The Boomtown Rats
Birmingham Symphony Hall
11th October 2025
Saint Bob and his Irish upstarts strut back into Birmingham to celebrate 50 years of the good, the rat and the ugly. Sam Lambeth reviews.
Even if you are familiar with Bob Geldof’s origins as a snotty-nosed frontman, it takes a little bit of time to adjust when seeing the mouthy Dubliner tonight. Over the past few decades, the chief Boomtown Rat’s forays into locking horns with presidents, chumming it up with Bono and other forms of activism have rendered his rock ‘n’ roll career more of a side hustle.
However, after a few moments of seeing the snake-hipped, shaggy-haired Irishman prance around the Symphony Hall stage with reckless abandon, you realise tonight isn’t going to be a rally or a summit – Bob is here tonight for one reason and one reason only, to celebrate The Boomtown Rats’ 50th birthday in defiant, rock ‘n’ roll fashion.
In fact, the only time Geldof slides into concerned elder mode is during an elongated breakdown of rousing piano ballad I Don’t Like Mondays, which he takes as a moment to pontificate on the multifarious atrocities currently being committed across the globe. Other than that, he uses his erstwhile opinionated gob to spout nothing more than the odd laryngitic, expletive-laden roar about being alive, being here and being “fucking mega.”
And if that claim has a typical air of Geldoffian arrogance, tonight he’s on a mission to prove it’s more than just frontman bluster. Prior to the show, there are numerous – excessive, if truth be told – segments of archive footage and celebrity talking heads to not only celebrate the Rats’ birthday, but also to whip up some nostalgic joy and fresh energy for the gig.
This all means it takes a little bit of time for the band to begin, but from the moment Geldof bounds onstage, he gets the sold out crowd on their feet and they stay there until the final chord is played.
Looking like fellow wild showman Wayne Coyne, the white-haired Geldof resembles a new-wave scarecrow in tight bellbottoms and a swirling, multi-coloured shirt. Throughout the gig, he’s manic and restless. He jumps and frolics through the theatrical pomp of classic opener Rat Trap, gently ribs the crowd to sing along (“I know you’re all feckin’ 90, but come on”) on the Muscle Shoals swagger of Whole World and flays his limbs goofily on the breakneck She’s So Modern.
The Symphony Hall is filled to the brim with middle-aged punters still showing the accoutrements of punky individualism – pre-show, the foyer is littered with the odd flash of red hair, anarchic pin badge and even a pink feather boa. One fan proudly dons a tight-fitting pork pie hat, perhaps as a tribute to the recently departed Mickey Pearce. All of them, though, are here for the memories – some drunkenly proclaim that these songs defined their childhood, others lock ageing lips with their beaus and are transported back to halcyon days.
If it seemed at the time that Geldof had outgrown his fellow rat comrades, tonight the rest of the group – including original members Pete Briquette and Simon Crowe – prove they’re a valuable anchor to their frontman’s febrile showmanship. Neon Heart is built around sparse, nimble drums and a chunky, strutting guitar riff. Like Clockwork is flamboyant and kitschy fun, buoyed by atmospheric pianos and six-string stabs. There’s a rambunctious spirit that runs through (I Never Loved) Eva Braun and a melodic bent in the uproarious Someone’s Looking At You.
50 years in, tonight is a golden reminder of an era when The Boomtown Rats infested the mainstream. They might not be the first name that comes to mind when recalling that golden era of glam rock majesty, but they reaped much from their potential. As Geldof screams his final goodbyes – and leaves no demands to give him your fockin’ money – tonight has been a pretty good birthday party all round.
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The Boomtown Rats can be found on their website or on Facebook.
All words by Sam Lambeth. Sam is a journalist and musician. More of his work for Louder Than War is available on his archive. You can find his music on Spotify.
All photos by Paul Reynolds. He can be found on Instagram.
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