Bono reveals the one thing he was always embarrassed about Live Aid
Bono has revealed that while Live Aid might have eventually led to him wiping off a billion of debt in Africa, he is always embarrassed about it because of one thing – his then glaring mullet.
'I can't look back at this moment with two eyes because it was such a bad hair day. Like, honestly, one of the most famous moments of your life and your activism, you've got a mullet. It's not good, its just not good. So, I can't look at that f**king thing,' he smiles.
The U2 singer is one of several top stars and politicians taking part in a BBC documentary series on Live Aid, which celebrates its 40th anniversary next Sunday.
Bono on stage at Wembley Stadium during Live Aid
Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 6th
U2 and Queen are still the most talked about acts from Wembley that day, with the likes of David Bowie, George Michael, The Police, Status Quo among others playing, while over in Philadelphia Madonna, Prince and Michael Jackson were among the stars there (Phil Collins performed at both venues).
U2 played an extended version of 'Bad' at Wembley, with Bono jumping into the crowd, and then pulling out a young woman in the packed front rows and hugging her.
Bono on stage at Wembley Stadium during Live Aid
'As true as it was that I'm looking out for somebody slight in the middle of the crowd, I'm also very conscious that this is a TV broadcast, not just a show,' he recalls.
'Didn't end up playing the hit Pride In The Name Of Love, because the singer f**ked off into the crowd. The band wanted to fire me as a result.
'I just knew we were part of something... It began a journey for all of us from what you might call charity to what you might call justice.'
The previous December the cream of British and Irish pop and rock were gathered together by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to bring out the Band Aid single.
'There were egos in the room, not a lot of women,' Bono wryly recollects.
'I was a little uncomfortable. You can tell that because I'm doing the shy thing, which is a dead giveaway. And then really relaxed Bob gives me the line.
Fellow Dubliner Geldof, who came up with the idea for Band Aid and Live Aid, confirms the line in the famous song that he wanted Bono to sing at the time.
'Thank God it's them, instead of you mate, and he said 'are you sure this is what you mean?',' he remembers.
Bono mischievously tells Geldof during the song's recording 'It's a hymn really, isn't it, far out Bob, you got there in the end,' to which Geldof retorts with a laughing scoff 'F**k off'
The single in aid of African famine relief sold over one million copies in the UK, becoming the biggest-selling record ever in Britain.
'I'm Irish, Bob Geldof is Irish. We have a folk memory of famine. I said 'OK, I will attempt to be worthy of that cruel prayer',' states Bono.
'We thought like so many other people, 'this is a humanitarian crisis, and the problem is not an African or an Ethiopian one, it's a European and American one, with a tiny little distribution we can sort out the problem – this is not true. It was as an act of charity a masterful one.'
Band Aid and Live Aid led to Bono and Geldof uniting to meet world leaders in a bit to get them to not only alleviate famine in Africa, but also clear debt and help the AIDS/HIV situation there.
George W Bush recalls meeting the pair when president.
'Him and Bono came in, and Bono at least somewhat presentable, Geldof looked like he crawled out from beneath the ground,' he laughs.
Before the meeting an aide asked him 'you do know who Bono is' and I said 'yeah, he married Cher'.
'I turned around and looked at his face and I could not tell if he was kidding, and I said, 'no that's Sonny Bono, who is dead,' remarks the aide.
Bush was caught offside by Bono during their first meeting.
'In comes the great star Bono. He surprised me by giving me a bible. I don't think this was a way to make me like him, it was a way for him to share a part of his being.
'He made the case about people dying of AIDS, I had campaigned and told people a guiding principle of my administration was all life is precious, and we're all God's children.'
Bono discloses why he gave Bush a Bible.
'I knew he was a man of faith and I thought he might enjoy this ancient Irish bible,' recalls Bono.
'I asked George Bush, 'is there a hierarchy to sin'. He gave me the best answer anybody ever gave and he said 'aw, the sin of omission'. The sin of omission (where people are too busy to think of others).'
Geldof says of the U2 star: 'Bono and I are really good friends, and very close. By this time he was a global mega superstar, I wasn't,' he points out. 'He wants to give the world a great big house and want to punch its lights out.'
The pair's perseverance led to billions of debt being wiped off African nations by G8 and European countries.
Bono also recalls how U2 and Paul McCartney were meant to open Live 8 in 2005.
'Just before the start of Live 8, U2, we were in our dressing room. We close the door, had this prayer thing. Our manager, Denis Sheehan, God rest his soul, he knows nobody can come, it's a private moment,' recalls Bono, who adds they could hear a knocking on the door.
'No one answers the door. We finished the prayer. I asked Denis, 'what was that at the door'. He said 'oh, that was Sir Paul McCartney'. I went, 'Paul McCartney?'. I ran out, I go 'Paul!'.
'He said 'what were you doing?. I said 'we just have a little prayer moment, you know? One of those prayer moments?'. 'Why didn't you ask me?, if you'd asked me, I'd love to be part of that...have it again, with me'.'
The four band members and McCartney then formed a huddle outside the dressing room and said a prayer together.
'It was the most poetic prayer, and then we went on stage,' muses Bono.
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