Was this the place I walked into a speeding taxi that drove by the truck while I was going around it? I know you were there wondering why I wasn't just creamed or dead or something.

Joe Bouchard sick...

Small theatre and cold weather. Rolled onto Syracuse...

The toilets were frozen in the building, it was so cold...

Syracuse N.Y. - I tuned The Rocket's piano (this indicates to me that the Rockets were on this run of shows but the only one I have any note on is this one and Springfield Mass.)

The movie Slap Slot was made there a couple of years later...

Band gear late so B-cast was blown off. Fine steaks for Crew Food.

Broadcast?

Worked on Rocket's Crown and played hockey after loadout.

A no pyro date, but I think we did the pyro anyway.

Bangor Maine. Stayed on bus all day. Played to the Wall.

I was at the show 2/10/80 - The Rockets opened.

I really don't recall too much about the show itself. I grew up there, and saw quite a few great bands come through town (until they built the Civic Center in Portland, then the biggest names went there).

It was a good show, as I recall, although my BOC knowledge and "listening experience" was pretty much limited to the A.O.F. album and Godzilla. I do remember hearing Dr. Music (I bought the Mirrors tour shirt that night), Hot Rails, Cities on Flame, Godzilla, The Reaper (of course), and E.T.I. I remember the Godzilla head. I have a much better memory of their show here in Peachtree City, GA two summers ago (and I enjoyed it much more)!!

I'd love to have a recording of the show because I'm sure I'd appreciate it much more today.

• Gig recorded for "King Biscuit" broadcast
• One song ["Dominance and Submission"] from this recording also made it onto "ETL" (released April 1982)

They recorded the King Biscuit Show at this gig - it soldout instantly, I couldnt go... :(

This is the show where I took that pic of Ronald Binder that's on his feature page story...

This date is confirmed by the Capitol Giglist on Moyssi's website.

Check out also Moyssi's concert programme for this gig.

On the 13th we had - and I quote - "Big Day Off". The Band sprang for a crew party at Mexican Gardens (Lanier's fave mex food in Greenwich Village) and proceeded to Allentown...

I remember this party VERY well as we had pitchers of Marguritas that I swear had Mescaline or Acid in them... the most Hallucienogenic drunk I've ever been...

I spent the entire evening trying to prevent Bieser (I had him working for See Factor at the time) from grabbing Mrs. Dory Lanier's ample breasts... he would get this gleam in his eye and just make a lunge... as far as I remember I stopped them all...

I mean he never ACTUALLY got hold of one I don't think... (not that she'd of noticed anyway)... that was the HIGHEST I ever got on alcohol... never once got sick, but was absolutely hallucinating and NAILED TO THE CHAIR... if i'd had to drain a lizard, I'd have just had a soggy bum that night... poor Singleton making a wrong turn and ending up in the alley in all those trash cans...

Jeeze Louise... I believe Allen and Dory still frequent that place... there should be a Historical Marker... "At the rear door of this establishment, in the year of our Lord 19 whatever, one Michael Singleton... et... etc...

This Allentown gig was Bieser's last show with BOC... See Factor then put him in Europe with the Scorpions for a while and then he did Billy Joel's tour for a year, then started his own company...

Just a note on Feb. 14, 1980 show. It was in Allentown, but specifically in "Agricultural Hall", not at the Fairgrounds. The Fairgrounds is a different, a much better venue located nearby. Also, The Rockets opened without a doubt.

One quick note, both Ag Hall and the "Fairgrounds" are at the same site, the Allentown Fairgrounds. The other venue referred to as the Fairgrounds is bleacher seating at a race track used only in Summer. I have the ad for this show somewhere.

These above gigs were the last dates of me using the Mel Welch pyro board. Below the new pyro board made by MPA showed up, thanks to the band agreeing with me that we needed it.

I also never used those "flash cannons" again.

What happened in March? If you know, please let me ... Probably work on "Cultosaurus Erectus" but what exactly?

What happened in April? If you know, please let me ... Probably work on "Cultosaurus Erectus" but what exactly?

What happened in May? If you know, please let me ... Probably work on "Cultosaurus Erectus" but what exactly?

June saw the release of "Cultosaurus Erectus" but I don't know the actual official release date. If you know, please let me ...

We loaded in on the 26 and rehearsed... I went shopping and bought several aviation books and loaded my Prophet 5 memory banks from a cassette tape,

I worked on my Oberheim and ate at the Windmill (KILLER resturaunt not to be missed when in this godforsaken area of American Hinterlands) and we played the show... there was NO Black Sabbath on the show...

You don't have a Spokane show listed for this tour, but they most definitely played at the Spokane Coliseum in July of that year. [I originally had this date down as Portland - now corrected. Ralph].

I note that the Blue Oyster Cult official tour database (at blueoystercult.com) lists the Spokane show as 18 July 1980, although that's the date your giglopaedia has the band in Vancouver, BC. I can't corroborate the exact date unfortunately.

The opening act was Riot. I distinctly recall buying their newly released "Narita" LP and being very excited to see them live. Your database indicates that Molly Hatchet were touring with BOC around that time also. I honestly can't remember though if they appeared at the BOC/Riot show in Spokane that year. I did see Molly Hatchet live on a couple of occasions around that time period, but my memory is sketchy in regards to who they appeared with.

1980 in Spokane. My second BOC show. Cultosaurus Erectus tour.

Was riding in a friend's parents BMW that we 'borrowed' while they were away on a trip (he knew where they hid the keys). We were going down Division ave in Spokane before the show, passing a J or two around. We had a big red Kronos in the back window. I look out my window and through the haze is Eric Bloom alongside on his bike givin us the thumbs up (presumably for the Kronos symbol and not the ...well you know

He rode that hog onstage that night for Born To Be Wild. Will always remember that. Black Blade was an exceptional performance and the only time I heard several songs off of CE in one evening.

I had just bought the record a couple of weeks prior so the songs were real fresh. And obviously indelible in my memory. Riot was the opening act.

I got on to BlueOysterCult.com and checked the tour dates and set list. That was the show indeed. And I am almost sure Black Sabbath was not on the bill. Then again I had my fare share of Scotch at the hotel ;) But seriously, I dont think Black Sabbath was there.

I do remember Eric Bloom, though, resting against the PA cabinet just off stage left watching Riot perform.

No opening act. Tasco basket fell on Jack. Rolled on to Oakland.

A Tasco basket is about a ton of PA gear... at this stage in R&R touring, most P.A. systems were modular in construction, meaning numbers of identical cabinets each containing bass, mid range and hi frequency (treble if you will) components...

It made for MUCH quicker load ins and outs, but prevented more knowledgeable sound men (like our very own GpG and all the fine tech staff of TASCO) from doing a bit of a "custom installation" for the varied shaped and sized venues... where with the fully modular systems your only choices each night would be "more" or "less" of everything, bt with our TASCO component type system, the choices were "more bass here" "more treble there"... this needs a long throw type device to reach it, this needs a shorter throw and so on... it was infinitely more variable in composition and focus as to where it was pointed ...

The biggest problem presented by such a system logistically is How Do You Fly It ??... in other words, in the large venues, some of it had to hang from the rafters or "fly" to get to the upper reaches... this was accomplished by making a large cubic basket, or box with a framework of square aluminum tubing with a plywood floor...

On this you stacked the individual Bass bins (speaker cabinets with woofers in them) Mid bins with smaller speakers, hi frequency horns, etc... these were then strapped into place with very wide cargo type webbed belts and fastened down with ratchet straps... just like you see loads secured to truck beds (lorries to you lot).. these things were made the correct width and height to just fit easily into the back of a Hi-Cube semi...

On Black and Blue, we had one truck that was just full of those for our flying gear... the advantage here is that these things could be unloaded very quickly and rolled right into the gig, where the rigging was already hanging in the ceiling to put them in the air (we pioneered the concept of having 2 complete sets of rigging and leapfrogging the riggers...

Altogether, that's at least 6 truck loads of sound and lights.. then 1 semi each for us and Sabbs back line and a cack truck that was full of odds and ends, fog machines... giant prehistoric monsters... silver spinning schwantzes and the revolutionary counter rotating giant beveled schwantze of Kunagonda... and 2 trucks leap frogging full of rigging... I wonder if anybody made any money??...

I made almost as much off charging the promoter for tuning the clavinet and my piece of the piano and organ kickback as I did from BOC some weeks... Remind me to explain how that little scam worked sometime...

Every night we played a show, there were riggers already at the next gig working thru the night to have that mush already done when we got there the next morning (it took a LOOONG time to rig some of the bigger ones... 8-10 hard hours)...

So now that we know the what and why of a TASCO flying basket, we're looking at an aluminum framed box approx 12-14 ft wide... and a little taller than that, maybe 15 ft... and about 6 ft deep I'll try to get the actual figures from my buddy Fred Bieser... he was a rigger and it would have about 1000 lbs of P.A. stacked on it and strapped down...

So one night as they are loading one of these things into the back of the truck, the lift operator didn't quite get it down enough before he backed out his forks, bringing it backwards a foot or 2 and leaving this thing tottering at the back of the truck with 1/2 wheels on and 1/2 wheels off...

Now there's at least 4 people inside the truck holding on, around 8 or 10 at the back of the truck... it quickly becomes obvious the men in the truck can't hold it, but our truck driver Jack Fisk, a man of about 60 yrs in age is standing right at the base of it, making sure it cleared the truck on the way in.

Luckily enough hands got under this thing to take the weight enough to slow it's fall to enable Jack to ALMOST squirm out from under it before it finally came down the last foot or so trapping his legs... the fork lift was quickly brought back into position and raised it up... the damage had been done, but not nearly so bad as it could have been...

We got him an ambulance (he was in some serious pain and we figured both legs broken)... these trucks have to roll so the loadout then finished up and a TASCO worker with a proper license was laid on for Jack's truck... since band gear is the last thing to load in the next day, our bus stayed behind along with R. Downey to see about Jack... lo and behold he was X-rayed from top to bottom and that old man hobbled up into that bus a few hours later on a pair of crutches... no broken bones!!..

We insisted he take the large fold-out bed in the rear lounge for the evening and until he felt like moving back into his truck... I helped him get dressed that next morning (I was the only one already up and could hear from his grunts groans that he was having a bit of a test) and his legs were the color of a ripe eggplant and just about as swollen... but he got up into his own truck that evening and didn't miss a lick... he wasn't helping load the truck for a few days, but he was driving it...

Loaded into Oakland and did soundcheck. Saw Pelican PM.

• Day on the Green #1 Show

Band played really well. Stayed after gig Forever. Big Dinner. San Francisco.

The poster here has a line-up of:

1. Sammy Hagar
2. Blue Oyster Cult
3. REO Speedwagon
4. The Babys

for the July 4th 1980 Day on the Green #1... whilst the T-Shirt here has this line-up:

1. Sammy Hagar
2. Blue Oyster Cult
3. REO Speedwagon
4. Triumph
5. Randy Hansen

Which then to believe? I'd think a poster might be more accurate for show info but then again they're perhaps less likely to have been printed closer to the event so it might be argued that the T-shirt could reflect the actual line-up more accurately...

The Babys were originally scheduled, but soon after the first announcement they were "replaced" by Triumph -- no idea what happened. Later still, a fifth act (Randy Hansen, a wonderful Jimi Hendrix impressionist) was added to open (Bill Graham shows often finalized the opening act in the week or two before the show).

So, to summarize: The Babys did not actually perform at this show, Triumph did; and Triumph followed the opening act of Randy Hansen.

Steaks at crew meal. Sound loaded out first.

This might have been the gig of the Tom Newman pyro incident, but I'm not sure if this is the correct year. Newman went on to setting Michael Jackson's hair on fire. But, today he is a big pyro cheese in LA.

Day in the Dirt - Jive gig at Speedway with lots of wind and dust.

A "Jive gig" is any gig that just wasn't right for some reason... something definite (a "wierd" gig would be "jive" too... just very intangible as to just why)... as in "this gig should never have been booked"...

This one was on a dirt speedway and the crowd was generating a constant cloud of dust that was being blown into the stage by a constant 25-30 mph wind... being on that stage felt like being on a ship going into a stiff (dirty) breeze...

I blew pounds of dirt out of all my gear with compressed air over the next few shows...

I think REO was on this show before us...

You are correct about REO. Rick wouldn't let them use their huge keyboard risers and they were pissed.

Played Other End and Everything on Floor. Left for Amarillo.

This date seems to keep cropping up - it didn't happen - I don't know what I have to do to put an end to this show... Sabbath may well have played somewhere that night but BOC did NOT. BOC played San Antonio on the 14th...

According to the original schedules, Houston was scheduled originally for this date (12th) and was later moved to the 13th...

Weirdly enough, San Antonio was originally down for the 11th!! Where this poster got its date from, I have no idea - but it's wrong.

Here's what really happened on the 12th: we loaded into Houston PM. Did soundcheck sans Lanier. Talked to Bolt and All.

Sandy Pearlman arranged a co-headlining tour with Black Sabbath in support of "Cultosaurus Erectus", calling it the "Black and Blue" Tour.

• "Black'n'Blue" show # : [ Black Sabbath Headlined ]

This gig throws up a couple of anomalies.

First - the venue. Everywhere you look - ticket stubs, posters, Sabbath websites etc - you see the venue given as "Robertson Stadium".

Thanks to Sam Judd, I've seen BOC electrician Ward Caryle's detailed call-sheet for this gig and he clearly states that it took place at "Southern Houston University (Jeppeson) Stadium". He goes on to give a full spec for the venue as well as band running order - which for the record was different to the advertised line-up on the posters:

1. 12.00-12.30: Billy Squire
2. 13.15-14.00: Shakin Street
3. 14.50-16.00: Alice Cooper
4. 16.45-17.30: Riot
5. 18.20-20.00: BOC
6. 20.50-22.30: Black Sabbath

The other - slight - anomoly is Alice Cooper's presence as I've seen Alice sites which had him playing Springfield on this date! Yet he's on the call-sheet list... Did Alice play?

This was the first Black and Blue show!

Regarding Alice - I would have to admit in court that I have no memory of seeing even a road case with his name on it, but my notes have him down for this gig...

I only remember BOC and Sabbath and that it was the start of that whole Black'n'Blue deal and it was sooo hot that one only left the bus to do the show...

We even loaded in the night before when it was "cooler"... probably only 98 or so... I have a note of 106 degrees for the show date...

BOC did one of their very rare sound checks and I think I even remember Sabbs stuff being there as well...

I saw this show 10 days before I turned 15. I remember it well. Jeppeson Stadium on the University Of Houston campus was renamed Robertson Stadium at this time, thus the confusion.

Alice Cooper did play that night. He had his hair tucked back the whole show and during the last song, I think it was "School's out" he untucked his hair. We all thought he had cut his hair and gone "punk". I remember him bringing out a huge boa constrictor and had it around his neck.

I don't remember Billy Squire being at that show. Sabbath headlined and was mesmerizing.

I've heard others talk about the heat, but I don't remember. I think when you're 15, you're not focused how hot it is or how loud it is upfront. Hmm... I wondering what that ringing sound is in my ear??

Bimbo-Rama indoors gig in San Antone. Got loaded after load-out. Begun Sub Duty to Canada.

Ahhh San Antonio... world famous in the R&R community as a serious hotbed of the Bimbonic Plague... lots and lots of little underage (usually 14-17... by the time they were 18 they were in a "serious" relationship/first marriage) hispanic girls...

So many dressed all alike that George Geranios and I termed them "Spandexicans" ... there's probably a whole book to be written on that one damned venue...

I saw on TV the footage of it being destroyed a few years back... they built a newer place mid 90's I believe and the former "groupie hotbed" became a gigantic CHURCH !!... one of those black/hispanic mega-things... but instead of a new "battleship Jesus" they just took over a facility that had probably seen drunken orgies that would embarrass perverted Romans flare up in every nook and cranny... never mind the "team showers"... once the girls figured out that after the show these spaces filled up with horny hardworking men getting naked and soapy... it drew them like flies ...

The scene during the day was the minor functions these young ladies had to perform just to secure the aftershow pass that would be their ticket to the showers later... most would NOT get naked early in the day... (is that a catholic thing?) but would perform any oral services imaginable... they didn't know that the pass was a certain color that was only good AFTER the show... sometimes if the weather was bad, a thinking production manager would actually let them in a room (usually supplied with snacks and drinks... no alcohol... remember these girls were under age... wouldn't want to break any laws)...

Some of the other bands were aware of this enterprise as well, many roadies would even "pick something out" for their employers... I never did... had to draw the line somewhere didn't I...

Even though by this time I was a little long in the tooth for these little girls and even more married, it was quite an entertaining bit of drama to try and guess which ones would actually ever actually even SEE a band member (although again sometimes an effort WAS made to arrange a space where these samaritans COULD watch the show, but still did not actually have backstage access until after the show...

The 16th is second day of sub duty between San Antonio and Vancouver BC... look at it on a map... it's gotta be 2500 mi. I have down "Sub Duty all day... Stopped in Montana" (could we have popped in on Sabs and played a show??? not fekking likely) to buy squirt guns (we were BORED) and I almost left my wallet in truck stop...

Vancouver B.C.- no Sabs... Prophet died and got Rent-a-Prophet. Took pictures of buses.

Seattle was originally scheduled for this date...

Again, Sabbath sites have BOC playing with Sabbath in Spokane Coliseum on this date...

I remember the Vancouver date well... Sabs may well have played Spokane that night but it wasn't with us - anyway, we had just played there on 6/29...

Besides the gig in Spokane would have been a bit small for as massive a production as B&B... it's a tight little procenium stage...

The venue in Vancouver was the big place where the Hockey team played... I actually have some pics I took of the beautiful new tour buses we had then sitting by that arena and mountains in the background... I remember doing a gig with Molly Hatchett there but can't say if it was this one... do they have a site???

• "Black'n'Blue" show #

Outdoors gig - fine Rent-a-Prophet. Lights were in trouble. Rained on load-out.

Sabbath sites have BOC down as headliners for this sold out show, playing to a whopping 28,000 people...

Just to let you know the boc show in seattle included Riot as the first band of the day - this was the running order:

1. Riot
2. Molly Hatchet
3. BOC
4. Sabbath

I would yield to Howard... only thought that BOC closed cause I remember actually helping some lighting types on the load-out and we were usually only around for that if we closed...

That was an AWESOME gig... crowd energy very focused and intense...one of those days when it was all worthwhile...

That seems to place Hatchett at the Vancouver gig too... I had forgotten about Riot... they did not go to Vancouver... they stayed in Seattle and we left all our contraband with them to cross the old "Douanes" and they smoked most of it by the time we got it back!!!

My second concert. We were on vacation visiting relatives in Seattle (I lived in El Paso, TX at the time). Sixteen years old. I was all bummed out that I would miss Blue Oyster Cult while on vacation (they were playing EP).

The day after I got there while at a family get-together, my cousin told me that Black Sabbath and BOC were playing THE NEXT DAY!!!!! Along with Molly Hatchet and Riot!!! I went and asked my mom for some money and surprisingly she forked it over! Enough for me AND my cousin to go!!! I was so stoked!

It was quite the experience for that 16 year-old kid. By the time BOC came on, I was stoned to the bejeezers. I had never had the kind of weed that they had up in the northwest!!! Growing up in a border town, you know all we got was the crap from across the border.

Needless to say, I had a great time, fell in love with Blue Oyster Cult for kicking ass and Seattle for being such a cool town. Moved there immediately after graduation.

It was one helluva day for me, though. And I still have the T-shirt! LOL It is threadbare as hell, but I still have it. It has Satan battling Godzilla on the front.

Just seeing two of the biggest bands in rock and roll on the same day blew me away. I really wasn't "into" Blue Oyster Cult like I have become over the years, but always liked them when my older brother played them, so I thought it would be cool to check them out, and it was. They freakin' ROCKED. And I knew that I'd definitely have to check these guys out again!

24 years and about 24 shows later...

That was the last concert they allowed in Memorial Stadium for about 12 years, I think. Too many complaints about how LOUD it was!!!

7/19/80. This was a huge show in an outdoor high school football stadium known as Memorial Stadium. 30,000 + at show. Opening bands were Black Sabbath, Molly Hatchet and Riot.

• "Black'n'Blue" show # : [ BOC Headlined ]

Salem/Portland ore. - Outdoors and I believe this was a B&B show. No real Brain Damage - VERY late load-out and leaving... Sabbath stalled big time and was the first sign of trouble whenever they were meant to play before us...

The July 20 1980 show at the Oregon state fairgrounds in Salem did not include Black Sabbath. BOC headlined and B.S. was nowhere around! I was there.

Sabbath were there all right... they took forever to get onstage (stalled about 45 min and then played over by 30 min...

There were also a few actual dust-ups when their crew people (on orders from RJ Dio) actually tried to prevent BOC crew from accessing the stage during their show (we had T/P to do, synths/guitars to tune things to get ready... very eye opening day...

This was an outdoor gig known as the Oregon Jam. Along with Molly Hatchet and Black Sabbath, the group Riot also played.

This was one of the wildest concerts I have ever attended. The Fan Club site has the city down as Winston Salem, but I can confirm that it was Salem. There is a Winston, Oregon, but it is nowhere near Salem. By the way, BOC was the headliner at this show...

Great show. I took quite a liking to Riot, who were the openers, as well.

Heh, my hometown enacted a decibel limit on outdoor shows as a result of the show. A pal of mine not at the show had a flat tire 6 miles away, said he couldn't hear his car stereo outside the van over the Godzilla drum solo.

Heh, I was about 20 feet in front of the left speaker bank at the time, no wonder the left ear doesn't work so good...

• "Black'n'Blue" show #

Another dirty nasty show... Serious Brain Damage with Rude Fans, False Prophets and Dirt...

"False Prophets" refers to the fact that my Prophet 5 synth was ill and kept having to fly back and forth to S.F. for repairs... no one else could fix them at the time...

I was renting them and some of them had the capability for me to load my programs in via a data port/cassette interface... some did not... That meant I had to sit down and frantically program about 20 sounds worth of presets in there...

The one in Ventura was to be one with an interface and it not only was NOT one of those,it belonged to a CHURCH and came with a woman whose orders from God were that it was not to be let out of her sight, nor were ANY of the presets to be changed in any way... I grabbed it and ran for the bus and locked the door and got on the walkie talkie to the Stage manager and got him to deal with her whilst I reprogrammed it and she didn't see it again till I was done with it that night... and I put all her sounds back in as that bank was all very basic diagnostic stuff from the factory anyway...

Highlight of the day for me was hanging out with Martin Birch and Glenn Hughes all day in the back of the bus while I programmed that synth... Glenn remembered me from the Hydra days (we did a load of shows with Trapeze and Martin had been a hero of mine since In Rock and Fireball)...

They had actually come down to see Davy Kirkwood who had been on the tour, but had left so they just hung out in our bus as my guests waiting for the show (I had a pocket full of Peruvian Marching Powders which I'm sure added to my Charm that day...)

By the way - Davy Kirkwood was a Scottish sound tech who worked for Tasco and was out as Sabbath's Front-Of House assistant (set up all the FOH gear for Gungee... sabbs soundman...) for a while... Sabbs had a set of consoles and FOH effects and we had our own... they just moved the multicore from one set to the other during the changeover...

Mini-moogs to the World and Dead Prophets. Hot...

In the interest of accuracy, I'm 99.9% certain that the concert in Las Vegas in July 1980 was not at the Aladdin, but rather at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

• Although BOC were rained out, Shakin Street, Molly Hatchett and Black Sabbath did play before the havoc started...

Incidentally 7/25 was to be Phoenix but was rained out during the intro music... HUGE downpour flooded the area where the dimmer packs for the lights were and so much rain built up in the roof that Downey climbed up and cut a hole in it to keep the whole thing from collapsing... the staging company was still suing him years later...

I think that's the closest we ever got to doing a show and didn't play it... we spent a day in a hotel parking lot in El Paso opening up gear and testing and drying things...I had several pieces of gear that had gotten REALLY wet in the deluge caused by downey cutting the roof... but if he hadn't the whole stage might well have collapsed...

I believe the date of July 25, 1980 is correct. The venue was called Phoenix Municipal Stadium (outdoor baseball stadium where the San Francisco Giants AAA minor league team was playing it's games).

The line-up and show order was: Shakin' Street, Molly Hatchet, Black Sabbath(Dio), and Blue Oyster Cult.

By the time BOC was ready to play, a summer monsoon storm came whipping up with heavy lightning. Rain then started to pour and due to that lightning danger, they cancelled the BOC set.

If I mentioned I had a stub, I was incorrect. I looked through my collection and realized I don't seem to have it. But I'm 95% confident that the date was on a Friday, so it had to be the 25th.

Visit Mark's vegas4boc site...

El Paso. Everything broken. Prophet still not working. Alan rode on bus to Austin.

Although I think they might have played it twice, I can only remember goin thru all the hassle to play Monsters once... I had to move one of the mini-moogs so Bloom could cover the horn parts on it and it was in El Paso Texas..

• No Allen Lanier - Steve Schenck filled in on key boards for him.

Austin Tx. - Armadillo World Headquarters (It was a LARGE club) - no sabs. No Lanier, so this show was the first one where Nasty Nick stepped in to play keys...

These next few gigs document the ONLY times I am aware of that Shenck filled in on keys... it is reported several places that he did this on the "Albert's Back Tour" in Feb 1985 but I was there and can assure you that it did NOT occur...

Oddly enough, Allen was there right up until showtime... he came down in the afternoon and showed SS some of the stuff and I handled all the synths for him so far as getting them on the right settings... Steve is a decent player and stood right next to me over there most nights, so he knew all too well where all the parts went... It worked a lot better when Ross started doin the guitar parts as Schenk tried those and it was weak...

He gave the guitar bits his best shot, but it was pathetic... unlike his keys which were more than adequate... he even joked to me that his Hebrew side was thinking about how much money could be saved by him moving to that gig permanently... just a joke... he even began to dress for the part at the Band's request... jeans-T-shirt and leather vest... sure wish I had a pic...

I also wish I still had the T-shirt I had made that said "I Roadied For Nasty Nick and All I Got Was This T-Shirt"...

People were never told squat as to Lanier's absence... not the stagehands... nobody - not even the promoters... some of them figured it out and showed up over on my side during the show, fucking with SS and trying to crack him up...

By the way: Nasty Nick Shannos was the "wrestling" name that Pearlman/Dictators put on him...

Murray Krugman gave me mine... "Schoolboy Sam"...

The naming was totally random...like "Handome Dick Manitoba"... Krugman wanted to pair me with Handsome Dick as a tag team... his plan included me wearing a cap and gown into the ring and bringing an apple for the referee... OY!!

• No Allen Lanier - Steve Schenck filled in again on keys as well as Ross the Boss on guitar

Norman OK - Decent gig - Nasty Nick on keys again and Ross The Boss from Shakin Street (and Dictators) played guitar parts from behind the amp line... obviously Shakin Street was on this show and probably many more of these...

• No Allen Lanier - Steve Schenck filled in again on keys as well as Ross the Boss on guitar

Convention Center - Shenck and Ross played...

• No Allen Lanier - Steve Schenck filled in again on keys

Lacrosse - I believe it was Wis. But not sure... I tend to think Wisco cause we went to Chicago and hung out the next 2 days - Lanier is back

Opening Band... Savoy Brown... If my memory is correct this was an offshoot of Foghat...? To be honest I really dont remember a whole lot about the show...After all I was 19 years old then and a lot of memory is gone...

I do know that I have a ticket stub for the show and have seen posters from it here in town as well

This was my 2nd BÖC show, and I was pumped up! C.E was the new release of the day, and my friends and i spun it and the other disc's of the time for the whole day. I remember we got a $40.00 bag of lumbo from a dude down the hall and had a ton of booze! Yea! BÖC is in town tonight! Rock and Roll!

General admission was the rule of the day... dem were da day'z! We got beer, and a seat in the 2nd row Balcony, dead center wich was a basketball court away from stage...Time to rock! Savoy Brown., dont remember much of them... ;)

BOC took the stage and it was PANDEMONIUM! Screw the spelling... A typical 1980 show, Rockin! Marshall plan, Hungry Boy'z, Devine wind, and the hits of the day (Reaper), and Zilla...Zilla, with Albert in mask under the strobe lights...still etched in my mind.

Lazer show was not to be had... saw that a year before... 1st BOC show and another story...

This one is not on the "list" of shows... I have contacted Bolle a number of times, and no reply...

This show went down as one of the classics for me as it was the last rock show at the old venue... BÖC finally came back here on Oct. 5th, 02...Albert and the Brain Surgeons here on July 25th...Al commented that it had been 20 years since he had been here.!

Let us hope this is not the end of the BÖC and tBS in La Crosse, WI...

Wish I had more to offer, but many brain cells are lost and friends gone...

Peace!!

'Cap

• No Allen Lanier - Steve Schenck filled in again on keys...

Erie Pa. - indoors Hockey Rink

• "Black'n'Blue" show #

Albany N.Y. - Outdoors...

Regarding that Sabbath that described this gig as being "marred by violence": I don't remember any violence,other than my having to threaten to whip the piano tuner's ass if he didn't tune my fucking piano... (he was demanding 10 passes or he wouldn't tune it... after 4 or 5 roadies surrounded his car (with his girlfriend in it), he changed his mind and did a really good job... the wanker...)

BTW the name of that race track is Lebanon Valley Raceway... it's still in business and I watched a race on TV from there just a few weeks back...

I went to this concert with my brother and 3 other friends in an orange VW bus from our house in eastern Massachusetts and it was the most memorable concerts I have ever been to.

We got an early start that AM and I remember parking the van in a field with hundreds of other vehicles and thousands of people.

The concert was absolutely fantastic. I can remember trying to get to the chain link fence with my buddy and you would literally be lifted off your feet from all the people pressing against you. In the thick of it, the crowd split (some how) and made a path for a person who was pretty badly hurt coming from the very front. His/her head was wrapped with a white t-shirt wet with blood.

We continued our fight for position and eventually made it to the fence where the roadies used bats and sticks to hit the knuckles of anyone trying to hold onto the fence. Blue Oyster Cult then played Godzilla and it was definitly the climax of the concert. I'll never forget the drum solo.

The event was "marred with violence". As I recall, three people were killed... one I know was hit by a car. I was only 17, so I was completely shocked by what some people were doing. After the show, one guy was pushing anyone that walked by him just for a fight while about a dozen others flipped a car in a pit and torched it. Everyone was whacked out on mushrooms, acid, mesk, weed... you name it.

I now live about 20 miles from Lebanon Valley Speedway and I have spoken to some that lived in the area and he said the guy that owned the speedway didn't realize the concert would be so huge and crazy and refused to attempt anything like it again.

• "Black'n'Blue" show # [ rescheduled from 9 Aug ]
• Gig recorded for "King Biscuit" broadcast

Check out the two stubs above - the first shows the date of the originally scheduled date of 9 August. The second shows the re-scheduled 10 Aug date.

I saw them in Portland, ME where all they had was an opening act; The Blend (anybody remember them-local Portland legends). One thing I remembered about the show... The Blend had a double neck guitar, but one facing right and the other left, and had two people playing it at the same time (righty/ lefty).

This was my second concert ever, and just happened to be the second time I saw BOC, and the last with the original lineup (I think). I'm not sure if Al had left when I saw them the following year (Boston Garden, 81 w/ Foghat and Whitford-St. Holmes Band opening. There was also a live FM broadcast around this time (New Haven), which represents this time frame pretty well.

This was a great show for both bands. The Blend never quite made it out of Maine although they put out a few decent pop/rock LPs. I think they even opened for the Who at their peak as well as having an appearance on Good Morning America that I recall.

This gig is confirmed by the Civic Center venue website and gives the attendance as 3761 (out of a maximum "sell out" capacity of 9500): click here... Actually, it gives the attendance in 1979 as 5477 so that's a big drop from last year. The only other attendance it gives is from the next time BOC played at this venue in 1984 - then the attendance was 2602... (the venue capacity being 9500) :-(

Asbury Park N.J. - Convention Center with Shakin Street...

It was at this place a couple of years earlier in 1978 I joined BOC for the first time. I think the crew meal was better this time. The time before the caterers were forced to give everyone money for fast food from somewhere.

A few of my friends turned me on the BOC in the late 70's but I hadn't had the opportunity to check them out until the Summer of 1980. It was the year I graduated high school and also was lucky enough to see Pink Floyd the Wall Live, Rush, Genesis, Van Halen in the months before the BOC gig.

When I had heard the BOC was going to play in Asbury Park I knew it was worth the 3 hour drive through New jersey to see them so I snatched a couple tickets and one of my friends went with me to check it out. I already had their albums and was totally into them - but never knew how they would be live (although I had heard).

The clearest memory I had of the concert was that during the first song (Dr. Music) a couple came in with a baby. The women with the baby sat right in front of me.

The baby's face was beat red and it was screaming/crying. The music was so loud that we couldn't hear the baby at all - but it must have been in agony. The parents sat there smoking pot, trying to ignore the poor babe... my friend tapped the guy on the shoulder finally and said he'd kick ass if they didn't get the baby out of there. They left; I can't imagine how the baby felt - but my ears rang for 2 or 3 days!

I remember they played Cities on Flame, and then Black Blade and blew me away! After that: Godzilla, the 5 guitars, DFTR, and Born to be Wild (don't remember the order). They rode a motorcycle on stage at the start of Born To Be Wild... the place was so small you could smell the exhaust!

Anyway, I was sold on BOC... so when they announced the Black and Blue Tour I bought tickets to BOTH Nassau Coliseum AND Madison Square Garden... then I went out and bought a portable cassette deck to capture both gigs live!

Check out Moyssi's concert programme for this gig.

• "Black'n'Blue" show # : [ Black Sabbath Headlined ]

Huge outdoor show at a race track - Sabbs closed...

This was the debut of the BOC black powder loaded concussion cannons. It was discovered if they weren't placed at least 5' apart, the shock wave would set the others off.

I first saw BOC on the Black and Blue tour back about 1980 at the Rockford Speedway in Rockford IL. Whoever was in charge of the grounds decided it would be a good idea to sell beer in Tupperware containers with the lid on it.

Molly Hatchet was the opener and by the time they left the stage, everyone was tossing the beer lids in the air and at the stage. I mean there were thousands of these things flying around.

BOC took the stage and the lid-tossing got even worse. People weren't throwing them at the band, just in the air like they toss beach balls at baseball games. Anyway, in the middle of Lips In The Hills, Eric said " Hey, don't throw that bullshit around. If you're gonna toss something this way, throw a joint or two." About two dozen joints came flying at the stage almost immediately and Buck said " Thank you."

Course, these were back in the days when everyone was just a little more relaxed about pot smoking. This was also when they were still doing the " Five Guitars" and Eric would ride a Harley onto the stage for the encore of " Born To Be Wild."

BOC was red hot that day and much of the crowd didn't even stay to see Black Sabbath. They knew there was no way they could top the Cult's show. Ever since then, I see them every time they come to town. They are not the arena-size band they once were, but you will never see a better concert.

Anyone who has seen them comes away amazed. I've never seen them do a bad show. Hope you get to see them soon.

I was at the 8/17/1980 Rockford Speedway show, and my lysergic inebribriations notwithstanding, I know without a doubt they played Unknown Tongue, Black Blade, 5 Guitars Mach III (Golden Age theme) DFTR and Born to be Wild.

My only Black & Blue show was at the Rockford Speedway (Illinoiz). I remember camping out there the night before, getting totally drunk, and tossing a string of lit firecrackers in the back of Commander Twit's car while he was trying to have sex with his girlfriend. He wasn't too happy. Sorry Art.

Oh yeah, BOC was there, and they were great (even have the bootleg thanks to my buddy Redcap), and Black Sabbath was there, and they sucked because they were sans Ozzy.

• "Black'n'Blue" show # : [ Black Sabbath Headlined ]

Minneapolis Minn. - Sabbs closed

I remember going to this concert, but I don't remember Shakin Street.

Brian Wilson opened as a solo act and was booed off the stage. I don't remember many warm up bands, but I will never forget this because it was just so wrong! Brian Wilson was a big name, but completely the wrong genre to open for Black Sabbath and Blue Oyster Cult.

Anyone got any info on this? It seems a bit unlikely... I wasn't there of course, so I can't say for sure - I mean, it's not impossible that a solo Brian Wilson was on the bill.... just rather unlikely...

Well I WAS there and I can categorically state that Brian Wilson never opened that show OR any other for BOC during the time I spent working for the band... Jan & Dean, Chubby Checker... but not Brian Wilson...

• Intended "Black'n'Blue" show - [ Black Sabbath fired their drummer Bill Ward and cancelled ]

Sabbs Fired Bill Ward and did not appear... we used their lights too and played a long set...

Lets see here... I distinctly remember cruising down I-25 from Ft. Collins and hearing the DJ on the radio saying there was good news and bad news about the show. The bad news was Black Sabbath wasn't showing up. Bummer! But the good news was BOC was doing a double set! Even freaking better! Hell, I never really got into Sabbath anyways.

I was only 20 years old at the time, and drugs and fast women were the only thing on my mind. McNichols arena in Denver was a large venue. Probably held 15,000 people. Our seats were to the right of the stage, above stage level not more than 50 feet away. Excellent seats.

As far as a setlist, I cant remember. I do recall Eric riding out on the stage on a Harley with a red headlight and the band did Born to be Wild, which was much better than anything I ever heard Steppenwolf do.

It was a helluva show, and everyone rocked hard. I recall the 5 guitars and the boys had mirrors on the back of their guitars to reflect off the spotlights.

The only other thing I recall about that night was the brawl I got into because some racist latino made a remark about my 'On your feet or on your knees' t-shirt I was wearing at a local fast-food joint. We both went to jail, but he was the one with the black eyes and bleeding all over the place.

I was at that show, too. Sabbath cancelled, for some reason (and I was SOOOO happy about that!) so BOC picked up the slack. (even happier!)

The reason for the double set was the departure of their drummer Bill Ward... I remember it looked really cool too cause we used all of their lights and effects as well as ours...

• Intended "Black'n'Blue" show - [ Black Sabbath cancelled - presumably they were lacking a drummer... ]

Sabbs were no-shows the next day in Salt Lake as well...

We almost were no-shows also, as our band gear truck had probs and showed up just as we were about to make a go of using Sabbs stage gear...

I remember the chain link fence used as a barricade and tons of people smushed up against it.

It wasn't pretty... outdoors at a dragstrip wind constant around 20, gusting to 40 plus and lots of sand in my eyes all day...

Ahhhh the glory of rock and roll...

8/22/80 - The unknown drag strip was known as Bonneville Salt Flats. Sabbath was slated to play that one, but was forced to cancel due to Bill Ward's departure.

Bonneville Salt Flats is where they do the World Land Speed Runs... it's near Windover Utah... about 120 miles west from Salt Lake... this Dragstrip was/is in Salt Lake and is called something else...

Sabbs were not there, but BOC played (we even used some of Sabbs gear, cause our truck was late and theirs was there... I don't guess they ever knew...)

Sabbs did not play Denver the night before either...

I saw Blue Oyster Cult at the Bonneville Raceway. They were warming up for Black Sabbath. Sabbath didn't show up so BOC did a second set.

We had a thunderstorm halfway through it and they had to stop. Being Mormons, we all thought God caused the rain because he was angry.

• "Black'n'Blue" show #

Outdoors in stadium with Sabbs - I THINK they closed...

It was later called the "Summer beat up festival" due to roving gangs of Samoan punks finding lone houli kids to beat the shit out of. We had a week off to enjoy Oahu before the show. I had a great time renting a motorcycle and going all over the island every day. Didn't see much of the rest of the crew that week. They were all just hanging around the hotel. The lighting system was suspended by a huge crane.

I did this festival three times. Twice with BOC, 80 and 81. Once with Foreigner, 82. Each time there was a week off to enjoy the place. I ran into Shenck at the hotel in 82.

I'm not sure if you'd classify this first one as a "best" or "worst" show. I guess it would depend on your point of view, and whether I was part of the show or not. For me, it was a great first concert experience. For my general health, it was devastating. From what I remember of the show, it rocked. I got rocked pretty severely too... Let's call it my best:

Summer Blowout 1979: with Black Sabbath (featuring Ronnie James Dio) on their Heaven and Hell tour; Blue Oyster Cult; and Molly Hatchet. This took place at the Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii where I was born and raised Œtil age 17. At 12 years old, this was a huge deal.

We got to the parking lot at about 9am. Since the concert didn't start until 2pm, we had a lot of time to enjoy the tailgate parties. I was the youngest in the gang. Scott and Suzanne were 17, John was 15, and the rest of the group ranged somewhere between those years. I got to go Œcuz I was pretty cool in their eyes, having surfed and skateboarded since age 8 and having turned them on to a lot of this kind of music (Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Scorpions, etc.) We all went in Scott's parents' station wagon (wood paneled sides, metal dash, electric windows, 7 miles to the gallon).

My first and last memorable encounter was Junior, a 17-year-old private first class in the US Army. He had a bottle of cheap Whiskey (may have been a blended Scotch or possibly a Bourbon). Anyway, he thought it was pretty impressive that I chugged half the pint in one go. No, I wasn't an alcoholic, and I hadn't ever been drunk, aside from the time I was 5 and found a half-gallon of Egg Nog that my dad made in the fridge. How was I to know he had spiked it with rum or something? That was a cruisey buzz. He came home from work to find me laying on my back on the living room carpet just spacing at the ceiling with a big fat grin on and the most euphoric feeling rushing through my body.

Of course, Junior's whiskey went straight to my head and the next thing I knew, I was stumbling around the perimeter of Aloha Stadium desperately looking for my friends. We had General Admission tickets for the floor, so there was no way I was gonna find them. Fortunately, I ran into Suzanne who I begged not to leave me. I think she understood, cuz she became my guardian, and I, her liability. Somewhere between Junior and Suzanne, I had smoked a joint (first time doing that), so I was spinning hard core and could barely walk.

By the time we found everyone on the floor, we had missed Molly Hatchet and Blue Oyster Cult was mid show. I guess Ronnie's Montrose's new band Gamma had opened as well. Missed that too. I distinctly remember the huge mechanical Godzilla Monster blowing flames out it's nostrils while Eric Bloom of BOC tried to catch the sun with a mirror on the back of his SG for the purpose of blinding people with it. That was not cool. Neither was the fact that the promoters didn't take into consideration that the temperature of the stadium floor on the dark green board surface they dropped over the turf to protect it had reached 110 degrees in the mid day sun. Every 5 minutes or so, I collapsed to "boot" all over the place. They'd lift me up each time this happened and shove another piece of plywood under me to cover the vomit. Pretty soon, I had my own 3-foot stage and was able to see pretty well. Years later, they learned that people like to be soaked with fire hoses.

By the time Black Sabbath roared onto the scene, I was pretty sober and severely dehydrated. Nonetheless, I was amazed. It was LOUD too. Not like the pussy-assed concerts they have nowadays. This was serious rock. If you didn't come to rock, then get the fuck out! I couldn't believe how cool Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath guitarist) was and how that raging voice came out of little Ronnie. They were my heroes for life.

I came home to a nice scene with my mom and dad hanging out in the kitchen, asking me if I had a good time. They must have seen my shirt caked with vomit and smelled the stench emanating from my mouth and pants. I was a sight. I think it was pretty early too, like 9pm. I went straight to bed, not even getting a bath. I was way too tired and wanted to revel in this great moment for a while longer.

Phoenix AZ - Outdoors at a baseball stadium - Make up for rain out on 7/25

I went back and now recall that the make-up date was September 3, 1980 at Veterans Memorial Coliseum (indoor arena where the NBA Phoenix Suns played their games). The only act that opened up was Shakin' Street.

It was a Wednesday show, remember that because I had just started my Freshman year of college at Arizona State University and it was in the middle of the school week. Shakin' Street was pretty much boo'd off the stage after only 2 or 3 songs...

Visit Mark's vegas4boc site...

San Bernadino CA - Fairgrounds show with AC/DC - I have noted in book - Last outdoor show of season - Thank God!!

The Swing auditorium was on the grounds of the Orange County Fairgrounds... Swing was the site of a very historic Jimi Hendrix show where a section of the arena floor collapsed and injured many people... it was destroyed in the late 80's when a business jet (Lear, etc) crashed into it...

Bands HATED that place as the load in was a bitch and there was NO room on a small stage...

This was a "no-lights" day show.... so AC/DC showed up late and played over so we went on in the dark, facing a huge union bill for the overtime... It was supposed to be a "Co-Headline " show... those never seemed to work out...

Hatchett probably did open the show as they were on our tour @ the time....

In the end, we actually punted and paid some union stagehands an outrageous amount of money to run get some gear that they knew a guy had close by... we set up and focused lights from the sides and rear of the stage during the set, paid the Union overtime and had it looking fairly decent by the end of the show...

The band and management swore we would NEVER appear on another show with them... and we didn't... until Donnington...

AC/DC Molly Hatchet and BOC. Angus was fresh and new. He BA'd the crowd.

Albert and joe were still there and Eric road his Harley out for Born to be wild. Festival seating. We were way up front. My girl didn't pee for 12 hours!

Well as you can see from BlueSkyBag's stub above, the original date for this gig seems to have been 25 August. However, Sam's diary leaves no room for doubt that this gig took place on 8 September.

Some Sabbath sites also have Black Sabbath as being on the bill, but this was not the case.

Incidentally - George Geranios has written some interesting notes on the recording of this show for the KSAN simulcast - click here to read it.

Old Waldorf - 2 shows, 2nd was broadcast...

There would have been two shows at the Old Waldorf, one earlier that evening at 8:00pm, and the one represented by my ticket stub at 11:00. That's the way the Old Waldorf used to operate, two shows per night, as it was a rather small nightclub.

Black Sabbath most certainly never played the Old Waldorf however, either with or without BOC on the bill.

• "Black'n'Blue" show # : [ Blue Oyster Cult Headlined ]

Sabs drained the audience coming on first. BOC had a lot of feedback issues...

I remember the cops calling me up telling me they had an arrest warrant out for me that afternoon. Nothing would have ruined that night though.

I have a bootleg of the sabbath set from that night. The comments around the taper were: "Where's Ozzy?", a lot of "fuckin asshole" which I think was directed at RJD. And a comment after about an hour of the set saying "Dude this is gonna be a long fuckin concert man".

Naturally, after the pyro on the song Black Sabbath, and the explosions and a lot of narcotics, it felt like it was time to go home. When the lights went up between sets it looked like a smoking war zone.

I don't know if it was just us or BOC, but everything seemed kind of draggey. I've seen BOC at the New Haven Coliseum touring with Rainbow, I think Molly Hatchett and a couple of other bands who I don't remember. Those shows were great.

I read about the feuding going on between the bands. Was it the bands or the roadies or both?

I can't speak with any degree of authority - I wasn't there - but my impression is that a lot of the trouble seemed to stem from the fact that Sabbath did NOT seem to want to support BOC - it was SUPPOSED to be a co-headline tour, with them alternating the headline slot, but Sabbath - apparently - just didn't want to play ball and devised a whole series of shenanigans to ensure that there would be problems when BOC DID headline...

Sabbath were the bigger band, of course, so you can sort of understand their attitude a bit, but what they failed to realise is that those shows are supposed to be about the fans - and if you start delaying so that the other band goes on late and plays short - maybe with scaled back FX, lights etc - then it's the fans who are being short-changed.

• "Black'n'Blue" show #

As it always was, no pyro...

• "Black'n'Blue" show #

I saw this Black and Blue tour date on sept 21 1980 at springfield civic center. BOC was sooooo great way better than Sabbath and Sabbath was very good anyhow!!!!!

Westwood Mass - some military school with 100 little boys for Stage Hands... Jacko would have loved it...

Poughkeepsie NY - Fought a gallant battle with the case for the grand piano... lost said battle... got 12 stitches over my eye

Here is where I slightly scorched the ceiling above the ETI flash pots I think...

The Hudson Valley NY has always been a huge BOC area, they used to play MHCC in Poughkeepsie in the late 70s/early 80s at least twice a year. It was usually soldout and a wild time.

For years, they had flashpot burns on the MHCC ceiling from the pyrofx during ETI in 9/80.

Wilkes Barre PA - Nat Guard armoury - Big Riot outside, I tussled with Singleton inside... Schenk arrested...

• Intended "Black'n'Blue" show: [ Black Sabbath cancelled ]

Binghampton Ny - same old place...

Hottest Buffalo wings on the planet from pub nearby...

• "Black'n'Blue" show # : [ Black Sabbath Headlined ]

Kansas City - Sabbs closed

Wish I could say I saw you at the Kansas City 1980 show but... I was the kid on the 15th row with the doobie rolled outta 30 papers and attached to foot long 'stats (not to be confused with the guy on the 7th row that had that 3 foot bong.) Helluva show, man! We tore those seats apart good didn't we!

I drove over from Ft. Riley KS for this show. My seat was in the rafters. I was so far from the stage I couldn't even see Sam Judd, so he didn't flip me off for this show.

It was a great show, nonetheless. I was glad BOC opened because I had to get back to the base. I didn't stay for the Sabs.

Lotsa stuff from CE. Opened with Dr. Music.

• "Black'n'Blue" show # : [ Black Sabbath Headlined ]

St.Louis Mo. - Sabbs closed- abbreviated version of Zilla assembled Xperimentally (we had him cut down 1/2 the size he was at the New years show so we could put him in a truck and use him every night)

Was this before or after I was ordered to amputate Zilla's arms? I know I did this chop at See Factor, but was it before the 1981 tour or sometime during this one???

It looks like I now began making an entry on the date of either a cult logo or a cross for sabbs denoting who was closing (this meant several hours difference in when I had to wake up and when I would be done...)It looks like the dates where I made neither note, that it was just a BOC show (no sabbs)

Sabbath had the cross. It was a production add-on during the tour.

On 9/30/1980 At the Checkerdome in St. Louis, Missouri, the order the bands played was as follows:

1. Whitford, St. Holmes [Brad Whitford (Aerosmith) & Derrick St. Holmes (Ted Nugent)]
2. Blue Oyster Cult
3. Black Sabbath

I'm positive Whitford St Holmes was the opening band. Concerts in this area always tend to have started at 8:00 pm local time. The Black & Blue show that night started at 7:30 to allow for another act... What was different about this night is that it didnt end until 1:00 am in the morning. BOC took the stage about 8:45 that night and didnt finish until 11:00.

Never seen a show where any band played longer than the headliner before. I'm not aware if they were on a co-headliner tour or not. But for some reason it ended up backwards that night... my suspicions are, is that Sabbath was late for the gig?? It was a great night no matter what order the bands came in. Ronnie James Dio did a fine job with the Sabbath tunes they just didnt play long enough...

On 30 Sep 1980 Gulliver (of "Ridin' The Wind" fame) was the opening act before BOC, not Whitford St. Holmes, so IF Whitford/St. Holmes played then they were the second act of that night.

This concert was the loudest I have ever attended. During the break before BOC performed, the music being played was "Scorpions - The Zoo", which the soundman cracked up to concert level, so when BOC came on the P.A. system was close to full blast and it stayed that way for both BOC & Black Sabbath sets!

Didn't Whitford St. Holmes play this gig at all then?

I remember Gulliver playing as the first/opening act, so IF Whitford/St. Holmes played then they were the second act of that night.

This concert was the loudest I have ever attended. During the break before BOC performed, the music being played was "Scorpions - The Zoo", which the soundman cracked up to concert level, so when BOC came on the P.A. system was close to full blast and it stayed that way for both BOC and Black Sabbath sets!

• "Black'n'Blue" show # : [ Black Sabbath Headlined ]

Chicago ill. - Sabbs closed...

Hi there love your site! It's really cool to see fans from another part of the world who dig B.O.C. just as much as we do in the states.

At any rate Black&Blue 1980 October 1 Chicago, the first warm up act was called Black Cat (they were pretty bad) then Cult, then Sabbath. Most of the crowd left about halfway through Sabbath.

Chicago is definitely a B.O.C. city!

• "Black'n'Blue" show # : [ BOC Headlined ]

Pittsburgh Pa - BOC closed - I believe we used zilla that night as well...

The Pittsburgh show lasted until 2:45 a.m.

The local promoter was fined 1000 dollars for playing past curfew of midnight. That was the policy back then for show played in downtown believe it or not.

1. Saxon 7:45-8:30
2. Sabbath 9:30-11;30
3. BOC 12:45-2:45 am

The bad blood between the 2 groups was really starting to get heated at this time with Sabbath playing a half hr longer than they were suppose to... Of course of OysterBoys no matter how late matched that 2 hr set...

Sabbath's crew was working in slow motion tearing down their equipment. I saw a couple of BOC crew members get pissed and started unloading Sabbaths gear as well, thus pushing back BOC even furthur to coming on.

Great show!

This was another killer BOC show I attended. Another year, another hockey barn to see my all-time favorite Oyster Boys on their Cultosaurus Erectus Tour. At the time I was living in New Jersey, not far from Atlantic City. My girlfriend and 3 of my best friends all drove to Philly in my 1970 Pontiac Bonneville to see Buck and The Boys blow us away. It was even better than I expected. I had 3 hits of acid with me. Thinking this was going to be a religious experience, I dropped 2 hits and gave the other to my girl. It turned out to be beyond religious! Awesome show!

I'm sure they opened with "Dr. Music", always a great opening song. "Cities On Flame" was killer! I will always remember Buck playing that 16th-note riff during the first solo (same riff as the one in "Diz-busters"). It's etched in my mind forever. Also loved the swirling echo solo before the end boogie part, where Buck stops and stretches his fingers. I always loved that part!

The acid was kicking in pretty strong by this time but I managed not to lose it. I was completely tuned in to the sounds. Inside of them, even. "Black Blade" was just great. Even though they had dropped the laser show the previous year, the light show was still spectacular. "Godzilla" of course was full of strobe light madness and a killer drum solo from Albert (him and Neil Peart are my two fave drummers of all time) complete with the giant Godzilla blowing out smoke. Too cool for words!! Great bass solo from Joe Bouchard. I gotta tell ya, I still love BOC to this day and never miss them, but I still wish the Bouchard Brothers were in BOC. In my mind that is where they belong. Still hoping for that reunion.

Anyway, the show had many more highlights like "Divine Wind" complete with roadie donning an Ayatollah Komieini mask and guitar, flipping off the audience and Eric Bloom. It would be so funny if they did that song today and used the current Iran leader's likeness or Osama. It seems that song is just as relevant today, wouldn't you say? Other great songs followed such as "ETI" "Unknown Tounge" "Hot Rails To Hell" and "ME-262". The 5 Guitars this time was the Mark III version which was "Golden Age Of Leather". Magnificent. The encore was of course my all-time fave "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" and "Born To Be Wild" with Eric doing that Harley thing he does so well. Also dug the chainsaw guitars. That was always an amazing thing to see.

This show was great for me because of the fact that a year earlier I saw the "Mirrors" tour at the same Philly Spectrum and was a little disappointed that BOC lacked the energy of the very first time I saw them (Buffalo, March 1978). Rainbow actually opened for them during this "Mirrors" show and they really gave BOC a run for their money. Ritchie Blackmore was ON FIRE that night (Sorry, Buck).

So, this 1980 performance was indeed redemption at the highest level. Buck retained his status as my all-time favorite guitar god and BOC remained my number #1 band forever.

Well done!!

By the way, I made it home to New Jersey without incident, still peaking from those 2 hits and laughing our asses off all the way home. Killer Times!! Long Live BOC

• "Black'n'Blue" show # : [ Black Sabbath Headlined ]

Detroit Mi. - Sabbs closed

• "Black'n'Blue" show # : [ Black Sabbath Headlined ]

Indy IN - Sabbs closed

Blue Oyster Cult - October 8th, 1980 - Indianapolis, Indiana @ Market Square Arena

Other Bands: Black Sabbath. Regarding your in inclusion of Shakin' Street: I don't recall any warm-up band playing this gig...

Band Performance Order:

1. Blue Oyster Cult
2. Black Sabbath

I was VERY scared that evening. A gigantic Godzilla monster towered over the stage and the crowd. It had spooky red, glowing eyes and was breathing out smoke and fire.

I had a dumbass attack and sneaked past security to get backstage for some pictures during the encore by Black Sabbath. Unknown to me at the time I sneaked into the roped off area reserved for the pyrotechnics and percussion bombs. I almost lost my hearing that evening when everything started blowing up around me. I only got to snap one picture before the minefield exploded all around me (check out the comments by Mike Singleton from the October 18th show. Ha!)

So - did Shakin' Street play this show?

I was at this show. Black Sabbath was supposed to headline but there was some kind of mix up. There was an opening act. Then an hour break and Black Sabbath came on. Then another hour break and BOC came out.

I remember this very distinctly. It was a school night and I lived about 1 hour away. I went with a friend who was also a big BOC fan. We were going to leave during Black Sabbath if they played last.

Since BOC came on last we had to stay until the show was over. The crowd got very rowdy during the long breaks between bands. I still have the ticket stub somewhere.

OK - Dave's post suggests Shakin' Street did play - but his contention that BOC headlined contradicts Twilight's post above. Plus Sam reckons Sabbath closed also.

Can anyone else who saw this gig chip in here?

• "Black'n'Blue" show # : [ Black Sabbath Headlined ]

Milwaukee Wi. - Sabbs closed - BIG time riot after Geezer was hit with a Heinekin bottle and they left the stage on the 2nd song (I was in the basement of the building showering and it sounded like the building was being destroyed...when the noise died down I came upstairs to find almost like Hiroshima...)

I think every emergency vehicle in Milwaulkee was outside the arena at some point. I have pictures (back in Atlanta ???)

The bands, the audience and Arena officials never expected the event to live up to its name - the 'Black and Blue Concert.'

But shortly after a bottle sailed out of the audience and struck (Black Sabbath) band member Geezer Butler on the head, The Blue Oyster Cult-Black Sabbath concert at the Arena Thursday night did just that . . .

(Responding to the incident, Black Sabbath quit the stage after three songs.) Suddenly the crowd reared in anger and became a mob. At first, just a few people overturned a set of chairs, while others raised their fists and egged them on... But within minutes, others started kicking their chairs and ripping out seat cushions. Then iron arm railings were pulled out and tables were toppled...

When objects started flying at the stage, then randomly around the Arena, some in the crowd started leaving. As they left, many overturned trash cans and smashed lights, windows and glass doors. . . . By the time police arrived in full riot gear about 11:40 p.m., the Arena's seating area was totally cleared."

• "Black'n'Blue" show # : [ BOC Headlined ]

Louisville KY - BOC closed - Fairgrounds? I believe Freedom Hall is the place downtown... this place was a HUGE shed type place at a fairgrounds... we definitely closed and a Topless girl rode out on the Harley with Eric

You remember that??? I think this was also the date LeeAnn rode the bike out with Eric on stage quite bare breasted... a very nice sight indeed. I have the picture (back in Atlanta ???)

• Scheduled as "Black'n'Blue" show - no Sabbath?

Love your BOC site. I attended this show and have some information regarding it. It was my first Blue Oyster Cult show (I was 16 at the time) and to say it was awesome is literally an understatement. Now a lot of people are not too fond of the Mirrors album (I had it on 8-track if you can imagine) but for me it was the BOC album I cut my teeth on so when they opened up with Dr. Music I was on my feet.

I'm not sure of the exact playlist after that but they were promoting Cultosaurus Erectus so we got to hear a lot off of that album (one of my favorites as I think the album is very cohesive both with its music and lyrics). The play list was very similar to the show in Minneapolis though there may have been some substitutions.

1. Dr Music
2. ETI
3. Lips in the Hills
4. Unknown Tongue
5. Cities On Flame
6. Marshall Plan
7. Hungry Boys
8. Divine Wind
9. Me262
10. Hot Rails To Hell
11. Black Blade
12. Godzilla
13. 5 Guitar Medley
14. Born to be Wild
15. (Don't Fear) The Reaper

The highlights for me were when they played Divine Wind and one of the boys came out looking like the freakin' ayatollah and Eric "attacked" him. Also loved Marshall Plan (Who is the mysterious Suzy we keep hearing about in BOC songs?) and Black Blade.

The highlight was when all of the guys were out playing guitar, even Albert. The encores was either Born to be Wild or Roadhouse Blues, I'm not sure exactly which one and they finished with DFTR.

Black Sabbath Did not play on this date. They appeared in Toledo a week earlier on Oct. 4, 1980 with Dio on singing duties. That too was a great show. Saxon opened up for them.

As for an opening act for the BOC show - I can't recall if there was one or who it may have been.

• "Black'n'Blue" show # : [ Black Sabbath Headlined ]

Cleveland Oh. - Richfield Coliseum - Sabbs Closed...

• "Black'n'Blue" show # : [ Black Sabbath Headlined ]

Buffalo NY - BOC closed...

This was one of the Black and Blue series with Sabbath. The only thing I really remember of the show was the giant 50 foot Godzilla with red eyes that lit up from behind a cloud of smoke and pyrotechnic effects. Totally blew my young mind away. I was 15, and went with a couple neighborhood friends. Awesome stuff.

The Cult are playing in my town again this coming 12 January 2007. Maybe I will write a review or snag some digipix if they allow it.

I was at this gig and I can assure you that Sabbath - not BOC - closed/headlined the show. I remember how disappointed I was when BOC come on stage second. This may be another one of those gigs where Sabbath was running late because there were very long delays between bands.

We were 7th row floor for BOC and when Sabbath took the stage the volume was so loud, we moved as far away from the stage as possible. As usual, in my eyes at the time, BOC could do no wrong... they sounded great. Ears were ringing days later...

Is this feud between Sabbath and BOC summarized/documented anywhere? Sounds very interesting.

Also, do you have any photos of BOC tour buses or aircraft used while on tour? Any close-up or promotional photos of Albert's drum kit used in the 70's?

The most vivid memory I have of this gig was two dudes holding up a "Fuck Iran" sign that Eric acknowledged during his introduction to Divine Wind.

• "Black'n'Blue" show # : [ Black Sabbath Headlined ]

Largo MD - Cap Center - Sabbs Closed

Although the gig was videoed, I don't think any footage from Cap Center was used in "Black and Blue"... that is a place where they had BIG video screens and there was always video of the band shot there (there's even a DVD for sale of the band there in 77 or 78... the audio on it unfortunately is very bad as no multi-track was made)...

A video shoot was quite a hassle for us crew types as many things had to be done differently and I remember none of this happening there... I'll ask Rick Downey... he edited the damn thing...

• "Black'n'Blue" show # : [ Black Sabbath Headlined ]

Rochester N.y - Sabbs Closed

• "Black'n'Blue" show # : [ BOC Headlined ]
• "Black and Blue" movie video shot

Nassau County Coliseum - BOC closed - Shot "Black and Blue" movie footage...

After seeing BOC in earlier the year at Asbury Park in August I was very excited about seeing BOC with Black Sabbath. I loved both bands - but BOC more. I remember I wasn't to thrilled when I found out Ozzie wasn't there...I hadn't heard he was gone.

Anyway, I had bought a very expensive SONY portable stereo cassette deck earlier in the year JUST to tape concerts so I took it to the gig. When Shakin' Street cam out I set all my equipment up but didn't tape them; honestly wasn't expecting another band anyway.

I was excited to see all the filming equipment there (they were filming the Black and Blue movie) when Black Sabbath came on. I enjoyed the Black Sabbath show but thought the new guy (Dio) sucked. It's just not anywhere near the same without HIM. Anyway, I was there to see BOC!

BOC did not disappoint. Eric waited until after ETI to announce they were filming the show and "you might see it someday... somewhere". Overall, I thought the show was awesome but a little subdued...I think they were concentrating more on the music and the stage show for the camera (see my review of Madison Square Garden 18 October 1980!)

The show was killer none-the-less! The crowd went nuts when they did Divine Wind and Eric started busting on Iran. I think the highlights of the show were Black Blade, ETI, and the 5 guitars...I don't know why it all didn't make the movie... Does anyone got the outtakes from the flick? Long story short: They ble