LIVE AID THROUGH THE LENS

Ahead of Sunday's 40th anniversary of the era-defining Live Aid concerts, veteran rock photographer Denis O'Regan, one of only two snappers backstage, shares his memories

- By John Earls

LIVE AID was the concert that changed the world and the show by which every mega-gig is still compared. Forty years ago, showbusiness still hasn’t seen anything like the stellar lineup of stars which gathered at Wembley Stadium and, in Philadelphia, the John F Kennedy Stadium on July 13, 1985.

Yet, despite the genuinely once-in-a-lifetime array of talents who performed at Live Aid, backstage at Wembley was an intimate affair.

There were actually two areas where performers could chill out on the day. The main backstage was at Wembley Arena, 100 yards away.

The more intimate, exclusive party zone was reserved for the day’s top-tier talent, at a gazebo just behind the stadium’s stage. It’s where Freddie Mercury held court before and after Queen’s monumental Live Aid performance.