We reformed at a funeral
IN 2009, former Boomtown Rats saxophonist David McHale died, and it was at his funeral that Roberts and Geldof made peace. ‘There was a suggestion that Pete, Geldof and myself would play a song we wrote, called “Dave” at his funeral, so we got up and did that,’ recalls Roberts. ‘Afterwards, I said to Geldof, “There’s been a lot of stuff, negative stuff going on, and I’d like to sort all that out”. The band came together because we were friends, after all.
‘You might not see a friend for 20 years, but when you do, it’s still there. That’s what it was like,’ he adds. ‘All the negative stuff was so stupid. Life is so short, as Bob well knows.’
Five years ago, Roberts had put an amp for sale on eBay and was contacted by Wayne Fontana, a musician ‘who put together the disinterred remains of old bands’ and persuaded Roberts, Crow and Briquette to reband.
‘All that was left was to get Geldof down to a gig in London and get him subtly fired up about the idea,’ Roberts recalls.
Soon, the band — with Geldof now in tow — were back rehearsing.
‘We came together sort of organically,’ recalls Roberts.
Still, speaking in 2003, Geldof sounded especially emphatic when he remarked that he would never reform the Boomtown Rats. A decade later, the Boomtown Rats reformed for the Isle of Wight festival. Fans were shocked and delighted in equal measure; even more so when they realised it wasn’t a one-off.
‘The thing is, we love playing together and enjoy each other’s company,’ says Roberts. ‘Some bands have different dressing rooms and can’t bear to talk to each other.
Roberts loves meeting new fans too. ‘That’s always a great moment, hearing that from someone who wasn’t even alive when the band broke through. And for a bunch of men nearing 70 years old, I think people are astonished at how much energy there actually is there.
‘I was playing in a festival at Leeds about six weeks ago — a big openair festival, with a huge crowd — and Geldof was talking to the crowd,’ recalls Roberts. ‘I remember thinking in that moment, “my God, I’m in the f***ing Boomtown Rats”. It was fantastic. I thought, “wow, we must be good”.’