Nearly 25 years since playing at Live Aid to an audience of billions, Boomtown Rats  Garry Roberts and Simon Crowe return to the music scene with their highly rated new band (Pete Barton on bass & vocals and Darren Beale guitar) playing all their massive Boomtown Rats hits including Rat Trap, She's So Modern, Diamond Smiles, Like Clockwork, Someone's Looking At You, Looking After Number 1, Mary of the 4th Form, their brilliant new version of I Don't Like Mondays, and many more.

Ever since the beginning of the band, Garry & Simon have been the driving force behind the Boomtown Rats sound. They have put their powerful alliance together once again to play their music as it should be heard, with its driving rhythms and meaty guitar riffs.

In addition, Johnnie Fingers has signalled his intention to join the band as soon as circumstances allow.

For the latest tour date information see: http://www.rockartistmanagement.com/page/boomtown_rats 

Garry has been extremely busy learning a new chord - - it is Ab 13th with a flattened 11th.

The band hope to be doing gigs in Ireland and Europe, Canada and Japan in the near future.

Please keep checking back for more updates.

Click here to read an interview with Garry Roberts

Gig Review: Boomtown Rats Roberts and Crowe - The Ropetackle Centre, Shoreham, December 2009

A barefoot bassist/vocalist and a flying lead tell you that the 'Rats are re-energised.

Two of the original line up - Garry Roberts on guitar (and occasionally vocals) and Simon Crowe on drums and vocals - are augmented by the 'presence' of Animals' Peter Barton on bass and lead vocals with modern youth very ably represented by Darren Beale from The Caves on lead guitar and vocals. This fine brew delivered a set that was fast, loud and invigorating. Rats classics like 'I Don't Like Mondays', 'Mary of the 4th Form' and 'Joey's On the Street Again' have all been reinterpreted and given new life. The uber-classic 'Rat Trap' had the audience lifted and ready to rock. Peter's vocal had tremendous power and his delivery swept away any thoughts that we were to hear a load of old stuff.

The set included songs from a contemporary band - Dr Feelgood. This is where Darren let fly (amid some friendly banter from Simon and Gary about retuning between songs) to give a modern take on legendary guitar work by The Feelgood's Wilko Johnson (readers should look him up on Google). Darren was transported and the energy levels rose a notch or two higher. By now sections of the audience are 'head banging' and pogo-ing.

Simon Crowe's drumming - full on all night (so much so that he travelled 3 feet towards the front of the stage) took off for one of the finale songs - 'Like Clockwork'. There was an ecstatic response from the audience to a barn-storming close for a set described by Garry as a 'back to basics' approach. Well - long live the basics then, long live The 'Rats!

Don Allen