BOUCHARD BROTHERS (Live)

With a host of artists cancelling shows recently there were fears that tonight’s show wouldn’t go ahead, especially as Angel, who were slated to perform, pulled out a few weeks back.

Fortunately, the Bouchard Brothers are made of sterner stuff. They strapped their guitars to their backs and hopped on a plane stepping up to headline the shows with a longer set.

The Bouchard Brothers are of course Joe and Albert Bouchard, the original fabled rhythm section of the glorious Blue Öyster Cult, one of the greatest bands ever to come out of America. Tonight, promised to be a real treat for BOC fans who clamoured to see their heroes up-close and personal in Trillians.

Joined by fellow guitarist and talented graphic artist Joan Levy Hepburn, Joe and Albert delivered an astonishing semi electric/acoustic two hour set crammed full of BOC hits, classics and deep cuts along with some solo songs and covers for good measure.

Kicking off with a couple of stone-cold classics is always a good move and “Cities On Flame” and “Burnin’ For You” more than ticked that box.

A couple of crackers from Joe’s recent American Rocker album, “My Way Is The Highway” with its soaring chorus and the altogether, more sinister “The Hounds Of Hell” certainly fit seamlessly next to the BOC classics.

Albert’s ambitious Imaginos trilogy, with its roots dating back to the ’60s, was well served with “Astronomy” from Re-Imaginos, “Shadow of California” from the recently released Imaginos II: Bombs Over Germany (Minus Zero and Counting) and “ETI” from the next year’s third installment ensuring all the bases were covered.

With Joe in the centre, exuding cool in hat and shades flanked by brother Albert, stomping and bobbing around, clearly relishing being freed from the constraints of his usual spot behind the drums while Joan delivered some tasteful guitar melodies and harmonies on the other flank, between them, they whipped up quite a sonic storm with both Joe and Albert in fine form vocally.

How could they fail with such classics as “Nosferatu”, “Sinful Love” and “The Revenge of Vera Gemini” with Joan taking on Patti Smith’s haunting parts to great effect.

With a couple of shrewd covers to boot including a natty take on Motörhead’s “Ace of Spades” and Roadhouse Blues” by The Doors mixing it with two by Joe and Albert’s group Blue Coupe, which they formed with Dennis Dunaway from the original Alice Cooper band, including the intoxicatingly sinister “Angel’s Well.”

You would have thought that a huge hit such as “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” would have had the crowd singing longer and harder than any others but it was the deeper songs of “Career of Evil” complete with Albert’s friend Suzie on backing vocals and a thoroughly joy inducing set closer “Joan Crawford” sending hardcore fans into delirium.

Review and Photos By Mick Burgess