World's biggest Boomtown Rats fan

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

World's biggest Boomtown Rats fan

Jules · The biggest Geldof fan in the world, bar none!

Well he hasn't met us, so he doesn't know the competition he's up against. wink

TheTopHat · The BoomTown Kid

The World is a small place these days - can I bags the universe smile

nick

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

I'm the only fan in the fourm!

Not sure how you'd classify being the world's biggest fan.

I only saw them live twice in 1979 & 1981; should have been three but didn't get ticket as they had sold out by the time I got to the Rainbow box office after school (Ah those pre-intenet/phone booking days!).

I don't have all their records; well not in all formats - some I just have 12". But then again I have 6 copies of A Tonic for the Troops - 2 vinyl, 4 CDs.

And I only ever had one sweatshirt, three or four posters, a couple of badges, along with a mirror, a scrapbook......

All fairly insignificant in comparison to my Pulp/Franz/Arsenal collections.

I'm sure there were/are far bigger fans than me who saw them on every tour, got every record and a heap of merchandise.

Jules · The biggest Geldof fan in the world, bar none!

What??? What is the bloke talking about? I agree with Bob on that one. The only fan in the forum. There are lots of us, and I'm right up there as you suggested earlier, I'll have you know.

I only saw them live once, but that was because I was only 12 when I first got into them, didn't get to see them until I was 14 (part due to money and part not being old enough). Then I didn't have the money to go later.

I do have all their albums and some singles on a variety of formats. Some I don't have on all formats but on at least 2. I have numerous copies of Tonic on tape - as I played them far too much and wore the tapes out. Bought more and couldn't bear to throw the old ones away even though it was useless! biggrin

I had 2 scrap books full of them, my walls were decorated in Rats posters, but for very different reasons to you ArrGee, as you well know! Loads of badges. I fail on the merchandise because of lack of cash again.

Ian from Wolverhampton beats us all hands down on the merchandise. Apparently he has a hall full of the stuff.

It seems to me that whilst the Rats don't/didn't have the biggest following in the world, those they did have were/are very loyal and very dedicated. Quality not quanity. wink

TheTopHat · The BoomTown Kid

Jules wrote:

There are lots of us, and I'm right up there as you suggested earlier, I'll have you know.It seems to me that whilst the Rats don't/didn't have the biggest following in the world, those they did have were/are very loyal and very dedicated. Quality not quanity.
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We all have our memerobelia, thats good, mine is I drive down the road, theres the leopardstown race course, which the rats hired out in 1980 to play a concert, an injunction by the locals which was in court for weeks prevented the concert, bob stood at the entrance telling people about the stupidity of it (hence banana republic), I drive on a quarter mile and cross the leopardstown dual carriageway, into blackrock, up the rock road past blackrock college. Then a mile or two and its the gas works, the meat factory, the five lamps. Oh yeah, Gerry Cotts mums house was in Leopardstown, we'ed call on her to see if he was there, and we got lucky once, however it was 1982 and he'd just left the band, what a drag. I go swimming at seapoint and sandycove - walking up killiney hill. I can go for a pint in fitzgeralds bar. Lots of ghosts howling around these places for me. I could go on...
I was in school in dunlaoghaire in 1980, 'Lookin' after no. 1' made a lot of sense being at school there/then. Why, well among other things, the dole queue he refers to was next door to the school (although he has said he was never on the dole). Wouldn't swap it for the world or universe. These places, I presume, meant somthing to him, why would he write songs about them? I enjoy them too. Its a lot nicer now in Ireland than when he ran out of the place screaming.
I've also had a few teeshirts and worn out a bit of vinyl down the years as well......nick

(ps. don't pull me up on the banana republic reference, but this injunction was, at the time, so bad, I believe it instigated the song)

This is not a dig. Far from it, its an appreciation for people who are as one with the same cause.

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TheTopHat · The BoomTown Kid

sorry, i've edited this so much,not for content, but for worry about how you would percieve it, please read again.
your friend
nick

Jules · The biggest Geldof fan in the world, bar none!

you don't actually need to own any memorabilia, you it's all there on your doorstep.

I'm sure these places meant something to Bob, it was where he grew up. When I met him after the Aylesbury show a few years back, there were 2 women from DunL. He was very excited to talk to them and was keen to point them out to us and tell us.

Have you met him Nick? Have you told him where you grew up and still live? biggrin

TheTopHat · The BoomTown Kid

No, never met him. Lucky you, meeting him. I met Gerry Cott, (on his mothers doorstep!) although I didn't recognise him, as he wasn't wearing his shades. He signed autographs for us (really nice bloke), which I still have somewhere (I know whats coming next, somones gonna say, show us!). Suppose I could if you want.
As regards meeting bob, I think 20 years ago i'd be out of my mind with excitement....today it would be different, if I really got my wish, i'd like to do somthing for him. Like a kind of giving back...
nick

-- Edited by TheTopHat at 22:09, 2007-06-02

Wes[Wolverhampton] · House on Fire

Hi Jules again--Thanks for the mention.Believe me I saw them loads of times.Missed the first tour though unfortunately.[seen BG and Simons band even more now lol]--Mine and Liz's[wife]s name is on all the re-issue cd's including the BG anthology for supplying stuff for the covers--I have the fine art of surfacing ashtray--An acetate of Mondays plus another three acetates--loads of promos ,badges ,intineraries ,posters ,autographs ,All the vinyl albums from various countries ,loads of promo and import 7" vinyl's.Plus a thick scrapbook of the Rats and another of BG.Got all Gerry's vinyl.Simon's band's cd's and probably loads more stuff that I have forgot about at the minute--Like Jules says my hall is a shrine--lol[and Simons seen it]---beat that someone---cheers Ian

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

Jules wrote:
What??? What is the bloke talking about? I agree with Bob on that one. The only fan in the forum. There are lots of us, and I'm right up there as you suggested earlier, I'll have you know.
...

It seems to me that whilst the Rats don't/didn't have the biggest following in the world, those they did have were/are very loyal and very dedicated. Quality not quanity.

That was tounge in cheek, and akin to being the only gay in the village (when obviously he ain't).

The Rats did have a very large following at one point, but it just proved to be incredibly fickle.

I remember seeing Pulp in the aftermath of Common People and Different Class at the Forum in Kentish Town. Instead of the usual fanbase, it appeared to have being replaced by a load of ex-Take That fans. Even Jarvis seemed bemused by it. Subsequent gigs went much the same way, but about three years later, it all went back to the way it was.

The problem with the Boomtown Rats is that they never had much of a climb to the top, and never established much of a fan base, so when they declined they lost most of it. A few kept the faith, but not too many. In comparison, The Clash & The Jam both had slower rises in popularity, yet held onto their fan base and have even added to it since they disbanded.

I would disagree about a small loyal & dedicated fan base. Most people I know who like the Rats think of them as Tonic for the Troops & I Don't Like Mondays (oddly Joey's on the Street Again also get the odd mention). I suspect a lot of people who liked them were surprised they made more than three albums when the re-issues came out. From what I understand the re-issues and hits CDs sold pretty well, not just to the dedicated but to those who were replacing their vinyl, and would buy Squeeze, Undertones and Buzz****s albums for the same reasons.

Geldof through Live Aid overshadowed it all, and as is evident on this board people are mostly interested in him as a individual ahead of his musical prowess. Nothing wrong with that.

There are Boomtown Rats fans, but very few, and being the biggest probably ain't that hard. I think Ian has it at the moment, but Rob Smyth may have something to say about that smile

Wes[Wolverhampton] · House on Fire

Believe me--I was there from the start and have been there ever since--Every track was a gemm for me and all the stuff they made was played to death by me.I also have the rare picture with Marc Bolan with which I havent seen another copy--Just don't get involved in these discussions much----cheers Ian

Jules · The biggest Geldof fan in the world, bar none!

When I say small and loyal, perhaps I mean very very small. About half a dozen of us who are true fans, been around since the early days, own all the albums, know all the tracks etc etc. biggrin

But we are still here and have followed the Rats/Geldof unfailingly for about 30 years. And doesn't it make you feel old?

My comment about what's that bloke talking about was also a little tongue in cheek and wasn't meant to be taken seriously ArrGee! wink

Hi Ian, good to see you are still around. Hope you and Liz are both well. smile

Wes[Wolverhampton] · House on Fire

Jules--We are well--hope yourself and Howard are too---We are now thinking about going to the Switzerland gig--not 100% yet though--cheers Ianx

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

Jules wrote:
When I say small and loyal, perhaps I mean very very small. About half a dozen of us who are true fans, been around since the early days, own all the albums, know all the tracks etc etc. But we are still here and have followed the Rats/Geldof unfailingly for about 30 years.

Probably a good few more than that. Lots of people don't go on forums, and quite a few got the re-issues. After all I only started posting seeking out re-issues http://www.voy.com/101985/2/187.html

Would hardly say I'm unfailing though. Deep in the Heart of Nowhere changed that.

Jules · The biggest Geldof fan in the world, bar none!

Some of us are unfailing, regardless of DIHON. smile

TheTopHat · The BoomTown Kid

Here we go, Lets define it........

My dictionary says.....
fan:(noun) an enthusiast, a great admirer or supporter. ( short for fanatic)

fanatic: (noun) a person who is very enthusiastic about something
[latin] fanaticis....inspired by a God.
ps. its a children dictionary I use.....

Ian (wolverhampton) gets my vote for tangible stuff, credits on albums, say no more.....a photo of the memrobelia would be cool.
Anyway, were all fans. best. nick

Wes[Wolverhampton] · House on Fire

Hi Top hat--I'll try and sort some pics out--I did put loads of stuff on btr.co.uk and bg.info a couple of years ago--Incidentally the fan club card on the back of the long grass cd is mine ,along with lots of the other pics on all the cd covers--does anyone else have one of these fan club cards from the late 70's

TheTopHat · The BoomTown Kid

Hi Ian,
Cool, I looked at the long grass.... The sites you mentioned aren't there anymore. Well bg.info seems gone and the other seems to be somthing else now.
Whats your treasured rats posession?
Any old, old memrobelia
thx again
nick

Mark Boyle · House on Fire

ArrGee wrote:

Not me, nor Jules, no one here. Rob Smyth apparently....

http://sport.guardian.co.uk/cricket/story/0,,2089787,00.html

"Happy Mondays, Rob," says John Starbuck, not realizing that he's talking to the world's biggest Boomtown Rats fan.

Yeah, sure, a Guardian creep a Boomtown Rats fan.

Clash worshippers to a person - the only people in the universe that still kid themselves on that Sandanista & Cut The Crap were good & that the making of Combat Rock to appease CBS wasn't the biggest chicken that came home to roost since the one Baron Greenback unleashed on Dangermouse! biggrin