Latest news with #LiveAidat40
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
BBC Live Aid at 40 fans ask to 'go back' as they call out 'boring' Oasis
Viewers of Live Aid at 40 issued the same complaint as they compared Oasis to the likes of Queen and Freddie Mercury. The two-venue benefit concert, organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, marked its 40th anniversary on Sunday, July 13. The aim was to raise funds for the Ethiopian famine relief during 1983–1985, with two sold-out concerts taking place simultaneously at Wembley Stadium in London and John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia. A staggering audience of approximately 1.9 billion people across 150 countries tuned in to the live broadcast, which showcased performances from Queen, U2, David Bowie, and Madonna, among others. The event raised over £114m for their charitable cause and is etched in memory as one of the most significant days in music history, reports the Manchester Evening News. The BBC has been commemorating the anniversary this month, broadcasting the first two episodes of the documentary Live Aid at 40: When Rock 'n' Roll Took on the World last week. Increasing their coverage, the broadcaster aired Live Aid at 40: The Concert on Saturday night (July 12) for those who wished to relive or had missed the event. The programme offered extended highlights of the London and Philadelphia shows, along with seldom-seen backstage footage from the night. While 80,000 people attended the second of Oasis' five sold-out gigs in their hometown in Heaton Park, some viewers took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to express their dissatisfaction with the Gallagher brothers' band compared to those who performed at Live Aid. Amidst a surge of Oasis nostalgia, social media is abuzz as users compare past live performances, with some longing for the pre-smartphone era of concerts. One fan expressed wistfulness for concert experiences without modern disruptions: "Watching live aid and honestly can we just get back to concerts without phones and throwing pints all over the place? Saw a clip of Oasis at Heaton Park and when Wonderwall came on it was just a shower of beer." Another fan sparked debate, asserting Queen's superior stage presence: "Saw a posting on here that Oasis are the best band live. Well those Manchester boys haven't got on Freddie Mercury and Queen - real charisma - now on BBC2 Live them look boring." A third added: "I've seen a lot of posts waxing lyrical about @oasis recently and rightly so.... unreal. But.... the Queen performance at Live Aid is something else.... Freddie Mercury, a generational talent!" Someone else noted: "I'm watching Live Aid from 40 years anyone will give a s**t about an Oasis concert in 40 years?" Echoing the sentiment, one fan hailed Mercury's iconic performance: "Freddie's finest hour. He made the world sit up and take notice. The band were sooo good on that day People lauding Oasis right now, watch this #LiveAid." Despite these comments, Oasis mania shows no signs of waning with more gigs in Manchester ahead, followed by London, Edinburgh, and Dublin appearances. The band will revisit Heaton Park on Wednesday, July 16, before they conclude their Manchester stint with two performances next weekend.
The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Courage, telly people, we can get through this summer of sport hell
Plenty, as it turned out. This was the insider's account of those heady days, with Bob Geldof leading the way. Sweary as ever and looking like he'd just stepped out of the Old Testament, he was as up for the fight now as he was then. As you would expect from a series with Norma Percy as executive producer, Live Aid at 40 did not shy from airing criticism of the event. Geldof was tackled on the absence of black artists on the bill. They weren't selling enough records, he said. We also heard from Ethiopian ministers uneasy with the image of the rich West 'rescuing' Africa. Bono wanted to hug the world, said Geldof, whereas he wanted to punch its lights out. Together, and with the help of Blair, Bush and other leders, they saved millions of people who would otherwise not be around today. Not bad for a bunch of pop stars. Lena Dunham's hugely anticipated comedy Too Much (Netflix) rocked up with a suitably starry supporting cast. Stephen Fry, Richard E Grant, Naomi Watts, Andrew 'Hot Priest' Scott - everyone wanted a piece of Too Much, just as they did Girls, the writer-actor-director's cult series about twentysomething New Yorkers. Dunham has worked since Girls ended eight years ago, but nothing has had the same impact. So no pressure then as she sent this ten-parter out into the world. The good news? It was a triumph. The bad? But only in part. The brilliant section was bookended by material so painfully unfunny and downright irritating, I had to scream into a cushion for fear of alarming the dog. Megan Stalter starred as Jessica, a TV producer from Brooklyn who has hit brick walls in her career and love life. Offered a temporary transfer to the firm's London office, Anglophile Jessica cannot resist. She's expecting to find Austenesque estates and Notting Hill chic, but the reality is a rented flat on a council estate and chilly workmates who think the loud American is too much. Fortunately, Jessica meets a guy, a singer in an indie band, and suddenly London's not so bad after all. For a while, anyway. The casting was terrific, with Megan Stalter (so good in Hacks) as Jessica, and hipster actor of the moment Will Sharpe (The White Lotus) as her boyfriend Felix. While watchable individually, they struggled to convince as a couple. Dunham turned the kookiness up to 11, giving grim old London town the kind of cutesy makeover last seen in Love Actually and Notting Hill. Every character was a 'character', one more annoying than the next. She even threw a comedy dog, gawd help us, into the mix. It might have been bearable with a laugh or two, but four episodes went by at a glacial pace and nothing. Then a miracle happened. The action moved from London to Brooklyn eight years ago. The first scene was a family dinner, with Dunham as Jessica's sister, Rita Wilson as her mother and Rhea Perlman (Taxi, Cheers) as her grandmother. It was like a switch had flipped and what had been black and white was now a riot of colour. There was a story too, and what a tale it turned out to be - every scene beautifully written, brimming with insight, sad, funny and only too horribly believable. Far too soon we were back in London. It wasn't as bad as before, but it had no hope of matching what we had just seen. What went wrong? Was it the curse of streaming, trying to squeeze as many episodes as possible out of the material? Or Dunham straying too far from the world she knew, and captured so well, in Girls? Did you hear about the man who bought a big house in the country, painted it white, then doodled over everything? Walls. Floors. Ceiling. Duvet cover. Toaster. Everything. It sounds like the plot of a children's book, but as set out in The Trouble with Mr Doodle (Channel 4, Wednesday), a two-hour film about the artist Sam Cox, it was only too real. 'It did cross my mind there was something different about him,' said Cox's mother of the red-headed boy who would spend 15 hours a day doodling. It was clear from interviews with Cox's parents, friends and art teacher that this was the beginning of a cautionary tale. Yet on the surface all was well. Thriving even. Sam was an online hit, commissions were coming in, there were trips to Japan. Best of all he met Alena, a fellow gentle soul from Ukraine. The boy bullied at school was winning at life. The trouble, to quote the title, was Mr Doodle. Where Sam was shy, awkward and reclusive, Mr Doodle was a shouty street artist brimming with confidence. The invented character 'took over' and the doodling became increasingly manic. Sam's mother used the word 'possessed' reluctantly, but that is how it must have seemed. At one point he thought she was Nigel Farage and believed Donald Trump had asked him to doodle on the US/Mexico border wall. Directed by Jaimie D'Cruz (Exit Through the Gift Shop), Ed Perkins and Alex Nott, the film left it to those closest to Sam to tell the story. Further aiding our understanding were illustrations and animated sequences of such high quality, one fancied Mr Doodle himself would have approved of them. Together, the artwork and the family's recollections seemed as clear a guide to a major breakdown as it is possible to get at one remove. Occasionally, the film's two-hour running time made itself felt. At other times the pace felt rushed. I would have liked to know more about the treatment he received and how he was doing today. How common, or not, was his experience? Rich people were behaving badly in Billion Dollar Playground (BBC3, Monday). The not so rich, in the form of the hired help, weren't much better. After Below Deck, Selling Sunset and a million other reality shows, you might have thought that lemon had been squeezed dry but no. This one was set in 'Australia's number one luxury accommodation business' where every wish of the wealthy was to be treated like a command. The first let was an apartment in Rose Bay, Sydney Harbour, where a crack team was waiting to serve. In true Apprentice style the guys and girls introduced/hanged themselves. 'I've had to be a best friend, the servant, and a downright slave,' said lead concierge Salvatore, not at all dramatically. His deputy, named Heaven, said her superpower was making guests' dreams come true. Hard as the team were working to get the place spotless, there was a distinct whiff of something in the air and it wasn't bleach. The clients, a group of business women, arrived and immediately began demanding their money's worth. The team were delighted to oblige in the spare moments between gossip sessions, with the clash between Salvatore and Heaven top of the bill. 'I think Salvatore has had a go at Heaven,' said trainee concierge Nicole. 'Why?' said Elsie the chambermaid. 'I don't know why,' said Nicole. Elsie tried again. 'What for?' 'I don't know what for,' said Nicole. Riveting stuff, eh? Megan Stalter is an American in London in Too Much (Image: Netflix) Trying to play it cool was JB, the French butler. Australian standards of hospitality were a 'little more laid back', he said. JB lost his cool in the Mystery of the Missing Dom, a fraught little episode involving a guest asking for the Champagne she had brought. It was in the boot of the car, but running around like headless chickens meant no one on the staff clocked it. No prices were given so who knows how much all this cost, apart from your precious time. There are eight episodes in total. Grit your teeth and we'll get through this and any other piffle sent our way. Another glass of Dom?
South Wales Argus
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- South Wales Argus
How to watch the Live Aid 1985 concert in full online
Taking place on Saturday, July 13, 1985, the two-venue benefit concert and music-based fundraising initiative raised funds for the relief of the 1983 to 1985 famine in Ethiopia. It was organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure and raised millions. With the event marking its 40th birthday, you may be wondering if it is available to watch in full. Here is all to know. Top 10 British Albums How to watch the Live Aid 1985 concert in full online The full Live Aid concert from 1985 is not easy to watch in full, but can be found online. The Internet Archive website has the full 16-hour broadcast, with the full show also available on DVD. On YouTube, you can find various clips and full performances too. The Live Aid channel will be airing 10 hours of highlights in a live-streamed event at noon in the UK on Sunday, July 13. The BBC has also released a documentary series on BBC iPlayer marking the 40th anniversary titled Live Aid at 40: When Rock 'n' Roll Took on the World. It has behind-the-scenes stories and exclusive interviews include iconic figures such as Bob Geldof, Bono and Sting. Emma Hindley, BBC Commissioning Editor, said: "The series takes the audience on an irresistible and entertaining ride through the 40 years since the biggest live concert ever was shown on TV. "Featuring exclusive behind-the-scenes interviews with an array of stars of rock & pop, Live Aid at 40 revels in the music, unravels the politics and explores the legacy of Live Aid." BBC to air extended highlights of Live Aid concert For the first time since the 1985 concert, the BBC will also air extended highlights from the 16 hours of music. Live Aid: The Concert will give viewers a chance to relive more than six-and-a-half hours of extended highlights of the London and Philadelphia concerts. This week marks 40 years since Live Aid, the legendary 1985 concert that brought the world together to fight famine in Ethiopia. Simple Minds played in Philadelphia, introduced by Jack Nicholson, in front of nearly 2 billion TV viewers in over 150 countries.#LiveAid40 — Simple Minds (@simplemindscom) July 10, 2025 There will also be backstage footage, including interviews with iconic names such as Bono, Brian May, David Bowie, Roger Daltrey, Spandau Ballet and Sting. Recommended reading: Jonathan Rothery, Head of BBC Popular Music TV, said: 'This summer we're delighted to be giving viewers a chance to relive one of the biggest concerts in history for the first time on TV since it was originally broadcast on the BBC. "By providing more than six-and-a-half hours of footage that was captured on the day Live Aid took place, we want viewers to feel transported back to 1985, and to enjoy all those classic songs that we all still know and love to this day, as they were performed on that stage.' Live Aid: The Concert will be on BBC Two in two parts on Saturday, July 12, with part one from 6pm to 9.15pm and part two following from 9.25pm to 1.05am on Sunday.
South Wales Guardian
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- South Wales Guardian
How to watch the Live Aid 1985 concert in full online
Taking place on Saturday, July 13, 1985, the two-venue benefit concert and music-based fundraising initiative raised funds for the relief of the 1983 to 1985 famine in Ethiopia. It was organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure and raised millions. With the event marking its 40th birthday, you may be wondering if it is available to watch in full. Here is all to know. The full Live Aid concert from 1985 is not easy to watch in full, but can be found online. The Internet Archive website has the full 16-hour broadcast, with the full show also available on DVD. On YouTube, you can find various clips and full performances too. The Live Aid channel will be airing 10 hours of highlights in a live-streamed event at noon in the UK on Sunday, July 13. The BBC has also released a documentary series on BBC iPlayer marking the 40th anniversary titled Live Aid at 40: When Rock 'n' Roll Took on the World. It has behind-the-scenes stories and exclusive interviews include iconic figures such as Bob Geldof, Bono and Sting. A post shared by Live Aid (@live_aid1985) Emma Hindley, BBC Commissioning Editor, said: "The series takes the audience on an irresistible and entertaining ride through the 40 years since the biggest live concert ever was shown on TV. "Featuring exclusive behind-the-scenes interviews with an array of stars of rock & pop, Live Aid at 40 revels in the music, unravels the politics and explores the legacy of Live Aid." For the first time since the 1985 concert, the BBC will also air extended highlights from the 16 hours of music. Live Aid: The Concert will give viewers a chance to relive more than six-and-a-half hours of extended highlights of the London and Philadelphia concerts. This week marks 40 years since Live Aid, the legendary 1985 concert that brought the world together to fight famine in Ethiopia. Simple Minds played in Philadelphia, introduced by Jack Nicholson, in front of nearly 2 billion TV viewers in over 150 countries.#LiveAid40 There will also be backstage footage, including interviews with iconic names such as Bono, Brian May, David Bowie, Roger Daltrey, Spandau Ballet and Sting. Recommended reading: Jonathan Rothery, Head of BBC Popular Music TV, said: 'This summer we're delighted to be giving viewers a chance to relive one of the biggest concerts in history for the first time on TV since it was originally broadcast on the BBC. "By providing more than six-and-a-half hours of footage that was captured on the day Live Aid took place, we want viewers to feel transported back to 1985, and to enjoy all those classic songs that we all still know and love to this day, as they were performed on that stage.' Live Aid: The Concert will be on BBC Two in two parts on Saturday, July 12, with part one from 6pm to 9.15pm and part two following from 9.25pm to 1.05am on Sunday.
Glasgow Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
How to watch the Live Aid 1985 concert in full online
Taking place on Saturday, July 13, 1985, the two-venue benefit concert and music-based fundraising initiative raised funds for the relief of the 1983 to 1985 famine in Ethiopia. It was organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure and raised millions. With the event marking its 40th birthday, you may be wondering if it is available to watch in full. Here is all to know. Top 10 British Albums How to watch the Live Aid 1985 concert in full online The full Live Aid concert from 1985 is not easy to watch in full, but can be found online. The Internet Archive website has the full 16-hour broadcast, with the full show also available on DVD. On YouTube, you can find various clips and full performances too. The Live Aid channel will be airing 10 hours of highlights in a live-streamed event at noon in the UK on Sunday, July 13. The BBC has also released a documentary series on BBC iPlayer marking the 40th anniversary titled Live Aid at 40: When Rock 'n' Roll Took on the World. It has behind-the-scenes stories and exclusive interviews include iconic figures such as Bob Geldof, Bono and Sting. Emma Hindley, BBC Commissioning Editor, said: "The series takes the audience on an irresistible and entertaining ride through the 40 years since the biggest live concert ever was shown on TV. "Featuring exclusive behind-the-scenes interviews with an array of stars of rock & pop, Live Aid at 40 revels in the music, unravels the politics and explores the legacy of Live Aid." BBC to air extended highlights of Live Aid concert For the first time since the 1985 concert, the BBC will also air extended highlights from the 16 hours of music. Live Aid: The Concert will give viewers a chance to relive more than six-and-a-half hours of extended highlights of the London and Philadelphia concerts. This week marks 40 years since Live Aid, the legendary 1985 concert that brought the world together to fight famine in Ethiopia. Simple Minds played in Philadelphia, introduced by Jack Nicholson, in front of nearly 2 billion TV viewers in over 150 countries.#LiveAid40 — Simple Minds (@simplemindscom) July 10, 2025 There will also be backstage footage, including interviews with iconic names such as Bono, Brian May, David Bowie, Roger Daltrey, Spandau Ballet and Sting. Recommended reading: Jonathan Rothery, Head of BBC Popular Music TV, said: 'This summer we're delighted to be giving viewers a chance to relive one of the biggest concerts in history for the first time on TV since it was originally broadcast on the BBC. "By providing more than six-and-a-half hours of footage that was captured on the day Live Aid took place, we want viewers to feel transported back to 1985, and to enjoy all those classic songs that we all still know and love to this day, as they were performed on that stage.' Live Aid: The Concert will be on BBC Two in two parts on Saturday, July 12, with part one from 6pm to 9.15pm and part two following from 9.25pm to 1.05am on Sunday.
