Intriguing to say the least.

ArrGee wrote:

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I guess that a reunion is in the offing then. Might be worthwhile getting tickets for the farm and Dublin.

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They could just appear with Geldof at one of his solo gigs, so I guess any of these dates is a possible...

From geldof.com

Saturday 7th July 2012 - Leeds - Harewood House,Harewood

Saturday 14th July 2012 - Plymouth Beer Festival

Saturday 1st September 2012 - LodeStar Festival

From RAM

Saturday 7th July 2012 u/a SC (Very suspicious!)

Sunday 26th August 2012 Rhythm Festival Biggleswade

Saturday 8th September 2012 Edolphs Farm, Near Crawley

Friday 7th December 2012 Whelans, Dublin

Lisa don't worry, you're not the only one not on Facebook. I haven't seen the exact comment either unless it was Pete saying 'Don't rule anything out' which I doubt he would have been saying a few years ago.

With my amateur psychology hat on maybe the thinking behind the comment came after both Pete and Bob saw that they could tour venues in Britain and actually get decent crowds for most of them. This time around no cancelled gigs and whether it's social media or whatever people actually came to the gigs. Not too hard then to envisage a reunion with all The Boomtown Rats. If Geldof can almost fill the Islington Assembly Hall imagine what The Boomtown Rats could do, with all the punk nostalgia in the air at the moment. Surely there are more fans of The Boomtown Rats, in all honesty, than Bob's great solo career of indifference, notwithstanding that I have bought all his solo albums and singles and I do like a lot of it.

I think if any reunion concerts were to be planned it would have to be done right and not rushed into, like there's always next summer.  I just speak as a fan who would like to see it happen because most other major league bands manage to end up as friends and manage a decent swansong. If Bob could organise Live Aid it would be nice to think his old bandmates could be persuaded along, release a DVD and live album. My instinct is that it would work, that's just an emotional hunch rather than a hardheaded business calculation but basically it depends on the will and cooperation of all the original band members. In the words of Radiohead 'nice dream'.

I think that Facebook and Twitter will inevitably become 'digital dinasaurs' just like Myspace and Bebo. I can see their usefulness but I especially dislike the media trend to report anything just because it was said on Twitter. Seems a lot easier to fill airtime and newspaper space with silly celebrities and their endless twittering. Shouldn't we have gotten over social media and the Internet by now?

Gary and Simon were pretty impressive when I saw them in concert  in Wales. Pete Briqutte seems on fine form and Geldof can bluster his way through anything. Gerry Cott looks very healthy, hopefully Johnnie Fingers does too. I think they would have a pretty good on stage rapport- they are all basically fit and healthy. Lets say lots of younger bands do not look half as fit (won't mention any names here!)

Basically any reformation would be for a limited  number of live gigs or perhaps a very special reason. Would it work? To mangle the quote from Field of dreams 'If you build it we will come' is my clumsy way of saying  it would be a success.

Reasonable argument, but why just SC?

suss wrote:

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Reasonable argument, but why just SC?

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 Probably GR as well.  I doubt GC and JF would do it right now anyway.

ArrGee wrote:

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Lisa wrote:

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Whilst I'm sorry not to have seen The Boomtown Rats live when they were together, I'm actually not that sure whether I would like to see them reform now. Just a feeling that they've all "grown" somehow and maybe wouldn't gel in the same way. But having said that if they were to play together, am sure I would buy a ticket!

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 I thought that before I saw the new Rats at the 100 Club, but the truth is they are superb.  They could only be better with the original singer and bassist in tow.

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 Agree the new Rats are superb - that was what I meant really, happy to just see them in their new form, rather than reverting to the original and them just being part of a band, rather than the band ...... but obviously if I could go back in time, would love to see them all together as they were.

suss wrote:

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As someone who never caught the early years (say 77-79) live I kid myself that's what I missed out on, especially in small intimate venues.

I'm wary that any reformation would introduce the 'latter' style of original Rats (say 82-85), with Bob insisting he has a guitar, jamming/rambling for an age on tracks like Mary and Banana Republic, and generally altering the original stuff in a way that Simon and Garry have thankfully avoided.

If there's any suggestion that brass section gets roped in as well I'd have to seriously wonder about going .

For this to ever work really well (speaking purely hypothetically of course) it would have to be a revisit to band as they played in their heyday, when they did have a massive following, and that was why.

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The small intimate venues were left behind by 1978.  I caught them first in 1979 at the biggish Rainbow.

As for the latter Rats, I never saw them live, as the only other time I saw them was in early 1981, when despite touring with Mondo Bongo, they hadn't quite got to the fully blown horns (they had started with them in 1978, check out Rock Goes To College).

I can't imagine them doing anything, bar Banana Republic, off the 4th & 5th albums, and both acts do a pretty decent rendition of Rat Trap without a saxaphone.  And none of the other songs really need them.

I don't think they could be the same as they were in their heyday.  But they could have the energy the current Rats do, and have some modest re-interpretation.  I can't see Fingers coming from Japan, and I suspect Gerry Cott is unlikely to want to take on lead guitar.  

I suspect that a reformed band would be Geldof, Briquette, Crowe and Roberts plus an outsider.  Most likely Darren Beale ahead of any of Geldof's band, as his sound is more rattish, and I think Geldof's band have other bands they appear with from time to time.

As we seem to be getting well ahead of ourselves in fantasy land what's to stop The Boomtown Rats from reforming and writing new songs. Geldof has done his 'proper song writer' thing with very mixed results in his solo career. The Boomtown Rats songs and sound and attitude was always way more appealing for critics and fans alike. I certainly would really relish a new album- Dexys have released a new album after 25 years and incidentally Kevin Rowland is the same age as Bob Geldof.

I agree with Suss that Geldof is a better performer without his guitar. It just cramps his style on stage. He is much better just singing and playing the harmonica but for a reformation I could put up with it.

Hopefully any reunion would be announced properly in advance, allowing fans to travel, rather than the band just turning up somewhere on stage- so that the thousands who would be interested get a chance to see their heroes. Yes I did say thousands.

Still think it would be an interesting idea to perhaps perform A Tonic For The Troops or The Fine Art of Surfacing with the original band like The Stooges and various other bands have done a full classic album live. But what do I know about music?

noelindublin wrote:

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what's to stop The Boomtown Rats from reforming and writing new songs...

Hopefully any reunion would be announced properly in advance, allowing fans to travel, rather than the band just turning up somewhere on stage- so that the thousands who would be interested get a chance to see their heroes. Yes I did say thousands.

Still think it would be an interesting idea to perhaps perform A Tonic For The Troops or The Fine Art of Surfacing with the original band like The Stooges and various other bands have done a full classic album live. But what do I know about music?

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 I'd rather they didn't mess around with new songs.  Their efforts post-A Tonic for the Troops are a mixed bag, and I'm fearful it would be Charmed Lives revisited.

It would be good if it was announced, but if not, I have no problem.  I suspect that if they play once they will play again.  I'd rather it be in a venue like The 100 club with their own show than a festival, but either way not a big issue. I doubt there would be 1000s.

I don't think they could do either album justice live without getting Fingers on board, so I'd be happy with the hits plus a few choice cuts of the first two LPs.

suss wrote:

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p.s. Would stake large sums on 'When the Night Comes' featuring. Seems to be a Geldof staple.

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Depends on who's in the band.  With the expected four + Darren, I'd say it's unlikely, but if either of Cott or Turnbull are in then it's possible.

I was idly thinking about what they would play and came up with the most likely songs based on current set lists from the Rats and Geldof and the songs on the Best of...

Nailed on

• She's So Modern
• Mary of the 4th Form
• Rat Trap
• Looking After No. 1
• Someone's Looking at You
• Joey's on the Street Again
• I Don't Like Mondays
• Like Clockwork
• Neon Heart
• Diamond Smiles
• I Can Make It (If You Can)

Pretty Likely

• Banana Republic
• Dave
• Close as you'll ever Be
• When The Night Comes
• She's Gonna (Do You In)

Probable

• Never in a Million Years
• Drag Me Down
• The Elephant's Graveyard
• (I Never Loved) Eva Braun

Vaguely Possible (especially if Geldof insists on playing the upside down guitar)

• A Hold of Me

Unlikely, but would be great to hear live

• Fall Down
• House on Fire
• He Watches It All
• Me & Howard Hughes
• Don't Believe What You Read
• Living In An Island
• Blind Date

They better not, or the bar will be busy

• Another Piece of Red
• Charmed Lives

Of course, there could be surprises as there are plenty of other songs they have played live, but I suspect that the easiest songs to rehearse and play quickly would be off the first two albums and the last.  

noelindublin wrote:

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 what's to stop The Boomtown Rats from reforming and writing new songs. 

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 I think it would be scansion.

I just can't get "m m m m m m m Mary....Mary of Year 10" to fit a good tune, nor "She's so...2000 and teenies.....", nor "the personal digital assistant is kept so clean"...just doesn't work. 

I don't think they'd have any hits 

noelindublin wrote:

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PS Thank God Ireland were knocked out, no more bloody Fields of Athenry and' You'll never beat the Irish'- you certainly wont beat them at self delision and dire football skills. Hope Spain win.

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I wouldn't say Ireland were knocked out, they just looked resigned to their fate.  Did well just to get there.

Right now I'm backing the Germans.  But that's more out of financial self-interest.  

But if England win, you'll never hear the end of it.  Did you know England won the World Cup in 1966? 

Spain are certainly playing the best football I've seen in ages. If not the Spainish then I'd like the Netherlands to win, just on account of the fact that it is one of the few countries in Europe which is not a nanny state, allowing consenting adults to largely live their lives as they see fit. Hoping to go there for a few days in late Summer.

 You should realise that years ending in '66 are good for England.   They did win the Battle of Hastings in 1066 (with a Harry- King Harold!) so you can look forward to their next great Euro or World Cup win in 2066. In the meantime perhaps the Gt Britain team can win the football competition at the Olympics to fill in that long gap.

ArrGee wrote:

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noelindublin wrote:

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You should realise that years ending in '66 are good for England.   They did win the Battle of Hastings in 1066 (with a Harry- King Harold!)...

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 I think you'd find the English lost to the French quite badly if you look it up.  Harry got one in the eye from Billy. 

Wasn't so good in 1666 around here.

-- Edited by ArrGee on Sunday 17th of June 2012 09:56:18 PM

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 Yes of course the English lost the Battle of Hastings, to the Normans who were decended from the Vikings and lived in Northern France. The Normans went on to conquer Ireland in 1169, or more properly the Anglo Normans who were decended from the earlier settlers in Britain.

PS ArrGee That Dutch team is one of the worst ever- the must have been 'passing the dutchie' before kickoff. The Portuguese had no problem passing the dutchies last night.

-- Edited by noelindublin on Monday 18th of June 2012 12:56:45 PM

So is there some sort of football competition on at the moment .....

Sorry Lisa, I know it's bad netiqutte drifting off topic and lots of people do not give two hoots about football.

One thing should be considered -Pete Briquette is a record producer and I doubt he would have too much time free from his schedule to dedicate to a reformed Boomtown Rats, but who knows? We live in hope.

Lisa wrote:

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That's ok, Noel, only teasing, just jealous cos I don't understand the off-side rule Did go to watch my local football team when I was younger and even knitted a scarf - only took me 2 years but fortunately they didn't change their colours ... As for History, got a F grade in my A level

Back on topic though, is Dan Leary a real person, or is it a very clever take on Dun Laoghaire?? Have to say this has turned out to be a very (well mainly) interesting and diverse topic

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 Must say I love history, especially medieval times, and I love reading about archaeology and old castles fascinates me, but each to their own as they say.

Speaking of Dun Laoghaire their is a place nearby called Sallynoggin which always amuses people ( Sally Noggin). It is even mentioned by one of the Rats in the song Dun Laoghaire, but you'll have  to listen carefully for it (on good speakers or headphones). It means Willow Hill in English.

noelindublin wrote:

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One thing should be considered -Pete Briquette is a record producer and I doubt he would have too much time free from his schedule to dedicate to a reformed Boomtown Rats...

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What has he produced lately apart from Geldof's album?   Not sure he is that busy.

ArrGee wrote:

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Lisa wrote:

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I'm enjoying the history lectures more ...

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 Did you know the phrase "beyond the pale" came from the days of the waning influence of the English over Ireland where the English retreated to the area immediately around Dublin.

And just as Ireland almost became a free state again, Cromwell turned up, killed half the population and made slaves of their children, shipping them off to the West Indies.

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 Ireland was never a state, 'free' or otherwise before Cromwell. It was devided by region allied to local governors normally Anglo Norman barons  and sometimes native Irish leaders who only ruled locally. Nationhood was a much later construct. The native Irish were always fighting amungst themselves over who rules what area.

Most Irish towns had their own 'little pale' towns like Kilkenny, Cork, Limerick, Drogheda, Waterford and Wexford had large numbers of English settlers and historically many were originally of Norman descent. Generally the native Irish plundered these towns, and lived outside the law. It is way to simple to just think of it as the 'Irish' against the English when there were so many different allegiances.

Cromwell may have attacked towns like Wexford and Drogheda but there towns were basically walled English towns allied to the English Crown and King Charles 1. His killing was indiscriminate killing the English garrison and native Irish alike, basically those opposed to his ideas. Those were savage times, where people on all sides tended to have very different standards than we have. There were massacres of English settlers around 1641 which probably influenced Cromwell. History is never simple.

-- Edited by noelindublin on Tuesday 19th of June 2012 11:58:03 AM

Very unlikely at this stage in the year.  But we can always hope

ArrGee wrote:

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... Geldof has no more dates after the end of this month and he's not in Warsaw on 11th November.  Obviously putting two and two together, this means he's off to Harlow instead that weekend  

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Geldof didn't make it to Harlow after all, so expect him at Blackheath ...

IF there is any time to re-form then it is now while they are mostly playing and before they are as old as the Stones.   In 2013, one remaining Rats date, no Geldof dates, the band members seemingly getting along, nothing except Fingers' Fuji Fest on the horizon. 

One last hurrah?  One date recreating the glory days of 1978...

They should re-form otherwise this forum will be very dull in 2013.   Suss will have to create more crosswords.

Pete Briquette wrote:

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Never rule anything out

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 I'm ruling it out.  Pete turns up at Blackheath but doesn't play. I think it's a wrap...

ArrGee wrote:

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Pete Briquette wrote:

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Never rule anything out

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 I'm ruling it out.  Pete turns up at Blackheath but doesn't play. I think it's a wrap...

-- Edited by ArrGee on Sunday 18th of November 2012 10:45:56 PM

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 Well Bob Bradbury plays bass also,  so if Pete was to get on stage it would mean two bass players wouldn't it? Maybe Pete will turn up in Dublin and do the decent thing, and who knows, Bob Geldof may jump out of a cake there too.Worth a 22 Euro punt of 7 December.

Derek The Dane wrote:

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2013 is 35 years after ATFTT,someone tell Bob and co that it´s now or never.

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 I've just been online Derek purchasing my ticket for the Dublin gig on 7 Dec. The ticket highlights 35th Anniversary Tour 1977-2012 and it sounds a bit more 'natural' than 36th anniversary tour! Who can tell if we will ever get a full scale reunion with all the members?

The current line up does a pretty good job and any true fan should turn up to support Gary and Simon. It may not be the glory days of the late seventies and early eighties but it's a bit of fun and all the band do their best to put on a good show. I just saw then once in Porth, South Wales and Dublin will be my second time to see this line up. It's an old cliche but the do give 110%!

Hopefully their should be a good crowd for the gig in Dublin.

ArrGee wrote:

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One last hurrah?  One date recreating the glory days of 1978...

They should re-form otherwise this forum will be very dull in 2013.   Suss will have to create more crosswords.

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 Thank god they have reformed, no need for Suss's crossword puzzle

suss wrote:

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You might want to get in there with the t-shirts (nice IOW shape on the back?) and fund your trip with the profits. 

Thinking about it, Living in an Island would be the album track worth playing.

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Ah yes, 2013 t-shirts, good idea...  

Well they have to play that!

ArrGee wrote:

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Nailed on

• She's So Modern
• Mary of the 4th Form
• Rat Trap
• Looking After No. 1
• Someone's Looking at You
• Joey's on the Street Again
• I Don't Like Mondays
• Like Clockwork
• Neon Heart
• Diamond Smiles
• I Can Make It (If You Can)

Pretty Likely

• Banana Republic
• Dave
• Close as you'll ever Be
• When The Night Comes
• She's Gonna (Do You In)

Probable

• Never in a Million Years
• Drag Me Down
• The Elephant's Graveyard
• (I Never Loved) Eva Braun

Vaguely Possible (especially if Geldof insists on playing the upside down guitar)

• A Hold of Me

Unlikely, but would be great to hear live

• Fall Down
• House on Fire
• He Watches It All
• Me & Howard Hughes
• Don't Believe What You Read
• Living In An Island
• Blind Date

They better not, or the bar will be busy

• Another Piece of Red
• Charmed Lives

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 Oooooh Nostradamus strikes again!   Have to confess I never saw Having My Picture Taken making a return.  And 8 of the IoW set in my nailed on list. Not sure what happened to I Can Make It If You Can.  Seems to have been ditched.

ArrGee wrote:

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I suspect that a reformed band would be Geldof, Briquette, Crowe and Roberts plus an outsider.  Most likely Darren Beale ahead of any of Geldof's band, as his sound is more rattish, and I think Geldof's band have other bands they appear with from time to time.

 

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 Oh, Nostradamus lives!

Jules wrote:

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 If any of them were reading this thread they were probably laughing at us and telling us to have a bit of patience.

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 I'm not sure anything was decided until this year.   There was no hint of it after the Dublin gig in December.  Yet less than two months later...