Live: Alice Cooper @ The Apollo

Alice Cooper

Apollo

30^th October

5 stars

What better time could Alice Cooper come to Manchester and play a show than the day before Halloween. The undisputed king of shock rock has been perfecting the art of his stage show for decades, with on stage monsters and massive hits. But is age catching up with him yet?

Support came from New York Dolls, themselves legends of protopunk. Whilst the band are in danger of looking a little bit silly (dressing like they’re still 20 didn’t exactly flatter themselves), David Johansen’s deep vocal style still cuts through the air like it did on record back in 1973, a genuine surprise given most aged punk bands vocal decline over the years. There is however a definitive split in song quality live. Songs pre-1976 (before their hiatus) like ‘Jet Boy’ and ‘Personality Crisis’ bring down the house, where as post reunion tracks such as ‘Dance Like a Monkey’ fall flat. Still, it is impressive to see the energy is still there.

Alice Cooper however smashed it. Start to finish, vocally and visually Cooper was flawless. Whilst one expects ‘No More Mr. Nice Guy’, ‘Poison’, ‘I’m Eighteen’ and ‘Schools Out’ to be impeccable and well received, it’s clear once Cooper struts around to new song ‘I’ll Bite Your Face Off’ (complete with the self awareness to wear a jacket emblazoned with “New Song”) that not one song is filler. As for visuals, any show which involves a ten foot Frankenstein’s monster appearing out of nowhere, a shockingly real looking decapitation by guillotine and a tender love song being sang to a life size ragdoll is bound to be a success.

The energy with which the 63 year old Alice, or if you want to be honest, Vincent, bounds around stage is phenomenal. The only thing better than Alice Cooper playing the day before Halloween, is Alice Cooper playing on Halloween itself.

Alice Cooper – Poison

Alice Cooper – I’ll Bite Your Face Off

New York Dolls – Personality Crisis