Boomtown Rats

From Banana Republic to Boomtown Rodents and Celtic Tigers…

Ciaran Ward on June 13, 2020, 7:00 am52 Comments | Readers 1454

I watched a recent BBC documentary on the Boomtown Rats (available on iPlayer for the next eleven months) which wasn’t just your average bog-standard rockumentary, but also partly a commentary on how the once socially conservative, deeply religious, unemployment-riven Irish Republic (a country many ambitious young people wanted to leave once they were old enough – Geldof and co included) has changed beyond recognition since the band started plying their trade at the height of the punk scene back in …

Punk’s not dead

The Firemen on March 14, 2015, 9:55 pm11 Comments | Readers 1003

Back in the day in Belfast many people didn’t give a shit (language – ED) what ‘side’ or ‘community’ you were from. If you had the attitude, could (kinda) sing, had a guitar or a drum-kit (or the means to get one on HP from Session Music) you were in the band. The Stiffs for example: Last night the BBC broadcast two fantastic documentaries The Irish Rock Story: A Tale of Two Cities and Irish Rock at the BBC (both available for those …