bob geldof

This was something of an unprecedented sight and sound in the Dublin of the time, but then The Boomtown Rats were the first local band to confront an Irish audience with that authentic punky spirit. Over the next four or five years they grew into a tough Rhythm & Blues outfit with an exquisite pop sensibility that produced a string of classic hit singles including "Rat Trap", "I Don't Like Mondays" and "Banana Republic". Bewleys in Grafton Street was a regular meeting place for the Band and this is where "Rat Trap" was created.

But the Rats greatest asset was its frontman Bob Geldof, an arrogant, loud-mouthed malcontent with a neat line in invective. During the late seventies, he was perceived by some as an anti-Christ as he very effectively (and calculatedly) got up a lot of noses and poured scorn on most of Ireland's scared cows. In recent years, of course, Geldof has become more widely known as something of a saint through his inspired organisation of Band-Aid, Live-Aid and a host of off-shoot projects.