Paul McCartney’s Live Aid performance was almost a disaster: Bob Geldof reveals Virgin Radio UK
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00:00I had to ask Paul McCartney to come. Paul hadn't played since John died.
00:05People forget that. He was scared stiff and on the drive up to Wembley from their
00:10house in Rye, I think, he was listening to the show and he got more and more scared.
00:16On the day?
00:17On the day.
00:18So you had it live on the radio?
00:19Well, it was live. It was live across all formats.
00:22No, I know. I'm just trying to picture Paul McCartney listening to the radio.
00:26And he comes out on stage and he begins,
00:28When I find myself in times of trouble, you know, bang, mic goes down.
00:33And he doesn't quite realise it at first.
00:37And then I'm at the side of the stage with Bowie and Pete Townsend and Alison Moyet,
00:43as you are, and suddenly the crowd starts singing it.
00:46And if you listen to the actual real soundtrack of Live Aid and you bring up the faders on the
00:53the crowd sing it for Paul.
00:54But Pete says, we've got to go out and help them.
00:56So we just go out on stage and we start singing it.
00:59And then the mics come back on.
01:01That actually happened.
01:02That's divine intervention.