Outlook Mixtape: The show must go on

First, the band that drowned out the bombs. By 1994, the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo had been under siege for two years. A group of firefighters and UN peacekeepers, decided that the city needed a morale boost, something to be excited about, and their solution was a concert. Only one rock star was willing to do it, Bruce Dickinson, the frontman of Iron Maiden; but how do you get a heavy metal giant into a city surrounded by warring armies?

In 1975, in her mum's fur coat and big glasses, German teenager Vera Brandes was organising the now legendary Keith Jarrett, Köln Concert. The venue was booked, tickets were sold out, Keith had arrived and then – calamity.

In 1974, Australian concert producer Robert Raymond got the gig of his life – organising the comeback tour of his musical idol, Frank Sinatra. The anticipation in Australia was huge but when his opening night performance caused a scandal, Sinatra found himself caught in a stand-off… and Robert Raymond had the biggest test of his career – how to get Sinatra back on stage?

Fabio Zaffagnini is obsessed with the band Foo Fighters. He knew they wouldn't perform in his small Italian city so instead he organised a concert where 1,000 musicians played one of their songs. This attracted the attention of the band’s frontman Dave Grohl, who went on to make Fabio’s dreams come true.

Presenter: Saskia Collette
Producer: Andrea Kennedy

Get in touch: [email protected] or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707

(Photo: Cassette tape. Credit: Getty Images)