Well, it's been a long wait. 8 years since BOC last hit London, but boy was it worth it. Their 23rd show in the capital and a special anniversary show - their 4th this summer - celebrating the landmark Agents Of Fortune album. The signs were good, this was not just 'another' show, not just a gathering of the faithful.
Selling out weeks in advance, Blue Oyster Cult were playing stunning shows across the US, from New York to California, Nevada to Michigan, with 42 shows this year before the Acadamy show in Dublin last thursday. And a nigh on 2 hour 24 track blockbuster of a show included both time honoured BOC classics and rarities including even the 'what album's this from?' Don't Turn Your Back.
The Forum was packed, and hot. From the start, faithfully performing Agents Of Fortune complete and in sequence, the crowd were great too, soaking in every note. Reaper almost raised the roof in it's unusual third in the set spot, greeted like a talismanic old friend. Following that was a brilliant ETI (always one of my faves) that had Buck wrestling with the echo and wringing every drop of drama and chaos out of the three men in black story line.
Then came the welcome return of Albert Bouchard, plus Patti Smith's taped spoken introduction, for The Revenge Of Vera Gemini. Sinful love was powerfully rendered, and Tattoo Vampire a superb maelstrom of chaos. The finale of the elpee was over way too soon. 42 minutes and a quick pause for breath.
If the first set was a celebration of a classic album, the second did that and more for their career, particularly as a live colossus. For the next 80 plus minutes Blue Oyster Cult gave us a master class in what they do best. Dark, brooding sci-fi tinged masterpieces mixed with impossibly commercial AOR sensibilites. Nobody does it better. The set ran
Dominance And Submission
Golden Age Of Leather
Od'd On Life Itself
Burnin' For You
Harvest Moon
The Vigil
Lips In The Hills
Buck's Boogie
Last Days Of May
Hot Rails To Hell
Godzilla
ME 262
5 Guitars/Born To Be Wild
In Thee
Cities On Flame
Not bad, eh? It was such a joyous triumph, one of the best BOC shows I've seen in the UK and Europe over the decades. Highlights? Golden Age Of Leather is a long lost classic, thankfully restored to the live set. It does it all, from the edgy riffs to great harmony work and that dark humour, an essential ingredient. Great to hear Harvest Moon again too, love the Buck fired solo lift off in the middle.
But, possibly the highlight was The Vigil, along with The Great Sun Jester the best moment on Mirrors. A glorious Sci-fi tale of warning and hope, it was performed to perfection. One thing I do have to mention is just how good the rhythm section is, Kasim was immense and very cool with it. The backbone of the band really helps the whole thing knit together and fly.
Last Days of May was the mid set epic, extended solo's bookmarked either side by Buck's story of a drug deal gone badly wrong. I know the book Career Of Evil is heavily influenced by and features Blue Oyster Cult, and that Stephen King is a long standing fan, but this has a hint of Tarantino about it though I guess he'd go for the gore and not the moral or subtlety.
After that it was the rush to the climax. After a frantic ME 262 came the wonderful 5 Guitars sketch, brilliant self indulgent fun. And for the first time in a long time, Born To Be Wild. Albert on second drum kit, guitar shredding and glitter everywhere! perfect.
By the time the last notes of Cities On Flame had faded we'd had it all. An exhaustive, not to say exhausting, performance. It's been way too long. Recent visits have been fleeting and it began to feel that it was all fading away, but last Friday night was a reappraisal, a renaissance and as I've already said a celebration.
'Three thousand guitars, they seem to cry...'
**Many thanks to those who have posted up footage and pictures already. Special thanks to Anupam 'forgottenglory' bansoodeb for his great shots**
Great review Andy - it was a momentous evening. I hadn't had to wait 8 years to see them, having been fortunate to see them at Minehead (on a bill with Sweet and Uriah Heep, and Hawkwind the night before), and in North Wales in 2015... The London gig was by far the best. A recording of the evening should be released if such a thing exists....
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