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July marks the anniversaries of two of the famed live music events, Live Aid in 1985 and Live8 in 2005. Both concerts captured the world’s attention and became symbols of global action. The Leicester-based stewarding and event security contractor Showsec was involved in both.
On Saturday, July 13, 1985, the old Wembley Stadium in north London played host to Live Aid, a benefit concert featuring Queen, U2, Elton John, David Bowie, The Who, and many more. Over a billion people were watching on television across 150 countries. The aim; to raise funds and awareness for the famine in Ethiopia. What unfolded became one of the most memorable moments in music history.
While the spotlight was on the stage, Showsec teams were busy behind the scenes, focusing on the safety and movement of the 70,000-plus crowd at Wembley. The firm’s work involved artist security, managing access areas, and helping to keep the event running smoothly over the day. It was a significant moment in the development of live event security, the firm recalls.
On July 2, 2005, almost exactly 20 years later, the world came together again for Live8. Held in London’s Hyde Park, the event called on world leaders to Make Poverty History. Over 200,000 people saw performances from Paul McCartney, U2, Madonna, Coldplay, and the much-anticipated reunion of Pink Floyd. Again, Showsec played a role in the delivery of a large-scale live event. Its teams supported crowd management and worked to maintain public safety during a concert that was broadcast around the world. If you take a closer look at the official Live8 poster, you might even spot the firm’s now Co-CEO, Simon Battersby, among the faces in the crowd, a nod to the people working behind the scenes to make it happen.
Photo courtesy of Showsec; its t-shirted men escort the singer George Michael in 1985.
