Make Some Music

I got out a 1985 Live Aid DVD set I was given years ago. At the end of each year during the holidays, we inevitably hear, “Do They Know It's Christmas?” a 1984 song recorded in the UK by a compilation of artists to raise awareness and funds to aid famine relief in Africa. That song was followed up with “We Are the World” recorded in the US by another compilation of artists for the same purpose.

These singles led to the 16-hour “Live Aid” cross-continental music festival in the summer of 1985 broadcast from both Wembley Stadium in London and JFK Stadium in Philadelphia. The music was shared between venues and televised worldwide. A huge, nearly 40-year-old, collaborative, multinational videoconference/webcast of a concert movie.

As you might imagine, with the struggles in the world today, lots came to my mind as I watched and studied disc one:

1. Struggle, fear, hunger, are not unique to us or our time. Perspective can change with experience and time.
2. The POWER of a group of people becoming aware of and using their talents to positively impact a situation.
3. Even 40 years ago it was COOL to be able to work and contribute from multiple places and technology enabled us to do it and to share it broadly.
4. Things don’t always go as planned and smart/driven/collaborative people can and do adapt.
5. We can have fun while doing good work and positively impacting people.

If you’ve read some of my other writings, you know that I relate music and popular culture to work and leadership. I wrote a post in 2019 about “How Taylor Swift’s Concert Is Like a Great HCM Employee Experience.” That was her Reputation Tour. I reshared it this year suggesting that her "Eras Tour" reinforced the notion as did its digitalization (scaling it as a movie).

I’m not alone in my Contextual Intelligence (a book written by Matthew Kutz) tying together passion for work and music. So is Steve Browne, SHRM-SCP – a prolific writer, speaker, lyric recrafter, HR savant, and good guy. Check out his blogs, books, etc to see how he weaves together his love for life and work and people.

Also, Kevin W. Grossman has learned and regularly provided drumming posts over the last few years. Kevin's ability to make connections has always been strong. His drumming has gotten stronger and he's able to snare related talent acquisition analogies.

But wait there are more talent professionals with an ear for it!

美世 did a LinkedIn Live event on November 28th called “Work Different: 10 Truths for Winning in the People Age” with Kate Bravery , Kai Anderson and Ilya Bonic discussing THEIR book of the same title which I have on order and in which Kate promises “lots of musical references.” Hopefully, they will appreciate more than feel the weight of me comparing their effort as a team of talented, like-minded people coming together to help solve current challenges with “Live Aid.”

Back to THAT! The thing that MOST grabbed my attention in this “concert movie” was not the collaboration amongst Sting, Branford Marsalis, and Phil Collins which was A GIFT! Nor Phil Collins’ (Lily Collins’ Dad – see how reality and perspective change over time?) effort to play in person at BOTH venues via a trip on the “Big ol’ (Concord) Jet Airliner.” It is not even the event-highlight/magical performance by Queen (which is on disc two) that grabbed me.

NO, what struck me most was the 2nd song performed by U2. The 2nd and final song of the THREE song set thanks to the antics of lead singer Bono who released his own book Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story in 2022.

Since the concert in 1985, we’ve gotten access to the internet, so after watching Bono “disappear” trying to connect with the crowd, I was able to find this 2014 Gavin Edwards Rolling Stone Article, “U2’s ‘Bad’ Break: 12 Minutes at Live Aid That Made the Band’s Career” which provided the picture above.

His “Desire” to create a meaningful connection felt chaotic in the moment. There is some debate about his motivation to jump down to the crowd and leave his band riffing blindly for 2-minutes. Problematic and disrespectful of his mates. Physically and reputationally risky. In his heart he knew he needed to DO SOMETHING as Edwards wrote in Rolling Stone, “he roams the stage, trying to exhort the crowd, feeling that something in the band’s performance is lacking.” He wanted a connection. To literally lift someone up. To include and engage people.

Have you ever “jumped 10 feet into the muddy ground” to get something done? Have you been in a team trusted to keep things going while a leader seeks an alternate, more meaningful, more impactful course?

Have you ever not completed a meeting’s agenda because a line of questioning/conversation went deeper than expected? What happens when we don’t allow room for the unexpected? I think that what happens is what we expected (finish the agenda) not necessarily what we wanted (to do something that matters)!

As I saw and as Edwards wrote, Bono’s efforts “went a bit wrong.” They felt organic and effortful. Intentional and unplanned. It was all of these! Afterwards, Bono clambered up to the stage to gather the band and finish what they started as he belted:

I'm wide awake, I'm wide awake, Wide awake, I'm not sleeping Oh, no, no, no

And incorporated others’ song lyrics into what would be their final song. Adapting to and trying to make the most of their time meant that the band was not able to perform their 3rd song and biggest hit at the time. Oh, no, no, no – that’s terrible right!?! Too early to tell. . . .

Edwards wrote, “’Thank you,’ Bono tells the crowd. ‘God bless you.’ . . . and walks past his bandmates while they play that riff yet again [naturally as if it was planned]. On his way out, Bono grabs a white towel and waves to the crowd, who are now ecstatic.” Edwards ends his article with the perspective time has afforded:

Considering Live Aid years later, Bono summed up U2’s set: "Crap sound, crap haircuts, and we didn’t end up playing the hit ‘Pride (In the Name of Love)’ because the singer f*d off into the crowd – band wanted to fire me as a result – and it turned out to be one of the best days of our life. Explain that. Ask God, he probably knows."

It seems like U2 and Bono have “done OK” since then – I’m pretty confident that that’s just ONE of their best days (Bono remains on the Board of one.org).

One life but we're not the same. We get to carry each other, carry each other.

It’s a common theme in the season I write this. How can we carry each other through the next year?

Pay attention. Lift people up. Engage. Include. Bring your whole self to what you are working on. Collaborate broadly. Unexpectedly. Trust and allow others to express themselves – cover for them when necessary. Be honest and timely with feedback.

Consider, oh boy, KNOW!, that what seems evident to you today, may not be evident tomorrow.

Buy a book. Read a book. Give a book. Go to a concert; a concert movie; a webinar – and share it. Develop, consider, and do something with a new perspective. Challenge yourself and others to grow. Consider how seemingly unrelated aspects of your life and different times of your life and others’ ARE CONNECTED.

If a one-time 16-hour collaborative, multinational videoconference/webcast of a concert movie can be put together and raise $127MM USD in 1985 ($358MM today) imagine what's possible for you, with your team, leveraging today's technology.

Make some music! ?

*Gavin’s writings are also a gift and I’m humbled to even have his name in my post.