Alice Cooper, I presume, did something really strange and unique – go figure! 30 minutes prior to his set the arena was piping in his tunes over the sound system. Tunes from great albums like his under-appreciated From the Inside and tunes from the second and third comeback eras (the ’80s and late ’90s to current day). What artist does that? Only an artist with a full canon of work that’s not playable in an 85-minute set.
Besides the sonic burst of energy that was his open salvo (“Hello Hurray!” and “No More Mr. Nice Guy”), the other big thing one couldn’t help but notice was the youthful, vibrant and joyful band that backs up this shock rock/metal legend. It made this audience member yearn, “Gosh! I wish I was in Alice Cooper’s band! They’re having so much fun!”
He sports three really good guitar players and at one point he gives them the spotlight for a little burst of soloing, which he orchestrates by cuing each player when it’s his or her turn.
A consummate and standard-bearing showman, Alice Cooper and friends wasted no time, cranking out great, lovable classic tunes like “I’m 18,” “Under My Wheels” and “Billion Dollar Babies.” The band and singer were one and they were totally on. These songs didn’t just sound faithfully reproduced from the originals, they felt like they meant something! The mark of a true rocker, at least in this reviewer’s book, is playing with a chip on the shoulder like there was something to prove. One of the great things about rock is its ability to channel a passion and fight-or-flight adrenaline that reminds the listener/participant that they’re alive. This Alice Cooper band did just that.
Next came another generation of tunes, “Poison,” “Dirty Diamonds” and “Feed My Frankenstein,” which featured a killer prop that was a giant Frankenstein monster (a la Iron Maiden’s Eddie), an over-grown singing puppet that pranced around awkwardly onstage like its namesake. Both totally cool and great for laughs. This was rock theater hijinx at full-tilt, which also involved a sword with several $100 Alice bills, torture from a creepy yet hot nurse, a straight-jacket and a giant guillotine. Yes, Alice got his head cut off, which made the nurse puke, but he came back to sing again.
“I Love the Dead” was quite creepy and fun, but the finale of “School’s Out” was spectacular. This rocker shows no signs of aging (probably thanks to a combination of now clean living, thick makeup and massive stage props), which is nothing but fun and rockin’ good times for us.
Motley Crue came on for a long, almost two-hour set, which romped through their giant bag of hits. Check out their first sevem tunes right out of the gate and tell me they didn’t get on a roll and keep on rocking: “Saints of Los Angeles,” “Wild Side,” “Primal Scream,” “Same Ol’ Situation,” “Looks That Kill,” “On With the Show” and “Too Fast for Love.”
Nikki Sixx took center stage with the mic while most of the band exited the stage (I guess Tommy Lee is belted and velcro-ed into his drum seat, because he stuck around) and he invited the audience to actually sit down, “like y’all are in church.” It wasn’t a motivational talk like one might expect from reading his survival manual, The Heroin Diaries, but it was just him sharing from his heart how much he loved connecting with his musical mates and the brotherhood they shared as a band all these years. He referenced starting the band in 1981 and almost as a reaction to bands that had short hair and were wearing cardigans on stage. “I like the Sex Pistols and all,” he said, but he did not like the mellow angle that rock seemed to be taking at that time. When the band came back onstage they rocked through a Pistols’ cover of “Anarchy in the U.K.” and then blew the house down with the rumbling “Dr. Feelgood” and the anthemic “Shout at the Devil.”
Did I mention the pyrotechnics? I ran into an old friend named Steve (who DJ’s a cool radio show in Austin called “Faster for the Master” (http://www.facebook.com/FasterForTheMaster), who told me, “I hope you brought your sunscreen, because there’s enough pyro going on tonight to give you a sunburn.” He wasn’t kidding. Motley Crue brought the fans out in droves for its farewell tour, and they charged out the nose for ticket prices (and they have to be making a killing on this tour), but they are spending a ton of money on production – from an upside-down drum kit, fire, fireworks, flames, flashpots and massive lighting to more fire.
Tommy Lee’s drum solo (let’s face it, the one-upmanship wars between him and Robert Sweet were won by Lee) was killer. His spinning drum riser rode up and almost onto the ceiling over the audience. In fact, if I was seated just below this spot, I surely would’ve thought about imminent death. That’s a ton of weight hanging and spinning overhead – and no, Tommy Lee isn’t fat! His choice of music to jam to was a surprise. Gone are the days of bashing on the drums to Zeppelin classics. This night it was all about EDM and hip-hop and it was really cool. Those that react violently to different and new musical trends should take the time to feel and experience the heavy and pulsating vibe that EDM (Electronic Dance Music) brings to the scene. Embrace it or complain, but if you’re going to complain, please get over it soon.
Mick Mars played a nice feedback-heavy guitar solo and the band seemed like it was nowhere near finishing up. They cranked out “Live Wire,” “Too Young to Fall in Love” and “Girls, Girls, Girls.” With the way Vince Neil introduced it and the way the visual effects went into grand finale mode, one could surmise that “Kickstart My Heart” would be the final number, and it was.
The band kicked out the jams, but there’s no way this was over … not just yet. I felt like a curious young detective when I thought about, “What next?” I noticed the platform over the soundboard near the back of the small arena. I thought I was going to stand on this thing when the press photographers were given only the first song to shoot – and from the soundboard. It was on my radar, but now I noticed a large object that looked like a grand piano. And there was a drumset! I knew that the opening act, The Raskins, had not played out there. My mind hearkened back to U2 acoustic sets in the middle of their shows way out in the middle of the audience. I also did some calculating, going over the setlist in my head and realized, “Oh yeah, they haven’t played their big ballad hit yet – “Home Sweet Home.”
I was able to look like a genius to my friends (at least in my own mind), when I called out how and what they’d play for an encore. I figured they sneak out to the platform under the cover of darnkess, as all the lights were out, save for the cellphones and flashes in the crowd. “Or maybe there’s an underground tunnel that’ll safely take ’em to the platform.” Not even. Several giant heavy duty flashlight with great big beams started swirling near the stage. The band was obviously with a crew (perhaps with my friend the security guard in tow), working its way through the dark crowd, shining and spinning around the lights as they went to the back of the arena.
Sure enough, they found a way to create the perfect ending to a big night for them and their fans – a send-off worthy of a farewell tour. “Home Sweet Home” on the piano. They did it right.
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