Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus ''Rattus'', the most important of which to humans are the black rat, ''Rattus rattus'', and the brown rat, ''Rattus norvegicus''. Many members of other rodent genera and families are also referred to as rats, and share many characteristics with true rats.

Rats are typically distinguished from mice by their size; rats are generally large muroid rodents, while mice are generally small muroid rodents. The muroid family is very large and complex, and the common terms ''rat'' and ''mouse'' are not taxonomically specific. Generally, when someone discovers a large muroid, its common name includes the term ''rat'', while if it is small, the name includes the term ''mouse''. Scientifically, the terms are not confined to members of the ''Rattus'' and ''Mus'' genera, for example, the pack rat and cotton mouse.

Species and description

The best-known rat species are the Black Rat (''Rattus rattus'') and the Brown Rat (''Rattus norvegicus''). The group is generally known as the Old World rats or true rats, and originated in Asia. Rats are bigger than most Old World mice, which are their relatives, but seldom weigh over in the wild.

The term "rat" is also used in the names of other small mammals which are not true rats. Examples include the North American pack rats, a number of species loosely called kangaroo rats, and others. Rats such as the Bandicoot rat (''Bandicota bengalensis'') are murine rodents related to true rats, but are not members of the genus ''Rattus''. Male rats are called ''bucks'', unmated females are called ''does'', pregnant or parent females are called ''dams'', and infants are called ''kittens'' or ''pups''. A group of rats is either referred to as a ''pack'' or a ''mischief''.

The common species are opportunistic survivors and often live with and near humans; therefore they are known as commensals. They may cause substantial food losses, especially in developing countries. However, the widely distributed and problematic commensal species of rats are a minority in this diverse genus. Many species of rats are island endemics and some have become endangered due to habitat loss or competition with the Brown, Black or Polynesian rat.

Wild rodents, including rats, can carry many different zoonotic pathogens, such as Leptospira, Toxoplasma gondii, and Campylobacter. The Black Death is traditionally believed to have been caused by the micro-organism ''Yersinia pestis'', carried by the Tropical Rat Flea (''Xenopsylla cheopis'') which preyed on Black Rats living in European cities during the epidemic outbreaks of the Middle Ages; these rats were used as transport hosts. Other zoonotic diseases linked to pest rodents include Classical swine fever and Foot-and-mouth disease.

The average lifespan of any given rat depends on which species is being discussed, but many only live about a year due to predation.

As pets

Specially bred rats have been kept as pets at least since the late 19th century. Pet rats are typically variants of the species brown rat, but black rats and giant pouched rats are also known to be kept. Pet rats behave differently than their wild counterparts depending on how many generations they have been kept as pets. Pet rats do not pose any more of a health risk than pets such as cats or dogs. Tamed rats are generally friendly and can be taught to perform selected behaviors.

As subjects of scientific research

In 1895, Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts (United States) established a population of domestic albino brown rats to study the effects of diet and for other physiological studies. Over the years, rats have been used in many experimental studies, which have added to our understanding of genetics, diseases, the effects of drugs, and other topics that have provided a great benefit for the health and wellbeing of humankind. Laboratory rats have also proved valuable in psychological studies of learning and other mental processes (Barnett, 2002), as well as to understand group behavior and overcrowding (with the work of John B. Calhoun on behavioral sink). A 2007 study found rats to possess metacognition, a mental ability previously only documented in humans and some primates.

Domestic rats differ from wild rats in many ways. They are calmer and less likely to bite; they can tolerate greater crowding; they breed earlier and produce more offspring; and their brains, livers, kidneys, adrenal glands, and hearts are smaller (Barnett 2002).

Brown rats are often used as model organisms for scientific research. Since the publication of the Rat Genome Sequence, and other advances such as the creation of a rat SNP chip, and the production of knockout rats, the laboratory rat has become a useful genetic tool, although not as popular as mice. When it comes to conducting tests related to intelligence, learning, and drug abuse, rats are a popular choice due to their high intelligence, ingenuity, aggressiveness, and adaptability. Their psychology, in many ways, seems to be similar to humans. Entirely new breeds or "lines" of brown rats like the Wistar rat have been bred for use in laboratories. Much of the genome of ''Rattus norvegicus'' has been sequenced.

As food

Rat meat is a food that, while taboo or even forbidden in some cultures, is a dietary staple in others. Taboos include fears of disease or religious prohibition, but in many places the high number of rats has led to their incorporation into the local diet.

In some cultures, rats are or have been limited as an acceptable form of food to a particular social or economic class. In the Mishmi culture of India, rats are essential to the traditional diet, as Mishmi women may eat no meat except fish, pork, wild birds and rats. Conversely, the Musahar community in north India has commercialised rat farming as an exotic delicacy. In the traditional cultures of the Hawaiians and the Polynesians, rat was an everyday food for commoners. When feasting, the Polynesian people of Rapa Nui could eat rat meat, but the king was not allowed to, due to the islanders' belief in his "state of sacredness" called ''tapu''. In studying pre-contact archaeological sites in Hawaii, archaeologists have found that the concentration of the remains of rats associated with commoner households counted for three times the animal remains associated with elite households. The rat bones found in all sites are fragmented, burned and covered in carbonized material, indicating that rats were eaten as food. The greater occurrence of rat remains associated with commoner households may indicate that the elites of pre-contact Hawaii did not consume them as a matter of status or taste.

Bandicoot rats are an important food source among some peoples in Southeast Asia, and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that rat meat makes up half the locally produced meat consumed in Ghana, where cane rats are farmed and hunted for their meat. African slaves in the American South were known to hunt wood rats (among other animals) to supplement their food rations, and Aborigines along the coast in Southern Queensland, Australia regularly included rats in their diet.

Ricefield rats ''(Rattus argentiventer)'' have traditionally been used as food in rice-producing regions like Valencia, as immortalized by Vicente Blasco Ibáñez in his novel ''Cañas y barro''. Along with eel and local beans known as "''garrafons''", ''rata de marjal'' is one of the main ingredients in traditional paella (later replaced by rabbit, chicken and seafood). Ricefield rats are also consumed in the Philippines, the Isaan region of Thailand, as well as Cambodia. In late 2008, Reuters reported that the price of rat meat had quadrupled in Cambodia creating a hardship for the poor who could no longer afford it. Cambodia exports about a metric ton of rats daily to Vietnam as food.

Elsewhere in the world, rat meat is considered diseased and unclean, socially unacceptable, or there are strong religious proscriptions against it. Islam and Kashrut traditions prohibit it, while both the Shipibo people of Peru and Sirionó people of Bolivia have cultural taboos against the eating of rats.

Rats are a common food item for snakes, both in the wild, and as pets. Captive-bred ball pythons in particular, are fed a diet of mostly rats. Rats, as food items, are available from many suppliers who supply to individual snake owners as well as to large reptile zoos. In Britain the government in 2007 ruled out the feeding of any live mammal to another animal. The rule says the animal must be dead (frozen) then given to the animal to eat. The rule was put in to place mainly because of the pressure of the RSPCA and people who found it cruel.

In medicine

Rats can serve as zoonotic vectors for certain pathogens and thus cause disease, such as Lassa fever and Hantavirus. ''Rattus rattus'', and the rat flea Xenopsylla cheopis, are notorious for their role in epidemics of bubonic plague.

In culture

Ancient Romans did not generally differentiate between rats and mice, instead referring to the former as ''Mus Maximus'' (big mouse) and the latter as ''Mus Minimus'' (little mouse).

On the Isle of Man (a dependency of the British Crown) there is a taboo against the word "rat." See ''Longtail (rat)'' for more information.

In Asian cultures

In Indian tradition rats are seen as the vehicle of Ganesha and a rat's statue is always found in a temple of Ganesh. In the northwestern Indian city of Deshnoke, the rats at the Karni Mata Temple are held to be destined for reincarnation as Sadhus (Hindu holy men). The attending priests feed milk and grain to the rats, of which the pilgrims also partake. Eating food that has been touched by rats is considered a blessing from god.

In Imperial Chinese culture, the rat (sometimes referred to as a mouse) is the first of the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac. People born in this year are expected to possess qualities associated with rats, including creativity, intelligence, honesty, generosity, ambition, a quick temper and wastefulness. People born in a year of the rat are said to get along well with "monkeys" and "dragons," and to get along poorly with "horses."

In European cultures

European associations with the rat are generally negative. For instance, "Rats!" is used as a substitute for various vulgar interjections in the English language. These associations do not draw, ''per se'', from any biological or behavioral trait of the rat, but possibly from the association of rats (and fleas) with the 14th-century medieval plague called the Black Death. Rats are seen as vicious, unclean, parasitic animals that steal food and spread disease. However some people in European cultures keep rats as pets and conversely find them to be tame, clean, intelligent, and playful.

Rats are often used in scientific experiments; animal rights activists allege that treatment of rats in this context is cruel. The term "lab rat" is used, typically in a self-effacing manner, to describe a person whose job function requires that they spend a majority of their work time engaged in bench-level research (i.e. a scientist or research assistant).

''Rat'' in terminology

Rats are frequently blamed for damaging food supplies and other goods, or spreading disease. Their reputation has carried into common parlance: in the English language, ''rat'' is often an insult. ''Rat'' is generally used to signify an unscrupulous character. Writer/Director Preston Sturges created the humorous alias "Ratskywatsky" for a soldier who seduced, impregnated, and abandoned the heroine of his 1944 film, ''The Miracle of Morgan's Creek''. It is a term (noun and verb) in criminal slang for an informant - "to rat on someone" is to betray them by informing the authorities of a crime or misdeed they committed. Describing a person as "rat-like" usually implies he or she is unattractive and suspicious.

Among unions, "rat" is a term for non-union employers or breakers of union contracts, and this is why unions use inflatable rats.

In Judaism

In Leviticus 11:29, rats are prohibited as food. (See 'as food' above.)

In fiction

Depictions of rats in fiction are historically inaccurate and negative. The most common falsehood is the squeaking almost always heard in otherwise realistic portrayals (i.e. non-anthropomorphic). While the recordings may be of actual squeaking rats, the noise is uncommon - they may do so only if distressed, hurt, or annoyed. Normal vocalizations are very high-pitched, well outside the range of human hearing. Rats are also often cast in vicious and aggressive roles when in fact it is their shyness which helps keep them undiscovered for so long in an infested home.

The actual portrayals of rats vary from negative to positive with a majority in the negative and ambiguous. The rat plays a villain in several mouse societies; from Brian Jacques's ''Redwall'' and Robin Jarvis's ''The Deptford Mice'', to the roles of Disney's Professor Ratigan and Kate DiCamillo's Roscuro and Botticelli. They have often been used as a mechanism in horror; being the titular evil in stories like ''The Rats'' or H.P. Lovecraft's ''The Rats in the Walls'' and in films like ''Willard'' and ''Ben''. Another terrifying use of rats is as a method of torture, for instance in Room 101 in George Orwell's ''Nineteen Eighty-Four'' or ''The Pit and the Pendulum'' by Edgar Allan Poe.

Selfish helpfulness —those willing to help for a price— has also been attributed to fictional rats. Templeton, from E. B. White's ''Charlotte's Web'', repeatedly reminds the other characters that he is only involved because it means more food for him, and the cellar-rat of John Masefield's ''The Midnight Folk'' requires bribery to be of any assistance.

By contrast, the rats appearing in the Doctor Dolittle books tend to be highly positive and likeable characters, many of whom tell their remarkable life stories in the Mouse and Rat Club established by the animal-loving doctor.

Some fictional works use rats as the main characters. Notable examples include the society created by O'Brien's ''Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH'', ''Doctor Rat'', Rizzo the Rat from The Muppets, and animated films like Pixar's ''Ratatouille''. ''Mon oncle d'Amérique'' ("''My American Uncle''"), a 1980 French film, illustrates Henri Laborit's theories on evolutionary psychology and human behaviors by using short sequences in the storyline showing lab rat experiments.

In Harry Turtledove's science fiction novel ''Homeward Bound'', humans unintentionally introduce rats to the ecology at the home world of an alien race which previously invaded Earth and introduced some of its own fauna into its environment. And A. Bertram Chandler pitted his space-bound protagonist, Commodore Grimes, against giant intelligent rats who took over several stellar systems and enslaved their human inhabitants. "The Stainless Steel Rat" is nickname of the (human) protagonist of a series of humorous science fiction novels written by Harry Harrison

The Pied Piper

One of the oldest and most historic stories about rats is ''The Pied Piper of Hamelin'', in which a rat-catcher leads away an infestation with enchanted music—the piper is later refused payment, so he in turn leads away the town's children. This tale, placed in Germany around the late 13th century, has inspired the realms of film, theatre, literature, and even opera. The subject of much research, some theories have intertwined the tale with events related to the Black Plague, in which black rats may have played an important role. Fictional works based on the tale that focus heavily on the rat aspect include Pratchett's ''The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents'', and Belgian graphic novel ''Le Bal du Rat Mort'' (''The Ball of the Dead Rat'').

Taxonomy of ''Rattus''

The genus ''Rattus'' is a member of the giant subfamily Murinae. There are several other murine genera that are sometimes considered part of ''Rattus'': ''Lenothrix'', ''Anonymomys'', ''Sundamys'', ''Kadarsanomys'', ''Diplothrix'', ''Margaretamys'', ''Lenomys'', ''Komodomys'', ''Palawanomys'', ''Bunomys'', ''Nesoromys'', ''Stenomys'', ''Taeromys'', ''Paruromys'', ''Abditomys'', ''Tryphomys'', ''Limnomys'', ''Tarsomys'', ''Bullimus'', ''Apomys'', ''Millardia'', ''Srilankamys'', ''Niviventer'', ''Maxomys'', ''Leopoldamys'', ''Berylmys'', ''Mastomys'', ''Myomys'', ''Praomys'', ''Hylomyscus'', ''Heimyscus'', ''Stochomys'', ''Dephomys'', and ''Aethomys''.

The genus ''Rattus'' proper contains 64 extant species. A subgeneric breakdown of the species has been proposed, but does not include all species.

Species of rats

See also

Black rat

Brown rat

List of fictional mice and rats

Mouse

Oriental rat flea

Rat (zodiac)

Rat-baiting

Rat-catcher

Working rat

''Rattus Norvegicus'', a punk-rock album by the band The Stranglers which uses the Latin name for "Brown Rat".

East Timor giant rat

References and notes

Further reading

Barnett, S. Anthony (2002) ''The Story of Rats: Their Impact on Us, and Our Impact on Them'', Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest, NSW, 202 pages, ISBN 1-86508-519-7.

Hendrickson, R. (1983) ''More Cunning than Man: A Complete History of the Rat and its Role in Civilization'', Kensington Books. ISBN 1-57566-393-7.

Jahn, G. C., P. Cox, S. Mak, and N. Chhorn (1999) "Farmer participatory research on rat management in Cambodia", In G. Singleton, L. Hinds, H. Leirs and Zhibin Zhang [Eds.] ''Ecologically-based rodent management'' ACIAR, Canberra. Ch. 17, pp. 358–371. ISBN 1863202625.

Matthews, I. (1898). ''Full Revelations of a Professional Rat-Catcher, after 25 Years’ Experience''. 1st ed. Manchester: Friendly Societies Printing Co. ISBN 1-905124-64-3.

Musser, G. G. and M. D. Carleton. 1993. "Family Muridae" in D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder eds. "Mammal Species of the World a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference", Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. pp. 501–755.

Nowak, R. M. (1999) ''Walker's Mammals of the World'' Vol. 2. Johns Hopkins University Press, London.

Sullivan, Robert (2004). ''Rats: A Year with New York's Most Unwanted Inhabitants''. Granta Books, London.

Sullivan, Robert (2005). ''Rats: Observations on the History and Habitat of the City's Most Unwanted Inhabitants''. Bloomsbury USA. ISBN 1-58234-477-9.

External links

High-Resolution Images of the Rat Brain

National Bio Resource Project for the Rat in Japan

Rat Behaviour and Biology

Rat Genome Database

Category:Old World rats and mice Category:Scavengers

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Coordinates	45°30′″N73°40′″N
name	Devendra Banhart
background	solo_singer
born	May 30, 1981Houston, Texas United States
instrument	Guitar, vocals
genre	Indie folk, Lo-fi, folk, freak folk, Indie rock, psychedelic folk, New Weird America, Latin
occupation	Musician, songwriter
years active	2002–present
label	XLYoung GodhinahReprise
associated acts	Vetiver, Michael Gira, Megapuss, Beck, CocoRosie, Antony Hegarty, Little Joy, Joanna Newsom, Noah Georgeson , MGMT
website	devendrabanhart.com }}

Devendra Obi Banhart (born May 30, 1981) is a singer-songwriter and visual artist. Banhart was born in Houston, Texas and was raised by his mother in Venezuela, until he moved to California as a teenager. He began to study at the San Francisco Art Institute in 1998, but dropped out to perform music in Europe, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Banhart released his debut album in 2002, continuing to record his material on the Young God and XL labels, as well as other work on compilations and collaborations.

Early life and career

Banhart was born May 30, 1981 in Houston, Texas to a Venezuelan mother and an American father. His given name is a synonym for Indra, the Hindu god of rain and thunder, which was suggested by Prem Rawat, an Indian religious leader whom Banhart's parents followed. Banhart's middle name Obi was modeled after the Star Wars character. Banhart's parents divorced two years after his birth and he moved with his mother to Caracas, Venezuela. His mother later remarried and Banhart's stepfather moved the family to Los Angeles, California, when Banhart was 14 years old.

In 1998, Banhart began studying at the San Francisco Art Institute on a scholarship while living in The Castro, San Francisco's gay neighborhood. He began to busk instead of attending classes and played his first show in a church at a gay wedding, performing Elvis Presley's "Love Me Tender" and the classic hymn "How Great Thou Art." Banhart dropped out of art school in 2000 and left San Francisco after the dot-com bust worsened the city's economy. He moved to Paris, France, over the summer and opened shows for indie rock bands such as Sonic Youth. Banhart returned to the United States in the fall of 2000 and played music in San Francisco and Los Angeles, until he was discovered by Michael Gira, owner of Young God Records, after Siobhan Duffy, Gira's wife, bought a copy of Banhart's demo CD ''The Charles C. Leary'' and gave it to Gira.

Banhart and Gira compiled an album from Banhart's recordings, and in 2002, ''Oh Me Oh My'', which was made up of short fragments, was published by Young God Records and received favorable reviews. He recorded two other albums and an EP for the label: ''Rejoicing in the Hands'', ''Niño Rojo'', and ''The Black Babies''; the releases had a simple acoustic sound. Banhart changed to XL Recordings in 2005 and released ''Cripple Crow'', which was recorded in Bearsville Studios, New York and had a more elaborate sound. He recorded his second album for XL Records, ''Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon'', at his home studio in Topanga, California. The album charted on the Billboard 200 at number 115. The album's song "Lover" was featured in the soundtrack of the movie ''Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist'', which included a cameo appearance by Banhart. Banhart performs with the band Vetiver and has performed in Carnegie Hall and Hollywood Bowl opening for Gilberto Gil, as well as at Bonnaroo and Coachella music festivals. He founded a record label, Gnomonsong, with Andy Cabic of Vetiver, in 2005. In 2007, he signed with Neil Young's manager Elliot Roberts, who also contributed vocals to ''Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon''. In 2008, Banhart released the album ''Surfing'' in a collaborative project with multi-instrumentalist Greg Rogove named Megapuss,. In 2009, he signed to Warner/Reprise and plans to release a new album, ''What Will We Be''. He has, at the band's request, produced a remix of Oasis' "(Get Off Your) High Horse Lady". Along with "Neighbors", Devendra remixed the Phoenix song "Rome" from their 2009 album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix.

On September 4, 2009, Beck announced his second Record Club covers album, ''Songs of Leonard Cohen''. Banhart will contribute, alongside MGMT, Andrew Stockdale of Wolfmother and Binki Shapiro of Little Joy.

He is a collector of music artifacts. Banhart wrote the foreword for and appears in his friend Lauren Dukoff's book ''Family: Photographs by Lauren Dukoff''. He has also written the introduction to a selection of poems by Kenneth Patchen.

On October 27, 2009, Banhart released ''What Will We Be'', his first record on Warner/Reprise. Banhart and Jon Beasley, who were credited as art directors for the album's artwork and packaging, were nominated for a Grammy in 2011 for Best Recording Package.

The film ''Life During Wartime'', directed by Todd Solondz, features a musical collaboration between Banhart and Beck. The song plays over the film's end credits. Banhart sings lead vocals while Beck adds backing vocals and also recorded the track. The lyrics were written by Solondz and the music by composer Marc Shaiman.

In 2011, he collaborated with Marisa Monte and Rodrigo Amarante on a version of the song "Nú Com a Minha Música" for the Red Hot Organization's most recent charitable album "Red Hot+Rio 2." The album is a follow-up to the 1996 "Red Hot + Rio." Proceeds from the sales will be donated to raise awareness and money to fight AIDS/HIV and related health and social issues.

Visual Art

Drawings by Banhart were featured in the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and in the Centre for Fine Arts, Brussels.

Banhart's drawings have also been featured in the Art Basel Contemporary Art Fair in Miami, FL, the Mazzoli Gallery in Modena, Italy, Spain's ARCOmadrid. and the Andrew Roth Gallery gallery in New York.

Banhart's drawings are currently featured in MOCA's exhibit: "The Artist's Museum" which showcases the works of influential Los Angeles based artists from the last 30 years. As part of the exhibit Banhart collaborated with artist Doug Aitken and musicians Beck and Caetano Veloso for a musical and visual performance piece.

Style

Banhart's music is often associated with the New Weird America genre, along with Vetiver and Joanna Newsom. ''The New York Times'' has called his songs "free associative work" and ''SPIN'' magazine has written that "Banhart's albums offer ashram-appropriate guitar strums, trippy-hippie tone poetry." Various publications have described his style as psych folk, avant-folk, freak folk, Lo-Fi, hipster folk revival, and alternative folk.

Many notable reviewers, including AllMusic, ''The Times'', and ''Mojo'', have pointed out similarities between Banhart's songs and production with that of the early 1970s band Tyrannosaurus Rex (an early version of Mark Bolan's T. Rex). In a May 2004 interview with ''Arthur'' magazine, Banhart claimed that he was unaware of the music of Tyrannosaurus Rex until after he began writing and recording songs. Devendra Banhart has downplayed Bolan's influence on his music, and instead prefers to credit Vashti Bunyan, Karen Dalton, Caetano Veloso, Simon Diaz, Fred Neil, Nico, Donovan, Six Organs of Admittance and certain albums such as David Crosby's If I Could Only Remember My Name among his main influences.

Discography

Albums

align=center ''Oh Me Oh My'' ''Rejoicing in the Hands'' ''Niño Rojo'' ''Cripple Crow'' align=center ''Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon'' ''What Will We Be''

Year !! Album !! UK Album Chart	UK Album Chart !! US Billboard 200 !! US Billboard Heatseekers
2002	''The Charles C. Leary''
2002	| align=center
2004	| align=center
2004	| align=center
2005	|	69
2007	| align=center
2009	| align=center

Singles and EPs

''The Black Babies'' (2003)

''Sight To Behold/Be Kind'' (2004)

''Little Yellow Spider'' (2004)

''At The Hop'' (2004)

''I Feel Just Like A Child'' (2005)

''Heard Somebody Say'' (2005)

''Xiu Xiu/Devendra Banhart split 7-inch'' (2005)

''Carmensita'' (2007)

''Lover'' (2007)

''Baby'' (2009)

''Foolin''' (2010)

Collaborations and compilations

''The Golden Apples of the Sun'' (2004)

''Jana Hunter / Devendra Banhart'' (with Jana Hunter, 2005)

''Love Above All'' (2007)

''Xiu Xiu's Remixed & Covered'' (2007)

''Surfing'' (as Megapuss with Gregory Rogove, 2008)

''Lover''

''Songs of Leonard Cohen'' - Beck's Record Club (2009)

Equipment

''Aria classical (used on ''The Charles C. Leary'' and ''Oh Me Oh My'')

''Gibson LG-3 (natural, with Martin Marquis light-gauged strings)

''Gibson Country & Western

''Gibson ES-355 (actually Michael Gira's, used during joint tour with the Angels of Light)

''Gibson ES-125 (sunburst)

''Gibson Les Paul Custom (cherryburst)

''Fender Stratocaster (sunburst, used with Megapuss)

References

External links

Category:1981 births Category:American folk singers Category:English-language singers Category:Living people Category:New Weird America Category:Musicians from Houston, Texas Category:Psych folk musicians Category:San Francisco Art Institute alumni Category:Spanish-language singers Category:American people of Venezuelan descent Category:XL Recordings artists

ca:Devendra Banhart da:Devendra Banhart de:Devendra Banhart es:Devendra Banhart fr:Devendra Banhart it:Devendra Banhart he:דבנדרה בנהארט lt:Devendra Banhart hu:Devendra Banhart mk:Девендра Банхарт mr:देवेंद्र बॅनहार्ट nl:Devendra Banhart ja:デヴェンドラ・バンハート no:Devendra Banhart pl:Devendra Banhart pt:Devendra Banhart ru:Банхарт, Девендра sr:Devendra Banhart fi:Devendra Banhart sv:Devendra Banhart

Coordinates	45°30′″N73°40′″N
name	The Boomtown Rats
landscape	Yes
background	group_or_band
origin	County Dublin, Ireland
years active	1975–1986
genre	New wave, Punk rock, Post-punk
label	Mulligan, Ensign, Mercury
past members	Pete BriquetteGerry CottJohnny FingersBob GeldofGarry RobertsSimon CroweDavid McHale (saxophone player and 'unofficial 7th member'
website	}}

The Boomtown Rats were an Irish punk rock band that had a series of Irish and UK hits between 1977 and 1985. They were led by vocalist Bob Geldof.

Biography

All six members were originally from Dún Laoghaire, Ireland. Formed under the name "The Nightlife Thugs," the group agreed on the name change to the "Boomtown Rats" after a gang that Geldof read about in Woody Guthrie's autobiography, ''Bound for Glory''. They became a notable band, but one whose accomplishments were overshadowed by the charity work of frontman Bob Geldof, a former journalist with the ''NME'' magazine.

The group moved to London in October 1976, and became associated with the punk rock movement. Signing a recording contract with Ensign Records, they released their debut single, "Lookin' After No. 1", in August 1977. It was the first of nine straight singles to make the Top 40 in the UK Singles Chart.

In 1979, "I Don't Like Mondays", was released. This was written in response to a school shooting in California by Brenda Ann Spencer, and also reached #1 in the UK. Fears of lawsuits and charges of bad taste kept radio stations there from playing the record. The unofficial boycott was frontpage news in ''Variety Magazine'', the only time the Boomtown Rats earned such prominent coverage. However, it was included in ''The Fine Art of Surfacing'', the band's third album, and subsequently became the band's only U.S. Billboard Hot 100 entry. The album also contained "Diamond Smiles" and their next Top 10 hit in the UK, "Someone's Looking at You". Geldof and Fingers became the visual and musical focus of the group: Geldof with his articulate, caustic wit – which made him the delight of television talk show presenters and the bitter enemy of music journalists – and Fingers with the striped pyjamas he wore onstage.

In 1980 "Banana Republic" was released, which was their last Top 10 hit, and in the following year The Boomtown Rats next studio album ''Mondo Bongo'' was issued. "Banana Republic" savaged their native Ireland, the "septic isle screaming in the suffering sea", according to the ''Guinness Rockopedia''.

Cott's departure

At this point, guitarist Gerry Cott left the group. According to Bob Geldof's autobiography, ''Is That It?'', Cott had grown disillusioned with the band's growing laziness in the studio and their greater reggae emphasis, in addition to being bullied by the rest of the band for his dissention. He resigned the day before the end of their 1981 world tour, only hours after the rest of the band had decided to sack him for refusing to join the rest of the band and road crew, for a drink to celebrate Simon Crowe's birthday.

Cott had a short-lived solo career, releasing two UK singles, "The Ballad of the Lone Ranger" and "Pioneers" and the 1984 Canadian single "Alphabet Town".

V Deep

They continued as a quintet with the band's fifth album, ''V Deep'', being released in February 1982. The first single was "Never In A Million Years" which did not sell well, whilst the follow-up "House on Fire" made number 24 in the UK Singles Chart.

By 1984, they were touring universities after becoming unable to fund the "guarantee" required to book mainstream concert halls, having fallen victim to a demand from Inland Revenue for unpaid tax.

In January 1985, the band's sixth and final album ''In the Long Grass'' was released, although delayed by the band's involvement with Band Aid (on which they all played); and, the band performed at Live Aid's charity performance. Two singles, "Tonight" and "Drag Me Down" reached the lower rungs of the UK Singles Chart, whilst "A Hold Of Me" failed to chart.

"''Dave''" became "''Rain''" in the U.S.

"Dave" was re-recorded as "Rain" for the U.S. market. The song was about the band's saxophone player and schooldays friend Dr David McHale (died 2009), who had suffered a breakdown after his girlfriend was found dead in a public toilet next to an empty heroin bag. The 'Rain' metaphor in the altered lyrics name checked Duran Duran's earlier song "Hold Back The Rain", where Geldof's friend Simon Le Bon pleaded with an unnamed band member to cease dabbling with narcotics.

Boomtown Rats split

After this, the band was mothballed whilst Geldof wound up his affairs with the Band Aid Trust, during which time Geldof succeeded in getting the band a one album deal with Vertigo Records, however both Crowe and Fingers refused to rejoin the Boomtown Rats full time, preferring to pursue their own band, Gung Ho.

The band's final performance came at Self Aid, a 1986 concert featuring many Irish rock stars, to raise awareness of unemployment in Ireland. Their penultimate performance, "Joey's On the Street Again", was 12 minutes long with an extended bridge, during which time Geldof ran amongst the crowd. Following this performance, Geldof addressed the crowd, saying, "It's been a great ten years; rest in peace". The band then performed "Looking After No.1".

Following the band's break-up, Geldof launched a solo career with Pete Briquette continuing to work alongside him. Garry Roberts co-wrote songs for Kirsty McColl before going to work first in insurance, and then in boiler maintenance.

After Gung Ho, split, Fingers became a highly successful music producer in Japan, as well as being part of the Japanese band, Greengate. Simon Crowe is in the West Country based Celtic instrumental band, Jiggerypipery and also ran a clock making business.

In 2005 the band's albums were all remastered and re-released and a 'Best Of' compilation was released, along with two DVDs. Briquette mixed the live DVD and Francesco Cameli mixed the extra tracks for the re-release of the Boomtown Rats albums at Sphere Studios in London.

The Rats

In 2008 Roberts and Crowe re-formed as 'The Rats', playing their favourite Boomtown Rats songs. The band was fronted by Peter Barton, who has a long history stretching from the 1980s, of latterly fronting former famous acts, including The Animals, The Hollies and Lieutenant Pigeon. Darren Beale played lead guitar, whilst saxophone player, Andy Hamilton, who had toured and recorded with The Boomtown Rats, including at Live Aid, played as a guest at some gigs.

Both Cott and Fingers were invited to rejoin the band when circumstances allow. Cott attended The Boomtown Rats' second gig (at The 100 Club on Oxford Street, London). Fingers meanwhile works for the Fuji Rock Festival in Japan, but plans to join the band on stage when he is in the UK.

On 21 June 2009, Geldof, Roberts, and Briquette got together in Dublin to play "Dave", at the wake for the Boomtown Rats backing saxophonist, Dave McHale, who had died of cancer. "Dave" was a song Geldof wrote for McHale in 1983, after McHale's girlfriend died from a heroin overdose.

Discography

Singles

{|class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Song ! UK ! IRE ! AUS ! CAN ! NZ ! US ! B-side(s) |- | 1977 | "Lookin' After No. 1" | 11 | 2 | - | - | - | - | ''Born To Burn'' & ''Barefootin'' (live) |- | 1977 | "Mary of the 4th Form" | 15 | 12 | - | - | - | - | ''Do the Rat'' |- | 1978 | "She's So Modern" | 12 | 10 | - | - | - | - | ''Lying Again'' |- | 1978 | "Like Clockwork" | 6 | 5 | - | - | - | - | ''How Do You Do?'' |- | 1978 | "Rat Trap" | 1 | 2 | 94 | - | - | - | ''So Strange'' [in Australia ''Living In An Island''] |- | 1979 | "I Don't Like Mondays" | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 73 | ''All The Rage'' |- | 1979 | "Diamond Smiles" | 13 | 3 | 42 | - | - | - | ''Late Last Night'' |- | 1980 | "Someone's Looking at You" | 4 | 2 | - | 86 | - | - | ''When The Night Comes'' |- | 1980 | "Banana Republic" | 3 | 3 | 18 | 47 | - | - | ''Man At The Top'' |- | 1981 | "Up All Night" | - | - | - | - | - | - | ''Another Piece Of Red'' |- | 1981 | "The Elephant's Graveyard (Guilty)" | 26 | 7 | - | - | - | - | ''Real Different'' |- | 1981 | "Never in a Million Years" | 62 | - | - | - | - | - | ''Don't Talk To Me'' |- | 1982 | "House on Fire" | 24 | 19 | - | - | - | - | ''Europe Looked Ugly'' |- | 1982 | "Charmed Lives" | - | - | - | - | - | - | ''No Hiding Place'' |- | 1984 | "Tonight" | 73 | - | - | - | - | - | ''Precious Time'' |- | 1984 | "Drag Me Down" | 50 | - | - | - | - | - | ''An Icicle In the Sun'' |- | 1984 | "Dave" (released as ''Rain'' in the US) | 81 | - | - | - | - | - | ''Hard Times'' |- | 1985 | "A Hold of Me" | 78 | - | - | - | - | - | ''Say Hi To Mick'' |- | 1994 | "I Don't Like Mondays" | 38 | - | - | - | - | - | ''Looking After Number One'', ''Mary of the 4th Form'' & ''She's So Modern'' (an alternative version substituted ''Rat Trap'', ''Someone's Looking At You'' & ''Banana Republic'' |}

Albums

Year	Album details	Peak chart positions				!style="width:4em;font-size:75%"
1977							UK">Music recording sales certifications
!style="width:4em;font-size:75%"			!style="width:4em;font-size:75%"
1977							UK: Silver
1978	''A Tonic for the Troops''						* UK: Platinum
1979	''The Fine Art of Surfacing''						* UK: Silver
1980	''Mondo Bongo''						* UK: Gold
1982
1984	''In the Long Grass''

Compilation albums

''Ratrospective'' (1983)

''The Boomtown Rats' Greatest Hits'' (1987)

''Loudmouth'' (1994) UK #10

''The Best of the Boomtown Rats'' (2003) UK #43

See also

List of artists who reached number one on the UK Singles Chart

List of artists who reached number one in Ireland

List of artists who reached number one on the Australian singles chart

List of New Wave bands and artists

List of musicians in the first wave of punk music

List of Peel sessions

List of acts who appeared on American Bandstand

Music of Ireland

List of Irish people

References

Liner Notes to ''The Boomtown Rats' Greatest Hits''

External links

Boomtown Rats official website

The Best Of The Boomtown Rats

Boomtown Rats History

Category:Irish rock music groups Category:Musical groups established in 1975 Category:Irish New Wave musical groups Category:People from Dún Laoghaire

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