There was a time when The Boomtown Rats were even more famous for the scruffy, unkempt demeanor of Bob Geldof than his politics - he looked like he'd just climbed out of a wheely bin after an all-nighter at the pub.
Of course Sir Bob Geldof is now thoroughly respectable and he has toned down his "dragged through a hedge backwards" styling just a touch. Despite all his humanitarian efforts and awards Bob's charity work continues to stir up a little bit of controversy every now and then. You can't blame a man who once worked as a navvy, a pea canner and a slaughterman for checking into a plush hotel every now and then.
"It's no wonder Bob Geldof knows so much about famine – he's been dining out on 'I Don't Like Mondays' for 30 years" - Russell Brand
Bob's lengthy relationship with food has even extended to naming his daughter after a fruit, but back in 1978 Rat Trap was significantly the first New Wave single to peak at N.o. 1 in the U.K. and the first of nine top 40 records.
The Boomtown Rats are playing "Live at the Marquee" Friday 5th in Cork.
It's been a long time, so will you be going?
