40 Years Ago Today, I worked the Live Aid Concert. Kind of....

40 years ago, I was a 23 year old kid who just got out of college and got a job at a local radio station.

I was a year into the job and was trying to do ANYTHING I could to get my foot in the door and show everybody I was willing to do whatever it took to get the job done, and show them I was worth keeping around.

So- when they asked if there was anyone that wanted to give up a Saturday and "run board" (which meant, control the broadcast by putting commercials on at the right time, and making sure that whatever special programming we were airing did so correctly and professionally) - and engineer that broadcast of the LIVE AID concert - I friggin JUMPED AT IT.

There hasnt been anything like that LIVE AID concert since that day. Not even the re-vamped attempts at Woodstock came close. Sure, there were big shows that were really good- but LIVE AID was GLOBAL. It was the biggest collection of rock, pop, and soul bands the world had ever seen. It was an all day affair that would start in London, and end in Philadelphia. Two continents, and a world of people pitching in to help end hunger in Africa. What wasn't to like about that?

Here was the schedule -

In London's Wembly Stadium:

7 am: Bob Geldolf opens Live Aid; Status Quo; Style Council; Boomtown Rats with Adam Ant.

8 am: Adam Ant; Ultravox; Spandau Ballet.

9 am: Elvis Costello; Nik Kershaw with Billy Conally; Sade.

10 am: Phil Collins with Julian Lennon; Sting with Howard Jones.

11 am: Bryan Ferry; Paul Young with Alison Moyet. 12:30 pm: U2.

1 pm: Dire Straits; Queen.

2 pm: David Bowie.

3 pm: The Who; Elton John.

4 pm: Wham! ; Paul McCartney.

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In Philadephia's JFK Stadium:

9 am: Joan Baez; The Hooters; The Four Tops; Billy Ocean.

10 am: Black Sabbath with Ozzy Osbourne; Run-DMC; Rick Springfield; REO Speedwagon.

11 am: Crosby, Stills, Nash; Judas Priest.

12 pm: Bryan Adams; The Beach Boys.

1 pm: George Thorogood; Queens Performance from London.

2 pm: Music video featuring David Bowie and Mick Jagger; Simple Minds; The Pretenders.

3 pm: Santana with Pat Metheny; Ashford and Simpson with Teddy Pendergrass.

4:30 pm: Madonna; Rod Stewart. 5 pm: Tom Petty; Kenny Loggins; The Cars.

6 pm: Neil Young; Power Station. 7 pm: Thompson Twins; Eric Clapton.

8 pm: Phil Collins with Robert Plant and Jimmy Page; Duran Duran.

9 pm: Patti LaBelle; Daryll Hall and John Oats with Eddie Kendricks and David Ruffin.

10 pm: Mick Jagger; Jagger with Tina Turner; Bob Dylan.

What a bill, man. There I was, sitting the studio by myself - making sure every break was tight, and that we came back to the live broadcast on time so nobody missed one second of this show.

Full disclosure- I was also breaking the law as I was working it because I was recording the whole thing on cassette too - hahah! That's a copyright no-no, friends! BUT EVERYBODY WAS DOING IT!

It was simulcast on MTV so you could listen to it and watch it at the same time - which was pretty cool.

I remember really digging Dire Straits (huge fan) and Queen. Bowie was good, and so was the Who, and Elton John and Paul Mccartney were also highlights for me. But the day was MADE - by U2. I had become a U2 fan in college and loved them. When they hit the stage, they sounded and played great. And when they did "Bad" - a lengthy song that had Bono dropping down into the audience to dance with a fan while the band played on. It was a long period of time without singing- and the band afterward were distraught thinking they just blew their biggest shot and looked like idiots to the rest of the world. What they didn't realize at the time - was the audiences reaction was exactly the OPPOSITE. They saw it as connecting with fans the way no other band would on that day- and it actually gave them a huge boost! Like them or not- and I know a lot of people DON'T - U2 is one of the best live bands I've ever seen. And I've done so about 14 times. Worth every penny, still.

The American let of the day started weakly if you ask me - Joan Baez, The Hooters and Billy Ocean? Are you kidding me? But- then they kicked it into gear with Ozzy and Black Sabbath, Run DMC, then CSN, Judas Priest, Brian Adams and The Beach Boys. Eclectic, for sure. But pretty damn good to me. I remember digging the Pretenders, Tom Petty, Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, Plant and Page, and Hall and Oates (with David Ruffin and Eddie Kendricks from The Temptations). Oh yeah, and Jagger and Tina Turner were electric.

Overall- I think the London bill was better- but the whole damn day felt special. And I played a microscopic role in that day - that, back then - seemed pretty big.

Funny how that is, isn't it?

Hell, I even got a poster of the event and framed it in a metal frame and hung it in my first apartment. THAT'S how much that show meant to me. Might seem silly today, but it didn't back then.

Check out this news story on the day -

And the video of my favorite performance of the day -