Citizens of Boomtown: The Story of The Boomtown Rats

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

An inadvertently funny documentary in which The Boomtown Rats, that shameless bunch of absolute chancers, are presented as an IMPORTANT BAND who BLEW MINDS with their UNCOMPROMISING assault on the pop scene.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000jjr5/citizens-of-boomtown-the-story-of-the-boomtown-rats

Made with the full cooperation of Geldof, it reminded me of that amazing Dave Clark documentary from a few years ago, the one in which Clark - who produced the programme - strove to convince us that his mediocre band were bigger and better than the Beatles.

As an exercise in pure unadulterated hubris, it's hard to beat.

[Jockice]

I still have a bit of a soft spot for this lot. As someone who was a couple of years too young to get into original punk (New Rose was recorded on my 11th birthday you know), couldn't get into gigs and didn't even have a record player until I was 14, they acted as a gateway drug towards the harder stuff. They'd go on Top Of The Pops and rip up pictures of John Travolta! Real rebels! Geldof, especially. I wanted to be him.

I actually really regret not seeing them a few years ago when they reformed (without Johnnie Fingers). I even got offered free tickets but thought it would be dreadful. But apparently they were very good. I have interviewed Geldof three times down the years (twice face to face, once on the phone) and although he is a gobshite, he's at least an entertaining gobshite. As for him and the band being chancers, the music business is stuffed to the very brim with chancers. Plus I think that they had just as much reason to be angry at what life had thrown at them than some of the more 'authentic' punk bands. Ireland was apparently a repressive shithole in those days plus they had to deal being thought of as thick paddies once they moved to England.

I'm really looking forward to watching this.

[Lisa Jesusandmarychain]

Things I remember about the Boomtown Rats:
- the aforementioned " ripping up pictures of John Travolta and Olivia Newton John on " Top Of The Pops", while yawning.
- they were on " Top Of The Pops" every other fucking week.
- they seemed to get to No.1 on the top pop charts all the fucking time.
- Johnnie Fingers wore pyjamas all the time.
- one of them reminded me of one of Sgt. Bilko's sidekicks.
- the video for " I Don't Like Mondays" was quite impressive for the time.
- they were crap, all of the time.

I trust this is all reflected in the aforemensched doc, I may well give it a look.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

I still have a bit of a soft spot for this lot. As someone who was a couple of years too young to get into original punk (New Rose was recorded on my 11th birthday you know), couldn't get into gigs and didn't even have a record player until I was 14, they acted as a gateway drug towards the harder stuff. They'd go on Top Of The Pops and rip up pictures of John Travolta! Real rebels! Geldof, especially. I wanted to be him.

I actually really regret not seeing them a few years ago when they reformed (without Johnnie Fingers). I even got offered free tickets but thought it would be dreadful. But apparently they were very good. I have interviewed Geldof three times down the years (twice face to face, once on the phone) and although he is a gobshite, he's at least an entertaining gobshite. As for him and the band being chancers, the music business is stuffed to the very brim with chancers. Plus I think that they had just as much reason to be angry at what life had thrown at them than some of the more 'authentic' punk bands. Ireland was apparently a repressive shithole in those days plus they had to deal being thought of as thick paddies once they moved to England.

I'm really looking forward to watching this.

I agree that they had every right to be pissed off about STUFF, but they were still shite.

[Pauline Walnuts]

I agree that they had every right to be pissed off about MONDAYS, but they were still shite.

Sorry.

[the science eel]

Did Sinead really say 'I'm racking my brains....no, I can't think of a better band' at one point?

[Satchmo Distel]

Worst act at Live Aid.

[Jockice]

I agree that they had every right to be pissed off about STUFF, but they were still shite.

They really weren't. A Tonic For The Troops was a fine LP and The Fine Art Of Surfacing wasn't bad either. There may be some rewriting of history in the documentary (which I haven't seen yet) but there's also a lot of it in the other direction as well, like they were one of the worst bands of all time who just got lucky by pretending to be punks and then selling out. Just all the other awful bands who had two number one singles using exactly the same method. Singles that I can guarantee just about everyone of a certain age will remember. You may not have liked them but you won't have forgotten them.

I can't really believe I'm defending them but I was not long ago talking to another person who was like me, a provincial post punk type (even more provincial than me. He was brought up in Rotherham) but much more hardcore in his taste. I really thought he'd have hated them but like me he turned out to have a bit of affection left for them. I'm sure we aren't the only two people on earth who think that.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Fair enough, but they really were absolutely dreadful.

[peanutbutter]

it reminded me of that amazing Dave Clark documentary from a few years ago, the one in which Clark - who produced the programme - strove to convince us that his mediocre band were bigger and better than the Beatles.

oooooh, what's this one called?


Weren't the Boomtown Rats planning on doing a few big reunion gigs this summer? This doc was almost certainly timed to coincide with that

[Jockice]

Worst act at Live Aid.

(Cough) Adam Ant.

And I say that as someone who thinks Mr Goddard is a pop genius.

[Jockice]

Fair enough, but they really were absolutely dreadful.

We could argue about this for hours. Or the end of time, whichever comes faster.

[Hooverbag Sherlocks]

Did Sinead really say 'I'm racking my brains....no, I can't think of a better band' at one point?

Yes, she did. Good job it came towards the end as I was laughing too hard to take much else in after that.

[Rizla]

I was well into punk & new wave as a teenager so i had most of their albums. Seems I've only kept their debut, which has the lyric insert. Let's have a peek, shall we?

"Somewhere a screen door slammed" - lot of screen doors in Dublin are there, Bob?

"I wanna be a movie rocker soccer star"

What a tit.

[Jockice]

I was well into punk & new wave as a teenager so i had most of their albums. Seems I've only kept their debut, which has the lyric insert. Let's have a peek, shall we?

"Somewhere a screen door slammed" - lot of screen doors in Dublin are there, Bob?

"I wanna be a movie rocker soccer star"

What a tit.

I was just about to say he wasn't a bad lyricist either.  I'll stand by it though, in my new designated role as Official C&B Defender Of The Boomtown Rats. As he once said, The Jam's Down In The Tube Station At Midnight is (quite rightly) regarded as a classic, while Rat Trap is written off as a bit of fake fluff. I can't remember the exact quote but Geldof said something along the lines of: "Why would Weller know about stuff like that, coming from Woking. And why wouldn't I know?''

A friend of mine who is still a big Boomtown Rats fan (and even likes his solo stuff, most of which I've heard is awful) said that Jarvis Cocker reminds her of him.  I can see that. If Cocker or Damon Albarn had written I Don't Like Mondays (assuming the Brenda Spencer incident had happened during Britpop) I can safely say that it would be considered as a right on the button classic.  But a lot of people seem to have a (partly understandable) dislike of Geldof for other reasons which means writing off everything he's ever done. And I'm not having it. Do you hear me everyone? You'd better bloody listen. Because there's always something looking at you. Oh oh oh oh.

[the science eel]

oooooh, what's this one called?


Weren't the Boomtown Rats planning on doing a few big reunion gigs this summer? This doc was almost certainly timed to coincide with that

They've a new album out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=or8dD5VYk_4

It's not even worth my while pointing out what's wrong with this because there's nothing at all right with it. You'll see for yourself.

[Jockice]

They've a new album out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=or8dD5VYk_4

It's not even worth my while pointing out what's wrong with this because there's nothing at all right with it. You'll see for yourself.

Is this a Mott The Hoople cover version?

[Rizla]

They've a new album out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=or8dD5VYk_4

It's not even worth my while pointing out what's wrong with this because there's nothing at all right with it. You'll see for yourself.

I heard this on the radio the other week, I didn't place the voice and thought whoever it was was trying a sort of Laurence-from-Denim type thing. Laughed out loud when they back announced it.
I'll always have a tiny soft spot for them, as I do with all those punk/new wave bands, but in the cold light of day I feel even their "best songs" are cringeworthy Shakin' Springsteen.

[Lisa Jesusandmarychain]

They've a new album out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=or8dD5VYk_4

It's not even worth my while pointing out what's wrong with this because there's nothing at all right with it. You'll see for yourself.

That is extremely embarrassing. Nice mention of " fake feather boa". One of the modern day Rats nowadays appears to closely resemble the 70s BBC News broadcaster Richard Baker.

[Brundle-Fly]

Even at twelve years old in 1978, I felt Geldof was a little bit of a tryhard, but I do have a soft spot for them.   Sorry, I'm a sucker for dodgy old white reggae and I fuckin' luv this.

Mon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ip75ROhICoE

[Gulftastic]

Did they reveal details of Bob's military career?

I'd love to know what he did to earn his medals

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opd14v2I7Ik

[Jockice]

Did they reveal details of Bob's military career?

I'd love to know what he did to earn his medals

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opd14v2I7Ik

He won the punk wars of course.

One thing that always confused me about that single was the line: "Deep down in her pocket she finds 50P, hey is that any way for a young girl to be?" Like it was a bad thing. As a young boy I'd have been absolutely overjoyed to find 50P in my pocket. I could buy plenty of sweets with that.

[Jockice]

Even at twelve years old in 1978, I felt Geldof was a little bit of a tryhard, but I do have a soft spot for them.   Sorry, I'm a sucker for dodgy old white reggae and I fuckin' luv this.

Mon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ip75ROhICoE

Hurray. I have an ally at last!

[peanutbutter]

I was just about to say he wasn't a bad lyricist either.  I'll stand by it though, in my new designated role as Official C&B Defender Of The Boomtown Rats. As he once said, The Jam's Down In The Tube Station At Midnight is (quite rightly) regarded as a classic, while Rat Trap is written off as a bit of fake fluff. I can't remember the exact quote but Geldof said something along the lines of: "Why would Weller know about stuff like that, coming from Woking. And why wouldn't I know?''

Paul Weller was like 19 when he wrote that, wasn't he? Isn't that part of the reason the lyrics work, it's not that he's a believable narrator of an actual event that could be real it's just all well told obvious mod revival bullshit that flows really well?

[PaulTMA]

Don't forget that without them there'd be no Razorlight

[Pauline Walnuts]

Don't forget that without them there'd be no Razorlight

You don't pull your punches do you?

[Jockice]

Don't forget that without them there'd be no Razorlight

I hereby withdraw my support for the Boomtown Rats.

[ollyboro]

Going to watch this soon. Geldof doesn't tell his story about his time working on the M25 and the toothless prostitute, does he?

[jobotic]

Do we get to see scenes of Faversham?

[The Culture Bunker]

I was just about to say he wasn't a bad lyricist either.  I'll stand by it though, in my new designated role as Official C&B Defender Of The Boomtown Rats. As he once said, The Jam's Down In The Tube Station At Midnight is (quite rightly) regarded as a classic, while Rat Trap is written off as a bit of fake fluff. I can't remember the exact quote but Geldof said something along the lines of: "Why would Weller know about stuff like that, coming from Woking. And why wouldn't I know?''

I've no feelings about Geldof or his band, but surely the obvious reply is "Well, Bob, Woking is 25 or so minutes from Waterloo on the train, so it's not difficult to imagine a young Weller taking plenty of late night tube trips to catch the last train home after a night out in London".

'Rat Trip' is fine, enjoyable, but it's total Springsteen-lite escapism to me.