MUMBA: Irish singer songwriter Bob Geldof has a very brief response to Band Aid critics- “F**k off”. Geldof, who is also the organiser for Band Aid, was recently criticised after a new version of ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas’ was released by the Band Aid 30. The supergroup featured names like One Direction, Chris Martin, Ed Sheeran, Emeli Sande, Sam Smith and others, and aimed at raising funds for the fight against Ebola in West Africa.
Unfortunately, the track drew a lot of criticism, with William Pooley, an Ebola survivor terming the lyrics as “cringe-worthy” and “culturally ignorant”. English rock band- Kasabian, also criticised the song stating it was “churning over the same s**t.”
Geldof, however, has hit back at critics in a recent interview with The Telegraph saying, “Please, it’s a pop song. Relax…It’s not a doctoral thesis. They can f**k off.” He went on to say that he could not care if he offended anyone.
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“The reality behind the pop song – Christmassy, corny, whatever you think about it – the reality behind it is stark. If it’s a pop song that can help ease the pain, the agony, if they can die with a little more dignity then, yeah, I’m there. It’s pretty simple,” he added.
The former Boomtown Rats singer, earlier, stated that he hoped the track would help raise ?5 million by Christmas. According to report, despite the negative response it received, Band Aid 30’s ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas’ raised ?1 million in five minutes after it premiered.
A social media effort has now been started, much like the ‘Ice Bucket Challenge’, to help raise funds for the cause through an iOS app- WholeWorldBand. The app includes an inbuilt microphone and camera, which will enable users to record themselves singing a line from the song. For each user’s participation, the organisation will receive ?1.40 in donation.
