U2 - Sunday Bloody Sunday (Live Aid 1985)

U2 performing at Live Aid in front of 72,000 people in Wembley Stadium, London on the 13th July, 1985. The event was organised by Sir Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for the Ethiopian famine disaster. Broadcast across the world via one of the largest satellite link-ups of all time, the concerts were seen by around 40% of the global population.
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#LiveAid #Live8 #BandAid

BAND AID - How the Money is Spent

In the financial year to 30 November 2024 Band Aid has awarded grants of £3m across 16 projects to date.
Activities in 2024 include:

Provision of life saving medicines and medical supplies
Access to basic healthcare for rural communities
Strengthening the support of health services in Tigray
Therapeutic food for malnourished children and vulnerable adults
Emergency grain supplies
Drought resistant crops
Income generating activities and vocational training
Construction of basic housing to support old and vulnerable people
Construction of emergency shelters for refugees
Provision of clean water and sanitation training across multiple refugee camps in Ethiopia
Training to prevent gender-based violence in communities
Hygiene and sanitation support for adolescent girls
Construction of schools and libraries, and provision of classroom furniture
Cash distributions for vulnerable households
Rehabilitation of boreholes and wells for schools and communities
School feeding programmes in Tigray to support children returning to education

The estimated number of beneficiaries totals more than 350,000 people.

Money raised from BandAid40 will continue to fund similar activities in Ethiopia and the surrounding countries.

More information can be found at

[patton]

And right after this was Dire Straits and then Queen. What a time to be alive in 85’.

[Adam-oyix]

Watched this live as a 14yr old Aussie kid on TV favourite band then and now...What a time to be a kid...

[andreacroci]

Everybody forgets that U2 played SUNDAY BLOODY SUNDAY in the most important ENGLISH STADIUM. They have all my respect because it's very tough for an Irish sing this song in the centre of England

[jv_matos]

I'm Brazilian, my father watched Live Aid in 1985 through television at a store in the mall of his hometown, the only with signal to the broadcast. He said about 40 people piled up close to each other to get a glimpse of the event and it was U2 opening for Dire Straits and then Queen, and that everyone wanted to sing and dance but there wasn't enough space inside for that so they all just smiled and sung most of the songs together. I hate not being alive at the time. Such a better, slower-paced life with the absolute best musicians to ever exist. I envy everyone who witnessed the 80s

[paulcastle]

Live Aid was massive for two bands in particular..U2 and Queen. For U2 it marked the first true worldwide exposure that would propel them up to the absolute top. For Queen, it marked a comeback from a slightly stalled career, to being universally acclaimed as the best live act in the world. U2 actually thought the performance had been a disaster, as Bono, in an attempt to get closer to the crowd, jumped off the stage and stayed down at crowd level for six minutes during the second song ‘Bad’, which meant they didn’t have time to perform ‘Pride’ which was their current single. That’s why he stomps off at the end of the song..he’s so upset that he’s wrecked’ the bands big moment! Of course, to us it just looked like pure drama and showmanship and went down as one of the days most iconic images…which in turn, just blew up their live reputation even more.

[KC_sonic-on]

I was there... at Wembley Stadium that day... the concert exploded with U2's incredible set and we figured - hands down - that was gonna be best set of the day by a mile... then QUEEN happened... one of THE best days EVER!!! ♥

[jamesjournalist]

I was at this concert and after U2 finished their set I turned to a guy sitting next to me and said, "that's a pretty good band. Do you know who they are?" He looked at me like I was crazy and said, "That's U2, man!" The next day U2 was one of the biggest bands in the world.

[imgonnagetbanned]

Woah, Bono without glasses and Edge with hair and no hat!! Wild!

[stevenfortney]

Singing Sunday Bloody Sunday in London and getting cheered in 1985...pretty nuts.

[dchang]

The day U2 became international rockstars.

[ljgking]

Listen to the lyrics "I won't heed the battle call, it puts my back up against the wall". This is not a war song or a rebel song. It does quite rightly condemn what happened on Sunday Bloody Sunday. Innocent civilians were shot dead by British soldiers. It was barbaric and should not have happened and may it never happen again. This song is not about taking sides but calling for peace.

[thotracer]

Someone has most likely already mentioned it but the professionalism at all levels here is incredible, from both the band and the stage crew. I mean, man, look at that maneuver between 4:00 and 4:10 when Bono walks back up to the stage. There's one guy on the landing just below gathering his mic cable and tossing it back up onto the stage while a second stagehand collects the remaining slack and pulls it up and over not only a mic stand but also up and over another band member! It's a small thing but you can tell that everyone, EVERYONE is firing on all cylinders here. Bravo!

[justinpienaar]

this kind of raw emotion and sincerity is rare in modern bands, man, that guitar riff is insane

[joewesterland]

I've only just started getting into U2. This live performance is visceral as hell, such an incredible groove.

[bachalaconfe]

U2 GAVE THE BEST PERFORMANCE IN MY OPINION THANKS TO LIVE AID

[TT_]

They had a confidence, determination, clearly going to the top. Different from anybody else that day. From directing the stage cameras to leaving the stage. Queen (a superb performance) were more - look what we have done - and U2 were - look what we're going to do. One of the rare days the musical time continuum met head on.

[zimbo]

Not huge on U2, but easily one of the greatest performances ever

[JEDrummer]

This song could have been written last year, it sounds so far ahead of the 80s and yet it was a song that helped define an era. U2 have always been far ahead of their time

[slydoll]

This is my battle song. The one I turn to when there's a fight on my hands. It helped me recover from Anorexia. I used to run and not eat...well, I stood to lose something precious to me unless I recovered...I was going to lose my place at drama school unless I put on weight. I stopped not eating but carried on running and this song was what I'd listen to on my walkman. It genuinely inspired me to fight the illness and eat after I got home from each run. I put on muscle after that...and kept my place.

[sagittated]

I remember being 13 that summer, watching this thing all day long on TV. I was so excited when the day progressed to U2 and they played this.