Rock legend Sir Bob Geldof opens up while Down Under for radio ...
Rock legend and humanitarian Sir Bob Geldof, 71, is back in Australia for the first time in years, helping to launch a new station Disrupt Radio.
Geldof said it feels great to be back and that he has "lots of mates" in Australia.
He is in Melbourne to co-host the station's new breakfast show for a week, alongside broadcaster Libbi Gorr.
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"I don't like coming here in the winter, I have to say. It's a bit like being stuck in Dublin again," Geldof laughed.
"To get here I sailed across the Pacific from Mexico to Tahiti and then came down."
Geldof wears many hats and he's no stranger to hosting radio.
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"You just make noises and people laugh," Geldof said.
"You're not in any way prejudiced by my crap hair."
He shared stories about friends of his, like the billionaire Sir Richard Branson.
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"I promise you this is true, when he sees me he takes a lock of my hair, twizzles it around his finger and says, 'what shampoo do you use, Sir Bob?'," Geldof said.
"It's completely bonkers and rude and silly, but I want to be bonkers and rude and silly at seven in the morning, you know. I'll be serious for the rest of it."
Geldof is serious about his views on climate change and Australia's role.
"You get the squabbling we've got ... 'no it doesn't exist, yes it does exist' ... Shut up. Just shut up and let's resolve this together," Geldof said.
"Because Australia doing something on its own, being the absolute global leader, which you can be because essentially you live on a desert … You've got the right to talk about it because you've been whacked with everything."
He still carries the same passion that led to Band Aid, Live Aid and Live Eight - and millions of dollars raised to try to end famine in Africa.
Sir Bob Geldof still carries the same passion that led to Band Aid, Live Aid and Live Eight - and millions of dollars raised to try to end famine in Africa. (A Current Affair)"Do you think we will see the likes of that from the next generation? To give back?" I asked.
"I think you'll probably see it because there's a lot of songs that have got comment in them ... but I don't think the purchase, the traction will be the same," Geldof said.
"Do you think Australia needs to do more to help?" I asked.
"Well everyone needs to do more," Geldof said.
"There's no need for hunger at all, at all. That's nonsense."
How the sir is spending his time in MelbourneAway from activism, Geldof the tourist has been busy catching up with mates, seeing the sites and making a guest appearance at a footy game.
"We saw you went to the Melbourne Storm game on the weekend. How was that?" I asked.
Sir Bob Geldof has become a Melbourne Storm fan. (A Current Affair)"I've got a problem with the shorts and the scrums, cause they're not scrums, you know, and I talked to the players, I talked to the coach and I said, 'what's with this?'," Geldof said.
"Are you going to become a Melbourne Storm fan now?" I asked.
"I have to be because the guys we are with were just great people, the players were fantastic blokes," Geldof said.
He said he could easily live in Australia.
"It felt very familiar to me - aside from the shorts, we don't do those in Ireland," Geldof laughed.
"What else are you doing while you're here?" I asked.
"I'm going back to my actual job, which has been magnificent ... playing rock and roll," Geldof said.
Sir Bob Geldof spoke about his old mate Molly Meldrum. (A Current Affair)"Go for walks along the river and stuff like that. I love the Royal Arcade.
"There's a cake shop there ... and I go nuts for puddings and cakes."
Geldof also spoke about his old mate Molly Meldrum.
"I haven't seen Molly this time, who, you know, who cancelled us on Countdown in the middle of the show," Geldof said.
He said it was an "outrage" when they were chucked off.
"So look, there's a long history," he said.
The 71-year-old has no plans to slow down, but perhaps next time he'll visit in summer.
