When Bob Geldof left The Boomtown Rats, were you surprised?
Simon: Theres always an element of shock when something dies. And it was the end of The Boomtown Rats at that time and we didnt know how long that might be. I suppose that there were signs that The Boomtown Rats were not really going to go much further, partly because of the Live Aid thing. For some reason, our career dwindled after Live Aid whereas several other bands that played at Live Aid took off. Maybe people couldnt see us as a musical entity with the force of charity that was behind it. Effectively, The Boomtown Rats were pushed to the rear and Geldof became the main event and therefore, commercially, Bob was in demand and he managed to secure a lucrative solo deal so the reasons and the writing were on the wall. It was a painful time. Alan: Do you still play with the Jiggerypipery Band? Simon: Yes, and I really enjoy it. Its a complete contrast to this as an instrumental band and its Scottish based. Its all based around an old geezer blowing up a bag of wind called bagpipes an
