Roger Waters names his favourite performance at Live Aid
As rock and roll entered the 1980s, fans had just started getting used to the idea of stadium rock. After becoming a mainstay of clubs worldwide, the mass hysteria surrounding bands like Led Zeppelin led to bands wanting to dream bigger whenever they took to the stage, crafting grand spectacles that had a significant impact on every fan who came to see them. While Pink Floyd may have been able to craft some of the most elaborate stage productions in rock history, Roger Waters thought one band towered above all of their peers.
By the time that Floyd began transitioning into the era of MTV, Waters would be long gone. Although he may have been responsible for making the most grandiose musical statement they had undertaken with The Wall, the resulting tour led to him taking charge too much, eventually firing keyboardist Richard Wright and making his way through The Final Cut before embarking on a solo career.
Not willing to give up their craft, David Gilmour would eventually take the reins for the album A Momentary Lapse of Reason, while Waters started his career on his solo debut, The Pros and Cons of Hitch-Hiking. While both acts would keep expanding their horizons on the live stage, the stadium rock scene would see its biggest event, courtesy of Bob Geldolf.
Having played the role of Pink in the movie adaptation of The Wall, Geldolf decided to give back to the community by putting together Live Aid, which would become known as one of the biggest charity events in rock history. Taking place across two separate continents, the event was created with the mindset of helping out those suffering in Ethiopia, featuring a star-studded cast of different rock stars, from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers to Paul McCartney.
While Waters attended the massive shows in England, he wouldn’t be performing that day; instead, he would be looking to support Geldolf’s initiative and check out some of his childhood heroes. Even though Live Aid has gone down in legend for Queen dominating Wembley Stadium, Waters was looking to see The Who much more.
When discussing his time at the event backstage, Waters thought that seeing Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey hold down a stadium gig was nothing short of spectacular, saying, “I came down to see the dinosaurs, and they were wonderful, The Who. I really came down sort of in time to see them, and I thought they were spectacular, splendid”.
Even though Queen may have been the clear dominant force of the day, Waters admitted to never seeing them. In an interview clip from the day, Waters said that everyone was raving about Queen while also mentioning that he missed out on the performance between David Bowie and Mick Jagger.
While Queen may have been one of the main events of the first Live Aid, Waters would get the chance to be a part of rock history at Live 8 years later, performing with the reunited Pink Floyd for one of the final times. Waters may have been able to be on the ground floor of rock history at the first Live Aid, but no other band could compare to the giants of ages past.
