Change of set list...aye right!

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Change of set list...aye right!

Post by dadascot » Thu Nov 02, 2017 9:19 am

Alice finishes in New Zealand on the 28th, presumably flying home on the 29th, and then is in Dublin on the 8th. I really don't see any time to change the set list. Maybe change one or two songs, but I doubt it! I don't see how they can work on much, if any, of the new album songs! Obviously he is keeping all the hits, I don't particularly like 'Brutal Planet, woman of MD or 'the world needs guts' and can think of dozens and dozens of songs I would rather have in their place. Thank god the ACG is playing!!

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Re: Change of set list...aye right!

Post by wind_up_toy » Thu Nov 02, 2017 1:45 pm

I imagine any downtime will be devoted to getting the mini-set with the Group members spot on. That will be the centrepiece of the UK shows for sure.

Brutal Planet was a brilliant opener for the tours in 2000 and 2001, but I agree that it's not the same on the current tour. This is mainly due to the presentation method rather than the fact that the song isn't any good or is dated. The medley on the Dragontown Tour was also really good.

I can't for the life of me understand why the same opening ritual has been kept for 5 years now (Alice just walking out in a low key manner under the shower of sparks). Sure the songs and costumes have changed but this is Alice Cooper and he should turn up with more showmanship in my eyes as it helps set the tone for the show ahead.

I know this has been done to death on here but there is/was so much scope to at least build key elements of the show on the very strong new album that he's just released. I think Paranormal, Fallen In Love or Fireball could easily have made fantastic openers.

I just don't get the lack of basic headline creativity in the shows in recent times ::((:

The good news is that the UK shows are almost guaranteed to be very, very special so that will take the edge of any disappointment!
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Re: Change of set list...aye right!

Post by AliceFan » Fri Nov 03, 2017 2:57 am

wind_up_toy wrote:I imagine any downtime will be devoted to getting the mini-set with the Group members spot on. That will be the centrepiece of the UK shows for sure.

Brutal Planet was a brilliant opener for the tours in 2000 and 2001, but I agree that it's not the same on the current tour. This is mainly due to the presentation method rather than the fact that the song isn't any good or is dated. The medley on the Dragontown Tour was also really good.

I can't for the life of me understand why the same opening ritual has been kept for 5 years now (Alice just walking out in a low key manner under the shower of sparks). Sure the songs and costumes have changed but this is Alice Cooper and he should turn up with more showmanship in my eyes as it helps set the tone for the show ahead.

I know this has been done to death on here but there is/was so much scope to at least build key elements of the show on the very strong new album that he's just released. I think Paranormal, Fallen In Love or Fireball could easily have made fantastic openers.
I think Alice will definitely premiere more new songs from Paranormal during the "Paranormal Evening Tour 2018" starting in March hence the name and his new album tours always go into the following year, I think he might change things up for the new tour that I mentioned above, but for the rest of this year with the exception of the UK shows I don't see any changes.
I just don't get the lack of basic headline creativity in the shows in recent times ::((:

The good news is that the UK shows are almost guaranteed to be very, very special so that will take the edge of any disappointment!

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Re: Change of set list...aye right!

Post by bigbradwolf » Fri Nov 03, 2017 8:39 am

I do agree with this. The current entrance/intro hasn't been changed up for several years. In fact he came out to Hello Hooray in the same presentation manner on the last UK tour which was five years ago. I don't like to complain on what Alice plays or does I'm just stoked that he's still here and touring more than any other band I know. It's actually quite amazing - especially when they have time off he seems to be touring with Hollywood Vampires.
I used to love the intrigue of a new tour, new presentation. I think the last one I got really excited for was Theatre of Death. The set/stage presentation hasn't changed much since then.
Maybe Alice has just decided that they used to spend too much time on designing and rehearsing the set/show. Why not just play as many shows as possible, keeping a similar show each time.

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Re: Change of set list...aye right!

Post by dadascot » Fri Nov 03, 2017 9:51 am

I think he is just too busy to change it much! I think it is more likely that the ACG will do a track off of the new album to make up for the lack in the main set.

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Re: Change of set list...aye right!

Post by cooperrocks » Fri Nov 03, 2017 1:02 pm

I respectfully could not disagree more on The World Needs Guts. That is a great song that has sounded terrific on this tour. I hope it stays for a few more tours and I am still hoping for something from Raise Your Fist and Yell to be added too.

I love Brutal Planet as the opener as well so I have no problems with that but I do agree on WOMD, there are better songs off of The Eyes of Alice Cooper and Dirty Diamonds that that one. I thought What Do You Want From Me sounded great live several years ago.

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Re: Change of set list...aye right!

Post by AliceFan » Fri Nov 03, 2017 11:04 pm

dadascot wrote:I think he is just too busy to change it much! I think it is more likely that the ACG will do a track off of the new album to make up for the lack in the main set.
Yes I agree with you but Alice always adds in rarities every year this year they were, pain,escape, lost in America, department of youth, he's back (the man behind the mask), that weren't in the set the previous year. An maybe the ACG will play a new song or maybe they won't, who knows? But for those US fans who plan on seeing him in March I'm sure he'll play a couple of new Paranormal songs. Also maybe they'll even be a new stage setup for the shows in March 2018.

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Re: Change of set list...aye right!

Post by padre_sliprat » Sun Nov 19, 2017 5:08 pm

I saw AC/DC in 1983. They played 17 songs. I didn't know 3 of those songs (which thankfully they played at the top of the show in slots 1, 3 and 4).

For me, that was three 'unknown' songs too many. So, to make a long story even longer, I see Alice's point about casual fans. While many of us long-time Sick Things can recite the most trivial of AC trivia (we're familiar with names like Corky Stasiak, and can clearly visualize minute details on the billion dollar bill), most concert-goers are there for the hits, all the hits and nuttin' but the hits.

I'd be good with Living, followed by a 70 minute version of Levity Ball and an encore of Changing, Arranging - but I doubt Coop's gonna plan a tour based on selling a single cheap-seat/no merch/no fun/no extras ticket to me. I have a crisp $20 bill at the ready just in case he changes his mind, though.
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Re: Change of set list...aye right!

Post by cooperrocks » Mon Nov 20, 2017 7:43 pm

I hear that a lot about why bands only play the hits but my thought has always been, "Why even bother putting out new material if you aren't going to try and push your album?" I understand there are certain songs that a band has to play but why not do more of a 50-50 mix. That is why I respect what Iron Maiden does on most of their tours. They really push new songs. Weird Al Yankovic, which is totally different music than Alice though they are friends, is doing a tour this upcoming year where he isn't going to do any of his parodies. He is going to play only his original songs and more obscure material. I would love for Alice to do that. Frankly, for many of the older artists who don't get regular radio airplay for newer songs, their audience consists of largely diehard fans so doing more rare tunes is exciting. While the original band playing some songs on this tour at a few shows was cool, the two highlights for me were hearing "Pain" and "The World Needs Guts" brought back to the set.

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Re: Change of set list...aye right!

Post by dadascot » Mon Nov 20, 2017 10:10 pm

cooperrocks wrote:I hear that a lot about why bands only play the hits but my thought has always been, "Why even bother putting out new material if you aren't going to try and push your album?" I understand there are certain songs that a band has to play but why not do more of a 50-50 mix. That is why I respect what Iron Maiden does on most of their tours. They really push new songs. Weird Al Yankovic, which is totally different music than Alice though they are friends, is doing a tour this upcoming year where he isn't going to do any of his parodies. He is going to play only his original songs and more obscure material. I would love for Alice to do that. Frankly, for many of the older artists who don't get regular radio airplay for newer songs, their audience consists of largely diehard fans so doing more rare tunes is exciting. While the original band playing some songs on this tour at a few shows was cool, the two highlights for me were hearing "Pain" and "The World Needs Guts" brought back to the set.
I thought pain worked better on this tour than when he did it on the special forces tour. Then he stuck more to the original piano arrangement while here it was much heavier guitar sound. I love the original but felt it didn't really work as well live.

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Re: Change of set list...aye right!

Post by darkmenace » Tue Nov 21, 2017 5:07 am

I'm still waiting for Alice to get really crazy and do something like Levity Ball from PFY or even better ANYTHING (except I Love America, because it doesn't fit the theme) from DaDa, preferably Pass the Gun Around, which could be a live classic if played full-out musically.

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Re: Change of set list...aye right!

Post by Rhapsody of Fire » Tue Nov 21, 2017 4:54 pm

I think that Alice should advertise more his new album, songs like Dynamite Road and GAG should be done in his present and future shows. It could be good for the Vampires also. I'm sure that he will do another album also.
He's not the kind of singer that lives in the past. So, the hits, because this is what some fans wants to hear, and new stuff.

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Re: Change of set list...aye right!

Post by killer wolf » Tue Nov 21, 2017 6:33 pm

"I see Alice's point about casual fans"
i don't.
firstly, where do all these casual fans come from? doesn't seem to me that it's like the 70's where everyone had heard about the showand a big percentage would want to see what the fuss was about. i can't see Alice getting tons of airplay these days that someone might come across. surely the biggest share of the audience must be fans who have been so for many years?
say you do cater for casuals. they come back next time not a casual, and find the same[ish] set. hardocre fans like us have/will probably put up w/ it, but how many of the recently-uncasualised might think they've made a mistake and not come any more?
must admit it really narks me when fans who have supported him through DECADES are given short shrift to the johnny-come-latelys. i don't believe Alice would have ever survived past DaDa if it was just down to casual fans.
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Re: Change of set list...aye right!

Post by SickThings » Tue Nov 21, 2017 8:57 pm

All you have to do is watch the audience during a show. When the hits are played, the audiences I've been part of go nuts. The rest of the time, I'd say a good 50% or more of the audience is just watching. They're enjoying it, but they're not standing up (usually), singing along, waving hands in the air, etc.

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Re: Change of set list...aye right!

Post by Swinger » Wed Nov 22, 2017 12:30 am

killer wolf wrote:"I see Alice's point about casual fans"
i don't.
firstly, where do all these casual fans come from? doesn't seem to me that it's like the 70's where everyone had heard about the showand a big percentage would want to see what the fuss was about. i can't see Alice getting tons of airplay these days that someone might come across. surely the biggest share of the audience must be fans who have been so for many years?
Where do casual fans come from? They're probably fans of other classic 70s rock. Say if you are a big KISS fan and you see that Alice Cooper is coming to your town and you know some songs due to pop-culture and you heard of the show but you have never seen him live, you might go and check it out if the tickets are at an ok price. And while he won't get ton of airplay there are classic rock radio stations that play the old hits. And everybody knows Poison.
Basically, Alice is a rock and roll legend - of course there's going to be people that come and see a show simply because they know a few songs and want's to see a legend live. I've seen The Scorpions live and I only knew a few songs but I went and saw them because I was into classic rock and they were a classic rock band that I knew of.
killer wolf wrote:say you do cater for casuals. they come back next time not a casual, and find the same[ish] set. hardocre fans like us have/will probably put up w/ it, but how many of the recently-uncasualised might think they've made a mistake and not come any more?
Well, how often you get the chance to see a show depends on where you are of course. Just comparing the last two times Alice played Stockholm (where I live), 2015 and 2017:
2015 had 12 song that weren't played in 2017. 2017 had 8 songs that weren't played in 2015. And among the songs that were the same were rarer songs like "He's Back" and "Lost In America".

Last time before 2015 he played Stockholm was 2011.
2011 had 10 songs that weren't played in 2015. 2015 had 12 songs that weren't played in 2011. Among the songs that were the same was again rarer songs like "I'll Bite Your Face Off" and "Hey Stoopid"

Over these 7 years only 8 songs have been the same on all three tours.

What I'm saying is, if I'd been a casual fan in 2011 or in 2015 that had been un-casualised between tours I wouldn't have thought it was a mistake the next time I saw him live.
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Re: Change of set list...aye right!

Post by padre_sliprat » Wed Nov 22, 2017 8:51 am

SickThings wrote:All you have to do is watch the audience during a show. When the hits are played, the audiences I've been part of go nuts. The rest of the time, I'd say a good 50% or more of the audience is just watching. They're enjoying it, but they're not standing up (usually), singing along, waving hands in the air, etc.

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Re: Change of set list...aye right!

Post by padre_sliprat » Wed Nov 22, 2017 12:20 pm

I believe I've found a way Alice could make everybody happy.

ALICE COOPER
The Cause Of Death Tour

Props/Costumes/Staging:
Shirt, or tux, with zippers in a “Y” pattern on the front (representing an autopsy incision - women are sometimes done in a “U” shape - just sayin’). Worn in beginning and during School’s Out.
12-foot radio tower (along the order of the old RKO Radio Pictures intro).
The magic screen.*
Should be more of an old school-style production in the second act, as par cans are far more creepy than modern lighting.

Character:
Alice plays it like Rasputin. He’s hard to kill - maybe cuz he’s already dead..some people really have a lot of nerve. Basically, the show is an autopsy on Alice (although not explicitly so - but every album is represented), each song something which an M.E. might find inside of him in this career-spanning retrospective. Fans get their ‘Dada’ fix here, as well.
“The Cause of Death” can mean Alice himself is the cause of death, he exists for the cause of death or it simply refers to the things which finally did him in. “...well, he sung too many songs. Had himself a heart attack or something.” (Forrest Gump) Due to the sheer volume and scope of material performed, Throat Coat and Ricola have agreed to sponsor the tour.

ACT I

-No intro other than house lights go down and the music begins-

Levity Ball (opening inst. buildup leads into spotlight on Alice)
Lay Down And Die, Goodbye (‘I’ve Written Home To Mother’ part only)
Never Been Sold Before
Billion Dollar Babies
No more Mr. Nice Guy
I’m Eighteen
Seven & Seven Is
Grim Facts
Enough’s Enough
No Man’s Land
Sideshow
Nothing’s Free
I Wish I Were Born In Beverly Hills (Strangles the female character)
-Alice straitjacketed-
Ballad Of Dwight Fry (Escapes straightjacket)
Only Women Bleed/The Awakening (vocal only)
Feed My Frankenstein
It’s Hot Tonight/Wish You Were Here (Instrumental medley)

ACT II

Scarlet And Sheba (Intro)
-Alice climbs tower, King Kong style, while carrying the Ethyl doll.
Electric zaps emitted from top of tower while climbing (RKO)-
I Love America (Black plastic streamers and black confetti spray from tower top like an oil derrick)
Scarlet And Sheba (While up on tower.)
-Biplanes on magic screen dive in and out as
Alice takes swings at them. They open fire at him.
Blood erupts from tower top.
Alice drops Ethyl and hangs near lifeless from the tower.-
I Am The Future (While being lowered to the stage.)
-Alice struggles to his feet.
Performs the next song in a semi-crouch
like a wounded, but rabid animal-
Fresh Blood
-Alice makes his way toward the magic screen,
where a stormy city night is projected, as song plays out,
He goes through the screen and we see him fade around a corner into the night,
still carrying himself in that wounded fashion-
Wind and thunder sounds continue into...

ACT III

Vengeance Is Mine
Paranoiac Personality
Roses On White Lace
Caffeine
The Black Widow
Brutal Planet/Dragontown (chorus)
Go To Hell
Killer (Part)/I Love The Dead (Part)
-Beheading-

Encores:
School’s Out (Tux with the “Y” zippers)
The World Needs Guts
Poison
Novocain
Woman Of Mass Distraction
Under My Wheels


All 27 Studio Albums Represented:

Pretties For You (1)
Easy Action (1)
Love It To Death (2)
Killer (2)
School’s Out (1)
Billion Dollar Babies (3)
Muscle Of Love (1)
Welcome To My Nightmare (3)
Alice Cooper Goes To Hell (2)
Lace And Whiskey (1)
From the Inside (1)
Flush The Fashion (1)
Special Forces (1)
Zipper Catches Skin (1)
Dada (5)
Constrictor (1)
Raise Your Fist And Yell (1)
Trash (1)
Hey Stoopid (1)
The Last Temptation (2)
Brutal Planet (1)
Dragontown (1)
The Eyes Of Alice Cooper (1)
Dirty Diamonds (1)
Along Came A Spider (1)
Welcome 2 My Nightmare (1)
Paranormal (1)

*The Magic Screen is a preventative measure, namely, to replace the dreaded drum solo with filmed entertainment while Alice takes a break. Caged, hungry crocodiles are to be strategically placed in close proximity of the drum kit, should the Magic Screen fail and Glen entertain any misguided notion that it’s his time to shine. In case of emergency - Release the hounds!

ALICE COOPER - The Cause Of Death Tour
©2017 by the padre
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Re: Change of set list...aye right!

Post by cooperrocks » Wed Nov 22, 2017 1:55 pm

Padre. I would totally be down with that show. I have also thought (though it would be a long show), how cool would it be for 1 song to be played live off of every album.

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Re: Change of set list...aye right!

Post by darkmenace » Wed Nov 22, 2017 6:28 pm

Playing something live off DaDa would be the biggest show of respect to real Alice fans than anything else I can think of. If played with gusto it would be no less interesting to "casual" fans than deep cuts that aren't nearly as good like The World Needs Guts or Woman of Mass Distraction. Just imagine Nita doing the solo guitar on Pass the Gun Around. Crossing fingers.

Been waiting decades for full JFK files release which will probably never happen. Maybe Alice playing something live from Dada will happen first.

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Re: Change of set list...aye right!

Post by padre_sliprat » Wed Nov 22, 2017 9:37 pm

cooperrocks wrote:Padre. I would totally be down with that show. I have also thought (though it would be a long show), how cool would it be for 1 song to be played live off of every album.
He's got 27 albums. The BP tour they played somewhere between 26 and 28? Its do-able.
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