Biography

Pete Briquette - Gerry Cott - Simon Crowe
Johnnie Fingers - Bob Geldof - Garry Roberts

1975

Gerry Cott forms a band with friends John Moylett, Patrick Cusack, Gary Roberts, and Simon Crow in Dun Laoghaire, Ireland. Bob Geldof was originally the bands manager, but soon found himself taking on the duty of lead vocals from guitarist Gary Roberts.

The bands early influences were Dr. Feelgood and Bob Marley. Gerry arranged the bands first gig on October 31st 1975, under the name of The Nightlife Thugs at the Bolton Street Technical College for a fee of £60 - not bad for 1975. Half-way through the gig, they changed their name to The Boomtown Rats which was taken from Woody Guthrie’s autobiography Bound For Glory. The Rats were soon causing a buzz throughout the whole of Ireland.

1976

The Boomtown Rats relocated to England in search of a record deal. They turned down a million pound deal from Richard Branson’s Virgin Records, and decided instead to sign for a new label that had been set up by former Phonogram man Nigel Grange and DJ Chris Hill. The new label was called Ensign.

1977

Having undertaken a hectic schedule of touring, The Rats debut single Looking After Number One entered the UK charts in it’s first week of release at no. 78. The NME made it their single of the week. The Rats did their first TV show, a turn on The Marc Bolan Show. Marc tragically died 2 weeks later in a motor accident.

Looking After Number One peaked at No.11 in the UK charts and The Rats were invited to do their first TOTP appearance. The band had now arrived. The Rats released their debut album, the imaginatively entitled Boomtown Rats. The album reached 18 in the UK charts.

The Rats released their second single Mary Of The Fourth Form from their debut album, this was a ditty about a schoolgirl, Mary Preece who Geldof had fancied. The single reached No.14 of the singles chart.

1978

She’s So Modern reached No.12 in the UK charts, more gigs, more tours, more exposure. Geldof was now becoming as well known for his motor-mouth as he is for his music, picking up the nickname “Bob The Gob” by the music press for his outspoken views, with quotes like “All I want out of pop music is to get rich, get famous and get laid” - seems fair enough to me.

The fourth single Like Clockwork became the bands first top 10 single reaching No.6. The Rats second album A Tonic For The Troops produced by Robert Mutt Lange reaches No.8 in the album charts and hangs around for 44 weeks. There was more TV, a promotional trip to America and November saw The Rats reach the top, when Rat Trap knocked John Travolta & Olivia Newton John off the No.1 spot.

The Rats made history as the first Irish band to have a UK No.1 hit.

1979

In January of this year, Geldof hears the story on the news of the Californian schoolgirl, Brenda Spencer who shot and killed her principal of the school and injured many of her school mates. When interviewed and asked why she did it, she replied “I Don’t Like Mondays”.

This quote proved to be inspirational to Bob Geldof & Fingers. The ensuing single became a smash hit world-wide, reaching the No.1 spot in 32 countries and quite rightly became an all-time classic.

The Boomtown Rats undertook a world tour, taking in America, Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. The American leg of the tour ended at The Palladium in New York. The Boomtown Rats third album The Fine Art Of Surfacing reached No.7 in the UK album charts. In December, the band released Diamond Smiles which peaked at No.13 in the UK charts.

Also in '79 Simon Crowe & Pete Briquette co-wrote You caught Me Out with Kirsty MacColl.

1980

The band released Someone’s Looking At You, another hit single which reached No.4 in the UK charts. Again they had a heavy live touring schedule all over the world. March saw Brenda Spencer’s parents trying to have I Don’t Like Mondays banned in the US. Many American radio stations refused to play the track. The single only made it to No.73 in the US chart.

America’s negative feeling on Mondays is not reflected in the rest of the world. In May 1980 I Don’t Like Mondays wins the best pop song and outstanding lyric category at the 25th Annual Ivor Novello Awards, held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London. The Rats released their reggae influenced Banana Republic which reached No.3 in the UK charts.

1981

The Rats recorded their new album Mondo Bongo in Ibiza with producer Tony Visconti who had previously produced albums with T Rex, Bowie, Thin Lizzy, The Stranglers, Iggy Pop, to name but a few.

Mondo Bongo reached a respectable No.6 in the album charts. The single Elephants Graveyard reached No. 26 in the singles chart.

Guitarist Gerry Cott decided to leave the band. The Rats tour Asia and visit places of interest to the band, India, Malaya, Hong Kong and Singapore. But whilst away from the shores of “Old Blighty” the tides had begun to shift.

The New Romantic movement was growing strong and bands like Duran Duran had taken prominence. The Rats new single Never In A Million Years, another great song, failed to reach the top 30. The writing was definitely on the wall.

1982

The Rats new album V Deep, again produced by Visconti, fails to make an impact. The title comes from a Japanese description of one style of love-making, four shallow, five deep. Bob thought this was cute, it was the bands fifth album and now that Gerry Cott had left the band, there were five members, so it all seemed appropriate. Some of the songs were actually rejects from Mondo Bongo.

The single House On Fire did well, but Charmed Life and Never In A Million Years stiffed. The Rats tour the UK to promote the album, on a tight budget.

1983

Saw little activity, no new albums, no new singles. The Rats were reduced to the university circuit. Things were looking bad for the bank balance, but the university gigs, from a punters view, were wild. Hot sweaty gigs, students enjoying their freshers ball. One gig in particular, in early 1984, at York University caused a major problem, when the university threatened to sue Bob for encouraging the audience to get up and dance in what was an all seated auditorium.

1984

The Rats new single Tonight only reached No.73. The brilliant single Drag Me Down limped to a lowly No.50. The Geldof masterpiece Dave sinks without trace, although Pete Townsend of The Who said Dave was “the best single of 1984”. Hold On Me fails to make an impression. The Boomtown Rats tour the UK in a determined effort to crawl their way back. 44 gigs in 48 days. The band had to cut corners, making their own stage sets, but again the tours were wild.

Geldof saw a news report on the TV about the famine in Ethiopia - you know the rest.

1985

Early in this year, The Rats toured the UK to promote the release of The Rats best album in years, In The Long Grass. Brilliantly crafted songs, like Drag Me Down, Hold On Me and Dave. The whole tour was a sell-out, and fans were treated to The Rats version of Do They Know It's Christmas.

On July 13th 1985 The Boomtown Rats played the Live Aid Concert.

1986

Bob Geldof decides to go solo, and so The Boomtown Rats play their last gig in Ireland for Self-Aid.

Geldof is named in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List, receiving an honorary knighthood for his mammoth charity efforts.

In November Bob Geldof launches his solo career with the single This Is The World Calling, which peaks at No.25.

The subsequent album Deep In The Heart of Nowhere, produced by Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart, reaches No.79 in the album chart. Musical colleagues all offered to lend a hand. The album includes guest appearances from Dave Stewart, Annie Lennox, Alison Moyet and Eric Clapton. It even made the 10 o’clock news in the UK,(boing – and finally, Geldof’s made a new album), which baffled Bob, this was Geldof’s celebrity status gone mad.

Meanwhile Simon Crowe, Fingers, and Mrs Fingers form Gung-Ho and record an excellent album. Unfortunately, the record company goes bust just as the record is due to be released.

1987

Bob Geldof continued his work with Band Aid. He releases a single Love Like A Rocket, which reaches No.61. This year saw the release of the best selling autobiography “Is That It”.

1990

Geldof returns to what he does best and this time he returns with the acoustic driven roots song The Great Song Of Indifference which puts Bob back into the top 20, back on Top of The Pops.

The subsequent album The Vegetarians of Love is well received and things are looking good again.

1992

Geldof tours many of the summer festivals in the UK, including Gosport and The Greenbelt Festival with his new band The Happy Clubsters.

1993

Geldof released his third solo album The Happy Club featuring World Party’s Karl Wallinger.

1998

Bob’s personal life changed; it’s all been well documented. Of course music was not at the forefront of Bob’s life. His marriage, his children and his business affairs were at the centre of media attention. This period was void in terms of Bob’s musical output.

Bob makes appearances in record stores to promote the release of Boomtown Rats compilation album which sees The Rats back in the album charts.

2001

Bob Geldof releases Sex, Age & Death. Produced by Pete Briquette.

Simon Crowe & Garry Roberts formed a band called The Pump Jockeys. Simon also started a business making wooden clocks called Like Clockwork.

2005

The Boomtown Rats back-catalogue is released with all 6 albums in the Amazon charts, plus Best Of reaching the UK top 20.

Bob Geldof is awarded a Brit's Award.

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