Geldof unleashes on Band Aid critics
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Upset … Bob Geldof has lashed out at Band Aid 30 critics. Picture: Jay Town
Source: News Corp Australia
BOB Geldof’s reworked version of Do They Know It’s Christmas has been attacked. Now the Band Aid founder has a strong message for critics.
Geldof, who pulled together about 30 famous musicians including Chris Martin, Rita Ora, Bono and One Direction to raise money to help fight Ebola, said everyone needed to “relax”.
“It’s a pop song, it’s not a doctoral thesis. They can f*** off,” he told The Telegraph.
Geldof decided to re-record Do They Know It’s Christmas? on the 30th anniversary of its original release.
It was first recorded in 1984 to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia and then re-recorded in 1989 and 2004.
History … Band Aid performers gathered for a group shot in 1984. Picture: Supplied.
Source: News Corp Australia
However, William Pooley, the nurse who survived Ebola after contracting the disease in Sierra Leone, has blasted the new Band Aid charity single.
“It’s Africa, not another planet,” he said. “That sort of cultural ignorance is a bit cringe-worthy. There’s a lyric about ‘death in every tear’. It’s just a bit much.”
Emeli Sande, who featured in Band Aid 30, said Do They Know It’s Christmas? needed rewriting.
She apologised “if the lyrics of the song have caused offence” and said that new lyrics she and African artist Angelique Kidjo recorded did not make the final version.
Lily Allen said she turned down a request to sing on the record, saying “I prefer to do my charitable bit by donating actual money”.
Blur and Gorrilaz frontman Damon Albarn has similarly elected not to take part, questioning whether Band Aid was an appropriate way to respond to the epidemic.
“There are problems with our idea of charity, especially these things that suddenly balloon out of nothing and then create a media frenzy where some of that essential communication is lost. It starts to feel like it’s a process where if you give money you solve the problem, and really sometimes giving money creates another problem,” he said, according to The Age.
Who appears:
One Direction, Ed Sheeran, Rita Ora, Sam Smith, Guy Garvey of Elbow, Paloma Faith, Emeli Sande, Bono of U2, Chris Martin of Coldplay, Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin, Seal, Ellie Goulding, Sinead O’Connor, Jessie Ware, Olly Murs, Foals, Fuse ODG, Angelique Kidjo, Queen drummer Roger Taylor and Clean Bandit, Zoella, Alfie Deyes and Joe Sugg.
Who doesn’t:
Adele, Damon Albarn of Blur and Gorillaz, Lily Allen
