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http://liverpoolstudentmedia.com/2012/09/the-boomtown-rats-the-boomtown-rats-35th-anniversary-retrospective/In the North, the Irish people had the ordinary, the cheerful but ultimately brilliant Th...
Anybody got any nominations for the worst or weakest Rats song lyrics. The vast majority of the bands songs had great to very good words but occasionally some of the lyrics were a letdown. I have always found the lyrics to Kicks to be a bit well aimed at the adolescent vote, coming across as a bit false. H...
I'm getting on a review-writing kick for BG/BTR stuff. So here's my review of V Deep (remastered version) - any and all opinions of this album are welcome in terms of favorite/least favorite songs, comparing it to other albums, etc... He Watches It All one of the prettier-sounding tr...
Geldof claims that Do The Know Its Christmas was originally a song rejected from the Long Grass period and he just changed the words to suit the evolving situation in Ethopia. I can't imagine how the song would have been with different lyrics and I don't rate Do They Know.. much . Of course it didn't matt...
Have always preferred the album mix of this rather than the single mix, except I do prefer the fade out to the single rather than the album's end with the first lines repeated. I prefer the extended middle instrumental aspect of the album mix and the slower build up at the start without the immediate dr...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRdUUzcwdPQ Sounds rather hoarse but good clip nevertheless, seemingly from the Surfacing days. Looks like a European venue despite the Japanese text that accompanies. Anyone any idea when/where it was recorded?
Lookin' after no. 1 1977 is one of the years on Pick of the Pops this week This week 35 years ago, it was at 17 Where have the years gone?! Next week it will be at 13 and it's not listed as being on TOTP on BBC4 then so presumably, the week after when it will be at its highest position (11), it will get an airing ...
Uploaded to You Tube recently. I always thought this song distinctly average, but with listening to recent live versions and watching the above (is it me or does it sound faster than normal?), it is really growing on me. There's a great defiance to the lyrics and lots of swooping harmonies and, as eve...
The Glastonbury alternative.... Saturday 27th June 2009 PARTY ON THE FARM - Edolphs Farm, Charlwood. Surrey RH6 0EB http://www.theratsatedolphs.co.uk £20 Such a shame, I'm off to Kuwait. Saves me a decision with Ray Davies playing Kenwood House in Hamptead the same night. Still with a bit o...
OK, I'm bored and it's raining and there's nothing to do - though have had a fantastic summer holiday, just now feel a bit jaded with school/work about to start again and more rain no doubt. I can't even muster any enthusiasm to join in with all the recent posts about splleing miskates - but then proof-r...
Had a quick squizz to see if this had been discussed before but couldn't spot it...only albums. I was always (even then) slightly disappointed with Rats covers and felt other bands managed more memorable or edgy artwork, but given the choices I'd say.... Best - Rat Trap or Dave - simple band shots, pre...
Uploaded yesterday. Gerry must have left after May '81 as he appears in backing vocals role with Simon, like the 'Fridays' clip elsewhere on You Tube. Garry on drums which I've never seen before. Bob at times seems to find the interviewer tiresome but overall it's fascinating stuff and shows what gem...
Just discovered the full (39 mins) Rock Goes to College has been uploaded to YouTube. No idea about the legality but it is a chance for those who have not seen it before to appreciate it. Audience could have been a bit more lively. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kafa_lTXQDo -- Edited by noelindubl...
http://www.rhythmfestival.com/ "....I am hugely saddened to have to announce that Rhythm Festivals 2012 can not take place as over the weekend of August 24-26 at the Mansion House, Old Warden Park in Bedfordshire, as planned.A whole series of glitches and problems made it impossible to car...
When I was young and immature, as opposed to now being old and immature, and those sometimes awkward silences descended in the pub or wherever, we used to wait for someone to break the silence then all pour scorn on them for piping up and trying too hard. You'd see everyone looking round waiting for some...
fight!!! mmm, maybe not, but interesting to see two of Geldof's peers, both doing a run of London dates this week. Sting with 3 @ Hammersmith and Weller with 5 @ The Roundhouse. Elvis Costello is weighing in with a couple at the Royal Albert Hall in May along with a fully reformed Buzz****s playing Bri...
Well I'm not sure the awful weather is really due to global warming, think some of the blame should lie with the Rats and Bob Geldof: In the Pouring Rain Rain An Icicle in the Sun Wind Chill Factor A Storm Breaks Mudslide The Soft Soil Pale White Girls And a sign of things to come: August was a Heavy Month? Wh...
Just got the following notification: Dear Customer, Thank you for purchasing tickets with www.eventim.co.uk for the following event: BOB GELDOF LIVE IN CONCERT in LONDON, Islington Assembly Hall, 01.06.2012 19:00 The promoter of this event has informed us that the event has changed and shall no...
http://www.radiotimes.com/episode/qy757/punk-britannia-at-the-bbcA celebration of punk music from between 1975 and 1981, featuring archive performances by British bands including Dr Feelgood...
For all those of you on FB who want more than 10 tracks on a CD please join or comment on my event: http://www.facebook.com/events/130225210447729/ If you're not on FB comment on here. Only positive comments please, I want to convince Bob to give us more music
Just stumbled across the NME review from July 79: 'A masterpiece! Following a series of competent but average hits, the Rats put out their tongues and pull from their pockets - just in the nick of time - one of the greatest pop pieces of the decade. Bob Geldof proves his genius and in a single stroke justi...
can anyone remember what bob was saying about feeding the world in light of the planets every increasing population? sure he said something about not having enough land. he didnt touch on the WAY the land is used and that husbandry is the most wasteful way to produce per unit of protein for human consum...
Preparing for the South-England part of the tour. I will be in Bristol, Yeovil, Brighton and London. Anyone else going to these? It would be nice to meet some other fans from here! Cheers
Hi there, can you credit IMG with the history of the Rats on the Boomtown Rats website. I wrote it originally and it appeared first on the original bobgeldof.info site. I have no problem with you using it, I just would like a credit for my work. At the bottom of the piece it has copyright to your website...
Hi all, I've been searching for ages now, and finally got a copy of the B-side to the 45 of I Don't Like Mondays, ie. It's All The Rage. Man, that took forever! A song from my youth, and I even rented a phonograph to digitalize the damned thing! Here's my question: to whom do I inquire as to the rights to this s...
...activism has completely damaged my ability to do the thing I love. If it hadnt happened I think I would have been able to make the transition from the Boomtown Rats to a solo thing more like Weller or Sting.http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/arts/music/bob-geldof-on-grandchildren-activism-a...
More from Pete on the live CD Mixing of the Live Cd going really well. 10 tracks from gigs in London, Manchester, Nuneaton, Chatham and LincolnUniversal are doing a limited box set of the last CD with extra tracks and vids
I'm going to both these gigs and am wondering if anyone is up for a meet up beforehand. Also does anyone know of any pubs near the venues - which serve real ale.
Fairly sure I've not reset anything but posts are all disappearing beyond right hand side of my screen on viewing over last few days, leading to tedious right/left scrolling to read in full. Certain it's not my laptop settings as it's suddenly the same via work PC, so either it's my personal setting I'...
Finally Bob is doing a solo headlining concert in his hometown Cannot wait for this!!!!! Just announced on Aiken's FB page and is on Ticketmaster. Tickets on sale Monday morning 9am priced 33.
Here's the link to The Boomtown Rats performing Tonight on The Tube. Think it is from around Christmas 1984. Seems to be a mimed performance, though not sure why it is not live. It's a bit of a dog eared VHS upload but worth seeing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1Dm_lcTzYo
I've just heard the album bonus track The Fields of Spring on Youtube and cannot understand why this track was not on How To Compose Popular Songs. It certainly for me seems better than most of the other tracks so one wonders who makes these decisions, like having that silly joke hidden track rather t...
Here's one I had forgotten about. It's BG with Gary Moore doing Thin Lizzy's Cowboy Song from Self Aid in Dublin in 1986. Picture quality is pretty ropey but it is quite rare. Most of Self Aid seems to have remained on long forgotten Vhs tapes as Ireland gradually became prosperous and was somewhat em...
Not sure how long this has been up on Youtube but this cover of Fall Down by some guy called Soulrebel One is really good and worth a listen. Says he was 'just having a little mess abaht', by I for one am impressed. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5vZRLFwL4Q
Just wondering if it's likely that any more festivals featuring the Rats will happen over the summer. I know there's the Biggleswade one, but there seemed to be more happening last year. Would be interested anyway - though with the current rainy weather maybe camping out at a festival wouldn't be s...
Good interview at http://www.allanwilkinson.co.uk/node/2287 Think Simon also got interviewed down there so there might be another one lurking online somewhere....
I'm reliably informed the Rats at Grand, Clitheroe on Friday 10th August is going to be recorded with a view to issuing a 'live' album (assume CD?) so there's an accompanying appeal for as many fans as possible to be there to drum up a decent atmosphere. If it helps sway decision there's also a gig follow...
Posting this because my next door neighbour and good friend has just been told he's lost his job as UK manager of Roadrunner records, as part of cutbacks by recent new owner Warner Music. The article at following (and embdded links) raise a fair few interesting points on the back of the decision. http...
A rare copy of V Deep from Germany went for a staggering £160 last night on ebay.I backed of at about £90 as every bid was automaticaly outbided.Good luck to whoever won the cd.
Travelled over from Dublin for this gig and certainly was not disappointed by the new version of the Rats. All the band put in a great performance and I thought Bob Bradbury on vocals did a good job in perhaps the hardest role, in stepping in for BG so well done to him. Consumed too much cheap (£2 pint) Wel...
I just missed buying a copy of this on ebay and wondered if anyone on the forum had a copy on cd that i could buy.I`ve never seen one for sale before and probably won`t see one again.The tracklisting is as follows.1.close as you`ll ever be2.blind date3.me and howard hughes4.living in an island5.stir it...
Looks to be the same as it ever was, but if you heven't got it... Filmed at London's legendary Hammersmith Odeon (now Apollo) in the summer of 1978, this concert film captures The Boomtown Rats just as they were breaking into the big league. Their second album A Tonic For The Troops had been released t...
Have just booked to see the Rats at Porth, which is about 10 miles nw of Cardiff, on 28 April. This is my first time seeing the band live in its current incarnation so hope it goes well. Perhaps a few of the forum members will be there so will say hello! My itinerary is a bit all over the place, but I get a nicel...
Anyone who hasn't been on official site lately might not be aware of latest issue of above including 4 page Rats interview with Garry and Simon, pondering the rapid and seemingly final demise of band, in terms of continued popularity at least. Well worth a read, even though mag is £4.99 and much of it is...
Bit of spare time over last day or so (either side of yet another Palace defeat) so have knocked up another cryptic crossword for these rainy days. Apologies to purists who like them totally symmetrical - did my best but sort of lost my way, and patience. Clues are nearly all Rats related, albeit convol...
As I won't be using it, save on the postage cost... Z5DKBGJZUSV5VY34code will expire on February 28 2012. -- Edited by ArrGee on Wednesday 7th of March 2012 09:25:29 AM
http://www.spinner.com/2011/03/16/bob-geldof-new-album-sxsw/Another"I made [my first solo album] 'Deep in the Heart of Nowhere' after the Rats, and the reality was, the Rats could've written and played half that album."I don't understand why it is so sh!...
Friday 27th July 2012 - Germany ~ Rock of Ages Festival ~ SeebronMonday 22nd October 2012 - Germany - Mannheim / Alte FeuerwacheTuesday 23rd October 2012 - Germany - Aschaffenburg / Colos SaalWednesday 24th October 2012 - Germany - CH-MurtenFiday 26th October 2012 - Germany - Rosenheim / BallhausS...
I must say I have always had a fondness for strange, unusual, exotic musical instruments- possibly due to liking lots of sixties psychedelia. This piece on the hurdy gurdy is really amusing -the guy from English heritage gives us a run down and plays some tunes, 'Medieval rave songs' and in a world of r...
You can see the Rats perform Up All Night on episode 4 of the dvd release of Three Of A Kind series 2. I can remember seeing this at the time but could never remember what the programme was, wouldn't have a clue how to put it on You Tube but I'm sure its only a matter of time until it turns up there.
For those that attend Rats gigs, or might want to, the risk of cancellation and wasted outlay always looms, and has been realised for many of us. This understandably leads to caution/delay in booking tickets, which in turn increases risk of cancellation. Vicious circle. Reason I post is whilst brow...
Hi everyone, I've purchased 'How To Sell'... and the 3 iTunes bonus tracks, but I can't seem to find the track "11" anywhere. Does anyone know where it is available to purchase?
The album A Tonic For The Troops was chosen by Irish rock journalist Tony Clayton- Lea as one of the 101 Irish albums you must hear before you die, and he gave it a very good write up, highly praising the band, especially for their first two albums. There is so much rubbish Irish rock around, both now and in...
hi! i was wondering, has anyone read paula yates' mother's "big girls don't cry"? i actually think about getting the book but there are not many reviews available so i thought i might as well ask you guys what you think... in case any of you read it, what are your impressions? (is there a lo...
I've not seen the listings, but just been told this is on all weeks and includes the Rats. Here's hoping for the original appearance. PS I'm told it was on all last night, but is actually available on iplayer. -- Edited by Jules on Saturday 7th of January 2012 09:57:13 AM
Bob will be playing Morrisons Food festival, alongside Texas and other big names on 7 July at harewood House .Leeds. Someone high up in Morrisons likes him I think. I have heard his stuff being played in my local. They also sell a beer called Old Bob. I presented him with a bottle, much to his amusement,...
Wandering around Berwick Street this morning I came across the Pretenders debut LP for a quid in more or less mint condition. I was familiar with the hits, but having listened to it, it's a superb LP. There are songs like Private Life, which I had known as a Grace Jones song, that are far better here (Gr...
Shame shame, shimmy shame Can only 'load' one at a time, so will have to add others individually. Anyone got any suitable icons that sum up some aspect of the Rats or Geldof?
Contacted RTE last week about this much sought special, but alas, alas and alack, the reply came - Unfortunately there is third party footage within this programme, that is not our copyright, so we therefore cannot make copies of this programme. Im sorry I couldnt help further. - Dang!!
http://www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/leisure/music/9372794.Music_venue_gets_it_on_for_the_sound_of_the_seventies/THE new management team at MECA have announced their first booking 70s glam rock stars T-Rex and special guests Boomtow...
Watched an old BBC documentary last night fronted by Michael Buerke, with focus on work of Band Aid. Started with the usual 'where Bob came from' bit, which included the usual and a few seconds of what seemed to be a video, recorded in black and white like 'Dave', of the above song. Anyone know of this and...
Assuming most have seen this clip, I only discovered it last night The Rats playing live on the Friday's Show in America, 1980 - excellent versions of 'Someone's Looking At You' & 'Mondays' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgeUcnt0Oq8 Also just to revisit a classic - Mary! Live Geldof - grea...
Theres a very interesting and revealing interview with Bob on the Irish tv show The Meaning of Life with Gay Byrne which you can watch on the RTE player: http://www.rte.ie/player/#!v=1134495
Tony Denton , the promoter has confirmed 3 gigs in May, in Harrogate, Bristol and Yeovil. Tickets on sale monday. I have asked him to confirm 2 nights in Lichfield, also in May, which is all over the Staffordshire press. http://www.tdpromo.com/
'Maidin mhaith a chairde' (A very good mornin') In between bouts of working here, a wee bit of time for some Rat Chat also needs to be in the schedule Last weekend I finally got my music loving hands on some radio broadcast CD's of the Boomtown Rats, and I must say, the two I have started on have proved fanta...
'Dia dhuit' (Hello) from 'sunny' Dublin, After a glorious weekend of discovering my very first Rate Live CD's - Hammersmith '82 / Boston '80 / San Diego '79 / Cleveland '79 - which all sounded great, wonderful to have some FM quality Live Rats! (any excellent ones I'm missing please let me know) I am...
Has anyone else had bad experiences of this? I got the Very Best of The Smiths some time ago, but was ripping it to MP3 but the sound quality was abysmal. I wish I could find the original receipt and send the CD back. It was distorted and inaudible. http://www.sharoma.com/loudness_war.htm
I do like the brass section in a lot of the Rats later gigs but it has often made me wonder which band member came up with the idea of adding them to the live sets. I suppose Geldof would be the obvious choice. Was Dave McHale known to the band before he started playing for them?
So my inbox says I have 6 new messages (since yesterday???) but when I look there are none. Is someone from beyond this world trying to tell me something lol
OK, you have to pay £1.26 for delivery, but there are piles of used CDs for a penny on Amazon, including Loudmouth. I must have got around 30 or so in the last few days, as it's cheaper than downloading. Only downside is my CD collection would probably only be worth around £100 these days
Never in a Million Years, mimed ,I think, preceded by a rather strange interview in which Bob shows off his navel. From an American TV show. A good laugh. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9euSJmCJiMQ
Does anyone have any favourite albums of 2011, or singles, for that matter? Listened to a few more of less brand new acts this year, and must say overall I feel underwhelmed by most of them. Much hyped Vaccines were just that, with a pityful two or three decent songs on their debut album and a dull stage p...
Right, lets get festive and have a christmas game. We must think of christmassy festive things starting with every letter of the alphabet. I'll start with 'A' Assortment of cadbury's chocolate bars (that i blame relatives for getting me when i was a kid at xmas hence all the fillings in my teeth by the...
One week, one vote, you decide... If you have another song that should be in the list just respond with the song name, and I'll substitute as appropriate in the list -- Edited by ArrGee on Monday 19th of December 2011 10:59:50 AM
I always find the intros to most of the Rats songs pretty gripping and distinctive so got to wondering which were amongst my favourites.These intro's often remind me of the first few times I had ever heard these songs, and always seem to stir memories. Does anybody have any favourites or opinions abo...
He Watches It All one of the prettier-sounding tr... 
