The Left-Handed Guitar Players That Changed Music By John Engel
BOB GELDOF


guitar
Plays Guitar Left Handed Upside/Down.


To the general public Bob Geldof’s humanitarian projects have virtually eclipsed his standing as the once bad-boy leader of the Boomtown Rats. With his British punk-new wave band, launched in 1975, Geldof crafted a dozen Top-20 hits and two number ones in the UK. His ensuing solo career justifiably counts many fans but has not shaken the common perception that he is a cultural icon rather than a music maker. Yet, if Geldof was able to mount the Band Aid Trust in 1984, and subsequently the historic Live Aid benefit concerts in 1985, it was initially thanks to his notoriety as a hit-making rocker.

Geldof’s songs have reflected the moods of the times, evolving to the pulse of society; they are often whimsical, always accessible, and constantly keep the sharp edge that defines every facet of his persona. While the British press successively nicknamed him Bob the Gob, Loudmouth, and Saint Bob, Geldof has never rested on his laurels nor taken his success quite seriously. He throws himself headlong in the causes he espouses and makes heartfelt, thoughtful rock music on his own terms.

© john engel all rights reserved

Read about Geldof's musical life and social consciousness in Uncommon Sound-the-book.