Uncle G’s FUN Concert Reviews: Live In Las Vegas_Alice Cooper (2023)

Date: 30 October 2023 – Classic Rock Radio (UK)
Uncle G’s FUN Concert Reviews
Spotlight: Alice Cooper

Words and Planet Hollywood Photo by Gary “Uncle G” Brown
GaryBrown@garyunclegbrownarchives.com

I woke up the morning after and got on Facebook. Here’s what I posted:

29 October 2023
Alice Cooper (Part 1)

I have a story to tell. At my age, it might have to wait a day or two for me to tell it. I’ll just say, it was a lot for me, physically. I brought my cane. Glad I did. Standing, waiting in any long line, can be difficult. My legs, and lower back after a short while, start screaming at me. I took two acetaminophen pills before I left. Earlier in the morning I went to the gym for a light workout. I then came home, showered, and then tried to eat sensibly before leaving. I did prepare. Still, after I came home last night, which was around midnight, and tried to decompress, well, here came the aches and pains. Those pills that I took earlier, wore off. The only other thing I did was vape cannabis (sativa), and before Alice took the stage, I drank a 5-Hour Energy. That did help. Not for any aches and pains. Frankly, I’m injured, and that became all too obvious once I was home. I’m re-couping now. No worries. Tomorrow I’ll be back to my regular self. The same thing happened after I saw Guns N’ Roses, a few years back. All that walking, standing, sitting…it takes its toll. Was it worth it, you ask? Back then it was. Besides, it was my first time seeing Guns N’ Roses in concert. Mammoth WVH opened up for them. Last night? I’ll answer that in more detail…soon.

Oh, FYI…I didn’t take one photo during the show. I did try a couple of times. The lights were too BRIGHT. The pictures would have sucked anyway. But everywhere I looked, people were glued to their phones. I stopped doing that back when I was in Houston. More FUN doing it old-school, and just watching the show. Besides, odds are, that others with better equipment are taking photos and doing videos. Why bother? Everything will be on social media, sooner or later. In 2023, it’s usually the next day, or immediately right after it happened. Now, back in 2019 when I saw Yes, I am guilty of snapping photos, but I’m in the second row, directly in front of Steve Howe. If unaware, Steve is one of the best guitarists, in the world. But I did limit myself and with no flash.

More to come…

30th October 2023
Alice Cooper (Part 2)

It’s time! I spent a whole day relaxing, and because of that, feel a thousand percent better now. Well…would you believe 90 percent? Wishful thinking. Still, it’s a good day! I’m fine. Many folks are in far worse physical shape than I am. To look at me sometimes, a person would have a hard time knowing I was hurt. I do walk with a limp sometimes.

Decades ago, I would attend AA meetings. Shocking for many to find this out, but at one time, I used to drink alcohol pretty heavily. Work hard, play hard! After years of meetings, I ended up realizing/acknowledging to myself, that I was a heavy drinker. Not a card-carrying real alcoholic. I needed to be very careful, around the stuff, and by doing so, I could live a normal life. I have been ever since. They had a saying. Shit, they got a bunch of them. This one applies:

But for the grace of God, go I.

Even with injuries, I’m better off in a lot of ways, than many others. Grateful to be alive? Yes! Beats being dead!

Planet Hollywood (Las Vegas)

Easy for me to get to, compared to other locations where I went to see a show, here in Las Vegas. Three roads total. Ended up that I arrived earlier than I needed to. Because of traffic, it’s always good to leave early, for whatever is going on. It is Las Vegas after all. Doors to the Bakkt Theater, inside the Planet Hollywood Las Vegas Resort & Casino opened at 6:30 PM. I took a bus. It’s a 4-mile ride, or thereabouts. In the past when going to concerts, I’ve been dropped off by friends or caught a Lyft/Uber. Traffic is a total nightmare. I absolutely hate to drive in it. Plus parking can cost a small fortune. Also, in case I got too buzzed. Think ahead and don’t wind up dead. That’s what I say. The bus cost me $2.50, and because I didn’t have any change and was holding up the line, it cost me only two dollars. That’s a 24-hour pass, and later that night, was my ride home. Thank you, RTC.

It was while I was in line, waiting to be let into the theater, that the announcement came that Rob Zombie had canceled, due to laryngitis. Billed as Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper: Halloween Hootenanny. Rob Zombie canceled, it was said, due to having a severe case of laryngitis. Instead of it being a double bill, Rob Zombie – Alice Cooper, it was now; An Evening with Alice Cooper. Full refunds were offered, but to my knowledge, no one there took them up on that. I was of course disappointed like many others. Another old saying, but this time from the land of show business; The show must go on! And it did! Alice and the band were on fire! If they were trying to make up for the Zombie cancelation, they did a bang-up job. Here’s the setlist:

01) Lock Me Up
(first verse & chorus only)

02) Welcome to the Show

03) No More Mr. Nice Guy

04) I’m Eighteen

05) Under My Wheels

06) Bed of Nails

07) Billion Dollar Babies

08) Fallen in Love

09) Snakebite

10) Be My Lover

11) Lost in America

12) Hey Stoopid

13) Drum Solo (Glen Sobel)

14) Welcome to My Nightmare

15) Cold Ethyl

17) Only Women Bleed

18) Poison

19) Feed My Frankenstein

20) “The Black Widow” segment from Alice Cooper: The Nightmare

21) Black Widow Jam

22) Ballad of Dwight Fry

23) Killer

24) I Love the Dead

25) Elected

26) School’s Out (encore_introduced band members)
(with an Interlude of Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick In The Wall – Part Two)

27) Go to Hell
(played as a bonus for Halloween)

28) He’s Back (The Man Behind the Mask)
(played as a bonus for Halloween)

I was sitting in row one, seat one, on the balcony. I only interacted with the two people, who were sitting, right next to me. The row only had 3 seats. They appeared to be a couple. A male and female. Could have been on a date? Way younger than myself. Lovely folks! Before the show started, he told me that he was set up to see the final two shows that Kiss will ever do (so they say) at Madison Square Garden (NYC NY USA), towards the end of this year. How cool is that! I wish him safe travels and a good time (hopefully he’ll see this).

Alice Cooper Band Personal (2023)

Alice Cooper – Lead Vocalist – Harmonica.
Chuck Garric: Bass, and Vocals.
Ryan Roxie: Guitar and Vocals.
Nita Strauss: Lead – Rhythm Guitar, and Backing Vocals.
Tommy Henriksen: Rhythm – Lead Guitar, and Backing Vocals.
Glen Sobel: Drums and Percussion.

A Few Thoughts

I attended the last show of the Alice Cooper – Too Close For Comfort Tour, which started last August. The band could not be any more fine-tuned than they were. No shit, the six of them, all at the same time, mid-song, could stop on a dime. The group had a cool-looking stage, with top-notch projections in the rear. It was a night of greatest hits and deep cuts from both the Alice Cooper band (1969 – 1974) and Alice Cooper (1975 – present) catalogs, including material off his latest studio album called, Alice Cooper – Road (2023).

For those unaware, I’ve been a fan/follower of Alice Cooper, at first it was the group, since 1973. I saw Alice do a role on a TV show called, The Snoop Sisters. Alice plays a witch, and in the episode he performs a song off the hard rock band’s newest album at that time called, Sick Things. That got me to get the album, Billion Dollar Babies. My friends at the time, mocked me for liking Alice Cooper. I liked Yes, as well. Everyone’s taste in music is different. It took me till the mid to late 1990s to attend my first Alice Cooper show. Had to do with locality and timing. If I could have seen a show any sooner, I would have. Seeing Alice this past Saturday (the 28th) marked my third time over the years. I could not have wished for anything more. Everything I wanted, was there. I walked away satisfied.

First off, Alice’s performance, especially on songs like The Ballad of Dwight Fry, if included in a theatrical film, would be worthy of an Oscar. What a creepy look he had. Alice’s singing was fantastic, especially for his age. The man is 75 years old. Was physical throughout the evening. Put my 62-year-old ass to shame. All over the stage. Up and down stairs. In cool-looking attire, with great props; sword, crutch, top hat, cane, SNAKE, and Cold Ethal. What makes her so cold?

We all have favorites when it comes to the songs. Out of all of what was played, and I seriously enjoyed the whole show, here’s what I got into the most; Lost In America – Ballad Of Dwight Fry – songs from the Welcome To My Nightmare album, and the Halloween encores; Go To Hell (blistering version) and He’s Back (The Man Behind The Mask).

An awesome night! Every band member is worth looking up, and investigating what they are doing, outside of Alice Cooper. I have no favorites. I admit to enjoying watching Glen on the drums. And I imagine just about all the guys, and even some of the ladies, in the audience, loved Nita. She’s pretty, and that’s a good thing. Straight up. Her guitar abilities and the other skills she processes as a professional musician are what are going to get her inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame, one day.

Speaking of which, I feel it’s seriously past due that Alice Cooper, himself, gets inducted into the hall, on his own merits. He is already in with his original bandmates, and rightfully so. Not as a solo act. I can list people who are inducted, twice. Once because they were in a band, and the second time due to a solo career. Well? What the hell are these people waiting on? It puzzles me. I know Alice recently said that he wants to play till he’s age 90 and older, but give the guy a break. Award him soon, and not before he’s aged so much to where he can’t rock out anymore like he’s capable of doing NOW. Certainly not posthumously. God forbid! And with that said, I’m done venting about the subject. Hopefully, not said in vain.

End of Story

Website Maintenance – Please Assist – Help Keep The Lights On

Uncle G’s Tip Jar

Psst. Before you leave. Can you help out an aging altar boy? Boy Scout? An almost always penniless, freelance writer? If possible and not struggling yourself, whatever you can donate big or small is more than welcome and very appreciated.

Coming Soon: Gary “Uncle G” Brown Archives Merchandise; Tee Shirt(s) – Keychain(s)

Thanks for visiting. You ROCK! Don’t forget to bookmark the Gary “Uncle G” Brown Archives, and keep coming back.

Oh…one last thing. The Gary “Uncle G” Brown Archives doesn’t advertise. Way too expensive! This costs nothing but your time. Sharing links and positive word of mouth about the website…means the world to the author. Please do, if possible. “Uncle G” would be very grateful.