Production crews ask govt to Aid Live 35 years on from Live Aid

Production crews are asking the government to Aid Live, in a week that marks the 35th anniversary of the star-studded Live Aid benefit concert at London’s Wembley Stadium.

The 1985 Live Aid concerts, organised by Bob Geldof, Midge Ure and Harvey Goldsmith, saw acts including Queen, David Bowie, U2, the Who, Paul McCartney, Madonna, Black Sabbath and Bob Dylan perform to around 160,000 fans in London and Philadelphia on 13 July 1985.

The concerts were watched by a further two billion people on television worldwide and raised over $127 million for victims of the Ethiopian famine.

“Thank you Bob, Midge and Harvey for showing the world 35 years ago that music has the power to bring positive change when it is most needed,” reads a statement.

“And a massive thank you to all the skilled and dedicated crew and supply companies who gave of themselves to transform a wildly ambitious idea into the greatest live event of all time.”

“Without the government’s immediate intervention, events of this magnitude will become a thing of the past”

The Aid Live statement warns that without “immediate intervention” from the government, “events of this magnitude will become a thing of the past”, adding that authorities have been “ignoring the plight of crew and suppliers” in the wake of Covid-19.

“It’s their turn. Aid Live.”

In the UK, the Production Services Association recently expressed concern that the UK government’s 1.57 billion rescue package for arts and culture “might not quite make it far enough down the supply chain”.

“We’re seriously, honestly, truly happy for those that will receive the funding,” reads a PSA statement. “There’s no show without a venue but there’s not much of a show without the kit and the technical knowhow.

“We’ve joined together to let those holding the funds remember that there’s a supply chain, from the band manager to the local crew […] Would it be asking too much if we were simply asking for a chance to apply?”

Photo: Squelle/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) (cropped)

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