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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...
Apparently Like Clockwork was a big hit inGermany; I'm surprised it wasn't adopted as the national anthem given the efficiency of the place. Where else would a coach service not only depart at precisely the right time but also reach its destination 85km away just as the clock ticked over to the exact m...
Ian would like to set up a social gathering for Rats/Geldof fans. The bobgeldof.com Mingle - Ian Gibbons from bobgeldof.com is kicking an idea about. Now we have active Facebook and Twitter profiles, there could be an opportunity to have regular events when likeminded fans of the Rats/Geldof com...
Well it only takes away three songs, but as we are on a Rats forum it wouldn't really be fair. Still I'd be gobsmacked if there is anyone out there who thinks Do They Know It's Christmas? is the greatest number one single. Maybe Midge Ure, who is probably still smarting from Vienna losing out to Shaddup Y...
I've won a couple of free tickets to see Caro Emerald (of Deleted Scenes From the Cutting Room Floor fame) next Monday (12th). Problem for me is the show is in Manchester, 200 miles away. Anyone who is willing and able to get there is very welcome to them (free). Please PM if so. First come first served. Co...
HI- I was just thinking about two of the Rats more experimental songs with a jazz flavour The Little Death and Walking Down Town. The former is about heroin/drug addiction as the sorta lazy feel of the music,I think ,matches the languid drug state of almost non being. The lyrics read very well. Its obvi...
Well he has been painted in a picture by Mitch Griffiths covered with rats. As close as you'll ever be. On display at the Halcyon Gallery. Page 33 - Evening Standard - Wednesday 30 November 2011 -- Edited by ArrGee on Thursday 1st of December 2011 10:43:16 AM
Rats are late stand-ins at a 70s weekender in Bognor Butlins tonight. Not due on till about 11pm apparently, but for anyone north of Watford would imagine it'll be a struggle, and a late night. Just back from Kiel - will post a review when I can.
Have just discovered the Rats performing Someones Looking At You, I think on TOTP. Pretty decent studio bound video and great to see it emerge afterf all this time. This comes in the 'lost video' category. This is the video that Mark L of this forum said he had on videotape- someone has done the job of con...
After bands releasing albums with various covers (Saturdays, One Direction, JLS) and new versions of albums with one of two extra tracks (Arcade Fire), this morning I came across the latest scam. If I want to get tickets to see Sting (not really), I can get them in a pre-sale if I join his fan club. I do...
Leipzig was sold out last night. Zurich was fantastic, according to Johnny. Bob got lots of pressies, including a Swiss Horn, which he played on stage. Want to see the video. Vienna more or less sold out too I think. He yodelled too. tweet (translation) It was a beautifulevening, with lots ofgood musi...
Does anyone have any opinions about high definition Blu Ray versus ordinary DVD? Not too long ago Blu Ray seemed to be the next big thing in the home entertainment sphere- giving superb 1080p picture quality to watching movies at home, but at such a prohibitive price, especially just for the odd once o...
wonders who the guests are, maybe bob geldof himself taking a peek at random posts here and there or maybe the queen even, maybe cameron manages to steal a few moments away from propping up the monstorous machine and comes on here to have a peruse around.
is it bob being cagey or down to lack of imagination of the interviewer? (yawn) if i've heard it once i've heard it a flippin hundred times........ bob being reticent, shy, reserved,? what? hmmmmm maybe its none of my business anyway....... lol..... it probably isn't in fact...... but i would be inte...
I have just had a text message to say the Rats are playing a gig at The Queens, Bromyard, with guest Bob Bradbury (Hello) on vocals & bass. Rats due on about 9:30pm. I will double check that it is this Saturday.
Hi all If you're going to St Albans and are getting there before the gig, would you like to meet up? We are going to have something to eat early on (around 5 pm) in the Victoria Pub on Victoria Street and stay there for a drink and then wander down to the gig. it is about 5 mins away from the venue. Let me know...
.... ****! I'm such a stereotype. I guess that's why Tonic for the Troops is such a great album http://www.telegraph.co.uk/portal/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/portal/2007/02/13/nosplit/ftseventies13.xml
Did anyone watch the first series? Having finally caught up with it all and seeing the warehouse employee did it, I'm glad I didn't upset our own resident Dane. Wildo beware! Anyway, it's all starting on BBC4 from 12th November. Tak. -- Edited by ArrGee on Monday 31st of October 2011 05:01:44 PM
I spent a lot of last night watching the various Kurt Cobain/Nirvana/Nevermind shows on BBC4 and it was mentioned that Smells Like Teen Spirit was close to a Pixies song with it's quietLOUDquiet approach. Then they had a Pixies song to illustrate the point, which near enough copied the structure o...
Simon Crowe and Pete Briquette co wrote a song for Tracy Ullman in 1979. I knew about this song but have not heard it until now and there is certainly an obvious Rats influence. The song to me sounds very good and does no harm to the reputation of either Simon or Pete. I presume they had a hand in the lyrics...
Great night in Bromyard again,although had to drive home so drank orange squash until it came out of my ears. Little Bob was great and fitted in really well.So now if someone asks if Bobs with the band the answer is yes.
Must admit to having the occasional 'habit' over the years, when in record shops of checking Boomtown Rats stock and Bob Geldof stock too! That is, checking whether albums are on sale, are they selling and are they being restocked. From Cork to Ipswich I've done this! Curiosity always gets the bet...
I have been wondering lately what people think are the finest moments for each member of the Rats? Do you think Fingers finest came in Mondays, Simon's on Fall Down, what was Garry's best. Have to amit when i listen to his short solo piece on Bitter End it makes me think how underated a guitar player h...
Hi everyone I seem to be going through a mini obsession with the Rats at the moment but I'm taking medication for it! Was wondering about favourite videos for songs - my personal favourite is Banana Republic also Mondays and Diamond Smiles but we could do with less horrah henrys in that video! The Ke...
Since the former thread didn't really machted the expectations, I want to make sure we all gonna get a touch of it. So, anybody got a recording / link / mp3 or else ??
Hi Everyone, I'm a 2nd year events management student and am doing an essay on audience experience at the 1985 Liveaid concert. Is there anyone out there who went to the concert and wouldn't mind answering a few quick questions?
Not sure if anybody has heard this version of Mondays by the London Symphony Orchestra. Must say I was pleasantly surprised- the orchestral treatment seems to fill out the sound ,adding a richness and complexity to the normal bare keyboards version we are all so familar with. Certainly worth hearin...
Being a big film fan I got to thinking who was my favourie film actor and came to the conclusion that for me it is Al Pacino. I love Woody Allen movies and love his neuritic film persona but he, as a comic actor is quite different to Al Pacino, but Woody always appeals to me. I'll have to think about my favouri...
Just looking at Fun Boy Three on YouTube I am reminded that there were lots of really good bands and singles around despite the decade having a bad reputation for music, particularly the mid decade when bands like Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet and Wham dominated the charts. Does anyone have any 'lost...
I was just watching a recording of the BBC1 Football League Show from Sat night and had a surprise... Several of you reading this will have met Rats fan Mark (who goes to nearly all Rats gigs and sometimes sells some t-shirts). It seems that he is also a Crawley Town fan as he was interviewed about them on t...
Hi Newbie here. When I saw Bob at the Sands Centre in Carlisle 7 or 8 years ago he was backed by Norman Watt-Roy, John Turnbull and Mick Gallagher. As a fan of both Ian Dury and The Loving Awareness Band as well as Bob, it was one of the best gigs I've ever been to. So, having spotted that Bob's at The Lowry on Su...
I have so far only listened to Dave ( not the single version) Over and Over , Drag me Down and A Hold of Me . Dave and Drag me Down are very different to at least what was released in the USA. Dave was obviously going to be different from the US version but I have heard it as Dave before . They simply are not...
For those who were too poor to buy the proper albums back in the seventies there were generic compilaton albums which covered all the current hits.Solid Gold top hits! The guys and gals covering these songs had the uncanny knack of sucking the life and soul out of the proper versions, making them so ane...
This TOTP appearance seems to have been added to YouTube recently. Picture quality is not great and a clearer version hopefully will surface at some stage. At least I have not noticed this and I normally check from time to time for 'new' videos. Its getting hard to keep track of them all. Might need to co...
I saw Bob's Vegetarians of Love tour at St David's Hall, Cardiff - 91/92? I can't find a record of the date anywhere. Can someone please confirm the date?! For the record, it was a great show. I actually bought my ticket on a whim, having walked past the venue and saw that Bob was playing. One of the best gi...
A number of positive reeviews for Geldof and now The Rats been discussed with regards to the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame.... Geldof and his Boomtown Rats are also known for their iconic (and banned in some parts) song I Dont Like Mondays, inspired by the Brenda Spencer shooting. The Boomtown Rats, as a b...
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article713738.eceN ONE of my more nostalgic hits,Come Dancing, I mourn the demolition of the local dance hall: The day they knocked down the Palais, part of my childhoo...
Not sure if this has been covered before but only for the Irish bankers initially refusing to give a loan for Geldof's Buy and Sell magazine in Dublin back in 1976/77 we would never have had The Boomtown Rats and subsequently Geldof would never have gone on the do Live Aid and all his work with Anti Pover...
I suppose if I had to go to a Geldof concert, which I finally did tonight then the least that could happen would be three Rats on stage. All in all a pretty good evening, had a good bit of banter with suss, Derek The Dane and Joan of Arc before and after in the pub. Nice to meet Scottie as well who was quite char...
One person who admits to having the famous missing Rats tape is Irish rock music writer Jackie Hayden. This is the tape containing Little Queenie and a lot of other songs which may have been rewritten or gone under new names. Hayden also says he attempted to write songs with Geldof before the Rats becam...
A couple of night ago, Someone's Looking At You was being used to advertise a BBC wildlife show. I then switched over to watch the Rats live in concert on BBC4. It was the Middlesex Poly gig. First time I had seen it.
What sports do people just not 'get'? The sports I personally have never taken a liking or interest in are..... Golf- boring, tedious and pointless. Any badly dressed to boot. Snooker- Boring, dull and sleep inducing. Not a real sport. Horse Racing- never been interested. American Football- Tota...
Here's some footage of Pete Briquette and Nigel Grainge the founder of The Boomtown Rats Ensign label back in the day, judging the YouBloom song contest 2010. Also included is Bob Geldof with Geldof producer Rupert Hine and Nigel Grainge in judging action at the YouBoom song contest 2010. http://w...
My head is sayng 'fool forget him' my heart is saying 'dont let him gooooooooo' hold onto the end thats what i intend to dooooooooo cos i'm totally a shmuck face over youooooooooooo. so anyway i'll never get a chance to meet bob again :( as i went down the pub instead after cadogan hall. sad but true. bob...
I was overjoyed to witness Gerry Cott join Geldof & Briquette tonight in Chelsea. He played on Rats songs Mary, Joey & Rat Trap....It was great to see him after 30 years and all 3 looked very happy.
Quite funny how connected he is to the Rats. He played with Garry Roberts, Simon Crowe and Mike Odlum. He has appeared on the same stage as Geldof earlier this year in Ireland. Rupert Hine has produced both of them, and Dustin the Turkey has performed a duet with both. And most interesting, Geldof ap...
It was superb. Bob seemed extremely happy. The place was practically full and he said afterwards he had a fantastic time. His best solo performance by a mile. If you get chance to see him GO..
Ohhhhh we're half way there... Just got back from Geldof gig, which included Gerry Cott guesting for a few tracks (mainly the Rats ones). Bob, Gerry and Pete on one stage. Never say never...
I booked online back in June and was probably the first booking. The booking system gave me row e as the best seats. Yesterday I discovered someone had just bought tickets and had row A. After a call to the box office I now have row A slightly to the left. Not sure what that suggests about ticket sales but if...
Loved the way he just ambled around the stage, chilling out at the back, colliding with Geldof and just shrugging it off. Was all over the stage, left to right, no hiding behind the mike. he doesn't have the frenetic Wilco Johnson-esque pace of old, but a real cool dude.
Devoted old fans, that's what he thinks of Ian and Tina LOL BTW what is trended? I don't know either! I rarely use twitter nor facebook. Still good news, he is totally unaware of the forum and my blog. He probably won't jump off the stage and beat me up... phew! http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/s...
Went to the gig not really expecting much but have to confess it was brilliant. Band played a full 2 hours from just after 8pm and got called for a second encore. Crowd was around 350 I'd guess and spent the last 45 minutes all standing, which is saying something for the normally reserved if not bordering...
Anyone fancy meeting up for the Bob Geldof concert on the 20th?.I have asked Scottie if she would put something up on facebook.The concert is not far of and I would love to meet some of the people going to the concert.
Have been lurking for awhile. Really enjoy the Rats, but Geldofs solo stuff much less so. Anyhow, wonder if any of you will know the answers to these: The Rats left Ensign and signed with Mercury and released Mondo Bongo. On this album was Banana Republic. Banana Republic was the first single releas...
http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2011/09/16/the-man-for-all-reasons-but-he-s-still-a-rat-at-heart-92534-29432755/Geldof was on the second date of...
Took advantage of fact that I'm only a 200 minute drive away (plus the hour required for the Chunnel) and shot across to the gig at the weekend. Not sure what weather was like in UK but was absolutely stifling in Belgium, 30 degrees mid afternoon and still well into 20s overnight. Was too hot to breathe an...
Thanks to all that came,especially the ones that travelled.Was good to meet you and your partner Lisa and hope to see you at future gigs,guess you have been to a couple anyway. Mark,Kay,Suss,myself and Liz are at most of em and in my opinion that was one of the best.Mike did a great job on vocals and they f...
Some interesting stuff in here. A really good interview from not so long ago.Geldof had written Rat Trap back in 1973.That the band was originally called "Eyeless" not The Nightlife Thugs.The first song they attempted to play live was All Through The City, but Gerry Cott fcuked it up...
Scandanavia Tour Dates all october Fri 21st SWEDEN, Teatern, Gothenburg Sat 22nd DENMARK, Studie 2 DR Byen, Copenhagen Sun 23rd NORWAY, Sentrum Scene, Oslo Mon 24th SWEDEN, Katalin & All That Jazz, Uppsala Wed 26th, SWEDEN, Nalen, Stockholm
Gig lined up in Kiel (north Germany) on Sat 3rd Dec according to RAM. Frequency of gigs does seem to be increasing, assuming they happen of course. Good news for fans though if they're spreading their wings and their exposure, but guess it only really works if there's a return gig at some point in same pl...
I've always liked the title In The Long Grass and I know it can have two slightly different meanings. Geldof claims it is an old Irish saying meaning that you've been round and about only not too visible- ~Where have you been? I've been lying in the long grass. Under the radar might be an approximation. L...
14 sept Newcastle Sage Theatre 15 sept Southport Theatre 18 september Croydon Ashcroft Theatre 20 sept London Cadogan Hall 21 Sept Lincoln Theatre Royal. Booking details on www.bobgeldof.com-- Edited by ArrGee on Thursday 19th of May 2011 09:27:00 PM
Might be advisable to hold off any travel or hotel commitments if it's not too late as I gather the gig scheduled could be postponed due to venue (new one) not being quite ready in time. Hopefully the RAM site will be updated if this is the case, or perhaps BTR can confirm?
While checking something on the Rats site around 3pm today noticed there were 73 guests online, whereas normally the traffic averages maybe 5 or 6 at any one time.
As retold by Tina on FB This is the only time you will see Bob playing with hair extensions (yes hair extensions!!!) Here is what happened, please excuse the expetives but they are important to the story. Bob has just finished making a French film called "Mauvai...se Fille" (Bad Girl) in w...
Just checking info about the fortcoming 2 September gig at Wolverhampton and found that Mike Odlum, an old schoolchum of Roberts and Crowe has joined the new Rats lineup as vocalist and bassist. Mike Odlum was the Wexfordman who appeared on stage at their recent gig. The attached piece from the Wexf...
You've been caught Tour 2011 Its The Boomtown Rats 30th anniversary and Eddie and The Hot Rods 35th Anniversary. Full press release to follow -- Edited by ArrGee on Friday 2nd of September 2011 10:34:09 PM
The Rats first appeared on TOTP with Looking After No 1. This was the first time I ever saw them. So it is my 34th anniversary http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbi3VFR0sU4 Fantastic song.
There's ten to start with. Feel free to vote for others. I have only been to one of the above (unless you count the Marquee in Charing Cross Road rather than the Wardour Street original). -- Edited by ArrGee on Wednesday 3rd of August 2011 04:30:05 PM
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/portal/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/portal/2007/02/13/nosplit/ftseventies13.xml