The original Band Aid raised £8 million in its first 12 months, and the Band Aid Charitable Trust has since contributed almost £150 million to causes across Africa. Today, funds continue to support food security, medical aid, and disaster relief, with £2.45 million spent on charitable activities in the financial year ending November 2023.

Bob Geldof has consistently defended Band Aid’s legacy, and in a recent interview on BBC’s The One Show, he emphasised the song’s global influence: “This song, for whatever reason, has become an instrument of change. What an American paper called two weeks ago probably the most powerful song in rock ‘n’ roll history.” He added, “You track it from those first moments with those kids right through to Live Aid, you put it all together and get a concert. That concert made, in today’s money, £480 million a week, and it created a vast lobby for change.”

Geldof argued that the song’s continuing presence in public debate demonstrates its relevance: “Other people have a different opinion of it because over 40 years, opinions and sensibilities change. That’s what makes it powerful. Because it did all the things I said, yet raises the debate. And the debate is fantastic—it gives us immense political access again.”

However, criticism surrounding Band Aid’s portrayal of Africa persists. Plenty have questioned its imagery and lyrics, arguing they perpetuate stereotypes of Africa as helpless and reliant on Western aid. Peter Gill, one of the few Western journalists in Ethiopia during the 1984 famine, described Band Aid’s portrayal of Ethiopia as reductive, saying, “Instead of its glorious past and rich culture, we now associate Ethiopia with famine.”

BBC journalist Michael Buerk, whose 1984 report spurred Geldof into action, later reflected on the famine’s impact: “It changed everything and nothing. It altered the rich world’s sense of responsibility, but didn’t solve anything. Ethiopia’s food insecurity gets worse, not better.”

The new #BandAid40 is not claiming to be better than the original but it’s amazing to have so many British pop stars altogether on one record.
It is a culmination of the work achieved over the past 40 yrs and it’s a great to be transported back to a more simple time #theoneshow

— Sharon (@see75) November 25, 2024

Artists have also joined the conversation. Bono, who features in every Band Aid version, has acknowledged the limits of aid: “Aid is just a stopgap. Commerce and entrepreneurial capitalism take more people out of poverty than aid. We need Africa to become an economic powerhouse.” The release of Band Aid 40 hasn’t been without controversy. Ed Sheeran recently criticised the inclusion of his vocals from Band Aid 30 without his consent, and Fuse ODG, who declined to participate in 2014, reignited debate over the song’s messaging. 

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On The One Show, Geldof framed the controversy itself as part of the song’s impact: “Without it, there is no debate. Now it’s out in the public, it is being talked about, and that gives us immense political access again. So everything about this song is amazing.” 

The debate has also made national news, with Geldof making an appearance on ITV News. In an interview with Nina Nannar, Geldof directly addressed the Ed Sheeran and ODG Fuse comments, saying: “I don’t know what they’re on about. But I do want them to go on about it.”

Despite the debate, Band Aid has undeniably provided critical support over the decades. Hospitals, food programs, and disaster relief initiatives have benefitted from its funds. Yet the underlying questions remain: can similar projects inspire sustainable change, or do they risk reinforcing outdated narratives and stereotypes?

Band Aid 40 is now available for streaming, and physical releases are set for November 29. The funds raised by the single will go to the Band Aid Charitable Trust.

Screens for public viewing will be located in London’s Hyde park, centenary Square in Birmingham, Sheffield’s Cathedral Square, Holyrood Park in Edinburgh, Carlisle’s Bitts Park and Coleraine Town Hall located in Northern Ireland. If you are unable to get to one of the Big screens, selected cinemas will also be broadcasting the funeral. For those watching at home, the funeral service and the processions will be available to watch live via BBC one, ITV and Sky.

Details of how people can watch Her Majesty The Queen’s state funeral and the ceremonial processions have been publishedhttps://t.co/H7MFy0CXFe

— Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (@DCMS) September 18, 2022

As the world remembers Queen Elizabeth II for her time on the throne, many are left reminiscing about her influence within the arts, particularly those whom she has knighted and awarded for their service within music. Within Queen Elizabeth II’s long and storied 70-year reign, some of music’s most influential artists have received a royal nod of recognition. Named the Order of the British Empire, it consists of five levels of importance. The first is MBE, otherwise known as Member; the next is Officer (OBE), second to the top is Knight and Dame Commander (KBE and DBE) and the most important is Knight and Dame Grand Cross (GBE).

Here are some of the most notable names to be honoured by Queen Elizabeth II. Many know Bob Geldolf as the organiser and figurehead for Live Aid; not surprisingly, he was given an honorary knighthood by the late monarch on 10th June 1986. Otherwise known as the fifth Beatle, George Martin was given the GBE title in 1996 for his work as a record producer. The Beatles band member and solo artist Paul McCartney was knighted by the late Queen on 11th March 1997, fellow bandmate Ringo Starr joined the knighthood ranks at a ceremony on 29th December 2017.

Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger took the knee in 2003 for his knighthood, fellow singer Ray Davies, frontman for The Kinks, was knighted in 2017. Some inductees are not English but are considered for an Order of the British empire due to their time spent within the UK; Barry Gibb from The Bee Gees is an example of this ruling; although the group are often linked to Australia, Gibb was knighted in 2017 due to the amount of time spent within the UK.

Even though most artists put forward for the award accept the invitation, many have refused to accept the Order of the British Empire. Famously David Bowie refused a CBE in 2000 and a Knighthood (GBE) in 2003. Speaking on his decision, the “Starman” singer gave the following statement, “I would never have any intention of accepting anything like that. I seriously don’t know what it’s for. It’s not what I spent my life working for. It’s not my place to make a judgement on Jagger, it’s his decision. But it’s just not for me.“

For more information concerning the state funeral please click here.

The series is being done by Irish music magazine Hot Press and all of the covers are on their YouTube channel. Speaking about the event, Hot Press editor Niall Stokes said; “The result is a feast of extraordinary music, brilliantly delivered by artists from all over the island of Ireland. This is a hugely deserved tribute to a brilliant, internationally acclaimed artist from East Belfast. But Rave On, Van Morrison has also turned into a powerful confirmation of the outstanding talent that exists in this extraordinary place on the eastern edge of the Atlantic Ocean. Long may it continue.”

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To mark Van Morrison’s 75th birthday on August 31, Ireland’s @hotpressmagazine has curated musical tributes by 75 exceptional artists, to be broadcast to the world via YouTube, in August and September. Follow the link in the bio to watch the series so far.

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The impressive line-up includes Hozier, Imelda May, Una Healy, Glen Hansard and Mary Coughlan to name a few. There was even a contribution from President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins. The poet and one-time culture minister took on a spoken word version of Rave On John Donne and changed the words to honour the late American politician and civil-rights leader John Lewis. President Higgins was also joined by Bill Whelan, composer of the Irish dancing show Riverdance.

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Taking the #RaveOnVanMorrison Birthday Celebrations to the next level for the man himself’s big day! We are delighted to be announcing back to back performances on our YouTube tonight from 7pm GMT+1 It’s our absolute honor to have President Michael D. Higgins starting tonight’s proceedings of the impressive line up of showcases we have for you this evening. #VanTheMan @presidentirl

A post shared by Hot Press (@hotpressmagazine) on Aug 31, 2020 at 2:42am PDT

Van Morrison is a Northern-Irish, who shot to fame in the 60’s when he was a part of Northern Irish R&B and rock band, Them. His solo career lead to great hits such as Brown Eyed Girl, Moondance and Jackie Wilson Said (I’m in Heaven When You Smile).  He has received two Grammy Awards, the 1994 Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music, the 2017 Americana Music Lifetime Achievement Award for Song Writing and has been inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

The Rave On, Van Morrison event will run until Sunday September 15th. You can watch all of the covers on the Hot Press YouTube channel, here.

The TV presenter and famed daughter of Live Aid’s Bob Geldof tragically died on the 7th of April this year, but toxicology reports remained inconclusive until earlier today when a coroner had finally ruled that the 25-year-old socialite died of a heroin overdose.

Peaches Geldof had declared herself free from the intoxicating drug two and a half years ago and has said to have remained clean since. It is therefore believed that her death was due to an overdose after being clean from the drug for a long period of time, relying on the still controversial ‘sister’ drug methadone.

The inquiry into her death appears misleading as the BBC reports that the heroin was ‘likely’ to have caused her death despite original claims that her passing was being treated as ‘non-suspicious but unexplained and sudden.’

The BBC reported that police found 6.9g of heroin in her house as well as several burnt spoons. Her husband, musician Tom Cohen, admitted to the hearing that Peaches had begun to take the drug again around February this year, as well as witnessing her flushing drugs down the toilet. Cohen claimed that he was not aware that Peaches had stashed so much of the drug in their home until the police released their findings, and he realises now that Peaches had been lying about weekly drug tests she was to undergo as part of her rehabilitation.

It was Cohen himself who found Peaches dead in their home in Wrotham, Kent, in scenes which mimicked her mother, Paula Yates, passing in 2000. Police state that the heroin used by Mrs Geldof was 61% pure which soars above the 21% purity usually found on ‘street level’ which has been described as a ‘fatal range’.

As tolerance to heroin is said to decrease rapidly after withdrawal from the drug, it is likely that this may be the main factor in Peaches death, as well as levels of codeine, methadone and morphine. However coroners report it is not likely that Peaches intended on suicide, rather it is a tragic loss due to another easily avoidable overdose of a beloved daughter, wife and mother.

The tragic news was broken to many by the BBC this evening (Monday 7th April) and has since been confirmed in a statement from her father. Peaches Geldof follows tragically in the footsteps of her mother, Paula Yates, who died at the age of 41 after an accidental heroin overdose. Peaches leaves behind a husband and two young sons. The cause of death has yet to be determined and there are currently no suggestions of any foul play.

After first making her name as a socialite, Peaches went on to write columns for national newspapers and presented her own programme entitled OMG! on ITV1, along with having success as a model.

Police are currently treating the death as “unexpected and sudden“.