ABSTRACT
At least that’s probably what he said – this section of the concert was dropped from the subsequent videos/DVDs and can only be found on YouTube in a difficult to decipher mumble, a reflection of the abysmal nature of Dylan’s performance on the day as well as the perceived political incorrectness of his comment.2 The one Dylan number that can still be watched – a performance of ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’ with Keith Richards and Ron Wood – is ample evidence that all three of the performers were very much the worse for wear. But two things about Dylan’s rambling statement are clear; first, this was a stimulus for the formation of Farm Aid which was, and is, designed to help American farmers, and second that Bob Geldof was furious with Dylan for going off message:
He displayed a complete lack of understanding of the issues raised by Live Aid. … Live Aid was about people losing their lives. There is a radical difference between losing your livelihood and losing your life. It did instigate Farm Aid, which was a good thing in itself, but it was a crass, stupid, and nationalistic thing to say.3
