The story of how Ronnie Wood saved Bob Dylan during Live Aid
During Live Aid, Bob Dylan was part of a supergroup alongside The Rolling Stones duo Ronnie Wood and Keith Richards. On paper, it should have been one of the greatest moments in rock and roll history, but sadly, everything seemingly went wrong. However, the situation could have spiralled out of control if it wasn’t for Wood saving Dylan.
Live Aid was a historic day that united the music industry on July 13th, 1985, as they fought for a cause which is more significant than themselves. A series of stars came together in the United Kingdom for a special performance at Wembley Stadium in London. Meanwhile, in the United States, the same occurred at the John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, which included Dylan, Richards, and Wood.
The trio were the penultimate act of the night and followed Mick Jagger, who performed alongside Tina Turner. Together, they ran through a three-song set which started with ‘Ballad of Hollis Brown’ before they proceeded to air ‘When The Ship Comes In’ and closed on ‘Blowin’ In The Wind’.
For the week ahead of the concert, Dylan taught Richards and Wood the entirety of his back catalogue, which would prepare them for Live Aid. Initially, he only asked Wood to play with him, but the former Small Faces guitarist convinced Dylan to pursuade Keith to participate.
In an interview with Hot Press in 2008, Wood reviewed the disastrous Live Aid performance and explained why they get on royally. “Part of the reason we get on is that we’re both Geminis, but he’s a far more reclusive and unpredictable one than me,” the guitarist said. “To give you an idea, when he came round to do his bit on my album, he refused to sing. I’m like, ‘What about these lyrics, Bob?’ and he goes, ‘You ain’t gettin’ no words out of me!'”
He continued: “There are days – like in Kilkenny – when he’ll talk the hind leg off you, and others when the duffel coat gets put on, and that’s your lot. I’ve known him a long time now, but I still can’t pre-guess his mood.”
The supergroup put the work in ahead of the show to ensure they were prepared for the big day; however, it wasn’t enough. Wood remembered: “Before Live Aid, we spent a couple of days in my New York house rehearsing everything in his back catalogue.”
Wood painstakingly added: “I tell you, myself, Keith (Richards), and Ian (McLagan) have never worked so fucking hard in our lives. What does he do as we’re walking on? Suggest we start with the one bloody song we haven’t learned! ‘Does that mean we shouldn’t do it?’ he says, and I go, ‘Yeah, it does mean that!'”
When Wood thought things couldn’t get any worse, tragedy struck again, but he valiantly stepped in and saved the day. “Anyway, we’re up there beginning to relax when pliiiinnngg!, Bob breaks a string,” he recalled. “Not having a roadie that day, I had to give him my guitar and use a cheapo replacement, which somebody handed me from backstage and which was completely out of tune. I ended up using one string with a slide on it.”
Footage from their performance doesn’t make for pretty viewing, and what should have been a rock ‘n’ roll spectacle turned out to be a catastrophe. The only saving grace is Ronnie Wood thinking on his feet which avoids further embarrassment for the trio.
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