Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 · 70 mm · 1/500 s · f/2.8 · ISO 3200
Reportedly almost 30 years after his last appearance in Victoria, the showcase and spectacle which is Alice Cooper descended upon The Q! Centre for a very loud, very grandiose performance.
Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 · 200 mm · 1/1000 s · f/2.8 · ISO 3200
Opening with pyrotechnics not seen since Shania Twain’s 2015 appearance at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre (the photos of which I was contractually obligated to remove this past April), the 68-year-old the godfather of shock rock opened with The Black Widow and went straight into No More Mr. Nice Guy with a whip of his cloak.
Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 · 70 mm · 1/500 s · f/2.8 · ISO 3200
Tho’ Alice is “up there” in age, he showed energy and stage presence unbecoming of a senior citizen, expertly twirling batons, being tied up in (and escaping from) a straight jacket, fighting off zombie nurses, and being decapitated, all with a smile (terrible scowl?) on his face.
Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM · 18 mm · 1/500 s · f/2 · ISO 1600
His incredible band makes up for any possible decrease in energy Alice might be showing these days.
Below, to Alice’s left and right are Chuck Garric and Tommy Henriksen on bass and guitar, respectively, and both were right into the show from start to finish.
Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM · 12 mm · 1/500 s · f/3.5 · ISO 1600
But the powerhouse of Alice’s band, for my money, was Nita Strauss. Check that surname: she’s distantly related to composer Johann Strauss, but with a slight difference in musical style to, say, The Blue Danube.
Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM · 10 mm · 1/500 s · f/3.5 · ISO 1600
I mean, LOOK AT THIS RAWK!
Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM · 10 mm · 1/500 s · f/3.5 · ISO 1600
The show was tight, unrelenting, and LOUD. And the crowd was singing along to most every tune, most notably No More Mr. Nice Guy, Billion Dollar Babies, Feed My Frankenstein, and School’s Out.
Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM · 10 mm · 1/500 s · f/3.5 · ISO 1600
But it wasn’t just Coop songs performed at this Coop show. Alice paid tribute to David Bowie with a cover of Suffragette City, The Who’s Keith Moon, performing Pinball Wizard, and Lemmy from Motörhead, which led nicely into a cover of Ace of Spades.
Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM · 15 mm · 1/500 s · f/3.5 · ISO 1600
He showered Billion Dollar Baby bucks onto the crowd (stage right, centre, and stage left, spreading the wealth) from his fencing foil.
Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM · 20 mm · 1/500 s · f/3.5 · ISO 1600
The Alice Cooper stage show is something every rock fan should see. Seeing as he tours six months out of any given year, this shouldn’t be too difficult. However, he is quite possibly nearing undead status, so jump on your next opportunity. It’s one I won’t soon forget.
Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM · 10 mm · 1/500 s · f/3.5 · ISO 1600
=)