Bob Geldof and Midge Ure reunite at Wembley Stadium for Live Aid: The Musical casting call as they prepare to celebrate 40 years since iconic concerts raised £150 million for famine relief
Bob Geldof and Midge Ure were back on familiar ground as they reunited to celebrate the forthcoming 40th anniversary of Live Aid.
The original two-venue benefit, held on July 13 1985, was organised by Geldof and Ure to raise relief funds for the two year Ethiopian famine that claimed approximately 300,000 to 1.2 million lives.
And they were back at Wembley Stadium on Thursday to announce Just for One Day: The Live Aid Musical Original Cast Recording.
Almost forty years after 72,000 fans converged on the venue for an epic string of performances from some of the biggest stars of the 1980s, the pair posed for photos on its hallowed turf.
Echoing that legendary summer's day in 1985, the sun beat down on Wembley as Geldof, 73, and Ure, 71, recalled fond memories of the fund-raising event.
Launched at London's Old Vic in 2024, jukebox musical Just For One Day: The Live Aid Musical details the events leading up to the two concerts, while featuring a series of fictionalised dramatic sub-plots.
Following a recent two month run at Toronto's Mirvish Theatre, it will open at London's Shaftesbury Theatre from May 15 for a further eight weeks, in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of Live Aid.
Watched by an estimated 1.9billion people across the world, the two concerts raised an astonishing £150 million in total for famine relief.
Just seven-months after the release of Band Aid charity single Feed The World (Do They Know It's Christmas?), Geldof and Ure brought together some of the biggest artists of the 1980s for two huge concerts at Wembley Stadium and Philadelphia's John F. Kennedy Stadium.
David Bowie, Sir Paul McCartney, Status Quo, Sir Elton John and Queen led a lengthy roster of performers in London, while Black Sabbath, Joan Baez, Run D.M.C and The Beach Boys joined a host of stars in Philadelphia.
Ahead of the anniversary, BBC Two and BBC iPlayer have announced plans to broadcast Live Aid at 40, revealing the behind-the-scenes story of the 1985 concert that brought the idea of charity to a new generation.
Exclusive interviews include iconic figures such as Bob Geldof, Bono and Sting - along with US President George Bush, President Obasanjo of Nigeria and Birhan Woldu, the woman who as a dying child, became the abiding image of the Wembley concert and the famine.
The series weaves the back room stories of two gangs of musicians, from the UK and the US with the political stories that both inspired them and brought them to a worldwide audience.
Archive of the performances and back stage of the record and the concert feature Paula Yates, Boy George, Status Quo and George Michael whilst interviews with Nile Rodgers, Lenny Henry, Phil Collins, Lionel Richie, Patti LaBelle, Roger Taylor and Brian May are set against the memories of the Ethiopian politicians at the heart of the relief effort, Dawit Giorgis and Berhane Deressa.
Emma Hindley, BBC Commissioning Editor, said: 'The series takes the audience on an irresistible and entertaining ride through the 40 years since the biggest live concert ever was shown on TV.
'Featuring exclusive behind the scenes interviews with an array of stars of rock & pop, Live Aid at 40 revels in the music, unravels the politics and explores the legacy of Live Aid.'
Also coming to BBC Two in July is Live Aid the Concert, a look back at the 16-hour concert in full, with performances from the likes of Madonna, Mick Jagger, Patti LaBelle, Phil Collins, Queen, Spandau Ballet, Sade, Sting, Status Quo, Tina Turner and U2.
Approximately two billion people watched the broadcast in more than 100 countries. Now, for the first time since 1985, BBC Two gives viewers a chance to relive over 6.5 hours of extended highlights of the London and Philadelphia concerts, in addition to backstage footage.
Jonathan Rothery, Head of BBC Popular Music TV said: 'This summer we're delighted to be giving viewers a chance to relive one of the biggest concerts in history for the first time on TV since it was originally broadcast on the BBC.
'By providing over 6.5 hours of footage that was captured on the day Live Aid took place, we want viewers to feel transported back to 1985, and to enjoy all those classic songs that we all still know and love to this day, as they were performed on that stage.'
The Making of Do They Know It's Christmas, which was broadcast on BBC Four in November 2024, is also available for viewers to enjoy on BBC iPlayer.
BBC Radio 2 will be marking the anniversary on Sunday 13th July, exactly 40 years since the concert, as the station broadcasts Live Aid – The Fans Story.
Last November, Ed Sheeran claimed he wasn't asked permission from Band Aid 40 organisers to use his vocals on the a new version of their charity single.
The musician originally featured on the 2014 version of the track - spearheaded by Geldof and Ure - alongside the likes of Sting and Harry Styles which aimed to raise money for the Ebola relief efforts.
However, the regarding 2024 Ultimate Mix of the song to celebrate its 40th anniversary, Sheeran has told how he would have denied permission to add his voice to the song had he'd been asked.
Taking to his Instagram stories, the Shape Of You hitmaker re-shared a message from Ghanaian-British musician Fuse ODG, who has been vocal in his criticism of the charity single claiming it 'dehumanises Africans and destroys our pride and identity in the name of 'charity'.'
He wrote: 'My approval wasn't sought on this new Band Aid 40 release and had I had the choice I would have respectfully declined the use of my vocals.
'A decade on and my understanding of the narrative associated with this has changed, eloquently explained by @fuseodg. This is just my personal stance, I'm hoping it's a forward-looking one. Love to all x.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
3 days ago
- Daily Record
Queen fans have just days to watch Oscar-winning biopic 'gripping' viewers
The movie has been available to stream on Netflix for some time - but it's set to leave the platform this week The 2018 biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody, which chronicled the extraordinary life of Queen's lead singer Freddie Mercury, made quite a splash upon its release. The film primarily focused on the iconic musician's journey, from the formation of Queen in 1970 to their unforgettable Live Aid performance at the original Wembley Stadium in 1985, and was a resounding success. Bohemian Rhapsody was a colossal commercial triumph, raking in an impressive $910.8 million globally against a production budget of $50–55 million. This led to it being crowned the highest-grossing biographical drama ever, until it was recently toppled by Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer in 2023. It also ranked as the sixth-highest-grossing film of 2018. Despite currently being available on Netflix, Bohemian Rhapsody is set to depart from the streaming platform on June 15. The screenplay for the biopic was crafted by Anthony McCarten and produced by Queen's manager Jim Beach and Graham King. Bryan Singer directed the film, which was first announced in 2010 with Sacha Baron Cohen slated to portray Freddie Mercury, reports Surrey Live. However, the Borat actor left the project in mid-2013 due to creative differences with the producers, causing the film to be put on hold until 2016 when Rami Malek was cast in the lead role. The film's production troubles didn't stop there. Bryan Singer, who was the director for most of the principal photography (which kicked off in London in September 2017), was sacked from the project in December 2017 due to his regular no-shows on set and conflicts with the cast and crew. Dexter Fletcher, who was initially considered to helm the film during its early development stages, was then roped in to complete the movie. However, due to Directors Guild of America rules, Bryan Singer retained the sole directing credit, while Dexter Fletcher was acknowledged as an executive producer. Rami Malek took centre stage as Freddie Mercury, supported by a star-studded cast that included Lucy Boynton, Ben Hardy, Tom Hollander, Joe Mazzello, Mike Myers, Gwilym Lee, and Aidan Gillen. Queen band members Brian May and Roger Taylor also lent their expertise as consultants on the film. Bohemian Rhapsody had a remarkable run on the awards circuit, scooping four major accolades at the 91st Academy Awards: Best Actor for Rami Malek, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing and Best Sound Mixing, along with a Best Picture nomination. Rami bagged a Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actor for his performance. Bohemian Rhapsody also clinched the Best Motion Picture – Drama, at the Golden Globe Awards that year, as well as the BAFTA Award for Best British Film. The biopic garnered a mixed bag of critiques, yet Rami's depiction of the iconic Queen frontman was universally lauded, with one reviewer noting: "Malek does an impressive job of re-creating Mercury's moves onstage, but the core of the performance is Malek's intensely thoughtful, insight-rich channelling of Mercury's hurt, his alienation and isolation even at the height of his fame." Another critic was captivated by Rami's portrayal, saying: "I can't remember the last time I have been so gripped by an actor's performance, from the first frame to the last." One review acknowledged the film's merits, saying: "Bohemian Rhapsody doesn't suck. "There's a soul inside it, and some anguish, too." Yet another offered a mixed view: "Rami Malek is a revelation, but his performance feels wasted in Bohemian Rhapsody, a movie that can't decide if it wants to honour Queen frontman Freddie Mercury or punish him." Criticism arose regarding the film's treatment of Freddie Mercury's sexuality, with a commentator remarking: "Bohemian Rhapsody is a movie that consciously tries to position a gay man at its centre while strategically disengaging with the 'gay' part as much as it can..." Conversely, audience reactions were more favourable, with a viewer sharing: "This biopic shows us a glimpse of who Freddie was and became, the emotions given are pure at heart, you felt every beat and followed every step. "This story may not have been entirely factual but we are given a blue print of where the band stood and the relation to Freddie. The performance the actor has given has matched both persona and musically, the energy and time has been well placed, the cinematography is crisp. "This may be one of the few biopics that would stay true to its fallen legend. The fact Brian May was involved made this bio pic official and not superficial. "It is a must see for any Queen fan." Meanwhile, another film-goer penned: "5/5 great movie, I've seen it more than twice. "I'm not going into more details. I don't want to argue with a bunch of wanna be Queen fans. A must see movie."
The Herald Scotland
6 days ago
- The Herald Scotland
I was a has-been at 23 says Scots singer behind one of 1980s top tunes
But it all begs the question; at 71 Ure is still young compared to Jagger and Elton and Rod. But what drives the musician to drive around California? 'Well, it's not that I have a proper job,' he says, grinning. Read more Ure did attempt a 'proper job' once upon a time, working as an engineering apprenticeship in East Kilbride. But music was too big a pull. Indeed, the teenage James Ure had 'Clapton is god' stencilled on the back of his dust jacket. 'Yet, the chances of strapping a guitar to your back and developing a career in music were extremely remote,' he recalls. 'The music industry was London or Liverpool centric. Meanwhile, my dad [a van driver] wanted something better for my older brother and I. [Than a bottom flat in a close]. He was being sensible.' Midge Ure took the less sensible route. He joined a band, Salvation, which renamed as Slik, had a No I hit with Forever and Ever, managed by songwriters Bill Martin and Phil Coulter. Ure's experience with the acerbic, egotistical Clydebank-born Martin proved to be a life lesson. Martin once delivered the put-down; 'Midge was good, but not as good as he thought he was.' Bill Martin also decreed that Slik perform his songs. And wouldn't let young Midge play on the record. 'When we talk about Bill Martin, it makes me realise that everything I've done since Slik has been a backlash to Slik,' he reveals. 'I felt I had my 15 minutes [of pop fame] and never got a chance to prove myself. And at 23, I was a has-been. So, I've constantly been trying not to be the pop star, but instead the guy who is interested in record production and new technology - which takes you into weird and wonderful places.' Midge Ure has described his life as running up a down escalator. 1977, he ran towards punk with the Rich Kids, then formed electronic outfit Visage and enjoyed success with two albums and the hit single, Fade to Grey. Yet meantime, he became the frontman with Ultravox. 'When we first went into a studio and plugged in it was the most exciting thing I'd ever done in my life. We had nothing in our pockets. We had no future. But the music we played was phenomenal.' However, the cool Ure head measured expectations. 'We went to America in 1979 to try and get a record deal and one guy interviewed us and complimented us on how well we spoke English. Looking back, I think he thought we were Kraftwerk. What chance had we got?' Read more Pop chart success didn't matter, yet the anthemic single Vienna did chart, reaching No 2. Was the cool head turned a little? 'Oh god, yeah, it's a heady drug fame, isn't it? At one point you are 'Wee Jim,' and then you're 'Midge.' And suddenly you find yourself attractive to the opposite sex. But equally so, you become the target of someone's next punch because his girlfriend fancied you.' Midge Ure's life altered dramatically. Married to model Annabel Giles with a daughter, the family lived in a eight-bedroom house in Chiswick, the garage full of beautiful cars. He bought a house in Montserrat. And a volcano destroyed it. It was a metaphor for how life can blow up in your face. After Ultravox moved away from each other, Ure carved out a solo career but found himself being hounded by the tax man for half a million. Then his marriage broke apart and he found himself with two homes to support.' But one of the cleverest things he had done when the money was coming in was to build a studio in his back garden. 'It was a massive investment, and everyone thought I was crazy, but I knew that record companies drop the moment your last record fails. So, this meant I could keep going.' Ure developed as a solo artist, with hits such as If I Was. And although he loved being in a band, he was at times reluctant to share his visions. He grins. 'It's a real madness. You end up working four times harder to create something. I once spent 12 years making a new record. It's absolutely crazy.' The musician however was more than happy to the Princes Trust Rock Gala band, playing with the likes of Elton and Eric, the guitar god whose name he had on his back.' But hang on; Midge Ure has always been the band leader. How did that dynamic work out? 'On the one hand it was intimidating - to say the least - and how could I be musical director with guys who had outsold me a gazillion times. 'But there's a leveller, and that's the realisation that all these musicians started out the same way as you, playing covers in little local bands. And even if you've got Phil Collins on drums and Mark Knopfler on guitar they don't assume they're The Big I Am.' He grins. 'As for the musical direction in rehearsals, it became about diplomacy.' Did he have to correct Elton at any time? He laughs. 'It was more like 'Elton, could you stop disappearing in between songs for a cup of tea.'' There was another commonality. Every one of these performers had had to battle with their own demons. Having re-married to actor Sheridan Forbes, the couple had three daughters, but Ure too had developed a serious drink problem. It began as recreational fun, a post gig relaxant, but became a next day necessity, then a spiral downwards into the void. It was only when one of his daughters caught him secretly swigging from the vodka bottle that he gave up. Midge Ure in Ultravox (Image: unknown) Ure acknowledges that the extremes we enjoy/endure in life can sometimes fuel the artist. 'Songs don't come from books,' he maintains. 'They come from life. So, I get up in the morning, go to a computer and twiddle knows, rather than drive a baker's van like my dad. For me, it's all about doing something that's real and honest and totally heartfelt.' His politics has become more focused over the years. 'I'm disgusted with humanity. We all are. I was born Protestant and after being in London for years, I came back, and someone asked me what religion my pals in London were. I said I had no idea - and it never struck me to ask. And it made me think that in growing up in an environment like that you ask yourself 'What in the world is going on?' And you look around and you see all these conflicts going on because of religion.' What's apparent is the performer has always been his own, focused, hard grafting man. 'I didn't want to do DJ remixes, for example. Why hand over your work to person who's only knowledge of music is how to put a needle on it? Of course, the result can be the situation where the record label calls and tell you've been dropped can happen. But there's nothing you can do about it. And I didn't take rejections personally.' What's his biggest regret? Is it getting the tense all wrong in the lyric of If I Was? 'You have to blame my pal Danny Mitchell for that,' he smiles. 'He wrote it.' Has there ever been a time he hasn't enjoyed a performance? 'Yes, when I was invited to the girls' school, to play and talk about Band Aid,' he says with a dry smile. 'Watching my kids slide down through the floor in sheer embarrassment was hell.' He's still on the escalator then, ready to play in Glasgow? 'It's not for the money. That's a scarce thing, but it's for the love of it. And if you know how to do it . . .' He laughs. 'And yes, the steps are still there, although like me they move a little slower.' Midge Ure plays Big Nights Out, the Kelvingrove Bandstand, Glasgow, on June 6.
Leader Live
6 days ago
- Leader Live
Go Span Duran to perform at Bangor-on-Dee Racecourse
The event will take place on Friday, June 6, combining an afternoon of jump racing with an evening of live music. Following the success of last year's Glast-on-Dee, the racecourse's first live music fixture, this year's event promises an even more vibrant atmosphere. The Summer Music Meet will pay tribute to the famous Live Aid concert. Racegoers can look forward to a trip back to the 1980s with tribute band Go Span Duran taking the stage after the races. The band will entertain the crowd with hits from Go West, Spandau Ballet, and Duran Duran, along with other popular songs from the 80s. The live performance is set to start at around 5pm, after the last race, and will last for about an hour. Go Span Duran will be performing (Image: Bangor-on-Dee Racecourse) The afternoon will see a full card of competitive jump races. As the last horse crosses the finish line, the focus will shift to the stage for Go Span Duran's performance. READ MORE: Emmerdale star breaks silence on return after 6 years and fans 'can't believe it' Sam Martin, head of marketing and communications at Bangor-on-Dee Racecourse, said: "We're delighted to welcome Go Span Duran to Bangor-on-Dee for what promises to be a memorable day. "The combination of exciting racing and classic 80s music will create a brilliant atmosphere and a great day out for all. "As a racecourse firmly rooted in the local community, we're proud to continue developing events that bring people together. "We really encourage those living nearby to come along, soak up the atmosphere and enjoy a fantastic day with friends and family." For more information about the event, including tickets, timings, travel advice, and hospitality packages, visit the Bangor-on-Dee Racecourse website.
