
Boomtown Rats @ O2 Academy, Birmingham – Wednesday 6th November 2013
It’s a strange animal, the Boomtown Rat: they rose to prominence in the wake of punk, but were more ‘Springsteen rock’ than ‘Lydon punk’ so became disliked by punks for being fake; they became more successful than all of their peers, but were not pop enough to keep the fickle public satisfied; and they were then totally eclipsed by the work of their singer. As a band then, The Boomtown Rats were arguably never given recognition for being just that; a good uncomplicated rock band. Some artists carry a certain amount of emotional baggage with them; The Boomtown Rats more than most, and maybe this is one of the reasons they have remained in the shadows for so many years.
This tour then, with four of the six original members, is something of a surprise and consequently seems on the surface little more than a novelty and a way of promoting a new greatest hits CD package… I make a conscious decision before the gig then, to take the night’s entertainment on face value and not let my hero Tony Wilson’s unexplained disdain for the band affect my experience.
Before The Rats take to the stage, the support is provided by Patrick Fitzgerald, who I mistakenly take for a roadie as he approaches the microphone, says “1,2”, and then steps away. As the lights dim and a backing track made on a Casio keyboard circa 1979 fills the room, I realise this is the support act. Patrick then proceeds to sing/speak against a soundscape made from synth drones and slow rhythmic pulses. He has a constant puzzled look on his face as he sings — an expression mirrored by the audience. The muted applause after each ‘song’ is a little uncomfortable and I feel as if I am intruding on his private performance; the fact that each song sounds like it has been written and recorded in a bedroom adds to the feeling. This impression is made more real when the backing tracks end and he picks up his acoustic guitar. I guess the problem is that with no stage presence, no discernible melodies, no skill as a vocalist or guitar player, all that is left to impress is the lyrics, and they contain a constant barrage of cynicism, negativity and gloom.
Patrick may have been writing and performing this way since the late 70s, but after what seemed like a never ending set, he did not ignite the audience and the applause at the end is more out of a sense of relief. It is quite clear that neither artist nor crowd warmed to each other and I cannot foresee an increase in sales for any of his albums on the back of this performance.
After a short break, the large video screen at the back of the stage kicks into life and shows footage of the Boomtown Rats from the late 70’s. Of the six original members, four are in attendance tonight (Bob Geldof, Pete Briquette, Simon Crowe and Garry Roberts) and for each of them a photo from 1978 is morphed into an image from now: a clever way for the uninitiated to recognise who is who. The two non-original members are easily picked out by being over 20 years younger than the rest. However, judging by the boundless energy of the men in their early 60’s, there is little between them. Indeed when Geldof launches himself onto the stage, he does not stop moving for almost 90 minutes; although at times you wish he would, as his jerky, unrhythmic dancing is at times unsettling. He may have learned his mo-oo-oo-oo-ooves from Jagger, but it still looks stupid.
Geldof’s phrase of the night is “Nothing’s changed” and this refers to both the world we live in and the quality of the band’s musical output. He pays tribute to the songs the band produced over 30 years ago and how they are still as relevant in their subject matter now, and how more importantly they have stood the test of time. What is staggering is that the band barely sounds different from those original recordings: the performances lack none of the original energy and in particular Geldof himself is vocally in fine form throughout. Tribute also has to paid to him for not mentioning the things that ended up making him a household name the world over: and I will do the same. This tour is all about The Boomtown Rats — it is certainly not a Bob Geldof tour. He is one of the band and plays the part with absolute conviction and modesty; not something associated with one of the most outspoken personalities on the planet. Tonight his cause is showcasing his band and showing that maybe this is the return of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll band in the world. As you would hope, all of the hits are performed and received well by an enthusiastic crowd, mainly made up of those of us enjoying middle age. The younger ones in attendance seemingly the children of original Rat fans, as they are accompanied by mum and dad.
Without doubt the highlight is ‘Rat Trap’, which begins at a frightening tempo and I fear that Geldof won’t be able to sing quick enough to get the lyrics in. This he does with breath to spare. The song sounds just as good as ever and cannot be faulted despite criticism that it could have been lifted straight from ‘Greetings From Asbury Park’, the influence being so clear: the lyrics blurring between Springsteen’s New Jersey and Geldof’s London is unquestionable, but nonetheless wonderfully vivid.
The band is greeted with waves of adulation before leaving the stage, only to return shortly after for a couple of well-earned encores. The enjoyment in the room is palpable and Geldof leaves the stage repeating “We have had fun” and I guess that is actually the most important thing. The fact that the audience did too means that this tour is not an exercise in self-indulgence. Despite my early reservations and the feeling that the Boomtown Rats were just a plastic punk band, I cannot deny that they still have maximum entertainment value and are unquestionably a great live band here and now. There are a few dates left on the 2013 tour, but judging by the feedback there is a market out there and I fully expect they will be back again. Make sure you catch them next time.
Set list: (I Never Loved) Eva Braun, Like Clockwork, Neon Heart, (She’s Gonna) Do You In, Someone’sLooking at You, Joey’s on the Street Again, Banana Republic, She’s So Modern, I Don’t Like Mondays, Close as You’ll Ever Be, When the Night Comes, Mary of the 4th Form, Looking After Number One, Rat Trap. Encores: Never Bite The Hand That Feeds, Diamond Smiles
Review by Alan Neilson
Photos by Ian Dunn