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Live Aid wouldn’t happen today because everyone is too glued to their phones, claims Ultravox frontman Midge Ure

BBG News

Yesterday, Midge Ure expressed that it would be impossible to replicate the Live Aid concert in today’s world, as people are too engrossed in their screens.

The lead singer of Ultravox in the past – known for coordinating the massive concert alongside Bob Geldof – expresses that although technological advancements theoretically simplify organizing such a big event, they have unfortunately introduced an excess of distractions as well.

Forty years ago, on this very day, rock legends graced multiple stages, one at Wembley Stadium and the other in Philadelphia. This historic event, known as Live Aid, was viewed by over two billion individuals globally. The incredible fundraising effort accumulated an astounding £150 million for the alleviation of famine in Africa.

In simpler terms, when speaking with BBC Radio 4’s Today program, a 71-year-old individual expressed that “People are distracted and preoccupied with their screens, and they seem to be everywhere.

‘Technically, you could organise it easier, but these days you have so many distractions.

Back in the day, about forty years ago, music was my life, my everything – it was the very essence that fueled me. We didn’t carry around supercomputers disguised as smartphones. We didn’t have a global network of information known as the internet. There wasn’t a single hour-long stream of content available to us, day or night – we were truly living in a different world.

Without any diversions, you didn’t have access to video games or similar entertainment. Essentially, you had nothing to distract you. As a result, you could concentrate fully on your task.

He expressed: “I find it hard to comprehend that I’m still around, and the fact that we’re still discussing Band Aid and Live Aid after 40 years is truly impressive.

‘It’s a life beyond the life we ever thought it would have.’

According to Ure, the concert was planned for a span of three months, and they used telephones and telex machines to secure artists’ participation. It is said that Geldof misled them by telling white lies about which artists had agreed to perform.

He said: ‘I think the reality is that Bob lied, quite blatantly, when he announced Live Aid.

He claimed that multiple individuals were engaging in the activity, but in truth, they had not given their consent. In essence, he was subtly coercing them, which could be described as a form of manipulation by Bob.

He dismissed the criticism often leveled at Live Aid for allegations of “white saviorism,” contending that it would be more distressing to witness millions succumbing to famine in Africa, rather than just observing it from afar.

Speaking about his experience hosting a BBC radio program on a children’s circus in South Africa, he mentioned: “I talked to the circus manager who was striving to bring together the diverse group of kids there, representing various ethnic backgrounds.

In response, I asked, “But how does that apply?” To which he replied, “Imagine if you were 30 feet up on a trapeze and someone extended their hand to save you, regardless of the color of their skin, you wouldn’t care. That’s exactly what we did.

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2025-07-13 03:04

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