Live Aid (1985) (TV)

Director:

Vincent Scarza

Writer:

Bob Geldof (idea)

Release Date:

13 July 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Music

Plot:

The broadcast of the biggest benefit concert in history.

Plot Keywords:

Live Performance | Charity | Concert Film | Rock Music | Live Aid

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Bob Geldof	...	Himself
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bryan Adams	...	Himself (at JFK Stadium)
Stuart Adamson	...	Himself (as Big Country)
Adam Ant	...	Himself
Nick Ashford	...	Himself
Joan Baez	...	Herself
Tom Bailey	...	Himself (as Thompson Twins)
Garry Beers	...	Himself
Big Country	...	Themselves
Black Sabbath	...	Themselves
Bono	...	Himself (as U2)
The Boomtown Rats	...	Themselves
David Bowie	...	Himself
Andrew Bown	...	Himself (as Status Quo)
Jeff Bridges	...	Himself - Host
Pete Briquette	...	Himself (as Boomtown Rats)
Charlie Burchill	...	Himself (as Simple Minds)
Geezer Butler	...	Himself (as Black Sabbath)
Tony Butler	...	Himself (as Big Country)
Warren Cann	...	Himself
The Cars	...	Themselves
Martin Chambers	...	Himself (as The Pretenders)
Chevy Chase	...	Himself (at JFK Stadium)
Eric Clapton	...	Himself
Dick Clark	...	Himself / host
Adam Clayton	...	Himself (as U2)
Albert Collins	...	Himself (with George Thorogood & the Destroyers)
Phil Collins	...	Himself
Billy Connolly	...	Himself
Elvis Costello	...	Himself
David Crosby	...	Himself (at JFK Stadium) (as Crosby Stills Nash and Young)
Crosby Stills Nash & Young	...	Themselves (at JFK Stadium)
Chris Cross	...	Himself (as Ultravox)
Simon Crowe	...	Himself (as Boomtown Rats)
Alannah Currie	...	Herself (as Thompson Twins)
Billy Currie	...	Himself (as Ultravox)
Roger Daltrey	...	Himself (as The Who)
John Deacon	...	Himself (as Queen)
Paul Denham	...	Himself (Sade's backing band)
Ronnie James Dio	...	Himself (as Black Sabbath)
Dire Straits	...	Themselves
Duran Duran	...	Themselves
Bob Dylan	...	Himself
John Entwistle	...	Himself (as The Who)
Andrew Farriss	...	Himself
Jon Farriss	...	Himself
Tim Farriss	...	Himself
Bryan Ferry	...	Himself
Sally Field	...	Herself
Johnnie Fingers	...	Himself (as Boomtown Rats)
Mel Gaynor	...	Himself (as Simple Minds)
David Gilmour	...	Himself (Bryan Ferry's backing band)
Band of H.M. Coldstream Guards	...	Themselves (as Regimental Band of The Coldstream Guards)
Tony Hadley	...	Himself (as Spandau Ballet)
Andrew Hale	...	Himself (Sade's backing band)
Daryl Hall	...	Himself
Michael Hutchence	...	Himself (as INXS)
Chrissie Hynde	...	Herself (as The Pretenders)
John Illsley	...	Himself (as Dire Straits)
INXS	...	Themselves
Tony Iommi	...	Himself (as Black Sabbath)
Mick Jagger	...	Himself
Elton John	...	Himself
Howard Jones	...	Himself
John Paul Jones	...	Himself (as Led Zeppelin)
Casey Kasem	...	Himself / announcer
John Keeble	...	Himself (as Spandau Ballet)
Gary Kemp	...	Himself (as Spandau Ballet)
Martin Kemp	...	Himself (as Spandau Ballet)
Eddie Kendricks	...	Himself
Jim Kerr	...	Himself (as Simple Minds)
Andy Kershaw	...	Himself
Nik Kershaw	...	Himself
B.B. King	...	Himself
Mark Knopfler	...	Himself (as Dire Straits)
Patti LaBelle	...	Herself
Alan Lancaster	...	Himself (as Status Quo)
Simon Le Bon	...	Himself (as Duran Duran)
Joe Leeway	...	Himself (as Thompson Twins)
Madonna	...	Herself
Stuart Matthewman	...	Himself (Sade's backing band)
Brian May	...	Himself (as Queen)
Paul McCartney	...	Himself
Marilyn McCoo	...	Herself - Hostess
Darryl McDaniels	...	Himself (as Run-D.M.C.)
Robbie McIntosh	...	Himself (as The Pretenders)
Freddie Mercury	...	Himself (as Queen)
George Michael	...	Himself (as Wham!)
Jason Mizell	...	Himself (as Run-D.M.C.)
Alison Moyet	...	Herself
Larry Mullen Jr.	...	Himself (as U2)
Graham Nash	...	Himself (at JFK Stadium) (as Crosby Stills Nash and Young)
Jack Nicholson	...	Himself
Petter Nome	...	Programleder (host, Norway)
Steve Norman	...	Himself (as Spandau Ballet)
John Oates	...	Himself (as Hall & Oates)
Ric Ocasek	...	Himself (as The Cars)
Ben Orr	...	Himself (as The Cars)
Ozzy Osbourne	...	Himself (as Black Sabbath)
Jimmy Page	...	Himself (as Led Zeppelin)
Rick Parfitt	...	Himself (as Status Quo)
Teddy Pendergrass	...	Himself
Robert Plant	...	Himself (as Led Zeppelin)
Power Station	...	Themselves
The Pretenders	...	Themselves
David Quinn	...	Himself (as Children to Children)
Nick Rhodes	...	Himself (as Duran Duran)
Griff Rhys Jones	...	Himself
Keith Richards	...	Himself (as The Rolling Stones)
Lionel Richie	...	Himself
Andrew Ridgeley	...	Himself (as Wham!)
Tony Rivers	...	Himself (background-singer with Elton John)
Garry Roberts	...	Himself (as Boomtown Rats)
Nile Rodgers	...	Himself
Francis Rossi	...	Himself (as Status Quo)
David Ruffin	...	Himself
Sade	...	Herself
Carlos Santana	...	Himself (as Santana)
George Segal	...	Himself / host
Joseph Simmons	...	Himself (as Run-D.M.C.)
Simple Minds	...	Themselves
Valerie Simpson	...	Herself
Mel Smith	...	Himself
Spandau Ballet	...	Themselves
Rick Springfield	...	Himself
Status Quo	...	Themselves
Stephen Stills	...	Himself (at JFK Stadium) (as Crosby Stills Nash and Young)
Sting	...	Himself
Style Council	...	Themselves
Andy Taylor	...	Himself (as Duran Duran/Power Station)
John Taylor	...	Himself (as Duran Duran/Power Station)
Roger Taylor	...	Himself (as Queen)
Roger Taylor	...	Himself (as Duran Duran)
The Edge	...	Himself (as U2)
The Thompson Twins	...	Themselves
George Thorogood	...	Himself (at JFK Stadium) (as George Thorogood and the Destroyers)
Pete Townshend	...	Himself (as The Who)
Tina Turner	...	Herself
U2	...	Themselves
Tracey Ullman	...	Herself
Ultravox	...	Themselves
Midge Ure	...	Himself (as Ultravox)
Tommy Vance	...	Himself (Announcer)
Bill Ward	...	Himself (as Black Sabbath)
Bruce Watson	...	Himself (as Big Country)
Paul Weller	...	Himself (as Style Council)
Wham!	...	Themselves
The Who	...	Themselves
Brian Wilson	...	Himself (at JFK Stadium) (as The Beach Boys)
Ron Wood	...	Himself
Neil Young	...	Himself (at JFK Stadium) (as Crosby Stills Nash & Young)
Paul Young	...	Himself

Runtime:

960 min

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Certification:

UK:E

Filming Locations:

John F. Kennedy Stadium - 3601 S. Broad Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

American Broadcasting Company (ABC)

Trivia:

During The Who's set, a red warning light at the front of the stage flashed to alert the band that their time was up. In response, Pete Townshend stepped on the warning light, broke it, and the band played for five extra minutes.

Quotes:

Daryl Hall: What impresses me about today is that people who have a certain amount of sensitivity and artistic tendencies can be heard, and their music can make a difference.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Rock for Afrika (1985) (TV)

Soundtrack:

In the Air Tonight

Gem of humanity

Finally, we got the DVD! I bought it 2 days ago and watched it almost the whole Sunday. I was turning 19 that year and the event meant nothing but the brightest gem on the gleamy crown of the 80's optimism, happiness, joy, global spirit and most of all - search for ultimate humanity. There's no need to emphasize that LIVE AID (and everything else connected to it) is the singular event of the rock'n'roll history, greater then anything seen before or after. Not only for the plead of the spectacular names that joined the effort, but mainly for the cause and the relevance of it. It's probably the only time in our history when people joined hands globally to help people in need. Thank Sir Bob for the good you brought us and unforgettable moments of our lives.