IRISH MUSIC fans were yesterday treated to an intimate public interview with Bob Geldof who discussed at length his musical career and his anti-poverty efforts in Africa.
Talking mostly about events surrounding the musical aspects of his career, Geldof did, however, discuss some other aspects of his life as well as playing a number of hit records from the Boomtown Rats and others written as a solo artist.
Discussing a brief period of his youth spent living as an illegal immigrant in Canada, Geldof said he feels "a lot of sympathy for people living illegally in Ireland and the UK."
Geldof told the audience at the Hot PressMusic Show in the RDS, Dublin, that being an illegal immigrant is especially difficult during times of economic crisis because "illegal immigrants become vulnerable targets" to employers willing to exploit workers.
"The only possible reason people could be coming here [ illegally] is because they think they are going somewhere better where they can better their lives," he said.
Ireland has a cultural and historical obligation to accept people coming here in search of employment, Geldof added.
He also stressed that unlike his time spent living illegally abroad, today's economic immigrants can easily move between countries.
Sitting with an acoustic guitar on his knee for the majority of the interview, the former Boomtown Rats singer talked about his efforts to raise the public and political profile of those suffering from poverty, starvation and disease in Africa.
Highlighting the differences between lobbying charities and politicians, Geldof compared the Live Aid event with the more recent Live Eight event in 2005, which successfully applied pressure on the G8 nations to increases world aid to $50 billion by 2010.
"Oxfam, Save the Children, Concern and a number of other major charities all increased their income by at least 300 per cent after Band Aid, but the political effect has had far greater ramifications for Africa."
When asked about criticism sometimes directed at Bono because of his wealthy status, Geldof called his long-time friend "a great guy with a great heart" who uses his profile "to show you something that is beyond the values of making money".
"Why can't this mega man who produces God-given music with an unbelievable voice address his audience about stuff other than rock and roll?" asked Geldof. "I know how much time he dedicates to important issues and I just won't have the criticism."
Geldof also spoke candidly about his break-up with his ex-wife Paula Yates, who died in 2000 four years after their divorce in 1996, and talked of the difficulty at that time of dealing with paparazzi when they were prying into his private life.
While talking openly about that period of his life, Geldof reminisced about having "difficulty functioning" and losing all interest and passion in his work because he felt "brain dead".
When asked what person he has met that has most impressed him, Geldof answered that he enjoyed meeting both Nelson Mandela and Mother Teresa but said he is more impressed by meeting his personal idols such as Bob Dylan and Mick Jagger.
Commenting on strange events that occurred in his life, he described travelling with George W Bush on Air Force One and "holding his hand through Africa" and said he often looks back on that with disbelief.