Wikipedia

The Boomtown Rats

(Redirected fromBoomtown Rats)

The Boomtown Ratsare an Irishrock/new waveband originally formed in Dublin in 1975.[4][5]Between 1977 and 1985, they had a series of Irish and UKhitsincluding "Like Clockwork","Rat Trap","I Don't Like Mondays"and"Banana Republic".The original line-up comprised six musicians; five fromDún LaoghaireinCounty Dublin;Gerry Cott(rhythm guitar),Simon Crowe(drums),Johnnie Fingers(keyboards),Bob Geldof(vocals) andGarry Roberts(lead guitar), plus Fingers' cousinPete Briquette(bass). The Boomtown Rats broke up in 1986, but reformed in 2013, without Fingers or Cott. Garry Roberts died in 2022. The band's fame and notability have been overshadowed by the charity work offrontmanBob Geldof, a former journalist with theNew Musical Express.[6]

The Boomtown Rats
The Boomtown Rats at Knott's Berry Farm in 1981
The Boomtown Rats atKnott's Berry Farmin 1981
Background information
OriginDublin,Ireland
Genres
Years active1975–1986, 2013–present
LabelsMulligan,Ensign,MercuryWEA Ireland, Columbia, BMG
MembersBob Geldof
Pete Briquette
Simon Crowe
Past membersGarry Roberts
Johnnie Fingers
Gerry Cott

History

edit

Beginnings

edit

The band was formed in 1975 with five of the six members who came fromDún Laoghaire,whilePete Briquettewas originally fromBallyjamesduff,County Cavan,Ireland.[1]Geldof initially managed the band but took over the lead vocals fromGarry Roberts.Initially known as The Nightlife Thugs, the group changed their name to The Boomtown Rats, which Geldof had taken from the name ofWoody Guthrie's boyhood gang mentioned in Guthrie's autobiographyBound for Glory.[5][1]

In the summer of 1976, the group played their first UK gig before moving to London where they signed withEnsign Recordslater that year.[1]Their first single, "Lookin' After No. 1",released in August 1977 after a year of touring, including a support slot withTom Petty.[5]It reached theTop 40of theUK Singles Chartat No. 11.[1][7]Their first albumThe Boomtown Ratswas released the following month and included another single, "Mary of the 4th Form"reached No. 15 in December.[1][5]Music journalistMartin C. Strongcommented, "Geldof's moody charisma helped to give the band a distinct identity".[6]

Mainstream success

edit

The band together with producerMutt Langeembarked on recording their next album,A Tonic for the Troops(1978). In May, the first single "She's So Modern"reached No. 12 in UK charts.[5]A headlining tour around the UK culminates in a show filmed at the Hammersmith Odeon.[5][8]The second single "Like Clockwork"reached the UK Top Ten at No. 6 in July. The album was released shortly after, while in early November, the third single"Rat Trap"became the first rock song by an Irish band to reachNo. 1in the UK.[7]In addition, "Rat Trap" was also the firstnew wavesong to claim the number one spot.[7][9]The U.S. version of the album (with a slightly different selection of tracks) came out the next year onColumbia Records.[1]

The band returned to the recording studio with Lange to produce a follow-up in 1979, while they embarked on a U.S. tour in support of the album with moderate success.[5]The single "I Don't Like Mondays"was released in July,[1]also reached No. 1 in the UK.[7]The song was written in response toa school shooting in California,and became a worldwide Top Ten hit, except for the United States.[10]It was the band's only song to reach the U.S.BillboardHot 100and was included in the band's third album,The Fine Art of Surfacingreleased in November of that year.[1]The album also contained "Diamond Smiles"and their next Top 10 hit in the UK,"Someone's Looking at You".[1]

In December 1980 "Banana Republic"was released, which was their last Top 10 hit, reaching No. 3.[6]and in the following year the Boomtown Rats' next studio albumMondo Bongoproduced by Tony Visconti appeared.[1]A second single 'Elephant's Graveyard (Guilty)' charted at 26 while the title track appears in the U.S. without much success.[6]During the subsequent tour, Gerry Cott decided to depart the band that continues as a quintet. In December 1981 the single 'Never In A Million Years' stalled at No. 62 in the UK charts.[11]

The band's fifth album,V Deep,again produced by Visconti, was released in February 1982.[1]A second single from the album "House on Fire" made number 24 in the UK Singles Chart.[11]A third, 'Charmed Lives' failed to chart however. In the U.S., the album was initially rejected by their American label, which instead issued a four-song EP calledThe Boomtown Rats,featuring four selections fromV Deep.The full album was eventually issued in the U.S. in late 1982.[12]The same year Geldof appeared in the filmPink Floyd - The Walldirected byAlan Parker.[11]

A follow-up album entitledIn The Long Grasswas recorded in 1983, but was initially rejected by the group's label.[12]By 1984, the band was touring universities after becoming unable to fund the "guarantee" required to book mainstream concert halls.In The Long Grasswas finally issued in the UK in May 1984, but failed to chart. Two singles, "Tonight" and "Drag Me Down", were taken from the album; these reached the lower rungs of the UK Singles Chart, but two further singles, "Dave" and "A Hold of Me", failed to register.[11]

The Boomtown Rats' involvement withBand Aid(on which they all played) raised their profile again, and in January 1985, a revised version ofIn the Long Grasswas finally released in the U.S. The album made the U.S. charts at No. 188, but the associated singles failed to make an impact on the charts or on the radio. The band subsequently performed atLive Aid's charity performance.[1]

"Dave", a single from the original release ofIn the Long Grasswas re-recorded as "Rain" for the U.S. market. The song was about the band's saxophone player and school friend David McHale, who had suffered a breakdown after his girlfriend was found dead in a public toilet next to an empty heroin bag.[13][14]

Break up

edit

After Live Aid, the band was on hiatus while Geldof focused on theBand Aid Trust.The band's final performance came atSelf Aid,a May 1986 concert at theRDSin Dublin, to raise awareness of unemployment in Ireland.[15]Their rendition of "Joey's on the Street Again" was 12 minutes long, with an extendedbridge,during which time Geldof ran among the crowd. It also included a rendition ofWoody Guthrie's song "Greenback Dollar", which provided circularity and closure.[16]Following this performance, Geldof addressed the crowd, saying, "It's been a great ten years; rest in peace". The band then performed "Looking After No.1".[17]

Following the band's break-up, Geldof launched a solo career withPete Briquettecontinuing to work alongside him.[11]

Garry Roberts co-wrote songs forKirsty MacCollbefore leaving the music business and going on to become a successful salesman of financial services. Roberts later presented his Guitar Workshop to schools, encouraging pupils to play the instrument and emphasising the contribution of the blues to modern rock and pop music.[citation needed]

Fingers became a successful record producer in Japan, as well as being part of the Japanese band Greengate. Simon Crowe was in the West Country-basedCelticinstrumentalband Jiggerypipery and has also run a clock-making business.[citation needed]

In 2005, the band's albums were allremasteredand re-released and a 'Best Of'compilationwas released, along with two DVDs. Briquette mixed the live DVD andFrancesco Camelimixed the extra tracks for the re-release of the Boomtown Rats albums atSphere Studiosin London.[citation needed]

The Rats

edit

In 2008, Garry Roberts and Simon Crowe, who had continued playing together in The Fab Four, with Alan Perman (exHerman's Hermits) and Bob Doyle (who once auditioned unsuccessfully forE.L.O.), and The Velcro Flies, with Steve (Dusty) Hill and Gavin Petrie, got together as "The Rats", playing their favourite Boomtown Rats songs, with two guitars, bass and drums. The band was initially fronted by Peter Barton, who since the early 1980s has played with several resurrected acts, includingThe Animals,The HolliesandLieutenant Pigeon.Barton was replaced on lead vocals and bass by Bob Bradbury, who was the founder and main songwriter inHello.Darren Beale, formerly of The Caves, played lead guitar. Saxophone player Andy Hamilton, who toured and recorded with The Boomtown Rats, including at Live Aid, played as a guest at some gigs.[citation needed]

Gerry Cott and Johnnie Fingers were invited to join the band when circumstances allowed. Cott attended The Rats' second gig (at The100 ClubonOxford Street,London). Fingers, meanwhile, worked for theFuji Rock Festivalin Japan, but planned to join the band on stage when he was in the UK.[citation needed]

On 21 June 2009, Geldof, Roberts, and Briquette got together in Dublin to play "Dave", at a party to celebrate the life of Boomtown Rats' close friend and saxophone player, "Doctor" Dave MacHale, who had died of cancer in Frankfurt.[14][18]

On 20 September 2011, Gerry Cott guested with Geldof's band at The Cadogan Hall, London. They played three Boomtown Rats songs prior to the encores. Cott returned to the stage for the final encore playing on two Geldof solo songs.[19]

The Boomtown Rats reform

edit

Bob Geldof,Gary Roberts,Pete Briquette,andSimon Crowereunited as The Boomtown Rats in 2013, joined by Alan Dunn (longtime member of Geldof's band) on keyboards and Darren Beale (who played with Roberts & Crowe in The Rats) on guitar. Bob Geldof said, "Playing again with the Rats and doing those great songs again will be exciting afresh. We were an amazing band and I just feel it's the right time to re-Rat, to go back to Boomtown for a visit."[20]In June 2013, it was announced that the band would be embarking on a UK and Ireland tour supported by a new compilation album,Back to Boomtown: Classic Rats Hits.[21]The group performed at theBrentwood Festivalin 2016, where Geldof attracted controversy for criticising the audience.[22]In April 2017, the band returned to the studio to record new material for their first studio album sinceIn the Long Grassin 1984. In March 2020, they released a new album,Citizens of Boomtown,and a lead single, "Trash Glam Baby".[23]

Members

edit

Current

  • Bob Geldof– lead vocals, guitar, harmonica(1975–1986, 2013–present)
  • Pete Briquette– bass, keyboards, backing vocals(1975–1986, 2013–present)
  • Simon Crowe– drums, percussion, backing vocals(1975–1986, 2013–present)

with

  • Alan Dunn – piano, keyboards, backing vocals(2013–present)
  • Darren Beale – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals(2013–present)

Former

Timeline

Discography

edit
Main article:The Boomtown Rats discography

Studio albums

edit

UK Top 40 singles

edit

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^abcdefghijklm"Biography by William Ruhlmann".Allmusic.com.Retrieved8 March2009.
  2. ^"The Boomtown Rats and other bands from yesteryear who have reformed".The Independent.28 January 2013.Archivedfrom the original on 11 August 2022.
  3. ^"The Boomtown Rats Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More".AllMusic.
  4. ^https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-boomtown-rats-mn0000520033
  5. ^abcdefgCrampton, Luke; Rees, Dafydd (1996).The Q Book of Punk Legends.Enfield: Guinness Publishing Ltd. pp. 26–31.
  6. ^abcdStrong, Martin C. (2000).The Great Rock Discography(5th ed.). Edinburgh: Mojo Books. pp. 105–106.ISBN1-84195-017-3.
  7. ^abcdRoberts, David (2006).British Hit Singles & Albums(19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 71.ISBN1-904994-10-5.
  8. ^The Boomtown Rats - Live At Hammersmith Odeon 1978,retrieved28 February2023
  9. ^Rice, Jo (1982).The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits(1st ed.). Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 193.ISBN0-85112-250-7.
  10. ^Rice, Jo (1982).The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits(1st ed.). Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 198.ISBN0-85112-250-7.
  11. ^abcdeStrong, Martin C. (2000).The Great Rock Discography(5th ed.). Edinburgh: Mojo Books. pp. 105–106.ISBN1-84195-017-3.
  12. ^ab"Boomtown Rats".TrouserPress.com.Retrieved8 October2015.
  13. ^Geldof, Bob; Vallely, Paul (1985).Is That It?.Pan.ISBN0-330-44292-9.
  14. ^ab"Geldof back on home turf to sing tribute for friend".Independent.ie.21 June 2009.Retrieved22 May2023.
  15. ^Roberts, David (1998).Guinness Rockopedia(1st ed.). London: Guinness Publishing Ltd. p.55.ISBN0-85112-072-5.
  16. ^Mcgrath, Billy (Director) (23 May 2020).Citizens of Boomtown:The story of the Boomtown Rats(Television Production). BBC.
  17. ^"The Boomtown Rats Self-Aid".RTÉ Archives.Retrieved22 May2023.
  18. ^"Geldof Reunites With Fellow Rats in Blackrock".Hotpress.com.Retrieved15 May2011.
  19. ^"Bob Geldof, Cadogan Hall – review".thisislondon.co.uk. Archived fromthe originalon 17 September 2012.Retrieved22 September2011.
  20. ^Jonze, Tim (28 January 2013)."Boomtown Rats re-form for Isle of Wight festival".The Guardian.Retrieved28 January2013.
  21. ^Eames, Tom (17 June 2013)."Boomtown Rats announce new 'Classic' album, UK and Ireland tour".Digital Spy.Retrieved13 September2013.
  22. ^"Bob Geldof blasts Brentwood Festival fans for wearing Primark clothes".The Daily Telegraph.21 July 2016.Retrieved26 October2017.
  23. ^"Citizens of Boomtown".theboomtownratsofficial.com.Archivedfrom the original on 19 March 2020.Retrieved19 March2020.TRASH GLAM BABY | SINGLE OUT NOW
  24. ^"The Boomtown Rats Releasing 'Citizens of Boomtown,' First New Album in 36 Years, in 2020".Rockcellarmagazine.com.12 December 2019.
edit
Wikimedia Commons has media related toThe Boomtown Rats.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Boomtown_Rats&oldid=1253321429"