Saturday, July 13th, 1985

The Who re-group on stage for the first time since their "Farewell Tour" three years before to perform at the Live Aid benefit. The benefit's organizer, Bob Geldof, blackmails The Who into reuniting, threatening to tell the press The Who would do nothing to help the starving children of Ethiopia if they refuse to perform. Roger tries to make a demand that Kenney Jones not be used as drummer but is overruled. The Who's participation is on and off up until the day of the concert. Geldof later says "it was rather like getting one man's four ex-wives together."

Seventy-five thousand attend the concert and over 100 million worldwide watch on television the greatest rock acts Britain can muster. Well all except The Who as the satellite feed to both the U.K. and the U.S. goes down during their short act. The Who probably preferred the blackout as, after only 20 minutes of rehearsal, they give what they consider a lackluster performance of "My Generation", "Pinball Wizard", "Won't Get Fooled Again" and "Love Reign O'er Me". John is particularly unhappy as his bass malfunctions and he has to retune halfway through "My Generation." Pete attempts an air kick and ends up falling on his posterior. Pete had written a new song, "After The Fire," for premiere at Live Aid but it is dropped as there wasn't time to rehearse it. It later appears on solo albums by both Roger and Pete but The Who do not get around to performing it until 1999.

Later, at the end of Paul McCartney's set, Paul and Pete lift Bob Geldof onto their shoulders. At the end of the concert, The Who join all the other acts in singing the British Live Aid anthem, "Do They Know It's Christmas."

The Greater Manchester Council tries to persuade The Who to perform again for their anti-heroin campaign but they cannot be talked into it.