Live Aid's secret plan to blast Mick Jagger into space: 30 years on, bizarre backstage stories from show that rocked the world

Published: 19:47 EST, 9 July 2015 | Updated: 20:12 EST, 9 July 2015

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Mick Jagger on stage with Tina Turner during Live Aid at the JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, July 1985

Live Aid was the greatest rock event ever staged — and 30 years later, its global reach and star-studded line-up have never been equalled.

The concert, a 16-hour marathon watched on television by about 1.5 billion people in 165 countries, was held on July 13, 1985, in two stadiums 3,000 miles apart, Wembley in London and John F. Kennedy in Philadelphia.

Spencer Bright, who reported on both shows, flying by Concorde between the two cities, reveals the amazing facts about the craziness, passion and comedy that ensued.

Artists including Bryan Ferry, Mick Jagger, Status Quo and Queen were bounced into taking part by Bob Geldof claiming publicly that they had agreed to, even though they hadn’t at the time. His premature announcement that The Who were to re-form for the concert was news to them, as Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey weren’t even speaking.
Geldof approached Prince Charles and Princess Diana backstage at a Prince’s Trust gig the week before Live Aid and persuaded them to come, even asking Diana if she would give them a song. ‘I suppose I could always sing the National Anthem,’ she grinned.
Two-year-old Fifi Trixibelle, Geldof’s daughter, wasn’t impressed when her mother, Paula Yates, told her to present a posy to Princess Diana. Paula had to bribe Fifi with the offer of smoked salmon. As Fifi handed over the garage-bought flowers, Paula was horrified to see the price was still on them. Then Fifi demanded: ‘More fish, please.’
Geldof’s career was on the slide in 1985, which led to cynicism about his motives. His record company was thinking of dropping his band, the Boomtown Rats.
Noel Edmonds piloted some stars to Wembley in his own helicopter. He was warned that when he landed the rotors had to completely stop before Elton John disembarked, in case the down-draught whisked away the singer’s toupee.
The dressing rooms were not quite what most stars were used to — six shabby mobile cabins with peeling lino and doors that didn’t lock. A hand-written timetable pinned on each door gave the names of the artists and the times they were allowed in — half an hour before and half an hour after their sets.

Showstoppers: David Bowie, Paul McCartney and Bob Geldof at Live Aid, Wembley Stadium in July 1985

Elton John liked his creature comforts and sent his own mobile- home to change in. Just in case the catering wasn’t up to scratch, he brought his own grill and was seen flipping burgers for David Bowie and Freddie Mercury.
Bands were each given 17 minutes to perform and had to obey a traffic-light system. Green meant keep going, amber signalled they had had a minute left, and red warned the plug was being pulled. No one dared go into red — except for The Who. Pete Townshend kicked the red light and broke it, and the band played on for an extra five minutes.
Geldof was famously reported to have said on live TV, just after Queen’s performance: ‘Give me the f****** money.’ But what he actually said was: ‘Don’t go to the pub tonight. Please stay in and give us the money. There are people dying now, so give me the money.’
Moments later, though, when someone in the studio suggested giving viewers the address for donations, he said ‘f*** the address, give them the numbers’, meaning the donation phonelines. After that appeal, donations almost doubled to £300 a second.
Phil Collins was the only artist to play both venues that day. After performing at Wembley, he left just before 4pm by helicopter to catch a New York-bound Concorde at Heathrow. I interviewed him on board, though when I played my tape back, all that could be heard was Concorde’s engine roar.

Freddie Mercury performing at Live Aid with Queen at Wembley Stadium on July 13, 1985. He was seen eating burgers made by Elton John

In New York, after our three-and-a-half-hour flight, we didn’t even leave the Tarmac — our passports were stamped and we were helicoptered to Philadelphia, 50 minutes away, where police motorbikes escorted us into the stadium. Collins’s first words to the audience were: ‘I was in England this afternoon. Funny old world, innit?’ He was given a standing ovation.
Cher, who came on stage in Philadelphia to join the U.S. finale of We Are The World, hadn’t even heard of Live Aid until she met Phil Collins on Concorde as he flew between the two concerts.
Jagger invited Tina Turner to perform State Of Shock with him on stage in Philadelphia. The sexual chemistry was incendiary as Jagger stroked Turner’s leg while she sat on his knee before ripping off her leather skirt. Jagger’s ardour was dampened somewhat when Turner inadvertently stabbed her heel into his foot.
IT was rumoured that two shire horses were backstage at Wembley, ready to pull the unreliable revolving stage mechanism if it got stuck. It wasn’t true, but in the event the 140ft stage — split into three so equipment could be loaded, cleared and a band perform at the same time — worked perfectly.
The temptation for acts to plug a new record was huge. Geldof’s advice was to stick to the hits. Those, like Queen, who did reaped the benefits — they stole the show, with Freddie Mercury at his flamboyant best. Adam Ant played his single Vive le Rock, which sank into obscurity along with his career.
The Beatles were invited to reunite for Live Aid, with Julian Lennon standing in for his murdered father John. But they all declined to appear — except Paul McCartney.
The night before the concert, U2 threatened to pull out because they were refused a sound check. They were wise not to stick to their guns. Their showtopping performance gave the band a huge boost, and Bono called it one of the best days of his life.

Jagger invited Tina Turner to perform State Of Shock with him on stage in Philadelphia. The sexual chemistry was incendiary as Jagger stroked Turner’s leg while she sat on his knee before ripping off her leather skirt

After the London show, Geldof found himself virtually the last man at Wembley. He couldn’t find a cab, so he hitched a lift and was driven into the city centre. When still several miles from his Chelsea home, he was uncharitably told to get out.
RoberT Plant and Jimmy Page blocked use of their performance on the Live Aid DVD because they believed it was under par. Plant blamed Phil Collins for ‘bashing away cluelessly’. Collins was furious to be blamed for an under-rehearsed performance in which Page and Plant gave a feeble rendition of Stairway To Heaven.
David Bowie sang Heroes and proved a hero himself, giving up one of his time-slots so a moving video of starving children could be shown. It left the audience in tears and caused a big spike in donations.
Cliff Richard was one of the few big stars not invited to perform. He was doing two charity concerts that day in Birmingham anyway, but afterwards he drove to London’s Legends nightclub, where the TV transmission continued until the end of the Philadelphia show. There, at 2am, Cliff gave a stunning solo acoustic guitar performance of A World Of Difference, handing over an envelope stuffed with cheques from The Shadows and cash from fans.

A Sounds of the 80s Live Aid special hosted by Sara Cox will be broadcast on Radio 2 on Saturday, July 18, from 10pm to midnight.