The Boomtown Rats, The Forum

Grizzly Irish rockers The Boomtown Rats and their irascible frontman, Bob Geldof, play a comeback concert at The Forum this November as part of their 2014 Ratlife tour.

After originally disbanding in 1986, the group reunited in 2013, albeit with only four of the original six piece band agreeing to resuscitate the Irish post-punk pioneers.

The tour began the month following Geldof’s daughter Peaches’ death in April this year. Speaking of the unexpected return to touring so soon after her death in April, the Irish singer said he found playing with the band again cathartic. 

The Boomtown Rats emerged from the fertile Dublin rock scene of the 1970s, with their early sound drawing heavily on the UK punk movement. High-octane performances and crunching guitar riffs abounded on their self-titled debut, but these later gave way to more diverse influences. 

By the late 1970s the keyboards of charismatic, pyjama-wearing pianist Johnnie Fingers (who has chosen not to join the reunion) had become more prominent- particularly on the piano-driven single I Don’t Like Mondays.

In keeping with the mood of British bands like The Clash and The Specials by the end of the 1970s, the Rats began to incorporate ska and reggae influences into their sound towards the end of their recording career. This approach is exemplified by their 1980 single Banana Republic- their last top ten hit.

With diminishing success the band broke up in 1986, Geldof choosing to focus on solo projects and his humanitarian work with Band Aid and Live Aid.

As the last stop of their UK tour, the Forum concert should see the newly reformed band playing their classic material- featuring 12 UK top 40 hits- with verve and energy.