TO THE POINT
STRAIGHT TALKER SIR BOB GELDOF
MILLIONAIRE musician and philanthropist Sir Bob Geldof can empathise with the Far North’s homeless population.
The Boomtown Rats frontman and Band Aid co-founder was once living on the streets as a penniless youth.
Yesterday, the 66-year-old spoke at a Property Council of Australia event in Cairns about how the concept of “home” transcended mere bricks and mortar.
“I thought that something would happen – I’d get a job – but there was no real ability to work towards that when you’re homeless,” he told media after his speech.
“You need a base that you can start building a life upon …. that can be a home, it can be a rental or somebody putting you up.
“You need to be able to go back, regroup and then go out the next day.
“If all your day is spent on trying to earn a buck to eat or find somewhere to sleep, you don’t have the energy – and certainly don’t have the appearance – that will allow you to get a job.
“I can’t comment on Queensland’s homelessness, because it’s not my place and I don’t know enough about it.
“But I’d imagine the condition of the homeless in Queensland is precisely the same as the condition of the homeless in Dublin in 1966.”
The straight-shooting Irishman, famed for his vast humanitarian work, told the audience that he had never before seen the world so “fractious, fearful and fragile”.
Geldof was knighted for his role in creating the Live Aid benefit concert of 1985 at London’s Wembley Stadium, watched by a global audience of about 1.9 billion people.
But he said an online-driven initiative would be more effective in 2017.
“Those days are over when rock and roll was the pillar of the culture, and could therefore transmit ideas – it doesn’t do that anymore,” he said.
He was due to fly to Brisbane last night before returning to the UK this morning. editorial@cairnspost.com.au facebook.com/TheCairnsPost www.cairnspost.com.au twitter.com/TheCairnsPost