Blue Oyster Cult in London

Saw Blue �yster Cult on Friday night at the Astoria Theatre in London. It's been a few years since they've played Britain; four years since they last played a one-off show in London, and about fifteen since they toured the whole country.

Unfortunately I only caught the last part of Carl Palmer's set, but the guitar-driven versions of ELP's 'Toccata' and 'Fanfare for the Common Man' were impressive. Were they support for the whole tour or just a one-off for the London show?

Blue �yster Cult's show was a big improvement from their slightly lacklustre performance four years before. Allen Lanier no longer looks on death's door, Eric Bloom's got his hair back, although we're spared that Jeff Lynne-style perm from the 70s. The sound was slightly muddy at the bottom-end, but no bad enough to spoil the gig - none of equipment problems that plagued the last show at this venue. Allen spent most of the show playing guitar; Eric played as much keyboards as he did.

They played just one number from the newest album. 'Curse of the Hidden Mirror', 'Pocket', and nothing at all from the preceding 'Heaven Forbid'. Instead the band resurrected some older classics; 'Mistress of the Salmon Salt (Quicklime Girl)', 'The Golden Age of Leather', and 'Perfect Water', the one gem from the otherwise mediocre 'Club Ninja'. But sadly no 'Astronomy'. The standards were all present and correct; 'ETI', 'Godzilla', 'Reaper', 'Cities on Flame' and 'Last Days of May', now with a solo from Allen as well as the lengthy solo from Buck Dharma.

Setlist:
- Burning for You
- OD'ed on Life Itself
- ETI
- The Vigil
- Pocket
- Cities of Flame with Rock and Roll
- Mistress of the Salmon Salt (Quicklime Girl)
- Harvester of Eyes
- Buck's Boogie
- The Golden Age of Leather
- Perfect Water
- And Then Came the Last Days of May (guitar solos from Allen and Buck)
- Godzilla (Bass and drum solos)
- (Don't Fear) The Reaper
Encore
- Dominance and Submission

Posted by TimHall at May 19, 2002 05:27 PM

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