Geldof: 'I photocopied lyrics for Live Aid stars'

11/11/2004 - 08:41:22
Bob Geldof was forced to run around photocopying his handwritten lyrics to Do They Know It's Christmas? At Live Aid in 1985, because none of the celebrities could remember the words.

And Geldof, who was at the London-leg of the dual charity gig, likens the experience to running a "dodgy school play".

He remembers: "The world's biggest rock stars were backstage and we decided to all come out at the end and do the single.

"Most people didn't know the words so I had to write them down and photocopy them for everyone.

"Then we had a practice - Bono, Elton John, David Bowie - but everyone kept getting the lines wrong. It was like the rehearsal for a dodgy school play."

Geldof ended up raising a staggering €55.8m to combat famine in Ethiopia.