Thanks to Matt Thomas for suggesting this.
MTV 1981 – 1991
July 13th, 1985, At 12.01 Status Quo started the ‘Live Aid’ extravaganza, held between Wembley Stadium, London and The JFK Stadium, Philadelphia. The cream of the world’s biggest rock stars took part in the worldwide event, raising over £40million. TV pictures beamed to over 1.5bn people in 160 countries made it the biggest live broadcast ever known. Artists who appeared included Paul McCartney, Phil Collins, The Who, U2, David Bowie and Mick Jagger, Queen, Tina Turner, The Cars, Neil Young, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Bryan Adams, Hall and Oates, Lionel Richie and Led Zeppelin.
supplied by Barry French
Mike Curtis….I was glued the the TV, astounded by the professionalism by all who took part, blown away by Queen and Dire Straits! And Quo.
Mick Mepham….I think I was still in Western Road then but that’s as far as my memory goes ….
Matt Thomas…I was working in the shop and all the punks and metalhedz kept asking for records to be played whilst i was trying to listen to the concerts on the radio lol
Alan Esdaile….Same as Matt but taped it all and watched when I got home. Queen were excellent.
Jim Breeds…..Living in West Kirby on The Wirrall. Watched it all through. Taped the whole lot on VHS. Never played the tapes. Bought the DVD when it came out more recently. Never watched a minute of it!
Clifford Rose…..As far as I can remember I watched Live aid up until 19:30 and then went to the Hastings Beer Festival. Queen and Bowie were excellent.
Karen Sweatman…..I was 15 and did not move all day from the telly. Loved it – particularly Queen and U2. As a Duran Duran fan, I was disappointed though cos they were a bit pants on the day. Think Simon Le Bon’s voice broke half way through 🙂
Phil Thornton….had it up loud all day !
Yvonne Cleland…..I was at a party in Northiam…
Matt Thomas……I remember a heavily pregnant Alison Moyet belting out a Marvin Gaye track with Paul Young and I recall an interview with Bob Geldof and he was saying everyone was watching Queen backstage and said ‘That bastard Mercury has stole the show’ lol well he was the ultimate showman. Another highlight for me was when Joan Armatrading popped her head around the curtain and just said ‘Hello’ lol
Karen Sweatman….Was that after he told everybody at home to ‘give us your f***ing money!’ I have a friend who really dislikes Queen. He actually went to Live Aid and when I asked him who he thought was best, he said without a doubt, it was Queen and they were fantastic.
Graham Burfield…..watched it all day
Chris Meachen….. Wanted to watch it all day, but was forced to go out for a pub meal as it was someone’s birthday.. Luckily, the pub had the telly on, so didn’t miss too much. Queen most definitely ruled it, though….
Andre Martin….Now you have posted – I remember seeing this start at home, and the we patched in the final 10 minutes into the show at Shearbarn Holiday Park – took a bit of doing, not so much quality radio coverage in that part of Hastings – but we succeeded – the had an hour to go to the end of the night, which went well if I recall, usual packed clubhouse.. Not sure who were the band on that night – must try and find old diaries, they are in the loft.
Terry Pack…. played a wedding gig somewhere in Surrey with the Johnny Mars Band. Four years ago, I got a call from the groom, who booked us back for his 25th Anniversary. It was a surprise for his wife, whose face was a picture when she saw us.
Colin Fox…. went to see Centre Page play at Newhaven.
Mick O’Dowd…..I was helping with Icklesham Youth Clubs car wrecking stall at Village Fete and recording Live Aid on good old video tape. It took 5×3 hr tapes to get it all!
John Storer…..Had recently moved to Manchester and was living in a tiny flat that my employer had arranged. Spent the day house-hunting. Can’t remember what we did in the evening but had no interest in Live Aid. Lost interest in rock music around 1983 and wouldn’t listen to another guitar band again until I bought the Stone Roses debut. About the only band on I would have wanted to see was Crosby Stills Nash & Young, but apparently the BBC never showed them anyway 🙂
Ralph Town…..I was in bed with the missus.we stayed in bed all day and watched every single second.Like John and Yoko 🙂
Graham Belchamber… Week seeing Springsteen at Wembley on 4th July, Born in the USA tour. Still on a Boss’ high, watched this with Andy McDuffie at a friends flat in Bexhill with Bbq and lots of booze.
Pete Prescott… I was gigging in Switzerland. Missed the whole thing (I saw about twenty minutes of it ) I had to catch up with it over the years. I did perform at the Swiss live aid concert in Zurich a week or so after, it ran at a loss… lest said !
Rex Thinderbolt… I watched it all on tv
Pete Fairless… Yes, living in Forest Hill at the time. Watched it on TV at home
Peter Thomson… Fitting a new front door to our first house.
Leigh Wieland-Boys… Was living in London, but spent the day at my parents in Hastings watching this! I remember it was very hot & Mum kept telling me to ‘Get out in the garden for some fresh air’!!
Jim Breeds… I was living in West Kirby, on The Wirrall. We had to go to get shopping and the supermarket put the start on over the store speakers and we hurried home to watch the rest. Still got the several hours worth of VHS tapes.
Janette Morfey… Watched it all while Paul was mowing the grass. He cut through the cable cos he was distracted. Lucky he is an electrician!! X
Neil Cartwright… It was a really hot day in Hastings. My wife, Pam, was 8+ months pregnant. We sat on our front lawn in The Spinney and brought the TV outside. Wonderful!!
Jeff Belton… I certainly can. I was working for J. Sainsbury’s at Chislehurst Kent. Allowed half a day, because I was asked by another member of staff to be a first aider at their daughters school. Too which I attended, then watched the rest of Live Aid. Whilst the group The Cars sang their big hit Drive. Where I was living ( Blackfen, Sidcup) Kent we had a massive thunderstorm. One great all day concert !
Darren Johnson… I was 19. Was working as a waiter at a hotel and had to miss most of it. Eventually watched the video when it came out.
Nastassja Kaschevsky… I had a gig on the Isle of Sheppey, so had to leave halfway through!
Ernest Ballard… I remember it being such an amazing gig. I watched at home in Bulverhythe rd with some friends. Too many home made bottles of wine from under the stairs came out. Say no more.
Mick Carlisle Savage… Working at The Carlisle. The late Mike Ford (landlord) had got a big screen to show it on. Managed to watch it between serving customers. Great day.
Paul Morfey… What a great day!! Great music, and lots of hope for the future, people caring for those less fortunate!!!?
Mark Gilham… On tour in the Eastern Block
Wendy Weaver… We were in a little caravan, towed it from Watchet in Somerset to Weymouth breaking every speed limit , got there about 11.55, put the corner steadies down and watched on a 5inch Tele till the end
Martin Richter… two of my barmen were roadieing there and so I had to *actually* work behind the bar ! if you watch the finale – one of my barmen is standing next to Tony Hadley ! I caught up with it when led zep were playing stairway to heaven
Tony Davis… The only place to be……at home on the sofa watching every minute of it
Matt Thomas.. I was working with you in Masons Music Shop and getting annoyed with customers wanting to hear records that meant I had to turn the radio off
Samantha Blake… I was at work at the Adelphi Hotel with Adrian Cloud.
Pete Prescott… I saw almost nothing of it. No access to a T.V.
I had a gig at a festival in the southern part of Switzerland the night before. that morning we left the hotel and drove back home to Zurich. as we headed north we got the occasional second or two of an act (I remember Sade). we stopped off and had a swim I some mountain pools/lakes. it was a beautiful day (summers are amazing there)
When we got back there was a barbeque. There was the odd bit mentioned from people watching it and phoning the house. Some said queen were amazing! I got back really late and a little drunk. I saw Dylan which looked odd to me and fell asleep. A little while after that the band played at the Swiss live aid show with Krokus and about ten other bands in Zurich. Richest country in the world and it ran at a loss! Not enough people went. I’ve still got my Swiss live aid pass, I wish I had been there.
Liane Carroll.. I was doing jumping jacks trying to get my little Abigaile Naomi Doherty out as she was 2 weeks late. I was also nesting to the point of polishing playing cards and I consumed 6 slices of peanut butter on toast and 3 pints of milk. She was born 48 hours later!! I also cried a lot. Thought Phil Collins was a nob for showing off and leaving hideous carbon footprint.Fell in love again with Freddie. An amazing day xxxxx
Sandy Max… Listening on the radio while nursing my two month old baby because we didn’t have a working telly at the time!
Mick O’Dowd… I was helping out at the Icklesham Fete with Icklesham YC who had a car smashing stall where you paid to wack a car with a sledge hammer. Very popular!
Clive Garrard… I was doing a disco in Maidstone so saw none of it,that day.
Ron Prosser… I still have the DVD set
Virginia Davis… Made sure I was near a TV to watch as much as possible especially Queen
Dave Edwards… I was in St Bart’s Hospital but I remember Ronnie Gillett taping it and passing on the video tapes for me to watch.
Dave Nattress… Watched it all LIVE and recorded it all on a number of VHS videos. Still got somewhere, but then later bought the 4 DVD set. UK and USA concerts. Unbelievable that it’s so long ago!!
Adrian Straatman… Yes, but we did not feed the world is still starving!
Had recently moved to Manchester and was living in a tiny flat that my employer had arranged. Spent the day house-hunting. Can’t remember what we did in the evening but had no interest in Live Aid. Lost interest in rock music around 1983 and wouldn’t listen to another guitar band again until I bought the Stone Roses debut. About the only band on I would have wanted to see was Crosby Stills Nash & Young, but apparently the BBC never showed them anyway 🙂
I was helping with Icklesham Youth Clubs car wrecking stall at Village Fete and recording Live Aid on good old video tape. It took 5×3 hr tapes to get it all!
I was 19. Was working as a waiter at a hotel and had to miss most of it. Eventually watched the video when it came out.
Watched it all LIVE and recorded it all on a number of VHS videos. Still got somewhere, but then later bought the 4 DVD set. UK and USA concerts. Unbelievable that it’s so long ago!!