Don’t fear the Cult

“I’m steeped in monster movie and science fiction lore,” says Blue Öyster Cult singer/songwriter/guitarist Eric Bloom. “And, you know, we’ve played 4,000 shows, but I don’t think we’ve ever played a drive-in.” The founding member of the band, along with mates Buck Dharma and Alan Lanier, celebrated their 30th anniversary a few years ago and remain as busy as ever. He’s eagerly anticipating playing the Atlanta show at Drive Invasion, especially after being told that the classic Godzilla will be screened following the band’s performance. “It’s the original, I hope,” he laughs.

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“Richie Castellano, our bass player, is 26. His dad is my age, so I’ve sort of adopted him,” Bloom continues. “He loves film. Now, I go back to the classic monster movies, but he’s never seen ‘em! When I was growing up, that’s the stuff you went to see. There was the ‘Monster Movie Matinee’ on Saturday afternoon, stuff they don’t have anymore. But he didn’t know who Boris Karloff was! I said, ‘Oh man, we’ve gotta fill in some slots in your cultural upbringing here!’”

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With Bloom as a guide, Castellano is sure to be a well-informed student. After all, BOC has a three-decade reign as classic rockers and are often cited as an influence by everyone from Metallica to Mike Watt. The group’s music, including the massive hits “Godzilla,” “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” and “Burnin’ For You,” can be heard every day. A few years ago, the band received a new honor as “Saturday Night Live” parodied them with the now-classic “More Cowbell” sketch featuring Christopher Walken and Will Ferrell.

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Bloom was as entertained and more surprised than anyone to find his own band the subject of a comedy bit. “I saw it live,” he recalls by phone from his Long Island home. “Right where I’m sitting, talking to you, is a big TV. I’m sitting here watching ‘SNL,’ like I would do on a Saturday night if I’m off. The bit started and I said, ‘Oh, my God, what are they gonna do to us? Are they gonna tear us a new asshole or what?’ I just sat with my jaw dropped. I was more stunned than amused that they actually used us in a sketch.” The parody coined a popular catchphrase (“I got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell!”) that became a cottage industry with a variety of T-shirts and merchandise. Bloom was so flattered that he offered BOC to be guests on the next week’s show, to recreate it with the real band. “But they passed,” he sighs. “I thought it was a great idea.”

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He shouldn’t worry, though. BOC has passed through generations of fans who continue to support their heroes. “Yeah, they come from all over to the shows. We call those people our ‘seen-ya citizens.’ ‘Hey, man, I seen ya in ‘82, dude.’ We get that all the time. People will come up with a ticket from ‘76, going, ‘This was my first rock show.’”

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BOC’s legacy abounds with tales of rock fans who witnessed one of the ’70s ultimate live bands, complete with laser show, double-album live records and all the overblown production values of the decade. These days, the band offers a more stripped-down presentation, yet it’s the group’s dark, mysterious and pop-based music, often called “intelligent hard rock” that’s cited by fans and critics alike as an incendiary force.

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BOC’s impressive backlog of material continues to be re-released as new technology develops, including an extensive new campaign of deluxe reissues scheduled for fall. “We get a print out of what’s going on with our catalog every six months and Buck sits down with this huge ream of computer paper and reads through it. The last time he went through it, he informed me that we are doing more with ringtones and downloads than we are with album sales so it’s a whole new life. I think we’ll be around for a while.”

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Not that the band takes any of it very seriously.

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“We’re always crackin’ each other up,” he says. The band’s inescapable hit “Godzilla” even began as a joke, he says. “The character Godzilla was a running gag with us. Like, wouldn’t it be funny if Godzilla owned a bar? Come on in and have a monster beer with Godzilla.”

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The recent band photo seen on this page was also comedy-inspired. “That’s us doing the Elaine dance from that ‘Seinfeld’ episode, remember that? That’s what we’re doing there,” he laughs. “Everything with us is a lot of tongue in cheek. It keeps it all fresh, and we’re having a good time.”

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But what about that cowbell? “Jack Secret, a guy in the crew, plays it behind the amps,” Bloom says.