28 years ago: Live Aid

Live Aid logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

28 years ago on Saturday 13 July 1985 one of the most memorable events in music history took place. The Live Aid concert at Wembley Stadium in London and at John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia was the biggest rock concert the world had seen by then. It was broadcasted worldwide and reached more than 1.5 billion people in 150 nations.

The event was organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure as a follow-on to the Band Aid project to help the people suffering from the Ethiopian famine.

The biggest stars of music business took part in the project. Amongst others there were Queen, U2, Phil Collins, Sting, Duran Duran, The Who, Mick Jagger, Madonna, Elton John, David Bowie, Tina Turner and Bryan Adams.

Queen were one of the absolute highlights, so here’s Radio Ga Ga for you. On the links below you can watch other great performances.

 

 

Sting & Phil Collins – Every Breath You Take

The Who – Won’t Get Fooled Again

Paul Mc Cartney – Let It Be

Status Quo – Rockin‘ All Over The World

U2 – Bad

Duran Duran – The Reflex

Hall & Oates – Maneater

Elton John & George Michael – Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me

Eric Clapton – Layla

Ultravox – Dancing With Tears In My Eyes

Mick Jagger & Tina Turner – State Of Shock, It’s Only Rock & Roll

USA For Africa – We Are The World

Queen live at Wembley Stadium

I had another live concert Sunday with one of my friends. This time we chose Queen  – Live At Wembley Stadium. We both had seen it before and both knew, it was awesome. But again we were impressed. Let me say: If there was one concert in the 80s you have to see, it’s definitely this one. On 12 July 1986 during Queen’s Magic Tour more than 100.000 filled the sold out Wembley Stadium to enjoy a show that became music history.

The setlist reads itself like a compilation of the band’s greatest hits: Under Pressure, Another One Bites The Dust, Bohemian Rhapsody, Radio Ga Ga, We Will Rock You, We Are The Champions (only to name a few). The whole thing is mixed up with some cover versions like a powerful Freddie Mercury interpretation of Big Spender. Although Queen have never published any cover versions on their studio albums, cover songs were regular part of their live shows.

Freddie Mercury proves once again that he’s one of the world’s greatest entertainers: racing up and down the gigantic stage (often with the whole microphone stand in his hands), playing the piano or the guitar and singing with full power he easily fills the whole stadium with his presence and conducts the 100.000 people to sing along with him. In between guitarist Brian May also gets the chance to show his talent with some rockin’ guitar solos and drummer Roger Taylor turns out to be a quite decent singer, too.

The concert has a somehow prophetic moment, when Freddie Mercury declares: “There’s been a lot of rumours lately about a certain band called Queen, […] the rumours are that we’re gonna split up, what do you think? […] So forget those rumours, we’re gonna stay together until we fucking will die, I’m sure.” Then the band plays Who Wants To Live Forever. Who would have thought this should be one of Queen’s last live concerts before Freddie Mercury’s death?

The whole concert has this special atmosphere, which you can only describe as a kind of magic. Even watching it on your television at home you feel can feel it somehow and just wanna be right there at Wembley Stadium.