Alice Cooper brings the noise to Leeds’ First Direct Arena
The iconic musician brought his tour to the North.
Photo: Jenny Risher
First Direct Arena in Leeds warmly welcomed Alice Cooper and his scurvy scallions as they ventured across the pond on their Too Close For Comfort tour for the first time since 2022. As someone who hasn’t seen Cooper perform before I was unsure as to what I should expect. I prepared to witness some strange and questionable stunts, however I was nowhere near prepared for what was about to unfold this evening.
Kicking off the evening were The Meffs, a high-energy Britpunk duo from Essex. Despite their small line-up, they commanded the stage with a dynamic presence, setting the tone and energising the crowd ahead of Primal Scream and Cooper’s highly anticipated performances.
Primal Scream have always been considered an inspirational rock band; many of us grew up being heavily influenced by their abilities to manipulate sound and create masterpieces such as Country Girl, Movin’ On Up and Loaded.
Whilst the band performed to the best of their abilities, it’s safe to say that it was the gorgeous ladies singing backing vocals and instrumentalists who carried the show, whilst frontman Bobby Gillespie swayed here, there and everywhere, mumbling his words.
Anticipation was high during the interval before the main man himself, especially when the stage crew started to hoist up a massive black curtain to conceal what was to unfold. Again, I had my hopes high and ready to witness something truly spectacular and peculiar. Those around me all raved on about just what to expect and to seriously brace myself as the night started to unfold.
Cooper and crew stepped foot onto the stage as the clock struck 21:05 with their 90 minute pantomime-inspired set for the night — thankfully with no intervals either. Slicing through a 20 foot tall mock splash screen, we delved into an evening of pirates, pantomime characters and a beheading.
Cooper was accompanied as always by his long-running live band of Ryan Roxie (guitar), Chuck Garric (bass), Tommy Henrikson (guitar), Glen Sobel (drums) and Nita Strauss (guitar). Alice said, “I only see these guys when we’re on the road. So, I wanted them to be as tight as they are for the show but on all new material. When you have a band this good, I believe in showing it off, and this is my way of doing so”. To describe Alice and his band as tight is an understatement – they were so connected and didn’t miss a beat.
Opening up with Lock Me Up, blending into Welcome To The Show. No More Mr Nice Guy was up next as the singer waltzed round the stage, with the next prop to grace the stage being a crutch, which Cooper then used as an electric guitar in I’m Eighteen.
Snakebite took a whole new meaning as Cooper stood centre stage with a live python around his neck. The snake slithered around his neck during the duration of the song which perfectly complimented both the edgy and provocative nature of the song as well as the personality of Alice Cooper himself.
After Hey Stoopid, drummer Glen Sobel delivered a sublime drum solo which encouragement from the audience as we were all captivated.
Feed My Frankenstein kick started the theatrics once more and a 15ft tall gruesome, lifelike Frankenstein puppet running around the stage interacting with the band, making us feel like we had just walked into a haunted house.
The finale ended with the ever-so fitting School’s Out which seamlessly merged with Pink Floyd’s Another Brick In The Wall.
This theatrical rock show was full of classic hits and over the top theatrical antics that reinforced why Alice Cooper remains a beloved live act even at the age of 76. His ability to transport fans back to the good old days of rock ‘n’ roll are second to none – and don’t even get me started on how entertaining and terrifying his theatrical performance was!