Live Aid Quotes

“The ideological blackmail that has been in place since the original Live Aid concerts in 1985 has insisted that ‘caring individuals’ could end famine directly, without the need for any kind of political solution or systemic reorganization. It is necessary to act straight away, we were told; politics has to be suspended in the name of ethical immediacy. Bono’s Product Red brand wanted to dispense even with the philanthropic intermediary. ‘Philanthropy is like hippy music, holding hands’, Bono proclaimed. ‘Red is more like punk rock, hip hop, this should feel like hard commerce’. The point was not to offer an alternative to capitalism - on the contrary, Product Red’s ‘punk rock’ or ‘hip hop’ character consisted in its ‘realistic’ acceptance that capitalism is the only game in town. No, the aim was only to ensure that some of the proceeds of particular transactions went to good causes. The fantasy being that western consumerism, far from being intrinsically implicated in systemic global inequalities, could itself solve them. All we have to do is buy the right products.”
― Mark Fisher, Capitalist Realism: Is There No Alternative?

“The bravest thing David Bowie ever did was to go on stage after Queen at Live Aid.”
― Stewart Stafford

“It is often said that Freddie Mercury is "one of the best" showmen in history. To me, he is THE best. Why? Two reasons - he wrote what is generally-considered the greatest song of all-time (Bohemian Rhapsody) AND gave the greatest live performance ever (Live Aid). To do one of those things is extremely difficult, to do both is a genius-level achievement.”
― Stewart Stafford

“Champion Spirit by Stewart Stafford

When Freddie Mercury passed away,
Where did his spirit go to play?
Zanzibar, Feltham, or Wembley?
Or did he go and visit Brian May?

Did he stand at the mic in Montreux?
De Lane Lea, Trident, or to Tokyo?
Did he party in Munich, NY, or Rio?
Did his purring cats watch him go?

Did he take a last look at Garden Lodge?
Or whisper a final joke to his old pal Rog?
Waves of affection were hard to dodge,
His superstar status will never dislodge.

© Stewart Stafford, 2022. All rights reserved.”
― Stewart Stafford