He Bangs The Drum

Simon Crowe is back on the road with Jiggerypipery with two dates in Scotland this weekend.

"I think the Boomtown Rats was a pop band really. We invented our own style – we were out to be successful, but not in the sense of wanting to be celebrities – though that was possibly an ambition of Sir Bob's. But we got to go around the world a couple of times – and we sold a lot of records!"
Highland Times Article

There are even some MP3s available so you can listen to what Simon is up to these days Listen to Jiggerypipery

Geldof at the Hay Festival

A busy day or two for Geldof. He'll need to rest up before heading off to the G8 summit in Germany.

An interview with Mariella Frostrup (Video)

Bob Geldof in Concert
Featuring:
House band, back from Colombia and Spain, play infectious, danceable Irish folk-rock. Frontman talks the talk. Sponsored By: The Granary
Price: £17.00

www.hayfestival.com

Set List?

1. The Great Song of Indifference
2. Love or Something
3. A Sex Thing
4. When The Night Comes
5. Walking Back To Happiness
6. Banana Republic
7. Harvest Moon
8. One for Me
9. Mudslide
10. I Don't Like Mondays
11. Birthday Suit
12. Attitude Chicken
13. Someone's Looking At You
14. Joey's on The Street Again
15. Rat Trap
16. Room 19
17. Chains
18. Beat of the Night
19. Diamond Smiles

Geldof back at the Irish pub in the middle of the fucking desert

Precious little I can say about this, other than to report it happened and it was a free gig. Next stop Hay-on-Wye in May.

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/weekend/2007/March/weekend_March71.xml§ion=weekend&col=

Bob Geldof is back at the Irish Village in Dubai a year after his last visit. The event is free and the crowd thickens, but there is enough standing room for all. Some laze on the lawn and enjoy the breeze and the timeless voice wafting though it.
“The same old shirt, the same old suit, the same old place and the same old song,” says Geldof to an uproarious crowd. “I never thought we’d celebrate St Patrick’s Day in Dubai with a sandstorm,” he quips. “But it’s a balmy night.”
He croons to a crowd that can’t seem to get enough of him — some old favourite numbers, one that he wrote during a trip to a remote Africa, that was never recorded, and a nice mix of loud and fast numbers and soft and sensuous ones.

Geldof at Hay Festival Colombia

They thought it was all over (well I did!) , but Geldof decided to continue with his music career in South America.

At $12.000 Colombian pesos a ticket it sounds expensive (probably is in Colombia), but equates to about £3.00 or $5.40. You could even have blown a tenner and rattled your jewellery at Geldof. 20% of the audience were students on a freebie, handy if you can't shift tickets.

"STUDENTS GO FREE TO BOB GELDOF'S CONCERT.Registration is open now. Enough places available" - On the day!

As for the gig itself, there was a crowd of 10,000 (gasp!), and he performed for around two hours. Among the songs reportedly played were I Don’t Like Mondays, This is the World Calling, The Beat of the Night, and Room 19 (Sha la la lee).

The following day, dressed like the man from Panama, he was presented with a a guitar fashioned from a decommissioned guerrilla AK47 at the Teatro Heredia.

And no hurricanes to spoil the spectacle this time.

It's possible there may be a podcast coming soon on the Hay Festival Archive site..... (don't hold your breath though)

http://www.hayfestival.com/archive/contact.aspx

http://books.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,2005281,00.html

http://www.eluniversal.com.co/hay-festival/

http://www.eskpe.com/secc_eskpe/musica_eskpe/otrasnoticias/ARTICULO-WEB-NOTA_INTERIOR_ESKPE-3394755.html

http://www.gematours.com/hayfestival/en/
20:30H, PLAZA DE LA ADUANA
Bob Geldof in concert
The Hay Festival is pleased to present, for the first time in Colombia, Bob Geldof, organiser of the legendary concerts Live Aid and Live 8 and founder of the band Boomtown Rats. Geldof’s music fuses an Irish sound with classic rock and he is one of the great international music stars.
TICKET PRICE: $12.000 Colombian pesos
VIP ZONE PRICE: $ 40.000 Colombian pesos

Alternatively, hear him speak!

12:00- 13:00h, Teatro Heredia (Heredia Theatre)
Bob Geldof in conversation with Peter FlorenceAs well as being an exceptional musician, Bob Geldof was one of the main organisers of the Live Aid (1985) and Live 8 (2005) concerts which attracted world attention towards the growing problem of poverty in Africa. In July 2005 the Live 8 concerts drew crowds of 3 billion people spread across ten different cities. Largely due to international pressure exerted by the attendance success at the concerts, members of the G8 agreed to significantly increase economic aid to several African countries. The charismatic rock star will talk to Peter Florence, Director of the Hay Festival, about music, Ireland and with regards to Africa, about the G8 leaders, aid programmes and trade tariffs. Simultaneous translation into Spanish will be provided..

Bootlegs! (Courtesy of HappyFanClub)

A list of bootlegs - I haven't got any of them. All MP3s gratefully accepted.

BBC in Concert 1978
52.40
01. Intro 02. Mary Of The Fourth Form 03. Me & Howard Hughes 04. I Never Loved Eva Braun 05. Don't Belive What You Read 06. Rat Trap 07. Kicks 08. Joey's On The Street Again 09. Living On An Island1 0. She's Gonna Do You In11. Like Clockwork1 2. She's So Modern13. Looking After Number One14. Do The Rat

Live in Germany 1978
41.53
1. Close As You'll Ever Be 2. Never Bite The Hand That Feeds3. Kicks4. She's So Modern5. Joey's On The Street Again6. Don't Belive What You Read7. She's Gonna Do You In8. Do The Rat9. It's All The Rage1 0. Mary Of The Fourth Form11. Looking After Number One

Middlesex Polytechnic 1978
52.33
1. Mary Of The 4th Form 2. Me And Howard Hughes3. I Never Loved Eva Braun4. Don't Believe What You Read5. Rat Trap6. Kicks7. Living In An Island8. She's Gonna Do You In9. Like Clockwork1 0. She's So Modern11. Do The Rat

Live at Rainbow 1978
49.32
1. Mary of the 4th Form 2. I Never Loved Eva Braun3. Close as You'll Ever Be4. Late Last Night5. Me and Howard Hughes6. Like Clockwork7. Joey's on the Street Again8. Rat Trap9. Don't Belive What You Read1 0. So Strange11. She's So Modern1 2/13. Looking After N°1 14. Blind Date

Live Rarities 1978/79/84
64.11
track list Live at the Musiklanden 1978 1. Never bite the hands that feed 2. Kicks3. She’s so modern4. Joey’s on the street again5. Don’t belive what you read6. She’s gonna do you in7. Do the rat8. It’s all the rage9. Mary of the 4th form1 0. Looking after n°1 Live in Los Angeles 1979 11. Having my picture taken1 2. Rat trap13. Keep it up14. “Promo Radio” Live for The Tube 1984 15. Drag me down16. Rat trap

Live 1979
49.32
Live in Frankfurt 1. I don't like mondays 2. Like clockwork3. Nothing happened today4. Nice' n' neat5. Having my picture taken6. Rat trap7. Kicks8. Someone's looking at you Live at Hammersmith (London) 9. Like Clockwork1 0. Charmed lives11. Up all night1 2. I don't like mondays13. Rat trap

Live at Boston Mass ( 2 CDs) 1980
43.32 + 44.36
CD 1 1 Wind Chill Factor (Minus Zero) 2 Like Clockwork3 Nothing Happened Today4 I Never Loved Eva Braun5 Nice 'n' Neat6 Having My Picture Taken7 Joey's On the Street Again8 I Don't Like Mondays9 Someone's Looking At You
CD 2 1 Keep it Up (very beginning cut) 2 Rat Trap3 Kicks4 Mary of the 4th Form (incl Band intros)5 Blind Date6 She's So Modern7 Looking After Number 18 Sleep (Finger's Lullaby)

Live at NHK-Hall Tokyo 1980
61.18
1. Wind Chill Factor (Minus Zero) 2. Like Clockwork3. Nothing Happened Today4. I Never Loved Eva Braun5. Nice 'n' Neat6. Joey's On the Street Again7. I Don't Like Mondays (end cut)8. Rat Trap9. Mary of the 4th Form1 0. Blind Date11. She's So Modern1 2. Looking After Number 1 13. Diamond Smiles

Live at BBC College Concert 1982
51.48
1. Like Clockwork 2. Charmed Lives3. Up All Night4. House On Fire5. Nothing Happened Today6. Never In A Million Years7. Sleep (Finger's Lullaby)8. I Don't Like Mondays9. Having My Picture Taken1 0. Rat Trap11. Keep It Up

Live at BBC's Radio One 1982
62.38
1. As Close As You'll Ever Be 2. Like Clockwork3. Charmed Lives4. House On Fire5. Nothing Happened Today6. I Don't Like Mondays7. Joey's On The Street Again8. Having My Picture Taken9. Rat Trap1 0. Someone's Looking At You11. Keep It Up Bonus track:1 2. Looking After No. 1 - (live for Ireland - 1986)

London 1982
46.58
1. Like Clockwork 2. Charmed Lives3. Up All Night4. House On Fire5. Wild Chill Factor Minus Zero6. Never In a Million Years7. Sleep (Fingers' Lullaby)8. I Don't Like Mondays9. Having My Picture Taken1 0. Rat Trap

Live at Tenax 1982 Italy
71.45
1. Never Bite the Hand That Feeds 2. Living in an Island3. Stir It Up (B. Marley)4. Charmed Lives5. Wind Chill Factor (minus zero)6. Sleep (Finger's Lullaby)7. I Don't Like Mondays8. Joe's on the Street Again9. Having My Picture Taken1 0. Rat Trap11. Keep It Up1 2. Banana Repuplic13. Under Their Thrumb14. Someone's Looking at You

BBC Rock Hour / Westwood One 1982/83
51.13
track list BBC Rock Hour - (198 2) 1. Like Clockwork 2. Charmed Lives3. Up All Night4. I Don't Like Mondays5. Rat Trap Westwood One (1983) 6. Nothing Happened Today7. Never In A Million Years8. I Don't Like Mondays9. Having My Picture Taken1 0. Rat Trap11. Keep It Up

Sight & Sound 1984
38.53
1. Like Clock Work 2. Charmed Lives3. Lucky4. Tonight5. Talking in Code6. Someone's Looking at You7. Dave8. Rat Trap

BBC In concert 1985
57.43
track list 1. Intro 2. Charmed Lives3. Lucky4. Neon Heart5. Wind Chill Factor (Minus Zero)6. Dave7. A Hold Of Me8. I Don't Like Mondays9. Talking In Code1 0. Hurt Hurts11. Rat Trap1 2. Drag Me Down13. Looking After Number One

Aid & More! 1985/86
53. 29
track list Boomtown Rats - Self Aid1. Someone's Looking at You 2. Joey's on the Street Again3. Looking After N°1 B. Geldof - Will Shriner Show4. You Can't Be Too Strong Boomtown Rats - Unre. traks5. Say Hi to Mick6. Precious Time7. Walking Downtown Boomtown Rats - Live Aid8. I Don't Like Mondays9. Drag Me Down1 0. Rat Trap Boomtown Rats -Live at Tenax11. Do They Know it's Xmas?

Live in Glastobury 1986
time 58.59
track list 1. Introduction 2. Charmed Lives3. Lucky4. Neon Heart5. Wind Chill Factor6. Dave7. A Hold of Me8. I Don't Like Mondays9. Talking in Code1 0. Hurt Hurts11. Rat Trap1 2. Drag Me Down13. Looking After N°1

On a Night Like This 1986
56.33
track list 1. Elephants Graveyard 2. Charmed Lives3. Lucky4. Neon Heart5. Someone's Looking at you6. Dave7. Hold of Me8. I Don't Like Mondays9. Talk in Code1 0. Rat Trap11. Drag me Down1 2. Looking After N° 1

Ireland & Dubliners 1986
time 71.39
track list 01. C’MOON EVERYBODY / U 2 0 2. PRIDE / U 2 03. SUNDAY BLOODY SUNDAY / U 2 04. MAGGGIE’S FARM / COLD TURKEY/ U 2 05. THANKS THE INFORMATION / VAN MORRISON 06. HERE COMES THE KNIGHT / VAN MORRISON 07. A TOWN CALLED PARADISE / VAN MORRISON 08. SOMEONES LOOKING AT YOU / BOOMTOWN RATS 09. JOEY’S ON THE STREET AGAIN / BOOMTOWN RATS1 0. LOOKING AFTER N° 1 / BOOMTOWN RATS11. LEAVE MY KITTEN ALONE / ELVIS COSTELLO1 2. COMPLICATED / ELVIS COSTELLO13. MANY RIVER TO CROSS / ELVIS COSTELLO14. I HOPE YOU’RE HAPPY NOW / ELVIS COSTELLO 15. PUMP IT UP / GLORIA / ELVIS

Geldof Moves Out To The Country With Jools Holland

Bob Geldof's first recordings since Sex, Age & Death

For The Good Times and The Pilgrim

Geldof has always been a great fan of Kris Kristofferson, who wrote these songs, and when he went to see Kris performing in London, Geldof was blown away when Kris dedicated "The Pilgrim" to him.

Moving Out to the Country

Colours are Brighter

Franz Ferdinand, Snow Patrol, The Kooks and Four Tet are amongst the artists contributing to a collection of children’s songs curated by Belle and Sebastian, to raise funds for children’s charity, Save the Children. ‘Colours are Brighter’ will be released on Rough Trade on October 16th, with all profits and artist royalties from the record being donated to the charity.

Arrivederci amore, ciao

Geldof played in Milan. A bigger audience this time! And with no more concerts scheduled and no album in the offing, this could be the last Geldof concert.

The MTV webcast is a mix of songs and interviews conducted in English with the questions/responses translated into Italian by the interviewer as she conducts the interview. She sits between Geldof and BobVince Loveday whilst conducting the interview. The latter looks like Johnny Vegas' dad!

The performance is at its best when Geldof dips into the Rats back catalogue; there is a storming version of Joey's on the Street Again in Part Three of both the video and podcast. Sadly the audience remaimed seated, though they looked to be tapping their feet and enjoying the free show!

Enjoy!

Video Audio Podcast

Broadcast Songs
The Great Song of Indifference
Love or Something
----------------------------
A Sex Thing
Walking Back to Happiness
Banana Republic
----------------------------
The Beat of the Night
I Don't Like Mondays
Joey's On The Street Again
----------------------------
Rat Trap
Encore....
A Hole to Fill
Attitude Chicken

Given he can't take his solo career any further, I don't suppose he would be tempted to have a 30th anniversary reunion with the rest of the Rats in Dublin next year, would he? Nah!

Garrick the Plumber Turns Nasty!

Garrick Roberts is making his way as a plumber out in the wilds of Herefordshire
Garrick the Plumber
Anyway, now Garrick has come out of hiding, he has wasted no time in putting the boot in with regard to Geldof.
Roberts said: 'During the 1980s, we signed an agreement saying songwriting royalties would be split – with 50 per cent going to the writer and 50 per cent going to the other band members. But when the band split up none of us, bar Geldof, heard anything. We weren't given any control over the songs and haven't received a penny,'
'... we appointed solicitors to ask Bob Geldof and the accountants dealing with the band where the royalties have gone. Every time one of our songs appears on a greatest hits album, money is generated – but I haven't seen any of it.'
'He [Geldof] was always much more of a self publicist than the rest of us. He's learned to use his fame. It's what he's about now.'
Unpaid Royalties
Bob the Self Publicist
Tell it as it is! Even if the Rats never get to court, a reunion at Maddison Square Gardens could set them up for life! I'm backing Garrick, he always looked the hardest.

The Rain in Spain Falls Mainly on....

...Geldof!

The concert was aborted after 30 minutes due to a hurricane. There was an near capacity audience thanks to the free tickets and the massive presence of college students.

http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2006/09/22/solidaridad/1158941837.html

http://www.hayfestival.com/segovia/en-prog-21.asp

22:00, Plaza del Azoguejo Square (Aqueduct bridge)

Bob Geldof in concert

Celebrate the Hay Festival with a concert by the founder of The Boomtown Rats and Live Aid. Bob Geldof's music fuses an Irish folk sound with classic rock and he is one of the great live performers, to dance to, to listen to and to enjoy

Tom Robinson stands up for Geldof

Fair play to Tom Robinson. He had little to gain from supporting Geldof in this way, but he has stated that The Boomtown Rats were a significant band in their late seventies heyday. "Why all this bitter schadenfreude when it comes to Bob and the boys ?" Indeed, what did Geldof do that was so wrong? Always got it in the neck.

Still bit of a cheek for Tom to lump himself in with the Rats and Squeeze, he wasn't that good! Though he wasn't bad to be fair (Up Against The Wall, 2-4-6-8 Motorway, War Baby and Glad To be Gay).

Bigmouth Strikes Again

I'm appalled by the torrent of ignorant, spiteful bile directed towards Bob Geldof and his music in response to yesterday's post - typified by HowSoonIsNow's comment: "As a musician he's a dead loss: mountain of attitude, molehill of talent."

Blimey. An Italian promoter made a major miscalculation as to venue size and ticket price - a not uncommon occurrence - and suddenly it seems to be open season on Geldof's musical career and personal integrity.

To begin with the music: you don't have to like Bob's songs to at least respect the fact that others - including me - have liked them a lot. Here is a man who wrote 13 top-30 hits between 1977 and 1990, including two number ones.

Any fool with modest talent, reasonable looks and towering ambition can knock out one or two hits if they are lucky and pushy enough. Look at James Blunt. Or me, come to that. As Lady Bracknell might have said, to have written half a dozen hits may be regarded as good fortune; to have written more than a dozen looks like talent - at least from where I'm sitting.

Certainly, artists and their music fall in and out fashion. But album tracks such as The Beat of the Night (Deep in the Heart of Nowhere) and The New Routine (Sex, Age and Death) make regular appearances on my iPod - and radio playlists - on sheer musical merit alone.

And, contrary to Scrittipolitti's posting, the Boomtown Rats didn't have a "heyday" in 1981, when they may or may not have been "reassuringly shite": they had a genuine, measurable, shout-it-from-the-rooftops heyday in 1977-8, when they clawed their way from obscurity to the NME front pages with a series of blinding gigs that blew away all competition night after night. The songs were great, the band were hot and Geldof was a rivetingly charismatic frontman.

If they lost the plot later on under the pressures of success, it was no more than happened to contemporaries such as TRB, Squeeze, the Hot Rods, Graham Parker and countless others. So why all this bitter schadenfreude when it comes to Bob and the boys ?The uncharitable sneer from Correspondent Bob's solo career was "a half-hearted exercise which never took off and was over 20 years ago" is simply incorrect: Bob's hilariously defiant Great Song of Indifference made number 15 in 1990 and was widely covered in dozens of languages by recording artists across the globe - for the simple reason that people everywhere liked the song - on its own merits - very much indeed.

As to his subsequent lack of musical output, Bob's personal life, in case you've forgotten, was devastated by loss, strife and tragedy during the 90s in the full intrusive glare of the world's media, gleefully detailing every fresh blow. He told me three years ago that at times of crisis there would be an average of 40 reporters camped outside his house. A scooter from the Daily Mirror and a van from the News of the World with blacked out windows tailed him everywhere he went. Even when he escaped the pressure at the weekends in Paris with close friends, there would still be journalists waiting for him on the Eurostar home.The astonishing thing is not that it took him until 2002 to write another album - the critically acclaimed Sex, Age and Death - but that he managed to make one at all under such conditions.

Whatever it is Bob Geldof wants, I'll bet you a quiet family life comes top of the list and getting his picture in the papers is pretty close to the bottom. The problem is that, whether he likes it or not, he has one of the most recognisable faces on the planet, which gives him almost unique access to the world's media - and most powerful political leaders - whether he chooses to use it or not. Many of us feel that world debt and global trade barriers are a humanitarian scandal and Aids is an unfolding global catastrophe. But not many of us can do much about it beyond charitable giving, letter writing and attending the occasional demonstration. Let's suppose for a moment that Bob actually would like a quiet, easy life - News of the World permitting. What would you do in his place, knowing that simply picking up the phone might save dozens or even hundreds of lives? Put up the shutters, mutter "I've done enough" and tell the world to go fuck itself? Or would you be big enough to accept the facts, the horrible responsibility that circumstance had thrust in your lap? Would you have the strength to put yourself in the firing line all over again, resigned to the fact that the media would think and write the worst about you whenever possible; and that whether you sought to alleviate a little of the world's unnecessary suffering or simply sit on your arse like everyone else, armchair critics would rip you to shreds?
"Just think, all that self promotion and no one wants to know. Perhaps he should put up a montage of suffering Africans to get the punters in," wrote Xuitlacoche on yesterday's blog. Well, comment is free, and you are entitled to your opinion. Mine is that, on balance, the world is a better place thanks to Geldof's efforts than if simply sat down, shut up and crawled into a corner, as you would seem to prefer.
Bob himself expressed all this far more eloquently, and at greater length, in his review of 1985 for the Guardian last December.
Bigmouth strikes again? More power to his larynx.

Knobbled!

Of course, there had to be a rational reason why 45 people turned up in a 12,000 seater venue...

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2282704,00.html

Francesco Iacovone, the impresario who organised the concerts, said that he suspected sabotage. “We have been boycotted,” he said, though it was not clear why or by whom. It was incomprehensible that “an artist whose internet site has 19,000 visitors” and who had “fans throughout the world” had failed to arouse interest in Italy.

Signor Iacovone said that some internet sites had falsely claimed that tickets for the concerts were sold out, and that he was “considering legal action”.

...now whatever happened to that gig at Shepherd's Bush that was postponed?

No one loves Geldof (ok, maybe 45 people do!)

Bob Geldof has been forced to cancel two concerts in Italy because of lack of public interest, after only 45 people turned up to see him perform in Milan, Italy's La Stampa newspaper reported on Saturday.

News24

Excuse the google translation, but

“On my passport he is written that I am musician."

i) They don't have occupation on a passport
ii) A musician!

La Stampa

Fort Manoel on Manoel Island, Malta

Geldof played a late night/early morning gig in Malta.

Set list included I Don't Like Mondays, The Great Song Of Indifference, Harvest Moon, Banana Republic, Mary Of The Fourth Form, Rat Trap, Mudslide, My Birthday Suit & Scream In Vain.

http://www.timesofmalta.com/core/article.php?id=229082

Down By The Jetty

Back in 1975, Canvey Island's finest released the album that would inspire a generation. Not only was it a major influence on The Boomtown Rats eponymous album, but also The Jam and other members of the class of 1976. What the Ramones did for stateside punk/new wave, The Feelgoods were doing this side of the pond. With its stark black and white cover, and recorded exclusively in mono, it was not of its time. So pay homage to Lee Brilleaux, Wilko Johnson, John 'Big Figure' Martin and John B. 'Sparko' Sparks!

Dr. Feelgood were absolutely central to the Boomtown Rats. When I heard Down by the Jetty, it just fcuking blew me away. The Feelgoods were in it for me. Our early live set used to be their entire first album. When I heard the line 'Stand and watch the towers burning at the break of day', which was about the Canvey Island burn-offs, I realised that it wasn't enough for music to sound good. It had to mean something, to reflect where you came from. - Bob Geldof

[From the sleevenotes - Down By The Jetty COLLECTORSEDITION]

You can listen to excerpts here http://www.hmv.co.uk/hmvweb/displayProductDetails.do?ctx=280;-1;-1;-1&sku=519143

I also recommend a visit to http://www.drfeelgood.de/albums.htm

Links to Rat Sites

As Bob Geldof can no longer take the views of his fans and has disassociated himself from the forum, I thought I'd better provide a link from here...

Boomtown Rats & Bob Geldof Forum


Other good Boomtown Rats sites

UK

USA

Japan - Banana Republic

A small crowd at the back of an Irish pub in the middle of the fucking desert

Geldof finds his level ;-)

Bob Geldof was in Dubai to speak at an DIHAD, an international development conference. He also found time to perform at The Irish Village, which is Ireland' own little corner of Dubai and sports a few Irish pubs and a large garden area. It's a pretty good venue with a capicity, by my estimate, of less than a 1,000 and decent acoustics given its outdoors. Geldof didn't quite see it that way, bemoaning the fact that his career had come to performing to 'a small crowd at the back of an Irish pub in the middle of the fucking desert'.

http://zalam.typepad.com/omar_salem/international_development/

Geldof gets IRMA award

Bob Geldof is the third recipient of the IRMA Honours award.

The award, which is organised by the Irish Recorded Music Industry recognises the outstanding talent and contribution of an artist or individual to Irish music.

Previous award winners are Christy Moore and Larry Gogan.

"The last time I came back I was given the freedom of my home town and now the people that I grew up with are here tonight so I'll really be getting the prize from them. There is nowhere else on the planet I'd rather be and no other people that I'd want to be with than those here
"Thanks to the IRMA and the Rats who were a great band. It's great to be Irish and come back and see Ireland suddenly change for the better.
"Irish people used not to be taken seriously. Now we are, in terms of music, as Ireland has become a brilliant place for music.
"The music ones (awards) are the ones that count for me because that's what I think I do. I've got a lifetime achievement in Britain and America and Europe but I've never seen the people who I grew up with or who helped the Rats get started ever be part of one of these things.
"So the people who owned the record store in Dun Laoghaire ... people who helped us at the beginning get gigs, they are all here plus the bands that followed the Rats, like The Radiators, The Pogues, I suppose U2, The Thrills. To have a whole generation who helped make that change in music means more to me than being in London in a posh hotel with people who would be considered major, major stars
"Of course I understand that the Boomtown Rats unto themselves wouldn't get it, that the Boomtown Rats plus my solo thing wouldn't get it - I know that but don't forget that Live 8, Live Aid and Band Aid came out of music.
"I know how to do gigs and TV out of music, so if I hadn't been in this little band from Dun Laoghaire,that cranked up one summer afternoon 30 years ago none of this would have happened."

http://www.irma.ie

Freedom of Dublin for Geldof

Bob Geldof was awarded with the Freedom of the City of Dublin. He was presented with a scroll and crystal globe during the ceremony outside the Mansion House.

"It's raining and it's cold but it's a beautiful day and I can't think of a more beautiful day or more beautiful city to hold this in than Dublin.

"If London made me, then Dublin formed me. To be a freeman of one of the most free cities on the planet is indeed something. When I say it is a free city, the atmosphere here, the ability to say and do what you want, is freer her than in most cities around the world.

I have lived all my life in this town, which in reality during my childhood was a little brown, little pinched, little parochial town on the edge of Europe. You now have this expansive city, one that sort of marries the generosities of a nation.

"And it didn't seem to connect at all with the world that I was hearing coming in on the radio and imagining coming in on my head. In 1975, myself and a group of friends got together to make a band that would articulate the possibility of a different Ireland.

"I am equally proud the first ever [Irish] rock 'n' roll number one, indeed the first in a new wave, was from an Irish band called the Boomtown Rats, and it was wrote about this city and it was called Rat Trap."

Geldof is Hero Of The Year!

Unbelievable!

http://www.nme.com/news/bob-geldof/22329

ShockWaves NME Awards 2006 pay tribute to the Live8 man

Bob Geldof has been named the Hero Of The Year at the ShockWaves NME Awards 2006.Readers of NME and NME.COM voted for the singer ahead of Carl Barat, Pete Doherty, Liam Gallagher and Arctic Monkeys' Alex Turner in the category.

Last year saw Geldof make a huge stand against global poverty with the staging of the Live 8 concerts across the world which were attended and watched by 3.8 billion people and featured performances from Paul McCartney, U2, The Killers, Coldplay, REM, Stevie Wonder, The Who, Destiny's Child, Razorlight, Kaiser Chiefs Madonna and the reformed Pink Floyd.

Following the concerts, the subsequent G8 summit promised to give $50 billion more aid per year by 2010, AIDS drugs to all those who need them, care for all AIDS orphans and debt cancellation for 18 countries.

And as if that wasn't enough!

http://www.nme.com/awards/news/22301

Live8 wins Best DVD prize

Bob Geldof collects the gong at the ShockWaves NME Awards 2006

Bob Geldof has accepted the Best DVD award for Live8 - and was introduced by his old pal Bono. The U2 singer presented Geldof with the award via a video link-up, where he said that he was glad Geldof hadn't told him to "fuck off" when the idea to re-create Live Aid was touted last year.

Live8 - which was held last July in London Hyde Park and other cities across the world, saw stars including Madonna, Pink Floyd, Razorlight and The Killers unite to call for debt relief.

The subsequent DVD set compiles 120 performances, adding unseen backstage footage, messages and documentaries.Other nominees in this category included 'Dig!', Green Day: Bullet In A Bible', 'Kaiser Chiefs: Enjoyment' and Morrissey: Who Put The M In Manchester?'.

Vote Geldof for the NME Hero of the year

www.nme.com/awards

You have to register (as many times as possible), but this is an attempt to mobilise the masses and get Geldof a Brat to go with his Brit! Of course, there will be the added pleasure of wiping the smile of the smug NME jounalists.

The other contenders...

Carl Barat
Pete Doherty
Liam Gallagher
Alex Turner


PS You can also vote for Live 8 as best event/DVD, and if you ain't too familiar with modern music, just vote for Franz Ferdinand in all the relevant categories.

I Don't Like Mondays - Channel 4

The story behind the song..... (repeated on More 4 Wednesday 25th Jan 10.00pm)

On the morning of Monday 29th January 1979, 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. All she would say at the time was "I don't like Mondays, it livens up the day." The incident inspired the Boomtown Rats' number one hit song. It was the first school shooting of its kind, a phenomenon that would spread across America and culminate in the infamous Columbine tragedy. This film examines allegations surrounding a seemingly ordinary suburban family behind the eerie detachment of Brenda Spencer's original statement. I Don't Like Mondays secured unique access to Brenda's prison parole hearing in September last year and includes exclusive and revealing interviews with members of Brenda's family as well as her victims. The film traces the bizarre events of that day and asks how and why it happened.


The program started and ended with the song. At the end, the Police chief condemned the song as idiotic, and the NBC reporter had similar comments. Most incredibly, one of the girls shot refered to the fact that she heard the song every Monday at about 2pm, when she started work and enjoyed it!

Most interesting was the interview of her father, Wallace, in the last part. He still lives in the same house that faces the school and the time of the interview was when the kids were leaving school. He was in total denial of his part in the incident (interestingly enough, he married his daughter's cell mate), and didn't believe the way he raised his daughter had anything to do with it. His ex-wife believed he was the one who should have been in jail.

Brenda Spencer was tried as an adult rather than a minor. She pleaded guilty to killing two people, and did not face a jury. This may have spared her the death penalty, Obviously, many of those who were shot or who lost a family member all wanted her dead and believed she would do it again if released. This was not a view shared by those detached from the incident.

Ultimately she is a fairly stupid girl/woman whose ambitions were to find any excuse to get out of jail and work on a fork lift truck. A lot of her parole hearing related the shooting to the abuse she suffered at the hands of the father, though that seems to be de rigueur for elicting sympathy these days.

The Spencers were as a family made disfunctional by a father who wanted to have affairs yet be able to return to his wife and thought nothing of the consequences of giving a 16 year old girl a rifle for Christmas.

I don't believe she would reoffend if released. In the context of the light sentences handed out to the happy slapper murderers in this country yesterday http://www.london-se1.co.uk/news/view.php?ArtID=1964, she seems to have had a bad deal. I guess it all depends on whether you believe prison is to rehabilitate or punish. Her notiriety, the first school spree killer, has ensured she is still behind bars.

Having watched the programme, I do feel that Mondays, unlike Bowling for Columbine which condemned the lax US gun laws, came across as a nasty opportunistic song. People were affected by this incident, and hearing the song must bring back a lot of bad memories.

I never felt the song was apt for either Live Aid or Live 8. It's never been one of my favourite songs, but watching this, made it seem even lesser. Maybe it's time to retire it.

Rats on BBC Radio 6

The Boomtown Rats 1978 Peel session was broadcast tonight in its entirety! Starting with Like Clockwork at approximately 10.15pm and followed by Me & Howard Hughes at 11.10pm. Then just after midnight, came (Watch Out For) The Normal People and Living In An Island.

You can catch it for up to seven days at http://www.bbc.co.uk/6music/shows/dream_ticket/

Don't miss it!

Bootlegs

A list of bootlegs - I done have any, all MP3s gratefully accepted.

Eric's Bootlist: Boomtown Rats / Bob Geldof.
Email: groenewo@tiscali.nl
URL: http://eric.wolweb.nl/boots/boots.htm
Last updated: 1 Aug 2003

the Boomtown Rats
Date #disks Artw Qual Show
-----------------------------------------------
1977? F Yes A Studio, BBC Evening session (3 songs, filler on request)
??/09/1978 1 Yes A Live Middlesex Polytechnic - Don't Believe What You Hear bootleg
??/09/1978 1 No A- Live Middlesex Polytechnic (same show as Don't Believe.. + 1 track)
05/01/1980 1 No A Live at NHK-Hall Tokyo, Japan
17/03/1980 2 No A Orpheum Th., Boston Mass)
23/03/1980 1 No B Chicago
1980 1 No A- Germany 1980
25/05/1980 1 No A- King Biscuit Flower Hour
17/03/1981 1 Yes B Seattle, Washington
25/07/1981? 1 No A- Parkpop, Den Haag?
17/04/1982 1 No B Newcastle Exhibition Park - England
25/04/1982 1 Yes A London Great Brittain
03/10/1982 1 No A B.B.C College Concert
1982 1 No A- Radio One, Frankfurt
25/05/1982 1 No A BBC Rock Hour
1983 1 No A Westwood One
1984 1 No A- On A Night Like This (from video)
11/02/1984 1 No A- BBC Sight & Sound
21/06/1985 1 No A- Glastonbury Festival

Bob Geldof
Date #disks Artw Qual Show
-----------------------------------------------
??/??/1986 1 Yes B+ Milan 1986
??/10/1990 2 Yes A Hamburg 1990
05/12/1992 1 Yes A- Oldenburg
05/12/1992 1 No A Oldenburg
30/08/1992 1 No B+ Greenbelt Festival
1993 1 No B Phoenix Club Toronto
mixed 1994 1 No B+/A- Live in Italy
20/06/1998 1 No B Wetzikon Switzerland
16/03/1999 2 No B+ Teatro Tendo Florence
08/07/2001 1 No B+/A- Rock Circus San Vittore Switzerland
08/02/2002 1 No B Trento, Italy
28/03/2002 1 Yes A Villa Berg Stuttgart


The Boomtown Rats - BBC Evening Session (1977)
01 Mary Of The 4th Form
02 Looking After Number One
03 Joey's On The Street Again
Studio recordings, date unknown

The Boomtown Rats - Live Middlesex Polytechnic (Sep 1978)
01 Mary Of The 4th Form
02 Me And Howard Hughes
03 I Never Loved Eva Braun
04 Don't Believe What You Read
05 Rat Trap
06 Kicks
07 Joey's On The Street Again
08 Living In An Island
09 She's Gonna Do You In
10 Like Clockwork
11 She's So Modern
12 Looking After Number One
13 Do The Rat
Length: 00:52:25
All tracks live at Middlesex Polytechnic, North London.
Source: FM>DAT>ANA>HD>CD Great quality (A-)!
Also available as "Don't Believe What You Hear" bootleg, lacking track 13
Length: 00:49:45; Soundboard;Quality: A+

The Boomtown Rats - Live at NHK-Hall (1980/05/01)
! Track 7 cut
01 Wind Chill Factor (Minus Zero)
02 Like Clockwork
03 Nothing Happened Today
04 I Never Loved Eva Braun
05 Nice 'n' Neat
06 Joey's On the Street Again
07 I Don't Like Mondays (end cut, tape flip)
08 Rat Trap
09 Mary of the 4th Form
10 Blind Date
11 She's So Modern
12 Looking After Number 1
13 Diamond Smiles
Source: MC(gen 1)>HD>CD
Quality: A

The Boomtown Rats - Orpheum Th., Boston Mass (17-03-1980) (2 CDR)
! A radio-reporter is talking in between some songs
CD 1
01 Wind Chill Factor (Minus Zero)
02 Like Clockwork
03 Nothing Happened Today
04 I Never Loved Eva Braun
05 Nice 'n' Neat
06 Having My Picture Taken
07 Joey's On the Street Again
08 I Don't Like Mondays
09 Someone's Looking At You (very end cut)
CD 2
01 Keep it Up (very beginning cut)
02 Rat Trap
03 Kicks
04 Mary of the 4th Form (incl Band intros)
05 Blind Date
06 She's So Modern
07 Looking After Number 1
08 Sleep (Finger's Lullaby)
Source: MC(gen 1)>HD>CD
Quality: A

The Boomtown Rats - Chicago (23/03/1980)
01 Wind Chill Factor (Minus Zero) [missing start of song]
02 Like Clockwork [flaw]
03 Nothing Happened Today
04 I Never Loved Eva Braun
05 Nice 'n' Neat
06 Having My Picture Taken
07 Joey's On the Street Again
08 I Don't Like Mondays
Quality: B
Length: 38:34

The Boomtown Rats - King Biscuit Flower Hour (25/05/1980)
01 I Don't Like Mondays
02 Like Clockwork
03 Nothing Happened Today
04 Nice 'n' Neat
05 Having My Picture Taken
06 Rat Trap
07 Kicks
08 Someone's Looking At You
Tracks 1 - 8: King Biscuit Flower Hour (25 May 1980)
Source: LP>HD>CD (I own the LP)

The Boomtown Rats - Germany 1980
01 I Don't Like Mondays (some hiss)
02 Like Clockwork
03 Nothing Happende Today
04 Nice 'n' Neat
05 Having My Picture Taken
06 Kicks
07 Someone's Looking At You
Quality: A-
Length: 29:42

The Boomtown Rats - Seattle Washington (17/03/1981)
01 I Never Loved Eva Braun [some dropouts]
02 Me And Howard Hughes
03 This Is My Room
04 Up All Night
05 Elephant's Graveyard
06 Nothing Happened Today
07 Having My Picture Taken
08 I Don't Like Mondays
09 Someone's Looking At You
10 Keep It Up
11 Rat Trap
Quality: B (track 1: some dropouts)
Source: FM

The Boomtown Rats - Parkpop, Den Haag (25/07/1981)
01 Like Clockwork
02 She's So Modern
03 House On Fire
04 Never In A Million Years
05 Having My Picture Taken
06 Rat Trap
Tracks 1 - 06: Parkpop, Den Haag (25 Jul 1981) (Dutch show, venue and source not sure)
Source: FM>MC>HD>CD (I own the MC)
Quality: A+

The Boomtown Rats - Newcastle Exhibition Park; England (17/04/1982)
01 Close As You'll Ever Be
02 Like Clockwork
03 Charmed Lives
04 House On Fire
05 Nothing Happened Today
06 I Don't Like Mondays
07 Joey's On The Street Again
08 Having My Picture Taken
09 Rat Trap
10 Someone's Looking At You
11 Keep It Up
12 Looking After Number 1
Source: MC(gen 1)>HD>CD
Quality: A-

I also have a second source of this show, having first 11 tracks;
Quality: B, Lenght: 56:53

The Boomtown Rats - London Great Brittain (25/04/1982)
01 Like Clockwork
02 Charmed Lives
03 Up All Night
04 House On Fire
05 Wind Chill Factor (Minus Zero)
06 Never In A Million Years
07 Sleep (Finger's Lullaby)
08 I Don't Like Mondays
09 Having My Picture Taken
10 Rat Trap

The Boomtown Rats - BBC Rock Hour (25/05/1982)
01 Like Clockwork
02 Charmed Lives
03 Up All Night
04 I Don't Like Mondays
05 Rat Trap
Tracks 1 - 5: BBC Rock Hour (25 May 1982)
Source: LP>HD>CD (I own the LP)

The Boomtown Rats - B.B.C College Concert (03/10/1982) (CDR)
01 Like Clockwork
02 Charmed Lives
03 Up All Night
04 House On Fire
05 Nothing Happened Today
06 Never In A Million Years
07 Sleep (Finger's Lullaby)
08 I Don't Like Mondays
09 Having My Picture Taken
10 Rat Trap
11 Keep It Up
LP>HD>CD (I own the LP)
Quality: A+
Length: 51:42

The Boomtown Rats - Westwood One (1983)
01 Nothing Happened Today
02 Never In A Million Years
03 I Don't Like Mondays
04 Having My Picture Taken
05 Rat Trap
06 Keep It Up
Tracks 1 - 12: Westwood One (1983)
Source: LP>HD>CD (I own the LP)
Quality: A+

The Boomtown Rats - On A Night Like This (1984)
01 Elephant's Graveyard
02 Charmed Lives
03 Lucky
04 Neon Heart
05 Someone's Looking At You
06 Dave (Rain)
07 Hold Of Me
08 I Don't Like Mondays
09 Talk In Code
10 Rat Trap
11 Drag Me Down
12 Looking After Number 1
Quality: A- Very small disturbances inbetween songs: probably a TAO recording corrected to DAO

The Boomtown Rats - BBC Sight & Sound (11-02-1984)
! some minor disturbances in track 1 and 2
! dropout in track 6
01 Like Clockwork
02 Charmed Lives
03 Lucky
04 Tonight
05 Talking In Code
06 Someone's Looking At You
07 Dave
08 Rat Trap
source: FM
Quality: A-
Length: 38:53

The Boomtown Rats - Glastonbury Festival (21/06/1985)
01 Charmed Lives
02 Neon Heart
03 Wind Chill Factor
04 Dave
05 I Don't Like Mondays
06 Talking In Code
07 Hurt Hurts
08 Rat Trap
09 Drag Me Down
10 Looking After Number 1
Source: FM>ANA>CDR
Quality: A

Bob Geldof - Milan (1986)
01 Redemption Song (B.Marley)
02 In The Pouring Rain
03 Me And Howard Hughes
04 This Heartless Heart
05 Good Boys In The Wrong
06 The Beat Of The Night
07 Intermezzo
08 Hurt Hurts
09 Love Like A Rocket
10-11 This Is The World Calling
12 When I Was Young
13 Joey's On The Street Again
14 audience
15 Diamond Smiles
Lenght: 73:58
Quality: B+
Source: audience

Bob Geldof - Hamburg (Oct 1990)
CD 1
01 The Great Song Of Indifference
02 The Chains Of Pain
03 A Gospel Song
04 A Rose At Night
05 Love Or Something
06 Moving Slow
07 The Heat Of The Night
08 I Don't Like Mondays
09 Walking Back To Happiness
10 Looking After Number 1
11 Let It Go
12 Rat Trap
13 Big Romantic Stuff
CD 2 encores
01 The Great Song Of Indifference - reprise
02 Love Like A Rocket
03 Hole To Fill
All tracks live at Hamburg, oct 1990.
Quality: sndb
Note: I also have another copy of this show, only having the first 13 tracks.

Bob Geldof - Oldenburg 1 (05/12/1992) (CDR)
I have two different copies of this show
! track 10 cut at the end
01 Too Late God
02 A Hole To Fill
03 A Gospel Song
04 Love Or Something
05 I Don't Like Mondays
06 Room 19
07 The Happy Club
08 The Great Song Of Indifference
09 Roads Of Germany
10 Walking Back To Happiness [cut]
11 The Great Song Of Indifference (reprise)
12 Love Like A Rocket
13 A Hole To Fill
Quality: A-

Bob Geldof - Oldenburg 2 (05/12/1992)
01 backstage interview
02 The Great Song Of Indifference
03 Too Late God
04 A Hole To Fill
05 A Gospel Song
06 Love Or Something
07 I Don't Like Mondays
08 Room 19
09 Walking Back To Happiness
10 Let It Go [cut at beginning]
11 The Happy Club
12 The Great Song Of Indifference
13 Roads Of Germany
Length: 62:45
Quality: A

Bob Geldof - Greenbelt Festival (30/08/1992)
01 The great song of indifference
02 Too late God
03 The chains of pain
04 A Gospel Song
05 Love Or Something
06 The Beat Of The Night
07 I Don't Like Mondays
08 Room 19
09 Let It Go
10 The End Of The World
11 Rat Trap
12 Big Romantic Stuff / The Great Song Of Indifference ( reprise )
All tracks live at the Greenbelt Festival;30 Aug 1992
Quality: audience, B+

Bob Geldof - Phoenix Club Toronto 1993
01 The Great Song Of Indifference
02 Too Late God
03 The chains of pain
04 A Gospel Song
05 Love Or Something
06 The Beat Of The Night
07 I Don't Like Mondays
08 Walking Back To Happiness
09 Rat Trap
Source: audience
Quality: B
Total: 48:34

Bob Geldof - Live in Italy 1994
01 The Great Song Of Indifference 5:36
02 Crazy 4:32
03 I Don't Like Mondays 5:12
04 Bob Interview 2:23
05 Crazy 5:06
06 Love Or Something 3:49
07 The Beat Of The Night 5:59
08 I Don't Like Mondays 5:01
09 Crazy (acoustic version) 3:59
10 I Don't Like Mondays 4:33
11 The Great Song Of Indifference 3:57
12 Crazy (acoustic version) 5:50
13 Too Late God 4:07
14 I Don't Like Mondays 2:55
Length: 63:01
Tracks 1 - 3 Rome; 1 May 1994
Tracks 4 - 8 Gimmi's; Milan; 2 May 1994
Tracks 9 - 11 Roxy Bar; Bologna(?) May 1994
Track 12 M Costanzo Show; Rome May 1994
Tracks 13 - 14 Recanati; May 1994
Quality B+/A-, mostly fm

Bob Geldof - Wetzikon Switzerland (20/06/1998)
! start missing
01 The Great Song Of Indifference
02 Too Late God
03 The Chains Of Pain
04 Inside Your Head (version 1
05 A Gospel Song
06 Love Or Something
07 The Beat Of The Night
08 My Hippy Angel
09 I Don't Like Mondays
10 Banana Republic
11 Room 19
Source: audience
Quality: B
Total: 52:40

Bob Geldof - Teatro Tendo Florence (16/03/1999)
CD 1
01 The Great Song Of Indifference
02 Too Late God
03 The Chains Of Pain
04 A Gospel Song
05 A Sex Thing
06 Love Or Something
07 The Beat Of The Night
08 My Hippy Angel
09 I Don't Like Mondays
CD 2
01 Banana Republic
02 Room 19
03 Attitude Chicken
04 The End Of The World
05 Rat Trap
06 Inside Your Head (version 2)
07 Huge Birdless Silence
08 A Hole To Fill
Length: 45:45 + 39:08
Source: audience
Quality: B+

Bob Geldof - Rock Circus , San Vittore Switzerland (08-07-2001)
01 The Great Song Of Indifference
02 Too Late God
03 The Chains Of Pain
04 A Gospel Song
05 A Sex Thing
06 One For Me
07 Inside Your Head
08 Mudslide
09 I Don't Like Mondays
10 My Birthday Suit
11 Room 19
12 Attitude Chicken
13 A Hole To Fill
14 The End Of The World
15 Rat trap
16 Pale White Girls
17 Huge Birdless Silence
18 The Great Song Of Indifference
Length: 78:04
All tracks live at Rock Circus, San Vittore;Switzerland;8 July 2001
audience recording
Quality B+/A-

Bob Geldof - Trento (08/02/2002)
! fade in start
01 Too Late God
02 The Chains Of Pain
03 A Gospel Song
04 A Sex Thing
05 Walking Back To Happiness
06 One For Me
07 Mudslide
08 I Don't Like Mondays
09 My Birhtday Suit
10 Room 19
11 Attitude Chicken
12 Inside Your Head
Source: audience
Quality: B
Total: 55:08

Bob Geldof - Villa Berg Stuttgart (28/03/2002)
01 radio intro
02 The Great Song Of Indifference
03 A Gospel Song
04 A Sex Thing
05 Walking Back To Happiness
06 introducing new songs
07 One For Me
08 Mudslide
09 I Don't Like Mondays
10 radio outro
Quality A

Geldof Live - London - POSTPONED

This show has been postponed.

Bob Geldog (sic)

http://www.sundaymail.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=16444375&method=full&site id=64736&headline=bobby-geldog--name_page.html

BOB GELDOG
Boomtown Rat trains pups
By Raymond Hainey

GERRY COTT found fame as a guitarist with Bob Geldof's punk band Boomtown Rats - now he's teamed up with another Bobby in a bid for big-screen success.

Gerry added: "I shared a twin room with Bobby in a hotel near the castle so we only had to walk a few hundred yards to work.
"It was a dream job - if I live to be 90, I'll look back on it as a very special period.'

Is That It?

Perhaps the only book that tells the story of the Boomtown Rats, from their beginnings through to post In The Long Grass. The first edition of this book ends post-Live Aid. Available again in paperback.

Paperback 448 pages
Publisher: Pan
Language: English
ISBN: 0330442929

Great Songs of Indifference - Geldof Solo Anthology 1986 - 2001

Great Songs of Indifference - The Anthology 1986 - 2001 Mercury/Universal 983 376-8

The more or less complete solo recordings of Bob Geldof to date. There are a handful of tracks that are only available on the singles (see Solo Discography) , the most notable omission being Crazy, but this covers the four albums with a smattering of b-sides, previously unreleased tracks, and a version of Sunny Afternoon that only previously appeared on the Ruby Trax compilation. For reference, I have included the original UK/US catalogue number.

As for the albums themselves, maybe I should dig them all out and have a proper listen to them before passing opinion, but it is generally acknowledged that Sex, Age & Death is the most critically acclaimed, and Vegetarians of Love the most commercially successful reaching number 21 in the UK album charts in August 1990 (none of the others charted in the UK).

Deep in the Heart of Nowhere (November 1986) MERCURY 830 607-2/ATLANTIC 7567-81687-1

1. This Is The World Calling
2. In The Pouring Rain
3. August Was A Heavy Month
4. Love Like A Rocket
5. I Cry Too
6. When I Was Young
7. This Heartless Heart
8. The Beat Of The Night
9. Truly True Blue CD only
10. Pulled Apart By Horses CD only
11. Words From Heaven
12. Good Boys In The Wrong CD only
13. Night Turns To Day
14. Deep In The Heart Of Nowhere
15. Dig A Ditch previously unreleased
16. Friends For Life Love or Something b-side
17. Life Is The Hardest Thing previously unreleased
18. August Was A Heavy Month - Instrumental previously unreleased

NOTE : On it's original release as an LP and a CD, there were three tracks that only appeared on CD.

The Vegetarians of Love (August 13, 1990) MERCURY 846 250-2/ATLANTIC 7 82041-2

1. Gospel Song
2. Love Or Something
3. The Great Song Of Indifference
4. Thinking Voyager 2 Type Things
5. Big Romantic Stuff
6. Crucified Me
7. Chains Of Pain
8. Rose At Night
9. No Small Wonder
10. Walking Back To Happiness
11. Let It Go
12. End Of The World
13. Out Of Order Love or Something b-side
14. Hotel 75 The Great Song Of Indifference b-side
15. One Of The Girls Love or Something b-side
16. The Original Miss Jesus from US Sex, Age & Death KOK-CD-8415
17. Vegetarians Of Love A Gospel Song b-side
18. Sunny Afternoon from Ruby Trax - The NME'S Roaring Forty (November 1992) NME40CD/NME40MC
19. La Chanson De L'indifference from MERCURY 1385

The Happy Club (April 20, 1993) Vertigo 512 896-1/Polydor 314 519 132-2

1. Room 19 (Sha La La La Lee)
2. Attitude Chicken
3. The Soft Soil
4. A Hole To Fill
5. Song Of The Emergent Nationalist
6. My Hippy Angel
7. The Happy Club
8. Down On Me
9. Too Late God
10. Roads Of Germany (After BD)
11. Sex Thing
12. House At The Top Of The World
13. Shine On previously unreleased
14. Huge Birdless Silence Room 19 (Sha La La La Lee) b-side
15. Maybe Heaven My Hippy Angel b-side

NOTE :Yeah, Definitely which is not here, appeared on the US release (and as a one track promo single). A Hole To Fill on the US release is an alternative version with different lyrics. The US release has a very different running order.

Sex, Age & Death (May 1, 2002) EAGLE EAGCD187/KOCH KOK-CD-8415

1. One For Me
2. $6,000,000 Loser
3. Pale White Girls
4. New Routine
5. Mudslide
6. Mind In Pocket
7. My Birthday Suit
8. Scream In Vain
9. Inside Your Head
10. 10.15
11. Summer Day (London '95) previously unreleased
12. Sighs And Whispers previously unreleased
13. Voodoo Child previously unreleased
14. Two Dogs previously unreleased
15. Harvest Moon previously unreleased
16. Summer Night (London '95) previously unreleased
17. Pale White Girls (French Mix) previously unreleased
18. Cool Blue Easy from US Sex, Age & Death KOK-CD-8415
19. Pity The Poor Drifters previously unreleased

NOTE : Cool Blue Easy and The Original Miss Jesus both appeared on the Koch US release.

This demo also accompanied the release. This is a UK 10-track promotional only CD on Mercury Records packaged in custom card sleeve.

s.a.d too (Cat#GSOI 1)

1. Summer Day (London '95) previously unreleased
2. Sighs And Whispers previously unreleased
3. Voodoo Child previously unreleased
4. Two Dogs previously unreleased
5. Harvest Moon previously unreleased
6. Summer Night (London '95) previously unreleased
7. Pale White Girls (French Mix) previously unreleased
8. Cool Blue Easy from US Sex, Age & Death KOK-CD-8415
9. The Original Miss Jesus from US Sex, Age & Death KOK-CD-8415
10. Pity The Poor Drifters previously unreleased

Crowded World

I know very little of this, but Mataya Clifford recorded this with Geldof and it was released on Black Magic Records

Artist: Mataya Clifford
Release date: 06/09/2005
Genre: Reggae
Label: Black Magic Records

Gerry Cott Speaks Out!

http://www.ias.org.uk/resources/publications/alcoholalert/alert200501/al200501_p12.html

Gerry Cott was a founder member, with Bob Geldof, of the Boomtown Rats. He gave up the life of a pop star and almost accidentally fell into a career as an animal behaviourist and animal filming consultant. His clients including 20th Century Fox, Disney, BBC, ITV, CH4 and many international advertising brands. He lives with his wife, Cathy, and their children in a Surrey village.
A comfortable, pleasant life you might think but the idyll was shattered by the noise coming from the local pub which is right next to the Cotts house. It is easy to think of the problem of alcohol-related nuisance being an urban phenomenon and it may be that the majority of trouble is experienced in inner cities but increasingly the by-products of the binge drinking culture are being felt in the countryside.
Gerry Cott was led into the field of alcohol policy by the particular difficulties he was facing in his home. In the process he was led to conclusions about the problems posed by the industry to society in general.
“Tony Blair says binge drinking is the new British Disease”. “Wrong Tony”, says Cott! “Government sponsored corporate greed from Big Alcohol is the new British Disease – Binge drinking is just a symptom of that disease. Think again Tony, before you destroy the country!”

Rats sue Geldof

Bob Geldof is to face a legal challenge from four former members of the Boomtown Rats who claim he owes them unpaid royalties.

The dispute came to light in a statement issued by Gerry Cott, who quit the band in 1981, John Moylett, the pyjama-clad pianist who performed under the name Johnny Fingers, Simon Crowe, and Garrick Roberts.

"We jointly confirm that with the utmost regret we are pressing ahead with our claims against Bob Geldof and others for our rightful entitlement to a proper share of recording, publishing and merchandising income," the statement said.

''We have retained the London solicitor Angel and Co to act on our behalf and anticipate that proceedings will have to be issued shortly. We have no further comment at this stage."

The four musicians have listed their grievances in letters to the Performing Right Society (PRS), which collects licence fees for the public performance and broadcast of music, and the Mechanical Copyright Protection Society (MCPS), which collects and distributes royalties.

They have also asked for financial information from Universal Music, who released re-mastered versions of the Boomtown Rats' six albums in February.

Geldof is credited as the sole writer on many of the songs. However, the other band members claim that their input into the records has not been recognised. They also claim it was agreed that all band members should benefit from record sales. Under this arrangement, the principal writer (or writers) receive half the proceeds from individual songs while the remaining 50 per cent is shared amongst the rest.

Rats are 26th in People's Choice Top 100 Irish albums...

What an injustice!

http://www.hotpress.com/top100albums/

The Boomtown Rats
Tonic For the Troops
(26/100 The People's Choice)
(Mulligan)

E O'Connor, hotpress.com:

"My older brother got A Tonic For The Troops free with a hotpress subscription back in 1978 and we just played it like crazy. This was the sound of Ireland and the world as we knew it in ‘78. I still play it today – the songs are great and it brings back memories of a simpler time. Walk, don’t walk, Talk, don’t talk!"

Ja Walsh, hotpress.com:

"When you’re young, innocent and naive, you have to look to your elders to see what’s really going on, and in 1978, A Tonic For The Troops was it. For a wet-behind-the-ears pre-teen (even before the term existed!) these songs were all classics. Every word was learnt off and every copybook was adorned with a picture to represent each song. But best of all was that, in singing these songs, you could say things that you would never get away with in normal conversation. God bless Sir Bob and the Rats for this gem. For a record of its time, it's now timeless."

Live At Hammersmith Odeon, 1978 DVD

Though this has been released in a variety of guises on VHS down the years (mono/stereo with a variety of covers and titles) now it is finally released on DVD. It differs from the original VHS video, in the visual mixing, but the original concert is pretty much intact, and that's what matters.

The one thing that strikes you is how good the Rats were live at that time. In many cases, the live versions are better than the studio versions. She's Gonna Do You In and Kicks are just stupendous live.

Essentially this concert is Tonic for the Troops live. It's a shame the Surfacing tour was never recorded for posterity.

Reminise on Pete Briquette's Wilco Johnson impressions, and how cool Gerry Cott was. Fag hanging out the side of his mouth while he reels off a fantastic guitar solo. And as for Geldof's red trousers. Was that a sock in his pocket or was he just pleased to see the cameras? His flies even burst open at one point; there wasn't much room in there.

A rare chance to see the Boomtown Rats at what was more or less their peak. Cherish it!

Tracklist:

1. Blind Date
2. I Never Loved Eva Braun
3. Me And Howard Hughes
4. She's Gonna Do You In
5. Rat Trap
6. Kicks
7. Joey's On The Street Again
8. She's So Modern
9. Don't Believe What You Read
10. Like Clockwork
11. Do The Rat
12. Looking After No.1

'Neon Heart' - bonus audio track
'Living On An Island' - bonus audio track
'Mary Of The Fourth Form' - bonus audio track
Promo videos for Pale White Girls and One For Me from Bob Geldof's solo album Sex, Age And Death

Rats Albums in the US/UK Charts

Today saw the re-entry of the Best of in the UK charts at number 46. None of the re-releases made the official top 200, despite all making a good showing on the Amazon Hot 100. Though of course they all did chart on their original release.

UK ALBUMS

BOOMTOWN RATS

• Date: 17/09/1977
• Run: 53-31-*18*-23-23-19-27-41-46-49-58 (11 wks)

TONIC FOR THE TROOPS

• Date: 08/07/1978 -
• Run: 21- *8*-10-8-12-16-17-24-24-30-34-38-42-0-40-43-24-16-13-14-12- 9-10-12-13-13- 11-17-13-22-21-33-44-37-41-59-68-0-71
• (37 weeks)
• Re-entry: 18/08/1979
• Run: 70-57-47-54-56-70-0-70 (7 wks)
• Total # of weeks: 44 (Top 10: 5, Top 20: 18 Top 40: 30)

THE FINE ART OF SURFACING

• Date: 03/11/1979
• Run: *7*-9-14-22-28-27-28-32-32-35-30-28-35-34-28-22-26-24-30-38-50-70-62-66-68-66
• (26 wks)

MONDO BONGO

• Date: 24/01/1981 -
• Run: 9-11- *6*-11-31-58-74 (7/2-1c wks) US:#116/8

V DEEP

• Date: 03/04/1982 -
• Run: 65-66-70-*63*-95 (5 wks)

LOUDMOUTH - THE BEST OF

• Date: 09/07/1994 -
• Run: *10*-21-42 (3/1 wks)

BEST OF

• Date: 08-05-2004
• Run *44*-59
• (2 wks)
• Re-entry: 19-02-2005
• Run 46
• (1 wk)

US ALBUMS

TONIC FOR THE TROOPS

• Date: 03/03/1979 -
• Run: 128-118-116-120-116-115-113-*112*-122-129-135-155-156
• (13 wks)

THE FINE ART OF SURFACING

• Date: 01/12/1979 -
• Run: 132-124-113-113-113-108-130-126-124-130-110-*103*-103-104-162-177
• (16 wks)

MONDO BONGO

• Date: 21/02/1981
• Run: 168-152-137-126-*116*-116-141-181
• (8 wks)

IN THE LONG GRASS

• Date: 25/05/1985 -
• Run: 194-189-189-*188*
• (4 wks)

Geldof on Parkinson - ITV

Great Interview! Full transcript here.... http://www.bobgeldof.info/Articles/parkinson.html

Rat Trap was very good! Far better than Brits. More rock 'n' roll (no orchestra).
Diamond smiles was abridged (the Barbara Cartland & the low voltage noise verses were not there, but seemed a better song without the over fussy keyboards and a shortened wind up.

But how can a man with four daughters get away with hair like that? I only have a mum, sisters, a wife and a 7-month old daughter and they won't accept me having the odd grey hair! (to be fair, my daughter just wants to pull all my hair out!)

On Film 1976-1986 - Someone's Looking At You DVD

1. Looking After No.1
2. She's So Modern
3. Like Clockwork
4. Rat Trap
5. I Don't Like Mondays
6. Diamond Smiles
7. Someone's Looking At You
8. Banana Republic
9. The Elephant's Garveyard
10. Never In A Million Years
11. House On Fire
12. Dave
13. Tonight
14. Drag Me Down
15. A Hold Of Me



One Night Like This - Live from the Hammersmith Apollo:


1. Intro
2. The Elephant's Graveyard
3. Charmed Lives
4. Lucky
5. Neon Heart
6. Someone's Looking At You
7. Dave
8. A Hold Of Me
9. I Don't Like Mondays
10. Talk In Code
11. Rat Trap
12. Drag Me Down
13. Looking After No.1
14. Credits

The Music Machine - 1977
Looking After No.1 - 1977
Mary Of The 4th Form - TOTP 1977
News Flash - 1980
Arnold Layne - 6.55 Special 1982
Do They Know Its Xmas - The Tube 1985
Keep It Up - Live
Like Clockwork - Live
Joey's On The Street Again - Self Aid 1986

Dwnload-only Single - Rat Trap: Live At The Dominion Theatre 1985

The Boomtown Rats embrace the digital age with their debut download-only single.

Available at all good download stores near you!

iTunes and http://www.hmvdigital.com/

Fingers Speaks!

http://www.metro.co.uk/metro/interviews/interview.html?in_page_id=8&in _interview_id=1016



Johnny Fingers

by James Ellis, February 7th, 2005

Famous for wearing his pyjamas on stage, Johnnie Fingers was keyboard player in Irish rock band, The Boomtown Rats. Formed in 1975 the Rats - whose lead singer was Sir Bob Geldof - were together for a decade. After they disbanded Fingers moved to Japan where he works as a DJ and A&R for a dance label. All six Rats albums are re-released on Monday.



Does listening to old Boomtown Rats albums bring back good or bad memories?
I haven't heard any of them for years. I have no idea, but a friend of mine who works for Universal sent me a DVD of Live Aid. It was quite fun, actually. I was surprised. It sounded quite good.



Despite your commercial success, the Rats seemed to be critically underrated. Would you agree with that analysis?
Never thought about it. Didn't care. I think, as a live band, we were the best that was around because we had a lot more experience than the new age punk bands. Most of them had only played three or four gigs - ten at the max. But we'd actually played for about a year and a half before, or something like 150 gigs, and so we were very full on.


You were incredibly tight for a band at that time and very good at playing your instruments.
Yeah. Because we were very energetic, people used to say: 'Take a load of speed and go see the Rats.' I remember our sound guy saying: 'A lot of people at the back are on speed.'


What was the drug de jour for the band at the time?
We used to smoke dope, like everyone else. I wasn't a drinker really.


So you guys were really laid back at the front while they were all speeding at the back?
We thought we were laid back.


What was your best memory of life in the band?
I have loads of different memories. The most obvious are of myself and Bob touring America together, doing promotional trips. The rest is a blur - touring, playing live, recording. We had a funny, strange lifestyle - doing a 30-day promotional trip across the States or two weeks across Europe.



Why was it just you and Bob doing those promotional trips across America? Did the rest of the band not fancy coming along?
Because Bob is very good at interviews, and I was the visual look of the band, it was the obvious thing to do. You can't bring the whole band out on a promotional trip.


Some of the themes - the loneliness of being in a big city as described in Rat Trap - may have been similar to the London punk themes.
Maybe lyrically, yes, but musically, no. It was quite different.


You were famous for wearing your pyjamas. How did that visual look come about? It came about because I wanted to be recognised more than anything and a band that was very visual had the same kind of kink like Boy George had when he appeared on the scene.


Did you ever feel left out of the London scene when you first moved over from Ireland?
We weren't part of the London scene at all. We came over when the punk thing had just hit big and we were in this kind of hippy house in Surrey. It was owned by Virgin Records, although we didn't sign with them. Henry VIII had built it for his mistresses and it was a strange place. Living there we felt quite separate from the rest of London. The first band we went on tour with was the Ramones, who didn't feel part of the London scene either. In fact they quite hated it.


Whose idea was it to rip up the poster of Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta on Top Of The Pops?
Mine. I think I put a hanger on my head on the next programme and people used to come to the gigs with hangers on their heads thinking that was quite relevant and important.


Do you still see any other members of the band?
When I go over for business in London I will probably go and see Gerry [Cott, Rats guitarist].


Is Bob the saint he's made out to be?
Certainly not. I don't think anyone believes that for a minute.


What do you think about him getting a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Brits this year?
Good for him.


How much money would they have to throw at the Rats to get them back on tour again?
It wouldn't be to do with money really. It sounds like a cliché but it's to do with whether we'd all like to play together again. It would have to be the right moment and everyone would feel right about it.


Could you see it happening at all or is it a definite no-no?
I don't think it's a definite no-no.


Would you get the pyjamas back out if you did do the tour?
That's where the money would come in. I often think when I see bands like The Beach Boys and they don't wear those stripy shirts that I feel ripped off.

Geldof gets his Brit!

Geldof collected his Outstanding Contribution to Music award tonight. Sadly, his performance was a little wanting. It was like a cabaret act with all the strings and horns. And he wore a suit! Came across as a pretty cool guy though. Pete Briquette played and was thanked between songs. Really good to do that.

I heard Rat Trap in HMV the other day and it sounded great, but at the Brits it wasn't. Mondays sounded dull and lifeless as well. The audience looked underwhelmed as well, given the sparkling performances from Franz Fredinand, Scissors Sisters and Green Day earlier on. OK, I don't expect Geldof to be like he was 25 years ago, but the songs lacked any sense of excitement. Geldof looked a bit bored by them. If I were say 16 and never heard of the Boomtown Rats, the performances wouldn't have made me want to find out much more about them.

He got quarter of an hour and two songs (no one else got that time). Jools Holland gave him the award, and lots of oldies praised him (Bono, Sting, Annie Lennox, Pete T, Elton...). Even his acceptance of the award was unusually modest!

Not the first Brit for Geldof either, he picked up a special award in 1985 along with Midge Ure for teh Band Aid single.

Past winners

2004 Duran Duran
2003 Tom Jones
2002 Sting
2001 U2
2000 Spice Girls
1999 Eurythmics
1998 Fleetwood Mac
1997 Bee Gees
1996 David Bowie
1995 Elton John
1994 Van Morrison
1993 Rod Stewart
1992 Freddie Mercury
1991 Status Quo
1990 Queen
1989 Cliff Richard
1988 The Who
1987 Eric Clapton
1986 Wham & Elton John
1985 The Police
1984 George Martin
1983 The Beatles
1982 John Lennon
1977 L.G. Wood/The Beatles (Joint )

John Peel Radio Sessions

Gerry Cott - UK - Thursday, 28th October 2004
When we started the Boomtown Rats, John, as he did with lots of other bands before and since, gave us a helping hand. It's still hard to believe he's gone. I loved listening to him on the radio. I will miss him very much.

Recorded - 26th July 1977
Transmission - 3rd August 1977
Producer - Jeff Griffin
Engineer - Mike Robinson
Studio - Maida Vale 4

TRACKLIST

1. Joey's on the Street Again
2. Mary of the Fourth Form
3. Looking After Number One
4. Neon Heart

LINE UP
Simon Crowe (Drums, Backing Vocals)
Bob Geldof (Lead Vocals)
Johnny Fingers (Keyboards, Backing Vocals)
Garry Roberts (Guitar, Backing Vocals)
Gerry Cott (Guitar)
Pete Briquette (Bass)

• This session has been released on CD. The first three tracks were b-sides on the Geldof single Crazy, and Neon Heart appeared on the recent re-issue of A Tonic for the Troops

Recorded - 15th May 1978
Transmission - 26th May 1978
Producer - Tony Wilson
Engineer - Neil Burn
Studio - Maida Vale 5

TRACKLIST

1. Like Clockwork
2. Me And Howard Hughes
3. Living In An Island
4. (Watch Out For) The Normal People

LINE UP
Simon Crowe (Drums, Backing Vocals)
Bob Geldof (Lead Vocals)
Johnny Fingers (Keyboards, Backing Vocals)
Garry Roberts (Guitar, Backing Vocals)
Gerry Cott (Guitar)
Pete Briquette (Bass)
Neil Burn (Backing Vocals (Track 4 Only))

• Broadcast on BBC Radio 6 Monday 23 January 2006 in three parts. Living in an Island also contained a blast of DUN LOAGHAIRE on the fade out.

46664

CDs

46664: The Mandela Concerts Part 1 - African Prayer
Label: Warners
ASIN: B0001MXPHW

2. Bob Geldof - Speech
3. Bob Geldof - Redemption Song

46664: The Mandela Concerts Part 3 - Amandla
Label: Warners
ASIN: B0001MXPIG

7. Bob Geldof - The Great Song Of Indifference
8. Bob Geldof - (What So Funny ‘bout) Peace, Love and Understanding

DVD

46664 - Nelson Mandela Concert [2003]

Classification: Exempt
Studio: Warner Music Vision
Run Time: 377 minutes
DVD Features:
Main Language: English
Available Audio Tracks: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Sub Titles: Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish
Disc Format: DVD 9
Jukebox 5 Track Selection Feature
Behind The Scenes Documentary
Press Conference
Artist Interviews
Photo Gallery Slideshow
Freedoms Coming Track
A Minute For Aids 12 Short Films
ASIN: B0001DI51M


Book

46664 The Concert (Hardcover)

Language English
ISBN-10: 0316730173
ISBN-13: 978-0316730174

http://46664.tiscali.com/

The Best of the Boomtown Rats

The Ultimate Rats Compilation!

• UK Highest Chart Position: 44
• Total number of weeks on chart : 3
• Entry (Umtv 9819145): 8th May 2004
• Run: 44-59 (2 wks)
• Re-entry (Mercury 9870227): 19th February 2005
• Run: 46 (1 wk)
  
  
  
  
  Mercury 9870227 / Umtv 9819145 / Eagle EAGCD202

1. She's So Modern
2. Mary Of The 4th Form
3. Rat Trap
4. Lookin' After No. 1
5. When The Night Comes
6. Someone's Looking At You
7. Joey's On The Streets Again
8. Banana Republic
9. Dave
10. I Don't Like Mondays
11. Like Clockwork
12. (I Never Loved) Eva Braun
13. Neon Heart
14. Never In A Million Years
15. Diamond Smiles
16. Drag Me Down
17. I Can Make It If You Can
18. The Elephants Graveyard
19. Fall Down

After twenty years in the making, The Boomtown Rats finally got the retrospective they deserved.

The two most familiar tracks are Rat Trap and I Don't Like Mondays, from the Boomtown Rats heyday in 1978-1979. The two number one singles that were sandwiched between the Grease phenomenon and the advent of the Police. For a short period, The Boomtown Rats, and in particular, Geldof and Paula Yates, were foremost in the nation's consciousness.

Before this thought, the Rats made some great songs including Joey's on the Street Again, Looking after Number One, Mary of the Fourth Form, She's So Modern and Like Clockwork; these tracks gave the Rats their early chart success. Neon Heart, I Never Loved Eva Braun, and I Can Make It If You Can also come from that prolific period. It is worth noting the version of I Can Make It If You Can on this CD is a live version rather than the studio version from their eponymous debut album.

Post I Don't like Mondays, the band started to lose affection from the public mainly, but unfairly, due to Geldof's celebrity. Diamond Smiles was released to indifference (it is possibly the weakest track on this collection), but there were further top five hits with the marvellous Someone's Looking at You and Banana Republic (Geldof's description of Ireland pre Celtic Tiger), before the Rats chart success went on the wane.

The melancholic Fall Down would make this CD worth the purchase price on its own had it not being abridged and sumptuous woodwind solo removed (Fortunately, the full version was latterly on the re-released Mondo Bongo) .

Nevertheless, the Rats continued to plug away and make some great music, including the fantastic House on Fire, one of their greatest moments, which is omitted from this collection.

In their last days, the Rats showed an impressive return to form with a great triumvirate of singles including Dave, a masterpiece that deserved a bigger audience.

Like any retrospective, it lacks some of the better album tracks (Howard Hughes, Kicks, Go Man Go), at the expense of some weak singles (Diamond Smiles, Never In a Million Years and Elephant's Graveyard), but that does not detract from the overall quality of this release.

All the tracks bar the live version of I Can Make It If You Can are on available on the remastered albums. It is probably only essential for less commited admirers who wouldn't consider obtaining all the remastered albums or for newer fans who want to delve beyond I Don't Like Monday and Rat Trap. A fantastic retrospective of what was acknowledged at the time to be the best new wave band.