Saturday, July 13, 1985, will forevermore be generally known as one of many largest days in music historical past. Bob Geldof, the scruffy, scrappy frontman of The Boomtown Rats, strongarmed artists, venues, satellite tv for pc corporations, and even heads of state into collaborating in an enormous live performance occasion to lift cash to fight a catastrophic famine in Ethiopia.
Over a 16-hour broadcast, Dwell Help, cut up between Wembley Stadium in London and JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, introduced in over US$125 million in humanitarian help from a world TV viewers estimated at 1.9 billion — practically 40 per cent of the world’s inhabitants — in 150 international locations, together with the Soviet Union. Queen’s 20-minute set is broadly thought to be one of many best of all time. Bono’s dancing with a girl from the viewers is now thought of iconic. And Phil Collins jetting through Concorde to look on each phases? Loopy.
There has by no means been, nor could there ever be once more, a extra highly effective demonstration of how music generally is a highly effective agent for social and political change. Virtually 40 years later, folks nonetheless discuss Dwell Help. And the speak has been rekindled, due to a brand new musical based mostly on the occasion referred to as Simply For One Day (sure, the title is from the Bowie track, Heroes.) It follows a number of characters who do not forget that day and intertwines real-life occasions with over 30 songs carried out at Dwell Help.
After a run on the Outdated Vic in London’s West Finish (the critiques have been good), the manufacturing’s subsequent cease is the Mirvish Theatre in Toronto from Jan. 26 to March 25, 2025. Geldof was in Toronto to speak concerning the manufacturing. I sat down with Bob for about half an hour. And Bob being Bob, I obtained in precisely two questions throughout that point. Right here’s a gently summarized model of our chat.
Alan Cross: You by no means struck me as a fan of musical theatre.
Bob Geldof: Nicely, for those who’re a Catholic, you will have your affirmation at 11. My dad took me on my affirmation deal with to see South Pacific and it blew me away. I obtained it. I actually like Oklahoma. I’m a phrases man. I tune into phrases first and the phrases are so sensible [Bob quotes back a bunch of lyrics from Oklahoma]. After which West Aspect Story was simply phenomenally good. Why wouldn’t I be into [musical theatre]? What I’m not into is stuff like Cats. That form of nonsense doesn’t do it for me.
AC: Relating to Dwell Help — the precise occasion — lots of people as we speak don’t understand how huge of an occasion that was. We in ’85 hardly ever obtained to see our heroes, particularly if we have been within the hinterlands. Dwell Help was transformative as a result of know-how allowed us to see our folks.
BG: That’s completely key. Rock ‘n’ roll is a operate of know-how. Elvis and Little Richard wouldn’t have communicated if not for the brand new whiz-bang transistor radios. Six years later, in comes these 4 younger [men] who don’t perceive why they need to be deferential. So that you immediately obtained by means of your TV in a really black-and-white, still-bankrupt, postwar Britain … color! Optimism and pleasure.
The Rolling Stones! There’s no WAY they’d have damaged by means of with that racket [without television]! Pure punk! Utter contemptuous insolence simply staring out at you from the display screen! Wanting bizarre, you recognize? However all of us obtained it concurrently. That’s primarily the story for Band Help and Dwell Help.
As I watched that information clip on the 6 o’clock BBC information [reporter Michael Buerk’s story on the Ethiopian famine], I believed this calls for one thing of the self.
The Boomtown Rats have been off the boil. There’s Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, Boy George, Eurythmics. I’m not assured a success, so why don’t I get these guys — who I knew, as a result of my missus [Paula Yates] was the host of the rock present of the hour, The Tube. So I referred to as her and requested, “Who’s there?” Fortunately, there was Midge [Ure, the future co-writer of the Band-Aid song Do They Know It’s Christmas]. And that’s how that started. A operate of know-how.
[After a trip to Africa after the Band-Aid project, Geldof was shocked to find that none of the grain purchased with the funds raised could get to the people who needed it because a cartel was holding up the trucks.]
I went again to the Band Help belief and reported on the journey. “I feel we should always do a live performance” [to raise money for the trust to buy its own trucks]. I started to enter Bob Mode. Instantly, the world may take heed to these things. A operate of know-how. “If we do it globally,” I stated, “then we are able to do that.”
I learn that the LA Olympics was the one Olympics that made cash, so let’s get the man who did the LA Olympics. I obtained ahold of him and I stated, “That is what I wish to do. Are there sufficient satellites?” They stated, “Nicely, there are however lots of them belong to the navy and there are a whole lot of secret ones up there.” After which I stated, “Can we get them?”
I went to dinner with the president of France [François Mitterrand] at Elysée Palace, such as you do, and I stated, “Mr. President, France has a satellite tv for pc over central Africa that I wish to be in on this. I actually need Africa to be concerned on this, to know that they’re not alone.” He goes, “Nicely, I don’t know if we’ve obtained satellites.” So this basic was referred to as in who stated “Non, non, non! Cette inconceivable!” Then Mitterand stated, “Common, I’m your president. The query is, ‘Do we’ve got satellites that function over central Africa?” The man stated, “Sure, Mr. President, we do.” “Bob wish to use them for twenty-four hours.”
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So always remember what that is. In our world, it’s about this nice second of music when the best acts ever did their best songs ever and carried out method over their norm. And it’s reverberated down by means of the years.
We — properly, he — spoke for a while after this, finally transferring to Dwell Eight, one other international live performance occasion that occurred in 2006. He additionally hinted at extra fortieth anniversary Dwell Help occasions coming in 2025 plus a celebration of The Boomtown Rats’ fiftieth anniversary.
Tickets for Only for One Day go on sale Monday, Oct. 7, at 10 a.m. ET.
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Alan Cross is a broadcaster with Q107 and 102.1 the Edge and a commentator for International Information.
Subscribe to Alan’s Ongoing Historical past of New Music Podcast now on Apple Podcast or Google Play
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