Below, Roger Waters - Backstage video Interview (Live Aid 1985)
It is a common and shared opinion that Live Aid was one of the most memorable musical events in the entire history of rock. It was organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds and help famine populations in Ethiopia. On July 13, 1985, the concert split into two stages, filling two stadiums in every order of place, that of Wembley in London (Great Britain) and the John Fitzgerald Kennedy of Philadelphia (United States).
Beyond personal preferences, it is believed that, of all the performances that took place that day, the most memorable of all was that of Queen. That afternoon at the London stadium the lead singer of the British band Freddie Mercury conquered a leading position in the history of music, at least in the history of live music, drawing twenty minutes practically perfect.
Here are the words spent by the former member of Pink Floyd: “I came to see the dinosaurs and they were wonderful, the Who. I arrived in time to see them and thought they were spectacular, gorgeous. Everyone talked about the Queen I came across. Everyone said they enchanted. This type of game lends itself to this; stadium concerts lend themselves to this kind of thing. It's not true?". (source Rockol)
Roger Waters explains decision to play Desert Trip festival – and suggests surprise that The Who were on the bill!
Roger Waters says he accepted the invitation to play this month’s Desert Trip festival in California because it was time to be “Pink Floyd for a night.”He played twice at the event, organised by Coachella boss Paul Tollett, delivering a set of classic tracks billed as The Best Of Pink Floyd. But he’s suggested he was surprised that The Who appeared on the all-star bill. “It was very cool. It was quite an honour to be included. I did Coachella in 2008 and ever since, Paul said, ‘You’ve got to come back.’ But a festival in the spring never seemed quite right. “I met him again in Nashville when I was doing my opera there and he said, ‘What if we do something in the autumn, just a one-off?’ I never expected anything to come of it.” Discussing the bill he says: “Rolling Stones, Beatles, Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan, Neil Young – and somehow The Who popped into the equation. Which is fantastic. I love The Who.”
