Nothing changed? Same songs, same set lists, same clothes, another compilation CD???

BVD1965 · Banana Republic

Nothing changed? Same songs, same set lists, same clothes, another compilation CD???

Mark L · Loudmouth

Agree with you, the Mway speed limit could be lifted to 80mph or higher. 70 mph is a 1960s limit, out of date with more modern cars. It's unlikely to be raised as we live in a very risk averse culture in the UK now.

Re the songs, 4 new ones were released last year, more may follow. Three of them were pretty mediocre, granted. The setlist always has a core element to it and as Bob says, those songs resonate today as they did in the late 70s. They tweak around the edges and whilst I wish they would tweak further, I am really happy with the comeback. I never thought I'd see it.

Re the clothes, I couldn't really care. The Rats never really subscribed to that side of things, and couldn't have demonstrated that better around V Deep and ITLG.

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

BVD1965 wrote:
What's going on? What's wrong with nostalgia if you've got so many well written songs, but you don't play them? What's wrong with writing some new and 2014 sound Rats songs instead of "The Boomtown Rats" (sing it again, louder!!!!) ? Can someone explain this to me?

My explanation (for what it's worth) is that The Rats these days is a part time labour of love rather than a hungry band striving for success. The band all have day jobs of some sort and are spread all over England. Just to meet up probably involves a eight hour commute for half the band.

So this means limited rehearsal time hence the set is a combination of the Geldof staples like Banana Republic and When The Night Comes along with the core of the Barton/Bradbury Rats set that was based on the first album. Fortunately a few songs like Eva Braun, Having My Picture Taken, Howard Hughes and Elephant's Graveyard have been added to this. It is unlikely they would get together enough to make an album and I suspect the sales of an album wouldn't really justify it.

I don't know the ins and outs of the financing, but I suspect Geldof is more or less doing the tour for nothing. He could do the after dinner/conference speaking circuit and make some serious money, yet he has undertaken the reunion with great relish. In the past, Geldof has been happy enough to do solo dates that do little more than cover costs.

It would be nice if the act changed and evolved. If they enhanced the set with some of their other songs then I would be as happy as anyone, but realistically the core set will remain intact.

The comeback has exceeded all my expectations and this even goes back to the Barton/Bradbury Rats. If someone had told me back at the end of 2007 that I'd see The Rats live ten times in the next seven years, I would have considered them absolutely mad. Enjoy it while it lasts.

-- Edited by ArrGee on Monday 6th of October 2014 08:52:51 AM

noelindublin · Loudmouth

BVD1965 wrote:
Hi there,
Last month my wife and me went to Kent and Sussex for a short vacation. For the first time driving with my own car in the UK (we come from The Netherlands), so Keep Left!!! (Oh my god, why don't you have more motorways, 100 mph, please!!!).
Unfortunately, there was no possibility to come to England earlier than the 15th of September, so the original plan to see the Rats in Cornwall went in the garbage bin.
So I called last Friday a Dutch friend to talk about the London gig in November (The Forum). After the call I read some reviews, went to Setlist.fm and went to the official Boomtown Rats site. And I asked myself the Marvin Gaye question: What's going on? What's wrong with nostalgia if you've got so many well written songs, but you don't play them? What's wrong with writing some new and 2014 sound Rats songs instead of "The Boomtown Rats" (sing it again, louder!!!!) ? Can someone explain this to me? Yes, I consider myself as a true BTR fan and I know you're all die hard fans, but this is not the way I like a come back. To come over to England again to see the Rats playing exactly the same set list, boom boom boom, as last year in The Roundhouse (and anywhere else), phewww I don't know. So what's going on?

I've been lucky enough to see the Rats about 8 times and was there when they mixed and matched the set around a little. Naturally the greatest hits and well known album tracks will make up the bulk of the material played. Imagine someone coming to a gig and Bob being really moody and not playing any of the hits? It seems that the band just cannot win in terms of what they play.Surely it's the same for most bands, it couldn't just only be the Rats with this 'problem'?

It's hard in a set to include new songs that may not get a terrific reaction first time 'round, then play less obvious album tracks and try to maintain a certain degree of dynamism and spontaneity. Also playing for about 90 minutes seems about right, not plodding the thing out like a Springsteen concert. You should leave satisfied, not feel that you have been bludgeoned to death by too much music.

We'll always have the records to play and old live gigs to listen back to. But the experience of seeing this band in the flesh a few times should not be taken for granted. Enjoy it for what it is.A greatest hits package with enough good lp tracks to satisfy most people.

PS I was over in Amsterdam in September. When will they get that Metro build and tidy up the Damrak area?I would love to see the Rats play in Amsterdam. smile

-- Edited by noelindublin on Monday 6th of October 2014 02:39:19 PM

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

Pete has spoken on Facebook. He says he hates rehearsals, but Kicks is sounding good. Maybe we will get aa slight change of set?

manatthetop · In the Long Grass

Does it really mater what they play? It's the Rats, so just sit back and enjoy. Like many of you have pointed out not again in our life time did we ever thing that this wee band would play together again. Not in a million years

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

No it doesn't. Absolutely, very happy to be seeing them. It will be an added bonus to have a different song in the mix