The Alice Cooper Thread

[Susan Foreman]

Alice Cooper review - Glasgow OVO Hydro / Is This Music?

"Almost a year to the day, we were in the same room watching mega group Hollywood Vampires play a mixture of covers and hits in a high production spectacle.

Tonight, frontman and legend Alice Cooper is back without the distraction of A List actors to bring us the 'Too Close For Comfort' tour where Glasgow is the first date in the UK leg. We've been promised snakes, monsters, and shock? And we can't wait, frankly.

Alice Cooper kicked off with an explosive one-two punch of 'Lock Me Up' and 'Welcome To The Show', setting the stage for an unforgettable night. The audience barely had time to catch their breath before the band launched into the first of many classics, 'No More Mr. Nice Guy', getting the crowd roaring early on.

Theatrics were woven throughout the set, starting with Alice's dramatic entrance: a massive banner covered the stage as a voice announced that Alice was wanted for crimes in Scotland, asking, "How do you plead?" In true Cooper style, a shadow appeared behind the banner, declaring "Guilty" before Alice ripped through the fabric with a sword and took command of the stage.

From there, the show was a wild ride. 'Under My Wheels' had its final verse tailored for the Glasgow crowd with Alice singing "my Scottish wheels", a change that delighted the audience. Later, during 'Billion Dollar Babies', a confetti cannon showered the venue with money, while 'Snakebite' featured a real live snake wrapped around Alice's neck - we're getting everything we were promised and more.

The horror theatrics ramped up with 'Man Behind The Mask' when a girl invaded the stage, only to have her throat theatrically slit by Alice's henchmen. The chaos continued during 'Hey Stoopid' as a photographer rushed the stage, only to be impaled with a metal pole by Alice himself.

Musically, the show was on another level. A standout was the arena-shaking performance of 'Poison', which sounded massive. Nita Strauss delivered a jaw-dropping guitar solo that left the crowd in awe, followed by equally impressive solos from the rest of the band. A drum solo added to the electrifying atmosphere, showcasing the band's exceptional talent.

Visual spectacle met rock magic again during 'Feed My Frankenstein', with a giant Frankenstein monster parading across the stage. Alice's return in a straitjacket for 'Ballad of Dwight Fry' slowed the tempo down, leading to one of the most shocking moments of the night - Alice's "beheading" during 'I Love The Dead,' executed by his daughter, who triumphantly held up his head.

The main set wrapped up with the political anthem 'Elected', and the encore brought the house down with 'School's Out', featuring a surprise snippet of Pink Floyd?s 'Another Brick In The Wall' and full band introductions. The entire show was an insane blend of theatrical spectacle and masterful rock, proving once again that Alice Cooper remains a legendary force on stage."

[Susan Foreman]

Gig Review : ALICE COOPER: TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT UK TOUR UTILITA ARENA: BIRMINGHAM / Metal Planet Music

"The anticipation was next level; this was it, the moment we'd all been waiting for. Alice Cooper, the godfather of shock rock, was about to hit the stage.

The intro music started, and two figures wearing plague doctor masks walked slowly across the stage, swinging incense as the eerie scent filled the air. The curtain dropped, revealing another giant curtain hung in front of us, a newspaper-style front page from the "English Gazette" emblazoned with the words "COOPER IS BANNED"

Then, with a dramatic flair, Cooper's silhouette backlit against the giant newspaper. Appeared. He tore through the backdrop, arms outstretched, and the crowd lifted the roof off as one huge cheer rang out. The band had launched into "Lock Me Up" from "Raise Your Fist and Yell" (1987), it showed the crowd just what they were in for, this wasn't going to be just a concert; it was going to be a full-blown rock 'n' roll spectacle.

The crowd were on their feet from the get-go, clapping, singing along, and feeding off the electric energy radiating from the stage. Cooper followed up with "Welcome to the Show", a newer track from "Detroit Stories" (2021), and then dove straight into the classics. "No More Mr. Nice Guy" and "I'm Eighteen" were met with thunderous applause, with the audience belting out the lyrics like they'd been waiting all night for this moment. Cooper, now wielding a crutch during "Under My Wheels" prowled the stage like the rock villain we all know and love.

Each song came with its bit of theatre, from the monster-masked roadies to Cooper's ever-changing arsenal of props. The real theatrics began. The hits kept coming; "Bed of Nails" from 1989's 'Trash', followed by the title track of "Billion Dollar Babies" which saw Alice wielding his iconic sword and flinging fake dollar bills into the crowd.

Then came "Snakebite" where, in true Alice Cooper fashion, he draped a live python around his neck and strutted across the stage as if it were the most natural thing in the world. You could practically hear the gasps from those in the crowd who didn't expect it as they watched this surreal, rock-infused horror show unfold, it was classic Cooper on fire.

The crowd roared their approval as the snake slithered around him, and Cooper continued to belt out the lyrics like a man possessed. "Be My Lover", another cut from 'Love It to Death', helping to keep the energy high, when "Lost in America" hit, Cooper cheekily swapped out "America" for "Birmingham" during the chorus, sending the crowd into a frenzy of cheers.

During "The Man Behind the Mask" a crew member dressed as a photographer roamed the stage snapping pictures, only to be dragged off by a roadie holding a knife to his throat, further amping up the horror theatrics. This was further amped up when another photographer ran on stage during "Hey Stoopid" Alice took care of him by running through with the mic stand as the stage cleared to allow Glen Sobel to entertain with a thundering drum solo.

Alice was slumped on the tapping out the beat with his cane. Smoke poured down the steps as the band flung themselves into "Welcome to my Night Mare", complete with rain displayed on the backdrop screen, the band ripped solo after solo as Cooper paraded and thrust his way through this brief interlude.

And then came another one of the evening?s highlights, "Cold Ethyl" Cooper threw a stuffed doll from the stairs onto the stage and proceeded to manhandle it while singing about necrophilia in true Cooper fashion. It was dark and twisted, and yet you couldn't look away. That's the beauty of an Alice Cooper show; he walks the fine line between horror and rock with a master's touch.

Then came "Go to Hell" where Cooper rattled a set of four orange maracas, building up the tension before engaging in a mock whip fight with a Marie Antoinette character, cracking the whip to finish the song.

The classic "Poison" was a huge highlight, with the crowd singing every word from his 1989 hit, superbly lit, the band delivered this one like it was fresh out of the lab. "Feed My Frankenstein" brought one of the night's biggest spectacles, a towering Frankenstein monster who roamed the stage while guitarist Nita Strauss shredded her way through the solo, complete with horsey-style screaming effects from her guitar. The band were absolutely on fire, with each member delivering the kind of musical perfection you'd expect from a rock legend's touring crew.

Cooper introduced "Black Widow" with the help of the haunting voice of Vincent Price booming from the screen behind him, a perfect nod to their long-standing collaboration. Once again, Strauss delivered another blistering solo before the band transitioned seamlessly into "Dwight Fry" in which Cooper appeared in a straitjacket, stumbling around the stage as if truly lost in his deranged character. A ghoul cattle-prodded him as he knelt on the riser before he fought with the Marie Antoinette character, which eventually led him to the guillotine.

The crowd roared as Cooper's head was dramatically "chopped off" with Antoinette parading it around the stage as, ferociously, the band played on.

But of course, Alice wasn't done yet. As the band launched into "I Love the Dead" Cooper's voice echoed through the speakers, his character seemingly speaking from beyond the grave. And then, as if by magic, he reappeared for "Elected" dressed in a white top hat and tails, playing the role of the ultimate showman-politician. Two American flags hung from the steps as he orated to the gathered crowd, adding to the grandiosity of the performance. This was yet another classic from "Billion Dollar Babies" and a perfect lead-in to the encore.

The encore was inevitable; Cooper shouted, "1 More"? And then the unmistakable alarm bells of "School's Out" began, at which the entire arena erupted. Giant balloons bounced around the crowd, and foam blasted from the stage whilst Alice and the band ripped this classic a new one, he was popping balloons with his sword like a mischievous ringleader. The band seamlessly weaved in a bit of Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall", another school-derived anthem, before returning to finish "School?s Out" with the kind of fanfare that only Alice Cooper can deliver.

Before the night ended, Cooper introduced his stellar band - Ryan Roxie on lead guitar, Glen Sobel on drums, Chuck Garric on bass, Tommy Henricksen on lead guitar, a fellow Hollywood Vampire, and finally, introduced as the Queen of guitar, Hurricane Nita Strauss also on screaming lead guitar, along with a special mention of his wife Sheryl Cooper, who had played multiple roles throughout the night. With one last cheeky grin, Alice took off his top hat and, in a classic Cooper moment, he retorted, "And Alice Cooper, played by ..." The rapturous applause and cheers started, and he milked it before shouting "ME!".

From start to finish, this was Alice Cooper at his finest - showmanship, theatrics, and timeless rock 'n' roll. Even after all these years, he's still the king of shock rock, and nights like this prove why his reign will never end. It might have seemed like a pared-back version of his show, but Alice Cooper's performance was simply a masterclass in theatrical rock.

From the opening notes of "Lock Me Up" to the final echoes of "School?s Out", this was vintage Cooper. Even after all these years, he still commands the stage like few others can. The band was tight, the theatrics were on point, and the crowd? They left with their ears ringing and their hearts full. **** me, it was classic Cooper, every bit as good as when I saw him on the "Special Forces" tour back in 1982. Long live the king of shock rock."

[Susan Foreman]

Alice Cooper: AO Arena, Manchester / Louder Than War

"Fresh from the success of his latest album Road, rock icon, pioneer and rock and roll Hall of Fame inductee Alice Cooper is back in the UK for the first time since 2022 on his Too Close For Comfort arena tour. Louder Than War's Natalie Royle caught him at Manchester?s AO Arena.

Cooper was accompanied as always by his long-running live band of Ryan Roxie (guitar), Chuck Garric (bass), Tommy Henrikson (guitar), Glen Sobel (drums) and Nita Strauss (guitar). Alice has said "I only see these guys when we?re on the road. So, I wanted them to be as tight as they are for the show but on all new material. When you have a band this good, I believe in showing it off, and this is my way of doing so". To describe Alice and his band as tight is an understatement - they were so connected and didn't miss a beat - but more on that later.

For this tour, Alice Cooper had promised to bring fans closer to the performance than ever before with four giant video screens, which seamlessly blended the live action with pre-recorded scenes and really connected the audience with the show. Blending his signature theatrical flair with a high-energy performance which belied his 76 years, Cooper opened the show with Lock Me Up which blended into Welcome To The Show. No More Mr Nice Guy was next with Cooper strutting around the stage with his cane. For I'm Eighteen, Cooper was wielding a crutch around the stage and using it as an air guitar and it was clear that he still gets as much enjoyment from performing as ever. Each band member was given their chance to shine and next, we were treated to a showstopping guitar solo from Tommy Henrikson

For Under My Wheels, Cooper changed the lyrics to 'Manchester wheels' which went down a storm with the audience. This was followed by an outstanding solo from female guitarist 'Hurricane' Nita Strauss. Strauss's passion and energy was infectious from start to finish, and as you watched her spin wildly across the stage there was no question as to where she got her nickname from. Classic hit Bed of Nails was a standout moment for me with Cooper's vocals, as well as the sound and connection of the whole band, on top form, not just for this song but for the whole of the show. Cooper is renowned for his shows being more of a theatre performance than your average gig and tonight certainly didn't disappoint. During Billion Dollar Babies, hundreds of green dollar bills were dropped onto the crowd, really connecting the audience to the performance.

For Snakebite the performance took on a new level of intensity with Cooper carrying a live python around his neck. The snake slithered around his shoulders for the duration of the song which perfectly complemented its edgy and provocative nature.

The theatrics were ramped up a notch for He's Back (The Man Behind The Mask) when a fan entered the stage and began taking photos of the band - a man in a mask then proceeded to attack and kill her. After Hey Stoopid there was a sublime drum solo from Glen Sobel, who had the audience complete attention and admiration.

True to Cooper's reputation the show was packed with macabre theatrical elements, which were even more fitting as we approach Hallowe'en. In Welcome To My Nightmare, Cooper appeared on a balcony with a creepy life-size female doll, which he proceeded to throw onto the stage, dance and drag around in equal measure. Similarly during Feed My Frankenstein a gigantic Frankenstein puppet entered the stage, adding to the gruesome atmosphere and making the audience feel almost as if they had stepped into a rock n roll haunted house.

The visuals on the screens were phenomenal throughout and definitely connected the audience to what was being enacted on stage. Before Black Widow Jam there was a video introduction featuring (a much younger Alice) on screen alongside a female black widow spider. Cooper then appeared on stage in a straitjacket for I Love The Dead, and his now infamous guillotine scene where he loses his head and Alice's real-life wife Sheryl makes an appearance on stage and dances with his head.

For Elected the lighting turned a patriotic red, white and blue and the screens were full of 'Alice For President' posters. Cooper declared 'I'm your man' to the audience who were then covered in red, white and blue ticker tape as Cooper thanked the crowd.

The finale, School Out, saw Cooper enter the stage in top hat and tails, along with his trademark cane - which he used to burst the giant (glitter-filled) balloons that were being thrown into the crowd along with a continuous stream of bubbles. Schools Out merged seamlessly into Pink Floyds Another Brick In The Wall, uniting the arena in a singalong that left everyone buzzing long after the final notes.

Cooper then took to the microphone and introduced the "gorgeous creatures" that made up his band, then thanking his "deadly, diabolical, delicious" wife Sheryl, and finally got the audience to cheer for him, feigning modesty and then encouraging them to cheer some more. Cooper then thanked the Manchester audience for being "the audience that you always are", finishing with the lines "its almost Hallowe'en ... and who owns Hallowe'en? So, from all of us to all of you - may all of your nightmares be horrific - goodnight!"

This theatrical rock show, full of classic hits and elaborate stage antics reinforced why Alice Cooper remains a beloved live act five decades on - his ability to transport fans back to rocks glory days while delivering a thoroughly entertaining and theatrical performance is second to none. Catch it while you can."

[Susan Foreman]

Alice Cooper: The evergreen heavy rocker gets intimate / The Telegraph

"At 76, the veteran showman is as flamboyant and as popular as ever, and this Hammersmith Apollo gig yet again hit the bull?s-eye

With both Halloween and a US election looming, it was a doubly auspicious moment for the unstoppable Alice Cooper, now 76, to arrive in London for the first of two relatively intimate shows at the Hammersmith Apollo.

In a brief announcement video released in June, the ever-playful originator of early-?70s "shock rock" launched his latest campaign for the American Presidency - a tradition he has upheld every four years since 1972. The pitch, this time: "I have absolutely no idea what to do, so I should fit right in."

At his ripe age, the controversy-hungry Detroit native born Vincent Furnier still works harder than most politicians. This year, Cooper has been on tour for six months straight, and he and his five-piece band here delivered a minutely drilled 90-minute masterclass in rock theatre, whose costume changes and ghoulish routines may have been scripted half a century ago but still presciently translated to our Instagram age. There was so much eye candy, it was Low Battery for all by the end.

Our dark anti-hero first appeared by bursting through a vast 19th-century newspaper front page with the headlines, "Alice Cooper - Banned in England". Strutting around in a Poldark riding coat brandishing a sword, he roared the inaugural chorus, "If you don't like it, you can lock me up!" (from Lock Me up) but soon followed it with the more inclusive Welcome to the Show from last year's 29th Alice album, Road.

This, though, was to be the only song from the past three decades of Cooper?s music-making, as he instead unapologetically rattled out hits from his early-?70s glory days, and his turn-of-the-'90s MTV-era renaissance. A breathless initial run brought No More Mr Nice Guy, I?m Eighteen - 1971's breakthrough anthem of adolescent frustration, during which the septuagenarian self-mockingly hobbled on a crutch - and an extra-raunchy Under My Wheels, whose meta coda nodded to the Beatles? Twist & Shout.

Fifty-plus years ago, Cooper ground-breakingly fused rock's innocent high-volume thrills with Broadway's theatrical finesse - Black Sabbath meets West Side Story. His contemporary ensemble perhaps reflect more the Guns N' Roses-ish sound of his "hair metal" years, with three Spandex-clad guitarists dispensing widdy-widdly solos. Later-period biggies such as Snakebite (Alice draped with a live boa constrictor), Hey Stoopid and Poison definitely suited them best.

Mercifully refusing to indulge in the 2020's trend of over-emoting between numbers, Cooper instead let his songs' tailor-made drama define the evening's narrative. This culminated with him straitjacketed in chokey for The Ballad of Dwight Fry, duly guillotined, only to return for the macabre necrophiliac sing-song, I Love The Dead.

If this performative ritual's shock value has inevitably diminished through repetition down the years, it soon careered into up-to-the-minute polemical comedy, as the "un-dead" Cooper took to a Stars-and-Stripes-draped rally podium for 1973's Elected. There, the "Yankee Doodle Dandy in a gold Rolls Royce" soon went off-script, proclaiming himself "a troubled man for troubled times", and winding up with a bullying snarl, "Come on, why not me?"

With this evergreen satire on the ego-crazed quest for power, this unwaningly popular heavy rocker hit the bull's-eye once again."

Chloe and I were at last nights show - the final date of the entire tour - and we both had a good time. Rather that put my own review, because the above 'professional' ones probably do it better than I could, I'll just tell you what Chloe (who has never seen Alice live before) said:

It was spectacular. Like nothing she had ever seen before. True rock and roll cabaret. She thought it was a great setlist, and enjoyed all the classics that were played. She liked the snake (which was HUGE) and the FrankenAlice. Enjoyed the 'horror section' (containing a very gory throat slash during 'He's Back' and an impaling during 'Hey Stoopid'). She had to audacity to tell ME that it was Ethyl who was being thrown around the stage! Loved the filmed inserts of Vincent Price. Thought it was strange there were no 'extras' dressed as the Donald and Kamala during 'Elected'. Was disappointed when the show ended - she commented that she "thought it was about 10:00" when it was closer to 11:00 !

[Susan Foreman]

The full concert from the first night at Hammersmith ... until someone takes it down of course !!

[Susan Foreman]

Rhino Records are to release a deluxe reissue of 'Muscle of Love' on November 30th

The new version will feature "previously unreleased tracks & alternate mixes" and will come as a limited edition (3000) 2 disc pink vinyl in the original cardboard box cover (US$39.98)...

...or a three disc CD / Blu-Ray (US$34.98)

The track listing for the vinyl version is:

LP 1

• A1. Big Apple Dreamin' (Hippo)
• A2. Never Been Sold Before
• A3. Hard Hearted Alice
• A4. Crazy Little Child
• B1. Working Up A Sweat
• B2. Muscle Of Love
• B3. Man With The Golden Gun
• B4. Teenage Lament '74
• B5. Woman Machine

LP 2

• C1. Big Apple Dreamin' (Hippo) (Early Version)
• C2. Never Been Sold Before (Early Version)
• C3. Hard Hearted Alice (Alternate Mix)
• C4. Crazy Little Child (Early Version)
• D1. Working Up A Sweat (Alternate Mix)
• D2. Muscle Of Love (Alternate Mix)
• D3. Man With The Golden Gun (Early Version)
• D4. Teenage Lament '74 (Acoustic Diversion)
• D5. Woman Machine (Alternate Mix)

while the CD version is

Disc 1

• 1. Big Apple Dreamin' (Hippo)
• 2. Never Been Sold Before
• 3. Hard Hearted Alice
• 4. Crazy Little Child
• 5. Working Up A Sweat
• 6. Muscle Of Love
• 7. Man With The Golden Gun
• 8. Teenage Lament '74
• 9. Woman Machine

Disc 2

• 1. Big Apple Dreamin' (Hippo) (Early Version)
• 2. Never Been Sold Before (Early Version)
• 3. Hard Hearted Alice (Alternate Mix)
• 4. Crazy Little Child (Early Version)
• 5. Working Up A Sweat (Alternate Mix)
• 6. Muscle Of Love (Alternate Mix)
• 7. Man With The Golden Gun (Early Version)
• 8. Teenage Lament '74 (Acoustic Diversion)
• 9. Woman Machine (Alternate Mix)
• 10. Teenage Lament '74 (Single Version)
• 11. Muscle Of Love (Single Version)

Sadly the Blu-Ray doesn't have a live concert movie - instead it contains the original 192/24 resolution quadraphonic mixes of the original album

The official press release for the album states:

"The definitive version of the band's seventh and final full-length offering encompasses 11 previously unreleased tracks, spanning recently unearthed Early Versions and Alternate Mixes of staple songs.

Additionally, the liner notes feature an in-depth and immersive track-by-track account of the story behind MUSCLE OF LOVE, as told to renowned music journalist Jaan Uhelszki. She spoke extensively to Cooper, guitarist Michael Bruce, bassist Dennis Dunaway, drummer Neal Smith, and additional guitarist Mick Mashbir to compile the most comprehensive discourse on this record ever published thus far.

MUSCLE OF LOVE saw the band double down on their rock 'n' roll roots, delivering an uncompromising body of work buoyed by impeccable playing, massive hooks, and good old-fashioned Detroit grit. Produced by Jack Richardson and Jack Douglas, it cracked the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 and scored a Gold certification from the RIAA. This uncompromising body of work includes the famed title track "Muscle of Love" as well as "Teenage Lament '74," "Big Apple Dreamin' (Hippo)," and "Hard Hearted Alice." It would also be the final album recorded by the original band, and they definitely went out with a bang, to say the least."

As a taster for the additional material, Rhino Records have released a "Acoustic DiVersion" of 'Teenage Lament '74'

[Susan Foreman]

Looks like Alice will be appearing as a 'special guest' to My Chemical Romance in Philly

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Susan Foreman

Looks like Alice will be appearing as a 'special guest' to My Chemical Romance in Philly

That should be good for his cred among the younger audience and get a stadium full of people who probably wouldn't normally go and see him as potential new fans.

[Susan Foreman]

Due to a scheduling conflict for Nita, Orianthi is going to be rejoining Alice for a handful of shows in January and February

A statement from Alice:

"When Orianthi moved on to pursue her own career in 2014, we were lucky to find Nita. Over the past decade, Nita, Chuck and Tommy have also launched their own projects, and we always try to coordinate our schedule so we can keep the band together, but these shows came up after Nita had already committed to another tour. So I reached out to Orianthi, and thankfully she was available to jump back in, so we're all really looking forward to doing these shows with her. I'm so fortunate to always have such great musicians to work with."

[Susan Foreman]

Not sure if this is a one-off or a full tour

More info when I get it

**EDIT** It's a one-off for Alice, but Judas Priest are playing an addition date - July 23 at the Scarborough Open Air Theatre with special guests Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons. These are apparently the only UK dates Priest will be playing next year