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PRESS RELEASE:
Bob Geldof in South Africa
07 Apr 2006
For immediate release
BOB GELDOF IN SOUTH AFRICA
The Man, The Mind, The Music.
2 SHOWS ONLY
Share an evening with Bob Geldof in Johannesburg on the 26 April at The Sandton Convention Centre and at Cape Town’s International Convention Centre on the 28 April. South African audiences in Johannesburg and Cape Town are in for a very special evening! Bob Geldof will present the man, the mind, the music, the icon. Sir Bob and his band will be performing hits from the Boomtown Rats and from his very successful solo career, as well as sharing his experiences, some very personal, some very public, all very poignant.
Geldof’s tour is being sponsored by Standard Bank.
Says Erik Larsen,External Communications Manager, Standard Bank: “Geldof is not only a musical pioneer, but also a renowned humanitarian who has made a significant contribution to bettering the lives of Africans. As a bank that is similarly passionate about making a real difference in Africa and other emerging markets, it is fitting that we are involved in this event.”
No other musician has ever achieved such iconic status, successfully merging the worlds of politics and music. Not only did he decide to change the world. Bob Geldof actually went ahead and did it.
As frontman for the Boomtown Rats, the group had a string of hits in the 70’s and 80’s. In 1978 they had their first Number 1 single with “Rat Trap”, which was the first new wave chart-topper in the UK and the first Irish band to have a Number 1 single in the UK. In 1979 the band shot to international fame with the single "I Don't Like Mondays." Bob’s first major charity involvement was in September 1981, when he performed as a solo artist for Amnesty International’s The Secret Policeman’s Other Ball benefit show. In 1984 Geldof turned activist after seeing a BBC report on the famine in Ethiopia. Geldof and Midge Ure (from Ultravox) co-wrote the song “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” Geldof single handedly put together a group of 40 British pop musicians under the name Live Aid. The single was released just before Christmas in 1984, with the aim of raising money for the relief of the famine. Geldof’s somewhat cautious hope was for 70 000 pounds, however the song raised many millions of pounds and became the biggest selling single in the UK (until 1997). The single led to the mammoth twin charity concerts known as Live Aid, held in London and Philadelphia on 13 July 1985. Live Aid was and is the greatest fund raising concert ever held! In honour of this historical achievement Bob Geldof was awarded an honorary knighthood in 1986 and, subsequently, the Rose D’Or Charity Award in 2005, on the 20th anniversary of Live Aid’s inception.
The single has since been re-recorded and released twice. Once under the Band Aid II banner, featuring artists such as Kylie Minogue and Jason Donavon and again with a new group of musicians, including Chris Martin if Coldplay, Dido, Robbie Williams and Joss Stone, called Band Aid 20, in aid of the Sudanese refugees in Darfur.
Geldof has been nominated six times for the Nobel Peace Prize. More recently, in between surviving some very public tragedies Bob Geldof helped organise Live 8 in 2005, a day of mega-concerts in 10 cities around the world, urging leaders of the G8 to forgive African debt and increase aid to the continent.
2005 also saw Bob Geldof receiving the Nobel Man of Peace award, the MIDEM Personality of the Year Award (Nice, December 2005), the NRJ Lifetime Achievement Award (France, December 2005), the Chevaliers de l’Ordre des Artes at Lettres (Cannes, December 2005), The Freedom of The City of Dublin (March 2006), the Echo Lifetime Achievement in Music Award (Berlin, March 2005) and most recently received the coveted IRMA Award in Dublin.
In February 2006 he is again among 191 nominees for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Experience Bob Geldof in South Africa for 2 shows only! Tickets are priced from R180-00 (excluding service charge) and are available from Computicket. Call them on 083 915 8000 or visit www.computicket.com for more information.
Issued by Melinda Connor
Wallpaper Media
(011) 482 6100
083 291 3581
melinda@tiscali.co.za
For immediate release
BOB GELDOF IN SOUTH AFRICA
The Man, The Mind, The Music.
2 SHOWS ONLY
Share an evening with Bob Geldof in Johannesburg on the 26 April at The Sandton Convention Centre and at Cape Town’s International Convention Centre on the 28 April. South African audiences in Johannesburg and Cape Town are in for a very special evening! Bob Geldof will present the man, the mind, the music, the icon. Sir Bob and his band will be performing hits from the Boomtown Rats and from his very successful solo career, as well as sharing his experiences, some very personal, some very public, all very poignant.
Geldof’s tour is being sponsored by Standard Bank.
Says Erik Larsen,External Communications Manager, Standard Bank: “Geldof is not only a musical pioneer, but also a renowned humanitarian who has made a significant contribution to bettering the lives of Africans. As a bank that is similarly passionate about making a real difference in Africa and other emerging markets, it is fitting that we are involved in this event.”
No other musician has ever achieved such iconic status, successfully merging the worlds of politics and music. Not only did he decide to change the world. Bob Geldof actually went ahead and did it.
As frontman for the Boomtown Rats, the group had a string of hits in the 70’s and 80’s. In 1978 they had their first Number 1 single with “Rat Trap”, which was the first new wave chart-topper in the UK and the first Irish band to have a Number 1 single in the UK. In 1979 the band shot to international fame with the single "I Don't Like Mondays." Bob’s first major charity involvement was in September 1981, when he performed as a solo artist for Amnesty International’s The Secret Policeman’s Other Ball benefit show. In 1984 Geldof turned activist after seeing a BBC report on the famine in Ethiopia. Geldof and Midge Ure (from Ultravox) co-wrote the song “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” Geldof single handedly put together a group of 40 British pop musicians under the name Live Aid. The single was released just before Christmas in 1984, with the aim of raising money for the relief of the famine. Geldof’s somewhat cautious hope was for 70 000 pounds, however the song raised many millions of pounds and became the biggest selling single in the UK (until 1997). The single led to the mammoth twin charity concerts known as Live Aid, held in London and Philadelphia on 13 July 1985. Live Aid was and is the greatest fund raising concert ever held! In honour of this historical achievement Bob Geldof was awarded an honorary knighthood in 1986 and, subsequently, the Rose D’Or Charity Award in 2005, on the 20th anniversary of Live Aid’s inception.
The single has since been re-recorded and released twice. Once under the Band Aid II banner, featuring artists such as Kylie Minogue and Jason Donavon and again with a new group of musicians, including Chris Martin if Coldplay, Dido, Robbie Williams and Joss Stone, called Band Aid 20, in aid of the Sudanese refugees in Darfur.
Geldof has been nominated six times for the Nobel Peace Prize. More recently, in between surviving some very public tragedies Bob Geldof helped organise Live 8 in 2005, a day of mega-concerts in 10 cities around the world, urging leaders of the G8 to forgive African debt and increase aid to the continent.
2005 also saw Bob Geldof receiving the Nobel Man of Peace award, the MIDEM Personality of the Year Award (Nice, December 2005), the NRJ Lifetime Achievement Award (France, December 2005), the Chevaliers de l’Ordre des Artes at Lettres (Cannes, December 2005), The Freedom of The City of Dublin (March 2006), the Echo Lifetime Achievement in Music Award (Berlin, March 2005) and most recently received the coveted IRMA Award in Dublin.
In February 2006 he is again among 191 nominees for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Experience Bob Geldof in South Africa for 2 shows only! Tickets are priced from R180-00 (excluding service charge) and are available from Computicket. Call them on 083 915 8000 or visit www.computicket.com for more information.
Issued by Melinda Connor
Wallpaper Media
(011) 482 6100
083 291 3581
melinda@tiscali.co.za
