Boomtown Rats

When: Saturday 26^th October

Where: Camden Roundhouse

Why: DO THE RAT

I had seen Bob Geldof perform once before, at the North Shields fish quay music festival in 2003 (the same year that Hear’Say were at the height of their fame and were flown in by helicopter to perform, and the same year I also saw Lindisfarne... Such company). Not the rest of the Rats, just Bob, in the middle of a thunderstorm and a crowd full of umbrellas, yelling “Yer all feckin’ mad!” as the rain poured down. But he was clearly grateful and glad to be there, staying on-stage as long as possible until the risk of actually being electrocuted became too great – standard Bob. It was all about the gig and pushing the boundaries of what was sane.

I have no idea how I got into the Boomtown Rats. I think I knew I don’t like Mondays by the time I’d seen them in North Shields, and I remember buying their Greatest Hits album and locking myself in our utility room and listening to it on repeat while I was painting photo frames for my friends before I went away to uni. Eventually I knew every word and bought their entire back catalogue in one go from HMV before I went off to Durham, and had a poster of Bob and a white tiger on my college bedroom wall for quite a long time.

This gig was the first time with the whole band reunited (and their old guitarist came back at the end – won’t lie to you, no idea he was missing but they were happy so I nodded along). I love Geldof’s strutting arrogance – he really doesn’t give a shit, but he’s funny and self-aware too. And he has a massive, huge stage presence – that you just can’t deny. They sang all their classics, and I have never danced so much at a gig by myself before – you just can’t help it. I was also definitely one of the youngest there, which I always love. The Rats are definitely underrated as a band, and if you’re at all interested in sort of melodious punk, definitely give them a listen. Bob’s also a hero – I recently read his autobiography (written in 1985 so slightly out of date), which is insightful and yeah, a bit up itself, but often funny and massively inspiring and shows you what an attitude and a determined fight for what’s good and right can achieve (I’m talking about Live Aid guys).

This was also my first trip to the Roundhouse, which is an awesome venue. Genuinely impressed. Another one ticked off the list!

Brixpig x