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New tour, new setlist, new production – same unwavering sense of awe as the curtain drops and Alice Cooper maniacally strides to the front of the stage. Can a performer, in his sixth decade onstage, still pull off enough shocks to have even the most ardent Cooper fan gushing “best tour ever”? You better believe your bottom (billion) dollar that he can.
Before the main course, the two starters, and like the previous tour where Cooper brought along The Tubes and The Mission, tonight also featured an eclectic transatlantic mix. First up – MC50. Formed to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the pioneering MC5, the good vibes were so immense that Brother Wayne Kramer has kept the momentum going into year 51. And looking at the stellar line-up who could blame him. Alongside Kramer and his famous stars and stripes Fender are; Kim Thayil (Soundgarden), Billy Gould (Faith No More), Brendan Canty (Fugazi) and playing the role of Rob Tyner – Marcus Durant (Zen Guerilla). It speaks volume for the respect which MC5 and Kramer commands, that Thayil, in general, is playing the role of rhythm guitarist.
As the infamous/famous (delete where appropriate) intro from debut album ‘Kick Out The Jams’ booms out, Kramer bounds onto the stage like a 16 year old kid. Kramer is a whirlwind as he glides across the stage, pulling shapes that even Wilko Johnson wouldn’t attempt. Like Johnson, Kramer also has an ongoing battle with cancer, and if sheer exuberance and enthusiasm could defeat cancer, then Kramer would have it licked. If anyone can beat cancer then it would be the magician known as Wayne Kramer, the prognosis is looking good, and we wish him well in this battle.
If you are familiar with the aforementioned ‘Kick Out The Jams’ then tonight’s setlist would be familiar; ‘Ramblin’ Rose’, ‘Kick Out The Jams’, ‘Come Together’, ‘Motor City Is Burning’…and that’s just the opening 20 minutes. The players look comfortable in a “supporting” role, and how good is it seeing Kim Thayil on stage again?! He possesses the best poker face ever, but now and again a slight grin appears. An effortlessly cool performance from all involved. Right now, it’s time to kick out the jams…motherfuckers!
Perennial favourites on the live circuit, you can rely on an annual tour from The Stranglers, almost as much as a Stiff Little Fingers tour. But where The Stranglers stand out is their ability to mix it up. Greatest hits tours are rotated with deeper cuts tours, requests are made on social media not to spoil it for others by sharing setlists. In a sense, no two tours are the same. Tonight, in front of someone else’s crowd, they go for the crowd-pleasers. And when you avert your gaze from the stage, it’s to watch the spark of recognition from those in the crowd familiar with the music, but maybe not so much with the band. If anyone is in doubt, frontman Baz Warne joyfully reminds everyone who they are watching. There’s also a big bloody backdrop as a visual aide.
The timeless strains of ‘Toiler On The Sea’ kicks proceedings off, and it quickly becomes obvious how crucial JJ Burnel still is. With the exception of Lemmy, it’s hard to think of a bassist with as much in-your-face impact as Burnel. At times, the rumble from his bass shakes the foundations, especially during the monstrous ‘No More Heroes’. Dave Greenfield on keyboards also plays an important role, and the veteran looks like he is having a blast perched high up on his riser, next to drummer Jim Macauley.
It’s one classic after another as The Stranglers show other bands from the Punk era how it’s down. ‘(Get A) Grip (On Yourself)’, ‘Nice ‘n’ Sleazy’, ‘Golden Brown’, ‘Peaches’, ‘Walk On By’, ‘Hanging Around’ are all met with howls of approval by the many hardcore fans grinning like loons. Catch The Stranglers headlining in 2020, it’s a certainty that they will be touring. They make it look easy.
And so to the headliner, as mentioned earlier – new tour, new setlist and new production. It’s one of those conundrums where, you want to shout from the rooftops about everything in the show, but don’t want to spoil it for anyone. But, since we live in the golden age of cellphones, here we go.
This is a dream setlist for both the hardcore, and the casual Alice Cooper fan. A bit like going to the zoo and finding the big 5, you know you’ll get the Cooper staples, ‘No More Mr Nice Guy’, ‘Billion Dollar Babies’, ‘I’m Eighteen’ etc. But Cooper always chucks the hardcore fans a bone or two, and this tour has more than a few. For one, ‘My Stars’ is a welcome addition, especially since it features Cooper atop the turret of his haunted castle, waving a baton like a demented conductor, as Ryan Roxie takes the lead solo a few feet below him.
Then there is the return of ‘Raped and Freezin” complete with Cooper shaking his maracas and waving a red flag at an imaginary bull. Where previous tours saw Cooper in a straight jacket for ‘Only Women Bleed’ (and “killing” his beloved wife, Sheryl Cooper) followed by ‘Ballad of Dwight Fry’, this time both songs are dropped for “Steven’ and ‘Dead Babies’. The killer (pun intended) moment though is the dusting off of ‘Roses On White Lace’ from his “metal” album ‘Raise Your Fist and Yell’.
The ever vivacious Sheryl takes a break from playing “Nurse Sheryl” and goes with some stunning Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) make-up. You want some schlock? Then here comes Jason to dispatch a pesky selfie-taker on ‘He’s Back (The Man Behind The Mask)’, or the huge billion dollar baby coming to life as the set nears its conclusion. Frankenstein is still there of course, as both ‘Feed My Frankenstein’ and ‘Teenage Frankenstein’ are aired throughout the lengthy set.
The pacing of the set is breathtaking, and as usual, Alice doesn’t talk to the crowd until band introduction time. Easily the strongest band of musicians that he has assembled for some time now, the five players are outstanding. Three lead guitarists who each take their moment in the spotlight, although Tommy Henriksen does take a step back as first Nita Strauss, and then Ryan Roxie, both thrill with short solos. Glen Sobel further cements his growing reputation as one of the best rock drummers playing today, and locks into a solo with on-loan bassist Chris Wyse (Cooper regular Chuck Garric is on Beasto Blanco duty) providing atmospheric back-up. As it’s the last night of the European tour, Cooper (now wearing a Welsh football jersey) calls MC50 and The Stranglers onto the stage for a romp through ‘Schools Out’. Large balloons filled with ticker tape and streamers are tossed into crowd, and “party time” ensues.
Make no mistake, Alice Cooper has thrown the rule book out the window and taken some chances with the setlist (no ‘Elected’), the end result is dazzling. Apart from that one time I came home from the ‘Hey Stoopid’ tour covered in fake blood, squirted over me by the onstage executioner as he dangled Alice Cooper’s “severed” head above me, this was the standout Cooper gig in the last four decades of following him. ‘Ol Black Eyes Is Back’? You better believe it.
Review – Dave/Images – Rob Wilkins
