This Halloween I wanted to do something special, really make it an occasion to remember. My family being like they are we usually just ignore the seasonal event all together but not this year. Because this year I was going to see Alice Cooper's Halloween Night of Fear 2011 at Alexandra Palace, London, UK. Unfortunately the person who I intended to go with dropped out so after ringing round a few friends I found someone who wanted to come with, despite it being their first gig and not knowing what to expect. As it turns out I got slightly more than I bargained for...
After a train journey across London at dusk and climbing up the hill to Alexandra Palace and wondering around trying to find the entrance which turned out to be on the other side of the venue we got stamped and entered. Immediately I could tell it was going to be a good night because we were greeting in the first hall by a hired group of assorted zombies, spiders and others. Complete with 50 foot high cobwebs to boot. Then once we fought our way through the crowd of bars we entered the main hall and was instantly greeted with the warm up to the warm up act; female choreographed flame eaters.....with fiery whips....and leather. Need I say anymore?
Then the warm up act, in this case, The New York Dolls entered center stage and proceeded to play an awesome set list which means they have at least one new fan now. I didn't know the words but it was still really good music and beat so got us going well. On a side note; it was at this point I found myself a group of girls who I made an initial bit of contact with and naturally my thoughts moved to them but, as is always the way in gig situations, we somehow moved without moving which was annoying.
Once warm up left there was an agonizing 45 minute wait until the main show started. Although after 3 songs my annoyance had been completely obliterated because of the spectral I was part of. It was just hit after after hit, in fact the only one that I wish he'd included was Welcome to my Nightmare but instead I got Feed my Frankenstein. Not what I'd call a bad trade off. Cooper's use of props is always exceptional and as well as being decapitated, producing a 15 foot high Frankenstein monster of himself fully mobile, the return of the famous snake which I've not seen in recent years, they was a new lead guitarist; Orianthi. Just Google her or Youtube Orianthi Solo and you'll see what I mean. Just jaw dropping and amazing in every way. If anyone can find me a decent poster could you please let me know!
Finally, as a special Halloween present Cooper co-supported an old face from the 60's; Arthur Brown. If that doesn't ring a bell then maybe if I shout the words "I am the god of hellfire" you will have the general idea. It was a perfect finale to an amazing evening. It just so happened to be the show that was filmed for the DVD and Blu-ray as well of which I have a copy of and you can see me in there. Lastly, on the way back across London at midnight I saw a zombie walk into a lamp post.
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