!!!

[@ruedigernassauer]

In my opinion the musical impact of this event is overrated here. In 1985 I was 18 years old and didn´t care to watch this. I felt it was wrong, because structurally nothing was changed in the concerning continent. In school we had before already donated clothes to victims of the Colombian earthquake that some Colombian said had ended in the black market there. Most rock bands I knew had already issued their best albums and were still existing for the money and for gossip. To name a few bands: Led Zeppelin, The Who, The Police, Kiss, Iron Maiden, Saxon, Uriah Heep, Pink Floyd, Rush, Judas Priest... Rock music would resurge with Grunge (tolling the depressive knell) and with progressive musicians like Tony MacAlpine, Derek Sherinian, some from Shrapnel Records and others.

[@aquarius44]

The real tragedy about Live Aid was that all of the money raised to aid Ethiopia and its famine disappeared into a black hole. Non-profits and NGOs tried to warn Bob Geldoff and organizers against giving the money to the Ethiopian government knowing full well it would evaporate. Organizers did not head the warnings.

[@indieWellie]

also the famine had been artificially created by the ethiopian government in order to smash down a revolt/low-level civil conflict from one of the ethnic groups inside the country.

[@aquarius44]

@indieWellie I believe you might be referring to Somalia. Ethiopia was a prolonged and severe drought.

[@indieWellie]

@@aquarius44 there are organizations such as human rights watch that are saying in retrospect the effects of the drought were a part of a wider military policy of the government.

[@bennylevine387]

Really wonderful insight. I agree with what you agree. It's like the line when all the danger was officially sucked out of rock, heightened by Zeppelin dying up there. You began hearing bands that were dangerous relegated to this novelty status like there was something unusual now about excess and edginess in rock. Really the only period in modern music where parents and kids tastes could easily overlap.