Bob Geldof , Gary Roberts , Pete Briquette , and Simon Crowe reunited as The Boomtown Rats in 2013, joined by Alan Dunn (longtime member of Geldof’s band) on keyboards and Darren Beale (who played with Roberts & Crowe in The Rats) on guitar. Bob Geldof said, “Playing again with the Rats and doing those great songs again will be exciting afresh. We were an amazing band and I just feel it’s the right time to re-Rat, to go back to Boomtown for a visit.” In June 2013, it was announced that the band would be embarking on a UK and Ireland tour supported by a new compilation album, Back to Boomtown: Classic Rats Hits . The group performed at the Brentwood Festival in 2016, where Geldof attracted controversy for criticising the audience. In April 2017, the band returned to the studio to record new material for their first studio album since In the Long Grass in 1984. In March 2020, they released a new album, Citizens of Boomtown , and a lead single, “Trash Glam Baby”.
Reunion in 2013
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