Live Aid: The Day The Music Mattered

If there's a problem, you have to go out and solve it.

Sir Bob Geldof

The summer of 1985 marked a turning point: freshly graduated from high school, I took a job as Head Counselor at the local Cub Scout Camp and skipped our family's vacation for the first time. As my parents prepared to leave, my Mom handed me her credit card with a strict warning: This is just for emergencies.

Driving to camp the following morning, I heard the news on the radio about a once-in-a-lifetime concert. Bob Geldof, lead vocalist of the Boomtown Rats and the force behind the fundraising single, Do They Know It's Christmas?, was organizing a global event that would raise additional money towards helping victims of the ongoing famine in Africa. The highlight of the Global Jukebox would be two simultaneous shows in Philadelphia and London.

Immediately after work, I gathered cash together and headed to the one Ticketmaster window serving our area to see if I could get tickets. No more were available, but the employee said that he heard some were still available through its competitor, Ticketron. However, these were only sold over the phone and required a credit card.

When my Mother called that evening, I cut right to the point: Would getting tickets to Live Aid be considered an emergency? Not waiting for the answer, I let her know that I bought us four tickets.

A few weeks later, the family was battling Friday night Jersey Shore traffic to get to Philadelphia. Early the next morning, we headed into John F. Kennedy Stadium, with video from London already playing on the giant video screens.

Looking back, my memories of that day center around the music. Most festivals, like the Woodstock reboots that I also attended, are held in fields. Since they are general admission, there is a constant flow of people around you, allowing the crowd to become as much a part of the experience as what is happening on stage.

Since it was held in a stadium and we sat in reserved seats, we remained with the same people all day. The schedule, with bands switching between performances in Philly and live video from the London stage, kept the music continuous, leaving little chance to meet the strangers around us.

Queen were absolutely the best band of the day...They understood the idea exactly, that it was a global jukebox. They just went and smashed one hit after another.

Sir Bob Geldof

One of the most surprising aspects of the day was how captivating the performances in England were to the audience in Philadelphia. The presentations may have been on the Jumbotrons strategically set on the field, but the most accomplished showmen moved the crowd in a way that made it feel like they were playing right in front of you.

U2's performance from the Wembley stage was particularly memorable. Though their careers were still young, their performance foreshadowed the greatness they would achieve. A highlight was a mulleted Bono leading a crowd 3,000 miles away in a chant of No more during Sunday Bloody Sunday.

For years, Queen had been my favorite band, so I eagerly awaited their set. In a performance widely considered to be one of the most memorable in rock history, they energized the crowd at JFK from the stage across the pond despite their American career being at its nadir. Still, the audience was fully engaged, especially during Radio Ga Ga, where they mimicked the crowd from the music video by clapping along with their hands above their heads during the chorus.

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