Bob Geldof Discussion

All things Geldof related!

• Geldof the musician and frontman (was he under/overrated?)
• Geldof the charity worker and AIDS campaigner (was Live Aid as much about his own legacy as it was about those in need?)
• Geldof the political mouthpiece (was his anti Brexit campaigning counter productive?)
• Geldof, Yates and Hutchence (was he in any way to blame for the tragic downfall of his ex wife and her lover?)

His song about Hutchence:

 

What does he do presently?

 

From a musical perspective he has been touring with the Boomtown Rats for the past few years. Politically he is still very much campaigning against Brexit

 

Lives near me and I see him in the town sometimes. Never spoken to him but imagine he is an interesting guy.

 

I think it's a shame that all the soapbox stuff has overshadowed the music.

He's written a lot of great songs over the years & his Vegetarians Of Love solo record is a real favourite of mine.

 

I don't think the UK media portrays him very well. Possibly because he often refuses to play their games. When I have seen him interviewed he comes across as interesting and well informed but typically he is often represented as a scruffy interloper.

Agree on Vegetarians album.

 

Comes across as a bit pompous, but basically a good chap. His missus, on the other hand, seemed a lot harder to warm to. Not a fan of his music at all, though.

 

You mean Paula Yates or his current wife?

I think Geldof has always had notions about his own self importance.

 

Rat Trap was brilliant, however his singing voice is annoying, and his charity work although good has just made him even more laughable. As for him shouting at Nigel Farage, although i'm not a huge Farage fan I think Geldof made himself look a complete idiot.

 

I get the impression that Mr Geldof is more involved in British affairs than Irish, and being Irish may be viewed as unwelcome inBritish affairs?

 

Good frontman.Decent musician and songwriter.

Goes downhill from there.Multiple personality and character flaws.

 

He wouldn't be held in the highest of regard by a lot of Irish people.

Last year he returned his honorary Freedom of the City of Dublin in protest at Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi having the same title.

Dublin city council then proceeded to rightly strip Aung San Suu Kyi of her honour and refused to reinstate his! Needless to say he wasn't best pleased.

Bob Geldof 'disgusted' as Dublin City Council accepts Freedom award he handed back

 

The early (first three albums) Rats, I thought, were one of the most interesting bands around at the time. The musical/stylistic leaps between those LPs (self-titled, Tonic for the Troops, Fine Art of Surfacing) were astonishing... from "Looking After #1" to "Someone's Looking at You" (via "Like Clockwork," "Rat Trap" and "Mondays") in under two years.

It went very pear-shaped after that (does anyone still listen to "Mondo Bongo," "V Deep" and "Long Grass"?), but if Geldof never done anything else, he'd already have accomplished more than many.

 

Definitely Paula Yates. She copresented programmes with Chris Evans, Vanessa Feltz and Jools Holland whilst still managing to be the most annoying person on screen.

His profile is comparatively low nowadays but I don’t think his Irishness is something we notice. On the other hand, I’m aware that there are Irish people who don’t consider him properly Irish on account of his London domicile, Belgian pa and English ma. Not sure though how widely this view is held.

 

I have to say I enjoyed Yates as a TV presenter. She had more balls than a lot of men on TV at the time.

 

Rat Trap is a fine song for sure but I probably rate it as a middle-ranking Bob track. Always reminded me of Dire Straits or Springsteen, weirdly.

Agree that his singing voice is marmite. If you don't get it, it'll certainly grate on your nerves. Personally, I don't have a problem with it.

As far as the politics go, I think, sadly, especially since he's still got a lot to offer , he's become a bit of a walking cliche. As Frederick Mars suggests, if he's represented in the UK press at all, it's as THE WHINGEING IRISHMAN, which is unfortunate but as you point out, vis a vis the Farage incident, he doesn't always help himself.

 

There is a website where airline cabin crew reveal what they really think of celebrities they've served. Geldof is described by all as ‘Vile and rude’

 

I only know him as Pink, haven't checked out any of his music yet. Is there a song or three you'd suggest I start with?

 

Good man! More power to you Bob!

 

No denying what he did to help others (along with MIDGE URE who seems to have been written out of history for his part) but musically I thought he was highly judgemental of other artists who made pop records when he himself had what i would describe as a slim talent. I liked him less for his big mouth dissing other acts.

Did like This Is The World Calling. Think it should have peaked higher than mid 20s. I’d have given his music more of a chance if I could get past his personality.

 

In the late 90’s when I worked for DFID in the UK, Bob Geldof came into our office for a meeting with the Secretary of State.

He was a little early and I had to escort him to the meeting so we had a coffee in the reception area, we didn’t have a chat about International Development whist we were waiting, we had a chat about a Boomtown Rats gig I had been to at the Glasgow Apollo in 1978!

 

Haven't heard much besides "A Tonic For the Troops", but that is an excellent record. Nothing beats "Me And Howard Hughes."

 

YAWN

 

I Don’t Like Monday’s and Rat Trap are fantastic songs.
I really liked The Boomtown Rats.

 

I saw the Boomtown Rats in '79 (I think). Geldof and company were fantastic. Never saw them again unfortunately.