It is hard to believe Live Aid was 25 years ago. It is also hard to believe Phil Collins was so popular at the time that he played at both the London and Philadelphia shows. For those of you not old enough to remember, Live Aid was a huge concert that combined Do They Know It's Christmas and We Are The World and threw in every act that ever appeared on MTV all in one day on two continents. I know I watched or listened to almost all of it. I think U2 was probably the best that day. Did they cut them off in mid song because they played too long? I remember Madonna playing with Thompson Twins and then there was Phil Collins on drums for the reunion of Led Zeppelin.
Phil spoke to Spin Magazine about that concert and said, "They weren't very good and I was made to feel a little uncomfortable by the dribbling Jimmy Page. If I could have walked off, I would have - but then we'd be talking about why Phil Collins walked off from Led Zeppelin. So I just stayed there and bit my tongue."
I don't remember it being as bad as Phil and Led remember it being. I need to dig it up and watch it but I gather there was not much rehearsal time and maybe it did suck, but I only remember them playing together.
Holy crap - 25 years. I remember being on vacation with my family, but recording it on our VHS so I could see it when I got back. I must have watched that video 15 times at least and can still remember Madonna singing "Holiday". I'm getting old.
ReplyDeleteI was there in Philly, at the old JFK Stadium. What a day.
ReplyDeleteAnd the best performance was Mick Jagger and Tina Turner's numbers together.
not doubting what PC says is true...but eep, that's just bad pr to slam their collaboration publicly...it was all for a greater good, so suck it up and be a good sport.
ReplyDeleteI remember watching and waiting for Bruce Springsteen to make a "surprise" appearance. The VJ's kept talking about how he had just played a concert in the area and he was so close by. Mark Goodman was saying "isn't that lighting rig from Bruce's shows? Aren't those Bruce's amps/speakers." Meaning any moment - Bruce would get up and play.
ReplyDeleteHe never did.
P.S. Phil Collins is a twat.
I am officially old. I sat in front of the tv all day and I taped Mick Jagger and Tina Turner (our VCR had a corded remote with two buttons). My favorite part was Freddie Mercury. I miss Freddie.
ReplyDeletef- Phil...i am more concerned with the fact that i remember Live Aid!
ReplyDeleteMark Goodman...totally remember...if you want to relive, Martha Quinn is on Sirius on the 80's channel.
he's not saying anything shocking - my understanding is that the rest of Zep felt so strongly that the performance was terrible that they banned the video from their performance from being included on the official Live Aid DVD.
ReplyDeleteI remember donating £10 just because Zep were playing (and the very good cause!) John Bonham had only been dead a few years and the band on stage again was a huge event. Pity about the drummer. Phil Collins always was an arse.
ReplyDeleteQueen was the best act IMHO, but I was more excited to see Madonna. Remember all the clothing she had on? It was just after the nude photo scandal. Ah, the olden times!
ReplyDeleteShut up, Phil, you primadonna. I don't care anymore. No more. No more.
ReplyDeleteLOL at Little Miss Smoke. . .
ReplyDeleteLoved Live Aid, it was when MTV actually mattered. Favorite was the David Bowie/Mick Jagger video.
Agree with Cheryl and Princess Shyness.. Queen was by far the best...I miss Freddie and I still love Brian May
ReplyDeleteTwenty-five years ago I was twenty-five. I remember not caring one way or the other.
ReplyDeleteLive Aid was awesome. I was glued to MTV the entire day, and I was 9 years old. That music mattered to me. I so remember Madonna with her short hair cut and cropped jacket. And wasn't douchebag Sean Penn by her side?
ReplyDeleteU2 and Queen were amazing.
Phil Collins playing at both shows was a big deal, IIRC.
I remember Queen was the best and I thought it was such a shame they were on at 11 in the morning. The rest of the day was not that spectacular. Phil is a big pussy.
ReplyDeleteLet's see who will be remembered more
Jimmy Page or Phil Collins?
Queen rocked. Who even remembers Phil? I knew he did both shows but
ReplyDeleteI can't even remember his segments. I always thought Phil was a douche.
I remember watching that all day.
ReplyDeleteThe original 4 VJs (that are still alive) all have shows on SiriusXM. Those were the days.
i was there that day as well, and thinking about the Led Zeppelin mini-set still gives me goose bumps. Maybe the band wasn't up to par -- I sure didn't notice, and seemingly neither did the other 100,000 people there. It was mayhem. Wonderful mayhem.
ReplyDeleteIt's ok Phil. I'm sure Zeppelin felt the same way about you :)
ReplyDeleteYes, Queen was by far the best that day. Not just then but all other days too...but that's just imho. :) I love this band so much. And yes, Freddy Mercury is terribly missed :( Is anybody else here doing the Freddy for a Day on Sept. 3?
ReplyDeleteIt was a rocking day all the way around, but somehow the thing I remember most is Duran Duran's performance and Simon Le Bon hitting the worst note I've ever heard a singer hit during "the Reflex"
ReplyDeleteIs it bad that I still have a huge crush on Brian May? I have since I was 10, and I'm 32 now..I don't care that he's old LOL
ReplyDeleteOh God I can't stand Phil Collins and I couldn't stand him in the day when he songs were playing ALL THE TIME and get this: If I'm in the car and changing stations, to this day that freak is always on some station somewhere. It drives me up the wall. I've started testing it because it's insane. His horrible music will never ever go off the air.
ReplyDeleteWhy would Phil Collins bring this up 25 years later? Is he really that petty? This is Led Zeppelin we're talking about - one of the greatest rock bands in history. They'd done enough fantastic shows to earn them a lifetime pass by the time Live Aid rolled around. C'mon!
ReplyDeleteFreddy Mercury's performance at Live Aid is consistently touted as the best live rock performance of all time. I have to agree. There was no one like him. I loved him as a kid - way back in the '70's. They were different then. I'm thrilled that my daughter loves him as much as I did.
By 'different' I mean that Queen stood out from all the other rock bands of that time. And they were constantly evolving.
ReplyDeleteAfew years ago, Page was asked about Phil Collins and Live Aid, Page said he didn't invite Collins, Plant did. Collins didn't have a clue about the music and Page thought his performance was crap he added that it was obvious Collins just did it for a PR stunt by flying off to the next location. There was a second drummer on the stage..his name escapes me..It was my first year at Western and Queen rocked it..
ReplyDeleteMy first niece was born when Ultravox was on stage, about half an hour after the show started. It was a great day.
ReplyDeleteI think Su-Su-Sudio is my Manchurian Candidate song. I could do major damage if I hear that song ever again.
I was in Philly. We got there a couple of hours late - 9am. It was a blast. The moment we sat down, the people beside us offered us a screwdriver. They had an huge cooler filled with pre-mixed vodka and OJ.
ReplyDeleteI was close enough to the stage (in the stands) that when the sound system crashed during Patti LaBelle's set, I could still hear her singing.
That morning, someone got a kidney transplant. The guy was at the concert and the announcer urged him to go to a certain exit where police were waiting to take him to the hospital asap for his kidney. There was a huge cheer for the guy.
I was pickpocketed at Live Aid while in the Pizza line and missed Madonna's set. Still, 25 years later, I have fond memories of the entire experience.
Phil's commercial success as the lead vocalist for Genesis after Peter left went to his head, especially after his crap second solo album sold a ton. Just because a ton of teenagers who love pop music buy your records, doesn't mean you're all that. I prefer to remember the early 1970s Phil, one of the greatest drummers ever. Here are the boys in their early 20s:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSLcwGFyZRA
I wanted to see Duran Duran. I loved every minute of it. Thought it was so rocking that it was going on simultaneously on 2 continents.
ReplyDeleteWow 25 years?! Already?!
ReplyDeleteSometimes I really miss the 80's.
Here's what Jimmy Page said in 2007 - "Live Aid was pretty shambolic," he told BBC News. "We came together and rehearsed with a drummer we'd never met before and then we were joined by Phil Collins, who we'd never played with before, on this great Live Aid stage."
ReplyDelete"We went there with the spirit of it, but actually it was pretty shambolic."
I'll have to work shambolic into my vocabulary.