Live-Aid: do younger cats romanticize it, like we did Woodstock?

Well, there's the rub.

Yes. Well, who knows how you older folk romanticised it for yourself.

The idea that it was to aleviate famine in africa tended to remove a bit of romance by comparison.

However, the idea that the 'kids' reacting with any kind of excitement to Live-8 is impossible to imagine, as the bill seems to be trying to appeal to the same people that enjoyed LiveAid. Annie Lennox fercrissake!

the original Live Aid bill was no more edgy or youth-orientated than these Live 8 ones though was it?

I was there, in attendance at Wembley. It was a bit like an ENSA wartime concert party - amateurish and makeshift. Only U2 and Queen really managed to "communicate" with the audience, and even then I was buggered to know what either had to do with Africa.

The American half didn't really translate to the Wembley audience at all, it was very much queue for the loo time, except for the Beach Boys which did provoke a mass singalong.

I certainly never romanticized it growing up - I mean, Phil fucking Collins ferchrissakes!

The US Festival was our Woodstock.

I was in my early 20s at the time and it was, by and large, shite. Of course there was some superb performances (U2, Queen and Quo spring to mind) but most of it was run of the mill. There were no cutting edge bands (with the possible exception of U2, who weren't the megastars they are today), but, to be honest, that wasn't the point. It was about bums-on-seats and money in the bank. But as an event, yes of course it is hugely romanticized.

The problem with the Live 8 lineup is that it appeals to the lowest common denominator, but the reason is not as clear. Not monetary, obviously. To increase awareness? Undoutedly - the likes of U2, Coldplay etc may raise awareness for a certain amount of viewers, and the amount of old established acts suggest that the appeal is meant to be across musical generations.

The problem is that both Live Aid and Live 8 are/were not about music. If we judge tomorrow's gigs as music they are going to be sadly lacking. I hope I'm wrong, but I don't think I will be. But as a political event they may work very well - the turnout in Edinburgh next week will prove that, one way or the other.

Led Zep's "Wearing and Tearing" from Live Aid kicks ass....don't remember much else.

I was 22 when Live-Aid happened.

My recollection is that it was a Saturday, so I've no idea what Dilenger Wraptard was doing "running home after school to catch some of the performances".

Me and a bunch of similarly music-loving mates all gathered together at lunchtime in a local pub, where they had a big TV screen and (far more importantly) where the landlord had let it be known to us regulars that he was prepared to have a lock-in 'til the end of the event.

By mutual agreement the sound on the TV was turned off and the stereo turned on halfway through The Boomtown Rats' set; and as far as I can remember it remained like that for most of the rest of the event (notable exceptions: Elvis Costello, The Beach Boys, Queen, Simple Minds, David Bowie, The Pretenders, The Who, Neil Young).

We all got exceedingly drunk and had an absolutely marvellous time - although I think that had significantly more to do with being 22 and locked in a pub for 16 hours than it did anything else.

Sorry Bob.

yeah, when I think Live Aid I think PHIL COLLINS. Nothing too romantic about that.

Cats are undeniably furry...

Except the hairless ones.

http://www.thepetprofessor.com/images/doorway/sphynx.jpg

I was 15 when Live-Aid happened.

Was not impressed with most of the artists or Live Aid as a music event at the time. Don't recall much about the performances 20 years on.

[I had just started listening to John Peel and buying Sounds, Melody Maker and NME. So the event music wise was too establishment/ mainstream for my developing music interests]

However I remember Mark Ellen & David Hepworth doing the TV presenting for BBC. Plus Geldof ranting and swearing on TV.

Nowadays everybody wanna talk like they got somethin to say,
And motherfuckers act like they forgot about Sade.

No one cares about Live 8. Except the 12 year old zit-faced Pink Floyd fans

The first couple Lollapaloozas have a more iconic status in my mind than Live Aid. But it's largely because of the line-up -- I couldn't give two shits about most of the people who played Live Aid. Also, Woodstock is a really great piece of concert filmmaking.