Monday, December 28, 2009

Kats Karavan


About Kats Karavan


http://johnpeel.umusic.co.uk/

A lavishly packaged 4cd set contains singles and Peel session recordings by some of John’s favourite artists including The Boomtown Rats, he was a fan in the early days, but I think he changed his mind about the Rats as time went on....

"We keep getting sessions planned with them, new sessions for us which, for one reason or another, they don't seem to be able to do. Perhaps we've got one lined up for early in the new year, perhaps they'll do one. It would be very nice if they did anyway because, although they're famous and so on, it would still be nice to get a session out of them."

Anyway, they did a couple and Looking After No. 1 does feature on disc 1 of Kats Karavan. If you don't have the Crazy single, here's your chance to grab it. (Available for single download at Amazon) http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kats-Karavan-History-John-Radio/dp/B002N1BNXC

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Rats on Tour - 2010/2011

Friday 30th April 2010, Pokey Hole, Netherseal near Derby.With special guest John Williamson (from Animals and Friends) and Mike Bowdens http://www.thepokeyhole.com

Saturday 12th June 2010, The Regent Centre, Christchurch. With special guest China Crisis http://www.regentcentre.co.uk

July 2010

Sunday 18th Dordrecht- Big River Festival Holland.

August 2010

Sunday 1st New Quay Festival. South Wales, Featuring Dave Sharpe The Alarm

Saturday 14th Reepham 10 Summer Festival.Norfolk

Saturday 28th Upton Town Festival. with special guests The Blockheads and Ex Simple Minds.

Sunday 29th Mathew Street Festival Liverpool. 12.00 on stage

September 2010


Saturday 11th Kamenz, Hutbergbuhne, Germany


November 2010

Saturday 13th Essen Grugahalle, Germany

Wednesday 24th The Pavillion, Rhyll, as special guests to The Blockheads.

Thursday 25th Walkabout Barnsley

Friday 26th The Paladium Club, Bideford.


----------------------


January 2011

Friday 21st Tivoli Theatre,Wimborne. as special guests to The Blockheads.

May 2011
Friday 27th Halle, Peiznitzinsel, Germany

Sunday 29th Nice & Sleazy Morcambe

July 2011

Friday 22nd Berlin, Tempelhof, Germany

Saturday 23rd Ahmsen, Freilichtbuhne, Germany

August 2011

Saturday 13th Werne, Freilichtbuhne, Germany

Year of the Rat Tour 2009

Wednesday 2nd December 2009 Cleethorps Beachcomber with local support
Thursday 3rd December 2009 Homfirth Picture Dome with local support
Friday 4th December 2009 DNE Club Wakefield with special guests China Crisis

Saturday 5th December 2009 The Mick Jagger Centre, Dartford. with special guests Eddie and the Hot Rods
Sunday 6th December 2009 Whithaven Civic Hall, with special guest, Dave Sharp from The Alarm
Wednesday 9th December 2009 Key Street, Clitheroe. with special guest, Dave Sharp from The Alarm
Tuesday 8th Thursday 10th December 2009 The New Tavern, Wigan, with special guest, Dave Sharp from The Alarm
Thursday 10th December 2009 Rock City, Nottingham. with special guests China Crisis
Friday 11th December 2009 Victoria Hotel, Largs
Saturday 12th December 2009 The Roadhouse Birmingham, with special guest, Dave Sharp from The Alarm
Sunday 13th December 2009 Ropetackle Centre. Shoreham with special guest, Dave Sharp from The Alarm
Wednesday 16th December 2009 Norwich Waterfront as special guests of The Blockheads also featuring Dave Sharp from The Alarm
Thursday 17th December 2009 Electric Ballroom, London as special guests of The Blockheads and Eddie and The Hot Rods
Friday 18th December 2009 TJ's Newport with local support
Saturday 19th December 2009 The Lights. Andover with special guest, Dave Sharp from The Alarm
Saturday 19th December 2009 Pigs Nose Inn, East Prawl. Devon with local support
Sunday 20th December 2009 Mr Kyps. Poole, with special guest, Dave Sharp from The Alarm
Monday 21st December 2009 The Tunnels, Bristol as special guests of The Blockheads also featuring Dave Sharp from The Alarm
Tuesday 22nd December 2009 Oran Mor, Glasgow. Scotland. With Special Guests Eddie and The Hot Rods
Wednesday 23rd December 2009 Move Music Venue, Galashiels. Scotland. With Special Guests Eddie and The Hot Rods Sham 69



Summer Tour 2008

Saturday 26th July 2008- Pigs Nose Inn, East Prawl, Devon
Monday 4th August 2008 - Key Street Music Bar, Clitheroe
Wednesday 6th August 2008- The Robin, Bilston, Wolverhampton, WV14 7LJ
Thursday 7th August 2008 (+ THE VIBRATORS) 100 Club, 100 Oxford Street, London W1
Friday 8th August 2008- Rebellion Festival, Empress Ballroom, The Winter Gardens, Church Street, Blackpool. On stage 10.20pm
Saturday 9th August 2008- The M Club, Crewe. POSTPONED to Friday 23rd January
Saturday 15th November 2008 Charter Hall, Market Street, Okehampton. with special guest Andy Watts from The Seahorses
Wednesday 17th December 2008 Swansea Sin City with Eddie and The Hot Rods RESCHEDULED to 3rd February 2008

January 2009

Thursday 15th Key Street, Clitheroe TBC
Friday 16th
The Cluney Newcastle with special guest Andy Watts from The Seahorses

Saturday 17th Theatre Royal Wakefield with special guest Blackheart Andy Watts from The Seahorses
Wednesday 21st
Leeds Irish Centre with special guest Andy Watts from The Seahorses

Thursday 22nd Corn Exchange, Bedford. with special guest Andy Watts from The Seahorses
Friday 23rd M Club Crewe with special guest Andy Watts from The Seahorses
Saturday 24th
Corn Exchange, Newbury. with special guest Andy Watts from The Seahorses

Sunday 25th Rock n Blues Festival, Skegness with Eddie and The Hot Rods, Dr Feelgood, Wilko Johnson,The Hamsters etc

Strictly speaking the year of the Rat ended on 25th January 2009


Monday 26th Exmouth Pavillion with special guest Andy Watts from The Seahorses
Tuesday 27th The Musician, Leicester with special guest Andy Watts from The Seahorses
Wednesday 28th
The Arts Complex, Solihull with special guest Andy Watts from The Seahorses.
Thursday 29th The Playhouse Alnwick with special guest Andy Watts from The Seahorses
Friday 30th The Buccleuch Centre, Langholm, with special guest Andy Watts from The Seahorses
Saturday 31st The Platform Morcambe with special guest Andy Watts from The Seahorses

February 2009

Sunday 1st Martletts Hall, Burgess Hill. with special guest Dave Sharp from The Alarm
Tuesday 3rd Swansea Sin City with Eddie and The Hot Rods
Wednesday 4th Huntingdon Hall Worcester with special guest Dave Sharp from The Alarm
Thursday 5th
The Castle Wellinborough with special guest Dave Sharp from The Alarm

Tuesday 10th
Baby Blue Club, The Albert Dock, Liverpool with special guest Dave Sharp from The Alarm
Thursday 12th
Ashcroft Theatre, Croydon with special guest Dave Sharp from The Alarm.

Friday 13th The Brook Southampton with special guest Dave Sharp from The Alarm
Saturday 14th The Playhouse, Harlow with special guest Dave Sharp from The Alarm
Sunday 15th The Robin Bilston with special guest Dave Sharp from The Alarm


Friday 17th April 2009 SPIRIT OF 77 FESTIVAL West Coast Bar, King Street, Margate. £13.50 http://www.westcoastlive.co.uk/
Saturday 18th April 2009 Hailsham Pavilion with support
Thursday 23rd
April 2009 Rothes Hall, Glenrothes. Fife. Scotland with support tba

Friday 24th April 2009 Motor Cycle News (MCN) Festival. Skegness
Saturday 25th April 2009 Didcot Arts Centre
Monday 25th May 2009
Darwen Town Festival (Free Festival)
Saturday 13th June 2009 South Shields Ampitheatre (Free Festival)



Saturday 27th June 2009 PARTY ON THE FARM - Edolphs Farm, Charlwood. Surrey RH6 0EB http://www.theratsatedolphs.co.uk/ £20

Tuesday 4th August 2009 Ypres Town Festival. Belgium



Boomtown Rats @ Ieper


Boomtown Rats @ Ieper



Wednesday 30th September 2009 Monte Carlo, Monaco Le Moods with special guests The Damned From The Jam
Thursday 1st October 2009 Paris with special guests The Damned From The Jam

Friday, September 18, 2009

The first Rats Tape


http://www.irishrock.org/ipnw/bands/boomtownrats.html

I just read about a demo tape from the Rats pre-record contract. Interesting that the only songs to ever make it to record were Neon Heart and Born to Burn. Menage A Trois did get an airing on BBC Radio 1 back in 1979, but there are few unknown Rats songs. It is also possible that these tracks changed names and are familiar. However, I don't have any idea on that.

I guess no one has this. Do they? You know it's Christmas soon? Should you have it or a copy, let me know. But don't expect me to pay for it, I've given out plenty of rare MP3s/videos so I'm due some payback!

You can get a flavour of the tape from the originals. Use Spotify to construct a playlist, unless you happen to have all the tracks. I bought Burnin' by the Wailers yesterday, so bar a couple of tracks I have most of them somewhere.

There are 22 tracks on the tape with seven Rats originals. Dave Moloney (of Vipers fame) plays drums on the first 10 tracks, Simon Crowe on the rest.

In general, I have gone for the version The Rats are most likely to have copied rather than the true original.

Side One
Rolling Stones (Original Chuck Berry)Little Queenie
Little WalterMy Babe
Boomtown RatsGettin' Back To Me
WailersGet Up Stand Up
Boomtown RatsNew Wave (New Age)
Boomtown RatsNeon Heart
Chuck BerryPromised Land
Ronnie WoodI Can Feel The Fire
Rolling Stones (Original Nat King Cole)Route 66
Boomtown RatsBorn To Burn
Boomtown RatsJesse James
Side Two
Eddie Cochran (Original Clyde McPhatter song)Money Honey
Dr. FeelgoodAll Through The City
Rolling Stones (Original Chuck Berry)Carol
The WhoMy Generation
Dr. FeelgoodRiot In Cell Block #9
Little WalterMy Babe
Dr. Feelgood (Original John Lee Hooker)Boom Boom
Dr. FeelgoodDon't You Just Know It
Boomtown RatsGetting Back To Me
Boomtown RatsMenage A Trois
Rolling Stones (Original Chuck Berry)Little Queenie


Monday, July 20, 2009

Thirty years ago - I Don't Like Mondays released



And he can see no reasons
'Cos there are no reasons
What reason do you need to be shown?

Tell me why
I don’t like Mondays
I wanna shoot the whole day down


I Don't Like Mondays is the most famous Rats song vying with Do They Know It's Christmas? as Geldof's most well known composition. The story behind the song is pretty well known. On the morning of Monday 29th January 1979 in San Diego, a 16-year-old schoolgirl, Brenda Spencer, took the .22 calibre gun her father had given her as a Christmas present and aimed it at the school playground directly opposite her family home. She killed two men and injured eight children.

Her explanation for doing this was "I don't like Mondays, it livens up the day."

The silicon chip inside her head
Gets switched to overload
And nobody’s gonna go to school today
She’s gonna make them stay at home
And daddy doesn’t understand it
He always said she was good as gold


Geldof claims he was doing an interview in Atlanta with Johnnie Fingers when the news story came through on the telex and started writing the song the same day.
However when Mondays was performed for the first time in San Diego itself on 27th February 1979, he claimed to have read about the incident in the newspapers and saw it on the televison in London. The first rendition

To quote Geldof from the San Diego concerts....

San Diego 27th Feb 1979 - ."..about a month ago we read in the paper in England about Debbie Spencer...."

San Diego 28th Feb 1979 - "...what happened was we were watching the box in London and next minute san diego came on the tv screen and there was a picture of this girl I think Brenda Spencer....."

http://www.wolfgangsvault.com/boomtown-rats/

This is a more likely, if less interesting, explanation, especially as Geldof was probably not in the US at the time. Geldof and Fingers did tour the US in January 1979 and visited a number of radio stations but at the time of the incident it is likely they had returned to London.

The alternative account from Is That is? is littered with inconsistencies such as the incident happening four months previous rather than just one month. This is Paul Vallely, his ghost writer, using his creative licence.

The Telex machine is kept so clean
And it types to a waiting world


The most famous rendition of the song was at Live Aid in 1985 when Geldof
paused to dramatic effect on the snippet -

And the lesson today is how to die

Which was an apt statement for the day, albeit in the context of a song about a spree killer. Interestingly, this was the first school shooting of its kind, a phenomenon that culminated in the infamous Columbine tragedy.

The song entered the UK charts at number 15 and reached number one the following week and stayed there for four weeks. It didn't fare so well in the United States thanks to the song being more or less banned from the radio, and peaked at number 73.

It also represented the commercial peak of The Boomtown Rats, A Tonic for the Troops re-entered the UK album charts on the back of the success of I Don't Like Mondays. For a short period they were arguably the biggest band in the British Isles.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Don't_Like_Mondays

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Chicago/Change The World



Cover of "Chicago/Change the world" by Crosby Stills and Nash sung by David Gimour, Chrissie Hynde and Bob Geldof in support of "Pentagon Hacker" Gary Mckinnon. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Mckinnon

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Midsummer’s Gig for Dave McHale - Blackrock Rugby Club - Sunday 21st June 2009 - 6.30pm

Dave McHale, 58, died in late May 2009 in Frankfurt after losing his battle with cancer.

Dave played on Mondo Bongo and V Deep and toured with the band in the early eighties. He was thought of as the unofficial seventh member of The Boomtown Rats. Dave played keyboards and saxophone and was a session musician of some repute.





The Midsummer’s Gig for Dave aimed to raise funds to erect a bench in his home town of Monkstown, County Dublin in his memory.




Garrick Roberts, Pete Briquette and Bob Geldof took part in a one-off musical tribute at Blackrock Rugby Club and sung Dave, from the In The Long Grass LP, the song that he wrote about his friend's plight .


Geldof was inspired to write 'Dave' after McHale's girlfriend died suddenly. "We had dropped Dave off in London after a tour," he explained. "He had a row with his girlfriend and she took off. Then he found her dead from a five-pound bag of heroin. I wrote this song the next day."






Hot Press

Friday, March 13, 2009

Another date for Geldof in the Irish pub in the middle of the Fucking Desert


Geldof certainly seems to like it out there. His annual St. Patrick's date at the Dubai Irish Village takes place on Friday March 13th. Tickets available from www.itp.net/tickets



Entry Charges: Dhs100
Opening hours: Door open 7pm show stars 9pm

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Spotify now available to everyone in the UK

This is a great streaming service along with www.we7.com that will allow you to listen to a vast back catalogue of music including ALL the Boomtown Rats albums, among many others. Pretty much everything from Bob Dylan to Pulp (well except The Beatles). There are some advertisements but other than that it's all FREE!!!

Starting today people in the UK will no longer need an invitation to join Spotify, you can register for the free streaming service directly from the website.

http://www.spotify.com/en/products/free/

Thursday, January 29, 2009

See The Rats in Harlow for a Fiver!

Credit Crunch Special! Treat the love of your life on Valentine's night.

http://www.playhouseharlow.com/whatson/plays/boomtown-rats

Toni Weekes presents...
Original Boomtown Rats Garry Roberts and Simon Crowe with Peter Barton and Darren Beale present The Rats In Concert
Sat 14th February 2009 - 7.30pm
Main Auditorium
Featuring Special Guest Dave Sharp from The Alarm.

Price: £5

Dates and times
14 February, 2009 19:30