There’s a new musical based on Live Aid. I talked to Bob Geldof about it.
[This was my weekly column for GlobalNews.ca. – AC]
Saturday, July 13, 1985, will forevermore be known as one of the biggest days in music history. Bob Geldof, the scruffy, scrappy frontman of The Boomtown Rats, strongarmed artists, venues, satellite companies, and even heads of state into participating in a massive concert event to raise money to combat a catastrophic famine in Ethiopia.
Over a 16-hour broadcast, Live Aid, split between Wembley Stadium in London and JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, brought in over US$125 million in humanitarian aid from a global TV audience estimated at 1.9 billion — nearly 40 per cent of the world’s population — in 150 countries, including the Soviet Union. Queen’s 20-minute set is widely regarded as one of the greatest of all time. Bono’s dancing with a woman from the audience is now considered iconic. And Phil Collins jetting via Concorde to appear on both stages? Crazy.
There has never been, nor may there ever be again, a more powerful demonstration of how music can be a powerful agent for social and political change. Almost 40 years later, people still talk about Live Aid. And the talk has been rekindled, thanks to a new musical based on the event called Just For One Day (yes, the title is from the Bowie song, Heroes.) It follows several characters who remember that day and intertwines real-life events with over 30 songs performed at Live Aid.
After a run at the Old Vic in London’s West End (the reviews were brilliant), the production’s next stop is the Mirvish Theatre in Toronto from Jan. 26 to March 25, 2025. Geldof was in Toronto to talk about the production. I sat down with Bob for about half an hour. And Bob being Bob, I got in exactly two questions during that time. Here’s a gently summarized version of our chat.
