For me, the biggest problem I have with Geldof is the contempt he shows for the country in which he was born.
He went off and did the Band Aid/Live Aid thing. A worthy cause, yes, but it was also an ego trip. Being the guy who organised all these music stars to come together and have the Christmas single, the live gigs, the publicity. His right hand man on the project Midge Ure doesnât seem to talk to him anymore because of a stroke he pulled to rearrange the schedule so the Boomtown Rats played in front of Charles and Di.
There were many causes in his own country which were less sexy but which he never even mentions. The violence in the North, the heroin epidemic in Dublin even the Church. But he wasnât interested in that. Ireland was just a shithole in his view in comparison to the wonderful Britain where things were being done right. As if that was the case.
He is the ultimate West Brit. Which is fine to be but spare is the faux morality vibe he expels as if he is able to criticise. He simply despises this country and has absolutely no problem in telling us all the time. In my opinion he is not a man to like.
He was right in many ways to treat Ireland with contempt, we were a contemptible country, ruled by FF and the Church, with a population happy to fall in with their doctrines. How could you not hold that in contempt? He shone a light on it, and then fucked off, and made something of himself, good luck to him.
He also came back and did things like Self Aid. Whatever his reasons for Band Aid, he did some good there, more than many.
Did he specifically mention the wrongs of the country in terms of Church etc? I thought it was a more general Ireland is a shithole and Britain is great type stance.
In 1977, The Boomtown Rats made their first appearance on The Late Late Show, seeing the start of Bob Geldofâs reputation as an outspoken and colourful interviewee.
Bob used the chance to speak with Gay Byrne on the national chat show to call out the Catholic Church, engaging in an argument with some nuns who were in the audience. He also criticised Irish politicians and Blackrock College, his alma mater.
The interview was heavily criticised by the Irish public, and The Boomtown Rats didnât play in Ireland for a number of years as a result.
I would actually say his only redeeming quality is the way he calls out the bullshit in his home country. It was and is a banana republic in many ways. Heâs a wanker and all that but in Ireland thatâs used to dismiss whatever valid points he may have