Boomtown Rats



riffraff said:
I know. Was in Curved Air previously. I can’t think of anyone else from Curved Air who’d be commentating on punk tbh and I didnt see him on the docu last neet though wasn’t paying 100% attention.
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Remembered after I'd posted it that wasn't sting in curved air 😂, I'll blame Tony James as I'd just read an interview from a 77 melody maker & he commented "even the lads from Curved air have formed a new wave band" . I do like Stewart Copeland, got a couple of his klark Kent singles.
 
WattStaxy said:
Andy Summers was in Curved Air.
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Cheers. Didn’t know that.
artful splodger said:
Remembered after I'd posted it that wasn't sting in curved air 😂, I'll blame Tony James as I'd just read an interview from a 77 melody maker & he commented "even the lads from Curved air have formed a new wave band" . I do like Stewart Copeland, got a couple of his klark Kent singles.
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Don’t care if you only wanna play around, don’t care if you are the fastest thing in town........or summit. Have a read of Copelands dads biography. He was CIA No1 in Lebanon for years then retired........whole place turned to civil war about a year later. God knows how his other sons ended up virtually ruling US indie music? Mebbes he sorted it for em?
 
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Watched the documentary and thought it exaggerated what the Rats meant. Maybe they were more important in Ireland but over here they were a strictly second division pop punk band - Geldof played at being a punk. They had 2 really good songs in Rat Trap and Don't like Mondays and a few other half decent singles. The documentary suggested that they were unlucky due to timing but really it was because they didn't write anymore good songs. I can't help think that without Live Aid the Boomtown Rats would not be subject such a documentary. My recollection was that they were viewed as a average band playing at being punks at a time when record companies wanted to sign such bands.
 
10 Gary Rowells said:
Watched the documentary and thought it exaggerated what the Rats meant. Maybe they were more important in Ireland but over here they were a strictly second division pop punk band - Geldof played at being a punk. They had 2 really good songs in Rat Trap and Don't like Mondays and a few other half decent singles. The documentary suggested that they were unlucky due to timing but really it was because they didn't write anymore good songs. I can't help think that without Live Aid the Boomtown Rats would not be subject such a documentary. My recollection was that they were viewed as a average band playing at being punks at a time when record companies wanted to sign such bands.
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They were much more than an average band some quality albums and brilliant live.
They were never a punk band new wave/pop/rocky/blues closer to reality.
 
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10 Gary Rowells said:
Watched the documentary and thought it exaggerated what the Rats meant. Maybe they were more important in Ireland but over here they were a strictly second division pop punk band - Geldof played at being a punk. They had 2 really good songs in Rat Trap and Don't like Mondays and a few other half decent singles. The documentary suggested that they were unlucky due to timing but really it was because they didn't write anymore good songs. I can't help think that without Live Aid the Boomtown Rats would not be subject such a documentary. My recollection was that they were viewed as a average band playing at being punks at a time when record companies wanted to sign such bands.
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Bloody hell If Rat Trap and the other one were all they had to offer they definitely wouldn't be making documentary. There's been two better tracks here "I Can Make It If You Can". "Dave".

First LP mightn't be embarrassing, but that Troops one people posted tracks from sounds ropey.
 
riffraff said:
Cheers. Didn’t know that.

Don’t care if you only wanna play around, don’t care if you are the fastest thing in town........or summit. Have a read of Copelands dads biography. He was CIA No1 in Lebanon for years then retired........whole place turned to civil war about a year later. God knows how his other sons ended up virtually ruling US indie music? Mebbes he sorted it for em?
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Miles Copeland A&R man, I'll have a look for his dad's biography 👍
10 Gary Rowells said:
Watched the documentary and thought it exaggerated what the Rats meant. Maybe they were more important in Ireland but over here they were a strictly second division pop punk band - Geldof played at being a punk. They had 2 really good songs in Rat Trap and Don't like Mondays and a few other half decent singles. The documentary suggested that they were unlucky due to timing but really it was because they didn't write anymore good songs. I can't help think that without Live Aid the Boomtown Rats would not be subject such a documentary. My recollection was that they were viewed as a average band playing at being punks at a time when record companies wanted to sign such bands.
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Were never considered as a punk band, can only recall one of my mates at the time who admitted liking them & he got grief for it, was quite funny seeing kids turn up at the youthy in pyjama's 😂
 
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artful splodger said:
Miles Copeland A&R man, I'll have a look for his dad's biography 👍

Were never considered as a punk band, can only recall one of my mates at the time who admitted liking them & he got grief for it, was quite funny seeing kids turn up at the youthy in pyjama's 😂
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One brother managed The Police and owned IRS records (R.E.M. The Fall Squeeze and others) the other ran the US biggest indie concert promoters iirc. I’m sure their da pulled a few strings.

On a similarity note when the Fun Lovin Criminals started out as kids their band mates families were Italian Americans involved in the NYC garbage and recycling industry. Nivver had any bother getting gigs or being paid!
 

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