Band Aid 30_ The 2014 Charity Supergroup

Band Aid 30: The 2014 Charity Supergroup

Band Aid 30 was assembled in 2014 to record a new version of ”Do They Know It's Christmas?” to raise funds for the Ebola crisis in West Africa. This iteration, marking the 30th anniversary of the original recording, featured a mix of established stars and newer artists popular at the time. The lineup for Band Aid 30 included:

One Direction (Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik)

Ed Sheeran

Sam Smith

Ellie Goulding

Chris Martin (Coldplay)

Bono (U2)

Rita Ora

Emeli Sand茅

Paloma Faith

Sin茅ad O'Connor

Bastille

Olly Murs

Seal

Elbow

Jessie Ware

Fuse ODG

Clean Bandit

Angelique Kidjo

Disclosure

Underworld

Roger Taylor (Queen)

Nick Grimshaw (BBC Radio 1 DJ)

Zoella (YouTube personality)

Alfie Deyes (YouTube personality)

Joe Sugg (YouTube personality)

The project was once again organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure. This version of the song featured some lyrical changes to reflect the different crisis being addressed (Ebola instead of famine) and to update some of the more controversial lyrics from the original version.

The recording took place at Sarm West Studios in London, the same location as the original 1984 version. The single was released on November 17, 2014, and quickly reached number one on the UK Singles Chart.

While the Band Aid 30 project was successful in raising funds and awareness for the Ebola crisis, it also faced some criticism. Some argued that the approach was outdated and that there were more effective ways to address crises in Africa. Others criticized the song's lyrics for perpetuating stereotypes about the continent.

Despite these controversies, Band Aid 30 continued the tradition of using music as a platform for charitable giving and raising awareness about global issues. The project demonstrated the ongoing cultural impact of the original Band Aid concept and its ability to bring together diverse artists for a common cause.