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Post Info TOPIC: Was Geldof the best frontman?
noelindublin


Loudmouth

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Was Geldof the best frontman?
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Does anybody think that Bob Geldof was the most exciting front-man of the punk/new wave scene? With his constant movement around the stage and his general presence and charisma he certainly was more exciting than Paul Weller of the Jam.

 The fact that he didn't play guitar set him free to move about and harangue the crowd as the mood suited him and I loved his talking to the audience as well, usually telling them off. Pity the poor kid at the Hammersmith Odeon in the dvd who got a piece of Bob's mouth- Hope he's ok now.

Geldof in his hay-day for me was peerless.

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ArrGee


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noelindublin wrote:

Does anybody think that Bob Geldof was the most exciting front-man of the punk/new wave scene?

Well there was Johnny as well, but this is a superb question (and one I'm amazed has never been discussed in the many forms of this forum).

Personally, I think he was the greatest front-man of any period.  The main reason is that he connected with his audience, and more importantly individuals in that audience.  When I saw the Rats at Hammersmith in 1980, I managed to get a seat in the stalls and got right to the front when the band came on.   There were two separate occasions when Geldof acknowledged me during Keep it Up and at the start of Someone's Looking (really!  I did not imagine this!).  But it wasn't just me.  A number of people were singled out.  Some brought on stage to dance for Elephant's Graveyard, and Having My Picture Taken.   But from the stalls that night the stage was almost merged and all thanks to the sheer presence of Geldof.

I had seen the same happen at the Rainbow, However having bunked in cos we knew someone at the door, we only stood on the balcony and couldn't get in the stalls, so we were merely spectators.

I have found that down the years the bands I love have opinionated front men (Teardrop Explodes, Happy Mondays, Pulp), but I don't think any quite connected in the same way Geldof did.  And to be fair to him, despite all the cancelled concerts he has hung around to have his picture taken with all the stalkers on this forum! (Check out those avatars!)

BTW the only other rock star who ever noticed me in the crowd (to my knowledge) was Andy Summers when he stuck his tongue out at me at Wembley.  A few have noticed me after gigs, but that is another story!

 



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Jules


The biggest Geldof fan in the world, bar none!

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Well I'm probably a little biased... but of course he was...

biggrin

Another frontman noticed me - I walked past the road leading to the backstage door of the theatre on the afternoon before the gig.  Didn't even know that's where the backdoor was.  Saw a lorry being unloaded and realised what was going on.  This particular leadsinger looked across at me as though he'd just scraped me off the bottom of his shoe...

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noelindublin


Loudmouth

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Geldof sort of acted out the songs with his gesticulations and if he wasn't convinced who else could be? Since he took up playing guitar in his "new" band he can't really jump around like before and I loved the way he played the harmonica in the Rats!

To me he always looked like a proper rock star!



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LadyPinkFloyd


Mary of the 4th Form

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Yes, he is!!!! Mick Jagger and Bob Geldof are my two fav frontmen.....

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