MADONNA/ LIVE AID 1985/ BACKSTAGE/ FROM MTV B-ROLL / THESHOW 2019

MADONNA LIVE AID JULY 13, 1985

[NocturneSoul]

She wasn't rude to Bette at all. She was focused on her thing, it was 5 minutes to the show, she was checking everything, making sure everything was good, like the hard working perfectionist she is. This is why Madonna is Madonna, she was involved in every single detail.

[bradforddillman]

I was in that crowd at age 17, somewhere screen left at 1:42. I just graduated high school the previous month and it ended up being one of the best summers of my life and this concert was a big part. My friends and I weren’t really Madonna fans (we were there mostly for Zeppelin), but she did one hell of a job. Great seeing Bill Graham on stage too. Brings back unforgettable memories all these decades later!

[autumnleaves]

This IS NOT Madonna acting like a "diva" its a true artist being a PROFESSIONAL BOSS. she's so young in her career but she is in charge and in command. Totally focused. Really love the work ethic.

[thebeardedseeker]

footage like this is really what makes YouTube so amazing. ❤️

[shanibloome]

I got to work with Madonna on the American Life video in DTLA. She is an amazing woman and performer and had her daughter Lourdes just off set watching the shoot. One of the crew said she saw my name and was inquiring who I was...so cool..Good times!

[maxxt]

Not just a huge show, but a huge timeframe in modern music history. For those who lived through that stretch of time know exactly what it was like.

[lafranzlafranzweewee]

Think about this people. This was the first time Madonna would be in front of a massive crowd this big. She still had the smartness to focus on every detail and tell the people running the stage to do specific things to avoid mistakes. That is what you call a true boss at the age of 27. Also, at 1:18 Madonna talks to her brother in the green t-shirt with the white towel on his shoulder.

[beachstreet]

Madonna wasn’t just the artist, she was in control and in charge of everything. I can’t picture artists like Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and all of the others in that group going to that extent. They probably don’t even know the names of the equipment used the way Madonna does.

[trowdwp]

Some of the comments here are clueless. It’s 5 mins to showtime. Madonna is working, not blowing Middler off, but being a professional

[adsinozable]

It’s clear from this footage that Madonna is a professional, she’s very polite with everyone working backstage. I love how she graciously shakes Bette Midler’s hand to get her to stop shouting at her 😂

[hutch]

Imagine you're trying to coordinate a million different things right before performing in the front of the biggest crowd of your life on the most watched music event in human history. She was actually quite calm and professional.

[rebelheartcr]

Even though it looked pretty hectic, Madonna DID shake hands with Bette and even smiled. It's not like Madonna deliberately ignored Bette or snubbed her. Bette Midler patted on Madonna's shoulder and even if Madonna looked really busy she took the time to shake hands with her unless I watched a different video.

[rudymora]

Madonna is in charge as always in every little detail, and in everything she does.

[kimmerlee]

I remember being a kid and watching this on TV. I wish I could go back.

[abuelaandrea]

She is doing what all artist suppose to do checking everything before do a live concert

[edwardhannah]

I loved the backup dancers Michael and Lyndon and will always have a place in my heart ❤️

[dargusto]

Very cool footage. You can really sense the tension and excitement. Love the chaos and spontaneity of it all. Was 20 years old at the time. I really miss that pre-social media era. Thanks for posting.

[angelvisions]

Those were great times! ❤️ I would do ANYTHING to go back! ❤️

[marka.]

Here's the thing: Look closely how this footage plays out, in relation to what Madonna's "climate" was like during this period of her career.

This is around the time Madonna's Playboy and Penthouse magazine scandal broke out, and the slut shaming (not exactly the terminology used in 1985) was off the charts. Her second album, "Like A Virgin" has been a global hit, and she just launched the first leg of "The Virgin Tour, " her very first ever. For Live Aid, she's playing in front of a U.S. crowd of over 100, 000, with billions more through a live, worldwide audience via satellite exclusively through MTV and affiliate radio stations. Seeing her here, amidst a sea of a mostly white male stage crew (except for her band which, not surprisingly, is racially diverse), she is in complete control, with a razor-sharp focus and confidence in what is about to unfold in a matter of minutes. She'll all business here, not even stopping for a moment to fan out on another legendary gay icon like Bette Midler. This is what a professional looks like, and most certainly what a "star" looks like and whose skyrocketing fame was just beginning. And the live performance she does following this clip is nothing short of gutsy and astonishing given the monumental scope yet seemingly haphazard way this whole event was staged.

[frk]

Seing a young Madonna, in a festival setting where she barely has control of the whole thing, surrounded by technicians that all look like truck drivers from Texas, priceless