He has been approached by many people wanting him to run in 2011 but has ruled it out, however all of the alternatives are political scum, either involved in a non-democratic one party state in the North or up to their necks in crony political banker corruption. He was asked if he had been approached by political parties, he said "You know feelers go out and it is ridiculously flattering but you know they know me." He further added: "You know one part of me will think, 'Yeah that's OK" but there are other parts of me say, 'I do rock 'n' roll'."
Bob Geldof is sometimes called 'Saint' Bob as a result of his charity work but at the same time like any other successful Irish person, receives more than his fair share of criticism from both his own people and the British. His full name is Robert Frederick Xenon Geldof born an raised in Dún Laoghaire, Dublin to parents who were from Irish and Belgian stock. He went to Blackrock College whose form of Catholic nationalist ethos he detested. He worked as a navvy labourer, in a pea factory and in a slaughterhouse. He like most intelligent Irish youth, had to go overseas to get a break as a music journalist in Vancouver, Canada. He originally managed the band Boomtown Rats but became their lead singer in 1975, who were of the punk genre.
They had their first Number 1 with "Rat Trap" in the UK in 1978. Their follow-up, "I Don't Like Monday" In 1979 became internationally famous. Based on Brenda Spencer's attempted massacre at a school across the street from her house in San Diego, California in 1979. Geldof became known as a controversial spokesperson in rock music. When the Boomtown Rats' first appeared on Irish TV it was inundated with complaints from censorship induced ignorant Irish viewers. He played the lead in film Pink Floyd The Wall.
In 1984 Geldof and Midge Ure from Ultravox co-wrote a highly successful song for starving Ethiopian charity, called "Do They Know It's Christmas?". He then put together a group called Band Aid of leading British and Irish musicians and singers.The single was released just before Christmas 1984 and the song raised several million pounds which became the biggest-selling single in UK chart history until 1997. In the United States a few months later the same idea was created with the song "We Are The World", co-written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie who were both Geldof's point of contact in the States. It too topped the charts both sides of the Atlantic. Geldof was involved in that recording too.
Geldof went on to organize the massive charity concert Live Aid, which raised huge sums for Charity in 1985.He traveled worldwide raising money, challenging British Prime minister of the time Margaret Thatcher, leading to major change in British policy towards famine relief. In 2005 Geldof organised 5 concerts on Saturday July 2, 2005; in London with Pink Floyd, Elton John, U2, Coldplay, Madonna, Paul McCartney; in Paris with Andrea Bocelli, Youssou N'Dour; in Rome with Duran Duran, Faith Hill; in Berlin with Brian Wilson, Crosby Stills & Nash, in Philadelphia, with Bon Jovi, Dave Matthews, Sarah McLachlan, and Stevie Wonder, in Ontario, Canada with Neil Young, The Barenaked Ladies, Bryan Adams, Deep Purple, Gordon Lightfoot and Tragically Hip.
There was a lot begrudgery by some British and Irish of the concerts. In the lead up to the G8 Gleneagles summit of that time Geldof fronted the Commission for Africa, emphasising public private partnerships, free trade and foreign direct investment. Geldof labelled critics of the summit "a disgrace". There were accusations that Live 8 gave support to Tony Blair's and Gordon Brown's personal and political agendas of the time, despite the fact that it was the British politicians who accepted Geldof's agenda, rather than the other way round.Live 8 was subject to BBC criticism who are generally, covertly anti-Irish.The promises made to Africa at Gleneagles were widely praised; “the greatest summit for Africa ever” (Kofi Annan), or “a major breakthrough on debt” (Kevin Wakins, Oxfam).
After Live Aid, Geldof became known for his use of colourful language regardless of his audience. He told viewers to "give us your fuckin' money" on the prim and proper BBC. However the BBC say this is an urban myth and that he actually said "People are dying NOW. Give us the money NOW. Give me the money now" and shortly afterward he said "F*** the address, just give the phone, here's the number..." when trying to emphasise the point at a fundraising event.
Bob Geldof appeared in an anti-euro stance advertisement against the single currency in 2002.He also criticised the European Union in 2004 for its 'pathetic' response to Ethiopia's food crisis. Many of the political Left have accused Bob Geldof with hypocrisy due to his lack of support for the UK miners' strike 1984-1985) and the anti-war movement in general.Bob Geldof is also a fathers' rights spokesperson. Geldof became adviser on global poverty to the British Conservative Party however he said hewas uninterested in party politics and would "shake hands with the devil on my left and the devil on my right" in order to get results...read full details at link
http://irishblog-brianclarkenuj.blogspot.com/