NEWS: Alice Cooper's Ego Goes Apeshit

MUSIC: Alice Cooper's Ego Goes Tripping (Or Is That Just Day-Old Mascara Dripping Down His Face?)

"Eighteen" and "School's Out"? Both are definitely classic teen anthems. And of course, watching footage of Alice Cooper's wacky 1970s-era hijinx is always a hoot. And yeah, when I see all of the pseudo-metal eyeliner bands that are selling 3 million records without batting an eyelash across the Darkness of the musical landscape, I sometimes remember that Alice was one of the first. But is Alice still all that relevant? Hmm.



He at least seems to think so, and sometimes a good dose of self-confidence is all that's necessary to keep an old glam baby rolling along. Cooper was recently interviewed in The Record, and hardly minced words when asked about why he hasn't been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

...At least until getting knocked up something awful in an imaginary wrestling match between him and fellow Uber-Alles-Inventor John Lydon. If you'd like to see Alice in his current form, you can maintain a safe distance and check out two live clips recorded in Ottawa, Canada this past Saturday (These clips come to you via YouTube, so you're missing out on the joys of being surrounded by 53-year-old beer drinkers in a raucous stage setting, but at least you know you're never more than one click away from a clip of someone else miming their own performance of "School's Out").



"Dirty Diamond"

"The Awakening/Steven"



Still, time to give credit where credit's due. Unlike a lot of his contemporaries, Alice continues to whip out his rocker and tour all over the place. If you want to see how old men do it, here are some European and North American dates:



May 09 - Kitchener, Ontario, Centre In The Square

May 10 - Oshawa, Ontario, Civic Auditorium

May 11 - Barrie, Ontario, Molson Centre

May 13 - Thunder Bay, Ontario, Community Auditorium

May 15 - Fargo ND, Civic Center Auditorium

May 16 - Brandon, Manitoba, Keystone Centre

May 17 - Winnipeg, Manitoba, Concert Hall

May 27 - Schwung Festival, Belgium

May 29 - Sheffield, England City Hall

May 31 - Dublin, Ireland Vicar Street

June 01 - Isle of Man UK, Villa Marina

June 03 - Milton Keynes Bowl Monsters of Rock, UK

June 09 - Fredrikshaven, Denmark Arena Nord

June 10 - Solvesborg Sweden, Sweden Rock Festival

June 12 - Grefrath, Germany, Sporthalle

June 15 - Bonn, Germany, Museumsmeile

June 16 - Dischingen, Germany, Rock Am Hartsfeldsee

June 17 - Grafenhainichen, Germany, Ferropolis

June 30 - St Paul MN Taste of Minnesota Main Stage

July 02 - Muskegon MI Summer Celebration

July 03 - Milwaukee WI Summerfest 2006

July 07 - Iona MI Michigan Hog Party

July 13 - Walker MN Moondance Jam

July 21 - Fond du Lac WI County Fair

July 22 - London ONT Rock The Park

Aug 05 - Sturgis SD Buffalo Chip Campground

Aug 08 - Ridgefield WA Clark County Fair

Aug 09 - Roseburg OR Douglas County Fair

Aug 11 - Kelseyville CA Konocti Harbor

Aug 19 - Tucson AZ KLPX Radio Event

Aug 24 - Detroit MI Michigan State Fair

Check out his codpeice.





[Edited on May 08, 2006 2:24PM]

Well yeah. Alice Cooper is a fucking rock n roll GOD. I'm sure his rocker is rollin all over

How's that again? I think he's confusing Johnny Rotten with Marilyn Manson, who absolutely built a career of ripping off Alice's schtick (not to mention the schticks of G.G. Allin, Ziggy Stardust...)

The incident Mr. Cooper is referring to is John's audition for the Sex Pistols--he sang along with "School's Out..." and they decided he was in the band.

So, yeah, in a very narrow way, Yes, John got his job by mimicking Alice.

Wow, I had never heard of that. Awesome!

To Cooper's credit, claiming to have "started it all" appears to be the only ego-trip he'll go on. And of course, he has due bragging rights; otherwise, he seems like a decent guy. I think we can let him have that piece of glory. Doesn't mean the imitators are any less talented (or crappy, for that matter).
There's "Cooper Glam", and then there's "Glitter Glam". No contest.

Michigan Hog Party and Michigan State Fair.

Yeah.

in the liner notes to Alice's box set, Johnny Rotten says Alice was his whole inspiration to be a rock star. Him and Steve Jones would play Under My Wheels on street corners. And he goes on to say Alice Cooper's "Killer" is the greatest rock album ever. And it really is a killer album.

i saw him in the 80s and he had this guy who looked like rambo playing a machine gun shaped guitar. it was cool!!

I almost got to see him a while years back in Kitchener, but the radio station I was working for at the time fucked up the ticket reservations on us... we showed up with no cash because we were expecting to get in for free, only to find out they had never put us on the list...

I think my favorite Alice moment though was the time he was on Craig Kilborne, doing the "5 questions" segment... question #5 was: "look at the camera and tell Marilyn Manson that he's ripping off your act"... Alice just glares at the camera and, in his best Darth Vader voice declares: "Marilyn, I am your father"

Alice is a pretty good golfer. I think he has like a 6 or 7 handicap.

if he isn't in the rock and roll rest home (i mean hall of fame) then i don't know why they have a rock and roll hall of fame.

hmmm...I'd always thought that it was "Eighteen"...no worries.

I live in Washington and I don't even know what the Ridgefield Clark County Fair is.

My mom says she dressed up as Alice Cooper for Halloween when she was 13. She probably kicked more ass than John Lydon, too.

The second video brings back memories from my childhood. But only because of the song. I loved that fucking album to pieces. The live version is kinda crazy though... what's up with the spastic girl in the nightgown?

I do love that Alice starts waving a cane around 2 minutes into the song. That wacky old geezer!

cooper is the man

It's a joke that the Pretenders are in the Hall of Fame, and Alice Cooper isn't.

Not as much of a joke as the entire idea of a Rock Hall of Fame, but still. . .

"We are the same MacLeod! We are bothers!"

Not to take away from Alice... because he/their greatness cannot be understated...

but Arthur Brown was the original shock-rocker.

Also, Alice Cooper is a far better radio personality than David Lee Roth.

Iggy would chew Alice up.

I've seen Alice several times. The wierdest of when he played at a drive in movie theatre in Alpena, Michigan. I think this was in 1981 or 1982. He's certainly had a pretty good run out of a finite batch of songs. But he just as certainly put the "show" in "showman."