Blog : FIRST TWO SHOWS WRAP UP!

WE’VE BEEN ON THE ROAD FOR A FEW DAYS NOW, AND I’VE FINALLY GOT A SOLID INTERNET CONNECTION TO UPLOAD PHOTOS FOR YOU SICKTHINGS.  HERE’S A BRIEF UPDATE ON WHAT ALICE HAS BEEN UP TO!  PHOTOS TAKEN BY KYLER CLARK WITH A SONY NEX-5 CAMERA.

JUNE 4TH - 7TH:

LET’S TAKE A MOMENT TO MENTION THE ROAD CREW.  THESE GUYS PULLED 16 HOUR DAYS FOR A WEEK TO GET THE GEAR DIALED IN RIGHT.  THANKS GUYS, YOU DON’T GET ENOUGH CREDIT.  IT’S A TOUGH JOB... LONG HOURS, NO SLEEP, STRESS, ENDLESS TRAVEL, TOO MUCH BEER AND NOT ENOUGH TIME... I SHOULD KNOW, I WAS ON ALICE’S ROAD CREW.  ONE TIME WHEN WE WERE ON TOUR WITH JOAN JETT AND MOTORHEAD, I WAS SO TIRED THAT I FELL ASLEEP UNDER ALICE’S DRUM RISER.  I SLEPT THRU BOTH OF THEIR SETS.  NEXT TO LEMMY’S AMP.  THAT’S TIRED!!  OK, BACK TO THIS TOUR!

ALICE AND THE BAND REHEARSED 10+ HOURS A DAY TO GET BACK ON THE SADDLE.  AS MOST OF YOU KNOW, GUITARIST RYAN ROXIE IS BACK AFTER A NUMBER OF YEARS AWAY.  ORIANTHI, RYAN ROXI, TOMMY HENRIKSEN, CHUCK GARRIC AND GLEN SOBEL MAKE A GREAT TEAM ON STAGE, THE BAND IS SOUNDING TIGHT AND THEY HAVE BEEN PLAYING GREAT SINCE DAY ONE.  

WE’RE PLAYING 90 MIN SETS FOR OUR OWN SHOWS AS USUAL, AND 50-55 MIN SETS WITH IRON MAIDEN.  THERE WERE LOTS OF TWEAKS HERE AND THERE DURING REHEARSALS, AND SOME LUCKY FEW FANS EVEN GOT TO WATCH A LOOSE DRESS REHEARSAL OF THE 90 MIN SET ON THE AFTERNOON OF THE 7TH.  THE BAND WORKED WITH PRODUCER BOB EZRIN ON CAFFEINE (THE MOST REQUESTED SONG FROM WELCOME 2 MY NIGHTMARE) TO ADD TO THE CURRENT SETS, ALONG WITH A VERSION OF LADY GAGA’S “BORN THIS WAY” FOR BONNAROO.  NOW, NOBODY PANIC.  IT’S NOT A PERMANENT SONG IN THE SET.  ALICE WANTED TO SURPRISE THE BONNAROO CROWD WITH SOMETHING THEY WOULD NEVER EXPECT.  NOT SURPRISINGLY, THE VERSION THE BAND CAME UP WITH IS GREAT, AND ALICE PUT HIS OWN TOUCH ON THE LYRICS FOR HIS VERSION.

JUNE 8TH - BILOXI, MS:

THE BAND PLAYED THE FIRST SHOW OF THE YEAR AT THE BEAU RIVAGE IN BILOXI, MS.  AFTER REHEARSING THERE FOR THE BETTER PART OF A WEEK,  THE BAND DECIDED IT WAS BEST TO USE THE BONNAROO SETLIST AT THE BEAU RIVAGE.  THE ENTIRE BAND AND CREW WERE DIALED IN AND WE HAD A STRONG FIRST SHOW OF THE TOUR.  HERE WAS THE SETLIST:

BLACK WIDOW

BRUTAL PLANET

I’M EIGHTEEN

UNDER MY WHEELS

BILLION DOLLAR BABIES

NO MORE MR NICE GUY

HEY STOOPID

BROWN SUGAR (ROLLING STONES COVER)

HALO OF FLIES

I’LL BITE YOUR FACE OFF

MUSCLE OF LOVE

ONLY WOMEN BLEED

COLD ETHYL

FRANKENSTEIN

CAFFEINE

POISON

WICKED YOUNG MAN

KILLER/I LOVE THE DEAD

SCHOOLS OUT/ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL

---------

ELECTED

BORN THIS WAY

AFTERWARDS WE PACKED UP AND DROVE OVERNIGHT TO THE BONNAROO FESTIVAL IN MANCHESTER, TN.  

JUNE 9TH - BONNAROO:

WE AWOKE TO A PARKING LOT A GOOD DISTANCE FROM THE FESTIVAL.  LUCKILY THERE WAS A STARBUCKS, AND AFTER A QUICK PIT STOP THE MAJORITY OF THE BAND HEADED OVER TO CHECK OUT THE MASSIVE SHOW.  IF YOU’VE NEVER BEEN TO BONNAROO, IT’S FAIRLY INSANE.  IT’S LIKE COACHELLA ON STEROIDS.  THE WEATHER WAS PRETTY GOOD, AND FOR THE MOST PART WE WANDERED AROUND, CHECKING OUT BANDS AND EATING THE ENDLESS VARIETY OF FESTIVAL FOOD.  WE DIDN’T GO ON STAGE UNTIL MIDNIGHT, SO ALICE TOOK THAT TIME TO DO A FEW APPEARANCES.  MOST NOTABLY, ALICE SPOKE ABOUT HIS OLD FRIEND GROUCHO MARX AT THE CINEMA TENT FOR A SMALL GROUP OF FILM BUFFS BEFORE A SCREENING OF DUCK SOUP, ALICE’S FAVORITE GROUCHO FILM.  ALICE WAS JOINED BY HIS LONGTIME MANAGER SHEP GORDON, WHO ALSO KNEW GROUCHO AND MANAGED HIM FOR A SHORT TIME. 

AFTER FILLING UP THE DOWN TIME, IT WAS TIME TO GET READY FOR THE SHOW.  THE CREW HAD BEEN AT IT ALL DAY, JOSTLING GEAR ON STAGE TO MAKE WAY FOR OTHER BANDS WHILE STILL TRYING TO WORK.  IT WAS A LONG HARD DAY FOR THEM, BUT IT PAID OFF IN THE END WHEN ALICE HIT THE STAGE.  WE DECIDED TO DROP BROWN SUGAR AND REPLACE IT WITH IS IT MY BODY.  THE SETLIST:  

BLACK WIDOW

BRUTAL PLANET

I’M EIGHTEEN

UNDER MY WHEELS

BILLION DOLLAR BABIES

NO MORE MR NICE GUY

HEY STOOPID

IS IT MY BODY

HALO OF FLIES

I’LL BITE YOUR FACE OFF

MUSCLE OF LOVE

ONLY WOMEN BLEED

COLD ETHYL

FRANKENSTEIN

CAFFEINE

POISON

WICKED YOUNG MAN

KILLER/I LOVE THE DEAD

SCHOOLS OUT/ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL

---------

ELECTED

BORN THIS WAY (INTRODUCING FRANKENGAGA)

THE CROWD LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT, AND IF YOU’LL REMEMBER, ALICE SAID “I CAN’T WAIT TO KILL THE AUDIENCE AT BONNAROO.”   JUDGING FROM THE CROWD AND PRESS REACTION, HE WAS SUCCESSFUL.  HERE ARE A FEW LINKS TO SOME REVIEWS OF THE SHOW:

YAHOO MUSIC, WHERE ALICE LANDED AT THE TOP OF THEIR LIST OF THE TOP 5 MOMENTS AT BONNAROO.

FUSE - ALICE SLAYS BONNAROO

USA TODAY BONNAROO REVIEW

EXAMINER BONNAROO REVIEW

JUNE 10TH:

DAY OFF IN CHARLESTON, SC.  ALICE STOPPED BY THE CHARLESTON RIVER DOGS BALL PARK TO THROW OUT THE FIRST PITCH.  AT THE PARK HE HUNG OUT WITH HIS OLD FRIEND BILL MURRAY, WHO IS THE LONG TIME CO OWNER OF THE BALL CLUB.  THE RIVER DOGS IS AN A TEAM THAT FEEDS PLAYERS TO THE YANKEES.  THE GAME WAS EVENTUALLY RAINED OUT, BUT MURRAY AND COOP GOT IN SOME GOOD LAUGHS, EXCHANGING STORIES AND JOKES WHILE THE TEAMS BATTLED BELOW.  

ALICE PLAYS THE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER IN CHARLESTON MONDAY NIGHT.