tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17680824.comments2023-10-20T11:44:48.543+01:00The Boomtown RatsArrGeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02192601823509465615noreply@blogger.comBlogger110125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17680824.post-24708556083321378622017-08-31T15:02:31.050+01:002017-08-31T15:02:31.050+01:00Some while back I remastered the boot of this broa...Some while back I remastered the boot of this broadcast - sounds bloody amazing now, good clear as a bell stereo with some balls. Grab it from here: http://www.liveandloudshows.com/2014/09/show-8-boomtown-rats-middlesex.htmlFlip Martianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14067481528668200752noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17680824.post-91366946218987755922017-05-01T09:42:32.667+01:002017-05-01T09:42:32.667+01:00I was at Birmingham Town Hall in June 1977, after ...I was at Birmingham Town Hall in June 1977, after meeting Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers at Virgin Records earlier in the day. It was my first ever gig, at 15 years old. The Rats cam eon first.... "Good Evening, we're the Boomtown Rats"... I remember both bands did Route 66 at the end of their sets, as encores (if I am remembering correctly. I'd better check the recording I made of the night, that I've never given to ANYONE, ever. Maybe it's time to dig it out and offer it to the bands for historical purposes!) I certainly never tried to profit off a bootleg when SO many others were doing the same. But I digress)...<br />I made friends with the Rats when they came and sat in the audience, surrounding me and I went backstage with them after the concert. I was hooked and The Rats' management and / or Ensign Records made sure I knew of upcoming Rats gigs in the area over the next few years. I went on to see the Rats 13 times between 1977 and 1982 (when I left the country to pursue dreams - still in Japan now after 20 or so other countries on the way!).<br /><br />I have a great picture that was published in the Birmingham Evening Mail showing me wearing my Lookin' After No.1 armband on the front row of Birmingham Odeon months later.<br /><br />I went on stage to "take pictures" at the Odeon at a later gig, when they played "Having My Picture Taken"... the lads were always gentlemen, and always a great show. It was an honour to know them back then!KobeSamuraihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11645166185549435513noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17680824.post-71412401088747561672016-11-19T02:29:32.976+00:002016-11-19T02:29:32.976+00:00Great concert. thanks for sharing. Wish I can be ...Great concert. thanks for sharing. Wish I can be in your concert. please come to Australia next time. We miss you here.<br />Sylhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02461859693706680832noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17680824.post-9852997479137540392016-11-09T13:02:59.672+00:002016-11-09T13:02:59.672+00:00http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/bob-geldo...http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/bob-geldof-boomtown-rats-brentwood-festival-walkout-crowd-primark-a7148686.html<br /><br />The Boomtown Rats reportedly sparked a walkout after lead singer Bob Geldof told members of his audience they were wearing “wall to wall f*****g Primark”.<br /><br />Geldof and his band headlined The Brentwood Festival in Essex on Sunday evening. <br />During their performance, the singer and activist gave an explicit-filled address to the crowd.<br /><br />“We are the Boomtown Rats,” he shouted, before launching into a speech about outfit choices and 'looking rock ’n’ roll'.<br /><br />“We are mega, you are Brentwood. How do we know that you are Brentwood?” he asked. “I for one am wearing a f*** off pretend snakeskin suit,” he said before pointing to his bandmates who were wearing “cowboy shirts” while another wore “a purple suit with elasticated waistband.”<br /><br />“On the other hand, Brentwood you are wearing wall to wall fucking Primark. When you come to a rock ’n’ roll festival, dress for a rock ’n’ roll festival.”<br /><br />The charity campaigner also issued a political warning about the new Prime Minister Theresa May and Brexit.<br /><br />“You can never be too careful. That song we just did was written at the end of 1975 when Margaret Thatcher became leader of the opposition,” he said.<br /><br />Responding the crowd, he continued: “What are you booing for? We’re in fucking Brexit land here guys […] It’s just as well we wrote that song because this year is about Theresa May. She’s gonna do you in,” he shouted.<br /><br />Some members of the audience reportedly decided to leave the show after Geldof’s ranting.<br /><br />“As he launched into another dreadful song, we, along with hoards of others, headed for the exit and I found myself in a queue to leave in the middle of a headline set,” one festival-goer told the Essex Chronicle.<br /><br />Festival co-ordinator Laurie Edmonds apologised for the language and confirmed to the paper some people chose to leave as a result of the bad language. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17680824.post-57834470864170394432016-08-14T10:24:21.385+01:002016-08-14T10:24:21.385+01:00http://newarkadvertiser.co.uk/articles/news/mh4sh6...http://newarkadvertiser.co.uk/articles/news/mh4sh6myeeYHeFTbO0SXsfc4qmNeHOJX1jIKV71ASfDZT<br /><br />Around 4,000 people had a weekend to remember when The Boomtown Rats headlined a music festival in a small Nottinghamshire village.<br />The band requested to play at the festival having seen positive online reviews.<br /><br />The band performed at Wellowfest, on a stage that itself was used at Glastonbury.<br /><br />They had requested to play at the festival, staged in Wellow, near Ollerton, after seeing positive reviews of the event from previous years.<br /><br />Once Sir Bob had drawn the audience's attention to his fake snakeskin suit, and told the crowd they all looked like they dressed at Primark, the action was under way.<br /><br />The band put in an energetic performance full of gusto and vigour backed by an in incredible psychedelic light show.<br /><br />Sir Bob sand, played harmonica, and bashed the tambourine, making the stage his own, while the band kept the audience at fever pitch.<br /><br />The only words that fell on deaf was when Sir Bob encouraged the crowd to take their clothes off.ArrGeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02192601823509465615noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17680824.post-5364654456336870642016-08-14T10:21:15.622+01:002016-08-14T10:21:15.622+01:00http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/whats-on/music-ni...http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/whats-on/music-nightlife-news/godiva-festival-review-boomtown-rats-11557888<br /><br />Godiva Festival 2016 - Bob Geldof and The Boomtown Rats<br /><br />Coming just a week after the EU Referendum result left Sir Bob Geldof crestfallen, The Boomtown Rats’ performance at Godiva Festival offers him the perfect chance to instigate a righteous anger in the crowd.<br /><br />From targeting Theresa May and her campaign to lead the Conservative Party in between songs, to rallying the thousands in the crowd in War Memorial Park to try and make a change in the establishment, the 64-year-old singer exhibits an energy which undermines his age.<br /><br />On a rain-soaked Friday night at the three-day music festival, The Boomtown Rats take to the stage shortly after 9.15pm, with legions of nostalgic music fans in attendance soaking up the atmosphere.<br /><br />There’s plenty on offer for them, too, besides the sight of an iconic punk rocker who has given the public everything from ‘Like Clockwork’ to Live Aid.<br /><br />Taking to the stage after an expletive-laden introduction video, The Boomtown Rats are on top form, lapping up the crowd’s appreciation as Geldof struts around on-stage like a born performer.<br /> <br />Offering an explosion of energy which puts many of the younger bands on the opening night of the free-for-all bash to shame, The Boomtown Rats display a tight musicianship as the clouds darken and the night draws in.<br /><br />There’s plenty of hits for the fans to enjoy - and that’s unsurprising, considering the band crafted nine Top 20 UK singles during a creative purple patch of songwriting in the 1970s and 1980s.<br /><br />Sir Bob remains the centrepiece of the outfit, capable of drawing you in with his vivacity as Pete Briquette, Simon Crowe and Garry Roberts help the iconic punk rocker air tracks from all six of the band’s studio albums.<br /><br />The highlights range from ‘Like Clockwork’, the 1978 single which reached number six in the charts, to classics ‘I Don’t Like Mondays’ and ‘Rat Trap’.<br /><br />The latter sees him spitting “I’m neither here nor there”, but you get the impression Geldof is exactly where he wants to be - issuing a call to arms for the masses, amid a politically turbulent period which makes Netflix series House of Cards seem almost tame.<br /><br />‘Banana Republic’, meanwhile, sounds stadium-sized in the open air as The Boomtown Rats inject a cool rhythm to proceedings after thanking Coventry for spawning legendary 2-Tone band The Specials, who hit the charts at a similar time to the ‘Someone’s Looking At You’ outfit.<br /><br />Of course, the set highlight - perhaps predictably - comes in the shape of ‘I Don’t Like Mondays’, the 1979 number one single which hit the chart zenith after being written in response to a Californian school shooting.<br /><br />The song sounds seismic in the night sky, with revellers hollering the chorus back at the Live Aid creator as the realisation kicks in that a fantastic weekend in Coventry has just started.ArrGeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02192601823509465615noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17680824.post-20803245598395736212016-08-14T10:13:24.384+01:002016-08-14T10:13:24.384+01:00http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/the-boomto...http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/the-boomtown-rats-play-the-racecourse-at-long-last-1.2751655<br /><br />The Boomtown Rats play the racecourse at long last<br /><br />They were the shows that never happened. Now, nearly 40 years after Bob Geldofs band were meant to play at Leopardstown, the group are finally taking to its stage.<br /><br />It was February 20th, 1980, when, as RTÉ reported, hundreds of fans mobbed the band as they walked from the tarmac to the airport terminal. Such was the clamour around King Rat that Geldof became isolated for a while from his chauffeur- driven Mercedes.<br /><br />For their glorious homecoming the Rats had sold all 7,500 tickets for two shows at Leopardstown, to take place on February 22nd and 23rd.<br /><br />As he had done more than his share of annoying, criticising and provoking the great and good of the land, it perhaps came as no surprise that the District Court refused to grant a licence for the Rats homecoming shows.<br /><br />But far from being degenerate punks, the six-piece Rats were all nice middle-class boys from Glenageary, in south Co Dublin, and it was at Blackrock College, not CBGB, that some of them were educated.<br /><br />While Geldof held court in Blooms Hotel, telling journalists that he had been vilified and banned from playing in his own shoddy and second-rate country, it became clear that the siege of Anglesea Street wouldnt be lifted until the Rats were allowed to play.<br /><br />On March 2nd, 1980, Geldof strode on to a hastily erected stage at the castle and waited for the screams of 10,000 fans to abate. He grabbed the mic and said just two words: Who won?ArrGeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02192601823509465615noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17680824.post-70718514588754909172016-07-20T08:03:37.419+01:002016-07-20T08:03:37.419+01:00http://www.essexchronicle.co.uk/angry-fans-leave-b...http://www.essexchronicle.co.uk/angry-fans-leave-brentwood-festival-early-after-bob-geldof-s-expletive-laden-political-rant/story-29527611-detail/whatson/story.html<br /><br />Geldof criticised fans for wearing "wall to wall f***ing Primark"<br /><br />Hoards of disgruntled fans left Brentwood Festival early after headliner Bob Geldof insulted the crowd for wearing clothes from Primark before launching into an expletive-laden political rant.<br /><br />The singer, who appeared with his band the Boomtown Rats on Sunday evening (July 16) of the three-day event, offended festival-goers so much several left before his most well-known hit, I Don't Like Mondays.<br /><br />As the band came onto the stage, he shouted: "We don't do Abba. We don't do Robbie ******* Williams."<br /><br />He then stopped after one song and began a tirade comparing the family event to a rock and roll concert.<br /><br />"Brentwood, we are the Boomtown Rats," he screamed.<br /><br />"We are mega. And you are Brentwood. How do we know that you are Brentwood and we are mega? Because I am wearing a **** off pretend snakeskin suit and [they] are wearing **** off cowboy shirts even though they live in London."<br /><br />Referring to one of his band, he said: "This [guy] who you'll remember as a slim handsome young ladis wearing a **** off purple suit with an elasticated waistband so that when he gets even ******* fatter you won't notice. On the other hand Brentwood, you are wearing wall to wall ******* Primark. This is a rock and roll festival. When you come to a rock and roll festival you dress for a rock and roll festival. You can never be too careful. That song we just did was written at the end of 1975 when Margaret Thatcher became leader of the opposition. What are you booing for? We're in ******* Brexit land here guys. Yeah, we're Irish, we're still in Europe. It's just as well we wrote that song because this year is about Theresa May. She's gonna do you in. There's always someone looking at you Brentwood."<br /><br />Later, during a performance of I Don't Like Mondays, he paused and stayed silent for 90 seconds.<br /><br />One festival-goer, who left with her husband before the finale said: "They sounded pretty dreadful, especially after just hearing the fantastic voice of Tony Hadley, and of course they have a very limited back catalogue. We were just thinking we probably wouldn't bother staying to hear I Don't Like Mondays as it didn't look like it would be worth the wait when Bob launched into an extraordinary, expletive laden rant. As he launched into another dreadful song, we, along with hoards of others, headed for the exit and I found myself in a queue to leave in the middle of the headline set. All around you could hear mutterings from fed up festival-goers of how disgusting he was and 'how dare he'. It was a shame he had marred what was otherwise a fabulous day out."<br /><br />Festival co-ordinator Laurie Edmonds apologised for the language, but said it was "part of the act."<br /><br />She said: "They're a punk band. You expect them to be a bit controversial and he got a reaction from the crowd. People know he speaks his mind. That's just what they do but they were a fantastic punk band and we thought it would go down well with our crowds. We know he's a bit of a lightning rod and people will have strong reactions to him."<br /><br />She explained that organisers had made a conscious decision to put the act on post-watershed.<br /><br />She continued: "We were disappointed that there was so much swearing. We want this to be a family event and it would have been nice if it was toned down. Some people who felt it was offensive made the decision to leave. We're truly sorry if people were offended. It wasn't our intention in booking them. We have had a couple of complaints but we've equally had people saying they were one of the best sets all weekend. There were still several thousands of people who stayed to the very end and were asking for encores."ArrGeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02192601823509465615noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17680824.post-18940739756561801592015-09-20T10:09:55.507+01:002015-09-20T10:09:55.507+01:00https://highonconcerts.wordpress.com/2015/08/11/bo...https://highonconcerts.wordpress.com/2015/08/11/boomtown-rats-br-radltour-friedberg/<br /><br />I Do Like Mondays<br />The Boomtown Rats, BR Radltour, parking Seegmüller Friedberg, 03.08.2015<br /><br />Now that the high summer had returned, my husband wanted to again give the right the mountains. We drove towards Garmisch and had a family hike planned by cable car ride and mega cool observation deck. But at the end of the motorway at Eschenlohe went nothing more. In storage so little has moved that we have finally decided to give up and turn back disappointed. Am Kochelsee we pastime and cooling (and how !! Poof was icy!) Wanted. In the late afternoon we went to Friedberg near Augsburg, mostly on highways, because we wanted to avoid the rush hour traffic on the Munich ring. That was a miserable Gurkerei as the traffic in the smaller places often faltered and there were diversions repeatedly.<br /><br />The old town of Friedberg perched on a hill and is surrounded by a city wall, which is built on. In a long bend it comes to the city walls along steeply up to the marketplace. Here the cyclists had a few hours before kicking the stage destination, at the end of the curve was hanging on the walls, a huge poster: "Almost g'schafft" We drove up easily by car, but felt nearly as KO.<br /><br />Our hotel was located in the old town on the green roof of a small passage. The landlord was very nice and told us that it only goes back by 21 clock going on today, he had guests from the Bavarian Radio ("naa, Sir Bob Geldof sleeping net here ...").<br /><br />After the artist of Radltour events were published, the Boomtown Rats appeared at first the most interesting appearance to me. Of course, "I Do not Like Mondays" one of the really great classics from my teenage time. And of course Bob Geldof is a true-legend, not least, of course, because he was the initiator of Live Aid, the probably most spectacular benefit concert of all time. On the other hand ... .the Boomtown Rats ... .mir was quite clear that Punk and New Wave are not quite mine.<br /><br />Very eccentric Bob Geldof was on stage. In snakeskin suit and sunglasses he performed strange movements, gave the wrong view or croaked into the microphone. "I'm wearing snakeskin - and her? Just old T-shirts ". He introduced but then very quickly realized that the leather is not genuine. The show was full of energy and well worth seeing. Some of the songs I liked quite benign while others do not.<br /><br /><br />After Geldof had laid a furious harmonica solo and thereby rolling on the floor and on the guitarist, welcomed the audience. And was completely different. A natural guy who smiled sometimes.<br /><br /><br />Only for the song "Banana Republic" he said a few words, it was written in the early 80 on corrupt Irish Government and idly zusehende organizations.<br /><br />A real highlight was "I Do not Like Mondays", where the audience was of course text safely. About the sad background of the song itself made no thoughts, there was now a super concert mood celebrated and it was just great. Allegedly it should be again been 12,000 spectators, on the premises of a furniture store, I had all but half a size smaller than before yesterday. It does not matter in any case it was enough for goose bumps when the mass the "OOH OOH oh" sang the refrain. And then this slow verse where Geldof is accompanied only by the piano .... Incidentally, was Monday today.<br /><br />After that there was a medley with punk cover songs. Another one of my highlights was "Looking After No. 1", which I love, since I bought this record from the Irish Self Aid festival, which, incidentally, was the last appearance of the Boomtown Rats - in 1986. They are back together only since 2013 and have only a few concerts given in Germany.<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17680824.post-66264072041948319452015-09-19T19:08:04.313+01:002015-09-19T19:08:04.313+01:00http://www.main-spitze.de/lokales/kultur/musik/sir...http://www.main-spitze.de/lokales/kultur/musik/sir-bob-in-hoechstform_15473786.htm<br /><br />WIESBADEN - Confused mane, wild curses, manic dancing and good old New Wave attitude: Bob Geldof has once again entmottet the snakeskin suit and rescues for once not the world, but the memory of his beginnings as a true punk. With the 2013 reunified Boomtown Rats of Sir in the Wiesbaden Slaughterhouse is a highly acclaimed concert that proves assembly are still not his thing, but he can still snotty rock'n'roll. Even with the 63rd<br /><br />Of course, since a good deal of skepticism is initially attached. Because actually have the guys that since march forward to sirens, flashlights and the opening song "(I Never Loved) Eva Braun," played their farewell gig 30 years ago. Anno 1985, a few months after the "Live Aid" -Spektakel were Geldof, Pete Briquette (bass), Somon Crowe (drums) and co. once again set out on their last tour. The fate of the Irish combo but seemed finally settled, Bob has played solo from now - and was beaten for his charity work by the Queen knighted.<br /><br />Two years ago, then the surprising comeback of the rats, although not necessarily in old freshness or with new songs. A few test concerts in small clubs were on the agenda, but also just a really big performance at the "Isle of White" festival. During the "Reunion Tour" were now actually three stations in Germany on the plan. What remains is only the slaughterhouse concert after two refusals. Well, the room is not sold out here, the mood of the first minute but top - and Sir Bob, equipped with tambourine, harmonica and chewing gum, in top form.<br /><br />"Like Clockwork" (with curdling Ringer tinkle), "Neon Heart" or "(She's gonna) Do you in" then rock the same times from, as if someone had times turned hard on the clock and beamed us in the late 1970's , Fits to Geldof has once again risen in his gray, now somewhat greasy become "fucking Snakeskin Suit" and are feverishly chewing gum chewing to Mick Jagger for all friends of faux snakeskin. The voice powerfully that dancing is as bizarre as flashy, the gray mane soon drenched in sweat and grim punk pose still present - no, an alibi exercise is different.<br /><br />Perhaps Sir Bob has indeed together with Madame Jeanne Marine, and his third marriage in St. Tropez all dark chapter of his family history - from the death of his ex Paula Yates to heroin drama daughter Peaches - overcome and fueled new energy. "Banana Republic", "Lookin after No.1" or a Springsteen-like facility arranged "Council Tap" one has in any case no longer eternally so brilliantly well heard.<br /><br />In autopilot mode<br /><br />Only "I do not like Mondays", the indispensable, perhaps the biggest hit of the Council on a Amokläuferin in San Diego in 1979, he seems to want to run only in autopilot mode. However remunerated in an XL-medley version of "Mary of the 4th Form" with obeisance to John Lee Hooker ("Boom Boom") and somehow everything is grooving ravishing rock-bluesy. Since then the band around Stoics Alan Dunn (keyboards) and "Silver-Guitarrero" Gary Roberts may shine. At the end there's encores "Diamond Smiles" and, guess what, "The Boomtown Rats" - it is, after all, go with the council and "Bobby Boomtown". Maybe not the worst idea.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17680824.post-40071098852818829912014-12-06T16:41:50.472+00:002014-12-06T16:41:50.472+00:00Going back to Boomtown was something Devon-based R...Going back to Boomtown was something Devon-based Rat Simon Crowe never expected to do. But 28 years after their last performance, The Boomtown Rats reformed last year.<br /><br />What better place to conclude their autumn tour than Exeter University’s Lemon Grove on Sunday, November 9?<br /><br />Drummer Simon couldn’t be happier because it means he won’t have far to travel back home to his cottage between Totnes and Ashburton.<br /><br />How is the comeback going?<br /><br />Great despite a certain amount of surprise – the audience’s and ours! Obviously we’re knocking on a bit and to play with a similar energy to when we were back in the day is harder.<br /><br />I think Bob’s performance is better now than it ever was, even back in the day. He just takes command of the stage more. It’s that magic thing you might call charisma or stage presence. As far as I’m concerned he’s the ideal front man.<br /><br />Why did you decided to end the autumn tour in Exeter?<br /><br />It was supposed to end in London but the date got added on at the end. It’s just so I can get home really!<br /><br />The last time we played in Exeter was the Eighties. I can’t remember when, but it definitely was at the Great Hall.<br /><br />Why did the band get back together again?<br /><br />We all went off in different directions and came back together and discovered there was still a chemistry that makes it click.<br /><br />To play music together and be able to do something you love doing with people who are just like your mates is a privilege and honour. It’s not just a band of musicians getting together.<br /><br />How did you plan the comeback?<br /><br />Before we put the band back together we sat down and said it couldn’t be old and flab – we can’t make it sound like that even if we look like that!<br /><br />It was serious and we had our self respect and pride. That was our attitude and we were all in agreement about that. It had to be the best it could possibly be.<br /><br />Is there less pressure on the band second time around?<br /><br />There isn’t so much pressure, as we’ve had the hits and won’t come back and be the next great big thing. <br /><br />We don’t have to go out there and say, ‘This is our new album’. We can hand-pick the numbers we do because we had a string of hits.<br /><br />Have the Rats achieved everything they can or is there still more to come?<br /><br />We never really achieved the status we felt we were capable of, even back in the day. We were labelled as a kind of a pop band but the Rats were a very good band live and always were. That’s where we came from. We were not put together as a band of session players or by some businessman.<br /><br />We started for musical reasons and we all came from the same part of town and listened to the same sort of music. That carries a lot of weight and is why the band is what it is. It gives us very good and valid reasons for existing.<br /><br />What is the plan for 2015?<br /><br />We have quite a few festivals lined up next year. We will probably get together to do a few recordings between now and then and get a few other gigs on the calendar.<br /><br />What’s is the long term plan for the Rats?<br /><br />Where it goes from here it’s hard to say. I don’t really know. A lot depends on what everyone has got going on in their lives to bring us back down to earth. Unlike when we were 20-year-olds, we’re now 60-odd and are all involved with families and things like that. Things seem to get more complicated rather than easier when you get older!<br /><br />I think there is a growing will to do something more and we have done some recordings.<br /><br />Do you get to come back home to Devon often?<br /><br />It’s very full on with the Rats. When I go home I hit the ground running. That’s the way it is. <br /><br />Do you have any regrets about the Rats reforming?<br /><br />I would not have missed this for the world. It’s totally fulfilling which is what I want out of life. It is hard work but it’s what I really want to do.<br /><br />Read more: http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/Interview-Simon-Crowe-Boomtown-Rats/story-23625337-detail/story.html#ixzz3L8WA6L8X <br />Follow us: @expressandecho on Twitter | expressecho on FacebookAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17680824.post-46927243513588834892014-12-01T19:48:48.914+00:002014-12-01T19:48:48.914+00:00http://www.kenilworthweeklynews.co.uk/what-s-on/mu...http://www.kenilworthweeklynews.co.uk/what-s-on/music/no-forgotten-sound-for-boomtown-rats-1-6391324<br /><br />The Boomtown Rats performing at The Assembly, Leamington Spa,<br /><br />October 28 2014<br /><br />“On A Night Like This...”<br /><br />Thirty five years on, almost to the day, having last seen them at the now-defunct Rainbow Theatre in London, I renewed my acquaintance with The<br /><br />Boomtown Rats, and Bob Geldof in particular, having been rebuked by Bob at the gig all those years ago for not clapping my hands.<br /><br />“You in the red jumpsuit (oh dear!), clap your hands (plus a couple of swear words)” ...so I did.<br /><br />Sounds implausible but it happens to be true.<br /><br /> <br /> <br />The Rats are half-way round a tour of the UK having re-formed last year. The band members are now, like the writer of this review, well past their youth.<br /><br />However, that was forgotten as the years were rolled back and we were all angry and angst-ridden young men (and women) again listening to songs like “Rat Trap”, “I Don’t Like Mondays” and “Mary Of The Fourth Form”, each song sounding as fresh and as relevant now as it did then.<br /><br />Ok, the sound wasn’t sharp but this wasn’t a classical music concert.<br /><br />Bob had us all in the palm of his hand with his magnetic stage presence.<br /><br />Between songs he maintained his reputation for loquaciousness, telling some stories and occasionally putting the world to rights in his inimitable way – cue songs like “Banana Republic” and “Someone’s Looking At You”.<br /><br />Unsurprisingly, with a global superstar coming to Leamington, The Assembly was full and, to revert to cliché-speak, the place was rockin’. The intimacy of the venue surely helped and if The Rats play a better gig on their tour I’d love to be there.<br /><br />In a nutshell, it was worth the 35-year wait. I don’t think Bob remembered me, though. Perhaps it was because I wasn’t wearing the red jumpsuit this time.<br /><br />Rating 9.5/10<br /><br />By Richard BarrAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17680824.post-82891016971517315682014-12-01T19:45:11.999+00:002014-12-01T19:45:11.999+00:00THE return of The Boomtown Rats was so amazing I h...THE return of The Boomtown Rats was so amazing I had to pinch myself.<br /><br />After 27 years away, Bob Geldof himself told the Bournemouth crowd gathered on a cold, wet, windy night he didn’t think he could do it.<br /><br /><br />But he had rubbed down the fake snake-skin suit, gathered most of the original band and was good to go.<br /><br />For 90 glorious minutes we experienced the full rage and anger of tracks like Someone’s Looking, I Don’t Like Mondays and Eva Braun delivered by an impassioned, slightly croaky Bob who danced and pranced across the stage waving lanky arms and legs around, looking a mere fraction of his 63 years.<br /><br />Delivering the lines like poetry from underneath his long, silver, tousled hair, this was an intense and mesmerising performance that transported us back to our teens but also convinced us that the Rats are as current and fresh today as they have ever been.<br /><br />The music still has a frantic immediacy and despite capturing the anarchy of the punk/new wave era, the band was ultra tight and the sound quality was excellent.<br /><br />Most tracks were from the first three albums, including Like Clockwork, She’s Gonna Do You In and She’s So Modern, with one of the saddest and most disturbing songs being Diamond Smiles which in many ways mirrors the tragedy Bob |recently experienced with the death of his daughter Peaches: |he hugged himself as he sang |and its words certainly felt raw.<br /><br />The entire band was smiling by the end, clearly loving being back. I predict that the Rats will be around for a good while yet.<br /><br />HILARY PORTER<br /><br />http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/leisure/music/11589850.LIVE_REVIEW__Boomtown_Rats__o2_Academy__Bournemouth/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17680824.post-15307863753258859412014-11-26T10:01:04.041+00:002014-11-26T10:01:04.041+00:00Fcuk me, maybe you should go and see Ed Sheeran. T...Fcuk me, maybe you should go and see Ed Sheeran. They are meant to be loud. If my ears aren't ringing and my body isn't aching, I'd want a refund.ArrGeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02192601823509465615noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17680824.post-66636395129758257012014-11-26T07:43:17.131+00:002014-11-26T07:43:17.131+00:00Saw them in Dundee, FAR too loud,my ears were stil...Saw them in Dundee, FAR too loud,my ears were still ringing next morning, NO NEED FOR THAT MUCH VOLUME!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17680824.post-73417874636346009352014-11-25T22:42:42.807+00:002014-11-25T22:42:42.807+00:00The biggest surprise of the whole weekend was how ...The biggest surprise of the whole weekend was how monumental the Boomtown Rats were – for 90 minutes they were the best rock’n’roll band on the planet.<br /><br />Concentrating on the early years when they had a punk heart and Springsteen soul, Geldof, Briquette, Roberts, Crowe and a great new guitarist powered out guttersnipe anthems such as Joey’s On The Street Again, Someone’s Looking At You and She’s So Modern.<br /><br />Geldof was in his element – looking every inch the perfect frontman in fake snakeskin suit; lithe and sexy according to my female companion, despite the fact he’s now 62.<br /><br />And, yes, he mouthed off – Ireland, the Church, nationalism all got the infamous eff-word treatment.<br /><br />The run of Mary Of The 4th Form, Looking After No 1 and Rat Trap was as thrilling as it gets. Then there was I Don’t Like Mondays – a song bigger than the band – whose lyrics must have a sadder resonance for Geldof now. It was stunning.<br /><br />My heart sank, though, when they drew to a close with The Boomtown Rats, the most woeful comeback single a band has ever produced.<br /><br /><br />Read more: http://www.westbriton.co.uk/festival-heartlands-Cornwall-Pool-big-talent/story-22932239-detail/story.html#ixzz3K7gPl02O <br />Follow us: @westbriton on Twitter | westbriton on FacebookAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17680824.post-72527851716573809762014-11-25T22:38:20.068+00:002014-11-25T22:38:20.068+00:00http://www.thesunchronicle.com/go/review-boomtown-...http://www.thesunchronicle.com/go/review-boomtown-rats-make-satisfyingly-raucous-stop-in-boston/article_ea30b98e-5a2d-5def-a920-209bb0a5b9ed.html<br /><br />BY JULIET PENNINGTON FOR THE SUN CHRONICLE<br />BOSTON - Prior to playing the Isle of Wight Festival in England in 2013, The Boomtown Rats hadn't performed together live together for 27 years.<br />But once the Irish punk-pop-new wave band, fronted by Live Aid founder Bob Geldof, reunited, they decided to do more shows together and have been doing just that for more than a year.<br />The Boomtown Rats, who were more popular in their native Ireland and in the United Kingdom than in the States during their heyday in the late 1970s to mid-1980s, only had two dates in the U.S. on their current tour - one in New York City on Friday night and one at the Royale in Boston on Sunday night.<br />Playing to a packed house, the six-member ensemble (four of whom were original band members, the two missing ones being Johnnie Fingers and Gerry Cott) pulled out all the stops to entertain the mostly middle-age crowd. Their 13-song, 90-minute set saw Geldof - whose appealing, Dublin-accented voice is still strong - flitting around the stage in near-constant motion the entire time. His shaggy mane of once brown hair is now a mix of gray and white and he has a few wrinkles here and there, but Geldof is still lean and energetic with his Mick Jagger-like moves.<br />The 62-year-old lead singer and noted philanthropist (he was even knighted by the Queen of England for his efforts to eradicate hunger in Africa) engaged the crowd in light banter between songs, talking about how some of band's numbers from the early days are still relevant today. Among them, "Someone's Looking at You," the third single off the 1979 album, "The Fine Art of Surfacing," about paranoia and Big Brother.<br />Then there's the somber (and sadly prescient) ballad, "I Don't Like Mondays," which was also the band's biggest hit and a clear crowd favorite. It tells the story of a San Diego teenager who fired 30 rounds of ammunition at children and adults entering an elementary school in January 1979. The shooting left two people dead and nine wounded, and when police asked the shooter why she did it, one of the reasons she gave was that she didn't like Mondays.<br />Other crowd-pleasers included the opening number, "(I Never Loved) Eva Braun," off the 1978 album, "Tonic for the Troops." It seemed as if everyone in the venue sang along to the song's "la la la la la la la" refrain. The high-energy, new wave-sounding "She's So Modern," also off "Tonic for the Troops," had everyone dancing, as did "Mary of the Fourth Form," which the band turned into a medley that included "I Wanna Be Your Man," written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon for The Rolling Stones.<br />"Looking After Number One," the band's first single, released in 1977 on their eponymous debut album, saw Geldof strutting frantically on stage and improvising vocally. He seemed in his element as the crowd sang along enthusiastically to "Rat Trap," which reached No. 1 on the U.K. single charts in 1977. (The song, written by Geldof, bumped off "Summer Nights" from the "Grease" soundtrack, which had held the top spot for seven weeks.)<br />The Boomtown Rats closed the evening with a new number, a kind of rap-rock song called "The Boomtown Rats" where Geldof kept asking the audience what the name of his band is. They answered over and over, in unison and as loudly as possible with musical accompaniment.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17680824.post-37371131440304473822014-11-25T22:34:54.990+00:002014-11-25T22:34:54.990+00:00By Miriam Coleman | September 28, 2014
The Boomtow...By Miriam Coleman | September 28, 2014<br />The Boomtown Rats played their first U.S. show in more than 25 years on Friday night, taking the stage at New York City's Terminal 5 for Smithwick's Presents the Big Session. During the show, the Irish punk band, who originally broke up in the mid-1980s, revisited their somber 1979 hit "I Don't Like Mondays." <br /><br />Despite the dark content of the song, which was inspired by a school shooting, the performance turned into a warm crowd singalong, with a chorus of cheers erupting during the dramatic pause after the line, "the lesson today is how to die." <br /><br />Frontman Bob Geldof spoke with Rolling Stone about the Rats' reunion in 2013, when the band first reunited for shows in the U.K., Ireland and the U.A.E. Although he observed that the sour economic conditions that originally gave rise to bands like his were repeating themselves three decades later, he questioned whether rock could have the same social impact today. "The rock & roll era has passed," he said. "It’s over. So [our reunion] won’t have, I think, the same sort of cultural value. It’ll have a nostalgic value, I guess, but that’s not good enough for me. I would like it to be about these times now, addressing 18-year-olds. A rock festival shouldn’t be a middle-class outing, it should be a gathering of the clans, with intent." <br /><br />The Boomtown Rats will play one more U.S. show at Boston's Royale on Sunday night before heading to the U.K. for a string of tour dates running through November.<br /><br /><br /><br />Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/watch-the-boomtown-rats-play-their-first-u-s-show-in-decades-20140928#ixzz3K7eEA93q <br />Follow us: @rollingstone on Twitter | RollingStone on FacebookAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17680824.post-84859908461226779212014-11-24T16:18:51.348+00:002014-11-24T16:18:51.348+00:00http://music-news.com/showreview.asp?H=Rewind-Fest...http://music-news.com/showreview.asp?H=Rewind-Festival&nReviewID=10464<br /><br />By Sue Archer and Leigh Adams<br /><br />80s FESTIVAL Rewind went off with a boom this weekend – and it wasn’t just the fireworks – it was the Boomtown Rat himself, Sir Bob Geldof.<br /><br />Making an expletive-strewn first appearance at Rewind, the controversial die-hard rocker certainly made the 40,000 strong crowd take notice on Sunday as he exploded onto the stage.<br /><br />Proving to be the Marmite of the festival – the audience either loved him or loathed him – the zany frontman could be heard swearing in the wings, even before making an appearance.<br /><br />But his most famous hits including I Don’t Like Mondays and Rat Trap were well received by the 30 and 40-somethings reliving their misspent youths.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17680824.post-22886274415549678402014-11-24T12:46:25.949+00:002014-11-24T12:46:25.949+00:00SIMON Crowe is very modest about the Boomtown Rats...SIMON Crowe is very modest about the Boomtown Rats' achievements.<br /><br />"I like to think that we managed to rise above the level of being a pub band but sometimes I'm not sure," laughs the 62-year-old drummer.<br /><br />Between 1977 and 1980 The Rats had nine top 20 singles, two of which, Rat Trap and I Don't Like Mondays went to No. 1.<br /><br />Now they're playing festivals up and down the country this summer ahead of a major autumn tour. So why wait 27 years to do it all over again?<br /><br />"It felt like there was enough water under the bridge now for us to get back together," he says.<br /><br />"We weren't sure to begin with but once we all met up and tried to put the whole thing together we thought it would work."<br /><br />Crowe thinks that their songs fit the modern era better than they did in the 70s and 80s.<br /><br />"I can't put my finger on why that should be but I guess it shows how nothing is set forever – things sound different to different generations," he says.<br /><br />The band all hail from the same part of Dublin.<br /><br />Crowe went to school with Garry Roberts, the guitarist in the band, and lived in the house next door to Bob Geldof's aunt.<br /><br />"We were all at college together and just got into playing music as something to do on a Saturday afternoon.<br /><br />"We weren't established musicians or anything so we didn't have big aspirations."<br /><br />He says he fell into playing drums because everyone he knew at school played guitar and sang Dylan and Beatles songs.<br /><br />"I thought I better do something different otherwise I wouldn't get anywhere. I knew a friend who had a drum kit so it really started from there."<br /><br />"It's great how there's so much more of a festival scene today as well – it lends itself to band culture."<br /><br />Live music is where a band prove their worth, says Crowe.<br /><br />"It's the acid test for any band – you have to create a dynamic for the whole show with the songs you've got.<br /><br />"That's why I don't have a favourite song to play live because it's like saying which brick is best when you like the whole wall – it doesn't matter."<br /><br />With the Boomtown Rats playing again, it seems like that there may be some new material on the horizon.<br /><br />"We recorded a few tracks last year but I can't see us adding much to that this year because we're so busy.<br /><br />"When we play Splendour we'll be coming from Guildford up to Nottingham then on to Scotland the following day – it's a lot of travelling for a group of old duffers!"<br /><br />They played Rock City in Nottingham last year and got a great reception.<br /><br />"We went down really well when we came here – I remember it being a great gig. Nottingham's a great city – I remember having a lot of fun when we were there."<br /><br />It's safe to say their Splendour performance will be equally crowd pleasing.<br /><br />"We've got nothing to prove and no single to promote or anything so we can go out there and play all the hits.<br /><br />"We hope people will hear the one song they remember then recognise the next one and have a really good time!"<br /><br />Confetti Stage, 8.30pm<br /><br />Read more: http://www.nottinghampost.com/Splendour-interview-Boomtown-Rats/story-21653159-detail/story.html#ixzz3JzPGQYUT <br />Follow us: @Nottingham_Post on Twitter | NottinghamPostOnline on FacebookAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17680824.post-84109675559801056512014-11-24T12:43:47.108+00:002014-11-24T12:43:47.108+00:00Bob Geldof and co. appear in a flurry of sirens, t...Bob Geldof and co. appear in a flurry of sirens, the frontman's shaggy grey mane instantly recognisable in what he describes as a "pretend snakeskin suit".<br /><br />You might be forgiven for thinking that Bob might cut a desolate figure given the hand he has been dealt so far in 2014, but he's nothing of the sort.<br /><br />While the iffy PA system occasionally crackles under the weight of the Boomtown Rats sound, Bob is undeterred, launching into a harmonica solo as he whips his scraggly mop around and ends half-wrestling half-cuddling on the floor with guitarist Garry Roberts.<br /><br /><br />I Don't Like Mondays is of course the highlight, but the crowd fortunately/unfortunately ignore Bob's instructions to take off all their clothes.<br /><br />The Boomtown Rats' sound is uncompromising and Bob and his mates are showing no sign of slowing down any time soon. Energetic to the very last moment of the encore, they depart to the sound of sirens that they arrived on the Confetti Stage to and more than a few will have questioned why they weren't given top billing on the Main Stage.<br /><br /><br />Read more: http://www.nottinghampost.com/Review-Splendour-2014-Confetti-Stage/story-21663875-detail/story.html#ixzz3JzNdNKaF <br />Follow us: @Nottingham_Post on Twitter | NottinghamPostOnline on Facebook<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17680824.post-48620803930134975922014-11-24T12:29:34.522+00:002014-11-24T12:29:34.522+00:00http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/whats-on/music-nightlif...http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/whats-on/music-nightlife-news/guilfest-2014-bob-geldof--7457445<br /><br />There were some raised eyebrows when Sir Bob and the Rats were announced as the first headliner on Guilfest's return.<br /><br />With the tragedy earlier this year it seemed unlikely but Sir Bob arrives in good spirits and is a revelation.<br /><br />The band dispenses rock and soul far removed from the punk well from which it supposedly sprang. Someone's Looking at You is an extended joyful yell with a kick more Jarvis than Axel.<br /><br />At other times Bob prowls the stage verbally assaulting the mic. Bowie was an influence too, let us not forget.<br /><br />The crowd is not huge but grows as the band grows into the set. Bob too is enjoying himself and has not lost his famous way with words.<br /><br />"We are totally mega. We are completely f***-off magnificent."<br /><br />He is also very proud of his snakeskin suit, which he dug up after a break of 27 years. Let's not forget The Rats. They are as tight as a rock'n'roll band can hope to be.<br /><br />She's So Modern is as bouncy and catchy a pop tune as you could want and Banana Republic winds and twists.<br />"I Wanna Be Your Lover Guildford."<br /><br />There is the song of course - the song - and it is a festival moment from a great pop song. A singalong and a touching moment. Followed directly with a riff-heavy Close As You'll Ever Be.<br /><br />Rat Trap rounded off the main set and an encore was topped off with a hard house/rock crossover: "The Boomtown Rats."<br /><br />It should not work but good will built up over the hours, and the years, made this the Rats' night.<br /><br />Set list:<br /><br />(I Never Loved) Eva Braun<br />Like Clockwork<br />Neon Heart<br />(She's Gonna) Do You In<br />Someone's Looking At You<br />Joey's On The Streets Again<br />Banana Republic<br />She's So Modern<br />I Don't Like Mondays<br />Close As<br />When The Night Comes<br />Mary of The 4th Form<br />Lookin' After No. 1<br />Rat Trap<br />Never Bite The Hand That Feeds<br />Diamond Smiles<br />The Boomtown RatsAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17680824.post-79603468874892906702014-11-24T12:26:53.502+00:002014-11-24T12:26:53.502+00:00http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/oct/21/boomt...http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/oct/21/boomtown-rats-o2-abc-glasgow-bob-geldof-review<br /><br />Bob Geldof would have been well within his rights not to give two of his favourite four-letter words about this Boomtown Rats reunion.<br /><br />So to hear him introduce the Irish new wavers in a throaty, mid-Atlantic bellow as “the greatest fucking rock’n’roll band in the world”, then to see him give it what could only be described as “full Bob” for the next 90-minutes is a pleasant surprise. Dressed in, as he describes it, “a fuck-off pretend snakeskin suit”, Geldof’s a dancing, prancing, restless mess of a frontman, all manic gum-chewing, grey scarecrow hair and goofy limbs. Fantastic value, in short.<br /><br />For a group whose singer’s magnetism ultimately outshone their collective allure, the other five Rats – three originals among them – convincingly play their part in a nostalgia piece with more energy and attack than most, safari-suited bassist Pete Briquette in particular exuding his own pouty charisma.<br /><br />There’s little to suggest that music history has somehow undervalued this band’s contribution – songs like (I Never Loved) Eva Braun and Neon Heart haunt the memory little longer than their duration. But there’s plenty of proof that, with 11 top-40 singles from 1977-82, five top-10s and two No 1s included, the Rats reaped much from their potential.<br /><br />Split by a long, pregnant pause, I Don’t Like Mondays is a literal show-stopper, topped only by its partner piece in pseudo-theatrical rock’n’roll pomp, Rat Trap. Dignity would have most groups leave it there, but then tidy grace has never been Geldof’s style, and thus we also get a toe-curling, techno-fied Boomtown Rats theme-song of sorts complete with, yes, dubstep drop. “We’re the Rats,” yells Bob, characteristically unapologetic to the last, “and we’re back.” Good stuff – just keep them away from the recording studio.ArrGeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02192601823509465615noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17680824.post-77785284974575375062014-11-24T12:25:04.593+00:002014-11-24T12:25:04.593+00:00http://www.guide2bristol.com/news/84729/Boomtown-R...http://www.guide2bristol.com/news/84729/Boomtown-Rats-at-Bristol-O2-Academy-review<br /><br />Vivienne Kennedy reviews Boomtown Rats at Bristol O2 Academy<br /> <br />If I Don't Like Mondays was a place rather than a song it would be Pisa...let me explain myself:<br /> <br />A few years ago I turned around a corner in the Italian city of Pisa and caught my first glimpse of the Leaning Tower, in that instant I realised that I'd always wanted to be there. I had a similar feeling halfway through the Boomtown Rats gig at Bristol's O2 Academy last night - I Don't Like Mondays is my favourite song and I always knew that Bob Geldof and the Boomtown Rats singing it live would be special, but it was only when I heard those first few keyboard notes that I realised just how much I've always wanted to hear it; 12 hours later I am still pinching myself to make sure it wasn't a dream.<br /> <br />For me that number and Rat Trap, which followed shortly after, were the highlights of the band's 90 minute set but I enjoyed it all and couldn't help being impressed by Bob Geldof's amazingly energetic performance, it's like he's eaten all the Shredded Wheat...the man's in his 60s for goodness sake!<br /> <br />As well as the music I also enjoyed listening to Geldof talk, he explained why he wears his now famous faux snakeskin suit at gigs, spinning a tale about enlisting guitarist Garry Roberts's help when he needed to recapture the anger of his youth in order to perform in the way that he wanted to, and later spoke about a period in which the band found themselves banned from their native Ireland before launching into Banana Republic, reggae flavoured and another of my favourite Rat tracks. <br /> <br />The hits are more than 30 years old but they don't sound in the least bit dated and the lyrics are still relevant particularly in the case of Someone's Looking At You, written about surveillance in 1979 when Geldof can't possibly have imagined how much we'd find ourselves watched now when there are cameras on every street and we all voluntarily carry devices that track our every move. "Nothing changes" was definitely the theme of the night.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17680824.post-46637953453537280512014-11-24T12:21:55.822+00:002014-11-24T12:21:55.822+00:00http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/leisure/reviews/1...http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/leisure/reviews/11586930.The_Boomtown_Rats__O2_Academy/<br /><br />by Allan Jones<br /><br />The Rats may have had a prolonged break between 1986 and 2013 but they haven’t wasted any time since they reformed.<br /><br />With a full year of gigs and festivals in 2013 and another busy year in 2014 Bobs certainly getting his money's worth out of that snakeskin suit.<br /><br /><br />The venue may have only been a third full but you would have thought that it was a bunch of 17 year olds on stage looking for their first big break.<br /><br />Everything that propelled The Rats into the spotlight all those years ago is still there and they put on a great gig tonight.<br /><br />The energy, enthusiasm and the singers’ foul mouth were all there to be enjoyed and the majority of the crowd did just that.<br /><br />The songs and the banter in-between pushed the theme that time may have moved on and we are all a little bit older but everything stays the same, and to be able to play a thirty year old song called ‘Someone Looking At You’ in an age when there are more cameras observing us every day they may have a point.<br /><br />The music and lyrics of the Rats have stood the test of time and are still as relevant and vibrant as they have ever been.<br /><br />It was a good night with a band and singer that still mean what they say and believe that things can still change. It's just a shame that there weren't more people there to listen.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com