"The swiftest hours, as they flew"

When I was young, I went to many concerts. Not so much anymore. After an incident (read more here, opens in a new window) I have become unsure of what I actually have seen and heard. In a few cases, I have a ticket or photos to help me remember. Maybe, I was at Konserthuset in Stockholm on October 21th 1975, or maybe I wasn't. I don't remember. Anyway, Blue Öyster Cult played there on their Secret Treaties tour. Heavy metal wasn't highly esteemed in the radical 1970s. Music journalist Mia Gerdin wrote in Dagens Nyheter "A part of the audience, which consisted mostly of young guys, identified themselves completely with the band and its aura of ice-cold strength and equally ice-cold potency. It felt terrifying because it seemed to happen so completely without reservation" (my translation). In hindsight, more of a participant observation in sociology than a review. Blue Öyster Cult's longest-lasting and the most commercially successful lineup included Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser (lead guitar, vocals), Eric Bloom (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards, synthesizer), Allen Lanier (keyboards, rhythm guitar), Joe Bouchard (bass, vocals, keyboards), and Albert Bouchard (drums, percussion, vocals, miscellaneous instruments). Blue Öyster Cult are returning to Sweden in May 2025, 50 years after their first appearance. The band's current lineup includes Eric Bloom and Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser. I like their 1975 live album. The album cover depicts St Paul's Episcopal Chapel in South Salem, New York. The church is an example of Gothic Revival. Obviously, there is a gothic streak in my life. Blue Öyster Cult were never a band in the same division as Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple. Nevertheless, I carved out the BÖC logo (a stylization of the astronomical symbol for the planet Saturn consisting of a hook, bars and a dot) from a piece of wood in craft lessons. It didn't bump up my grades. I got a D in crafts. Rightly so. Time to put on "Then Came the Last Days of May" and to feel unrestrained nostalgic. Time surely flies fast.