The Irish rock group announced the tragic news in a statement that described Roberts as “the guy who summed up the feeling of who the Rats are”. Roberts was a founding member of the band, which formed in Dublin in 1975 – fronted by singer Bob Geldof. “It is with very heavy hearts that the members of Boomtown Rats announce the passing of Garry Roberts this morning,” the group said in a statement, describing him as an “old friend and great guitarist.” “The rest of the band, Pete, Bob and Simon, Darren and Al send their deepest sympathies to his family and friends.” Roberts was a founding member of the band, which formed in Dublin in 1975 led by singer Bob Geldof The Irish rock group announced the tragic news in a statement that described Roberts as “the guy who summed up the feeling of who the Rats are”. Pictured: Bob Geldof (L) and Garry Roberts of Boomtown Rats perform on stage in Vienna in 2016 Roberts was one of the founding members of the group and is said to have been instrumental in settling on Boomtown Rats as a name The group have all known each other since childhood and said they feel “strangely adrift without him tonight”. Roberts is considered ‘the’ founding member of the Boomtown Rats – even within the group itself – after a particularly inspiring performance ‘on a clear spring evening in 1975, in a pub in Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin’. In the tribute, the surviving members of the band said it was “largely because of that sound of his – a storm of massive noise coming out of his overtaxed amplifiers that excited not only the rest of the band but also the audiences he played to . “For the fans he was the Legend – and he was. To us he was Gazzer, the guy who summed up the feeling of who the Rats are. “Safe travels Gaz. Thanks for everything man.” Roberts is also said to have been instrumental in settling on Boomtown Rats as a name Roberts is considered ‘the’ founding member of the Boomtown Rats – even within the group itself – after a particularly inspiring performance ‘on a clear spring afternoon in 1975, in a pub in Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin’. The group have all known each other since childhood and said they feel ‘weirdly adrift without him tonight’ The statement was signed by band members including Geldof, bassist Pete Briquette and drummer Simon Crowe. Roberts is also said to have been instrumental in settling on Boomtown Rats as a name. He reportedly threatened to quit unless they changed their name from The Nightlife Thugs. Their new name was chosen by Geldof after reading the phrase in American protest singer Woody Guthrie’s autobiography, Bound for Glory. After the group broke up in 1986, Roberts continued to work as a sound engineer on UK and US tours. He reportedly threatened to quit unless they changed their name from The Nightlife Thugs. Their new name was chosen by Geldof after reading the phrase in American protest singer Woody Guthrie’s autobiography, Bound for Glory. He avoided playing guitar in public for a decade before hooking up with Simon Crowe for four years. Roberts tried his hand at a new career and worked successfully as an independent financial adviser for 15 years before becoming a central heating engineer. In 2013, four of the Boomtown Rats – Geldof, Roberts, Briquette and Crowe – got back together and announced a UK and Ireland tour. Geldof said: “To play with the Rats again and do these great songs again will be exciting again. We’ve been an amazing band and I just feel like it’s the right time to re-Rat, to come back to Boomtown for a visit.’ The group released new music in April 2017 and again in March 2020. This is a developing story. More to come. In the tribute, the surviving members of the band said it was “largely because of that sound of his – a storm of massive noise coming out of his overtaxed amplifiers that excited not only the rest of the band but also the audiences he played to ‘ The Irish rock band announced the tragic news in a statement that described Roberts as “the guy who summed up the feeling of who the rats are”.
