Celebrating The Boomtown Rats' 50th Anniversary: From their Debut Album "Rat Trap" to their Crown as Irish Rock Aristocracy
In the heart of 1970s Ireland, a band was formed with a mission to shake up the stagnant economy. The Boomtown Rats, led by Bob Geldof, were born out of dissatisfaction with the social, economic, and political conditions that seemed to offer no future to the nation's youth.
The band's name, inspired by Woody Guthrie's dustbowl classic Bound for Glory, signified their desire for change. Their debut single, Looking After No.1, was a blitzkrieg attack on the social, economic, and political paralysis that prevailed in Irish society.
The Rats' first gig took place in a small classroom in Kevin Street on Halloween Night, October 31st, 1975. From these humble beginnings, they rose to fame, playing a pivotal role in the emergence of a wider counter-cultural movement in Ireland.
The band's success internationally generated a new confidence amongst other vocal emerging Irish artists like Sinead O'Connor and U2. The Boomtown Rats' song Rat Trap reached number one in the UK Charts on November 15th, 1978, becoming the first ever Irish rock band to reach the pinnacle of the UK charts.
The lyrics of I Don't Like Mondays spoke of a "Silicon Chip inside her head" and a peculiar coming amorality. Meanwhile, Banana Republic took aim at the corruptive hegemony of Catholicism and Nationalism and the shoddy collaboration and compliance of the business elite.
The band's eponymous first album is an important document of 1970s Ireland. Their song Rat Trap referenced local Dublin names like the Five Lamps and the Gasworks. Someone's Looking At You, written by the Boomtown Rats, imagined a coming dystopian online world where surveillance reigns supreme.
The Boomtown Rats, in a gesture of supreme rock 'n roll triumphalism, ripped up posters of John Travolta and Olivia Newton John on Top of The Pops. Their defiant spirit was not without controversy, as they were forbidden from playing at Leopardstown Racecourse in February 1980, leading to a highly publicized stand-off between the band and 'Official' Ireland.
Forty-six years later, the Boomtown Rats are still touring and recording, playing songs that seem to have an even stronger resonance today. On September 19th, they will celebrate 50 years of powerful music with a new anthology album titled The First 50 Years: Songs Of Boomtown Glory.
Geldof, the lead singer, has stated that the band's raison d'etre was to challenge and compel people to react, wake up, and do something due to the 'stagnant economy' of utter corruption and economic and societal stasis in Ireland at the time. The Boomtown Rats' music continues to echo this call to action, making them a lasting symbol of rebellion and change.
