Gareth O'Callaghan: Live Aid captured the imagination while causing a lot of controversy

Too many people look the other way; whatever Bob Geldof's critics might think of him, thankfully he didn’t
Gareth O'Callaghan: Live Aid captured the imagination while causing a lot of controversy

Some 75,000 tickets for Wembley sold out within days, much like the 90,000 that had gone on sale in late June for the Philadelphia concert at JFK Stadium.

Tottenham Court Road was no stranger to bomb scares and security alerts in 1985. Cordoned-off streets in central London were common on busy shopping days.

However, shopping and sightseeing clearly weren’t on the city’s agenda that weekend 40 years ago, as I strolled along its deserted footpaths towards the Tube station.

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