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And Finally Artist News
No more Band Aid singles, says Midge Ure. Music no longer powerful enough
By Andy Malt | Published on Monday 7 November 2016
There will be no more Band Aid singles. And not because the song is an offensive misrepresentation of modern Africa. No, because everyone’s too distracted by videogames and mobile phones to give a shit.
Speaking to The Sun, the Band Aid founder who isn’t called Bob, Midge Ure said: “I’m not sure music is the answer to it now. Thirty one years ago we did the Band Aid thing, it was the vehicle that people understood – you didn’t have videogames, you didn’t have mobile phones and you didn’t have all of the distractions that you have today”.
Back then “music was the be all and end all” he added, “so we used the medium at its peak. We used the power that music had at its peak. Maybe right now, the answer wouldn’t be a concert or a record – but I don’t know what the answer is”.
He later clarified, via one of those modern distractions, that he hadn’t meant that the charity behind the Band Aid project was being wound down. He tweeted: “All said with a smile, but not mentioned of course – Band Aid Trust still toiling away as usual. Amazing how saying a charity song or concert might not work these days translated to ‘Band Aid is finished’. Work continues as usual!”
Speaking to the Press Association, that there Bob Geldof added: “What Midge meant, I think, was that there wouldn’t be another Band Aid record. Band Aid 30 was hugely successful and raised millions of pounds for the Ebola-affected peoples of West Africa, but more importantly perhaps triggered popular demand for government action throughout the world which resulted in a massive influx of humanitarian efforts – experts, doctors, nurses, supplies and a full research into the virus so that it hopefully may not happen again”.
“The Band Aid Trust which still, after 31 years, administers all Band Aid/Live Aid monies will continue on a daily basis until such monies are exhausted”, he continued. “Midge has been and remains an invaluable trustee”.
The fourth recording of ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ was released by Band Aid 30 in 2014. As you may remember.
