Historic gig was Bob on
THIS week’s episode of GUY GARVEY: FROM THE VAULTS (Sky Arts, 8pm – don’t worry, it’s on Freeview these days, remember?) begins by recalling “the most anticipated gig in history”.
No, not Half Man Half Biscuit at The Welly in Hull the winter before last but a gig even huger than that.
Want a clue? OK, well, if I were to tell you this gig took place at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, July 13, 1985, and that it opened with Status Quo doing Rockin’ All Over The World, and ended – or at least its London part did – with someone forgetting to switch on the not-yet-Sir Paul McCartney’s microphone, presumably in retaliation for The Frog Chorus, would that maybe steer you towards the answer?
It would? Thank heavens for that. I thought we were going to be here all day.
As Guy reminds us, almost two billion viewers around the world tuned in that afternoon for Bob Geldof’s marathon Live Aid fundraiser, and not only to see The Boomtown Rats.
There’s a clip of the not-yet-Sir Bob telling everyone beforehand: “This is the most important pop event ever” (a claim I’d argue has stood the test of time, but don’t let’s fall out if you disagree), plus another where the not-yet-Sir Elton John refers to the event as “a staggering achievement” and says: “I’m very proud to be a part of it.”
What there isn’t, rather frustratingly, is any actual footage of LiveAid itself.That’s because the ITV vaults through which Guy gets to rummage for this musical flashback series of his don’t happen to contain any, Live Aid having been shown on the BBC. Or at least I assume that’s the reason. Either that or Guy just thought Live Aid was rubbish.
Also, to be fair, the episode has a lot of other footage to get through, the year 1985 having contained quite a lot of other days in which people played music on the television. There are clips, for example, of Chaka Khan and Tom Waits doing bits on Channel 4’s The Tube.
There’s also one in which Tube presenter Jools Holland interviews Paul Weller in a hot tub, a style of interview which for some reason Jools hasn’t chosen to continue with. Weller also shows up, this time in actual clothes, on the pilot of Channel 4’s Saturday Live, singing You’re The Best Thing with The Style Council, notable for a fine contribution on backing vocals from the not-yet-Sir Lenny Henry. Seriously.
Alternatively this evening, on WONDERFUL WALES WITH MICHAEL BALL (C5, 8pm) you can see Michael teaching a dance move from Hairspray to a man who nearly won MasterChef in 2013.
Telly’s great, isn’t it?