What a fabulous and unique evening I had at London’s beautiful Union Chapel, and what a privilege it was to be there to document a very special event.
A Historic Reunion and New Album Unveiling
For the benefit of those who have been living under a rock, there’s a new Alice Cooper album out. Titled ‘The Revenge of Alice Cooper’, the 14 song collection is the first new material by the original Alice Cooper Band (including a “special appearance” by guitarist Glen Buxton, who passed away in 1997) in over fifty years, so it’s a pretty big deal.
Tonight, thanks to Rough Trade, we had a chance to see them reunited on stage, joined by producer Bob Ezrin and in conversation with the legendary Sir Tim Rice. First, though, there was the album to listen to.
Immersive Album Experience at Union Chapel
The Union Chapel was packed to the rafters, and it was quite a surreal experience to be sat amongst pews full of rockers listening to the music blast from the sound system while literally feeling the bass through the floor. What was a noisy, chatty atmosphere fell silent and conversations stopped completely as everyone began actively listening, heads bobbing and feet tapping in silent appreciation, breaking only to applaud at the end of each song.
I felt that the whole album didn’t have the sound or feel of a ‘new record’ (Whatever that means). Instead, it instantly sounds familiar and like an Alice Cooper record should sound. Having said that, it has an up to date feel – all of which we could probably thank Bob Ezrin for. He has, after all, acted as producer for the original band and for Alice as a solo artist going all the way back to 1971’s ‘Love it to Death’ right up to 2023’s ‘Road’.
Standout Tracks from ‘The Revenge of Alice Cooper’
Here’s my picks……
Opener and lead single ’Black Mamba’ is a slice of classic Cooper shock-rock. Starting with a creepy spoken word section (“I think I’ll hide inside your bed sheets….”) the track is a mid-tempo stomp drenched in wah-wah and with an irresistible groove. The track also features a solo from guest guitarist and Doors member Robby Krieger!
‘Wild’ Ones’ ups the ante with it’s attack, driven by Neal Smith’s fabulous drum beat which is heavy on the ride cymbal in the chorus and features a great solo on the outro.
‘Crap that Gets in the Way of Your Dreams” sounds like a personal reflection on starting a band and the rock and roll lifestyle that comes with it. The riff sounds like a nod to the Kinks’ ‘All Day and All of the Night’ but is unmistakably Alice. It definitely captured the audience, as quite a lot of people behind me got up to dance in the aisles.
‘Famous Face’ got fellow photographer Adrian from My Global Mind air drumming – and why wouldn’t it?
‘What a Syd’ mixed things up yet again, with a drum and bass intro that echoes ‘I’m a Woman’ and a verse that reminded me of ‘Stray Cat Strut’ mixed with a Blues Brothers vibe. It’s a fabulous, fun romp that also has a beautiful, rockabilly guitar solo.
‘What Happened to You’ is poignant in that it features unreleased guitar parts from Glen Buxton. It’s a catchy, uptempo rock ’n’ roll number that has a killer riff and some great guitar licks that are complimented by honky tonk piano fills.
In all, the 14 songs make up what could well be a contender for album of the year. Catchy, brilliantly played and masterfully produced.
After a short break, the (very comfortable looking) leather sofas on the stage were filled as the Union Chapel welcomed to the stage Alice, guitarist Michael Bruce, bassist Dennis Dunaway and drummer Neal Smith to huge applause. They were joined by “fifth member” Bob Ezrin and – leading the Q&A – Sir Tim Rice.
We were treated to an hour of entertaining, funny and interesting stories, anecdotes and reflections about how they came back together, the recording process and everything in between.
Tim Rice was a superb host, and revealed that he was a not only a rock fan but a fanboy too, joyfully telling us that he finally got the album he bought in 1973 signed! He also praised Alice’s performance as Herod in Jesus Christ Superstar (“he was the best because he was sinister AND funny!”).
Asked how the first day back at work felt, all the band had positive comments, but it was Dennis Dunaway who summed it up best by saying “I felt like we were 51 years late” – and the audience seemed to agree. Alice himself said that it was like no time had gone by and that they all smiled and had a good time all the way though, highlighting that the sense of humour they share is reflected in the songs.
What really struck me is how naturally the conversation flowed and the obvious friendship and mutual admiration amongst the band. They also gave a shout out to the UK as a whole for really embracing them, saying that England feels like home, and of course tribute was paid to the late Glen Buxton when discussing how his guitar tracks have been used on ‘What Happened to You’.
There were hilarious stories about Keith Moon, Harry Nilsson and Mark Bolan and the studio sessions for Billion Dollar Babies, and a moving tribute to Ozzy Osbourne from Alice. Following a question from an audience member, he said: “Ozzy was like us, he was a lifer. We call certain people in this business lifers, people who are going to do it until they can’t any more….. A giant boulder has crashed, but rock will roll on”.
Another question from the audience was about how the band might attract younger, or new, fans and what would they think of the album. Alice responded with a simple answer – that guitar-driven rock has survived all the changes in the musical landscape, while Neal Smith recounted an email he had received from a 15 year old fan who couldn’t believe that he was able to buy a brand new Alice Cooper record! This chimed with a comment made earlier in the evening that the “Best way to get kids listening is to convince their parents they shouldn’t be listening to us”.
“Would Tim produce the musical of Alice Cooper on the West End” was one question that got a laugh from the audience. “If Johnny Depp was a bit better looking then could play me” quipped Alice.
Asked by Tim Rice what was coming up next, Ezrin joked, “we’re just going to let AI do it for us”, before Alice hinted what might happen the following night at London’s O2. Ezrin’s answer to the question of new music was hopeful, as he said “why wouldn’t we?” while Alice said “who said this was a one-off project?”.
Why indeed. You can never have too much of a good thing!
The event was live-streamed on YouTube and can still be seen here:
The Revenge of Alice Cooper is out now.
Track List:
1. Black Mamba
2. Wild Ones
3. Up All Night
4. Kill the Flies
5. One Night Stand
6. Blood on the Sun
7. Crap that Gets in the Way of Your Dreams
8. Famous Face
9. Money Screams
10. What A Syd
11. Inter Galactic Vagabond Blues
12. What Happened to You
13. I Ain’t Done Wrong
14. See You on the Other Side
Personnel:
Alice Cooper Band
- Alice Cooper – lead vocals, harmonica
- Michael Bruce – rhythm guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals on Famous Face
- Dennis Dunaway – bass guitar, backing vocals
- Neal Smith – drums, backing vocals[16]
Additional Musicians
Alice Cooper in Conversation & Album Playback Review – Union Chapel, London, 24 July 2025 @ RockNews
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