Rank #268
Photo: Author unknown; Photo courtesy Orange County Archives, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
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Voices from the floor
Fan reviews
A guest at Sports Centre, Bracknell on Sat, 02 Dec 1978
I was 17 at the time and was there with my mate Sharon, we arrived really early and they were only letting people in who were playing sport so we pretended we were gonna play badminton, went to the desk and paid for a session lol. Waited in the loos for a bit, came out to see through the windows hundreds queuing outside. We casually walked past and went up to the bar but just as we opened the door the band were coming out, so we stood on the stairs to let them pass. We didint know what to say to them so i asked the guy with the jammies on for a light trying to be all cool. We then sneaked into the hall and watched them tuning up, when the hoards of people started flooding in we legged it to the front. I remember Rat Trap was no 1 at the time, all very exciting back then and still a great memory of the 70s my favourite era.
A guest at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff on Wed, 31 Oct 1979
I was there ... I was 27 ... What a great time had by all. A concert that will stay with me for ever .. I am now 71 years of age.
A guest at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff on Wed, 31 Oct 1979
Attended with my then boyfriend and started out standing in the middle. Caught up in the atmosphere I ended the night pogoing hand in hand with a completely different lad at the front. I looked up and discovered he was a lad from the year above me in school. We'd both looked a bit sheepish and made our separate ways to find who we'd come with... Missed the last bus so we had to catch the "employees" bus and walk the last 2 miles. Just to add insult to injury my Dad gave the boyfriend an ear bashing for brining me home late. Great night. Awesome gig. But the relationshop was doomed!
A guest at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff on Wed, 31 Oct 1979
I'm from N.ireland and was undergoing training at RAF St. Athens. I remember a mate and I bought tickets from a ticket tout outside the venue. My second concert after Darts at Portrush. I was only eighteen. Anyway, it was epic. Fingers was drinking beer from a half pint can which he passed out to the crowd and I got to drink from it. Can you imagine! The stage as I remember was set up with scaffolding with the members at different levels. Bought a tee shirt. Fine Art Of Surfacing. Wore it to death. Great night. It's a Rat trap Cardiff and you're been caught.
KobeSamurai was there at Odeon Birmingham, Birmingham on Sat, 01 May 1982
My last time seeing the Rats before I left the country to travel the world... I think I queued all night to get a front row ticket!
KobeSamurai was there at Barbarella's, Birmingham on Fri, 02 Sep 1977
My first visit to Barbarella's, after seeing the Rats at the Town Hall in June. I remember Bob Geldof smashed his hand against the low ceiling of the stage and was bleeding everywhere!
KobeSamurai was there at Birmingham Town Hall, Birmingham on Fri, 17 Jun 1977
The band supported Tom Petty &the Heartbreakers this time... I sat with them in the audience after their set and we became firm friends, me watching them 13 times over the next three years! What an eye-opener this one was for me! (I have a recording of it, too!).
KobeSamurai was there at Odeon Birmingham, Birmingham on Tue, 27 Jun 1978
One of the 13 (!) times I saw the Rats between 1977 and 1980 or so. After meeting them at their first gig in Birmingham in June 1977, I had to keep watching them :-) There's a picture of me in the Birmingham Evening Mail on the front row at one of these Odeon concerts! Probably this one?
Scored by the people who were there
Rated concerts
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Where the music took them
Tour passport
Statistics
Most played countries
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1 UK 270
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2 US 26
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3 Australia 18
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4 Canada 14
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5 Germany 14
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6 Japan 14
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7 Ireland 11
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8 New Zealand 6
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9 India 4
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10 Portugal 3
Most played cities
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1 London, UK 27
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2 Birmingham, UK 14
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3 Manchester, UK 14
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4 Glasgow, UK 10
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5 Bristol, UK 8
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6 Leeds, UK 7
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7 Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK 7
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8 Edinburgh, UK 6
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9 Leicester, UK 6
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10 Liverpool, UK 6
Ranked by nights in the room · 2 followers
Biggest fans
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02
25%
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About Boomtown Rats
Boomtown Rats formed in 1975, and split up in 1986, after 11 years.
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A guest 100% at King's Hall Stoke, Stoke On Trent on Thu, 13 May 1982
I was there along with my best mate Dude who has since died, and Bill. Dude and I were at the Fine Art of Surfacing gig at Trentham Gardens back in The Rats heyday of 1989 along with Matt who has also since died. Bob, if you ever read this, you were a great influence and inspiration to get out of the Rat Trap stalking our young lives at the time.
A small, intimate gig we were able to interact with the band - a brilliant concert! I remember asking Bob to play Joey's on the street. He refused and starred at me saying "No" we ended up staring each other out a which point the riff started. My favorite track!! Great memories and I have Bob's plus I think 3 otherband member's autographs on a scrap of paper which I must dig out of the loft. The next day, I made an excuse and got out of work at Keele Uni to get the promo poster from Mike Lloyd Music in Newcastle. Still in the loft!!
The Rats - my all time favorite band! But we bin caught......................
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