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With the advent of Alice Cooper moving his show into arenas, tonight’s show in Edinburgh was a throwback to the early 2000s, when it was more the norm to catch the ringmaster of the Grand Guignol in smaller, more regal surroundings with more history than the cold and impersonal offerings of a purpose-built arena. With a 3,000 capacity, the Playhouse is the largest theatre in Scotland, and the second largest in the UK (after the Hammersmith Odeon), so it could hardly be called “small“, but in comparison to what Alice is used to in these parts, let’s go with “intimate”. Given the name of the tour, this is Alice Cooper, “Too Close For Comfort”, literally.
Rather ironically, considering tonight’s headliner, the venue is also supposed to be haunted by a ghost called Albert, who, depending on what urban legend you believe, is said to have been either a stagehand who was killed in an accident or a night-watchman who committed suicide.
Preceding a huge show with Judas Priest in London, Alice slotted in two regional shows (Edinburgh, obviously, and Cardiff), and the enviable role of special guests fell to rising glam rock star Bobbie Dazzle.
The brainchild of vocalist/flautist Siân Greenway, formerly of doomsters Alunah, Bobbie Dazzle is a bubbly breath of fresh air, offering a splattering of glitter and sparkles in these unsettling times. Fantastic escapism that offers up a slice or two of nostalgia and doesn’t mind that it does. When Bobbie Dazzle opens for The Sweet later this year, not only will it be the glam-filled icing on the cake for Greenway/Bobbie, but it’s also a great match-up.
Hailing from the Midlands, Bobbie Dazzle pays tribute to Ozzy by using ‘Iron Man’ as the choice of intro music, and once it fades out, The Dazzle Band takes to the stage and launches into ‘Flowers On Mars’ while Bobbie readies herself in preparation for converting a few thousand seated punters (seated, yuuuk) to the cause. Lots of interaction between Bobbie and the band, especially Chris Dando on the keys, who never stops smiling and refuses to be stationary (gotta love a keeytar, and a player who knows how to ham it up for the front rows).
Special mention needs to go to the man wielding a red Gibson SG, and rocking the double-denim look (or is it triple-denim if you count the cap?), Ash JD Baker, who, if you didn’t know he plays Angus Young in an AC/DC tribute act, then you would think to yourself; “He would make a great Angus Young…”, especially when during the closing stages of the show he headbangs his cap off in true Angus-style.
With a fair crack of the whip afforded to them by the headliner, Bobbie Dazzle batter through a seven-song set that includes total bangers like the boot-stomping ‘Revolution’, which has some fantastic classic-glam leanings to involve the crowd, the insanely infectious hook-laden ‘Back to the City’, and the equally-as-insanely-infectious-hook-laden ‘Merry-Go-Round’, which has Bobbie breaking out the flute (always a risky move in certain parts of Scotland) on a track that highlights the proggier aspect of her Ziggy Stardust-like creation. Add an enthusiastic cover of one of ABBA’s lesser-known tracks, ‘Watch Out’ (the B-Side of current single ‘Spotlight’), and the deeply personal set-closer ‘Lightning Fantasy’, and it is damn-near perfection.
Leaving the stage to great applause from the crowd, Bobbie Dazzle dashes up several flights of stairs to press the flesh at the merch desk, happy to chat with the large crowd that has gathered, pose for pics, and sign those all-important 7″ vinyl copies of ‘Starlight’. Catch The Dazzler on tour with Luke Morley very soon, followed by headline dates of her own, and watch this shooting star rise and rise.
Less than a year after laying waste to the Enormo-Dome in Glasgow, Alice Cooper is back north of the wall and putting in the miles on a schedule that sees the tour-bus going from Cardiff up to Edinburgh, and then straight back down the road to London. At 77 years of age, Coop shows no sign of slowing down, and on this form, why should he?
Anyone who caught the 2024 leg of the tour will be familiar with the setlist and the format. ‘Snakebite’ and ‘Elected’ are dropped from the 2024 setlist, which means no snake, and no Alice atop a staircase bedecked in the red, white, and blue of America. However, there is still plenty in the tank to make the 90-minute set seemingly fly past in the blink of an eye.
Vocally, as strong as ever, Alice is timeless. Watching him (and his amazing band) is an exercise in how to be a consummate professional and deliver the highest of standards night after night. It does help, though, when you have one of the greatest catalogues in rock and roll in your arsenal.
After Alice defiantly pleads guilty to his deeds against humanity, the short intro of ‘Lock Me Up’ bleeds into ‘Welcome to the Show’ (“They hit the lights, I hit the stage/(You’re so cool, you’re all the rage))”, and the stage is awash with lights as the outfield players in the tightest band in rock assault the stage. Three (count ’em) incredible lead guitarists in Ryan Roxie, Hurricane Nita Strauss, and Crossbone Skully (AKA Tommy Henriksen), and then there is Mr. Beasto Blanco himself, Chuck Garric on bass. Who do you watch? At times, it’s like watching a tennis match, and heads constantly go from left to right, and back again, depending on who is up on the raised front stage.
The classics start rolling in with ‘No More Mr. Nice Guy’, ‘I’m Eighteen’, and ‘Under My Wheels’ (drummer Glen Sobel steals the show on this one), all rattled off in quick succession. Not many artists can dispatch classics like these so early in a set. The props are out in force, with Alice’s cane thrown into the crowd during ‘No More Mr. Nice Guy’, and the tattered old crutch put to great use on ‘I’m Eighteen’.
It’s all about the songs, though, and the musicianship on display from everyone. A guitar-fest without the self-indulgence. Even on late ’80s material such as ‘Bed of Nails’, the noodling and shredding prevalent in that era is kept to a minimum. Nita Strauss does get the chance to unleash her trademark shredding during her short solo later on in the set.
The mid-set choice of cuts is as impressive as the opening, with ‘Billion Dollar Babies’, ‘Be My Lover’ (Cooper’s most underrated song, perhaps?), and ‘Lost In America’ all thrilling. Jason Voorhees makes an appearance on ‘He’s Back (The Man Behind The Mask)’ and dispatches that pesky stage invading fan to roars of approval from the crowd. More stage murder during ‘Hey Stoopid’ when Alice sticks it to his photographer, CerealKyler, for getting a bit too close. This 1991 hit takes on a new level of poignancy due to Ozzy featuring on backing vocals on the studio version.
The whole band gets their chance to shine through a short solo from the stick-twirling ever-impressive Sobel, and the ‘Black Widow’ jam that is always a joy to witness. The A-Team of rock and roll, with Chuck Garric playing the role of Hannibal Smith. Mrs. Cooper makes her first appearance of the night during ‘Go To Hell’ (“You even make your Grandma sick…” still one of the greatest lines, ever), where she teases and provokes Alice with a whip, and ultimately pays the price. A short while later, she reincarnates as Madame Guillotine, and after a stunning version of ‘Ballad of Dwight Fry’, she cuts her husband’s head off. All great fun, and with the wall of screens behind the drum kit, everyone gets a front-row view.
The screens are a great addition. The cameras are never in the way, and with the screens only behind the drum kit and not on either side of the stage, it means that everyone’s attention is always front and centre. Which is crucial, as here comes the crew with all the massive balloons for “Party Time!” on ‘School’s Out’, which has the resurrected Alice in a top hat bursting all the balloons with his sword. Fantastic theatre. And if you needed more, how about a 10ft tall Frankenstein on what else but set-closer ‘Feed My Frankenstein’? Once the last notes of FMF fade into the night, Alice breaks character to pay tribute to Ozzy and lead the crowd in a chant of “OZZY, OZZY, OZZY” and then it’s all over. Was that honestly 90 minutes?
A masterclass performance from six incredible performers, led by a legend in the truest meaning of the word. Same time next year, Alice?
All images – Callum Scott
