Awesome fact about Phil Collins #1: He cared more about Ethiopian famine than all the other performers at Live Aid combined

In July 1985, some dudes I have never heard of before (because I’m an American under 40) called Bob Geldolf and Midge Ure hosted a music festival called Live Aid to benefit Ethiopian famine relief. This festival took place in London AND Philadelphia at the same time, and according to Wikipedia, “it was one of the largest-scale satellite link-ups and television broadcasts of all time: an estimated global audience of 1.9 billion, across 150 nations, watched the live broadcast.”

Across the 2 concerts, there were over 60 performers/bands. But only 1 performed at BOTH concerts. This is of course Phil Collins, as he was the only performer who possessed not only the talent to deliver an entertaining performance in both the UK and USA but also the stamina of a bull elk in heat.

Here’s how it went down:

And some more here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o22E44APYGw

Not only did Phil Collins perform in the UK and the US, he also performed in more than 1 set in the US of A. He did a set of his own awesome stuff "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" and "In the Air Tonight" on the piano to give his drums a well-deserved rest….

and THEN played drums for Eric Clapton…

and THEN played drums again for a Led Zepplin reunion set….

And it is with this Led Zepplin performance in mind, I will bring this awesome fact to conclusion.

If you watched the video above, you can form your own opinions about the performance but according to many critics and fans who witnessed it as it was happening the entire Led Zepplin set at Live Aid was a hot mess (like most band reunion shows, I’m afraid). Jimmy Page blames Phil Collins for the weak performance and claims he ruined the show. Regardless of the fact this claim is coming from a grown man named “Jimmy,” he and Robert Plant were unrehearsed and clearly should have never gotten on the stage together again. Also, SEE ABOVE. 

Collins said in an interview in Spin Magazine: "They weren't very good and I was made to feel a little uncomfortable by the dribbling Jimmy Page. If I could have walked off, I would have - but then we'd be talking about why Phil Collins walked off from Led Zeppelin. So I just stayed there and bit my tongue."

Phil Collins: a classy and modest humanitarian who humors awkwardly fading rock bands. 

Happy Ferris Wheel Day!

Hello Sweetums! I hope you are all having a wonderful day, the most magically saccharine of all the days, Ferris Wheel Day. A holiday that truly warrants no celebration or acknowledgement beyond the 90 seconds of your life it suspends you above a rolling fairground of carnies, clowns, and children vomiting into cotton candy.

Another holiday very similar to this is Valentine’s Day, a time designated to force you to formally engage in or recognize THE IMPORTANCE OF ROMANCE. Whether you have a terrifically boring time on a Ferris Wheel or a terrifically boring time at Bed, Bath, and Beyond picking out a new bed in a bag with your fiancé, there really isn’t a point in assigning a specific day to celebrate either. The point is to commemorate life’s terrifically boring, scary, sweet, vertigo-induced, and yes, even romantically-induced moments, every day.

So, you have probably figured out by now I forgot to buy my husband a Ferris Wheel Day AND Valentine’s Day cards. 

But in my defense, I really do believe that setting aside a special day for giant, round death traps and giant, heart-shaped crap is not necessary because I inject sweet, sweet romance into my poor, poor partner all the time. He is regularly regaled with smooth seductions such as, 

"No, my love, that wasn't Dora.”* 

“Darling, can you massage some triamcinolone cream into the excemza patch on my back?"

"Hey baby, how about we head upstairs
and binge watch Michael Palin's Around
the World in 80 Days?"

“Baby, we gotta go to Walgreens, Dora* ate my mouthguard."

"I am weak in the knees, it feels like I've got butterflies in my stomach and my heart aches. I think it might be cancer."

“Honeybuns, what is a 4 letter word for "upholstered item?”**

“Sweetie, can you help me get out of this dress? The zipper is caught on my Spanx."

“Sorry dear, I’ll go brush my teeth." 

“Let’s never get matching tattoos."

See, I am a natural romantic! Every day is like opening a box of chocolates. Too bad my husband prefers cake. 

Thanks for putting up with me, lovey. Too many wrongs do make a right! XOXO

*Dora.

**Sofa.