Sir Bob Geldof is bringing the Boomtown Rats to New York and Boston this weekend for two rare performances. The rocker and humanitarian has been wrapped up in social issues and sad ones at home (the recent tragic loss of his daughter Peaches). The Rats date back to 1980 with clever, catchy hits like “I Don’t Like Mondays” and “Looking for Number 1.”
Of course, our conversation yesterday turned quickly to politics and the current bleak situation with terrorism. “Isis will be defeated and must be defeated,” Geldof said. “But I imagine it will be the forces in the middle East [that will end it]. Neither the Sunni or Shiite powers want these headbangers running around in their territory. Nothing is as simple as the news reels make us feel. So we have a lot of anxiety.”
Geldof, by the way, is not interested in the launch of the iPhone 6 or any other smart phone. He’s the proud owner, he says, of the Nokia 6210, a cell phone from the Neanderthal age. “I just want a machine that has a big signal. It takes texts, that’s all I want. I don’t want any of your stupid fuckin’ photographs. It has a black and white screen. I just want to make the call, get the text, that’s it. It is the AK47 of the mobile telephony world. It never gives up.”
Geldof is happy to get back to performing his old hits– a bit of a relief. “Being on stage is intuitive and instinctive. It’s so much more relaxing and cathartic than doing politics or business. You get all the crap out of your head. And you’re responding to the power of this massive band behind you. Afterwards, you’re tired but you’re nimble. It’s cleansing.”
The Boomtown Rats are in NY on Friday at Terminal 5 and in Boston on Sunday at the Royale…
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BEBE GOES COUNTRY…Loving “Hello Music City” the new single from Bebe Buell, who’s moved down to Nashville with musician husband Jim Wallerstein and is taking the town by storm…. Produced by Jon Tiven with the top talent from music’s capital…
this is how to buy it, and the bluesy flip side “Secret Sister”:
