Around 1977 I had the honor to take BOCs Pyrotechnics to the next level. I was a pioneer in the development of indoor fireworks. I was the first to make a firing control box that monitored the status of each effect to assure accurate firing, A company in Alabama incorporated my ideas into their equipment. The Flash Cannon was the biggest innovation to indoor fireworks. With it a small band was able to shoot a ball of fire up and have it explode in a white flash. Indoor aerial effects was unheard of then. We were one of the fisrt to make an indoor water fall effect. Was later to become a trademark for Blue Oyster Cult. We created one of a kind effects such as the laser from Eric's hand exploding the mirror ball over the audience. I also manufactured the 2 componet flash power adding in "stars" that fit the effect we were after.

After I was contracted to do the special effects for BOC, the first thing to do, was to build the flash pots and other effects.  I had been working closely with the Fire Departments at different venues. After seeing what they did not like when inspecting a bands pyrotechnic effects I set out to make the equipment to satisfy them.  The one thing that stood out was things like tin cans for a flash pot.  This did not impress a Fire Marshal at all.  I knew that some of the effects we planned with BOC was going to be huge.  I purposely over-engineered all the equipment.  The wall of the flash pots for instance was almost 2 inches thick.  When all this was loaded into the road case it was a bear to push….  We always got a kick out of seeing the local crews go to push it, thinking it was a normal case….  Sure enough when a Fire Marshal came to inspect what we had for the show, they were impressed at the equipment we had.  And that was job one…  To be allowed to shoot the effects that night.   

Memorable shows:  BOC was used a lot as a closing act because of the pyrotechnics.  They were a darn good closing act, period.  Well we had a show at the Superdome in New Orleans.  I wanted to make a change in the closing waterfall effect.  The devices we were using normally produced the sparks but was weak on thrust.  I changed the gerbs for fixes.  Fixes had a lot of thrust and were used to fill the wall of fire from the floor up.  At the end of the Superdome concert, when we set off the newly designed waterfall effect….  WOW!  It started off as normal…. Then as the thrust built up all the fixes hanging down started spinning and spinning around the rope they were suspended from.  It was wild….  In fact it was born to be wild… 

The best show I had to done was at San Diego Stadium.  This was a special show and the band asked me to do some special stuff for the concert.  One of the things I did was Make up fake speakers out of Styrofoam.  Painted them up to look like real heavy speakers.  When we placed them out on the stage we acted like they were real.  In side each “speaker” was an explosive charge to kick the debris out into the audience.  When it came time to unleash the revenge on the audience it was great.  The audience was all the way up to near the front of the stage.  When the explosion went off the audience parted like the Red Sea…..  It was fantastic.  

People on the light and sound boards were all excited how good it was.  Well after the concert I was all excited to see Eric and the other band members to get their reaction.  Things were not cool…  I believe I had been working with Rick Downey on the effects.  Well the band did not get word of the new effects.  Alan was all upset I had scared him to death and his hearing was gone….Shortly after that concert BOC parted ways.  I never got a reason why.  I just have always assumed it was because of this concert. 

The bottom line is I am very glad to have worked with Blue Oyster Cult. To this day they are one of the biggest feathers in my hat.... Excellant performers/artist...