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Citizens of Boomtown: The Story of The Boomtown Rats

The story of The Boomtown Rats who fought a conservative Ireland, broke through the UK punk scene, scored global No 1 hits, and with Bob Geldof鈥檚 Live Aid, revolutionised the world.

With guests including Bono, Sinead O鈥機onnor, Dave Stewart, Jools Holland, David Mallet and Sting, as well as music writers, photographers and historians, this film explores the musical and social legacy of Ireland鈥檚 first rock superstars The Boomtown Rats, who changed their own lives, helped to change Ireland and, with Bob Geldof鈥檚 Live Aid, changed the world.

In this entertaining, dramatic and absorbing film, director Billy McGrath digs deep into the band鈥檚 history and remarkable songbook and highlights the key moments of its huge success and subsequent fall in 1985. And after over 30 years, why did the band regroup in 2013?

1 hour, 31 minutes

Last on

Mon 31 Oct 2022 22:00

Music Played

  • The Boomtown Rats

    D.U.N. L.O.A.G.H.A.I.R.E

  • The Boomtown Rats

    Close As You'll Ever Be

  • Woody Guthrie

    All You Fascists

  • Bob Geldof, The Boomtown Rats

    Shes Gonna Do You In

  • Sex Pistols

    Anarchy In The U.K.

  • The Boomtown Rats

    Joey's On The Street Again

  • The Boomtown Rats

    Neon Heart

  • The Boomtown Rats

    My Blues Away

  • The Boomtown Rats

    Lookin' After No. 1

  • The Boomtown Rats

    Kicks

  • The Boomtown Rats

    Mary of The 4Th Form (From The Boomtown Rats [1977])

  • The Boomtown Rats

    She's So Modern

  • The Boomtown Rats

    Me And Howard Hughes

  • The Boomtown Rats

    Like Clockwork

  • The Boomtown Rats

    Rat Trap

  • The Boomtown Rats

    Having My Picture Taken

  • The Boomtown Rats

    Don't Believe What You Read

  • City of Prague Philharmonic: Paul Bateman

    Taxi Driver Main Theme

  • The Boomtown Rats

    A Second Time

  • The Boomtown Rats

    I Don't Like Mondays

  • The Boomtown Rats

    Nice N Neat

  • The Boomtown Rats

    Someone's Looking At You

  • The Boomtown Rats

    Nothing Happened Today

  • The Boomtown Rats

    Whitehall 1212

  • The Boomtown Rats

    Banana Republic

  • Visage

    Fade To Grey

  • Visage

    Fade To Grey

  • The Boomtown Rats

    Elephant's Graveyard

  • Dan Cassady

    Into Thin Air

  • The Boomtown Rats

    Never In A Million Years (V Deep [1982])

  • The Boomtown Rats

    Tonight

  • The Boomtown Rats

    Talking in Code

  • Pink Floyd

    Another Brick In The Wall, Part 2 (Live)

  • Pink Floyd

    Another Brick In The Wall, Part 2

  • The Boomtown Rats

    A Hold of Me

  • Band Aid

    Do They Know It's Christmas?

  • The Boomtown Rats

    Fall Down

  • USA for Africa

    We Are The World

  • Bob Geldof

    Pale White Girl

  • The Boomtown Rats

    The Boomtown Rats

Credits

Role Contributor
Interviewed Guest Bob Geldof
Interviewed Guest Sting
Interviewed Guest Sin茅ad O鈥機onnor
Interviewed Guest Bono
Interviewed Guest Jools Holland
Interviewed Guest David Mallet
Interviewed Guest Paul Gambaccini
Interviewed Guest Bob Gruen
Interviewed Guest David Fricke
Interviewed Guest Neil McCormick
Interviewed Guest Dave Stewart
Interviewed Guest Charles Shaar Murray
Interviewed Guest Pete Briquette
Interviewed Guest Simon Crowe
Interviewed Guest Garry Roberts
Interviewed Guest Gerry Cott
Director Billy McGrath
Producer Billy McGrath
Editor Michael O'Sullivan
Production Manager Pamela Lee
Animator Anna K Wright
Composer Pete Briquette

Broadcasts

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