It is almost Halloween which must mean that Alice Cooper is back on town, once again inviting the audience to join him on a journey into the bizarre and macabre. The performance was yet another masterclass in how to present an Arena show by the pioneer of Shock Rock theatre, with a 90 minutes career spanning set that included all of the old favourites and familiar stage props including straight jacket, guillotine and Frankenstein monster. We may have seen it all before, but when Alice and his band remain in such good form, no one is complaining at seeing them do it all over again. 

After the band took the stage, the backdrop proclaiming ‘Alice Cooper – Banned in the UK’ fell away to reveal the man himself, leading his charges into ‘Lock Me Up’. Still flanked by the triple guitar assault of Ryan Roxie, Nita Strauss and Tommy Henricksen, there was always plenty happening on stage to hold the crowd’s attention; aside from, of course, the music itself which was delivered with high energy and precision. ‘Welcome to the Show’ was the only song to make the set from 2023’s Road, and we were soon into more familiar territory with ‘No More Mr Nice Guy’, ‘I’m Eighteen’ and ‘Under My Wheels’. He may now be 76 years of age and has been singing ‘I’m Eighteen’ for more than half a century, but Alice can still hold an audience in the palm of his hand, sounding as strong as ever on a thunderous ‘Bed of Nails’. 

Out came the python for ‘Snakebite’, and another stage invader emerged for ‘He’s Back (The Man Behind the Mask)’ in the form of Camp Crystal Lake killer Jason Voorhees. After the hugely popular ‘Hey Stoopid’ had the whole audience singing along it was time for a brief interlude courtesy of Glen Sobel’s drum solo, Alice and the rest of the band soon returning and taking us back to 1975 and the creepy ‘Welcome to My Nightmare’. From here on, it was one classic Alice anthem after the next, including 80’s smash ‘Poison’, ‘Ballad of Dwight Fry’, ‘Elected’ and a raucous ‘School’s Out’. By the time Alice led the band off stage we had just enjoyed another amazing night of unparalleled showmanship by a genuine living legend, long may Alice continue to captivate and entertain. 

Lock Me Up
Welcome to the Show
No More Mr. Nice Guy
I’m Eighteen
Under My Wheels
Bed of Nails
Billion Dollar Babies
Snakebite
Be My Lover
Lost in America
He’s Back (The Man Behind the Mask)
Hey Stoopid
Drum Solo
Welcome to My Nightmare
Cold Ethyl
Go to Hell
Poison
Feed My Frankenstein
Black Widow Jam
Ballad of Dwight Fry
Killer
I Love the Dead
Elected

School’s Out