Alice Cooper Interview by Martin Hutchinson.

Alice Has a Cult Following!

Interview by Martin Hutchinson Photography by Jenny Risher.

“... my whole career has been a highlight. The most shocking thing is its longevity ...”

Two acclaimed headliners from both sides of the Atlantic will be touring UK arenas in what will be 2022’s must-see event. Rock n Roll Hall of Famer Alice Cooper returns to the UK alongside rock icons The Cult. Renowned for their unforgettable live shows, we can anticipate a dark, twisted trip through Goth, Psychedelia, macabre theatre and straight up Rock anthems when these two giants take the stage.

Building once again on his legendary status, Cooper scored a top five UK chart album with ‘Detroit Stories’ last year. The record showcases his roots in the legendary Detroit Rock scene of the late-’60s and early-’70s, celebrating the place where his sound and show came into its own.

Before he heads our way, Cooper is undertaking a tour of Canada and the US and he was preparing to set off for the first date when I caught up with him at his Phoenix, Arizona home, where he tells me that there are no health issues with him and the band. “Everybody has passed everything”, Cooper says.

“And we’re raring to go.”

Alice actually fell foul of the dreaded COVID in 2020: “That’s right, both my wife, Sheryl and I had it at the same time. Funnily enough, I didn’t have the main symptoms, but it made me really weak and even walking to the kitchen and back was an effort.”

But it wasn’t all bad, as Cooper explains: “I wondered how I was

gonna get through it all, and then I found out that everything was closed down except the golf courses, and since I play golf six times a week, that was great.”

One thing that didn’t come to a halt in Alice’s career was his radio show, entitled ‘Nights With Alice Cooper’, which he is ale to record both at his home and whilst out on tour. “I started the show in 2004”, explains Cooper.

“That’s eighteen years and it’s fun to do. I love playing the music, I’m like

a knight in shining armour for songs that you don’t hear much.”

The singer, who was born Vincent Furnier, then tells me a little about how the show is recorded. “I usually

record the shows about ten days in

advance”, he begins. “I record it on

my laptop using Pro Tools. I look at the script, which I ignore; I have 50% of the say on the script anyway and basically do what I want. I never get tired of it, and it’s the same with touring.”

But what if he wasn’t a musician? “If I

wasn’t doing that or my radio show, I’d probably be writing. In my songs like on the ‘Paranormal’ album [2017] and ‘Welcome to My Nightmare’ [1975], I had little scenarios that made them somewhat of a concept. The new album, ‘Detroit Stories’ [2021] didn’t start out as a concept album, but all the songs have a connection with the city. Plus I used all Detroit musicians.”

On the ‘Paranormal’ album and his last

Alice Cooper, the band, in 1971

tour of the UK, Cooper recorded and played live with the original Alice Cooper band, who he split from in 1975 (In the early days, ‘Alice Cooper’ was the name of the band and the singer took it as his own name when he went solo): “That’s correct. In fact, I’ve

been working with them a lot, especially on the last few albums and we’ve done a lot of writing. It’s not the same without Glen Buxton [the original band’s guitarist, who passed away in 1997] though.”

And it was a great experience for Cooper when the original band played live during the last tour. “Yeah, the

shows were sparkling, and then it got

dangerous”, he says. “They play it

[the music] with a lot darker attitude and I sing a bit differently with them, Songs like ‘Eighteen’ get darker and heavier. I’m really looking forward to joining you guys in the UK. I haven’t been over in so long and I usually get there three or four times a year.”

And Cooper is a bit of an Anglophile,

as he tells me: “England was the first

place to ‘get’ Alice Cooper. They saw the different layers in the shows, as lots of things were going on. And they enjoyed that we upset people!”

Cooper has gathered an excellent group of backing musicians to accompany him: “Yes, my touring band is the

best around and they’re the tightest band I’ve had. Nita Strauss has been voted the ‘Guitarist of the Decade’ and she’s been with me since 2014. Also, Ryan Roxie rejoined me ten years ago. He’d had a break for a few years after being with me from 1996 to 2006. On bass, we have Chuck Garric, who’s been with me for twenty years; Tommy Henriksen is a guitarist who joined in 2011 and Glen Sobel has been my drummer since 2011.”

Cooper likes to keep things fresh for his fans: “We have a brand-new show

for this tour. It’s Alice Cooper’s haunted house where anything can happen. There’ll be two or three different characters and of course the Rock and Roll hits and the theatrics that’s expected. At the end, everyone’s covered in confetti and stage blood. May be some on the audience too!”

He admits, “I feel more at home on

stage than off. The ‘Alice Cooper’ character is the opposite to me. He’s fun to play; an arrogant, condescending villain. Any actor loves to play people they’re nothing

like.” Cooper then becomes ‘Alice’ again, smiles and says, “And all the

hits too. It’s impossible not to love the show!”

As we’re talking hits, Cooper confides that he has no particular favourite.

“That would be like picking a

favourite child”, he says. “I have had

hits in different periods, so they are all different. But, if I had to pick an album that is the essential ‘Alice Cooper’, I’d pick ‘Killer [the 1971 album that spawned the hit ‘Under My Wheels’].”

Cooper has had a long and

distinguished career in music, approaching sixty years now and naturally there have been a few highlights. “Oh gosh, a whole bunch of things”, he states. “We were the

first Rock band to play in Brazil and there were 158,000 people indoors, and then there’s the first time you get a number one. Really though, my whole career has been a highlight. The most shocking thing is its longevity and the knowledge that you’re giving them [the fans] their money’s worth.”

More good news for Cooper’s legions of fans is that we can expect some new material: “That’s right. I am working

on two albums that were written during COVID. That’s all we could do while we couldn’t tour. I’ll be recording the vocals after this tour.”

A night of shock rock and manic theatrics are in store when Cooper takes to the stage!

‘Detroit Stories’ is out now on earMUSIC. Cooper will be touring the UK from 23rd May to 1st June. For all dates and tickets, visit the links below.

alicecooper.com

www.facebook.com/ AliceCooper