gigs

Bobi G · Banana Republic

gigs

Ian MD · The Elephant's Graveyard

Wow! Knock on Wood, Show Me and Stir It Up. Did any of us know they ever played these songs? And it is also great to hear the long version of Banana Republic again. The Milan gig is a great example of what Dave McHale could add to a Rats gig, the bloke was brilliant. Thanks for posting these Bobi G, it is amazing to discover new stuff 28 years after they played them!

-- Edited by Ian MD on Wednesday 8th of September 2010 10:56:15 AM

-- Edited by Ian MD on Wednesday 8th of September 2010 06:25:13 PM

ArrGee1991 · Dave

Ian MD wrote:
Wow! Knock on Wood, Show Me and Stir It Up. Did any of us know they ever played these songs? And it is also great to hear the long version of Banana Republic again. The Milan gig is a great example of what Dave McHale could add to a Rats gig, the bloke was brilliant. Thanks for posting these Bobi G, it is amazing to discover new stuff 28 years after they played them!

The covers of Knock on Wood and Show Me are really great and it makes me wonder how many sixties classics the Rats did from 1975 onwards. They suit Geldof's vocals better than a lot of V Deep. Perhaps they'd have been better off making their own album of soul classics around 1982 and pre-empted The Commitments. Maybe that's where Alan Parker got the idea talking with Geldof on The Wall. Elvis Costello did I Stand Accused and I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down on Get Happy in a similar vein and they were stand out tracks. Not sure Geldof's pipes could do this these days.

stuart · House on Fire

I have the rats doing your the one that i want

Derek The Dane · V Deep

I have the Italian concert with Stir It Up(but not the other 2 songs) but it was a very bad copy so it was great to hear it again.Fantastic concert.

BTR · Tonight

I have the rats doing your the one that i want

Really? I would love to hear that.

-- Edited by BTR on Friday 10th of September 2010 05:07:18 PM

Ian MD · The Elephant's Graveyard

stuart wrote:

I have the rats doing your the one that i want

Did Simon bring out his blonde wig for this one? biggrin

stuart · House on Fire

Its not the best of quality i'll look it out when i get back home in a couple days in florida at the moment, walked in to a bar a couple of nights ago and i dont like mondays playing

noelindublin · Loudmouth

ArrGee1991 ,
Perhaps they'd have been better off making their own album of soul classics around 1982 and pre-empted The Commitments.

I think bands just play a mish mash of covers that appeal to them like Barefootin' with the Rats. I've never really seen an obvious soul connection and so called soul music is not my thing- Geldof is a fan of Australian contempories The Saints and their fabulous singer Chris Bailey so I'd love them to have covered maybe I'm Stranded or any of the Saints material -more raw energy/raw r and b. By the way Knock On Wood is is a gay disco classic covered by Ami Stewart for any broadminded readers. Albums of covers usually happen when bands start running out of ideas - give me original songs and day.

ArrGee1991 · Dave

noelindublin wrote:
By the way Knock On Wood is is a gay disco classic covered by Ami Stewart for any broadminded readers. Albums of covers usually happen when bands start running out of ideas - give me original songs and day.

I don't think Eddie Floyd's original was in any way gay! Elvis Costello speeded up I Stand Accused and I Can't Stand Up to great effect. Unless you were aware of it you would have thought they were his own.

noelindublin · Loudmouth

ArrGee1991 wrote:

I don't think Eddie Floyd's original was in any way gay! Elvis Costello speeded up I Stand Accused and I Can't Stand Up to great effect. Unless you were aware of it you would have thought they were his own.

I've always liked the cover of the Syd Barrett song Arnold Layne but Geldof could sing the Bognor Regis phone book and I'd like it- I really like his voice- same with Scott Walker - some singers' just do it for me and some don't ,like that Stereophonics guy I just can't stand him but again its just my opinoin. Jarvis ****er did a very good SW on Party Hard but i digress. LATER.

Ian MD · The Elephant's Graveyard

What is quite striking in the Milan gig of 1982 was the lack of recent material played for that period. Only 1 from Mondo Bongo (Banana) and 2 from V Deep (Charmed Lives and Million Years), although i can't find the exact release date for V Deep only that it was a 1982 release. It is strange to play three covers in a gig whilst neglecting to play your own stuff. So even then as what is happening now with The Rats gigs of today they prefer to play earlier material. I wonder if Bob prefers the earlier stuff too?

-- Edited by Ian MD on Sunday 12th of September 2010 04:51:42 PM

noelindublin · Loudmouth

Slightly off the point but I'm not certain how lyrics and the finer points of British/Irish social culture go down if English is not ones first language. I can't imagine me going to see a band singing in Italian but the gig was probably for the Milanese intelligentsia! They were probably playing it safe with older songs- interestingly most bands always say their new material is the best they've done yet!

noelindublin · Loudmouth

HI IAN - V Deep was released in late April/ early May 1982 and it caused the Falklands war.

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

Ian MD wrote:
So even then as what is happening now with The Rats gigs of today they prefer to play earlier material. I wonder if Bob prefers the earlier stuff too?

Amazingly his favorite is V Deep.

I think they play the earlier stuff as it is easier to play, less keyboard based and had no horns. However they may just play it because it's a lot better. Only thing missing from the new Boomtown Rats are some choice cuts from Tonic (Eva Braun, Howard Hughes, Don't Believe What You Read).

The arrangements on V Deep seem more complex. I thought 'He Watches It All' was fcuking cool as well, it's just that there is a lot of crap on the album. He can't serously think 'Charmed Lives' is any fcuking good, can he?

http://www.laurahird.com/newreview/bobgeldof.html

With a gun to your head, whats your favourite Rats record?

V Deep is the one that I love. Really in the end I just think, heres a band who know that the public wont accept them as The Boomtown Rats anymore. But nonetheless, the song He Watches It All, when I heard that I thought, Thats ****in cool. And Never In A Million Years is that scream of **** you. It marks its moment very well. Im really astounded by the songs complexity and the ability of these guys to play. The guys in the Rats played their ****in arses off. A lot of it was boredom. Once youve done I Dont Like Mondays Oh thats whats a hit, is it? Okay, I can write ****in piano tunes 'til theyre comin out my hole. But The Rats didnt like anything that sounded like what weve done before. I played the original version of Do They Know Its Christmas? to The Rats and they didnt really like it on the basis of wed done something like it before.

BTR · Tonight

Garry and Simon are playing the songs from the first 3 albums because they like playing the music. It's also what most people know and want to hear.

They are looking to add more songs. Perhaps a couple from Long Grass and a couple more from the first 2 albums.

They are also open to suggestions as to what songs to play so perhaps people could name their ultimate live set-list?

Ian MD · The Elephant's Graveyard

BTR wrote:

Garry and Simon are playing the songs from the first 3 albums because they like playing the music. It's also what most people know and want to hear.

They are looking to add more songs. Perhaps a couple from Long Grass and a couple more from the first 2 albums.

They are also open to suggestions as to what songs to play so perhaps people could name their ultimate live set-list?

I'd say Blind Date, Me And Howard Hughes and Elephant's would still sound great live from the earlier stuff. Long Grass is tougher to choose from unless they find some brass from somewhere!. Possibly Drag Me Down with a re-worked ending.

noelindublin · Loudmouth

Wish the Rats would play Straight Up from Mondo Bongo- its a pure guitar track with no keyboards or horns and I've always liked it. Wonder are the band writing any new material as I would be interested. Like the great Britpop war between Oasis and Blur we could have Rats and Geldof solo material competing for the market (and then I wake up!)

Derek The Dane · V Deep

I have always thought He Watches It All as one of the best Boomtown Rats songs.

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

Derek The Dane wrote:
I have always thought He Watches It All as one of the best Boomtown Rats songs.

Totally agree. Stand out track on V Deep.

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

BTR wrote:
ultimate live set-list?

Surely a topic for another post, but.....

Blind Date
Mary Of The 4th Form
Me & Howard Hughes
Neon Heart
Close As You'll Ever Be
I Can Make It If You Can
I Never Loved Eva Braun
Don't Believe What You Read
Rat Trap/Kicks/Joey's On The Street Again medley
Living On A Island
Go Man Go
She's Gonna Do You In
Like Clockwork
Someone's Looking
Banana Republic
House on Fire
All Through The City (Wilko Johnson comes on at this point)
She Does It Right
Up All Night
She's So Modern
Looking After No. 1

NOTE: Mondays is intentionally excluded, and if they dare to play Charmed Lives.....

-- Edited by ArrGee on Monday 13th of September 2010 08:10:08 PM

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

noelindublin wrote:
Wish the Rats would play Straight Up from Mondo Bongo- its a pure guitar track with no keyboards or horns and I've always liked it. Wonder are the band writing any new material as I would be interested. Like the great Britpop war between Oasis and Blur we could have Rats and Geldof solo material competing for the market (and then I wake up!)

Ah reminds me of those days in 1979 when the Rats, the Police and Blondie all were the main contenders. The Police followed Message in a Bottle with Walking on the Moon ker-ching! Blondie followed up Sunday Girl with Atomic ker-ching ker-ching, and The Boomtown Rats after I Don't Like Mondays brought out, err, Diamond Smiles. mmmmm. Now why-oh-why didn't they bring out Someone's Looking at You? May not have made number one, but would have troubled Dr. Hook a little.

Besides Oasis & Blur weren't a patch on Pulp.

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

BTR wrote:
ultimate live set-list?
Sorry I forgot Do The Rat! Have to have that as well.

Dave & A Hold of Me are possibles from In the Long Grass, but never having heard them live, I can't be sure they would work.

I'd be quite happy for them to do the Home & Away set if they can remember it.

Little Queenie
My Babe
Gettin' Back To Me
Get Up Stand Up
New Wave (New Age)
Promised Land
I Can Feel The Fire
Route 66
Jesse James
Money Honey
Carol
My Generation
Riot In Cell Block #9
Show Me
Knock on Wood
My Babe
Boom Boom
Don't You Just Know It
Getting Back To Me
Menage A Trois

Jules · The biggest Geldof fan in the world, bar none!

ArrGee Dave should be in there as a cert not just a possibility!

I normally just listen to the Rats and hardly ever watch the DVD. The other day I watched it and it was like I'd forgotten how good they were and discovered them all over again. Wow! Underrated is an underestimate for sure. Can't believe how much energy Bob had...

noelindublin · Loudmouth

ArrGee wrote:

BTR wrote:
ultimate live set-list?
Sorry I forgot Do The Rat! Have to have that as well.
Dave & A Hold of Me are possibles from In the Long Grass, but never having heard them live, I can't be sure they would work.
I'd be quite happy for them to do the Home & Away set if they can remember it.
Little Queenie
My Babe
Gettin' Back To Me
Get Up Stand Up
New Wave (New Age)
Promised Land
I Can Feel The Fire
Route 66
Jesse James
Money Honey
Carol
My Generation
Riot In Cell Block #9
Show Me
Knock on Wood
My Babe
Boom Boom
Don't You Just Know It
Getting Back To Me
Menage A Trois

HI -not sure what the Home and Away set was- surely nothing to do with the aussie tv series. Or was there a home set for Dublin gigs and an away set for away gigs everywhere else- I'm racking my brains. Obviously this set list is when they had just started playing live.

noelindublin · Loudmouth

ArrGee wrote:

noelindublin wrote:

Wish the Rats would play Straight Up from Mondo Bongo- its a pure guitar track with no keyboards or horns and I've always liked it. Wonder are the band writing any new material as I would be interested. Like the great Britpop war between Oasis and Blur we could have Rats and Geldof solo material competing for the market (and then I wake up!)

Ah reminds me of those days in 1979 when the Rats, the Police and Blondie all were the main contenders. The Police followed Message in a Bottle with Walking on the Moon ker-ching! Blondie followed up Sunday Girl with Atomic ker-ching ker-ching, and The Boomtown Rats after I Don't Like Mondays brought out, err, Diamond Smiles. mmmmm. Now why-oh-why didn't they bring out Someone's Looking at You? May not have made number one, but would have troubled Dr. Hook a little.

Besides Oasis & Blur weren't a patch on Pulp.

If any band deserved a musical asbo it's Oasis. Blur and Pulp are top of the Indie premiership. Geldof said after Monday's anything they released would have been a hit - when you're on a roll etc. but these things never last. Paul Simon said that every generation throws a hero up the pop charts so the got their fifteen minuites. The Rats also sING " you're lucky if time remebers you".

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

noelindublin wrote:
HI -not sure what the Home and Away set was- surely nothing to do with the aussie tv series. Or was there a home set for Dublin gigs and an away set for away gigs everywhere else- I'm racking my brains. Obviously this set list is when they had just started playing live.

Yep, Home was Dublin, Away was Galway and other places. They are on a bootleg that I would love to get hold of.

noelindublin · Loudmouth

ArrGee wrote:

noelindublin wrote:
HI -not sure what the Home and Away set was- surely nothing to do with the aussie tv series. Or was there a home set for Dublin gigs and an away set for away gigs everywhere else- I'm racking my brains. Obviously this set list is when they had just started playing live.
Yep, Home was Dublin, Away was Galway and other places. They are on a bootleg that I would love to get hold of.

That's a bit weird. Why would the have two different sets- maybe the played Big Tom covers in the country and "punk rock" for the urban sophistocates of the metropolis of Dublin. Wonder why Born to Burn was not remastered for the rereleased as it shows how much energy and drive was in that early sound?