Bye Bye Boring Bank?

I just got a call from a head-hunter about an administration and development job. My initial reaction is, "Sorry. I'm in a contract." But then he tells me the name of the company, Azure Dynamics and I'm thinking, "Hmmm, why do I know that name?" Then he starts telling me about the company. It's an engineering company that develops gas/electric hybrid technology that recently spun off the research lab where I used to work. I know the vice-chairman of the board of directors and the senior engineer from my old job. The systems they want to support will wholly or in part based on things that I wrote.

So here is my decision: do I stay at the boring fucking job for the giant evil bank, full of dismal corporate sloths, where I am peon in a grey cubicle; or do I take a job with a cutting edge engineering company that creates meaningful world-changing technology, full of excited, practical and interesting engineers, where I would have an office, brand new equipment and be running my own show? Gee, tough call !

Another aspect of this that my old boss at BCRI is involved in the hiring process. This would be the man who threatened to quit if I was laid off from BCRI. This is the man who hired me on to his own company the day I was laid off from BCRI. This is the man who continued to hire me independently after I had a falling out with his partner. I don't know who I can give as a reference because this man is who I usually give out as a reference... then again we've had a couple of personality conflicts as well - but I wouldn't be working for him. It's just a matter of whether he thinks I can do the job.

This is too much. Could I have more "ins" with this job?