News : Jube Crowd Feeds Off Alice Cooper's Vaudeville Shock Rock
Alice CooperOld shock rockers never retire ... they just run out of gags.
Eschewing hi-tech theatrics in favour of the tried, tested and true horror vaudeville that made him a legend, Alice Cooper proved that sometimes dumb fun is the best kind in front of just under 2,200 punters at the fabulous Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium last night.
If not for the, now 64-year-old, original master of shock and roll horror, there is no Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson, Slipknot or ... well, you get the picture. Hell, there's probably not even KISS.
Adorned in red and black-striped tux and tails and on a stage littered with a baby carriage and other stage props of a nightmare-era gone by, Christian scratch golfer Vincent Furnier easily stepped into character through set openers Hello Hooray and House Of Fire to not only longtime fans and aging rockers, but a healthy contingent of 20-somethings, teens and even kids.
The entire building was on its feet. It's only shock and roll and they seemed to like it!
The Coop upped the ante with No More Mr. Nice Guy from '73's classic Billion Dollar Babies album, then tearing into I'll Bite Your Face Off, Be My Lover and Caffeine.
Would it be the guillotine, the hangman's noose or the python, next? It didn't matter even if you could almost predict which gag and which song was coming next. The crowd was on its feet through the title cut from the aforementioned Billion Dollar Babies, segueing into The Congregation, Hey Stoopid, Dirty Diamonds and the classic title track from '75's Welcome To My Nightmare.
Cooper's main set had yet to conclude at press time, but he's been pulling out the heavy artillery with Go to Hell, I'm 18, Under My Wheels and, of course, School's Out on most nights of the current tour.
Embattled former Queensryche frontman and creative force Geoff Tate took time from legal wrangling with his ex-bandmates (they kicked out the only guy in the band that mattered) to open the show with a 40-minute set of solo material (Kings And Thieves came out on Tuesday) and, oddly, some of his former band's weaker moments.
Opening with Forever and Off The TV, one of the great voices of '80s and '90s metal completely ignored the 1988 masterpiece Operation: Mindcrime (and, in fact, everything prior) in favour of new pop-metal pabulum such as Take a Bullet and In The Dirt.
If that wasn't bad enough, one of the great voices in metal history walking around with a saxophone was just ... well, one of those deals where you're embarrassed for the guy.
Set closer Another Rainy Night (Without You) from 1990's Empire was a step in the right direction, but considering the repertoire from which the human siren has to choose, the song selection on this night was sketchy at best.
One can only surmise that Tate writing the nightly set list caused the rift with the rest of his old band in the first place. Kiss, make-up and get on with it. Please.
By - Gerry Krochak
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I saw Alice Cooper in Edmonton last night and was thrilled! I really like watching old pros like Alice performing with a group of young tight knit musicians.
But Geoff Tate totally sucked. Imagine prancing around like a fairy in a tutu then complaining that the audience "wasn't feeling it." People kept leaving throughout the performance for a drink and were not coming back till he was finished. I looked around the audience and dozens of people were texting, checking email, or surfing the web on their iphones.
I couldn't believe he wasn't booed right off the stage but I guess us Canadians are so polite even the worst acts receive mild applause. At least nobody asked for an encore.
Alice would be better represented by promoting a local bar band for an opening act at each venue.
I agree , Alice was unreal but Geoff Tate that guy was brutal the next night in saskatoon people were making fun of him badly in the crowd and he spit on the front row like wtf!
Geoff Tate was awesome in Edmonton.
I dont care what problems he has had with his band mates.
The fact of the matter is that the music was Fan Freakin Tastic.
We all wondered if Alice would be able to compare with a strong show.......
He sure did!
it was the best Alice show I have seen since 1977.
AWESOME
Alice was so amazing it was my very first time seeing him live and there's one song that opened with him being called out in stage to a cemetery like setting that I really loved but I can't remember the song I just remember the voice going "Alice ohh Alice" and talking about how now he was with the Hollywood vampires and something about what was he going to do raise the dead. Does anybody know which song opened with that?
"If not for the, now 64-year-old, original master of shock and roll horror, there is no Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson, Slipknot or ... well, you get the picture. Hell, there's probably not even KISS."
I've seen in several documentaries KISS's bandmembers (I believe all four of the originals, but- if not- DEFINITELY Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons) went to an Alice Cooper show when they were forming and told their manager they wanted 'four Alice Coopers.'
Furthermore, Simmons himself said the only reason they did not design costumes that were more controversially transgender (which Alice did do at times) was because he was 6ft something and has a shoulder span of a linebacker- he said it simply wouldn't work.
Therefore, Alice was not only an inspiration for KISS, he was their primary role model. =)
GEOFF TATE WAS IS IN SASKATOON TONIGHT AND HE WAS BRUTAL THREW WATER ON THE CROWD AND THEY WEREN'T FEELING IT! ALSO CONTINUED TO SPIT ON THE CROWD AND PLAY HIS ****** SAXOPHONE! ALICE SHOULD DROP HIM FROM THE TOUR NOW!
Agreed.... we saw Alice on the 7th here in Calgary, and Tate was horrible. I don't usually feel embarrassed for anyone, but I did for Tate.
Yep-took away from the feel of the night completely. The spitting was damn near as gross as the damn sax! He seemed quite pissed off that no one and I mean no one was thrilled with the sax playing. We saw the show in Moose Jaw, SK, on Friday night and Alice was incredible-Tate not so much
Best concert I've been to.. was impressed ! Hope to attend another one :)
Such an Awesome show, my 4th time seeing Uncle Alice, it seems like he's part of the family now! My first time to see him do cover songs and the tribute was done to perfection. Thanks to Alice Cooper and his 'traveling family', I look forward to seeing your show again!
Great heavy metal horror show from start to finish with a perfect blend of classic Alice and newer songs. The band was solid and lead guitarist Orianthi was mesmerizing. It was one of the most entertaining shows I've been to this year. Halloween came a week late and it as helluva lot of fun.
Something that really gets me every time I see it is that in the UK and Canada, the press still wants to call Alice by his birth name. He legally changed it to Alice Cooper in 1974, ya dig? So please call him by his correct name. Thanks.
Why does Alice need an opening act, anyway? People are there to see the master of shock rock, not some unknown band that isn't very good (as in my town this past summer) or somebody who can't get along with his former band and has to start over. I'm there to see and hear Alice, okay? (And, yes, he always has a kickin' band to back him up).
Tate closed with Jet City Woman, BTW.
Alice Forever!
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