Will Geldof tour?

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

Will Geldof tour?

Ian D · House on Fire

He's doing a great job trying to get people to accept him as a musician again, how many chat shows has he been on, not many others would get the exposure he has enjoyed on TV.

Which makes his reluctance to tour in the UK even more baffling, unless he is testing the waters with the new CD first. I can't imagine Bob's band performing to 2000 people. I think he'd be more suited to and could do well performing in theatres rather than the traditional concert venues such as Shepherd's Bush.

I am struggling to think of any band that releases CDs but doesn't tour.

musicmania · A Hold of Me

In the music industry people used to tour to promote the latest album. Now albums are used to promote the tours! I agree with your comments Ian. Bob has received alot of TV/radio/print media coverage in the last few weeks to promote the album and it would be fitting for him now to tour! He says he loves playing live so the question I ask is what is he waiting for confuse

Rather than hope to play for 2000 people he should play smaller venues. The last concert he did in Ireland was for a crowd of approx 1000.

Ian D · House on Fire

Last time i saw Bob was at Chichester Cathedral as part of the festivities. He sold out and it was a great gig. He even said the F word in church!

Scottie · Loudmouth

Bob said on Simon Mayo interview that he cant get an agent in the UK. Nobody will take him on, but he would love to gig.

musicmania · A Hold of Me

A former promoter of his in Ireland has entered the political arena so in unavailable I guess. I've copied the following from Hotpress as I can't link it as it is only available to subscribers. Why it is hidden from general view is a mystery????

Former Bob Geldof promoter enters political fray in Ireland

19 Feb 2011

Charlie McNally is Director of Elections for Labour's John Kelly in Roscommon-South Leitrim.

Irish music biz activist Charlie McNally has entered the political fray in the upcoming General Election in Ireland. A showbiz entrepreneur who released an early Irish rock compilation featuring U2 and who promoted gigs by The Jam, The Stranglers and The Boomtown Rats, as well as Philip Lynott and Bob Geldof's offshoot outfit, The Greedy Bastards, Charlie was also involved in working behind the scenes on Jesse Jackson's campaign for the democratic nomination, in the run-up to the US Presidential elections of 1984 and 1988.

McNally is operating as Director of Elections for John Kelly, the Labour Party candidate in Roscommon-South Leitrim, where he is going head to head with the cannabis reformer Luke "Ming" Flanagan, for the final seat in a three-seat constituency which is certain to deliver two Fine Gael seats. Politics is just Showbiz for ugly-looking people," McNally told Hot Press, quoting Bill Clinton (or is it Jay Leno?), "so I looked in the mirror and decided to become Director of Elections for John Kelly, the Labour candidate in Roscommon/South Leitrim.

McNally has been using Twitter and YouTube effectively during a campaign which has seen Kelly's local stock consolidate. An interesting twist is that all the other Parties are now advertising on John Kellys video clips and they are paying us ad revenue," he volunteered. "How sweet is that?

McNally also made a dash to Dublin last week to meet Jesse Jackson, who was invited to speak in Ireland during the election campaign by the Equality and Rights Alliance. Everything I ever learned about election campaigns and politics." McNally said, "derives from the rough and tumble of an American Presidential campaign, especially the long and grinding days watching a candidate work harder than everybody else.

In his address to the ERA, Jesse Jackson was critical of the skewed priorities of a Government that would take money from the people to save the banks.

"In this bailout," Jackson said, "the people for the most of it who drove us in this hole because of greed or lack of vision and lack of oversight, they are being bailed out and the victims of it are still being left out. There lies the inequality and human rights struggle."

In a week's time, as the votes are being counted, it will become evident whether or not McNally's involvement has paid the ultimate dividend for John Kelly. In the meantime, McNally has made clear his reasons for getting involved in what will be a hard fought constituency battle.

"The people of Roscommon/Sth Leitrim really need a man of integrity, with both drive and energy to represent them in Dáil Éireann," he said. "I would not waste my time on the highways and byways of these beautiful counties, unless I believed resolutely that John Kelly will be the first ever elected Labour TD, for and from Roscommon, in the history of the State.

In a battle that is likely to go down to the wire, Luke Flanagan may yet have something to say about that!

noelindublin · Loudmouth

musicmania wrote:

A former promoter of his in Ireland has entered the political arena so in unavailable I guess. I've copied the following from Hotpress as I can't link it as it is only available to subscribers. Why it is hidden from general view is a mystery????
Former Bob Geldof promoter enters political fray in Ireland
19 Feb 2011

Charlie McNally is Director of Elections for Labour's John Kelly in Roscommon-South Leitrim.
Irish music biz activist Charlie McNally has entered the political fray in the upcoming General Election in Ireland. A showbiz entrepreneur who released an early Irish rock compilation featuring U2 and who promoted gigs by The Jam, The Stranglers and The Boomtown Rats, as well as Philip Lynott and Bob Geldof's offshoot outfit, The Greedy Bastards, Charlie was also involved in working behind the scenes on Jesse Jackson's campaign for the democratic nomination, in the run-up to the US Presidential elections of 1984 and 1988.
McNally is operating as Director of Elections for John Kelly, the Labour Party candidate in Roscommon-South Leitrim, where he is going head to head with the cannabis reformer Luke "Ming" Flanagan, for the final seat in a three-seat constituency which is certain to deliver two Fine Gael seats. Politics is just Showbiz for ugly-looking people," McNally told Hot Press, quoting Bill Clinton (or is it Jay Leno?), "so I looked in the mirror and decided to become Director of Elections for John Kelly, the Labour candidate in Roscommon/South Leitrim.
McNally has been using Twitter and YouTube effectively during a campaign which has seen Kelly's local stock consolidate. An interesting twist is that all the other Parties are now advertising on John Kellys video clips and they are paying us ad revenue," he volunteered. "How sweet is that?
McNally also made a dash to Dublin last week to meet Jesse Jackson, who was invited to speak in Ireland during the election campaign by the Equality and Rights Alliance. Everything I ever learned about election campaigns and politics." McNally said, "derives from the rough and tumble of an American Presidential campaign, especially the long and grinding days watching a candidate work harder than everybody else.
In his address to the ERA, Jesse Jackson was critical of the skewed priorities of a Government that would take money from the people to save the banks.
"In this bailout," Jackson said, "the people for the most of it who drove us in this hole because of greed or lack of vision and lack of oversight, they are being bailed out and the victims of it are still being left out. There lies the inequality and human rights struggle."
In a week's time, as the votes are being counted, it will become evident whether or not McNally's involvement has paid the ultimate dividend for John Kelly. In the meantime, McNally has made clear his reasons for getting involved in what will be a hard fought constituency battle.
"The people of Roscommon/Sth Leitrim really need a man of integrity, with both drive and energy to represent them in Dáil Éireann," he said. "I would not waste my time on the highways and byways of these beautiful counties, unless I believed resolutely that John Kelly will be the first ever elected Labour TD, for and from Roscommon, in the history of the State.
In a battle that is likely to go down to the wire, Luke Flanagan may yet have something to say about that!

And I came onto this site to escape from politics, what with the Irish election coming up next weekend!

I'll be giving my vote to Gerry Mander of the Rottenborough constituency by the way.

-- Edited by noelindublin on Sunday 20th of February 2011 02:02:12 PM

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

Bobby Boomtown said:
"...The sum of my ambition is to play 2,000-seaters in the UK. I would love to. But it's the old thing of getting past all the stuff, to [people] accepting that maybe he does music that's a hard ask for an audience to swallow, I guess."

The audience are biting and swallowing!

manatthetop · In the Long Grass

After getting back with the rest of the rats I hope not. Much better at being a rat And he said he wouldn't come back even if he wanted 2. WELL bobby boomtown fills halls bobby solo nowhere near filling halls

noelindublin · Loudmouth

Joke wrote:
Do sell out crowds say anything about quality? I bet Justin Bieber sells out.
After seeing a number of Rats gigs now, and many BG solo gigs, I personally prefer Bob's solo gigs. It's all a matter of taste, isn't it? I feel his solo set is much more varied, and he has excellent musicians in his band.
Obviously I loved seeing the Rats, what an exciting year it was, with Isle of Wight, Cork and London! And now I'm crossing my fingers for some solo gigs next year.

The Rats music has so much more vitality, energy, drive, passion, quirkiness, generally better lyrics, and relevance.Bob has written enough good solo tracks for me to still be worth a listen. People go to the gigs to remind themselves of what the Rats music meant,and still does to many.

His solo band might be excellent musicians, but so are The Boomtown Rats, who had a look and style and iconic image that his solo band never came near to matching. His solo band have always seemed pretty anonymous to me, when compared with the Rats-think if Jagger had ditched the Stones and gone solo.'Ever feel you've been cheated'? as Johnny Rotten once said.

There is quite a bit of variety in the Rats music, but the live performances only allow a limited view of the range and versatility of the bands whole back catalogue.Lots of the more interesting and experimental songs are not performed, mostly it's the hits.

I like a lot of Bobs solo stuff, but he can be hit and miss. Most ten tracks albums have about five good songs, or at least songs I can relate to, and think are musically acceptable to rather good.

A lot of it is about the basic sound.The punky/new wave/r and b sound for me it better than the psudo folky, overwrought political songs, and semi Leonard Cohen sound alike songs. But Geldof's voice has always sent a shiver up my spine-he has a strange emotional resonance that I have always liked, both with the Rats and his other band.

In the end people like what they like, and can only give an opinion.

-- Edited by noelindublin on Friday 8th of November 2013 04:49:58 PM

noelindublin · Loudmouth

manatthetop wrote:
After getting back with the rest of the rats I hope not. Much better at being a rat And he said he wouldn't come back even if he wanted 2. WELL bobby boomtown fills halls bobby solo nowhere near filling halls

When you get the real thing with the reformed Rats it's hard to see a Geldof solo tour as being that appetising. Geldof doing Rats material with his solo band always sounds a bit lame-with the Rats he's on fire.

Geldof and his band doing non Rats, Geldof songs is a different matter. I don't have a problem with that, in the sense that these songs are not songs he recorded with The Boomtown Rats.

It is remarkable that the Rats are getting nearly sold out crowds for every show. Birmingham was packed, more or less. I very much doubt that a quarter of that crowd would go to a Geldof solo concert.

Joke · The Dutch One

Do sell out crowds say anything about quality? I bet Justin Bieber sells out.

After seeing a number of Rats gigs now, and many BG solo gigs, I personally prefer Bob's solo gigs. It's all a matter of taste, isn't it? I feel his solo set is much more varied, and he has excellent musicians in his band.

Obviously I loved seeing the Rats, what an exciting year it was, with Isle of Wight, Cork and London! And now I'm crossing my fingers for some solo gigs next year. smile

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

noelindublin wrote:
Geldof and his band doing non Rats, Geldof songs is a different matter. I don't have a problem with that, in the sense that these songs are not songs he recorded with The Boomtown Rats.
I very much doubt that a quarter of that crowd would go to a Geldof solo concert.

I have been to a Geldof solo concert, but I am highly unlikely to go again. It was a good show, but it only got going when he did Mary, Joey and Rat Trap. At one point it was so sterile, maybe Harvest Moon, I dropped off for a kip.

I would always go to see The Rats no matter who the singer is. Even suss smile

Scottie · Loudmouth

He had better bloody tour again. Looking forward to getting back to the solo stuff.

musicmania · A Hold of Me

I love both Bob solo and Bobby Boomtown and will take any live shows be it with the Rats or with the other lads!

craig · Lookin' After Number 1

Bobby Boomtown all the way for me!

Derek The Dane · V Deep

Will Bob tour,no.Play the odd concert in England,yes.

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

Derek The Dane wrote:
Will Bob tour,no.Play the odd concert in England,yes.

More likely to play Germany or The Irish Pub in the middle of the fcuking desert (Dubai). He doesn't really draw the crowds in the England...

Why would anyone want to go and see Bob Geldof? (it's a link, not me)

Before the latest Rats reunion I went to hear his interpretations of the Rats songs, but I don't even have that reason anymore. Perhaps he should do a couple of solo songs at a Rats gig.

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

He might do a couple of festivals. It's about time he did Hay again.

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

Jules wrote:
He might do a couple of festivals. It's about time he did Hay again.

Neither the bradbury rats nor geldof can draw crowds of over two hundred in london, but can get three thousand plus when together. The solo career is a vanity project, if Geldof wasn't so loaded, he'd have reformed with the others back in 2008. Looking back, it's a shame they didn't reform back in 2005 when Geldof got his Brit.

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

I think the venues have cancelled on many occasions, from what I can gather, ArrGee. Probably more often than not. It was most likely the venue at Milan too. I can see both sides of this argument. It hardly seems worth him doing much if there are only a few people to play. He says things on TV, but does the opposite at times. On the other hand he loves what he does and 'needs' to do it.

He probably could maintain both, if the Rats don't do such full on tours. It's not just about whether he wants to tour in England or around the UK, it is about whether venues will take him. They want to make money too. I sincerely hope he does and hope that maybe some people might switch on to his solo music through hearing the Rats again and discovering it. You never know! And as we've all said before, he does well in Germany. I'm happy to travel to Germany to see him. It would be sad for him never to do anything solo again or just festivals. Not so keen on them, prefer dedicated stand alone gigs myself. It's all about him or them. biggrin

-- Edited by Jules on Friday 15th of November 2013 10:14:00 AM

noelindublin · Loudmouth

ArrGee wrote:
Jules wrote:
I think the venues have cancelled on many occasions.
He probably could maintain both, if the Rats don't do such full on tours. It's not just about whether he wants to tour in England or around the UK, it is about whether venues will take him. They want to make money too. I sincerely hope he does and hope that maybe some people might switch on to his solo music through hearing the Rats again and discovering it. You never know! And as we've all said before, he does well in Germany. I'm happy to travel to Germany to see him. It would be sad for him never to do anything solo again or just festivals. Not so keen on them, prefer dedicated stand alone gigs myself. It's all about him or them.
I understand it is the promoters and/or venues, but they are cancelling because sales are too low for the venue. A large venue would want to get a decent audience in as their main money make is the bar sales. Two thousand drinks sold make it worth holding a gig. A hundred hardly pays for the bar staff. The promoters will guarantee the act a certain amount on the basis that sales will more than cover it. So low sales means cancelled gig.
I don't think many people wouldn't have thought to check out Geldof's post Rats material after the recent dates. More likely they bought the hits CD or possibly the box set.
I'm sure he will tour solo again, or at the very least play a few dates. Looking back, Cadogan Hall was well promoted and attended whereas Islington wasn't.

Geldof seems to revel in playing to big crowds, or at least the sort of crowds that were attending the just finished Rats tour. I'm really curious about how he'd react going back to much smaller attendances at his solo gigs. Overall I've no problem with Geldof and his solo 'career', only just hope that we can squeeze some more gigs out of the Rats, and maybe some new songs.

Maybe Bob thinks his solo work is of more spiritual or therapeutic value, to himself at least.

I was just going to bring up the thing about the job description on his passport, but Jules got in there first. What if the guy at costoms saYS: 'Bob Geldof, musician.....you got to be joking, you're not getting into this country? smile

-- Edited by noelindublin on Friday 15th of November 2013 02:14:12 PM

Scottie · Loudmouth

Disagree strongly Arr Gee. He has stated on TV recently that it is his solo stuff that interests him most and is what he really wants to do. He is writing all the time, back in the recording studio with the strong possibly another album in the offing. (from his own mouth) Nothing to do with vanity. He is a musician first and foremost, that is on his passport and that is how he sees himself. He does not mind playing to 200. In fact one of the best gigs I have ever seen was last year to about 100 in a bar. Was brilliant. Cant see why the two "personas" can't work together.

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

I don't get why he always says he's a musician on his passport, you don't put your occupation down on it. lol. Silly man

.

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

Scottie wrote:
He is a musician first and foremost, that is on his passport and that is how he sees himself. He does not mind playing to 200. In fact one of the best gigs I have ever seen was last year to about 100 in a bar.

They don't put your occupation on your passport and he did mind playing to 45. He has cancelled a number of gigs down the years where over a hundred tickets were sold in ambitiously large venues.

It is a vanity project, because he doesn't have the audience to sustain having the entourage he needs to tour, so he (or the promoters) must be out of pocket on nearly every date. Festivals are fine as people attend regardless, but Geldof solo gigs are not well attended on the whole. I don't know exactly how well Geldof's records sell, but I suspect they are on the low side from what I have read. So I suspect he is out of pocket on that as well.

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/article-1712698/How-rich-Bob-Geldof.html

http://newsthump.com/2011/03/25/its-because-weve-heard-your-other-stuff-music-fans-tell-geldof/

To answer the question, I see him touring solo as he can afford to, but I don't think the audience is there. I suspect that it will result in cancelled dates or rearranged venues.

One reason people have attended, self included, was to hear him play Rats songs and that has diminished given the events this year.

I agree that playing to a hundred in a bar is far superior to playing to a less than half full auditorium. Take the Bradbury Rats. Their gig in a small Dublin bar was superb but the gig two weeks before in the cavernous Blackheath Halls was lacklustre. I considered the Hurtwood Polo Club gig to be superior to the recent London and Cambridge dates I attended as well.

I can't see Geldof nor The Rats playing to small crowds very often, it's simply not viable. Despite what Geldof says, The Rats are a nostalgia vehicle that draw the crowds and fulfils his ambition of playing to an audience of a couple of thousand, pretty much anywhere in the UK and Ireland.

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

Jules wrote:
I think the venues have cancelled on many occasions.
He probably could maintain both, if the Rats don't do such full on tours. It's not just about whether he wants to tour in England or around the UK, it is about whether venues will take him. They want to make money too. I sincerely hope he does and hope that maybe some people might switch on to his solo music through hearing the Rats again and discovering it. You never know! And as we've all said before, he does well in Germany. I'm happy to travel to Germany to see him. It would be sad for him never to do anything solo again or just festivals. Not so keen on them, prefer dedicated stand alone gigs myself. It's all about him or them.

I understand it is the promoters and/or venues, but they are cancelling because sales are too low for the venue. A large venue would want to get a decent audience in as their main money make is the bar sales. Two thousand drinks sold make it worth holding a gig. A hundred hardly pays for the bar staff. The promoters will guarantee the act a certain amount on the basis that sales will more than cover it. So low sales means cancelled gig.

I don't think many people wouldn't have thought to check out Geldof's post Rats material after the recent dates. More likely they bought the hits CD or possibly the box set.

I'm sure he will tour solo again, or at the very least play a few dates. Looking back, Cadogan Hall was well promoted and attended whereas Islington wasn't.

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

The other problem is lack of promotion. If people don't know about it, they won't be able to go to it lol

.

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

Jules wrote:
The other problem is lack of promotion. If people don't know about it, they won't be able to go to it lol .

The last Rats tour had a pretty low key promotion. I only ever saw one quarter page ad in Q magazine and nothing in London Time Out. There are new forum members who weren't even aware they were back until after seeing the Isle of Wight on You Tube.

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

That's where Facebook and Twitter came into its own!

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

Jules wrote:
That's where Facebook and Twitter came into its own!

I never hear of any gigs via facebook/twitter. It'd be surprising if it had that much effect, there isn't even a proper Boomtown Rats facebook page. And from what I saw there wasn't too much from the Rats on twitter either. The official sites were also very low key.

Still despite all that, people came!

noelindublin · Loudmouth

ArrGee wrote:
Jules wrote:
That's where Facebook and Twitter came into its own!
I never hear of any gigs via facebook/twitter. It'd be surprising if it had that much effect, there isn't even a proper Boomtown Rats facebook page. And from what I saw there wasn't too much from the Rats on twitter either. The official sites were also very low key.
Still despite all that, people came!

Surely it was a case of friends telling other friends that the Rats were touring , or playing locally. This mainly through Facebook or twitter or other unsocial media. In Ireland there was one or two radio ads and no posters. I think there was some promotion in the newspapers, but overall it was fairly low key.

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

noelindublin wrote:
Surely it was a case of friends telling other friends that the Rats were touring , or playing locally. This mainly through Facebook or twitter or other unsocial media. In Ireland there was one or two radio ads and no posters. I think there was some promotion in the newspapers, but overall it was fairly low key.

That would account for one other person in my case!

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

As fars as I am aware 2 people, some friends and a 15 year old daughter went to Cork because of me talking about it on FB. Obviously the BG page gets more...

Why would you put your occupation in your passport anyway? It lasts 10 years not all occupations do.

noelindublin · Loudmouth

Jules wrote:
As fars as I am aware 2 people, some friends and a 15 year old daughter went to Cork because of me talking about it on FB. Obviously the BG page gets more...

Why would you put your occupation in your passport anyway? It lasts 10 years not all occupations do.

Just like Oscar Wilde, Bob would have nothing to declare except his genius smile .

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

Jules wrote:...

Why would you put your occupation in your passport anyway?

It's not been possible to put your occupation in an EU passport since 1982. So unless Geldof has written on himself, it ain't there.

Lisa · Mondo Bongo

I think you need to put it on visa applications (eg to US), so maybe that would explain it? You certainly did a while back - me and other half had to admit to being civil servants! The immigration guy asked "hey guys so who's running the country while you're over here?!" I just love Americans

Though not the security guy who challenged me when trying to get on the ferry to Ellis Island to see Statue of Liberty. The alarm went off, and I panicked and suggested it was the underwire in my bra! He was not amused ... Or were my family come to that. Anyway he took my word for it and didn't check - but the look he gave me was priceless

I hate going through airport security etc - I just always know I look guilty even though I'm obviously just totally sweet and innocent ..

Just as well I don't get out much really!

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

Lisa wrote:
I think you need to put it on visa applications (eg to US), so maybe that would explain it?

No. If you have a UK passport, just fill in an ESTA. Just tell them you don't have an STD, you don't drugs and you're not a Nazi, and they will let you in. And if you are a Nazi with a drug habit and gonorrhea, just lie. How would they know?

https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/application.html?execution=e1s1

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

You do have to include occupation on visa for India and possibly other countries: www.travisa.com/India/india-visaguide.html that's probably what he was talking about.

noelindublin · Loudmouth

Jane Bussmann: Bono And Geldolf Are C*nts is on at the Soho Theatre at 7,30pm until Saturday. An extra show has just been added at 11pm on Friday.

Wonder who this 'Geldolf' chap is?

Mark L · Loudmouth

ArrGee wrote:
Bobby Boomtown said:
"...The sum of my ambition is to play 2,000-seaters in the UK. I would love to. But it's the old thing of getting past all the stuff, to [people] accepting that maybe he does music that's a hard ask for an audience to swallow, I guess."
The audience are biting and swallowing!

Even more so after the release of Trash Glam Baby!

manatthetop · In the Long Grass

I know some of you out there are Geldof solo fan But if he is to tour I hope its only with the rats

Mark L · Loudmouth

manatthetop wrote:
I know some of you out there are Geldof solo fan But if he is to tour I hope its only with the rats

Hear hear