We watched it on MTV. It was amazing. Queens performances still my favorite, but I’m not sure if I remember it so well because the broadcast or the many times I’ve watched it on YouTube.
It was probably the most amazing concert of my life. I was just out of college from a Philadelphia-area school and went with a group of friends. We got to JFK early in the morning. Joan Baez started, I think. We were bored. The Hooters played next and we’d seen them a few times by then. They were a great dance band so that was fun and got the energy up.
So many things … We were getting live feeds on the screen from England in between our bands. As everyone says, Queen was unreal. They were my favorite band from back in my high school days and I was so thrilled to see them again, even just on the screen. Freddie was galvanizing. I was mad about David Bowie in college and super excited to see him. He played “Heroes” and everyone sang and it was very emotional. Loved the Who too but it was hysterical when the feed cut out as Roger Daltrey sang “Why don’t you all fade—“ The sound was problematic from the UK but just having a transatlantic connection seemed like a technological marvel at the time.
On our side, wow, so many big acts in one place at one time. Best. Day. Ever. So many collaborations. I remember George Thorogood playing with Bo Diddley. The Cars were awesome. Madonna was Madonna. I think she played with the Thompson Twins or Simple Minds. Teddy Pendergrass came onstage with somebody (Patti Labelle?) for the first time after a horrible car accident a few years before and got a lot of love. It would have been a standing O but everybody was on their feet most of the time anyway.
Crosby Stills Nash and Young reunited! Neil Young also played alone and made me cry. I loved him (still do). Phil Collins flew over from England after playing there and received massive cheers. He played drums for Eric Clapton.
Who else? Chrissie Hynde and the Pretenders were in there somewhere. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Santana. Duran Duran (didn’t love them). Led Zeppelin (I remember not being impressed but I don’t remember why.) I was tripping so a lot sort of runs together.
Mick Jagger and Tina Turner were wild. Bob Dylan and the Stones. Ronnie Wood gave Dylan his guitar when his broke. Everybody sang “We Are the World” at the end.
It was incredible and unprecedented and we all felt the love and connection and a kind of kinship. I think it was also broadcast in a bunch of other countries so it really did feel like we were the world that day.
My girlfriend at the time went. We were both from philly suburbs, so easy enough for her to get to JFK stadium in Philly. But I had to work that hot Saturday. I remember her being super tired and dehydrated that nite when she got back.
I was West Chester when Live Aid happened. I think it was streamed on the local stations because I didn't have cable back them but remember watching it sporadically.
I was mesmerized by so many performances, so many favorites, one after the other. Recorded it all on VHS tapes and still have them. That was almost 40 years ago! And a ticket to the U.S. concert was $35.
I was at Live Aid in Philly. I was still in High School. I couldn’t believe my parents let me go.
The night before we saw Power Station play at one of the clubs(we interned at a radio station and were on the list), and the Lobby of our hotel was full of Rock Stars.
Watched it on a 13 inch portable tv. We were just married, our daughter was week old.
We were living in Detroit with little money, all we had was that 13" portable tv.
Good stuff, good times.
Even though we lived just outside Philadelphia, My mother (b. 1924) was initially more excited about it than I was. Reading from the lineup printed in the daily paper, she woke me up by calling into my room “You’ve already missed O-ingo Bo-ingo, but if you hurry you’ll catch Sade \[pronounced Sahd\]!”
I think a lot of us didn’t realize the scale of the whole thing until it unfolded. It was bigger than anything we’d seen, but because of the way they were able to film it for TV, it was also very immediate—you could see these huge stars interacting with each other, spontaneously and in the moment, in a way that hadn’t really happened till then.
Freddie and the boys, of course. Bowie. The tireless Phil Collins, who flew across the pond after performing in London to support Led Zeppelin, only to be thrown under the bus by Jimmy Page when their set sucked. It was a wild and wonderful ride!
I was at the Philly show with my college roommate and two of his friends from Reading, PA. One of the greatest days ever. We were sitting right underneath the sound tower in the middle of the field and when LIFE Magazine published photos we were able to find ourselves in the field shot taken from the stage. It was so hot that the Philadelphia fire department came in and was just spraying the crowd with a mist from their fire hoses.
Too young to get into woodstock, I was around then but still young, but Live Aid was huge for us. I recorded a lot of it.
It was a who's who in the business. Everyone knows about Queen's brilliant set but I loved Bowie's too. Led Zepp iirc were terrible. Jimmy Page was off his tits on something.
Some acts had some tech failures so that likely contributed to some of the performances.
I can't remember who played at Wembley then got on the Concorde and played in Philly. Springsteen?
Oh, and they interrupted the concert to talk about Reagan's colon surgery.
You are right but I swore it was Elton John.
One of my memory was at the end they all came out and sang something together and patti labelle just annoyed the heck out of me seemed like instead of singing she was just screaming at the top of her lungs.
I remember that weekend very well. All my housemates and friends were going to Ventura, CA to see a couple Grateful Dead shows, but someone needed to dogsit, so I volunteered to stay home and watch Live Aid along with the dogs, and got $50 and a big bag of weed for doing it. I had already seen the Dead over 150 times at that point in 1985 (250 total), so I was fine with it. I'm glad I didn't miss such a huge world wide event like Live Aid.
Bob Dylan with Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood. Bob was messing with the tempos as he loves to do. Keith and Ronnie were just lost( and definitely loaded)
Edit: could have sworn this said best and worst moments but ima leave it here:)
Me, and the entire construction crew who were renovating my apartment building to turn into condos! They heard it, so I opened the front and back doors, and invited them in. (I had already become used to them being underfoot, an we had been chatting for a few weeks by then.) No work got done those two days, but lots of pizzas and other snacks were readily shared, and it was great!
TV. Some us my father found it a better idea to own a VCR rather than pay for cable, but my aunt did. I talked my mom into having a yard sale at my aunt & uncle's house, and I brought the VCR. ALL DAY AND ALL EVENING I sat, picking and choosing, and recording as much as I could fit on a 6-hour EP videotape.
U2 wowed but Queen were the stars. Dire Straits swooned me, Ultravox the same. My father rekindled his love for Tina Turner, and later wore off the section of tape where Mick ripped her skirt off. Everyone tickled Elton John during the finale. Phil Collins played both places. Those performances are in my brain forever, and now on YoiTube.
I was in London, didn’t even know about it until that day when I was in a pub and they turned it on. Thought about going over there but went to the park instead.
I watched it on TV. Best performance was Queen, best other moment was Bob Geldof dropping the f-bomb live on TV.
[https://youtu.be/t\_6SaRWdJMc?si=XE65nuJVNAykpalf](https://youtu.be/t_6SaRWdJMc?si=XE65nuJVNAykpalf)
Watched it, most of it. I still listen to the YouTube clips and hold the day as very important for our times. I was (still am) a Priest fan, so seeing them togged out in leather in the Philly heat was excellent. Everyone talks about Queen, but Ultravox, Adam Ant and The Thompson Twins got overlooked. I even game my program to my son's girlfriend when she wanted to know more.
I was on a plane between LA and London and missed it completely. But a friend of mine had front row tickets and he carried them in his wallet for years.
We rolled a TV out to the pool. It was pretty awesome, but it wasn't without controversy. I believe my favorite moment was when Bono went out into the crowd and danced with the one girl on "Bad". Queen was OK, but I wasn't totally impressed with their song selection. They were playing more to a UK crowd. Led Zepellin with Phil Collins was probably my most anticipated.
I remember being mad because the tickets went on sale in the middle of the week and those of us who worked couldn’t get them. I remember watching the entire thing on TV and my upstairs neighbor came down several times to complain about the noise.
We lived out out of town and didn't have cable so no TV. My friend groups parents got together and got us a big hotel room. About a dozen kids had a party and watched on one of the biggest TVs I had seen at that point. Fantastic time. I was Prince crazy so was geeked to see that weird Kiss video. I thought is was awesome to see so many performers together.
My husband (then fiance), were at a church mandated “Engaged Encounter” that weekend that we couldn’t reschedule. There were no TVs (or a/c) in the house we all stayed in. During our breaks, I listened to it on the radio. I was able to catch up the next day when we finally got home.
I had to work that Saturday, so I set the VCR to record it. Does that age me?
Anyway, I went home at lunch to take out the 6 hour tape and put the next one in.
A few years ago, I bought the Live Aid dvd
I had a friend, a college professor, roll VHS tape of the MTV feed. We went out in the boat. I edited it down & still have it on DVD. What a great day it was. Even Duran Duran.
Queen. I didn’t own a TV, had to make friends with someone with cable, a good TV and that liked Queen. Wound up at a friend of a friend’s and a bunch of mutual friends.
I should have went. The Philly show was only a 1 1/2 hour drive for me. I changed my mind at the last minute, it’s one of the very few regrets I have.
I did watch it, kicking myself the entire time, lol
I watched the whole of live aid on the TV . Everyone in the room cried buckets of tears. I now think that it’s a great benchmark for the world since that point .
Me, in working Philly with Spectracorp - the corporation that helped put it on. They owned the Spectrum and the Centrum. They needed lots of guards and ushers so a crew of us drove down from New England.
Very grueling, super memorable.
It was a wonderful summer Saturday.
A very funny Bette Midler was MC and there were many great moments in the performances including the showstopper that afternoon, Freddie Mercury & Queen. The way he strutted onto the stage foretold that a great moment in music was about to occur.
That summer belonged to the emerging Madonna who had just lived through her nude photos being published in the tabloids. Midler introduced her with hilarious references to her boobs.
I was watching on TV but I’ll never forget that day.
Watch it early on TV live, living on the Jersey Shore! Then listened to it while on the beach. Everyone had their radios tuned to it. People went crazy at Manasquan beach. I also thought Howard Jones was fantastic that day. I’ll never forget it.
I lived a short walk from the JFK Stadium at the time. I didn't go to the concert, but I watched it on MTV all day (both London and Philly) and I bought a t-shirt by calling the 1-800 number listed on the TV- a t-shirt that I never wore, but I still have it! It is stored with all the other concert shirts I have bought over the years. I liked most of the acts, my favorite was Mick Jagger and Tina Turner singing "State of Shock".
Yes!! I lived in Phila and been following The Hooters for a while around the local venues. Got there the minute they opened the doors bcz The Hooters were the opening act.
Went to both Amnesty shows and saw the last show at JFK Stadium (Grateful Dead) before they tore it down.
Watched it on TV. While I was a moderate Queen fan at the time, I certainly didn’t appreciate what I was seeing, not even considering the untimely death to come. To this day it’s no doubt at the top of the list of things I (kinda) experienced without understanding the gravity in the moment.
London. Had just graduated from college and had worked there the prior summer. Wrote a friend for tickets, and went with a few friends. It was amazing. Ahh, Freddie Mercury...
I was at live aid in Philly, my aunt and uncle took me, I was 11 so a lot of things went over my head. I do remember everyone going bananas when zeppelin started.
I remember being glued to the tv to see Zeppelin's first performance since Bonzo passed.
I was armed with a tape recorder, standing close to the tv, so I could capture the audio--- ( didn't have a VCR )
Unfortunately, I watched it on ABC, with Dick Clark---- who talked over the bulk of the performance. Talking about how cool it was that they were reunited, and how it was an epic moment.
Completely soured the experience ( and my recording ) for me. I couldn't listen back to it without thinking, STFU, Dick!!!
My parents didn’t have cable tv but the concerts were simulcast on the radio so I listened and recorded a lot of it on cassettes. I especially remember replaying the heck out of hall and oates, zeppelin, and duran duran
I saw some of it on TV. Later on I had to go and work at my job in Atlantic City selling those touristy t-shirts and we had the radio on with the live concert playing.
Tough to say a favorite memory... it was memorable all day long for me. But I have the multi-DVD set and I play one of those discs pretty often when I'm on the treadmill. So it's not just a memory for me.
i remember watching it . I had to go to a wedding and couldn't wait to leave. The big rumor was the Beatles would reunite, less John of course.
My BIL went to Woodstock.
I remember it for U2’s introduction to the rest of the world. I recall Queen’s set but didn’t think of it immediately as the signature event that it has become. For me, U2 was the highlight.
I was working in Cleveland, Ohio at the time and drove my Harley down to Akron to see a friend of mine. I had a good habit of carrying an extra change of clothes with me. Good thing cause I stayed there all weekend. I didn’t have cable where I was living and there was no way I was missing Live Aid. I don’t even think we knew it was going on at the time.
I do remember we left for a few hours cause he had to buy a washer or something like that. Needless to say there was additional beer bought on that trip too.
We watched it on MTV. It was amazing. Queens performances still my favorite, but I’m not sure if I remember it so well because the broadcast or the many times I’ve watched it on YouTube.
Phil Collins hopped on the SST
First performer ever (probably the only performer AFAIK) to play at two venues on opposite sides of the Atlantic on the same day.
U2, Freddie was fantastic!
We were in north London and could hear it from the garden.
Wow, what a great memory. 🙂
It was probably the most amazing concert of my life. I was just out of college from a Philadelphia-area school and went with a group of friends. We got to JFK early in the morning. Joan Baez started, I think. We were bored. The Hooters played next and we’d seen them a few times by then. They were a great dance band so that was fun and got the energy up. So many things … We were getting live feeds on the screen from England in between our bands. As everyone says, Queen was unreal. They were my favorite band from back in my high school days and I was so thrilled to see them again, even just on the screen. Freddie was galvanizing. I was mad about David Bowie in college and super excited to see him. He played “Heroes” and everyone sang and it was very emotional. Loved the Who too but it was hysterical when the feed cut out as Roger Daltrey sang “Why don’t you all fade—“ The sound was problematic from the UK but just having a transatlantic connection seemed like a technological marvel at the time. On our side, wow, so many big acts in one place at one time. Best. Day. Ever. So many collaborations. I remember George Thorogood playing with Bo Diddley. The Cars were awesome. Madonna was Madonna. I think she played with the Thompson Twins or Simple Minds. Teddy Pendergrass came onstage with somebody (Patti Labelle?) for the first time after a horrible car accident a few years before and got a lot of love. It would have been a standing O but everybody was on their feet most of the time anyway. Crosby Stills Nash and Young reunited! Neil Young also played alone and made me cry. I loved him (still do). Phil Collins flew over from England after playing there and received massive cheers. He played drums for Eric Clapton. Who else? Chrissie Hynde and the Pretenders were in there somewhere. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Santana. Duran Duran (didn’t love them). Led Zeppelin (I remember not being impressed but I don’t remember why.) I was tripping so a lot sort of runs together. Mick Jagger and Tina Turner were wild. Bob Dylan and the Stones. Ronnie Wood gave Dylan his guitar when his broke. Everybody sang “We Are the World” at the end. It was incredible and unprecedented and we all felt the love and connection and a kind of kinship. I think it was also broadcast in a bunch of other countries so it really did feel like we were the world that day.
I can imagine Roger Daltry going to the sound guys..."When I said *Why don't you all just fade away?*, I didn't mean it literally!"
Yeah, the timing was pretty funny! 😄
Also a big U2 fan.. Bono hanging off the stage in his boots.
And that mullet!
My girlfriend at the time went. We were both from philly suburbs, so easy enough for her to get to JFK stadium in Philly. But I had to work that hot Saturday. I remember her being super tired and dehydrated that nite when she got back.
I was West Chester when Live Aid happened. I think it was streamed on the local stations because I didn't have cable back them but remember watching it sporadically.
Freddie. The best.
Oh yeah watched it on TV live..so amazing MTV was unscrambled for it. (another word the kids prob don't get anymore,)
Freddie Mercury blowing the crowd away in both cities. RIP
I was mesmerized by so many performances, so many favorites, one after the other. Recorded it all on VHS tapes and still have them. That was almost 40 years ago! And a ticket to the U.S. concert was $35.
I did the same. Still have the VHS tapes.
I was at Live Aid in Philly. I was still in High School. I couldn’t believe my parents let me go. The night before we saw Power Station play at one of the clubs(we interned at a radio station and were on the list), and the Lobby of our hotel was full of Rock Stars.
Watched it and taped it all on….BETAMAX
Watched it on a 13 inch portable tv. We were just married, our daughter was week old. We were living in Detroit with little money, all we had was that 13" portable tv. Good stuff, good times.
Even though we lived just outside Philadelphia, My mother (b. 1924) was initially more excited about it than I was. Reading from the lineup printed in the daily paper, she woke me up by calling into my room “You’ve already missed O-ingo Bo-ingo, but if you hurry you’ll catch Sade \[pronounced Sahd\]!” I think a lot of us didn’t realize the scale of the whole thing until it unfolded. It was bigger than anything we’d seen, but because of the way they were able to film it for TV, it was also very immediate—you could see these huge stars interacting with each other, spontaneously and in the moment, in a way that hadn’t really happened till then.
 Freddie and the boys, of course. Bowie. The tireless Phil Collins, who flew across the pond after performing in London to support Led Zeppelin, only to be thrown under the bus by Jimmy Page when their set sucked. It was a wild and wonderful ride!
I was at the Philly show with my college roommate and two of his friends from Reading, PA. One of the greatest days ever. We were sitting right underneath the sound tower in the middle of the field and when LIFE Magazine published photos we were able to find ourselves in the field shot taken from the stage. It was so hot that the Philadelphia fire department came in and was just spraying the crowd with a mist from their fire hoses.
Too young to get into woodstock, I was around then but still young, but Live Aid was huge for us. I recorded a lot of it. It was a who's who in the business. Everyone knows about Queen's brilliant set but I loved Bowie's too. Led Zepp iirc were terrible. Jimmy Page was off his tits on something. Some acts had some tech failures so that likely contributed to some of the performances.
I can't remember who played at Wembley then got on the Concorde and played in Philly. Springsteen? Oh, and they interrupted the concert to talk about Reagan's colon surgery.
Phil Collins
You are right but I swore it was Elton John. One of my memory was at the end they all came out and sang something together and patti labelle just annoyed the heck out of me seemed like instead of singing she was just screaming at the top of her lungs.
Was in Philly at around 7am or so. Didn’t get home until almost sunrise the next day (NY). So glad I was there.
Watched it on TV. Was so excited for Zeppelin. And then so disappointed at the performance.
Phil Collins playing with Zeppelin really fucked that up. Collins sucked.
Yeah, that’s what Jimmy Page says. Maybe it’s true. But Page looked whacked out of his mind too….
I don’t think it was just Phil Collins.
I remember that weekend very well. All my housemates and friends were going to Ventura, CA to see a couple Grateful Dead shows, but someone needed to dogsit, so I volunteered to stay home and watch Live Aid along with the dogs, and got $50 and a big bag of weed for doing it. I had already seen the Dead over 150 times at that point in 1985 (250 total), so I was fine with it. I'm glad I didn't miss such a huge world wide event like Live Aid.
Bob Dylan with Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood. Bob was messing with the tempos as he loves to do. Keith and Ronnie were just lost( and definitely loaded) Edit: could have sworn this said best and worst moments but ima leave it here:)
I hate I missed it, but I was in Ecuador working. I made some good money but fuck it was as hot as Satan's ball sack.
Still bitter….we had a wedding to attend that day so we basically missed it. The marriage lasted less than 6 months🤬
Me, and the entire construction crew who were renovating my apartment building to turn into condos! They heard it, so I opened the front and back doors, and invited them in. (I had already become used to them being underfoot, an we had been chatting for a few weeks by then.) No work got done those two days, but lots of pizzas and other snacks were readily shared, and it was great!
TV. Some us my father found it a better idea to own a VCR rather than pay for cable, but my aunt did. I talked my mom into having a yard sale at my aunt & uncle's house, and I brought the VCR. ALL DAY AND ALL EVENING I sat, picking and choosing, and recording as much as I could fit on a 6-hour EP videotape. U2 wowed but Queen were the stars. Dire Straits swooned me, Ultravox the same. My father rekindled his love for Tina Turner, and later wore off the section of tape where Mick ripped her skirt off. Everyone tickled Elton John during the finale. Phil Collins played both places. Those performances are in my brain forever, and now on YoiTube.
Watched it starting at what, 6-7am, on a Saturday? Was, Sabbath, the opener? https://youtu.be/mxqmEeOU9EI?si=GbbRojhNnvJp9LLB
I thought Status Quo opened with Rocking All Over The World
I was in London, didn’t even know about it until that day when I was in a pub and they turned it on. Thought about going over there but went to the park instead.
I was working in a restaurant in Australia, missed just about all of it. It was a big deal there, everyone seemed to be talking about it.
Teddy Pendergrass
Had no TV but went to a house with 2 lady friends both days. Donated $50 and got the tee-shirt.
I watched it on TV. Best performance was Queen, best other moment was Bob Geldof dropping the f-bomb live on TV. [https://youtu.be/t\_6SaRWdJMc?si=XE65nuJVNAykpalf](https://youtu.be/t_6SaRWdJMc?si=XE65nuJVNAykpalf)
Watched and taped the entire thing. It was incredible
I was invited to Woodstock by two of my friends, but I was only fifteen at the time and my mom wouldn't let me go. Bummer, man!
Watched it, most of it. I still listen to the YouTube clips and hold the day as very important for our times. I was (still am) a Priest fan, so seeing them togged out in leather in the Philly heat was excellent. Everyone talks about Queen, but Ultravox, Adam Ant and The Thompson Twins got overlooked. I even game my program to my son's girlfriend when she wanted to know more.
I remember Bryan Addams do Cuts Like a Knife then we all headed to the Ventura County Fairgrounds for a Grateful Dead concert.
I was on a plane between LA and London and missed it completely. But a friend of mine had front row tickets and he carried them in his wallet for years.
Philadelphia, hottest day ever. We got hosed down.
In before anyone mentions Freddie.
I watched and loved it.
Watched. Still have my Live Aid tee shirt!
was in Philly, watching Phil Collins traveling on concord to play both shows was neat
We rolled a TV out to the pool. It was pretty awesome, but it wasn't without controversy. I believe my favorite moment was when Bono went out into the crowd and danced with the one girl on "Bad". Queen was OK, but I wasn't totally impressed with their song selection. They were playing more to a UK crowd. Led Zepellin with Phil Collins was probably my most anticipated.
I watched it whilst at basic training at Fort Knox. Will never forget Queen's performance.
In Philly, London had the better lineup, but we had Mick Jagger and Tina Turner
I was on a plane from USA to Australia. Happened whilst we were in the air.
Watched on TV in the UK. Favourites were Dire Straits and Status Quo, who were the first band on. I missed most of it because I had to go to work.
Watched it start to finish after laying in a supply of beer and weed to carry me thru the day 👍
We went to a Don Henely concert and came home to watch Live Aid
Queen. That’s all.
Watched some of it on MTV, but that's not the same as being there.
I missed it because I joined the Army. I was in basic when it happened, but saw it on tv well after it aired.
I remember being mad because the tickets went on sale in the middle of the week and those of us who worked couldn’t get them. I remember watching the entire thing on TV and my upstairs neighbor came down several times to complain about the noise.
Watched it!
David Bowie, Tina Turner, Queen. Epic.
We lived out out of town and didn't have cable so no TV. My friend groups parents got together and got us a big hotel room. About a dozen kids had a party and watched on one of the biggest TVs I had seen at that point. Fantastic time. I was Prince crazy so was geeked to see that weird Kiss video. I thought is was awesome to see so many performers together.
Watched. Became a Life-long fan of Queen.
My husband (then fiance), were at a church mandated “Engaged Encounter” that weekend that we couldn’t reschedule. There were no TVs (or a/c) in the house we all stayed in. During our breaks, I listened to it on the radio. I was able to catch up the next day when we finally got home.
I had to work that Saturday, so I set the VCR to record it. Does that age me? Anyway, I went home at lunch to take out the 6 hour tape and put the next one in. A few years ago, I bought the Live Aid dvd
Me on tv and played trhe audio on my boom box!!!
Watched it on TV - favorite moment was when Bono climbed up and hung off the equipment.
I watched it. All night long from Australia. I donated as well.
I worked at an ad agency at the time, and we were in the edit suite losing our MINDS. Everyone bailed on getting anything done that day.
It was a huge deal back then and even at the time, we all knew Queen was the pinnacle performance. Plus the Phil Collins travel thing was cool to see.
Watched live aide and band aide. Phil Collins flying to the States on a concord after performing in England so he can play at both was awesome.
We live right outside Philly. I wanted to go so badly but was moving out of an apartment that day! Wahhhh
Bowie
Queen. Freddie. Perfection!
Definitely watched it. We need more big events like this. Maybe something to promote the vote. Freedom. Democracy.
~~We~~ They have big events like this but now it's mostly EDM type things like Coachella.
Watched.
Watched it with my roommates, all of us wishing we could’ve been there.
I watched it on TV...Phil Collins literally flying on the concord, was pretty amazing. Freddie Mercury and Queen..no words.
I went to Live Aid in Philly. Still have the T-shirt! Fantastic day.
Watched as much on TV as I could, wasn’t easy. I do have the huge DVD set now, it’s great, as is the Live8 DVD set.
My fave part was George Thorogood bringing on Albert Collins, the Ice Man.
At the Philadelphia concert.
I had a friend, a college professor, roll VHS tape of the MTV feed. We went out in the boat. I edited it down & still have it on DVD. What a great day it was. Even Duran Duran.
Queen. I didn’t own a TV, had to make friends with someone with cable, a good TV and that liked Queen. Wound up at a friend of a friend’s and a bunch of mutual friends.
I should have went. The Philly show was only a 1 1/2 hour drive for me. I changed my mind at the last minute, it’s one of the very few regrets I have. I did watch it, kicking myself the entire time, lol
I was lying on the beach at Coney Island listening to it on the radio. I had a Walkman radio 😄 Great concert.
Watched it
Watched it on TV
I watched the whole of live aid on the TV . Everyone in the room cried buckets of tears. I now think that it’s a great benchmark for the world since that point .
Me, in working Philly with Spectracorp - the corporation that helped put it on. They owned the Spectrum and the Centrum. They needed lots of guards and ushers so a crew of us drove down from New England. Very grueling, super memorable.
My friends called the Spectrum the Rectum at the time. Ah, to be young and stupid.
Hahaha!!! The Centrum sounds like a multivitamin and not an arena
Watched it at the time and still do once in a while
I wasn't at Live Aid but watched it on MTV. I was at Farm Aid as it was only 25 miles from my family farm.
Watched it. Remember it clearly.
Oh yeah. Fun times.
At Wembley. AMA
I was too poor to go
Yes.
I watched most of it was doing a side job in Royal Oak jumped in my classic car cruise home and watch the rest of it
I remember where I was, what I looked like, and how I was dressed that day.
I watched Live Aid and was too young for Woodstock.
I remember watching this and the first Farm Aid concert.
I watched it on TV and my favorite memory was Madonna
It was a wonderful summer Saturday. A very funny Bette Midler was MC and there were many great moments in the performances including the showstopper that afternoon, Freddie Mercury & Queen. The way he strutted onto the stage foretold that a great moment in music was about to occur. That summer belonged to the emerging Madonna who had just lived through her nude photos being published in the tabloids. Midler introduced her with hilarious references to her boobs. I was watching on TV but I’ll never forget that day.
Watch it early on TV live, living on the Jersey Shore! Then listened to it while on the beach. Everyone had their radios tuned to it. People went crazy at Manasquan beach. I also thought Howard Jones was fantastic that day. I’ll never forget it.
I lived a short walk from the JFK Stadium at the time. I didn't go to the concert, but I watched it on MTV all day (both London and Philly) and I bought a t-shirt by calling the 1-800 number listed on the TV- a t-shirt that I never wore, but I still have it! It is stored with all the other concert shirts I have bought over the years. I liked most of the acts, my favorite was Mick Jagger and Tina Turner singing "State of Shock".
Family and friends were watching during my sister's wedding reception at my dad's house. I have a video recording of us watching it. Amazing memories.
Yes!! I lived in Phila and been following The Hooters for a while around the local venues. Got there the minute they opened the doors bcz The Hooters were the opening act. Went to both Amnesty shows and saw the last show at JFK Stadium (Grateful Dead) before they tore it down.
Watched it while at work. The TVs were tuned to it where there was a TV! What an incredible happening.
Watched it on TV. While I was a moderate Queen fan at the time, I certainly didn’t appreciate what I was seeing, not even considering the untimely death to come. To this day it’s no doubt at the top of the list of things I (kinda) experienced without understanding the gravity in the moment.
I watched it all weekend and on the Monday I flew to the USA.
Had planned to see it at jfk but we were too hung over from the night before. Never made it out of west Philly
I watched it on TV. I was 15.
I watched it on TV. I was 15.
16 years old while taping the music on my tape recorder 😂😂
London. Had just graduated from college and had worked there the prior summer. Wrote a friend for tickets, and went with a few friends. It was amazing. Ahh, Freddie Mercury...
Does Farm Aid count? Little closer to home.
I was at live aid in Philly, my aunt and uncle took me, I was 11 so a lot of things went over my head. I do remember everyone going bananas when zeppelin started.
I remember being glued to the tv to see Zeppelin's first performance since Bonzo passed. I was armed with a tape recorder, standing close to the tv, so I could capture the audio--- ( didn't have a VCR ) Unfortunately, I watched it on ABC, with Dick Clark---- who talked over the bulk of the performance. Talking about how cool it was that they were reunited, and how it was an epic moment. Completely soured the experience ( and my recording ) for me. I couldn't listen back to it without thinking, STFU, Dick!!!
George Thorogood and Albert Collins in Philadelphia mid day
My parents didn’t have cable tv but the concerts were simulcast on the radio so I listened and recorded a lot of it on cassettes. I especially remember replaying the heck out of hall and oates, zeppelin, and duran duran
Where the people gave and the poor got paid?
I saw some of it on TV. Later on I had to go and work at my job in Atlantic City selling those touristy t-shirts and we had the radio on with the live concert playing.
Freddie absolutely killed it !
Queen, I remember reading that his working crowds that big in Latin America and it being Live Aid made it extra special
Watched some of it, whatever was on broadcast TV. We didn't have cable, which, as I recall, got more of the entire shows.
Tough to say a favorite memory... it was memorable all day long for me. But I have the multi-DVD set and I play one of those discs pretty often when I'm on the treadmill. So it's not just a memory for me.
Watched it but just for sabbath. Rest was lame
Listened to it on the radio and watched it on MTV too.
i remember watching it . I had to go to a wedding and couldn't wait to leave. The big rumor was the Beatles would reunite, less John of course. My BIL went to Woodstock.
I remember it for U2’s introduction to the rest of the world. I recall Queen’s set but didn’t think of it immediately as the signature event that it has become. For me, U2 was the highlight.
I remember being at the beach with my boyfriend and we listened to it on the radio great times
Firetruck sprinklers hosing down the burnt and parched, ..hosted by Jack N.
I was working in Cleveland, Ohio at the time and drove my Harley down to Akron to see a friend of mine. I had a good habit of carrying an extra change of clothes with me. Good thing cause I stayed there all weekend. I didn’t have cable where I was living and there was no way I was missing Live Aid. I don’t even think we knew it was going on at the time. I do remember we left for a few hours cause he had to buy a washer or something like that. Needless to say there was additional beer bought on that trip too.