Live Aid at Villa Park?

[curiousorange]

I've been reading a book called Live Aid: The Definitive 40 Year Story by Paul Vallely, and he claims that in the run-up to the event, when Wembley's owners were stalling over payment, Villa offered the use of Villa Park for the whole thing for nothing. According to the author, Bob Geldof dismissed it out of hand, saying that nobody would want to come to a concert in Birmingham.

I've never heard this story before. Does anybody know any more about it?

[paul_e]

Never heard it but I've had to deal with him a few times through work and he's a wanker so it wouldn't surprise me.

[Chip Butty 111]

In the 80s I was in a check in queue at Heathrow, and Geldof and his entourage were in the adjacent queue causing havoc with the 'do you know who I am' stuff. An absolute bell end. Live Aid was an ego trip for him, he didn't know Africa existed until he turned the Nine o'clock News on..

[eamonn]

Never heard it but I've had to deal with him a few times through work and he's a wanker so it wouldn't surprise me.

Oh aye? Do tell.

[rob_bridge]

Never heard it but I've had to deal with him a few times through work and he's a wanker so it wouldn't surprise me.

Oh aye? Do tell.

I have never had to deal with him but he strikes me as a total bellend.

Sir Bobshite

[Dick Edwards]

Geldof must have thought differently in 1979 because i saw Boomtown Rats at The Odeon and he certainly seemed happy to be in Birmingham that night.

[Drummond]

Just give us yer bloody money....

[Brend'Watkins]

I remember seeing him at Barbarellas in 1977/78. The height of the punk scene. Even then I thought, “these ain’t punk”.  He, indeed came across as a wanker.

The story does ring a bell as having some element of truth about it now I think about it. Funnily enough I also mentioned on the ‘Things that make you smile’ topic that a post I put on Blue Sky where I said something sarcastic about Geldof and the Boomtown Rats was liked by Geldof. It was later retracted once he’d twigged.