BOC: SLC concert review

[M R Godwin]

Hi Brad!

It's always nice to see a review by a real fan. I thought you might like
to compare the gig you saw with the similar set which they played at the
London Forum, 13th December 1995:

It was quite a small club, which looked like a converted cinema. The band
consisted of Buck Dharma, Eric Bloom, Alan Lanier, a Hispanic bass player
called Danny wearing a pirate handkerchief on his head and an Irish
drummer called O'Riley.

They opened with
'Stairway to the Stars', same as first time I saw them over twenty years
                         ago. Next was
'Dr Music'              so I didn't need to request it! Followed by:
O.D.'d on Life
Extra Terrestrial Intelligence
A new song by Buck which was a bit boring except for the guitar solo in a
                        different time (Reaper-style)
Seven Screaming Dizbusters
I'd like to see you in black - new song by Eric
Take Me Away
Flaming Telepaths
Cities on Flame with Rock'n'Roll
Last Days of May - absolutely terrific arrangement with Buck playing
                   virtuoso guitar licks as the tempo gets faster
In thee (acoustic arrangement)
LIPS IN THE HILLS - best number of the evening
Burnin' for You
Godzilla
(Don't Fear) The Reaper

- encores -

Me262
Dominance and Submission
The Red and the Black

And that was it, despite the fact that the T-shirts had 'Workshop of the
Telescopes' written on the back as the title of their new 'best-of' CD.

Lots of stuff from the first couple of albums. Eric's new song was a good
one about hoping how her husband dies so that she will have to wear black
and they can go to Greece together and sit drinking ouzo by the Parthenon.

Although there was a lack of Bouchard brothers it was very recognisably a
BOC gig (five of the numbers in the set are on their "Live 1976" CD).

Eric has let his beard grow into a sort of spade-shaped Zappa-style
thing: not really a good idea. Buck is still clean-shaven and looks like
an up-market car salesman. Alan looks horribly washed out, same as usual...

I couldn't agree more about how sensational Buck's playing was - very
clean, clear sound so you could hear all the ultra-fast flurries of notes,
none of that HM distortion (of course he's never been a heavy metal guitar
player...)

Never thought I'd see them again - gosh!

- Mike Godwin

PS When I was listening to WOTT at the weekend, I thought what a crummy
selection of 32 songs it was. No Last Days, very little T&M (I wish I'd
seen them play 'Teen Archer') and no sign of their trademark two doomy
minor chords, the ones on Quicklime Girl and many other numbers of that
period. How can you have a Best Of BOC collection that doesn't go CLANG!
CLUNG! like the tolling of a funeral bell?