Latest news with #Geldof
Irish Independent
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Letters: Social and affordable housing is the only way forward for Ireland
All such initiatives to date have contained significant benefits for developers, landlords and landowners, and all have failed to make even a dent in the crisis. The excessive faith in financial incentives is a serious mistake, usually made by diehard, free-market ideologues, and we can see the long shadow of their handiwork in our failures in the provision of all social goods. When asked to explain this latest initiative, the minister's reply was the usual 'supply is the problem'. The solution is to offer even more incentives to private entities operating in the sector. But surely under-supply is a symptom of the real problem: government policy that outsources the provision of all housing to the market. The expectation that the 'market' would partner with the Government to help close the yawning gap between supply and demand is, at best, delusional. First-year students of economics know that the market thrives when demand outstrips supply. It is beyond naive to believe that those who are gaining significantly from the current imbalance would contribute in any meaningful way to changing things. So long as the Governments insists on treating the symptom, the problem will not only persist but worsen. The real solution is for the Government to focus all its resources on the provision of social and affordable housing. Jim O'Sullivan, Rathedmond, Co Sligo US is now sliding towards a dictatorship, but not enough is said about it As I viewed the video footage of US Democratic senator Alex Padilla being forced to the ground and handcuffed by security guards at a news conference, I was appalled. It happened after the senator tried to ask US homeland secretary Kristi Noem about the Trump administration policy in targeting immigrants. ADVERTISEMENT California governor Gavin Newsom is correct in describing the incident as 'outrageous, dictatorial and shameful'. This is scary stuff. It's beyond the pale that a sitting US senator should be treated in such an abominable fashion. I am aware this was a news conference, but in this instance I believe the senator had every right to call for an end to the violence on the streets of Los Angeles. The reality here is that if people around the world decide to stay silent, the US won't survive. It appears to me America is on the edge of dictatorship. This is why powerful voices across institutions, from politics to academia and religion, must speak out. John O'Brien, Clonmel, Co Tipperary Compassion is not a sign of weakness, and Geldof was right to call out Musk I found myself unexpectedly cheering Bob Geldof's tirade against Elon Musk and others who seem to regard empathy as some sort of evolutionary glitch ('Geldof brands Musk a sociopathic loser in tirade against UK and American leaders' – June 13). It's a relief to see someone remind our leaders – at full volume – that compassion isn't weakness. When he calls Musk a 'ketamine-crazed fool' from a London stage and still raises nearly a million pounds for the world's poorest people, it's hard not to clap along. Enda Cullen, Tullysaran Road, Armagh 'Soccer-style' shootouts in hurling miss the point of the real beautiful game The Munster Hurling Championship has always been a gem in the sporting calendar. I have attended finals going back to the early 1970s. I fully understand that in the event of a draw it is unfair to ask amateurs with club commitments to group together for a replay. But hurling has many alternatives to a penalty shootout. Frankly, a coin toss would be better. The penalty system emanates from soccer, and hurling in no way replicates the scoring system. There are other options, such as sudden death, as we see in hockey. Or we could have a diverse system that would replicate true hurling skills. We could have a one-point penalty, followed by one-point frees from various angles and distances – including sideline cuts. The shootout could keep going from greater distances. It would offer the greatest range of skills. Gerard Walsh, Ontario, Canada Iran needs regime change, but Israeli bombs are not the way to bring this about Once again Benjamin Netanyahu has shown he will do what he wants, whenever he wants, regardless of consequences. Having lived and worked in Iran, I fully agree that a change of government is needed in the interests of the Iranian people. There are ways to achieve this, but not by Israel bombing the country. However, seemingly having a 'free hand' to deal with the Palestine issue, Netanyahu clearly feels he can turn his attention elsewhere in pursuit of his 'objectives' while the free world continues to stand by. Michael Moriarty, Rochestown, Co Cork I'll keep this one short, as I have height of respect for relationships and tall tales Reading Tanya Sweeney's article about women who insist on dating tall men (June 12) reminded me of the woman who ended her relationship with a much taller man who had cheated on her. On reflection, she consoled herself with the belief that it was better to have loved and lost than never to have loved a tall. Tom Gilsenan, Beaumont, Dublin 9 We should all cherish our amazing seas, while at the same time keeping safe Kathy Donaghy's article ('My brush with death shows importance of staying safe when taking to the water', June 7) reminded me of how macho and brave I thought I was as I enjoyed swimming in the sea my younger days. I congratulate Kathy on her excellent piece. It has taken me many years to learn that while we should relish 'the fantastic benefits and joy of the water', as she puts it, the sea must be given the respect it deserves, no matter how beautiful it is. The importance of staying safe when taking to the water can never be overstated.
Perth Now
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Bob Geldof blasts 'sociopathic loser' Elon Musk in fiery rant at Live Aid musical
Bob Geldof has branded Elon Musk a "prime w*****" for disregarding empathy. The 73-year-old musician and Live Aid pioneer spoke to the audience after the opening night of Just For One Day: The Live Aid Musical on London's West End at the Shaftesbury Theatre, and he took aim at the billionaire. In a video shared by he said: "A couple of weeks ago, that prime w***** Elon Musk said something seriously wrong. He said, 'The great weakness of Western civilisation is empathy'. "The great weakness? ... You sociopathic loser. Empathy is the glue of civilisation. Empathy is the glue of humanity. "It's how we do things together. It's how we sit here together and clap because we actually understand that this is the stuff that works." During a recent interview with Joe Rogan in February, Musk insisted while "you should care about other people", empathy was being "weaponised". He added: "The fundamental weakness of Western civilization is empathy, the empathy exploit." The musical - which started at The Old Vic in January 2024 before moving to the US and now returning to London - retells the events leading up to the Live Aid benefit concert in 1985, which raised money for the famine in Ethiopia. Geldof - who also called out United States President Donald Trump, his vice president JD Vance, and British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer - used his passionate speech to encourage people to help those in need. He continued: "We need to be helped, we need to help the NHS, we need to re-arm because there's a thug currently invading our continent, but really? "All that intellect, that's all you can do? Snatch it from those people? It can't work like that. It doesn't have to work like that. "It began working like that in 1985, and we took it all the way 20 years later to Live 8. That really tipped the balance in the favour of those we wanted to help." While he acknowledge that the West End show is high quality entertainment with a stellar cast and live band, Geldof also wants it to inspire someone to continue the spirit of Live Aid. He said: "If there's somebody here who can take this idea and run with it in some other way that we're not capable, they can only do is. "This is insane - by doing this every night of the week, these people [on stage] are giving 10 percent of everything this makes. The rest is usually taken up in costs. "So far, these people here behind me have raised almost a million quid." He revealed that the money they've raised is already going to a good cause. He added: "The money these people have raised has already, in the place that was the epicenter of the famine in 1984, they've already built hospitals and schools and stuff like that with the money by doing their job tonight. "That's what they've achieved."
Irish Independent
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
‘They are c***s' - Bob Geldof hits out against Elon Musk and cuts to US aid at St Anne's Park gig
Geldof said the Trump administration 'declared a war on the weakest, poorest, most vulnerable people on our planet. They are c***s'. He was speaking at the Rewind Festival at St Anne's Park with The Boomtown Rats. During the gig, Geldof invited onstage his long-time friend, Midge Ure, co-writer of the Band Aid hit, Do They Know It's Christmas? Geldof and Ure organised Live Aid in 1984 to raise funds for famine relief in Ethiopia and raised hundreds of millions of dollars. "We only wrote one song together, but it turned out to be the biggest selling record in British history,' Geldof told the crowd. Geldof then hit out against Elon Musk, who left the Trump administration and his role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) this week, a brand new agency that was tasked with overhauling US government spending. 'A couple of Irish singers have been going around the world this week, Bruce in London, Bono in LA and us here, and all of us have said the same thing, that the strongest nation in the world, the most powerful man on the planet, and the richest ever human being in the history of the world, on the first of February 2025 declared a war on the weakest, poorest, most vulnerable people on our planet. They are c***s. "When that f******g hedge-trimming, catatonic f*****g ketamine fuelled Musk decided that he would cut US aid, food, medicine, since that moment he was wielding his hedge-trimmer 300,000 of the poorest people in the world have died because of that f**k.' President Donald Trump ordered a spending freeze on the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in January, and has been operating at sharply reduced capacity since. It was reported that food rations that could supply 3.5 million people for a month are mouldering in warehouses around the world because of the US aid cuts and risk becoming unusable. Food rations that could supply 3.5 million people for a month are mouldering in warehouses around the world because of U.S. aid cuts and risk becoming unusable, according to five people familiar with the situation. The food stocks have been stuck inside four U.S. government warehouses since the Trump administration's decision in January to cut global aid programmes, according to three people who previously worked at the U.S. Agency for International Development and two sources from other aid organisations. ADVERTISEMENT Some stocks that are due to expire as early as July are likely to be destroyed, either by incineration, using them as animal feed or disposing of them in other ways, two of the sources said. The warehouses, which are run by USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA), contain between 60,000 to 66,000 metric tonnes of food, sourced from American farmers and manufacturers, the five people said. An undated inventory list for the warehouses - which are located in Djibouti, South Africa, Dubai and Houston - stated that they contained more than 66,000 tonnes of commodities, including high-energy biscuits, vegetable oil and fortified grains. Meanwhile, two weeks ago singer Bruce Springsteen told the crowd at his Manchester gig that Trump was running a 'corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration.' Trump responded by calling the Boss a 'dried-out prune of a rocker'. Also speaking this month, U2 frontman Bono, who has long campaigned for debt relief, aid and better trade for Africa, said Trump and Musk, the world's richest man, are squandering the potential of millions of people by making huge cuts to US foreign aid spending, "with glee it would appear". It was unwise policy as well as "the definition of the absence of love," he said.
Daily Mail
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
80s pop icon looks unrecognisable as he's pictured at Wembley stadium - but can you guess who it is?
An 80s pop icon looked unrecognisable as he headed back to Wembley Stadium for Live Aid: The Musical's cast recording on Thursday, 40 years after the iconic concert. The musician was a key organiser of the original two-venue benefit, held on July 13 1985, which intended to raise relief funds for the Ethiopian famine that claimed approximately 300,000 to 1.2 million lives. Almost 40 years after 72,000 fans converged on the venue for an epic string of performances from some of the biggest stars of the decade, this singer posed for photos on its hallowed turf. Hailing from the outskirts of Greater Glasgow, the musician journeyed around several groups in the 70s and early 80s but found real success as the second lead singer of a revived band in 1979. They had a major hit with Vienna in 1981, which went on to become the fifth highest selling single in the UK that year. He juggled his key roles in three big bands, before co-writing and producing Do They Know It's Christmas for Band Aid in 1984 and bagging a solo number one single with If I Was a year later. Can you guess who the new wave icon is? It is none other than Ultravox, Thin Lizzy and Visage star Midge Ure. Echoing that legendary summer's day in 1985, the sun beat down on Wembley as he and fellow Live Aid organiser Bob Geldof recalled fond memories of the fundraising event. Launched at London's Old Vic in 2024, jukebox musical Just For One Day: The Live Aid Musical details the events leading up to the two concerts, while featuring a series of fictionalised dramatic sub-plots. Following a recent two month run at Toronto's Mirvish Theatre, it will open at London's Shaftesbury Theatre from May 15 for a further eight weeks, in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of Live Aid. Watched by an estimated 1.9billion people across the world, the two concerts raised an astonishing £150m in total for famine relief. Just seven-months after the release of Band Aid charity single Do They Know It's Christmas?, Geldof and Ure brought together some of the biggest artists of the 1980s for two huge concerts at Wembley Stadium and Philadelphia's John F. Kennedy Stadium. David Bowie, Sir Paul McCartney, Status Quo, Sir Elton John and Queen led a lengthy roster of performers in London, while Black Sabbath, Joan Baez, Run D.M.C and The Beach Boys joined a host of stars in Philadelphia. Ahead of the anniversary, BBC Two and BBC iPlayer have announced plans to broadcast Live Aid at 40, revealing the behind-the-scenes story of the 1985 concert that brought the idea of charity to a new generation. Geldof (pictured, left) wore a Breton shirt and jeans for his visit to the stadium, while Ure (right) sported a thick roll-neck sweater, despite the weather pushing thirty degrees The event proved the pinnacle of Midge's lofty career, which kicked off with a 1976 number one single, Forever And Ever, while playing in the band Slik. He then had a brief stint in new wave group Rich Kids before forming Visage in 1978 with Rusty Egan and lead vocalist Steve Strange. The band enjoyed a string of hits, including Fade To Grey, and successful albums Visage and The Anvil before tensions caused them to go their separate ways. He then joined Thin Lizzy in 1979 before regrouping Ultravox later that year as its singer, songwriter and guitarist. As Vienna topped the charts in 1981, Midge was also juggling his roles in Visage and Thin Lizzy. They went on to land four top 10 albums and a top three single in Dancing With Tears In My Eyes, before their greatest hits record was released and certified triple platinum. Once he focussed on his solo career, Midge had a number one single with If I Was in 1985 and a number two album in the same year with The Gift. After overseeing Live 8 in 2005, Midge was awarded an OBE. He married his first wife, TV presenter Annabel Giles, in 1985 and they had one daughter Molly Lorenne before divorcing in 1989. In 2003, he tied the knot with his second wife, actress Sheridan Forbes. The duo live in Bath and have three daughters. Last year, Midge paid tribute to his friend and Ultravox bandmate Chris Cross: 'We worked together, we played together, made music and directed videos together. 'We were instant friends as well as Ultravox comrades. Even after years apart we managed to pick up where we left off like the years in between never existed. You were the glue that held the band together. 'You were the logic in the madness and the madness in our lives. It was great to know and grow with you. You are loved and missed old friend.'
The Journal
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Journal
Bono and Bob Geldof to feature in BBC documentary marking 40 years since Live Aid
BONO AND BOB Geldof are among the musicians and politicians who will feature in a new documentary to mark the 40 th anniversary of Live Aid. It's a co-production between the BBC and CNN Originals and the producers say it will delve into the 'complex, sometimes controversial, stories' behind the historic event, as well as its legacy, in UK, US, Ethiopia and Africa as a whole. Live Aid took place on Saturday 13 July, 1985 and the documentary will be released in July to coincide with the 40 th anniversary. Live Aid was held in both London's Wembley Stadium and the now defunct John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia and was organised by Geldof and music producer Midge Ure. Around 1.9 billion people across 150 nations watched the live broadcast, close to 40% of the global population at the time. It was conceived as a follow-on to the successful 1984 Christmas charity single Do they Know It's Christmas, and both were inspired by BBC footage of the 1983-85 famine in Ethiopia. BBC News / YouTube As well as featuring exclusive interviews with Bono and Geldof, the documentary also features interviews with Sting and former US president George Bush. It will also use archival footage of both the performances and back stage access, featuring the likes of Boy George, Status Quo and George Michael. It will also feature archival interviews with Nile Rodgers, Phil Collins, Lionel Richie, Roger Taylor and Brian May. Advertisement The producers say the series offers a 'gripping account of Live Aid's impact on music, politics and global awareness over the twenty years between Live Aid in 1985 and Live 8 in 2005'. Meanwhile, Geldof has said that another Live Aid-style event is 'unlikely' due to social media. Bob Geldof performs during Live Aid at Wembley Stadium n 13 July,1985 Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo He was speaking to reporters today at London's Wembley Stadium at the launch of Just For One Day, a musical on the story of Live Aid. 'Unfortunately, social media seems to be a sort of isolating type of medium,' said Geldof. He added: 'But the problem is, do people have the bandwidth? They're so exhausted with the horror of Gaza and the terror of Ukraine, and the American political situation that it's hard to draw attention to those who through no fault of their own are dying right now.' Just For One Day ran at the Old Vic last year and will return at London's Shaftesbury Theatre on 15 May, with 10% of all proceeds being donated to the Band Aid Charitable Trust. Meanwhile, in addition to the documentary coming in July, the BBC will also be releasing over six hours of music performed at Live Aid, including David Bowie, Madonna, Mick Jagger, Patti LaBelle, Phil Collins, Queen, Spandau Ballet, Sting, Tina Turner and U2. This will also include backstage footage of Bono, David Bowie, Elvis Costello, Spandau Ballet, Sting, as well as a transatlantic interview with Phil Collins on Concorde. Jonathan Rothery, Head of BBC Popular Music TV said he's 'delighted to be giving viewers a chance to relive one of the biggest concerts in history for the first time on TV since it was originally broadcast on the BBC'. 'By providing over 6.5 hours of footage that was captured on the day Live Aid took place, we want viewers to feel transported back to 1985, and to enjoy all those classic songs that we all still know and love to this day, as they were performed on that stage.' Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
