If there’s one thing you can say of Alice Cooper,
without fear of contradiction, it’s that he gives
good show. Leaving aside his gore-pumped cavalcade
of theatrical shlock horror to come, Alice never
scrimps on supports. Clearly confident in his ability to
outflank any performer alive, he’s unafraid to follow
bands who might easily headline arenas on their own
merits. Boasting a similar dynamic to the ‘07 UK leg of
the Psycho-Drama tour – where the master showman
topped a triple bill featuring Motörhead and Joan Jett
& The Blackhearts – the Ol’ Black Eyes Is Back show
has grizzled, hit-heavy Brit crowd-pleasers as an
appetiser and a bona fide left-field American legend
as an adrenalin-pumping aperitif.
Of course, there was a time when Alice Cooper
would have supported the MC5, but those days are
a good half-century in the past and both original
quintets are reduced to a single surviving member. In
the case of MC50 (a numerical nod to both
reinvention and longevity) guitarist Wayne Kramer
stands as keeper of the band’s unquenchable flame.
Backed by a cannily chosen conglomeration of alt.
royalty (Faith No More’s Billy Gould, Soundgarden’s
Kim Thayil, Fugazi’s Brendan Canty and be-Afro’dex-Zen Guerrilla frontman Marcus
Durant), Kramer is energy personified.
Coaxing dazzling bomb-bursts of
brilliance from his signature stars ’n’ stripes Strat
across a Kick Out The Jams-based set, Kramer
wins many friends among the predictably partisan
Alice audience.
You wouldn’t want to be The Stranglers under these
circumstances. While uniform black attire, a largely
immovable stoicism by way of ‘stage act’ and a reliable
hatful of hits might go down well on the usual legacy
circuit, sandwiched between ferociously
choreographed exhortations to “Kick Out The Jams.
Motherfuckers!” and an onstage beheading, they
could well fetch up short. But there’s a lot of love for
them among the Cooper faithful, so before you can
say No More Heroes they’ve successfully dragged their
heavily-laden Peaches charabanc to the dizzying
heights of a well-deserved rapturous reception.
At 71, Alice Cooper shows no signs of slowing
down. Over the last decade he’s embarked on 14 tours,
including a three-year jaunt with the Hollywood
Vampires. His fanbase is loyal, so keeping his live show
fresh is essential. Ol’ Black Eyes’ set-list offers morethan a few surprises: Billion Dollar Babies’ Raped And
Freezin’; Constrictor’s He’s Back (The Man Behind The
Mask) complete with murdering psycho; Raise Your Fist
And Yell’s Roses On White Lace – another fresh set-
piece featuring Sheryl Cooper in a blood-drenched
wedding dress and, needing no visuals to accentuate
its musical fireworks, My Stars. There are also only so
many times one can witness a man executed before
questioning the musical means by which he’s earned
his inevitable death sentence. So even Alice’s
despatching’s been re-framed for 2019. The Killer
tour’s Dead Babies is back, but instead of the hanging
handed down in ‘71 for Alice’s baby doll infanticide, our
anti-hero is rewarded with a short, sharp B$B
decapitation. And finally, Cooper’s “oldest friend” (and
original bassist) Dennis Dunaway adds emotional heft
to School’s Out’s traditional reunification of recently
parted head ‘n’ torso at the spectacle’s evergreen
triumphal conclusion.
Old shtick, but good shtick. Another show for the ages.
Ian Fortnam‘Old shtick
, but good
shtic^
k. Another
showfor the (^) age
s.’
Alice Cooper / The Stranglers / MC50
London O2 Arena
Joined by a five-star supporting cast, Ol’ Black Eyes refreshes his
lovable cabaret of gore and glee (on stage beheading included).
MA
RIE
KO
RN
ER
The Stranglers:
‘hit-heavy Brit
crowd pleasers’.
Wayne Kramer:
still (^) kicking out
the jams.
Alice Cooper: ‘confident
in his ability to outflank
any performer alive.’
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