1985 13th July Live Aid

Everyone of my generation remembers Live Aid. I had the chance to go, but I had to choose whether to go to Live Aid or to go to a Bruce Springsteen concert, also at Wembley, a week before. As I live 300 miles from London there was no way I could go to both, so, being a big Bruce fan at that time I chose to see him. I'll always regret that, not that Bruce didn't put on a good show, he was brilliant, but that I missed the chance of being at LIVE AID! It was only whilst watching it I realised that it was going to be an event that would never be forgotten. There have been many such events since but none have had the impact that Live Aid had. As Bob Geldof said at the time,

"Please remember this day all of your lives. It's important. Remember the day you wanted to help".

I think many people remembered that day and what it was all about, it was a turning point in attitudes towards those who were not as fortunate as us, and an understanding formed in people that the individual can make a difference.

I remember it was a warm sunny day on July 13th 1985 and I had just moved into my first home of my own, a small apartment. For years I'd rented but now I was ready to take the responsibility of being a home owner and was loving it. I was looking forward to Live Aid and had lots of nibbles and a bottle of wine beside me and sat the whole day watching the event. I was especially curious to see the Irish band that had caught my eye two years previously....

I really enjoyed the show, Queen were brilliant and really rocked Wembley. At the end of David Bowie's set there was a moving film about the famine in Ethiopia backed by the Cars song "Drive" which was heart-breaking and made you realise just what this event was all about.

U2 came on stage at around 5.15pm and first played Sunday Bloody Sunday which went down very well with the crowd which Bono soon had eating out of his hand. The next song was Bad, not a typical crowd pleaser, but the intensity of it was compelling to watch. Then of course, the unscripted coup de grace, Bono trying to get a girl on stage, in the end having to jump off and go to her and slowly dance in the pit. No barriers, the artist and audience together, we are all in this together, together we can make a difference. Bono's gesture said all this and it was riveting. That moment would never be forgotten, and it was at that moment U2 made a lot of avid fans, including me, and we became fans for more than the music, this band was different.