Skip to content

Live Aid was my first gig so I could see McCartney

Pete Cooper
BBC News, Northamptonshire
PA Media A black and white photo of former Beatle Paul McCartney saluting the audience at Live Aid. He is wearing a black top and the Live Aid logo is in the background.PA Media
Paul McCartney was one of the many acts who played Live Aid at Wembley 40 years ago

A music fan said he made his first ever concert experience 40 years ago at Live Aid as he wanted to see his "hero" Paul McCartney.

Aimed at raising funds for Ethiopian famine relief, the star-studded line-up at Wembley Stadium on 13 July 1985 also included Queen, U2 and David Bowie.

The landmark concert was watched by approximately two billion people in more than 100 countries.

Dino Vescera, from Northampton, who was then 19 and went with a friend, said: "It was one of the greatest days of our lives."

Dino Vescera A picture of the Live Aid ticket and a banner which says "From Northampton Dino, Lisa Darren"Dino Vescera
Dino Vescera still has his ticket but only a photo of the banner his sister made

Despite the high demand for tickets, Mr Vescera said he got his only "a couple of days before" the concert.

He said it cost him £25, which was £5 for the ticket and a £20 contribution toward the Ethiopian famine appeal

"Really it was worth hundreds [of pounds]. I've still got the ticket," he said.

Mr Vescera, now 59, said: "I left Northampton at about four or five in the morning; this was something special; this was no ordinary concert."

He said when he got to Wembley "we ran in to get to the front, we got about 20 or 40 rows back, which was pretty incredible".

Although he still has memorabilia from the day, the banner his sister made "got lost somewhere in Wembley".

Dino Vescera A man looking the camera wearing sunglasses. He is looking at the camera and smiling. He pointing a poster which says "Les Beatles a Paris". Behind him are other French posters and a street.Dino Vescera
Mr Vescera said he was a huge Beatles and Paul McCartney fan and has followed him around the world

By the time McCartney came on stage in the evening, Mr Vescera had made his way to the front of the crowd.

He said: "When he played these first chord of Let It Be I had shivers go through me thinking 'that's one of the Beatles on stage, my hero'.

"I had never seen him before. I was crying, people around me were crying. It was so emotional and beautiful."

Since Live Aid he has seen McCartney more than 50 times.

But reflecting on his first gig 40 years ago, he said: "I love music but that day was special with just so many brilliant artists and performers. It was incredible.

"We didn't realise how historic it was then, but it seems even more historic now."

Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.

More on this story