Live Aid was possibly the biggest gig in history. Taking place simultaneously at London’s Wembley Stadium and Philadelphia’s JFK Stadium on Saturday, July 13, 1985, it featured a Who’s Who of music, from Paul McCartney, Queen and David Bowie to Madonna, Duran Duran and Bob Dylan. Hard rock and heavy metal were less well-represented, though the US leg did feature big-name reunion sets from Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, as well as an appearance by Judas Priest.
The brand new issue of Classic Rock magazine features a look back at the Philadelphia gig, written by veteran journalist Mick Wall, who was there on the day. In the piece, Wall untangles the story behind Zeppelin’s hugely anticipated reunion, which was originally planned as a set from singer Robert Plant’s post-Zeppelin band The Honeydrippers before label executive Phil Carson suggested be joined by Jimmy Page, as well as recalling Ozzy Osbourne’s suggestion to one bamboozled TV journalist that Sabbath were going to open their set at this famine-relief gig with a version of Food Glorious Food from the musical Oliver! (in the end they played Children Of The Grave, Iron Man and Paranoid).
