POO: Worst moment in Live Aid

Runner up: Joan Baez: "This is your Woodstock!" *warbles*

At that PRECISE MOMENT, his entire career went into free-fall.

best moment (in context): Judas "Fucking" Priest

-- mike t-diva (mikejl...) (webmail), February 1st, 2005 10:57 AM. (link)

Heh. "Look ma, I'm jumping a shark!!!"

But my pick is....

the final song of "Do they know" specifically Bono "Springtime is coming". Don't ask me why, it just is.

http://perso.wanadoo.fr/jeremie.bacon.u2force/image007.jpg

No contest.

Because not only was that an annoying TV moment, it's also when I started really hating U2.

Oh come on I was only 15.

http://www.nypress.com/18/3/pagetwo/crimeblotter.cfm

I'd also nominate Simon Le bon's dancing as most grisly moment.

Phil Collins is a pinnacle of taste in comparison.

The reformed Sabbath and Zep made complete and utter asses of themselves. I actually felt bad for Page.

I don't remember the "this is your Woodstock thing" but that's got to take the prize.The arrogance of some of those 60's vets is just mindblowing. This attitude is epitomized by those Dennis Hopper commercials for some investment firm that is apparently marketing to boomers as their retirement years set in. Something about how they "changed the world" when they were young so now they deserve the good life. What a load of crap.

well they did change the world - they changed it into a polluted shithole run by corporate oligarchs. good job guys!

http://liveaid.free.fr/

Boy, too bad I missed that Sting/Phil Collins duo. I bet that was a doozy.

I hate those Dennis Hopper commercials. I swear, one of those has the audacity to say something like "You were the generation that knew what 'family' meant..." HA. YOU WERE THE FUCKING GENERATION THAT CAME UP WITH KEY PARTIES AND WEEKEND VISITATIONS.

I don't know how to put my opinion of this in words, but seeing stadiums full of white people tokin' up and digging on Status Quo while a huge television screen shows images of starving black people never has made me altogether comfortable.

Yeah, but dude, come on, it was their Woodstock. And we all know what a change for the good that particular gathering brought about.

guys Africa is all better now, didn't you hear?

heads-down boogie ended hunger

My new favorite worst moment: Joan Baez in Philadelphia – "Children of the sixties...this is your Woodstock [horrible smug grin]. And it's about time."

Best hair: Bryan Ferry's. God, has he ever looked terrible?

Just now I had to check on something in the stacks and found, to my delight, the official Live Aid book, with plenty of photos and horribleness. Geldof's introduction is amazing in its...well, to give you a sample:

"Remember the day you wanted to help.

Remember the dying who were allowed to live.

Remember on the day you die, there is someone alive in Africa 'cos one day you watched a pop concert."

Yeah I can see how...WHAT?

Geldof is such a douchebag

But I'll say there's a shot of Bryan Ferry in here that's one of the best ever photographs I've seen of the man.

Remember the dying who were allowed to live.

"allowed" to live makes him sounds like the roman emperor in gladiator giving someone the thumbs up

Hahah, I love the credit in the back:

"This book was written, designed, typeset and made ready for printing in 13 days. Printing and binding 100,000 copies took less than a week."

But I'll say there's a shot of Bryan Ferry in here that's one of the best ever photographs I've seen of the man

PLEASE TO POST.

(he wore these white dungarees and a navy blue sportscoat that showed up Howard Jones and the Spands something awful)

Oh believe me there's plenty to scan and post here. I'll do more of that after finals are over next week and it's calmer all around but let's see what I can do right now...

Okay, here ya go:

http://a87.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/15/l_82563afda832e50d05294f9cc37996b6.jpg

such perfect teeth

And something else. With appropriate caption:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1201/536313156_5dcbe6c200.jpg

...Remember on the day you die, there is someone alive in Africa 'cos one day you watched a pop concert."

wow!...OH MY WORD.

I just watched the DVD for the first time since the original Live Aid.

Moments of terror:

1. Daltrey can't remember the words in one verse of "Won't Get Fooled Again," skips verse entirely, Townshend glares at him.

2. Bono's hair. xpost. Especially the way it clung to his neck all sweaty-like. Also Bono's boots and shiny black leather pants.

3. The entire first several hours of poorly dressed and totally forgettable British hair-wave bands.

4. Madonna's set. Sang poorly. Seemed embarrassed.

5. Tom Petty miming "What? What?" during an otherwise OK version of American Girl.

6. Confused crowd response to Run-DMC.

7. Shocking lack of emphasis of David Ruffin and Eddie Kendricks as backup singers for Mick/Tina (with Hall & Oates no less!).

8. Frighteningly horrible teeth: David Bowie, Bryan Ferry, Tom Petty, Neil Young.

9. Who picked all the waistcoats? Did nobody realize it was going to be hot in July? Midge Ure looks like he's about to step into The Matrix.

10. Mike Love's outfit -- yellow Hawaiian shirt, purple pants and flat black old-man's cap. Otherwise, the Beach Boys were actually good.

11. DVD reissue skips about 85 songs, including all of Led Zeppelin.

12. Mark Knopfler's headband.

More Ferry to offset the worsts.

http://img9.imagepile.net/img9/384liveaid4.jpg

Did anyone else do themselves proud? Honestly, all I can remember are the traumatic bits.

i remember zeppelin being good, didn't they do wearing and tearing?

Bowie was excellent! His version of "Heroes" has not been surpassed.

The Pretenders, Paul Young, and Hall & Oates were very solid (Daryl Hall, looking coked to the gills, also doubled as Mick Jagger's keyboardist).

IIRC Bowie's backup group included Thomas Dolby and Matthew (Soft Boys) Seligman. Definitely the latter, I may be imagining the former.

Did Paul Young have Pino Palladino in tow?

"On keyboard and synthesizers, Mr. Thomas DOLBY!" Bowie shouted.

keyboard AND synthesizers

This WAS the eighties.

Yeah Bowie was awesome, Queen were fantastic too and theyre about the only two acts I recall being any good at all.

Beach Boys?!? I don't remember that at all - was Brian there?

Ferry also had Gilmour playing guitar for him:

http://liveaid.free.fr/rewind/bbc/images/033bryanferry/05.jpg

Yes, Brian was there and in decent voice. Good Vibrations was a highlight of the DVD -- the Boyz didn't interact much but they pulled it off, harmonies and everything. Whenever Love threatened to go off on a preening tangent, Carl (in kempt beard and gray suit) reined him in.

Bowie and Queen were especially great. But why did Freddie cut off "Bohemian Rhapsody" after the first piano bit? What a tease.

Pete Townshend had the only haircut of the entire festival that still holds up today. I hope Bono preserved his for the R&R Hall of Fame.

All I remember is Simon Le Bon way flubbing a high note in that James Bond song, and the control-room guy quickly cutting to a shot of the bass player wincing. I rewound that part a few times.

One other thing, is this the only documented evidence of Aimee Mann and Madonna hugging in public (twice)? That seems footnotish.

Hahah I rember Le Bon fucking that high note in "View to a Kill". He does that a LOT live.

I adore Simon's attempt to play an acoustic guitar during "Save a Prayer."

You all forgot Elvis Costello doing the worst busker in the world impersonation with a cover of 'All you need is love'

That was pretty good, actually: he couldn't hide his contempt.

It all seems so weird watching it now, it seemed genuine and heartfelt to me as a 15 year old but god, now, it reeks of 80s overblown excess and pomposity.

Ultravox also do a pretty good rendition of "Vienna," with Midge wearing a pretty rad stiff-collared striped oxford and taking a great synth solo.

Ultravox @ Live Aid were fairly amazing overall. Their performance there was what got me into all the New Romantic stuff in the first place. Plus *embarrasing admission* it made me run out to the Generra store at the local mall and plop down nearly $200 on a black trench (busboy at a North Jersey m4fi4 hang back then meant no-joke tips.)

Oh, yeah: Worst Moment: The embarrasing Zep reunion. Made me stop listening to them for years after that debacle.

Best: Judas Priest/Queen/Kenny Loggins & Sheena Easton presenting Prince's awesome "4 The Tears In U're(sic) Eyes" video in full 80's mullet glory.

Just 'cos Bono looked like a complete tit still doesn't negate the fact that U2's "Bad" happened to be awesome.

Okay, that wasn't a worst moment, but still, all this hatin'...

1. Daltrey can't remember the words in one verse of "Won't Get Fooled Again," skips verse entirely, Townshend glares at him.

i'd put that (and the who's entire set) as one of the best live aid moments. they were called on to be TRIUMPHANT SELF-SERIOUS ARENA-ROCK GODS and instead came on as the who, flaws and glorious awkwardness intact (townshend attempting a kick and falling over; daltrey fucking up the time in "my generation" the long delay because entwistle's bass wasn't tuned).

and all this talk of queen's set being some kind of signpost of untouchableness has me confused, and a little worried. is it just me, or did they just do the same half-assed empty-gesture-filled schtick they always did? it's like what someone said about freddie hubbard: it's the rolls-royce aesthetic, but without the rolls-royce.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdcDswc97Bo

queen a few days before rehearsing, talking (and smoking) on uk breakfast television.

I went out and rented this today, it's something I've been meaning to do for quite awhile. I do remember watching it on TV as it happened (I was 14) but for some reason I really don't remember any of the performances except for U2, who I was absolutely insane about back then.

So far I just gotta say I feel like apologizing for all those mullets. I don't think back then it would have even occurred to me how many folks had the same hairstyle. And I don't remember a point when people suddenly decided that was the "in" hairstyle, either. Maybe hairdressers saw it that way, but other than that...I just don't get it.

It pisses me off that Sade has a whopping one song on this freaking thing. Christ almighty god that woman is gorgeous.

Also I agree, Ultravox seemed to do an uncommonly good job.

Okay, Paul Young is getting on my nerves, now. Why were so many people into him??

DAEREST ILM:

laugh now but you are all going to hell

love peace & debt relief,

BONO

He can say that, he's already in it:

http://idolator.com/assets/resources/2007/06/AP070606016627.jpg

Yeah I'm watching U2 now, and I gotta say I don't think Bono's hair was nearly as bad as I remembered. I may be confusing this performance with another one, though.

Can't believe how young Adam looks.

Bono's boots kindof make him look effeminate at times, though. Odd.

Paul Young's perf of "Come Back and Stay" was pretty good, and Alison Moyet does her peeved-big-voice thing on that Marvin Gaye song.

Yeah, it was alright, but the third song he did was atrocious. I don't even want to talk about it.

I love seeing how many of these acts were also there in 1992 for the Freddie Mercury tribute.

had Bowie worn that lime-green suit at Live Aid he'd have been a sensation.

What I enjoyed from watching DVD #1 was how it kindof sorted out who was currently reaching their peak artistically in 1985, and who was well past their sell-by date and on the way out. Who the hell cared about Spandau Ballet by then? I mean really! Sade had just put out her first album, I didn't realize before just how late that album came out. She was a new kid on the block then! Unbelievable. But U2 were the only band that really mattered, evidenced by my deep love for them then and all the flags flown in their honour down the front. Bono's a pretentious twat, I know, but I thought his effort to connect with his audience during Bad were downright extraordinary. Shame on the others who wouldn't have dared.

Although I must admit I found Howard Jones' performance surprisingly well done and enjoyable.

Bryan Ferry was great, too. At least he didn't succumb to the cult of Mullets!

Bimble, in your honor I'm watching my Live Aid DVD before some friends come over for movies and wine. I'm watching Paul Young's "Everytime You Go," the performance of which causes an audible thrill in the audience (the song hit #1 in the US the following week). I guess he's one of those stars-in-the-making whose career trajectories were confirmed with this perf.

As for the Spands...normally I detest them, but that's a very solid version of "Only When You Leave" they performed.

OHMY GOD! I JUST GOT TO SIMPLE MINDS! EVEN WITH THE BAD CHOICE OF CLOTHING YOU KNOW THEY WILL TAKE YOUR SOUL

But don't you understand that I was just a poor American, I was forced to sit through the American crap when my heart, my heart wanted so much to see the Brit acts. I think this is why I don't remember much. Even U2 seemed to play when the US folks did. And I swear, I wanted so much to see the Brit acts, but I wasn't awake and it was all live. What a tragedy of time zones. Well at least we got to see the beautiful Lady Di at the beginning.

But seriously it really does make me sad that I didn't see Simple Minds at the time.

Also is Prince up in this bitch?

"Don't You Forget About Me"

See, I told you. This concert separates the has-beens from those bands who were at the top of their creative careers.

Spandau Ballet still get the worst hair/worst clothes award.

Look familiar?

http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Palladium/7994/index.jpg

I don't buy the Who-were-regular-guys-not-rock-Gods defense. Townshend tried to salvage the thing with jumps and windmills and a good haircut and falling down but Daltrey was just intent on showing off his chest muscles. A couple times he didn't even seem interested in, y'know, singing the song.

Also I wanted to add that especially the Spandau Ballet drummer made a really bad choice of clothes/hair. That really bothered me. He just needed someone to tap him on the shoulder and say "hey man, friends don't let friends dress like that"

Also, sorry I missed your cross posts, Alfred. Too drunk. I've read them now, though. And I welcome your friends over for drinks.

aaargh those Spandau mullets.

Srsly, why did everyone want hairdos like Princess Di?!

Heheheh but let's be honest, they WEREN'T like Princess Di! She DID NOT HAVE A MULLET!!!

But yeah, what the hell is Nik Kershaw's excuse I wonder?

Wow, look at the ancient computer next to the keyboardist of the Cars.

Also I think Madonna's outfit is outstanding and very tasteful. It has a little bit of her earlier style wrapped up in something new, and it's modest, too. I love it.

Well I guess I'm subverting the original intent of this thread. But what happened to Donut anyway? I actually had a dream about him the other night, woke up and wondered why he doesn't seem to post anymore.

The Thompson Twins version of Revolution is even worse than it's been described as here! FUKCIN HALARIOUS!!! I mean shit, I wanna own this DVD just for that because if I ever get down that will be the perfect thing to drag me out of the doldrums. That is FUNNY.

And Steve Stevens too, Billy Idol's guitarist! It's WAY over the top. I feel so sorry for Nile Rodgers. Let's not blame him, okay? This is not his fault.

And for fuck's sake even the singer of the Thomspon Twins has a mullet, now! WHY?

And the look on Madonna's face when she hugs the lady from the Thompson Twins afterwards is priceless...she looks so revolted by what she was just heard/was involved with.

Duran Duran's Union of the Snake is pretty poor, too.

And more mullets, too. Groan. I think even Nick Rhodes has one. I can't look.

Okay I can take a lot of things, but I can't take Nick Rhodes with a mullet. That's where I draw the line.

INXS was an example of a band that were still on a creative roll in 1985. Wikipedia tells me Listen Like Theives came out in 1985. But I thought it was 1984. I'm shocked.

Oh my god now they're doing "Don't Change" I'm going to die.

And Michael Hutchence avoided a mullet! He has Princess Di hair, but no mullet.

It's very subtle, though. He gives the impression of a mullet without actually having one.

The Bob Dylan performance is fantastic, but something in my brain says "he should not be wearing that sparkly earring".

Much as I love her, Chrissie Hynde's outfit was just trying too hard.

I don't buy the Who-were-regular-guys-not-rock-Gods defense. Townshend tried to salvage the thing with jumps and windmills and a good haircut and falling down but Daltrey was just intent on showing off his chest muscles. A couple times he didn't even seem interested in, y'know, singing the song.

i never said the who were regular guys. i said they were the who, flaws and all. big difference.

Hahah. Amen to that!

Roger = Flaw.

Roger = Flaw.

zing!

If there's something better in the world than Madonna's performance at this thing, then please let me know.

Simple Minds' "Don't You Forget About Me" was a new record in 1985.

Pete Townshend had the only haircut of the entire festival that still holds up today.

That's because he didn't need to use a Goodyear blimp's worth of hairspray!

This thing was one of those inexplicable events that when you see it you kind of love it, and yet you know on some secret limbic level how bizarrely and awkwardly of-its-time it will always appear. Of course, we never thought there'd be an extant record of it as Geldof explicitly requested it be left for subjective-memory playback only.

And Bimble's right -- Madonna was magnificent. I remember that being true at the time and I wasn't disappointed when I saw it again for the first time this weekend. Originally, I watched it with people who were ridiculing her -- "what were they thinking of, allowing teen dance music onstage at such an important event?" -- and I was the lone voice in the room defending her at the time. She fucking knew this would launch her skywards: "People of the world, now I know you're mine"! Awesome.

Sting, Branford Marsalis and Phil Collins were surprisingly good.

Oh, but worst moment: I'll agree with that Thompson Twins abomination. And Elton was pretty lost and coked up, doing his strange old befuddled uncle impersonation.

Simple Minds' "Don't You Forget About Me" was a new record in 1985.

I remember being disappointed, though not surprised I guess, that they did their "American hit"; I was really hoping for something like "Someone Somewhere in Summertime". But yeah, how did Simple Minds avoid U2's fate -- they seemed destined to be massive at the time? In some ways, they really dodged a bullet there.

Victim of timing, I think. Remember, Once Upon a Time came out in either late 1985 or early 1986, I forget which, and "Alive and Kicking" was huge and all, as were some follow-up singles. But U2 were kinda perfectly positioned in 1987 to conquer the world PRwise (and did), and more than that had a further follow-up album and film next year. Constant MTV rotation didn't hurt, and by the time Simple Minds came back, they did so with Street Fighting Years. Death knell right there!

I've rented the Breakfast Club. It's all over.

I
WANNA

BE
AN
AIR
FORCE
MAJOR

I'm going to try Once Upon a Time for the first time...

"Are we going to be like our parents?"

"no...it just happens, your heart dies"

"no one cares"

"I CARE"

Dear Mr. Vernon: We accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was we did wrong. What we did was wrong, but we think you're crazy to make us write an essay, telling you who we think we are. What do you care? You see us as you want to see us, in the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. You see us as: a brain, an athlete, a basket case, princess, and a criminal. Correct? That's the way we saw each other at 7 o'clock this morning. We were brainwashed.

OK dude can you srsly not recite the entire breakfast club script on here? Come on man.

Wasn't he interesting. --Og re: Napoleon.

Ned is wise. But I still don't think -- necessarily -- that it was a bad thing for Simple Minds to avoid their "destiny". I mean, we'll still have New Gold Dream.

(</ Bogart >)

I was thinking about the artists who weren't featured and why. Michael Jackson, Prince, hell, even Boy George. Anyone know why they weren't there?

prince said he didn't want to be on the USA for AFRICA single. so he wasn't invited for this.

also Depeche Mode offered their sercvices only to be told to stick it.

Yeah, Simple Minds just jumped the shark on their own. They didn't need anyone's help.

IIRC Bruce Springsteen had just gotten married and was on his honeymoon, and Michael Jackson was on tour with the Jacksons.

ALL of this stuff is now on you tube. so many lols.

Bryan Ferry = still the best dressed and moussed.

I vaguely remember Bryan Adams being pretty awful

I was thinking about the artists who weren't featured and why. Michael Jackson, Prince, hell, even Boy George. Anyone know why they weren't there?

In 1985, Michael Jackson was probably sitting in his oxygene tent, playing with his monkeys and snakes and wondering about how to be able to buy the remains of the Elephant Man. I was pretty much surprised when he made "Bad" and it appeared the guy was able to make music at all. For a while, he acted like Syd Barrett there.

Bahahaha. Damnit I could swear I heard the reason about Prince once but I can't remember what it was now. Is it just in this thread already and I'm too lazy to search for it?

Hell, I don't care either. I could talk about Live Aid all day. I could watch my favourite parts of Live Aid a good 300 more times before I could possibly get tired of them, if I even would at that many. I had just scored the job I'd long dreamt of when I last posted a zillion messages to this thread at once last year. I had a perfectly good reason to go nuts at the time, you see. I was very happy and very, very scared.

35 years ago today. It probably isn't fair to single out Elton but the first couple of minutes plus of his performance are hilarious.

0.56 incoherent slurring
1:01 nose pinch!
1:04 incredible 'shreds' video style guitar howl
2:04 appalling whining for a few seconds

He gives it his best go but as the comments underneath attest it sounds mostly bloody awful

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vy371rkUCr4

Cat Stevens turning up with his guitar to resume being Cat Stevens after years of reclusivity.

He made it to the forward running order. But not to the actual show.

He went back to "not being cat stevens" for another 20 years or so.

All I remember is Simon Le Bon way flubbing a high note in that James Bond song, and the control-room guy quickly cutting to a shot of the bass player wincing. I rewound that part a few times.

― Lie Bot, Saturday, June 9, 2007 3:37 AM (thirteen years ago) bookmarkflaglink

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2K0jE-Nr5Io

Power Station are terrifying, bad and weird. Michael Des Barres’ coke sweats are enough to for me to seek my lord and savior Jesus Christ

and that Thompson Twins Powerstation “Revolution” cover w Madonna is a living nightmare. His vocals are so off-key and flat! and my king Steve Stevens just sounds like pre Tom Morello tinnitus. Blehhh.