Alice Cooper, the ‘Godfather of Shock Rock’ is bringing his nightmares to life in the Okanagan with an onstage performance featuring electrifying stunts set to a soundtrack that defined a generation.
Cooper is one of the rock-n-roll greats, performing live 150 to 200 times, six months a year. And after an 18-month COVID hiatus, the self-described ‘road rat’ and his world-class band are ready to bring their signature nightmare experience back to stages around the world.
This is the second leg of his tour. He and his band will be moving on to Europe for the third.
“You know, you get on stage and you look forward to that every single night. Because the high point of your day, is getting in front of an audience,” said Cooper.
He brings his best to the stage each time, doing what he says he was born to do.
“Our most important thing is that that audience gets more than their money’s worth,” said Cooper.
“I always believe that, you know. Don’t just stand up there and play your songs.”
Cooper and his on-stage persona cut his teeth in the 60s, pioneering a theatrical form of heavy metal music that has stood the test of time despite, at times, being controversial.
“When I’m Alice Cooper, I’m playing this villain, that is totally condescending, arrogant villain,” said Alice Cooper, rock legend.
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“I think the audience wants that villain, they don’t want him to be, ‘Hey, I hope you like this song tonight.” You know, that’s not Alice, Alice doesn’t even talk to the audience until the end of the show. Because I don’t want him to appear to be human.”
For his setlists, Cooper pulls songs from his entire discography, back to the first time he hit the charts in 1971 with the single I’m Eighteen to his last album Detroit Stories, which was released in 2021.
“Now the very next song is Poison, and all of a sudden, he becomes this sort of suave vampire kind of guy, that seducing everybody. So every song Alice takes on whatever that character is.”
Decades of fame have taught him the importance of being down to earth, wisdom that he shares with his band.
“People talk about ego all the time, you know, yeah, yeah. Ego belongs on stage. I said (to the band) I want you guys to reek of ego on stage. And as soon as you step off that stage, like me, that ego disappears,” said Cooper.
“As soon as you’re on stage, they want your guitar playing, they want you to be a guitar god. So as soon as you leave the stage, though, you need to be the most humble human being on the planet.”
Cooper and his band of ghouls are returning to the stage at Penticton’s South Okanagan Events Centre on Friday, April 15.