Below are the complete SickthingsUK news archives going back to 2004 when I first added news to the front page.
NOTE: The further back you go, the less likely it is that links and images will work, because the original sites no longer have the articles.

New Shows - Italy and Netherlands 20 Dec 2018

Two new European shows have been announced. They are:
10th Sept - Pala Alpitour, Turin, Italy
2nd Oct. - 013, Tilburg, The Netherlands
Tickets for the Itallian show are apparently on sale now with the Tilburg show going on sale Saturday.

Blue Coupe will be playing the Sweden Rock Festival in Solvesborg, Sweden on June 8th next year.

Alice and Sheryl are featured in a new advert for 'Alfa Romeo of Scottsdale' which you can check out on facebook. Both were also at 'A Solid Rockin' Christmas' a few days ago handing up free lunch to local underpriviledged kids, as they have done for some years now. The annual event is put on by the local Salvation Army and the Bank of Arizona and after lunch each child is given a toy by Santa.

UK Fans may have spotted photographer Jodi Cunningham at many UK shows over the last few years. She has a website with many Alice and Hollywood Vampires photos (check out the 'blog' link) and now has her own special t-shirts available to help support her passion for photography, which you can order here.

Two More Shows 17 Dec 2018

Two more European shows have been announced. They are:
15th Sept - Incheba Expo Arena, Bratislava, SK
16th Sept - Wiener Stadthalle, Vienna, AU
It's also been announced that shows so far announced will feature support from Black Stone Cherry.

New Shows - France 14 Dec 2018

Three new shows in France have been announced. They are:
September 3rd - Marseille, Le Dome
September 5th - Bordeaux, Arkea Arena
September 20th - Paris, La Seine Musicale
Tickets appear to go on sale on December 18th.

Ryan Roxie has a new digital single out today. It's 'Big Rock Show', the short opening track from his 'Imagine Your Reality' album which features Glen Sobel and Tommy Henriksen. There's a unusual lyric video to promote the song shot entirely on an iPhone Xr, and made especially for viewing in 'Portrait Mode'! To mark the launch Roxie will be streaming a 'LIVE Guitar Lesson' to teach people how to play the song. This will take place tonight at approx. 6:30 pm (Swedish Time) and you can tune in via Roxie's facebook page or Instagram Live (@ryanroxie).
You can hear the track via Spotify or Apple Music.

Blue Coupe play in Ashbury Park, NJ at a 20th anniversary celebration for the WRAT-FM (95.9 The Rat) show “Electric Ballroom” at House of Independents on December 30th and NJArts have an article about the show.

There's new interviews with Nita over at Guitar World, and "In The Vault With Shanda Golden" via Blabbermouth.

AltaOnline has an interesting article about the legendary Miss Christine of the GTO's, with input from Alice and Shep.

ASX have photos and a review from the xmas pudding show.

Alice Cooper's Solid Rock now have the AZ lottery ticket posters available to order. There are only 500 copies, and all are signed by Alice. Each one costs $100 as a donation to Solid Rock (plus shipping and handling) and you can order now.

German Shows Annnounced 10 Dec 2018

Dates are starting to show up for the "Ol‘ Black Eyes is Back" 2019 tour. The latest is a batch of shows booked for Germany in September. Going by the gaps between these shows it seems certain there will be more shows added between them.

11th September - Mannheim - Sap Arena
13th September - Berlin - Max-Schmeling-Halle Berlin
18th September - Stuttgart - Porsche-Arena
23rd September - Hamburg - Barclaycard Arena Hamburg
30th September - Leipzig - Leipzig Arena
1st October - Munich - Olympiahalle München
Tickets for these go on sale December 12th.

AXS are also listing a show at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles on August 1st with Peter Frampton.

UPDATE: Two Spanish Shows have turned up. They are:
7th Sept - Madrid, ES - Palacio Vistalegre
8th Sept - Barcelona, ES - Sant Jordi Club
Tickets for these two seem to go on sale this Friday, December 14th.

Xmas Pudding 10 Dec 2018

Saturday's Christmas Pudding show seems to have been a success. As expected Joe Perry didn't make it, due to ongoing health concerns, but The Hollywood Vampires still closed the show in style playing a short set that consisted of I Want My Now / Raise The Dead / As Bad As I Am / Boogieman Surprise / My Dear Drunk Friends / Bushwackers / Baba O'Riley / Heroes / The Jack / Ace Of Spades and School's Out before being joined by the rest of the show's guests for the traditional closing 'Run Rundolph Run'. Earlier in the night Beasto Blanco also performed, and there were surprise appearances from Nita Strauss and Orianthi.
AZCentral has a full review with photos, and YouTube has some video from the show.

The soundtrack to this years TV production of 'Jesus Christ Superstar', featuring Alice as King Herod, has been nominated for a Grammy for 'Best Musical Theater Album'. The awards ceremony will be on February 10th.

Ultimate Guitar has compiles a list of 10 classic Cooper quotes which you can see here.

Catching Up 07 Dec 2018

It's been a pretty quiet couple of weeks, and I've been holding out for some bigger news to include the smaller things but there really hasn't been much, so here's a quick catch up before reports start coming in about tomorrows Christmas Pudding show.

Ace Frehley has been chatting about his touring plans next year and has suggested he will be playing shows with Alice Cooper around July/August next year. We only have two confirmed 2019 dates so far, and they are festivals, but there's no reason to think it isn't true and I still expect 2019 tour dates soon.

Guitar World has a new interview with Alice talking about some of the guitarists he's worked with over the years.

'Do You Know Jack' has a new interview with Neal Smith promoting his 'Halloween' KillSmith compilation album which you can listen to via YouTube.

New Jersey Arts has a report from the November 30th 'Wham Bam Thank You Glam!' show at the City Winery, NYC which featured Dennis Dunaway among others. They also have video of Dennis performing 'Under My Wheels' and a few words with Cindy Smith Dunaway.

AZCentral has a great interview with Calico Cooper talking about Beasto Blanco and her career to date.

The full version of Alice's appearance with Udo Lindenberg, performing 'No More M Nice Guy' a few months back, is now available to watch on YouTube.

Nita Strauss, who's still out on tour promoting her new solo album, is still getting a fair amount of press coverage. She's interviewed on 'Chasing Glory with Lilian Garcia' which you can find on Soundcloud

Some years back you may remember that guitar playing computer games were all the rage, and some had various Alice Cooper songs available. Well 'Rocksmith' is one such game that is still releasing content and they have a new pack of three AC songs available - 'School's Out', 'Poison', and 'Billion Dollar Babies'. They are available in the X-Box and Playstation stores.

It appears Rhino Records will be reissuing the original 'Greatest Hits' on vinyl early next year. No more details as yet.

New Show - Ontario 24 Nov 2018

According to the official event site Alice Cooper will be performing at the Roxodus Music Festival in Edenvale, Ontario sometime between July 11th and 13th next year. Other acts booked to play include Cheap Trick, Kid Rock, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Nickelback, Peter Frampton and Lita Ford amongst others. Tickets go on sale November 30th.

Astroturf LP Out Today 23 Nov 2018

So today's the day the full Good Records performance by the original Alice Cooper band is finally released to mark 'Record Store Day 2018'. The limited edition vinyl comes in a fancy gatefold sleeve and is supposedly only available from independent record stores, although some copies are already showing up on Ebay etc, which kinda defeats the object of Record Store day which is to get people into real shops. There's a cool little video of Alice himself opening up a copy of the album up on YouTube.
Congrats to Chris Penn and his team for getting this thing finally released, and good luck to everyone in getting your copy. It's sure to be instantly collectable (and expensive)!

Other then the Astrotuff release it's been relatively quiet news-wise this week but there are a few things to pass on.

Hollywood Vampire Joe Perry is out of hospital and resting at home. He's canceled all dates on his solo tour in December, and a statement says he will be resting up for the rest of the year but would be back in action next year.

Dennis Dunaway is interviewed Fidelity High about Van Morrisons 'Astral Weeks' album. Dennis daughter Chelsea is selling prints of her 2017 Chiller Theater poster of the original Alice Cooper band. They are 17x11 and you can see the design and buy a copy here.

Alice, Sheryl and Calico were all on Fox 10 TV last week promoting the Christmas Puddng show and you should be able to see the clip on facebook. The Hollywood Vampires are set to play the show this year, although after Joe Perry's announcement it's possible he will have to skip it. Time will tell. The Pudding show is on December 8th on Phoenix and AZ Big Media also have a short interview with Alice about the show.

As usual Nita Strauss has been busy promoting her new solo album and tour. She appears on the Metal Sucks podcast, and is interviewed by LA Weekly, and chats with wrestler Becky Lynch in a new video posted by her record company on YouTube.

Lastly something that isn't news, but more of a personal plee to some of the various musician I cover here. Please, please try and find ways to making your product pre-sales and merchandise ship from both the US AND somewhere in Europe. Many fans in Europe want to support your projects and order things, but in many cases recently the cost of postage and then probable custom charges when the package arrives here are just making it too expensive.
For example I ordered Nita's album on vinyl and CD via the bundle on NitaStrauss.com. The cost of the bundle was perfectly fair and I was happy to support her in her project, but the postage and customs charges added another $36 on the $60 order! If I had ordered the same things via the KIckstarter campaign the postage would have been even more!
I understand such additional costs are out of your hands directly, however some of your bandmates have had no problems arranging shipping from Europe and thus avoiding such extra costs, which lets face it is just money down the drain. After all we could just not pre-order at all, and simply buy it from Amazon later on. But we WANT to support you and be part of the project but it's becoming increasingly expensive to do so due to these other fees and charges. It was the same situation with Dennis' 'Cold Cold Coffin' campaign, and Damon Johnson's recent releases. The postage charges in some cases were more then the cost of the item, and likely we would be hit by customs on top of that as well. I await with dread the postage and custom changes on my Astroturf album package!!!
This isn't a complaint aimed at you guys, and I'm only using Nita's campaign as an example. It's simple a request that you consider this when arranging your pre-sales and deals, to see if there is any way to avoid these hefty charges, which don't benefit either yourself or your fans, many of whom have limited disposable income. Thank you for listening.

Roxie UK Shows Announced 13 Nov 2018

Ryan Roxie will be playing three UK shows in February next year to promote his excellent 'Imagine Your Reality' album. They are:
Friday February 22nd - Esquires, Bedford
Saturday February 23rd - The Asylum, Birmingham
Sunday February 24th - Cancer On The Rocks Festival, Nantwich
Tickets for the shows are available now, as are VIP upgrades which you can get at www.roxievip.blogspot.com and include a special three song set before the doors open amongst other things. Ryan will also be making an appearance at 'The Guitar Show' at New Bingley Hall in Birmingham on the Saturday, but this will be a guitar clinic kinda thing, not a proper show.

Hollywood Vampire Joe Perry was rushed to hospital Saturday night after he appeared on stage with Billy Joel at Madison Square Gardens in New York. “Following a guest performance during Billy Joel’s show last night at Madison Square Garden, Joe Perry experienced shortness of breath and was treated backstage by paramedics who gave the guitarist oxygen and used a tracheal tube to clear his airway before taking him to a hospital,” a statement reads. "This morning Perry remains in the hospital where he is alert and responsive. Perry is expected to return to the road later this month."

The Dallas Observer has an article about Chris Penn and the forthcoming 'Astroturf' live album, due out on November 32rd.

Dennis Dunaway is interviewed by 'Heavy Demons Radio' in Italy, which you can listen to in English on YouTube.

Nita Strauss has released a new 'Road To Chaos' video which you can check out here. It follows Nita on the recent clinic tour, with Alice, and training backstage.

 

Stan Lee 13 Nov 2018

By now most people will have seen the news that yesterday we lost comics legend Stan Lee at the age of 95. Lee was more then just a writer of comics, more then just a faceless publisher. He was 'The Man'... 'Mr Comics'... and his early work co-creating Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, The Hulk, Doctor Strange, Black Panther and many others changed comics, and eventually the world of entertainment itself. The stories he helped create, and possibly more importantly the way he chose to tell those stories, have effected generations of fans from youngsters just learning to read for themselves - me, age eight, when my father bought me my first Marvel book to keep me quiet while waiting at an airport -  to adults, still me, who still read comics for the simple escapism and enjoyment of the fantastic, the strange, the bizarre, the super... and the limitless options the format provides for storytelling.

Lee, along with his many colaborators, brought to the comics world the sense that these mighty heroes were not perfect. They had normal every day problems with school, home, family, love and loss like everyone else. Peter Parker could be out saving the world one minute, and getting in trouble with school bully the next - and it was often their none-super stories that were the most engaging. You tuned in next month as often to see where their relationships with each other would go as for the villain of the month. His stories showed that things didn't always go the way you planned, but trying to do the right thing was more important then anything - 'With great power comes great responsibility'. Something our "leaders" today could learn much from.

By the time Marvel published 'Marvel Premier 50' Stan had long moved from being a writer to simply being 'Stan Lee', the most famous face in the comics industry. He appeared on TV, in magazines, and every convention going, always promoting himself, and the company with his larger then life character, and such was the respect for him that even decades after he ceased to be directly related to Marvel, directors and producers still reached out to him to make cameos in all the big blockbusting marvel movies, something he appeared to relish.

While his passing is not that unexpected, it still leaves a hole that can never be filled. There will only ever be one Stan 'The Man' Lee. Excelsior!

Alice Cooper posted the following:
"Apart from being a hero in the comic world, Stan was so much fun to be around.  He had a regal air about him.  He was gracious to his fans too - he knew who he was to people and seemed to love every minute of it.  Of course MY absolute favorite thing about Stan Lee is that when Marvel drew me for my comic book, he made sure I had great abs. Thanks for that Stan!"

Catching Up 10 Nov 2018

I've been MIA for the last week in hospital for medical treatment, and would still be classified as 'walking wounded', but I'm finally in front of a screen so here's what's coming up and what's been happening the last week or so. Apologies for any repeated info.

Alice Cooper has been announced as performing at the Riverside Open Air Festival in Aarburg, Switzerland on August 31st 2019. This is the first 2019 show to turn up so expect lots more in the near future.

Dennis Dunaway is hosting a 'Live Launch' for his 'Cold Cold Coffin' film TODAY (G.B's Birthday)  from The Carriage House Studios, between 7PM and Midnight EST. The full event is planned to be webcast live for a cost of $5, and will feature the world premier of the 'Cold Cold Coffin'  rock cinema film.

A few new interviews/articles to cover: Park Point Globe has a show review, Kerrang has a short article on Alice's favourite Hallwoeen Costume, Metal Hammer has I think seven pages on Alice in the latest newstand edition, which is guest eddited by Rob Zombie, including the #1 Horror song for 'He's Back' and a long article.

Nita Strauss and Alice are on the front cover of the new holiday issue of Guitar World magazine. Speaking of Nita I recieved confirmation my copy of her new album has shipped (the CD at least, no sign of the vinyl yet) so that should be arriving with people Imminently.

Blue Coupe will be playing at the Electric Ballroom in New Jersey with Monster Magnet, Frankenstein 3000 and the Ribeye Brothers on December 30th. Tickets are available now.

Kane Roberts has released a video for new song 'Forever Out Of Place' and released a few more details about his new solo album. Alice Cooper appears on 'Beginning Of The End' along with Kip Winger who also appears on a few other tracks, with Ken Mary and Paul Taylor also popping up on the record. "The New Normal" is due on January 25th, 2019 via Frontiers Music Srl.

Nita On WWE Again 30 Oct 2018

Nita Strauss popped up at WWE Evolution 2018 a couple of days ago. It was the first ever all women pay-per-view wrestling event and to mark the occasion they had Nita and Lzzy Hale from Halestorm open the show. There a short video you can check out here. According to the comments Orianthi was also there.
Nita will also finish her Guitar Center dates with an appearance at the Hollywood Guitar Center in California on November 2nd.

A reminder that Dennis Dunaway will be signing at Little City Books, 100 Bloomfield Street, Hoboken, NJ tonight from 7pm. There will also be a Q&A, and music with guests Tish and Snooky.

Apparently Alice was on Amazon Music's 'Today In Music' yesterday talking about Halloween songs, which could be accessed if you had one of those Amazon Echo gizmos.

Kane Roberts has confirmed Nita Strauss is on the first track, 'King Of The World', on his forthcoming new album which is due in January  and should also including Alice going by previous comments.

This months 'Metal Hammer' magazine in the UK has 7 pages on Alice this month including the story behind 'He's Back (The Man Behind The Mask)' which they have chosen as their #1 horror song for Halloween. The issue you want has Rob Zombie on the cover.

New Nita Solo Track 25 Oct 2018

Nita Strauss has released a new video for 'Pandemonium 2.0' from her forthcoming 'Controlled Chaos' solo album which is due on November 16th. You can still pre-order copies in various packages from NitaStrauss.com Nita has also posted a short video featuring footage from her jam with Steve Vai and a little footage from the London Music show. KNAC have a new interview with Nita and there's video of her appearance on SiriusXM on YouTube.

Alice will be appearing at the Louisville Supercon which takes place between November 30th and December 2nd at the Kentucky International Convention Center.

The Des Moines Register has a review and photos from the Civic Center show.

Rock Titan have posted a great new interview with Calico Cooper talking about her career, her father, and Beasto Blanco.

Alice's personal assistant Kyler Clark has an exhibition of his Alice Cooper photographs called 'Feeding His Frankenstein' taking place at Found Object Records in Nashville, TN. It appears the exhibition will begin on October 31st with a 'soft opening' before the official launch event on November 10th between 6pm and 9pm. Limited edition prints will be available at the event.

Kane Roberts has announced his new solo album will be called 'The New Normal', to be released on January 25th, and has released the cover image to facebook, with more information promised later today. Previous posts over the last few months suggest that both Alice Cooper and Nita Strauss may be on the album. The album tracklisting is as follows:
1. King Of The World - 2. Wonderful - 3. Beginning Of The End - 4. Who We Are - 5. Forever out Of Place - 6. Leave This World Behind - 7. The Lion's Share - 8. Leave Me In The Dark - 9. Above And Beyond - 10. Wrong

Sideshow Toys are releasing a new Alice Cooper figure. The sixth scale action figure features two costumes with an asortment of extras, and will retail at a hefty $219. Pre-orders begin Today.

New Astroturf Video 18 Oct 2018

Good Records have released  a new promo video for the 'Live From The Astroturf' Record Store Day album which is due on November November 23rd. The track is 'Under My Wheels' and the video features footage from the show featuring the original Alice Cooper band. You can also see the video below.

December 14th sees the release of "MTV Unplugged 2 – Live vom Atlantik" by German star Udo Lindenberg. As the name suggests it's an acoustic live album and DVD, but of interest to us is a guest appearance by Alice himself on a cover of 'No More Mr Nice Guy'. You can check out a short video clip from the show here.

Houston Press has a short interview with Alice, while Glide Magazine has photos from the Atlanta show. Forbes magazine have a longer interview.

The Alice Cooper Band (Tommy, Chuck. Ryan and Glen) will play another special club show on October 25th at the Smiling Morse in Pittsburgh. Doors open at 10pm and support comes from 'Borstal Boys'. If you are wondering why Nita isn't playing at these band only shows it's simply because she's already booked doing guitar clinics so can't make them.

Speaking of Nita, there's a new interview with the lady from the Palace Theater in Albany courtesy of Q103 up on YouTube.

Ryan Roxie will also be making an appearance at Record Connection in Niles, OH on October 27th between 1 and 3pm for a meet and greet.

Dennis Dunaway, who will begin shooting his 'Cold Cold Coffin' film next week, will be signing and chatting at Little City Books in Hoboken, New Jersey on October 30th at 7pm. He's hoping to be back in Europe with Blue Coupe next summer for a major festival and hopefully a few more intimate shows. Let's hope the UK is included.

Chuck Garric, Chris Latham and Calico Cooper of Beasto Blanco will again be at this years 'Bowl For Ronnie', the charity bowling event set up for Ronnie James Dio's 'Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund'. The even takes place at PINZ Bowling in Studio City, CA and tickets are available now.

Alice Cooper Band Play Dallas 12 Oct 2018

The Alice Cooper Band (Tommy, Chuck, Ryan and Glen) will play a 'Pre-Show Party' at the 'Double Wide' in Dallas on Monday October 15th. Tickets are availabe now from Prekindle.com.

 

Full Astroturf Reunion Performance To Be Released 10 Oct 2018

This years Record Store Day on November 23rd will see the release on 'Good Records' of a special limited edition (3000) vinyl album featuring the original Alice Cooper band (with Ryan Roxie) recorded live at Good Records on October 6th 2015. This will be the full performance from the legendary night and will include a double sided 24”x36” poster, a 11”x11” 16 page booklet/program, 6 trading cards, each b-side of LP will feature a different member at random, there will be 10 different color variants at random in "mofi" sleeves and each silver foil board gatefold jacket will be stamped and numbered. Tracks list will be as follows: 1. Caught In A Dream 2. Be My Lover 3. I'm Eighteen 4. Is It My Body 5. No More Mr Nice Guy 6. Under My Wheels 7. School's Out 8. Elected.
Record Store Day releases are only available in limited numbers and generally only from small independent shops, so get to know you rlocal shop now and see if they can reserve you a copy.

There's new interviews with Alice at the News & Observer and Chattanooga Times. Syracuse.com has photos and a review from the current tour.

Classic Rock has the story behind 'Elected' in a new article here.

Dennis Dunaway is featured at Hemmings.com talking cars and the early days of Alice Cooper.

Nita Strauss is to be honoured at next years 'She Rocks' awards at the annual NAMM music show. The award goes to "women who stand out as role models in the music industry" and the the 7th annual live awards event will take place on Friday, January 25, 2019, at 7:30 p.m. at the House of Blues in Anaheim, CA.

Beasto Blanco (with Chuck Garric and Calico Cooper) will be joining Megadeth and others on the first Megacruise in October next year.

Last week Damon Johnson shocked everyone by announcing he would be leaving Black Star Riders, the band he co-formed after Thin Lizzy called it a day, to concentrate on his solo career. Ramzine have an new interview with Damon talking about his decision, his new solo album 'Memoirs Of An Upraising' (out November 9th) and the future.

New Roxie Single and Video 04 Oct 2018

Ryan Roxie releases a new digital single from his excellent 'Imagine Your Reality' solo album tomorrow. The track is a stunning cover of Coldplay's 'God Put A Smile Upon Your Face', the closing track and possibly the highlight of the album. Roxie takes the rather insipid original and reinvents it as epic classic rock, destroying the Coldplay version completely. You can check out the new lyric video at YouTube or below, or on Spotify or iTunes.

The Hollywood Vampires will apparently be headlining this years 'Alice Cooper's Christmas Pudding' show on December 8th at the Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix. More performers will be announced over the coming weeks but tickets for the show will go on sale October 8th. This will be the 17th annual Pudding show, and as always will raise fund for Alice's 'Solid Rock' teen center. AZBigMedia has a few quotes from Alice as part of the show announcement. There's still no official release date for the second Vampire's studio album or the live album Alice has been talking about recently.

Syracuse.com have a new interview with Alice promoting the forthcoming show there. There's also an audio interview with ZackAttack from early September up on Soundcloud which I may have missed earlier.

Neal Smith Releases 'KillSmith Halloween' 02 Oct 2018

Neal Smith has released a new compilation album marking 10 years of his 'KillSmith' solo project. It comes on CD and digital download and can be ordered directly from Neal at NealSmithRocks.com. The full press release with all the details runs as follows:

"This year marks the 10th anniversary of legendary Alice Cooper drummer & RnR Hall of Fame Inductee Neal Smith's first “KillSmith” solo CD. To celebrate, Neal has created a new 12 song compilation CD called “Neal Smith-KillSmith Halloween,” the best of KillSmith. It has 11 previously released KillSmith songs and features one brand new song called “Strychnine.”

"2018 not only marks the golden 50th anniversary of the original Alice Cooper Group, but it also marks the 10th anniversary of my “KillSmith” solo project. Since my last solo album “KillSmith & The Greenfire Empire,” I have been wanting to put together a compilation CD of my scariest and best “KillSmith” songs. I have chosen 11 of my songs plus a brand new bonus track called "Strychnine,” it's a killer! Get your downloads or CD's today! Happy Halloween to all of my sick things around the world! Play my “KillSmith Halloween” loud and let it scare the “HELL” out of you!" - Neal Smith

Neal Smith is best known worldwide for his innovative drumming and outrageous stage antics with the original Alice Cooper Group. His solid drumming is the hallmark sound behind such classic 1970's Alice Cooper hits as “School's Out,” “I'm Eighteen,” “Billion Dollar Babies” and “No More Mr. Nice Guy.” Neal is also a prolific songwriter, who helped pen many of the groups best known songs. Alice Cooper was the first band to introduce theatrics to the rock and roll stage, the group has sold over 25 million records worldwide. Neal has six gold and five platinum records to his credit and has performed before millions on extensive grand world tours from the late 1970's to the present. Smith's trademark drum style can be heard on additional albums, including the Billion Dollar Babies Band “Battle Axe,” The Plasmatics “Beyond The Valley Of 1984,” Buck Dharma “Flat Out,” Deadringer “Electrocution Of The Heart,” Bouchard, Dunaway and Smith “Back From Hell” and “BDS Live In Paris,” Cinematik “Cinematik” and “One Full Moon Away.” And Neal's most recent critically acclaimed solo project KillSmith. Neal's KillSmith CD's “Sexual Savior,” “KillSmith Two” and  “KillSmith & The Greenfire Empire,” garnered praise from fans and critics worldwide.

“KillSmith Halloween” Track List

Evil Voodoo Moon
Death By The Numbers
How Do You Bleed
Cemetery Of The Damned
Squeeze Like A Python
The KillSmith Overture
Thrill Thrill Thill Shoot To Kill
Die For The Night
Pandemonium
Strychnine (New Song)
Dynasty Of Darkness
Monsters In The Attic

It's All About Nita 29 Sep 2018

Alice Cooper guitarist Nita Strauss has announced full details of her forthcoming solo album, 'Controlled Chaos' and a two month US tour to promote the record.
The instrumental album, which was financed via a highly successful kickstarter campaign, will be released on November 16th through Sumarian Records and there are now various pre-order bundles available through NitaStrauss.com. Nita has also released a preview video for 'Our Most Desperate Hours' which you can also see at YouTube. The self-produced album features the following tracks:
01. Prepare For War
02. Alegria
03. Our Most Desperate Hour
04. Mariana Trench
05. Here With You
06. The Stillness At The End
07. The Quest
08. Hope Grows
09. Lion Among Wolves
10. Pandemonium 2.0
11. The Show Must Go On

Blabbermouth have the full press release including words from Nita. You can also check out a new video interview with Nita over at MetalInjection.

To promote the album Nita will hit the road in the US during November and December on a co-headline tour with Angel Vivaldi. Again Blabbermouth have the press release.This would suggest there will either be no more Alice Cooper shows this year after the currently announced dates, or that if there are, Nita will not be part of them. The full list of dates is as follows with tickets on sale now and VIP upgrades also available.
Nov. 19 - New Bedford, MA @ Greasy Luck
Nov. 20 - Philadelphia, PA @ Voltage Lounge
Nov. 21 - Clifton, NJ @ Dingbatz
Nov. 23 - Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Baazar
Nov. 24 - Kent, OH @ Outpost Concert Spot
Nov. 25 - Detroit, MI @ The Loving Touch
Nov. 27 - Berwyn, IL @ Wire
Nov. 28 - Iowa City, IA @ Gabe's
Nov. 29 - Kansas City, MO @ The Riot Room
Nov. 30 - Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater
Dec. 01 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Club X
Dec. 02 - Boise, ID @ The Shredder
Dec. 04 - Seattle, WA @ Club Sur Rocks
Dec. 05 - Portland, OR @ Paris Theatre
Dec. 06 - Orangevale, CA @ The Boardwalk
Dec. 07 - San Diego, CA @ Brick by Brick
Dec. 08 - Scottsdale, AZ @ Pub Rock
Dec. 09 - Los Angeles, CA @ 1720
Dec. 11 - Austin, TX @ Come and Take It Live
Dec. 12 - Houston, TX @ Scout Bar
Dec. 13 - Dallas, TX @ Trees
Dec. 14 - Memphis, TN @ Hi-Tone
Dec. 15 - Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
Dec. 16 - Orlando, FL @ The Haven
Dec. 17 - Margate, FL @ O'Malley's
Dec. 18 - Tampa, FL @ Crowbar
Dec. 19 - Spartanburg, SC @ Ground Zero
Dec. 20 - Richmond, VA @ Canal Club
Dec. 21 - Asbury Park, NJ @ House of Independents

Finally in this Nita-heavy news post the lady got the chance to meet her idol Steve Vai last night as part of Vai's 'Big Mama Jama Jamathon' in Los Angeles. The event runs over three days and consists of 52 hours of continuous music which Vai is directing. All proceeds go towards raising funds for 'Extraordinary Families', "a leading nonprofit foster family, adoption agency in the Los Angeles area, dedicated to improving the daily lives of children and youths in foster care". It appears the whole event is being streamed live at https://www.jamathon.org/ and as I'm typing this Vai himself has just joined in. Presumably video of Nita's appearance will appear somewhere shortly. Other musicians taking part include Steve Morse (Deep Purple), Dave Navarro (Jane's Addiction), Al Di Meola, Herman Lee (Dragonforce), Orianthi, Lee Ritenour, Derek Smalls (Spinal Tap), Vernon Reid (Living Colour), Nuno Bettencourt (Extreme) and a host of others.

In other news you may remember the recently released Alice Cooper pinball game, 'Nightmare Castle' which looks really cool if you have the cash for it. Well, a limited edition version has been released to raise funds for Alice's Solid Rock Teen Center. This version will be autographed by Alice and will come with a special "personalised package of collectable Alice Cooper memorabilia". You can get all the details at Alicecooperpinball.com.

Lastly another reminder that the competition to win tickets and travel to the Grand Rapids, MI show on October 29th is still running until October 11th. Again proceeds go to Solid Rock and you can enter as many times as you can afford, with the proceeds going to Alice's charity! The prize includes flights to Grand Rapids, VIP tickets, the chance to throw out balloons during the show and a personal meeting with Alice before the show. All the details can be found at Omaze.

Billboard in Times Square 24 Sep 2018

There's been a paranormal appearance in New York's Times Square this week via an advert for the 'Paranormal' album appearing on the NASDAQ video billboard, just as 100+ world leaders converge on the city for a United Nations conference.

Elsewhere this week Alice turns up briefly in the new video by The Struts called 'Primadonna Like Me'. You can see Alice around 1.27 into the video in a clip shot in Las Vegas recently.

Congratulations to Dennis Dunaway, and thank you to everyone who supported his 'Cold Cold Coffin' kickstarter campaign. The target was reached and surpassed so filming can go ahead shortly, with a release date aimed at being "before May" next year, although I wouldn`t be surprised if it's before that, as everyone involved has been itching to get going. More news as I get it. Anyone who pledged should get regular updates and exclusive behind the scenes info as the project moves forward.

Ultimate Classic Rock have a new interview with Alice talking about current projects and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 10 years on, coinciding with the release of the original induction performance on DVD.

Director John Carpenter has recently been talking about a possible TV series based on the 'Prince Of Darkness' film, which famously featured Alice. At the moment it seems to be just talk, but don't be surprised to see Alice make a cameo appearance should it happen. Pure speculation of course, but it seems to good an opportunity to miss if the show ever happens.

Five Days To Go 18 Sep 2018

There's just five days to go in Denis Dunaway's 'Cold Cold Coffin' kickstarter campaign and we're almost there. Dennis has been adding amazing incentives throughout the campaign and the newest addition could be the best value of all, and side-steps the issue fo the large postage costs outside the USA!
You can now pledge just $20 (approx £15) and get get access to digital downloads of all the exclusive new songs so far only offered on limited edition 7" vinyl. This includes six downloads: 'Cold Cold Coffin (Rock Cinema - the finished mini-movie when released)', 'Cold Cold Coffin (Arena Version)', 'Cold Cold Coffin (Original Demo)', 'When Your Friend Comes Around', 'Sound Of A (Demo Version'), and 'Fireball (Demo Version)', the later two being Dennis original versions for songs recorded by Alice on 'Paranormal' last year. And that's not all... Dennis has also thrown in his amazing solo album 'Bones From The Yard', making a total of 18 songs. If you don't already have the album it's one of the best records Dennis has ever done, and includes 'Subway', which formed the basis for 'A Runaway Train' from Alice's 'Welcome 2 My Nightmare' album. It's a classic record from start to finish. So eighteen tracks for £20 (£15) is a bargain and you wil be helping Dennis reach his goal. Also check out video messages posted including new vids from Cindy Smith Dunaway, producer Sean Quinn, and Dennis' daughter Renee.
I know we've been banging on about this campaign for a few weeks now, and I'm sure a few people are getting fed up with hearing it, but this is IMPORTANT. Dennis is IMPORTANT. He co-created everything Alice Cooper is about, from the songs, to the image, the theatrics, everything. Is $20 too much to ask, especially when you have a value for money option? £15 is just a few pints, a couple of packets of cigarette's, a takeaway pizza.. it really isn't that much to ask and if you've been scared off by the overseas postage fees (like I was), or the high prices of some of the rare items up for grabs, this is your chance to get involved AND get some great music in return. Please, please get involved and help Dennis reach his goal. We have just five days now and are so close.
All the info you need you can find at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dennisdunaway/cold-cold-coffin-rock-cinema/, and if you have previously pledged a small amount, you can easily upgrade to the download package by logging into the Kickstarter site. Other new incentives recently added include two more checks (the last two in existence I believe) featuring the autographs of ALL the original Alice Cooper band members including Glen, a poster of The Spiders at the VIP club, and original ultra-rare 70s t-shirts. Check out the site for more info.

In other news Alice and the Hollywood Vampire's popped up in Japan over the weekend for a private show on September 15th, and there were also Vampire's popup shops in Shibuya, Osaka and Tokyo selling Vampires merchandise which will also be available online shortly. This all came as a bit of a surprise, as it seemed the Vampires were done for the year when teh tour ended, but being a private corporate show presumably explains the lack of announcements about teh visit to Japan. Various videos and photos from the visit have been posted to the official facebook page.

Kerrang magazine have posted a review of the New York show which is worth checking out. I think they hit the nail on the head with a great review highlighting just why Alice Cooper is still the greatest show on earth, with some great photos as well.

Ultimate Classic Rock have a new article looking back at the promotion of 'Trash' in 1989, when Alice used a real garbage truck to promote the album.
 

Fifty Years Book Sample Pages 11 Sep 2018

Copies of the Deluxe limited (500 copies) edition of Martin Popoff's 'Welcome To My Nightmare - Fifty Years Of Alice Cooper' are now shipping and it's a very nicely put together package. The heavy A4 sized hardback book comes in a black presentation box and includes four card photo prints, three taken at Milton Keynes in 2006 and one on the 'Special Forces' tour at Hammersmith. The 240 page book itself runs through Alice Cooper history via important dates and quotes from various people that were involved in the events covered, including the original band and other musicians, producers, backstage crew, and friends. As with most books about Alice Cooper around 2/3rds of the text concentrates on the 1970s, with the last 100 or so pages covering the following 40 years, but at least they are mentioned! I haven't had a chance to read through it yet but it's all very nicely present with lots of photos and images. Certainly well worth getting while you can. You can still order a copy of this deluxe limited edition version, as well as the normal paperback version, at WymerUK, who have kindly sent me some sample pages for you to check out here.

Dennis Dunaway was on 'That Thing with Rich Appel' over the weekend and you can check out the full show here (the one you want is the latest 9/8/18 upload lasting 2:59.48).  Dennis appears a few times during the show.
Don't forget there's only 12 days to go to pledge to Dennis' 'Cold, Cold Coffin' video kickstarter project. Lots of amazing stuff to entice you to pledge, just wish I had the more money! If everyone chipped in just a few dollars to pre-order the finished film it would all help reach the target. It would be a huge shame if this didn't happen. Dennis also sends out regular updates on the project, and over the weekend he and the crew were out at a cold, cold castle, measuring up for sets and lighting in preparation for shooting the mini-film. Check it out here and donate if you can. Remember, this is Dennis Dunaway, founder member of Alice Cooper. The guy behind 'Black Juju', 'Under My Wheels' 'School Out', and all the classic songs Alice has built his career on. Surely there are more then 224 people (as of writing, thank you all) who can chip in a few dollars/pounds to help him out. Remeber you will only be charged if the campaign reaches it's target.

Digital Journal have a review of the Beacon Theatre show.

Guitar World have posted the latest Nita Strauss guitar tutorial. This one is on 'combining rhythm and lead playing'. You can find links to all of Nita's articles on one page here.

Live In New York 07 Sep 2018

Alice Cooper played at the Beacon Theater in New York last night, and they transmitted the closing 'School's Out' live on facebook, which you can see here. Worth checking out not just because it's great to see the band on stage but also for a surprise cameo from 'Waynes World's' Mike Myers, who turned up on stage to do the 'We're Not Worthy' bow!

And speaking of surprises Alice also turned up at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on Sept 4th. The new venue had it's grand opening/first concert featuring 'The Violent Femmes' opening for 'The Killers', and the latter band received a very special video introduction from Alice, based around a 'Waynes World' theme, it being Milwaukee. You can check out the video at The Killer's facebook page here.

In other news ASX have a short review of the Ohio show, and Long Island Weekly have a short interview promoting the new live album.

Nita Strauss apparently makes a guest appearance on the new 'Metal Allegiance' album 'Volume II - Power Drunk Majesty'. The band features David Ellefson of Megadeth, Alex Skolnick of Testament, ex-Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy, and Mark Menghi and also features a guest appearance from Joe Satriani.

Dennis Dunaway Cold Cold Coffin Interview 03 Sep 2018

The Music Room have a new interview with Dennis Dunaway talking about his 'Cold, Cold Coffin' KIckstarter campaign and some of the new incentives now available, which include original Spider's business cards, Glen Buxton Memorial books, and a full sized coffin that will be used during the production. There's around 20 days left on the fundraiser and they are about half way to the goal. You can pledge everything from $1 upwards for all sorts of goodies. Check it out at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dennisdunaway/cold-cold-coffin-rock-cinema and get involved. Dennis is also sending out updates to everyone who pledges.
The finished mini-movie will feature Calico Cooper in the lead role.

 

Live Album Released Today 31 Aug 2018

Today sees the release of the new Alice Cooper live album - 'A Paranormal Evening At The Olympia, Paris' - which includes the full show from the last night of the 2017 tour. There's no major surprises, it's exactly what you would expect with all the hits and a few lesser known songs, but it sounds great and the band shines.
More of a surprise was the inclusion last night in St Pauls of 'Grim Facts', a song not played live for decades! It apparently replaced 'Be My Lover' in the set and will hopefully remain in the show for a while. You can check out footage on YouTube.

Celebrity Access have an excellent in depth interview with Alice manager Toby Mamis which delves into his career including lots of Alice Cooper stuff.

The Metro in the UK has a new Alice interview promoting the new live album. There's also new inteviews at TwinCities.com, another at UpRoxx, a short peice in Billboard, a show review in the Edmonton Journal (with photos here), and another review with Exclaim!. The Estevan Mercury has had several pieces about the recent show including a review, Discover Estevan also has some photos, while TBNewswatch has some photos from Thunder Bay.

Nita Strauss will be appearing at the UK Guitar Show on September 30th during a break in the US tour. The event takes place at London's Olympia but it's a trade show, not a normal gig, so bare that in mind if you want to go. Tickets are available now here. Nita is expected to be on stage around 3pm on the main stage.

Michael Bruce and 'Texas Chainsaw Ballet' will be performing at El Rancho Disc Golf Course in La Jara, CO, on September 2nd as part of a Labor Day Weekend event and according to Alamosa News he will be recording the show for a possible live album. I have no idea what "disc golf" is, but it seems to involving throwing discs into nets.

A new DVD is due on September 21st featuring the original band's performance at the 'Hall Of Fame' induction in 2011. The 2xDVD or 2xBlu-Ray set is called "Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame In Concert: Encore" and also features Rush, Heart, and Slash joining Ronnie Wood for an all-star jam in 2012. It appears it will feature the full Alice Cooper set which included 'I'm Eighteen', 'Under My Wheels' and 'School's Out', with Steve Hunter standing in for Glen, and Rob Zombie joining in for 'School's Out'.

See Alice For Halloween 25 Aug 2018

Omaze, in association with Alice's Solid Rock, have launched a competition to win VIP tickets and travel to see Alice in Grand Rapids, MI on October 29th for Halloween. You can pledge money to Solid Rock for multiple entry tickets, but if you check out the link at the bottom you can also enter for free from almost anywhere in the world (some countries are excluded because of local laws). Proceeds go to Solid Rock. You can see Alice's announcement on twitter.

Digital Journal, The Inquisitr, Star Phoenix, and The Estevan Mercury all have new short interviews with Alice.
Las Vegas Weekly have a few photos from the Vegas show, while California Rocker has some excellent photos and a show review, spoiled by the reviewers claim to have seen Alice open for Frank Zappa in Fullerton, CA in 1972, which never happened (the poster he includes is a fake).

CBC in Canada have an article about the infamous Toronto Riot in 1980 with photos and video.

October 16th sees another trio of Rhino Alice Cooper vinyl reissues. This time it will be 'Goes To Hell' on orange vinyl, 'Lace and Whiskey' on brown vinyl and 'From The Inside' on green vinyl.

At one point last week the forthcoming 'Paranormal Evening' live album apparently hit #1 on the Amazon 'hard rock and metal' chart in France! It's currently #4. The album was recorded in France, so that could have something to do with it.

'Cold Cold Coffin' Kickstarter 17 Aug 2018

Dennis Dunaway has launched a new Kickstarter campaign revolving around a new song entitled 'Cold Cold Coffin', taken from his forthcoming solo album and also featuring Nick Didkovsky on guitar and Russ Wilson on drums. The campaign seeks funds to produce a "Rock Cinema" film based on the song's lyrics, and starring Calico Cooper, which is being put together with Peter Perenyi (Director of Photography) and Brian Cichocki (Director). Shooting should begin in October with the finished film released no later then May next year.
The Kickstarter campaign page includes all sorts of incentives from digital downloads of the finished project to original Alice Cooper Memorabilia including 1972 tour programmes, 1973 'Alice Cooper' B$B magazines and original Spider's business cards from 1966!!
Check out the page at http://kck.st/2vTSiyb for the full list, and a sneak preview clip of 'Cold Cold Coffin'.
 

Aretha Franklin and Jill Janus 17 Aug 2018

Sadly yesterday also saw the loss of two very different singers. Firstly legendary soul singer Aretha Franklin passed away, which has rightfully been covered extensively in the press. While not directly Alice Cooper related, the 'Queen of Soul' was one of the most important artists of all time, influencing every singer, regardless of genre, for decades.
Less well reported is the passing of Nita Struass' 'Starbreakers' band mate and 'Huntress' lead singer Jill Janus who sadly took her own life on Tuesday  She was 43. Blabbermouth have a statement from Nita paying tribute to her friend. Our condolences go out to the families, friends and fans of both artists.
Nita Strauss is featured on the front cover of the new American Music Supplies catalog and it looks like you can sign up to get a free copy here, although probably only in the United States. There's a small image of the cover at the bottom of the page.

The new Arizona Alice Cooper lottery scratch cards have proven very popular with the organisers apparently being inundated with requests from fans around the world asking how to get copies! Much to their credit they were sending out voided ticket sets free of charge to anyone who asked, but unsurprisingly have now run out. In response to the requests a special commemorative print is being organised which will be available from Alice Cooper's 'Solid Rock' website in a few weeks. These will feature three of each design with proceeds going directly to the charity. So keep an eye out here for further announcements. Remember the actual scratch cards themselves should be available in AZ shops right up until Halloween so you still have plenty of  time to find real ones.

Ultimate Classic Rock have a new interview with Alice and Dennis Dunaway at the Cleveland Hall Of Fame with comments on the forthcoming second 'Hollywood Vampires' album, Glen Buxton, and Dennis' new projects including his forthcoming solo album which will be crowdfunded. A full announcement on that should come soon.

The new issue of 'Classic Rock' Magazine in the UK has a review of the forthcoming live album. They aren't that impressed considering it doesn't featuring the original band performances from the UK tour, or anything from 'Paranormal' - which is odd as it should include the single 'Paranoaic Personality'. The most annoying part of the short review though is where they state fans don't care about Alice's current band of session musicians! What rubbish. The reviewer Ian Fortnam should do his research, and read the track listing!

Dennis Dunaway has just been inducted into the Music Museum of New England and they are looking to fans to post their memories of DD encounters of general tributes to add to their page. You can check out the Museum site here.
Dennis also wrote a foreword to Rockin' Reggie's new biography 'Still Got A Song In Me' which is out now via Hero press. Reggie was a close friend of the original Cooper band and co-wrote and and played on 'Billion Dollar Babies' so expect lots of Alice Cooper mentions.
And lastly for Dennis at the moment, the new paperback edition of 'Snakes, Guillotines, Electric Chairs' featuring an introduction from Alice himself is out now and should be available to order through Amazon and your local book store.

Alice Sells LA Home 13 Aug 2018

According to the Los Angeles Times Alice is selling his "in-town retreat", a duplex in Echo Park that he uses when in town to write or record. It's on the market for $1.299 million.. so the ultimate collectable for the fan who has to have anything? Unfortunately the LA Times still hasn't been updated to allow access to anyone in Europe.

Last night in Los Angeles Orianthi dropped by to join Alice and the band for 'School's Out'. You can check out video on YouTube.

The Alice Cooper band will be playing a 'pre-show jam' in Pittsburgh on October 25th at the Smiling Moose.

A new book, entitled "Rock Gets Religion: The Battle for the Soul of the Devil's Music" by Mark Joseph is out now, and features an introduction by Alice.

The Colorado Springs Independent has a short interview with Alice talking about the original band, and the Hollywood Vampires. The Everett Herald also has a short interview.

The Carmichael Times has a short article ahead of the August 15th show. Shepherd Express promotes the Wisconsin show.

There's two new Ryan Roxie interviews promoting 'Imagine Your Reality'. The first is a TV show on News Center Maine during which Ryan play's an acoustic version of 'This Year', while the other is a short interview with Eddie Trunk. KFH Radio also have something on Ryan, but as they are another site that has blocked Europe from seeing anything I can't tell you what it actually is!

Guitar World has the new Nita Strauss tutorial in which she teaches you how to play part of  'The World Needs Guts'.

WDET seem to have a show talking about Alice Cooper's influence on punk rock. There's a three minute clip on their site which appears to be part of a longer show.

Damon Johnson's new solo album will be called 'Memoirs Of An Uprising' and is due November 9th. The album was partially funded by pledgemusic with various buying options. Damon and his Black Star Riders bandmate Ricky Warwick will be back in the UK in October for acoustic dates whihc you can check out here.

Band Go Solo In Vegas 07 Aug 2018

The Alice Cooper band (Tommy, Chuck, Ryan and Glen) will play a special "pre-show jam" at Count Vamp'd in Las Vegas on August 9th. Doors open at 9pm and the show is free. Over 21s only.

Nita Strauss is back on the Alice Cooper tour after missing the first two shows due to personal commitments. She's also set up a series of Guitar Center clinics on her days off during the tour. She'll appear at the local 'Guitar Center' in the following towns/cities:
August 7th - Colorado Springs, CO
August 9th - Las Vegas, NV
September 3rd - Cinncinatti, OH
September 5th - New York, NY
October 7th - Raleigh, NC
October 15th - Arlington, TX
October 18th - Memphis, TN
October 22nd - Des moines, IA
October 25th  - Pittsburgh, PA
October 28th - Grand Rapids. MI

On Milwaukee has a brief chat with Alice about Hollywood Vampires and song writing.

New Roxie Single - Me Generation 02 Aug 2018

Ryan Roxie has released a new single/lyric video from the excellent 'Imagine Your Reality' album. The song is 'Me Generation' and you can check out the video here or listen on Spotify. The song is produced by Tommy Henriksen and features Glen Sobel on drums.

In another interview from the AZ lottery ticket launch Alice mentions he has four albums on the way. The first to be released is the 'Paranormal Evening' live album on August 31st. This will apparently be followed by the new Hollywood Vampires studio album, and a Vampires live album recorded in Montreux. Lastly there is a new Alice Cooper studio album, but presumably that won't be released until next year at the earliest.

Check out this new interview with Dennis Dunaway from WFMU. It's around an hour long and features Dennis talking about the history of the band, with song clips and special effects!

PsychoBabbleTV have a new interview with Beasto Blanco with some live footage from the recent tour.

DD on the Radio Tonight 29 Jul 2018

Dennis Dunaway will be on WRAT, NJ tonight at 8PM local time co-hosting 'Electric Ballroom'. Topics will include Dennis' book, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, his upcoming solo album, and Blue Coupe! You can listen to the show live here.

EarMusic have released another track from 'A Paranormal Evening' to listen to. This time it's 'Ballad Of Dwight Fry and you can stream it via YouTube.

Fox10 News have another interview with Alice from the lottery ticket launch which you can check out here.

Splice Magazine have photos from the Beasto Blanco show in Cleveland.
 

Alice Cooper Lottery Tickets 26 Jul 2018

The Arizona State Lottery have announced that there will be three new Alice Cooper scratch cards released on August 7th. The $5 cards give you a chance to win up to $50,000, and if you lose you can enter a your card for a chance to win VIP Chirstmas Pudding tickets or other Cooper merchandise. Alice says "I used to say you know you’ve made it if you’re a joke from Bob Hope on the Christmas Special (and I was).... if you were an answer on “Jeopardy”.... or if your head was on a Pez dispenser, because Pez dispensers put you up there with Captain Hook and Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse. And now being on a Lotto ticket."
AZFamily have a video with Alice announcing the new cards filmed at 'The Rock' teen center.

The Hollywood Vampires have posted an 'end of tour' behind the scenes video which you can check out on YouTube.

Nita Strauss has announced she won't be able to play the first two shows when the tour restarts in August due to her sister's wedding. She'll be back on August 6th in Kansas City.

Dennis Dunaway's book 'Snakes, Guillotines, Electric Chairs' is being released in a new paperback edition on August 14th which will feature an introduction from Alice. The new edition will have the same cover as the original, but with an added mention of Alice's introduction.

Speaking of books, Martin Popoff's "Fifty Years Of Alice Cooper' will apparently be delayed. Popoff posted that they are behind in the production process and implies the delay could be some weeks. (Thanks Evenspot)

 

A New Little Cooper 23 Jul 2018

I can't believe I forgot this earlier, but it has been a little crazy here today! Dash and Morgan Cooper welcomed Rexington “Rex” King Cooper into our world on July 21st, 2018 at 9:39am. He was 8lbs 1oz and Mom and baby are healthy and well! Rex is Alice's third grandchild! Congratulations to all the family! You can check out a few photos at Dash's facebook page.

Out and About 23 Jul 2018

As mentioned in the last news update Alice and Dennis were at the 'Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame' on July 16th to launch their 'Rock and Pinball' exhibit. The pair were took part in a short but amusing interview which you can check out here. Also in attendance were Sheryl Cooper, Cindy Dunaway, Shep Gordon, Rob Zombie and Piggy D! Cleveland Scene has a short article about the event.

Alice was at the '18th Annual So The World Can Hear' Awards Gala' for the Starkey Hearing Foundation last Sunday (July 15th) where Shep Godon was honoured with an award and Alice, Ryan, Glen and Chuck performed a few songs together with Robbie Kreiger of The Doors and Don Felder of The Eagles.  Forest Whitaker, Sinbad, Gloria Gaynor, Desmond Tutu, George W Bush, Tony Blair, Buzz Aldrin, Richard Branson, Ashton Kutcher and Ben Affleck were also amongst the guest list.

EarMusic have posted 'Poison' from the forthcoming 'A Paranormal Evening With Alice Cooper' live album due on August 31st. You can check it out on YouTube.

Alice plays 'Wikipedia: Fact or Fiction' at Loudwire and you can watch that video here.

'Dr Shocker's Vault Of Horror' is a new DVD set part of which features the host touring various haunted houses across America, and includes a presumably short interview with Alice along with other horror celebrities.

Notice to anyone on the SickthingsUK website. You'll see things have been updated, so expect a few strange glitches as I find and correct bugs. Most things should be working as expected, but there's bound to be a few things that have to be fixed. My apologies for the forum downtime over the weekend, updating just that took rather longer then I expected!

Alice And Dennis at the Hall Of Fame 16 Jul 2018

Alice Cooper and Dennis Dunaway will be at the Cleveland Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame later today for a public interview session to discuss the new Hall of Fame exhibit "Part Of The Machine: Rock and Pinball'. The exhibit will include the new 'Alice Cooper's Nightmare Castle', the original Electric Chair from 1971, and the rare Andy Warhol print Alice found last year. The event is free with admission to the museum, and begins at 12.45pm on the level 1 Klipsch Main Stage.
The 'Rock and Pinball' exihibit features many music related pinball machines, which are all playable using special Rock Hall tokens, a limited number of which are included with the price of admission to the museum, while extra tokens can be purchased in the exhibit.

 

Alice to Perform at Starkey Gala Tonight 14 Jul 2018

Shep Gordon will be honoured tonight (July 15th) at the Starkey Foundation Awards Gala at the Saint Paul RiverCentre, in Saint Paul, Minnesota with Alice also scheduled to perform at the event. The Starkey Foundation helps provide hearing aids to those who can't afford them around the world.  Alice and the Hollywood Vampires have appeared at several Starkey functions over the last few years in support of the cause.

earMusic have uploaded 'Poison' to YouTube from the forthcoming 'A Paranormal Evening' live album recorded at the Olympia, Paris last year. The double album is due out on August 31st.

The Sunday Post has an new interview with Alice today talking about Mary Whitehouse and her attempts to ban the band after seeing 'School's Out' on 'Top Of The Pops'.

Alice is due to appear on the Ronnie Wood show on AXS in the US July 18th. If you are in the US you can see a preview of the show here, but it seems to be geolocked outside North America.

Nights With Alice Cooper have posted a video interview with Alice and Joe Perry talking about Hollywood Vampires partner Johnny Depp.

Legendary producer Quincy Jones watch the Vampires perform in Montreux last week and Reuters carried a story about the show with photos etc.The Camden Adevrtiser also had a brief review of the show.

In Italy The Corriere has an article on the Hollywood Vampires, in Itallian of course.

Alice and Joe Perry will feature in a forthcoming documentary about the 'Rock'n'Roll Fantasy Camp' events that have been happening over the last few years. 'Living After Midnight: The Story of Rock Camp' will also feature interviews with The Who‘s Roger Daltrey, KISS‘ Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, Heart‘s Nancy Wilson, Slash, Judas Priest‘s Rob Halford, Jeff Beck and more. No release date is mentioned.

ZPNetwork have a new interview with Chuck Garric as Beasto Blanco set out on their short US tour. MusicLifeMagazine also have an interview.

Fiat Advert and More Rhino Vinyl reissues. 28 Jun 2018

Alice is featured in two new commercials for Fiat Chrysler which you can see below. While most of the advert is the same they have alternate endings.

According to Music Universe Rhino is releasing three more vinyl reissues on July 17th. This time 'Da Da', 'Flush The Fashion' and 'Zipper Catches Skin' will get the treatment on 140g vinyl. There's 4,500 for 'Da Da', 5,200 of 'Flush The Fashion' both on "mixed colour vinyl"  and 4,600 smoke (clear with swirls) vinyl of 'Zipper Catches Skin'.
They're up for pre-order on AmazonUK so presumably will be on AmazonUS soon.

Paranormal Night In Paris 26 Jun 2018

According to AmazonUK and AmazonUS August 31st will see earMusic release of a new live album recorded last year at the Paris Olympia. The tracklisting lists the full show, although the other information says the CD and Vinyl are on a single disc. Presumably this is a mistake as it simply wouldn't fit. The vinyl and CD appear to have different covers.Track listing is as follows:
Brutal Planet / No More Mr Nice Guy / Under My Wheels / Department Of Youth / Pain / Billion Dollar Babies / The World Needs Guts / Woman Of Mass Distraction / Poison / Halo Of Flies / Feed My Frankenstein / Cold Ethyl / Only Women Bleed / Paranoiac Personality / Ballad Of Dwight Fry / Killer-I Love The Dead / I'm Eighteen / School's Out.
'Ballad Of Dwight Fry' is already available as a download.
The Paris show was also filmed, but so far there's no listing for a DVD.
 

The rock world lost another star this week, Pantera/Hell Yeah drummer Vinnie Paul. Alice posted the following message soon after the news broke:
"Terribly saddened by the news of Vinnie Paul’s passing. Vinnie was a beloved fixture in the rock and metal communities and we will miss seeing him out on the road. His impact on heavy music is immeasurable. Rest In Peace Vinnie, condolences to your family, friends and fans."

Sand Mountain Reporter seem to have a new interview with Damon Johnson. Unfortunatly they are yet another US site simply blocking anyone in Europe from reading what they post.
 

There's a few new Hollywood Vampires reviews to list including RockShot Mag, The Times (paywalled), The Scotsman (also paywalled), Far Out Magazine, and The Independent.
After the Wembley show the band were presented with plaques commemorating their first headline show.

Streaming Vampires 23 Jun 2018

The Hollywood Vampires played Hellfest in France yesterday and the show was streamed live. Unfortunatly I didn't know until after the event but you can currently watch the full show on YouTube.
It also looked like tomorrow's show from the Graspop festival *may* be streamed as well. If it is you should be able to tune in live at the official festival site.
The UK shows have generated a few more reviews including Devilgatemedia , The Daily Mail [Hellfest and Glasgow] ,  The Telegraph , and The List . Sadly many other "reviews" don't mention anything beyond how Johnny D looks, what he's wearing etc.

The Vampires also turned up at the annual Kerrang! awards on Thursday where guitarist Joe Perry was presented with the 'Inspiration' award by Johnny Depp.

As mentioned a few weeks ago journalist/author Martin Popoff has a new book on the way called 'Welcome To My Nightmare: Fifty Years Of Alice Cooper'. The book is due to be released on July 20th and there's a limited edition deluxe hardcover version available directly from the publishers Wymer Publishing.
Wymer have been kind enough to offer STUK a copy as a competition prize and you can enter shortly via our facebook page. All you have to do is post a fun caption to the photograph you'll find there and the funniest will win a copy of the book. You can enter as many times as you like, but please keep it clean!
I'll post the photo up shortly on the SickthingsUK facebook group page which you can find here.

Chuck and Calico of Beasto Blanco have been talking to Matapaloz in a new interview you can check out on their facebook page.

 

Vampires UK Tour 21 Jun 2018

The UK leg of the Hollywood Vampire's tour concluded last night at Wembley and seems to have been a success. No guest stars last night, although Jimmy Page was backstage before the show (as was Jeff Beck in Manchester I believe). The setlist was the same as normal with highlights including 'Baba O'Riley', 'People Who Died' and 'Heroes' the latter both sung by Depp. The new material also sounds promising. Probably the most amusing part of the show came at the end when most of the huge number of balloons that dropped from the roof seemed to end up on stage, leaving little room for the band to move around (see photo on left)!
Nights With Alice Cooper have posted a short video of Alice and Joe Perry talking about the band.

Reviews of the UK shows have shown up in Express and Star, Manchester Evening News, Daily Mail, The Guardian, and The List.
 

Vampires In Birmingham 17 Jun 2018

The long awaited Hollywood Vampires UK tour began last night in Birmingham with special guest Ian Hunter of Mott The Hoople joining the band again for 'All The Young Dudes' towards the end of the show. Other than that the band played the same setlist as other shows.
Since the tour began there have been an endless stream of news stories in the press, yet virtually none have had anythng to do with the music or the actual shows (which is why I haven't bothered listing them all), instead concentrating only on what Johnny Depp is wearing, his health, and occasionally the hefty price of the VIP tickets. Finally 'Birmingham Live' have actually reviewed the show, and you can read their thoughts here.

Alice has been talking to the press promoting the UK shows including The Guardian., and The Times.

Music Madness has posted a new interview with Beasto Blanco pair Chuck Garric and Calico Cooper promoting the forthcoming US shows. In it they report a new Beasto album is almost done! Calico is also interviewed by Sportskeeda.

Note: Just wanted to mention a couple of other things.
Firstly in the last couple of weeks EU privacy laws have changed. It's not really a big deal, but many US news sites have rather stoopidly now blocked access to anyone from Europe instead of making a few minor changes on their site, making it somewhat harder to see some American news stories. Hopefully they will sort themselves out soon.
Secondly, you will notice I've started adding the links as text under the news items. This is to allow the links to go through to facebook. The previous app I used to auto post things has been discontinued and the new one seems to lose normal text links, so for the moment this will have to do. Once the post has appeared on facebook I can remove the addition text here.

Alice Artist Needs Help 12 Jun 2018

Artist Airic Brumitt, who designed Alice Cooper's stage props, costumes, and more for 20 years, including the famous Alice/Skull design, is in poor health and urgently needs help with medical bills! His friend Hugh Gallagher has organized a GoFundMe campaign to raise fund for his friend so if you can please go look and help. Here's a little more background info about Airic:

"I am a musician and an artist. I did artwork for Alice Cooper for 20 plus years. It took pure dedication and lots of hard work for me to make that happen. It was not handed to me. I designed the Alice Cooper half skull and designed stage sets and props, including the Dirty Diamonds “Angel of Death” guillotine. I designed and oversaw the fabrication of and painted stage clothes for Alice and band members. I consulted during photo and video shoots. I contributed with tour book photography and was an all around graphic artist for Alice. That credit shows up in a few tour books, CDs/LPs and even a 1975 concert DVD from Rhino. My art was requested to be displayed in the Tommy Hilfinger “Rockstyle” show at the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art in New York from Fall of 1999 though Spring of 2000. My art currently hangs in the Hardrock in New York. I also have mentions and artwork in a few books; the 2nd Kisstory book and the Kiss Tour magazine. The Treasures of the Hardrock Cafe book as well."

Ryan Roxie will be on 'The Music Shindig' tomorrow evening between 6pm and 9pm UK time. Host Dino Bedrocker will be playing new Roxie songs and Cooper classics and you can listen in here.
There's another new interview with Roxie on 'Hard Rock with Jay Conroy' which you can check out here.

Alice appeared in a new A&E documentary called 'David Cassidy: The Last Session' which aired on June 9th and is presumably now available to watch on demand if you have access to the US channel.

Piggy D has posted the soundtrack music he recently wrote for the Alice Cooper 'Nightmare Castle' pinball game over on YouTube. The music is accompanied by animated images from the game and is pretty cool!

The new issue of UK magazine 'Uncut' has three pages on Alice Cooper talking about writing and recording 'I'm Eighteen'.

Nita Strauss will be making a few personal appearances this month. They include June 18th in San Diego at Guitar Workshop Plus, June 22nd/23rd at Sweetwater Gearfest, and on June 28th she'll be in Pittsburgh "for a very special performance".
Nita turned up at the Ubisoft press conference earlier today at the E3 Games convention in Los Angeles playing with one of her other bands 'Critical Hit'. Footage will likely turn up on YouTube shortly.

AL.com has a new interview with ex-Alice guitarist/songwriter Eric Dover talking about his career including his time with Alice.

Dash Cooper has been talking to RadioactiveMike Z about his band CO-OP, their new album, and his dad Alice, and you can listen to the conversation via Soundcloud.

Roxie Tours USA 05 Jun 2018

Ryan Roxie will be on the road in July promoting his 'Imagine Your Reality' album as part of the 'Planet Axe' tour in the USA with fellow guitarists Brandon Gibbs (Devil City Angels) and Joel Kosche (Collective Soul). Ryan's band for these shows will include Kosche along with Robbie Miller on bass and Kenny Bailey on drums. The dates are as follows:
July 18th - The Nick - Birmingham, AL
July 19th -  37 Main - Buford, GA
July 20th - Private Event - Somerset, KY
July 21st - MVP Bar - Cincinnati, OH
July 22nd -  Firehouse BBQ & Blues - Richmond, IN
July 25th - Tailgators - Cedar Rapids, IA
July 26th - Rascals Live Music Venue - Moline, IL
July 27th - Psycho Silo Saloon - Langley, IL
July 28th - Stone Toad Bar & Grill - Menasha, WI

Ryan will also be on Spire Radio Wednesday June 13th between 6pm and 9pm UK time (1-3 EST) on 'The Music Shindig' with Dino Bedrocker. The show will feature an interview with Roxie, music from 'Imagine Your Reality' as well as Cooper classics. You can also check out video of Ryan's "takeover" on Bandit radio here.

Nita Strauss has been talking to Pure Grain Audio about her forthcoming solo album, and she's also writing regular columns for  Guitar World magazine the latest of which you can read here.

Damon Johnson will be back in the UK with Black Star Riders bandmate Ricky Warwick for a series of acoustic shows under the 'Sonic Acoustic Attack' banner. The pair will perform material by Black Star Riders, Thin Lizzy, The Almighty, Alice Cooper and Brother Cane, with the shows also featuring "spoken word segments". The dates are:
Sep 25: Stoke, Eleven
Sep 26: Blackpool, Waterloo Music Bar
Sep 27: Kendal, Bootleggers
Sep 28: Grimsby, Yardbirds
Sep 29: Norwich, Waterfront Studio
Sep 30: Chester, Live Rooms
Oct 01: Bilston, Robin 2
Oct 02: London, Dingwalls
Oct 03: Evesham, The Iron Road
Oct 04: Nuneaton, The Queen’s Hall
Oct 05: Sheffield, The Foundry
Oct 07: Bournemouth, Zephyr
Oct 09: Manchester, Night People
Oct 10: Newcastle, Cluny 2
Oct 11: Belfast, The Limelight 2
Oct 12: Glasgow, Audio
Oct 13: Dundee, Church
Oct 14: Edinburgh, Bannerman’s Bar

Alice is still out on the road with the Holywood Vampires, but nearly all the press revolves around Johnny Depp - how he looks and what he's wearing - and so are of limited interest. One particularly silly news story revolves around the VIP experiences refering to it in rather sordid terms. The article tries to suggest this is Depp's idea as a way to meet and pick up women, which is ridiculous. There's no mention of what the VIP packages are or how they work. Gutter journalism at it's best. I've no intention of reporting and linking to such clickbait unless it has direct Alice content, and so far there's been very little of that.

Want to see Alice Cooper for $18? That's the current offer at AliceCooper.com where between June 4th and June 10th you can buy tickets to some of the US shows for just $18! Use the password "schoolsout". There's even a little video to promote the offer. Does all this suggest the US shows aren't selling as well as usual? Whatever the reason it means there's no excuse for missing out on this tour if it comes near you!

Alice has been speaking to Lazer 103 in a new audio interview which you can lisen to on Soundcloud.

Louder Sound have an article focusing on 'Welcome To My Nightmare'.

Fifty Years Of Alice Cooper 27 May 2018

'Welcome To My Nightmare: Fifty Years of Alice Cooper' is a new limited edition deluxe book  by well known rock journalist Martin Popoff and is due out on August 18th directly from publisher WymerUK only. The press release goes as follows:

"This large format tome from Martin Popoff is an easy to read book utilising his celebrated timeline with quotes methodology, allowing for drop-ins on all aspects of Alice’s busy life. The author has made use of his extensive archive of interviews with Alice and the band as well as producers, designers and even The Amazing Randi, world-renowned magician and inventor of Alice’s legendary guillotine prop. 'Welcome To My Nightmare' is an immense addition to Alice Cooper scholarship. Alice Cooper was one of the biggest concert draws in the seventies with a string of gold and platinum albums to his name. Alice continued to shake pop consciousness with 'Welcome to My Nightmare' and a string of hit ballads. He appeared regularly on TV and talk shows. Following a debilitating drug and alcohol addiction and subsequent notorious dark period in the early eighties which is addressed in the book, Alice returned to gold and platinum status with albums like 'Trash' and 'Hey Stoopid', featuring smash singles “Poison” and “Feed My Frankenstein.” He’s never stopped touring and being a multi-media whirlwind since - Alice, with his pioneering use of facepaint, remains one of the most famous faces in America. The key here is the rich content Popoff brings to the project. 'Welcome To My Nightmare' is sure to impress the Alice expert and novice alike, with new revelations and interviews turning up page after page.
Fully illustrated throughout with many unpublished photos this is the largest and most comprehensive Alice Cooper book ever published."

Beasto Blanco have announced a batch of European and US shows for June and July. Tickets are on sale now and the list of shows  goes as follows:
June 22nd - Leipzig, Germany, Matapaloz Festival
June 23rd - Ukk, Hungary, Ukk and Roll Motoros Festival
June 24th - Budapest, Hungary, Crazy Mama Music Pub
June 25th - Manastier Di Treviso, Italy, Krach Club

July 19th - West Dundee, IL, Rochaus
July 20th - Braidwood, IL, Top Fuel Saloon
July 21st - Chesterfield, MI, Diesel Theatre
July 22nd - Cleveland, OH, The Agora Ballroom
July 24th - Louisville, KY, Trixie's
July 25th - Johnson City, TN, The Hideaway
July 26th - Nashville, TN, The Basement East
July 28th - Tulsa, OK, IDL Ballroom

The Metro has a new short interview with Alice about the forthcoming Hollywood Vampires shows.

Ian Chapman, author of the recently released 'Experiencing Alice Cooper - A Listener's Companion' will be appearing at the Dunedin City Library in Dunedin, New Zealand on May 30th to talk about his book and also playng a short acoustic set of Cooper classics. The event starts at 6pm.

Three New Shows Announced. 22 May 2018

Three new Alice Cooper shows have been confirmed filling in gaps in October, two of which we already knew about. Tickets appear to be on sale. The dates are:

October 5th - Waterbury, CT, Palace Theater
October 6th - Syracuse, NY, Crouse Hinds Theater
October 27th - Warren, OH, Packard Music Hall

Dennis Dunaway joined the Hollywood Vampires last night for 'School's Out' and you can watch footage here!

Vampires Are Go 21 May 2018

The Hollywood Vapires tour begun this weekend with a few warm up shows in North America before they head to Europe next week. The mainstream press seems more interested in Johnny Depp's new hairstyle then the music, so not much to cover there, however the new set list has a few new original songs included including 'The Boogieman Surprise' and 'Bushwackers', while there a few new covers as well - AC/DC's 'The Jack' (with the clean lyrics), The Who's 'Baba O'Riley', Bowie's 'Heroes' and 'People Who Died' by the Jim Carroll Band - the last two sung by Depp. Other then that they run through 'Im Eighteen' and 'School's Out' for Alice, 'Combination' and 'Sweet Emotion' for Perry, and the first album original tracks 'Dear Drunk Friends', 'Raise The Dead' and 'Bad A I Am' along with other covers from last year.

Ryan Roxie has a week of events running up to the official release of 'Imagine Your Reality' this Friday. To start with there's the amusing new video for 'Live And Die In L.A.' which you can see below. Then Roxie will take over the BandItRock radio station on Wednesday between 9 and 10pm local time (repeated Saturday). BandItRock will also run a "voting battle"  today and tomorrow on facebook and instagram which should go up soon featuring the new video against a band called 'H.E.A.T..
On Friday there will be an album release party at the Hard Rock Cafe in Stockholm featuring Roxie playing the new album and  signing CDs. Later in the evening there is a guest appearance by ex-Motorhead/current Scorpions drummer Mickey Dee.
Saturday has a special acoustic show at 'Sticky Fingers' in Goteborg with Timo Raisanen while there will be a second acoustic show at The Oyster Bar in Stockholm on May 31st.

Damon Johnson has launched a PledgeMusic campaign for his new solo album which is due this year. Incentives range from signed CDs, stage gear to a round of golf and new Gibson guitars!

Nita Strauss talks to National Rock Review about her forthcoming solo album and working with Alice.

There's three new Alice Cooper albums set for vinyl reissue from Rhino due July 17th. This new batch includes 'Da Da', 'Flush The Fashion' and 'Zipper Catches Skin' all on coloured vinyl.

New Roxie Single and Album Pre-order 16 May 2018

Ryan Roxie is set to release his latest album ‘Imagine Your Reality’ on May 25th, ahead of this he has released the latest single from the album – ‘To Live And Die In L.A.’ You can now pre-order the physical CD, as well as the already announced vinyl editions. See below for links.

Ryan Roxie about the single – To Live And Die In L.A. – “The straight ahead riff-rock guitar part, the sardonic lyrics and over-all angst were originally concocted years ago, but I could never get the balance of sarcasm & anger just right…until now. This song was actually very therapeutic in helping me let go and make certain situations in my life ‘water under the bridge’…And in the end, ‘To Live & Die in L.A. was too good a phrase to just be a cop/action/suspense movie”

The upcoming album “Imagine Your Reality” (Only Physical May 25th) Digital TBA – is Ryan’s first official solo release and sees him joined by other noteworthy musicians, including a collaboration with CHEAP TRICK’s Robin Zander on the track “California Man” to the un-sugarcoated tale of life in La-La Land with “To Live And Die In LA”

Ryan says: “With this album, I think we kept the spirit and power of the 3.5-minute rock song intact as well as keeping the dream of guitar-driven music alive and well. I can’t wait for people to experience my reality.” “Imagine Your Reality” was produced by Kristoffer Folin,Tommy Henriksen and Jon Bordon. It was recorded and mixed at Purple Skull Studios in Stockholm, Sweden.

Vinyl Preorder Link – http://bit.ly/RyanRoxie_AlbumPreorderVinyl
Compact Disc Preorder Link – http://bit.ly/RyanRoxie_PreorderCD

“Imagine Your Reality” track listing:

01. Big Rock Show
02. Over And Done
03. California Man
04. To Live And Die In LA
05. Uh Oh Song
06. Me Generation
07. Look Me In The Eye
08. Hearts In Trouble
09. Nevermind Me
10. God Put A Smile Upon Your Face

As the Hollywood Vampires head off on tour photos from Kyler Clark reveal the new line up of the band. Along with Alice, Joe, Johnny and Tommy they've brought in Glen Sobel on drums, Chris Wyse (Ace Frehley, The Cult, Mick Jagger) on bass and Buck Johnson on keyboards.
The Evening Standard have a short piece on the band.

Reggie Vinson, who worked with the original band back in the seventies, including co-writing 'Billion Dollar Babies', has his autobiography this month. It's callled 'Still Got A Song In Me' and is likely to contain a fair amount of Alice Cooper related material as Reggie was a friend of the band for many years.

Ingo Geirdal of brilliant Icelandic band Dimma is interviewed by Garg Iceland, about his ongoing relationship with Dennis Dunaway. It's in English!

Scam Alert 10 May 2018

Be aware that there is some moron on Twitter trying to impersonate both Alice Cooper and Ryan Roxie with the aim of getting your personal details and bank account information. If you receive an unexpected message from anyone connected to the band from an unfamiliar account it's extremely likely to be a scam, especially if the sender doesn't speak proper English!! You have been warned, not that anyone is likely to be fooled.

Q103 in Albany have a new phone interview with Alice talking about the upcoming Vampires shows, the band, and not retiring any time soon!

AZCentral has a report about the recent (April 28th) 'Alice Cooper Birthday Par-Tee' at Las Sendas Golf Club in Mesa, AZ which featured a host of guests including Fee Waybill of The Tubes, Tommy Thayer of Kiss, Don Felder, Geoff Tate, Larry the Cable Guy and the Platinum God himself Neal Smith! The event raised over £250k for 'The Rock' teen center. Alice took the stage to run through the hits including 'No More Mr Nice Guy', Under My Wheels', 'Be My Lover' and 'Lost In America' before playing 'Rock And Roll All Night' with Thayer and closing with 'School's Out', with Neal and Dash Cooper joining in.

Ryan Roxie has a new single coming out soon ahead of the excellent 'Imagine Your Reality' album, which is due May 28th. It's called 'To Live And Die In LA' and will be up on Spotify soon. Make sure you follow his Spotify page to be notified when it arrives.

Backstage Access has a new interview with Nita Strauss about her forthcoming solo album and the Kickstarter campaign.

Loudwire has a report from the 'Ride For Ronnie' charity bash last weekend which includes some cool photos of Chuck and Calico performing as Beasto Blanco, but you'll have to scroll down a long way to get to them!

Vampire News 04 May 2018

Various posts have been appearing from 'The Hollywood Vampires' showing them working on the forthcoming album and tour. One particular tweet from Zachary Nevel shows a photo of him with Alice and reveals that Slash, Axl Rose and Izzy Stradlin of Guns'n'Roses will all appear on the new album. Over the last few months various other names have been hinted at in similar social media posts, including both Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck. Of course right now this is all still speculation, it will probably be a while before we get the full details on the album.

Billboard have a new interview with Alice chatting about recent events.

Dash Cooper and CO-OP have released a lyric video for their excellent new single 'N.O.W.' which you can check out here. The video includes a brief introduction by Alice.

There's a new 'Ask Alice' video up. This time Alice talks about his movie appearances.

Nita Strauss is interviewed by Metalwani talking about her forthcoming solo album, the kickstarter campaign and touring with Alice. Wrestling Inc also have a short chat with Nita about her recent Westlemania appearance. She's also on Loudwire talking about what inspired her to start playing guitar. Nita's Kickstarter campaign has reached an amazing $121,000, on a target of just $14,726. Nita says that this will allow her to record and promote the album fully including live shows.

Beasto Blanco have also been in the studio in North Hollywood and have a new record almost done. You can check out a brief blast here.

Bob Lefsetz has posted a fascinating 1hour 45 minute interview with Shep Gordon for his most recent podcast which features all sorts of background to Alice Cooper history. You can hear it here.

KNAC have a short review of Ryan Roxie's new record 'Imagine Your Reality'.

Catch Up 29 Apr 2018

This weeks been a little busy here so here's what's been happening.
Alice turned up at the ASCAP Awards in Beverley Hills on April 23rd to salute 'Trash' producer Desmond Child as he won the 'ASCAP Founders Award'. The award is for "songwriters who have made exceptional contributions to music by inspiring and influencing their fellow music creators". Alice also got up and performed 'Poison'.

'Super Duper Alice Cooper' made it's UK TV debut on SkyArts yesterday and will be repeated Sunday 29th April at 2.45am, and Thursday 3rd May at 9.30pm.  Also on SkyArts is the Alice Cooper/Dali episode of 'Urban Myths' which is due to air May 3rd at 9PM.

'The NIghtmare Returns' drummer Ken Mary has just announced he has joined 'Flotsam and Jetsam' full time after standing in with them last year.

'Beasto Blanco' will be at the '4th Annual Ride For Ronnie' on May 6th in air of the Ronnie James Dio Cancer charity. Broadway World have a few words with Calico and Alice.

Ryan Roxie has posted his newest singles to Spotify. If you click on the 'follow' button below it will help Roxie out, which would be much appriciated, and if you then click the Ryan icon it will take you to the page where you can hear the songs!

 
Two New US Shows Announced 23 Apr 2018

Alice Cooper has announced two more shows for the end of October. They are:
October 26th - Pittsburgh, PA - Stage AE
October 29th - Grand Rapids, MI - DeVos Place and DeVos Performance Hall
Presale tickets go on sale tomorrow.

New Interviews 23 Apr 2018

Ryan Roxie was in London recently  promoting his excellent new album 'Imagine Your Reality' with new interviews at Planet Mosh, and MusicMania.

Dennis Dunaway appeared on Studio 411 recently and they have posted a video of the show to YouTube. If you've missed any of Dennis's recent appearances check out his video page at Dennis Dunaway.com.

Vampires In Montreux 17 Apr 2018

According to an announcement today the Hollywood Vampires will play the legendary Montreux Jazz Festival on July 5th. Tickets appear to go on sale tomorrow at noon local time.

New US Shows Announced 09 Apr 2018

Alice Cooper - New Tour Dates

AC.com has announced a new batch of shows for North America. They are:

September 8th - Tropicana, Atlantic City, NJ
October 4th - Palace Theater, Albany, NY
October 9th - Ovens Auditorium, Charlotte, NC
October 10th - Cobb Energy Perf Arts Centre, Atlanta, GA
October 12th - Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium, Chattanooga, TN
October 13th - Beau Rivage, Biloxi, MS
October 14th - White Oak Music Hill Lawn, Houston, TX
October 16th - The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory, Irving, TX
October 17th - Hartman Arena, Park City, KS
October 19th - Orpheum Theater, Memphis, TN
October 20th - Peabody Opera House, St Louis, MO
October 21st - Paramount Theater, Cedar Rapids, IA
October 23rd - Des Moines Civic Center, Des Moines, IA
October 24th - Coronado Performing Arts Center, Rockford, IL

Nita Strauss was at Wrestlemania last night. Sportskeeda had a short preview.WWE also posted a short pre-show interview with Nita but any uploads of the appearance appear to be dissapearing almost instantly. Hopefully something will show up soon.
Loudwire have posted the first interview with Nita talking about her Kickstarter album campaign.

AnotherManMag have an interview with Alice remembering his encounters with Salvador Dali.

Nita Strauss Solo Album 05 Apr 2018

Nita Strauss - KickstarterNita Strauss launched a Kickstarter campaign for her first solo album, 'Controlled Chaos', just under a day ago and it's already doubled it's initial goal! You can still pledge to receive various packages and incentives including signed CDs, pizza nights and stage gear! Check out the site for more info and video. The album is due around September.
Nita also has a new column in 'Guitar World' magazine the first of which, about the guitar solo in 'I'm Eighteen', you can see here.

Goldmine has new interviews with Michael Bruce and Dennis Dunaway talking about the 'Billion Dollar babies' band and giving away copies of the band's live CD.

Beasto Blanco will be performing at the Ronnie James Dio 'Ride For Ronnie' charity show on May 6th at Los Encinos State Historic Park, Encino, CA. Procceeds go to the 'Stand Up And Fight Cancer' charity set up in Dio's name.

 

 

Alice Cooper, Superstar 02 Apr 2018

Alice Cooper - Jesus Christ SuperstarWell, what can you say about Alice's performance last night in the live production of 'Jesus Christ Superstar'. I think that final mic drop said it all. Walk on.... Sing your song... steal the show... job done. Apparently "King Herod" was even trending on twitter after his appearance!
For those who missed it Alice's performance was up on YouTube within minutes of it being aired but unsurprisingly that has since been removed. There are versions up there though if you seach, or check out the news articles listed below.
Unlike many people I'm not very familiar with the musicial. I had the original Ian Gillan recording (because it was Gillan), but don't recall ever really listening to it, and I'd never seen the film or any other production. I'd also never heard if either of the other leads before, so my interest was solely in Alice's participation. I wasn't even going to stay up and watch it, but turns out Alice was so good it was worth sitting through endless adverts to see it live. And talking of adverts, there was even an advert for a local AC show on the feed I watched, and the occasional shot of Alice (and Kyler) backstage as well, which was cool to see.
I thought many of the youngsters in the cast performed excellently, especially Sarah Bareilles as "Mary" and Ben Daniels as  "Pontius Pilate", but the biggest weak link by far was Legend, who, while having a good voice, was constantly upstaged in both acting (especially) and singing by almost everyone else on the stage with him! The crucifixion scene at the end was also extremely well done with full credit to the live director/editor for capturing it perfectly.
Anyway, on to the morning news reports. In fact this first one at PopCulture.com  turned up before the show even finished, raving about Alice's performance. You can also check out Billboard, Romper, Hollywood Life, WGN Radio (interview),  Variety, and EW.com although there are many others saying similar things.
All in all Alice should be proud of his performance, and it can`t help but raise his profile a little more going forward.

Superstar Tomorrow Night 31 Mar 2018

There has been endless promotion in the last couple of days for tomorrow's 'Jesus Christ Superstar' Live TV broadcast on NBC. Most of the reports mention Alice only in passing, with Alice's recent Rolling Stone interview supplying the basis for any AC quotes, so there's no need to list them all. He did appear on Kare11, and briefly on 12News which seems to be edited from a longer interview. Hollywood Life also have 'Five Things You May Not Know About Alice Playing King Herod', all of which you will know of course. The Daily Beast has a longer interview that mentions other things including Alice being in the studio with Dee Snider recording songs from the 'Guys And Dolls' musical!
'Jesus Christ Superstar' airs on NBC in the US tomorrow at 8PM Eastern Time.

The Sarasota Post has a short review of the Clearwater show.

According to various reports both Matt Sorun and Robert DeLeo have dropped out of the forthcoming Hollywood Vampires shows. No replacements have so far been announced. Alice is still suggesting the the next Vampires album with be original material. Let's hope so.

Ryan Roxie - Imagine Your Reality 29 Mar 2018

I've had to sit on this announcement for sooo long... but finally we have the full details about 2018s 'Album of the Year'. On May 25th Cargo Records will release the new Ryan Roxie solo album 'Imagine Your Reality', while Bellyache Records is already taking pre-orders for four limited edition coloured vinyl versions of the album with special die-cut sleeves.

'Imagine Your Reality' features guest appearances by Robin Zander (Cheap Trick), Tommy Henriksen, Glen Sobel, and Teddy Zig-Zag amongst others, and includes the following titles: 'Big Rock Show', 'Over And Done''California Man' (with Robin Zander), 'To Live And Die In LA', 'Uh Oh Song', 'Me Generation', 'Look Me In The Eye', 'Hearts In Trouble', 'Nevermind Me' and stunning version of Coldplay's 'God Put A Smile Upon Your Face' which is so much better then the original!

Says Roxie "Cheap Trick were a major influence in my musical upbringing. Both Robin Zander and Rick Nielsen have joined us onstage at Alice Cooper shows in the past and have always been the most quintessential rock stars. In my opinion, Robin Zander's voice is the definition of rock 'n' roll, so having him guest vocal on 'California Man' definitely ticks a box off my 'greatest moments in rock 'n roll' list."

"Imagine Your Reality" continues Roxie's legacy of creating infectiously melodic songs and straight-ahead, no-nonsense rock riffs, and this time with more guitar than ever before. Ten tracks, all underlined by ten gleaming guitar solos. From the punk rock undertones of "Nevermind Me" to the un-sugarcoated tale of life in "La La Land (To Live And Die In LA)" to the superb Beatles-y/Oasis nod "Look Me In The Eye" - it's an uplifting big rock sound. Zander transforms "California Man" into the ultimate vintage-vibed, top-down, drive-in-the-sunshine rock 'n' roll anthem.

"With this album, I think we kept the spirit and power of the 3.5-minute rock song intact as well as keeping the dream of guitar-driven music alive and well. I can't wait for people to experience my reality."

'Imagine Your Reality' was produced and mixed by Kristoffer "Folle" Folin, Tommy Henriksen and Jon Bordon at Purple Skull Studios in Stockholm, Sweden.

In other news Alice's appearance on VintageTV is now up on their website to watch, and the 'Jesus Christ Superstar Live' soundtrack album appears to now have been delayed until early May according to Amazon.

New Vampires Show At Foxwoods 27 Mar 2018

The Hollywood Vampires have added a show at Foxwoods Casino Mashantucket, CT on May 20th. Tickets go on sale March 30th.

Sergio Martos Montes's second book on Alice Cooper (cover left) is available to order now and covers the solo years from 1975 to the present, with contributions from all sorts of people including current band members Ryan Roxie and Chuck Garric, Kane Roberts, Dick Wagner, Mike Pinera and a host of others. The book is in Spanish and can be ordered now from 66-RPM.com.

Dennis Dunaway and Michael Bruce will be interviewed on WVCR's 'Moments To Remember' with Brian Donovan on Saturday March 31st just after 9AM Eastern Time in connection to the recent reissue of the Billion Dollar Babies 1977 live recording. The duo have also been interviewed by record collecting magazine 'Goldmine' which should appear online soon.

Michael Bruce will be appearing at 'Chopper Johns' in Phoenix on June 16th telling stories and playing songs with his wife Lyn. The show starts at 9pm and is free!

Penny Black Music begin a celebration of 50 years of Alice Cooper with the first part of a feature on the band/man including comments from many familiar names.

Rolling Stone has a new interview with Alice talking about 'Jesus Christ Superstar', Social News XYZ has a short interview with Alice in his JCS costume, and New York Daily News has a short interview as well.

Greenville Times has an article about the Greenville show talking to fans at the show last night.

The new Alice Cooper pinball machine, 'Alice Cooper's Nightmare Castle' is now available to order for all you rich people out there. The game is a snip at $6,450 which includes a $1,000 up-front deposit! If that isn`t enough you can add various extras including a signed version with the extra money going to Alice's Solid Rock charity. There's just 500 of these being made and  you can get more info here.

Superstar CD 24 Mar 2018

Unsurprisingly, the live broadcast of 'Jesus Christ Superstar', featuring Alice as King Herod, will be released on CD on April 20th. There continues to be quite a lot of press about the event although little of it features more then a namecheck for Alice. However Alice himself is, of course, talking about it in new interviews including TampaBay.com, Loudwire, Theatermania, and LEO Weekly. The show airs in the US on April 1st.

CO-OP, featuring Dash Cooper, are to release their self-titled debut album on June 15th via EMP Label Group and head out on tour around the US beginning March 27th, both headlining and opening for 'Flaw'. You can check out a teaser trailer for the album and tour dates at the bands facebook page.

Vintage TV 19 Mar 2018

Alice is apparently appearing on "Nicky Horne Presents..." at 10.30pm tomorrow (Tuesday) night on the 'VintageTV' channel. VintageTV is available in the UK via freeview on channel 82, Sky channel 369, Virgin 343 and Freesat 505. It also looks like it could be available later on their website as they have other shows up there. A preview for the 30 minute show appeared on YouTube last week but without any details.

Alice took part in a photo shoot for 'Jesus Christ Superstar' a few days ago and Social News XYZ have posted silent footage which features Alice. The three hour production will air in the US on  April 1st with Alice as King Herod, which seems to be a small role with Alice only singing the one song as he did on the 1996 re-recording of the show.

Wrestler Mick Foley (Mankind) has posted a blog about meeting Nita Strauss, who he obviously has a real thing for! Foley describes Nita as "the coolest person in the world" and gives you ten reasons why!

Loudwire have a little article about a journalist taking his mother to see/meet Alice for the first time.

Vampires Play Verona, NY 16 Mar 2018

Another new date for the Hollywood Vampires Tour. This one is May 17th at Turning Stone Casino in Verona, NY. Ticket go on sale March 23rd.

To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the first show under the name "Alice Cooper" Dennis Dunaway has post a full day by day diary from last Novembers reunion shows in the UK at DennisDunaway.com.

Alice will be voicing treasure hunter 'Alistair Coop De Ville' in the new season of Disney's 'Mickey and the Roadstar Racers' cartoon which will begin ariing on April 13th. Other guests on the show include director Guillermo del Toro, racing driver Mario Andretti and Stepehn Fry!

Alice will be on K106.3 FM this Sunday at 11am local time.

Vampires Add US Show 15 Mar 2018

The Hollywood Vampires have added another US show on May 21st. They play the Sands Event Center in Bethlehem, PA. Tickets go on sale tomorrow.

'Little Punk People' have an entertaining interview with Nita Strauss which you can watch here.

Florida Today has an interview with Alice as does KRNA.

Credit Union Journal have an article with the story about the Superbowl advert which featured Alice.

The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame are releasing DVD/BluRay's and digital downloads which feature various performances from their annual awards show. Strangely Alice Cooper seem to be absent from the 4 DVD set but will be featured on one of the five digital download sets along with other artists. This could really be a good thing, as it means we don't have to pay out for a expensive four DVD set just for a few minutes of the original band performing, which you can find on YouTube anyway!

New North American Tour Dates 12 Mar 2018

As predicted AC.com has annouced more shows for August and September. Tickets officially go on sale Friday 16th.
August 3rd — West Allis, WI — Wisconsin State Fair
August 5th — Sioux Falls, SD — Washington Pavilion
August 6th — Kansas City, MO — Kauffman Center for The Performing Arts
August 8th — Colorado Springs, CO — Pike’s Peak Center
August 10th — Las Vegas, NV — The Chelsea (w/ Ace Frehley)
August 12th — Los Angeles, CA — Greek Theatre (w/ Ace Frehley)
August 14th — San Jose, CA — City National Civic
August 15th — Jackson, CA — Jackson Rancheria Casino
August 18th — Bonner, MT — Kettlehouse Amphitheater
August 19th — Everett, WA — Angel of the Winds Arena
August 20th — Vancouver, BC — Queen Elizabeth Theatre
August 22nd — Calgary, AB — Southern Jubilee Auditorium
August 23rd — Edmonton, AB — Northern Jubilee Auditorium
August 25th — Saskatoon, SK — SaskTel Centre
August 26th — Estevan, SK — Affinity Place
August 28th — Winnipeg, MB — Burton Cummings Theatre
August 29th — Thunder Bay, ON — Thunder Bay Community Auditorium
August 30th — St. Paul, MN — Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
September 1st — Ft. Wayne, IN — Foellinger Theatre
September 2nd — Huber Heights, OH — Rose Music Center at The Heights
September 4th — Cincinnati, OH — Taft Theatre
September 6th — New York, NY — Beacon Theatre
September 7th — York, PA — York Fair

The Sky Arts 'Urban Myths' show which it seems we've been reading about for a very long time, will finally air on May 3rd. This is the show that recreates the meeting between Alice an Salvadore Dali and stars Noel Fielding as Alice, David Suchet as  Dali, and Paul Kaye as Shep Gordon.

Dennis Dunaway Guests At Morristown 10 Mar 2018

Just after I posted the update last night Dennis Dunaway joined Alice and the band last night in Morristown for 'I'm Eighteen' and 'School's Out'. Thanks to ReGorLaTroy for the photos! UPDATE: Video of 'I'm Eighteen' and 'School's Out'.

New Shows 09 Mar 2018

According to 100.3 The Bear , Alice Cooper will play the Edmonton Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium on August 23rd. Tickets on sale March 16th.
The Thunder Bay Community Auditorium is advertising that Alice will be there on August 29th with tickets also on sale March 16th.
I would expect more shows to be announced over the next few days.

The Alice Cooper band, without Alice, will play a warm up show on March 12th at Rascals Live in Moline, IL. On the Beasto Blanco facebook announcement they mention a special guest, with the initials "CC" so no prizes for guessing who that will be! Advance tickets are on sale now.

Alice appeared very briefly on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' in a video commenting on twitter comments. You can see it here.

The Aquarian has a new interview with Alice talking about 'The Sound Of A' and other things. The Boston Globe has a show review. New Jersey Stage has photos from the Jersey show.

Nita Strauss will be taking part in the 'Guitar Workshop Plus' which is due to take place in San Diego, Nashville, Toronto and Seattle between June and August. Full details can be found here.

Two More Shows Announced 07 Mar 2018

Alice Cooper will play Bonner, MT on August 18th at the Bonner Kettlehouse Amphitheater. Tickets went on sale today.

The Hollywood Vampire's will play Stockholm, Sweden on June 7th at the Grona Lund. Tickets seem to be on sale now.

Solid Rock have announced "Alice's Birthday Par-Tee", this years golf tournament show which takes place on April 28th at Las Sendas Golf Club in Mesa, AZ. Guests include Tommy Thayer of Kiss, Fee Waybill of The Tubes, Geoff Tate and comedian Larry The Cable Guy. All proceeds from the show go to the The Rock Teen Center.

Creative Loafing have a new interview with Alice.

Nights With Alice Cooper have posted a new 'Ask Alice' video with Alice talking about appearing on Wrestlemania.

YQG Rocks Windsor has a review and excellent photos from the Widnsor show a few days ago.

Vampires In Denmark 03 Mar 2018

The Hollywood Vampires have added a show in Denmark on June 8th. They will play the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen.

The Toronto Sun has a short interview with Alice.

Superstar Live Launch Panel 27 Feb 2018

Alice appeared live on facebook yesterday on a panel promoting the upcoming live broadcast of 'Jesus Christ Superstar'. The event took place at the 'Paley Center for Media' in New York and featured Alice and other actors and production staff talking about the production and how they personally relate to the musical. You can watch the hour long show on facebook.
Broadway World also has an video interview with Alice about the stage play. Unfortunately the video doesn`t seem to work for me, but maybe it's region locked to the USA.

WZLX has a new interview with Alice as well.

Alice has won the PlanetRock 'The Rock 2018' award for 'Best Worldwide Solo Artist'. 110,000 votes were cast by music fans across the world.

Nita Strauss is on the front cover of the new Guitar Player Magazine.

Vampires In Gothenburg 22 Feb 2018

The Holywood Vampires will play at Liseberg in Gothenburg, Sweden on June 6th.

Two new Alice Cooper figures are being released by 'Funko POP!' in May. One will be generally available with the other only on sale through 'Hot Topic' stores in the US and Canada.

funko

Vampires Play Orillia, ON 15 Feb 2018

The Hollywood Vampires will play Casino Rama in Orillia, ON on May 18th. Tickets go on sale today.

The official Alice Cooper twitter feed announced the recent passing of Leo Fenn, early Cooper tour manager and father of actress Sherilynn Fenn, after a long illness. Said Alice, "Leo Fenn was a true Detroit guy. He was the ultimate tour manager. He and his then five year old daughter traveled with us during the tough early years. Even on the leanest days the band and Leo agreed she would eat first." His famous when collecting money from shady promoters while simultaneously slipping his hand into his pocket. 'Look buddy, I don`t mind going back to jail.'"

Billboard and Forbes magazines have new articles promoting the forthcoming tours and the Jesus Christ Superstar TV Broadcast.

Rock Zone Legends have an interview with Michael Bruce recorded before his recent NAMM visit.

Hollywood Vampires UK Dates 07 Feb 2018

The Hollywood Vampires will finally play the UK for four shows in June. The dates are:
June 16th - Birmingham Genting Arena
June 17th - Manchester Arena
June 19th  - Glasgow SSE Hydro
June 20th - Wembley Arena
A presale is supposed to be live now, but only Meet and Greet tickets appear to be on sale as I write for an eye watering £1000. The Darkness and The Damned open.
UPDATE: The ticketing site has just now changed the VIP information from General Admission to seated...

Super Bowl Advert 05 Feb 2018

Happy Birthday Alice! 04 Feb 2018

It's February 4th and Alice Cooper has reached 70, with few signs that he will be slowing down in the near future.  The 'Paranormal Night with Alice Cooper' tour starts next month, followed by a new Hollywood Vampires album and tour, and hopefully another new Alice Cooper album will be in there sooner rather then later. Add all that too endless public appearances at charity events, award ceremonies and gold tournaments and it's hard to see when he ever takes a break. So Happy Birthday Alice, and come back to soon!
On top of that, the NFL have kindly scheduled the Super Bowl on his mark the occasion, and if you watch the game in the US (they don't show the famous Super Bowl adverts outside the US) you'll see Alice pop up there as well, as he's apparently featured in an advert for 'Desert Financial Credit Union'. 

DW.com have a short article looking back at Alice's 70 years.

'Rock Talk with Mitch Lafon' on Westwood One this Monday has Mitch chatting to Michael Bruce.

Steve Hunter has posted a new video for 'Softtail Deuce' from his current 'When The Lights Go Out' album which you can see on his facebook page.

'2 Hours with Matt Pinfield' have posted an interview with Alice talking last year about 'Paranormal', the Vampires and the original band.  'Denny Dunaway'??

Alice To Perform at Basketball Game. 02 Feb 2018

Alice Cooper will be performing two songs during the halftime show at the Phoenix Suns basketball game on February 7th which takes place at Talking Stick Resort Arena in downtown Phoenix. He will will be backed by Dash Cooper and CO-OP and the performance will be broadcasted on Fox Spots Phoenix. There will also be two signed guitars up for auction with proceeds split between the teams charities and Alice's own Solid Rock charity. The game is set to start at 8.30pm local time.

The official Alice Cooper facebook page posted that Alice was involved in a car accident late yesterday but everyone is safe and sound. No more details have been posted.

Alice was at the annual 'Imperial Ball' at NAMM on January 27th along with Johnny Depp, Tommy Henriksen, Matt Sorum and Bruce Witkins from 'Hollywood Vampires' with guests including Wayne Kramer of MC5 . You can find video on YouTube.

The Independent has an article on Alice to mark his upcoming 70th birthday, with their choice of top ten tracks.

Vitriola have an podcast which features UK comedian, and self-proclamed Alice Cooper expert, Nick Helm and friends chatting for over an hour about Alice Cooper. Be aware it has strong language throughout.

WFMU has a new interview with Michael Bruce which was broadcasted a couple of weeks ago. Michael and his band will be playing at Cactus Jacks in Phoenix on February 17th with a meet and greet after the show.

Iconvsicon.com has a new interview with Chuck Garric talking about Beasto Blanco and their new live album 'Live From Berlin'.

Performing Songwriter has a new interview with Bob Ezrin during which he talks about recording the early Alice Cooper albums.

Nita Strauss Becomes Ibanez Signature Artist 26 Jan 2018

Nita Strauss has been very busy this week at the annual NAMM music convention in Anaheim, CA making various apearances throughout the event, but the biggest moment for her was the announcement that she has become the first ever female Ibanez Signature artist. Nita has endorsed Ibanez guitars for years, but becoming a Ibanez signature artist obviously means a huge mount to her. So much that she streamed the announcement live on facebook yesterday and was almost crying when saw her signature 'Ibanez Jiva' guitar for the first time. You can check out the video on Nita's facebook page and the full specs on the new guitar will be posted shortly. Congratulations Nita!
Also at NAMM this weekend were Alice himself at the Sure Microphone stand, Michael Bruce and Tommy Henriksen.

The new Beasto Blanco 'Live In Berlin' CD is now out and has been arriving worldwide. It's excellent and highly recommended. Rockbladet.se have a new interview with Calico Cooper talking about Beasto and her career.

For those of you who use twitter etc please note that @realalicecooper is no more. The tag to use from now on should simply be @alicecooper on twitter, facebook and youtube.

 

New Roxie Video 22 Jan 2018

Ryan Roxie has release a new video for his cover of 'California Man', which features Cheap Trick's Robin Zander on guest vocals! The track comes from Roxie's forthcoming album 'Imagine Your Reality' which is due soon. I've heard it, and it's soooo good!

Also check out the cool new video from Steve Conte (New York Dolls/Michael Munroe) for 'Gimme Gimme Rockaway' and you may just spot Dennis (and Cindy) Dunaway grooving away. The single is available now on pink vinyl here.

Alice will apparently be taking part in Steven Tylers 'Janie's Fund' charity gala at at Red Studios in Hollywood on January 28th. The charity, set up by Tyler, supports young girls in the Atlanta metro area who are survivors of abuse and neglect. It offers residential accommodations for up to 30 girls per year, with access to 24-hour medical care and therapeutic support.

Alice Appears Tonight In Maui 06 Jan 2018

Alice is still in Hawaii, and tonight will make a guest appearance with 'Willie K and Friends' at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center along with other guests including Michael McDonald and Pat Simmons from the Doobie Brothers.

Alice has been announced as a guest at the 'Steeel City Con' which takes place at the Convention Center in Monroeville, PA between April 13th and 15th. Tickets are available now.

Beasto Blanco have had to cancel their February 3rd show at The Nick in Birmingham, AL but hope to be able to reschedule the show later in the year.

The new edition of Michael Bruce's 'No More Mr Nice Guy' book is apparently now almost sold out so make sure you pre-order now to avoid missing out. The new edition comes as a box set with extra goodies.

The Daily Stoic have a new interview with Nita Strauss.

The Inquistr have a new article about the Hollywood Vampires, although much of the information seems to be taken from last month's AZCentral interview with Alice.

Rhino are reissuing limited edition vinyl versions of 'Easy Action'. 'Killer' and 'Welcome To My Nightmare'. This time 'Easy Action' will be on gold vinyl, 'Killer' on "translucent red vinyl with swirls" and 'Welcome To My Nightmare' will be on purple vinyl.

Happy New Year 02 Jan 2018

So it's a new year, and normally the first posting of the new year reports on the annual New Years Eve charity show in Hawaii, so I've been holding off a little waiting for the reviews or videos to appear, but so far I've seen nothing at all beyond a short clip of Steven Tyler's performance! So I'm not waiting any longer and here's a catch up on a few things that surfaced over the Xmas period.

Alice appeared on Dutch TV talking about 'How You Gonna See Me Now' which made the 'Top 2000 A GoGo', a list of the all time top 2000 songs in The Netherlands. You can see a video of it here. In total Alice had 4 entries in the chart starting with 'School's Out' at 757, followed by 'How You Gonna See Me Now' at 654, 'Poison' at 331, and finally 'Halo Of flies' at 268.

Alice appeared on Chris Jericho's 'Talk Is Jericho' radio show a while ago which you can now listen to here including some words about Glen Buxton and Lemmy.

Penny Black Music has new interviews with Dennis Dunaway, and Michael Bruce, as well as a review of the Birmingham show.

Alice was at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland recently and they have posted a short video of fans remembering their first Alice shows introduced by Alice himself.

BMI.com has a new interview with Alice as well based around his recent nomination to the 'Songwriter's Hall Of Fame'. The awards ceremony takes place on June 14th in New York City.

Black Velvet Magazine has a review of the recent Birmingham show in their latest issue which you can read online here. Just click on issue 95. Elsewhere in the magazine you'll also see a short article about SickthingsUK!

On Friday 5th January the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood will be showing a double header of the 'Welcome To My Nightmare' concert film and John Carpenter's 'Prince Of Darkness', which of course also features Alice.The show will be introduced by 'Prince of Darkness' actor Peter Jason.