‘There was no event quite like it’: 40 years later, Live Aid remembered

Live Aid one of the greatest events ever staged in the history of Philadelphia was the focal point of the world years ago The two-venue benefit concert which was held simultaneously at the late unlamented JFK Stadium and Wembley Stadium in London on July was organized by the Boomtown Rats Bob Geldof and Ultravox s Midge Ure to raise funds for relief for the sufferers of the - famine in Ethiopia The tandem co-wrote and produced the single Do They Know It s Christmas which was issued in November The catchy tune which is now a holiday staple became a massive success Geldof and Ure decided to create a global jukebox event Various of the preponderance popular and impactful recording artists of the Reagan era were invited to perform in Philadelphia and London to deliver -minute sets each Each city had its share of iconic music moments Crosby Stills Nash Young and the Beach Boys with Brian Wilson regrouped to perform in front of sun-splashed fans in Philadelphia British rock royalty reunited on the JFK stage as the surviving members of Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath performed Queen and U rendered mesmerizing performances across the pond at Wembley Philly had to hustle to be host However what preponderance folks don t know is that Philadelphia once again was not the first option to host a historic event Washington D C was the initial preference followed by New York City However Electric Factory Concerts co-founder and president Larry Magid convinced Geldof and Ure that Philadelphia was the ideal American location for the unforgettable concert They yearned it to be at the mall in D C but we didn t have enough time to apply for a permit Magid announced The second option was New York but I was able to convince them to do it in Philadelphia for a number of reasons We had the stadium and I advised them I would convince the city to let us have it rent-free Bill Graham left and Larry Magid were the co-promoters of Philadelphia s end of the Live Aid concert Courtesy of Scott Weiner Philadelphia Mayor Wilson Goode initially turned down Magid However legendary television producer Tony Verna the inventor of instant replay and more importantly to this story the brother of longtime City Councilwoman Anna Verna convinced Goode to allow the aging venue to be utilized pro bono since the event would be a huge boon for Philadelphia More than billion people from more than nations tuned in to experience the event The logistics helped make Philadelphia an easy choice With a pair of interstate highways and an international airport just minutes from JFK Stadium Philadelphia was an ideal choice for Live Aid Magid had weeks to produce the event We had to build the festival site Magid declared We had to build the compound and book the show Magid had put on a number of massive one-day events such as The Round Up a Southern rock concert in and The Jam at JFK headlined by Foreigner and the Kinks in Tickets which were each which translates to about in contemporary times sold out within two days The price of the tickets was a little bit high at the time Magid stated But in retrospect we could have gotten more if we craved to But we yearned to make sure the tickets sold It all worked out It was best to have five weeks to put on the show If we had three or four months before the event a lot of things could have gone wrong I liked that we had to build this event as expeditiously as viable Almost every day Electric Factory issued press releases Additional acts were added until local fans as well as those around the country and the world descended upon the tier-less horseshoe-shaped stadium Who the bleep are the Hooters The sound of Philadelphia echoed off the crumbling walls of JFK Stadium which would be razed in Local recording artists made good as Teddy Pendergrass Patti LaBelle George Thorogood and the Destroyers and Hall Oates who performed with the Temptations Eddie Kendricks and David Ruffin hit the stage And there was one other local act the Hooters who were just about to take off Magid was approached by Hooters management about giving the band a slot but he doubted it would happen even though he was utterly behind the concept The Hooters take the stage at JFK Stadium to open the Live Aid concert on July Courtesy of Scott Weiner It wasn t going to be easy Magid revealed But I consistently loved those guys I remember when the Hooters vocalist-guitarist Eric Bazilian would sneak into the Electric Factory when he was years old and I would kick him out I remember thinking How am I going to get the Hooters on the stage But late legendary impresario and event co-promoter Bill Graham came in one day and disclosed I just met the manager of this local band the Hooters What do you think about putting them on I declared That s a great idea However not everyone felt that way Who the bleep are the Hooters Geldof bellowed when he heard who was tabbed to open the Philadelphia portion of the event Hooters vocalist-keyboardist Rob Hyman laughed upon being reminded of Geldof s quote In his defense it was a fair question Hyman reported Geldof was in Europe and people had no idea who we were at that time in Europe Much changed for the Hooters By the late s the Hooters had caught on overseas particularly in Germany The Hooters who will perform in Dresden on July are popular enough even in the modern day to headline festivals in Europe Majority of of our audience has relocated to Germany and Scandinavia Hyman cracked Yes the fans in Europe have supported us for years and for the longest time we focused on touring in Europe We ve been incredibly fortunate to have such an audience in Europe Live Aid was how we were introduced to Europe During a European tour back in the s Geldof opened for the Hooters The irony was never discussed between the two parties We didn t have a lot of contact with him but we did several shows with Geldof and the Waterboys Hyman reported We did get a bit of a chuckle about Geldof opening for us and of discipline we knew who he was Singer Tina Turner left and Mick Jagger perform together during Live-Aid concert at JFK Stadium on Saturday July AP photo AP Photo The day and night in Philly had both highlights and subpar moments which is what will happen during an epic concert when limited acts had the opportunity to rehearse The former members of Led Zeppelin ran through their set only three hours before hitting the stage The Zeppelin reunion was Spinal Tap-esque Why in the world was Phil Collins freelancing behind the drum kit while the late Chic and Power Station drummer Tony Thompson thundered away during a classic Zeppelin track Plant belted out songs with a hoarse voice Jimmy Page s guitar was out of tune Duran Duran s Simon LeBon s voice cracked while the singer tried to go falsetto during A View to a Kill which was at the top of the Billboard pop charts that week LeBon still notes that vocal misfire was the majority embarrassing moment of his career The view from a police helicopter of the Live Aid concert at JFK Stadium with the Spectrum and Veterans Stadium aligned behind it on July City of Philadelphia Amazing moments However there were a number of amazing moments that fans reveled in while dealing with the sweltering heat Eric Clapton s incendiary set with blazing versions of White Room and Layla stoked the crowd The chemistry between Mick Jagger and Tina Turner during their State of Shock It s Only Rock n Roll But I Like It duet was undeniable It was one of only a meager times that the rock icons performed together during their storied careers Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers impressed The aforementioned Hooters who had nothing to lose established themselves by blasting through And We Danced and All You Zombies It was a magical experience for this then-teenager who worked the event as an usher It was a long hot day from a m to a m which was no complication for the younger version of myself There was no shade save visits to the bowels of the crumbling stadium There were long lines to flooding bathrooms and queues to the limited concession stands were lengthy but it was arguably one of the greatest days in Philadelphia history It s hard to believe that four decades have passed since Joan Baez publicized This is your Woodstock at a m It really is surprising Magid stated It s almost a shock to the system that so much time has passed So much of what I experienced at Live Aid is still so fresh in my mind There was no event quite like it The post There was no event quite like it years later Live Aid remembered appeared first on Billy Penn at WHYY