I was a big fan of The Boomtown Rats back in the day.
They were a new wave/punk band that had a bit of a humour and some catchy songs. Their piano player would turn up in their pyjamas.
I remember one Christmas morning, listening to Radio 1 as they were going to play every track of their album A Tonic for the Troops.
This was a band that was literate. Their name came from a Woody Guthrie book. Bob Geldof's stage act was heavily influenced by Mick Jagger.
The band rebelled from their hemmed in Irish upbringing. The heavy influence of the Catholic church, the dire economic situation and unstable governments.
When they broke out in Britain, they were briefly one of the top bands around. They also they heavily influenced future musicians from both sides of Ireland. U2 being a prime example.
There was plenty here I learned about the band. Not only how they got together. The influences in their music. The band's attempts to break into America. Their record company sent out frozen dead rats to promote their single.
The band disintegrated by the mid 80s as Bob Geldof's profile went stratospheric. Not only for his work on famine relief but he dabbled in acting as well as establishing a solo career.
The Boomtown Rat's later songs were not as catchy as their early output. A little bit too political as the band wanted to be taken more seriously.
This documentary speaks to other members of the group. They were not a one man band. In recent years most of them have got together to reunite The Boomtown Rats.
They were a new wave/punk band that had a bit of a humour and some catchy songs. Their piano player would turn up in their pyjamas.
I remember one Christmas morning, listening to Radio 1 as they were going to play every track of their album A Tonic for the Troops.
This was a band that was literate. Their name came from a Woody Guthrie book. Bob Geldof's stage act was heavily influenced by Mick Jagger.
The band rebelled from their hemmed in Irish upbringing. The heavy influence of the Catholic church, the dire economic situation and unstable governments.
When they broke out in Britain, they were briefly one of the top bands around. They also they heavily influenced future musicians from both sides of Ireland. U2 being a prime example.
There was plenty here I learned about the band. Not only how they got together. The influences in their music. The band's attempts to break into America. Their record company sent out frozen dead rats to promote their single.
The band disintegrated by the mid 80s as Bob Geldof's profile went stratospheric. Not only for his work on famine relief but he dabbled in acting as well as establishing a solo career.
The Boomtown Rat's later songs were not as catchy as their early output. A little bit too political as the band wanted to be taken more seriously.
This documentary speaks to other members of the group. They were not a one man band. In recent years most of them have got together to reunite The Boomtown Rats.
