Alice Cooper has never played it safe when choosing an opening act for his tours. In the past he’s shared the stage with The Stranglers and Killing Joke to name but two and tonight is no different with UK’s Primal Scream as special guest bringing their intoxicating mix of rock, indie and dance which may sound like an odd choice on paper but it certainly works with “Movin’ On Up” and “Rocks” warming things up nicely.
Few bands have been on the road for as long or as much as Alice Cooper and even fewer still, who perform with the same passion and vigour as they did decades earlier. No one comes to a Cooper show and leaves disappointed. If it’s a big show with lots going on then it’s all here from the huge courtroom stage set, to the monsters and snakes to Halloween’s Jason dispatching an over enthusiastic fan or Cooper impaling a stage intruding photographer and Madame Guillotine herself there’s so much going on, it’s difficult to know where to look.
Then there’s the band. Cooper has always had the knack of surrounding himself with great performers whether the original Alice Cooper Band of Michael Bruce, Neal Smith, Dennis Dunaway and Glen Buxton to the ’80s era of Kane Roberts and Kip Winger to the current lineup featuring the triple guitar assault of Ryan Roxie, Tommy Henriksen and Nita Strauss with Glen Sobel and Chuck Garric anchoring the rhythm section. Every lineup has brought something different to the Cooper table and he thrives on that and feeds off the energy that each new member brings.
Energy is certainly in abundance as band members race from one side of the stage to the other decked in an array of leather, chains and scarves looking every inch the rock ‘n roll troubadours that they are all while Cooper’s twisted, sinister presence holds centre stage.
All of this would be all when and good but without songs it would amount to nothing. Fortunately Cooper has those by the bucketful from the vintage classics of “No More Mr. Nice Guy” to the dramatic “Billion Dollar Babies” and the sleazefest of “Under My Wheels” to “Welcome To The Show” from his latest album Road.
In between there’s hits like “Poison”, “Hey Stoopid” and “Bed of Nails” and the rarely played “Snakebite” replete with his snake wrapped around his neck and the much welcome return of the vintage “Go To Hell”, still sounding super sinister after all these years.
Cooper is the master showman. There’s little if any in-between song banter just a full on visual extravaganza and some of the finest songs every committed to vinyl all ending in the anthem to end all anthems, “School’s Out” complete with “Another Brick In The Wall” section for added impact.
At 76 years old, Cooper is showing no signs of slowing down and indeed seems to grow old disgracefully and is all the better for it. While many of his peers are looking towards retirement, Cooper will undoubtedly be the last man standing.
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