thu 05/12/2024

Q&A Special: Musician Bob Geldof | reviews, news & interviews

Q&A Special: Musician Bob Geldof

Q&A Special: Musician Bob Geldof

The sainted musician talks (and talks and talks) about taking on the industry

'Bob the Gob' on the journey from the Boomtown Rats to Live Aid

Bob Geldof only shuts up in the end because a plane he should be on is imminently taking off for India, and he is still in his local South London pub, refusing to let a heavy cold stop him from talking like others drink - with unquenchable relish. He is in passing promoting his new album, How to Compose Popular Songs That Will Sell, a lesson Geldof could have given with conviction during his old band the Boomtown Rats’ pomp between 1977 and 1980, when their first nine singles hit the Top 20, climaxing with consecutive Number Ones “Rat Trap” and “I Don’t Like Mondays”. The way those achievements have been forever dwarfed by his marshalling of global compassion to save countless Ethiopians with Live Aid is something he can live with.

Bob Geldof only shuts up in the end because a plane he should be on is imminently taking off for India, and he is still in his local South London pub, refusing to let a heavy cold stop him from talking like others drink - with unquenchable relish. He is in passing promoting his new album, How to Compose Popular Songs That Will Sell, a lesson Geldof could have given with conviction during his old band the Boomtown Rats’ pomp between 1977 and 1980, when their first nine singles hit the Top 20, climaxing with consecutive Number Ones “Rat Trap” and “I Don’t Like Mondays”. The way those achievements have been forever dwarfed by his marshalling of global compassion to save countless Ethiopians with Live Aid is something he can live with.

Like everyone of my generation, music was the central thing in my life

Share this article

Comments

A lot of people are now questioning the effectiveness (after 3 decades) of this whole culture of touchy feely, BBC endorsed, celebrity 'feel good' charity work. Who does it REALLY benefit to have these hugely important social, economic and geopolitical issue reduced to dumbed down and cathartic mass entertainment events where we are encouraged to feel we are affecting 'change' just by waving our hands in the air, buying a 'charidy' single and listening to A, B and C-list celebs perform pop songs in Hyde Park and shout "Are you ready to save the f***ing world?!!!!" According to this documentary (below), 1985's Band Aid/ Live Aid helped to inadvertently facilitate a program of ethic cleansing in Ethiopia, Birhan Waldo (the starving girl who had minutes to live and was allegedly saved by Live Aid and appeared on stage at Live8 20 years later) was actually rescued by another charity and a Canadian journalist 10 months before the Live Aid concerts were held and the whole political message of the Make Poverty History campaign was totally watered down at every stage by the insipid Live8 concerts and general celeb/ public self congratulation. It would appear that for 30 years it's been win-win for everybody involved.... well everyone except the poor and starving of course! The illusion of celebrity endorsed charity (except) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aT7JC9U6lVA Or watch the full length documentary here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BW0WJ_xULXU

Add comment

The future of Arts Journalism

 

You can stop theartsdesk.com closing!

We urgently need financing to survive. Our fundraising drive has thus far raised £33,000 but we need to reach £100,000 or we will be forced to close. Please contribute here: https://gofund.me/c3f6033d

And if you can forward this information to anyone who might assist, we’d be grateful.

Subscribe to theartsdesk.com

Thank you for continuing to read our work on theartsdesk.com. For unlimited access to every article in its entirety, including our archive of more than 15,000 pieces, we're asking for £5 per month or £40 per year. We feel it's a very good deal, and hope you do too.

To take a subscription now simply click here.

And if you're looking for that extra gift for a friend or family member, why not treat them to a theartsdesk.com gift subscription?

newsletter

Get a weekly digest of our critical highlights in your inbox each Thursday!

Simply enter your email address in the box below

View previous newsletters