Monday 20th October 2014 - GLASGOW O2 ABC

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

Monday 20th October 2014 - GLASGOW O2 ABC

Scottie · Loudmouth

Tickets now on sale for £15 from some outlets. Last year's a sell out, then he offends everyone in Glasgow, both Y and Ns. and this year will be lucky if half full. He is VERY unpopular there just now. Glasgow voted YES in a big way. They all think he is in bed with UKIP and BNP. I am going, just hoping there is no trouble. Just take a few skinheads and a few 45 group ( nationalist splinter group). Feelings are still VERY high. Don't think he realises what damage he has done. If he even mentions the referendum I am out of there. Irene/Scottie (I am a no voter BTW, but still annoyed with him)

noelindublin · Loudmouth

Scottie wrote:
Tickets now on sale for £15 from some outlets. Last year's a sell out, then he offends everyone in Glasgow, both Y and Ns. and this year will be lucky if half full. He is VERY unpopular there just now. Glasgow voted YES in a big way. They all think he is in bed with UKIP and BNP. I am going, just hoping there is no trouble. Just take a few skinheads and a few 45 group ( nationalist splinter group). Feelings are still VERY high. Don't think he realises what damage he has done. If he even mentions the referendum I am out of there. Irene/Scottie (I am a no voter BTW, but still annoyed with him)

Geldof should just shut up about politics. In both Cheltenham and Guildford he started making comments along the lines of 'everybody here I suppose supports UKIP'.... Funny thing was there was no local election or anything so why he needs to tell everyone what he thinks is beyond me.

Same with Scotland. Leave it to the locals to decide and keep yer mouth shut Bob would be the best advice.As I've said before if Geldof has strong political views let him stand for election, otherwise what is the point of his comments. They just serve to alienate people who have come for the music, not a lecture.

He should know form Ireland about offending one side or the other. But still it's hard to know Geldof's politics. Is he Labour, Conservative or LD or what? I presume he bothers to vote.I can see that his Scottish opinions might put off some fans from going to the upcoming gigs.

Scottie · Loudmouth

We have had messages on FB and twitter from long time fans that they will not go back to gigs in Scotland. Sad. As I said I voted NO, but I can see where they are coming from. Glasgow has some of the most deprived areas in Britain and foodbanks are common. They don't want a multi millionaire who charges £200 for a meet and greet telling them what to do. His views on identity were way off mark. I am a passionate Scot, I have Scottish on my passport. It is not just a feeling or a sense. Most NO voters are the same. THis ref. has split Scotland with families and friends falling out. Frightening factions on both sides. It is becoming like NI. I do hope I am wrong and it all goes ok. Not walking around Glasgow with a BR Tshirt on either. All the grief and abuse I have had on twitter over this was really affecting me, stressing me out and it is all starting up again. HOPE I AM WRONG! AND I FULLY AGREE THAT ALL ARE ENTITLED TO THEIR OWN OPINION. Irene/Scottie

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

Scottie wrote:
I have Scottish on my passport.

Do you? I want Londoner on mine.

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

noelindublin wrote:
... it's hard to know Geldof's politics. Is he Labour, Conservative or LD or what?

Last time he spoke up he was a Blair/Brown-ite. Not sure if he is a two-Ed-ite.

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

Scottie wrote:
Tickets now on sale for £15 from some outlets.
... this year will be lucky if half full.

I don't think the low tickets sales/discounted ticket is unique to Glasgow. There were a lot of £10 tickets in Cambridge last year and a fair amount of free tickets for the Roundhouse date.

There are plenty of tickets available for Cambridge and London on this tour. I daresay it is similar at other venues.

noelindublin · Loudmouth

ArrGee wrote:
Scottie wrote:
I have Scottish on my passport.
Do you? I want Londoner on mine.

looking forward to 'border control' then at the M25. smile

noelindublin · Loudmouth

ArrGee wrote:
Scottie wrote:
Tickets now on sale for £15 from some outlets.
... this year will be lucky if half full.
I don't think the low tickets sales/discounted ticket is unique to Glasgow. There were a lot of £10 tickets in Cambridge last year and a fair amount of free tickets for the Roundhouse date.
There are plenty of tickets available for Cambridge and London on this tour. I daresay it is similar at other venues.

My ticket for London from Ents 24 cost £39/50 euros including insurance and fees. Not too bad considering it's the legendary Boomtown Rats. I presume regional tickets might be a little cheaper on the whole, but again we are not being ripped off so thank goodness for that.

Also the forthcoming tour must be selling well enough not to cause the cancellation of any of the gigs,

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

noelindublin wrote:
looking forward to 'border control' then at the M25.

Can't come soon enough. Should put a 100 foot wall on the central reservation. Londoners go anti-clockwise, the rest clockwise. Will need some special measures at the Dartford crossing.

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

noelindublin wrote:
My ticket for London from Ents 24 cost £39/50 euros including insurance and fees.

You were ripped off, mine was only £32. Did the insurance cost £7 ?

suss · In the Long Grass

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

Scottie wrote:
THis ref. has split Scotland with families and friends falling out. Frightening factions on both sides. It is becoming like NI.

"tonight, of all nights, there's gonna be a fight"

(only kidding)

noelindublin · Loudmouth

ArrGee wrote:
noelindublin wrote:
My ticket for London from Ents 24 cost £39/50 euros including insurance and fees.
You were ripped off, mine was only £32. Did the insurance cost £7 ?

It was £36, not £39. I got locked out of my Ticketmaster account due to forgetting password, and when they sent a new password still email and password would not work. Had to resort to the slightly more expensive Ents 24, but they sent me out my ticket promptly.

I keep forgetting my passwords for various things and hate all this nonsense of having to get new passwords.

The classic Nick Helm joke always makes me laugh: ' I needed a password eight characters long, so I choose Snow White and the seven dwarfes......' smile smile smile

It's the only IT joke I understand. smile

manatthetop · In the Long Grass

suss wrote:

Enjoy big man. Going to the Oxford gig If you are going should bump into you

Scottie · Loudmouth

It went off no trouble. Smaller crowd than last year, but that was to be expected. A couple of wee wifies shouting YES occasionally tried to push their way to the front, but I just stuck my elbow out, gave them my best teacher look and said NO. Bob never mentioned the referendum and praised Glasgow a few times. He told me afterwards it had been ok walking around. Very relieved. People do say things on social media that they would not to someone's face, don't they? It was a good night. Guardian review here http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/oct/21/boomtown-rats-o2-abc-glasgow-bob-geldof-review?CMP=twt_gu

-- Edited by Scottie on Tuesday 21st of October 2014 02:44:11 PM

noelindublin · Loudmouth

Scottie wrote:
It went off no trouble. Smaller crowd than last year, but that was to be expected. A couple of wee wifies shouting YES occasionally tried to push their way to the front, but I just stuck my elbow out, gave them my best teacher look and said NO. Bob never mentioned the referendum and praised Glasgow a few times. He told me afterwards it had been ok walking around. Very relieved. People do say things on social media that they would not to someone's face, don't they? It was a good night. Guardian review here http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/oct/21/boomtown-rats-o2-abc-glasgow-bob-geldof-review?CMP=twt_gu

-- Edited by Scottie on Tuesday 21st of October 2014 02:44:11 PM

The readers comments at the end are the usual 'negative' ones, though not all of them. Rats weren't really punk enough for some. No it's true, they were too tuneful and didn't drink cider and live on speed and have half baked political slogans as substitutes for proper lyrics. Geldof had more brains than half the so called punk lot put together. The Springsteen comparison is just totally lazy-Pavlov's Dog response to a saxaphone.I find Rat traps lyrics a lot more gritty and borne out of real experience that Born To Run.

Even the writer of the piece seems half informed. Has he actually heard Tonic For The Troops or the Rats debut. To dismiss Eva Braun and Neon Heart, two Rats classics as :Theres little to suggest that music history has somehow undervalued this bands contribution songs like (I Never Loved) Eva Braun and Neon Heart haunt the memory little longer than their duration. But theres plenty of proof that, with 11 top-40 singles from 1977-82, five top-10s and two No 1s included, the Rats reaped much from their potential.

What he seems to be saying is that only the singles are good? Sometimes you wonder how these people end up as music journalists. Most of them seem to have little knowledge of the Rats apart from a few well known songs.Anyway it's only one persons opinion. Thought the 'better keep them away from a studio' comment was a bit amusing considering the last few new songs they recorded. smile

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

Scottie wrote:
Guardian review here http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/oct/21/boomtown-rats-o2-abc-glasgow-bob-geldof-review?CMP=twt_gu

I agree with the last paragraph...

Split by a long, pregnant pause, I Dont Like Mondays is a literal show-stopper, topped only by its partner piece in pseudo-theatrical rocknroll pomp, Rat Trap. Dignity would have most groups leave it there, but then tidy grace has never been Geldofs style, and thus we also get a toe-curling, techno-fied Boomtown Rats theme-song of sorts complete with, yes, dubstep drop. Were the Rats, yells Bob, characteristically unapologetic to the last, and were back. Good stuff just keep them away from the recording studio.

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

noelindublin wrote:
Most of them seem to have little knowledge of the Rats apart from a few well known songs.

To be fair no matter how knowledgeable a journalist is they are unlikely to know much more than a handful of songs from most acts, if that. I'm impressed when any journalist knows more than the obvious two songs from the one-hit wonders.

bigbosscentral · House on Fire

sorry for being thick but exactly what was the setlist in Glasgow?

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

Not being thick, no one posted it here, but this is what they played.

The US set plus Banana Republic.

http://www.setlist.fm/setlists/the-boomtown-rats-43d60fa7.html

(I Never Loved) Eva Braun
Like Clockwork
Neon Heart
(She's Gonna) Do You In
Someone's Looking at You
She's So Modern
I Don't Like Mondays
Close As You'll Ever Be
Banana Republic
Mary of the 4th Form (I Wanna Be Your Man / Radar Love / Boom Boom)
Looking After No. 1
Rat Trap

Encore:

Diamond Smiles
The Boomtown Rats

bigbosscentral · House on Fire

Thanks mate. Wow that is a really short set. I wonder if there was a problem or if they came on stage late or something. I hope we get more songs on future dates.

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

bigbosscentral wrote:
Thanks mate. Wow that is a really short set. I wonder if there was a problem or if they came on stage late or something. I hope we get more songs on future dates.

I suspect this will be the core set for the tour. Though they will play Having My Picture Taken as an encore in London and Cambridge. I guarantee that

The thing is for the repeat towns (like London and Cambridge) there is nothing new aside from a different venue. I don't mind them not playing When The Night Comes but I think they should replace it rather than drop it altogether.

As for dropping Joey, that is sacrilegious It's just plain wrong. They played it at every single Rats and Geldof gig I have ever been to going back to the nineteen seventies. I am glad I missed the festivals where it wasn't played. It won't be a proper Rats gig without it. I expect a refund!

suss · In the Long Grass

ArrGee wrote:
Not being thick, no one posted it here, but this is what they played.
The US set plus Banana Republic.
http://www.setlist.fm/setlists/the-boomtown-rats-43d60fa7.html
(I Never Loved) Eva Braun
Like Clockwork
Neon Heart
(She's Gonna) Do You In
Someone's Looking at You
She's So Modern
I Don't Like Mondays
Close As You'll Ever Be
Banana Republic
Mary of the 4th Form (I Wanna Be Your Man / Radar Love / Boom Boom)
Looking After No. 1
Rat Trap
Encore:
Diamond Smiles
The Boomtown Rats

Right songs but Banana Republic has been featuring between Someone's Looking At You and She's So Modern

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

suss wrote:
ArrGee wrote:
Not being thick, no one posted it here, but this is what they played.
The US set plus Banana Republic.
http://www.setlist.fm/setlists/the-boomtown-rats-43d60fa7.html
(I Never Loved) Eva Braun
Like Clockwork
Neon Heart
(She's Gonna) Do You In
Someone's Looking at You
She's So Modern
I Don't Like Mondays
Close As You'll Ever Be
Banana Republic
Mary of the 4th Form (I Wanna Be Your Man / Radar Love / Boom Boom)
Looking After No. 1
Rat Trap
Encore:
Diamond Smiles
The Boomtown Rats
Right songs but Banana Republic has been featuring between Someone's Looking At You and She's So Modern

That'll need fixing up on setlist.fm

noelindublin · Loudmouth

ArrGee wrote:
bigbosscentral wrote:
Thanks mate. Wow that is a really short set. I wonder if there was a problem or if they came on stage late or something. I hope we get more songs on future dates.
I suspect this will be the core set for the tour. Though they will play Having My Picture Taken as an encore in London and Cambridge. I guarantee that
The thing is for the repeat towns (like London and Cambridge) there is nothing new aside from a different venue. I don't mind them not playing When The Night Comes but I think they should replace it rather than drop it altogether.
As for dropping Joey, that is sacrilegious It's just plain wrong. They played it at every single Rats and Geldof gig I have ever been to going back to the nineteen seventies. I am glad I missed the festivals where it wasn't played. It won't be a proper Rats gig without it. I expect a refund!

Sunderland are giving their fans a refund after losing 0-8 at Southampton. Maybe ticket insurance should include 'insurance' that particular songs are played?? smile

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

noelindublin wrote:
ArrGee wrote:
As for dropping Joey, that is sacrilegious It's just plain wrong. They played it at every single Rats and Geldof gig I have ever been to going back to the nineteen seventies. I am glad I missed the festivals where it wasn't played. It won't be a proper Rats gig without it. I expect a refund!

Sunderland are giving their fans a refund after losing 0-8 at Southampton. Maybe ticket insurance should include 'insurance' that particular songs are played??

As far as I'm concerned not playing Joey is an own goal. And the eponymous song is the equivalent of Liverpool having the league wrapped up only to let Michael Thomas waltz through the defence to take it off them at the end. Well it is for Liverpool fans

Scottie · Loudmouth

Pete told me they have cut the set list to 1hr 20. Only 2 on encore now. He also promised a few surprises at London. We can guess one. What are the others? Tickets are nearly sold out, so get one soon if you have not already.

noelindublin · Loudmouth

ArrGee wrote:
noelindublin wrote:
ArrGee wrote:
As for dropping Joey, that is sacrilegious It's just plain wrong. They played it at every single Rats and Geldof gig I have ever been to going back to the nineteen seventies. I am glad I missed the festivals where it wasn't played. It won't be a proper Rats gig without it. I expect a refund!

Sunderland are giving their fans a refund after losing 0-8 at Southampton. Maybe ticket insurance should include 'insurance' that particular songs are played??
As far as I'm concerned not playing Joey is an own goal. And the eponymous song is the equivalent of Liverpool having the league wrapped up only to let Michael Thomas waltz through the defence to take it off them at the end. Well it is for Liverpool fans

I wonder do bands always stick to a prearranged set list?It's strange to drop a song like Joey, almost unthinkable, but there must be a reason.

noelindublin · Loudmouth

Scottie wrote:
Pete told me they have cut the set list to 1hr 20. Only 2 on encore now. He also promised a few surprises at London. We can guess one. What are the others? Tickets are nearly sold out, so get one soon if you have not already.

Now I'm glad I choose London! A few surprises? Do you mean songs or personnel? Wouldn't mind Gerry Cott turning up and being on stage a bit longer. Unless Fingers himself turns up not sure what else it could be.

The long version of Banana Republic always takes up too much time and the Mary/ Boom Boom fusion could be looked at, though I think it works pretty well. Diamond Smiles seems to be extended into a prolonged na na na which could free up another 5 mins with a different song.

Geldofs longish storytelling also takes up few timebytes but getting the overall time right is tricky. You don't want to feel shortchanged, or get the idea that the band want to be off the stage and have better things to do.

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

noelindublin wrote:

I wonder do bands always stick to a prearranged set list?It's strange to drop a song like Joey, almost unthinkable, but there must be a reason.

No. Sometimes some knob requests a song the band always play, let's say Underwear rather than the more obscure Sheffield Sex City which they end up playing the following night instead when I don't attend. Cnuts.

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

Scottie wrote:
Pete told me they have cut the set list to 1hr 20. Only 2 on encore now. He also promised a few surprises at London. We can guess one. What are the others? Tickets are nearly sold out, so get one soon if you have not already.

Sold out in London? Haven't even sold the downstairs out yet.