HOW LONG TO SING THIS SONG? Today is the 30th anniversary of Live Aid, so it's the 30th anniversary of my becoming a U2 fan. Rolling Stone has a nice tick-tock of their memorable performance of "Bad" and, of course, we don't remember this day without a few minutes from Teddy Pendergrass.
[Edge, playin' the blues: "I was totally thrown, and I'm looking at Adam and Larry to see if they know what's going on and they're looking back at me with complete panic across their faces." He concluded, "I'm just glad the cameras didn't show the rest of the band during the whole drama, because we must have looked like the Three Stooges up there."]
"Bono has zeroed in on the same junkie yearning that made Kurt Cobain quote Neil Young's lyric in his suicide note nine years later."
ReplyDeleteJesus. These two events feel like they're 20+ years apart, not only 9 years.
Literally and figuratively. When Live Aid took place, I was at overnight camp, as a camper. When Kurt Cobain killed himself, I was in my second year of law school. It maybe doesn't feel like 20+ years, but it sure feels a lot longer than 9.
ReplyDeleteWow, are we that close in age, Adam? I was 12 the summer of Live Aid and then 21 when Cobain died.
ReplyDelete(At camp, we listened to the radio simulcast of Live Aid, and taped segments on cassettes. I still have those tapes somewhere in my house, though who knows if they'll still play. My sister VCRed the whole day of Live Aid coverage on MTV, which I think amounted to about 6+ VHS tapes, which I watched when I got home from camp.)
ReplyDeleteGuess so - I turned 15 the December after Live Aid.
ReplyDeleteRecognizing the importance of that U2 set at Wembley, and the moving Pendergrass return, let's not forget the true heroes and breakout stars of Live Aid Philadelphia: The Hooters.
ReplyDeleteWait. We're that close in age?
ReplyDeleteDon't be fooled by my rakishly handsome Disqus avatar.
ReplyDeleteI remember my brothers campaigning for our family to get cable, just to get access to Live Aid on MTV. If they had access to PowerPoint, I am sure there would have been flowcharts and animation.
ReplyDelete"Paul McCartney, Dad! PAUL MCCARTNEY IS PLAYING!"