10 QUESTIONS : Bob Geldof

T wice nominated for a Nobel Prize and knighted by Queen Elizabeth for his work on behalf of African famine relief, Bob Geldof is the man who made charity work one of the pop trends of the ‘80s. Organizer of Band Aid (the first of rock’s recent spate of large charity projects), Live Aid and Sport Aid, the 38-year-old Irishman continues to work as chairman of the Live Aid organization, however, he’s currently focusing his energies on launching his second solo album, “Vegetarians of Love.” Featuring backing by the classical avant-garde outfit the Penguin Cafe Orchestra, the record marks a return to basics for Geldof--it’s a raucous collection of spontaneous first takes, acoustic instruments and folk idioms. (See review on Page 72.) Speaking by phone from the London home he shares with his wife and their two children, Geldof reflected on his charity work and the impact it’s had on his career in music.

QUESTION: Do you worry that your music is forever doomed to be evaluated within the context of your work as a social activist?

ANSWER: It’s probably true that even if I have 20 No. 1 hits, on the day I die they’ll say, “He was a musician who did this thing called Live Aid.” That’s fine by me because politics have always played a role in my music and Band Aid was a perfect synthesis of the two things that have always interested me--politics and music. Ultimately, however, I consider myself a musician, not a social activist, and people buy records simply on the basis of whether or not they like them. It doesn’t really matter if critics pour their less-than-fabulous pearls of wisdom over my music on the basis of what I did with Band Aid.

Q: Having traveled through famine-stricken areas of Africa and seen the things you’ve seen, did it feel frivolous to go into a studio and make a pop record?

A: No--and I realize some people find that odd. But for me, pop music is not trite or foolish and it’s critical for me to do it. I got no sense of achievement or personal satisfaction whatsoever out of Band Aid, but I do feel a sense of achievement when I’ve written a decent song. In fact, that’s the only way I experience that feeling.

Q: Is pop music the appropriate context for social activism?

A: Not necessarily, but then is sports, journalism or anything appropriate? Pop music can’t change anything; however, it can focus attention on the problem. If you’re talking about the big charity concerts, I do think they should stop doing that because it’s a completely devalued currency at this point. For starters, there are only about 30 bands that can command world attention and I’m bored stupid seeing the same people all the time. It’s also become a bit of a scam. When we did Band Aid it moved very fast and nobody had time to figure out how to exploit it. That’s changed, and now everybody’s figured out how to twist their bit of gold out of it. Everyone wants to be paid now--the stadium, the lighting crew, etc.--and that wasn’t the case when we first did it. So many people get a slice of the pie now that a small amount of the profit actually goes to the organization ostensibly being benefited. So, if people want to help an organization, why don’t they send a check directly to them? If they’re so concerned, why do they have to get something back?

Q: How seriously do people take messages and information that they get through pop music?

A: I hope they don’t take them seriously at all. In the words of Bob Dylan, who put it in perspective better than anybody before or since, don’t follow leaders.

Q: Is social activism just another image-enhancing mask pop performers are donning these days?

A: I don’t think so. Most of the current English bands came out of punk, which was a politically conscious movement. Now . . . they can talk about things that have always concerned them, and though it initially appears ludicrous to see famous, wealthy people talk about these things, you must remember they were talking about this stuff when they were poor and unknown. Also, most of the pop stars involved with social activism are in their 30s and at that point in most people’s lives, their view expands. They’ve established their careers and have families or settled relationships, so they’re not quite so absorbed in getting their own lives sorted out. Perhaps for the first time, they’re considering the world around them without seeing themselves as the center of the universe.

Q: Many people consider you a heroic figure; who are your heroes?

A: Samuel Pepys, who was a diarist who lived during the Reformation in England, which was a fantastic time to be alive. Sir Christopher Wren was building these wonderful buildings in Britain, Newton had just discovered gravity, the great fire of London and the bubonic plague happened, Shakespeare and John Donne were writing--it was an incredible period, and Pepys wrote about it with great compassion and curiosity. Pepys lived at a fantastic time, but it’s probably better to be alive now than at any point in history. The idea that every human has the right to pursue happiness is incredibly revolutionary, and in our part of the world it’s more possible than ever to pursue that idea. Of course, two-thirds of the world are unable to pursue that dream, and that’s the great problem now--to find out how they can.

Q: How did your work on behalf of famine relief affect your view of humanity? Do you find that people are basically good and will behave compassionately when given the opportunity, or must they be goaded into doing the right thing?

A: Basically I’ve held the same view of people since I was very young and Live Aid didn’t change it. I think people are basically good and I’m quite optimistic about the world--which is why I would even attempt something like Live Aid. However, being Irish, I do have a highly developed sense of the ridiculous and I tend to see the absurdities of life--and moral absurdities like starvation make me very angry. Anger and boredom are the primary motivations behind everything I do.

Q: Throughout your career you’ve been highly critical of the British government; feeling as you do, what did it mean to you to be knighted?

A: That was a symbolic gesture representing the fact that millions of people agreed with me on this one single issue. I never felt it was being given to Bob Geldof the person, and as the chairman of Live Aid, I accepted it politely.

Q: What’s the most widely held misconception about you?

A: Probably the “Saint Bob” thing. When people approach me, the first thing they think is “Gee, he looks much taller than he does on telly.” After that, I always see the disappointment clouding their eyes. I inevitably fail to live up to whatever they expect of me because expectations can never be lived up to. I’ve had no trouble reconciling myself to that because I’ve never been bothered about what people think. That’s been the greatest asset and the greatest problem of my life. It allows me to do things I wouldn’t do if I cared about people’s opinions, but it also allows me to insult people--which has never been my intention.

Q: What’s the most valuable thing you learned through your experience with Band Aid?

A: That the individual is not powerless.