In recent years, the Boomtown Rats have given new life to "(She's Gonna) Do You In". It's transformed into something mystical and taken on much deeper layers of meaning than when it debuted on their first album. It's almost an entirely new song and would, in fact, merge beautifully into "Citizens Of Boomtown".
The musicianship the Rats displayed on this song Saturday night in Exeter, which is the musicianship they've been displaying on it for quite a while, makes it mind~blowing they're not on the cover of "Rolling Stone" and every other heavyweight music magazine. The Rats aren't a secret and yet...in a certain way, they are. They were born a great band but they're are at their most powerful now and the entire world needs to know! Everyone who was at Let's Rock Exeter left the festival with this fact absolutely tattooed upon them! A lot of you have just arrived here this week...so, Thank You!
Several times during "(She's Gonna) Do You In", Paul Cuddeford, Pete Briquette, & Darren Beale stood as a powerful trio behind Bob as he communicated through his harmonica~playing so intensely he could have gotten the entire song across without ever singing a word. It's playing so VIVIDLY intense, even watching the video, you're RIGHT THERE. All background noise disappears. :
The hush of the night, though, came through the strikingly beautiful double~piano work Alan Dunn and Pete Briquette gave to the beginning of "I Don't Like Mondays". It pierced through the night and the Rats had the entire audience in their hand throughout. There are times a song and the moments you're standing in come together in such a way it gives it new beauty...You can feel that here:
https://youtu.be/Xs3eLcXtMOw?si=ummkOAV5cLkFx5vG
And you can feel that beauty in all of these photos taken by A J Hindshaw! She's brought the night to life!
Are you ready for one more night of beauty here in The Zone?! I'll see you back here tomorrow!
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Completely agree Do You In has morphed into something way different to album version, and probably more than doubled in duration as a result.
Always seems to divide opinion at festivals though as it’s not immediately known by majority and for all that get ‘into’ it and appreciate everything mentioned there’s usually an element that seem not to appreciate the prolonged nature and get a little restless.
Feels like there are people who might want another single at the festivals, maybe standard length Mary of the 4th Form or even Banana Republic squeezed in as well/instead.
Difficult call as it’s a great track and fits well into longer standalone gig sets but what’s the consensus here?
Age old question I guess. At festivals do you want all the hits and familiar tracks from any band or always happy for bands to craft a set of their choosing in hope audience are receptive?