Alice Cooper

Southampton Guildhall 25-7-08


As the house lights dim and the air of expectation rises, you can’t help but look around at the Guildhall’s high ceilings and chandelier type lights and think how well it complements the atmosphere that the man performing tonight exudes.

A huge drape with the legendary name ‘Alice Cooper’ emblazoned on it hangs at the front of the stage, concealing the rostrum from view. Suddenly a spotlight shines from behind onto the veil and into the beam strides the silhouette of Alice Cooper.
He punches the air and the crowd shout out their appreciation, but wait…another silhouette appears behind the first, holding a sword, he raises his arm and runs the first one through. The curtain falls and there stands a black leather-clad Alice Cooper over the still twitching body of his white tuxedoed doppelganger.

This is pure theatre and the Guildhall’s audience is eating it up. Over the next hour and three quarters, we are witness to one of the best rock shows in the world. Not only are we bombarded with a visual feast of entertainment but also the music’s not bad either!

This tour is promoting the release of his latest album ‘Along Came a Spider’ but Alice Cooper knows that what 95% of the crowd want is the ‘old stuff’ and boy does he deliver! No More Mr Nice Guy, Eighteen, Under My Wheels, Dirty Diamonds and Woman Of Mass Destruction are fired off in quick succession.

A short break for the man himself while Kerri Kelli and Jason Hook play two short guitar solos and then pitch in to help out (former Kiss drummer) Eric Singer play a thundering drum solo.

Alice returns for Only Women Bleed and his daughter, a classically trained dancer in her own right, twirls and pirouettes in time to the rhythm. At this point, being dragged on to the stage by grotesque henchmen, is a huge gallows. Cast to the floor and put in a straitjacket, Alice is then hauled up the stairs, has a noose placed around his neck and as a minion pulls the leaver activating the trapdoor mechanism, he plunges through it. Alice is then wheeled off the podium, swinging gently between the gallows posts.

Have no fear, he returns for an encore of his hit songs Billion Dollar Babies, Poison and Elected and judging by the general feeling as we head out into the night, Alice Cooper the master showman, made sure we all had a night to remember.