Live Aid finally gets DVD release [posted 3/8/2004] (1 Viewer)

[Craig S]

Sam, what's your source for all of that??

 

[Richard Travale]

I was talking to a friend the other day about the LZ performance at live-aid. My friend, a huge Zep fan was telling me a story about how the guys in LZ were really pissed off about the whole thing because they had worked really hard preparing for the show. Collins, who said he knew all of their stuff refused to rehearse with them. So, when it came to the show, they were playing their hearts out and looked back only to see Phil Collins grinning like an idiot and playing his beats.

That is probably why they don't want to be on the DVD. They feel that Collins and his showboating made them look like fools.

 

[andrew markworthy]

I can sympathise to some extent, but:

(1) By refusing to be included, regardless of the reason, LZ are evoking all the bad images of pretentious 70s dinosaur bands with egos the size of elephants (NB - most of Spinal Tap is based on real events).

(2) Live Aid was about coming together to help others. Okay, so some acts weren't as brilliant as others. So ****ing what? What we remember is that the artists got off their fat backsides and helped out, not whether they were note-perfect.

(3) The LZ contribution was far from awful. If it demonstrated anything, it's that Phil Collins wasn't in John Bonham's league (like anyone with ears needed telling this). So what? Will people suddenly think 'I'll lower my opinion of LZ because of one performance done for a one off event with a drummer who refused to rehearse with them?' Get real.

(4) What *will* damage LZ's reputation is keeping off the DVD when someone like Dylan (who has a far more legitimate reason for staying off) has had the guts to allow his stuff to be used. I'm no huge fan of Dylan, but my respect for him has risen enormously with this news.

On a side note, why on earth are The Who blocking their appearance? I'd have thought that Pete Townsend could do with all the help with public opinion that he could get ...

 

[Joe Karlosi]

Great points, Andrew!

It's beginning to sound now that nobody's really 100% sure who's on the set and who's not. But I'll tell you this - if it's true that The Pretenders and The Who will also bow out, those were my NEXT most desired acts!

 

[Michael Allred]

Good news for me...

Not only is Queen's entire set on the DVD but also Brian May & Freddie Mercury performing "Is This the World We Created?" MINUS the horrific feedback/technical problems that plagued that song (Brian mentions this on his web site.) May also said that Queen's sound crew have heard the mix and approve.

RE: Led Zep. Aren't they notorious for being REALLY stingy with their music and where it appears? Is anyone surprised they'd refuse to allow their problem filled set from being on the DVD? It IS a shame though.

 

[MatthewLouwrens]

There have been several references to probelsm with Dylan's performance. What is the story with this?

 

[andrew markworthy]

Two basic things:

(1) During the preamble to one of the songs, Dylan said that it would be a great idea to give some of the money being raised to American farmers (a significant number of whom were having a bad time financially in the mid eighties). To say this caused outrage is putting it mildly. Many Americans were shocked, and the European press used this as an excuse for 'dumb Americans haven't a ****ing clue about anything outside their back yard' diatribes. Bob Geldof is on record as saying that it was crass - there is a radical difference between being financially hard up and starving to death. It's fair to say that Dylan's remarks were seen as marring the occasion, especially as they came towards the end of Live Aid, and were made by the guy who was seen by many as an astute spokesman for a generation. In his defence, Dylan went on to form Farm Aid, which was a noble cause.

(2) Dylan's musical performance could be politely described as shambolic. In his defence, offstage they were practising 'We Are The World' for the finale, and although the TV audience couldn't hear this, Dylan and his band could. If you've ever tried singing or playing a tune whilst you can hear another one, you'll know how difficult this can be. Being apparently under-rehearsed didn't help the band either.

 

[Ronald van den Kieboom]

It seems the Prince video "4 the tears in your eyes" is also missing?

 

[oscar_merkx]

that is truly a shame as well

 

[MatthewLouwrens]

Thanks, Andrew, for explaining that. I can imagine that hearing the offstage practice would have thrown Dylan off.
I was also interested to hear the origins of Farm Aid. I'd heard of that one, but never really known where it came from.

 

[Sam Favate]

Here is the set list for the DVD:

http://www.undercover.com.au/news/20...5_liveaid.html

Status Quo 'Rocking All Over The World' and 'Caroline'.
Style Council 'Internationalists' and 'Walls Come Tumbling Down'
Boomtown Rats 'I Don't Like Mondays' and 'Drag Me Down'
Adam Ant 'Viva La Rock
Ultravox 'Vienna' and 'Dancing With Tears In My Eyes'
Spandau Ballet 'Only When You Leave' and 'True'
Elvis Costello 'All You Need Is Love'
Nick Kershaw 'Wouldn't It Be Nice'
Sade 'Your Love Is King'
Sting 'Roxanne'
Phil Collins and Sting 'Against All Odds'
Sting 'Every Breath You Take'
Howard Jones 'Hide and Seek'
Bryan Ferry 'Slave To Love' and 'Jealous Guy'
Paul Young 'Come Back And Stay'
Alison Moyet 'That's The Way Love Is'
Alison Moyet and Paul Young 'Every Time You Go Away'
Bryan Adams 'Kids Wanna Rock' and 'Summer of '69'
U2 'Sunday Bloody Sunday' and 'Walk On The Wild Side'
Beach Boys 'Wouldn't It Be Nice', 'Good Vibrations' and 'Surfin' USA'
Dire Straits 'Money For Nothing' and 'Sultans of Swing'
Georeg Thorogood 'Who Do You Love' and 'A Little Loving'
Queen 'Bohemian Rhapsody', 'Radio Ga Ga, Hammer To Fall', "Crazy
Little Thing Called Love', 'We Will Rock You/We Are The Campions'
Simple Minds 'Promised You A Miracle' and 'Don't You Forget About Me'
David Bowie 'TVC15', Rebel Rebel', 'Modern Love' and 'Heroes'
Madonna 'Holiday' and 'Into The Groove'
Queen 'Is This The World We Created'
Paul McCartney 'Let It Be'.
Band Aid 'Do They Know It's Christmas'
Tom Petty 'American Girl' and 'Refugee'
Black Sabbath 'Paranoid'
REO Speedwagon ' Roll With The Changes'
Crosby, Stills and Nash 'Teach Your Children'
Judas Priest 'Loaded'
The Cars 'Just What You Needed'
Neil Young 'The Needle and the Damage Done'
Eric Clapton 'Whit Room', 'She's Waiting' and 'Layla'
Phil Collins 'In The Air Tonight'
Duran Duran 'Union Of The Snake' and Save A Prayer'
Patti LaBelle 'Imagine'
Halls and Oates 'Man Eater'
Hall and Oates with The Temptations 'Get Ready', Ain't Too Proud To
Beg' and 'My Girl'
Mick Jagger 'Just Another Night' and 'Ruthless People'
Bob Dylan, Keith Richards and Ron Wood 'Blowing in the Wind'
and 'When The Ship Comes In'
Everyone 'We Are The World

 

[Angelo.M]

Sam already aluded to this, but this must be a misprint.

 

[Craig S]

Important disclaimer from that site:

In other words, just because something isn't listed (i.e. U2 "Bad") doesn't mean it won't be on there. In fact, given that disclaimer it almost sounds like some guy's guesses.

As far as The Who - the Warner press release mentions them as being on the set. At this point, I'm going with the press release over an unsourced list.

 

[Ruz-El]

The whole Who set doesn't exist, but what does totally rocked, so it should be on the set, and seeing as Townshend is generaly the charity giving type, I would really be surprised if they were not on the set.

Didn't U2 perform Maggies Farm at this show? I remember seeing a clip of them performing this song on "Rolling Stones Magazines 25 Years Of Rock 'n' Roll" TV special hosted by dennis Hopper (which would be nice on DVD by the way) and always thought it was from Live Aid.

The stupid thing about LZ and any other act that decides that they don't want their set to be seen is that by being on this set, they are going to help generate sales to a charity, while not being on the set might make some not buy it at all, and it's not like it's really costing them anything. The tape stays in a vault generating nothing but dust, while die hard fans are going to get their hands on the footage through the bootleggers. It's not like LZ have big plans for this footage, so wjhy not make the bet out of the bad and let them use it to generate more money for charity?

Don't even get me started on Paul McCartny wanting to revise his performance.

 

[Gordon McMurphy]

I would imagine that there will be more than that on the 4-disc set?

PS: It was Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, and Neil Young who formed Farm Aid, not Bob Dylan.

 

[Sam Favate]

No, that was at the Amnesty Intl "Conspiracy of Hope" concert at Giants Stadium in June 1986.

 

[Ruz-El]

Cool, what was this concert? I never heard of it.

 

[Sam Favate]

The Amnesty International concerts - which certainly grew out of Live Aid - consisted of two tours, one in '86 and one in '88.

The '86 tour of the USA was called A Conspiracy of Hope and featured U2, Sting (The Police for the last few shows, what was to be their final shows ever), and Peter Gabriel. The finale - which was at Giants Stadium and broadcast on TV, was an all-day affair with added folks like Lou Reed, Jackson Browne, The Hooters, Little Steven and more.

The '88 tour was called Human Rights Now! and toured the world, including places tours rarely go like South America and Africa. Its US shows were in Philly and Oakland, CA. The tour featured Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Sting, Peter Gabriel, Tracy Chapman and Youssou N'Dour. The final show from Buenos Aires was broadcast on HBO.

 

[DavidKNML]

If U2's bad is not on it i'm going to pass.

I watched the whole concert from the opening act to the end.

As a huge U2 fan Live Aid was one of my favorite performances of them ever.

 

[Angelo.M]

My guess is that "Bad" will be there. I still have it on VHS, however, just in case.