TIMELINE 13 Flush The Fashion
The Early '80s
A few comments...
1980 saw Alice searching for a new character and musical style following his first brush with rehab. With the dawn of the new decade he seemed to have lost touch with his audience and while concert attendences were still good, album sales were falling fast. 'Flush The Fashion' attempted to tap into the current fad of post-punk/new wave with the electro-pop of Clones (We're All)', which was a minor hit, but that would be the last one for some years. Album reviews were often scathing and the fans were wishing for a return to the glories of old.
On top of that Alice changed his image from the gothic horror of the 70's, to what was at the time described as the 'widow twanky' look, a reference to the British theatre pantomime dames and their pancake makeup and chopstick hairdos. The classic Alice was gone. Alice even appeared on album covers in normal clothes with short hair. Actually his hair was just tied back.
Brian Nelson (April 1996): "Alice did NOT cut his hair for the early 80s tours. He had it tied back. He often would let it down at the end of a show with a coy smile asking the audience, "Aren't you glad I didn't cut it?"
In interviews and on stage he was still a performer and entertain as good as ever, but to the average rock fan on the street, he looked like he had fallen to the traditional rock'n'roll evils of drink and drugs, which wasn't entirly untrue!
This did not mean the early eighties albums were bad. All had their moments and 'Dada' especially is a much overlooked classic hailed by some fans as one of his best. But with his relationship with Warner Brothers almost non-existant Alice was clearly adrift, looking for a new direction to take. It wasn't until 1986 and 'Constrictor' that he found that direction and while that album and 'Raise Your Fist and Yell' brought Alice back to the forefront of rock, many fans still prefer the more original, imaginative early 80's albums to the cheese metal that would follow.
Brian Nelson (April 1996): "[The] ballads were big hits but Alice got a lot of flack from the rockers that it wasn't cool. That's why none of those albums from the 80s had ballads. Alice often said that he wanted a sticker put on the album covers that said: Featuring: No Ballads!"
The period 1980-1983, is also a time when Alice kept a pretty low profile outside of the shows. He fell of the wagon briefly and reportedly returned to the alcohol after a sip of Sheryl's wine at dinner, and there were rumours of the use of other stimulants during this period (as he finally admitted 30 years later). We do know that Alice cleaned up for good around 1984 and that he has been "clean" ever since.
1980
Feb-March '80 Recording sessions for Flush The Fashion at Cherokee Studios, LA
Feb 25th '80 Alice is at the Whiskey A Go Go in Los Angeles to see Lene Lovich. [mentioned in News reports]
March '80 Clones recorded for 'Pink Lady (And Jeff)'. Alice performs 'Clones (We're All)" and the footage has since become the default video for the song.
This show has always been refered to as "Pink Lady and Jeff" but listings at the time simply called it "Pink Lady".
March '80 Glen Buxton appears with Shrapnel in New York
Rolling Stone:
When a young New York punk band called Shrapnel returned to it's old high school in Red Bank, New Jersey, recently to play a gig for old time's sake, it brought along a very special guest - Glen Buxton, guitarist extrordinaire with the original Alice Cooper band.
We played in the cafeteria," chuckles Buxton, who met Shrapnel about eighteen months ago while hanging out in the New York punk circuit. "I mean, it really took me back, boy, right back to Cortez High where Alice, Dennis Dunaway [the Cooper band's bassist] and me started out. I know exactly what the trip is."
Unfortunately, the school officials apparently didn't. By the time Buxton came on-stage to sit in on Shrapnel's version of "School's Out," it was eleven p.m. - curfew time. "They flipped the lights on," says Buxton. "It was like, 'Study hall is open again.' Anyway, I started 'School's Out,' and they went over and started pullin' plugs. First they pulled the PA, figured that would do it. But the kids were on their feet, and the whole audience started singing the words, man. Isn't that cool? I couldn't believe it. After the gig we all went over to the lead-guitar player's house, and his mother put out salami and stuff."
Buxton had semi-retired from music after the Cooper band folded. "My health went," he says. "I was drinkin' a lot. I was in the hospital on the critical list for a couple of weeks - my pancreas. You can imagine how much I was drinkin'. I mean, I taught Alice how to drink. But I'm outta that head now."
Now he's writing songs with his wife, Susan, and casually planning a comeback, inspired by the energy of the local punk scene. "I'm thirty-two years old," he notes. "School's been out along time for me."
Mar 29th '80 'Pink Lady (and Jeff)' aired on NBC (Regional variations, many areas air it April 4th)
April 29th '80 'Clones' single released [Date based on Billboard information.]
May 6th '80 'Flush The Fashion' released [Date based on Billboard Information.] - to coincide 'The Strange Case Of Alice Cooper' airs on US TV as a "Showtime Special".
May 17th '80 'Clones' enters the Billboard charts at #77.
May 20th '80 'Roadie' soundtrack album released.
May 24th '80 'Clones' is at #67 on the Billboard chart. 'Flush The Fasion' enters the album chart at #84.
May 31st '80 'Clones' is at #60 on the Billboard chart. 'Flush The Fashion' is at #73.
Flush The Fashion Tour 1980
NOTE: The 1980 tour dates are a mess. There were lots of changes (dates and/or venues) and some cancelations. Add to that some existing tour itineries are provably wrong and there is a lot of incorrect date info on the net. Below is the most accurate list I can come up with of what actually happened using available evidence but there are still unconfirmed shows and even shows with no venues which may or may not have actually happened, especially around California and the southern states. Any help would be appriciated..
CONFIRMED - June 4th '80 El Paso, TX, County Coliseum - A tour itinerary lists El Paso on June 21st but it was June 4th as confirmed by Texas Monthly June 1980 listing and Billboard Tour Advert.
Show recorded and broadcast on Supergroups In Concert by Westwood One. However the broadcast is only partially from El Paso with many of the tracks simply being lifted from 'The Alice Cooper Show' album. The recording has been re-released unofficially many times, often still including the official "alice Cooper Show" tracks without clarification. No explaination as to why Westwood One included songs from another recording has ever ben forthcoming.
CONFIRMED - June 6th '80 Fresno, CA, Selland Arena [Unused Ticket] [Billboard Tour Advert lists Phoenix, AZ - this is noticed by AZ Central who confirm no Phoenix show currently is scheduled] - eyewitnesses claim they were there and a recording exists. Preview in Fresno Bee June 6th.
June 7th '80 Las Vegas, NV ??? [Billboard Tour Advert]
- 'Clones' is at #51 on the Billboard chart. 'Flush The Fashion' is at #63.
June 8th '80 Bakersfield, CA, Civic Auditorium - Venue was renamed "Bakersfield Convention Center" sometime in 1980, so could have technically been either name at the time of the show.
CONFIRMED - June 9th '80 Riverside, CA, Ben H Lewis Hall, Raincross Square (w/ 20/20)
CONFIRMED - June 10th '80 San Diego, CA, San Diego State University (SDSU) Open Air Theatre (w/ Bratz) [Ticket] [Show preview in San Diego Union June 8th and review on June 11th.]
June 12th '80 'Roadie' Released.
June 13th '80 Sacramento Community Center, Sacramento, CA [Billboard Tour Advert lists San Francisco]. - Listing in Sacramento Bee May 25th 1980.
CONFIRMED - June 14th '80 Concord, CA, Concord Pavilion (w/ Bram Tchaikovsky) [Ticket] - Billboard confirms show happened but no date. Various listings for this show.
- 'Clones' is at #45 on the Billboard chart. 'Flush The Fashion' is at #56.
CONFIRMED - June 17th '80 Los Angeles, CA Greek Theatre [Ticket] [Show announcement and review in Orange County Register June 23rd] - Alice was featured in a TV advert for The Greek Theater. [Tour itinerary][Billboard Tour Advert]
CONFIRMED - June 18th '80 Los Angeles, CA Greek Theatre [Ticket][Tour itinerary]
Before the tour Alice had tried to get some old White House Guard uniforms that came up for sale. Alice wanted them for crew costumes for the tour. The costumes instead went to marching band from some school so apparently Alice flew out a couple of those band members to throw balloons out during "School's Out" at an LA show. The story might not seem that much but it recieved endless coverage across the US press for several months. [Cedar Rapids Gazette June 18th]
June 20th '80 San Antonio, TX, Event Center [Billboard Tour Advert]
June 21st '80 El Paso, TX, County Coliseum - listed on Itinerary and there is a ticket [Ticket] [Tour itinerary]. Other sources confirm El Paso was the 4th. Two shows? [Billboard Tour Advert lists Ft Worth, TX]
- 'Clones' is at #41 on the Billboard chart. 'Flush The Fashion' is at #51.
(June 22nd '80 Houston, TX [Billboard Tour Advert])
June 23rd '80 McAllen, TX, La Villa Real Special Events Center [Tour itinerary lists as Villa Real Concert Hall]
June 24th '80 Corpus Christi, TX, Memorial Coliseum [Ticket] [Tour itinerary]
CONFIRMED - June 25th '80 Beaumont, TX, Beaumont Civic Center (w/ Bram Tchaikovsky) [Ticket1] [Ticket2] [Ticket3][Photos] [Tour itinerary] - Advert shows Beaumont Fair Park Coliseum , so it's possible the show was downgraded to the Civic center. Note: There are several "Fair Park Coliseums" including a well known one in Dallas but there was also one in Beaumont. Review and photo in Port Arthur News on June 26th.
(June 26th '80 New Orleans, LA ??? [Billboard Tour Advert]) - Possibly "The Warehouse" although an extensive site about the venue doesn't list Alice in 1980.
June 27th '80 Birmingham, AL, Boutwell Memorial Auditorium (w/ Billy Squire, Bram Tchaikovsky) [Tour itinerary] - Listings in the Anniston Star June 1st and 21st and Cincinnati Post.
June 28th '80 Johnson City, TN, Freedom Hall Civic Center (w/ Bram Tchaikovsky)[Unused [Ticket][Tour itinerary] [newspaper listing.)
- 'Clones' is at #41 on the Billboard chart. 'Flush The Fashion' is at #48.
CONFIRMED - June 29th '80 Indianapolis, IN, Indiana Convention (Expo) Center (w/ Billy Squire, Bram Tchaikovsky who canceled at last minute) [Tour itinerary] (ticket/eyewitness and newspaper listing) - Preview in Indianapolis Star June 29th and Review in 30th June issue. One announcement in the Indianapolis News states this was Market Square Arena but most listings refer to Indianapolis Convention Center.
[Billboard Tour Advert lists Baton Rouge, LO]
July 2nd '80 Duluth, MN, Duluth Arena [Tour itinerary] OR Biloxi, MS, Mississippi Coast Coliseum - [Billboard Tour Advert - which seems unlikely due to routing issues and distances. ]
CONFIRMED - July 3rd '80 Bloomington, MN, Met. Center (aka Metropolitan Sports Center)(w/ Billy Squire, Bram Tchaikovsky) [Ticket] - Promotor "Schon" is based out of Minneapolis.[Tour itinerary listed as Minneapolis][Billboard Tour Advert lists Birmingham, AL]
Listing in the Minneapolis Star (27th June) says "Met Center" and lists the support acts and confirms the date as does the advert below and finally there's a review in the Minneapolis Star Tribune July 5th.
We also have the suggestion of another Minneapolis date on August 20th postponed to August 25th.
(July 5th '80 Nashville, TN ?? - [Billboard Tour Advert] If this happened it would be very bad routing)
- 'Clones' is at #40 on the Billboard chart and enters the Billboard DISCO chart at #75!!! This is later revealed to be because Billboard have just added rock club DJ's to their chart. 'Flush The Fashion' is at #44.
(July 5th '80 Neal Smith Flying Tigers at Nite Owl II, Norwalk CT)
CONFIRMED - July 6th '80 Kansas City, MO, Municipal Auditorium [Ticket][Ticket] (w/ Billy Squire)[Tour itinerary] - Recording exists
(OR July 6th '80 Atlanta, GA, Agora Ballroom [Ticket] [Billboard Tour Advert])
Tickets exists for Kansas City with the date changed from the 3rd to the 6th on one, and the day blacked out on the other, so looks like the date was changed from July 3rd. Tour itinerary lists July 6th.
A ticket also exist for Agora Ballroom on the same day, but local listings for July 2nd in Augusta Chronicle (the issue before the 6th) list nothing for Alice Cooper while listing 16 shows at the venue around the 6th.
(July 9th '80 New York, NY Palladium - [Billboard Tour Advert] Unlikely. There are two confirmed shows at the same venue in August)
(July 10th '80 Detroit, MI, Joe Louis Arena (w/ Billy Squier or maybe Joe Perry Project, Spider) A newspaper listing has July 8th and 9th at Joe Louis Arena. Other sources have 8th and 9th August, and there is more evidence for these shows being in August.)
(July 10th '80, Neal Smith Flying Tigers at Great Gildersleeves, NYC)
CONFIRMED - July 11th '80 Fort Worth, TX, Will Rogers Auditorium (w/ Billy Squier, Bram Tchaikovsky) [Ticket] CHANGED FROM Dallas, TX, Reunion Arena [Ticket] [Tour itinerary initially lists this for the 11th but it has been changed to 12th] - The change of venue was due to slow ticket sales. In the end it is reported only 1,700 attended the show.
(July 11th-12th '80, Neal Smith Flying Tigers at Great American Saloon, New Haven CT)
July 12th '80 Providence, RI, Civic Center (w/ Billy Squier, Bram Tchaikovsky) [Billboard Tour Advert] - This would be crazy routing so unlikely to have happened.
OR San Antonio, TX, Hemisfair(sphere) Arena (aka Convention Center Arena). - Tour itinerary - originally lists this as July 11th but it has been changed to 12th.
A Poster for San Antonio Convention Centre 'Summer Jam '80' exists for this date (see 14th) showing Black Sabbath, Blue Oyster Cult, Alice Cooper, Riot, Shakin' Street. As the show on the 14th happened (although Alice canceled on the day) it's probably pretty safe to assume Alice didn't play the same place two days before (especially as it held around 16,000!), and that the this show was either canceled or the date is a mistake. There is the possiblity it was replaced by the Providence one but that seems unlikely due to the distance. In the end it doesn't look like there was ANY show on this date.
-
'Clones' is at #93 on the Billbaord charts and then heads out of the chart. 'Flush The Fashion' is at #44.
CONFIRMED - July 13th '80 Houston, Robinson Stadium (w/ Black Sabbath, Blue Oyster Cult, Riot, Shakin' Street) [Ticket][Photos] - Robinson Stadium was a new name for Jeppesen Stadium and the show is often refered to as being at Jeppesen Stadium. It's the same venue. Alice played at 2.50pm to allow him to fly to Baton Rouge for an evening show there. Promotors expected a crowd of up to 30,000 but while initial ticket sales were good a freak 100 degrees plus heatwave hit the area and attendence on the day was closer to 16,500. Billboard is reporting that many other shows are suffering lower then expected sales due the heatwave.
[Billboard Tour Advert lists Springfield, MA]
AND
CONFIRMED - July 13th '80 Baton Rouge, LO, Riverside Centroplex (w/ Molly Hatchet (canceled), The St Louis Sheiks, Pot Liquor (replacement)) [Ticket] [Show preview in Baton Rouge Advocate July 11th and review on July 14th.] 11,520 in attendence.
The conflict between these two shows has been resolved. Alice played both shows playing mid-afternooon in Houston and then flying down to Baton Rouge to headline at the Centroplex.
CONFIRMED (sort of) - July 14th '80 San Antonio, TX, Convention Centre, "Summer Jam '80" (w/ Black Sabbath, Blue Oyster Cult, Riot) [Ticket] - Some Adverts and tickets state July 12th but the show was 14th. Eye Witnesses say Alice canceled at the last minute (perhaps exhusted after the two show the previous day?), see also 12th July - also an advert exists for Springfield, MA on this date but very unlikely due to distances.
CONFIRMED - July 16th '80 Miami, FL Sunrise Musical Theatre (w/ Billy Squire (replacing advertised Bram Tchaikovsky) and Mike Pinera band (solo set backed by Tampa band 'Searock'))[Ticket][Preview of both this and the next show in Palm Beach Post 11th July.][Review in Fort Lauderdale News July 17th.]
CONFIRMED - July 17th '80 West Palm Beach, FL, Auditorium (w/ Billy Squire and Mike Pinera band (solo set backed by Tampa band 'Searock')) (Ticket)
Billboard box office chart confirms reporting 4,081 in attendance. Preview in Palm Beach Post July 11th.
(
NOT Jacksonville, FL, Jacksonville Coliseum [Billboard Tour Advert])
July 18th '80 St. Petersburg, FL, Bayside Center (w/ Billy Squire, and Mike Pinera band (solo set backed by Tampa band 'Searock'))[Billboard Tour Advert] Listing in Florida Today June 27th - CANCELED according to Tampa Tribune 11th July, and replaced with..
CONFIRMED -July 18th 1980 Fort Myers, TX, Lee County Arena (w/ Billy Squire, and Mike Pinera band (solo set backed by Tampa band 'Searock')) (Ticket)- Preview in Fort Myers News-Press 18th July and review of the show in the Fort Myers News-Press July 19th prove this happened on the 18th July. We had this as 20th and other sites seem to be listing it as 19th, as does Billboard Tour Advert. Billboard also has a small mention of two competition winners being flown to Ft. Mayers for this show on 19th. However local press confirms it was the 18th, and thus replaced the cancelled St.Petersburg show above.
July '80 Photographs exist that claim to be at the Hollywood Sportatorium and are clearly from the 'Flush The Fashion' tour. It looks pretty safe to assume they are NOT from the Sportorium.
(July 18th-19th '80 Neal Smith Flying Tigers at Brave Hall, South Windsor, CT)
July 19th '80 'Flush The Fashion' is down to #76.
July 20th '80 Jacksonville, FL, Jacksonville (Memorial) Coliseum (Listing in Florida Today 11th July and 18th July)
[OR Miami, FL ??? [Billboard Tour Advert]
July 24th '80 Dayton, OH, Hara Arena (w/ Billy Squire) [Ticket] [Ticket] [Event t-shirt apparently exists][Supposedly an advert exists stating 26th?][Billboard Tour Advert lists Cincinatti, OH] - Two small mentions in Cincinnati Enquirer. Billboard advert states 26th.
CONFIRMED - July 25th '80 Richfield, OH, Richfield Coliseum Theater (w/ Billy Squire, Triumph) [Ticket] Downgraded from the larger Richfield Coliseum building and Bram Tchaikovsky canceled to be replaced by Triumph. [Show review in the Cleveland Plain Dealer July 26th.][Billboard Tour Advert lists Indianapolis, IN]
(July 25th '80 Neal Smith Flying Tigers at Gemini II, Yorktown Heights, New York)
(July 26th '80 Neal Smith Flying Tigers at Surfside, Fairfield, CT)
July 26th '80 'Flush The Fashion' is at #83 in the Billboard chart. There is mention of 'Talk Talk' being released as a single but it doesn't appear to have charted.
CONFIRMED - July 26th '80 Charlesvoix, MI, Castle Farms Music Theatre (w/ Bram Tchaikovsky (Cancelled), Billy Squier) [Ticket]- Recording exists - Show stopped after 5 songs after Alice saw people being crushed and hurt at the front barrier. The show restarts after a short break.
(July 27th '80 Cleveland, OH ??? [Billboard Tour Advert]) - Unlikely with two other Ohio shows on the 24th and 25th.
CONFIRMED - July 30th '80 Kalamazoo, MI, Wings Stadium (w/ Billy Squire) [Ticket]
CONFIRMED - July 31st '80 Green Bay, WI, Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena (w/ Billy Squire (replacing orginally advertised Bram Tchaikovsky))[Ticket][Billboard Tour Advert] - Cancelled according to Green Bay Gazette 10th July. But then back on again, reported on July 11th!
CONFIRMED - August 1st '80 West Allis, WI, State Fair Park Grandstand, Wisconsin State Fair [Ticket] [Review in Milwaukee Sentinal August 2nd]
Edwardsville, IL, Missisipi River Festival according to an itinerary. Newspaper listing confirms Mississippi River Festival at the campus of Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville with Billy Squire for this date but later listings have it on August 3rd. [Billboard Tour Advert lists Milwaukee, WI]
CONFIRMED - August 2nd '80 Omaha, NE, City Auditorium Arena (w/ Billy Squire) [Ticket] 4,120 attendence. [Show preview in Omaha World Herald July 27th and review on August 3rd][Billboard Tour Advert lists Chicago, IL]
- 'Flush The Fashion' is at #85 on the Billboard chart.
CONFIRMED -August 3rd '80 Edwardsville, IL, Mississippi River Festival, Open Air Amphitheatre at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville (w/ Billy Squire)[Tour itinerary] - Review in St Louis Post Dispatch August 4th.
[Billboard Tour Advert lists Kansas City, MO but Alice played there the previous month] Mentions in the July 27th St Louis Despatch and St. Louis Post-Dispatch July 31st and the review is also from St. Louis. St. Louis is in Misouri. This is explained by the fact that while Edwardsville IS in Illinois, it is just on the border with Misouri, and St. Louis is just the other side of the border. They are actually less than 30 minutes apart.
CONFIRMED - August 6th '80 Saginaw, MI, Civic Center (w/ Billy Squire) [Tour itinerary] - See August 14th - Billboard Box Office chart confirms this date with 6,617 attending the show for a gross of $50,611. We have them confirmed Kentucky the following day, and then back to Michigan the day after that, but Saginaw to Louisville is acually only around 7 hours and it would be less to get back for the to Detroit shows so very possible. There is also a photograph of a fan in front of the venue billboard clearly confirming the date and venue (start time 8.00pm).[Ticket]
CONFIRMED - August 7th '80 Louisville, KY, Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center Stadium, Kentucky State Fairgrounds (8,000 attend, part of Kentucky State Fair)(W/ Billy Squier) [Ticket] (more info courtesy of Hunter Goatley)[Tour itinerary][Billboard Tour Advert] - Review in Courier Journal 8th August.
CONFIRMED - August 8th '80 Detroit, MI, Joe Louis Arena (w/ Bram Tchaikovsky (who didn't play?), Billy Squire) (Moved from Cobo Arena) [Ticket][Ticket] [Tour itinerary][Billboard Tour Advert] - Review in Detroit Free Press 10th August.
CONFIRMED -August 9th '80 Detroit, MI Joe Louis Arena (w/ Bram Tchaikovsky (who didn't play?), Billy Squire) [Ticket] [Tour itinerary] - Billboard Box Office chart confirms these dates with 23,424 attending the two shows for a gross of $250,390, the second highest of the week.
August 9th '80 'Flush The Fashion' is at #101 on the Billboard chart and heading out.
(August 12th '80 Petersburg, MI ??? [Billboard Tour Advert but this was actually July 18th, and was cancelled])
CONFIRMED - August 13th '80 Chicago, IL, Navy Pier as part of 'Chicagofest' (w/ Billy Squire, Bram Tchaikovsky) [Ticket][Review in Chicago Tribune August 14th] [Tour itinerary]Alice Cooper is mentioned in a few Chicagofest adverts but there doesn't seem to be a stand-alone advert for the show, probably because it is part of the bigger event, and buyng a ticket for the event got you into the Alice show as well.
(August 14th '80 Saginaw, MI, Wendler Arena [Billboard Tour Advert] or 6th August - Ticket supposed to exist for Saginaw, MI, Wendler Arena August 13th but behind paywall. Tour itinerary lists Saginaw on Aug 6th at Civic Center and confirmed by Box Office chart.)
CONFIRMED - August 15th '80 New York City, NY Palladium (w/
Bram Tchaikovsky and/or Billy Squier)[Show review in New York Times August 18th] (Advert and show listing ) [Ticket][Tour itinerary][Billboard Tour Advert lists Kalamazoo, MI]
CONFIRMED - August 16th '80 New York City, NY Palladium (Advert) [Ticket] (w/
Bram Tchaikovsky and/or Billy Squier) [Tour itinerary]
(August 17th '80 New York City, NY Palladium - Mention of a possible 3rd night but can't find anything to substantiate it) [Billboard Tour Advert lists Omaha, NB]
CONFIRMED - August 19th '80 Toronto, Ontario, C.N.E. Stadium (w/ Zon) [Ticket][Tour itinerary]
Cancelled due to Alice's bronchial asthma; A riot ensues as you can see in vivid detail in the news footage below.
A riot happen in Toronto CNE on the 'Flush The Fashion' 1980 tour. Just before going on stage Alice suffered the worst asthma attack he had had in years. The show was canceled and the fans went crazy causing $75,000 in damages to the venue along with 31 arrests and 17 injuries. It all made the television news and front page of the newspapers the following day. [For example Cedar Rapids Gazette, Walla Walla Union Bulletin and many many more]. Alice offered to reschedule the show bt was refused by venue officials.
Toronto Star Wednesday August 20 1980:
The Canadian Rock Festival at the Canadian National Exhibition was cancelled today after thousands of rioting rock fans tried to wreck the Grandstand last night. They bombarded 268 policemen with bottles, chains and other missles during a 30-minute rampage that will cost at least $175,000 to repair.
Furious because headliner Alice Cooper's performance was cancelled after they had waited an hour and a half, they tore out 200 seats welded to steel posts and bolted to concrete. They heaved scores of metal chairs on stage. They didn't brain anybody, but they ruined a public address system and an expensive set of drums. They ripped out steel turnstiles, smashed windows in ticket booths and the Grandstand restaurant, and damages several cars outside the stadium. All Metro's available policemem raced to the CNE to help the 25 officers on duty.
Police used folding chairs as shields against flying bottles and hunks of broken seats, and they used their nightsticks freely in driving more than 13,000 fans from the Grandstand. Twelve members of the audience went to hospital with injuries ranging from cuts to broken limbs. Five policemen and a security officer recieved minor injuries. Police reported 31 arresets on charges of assulting police, causing a disturbance, causing public mischief, being drunk and possessing drugs.
CNE officals cancelled the rock festival scheduled for this afternoon and evening because the seats couldn't be replaced in time and they were afraid of trouble from people with tickets for them. Howard Tate, assistant general manager, promised a refund for last night's and today's concerts to anyone who mails a ticket stub, name and address to the treasurer, Canadian National Exhibition.
All other performances scheduled for the Grandstand, including rock star Burton Cumming's show tomorrow, will go on, Tate said.
Many fans blamed the CNE management for the riot. They claimed anger grew to the explosion point because officials stalled announcing the cancellation until police reinforcements began arriving. But Tate blamed Alice Cooper.
"Band didn't play" He said the grotesque singer - who was plain Vincent Furnier until he adopted a women's name, make-up and wild stage stunts- didn't notify anyone he was too sick to appear.
Zon, a Toronto band warmed up the crowd from 8 p.m. until about 9p.m. Then the fans had to wait.The mood grew ugly as obvious confusiion backstage led to conflicting announcements of what was wrong.
" It was 9:45 when I first heard that he was sick," Tate said. "I recommended to the general manager behind the stage that they start without Cooper, hoping he would show up. But his band didn't play."
Fifteen minutes later, Cooper's lead guitarist announced there had been a delay getting his luggage through customs. After another 25 minutes he announced Cooper was very ill and had been taken to a hospital by ambulance. The fans exploded, despite public address assurances that they'd get their money back. "I've never seen anything like that in my 19 years with the Ex," said Tate. "We tried to reach Cooper last night and this morning, but we still don't know where he is, what happened to him or what sort of illness he's supposed to have."
Cooper's road manager Damion Bragdon, said last night Cooper had become ill in New York and missed two flights to Toronto.
When he did arrive at 6:30, "he looked awful and he was burning up from fever. I would not put such a human being on stage. He was so sick he could hardly stand up."
Bragdon said Cooper was examined by a doctor after he arrived at the downtown Holiday Inn and "he's been in his room ever since." The hotel had confirmed Cooper had arrived, but said he paid his bill and checked out a few hours later.
Bragdon denied all rumors that Cooper has fallen off the wagon after treatment for alcoholism two years ago: "There was abosolutely no drugs,no booze and no heroin involved. He's just a very sick man."
August 20th '80 Minneapolis, MN (Postponed until 25th October (ticket)?)[Billboard Tour Advert] - Alice was in Minnesota at the beginning of July. Would he really be back again so soon? The postponement makes sense following the Tronto riot but I can't find any mention of a show or postponement.
August 21st '80 Rapid City, SD [Billboard Tour Advert] - No mention in local newspaper events listings so looks unlikely.
August 22nd '80 Denver, CO [Billboard Tour Advert] - There is a ticket for October 25th so could this have been posponed?
August 23rd '80 Oklahoma City, OK [Billboard Tour Advert] - No mentions of a show that I can find in The Oklahoman, which has had mentions and advert forf every other Alice Cooper show going back to 1972. That would suggest there wasn't a show in Oklahoma CIty in 1980.
(August 25th '80 Minneapolis, MN Event Center - Again - Alice was in Minnesota at the beginning of July. Would he really be back again so soon?)
11th September 1980 - 17 September 1980 – Dates in Mexico were booked according to a July tour itinerary but they are maked as "Stand By". Only one possible city is listed, Acapalco, followed by a list of things needed like passports. In Billboard Sept 27th it is reported that both Alice Cooper and Kiss have canceled dates in Mexico. The Alice show promoters apparently lost a "hefty sum of money on pre-event promotion", claiming they distributed 60,000 handbills and 12,000 posters for 2 shows in Acapulco (and none have survived??) in addition to TV and radio spots! The cancelation is blamed on health reasons: "It is just impossible for him to even think about leaving the US for public appearances" a spokesman for Alive said. It was later revealed that Alice is "recuperating from a lung infection."
Sept 14th-15 '80 Acapulco, Mexico - Canceled
Ocober 1980 - Ma and Pa Coopers Mini Tour
A tour document exists for "Ma and Pa's Mini Tour - Fall 1980". We only have one date from this document, in Phoenix,. It could be that the document title simply refers to a show in Alice's home town and that there were no more shows.
We have possible dates for two more shows but apart from an unsued ticket and dubious listing in a college newspaper for the Boulder show I can find nothing in local papers suggesting these shows happened.
In the Jackson, MI Sun on October 15th a reader writes in to ask if Alice will be in Tennessee any time soon. The answer is that he doesn't have any tour planned. Of course considering that this is just a reply to a letter it isn't any proof. I just mention it for reference.
CONFIRMED - October 24th '80 Arizona State Fair, Phoenix Memorial Coliseum (w/ Mitch Ryder) - For years there was doubt this ever happened but it certainly did as shown by adverts, listings, and a review in the Arizona Republic 25th October. Alice also played the Arizona State Fair on Oct 23th 1981.
(October 25th '80 Minneapolis, MN Event Center possible rescheduled of postponed show - We have at least five dates for a 'Flush The Fashion' show in Minneapolis and no evidence for any of them. The Minneapolis Star Tribune, which has adverts and listings on a huge amount of shows, has no mention of Alice in October 1980.)
October 25th 1980 Boulder, CO, (University of Colorado) Events/Conferance Center - [Ticket] - Ticket looks unused so may not have happened, although there is a listing in the Colorado Collage Student Newspaper The Catalyst Oct. 10th). It's worth noting however that there is only ONE issue with that listing. It isn't listed in any other issue around this time. The Events Conference Center is part of the University of Colorado - Boulder. UPDATE: Coloado Springs Gazette (Oct 24th - the day before) also mentions this as happening "on Saturday" and mentions the show several times in the weeks running up to it.
There is a small mention on July 25th of ticket refunds for the "Red Rocks Summer Of Stars" concert series, which they say included Alice Cooper, and it mentions only a show by The Kinks has been rescheduled, suggesting there was an AC show at Red Rocks sometime during the summer but it was canceled along with shows by The Cars, Cheap Trick and REO Speedwagon. Could it be this show was an attempt to reschedule an earlier show but which also fell through?
Oct '80 Neal Smith and Dennis Dunaway working with Flying Tigers
November 1980 - La Cuchracha Meets The Black Widow
Another tour document looking similar to the "Mom and Pa's mini Tour" one this time entitled "La Cuchracha Meets The Black Widow - Winter 1980 Mexico"
Again we only have one date from this document in Monterey
and until 2015 no evidence that it happened. However in 2015 someone uploaded an audio recording to YouTube from the show featuring the encore of 'School's Out' and 'Raped And Freezin''!
CONFIRMED - November 28th '80 Monterrey, Mexico (Cuidad), University of Monterey University Stadium (w/Lucrecia) - 13,000 in attendance. Show started at 3pm in daylight.
