Well. I am so glad that Hunter posted photos so I don't have to try to describe Alice's outfits (or link to my photos, which are mostly terrible). The pants/trousers are pretty fab with the buckles and the spider patch...and I am so pleased that Alice is savvy enough to wear leather FRONTED pants(trousers) instead of all leather. At his age and with as much moving around as he does, all leather pants(trousers) would be a mistake, I think.
The big news costume wise, in my opinion, is what I call the Goes to Hell outfit. That HAT with the feathers and the bone jacket with crocodile tails, shrunken heads and rosaries--oh MY. I had to sit down for a minute after he came out with that.
The school's out mirrored outfit is incredible. There were at least two more jackets as well--one with big metal studs down the back that reminded me quite a bit of something Halford might wear. Overall it was something of a nod back to the Trashes the World era costumewise. Not a bad thing for sure!
The merch this year is very high quality. I got the t shirt Alice is wearing in the backstage photos (the front is a sort of indemnity contract that is really hilarious, and the back has lots of lovely goth lettering with the tour dates and shadowy Alice figures on the side. Another shirt features Alice in the skeleton suit with the theater of death logo and a slogan at the bottom which reads "they keep killing him and he keeps coming back!" I got that in the form of a keychain. There were at least three other t shirt designs, including a Poison design, a Trashes the world design (I came VERY close to getting that one!) and one with the theater of death face from the screen. I also got a set of very high quality vinyl stickers featuring three different "eyes", a theater of death head, and a couple of the designs from the ACAS album. There were buttons too, but I didn't check them out closely)
Now, let me say a word to all the hardcore fans who are disappointed in the setlist: as glamprincess said in the other thread, you REALLY need to see this show before passing judgement.
This is the most twisted, psychotic show I've seen Alice do. You will never listen to "Poison", "Is It My Body" or "I Never Cry" the same way again. In fact, I am trying right now to erase the visual of Alice in the nurses outfit and wig singing I Never Cry while in the noose. It's my favorite sappy song and I don't want my skin to crawl every time I listen to it! Seriously, you may think you've heard all these songs a thousand times(and some of you may have!) but you've NEVER heard them like this. The show doesn't so much follow the story of ACAS as give what appears to be the most indepth glimpse into the twisted inner life of patient#1111/Steven(?) we've ever had. If you are on the fence at all about going to this show, GET OFF IT and get your tickets!
A couple performance notes: I'm guessing it's because it came much sooner in the show than usual, but Alice sang "Poison" better than I've ever heard him before. On the other hand, I really hated Keri's guitar playing on it. I was trying very hard to keep an open mind about him (not being Roxie and all) but the major change he did in the riff really made me mad. Damon, on the other hand, was incredible. He played some really fantastic solos. The new drummer was good-kept his solo nice and short
--but he didnt' catch the hat at the end. That had to have been embarassing.
Chuck led "I Love the Dead"
and looked and sounded fabulous. He is quite smooth faced.
Alice's voice on "Only Women Bleed" was also better than I've ever heard live. And I have to say that the fact that it ISN'T calico playing Nurse R really drives up the sexual tension. That whole part of the set is extremely creepy and wonderful.
Columbus had some trouble with the concept of "party time" at first---bouncing the balloons AWAY from the stage instead of toward it where Alice could pop them. They caught on eventually.
And some of you might be as thrilled as me to know that the outtro music was "My Stars". Just a little closer to actually getting it in the setlist!
The Ohio State Fair was a trip. I was introduced to the alarming practice of "Mutton Bustin." :guntohead: