Of Bob Geldof and Bucking the System

As the lead singer of The Boomtown Rats, he only had one hit, "I Don't Like Mondays, " a story of a girl who shoots her classmates at school. He had other minor hits but it was in 1985 that the world sat up and noticed Bob Geldof. That's now, SIR Bob Geldof, mind you.

It was in 1985 that he rounded up friends from the music industry to participate in a single to raise funds and awareness for the thousands dying of starvation in Ethiopia. The effort was called Band Aid and the song was entitled, "Do They Know It's Christmas?" Big 80's artists were present like Paul Young, Sting, Duran Duran, Bananarama, Paul Weller, Phil Collins, Boy George, George Michael, and even a not-quite-so-big-yet Bono was there, among others. That effort spawned also the most successful single of all time, USA for Africa's "We Are The World" written by the late Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie.

He organized two of the biggest events in music history, Live Aid and Live 8, the latter held in 10 cities around the world that included even greater legends like Sir Paul McCartney, a reunited Pink Floyd, Robbie Williams, Madonna, and new stars like The Killers, Placebo, and Coldplay.

 Live 8

Live Aid

He is certainly more successful as an activist than as a musician but what makes Bob Geldof so inspiring is the fact that he has tirelessly utilized the power of music to create significant change in the world. Alongside partners like Bono and their ONE.org they have been able to drop the debt for some of the world's poorest countries, no small feat when the figure is past the $500 Million mark.

Bono and Bob Geldof

I have chosen to also walk down this music-for-advocacy path and so I was thrilled when I found out that Bob Geldof would be the keynote speaker at SXSW.

Bob Geldof at SXSW

Needless to say, I was impressed. I was also challenged. Not only by the force of his passion but by the clarity of his thoughts and deep knowledge of the facts. I didn't hear a preacher but a serious and concerned advocate of music who was mourning the demise of America's great cultural contribution to the world: Rock n' Roll Music.

Bob Geldof talked about how discovering rock music tuned him into the world, something he took a step further by not just being aware, but aware and active. He said rock music was dying because America had gone soft. Connecting music to social issues, he cited an example where each cow was given a $2 allocation for food daily when, in fact, a third of the country's population was living off food stamps. He spoke harshly about how complacency has become the norm. How the conformity in music reflected the way people looked at issues, no longer challenged to effect change, resigned to the reality of certain facts.

In his own words:

"Rock 'n' roll needs to be against something. It can't just BE. It always needs a function in which to function. Of course there are great songs. There will always be great songs that don't suggest anything other than being a great song. But ... where are our Ramones or our [Sex] Pistols today? Do we need them? Yes is the answer. Will they be found? Maybe not."

"What's music got to say? ... I don't hear it. Maybe I can't hear it. I don't hear the disgust in the music; it doesn't have to be literal, it can be suggested. Can you imagine the '60s without the bands interpreting the fast-moving agenda of the times? Maybe this hyper democracy of the Web simply gives the illusion of talent. Everybody has got the means to say anything they want, but nobody has anything to say."

"People talk about the demise of the industry, and people in the industry are worried, but the industry is only a function of the music. And the music is only successful when it's relevant. The industry will not exist on the caterwauling of divas or pretty boys with lovely mouths. This thing we call content is actually about this conversation society has with itself. Rock music provided that: It is intensely powerful, this little minor art form we occupy ourselves with. And when politics is unconvincing even as entertainment, then entertainment might be the politics of our time."

It was an in-your-face talk, one which I wish most current "leaders" in the music industry had heard. I was reminded so much of "The Sound of Silence" by Simon and Garfunkel. "People talking without speaking, People hearing without listening, People writing songs that no one ever shared because no one dared disturb the sound of silence."

In my mind, there is music around but does it really uplift and inspire whether it be in the language and form of rock, pop, or rap? I wouldn't make sweeping generalizations because there are still quite a number of artists who care and make every effort to impart something truthful and meaningful. 

But I couldn't have agreed with Sir Bob more. People HAVE gone soft. When the main topic in mind is how to sell or how much to sell, then it ceases to be about the craft. Bring on the bean counters and naysayers. The so-called "demise" of the music industry is really only true when it's all about form and function. Music should exist as an extension and reflection of people's hearts and souls and when it becomes about sales and not substance then that's it. Yes, a hit can be made in a flash but it may never become a classic, one that will live on as a soundtrack to someone's life.

What was great about SXSW was that people were, in essence, still music fans, concerned about the music, eager to let the musicians succeed. And that, in itself, is inspiring. I wish there were more Bob Geldof's around who challenge and still light fires under people's chairs. So, let's bring back the music. To paraphrase The Who, let's not get fooled again.