I’m going to start this off by saying that I’m not a heavy metal guy; and this is not typically the type of concert I’d go to. Anyway, it just looked like a lot of fun. I know of maybe 3 or 4 songs, so I’d more or less gone to the concert fresh without too many expectations. I was after a theatrical and over the top experience, and that’s what I got!

Ace Freheley was the opener and played a few standard Kiss numbers. Besides an exploding smoked-out guitar, there wasn’t much to be said. Most seem to enjoy it though.

Alice Cooper then emerged from behind a large thin cloth banner of bloodshot eyes with a spider pattern as the pupil. There was a freneticism and energy that set the tone for the entire night.

Between each song a lady in a giant wooden chest would pop up with a new piece of clothing / jacket etc. There was always a change of visuals and props. From canes to swords and eyepatches and skulls.

The band was tight and each instrument melded together like a cogs in a machine. Alice moved over the stage like he owned it. I liked that the musicians made an effort not to camp in the middle sections of the stage, but many times moved over to the ends of the stage to include the entire audience.
Vocally the singer was on point, and in one song “Only Women Bleed”, it was stripped back to Alice on a chair with a single guitarist next to him. He played with a solemnity that gave feeling to the words. It must be hard to convey this feeling having performed this song day in day out over 40 years, though I suppose they become like children .

The mood darkened in the latter half. The bass player alternated over 3 or 4 notes in hypnotic succession which gave the mood an uneasiness, which was a foretelling of what was to come.
Alice sang a song in a straight jacket (the name which I don’t know). After he managed to “free” himself he was lead over by a demented and sadistic nurse into a guillotine. The blade came down and the head came off and rolled in to a basket! Two men in gas masks paraded with the “head” before Alice made a triumphant return – holding his own head. The final tunes were some of the most popular, with “Schools Out” and “Department of Youth”, both which were big hits in Australia.

The concert closed after about 2 hours of mayhem. Walking back to my car a opportunistic British geezer set up a dirt side shop hawking $20 Alice Cooper Tshirts before the cops came. I ummed and ahhed and bought one. Not gonna say it was my most informed purchase, but I was quite happy with the quality of it, despite the fact that it’s clearly not legit merchandise. I’ve never bought a tour date band tshirt before and this was a rare impulse buy.

Overall an enjoyable concert. The choice of the Hordern Pavillion struck the right mix. I remember this venue as a kid visiting the Easter show. It had a good closed-in dark feeling to contribute to the vibe. It was also the venue of the first Australian tour in 1977.

Overall a nice experience.