Inside the new Band Aid musical and how one iconic anthem left co-founder Midge Ure with lump in his throat

The Sun

01-05-2025

QUEEN'S 'Ay-Oh' is booming around London's Wembley Stadium as I relive Live Aid ahead of the global charity event's 40th anniversary.
As silence falls upon the stands, a familiar Irish voice pipes up and, staring at the stadium, Bob Geldof says: 'It doesn't look that sort of different.
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'I expect it to be mega and new and it just looks as crappy as before.'
With a glint in his eye, he adds: 'I'm blue in the face listening to f***ing Freddie Mercury.'
Joking aside, Bob — alongside fellow musician Midge Ure, promoter Harvey Goldsmith and music exec John Kennedy — has invited me down to announce the release of Just For One Day, The Live Aid Musical album.
Out on July 11, it is a 30-track collection of songs from the groundbreaking concert recorded by the cast of the theatre show.
Producer Jon Bath tells me it took him 54 weeks to make what he admitted had to be 'the best covers album of all time' with tracks including The Beatles ' Let It Be, Elton John's I'm Still Standing and Bryan Adams Summer Of '69 .
They've succeeded thanks to a stellar cast — including Craige Els who plays Boomtown Rats frontman and Live Aid mastermind Bob.
Midge — who wrote Band Aid's Christmas smash Do They Know It's Christmas — says of the musical: 'I went in as a jaded rock star expecting cheese. But during the show this jaded rock star had a lump in his throat.
'One song jumped out in particular for me and I was never a big Bob Dylan fan.
'Blowing In The Wind, the interpretation that they've done on that was phenomenal.
'It changed my opinion of what theatre and musicals could be up until that moment.'
Recalling teaming up with Bob on Live Aid in 1985, John says: 'God looked at a family in Africa and said he had to do something about it.
'Band Aid eat your heart out' Two Doors Down star performs Christmas hit with a Scottish twist
'He knocked on the door for help and it was answered by a scruffy, foul-mouthed Irishman.
'A lanky, impetuous, domineering, potential dictator. Bob then bullied Midge into writing one of the most successful songs of all time, he then bullied the rest of us to be in his band of merry men.
'Here we are, 40 years later.'
To date, the Band Aid Charitable Trust has raised more than £150million for people in need.
And ten per cent of ticket sales for the musical, which opens at London's Shaftesbury Theatre from May 15, will go to the charity.
John continues: 'The Band Aid Trust have been doing this for 40 years and five months. To us, it never felt stale. We got a request from a small charity last week.
'Lives transformed'
'They wanted £25,000 from us. If we gave them that sum and they added it to the £25,000 they've raised themselves, then they would give a village of 3,000 people a clean water supply that would last for 20 to 30 years.
'That project will cost five percent of the money we already make from the musical.
'The other 95 per cent will be spent just as effectively and over the years. the money will roll in.
'But don't go to the musical because of those 3,000 people whose lives will be transformed. Go because you'll have one of the best nights of your life.
'You will laugh, you will cry, you will dance and you will sing.
'And if at the end you're not on your feet giving a standing ovation, then Bob personally will give you your money back.'
I'll hold him to that.
BBC tributes
THE BBC will also be celebrating the anniversary of the legendary concert with new programmes all about it.
In July, BBC Two will air a new documentary called Live Aid At 40, telling the behind-the-scenes story of the event, featuring exclusive interviews with Bono, Sting, George Bush and others.
Fans will be able to relive the charity gig with Live Aid The Concert, also on BBC Two, while Radio 2 has created its own special, Live Aid – The Fans Story, with tales from performers including Gary Kemp, Francis Rossi and Billy Ocean.
Kylie court in act
TIMOTHEE CHALAMET and Kylie Jenner had just as much fun playing tonsil tennis as they did watching the basketball in LA.
The couple, who have been together for two years, cheered on the Los Angeles Lakers who took on the Minnesota Timberwolves, although the latter team won.
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They weren't the only couple spotted having a smooch there, though.
Also at the game was actress Lily Rose Depp and her musician girlfriend 070 Shake – five years after Lily's year-long romance with Timothee ended.
Somehow, I doubt they'll be putting a double date in the diary.
Rita's hot right now
THE mini heatwave is fitting for Rita Ora, who sends temperatures soaring in the music video for her next tune.
I'm told the singer is going back to her racy Hot Right Now roots for sizzling new single, Heat.
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Insiders said Rita slipped into her sexiest bikinis for the US shoot, which took place on beaches in both Miami and Los Angeles.
They explained: 'Rita is going all out for Heat and the video is one of the raciest she's ever done.
'She wears a number of different bikinis and writhes around on the beach, and there is a lot of sexy choreography, too.
'It really is like her Hot Right Now days and Rita wants to get pulses racing.'
There's no word yet on whether Rita's husband Taika Waititi I makes a cameo in the video.
But we know he's got form for popping up in the background of scenes.
If you ask me, I think Taika will definitely have wanted to be involved in this one . . .
Ed still in play after tour end
ED SHEERAN has confirmed he won't be hitting pause on his music – as the star releases his new album just five days after the end of his Mathematics Tour.
The record, named Play, will be available on September 12, featuring the song Old Phone, which came out last night.
Lorde says that her record, Virgin, will be out on June 27, while new releases today include Irish singer Allie Sherlock's Damage Control and rising pop star Sophie Grey's On Hold, ahead of her support slot for Sting in arenas across Europe this summer.
My favourite new release is Mimi Webb and Meghan Trainor's irresistibly catchy track, Mind Reader.
Mabel has worked with Clavish for the song Benz, and Maroon 5 have teamed up with Blackpink's Lisa for their new single, Priceless
Jade: My album agony
JADE has voiced her frustration over the delay of her debut album – and it sounds like fans will have to wait even longer.
She said in January that the record, which she finished last year, would be out around May, but it sounds like it will now not be released until the end of the summer.
Speaking to a fan on social media site Discord, the Angel Of My Dreams singer said: 'The hardest part is waiting for my album to come out. I can assure you nobody wants this album out more than me.
'I am trusting in the team's strategy and expertise and understand that the summer of shows and upcoming promo will help drive preorders as a new artist.
'But I can promise, with my next album, I want to write it and release it within months of each other.'
Have Specs with Elton
IF you were looking for celebs with the most stylish glasses, you'd probably pick Billie Eilish or WILL.I.AM.
But Specsavers have plumped for Sir Elton John to promote their latest collection – despite the fact he's almost blind.
The high street optician is working with the music legend to bring 12 optical frames and two types of sunglasses from his Elton John Eyewear range to their customers.
The glasses are based on some key moments in his life and career but I'm not keen to get a pair given how his vision has deteriorated.
Elt has struggled since getting an infection last year and recently admitted: 'I can't see TV, I can't read. I can't see my boys playing rugby and soccer. It's distressing,'
When asked how many pairs of glasses he has, he recently said: 'I don't really know. I guess between ten and 15 thousand.'
He'll have a few more pairs from this collab – I hope that he sees an improvement.
Harry's clubbing in Styles
IT'S notoriously difficult to get in to, but Harry Styles seems to have been added to the VIP list at Berlin megaclub Berghain.
Revellers often queue for more than six hours, only to be turned away at the door.
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But I hear Harry, below, has become something of a regular at the hardcore electronic music venue.
A punter told me: 'Harry's often in Berghain, but I never see him in the queue. He must have a back door agreement with the bosses because I don't think Harry would stand outside for hours like us lot.'
It would be good advertising if he did.
I told last month how Harry had temporarily relocated to the German capital to put the finishing touches to his fourth record.
I just hope he's putting as much time into recording as propping up the bar.
Line-up is Jool in TV crown
VIEWERS will soon be treated to more top music as Later… With Jools Holland returns to our screens.
I can exclusively reveal rock legends Skunk Anansie are booked for the first episode on May 18, alongside Cynthia Erivo, who will perform a track from her upcoming solo album, I Forgive You.
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The series, which runs for six weeks, will also feature Pulp, Loyle Carner, The Hives, Wet Leg, Joy Crookes, Franz Ferdinand, Wunderhorse, Wolf Alice and Beverley Knight.
Also teed up to perform are Billy Nomates, Cameron Winter, Self Esteem, Holly Johnson, ALT BLK Era and Sugababes.
The shows, which are all being filmed at the Alexandra Palace Theatre in North London, will air in a new slot on Sunday evenings at 10pm on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.