There are concerts and then there are monumental experiences that you will never forget. So, it should go without saying that when artists like Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper announce a tour together that you can bet your ass it will be nothing short of a theatrical experience. After one successful run, now throw in special guests like Ministry and Filter for a second leg of touring and you have the recipe for one of the most mind-blowing tours of the year.
Veteran Shock Rocker Alice Cooper has been championing larger than life shows since before most were old enough to attend concerts. For over five decades Alice has been welcoming us to his nightmare, with guillotines, swords, assorted strange characters, and strait jackets all to the soundtrack of some of music’s most enduring tracks. Iconic tracks like the classic coming of age song “Eighteen” from 1971’s album Love it to Death were and continue to be the anthem of many disillusioned teenagers. Or the song which not only graced the soundtracks of classic films like Dazed and Confused (1993), but also signaled the end of students’ school years with a rebellious tone, appropriately titled “School’s Out” from 1972’s classic album by the same name. Through the years Alice Cooper has evolved to not only one of the few timeless singers in music, but he did it while building a reputation as an almost father-like figure to artists and fans alike. Few artists however were influenced more by Alice Cooper than the one and only Rob Zombie.
Since his breakthrough to the masses with his first band White Zombie and their 1992 release La Sexorcisto: Devil Music Volume One, not unlike Alice Cooper, was ready to combine his love for the Horror/Macabre and music. Everything from zombies to Frankenstein could be found in almost every music video from their first single “Thunder Kiss ‘65” to the groove infested single “More Human Than Human” from their second album Astro-Creep:2000. If that is not enough, one just has to check out his movie director career, House of 1000 Corpses (2003) and his 2007 re-telling of Halloween. His live shows, from White Zombie to his solo material, followed the Alice Cooper approach of “go big or go home” with more pyro and monsters than a Kardashian family reunion. So, when the tour pulled up to Denver, the freaks parade had officially started with everything from your Heavy Metal t-shirt adorned veterans, goths, punks lining up Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre as far as the eye could see on September 16, 2023.
A benefit to having four respective headliners on one tour, even for the first band the venue was absolutely packed and ready to go. For showing up early they got the treat of seeing Filter return to the stage. Since forming the band in 1993 after leaving Nine Inch Nails, Richard Patrick never seemed to want to recreate the band he had just left. Sure, there were some similarities and influences, however rather than becoming an Industrial powerhouse the band went for a more rock approach. Granted their first album, 1995’s Short Bus, had that industrial leaning to it and delivered a track that so many know the band for and is as unforgettable as the hypnotic bass line which opens it, “Hey Man Nice Shot.” However, with singles like “Take a Picture” and “Welcome to the Fold” Patrick proved there was so much more to the band then people thought. Having just put out their first album in seven years barely a month ago entitled The Algorithm, it is a testament to the band’s fan’s loyalty that they seemed to know the first track of the day “The Drowning.”
With heads bobbing and the crowds warming up the band wasted no time to unleash a wall of sound signaling the intro to the track “For the Beaten” followed by the sonic sound of “Obliteration.” Before fans could think this short set was only going to be about the new album, the band ushered in one of their most hailed tracks, “Take A Picture.” As the band closed out with “Welcome to the Fold” and their staple “Hey Man Nice Shot,” fans were not only warmed up for the night but left checking when they could see the band next for a longer set.
Up next was none other than Uncle Al Jourgensen and Ministry. One of the godfathers to the Industrial Metal sound, Al and company have always been a musical force. Granted when Al started Ministry in ’81 it had a more synth pop sound as one can tell on 1983’s debut album With Sympathy. However, their third album, 1988’s The Land of Rape and Honey (and to some extent their second from 1986 entitled Twitch) showed an introduction to a whole new sound to the world of Industrial. This was something heavier and nastier than anything released in the genre, even to this day one could easily put up 1989’s The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste or 1992’s Psalm 69 against most metal albums and they still in sound and composition come out superior.
This in mind, it was much to the old school fans’ glee that Ministry kicked off their set with the track “Thieves” from The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste. In fact, the first four songs of their set “Thieves”, “The Missing”, “Deity”, and “Stigmata” had the truest of fans reminiscent of the infamous In Case You Didn’t Feel Like Showing Up live VHS and album from 1990, well without as much of the debauchery. Highlight of the set was the band playing their legendary cover of Black Sabbath’s “Supernaut,” with the crushing guitars of Monte Pittman and Cesar Soto, pulsating bass of Paul D’Amour, and the blasting drums of Roy Mayorga. The band had the audience screaming along to every word of Psalm 69’s “Just One Fix” and “N.W.O.” With that said, if you are one of those old school fans who keep asking Al to play the older tracks, if you missed this set you missed out, as the only newer track they played was the closer, “Goddamn White Trash.” However, Al did mention they would be back on the road in March, so keep your fingers crossed.
As the lights dropped to signal the start to Alice Cooper’s set the audience was more than warmed up and ready to go. As two ominous figures crossed the stage and opened the curtains to a large newspaper cover featuring the signature eyes of Alice Cooper and a headline exclaiming “Banned in Colorado” all appropriately to the soundtrack of the song “Lock Me Up.” As the band jumped into classics such as “No More Mr. Nice Guy,” “Eighteen,” and “Under My Wheel,” the audience were treated to the incredible dueling guitar trio of Nita Strauss, Tommy Henriksen, and Ryan Roxie that gives a whole different feel to the tracks everyone was raised on. Adding the bass and backing vocals of Chuck Garric and the beats of Glen Sobel on drums gave true justice to the music fans have come to love.
One endearing aspect to Alice Cooper is how he may have evolved somewhat in sound through the years, but in general he always stayed true to who he was while still remaining not only relevant but an iconic figure. His set could even just as easily be used as a nostalgic time machine, as Alice turned the dial to the 90s with tracks like “Hey Stoopid” from 1991’s album of the same name and “Lost in America” from 1994’s The Last Temptation. Even playing the infamous “Feed my Frankenstein,” which if you don’t find yourself remembering Alice’s cameo in 1992’s Wayne’s World your parents failed you or you lived a very sheltered life.
With all the great creatures on stage and even Alice singing “Ballad of Dwight Fry” while in a strait jacket, the highlight of course came as Alice Cooper’s wife joins the theatrics on jingle blend of “Devil’s Food,” “Killer,” and “I Love the Dead” to chop off Alice Cooper’s head in the guillotine. As the band closed out with “Elected,” one could only wonder how much better a world we would have if Alice would actually be president, we are sure all-in attendance would agree.
Lastly, the curtains dropped for the final time on Rob Zombie’s insane, mind melting, stage. As the band kicked in with “The Triumph of King Freak (The Crypt of Preservation and Superstition)” fans are greeted to a visual overload of theatrics. Between a stage that essentially doubles as a full-on electric billboard of crazy imagery and visuals. Add in the presence of Piggy on bass that would have had Pennywise running back to the sewer, Mike Riggs on guitar, and Ginger Fish raised about 20 feet in the air on hydraulics and fans knew why one never misses an opportunity to see Rob Zombie live.
From the pyro of “Feel So Numb” to the strange creature of “Well, Everybody’s Fucking in a U.F.O.,” fans had to show their best in multitasking as they tried to keep their eyes on the stage while in the mosh pits and headbanging. It can’t go without being said how nostalgic it was to hear Rob honor his first solo album as it has hit its 25th anniversary and go into a trio of tracks from it with “What Lurks on Channel X?,” “Superbeast,” and “Demonoid Phenomenon.” And for all the fans of Rob Zombie’s House of 1000 Corpses they got an extra treat, not just that they played the title song, but they played the trailer to announce the movie will be re-released in theaters in October, so make sure to get out there and check out this limited engagement.
With the band closing out with “Dragula,” it is hard to fathom just how much great music and theatrics one could see on a stage for a tour, but fans were certainly spoiled this time around. So, it goes without saying if Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper form a third “Freaks on Parade” and you miss it, well… you are not worthy!
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