Saturday 26th October 2013 - The Roundhouse, London, UK

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

Saturday 26th October 2013 - The Roundhouse, London, UK

noelindublin · Loudmouth

Really excited about this gig on Saturday, even after seeing the reformed Rat four times already.After the Sunday night performance in Dublin I just wanted more!As it's the biggest Uk gig of the tour we can expect fireworks (metaphorically, of course) and I think it will be special.

Hope to see everyone in the Hawley Arms, 2 Castlehaven rd NW1 on Saturday afternoon.

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

See you there Noël.

JoanOfArc · The Fine Art of Surfacing

nice one ArrGee, i will be the one wearing the led zep jacket, only kidding.

see you all there..... i'm also really looking forward to it, it should be a good night, and the Roundhouse is a good venue.

:)

Tango · In the Long Grass

Marvellous, cannay wait :) What time are people sticking around at the Hawley Arms 'till? Got to head into work for a bit, woe.

noelindublin · Loudmouth

Tango wrote:
Marvellous, cannay wait :) What time are people sticking around at the Hawley Arms 'till? Got to head into work for a bit, woe.

The pub is very near the Roundhouse. Doors at RH open at 7 pm so I would think most of us would still be in the Hawley Arms until 7. 30 pm or thereabouts.

Ian D · House on Fire

What time do you reckon they will be on stage?

Tango · In the Long Grass

noelindublin wrote:
Tango wrote:
Marvellous, cannay wait :) What time are people sticking around at the Hawley Arms 'till? Got to head into work for a bit, woe.
The pub is very near the Roundhouse. Doors at RH open at 7 pm so I would think most of us would still be in the Hawley Arms until 7. 30 pm or thereabouts.

Cheers Noel! See you all there :)

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

Most of us, some of us will be leaving earlier. Although we'll have to put up with depressive punk poet.

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

Jules wrote:
Most of us, some of us will be leaving earlier. Although we'll have to put up with depressive punk poet.

I'll turf up @ pub around 7pm and go to venue @ 8pm. Will get close enough, no need to be at the barrier.

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

See you in the venue then

.

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

Ian D wrote:
What time do you reckon they will be on stage?

Approximately 9pm; they do have a 11pm curfew, but I suspect they will be done by 10.45pm. No tubes for me this weekend, so I have to catch the night bus.

JoanOfArc · The Fine Art of Surfacing

i will see you all in the hawley around 6pm x

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

Great gig tonight, the full Rat experience, five original Rats on stage including Cott for a couple of songs, a sax on Rat Trap (though not on Joey), but no Never Bites The Hand That Feeds as an encore. I should have gone to Dublin...

-- Edited by ArrGee on Saturday 26th of October 2013 10:52:16 PM

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

JoanOfArc wrote:
nice one ArrGee, i will be the one wearing the led zep jacket, only kidding.

There was someone there with a led zep shirt, but I know he wasn't you. Was crowded even just after 8pm when I arrived, so only person I met was noelindublin who saw me on his way towards stage. Was good to see the gig from a little further back than usual, and I somehow managed to get a view unobstructed by cameras and very tall people. Only downside was there were a couple of statues in the vicinity, but nevertheless plenty around me enjoying it. Also it sounds louder and better when you are a bit back from the stage.

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

musicmania wrote:
...even at fully seated gigs I always have a giant in front of me so glad you didn't have that ArrGee. Shame they didn't do Never Bites as would have liked that on a live CD.

Luckily, I'm tall enough, and I create a bit of space around me when I start jumping around smile To be honest, on the whole it was pretty good as I didn't have people shouting at each other, hardly any cameras, except during Mondays which I'm not ar$3d about and no drunks causing bother. And I even managed to get home to catch Match of the Day smile

Anyway as a slight aisde, I went with a friend who wouldn't really be considered a Rats fan yet a fan of punk/new wave, but he was very impressed with the show all the way through to Rat Trap. Like me, he was a bit underwhelmed by the encores. Now I can see why they do Diamond Smiles at the end with the band introductions and even the eponymous song, but considering how superb it is to finish the main set with Rat Trap, nothing else lives up to it. Mary, Number 1 and Rat Trap are three great songs to end the set.

PS - I missed the meet up and got home early due to various domestic happenings which meant I had to drive up rather than use public transport. And always best I don't go into pubs if driving...

-- Edited by ArrGee on Sunday 27th of October 2013 06:56:41 PM

musicmania · A Hold of Me

Yes the sound is always better further back. For me having the barrier to lean on (would be crippled with back pain otherwise) and no one blocking my view is more important at gigs. Any time I am further back, even at fully seated gigs I always have a giant in front of me so glad you didn't have that ArrGee. Shame they didn't do Never Bites as would have liked that on a live CD.

JoanOfArc · The Fine Art of Surfacing

Great gig.... great to meet some more fans too in the pub..... shame i missed you Arrgee and you're right the bloke in the led zep tshirt wasn't me lol

i was near to the front at the begining then needed to pee, so when i came back we were further out, but enjoyed all the same.

great stuff....... :D

Scottie · Loudmouth

Nice to meet everyone in the bar beforehand. We were a real international group, Germany, Netherlands, Ireland, Scotland and England. Nearly got caught in a shoving match between 2 girls beside me. Pissed women are more trouble than men. Got showered with Bob's bottle of water, which he did deliberately. Joke got the worst of it.

noelindublin · Loudmouth

Good to see everyone in very noise pub beforehand,and ArrGee, briefly, at gig.

Overall very good concert, thought I felt the Dublin gigs were better. Maybe the band was a bit tired, but not in any real noticeable way. The Roundhouse is a great venue,and was as good as sold out. Walking up towards the front it was hard to believe that all these people were there to see The Boomtown Rats.

Set was more or less as in Dublin and other gigs, and most of the songs were pretty good, except Banana Republic and the unnecessary and prolonged 'na na na' refrain insisted on by Geldof at the end of Diamond Smiles.

When you've seen the band a few times Geldof well worn shtick between the songs seems a bit too studied. His jokes are worn, but he tells them well if that's not a contradiction.

Had a slight 'run in' with a woman and her bloody phone at start of gig, and yes I managed to be surrounded by a fair share of idiots with phones videoing the proceedings. You try to get a clear view and then unintentionally stand in front of someone else,and try to explain that you are moving to avoid the cameras. Then there's the kamikaze slam dancers who seem to come out of nowhere, with a pint of lager in their hands, and proceed to nearly knock you over. Maybe getting a seat is the way to go?

To sum up very good gig, though another thing is that the audience seemed a bit subdued- or maybe London audiences have seen it all ,and are less demonstrative. Still it was packed and another notch of the Rats comeback belt.

-- Edited by noelindublin on Monday 28th of October 2013 02:29:42 PM

Lisa · Mondo Bongo

JoanOfArc wrote:

i was near to the front at the begining then needed to pee, so when i came back we were further out, but enjoyed all the same.

great stuff....... :D

And after all that shoving to the front I had to do, Joan! Did anybody tut at us? Hope you stuck your tongue out at them if so! biggrin I had a great spot just behind Jules. Wish I could have leant on the barrier at the end though. God my feet ached! Really don't know how the band manage to stay on their feet all that time! Anyway great to see everybody at the Hawley Arms and then at gig. Really amazing gig - still buzzing smile

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

Link to my photos: www.facebook.com/media/set/

I hope I wasn't bothering you too much Lisa with my camera. The small new one doesn't have a viewfinder.

Lisa · Mondo Bongo

Some good photos! No, it didn't bother me at all Jules, I think it is when you are further back and there is a sea of phones in front of you when it is annoying! In fact, it was quite good sometimes to glance at the few cameras around me, and see an image captured as when you have all the movement on stage, you don't always take it all in at the time, so I was able to see some good photos as it was happening if that makes sense!

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

Lol I had some really really bad photos that I wouldn't show. You may have seen Bob get in the way a few times, when I was taking photos of someone else and I got his legs.

Lisa · Mondo Bongo

Oh that Bob - he's such an exhibitionist! Always wants to be centre of attention!

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

Lisa wrote:
Oh that Bob - he's such an exhibitionist! Always wants to be centre of attention!

Absolutely biggrin

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

noelindublin wrote:
Overall very good concert, thought I felt the Dublin gigs were better. Maybe the band was a bit tired, but not in any real noticeable way. The Roundhouse is a great venue,and was as good as sold out...
When you've seen the band a few times Geldof well worn shtick between the songs seems a bit too studied. His jokes are worn, but he tells them well if that's not a contradiction.
Had a slight 'run in' with a woman and her bloody phone at start of gig, and yes I managed to be surrounded by a fair share of idiots with phones videoing the proceedings. You try to get a clear view and then unintentionally stand in front of someone else,and try to explain that you are moving to avoid the cameras. Then there's the kamikaze slam dancers who seem to come out of nowhere, with a pint of lager in their hands, and proceed to nearly knock you over. Maybe getting a seat is the way to go?
To sum up very good gig, though another thing is that the audience seemed a bit subdued- or maybe London audiences have seen it all ,and are less demonstrative. Still it was packed and another notch of the Rats comeback belt.

Not being in Dublin, I can't comment, but Cork edged The Roundhouse for me.

Interesting about the well worn shtick, I think it changes a little and isn't so bad. I did overhear an interesting comment that Geldof is charismatic yet not necessarily very likeable. Made me think a bit about how I perceive him. Always interested in what he says, but find some of it a bit preposterous.

I had a great position from a bit back. Couple of statues, but otherwise fine. No one really bothered recording anything, and everyone in front was quite short. I could see everyone's knees, so pretty unobstructed. For seats it depends on the venue. At the three gigs with a seated option (Cork, Cambridge & London), the seats were a bit distant and the occupants somewhat inert. Should The Rats ever play the Albert Hall, then I would consider stalls seats, but I'd have to hope for a bit of enthusiasm up there otherwise I'd be annoying everyone standing up and dancing.

Perhaps, London audiences have seen it all, but in the main it was more enthusiastic as the one in Cambridge earlier in the week, even if not quite hitting the heights of the Cork audience.

noelindublin · Loudmouth

ArrGee wrote:
noelindublin wrote:
Overall very good concert, thought I felt the Dublin gigs were better. Maybe the band was a bit tired, but not in any real noticeable way. The Roundhouse is a great venue,and was as good as sold out...
When you've seen the band a few times Geldof well worn shtick between the songs seems a bit too studied. His jokes are worn, but he tells them well if that's not a contradiction.
Had a slight 'run in' with a woman and her bloody phone at start of gig, and yes I managed to be surrounded by a fair share of idiots with phones videoing the proceedings. You try to get a clear view and then unintentionally stand in front of someone else,and try to explain that you are moving to avoid the cameras. Then there's the kamikaze slam dancers who seem to come out of nowhere, with a pint of lager in their hands, and proceed to nearly knock you over. Maybe getting a seat is the way to go?
To sum up very good gig, though another thing is that the audience seemed a bit subdued- or maybe London audiences have seen it all ,and are less demonstrative. Still it was packed and another notch of the Rats comeback belt.
Not being in Dublin, I can't comment, but Cork edged The Roundhouse for me.
Interesting about the well worn shtick, I think it changes a little and isn't so bad. I did overhear an interesting comment that Geldof is charismatic yet not necessarily very likeable. Made me think a bit about how I perceive him. Always interested in what he says, but find some of it a bit preposterous.
I had a great position from a bit back. Couple of statues, but otherwise fine. No one really bothered recording anything, and everyone in front was quite short. I could see everyone's knees, so pretty unobstructed. For seats it depends on the venue. At the three gigs with a seated option (Cork, Cambridge & London), the seats were a bit distant and the occupants somewhat inert. Should The Rats ever play the Albert Hall, then I would consider stalls seats, but I'd have to hope for a bit of enthusiasm up there otherwise I'd be annoying everyone standing up and dancing.
Perhaps, London audiences have seen it all, but in the main it was more enthusiastic as the one in Cambridge earlier in the week, even if not quite hitting the heights of the Cork audience.

All my gripes are really just minor gripes. Standing is better than sitting. You just have to bite your tongue and put up with the cameras and phones- move if at all possible, without disturbing others.

I get the impression that as the tour goes on it becomes a bit more of a routine, the same songs each night, and Geldof making his observations of modern life, as per the night before. It's a bit like being an actor on stage for twenty performances, they all start to run into each other after a few days, and such is the rock musicians life. I doubt if many fans will feel short-changed or l et down despite all this.

Re Geldof being likeable or not, in the film Number One in which he starred as a snooker star he told BP Fallon on RTE Radio:'I play Harry 'Flash' Gordon, a sort of charming s**t, no personal connotations at all (laughter from Geldof) I think a charming **** is one way of describing Geldof. smile

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

Review from London. Agree on the final 'song'. www.standard.co.uk/goingout/music/the-boomtown-rats-roundhouse--music-review-8908276.html

noelindublin · Loudmouth

Decent review, but the Rats were not or ever 'banned from touring in Ireland' after Banana Republic. One concert was cancelled due to safety concerns ie the Phoenix Park gig in Dublin.

Ian D · House on Fire

Jules wrote:
Review from London. Agree on the final 'song'. www.standard.co.uk/goingout/music/the-boomtown-rats-roundhouse--music-review-8908276.html

I wouldn't call it a song either Jules. I think it would be appropriate as a piece to play just a couple of minutes before they hit the stage rather than ending the gig. It was a bit of a flat ending. Simon didn't really seem to have much to do. Perhaps Mary would be a better ending?

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

Jules wrote:
Review from London. Agree on the final 'song'. www.standard.co.uk/goingout/music/the-boomtown-rats-roundhouse--music-review-8908276.html

I don't think too much of the Standard's music reviews. The sniping is very predictable, audience of beer bellies, daft tunes etc. looks like much of the review is written prior to attending. They once described Pulp as Right Said Fred with northern accents, so no surprise that The Rats are described as the ersatz Pistols.

Rat Trap was raucous fun... more in common with Showaddywaddy than the Sex Pistols Not really sure what it has in common with either...

I Dont Like Mondays .... an overwrought chart-topper I could happily avoid for another 28 years. mmm, I do agree with this.

They only really disgraced themselves on the encore of their new single, a wretched combination of pub-rock and Nineties rave. It suggests Geldof is in need of a co-ordinated intervention to prevent him inflicting further musical distress on the nation. Harsh but true!

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

Ian D wrote:
It was a bit of a flat ending.

My friend who came with me thought the show was really good when Rat Trap finished and asked what do they do for an encore? After the encore we agreed they should have just walked off after Rat Trap as it was such a high, the last three songs just took away from it.

They should put three more songs in the main set and not return after Rat Trap.

BVD1965 · Banana Republic

ArrGee wrote:
They should put three more songs in the main set and not return after Rat Trap.

Agreed, no long versions of Mary, Do You In, no sloppy blues pentatonic improvisations (please!), but more variation in songs (but it's too late now to rehearse them, maybe for a next year tour?), like Drag Me Down, perfect as number two on the set list, Blind Date as opener or Don't Believe What You Read and some of the more unknown as Late Last Night. And maybe A Hold Of Me to slow down a little bit. Even Never In A Million Years, no problem to me. Even a band like Dire Straits which I didn't really like, because of their boring music, were masters of constructing a well thought set list with a strong beginning, middle and end.

I don't know if Rat Trap should be the last song, but I admit that Diamond Smiles is odd as encore and The Boomtown Rats is more of a joke than a serious song and I think you have to interpret it that way. And as I looked around me, a lot of the people liked it.

But overall, especially for me attending for the first time a BTR gig, amazing. If they want they can go on for two or three years. Hope they can write some good new songs, but I'm a little bit afraid about that...

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/arts/music/livereviews/article3906686.ece

A bad review from The Times, you have to subscribe to read it all...

The iron law of pop reunions states that bands are never as exciting or as loud as you remember them. Even allowing for this, however, the Boomtown Rats sounded unnervingly tame as they began with a string of lesser-known songs from a career that peaked more than 30 years ago.

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

www.raysgigs.com/

and a good one

26 Oct 2013. Boomtown Rats + Patrik Fitzgerald live at The Roundhouse,London.
Up first is a nice surprise as the support is Patrik Fitzgerald who i saw supporting The Buzz****s way back in 1979.He played a decent 30 mins set.
I have a lot of history with The Boomtown Rats as i saw them eight times between between 1977 to 1982 at venues including Hammersmith Odeon and The Rainbow.
This was the Boomtown Rats first London gig since i saw them at Live Aid in 1985.
Tonight is part of their UK tour to promote the album 'Back To Boomtown : ClassicRat****s'. Their comeback re-union show at The Isle Of Wight Festival this summer was their first show for 27 years.I was at the I.O.W. show but tonight will be better as it is indoors and in front of their own fans.
The Rats are on stage for 1 hour 40 mins with a couple of big screens showing recorded images.
The band sounded nice and tight but it was the 62 year Sir Bob that held everyone's attention as his stage banter was very entertaining.
His tall lean frame was non stop dancing and jerking across the stage and by the end of the show he was dripping in sweat after giving it a full 100%.
Although everyone knows the two massive number ones the band had, you sometimes forget how many other great uptempo songs they have had.
Mega songs on the night were 'She's So Modern',
'I Don't Like Mondays','Mary Of The 4th Form',
'Looking After No.1' and 'Rat Trap' but the whole show was really good,full of energy and fast paced from start to finish.

noelindublin · Loudmouth

ArrGee wrote:
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/arts/music/livereviews/article3906686.ece
A bad review from The Times, you have to subscribe to read it all...
The iron law of pop reunions states that bands are never as exciting or as loud as you remember them. Even allowing for this, however, the Boomtown Rats sounded unnervingly tame as they began with a string of lesser-known songs from a career that peaked more than 30 years ago.

These 'lesser known songs' were from big hit albums, so the Times writer may not have known that as he/she doesn't even name one of them. I suspect most of the audience knew these songs ie I Never Loved Eva Braun and Neon Heart.

If these gigs are so bad why do the audience always remain to the end and shout for encores? I did think the audience seemed on the older side in comparison to most of the other Rats gigs, but none of us is getting any younger,allegedly.

Makes you wonder what the point of live review is? Some cranky journalist with an agenda, or total lack of knowledge about a band skewing the event that thousands paid for and enjoyed.

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

noelindublin wrote:

If these gigs are so bad why do the audience always remain to the end and shout for encores? I did think the audience seemed on the older side in comparison to most of the other Rats gigs, but none of us is getting any younger,allegedly.

Makes you wonder what the point of live review is? Some cranky journalist with an agenda, or total lack of knowledge about a band skewing the event that thousands paid for and enjoyed.

Aside from the London reviews, the others have all been very positive.

The Standard is a free rag for commuters and has the same owner as The Daily Muck, so it can be ignored. As for The Times, the Murdoch papers are equally beneath contempt. Look at what Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson are accused of. It's only the tip of the iceberg of what else goes on throughout that organisation.

An old report, but for those that think Google, Starbucks and Amazon et al avoid taxes, Murdoch has done it for years,,,

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/special_report/1999/02/99/e-cyclopedia/302366.stm

manatthetop · In the Long Grass

I would not worry what the press said here. Who cares about them. The rats are back and it was nice to see Gerry Cott with his old friends again

suss · In the Long Grass

ArrGee wrote:
Aside from the London reviews, the others have all been very positive.

I sometimes wonder if "London" thinks it's cooler than it really is...and just can't be seen to be having a good time, and showing enthusiasm is subliminally suppressed in the mindless masses by this sort of journalism.

Wouldn't mind so much if the four thousand odd attending were totally indifferent, or worse still had been an apathetic 400 completely out of sync with the rest of UK, but Roundhouse seemed to me to be packed with people having a good time to me. The shameful and misguided minority of the capital, in the eyes of the local paps no doubt.

Couldn't agree more with Noel's sentiments, and never did 'I'm gonna be like me' seem more apposite.

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

suss wrote:
ArrGee wrote:
Aside from the London reviews, the others have all been very positive.
I sometimes wonder if "London" thinks it's cooler than it really is...and just can't be seen to be having a good time, and showing enthusiasm is subliminally suppressed in the mindless masses by this sort of journalism.

I think it is the preserve of London journalists. I have been to a number of great shows with wild and enthusiastic London audiences, only to read the next day cr@p like the band being Right Said Fred with northern accents or the Showaddywaddy of punk. I suppose the C0ckernee hacks have been to plenty of gigs down the years and are detached from the audience participation. Ultimately, I think you should go to a concert (or sporting event or play) to participate not to spectate.

The regional journalists get it. They see a band performing at the top of their game, giving meaning to thirty five year old songs and the audience lapping it up. And report it.

Scottie · Loudmouth

Belated but first class review. http://www.realgonerocks.com/2013/10/real-gone-goes-out-the-boomtown-rats-roundhouse-london-26102013/

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

Scottie wrote:
Belated but first class review. http://www.realgonerocks.com/2013/10/real-gone-goes-out-the-boomtown-rats-roundhouse-london-26102013/

"The audience is almost entirely made up of over 50s"

What! I'm not in my 50s. I must have been the youngest there

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

Me neither. I think over 45 might be more accurate

.

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

ArrGee wrote:
Scottie wrote:
Belated but first class review. http://www.realgonerocks.com/2013/10/real-gone-goes-out-the-boomtown-rats-roundhouse-london-26102013/
"The audience is almost entirely made up of over 50s"
What! I'm not in my 50s. I must have been the youngest there

Aside from the age thing, I do like this review

The Boomtown Rats, however, a fantastic bunch of musicians who as far as most are concerned are part of an all-too-quickly forgotten musical past .... For most people born after 1985, Bob Geldof is just the scruffy man who did tireless work for charity, hes hardly ever given proper credit for being one of the best songwriters of the era.

A rare case of a reunion that appears truly vital, its unlikely anyone had their great memories of past shows tarnished by The Boomtown Rats going back on the road. Based on this show, The Rats are as great as they ever wereand possibly have more to give. While any future always remains uncertain, this was as Geldof himself puts it "time to hear a great band again;if only for a short while."

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

I just hope the reformation, reunion, reratting, regrouping, re whatevering isn't too short and there's more to come.

Mark L · Loudmouth

Yes, it's a great review - I especially like the due praise given to Diamond Smiles which surely would have gone higher but for a BBC strike in Oct '79. A disturbing song, which took on new meaning after Hutchence's death, and which some would say therefore was eerily prophetic.

suss · In the Long Grass

Venue - for the scrapbook