The moments where Alice is Vincent on stage

[danielleV]

i speak bad english...i will try to explain what i mean here:
Alice says out of stage that he is Alice Cooper the bad guy only on stage..
but in moments like when he keeps his riding crop in the teeth when wicked young man plays is a genius proof. of the. presence
of the Vincent real man under. i mean doing this ridiculize the character it is this kind of details
that i love.its genius.in each song on stage there is this kind of detail.

[darkmenace]

I think your point is interesting and I may be interpreting it wrong but there's no way a person can portray a character they have created onstage without part of themselves as part of the character.

Like anyone else a different side of a person comes out when they are in front of many people. College professors say a different side of them comes out when they "perform" in front of a class. I think Vince tends to call "Alice" a character as if it's a black and white issue but a lot of his aggression is apparently free to come out when he is "portraying" Alice.

When I see the video of "Alice" singing Lace and Whiskey dressed as Maurice Escargot and there are dancing chickens I see Vince performing more than I see Alice.

[wind_up_toy]

I was thinking of this only this morning.

For me, the character Alice is on display most of the time he is on stage. However, the lines become muddied sometimes:

> The 'Raise The Dead' section on the current tour
> Introducing the band on most tours
> The encore

These tend to show either a slight or significant move away from the on-stage Alice that we all know (and which he explains in great detail in many interviews, such as the 'Snakes and Dead Babies' CD).

There's then other performances on stage where the 'transformation' into Alice isn't possible / doesn't happen for a variety of reasons:

> TV shows / events where he sings and / or is interviewed
> Surprise performances with other artists
> Intimate gigs

These show a more light-hearted Alice who has a different rapport with the audience.

Then there's the odd random thing, like the fight that broke out in 2008 in Southampton, where a clear move from the theatrical character is seen.

Personally, I prefer the proper stage Alice who remains in character throughout with no deviation into being a nice guy.

I sometimes wonder if Alice would have been better staying with the name Vince off-stage so that the distinction between his personas was 100% clear. However, this may have affected the Alice brand, and therefore his popularity.

[danielleV]

well.....personnally i like the fact he.s named Alice Cooper
out of stage. Its very skillfull.It boost his audience and fans imagination.
Who don.t dream of meeting mr Jeckyll in real some day....
In London one time Alice signed for me a ticket ..vincent damon furnier.saying "i sign with my french name" .I cherish this signature a lot. Such a generous gesture for a french fan.

[Si]

I kinda get what you are talking about.
For me I've always thought of the encores as when Alice is just having fun ('party time') and the character slips away more.

The other most obvious times is when either something funny/unexpected happens on stage, or someone in the audience manages to make him laugh. That, to me, isn't 'Alice Cooper', that is the guy on stage breaking character because he can't help it.

One that comes to mind was back on one of the early UK 2000s tours when he was introducing one of the band members as being from whatever town he was in (or it could have been their birthday every night, one of the two). He would say something like "you won`t believe me but tonight is .... birthday"
The usual suspects had been front and center at every show and it was near the end of the tour. Alice started his normal speech looking straight at us in the front and then stopped, cracked up, and said "and YOU guys REALLY won`t believe me...".

Moments like that are just priceless.

[A_MichaelUK]

>when he was introducing one of the band members as being from whatever town he was in

At Cropredy last week, he actually said Glen Sobel was from Cropredy - hopefully a few people thought it was true.

[NotSoPerfect]

I kinda get what you are talking about.
For me I've always thought of the encores as when Alice is just having fun ('party time') and the character slips away more.

The other most obvious times is when either something funny/unexpected happens on stage, or someone in the audience manages to make him laugh. That, to me, isn't 'Alice Cooper', that is the guy on stage breaking character because he can't help it.

Those are the moments that I was thinking of as well! I was at a show a few years ago when, for whatever reason, Alice managed to bump into, and knock over, Keri Kelli's mic stand....THREE times. The first two were near the end of a song, and when the lights dimmed, someone from backstage ran out and fixed it. The third time was in the middle of B$B, I think...Alice had the sword in hand. He tried to pick the stand up with the sword and get his foot under it to tip it upright the rest of the way. It kept getting half up, and then falling again. Once Alice finished the lyrics he was singing, the stand fell again, and he just attacked it with the sword while laughing. Halfway into turning back to the crowd, he was back into "Alice," but for a minute, he was just "Vince."

[Luney Tune]

I have always thought that this only Alice Cooper on stage thing is a bit strange. His name IS legally changed to Alice Cooper and therefore he IS Alice Cooper. But he saying he is only Alice on stage so who is he off stage then ? Off course still Alice Cooper but not the same Alice on as off or which is it ?

[A_MichaelUK]

>so who is he off stage then ?

As you are, no doubt, aware, there is and always has been, an on - stage persona which is different to the one that exists off - stage and this thread is attempting to examine that.

[Desperado22]

I was thinking of this only this morning.

For me, the character Alice is on display most of the time he is on stage. However, the lines become muddied sometimes:

> The 'Raise The Dead' section on the current tour
> Introducing the band on most tours
> The encore

These tend to show either a slight or significant move away from the on-stage Alice that we all know (and which he explains in great detail in many interviews, such as the 'Snakes and Dead Babies' CD).

There's then other performances on stage where the 'transformation' into Alice isn't possible / doesn't happen for a variety of reasons:

> TV shows / events where he sings and / or is interviewed
> Surprise performances with other artists
> Intimate gigs

These show a more light-hearted Alice who has a different rapport with the audience.

Then there's the odd random thing, like the fight that broke out in 2008 in Southampton, where a clear move from the theatrical character is seen.

Personally, I prefer the proper stage Alice who remains in character throughout with no deviation into being a nice guy.

I sometimes wonder if Alice would have been better staying with the name Vince off-stage so that the distinction between his personas was 100% clear. However, this may have affected the Alice brand, and therefore his popularity.

You mentioned a fight at the Southampton show 5 years ago. I was at the show but wasn't aware of a fight. Do you know any more details?

[NotSoPerfect]

I *think* they're referring to the fight that involved a guy's prosthetic leg.
http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2009/jul/ ... pared-jail

[ThePainAddict]

The encores of the late 70s early 80s, really seemed like it was less of the Alice personna. On Mad House Rocks tour he would come out for the encore with make-up off and wearing a shirt reflecting some local sports team. The same was true for the FtF tour, where he would wear his hair pulled back the whole show, except for the encore.

[Inmate]

This is a pretty cool thread.

[Mr.Bluelegs]

I believe Alice said he had to separate himself from the persona because of the drinking problem. Basically, he matured like most people (not all!) It would be pathetic for him at 65 to constantly act like the "Alice" of the early 1970's. He found his way of doing it by looking at the persona as a role to play on stage. Personally, I enjoy "Vince" in interviews and TV because of his humor, humility, intellect, & great personality.

[Desperado22]

I *think* they're referring to the fight that involved a guy's prosthetic leg.
http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2009/jul/ ... pared-jail

Wow, that's pretty crazy. I guess Alice's does attract some genuine freaks sometimes. Did Alice break character and acknowledge the incident do you know? I don't remember that happening but it was 5 years ago lol.

[wind_up_toy]

Whilst the leg incident did occur at that gig, I was actually referring to a bunch of drunks at the front who started to beat up a Marilyn Manson lookalike. It happened right under Alice's nose and he could barely concentrate on his singing.

I never saw the leg being used in anger

[Devon]

In Indianapolis in 2008 someone down front took off their prosthetic leg and put it at the edge of the stage. Then they just left it there! Alice looked down at it and started cracking up a little. Then pick it up and held it in the air like it was a prop and had the biggest smile on his face. He was posing with it like it was the sword or something!

[Desperado22]

Whilst the leg incident did occur at that gig, I was actually referring to a bunch of drunks at the front who started to beat up a Marilyn Manson lookalike. It happened right under Alice's nose and he could barely concentrate on his singing.

I never saw the leg being used in anger

Wow, that's awful. A lot went on at that gig. I guess I was too into the music to notice.

[ThePainAddict]

Another incident of Alice not being the character was after 9/11, in Elected the campaign promise was to "bomb 'em, bomb 'em, bomb 'em, bomb 'em". Also, led the audience in God Bless America. Admittedly, a taped version of the song was played in the group days, but more for irony then.

[steven_crayn]

>when he was introducing one of the band members as being from whatever town he was in

At Cropredy last week, he actually said Glen Sobel was from Cropredy - hopefully a few people thought it was true.

on the raise your fist tour every uk date he announced one of the members of the band (think it was the drummer?) as being from the city they were playing!