By Alex Jones (@Alex_Jonze)
Sir Bob Geldof. He’s a bit of a character to say the least. The creator of Band Aid, Band Aid 20 and now Band Aid 30 has raised millions for charity but has also raised the blood pressure of TV executives the world over on several occasions. He’s a Knight of England like no other. Even the outrageous outbursts from Kanye West pale in comparison to some of Sir Bob’s more lambasted laments.
In celebration of the former Boomtown Rats frontman, we’ve compiled some of Bob Geldof’s greatest outbursts for your enjoyment. Just a word of warning, this list does contain some colourful language.
Sky News Interview for Band Aid 30
In a recent interview with Sky News, Sir Bob was questioned about the legitimacy of the band aid effort, and wasn’t too impressed with the cynicism.
Jayne Secker: “A lot of people are saying, ‘look at all the people in that room, a lot of wealthy people, if they all paid their taxes in the right way, we wouldn’t need these kind of fund-raising singles.’ What would you say to that?”
“I think they’re talking bollocks,” Geldof responds.
The NME Awards 2006
Revolutionary comedian Russell Brand was the host of the NME Awards back in 2006. It’s fair to say his antics didn’t go down too well with the creator of Live Aid…
“Russell Brand…what a c***”
During an interview at Live Aid
“People are dying NOW. Give us the money NOW.” (and not, as attributed, “give us your ****in money!”)
A famously misquoted line that is just as effective without the offensive language added in for good measure. It happened during an interview during Live Aid where Sir Bob is making an impassioned plea to the public to part with their hard earned cash…
The Confrontation with Margaret Thatcher
Bob Geldof – “Well we had a bit of a problem with the VAT on the record.”
Margaret Thatcher – “Well, look, a lot is going, a lot of surplus food is going, but don’t forget…”
Bob Geldof – “But Prime Minister there are millions dying and that’s a terrible thing.”
This was a conversation that happened on live TV after a speech by former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Sir Bob lambasted the head Tory for the amount of VAT that Live Aid was charged on its donations, which sparked the fiery exchange between the two.
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