Tonight's show is part of the Crossing Border international literature festival. It takes place annually and tries to combine literature with music, film and contemporary art. I'm not quite sure how Bob Geldof fits into this, but as long as he plays, I don't mind at all! 

Showtime is eleven p.m. - late for a Thursday night with people having to get up early for work the next morning. Another worrying aspect is that David Sylvain, the co-headliner of tonight's programme, is performing at the same time in another room of the Koninklijke Schouwburg (which means Royal Theatre). Although the festival seems to be quite a big thing in The Hague, there are no posters or bills around town advertising the show. 

So it comes to no surprise that the venue is not exactly packed at eleven.. As we've found out, the beginning of David Sylvain's show is a quarter to eleven - so even if people were interested in both Bob and David, they'll just have to decide and can't come to see them both. 

The venue itself seems ideal for this kind of concert. It's of a good size, a nearly square room with the stage at the long side of it. There is both space for people who want to dance in front of the stage and seats for people who just want to lean back and listen. The unnumbered seats are arranged in acceding rows like an auditorium.  

This is a special night for me: it's my fiftieth Geldof show. Corinna saw even more - together, we've probably hit the 125 mark.. 

The concert starts with 'The great song of indifference', like every single one out of the fifty I saw. I still think it's a great song to start with. Its easy to recognize for those who know it, and carries along those who don't. For me, it feels a bit like coming home. Every time I hear it live as an opener, I'm overwhelmed with the feeling that music is one of the best things in the world! 

In second position on the set list is 'Love or something' - another song like a good friend. It takes up where 'indifference' ended, more people get up to dance. It also seems that there's a consistent flow of people coming into the hall, probably having heard the start of the show from the other rooms of the festival. 

Next one is 'A sex thing'. Personally it's one of my less favourite songs, but it's followed by a big hit song that I think I haven't heard live before: 'When the night comes'! Being far too young to have known it when it came out, I listened to it in 1987 when I discovered all the Boomtown Rats' albums. Along with 'A Tonic for the Troops', 'Fine Art of Surfacing' became my favourite, and in my memory 'When the night comes' will be always connected with a holiday by the seaside in North Wales. It's really a pleasure to hear it live - it sounds kind of grown-up, but maybe that's only me (never wanting to be anything close to grown-up!!)... He next song has this 'adult' air about it too. I never quite liked it when it came out, finding it a bit too slow and too quiet 'Walking back to happiness'. It takes the listener back to Bob's youth, to Dun Laoghaire. Incidentally, if Bob had followed the ships that were going 'eastward ho', he would have reached exactly the place where I stayed for my holiday in 1987 (pure coincidence).

After thirteen years of listening to it, I've finally made friends with 'Happiness'. It still has that intriguingly simple bass line, but also something very relaxed, calm and laid back about it. Maybe it just took me some years to fully understand the lyrics, or to grasp the meaning behind it - anyway I love it now! 

Next one is 'Banana Republic', another song about Ireland. It was a number one hit in some other countries as well, including West Germany at the time, because, according to Bob, the Germans thought it was about Germany and really related to it. I don't know if it reached number one in Holland, but the audience loves it anyhow. There are quite a few people dancing on front of the stage now, among them Corinna and more so, myself, some really young and sweet punky girls aged about 19 and their friend who is clad in wide, flowing white suit and looks so Dutch, and one woman who catches everybody's attention. She seems to be on her own and she has this really extraordinary dance style. Our woman is dressed up to the occasion, wearing some long, tight dress and a lot of make-up (i.e. looking the exact opposite from Corinna and me..). Her dance style is what we sometimes call 'free dance', the word being almost like a saw among us. She seems to be in her own world, smiling to herself and dancing like there's no tomorrow, to no matter which song. Maybe she's never heard a Geldof song before, but she seems to be having a ball. 

The next four songs are from the 'Sex Age and Death' album: 'Scream in vain', This one's for me', 'Mudslide' and 'Birthday Suit'. Maybe he's decided not to make any announcements or explanations at all tonight, due to lack of audience - at any rate, Bob abandons the disappearing into himself announcement this time. He just plays the tracks, and again, I'm close to tears at 'Birthday Suit'. Like one year ago in Hamburg's 'Fabrik' venue, the song moves me so much that I can hardly stand listening to it (which goes for some other songs on the SA&D album as well - but seeing the man live in front of you makes quite a difference). It doesn't happen often that the effect of songs doesn't 'wear off' after hearing them a few times, here it seems to be the opposite. It's just such a strong, incredibly sad song. 

Right after this emotional trip comes 'I don't like Mondays'. Unlike last year, I feel the two songs don't go together very well, it's just such a clash, especially as the audience always sings and dances along. Ive become a bit bored with Monday's over the years, I still consider it a good song, but in this position right after 'Birthday Suit', I certainly don't sing and dance. 

'Room 19', the song about brains in jars (I know the story behind this one - the The Hague audience never get to know it, as Bob doesn't bother to explain anything about the song) is next. It's perfect for dancing and partying in front of the stage, which the girls next to us happily do. 

'Attitude Chicken' though is a special for us. As far as I know, Bob first played it live in Hannover in December '92 after we'd been pleading with him for days (or probably weeks). When they actually played it that night, Bob announced from the stage that 'normally they wouldn't do this, but the girls have been asking for so long..' It felt like very 'special treatment' that night! 

'Soft Soil' is following up, the song about Boris Yeltsin's speech at the grave of the dead students - not that Bob tells us the background to the song in The Hague.. Actually, he says hardly anything in between songs, except a sarcastic Don't clap, you don't know the songs anyway after someone had cheered happily.

'Soft Soil' is another track I hadn't cared so much about when it came out on the 'Happy Club' album, but I've come to really like it over the years. Very slow, almost dreamy in atmosphere. Some of Bob's songs seem to be like good wine: They need a few years to get really good! At least to the experienced drinker (erm, like me in this case). 

The last three songs are old Rats' stuff: 'Joey's on the street again', 'Elephants Graveyard' and 'Rat Trap'.

I think they used to play 'Joey' some years ago, but I haven't heard it for a long time. The young girls really seem to love this song. One of her even gets right in front of the speakers to dance and head bang (!). The bunch of them have a great time. So do I! 

I'm quite sure I've never heard 'Elephants Graveyard' live, so that's another highlight! Two songs in one show that are new for me - that s a great way to celebrate your fiftieth gig!

'Elephants Graveyard' and it's backing vocals once again shows what good musicians and backing vocalists the band are. Coming as a treat for the gourmet (or gourmand, whatever you like..) is the excellent sound in this venue. Once again I'm impressed by the crew's work - it always sounds incredibly loud at sound check, and then it's just fine during the show! 

The final song is Rat Trap - and I still love it! Another song about Dublin and a number one hit in November 1978 - exactly 25 years ago. Another anniversary. The song still works on stage, it's ever so sanguine and lively.  

There are no encores, which is a bit unusual. I don't think I've seen any other BG show without encores. Usually there's a reprise of 'Indifference' - the 'Return of indifference'. Not tonight. I also miss 'Pale White Girls', my favourite from SA&D. The lights are switched on immediately after 'Rat Trap' - maybe there's  a strict curfew. Maybe Bob just doesn't want to play any more songs, we won't know.  

This fiftieth gig carries as many good vibes - happiness actually - as did my first one 13 years ago. We're glad weve travelled all the way - it was so worth it!