Tom Dunne: Live Aid at 40... where were you when it was on?
Anyone doubting this should watch the part in the BBC documentary series, Live Aid at 40: When Rock 'n' Roll Took on the World, where an Irish nurse tells a dad that his four-year-old daughter is passed saving. It is too late for this little one, she says as gently as she can. Amongst so many similarly stricken children it appears inevitable.
But, unable to talk English, he touches the nurse's hand to his daughter's chest. It is still warm. The nurse tries again. The camera then shows that girl, Birhan Woldu, now 44, sitting with her dad. It is very powerful. Just one of the thousands of lives saved by a 7-inch single.
Forty years is a long time. You can't help but look at where you were then and what you did. The bands were beautiful, and young, but so were we. And Bob Geldof created something that we drew us in, mesmerised us and made us all feel we were doing something not just worthwhile, but magical.
As a result, the memories of 'where you were' tend to be seared into people's minds. I asked on X – yes it still has some uses – and the responses were warm and loving; 'In a beach cottage with my first girlfriend/love of my life,' 'My granny's house in Monaghan' or 'the front room of my house in Derry with 10 E-180 video cassettes.' A friend told me of watching it with her first boyfriend's parents, an awkward 'meet the in-laws' moment expanded into a 12-hour TV marathon. Another watched it in a soccer hall in Belfast in which the Troubles, then rampant, were given a day off as Catholics and Protestants sat down together.
For my part the night before, my band, then only a few months old, was playing a '14 Band Bash' at the Ivy Rooms in Dublin. We and others like The Slowest Clock, The Garden Hasn't Changed Much and Winter's Reign could only really get a crowd by playing together.
We adjourned to a house party in Phibsboro, and it was there that the next day I saw the opening notes of Live Aid. That was the moment when the sheer enormity of it hit us. 'Oh Bob,' I thought, 'what have you done?' and rushed home to watch the rest.
Bob Geldof on the BBC documentary, Live Aid at 40.
The rest of that day is a blur. My parents made tea but there was no switching the channel (to one of the other three.) Friends called in and out. We had seen nothing like it. Five a side was cancelled. More tea was made.
I watched with a mixture of nervousness and awe. Nervousness to see two Irishmen at the centre of it, and not just at its centre but driving it, owning it, inspiring it. And awe at the sheer enormity of it.
McCartney seemed almost like a forgotten man at its end. The Beatles in 1985 seemed further away in history than they do now. His mic briefly not working only confirm ed that. The Beatles had just been so long ago.
Costello singing their All You Need Is Love anthem was more of the moment. This was more about were The Beatles had been going than the ex-Beatle now was. All you needed was love and a driven organiser with vision and a steely nerve.
This was the Summer of Love 1980s' style, doing something practical and saving people's lives. The power of music, the 'language of rock'n'roll', as Bob put it, had never been more evident.
The 'cocky' Irishman that had floored me at Dalymount in 1977 was simply unstoppable. An Irishman that could accost Thatcher and convince her to waive the VAT on the single's sales or tell an Ethiopian dictator to 'F**k off.' An Irishman doing all that.
On a musical note, it should not be forgotten that this was a partisan music era. If you liked The Rats you hated Spandau Ballet. If you liked Adam Ant you hated Nik Kershaw. No one liked the Style Council-era Paul Weller. If you liked Status Quo, help was available.
Those of us who music knew that If Bob could get those disparate acts onto the same stage he was capable of anything. I suspect he still is.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Journal
34 minutes ago
- The Journal
Katie Taylor defeats Amanda Serrano for third time and ends their rivalry in New York
The 42 Reports from Madison Square Garden THE RIVALRY HAS been put to bed. 3-0. That's all she wrote. Katie Taylor rubber-stamped her superiority over career nemesis Amanda Serrano with a tense but deserved split-decision victory at Madison Square Garden, defending her undisputed light-welterweight title in the process. For the first time in their storied rivalry, Serrano accepted her defeat graciously for there was simply nothing left to complain about. Two judges' scored the bout 97-93 — or seven rounds to three — in the Irishwoman's favour, with a third seeing it even at five rounds apiece. But her and Serrano's most tactical battle was won cleanly by Taylor, sending the Irish contingent at MSG ballistic in scenes reminiscent of the night that began one of boxing's great modern sagas at the same venue three years ago. Asked in the ring afterwards if she intended to box again in future, the jubilant Taylor was for the very first time non-committal. This one might just do it. The final itch scratched. With her most worthy rival banished, it'll be difficult to recreate another night like Friday in New York, and it'll be difficult to get out of bed for any less. It could be days before Taylor's supporters see their own beds. The tricoloured celebrations will spread from Pennsylvania Plaza through wider Manhattan in the coming hours. Serrano's star has risen enough since 2022 that her supporters outnumbered the Irish in a subversion of the original classic. It will feel like a cruel twist of fate that her contribution to a great modern-day boxing saga has yielded only three defeats, but her eight-year entanglement with Taylor has changed her life and enhanced her reputation as an iconic fighter in her own right. Despite suggestions to the contrary all week, challenger Serrano walked first to the ring as is convention, one of her routine Spanish-language bangers immediately drowned out by her 12-or-13,000 supporters in attendance. Champion Taylor then emerged from the tunnel to Junkie XL's remix of Elvis Presley's 'A Little Less Conversation', an obvious allusion to Serrano's 'whingeing' following her narrow defeats in their previous two fights. From the ring, though, Taylor's name was called first, with Serrano receiving the last ear-splitting roar on the precipice of the first bell. MSG was as loud a Serrano house as it had been a Taylor house in 2022, but the Irish were still absolutely tearing into 'Olé Olé', adding to the cacophony which became feverish after the respective national anthems. The first round, however, was equally a first for Taylor and Serrano's trilogy: it passed almost entirely without incident. With 11 seconds remaining, Taylor tapped Serrano's chin with a speculative right-hand counter over the top, but neither boxer deserved to bank an opener in which they barely threw a punch, instead seeking to establish range and feel each other out. Serrano pulled out a tidy straight left early in the second, to which Taylor soon afterwards responded with a similar counter. The Irishwoman, who had been deducted a point by the referee and accused by Team Serrano of using her head intentionally during the second bout last November, had clearly decided to approach Friday's affair with a greater degree of caution, utilising her superior footwork to box from a safer distance. That said, the fight might as well have been 0-0 through the first two tentative rounds. Advertisement The bout then exploded to life halfway through round three, showing a hint of the magic from Taylor-Serrano 1 and 2. The Bray woman timed a picturesque three-punch counter and Serrano replied with something similar. The pair traded spiteful left hooks to punctuate a more engaging round, which was again difficult to score. As the Fields of Athenry reverberated around the arena in the fourth, Taylor began to enjoy her most effective round to that point. The champion boxed more off the front foot, launching a couple of two-punch raids and clipping Serrano with a neat right around the guard. Serrano landed little in return, and the Irish alone continued to make the noise into the next minute's break. Taylor again appeared to take the fifth, landing the cleaner work throughout and swallowing only a singular Serrano left hand for her troubles. The Puerto Rican was throwing more punches but missing routinely, with Taylor's defensive instincts nullifying the jab from which Serrano sets up so many of her meaningful attacks. Taylor caught the challenger with a rare, vicious flurry from a neutral corner early in the sixth entry, broadly controlling the round. At the bell, however, Serrano sparked life back into the Puerto Ricans with a clawing left hand that, combined with an entanglement of their legs, knocked Taylor fractionally off balance in the direction of her corner. Round 7, though, reverted to a non-event akin to the first three. The obvious danger in such quiet rounds is that they were conceivably keeping Serrano in the fight: the coin-flips would surely go the way of the promotional A-side who so many believe was unlucky not to win at least one of her first two bouts with Taylor. She and Taylor traded slick, single punches again after 35 seconds of the eighth, Serrano finding a home for her left before the champion almost instantaneously returned serve with a right. The Puerto Rican continued to push the action for the rest of the round, though, and almost certainly pocketed the 10-9. This was getting close. Taylor's trainer, Ross Enamait, tried to light a rocket under her ahead of the penultimate ninth, warning her to box more off the front foot and trust her hand speed against the more plodding Puerto Rican. It was an inspired shout: Taylor upped the ante and kicked for home, winning the last two rounds comprehensively. She outclassed Serrano down the stretch, just as she had three years prior. With the Puerto Ricans all but reserved to Serrano's fate, the Irish grew louder. Taylor, imbued by the sound of her name echoing around the arena, converted that confidence into a dominant final round — her finest of the bout. There were fewer Irish nerves this time as the judges handed in their tallies. Taylor had done a job on her. Game over, ball bursht. Taylor was elated as her hand was raised, while Serrano was again tearful in defeat — but they were more so tears of appreciation, though, for her involvement in three fights with a fistic soulmate that materially changed the face of her sport. The late, great Jerry Eisenberg, who was friends with both men, once said that Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier fought each other not to win the World heavyweight title but to win the Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier title. This equivalent is true of Taylor and Serrano, who on Friday night emulated The Greatest and Smokin' Joe by having contested two thirds of their legendary trilogy on the same sacred soil. Taylor's light-welterweight belts were merely weights at the end of the fishing line. The trilogy's titular characters were the hook. Transatlantic trailblazers who elevated their craft and each other, their names will mean something for as long as boxing exists. One will rarely be invoked without mentioning the other. They have become rich beyond their wildest dreams growing up in Bray and Brooklyn and their sport still owes them a more profound debt than the millions they each pocketed across three memorable contests. But the debate is over. And so too, perhaps, is Taylor's story in the ring. Written by Gavan Casey and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won't find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women's sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here .
The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- The Irish Sun
The Chase's biggest ever prize pots – but how many nail-biting questions could you get right?
THE CHASE has the potential to see contestants win some serious big money prizes.... if you can beat those pesky chasers, that is. With quizmasters trying to stop hopefuls in their tracks, it takes some serious skill in order to come out on top on the ITV gameshow. 7 Bradley Walsh has seen some huge wins during his time as host on The Chase Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk But there have been times when people have managed it, taking home some incredible life-changing amounts – whether for themselves or for charity. Here are some of the biggest wins ever on the show, and how they managed to do it. But the question is - would you have known the answers? You'll find all the answers at the bottom of this article. 1. Celebrity Top Spot - £160,000 7 Rachel and Kirsty hold the record for the biggest win Credit: ITV Appearing for Soccer Aid in 2018, Kirsty Gallacher and Rachel Riley unwittingly made The Chase history in the process. READ MORE about THE CHASE The pair made it to the final chase against Shaun 'The Dark Destroyer' Wallace, and seemed on the backfoot with only 16 points for him to beat. However, soon they found themselves clawing it back thanks to a combination of wrong answers from Wallace and correct pushbacks, giving them the upper hand. In the dying seconds of the game, Shaun was asked: "Which ex formula one driver is a multiple Paralympic champion?" The Chaser didn't know, and then Rachel gave the incorrect answer as David Weir. Most read in TV In the end, Shaun only made it 11 spaces – and the pair took home the biggest prize packet ever given out in the show's history. It's still not been beaten. 2. Tense Final Chase - £100,000 7 Duo Karen and Ian took home a massive £50,000 each after beating The Sinnerman Credit: ITV Throughout the final chase, Paul 'The Sinnerman' Sinha was extremely close behind them, with pushbacks meaning he came incredibly near beating them. However, one last second slip-up (literally, with one second remaining) gave them the upper hand, and between them they took home a massive £100,000 prize between them. Paul slipped up on this question: "Lesley Manville played the widow Cathy in what BBC sitcom?" 3. Besting The Beast - £120,000 7 Bryan Laura and Julia beat The Beast for £120,000 Credit: ITV Bryan, Laura and Julia made it through to the final chase together in 2023, going up against But from the get go they made sure he had to work to stop them, racking up an impressive score of 23 points that Labbett had to beat. In the final few seconds he was asked: "What island group appears on the signpost of Land's End?" While he got it right, in the end, he could only achieve 17 with pushbacks also coming in handy, and the trio walked home with £120,000 – or £40,000 each. 4. Biggest Solo Win Ever - £75,000 7 Eden won the biggest solo win on the show aged just 20 Credit: ITV In 2021, Darragh 'The Menace' Ennis was beaten by 20-year-old student Eden Nash in the final chase. Darragh was asked: "'When I give my heart' is a line from what Nat King Cole hit?" The Chaser answered correctly but time was not on his side. The win meant Eden took home £75,000 – the single highest win on a daytime gameshow ever for a solo player. As Bradley Walsh congratulated him, Eden joked: "That's alright, innit!" with Darragh saying it was "brilliantly played". Eden said he was just going to "look at it in his bank account" rather than do anything with it. 7 Joe won the biggest single amount in a head-to-head, only to lose it moments later Credit: ITV 5. Biggest Head-to-Head Win - £201,000 Strictly star and YouTuber Joe Sugg made show history in 2023 when he managed to bag a In his head-to-head round against Paul Sinha, Joe took a massive gamble by going for the higher prize. It all came down to a one question shoot out which was: "Which of a hedgehog's senses is very poor?" The options were sight, hearing, smell. Joe managed to get the answer right, with Bradley hugging Joe at his impressive feat. But in a devastating blow, he later lost it in the final chase when Paul ultimately caught up to the team's score of 18 after a minor mistake. When asked who starred in Stepbrothers, Joe and his celebrity team-mates answered Will Ferrell - but mispronounced his name as Will Farrell, which Bradley could not accept. The team were instead awarded £1,000 each for their chosen charities. 7 6. Biggest group take down - £116,000 It's rare that all four contestants make it to the final chase, so Jenny 'The Vixen' Ryan had her work cut out from her at the start. In this celebrity special, Tony Maudsley, Bryony Page, Kerry Godilman and Alexander Armstrong all made it through to the last round, with £116,000 in their prize pot for charity. Racking up an impressive 23 points for The Vixen to beat, Jenny gave it her all but found herself suffering pushbacks when she got questions wrong. In the final moments, she was asked: "What was the full name of the first Duke of Wellington?" The Vixen knew her history, but it wasn't enough to catch the players. Maybe it was the Christmas spirit, but the team managed to take home the win – and more importantly £116,000 (29,000 each) for good causes, mainly children's charities. Rather than be annoyed, Jenny looked tearfully proud at the group for their achievement. The answers! Alex Zanardi Mum Scilly Islands When I Fall in Love Sight Arthur The Chase is available on ITVX.
Irish Independent
an hour ago
- Irish Independent
Cork movie and video game star returns for first home performance in 25 years
'The Smuggler', a one-man play focused on an Irish immigrant to America, plays Cork from June 16-19 A Cork actor, who has had roles in hit US TV series, as well as one of the best-selling video games of all time, is finally returning to perform in Cork after over two decades. Mick Mellamphy Jr is born in Cork, to a Rebel father and a Dublin mother, but says the prospect of performing his long-running one-man show to friends and family on Leeside is incredibly exciting. Related topics Kevin Galvin
