![\"Alice](\"http:\/\/www.thisisnottingham.co.uk\/images\/localpeople\/ugc-images\/275790\/Article\/images\/17209400\/4269636.jpg\")
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Over forty years after buying my copy of School’s Out<\/em>, which was as popular at Calday Grange Grammar School For Boys as it was in the rest of the English speaking world, I got to see Alice Cooper. I took my 18 year old nephew, who’s a big fan (he’d actually seen him before, at Download). This is a very slightly extended version of my review for the Nottingham Post, whose photo is above.<\/p>\n Last year, Alice Cooper reunited his original Billion Dollar Babies band for the sequel Welcome 2 My Nightmare.<\/p>\n For his Hallowe’en Night Of Fear tour, he has a crack band half his age, who threaten to, but never quite, drown out their leader. The sell-out show drew a multi-generational crowd, many in costume. With support from Duff McKagan’s Loaded and the likeable Ugly Kid Joe, plus fancy dress competition, this was a value night out.<\/p>\n Alice took the stage in red striped suit, with anthem Hello Hurray<\/em>.<\/p>\n From then on, it was big numbers all the way. No More Mister Nice Guy<\/em> went into I’ll Bite Your Face Off,<\/em> soon followed by Billion Dollar Babies<\/em>, dollars sprayed into the crowd from a sword. In front of the ghost train backdrop, the theatrics got wilder.<\/p>\n Welcome To My Nightmare<\/em> was performed in a strait-jacket. Dirty Diamonds<\/em> saw dozens of fake necklaces flung into the audience from Alice’s sword.<\/p>\n Strange to see a man try to sing while being steadily strangled by a large python, but we got used to being trapped in a vividly staged 70s concept album. Feed My Frankenstein<\/em> was the theatrical peak. A white coated Alice first exploded, then transformed into a giant effigy that roamed the stage.<\/p>\n There was a pleasant but pointless four-song covers section, which, in US election week, I’d happily have exchanged for Elected<\/em>. Giant gravestones revealed Jim Morrison, John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix and Keith Moon . You can guess the songs. Revolution<\/em> was the best version, but – you know – who needs covers at a Cooper gig? Then it was I’m Eighteen<\/em>, Under My Wheels<\/em> and Poison<\/em> to bring the show to a thunderous close.<\/p>\n He came back, of course, for School’s Out<\/em>, with a brief but popular excursion into Pink Floyd’s Another Brick In The Wall. Alice may be 64 but age becomes his persona. He performed like a singer who still had a lot to prove, and, boy, did he prove it.<\/p>\n Has Hurricane Sandy turned it round so that Obama will win comfortably next week? I hope so. Can’t imagine Obama or his climate change denier opponent singing this Nixon era song.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n