July 13th, 1985 - The Who re-group on stage for the first time since their *cough* 1982 "Farewell Tour" to perform at the Live Aid concert. Bob Geldof, the organizer of the event, effectively blackmails the band into reuniting, threatening to tell the press "
The Who would do nothing to help the starving children of Ethiopia" if they refuse to perform.
Roger tries to make a demand that Kenney Jones not be used as drummer but is overruled.
The bands participation is on and off up until the day of the concert. Geldof later says "
it was rather like getting one man's four ex-wives together."
Seventy-five thousand attend the concert and over 100 million worldwide watch on television the greatest rock acts Britain can muster.
Well all except The Who! The satellite feed to both the U.K. and the U.S. goes down during "Pinball Wizard", but they would probably have preferred the blackout due to the fact that after only 20 minutes of rehearsal (!) they give what is consider a lackluster performance. John is particularly unhappy as his bass malfunctions and he has to retune halfway through "My Generation." Pete attempts an air kick and ends up falling on his posterior. Pete had written a new song, "After The Fire," for premiere at Live Aid but it is dropped as there wasn't time to rehearse it
Later, at the end of Paul McCartney's set, Paul and Pete lift Bob Geldof onto their shoulders. At the end of the concert, The Who join all the other acts in singing the British Live Aid anthem, "Do They Know It's Christmas."
Audio only, taken from a US radio broadcast