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U2's performance
at Live Aid was their most widely exposed to date. Live Aid was the
biggest music festival ever, reaching a combined television audience of
1.5 billion people in more than 160 countries.
Appropriate for a
charity event televised all over the world, Bono opens the song with lines
from Lou Reed's Satellite of Love. (The band records the song as
a b-side six years later during the Achtung Baby recording sessions.)
Bad is powerful, with
Larry's loud bass drum blasting out the rhythm over the huge sound system.
Increasing intensity
as the song progresses, Bono looks for a dance partner, gesturing to the
crowd below. While dozens anxiously push their way to the front,
Bono trots around the stage. He points down to show the security
guards which girl to pick out, then impulsively jumps down onto floor level.
One girl is finally lifted over the barriers, and she falls into Bono's
open arms. The audience roar as they follow their slow dance on the
screens. Bono gracefully kisses her hand, leaving her as he climbs
back onto stage to finish singing the song.
Continuing, he sings
snippets of Ruby Tuesday, Sympathy for the Devil, and Walk on the Wild
Side, successfully prompting the crowd to sing along. He improvises,
"Holly came from Miami, FLA, hitchhiked all the way across the USA, she
could hear the satellite coming down, pretty soon she was in London
town...Wembley Stadium, and all the people went do-do-do-do..." Bono
finishes the song and, looking somewhat distraught, walks off. The
song lasted 13 minutes.
For an exhaustive transcript of the complete concert,
click here.
Background text taken
from U2:
A Concert Documentary |