Toronto and the Gruesome Twosome

[theonethatgotaway]

I'm sorry, I can't get the link to post properly here but a youtube search of Rob Zombie/Alice Cooper:Schools Out-Toronto,Ontario 5/21/10 should hopefully bring it up for you.


What an incredible night!Alice definitely made up for missing us last year and to tell the truth, I have to say that was the best Zombie show I've ever seen....and I don't think I've missed to many Ont stops in the last 10 or so years.
The roar of the crowd started when Alice hit the stage.They were singing so loudly he could have just tossed the mic aside and given his voice a rest for the night. lol
The set list was pretty much the same as the previous few shows best I can remember and included Elected with Alice carrying the Cannuk flag,very fittingstart to our Victoria Day weekend.

Rob was in full flight from the moment he and the guys hit the stage.We were on the barricade infront of Damon/Chuck and PD and thankfully the crowd behind was very kind to us.No pushing and shoving what so ever...just a hell of a lot of rockin'.
Rob's second (I think i was) encore started with a serious eruption of chicken feathers into the air. I swear..........it was so thick I couldn't even see the stage which was only two feet away for at least two minutes.It was just the thing to drive the crowd totally insane!

The entire night was like a crash course in the histroy of Alice Cooper.All of Masters deaths and murders,followed up by a wicked night with his number 1 student and now they dump chicken feathers on Toronto?Its was enough to bring a tear of happiness to the eye.
Just when I thought it couldn't get any better I noticed Toby hanging around the barricade. Took a minute to realize but then it hit me. If Toby hasn't left the venue yet,that Alice is still here. Whats up now?
The lights came backup and out came Rob with the surprise of my lifeSeeing those two on stage together was def a dream come thru for this old sickthing!
Thank you Alice and guys,Rob and the Zombie cousins, it was like the planets have all aligned again and all it right in the world...or at least in my silly demented one. :~))
Rob did mention at one point that he was filming for a future video. His crew was all over the place with cameras by the end of the night.Not sure what he has in store for us,but I bet its going to be good!

Sharon

[smanomega]

It was one hell of a show I was right against the barricade up front too, dead centre. I was the guy with the BDB record sleeve Pictures are comming.

[HORRORHOLIC]

Like I've been telling everyone, I must have seen hundreds of bands live including both Alice and Rob at least a dozen times over the years but the Toronto show was by far the best concert I have ever been to, the whole atmosphere was amazing and I had such a great time.

[Shoesalesman]

Glad you had a great time, Sharon!!

[Jaded]

Sounds like you had a great time Sharon, wish we could of make some of the Canadian shows!

[theonethatgotaway]

At some point one if those trips is going to work out. Alice and RZ seemed to be having so much fun out there,that maybe they'll decided to tour together again at some point.....or at least we can keep wishing for it.

[recoop]

Having watched schools out with AC and Rob..brill..and it benefits Alice greatly to have some top notch electronic visuals behind him rather than a banner..I hope when he does live festivals this summer Alice invests in some great electronic visuals..he deserves to have the best behind him in every way...he already has a killer band and a great friend in rob.

[A_MichaelUK]

>benefits Alice greatly to have some top notch electronic visuals behind him rather than a banner

I disagree. Why would you want him to do what everyone else is doing?

[sammysausage76]

>benefits Alice greatly to have some top notch electronic visuals behind him rather than a banner

I disagree. Why would you want him to do what everyone else is doing?

I agree, plus don't you think that electronic visuals behind Alice may actually take away from the show? Alice includes lots of theatrics and watching a video screen may mean missing something in the show. I am sure others wouldn't want the audience's attention fractured either.

[SKULLBOY]

>benefits Alice greatly to have some top notch electronic visuals behind him rather than a banner

I disagree. Why would you want him to do what everyone else is doing?

I agree to some degree, but let's not forget the screen during the Welcome to My Nightmare Tour. I think Alice, et al, give a good visual in the foreground, and adding too much in the background may be distracting. Don't get me wrong, I loved what Zombie did on this tour. I also didn't mind Rob going on last, as it was a nice way to come off the "Alice high" without sudden withdrawal (in other words, cold turkey--or should I say cold chicken?).

[A_MichaelUK]

> but let's not forget the screen during the Welcome to My Nightmare Tour.

That was totally different to recoop is referring to.

> I think Alice, et al, give a good visual in the foreground, and adding too much in the background may be distracting.

Not only that, but an Alice Cooper show is theatre - video and film are totally different compared to that.

[ElectedPlus]

Thoughts of the magic screen came to mind, too - and as great as it was, I don't regard it as a backdrop... it was at it's best when it was interacted with by Cooper and his dancers and became as much of the show as the live performance.

But I bet a Cooper show could be done brilliantly with a video backdrop ... Zombie does it well from the little I've seen, Manson used it brilliantly from '07 and in neither case does it remove any element of theatre to it - on the contrary, it helps it when carefully used to compliment the action onstage rather than take over the show (which I assume is the sort of pitfall Andy is talking about?)

edit: I remember footage of xmas pudding '05 where he was performing in front of a sort of video screen which imo came across well : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZ7m_IBX-Yo

Either way, not saying that by default the use of video screens make any show better, but when used well can add something good... Theatre of Death is great as it is.

[SKULLBOY]

> but let's not forget the screen during the Welcome to My Nightmare Tour.

That was totally different to recoop is referring to.

> I think Alice, et al, give a good visual in the foreground, and adding too much in the background may be distracting.

Not only that, but an Alice Cooper show is theatre - video and film are totally different compared to that.

I totally agree on the screen thing. That was more interactive, and really just part of the foreground. What I was getting at was how Alice worked it into the show and if they were to add something similar back in I would have no problem with it. As you said, why do what everyone else is doing?

As for theatre, that was the point I was trying to make.

[SKULLBOY]

But I bet a Cooper show could be done brilliantly with a video backdrop ... Zombie does it well from the little I've seen, Manson used it brilliantly from '07 and in neither case does it remove any element of theatre to it - on the contrary, it helps it when carefully used to compliment the action onstage rather than take over the show (which I assume is the sort of pitfall Andy is talking about?)

Keep in mind that there is video on the backdrop during "Vengeance". That works.

[A_MichaelUK]

>Thoughts of the magic screen came to mind, too - and as great as it was, I don't regard it as a backdrop

Me neither, but that's not what recoop was referring to.

>But I bet a Cooper show could be done brilliantly with a video backdrop ...

I'm not saying it couldn't, but I think it's taking the easy way out, like using pyrotechnics, for example.

> (which I assume is the sort of pitfall Andy is talking about?)

Yes. It's the difference between going to the theatre and going to see a film.

[A_MichaelUK]

>What I was getting at was how Alice worked it into the show and if they were to add something similar back in I would have no problem with it.

I don't think that's what recoop was referring to.

> As you said, why do what everyone else is doing?

Well, in relation to the example you give, it's not being done, so that would be a legitimate reason to do it.

[A_MichaelUK]

>Keep in mind that there is video on the backdrop during "Vengeance".

I believe you are incorrect.

[Jumping Jack]

In my humble opinion, video screens are only good for selling tickets in the back of football stadiums. Part of the attraction of Coop's current show is that it is done close-up in a theater where you can see everything and feel like you are part of the action.

Coop is great even w/o all the theatrics and the focus is on the music (see Stones shows). Zombie, Kiss, and many other bands who haven't written decent songs need the video screens, flash bombs, and the rest because that is the entertainment, not the music. It is like going to a fireworks show, not a concert.

Coop should protect the integrity of the old school theatrical rock show, not become a music video or video game. The artist should be the focus and not the technology.

[theonethatgotaway]

In my humble opinion, video screens are only good for selling tickets in the back of football stadiums. Part of the attraction of Coop's current show is that it is done close-up in a theater where you can see everything and feel like you are part of the action.

Coop is great even w/o all the theatrics and the focus is on the music (see Stones shows). Zombie, Kiss, and many other bands who haven't written decent songs need the video screens, flash bombs, and the rest because that is the entertainment, not the music. It is like going to a fireworks show, not a concert.

Coop should protect the integrity of the old school theatrical rock show, not become a music video or video game. The artist should be the focus and not the technology.

I'd have to agree with that 100%.

I do really appreciate RZ's use of video though. His movie/filming skills add a special touch that I've not seen from anyone else.
For me, the tour was so much fun because it was a chance to see someone *learn* from Alice (as opposed to copying),add his own flair and carry the old school stuff into the 22 century, be it feathers,monsters or video.

[A_MichaelUK]

>Coop should protect the integrity of the old school theatrical rock show, not become a music video or video game.

Exactly.