When Paul McCartney took the stage at Live Aid in 1985, it was meant to be a powerful moment—but technical issues almost ruined it. For the first two minutes of his performance of “Let It Be,” his microphone was dead, leaving the massive Wembley Stadium crowd unable to hear him. Still, when the sound finally kicked in, the audience erupted with cheers, creating one of the most emotional highlights of the entire event.
McCartney’s Live Aid appearance came 15 years after the Beatles’ breakup, which he officially announced in April 1970. In a “self-interview” released with his debut solo album, McCartney, he cited “personal, business, and musical differences” as the reasons, adding, “Temporary or permanent? I don’t really know.”
A month later, the Beatles released the Let It Be documentary and album. Though it arrived after Abbey Road, the songs were recorded earlier, sparking endless debate about which one is truly the band’s final album. That conversation is expected to heat up again with the upcoming release of Peter Jackson’s documentary, The Beatles: Get Back, which promises never-before-seen footage from the Let It Be sessions.
The Beatles never had the chance to play songs from Let It Be live, except during their legendary rooftop concert in January 1969—a performance more like a public recording session than a true gig. Since then, McCartney has more than made up for it. He’s performed “Let It Be” 681 times, making it his most-played song on tour (followed closely by “Hey Jude” at 672 performances).
He first played the track live during Wings’ final tour in 1979, which ended in chaos after McCartney was arrested for marijuana possession in Japan. The incident led to a nine-day prison stay and ultimately contributed to the band’s breakup.
After stepping away from major live performances for most of the early 1980s, McCartney was persuaded by Bob Geldof to close the Live Aid concert at Wembley. Unfortunately, technical problems struck at the worst time.
Earlier that night, the satellite feed cut out during The Who’s reunion performance, missing much of their opening song, “My Generation.” When McCartney began playing “Let It Be,” his microphone also failed—silencing the first two minutes of the performance. The issue was finally fixed, and the crowd’s roar when the sound returned is a testament to the power of the moment.
As the song neared its end, Bob Geldof, David Bowie, Pete Townshend, and Alison Moyet joined McCartney for a reprise. Despite a small lyric mistake from Bowie, the performance became a defining moment of the night.
Despite the technical hiccup, Live Aid reignited McCartney’s passion for live performances. He returned to the stage in 1986 for The Prince’s Trust Rock Gala and launched a world tour in 1989 to support his album Flowers in the Dirt. Since then, he’s been a near-constant presence on the road.
Though his 2020 tour plans faced uncertainty due to the coronavirus pandemic, fans still had something to look forward to—the release of Peter Jackson’s The Beatles: Get Back documentary. For those who have waited decades to see more of the Let It Be sessions, the hope is that it will be well worth the wait.
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