Blue Öyster Cult und Hillbilly Vegas

Sometimes, when you’ve got a fever, the only prescription is more cowbell. Back in 2000, Blue Oyster Cult were lent a new lease of life by the now-legendary Saturday Night Live sketch that saw Will Ferrell sending up ‘(Don’t Fear) the Reaper’ with frankly ludicrous amounts of his percussive instrument of choice; it brought the band - who have never officially split since their 1967 formation - back into the public consciousness. It might have been an unwelcome event, though, for the legions of loyal fans who had remained with the Cult over the decades; either way, the band continue to tour, although they haven’t produced a new album since 2001’s Curse of the Hidden Mirror. The list of past members of Blue Oyster Cult is extensive, but the current lineup still features two of the classic members; on lead vocals, Eric Bloom, with Donald Roeser on lead guitar. They still frequently play across North America, but haven’t played in the UK since 2008. That last set of dates saw them play career-spanning sets that were heavy on soloing and reinterpretation of the classics; what they lack in energy, as they get older, they make up for with the sheer flexibility of their musicianship. Having released an extensive, seventeen-disc remastered boxset in 2012 that chronicled their career, they’ve yet to properly promote it; don’t rule out the possibility of further UK shows just yet.