Explained: The historical significance of the 1985 Live Aid concert, and questions around Western relief efforts

Thirty-six years ago, 1.9 billion people from over 150 countries tuned in to witness one of music’s biggest days to unfold: the Live Aid concert of 13 July, 1985. The moment was rare as some of the biggest names in the world of music seemingly took an active interest in the world’s political and economic inequalities, and stepped up to lead relief efforts. While the gig is often regarded as the most influential benefit concert ever, it also had its brush with controversy and raised questions about Western aid. In this explainer, we examine the event, its significance, and the many truths it has brought to the fore for stakeholders to consider. 13 July, 1985 Organised by Bob Geldof, two epoch-making concerts were held in London and Philadelphia. The common goal of the participating artists was to stand in solidarity with Ethiopia and raise funds to bring relief to the people there, who were faced with a famine. The crowd packing London’s Wembley Stadium on a hot afternoon watched legends like Paul McCartney, Elton John, David Bowie, U2, and The Who perform. But it is Freddie Mercury’s incredible comeback show with fellow Queen bandmates that has gone down in history as one of the most emotional performances ever recorded. The Live Aid set the template for fundraising concerts by raising approximately £150 million for famine relief, according to Geldof’s own website. Each ticket was priced at £5 with an extra £20 charity donation added on. Attendees — more than 72,000 of them — began arriving during the day to watch Status Quo start the show. Apart from regular concertgoers, Princess Diana and Prince Charles marked their presence and stood next to Geldof in their box. In the US, the Philadelphia Stadium saw a crowd of 90,000 people and a once-in-a-lifetime lineup featuring names like Madonna, Duran Duran, and The Beach Boys. Phil Collins flew in from London after wrapping up his Wembley show and performed at the US venue as well. One of the most iconic performances of the day turned out to be Tina Turner’s incredible show with Mick Jagger. The US concert came to an end with a group rendition of ‘We Are The World’, while in London, the artists were joined by the crowd in singing ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas’. A global jukebox for Freddy Mercury Another primary reason why the Live Aid is considered historic is due to Queen’s soul-stirring performance, with Mercury casting a spell on the crowd. The band had just wrapped up a world tour to promote their latest album The Works, and were expected to be more subdued. However, their Wembley show affirmed their power and status. “Queen were absolutely the best band of the day,” Geldof said in an interview with Hot Press . “They played the best, had the best sound, used their time to the full. They understood the idea exactly, that it was a global jukebox. They just went and smashed one hit after another. It was the perfect stage for Freddie — the whole world.” Queen’s intensive rehearsals at the Shaw Theatre in London had paid off. The band preferred playing in the evening, but the Live Aid was their chance to show the world that with them, it was all about music, and that they did. Controversies Despite becoming the biggest international satellite event ever broadcast, there were some lingering doubts and rumours about the gig’s success and the many stars it had featured. Twenty percent of the proceeds, for instance, were believed to have gone into the pockets of the powerful in Ethiopia, according to an expose. Geldof, however, refuted the claim. Moreover, getting multiple stars together was no simple task, and Geldof quickly realised that. At the concert, Paul McCartney’s microphone conked out during first verse of The Beatles classis, ‘Let It Be’. Interestingly, fans had already been hoping for the band to come back together after the Live Aid. However, those expectations quickly died down with George Harrison saying , “Paul didn’t want me to sing on ‘Let It Be’ ten years ago, why should he want me to sing on it now?” Then and now The Live Aid became one of the biggest cultural events in history, even though the organisers never intended for it to turn into one. Geldof had imagined it to act more like a “political lobby” that world leaders would be forced to respond to, because poverty, in his opinion, was the vicious nexus plaguing in the African continent. Recounting the purpose and subsequent success of the fundraising concert, Geldof said  in 2019, “While it worked in terms of money, and raising £150 million, which we’re still spending, it really worked in terms of the lobby, ‘cause the G8 was invented the next year and it was never off that (agenda) then because the lobby kept insisting that this would be a global agenda. So from there until Live 8 was the long road taking people from this thing they’d done, up to the political reality of it.” Despite Geldof’s confident claims, the impact of Live Aid has been debated for years. Several reports detail the other side of Western aid, which equips NGOs to participate in exploitative government-controlled exercises like resettlement, even if their intention is to mitigate the effects of such crimes. This points towards the need to have a deeper understanding of aid. For Geldof himself, the definition has taken on a more social justice-adjacent approach than just ‘charity’, which is perhaps the lens Live Aid and Band Aid efforts should be analysed with.