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Rolling Stones quotes: Mick Jagger and Keith Richards about doing Live Aid (1985)
LIVE AID 1985: STONES STORIES AND LAUGHS Back in ’85 The Rolling Stones hit Live Aid with a mix of heart and chaos, and separately. Mick says it was all about raising cash and shining a light on hunger, calling it a “well-meaning event.” Keith remembers playing with Dylan in a dizzy setup—three acoustic guitars, endless tech chaos, and zero pay (lol). Despite the madness, he calls it a privilege and even jokes he’d jam with that “asshole” anytime.
Mick: “I did it to raise a lot of money. That was the main thing, to draw attention to the hunger in the world. Down the line, people can appreciate what can be done by an event of this magnitude. It was really a relatively nice, well-meaning event.”
Keith: “Well, it’s not the first time I’ve played with Dylan… First time before a paying audience. Course we didn’t get paid (laughs). Would have been better if we’d gotten paid… Technically it was a very dizzy thing to do. Three acoustic guitars at the end of God knows how many hours of high-tech band stuff. We couldn’t hear a goddamn thing except the band behind us tuning up to do We Are the World. But it was a real privilege to play with Bob. I’ll work with that asshole anytime.” *Click for MORE ROLLING STONES QUOTES THROUGH THE YEARS
Mick Jagger on Live Aid: Music With a Mission
For Mick Jagger, Live Aid in 1985 wasn’t just another gig—it was a global statement. “I did it to raise a lot of money,” he said plainly, but the heart of it went much deeper. The main goal, he emphasized, was to shine a light on world hunger and use music’s massive reach to do some real good.
Looking back, Jagger acknowledged the significance of such a massive, coordinated effort: “Down the line, people can appreciate what can be done by an event of this magnitude.” While it may have had the usual chaos and spectacle of any giant music event, Live Aid stood out to him as something more—something meaningful. “It was really a relatively nice, well-meaning event,” he said. Simple words, but coming from one of rock’s biggest icons, they hit hard. For Jagger, the power of Live Aid wasn’t just in the sound—it was in the cause.
Keith Richards on Live Aid: Chaos, Dylan, and Zero Pay
Looking back on Live Aid 1985, Keith Richards recalled the experience with his trademark mix of sarcasm and affection. “It’s not the first time I’ve played with Dylan,” he noted, “just the first time in front of a paying audience—though we didn’t get paid!” he laughed.
Richards didn’t sugarcoat the performance. “Technically it was a very dizzy thing to do,” he admitted. He and Ronnie Wood joined Bob Dylan for an acoustic set—an odd choice after hours of high-tech, full-band performances. With three acoustic guitars battling stage noise and feedback, it was nearly impossible to hear anything. “We couldn’t hear a goddamn thing,” Keith said, not even over the band tuning up behind them for We Are the World.
Still, Richards had no regrets. “It was a real privilege to play with Bob,” he said with a grin. “I’ll work with that asshole anytime.” A mess, maybe—but a memorable one.
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