Alice Cooper - OVO Hydro 14th October 2024

We went to his nightmare and back...

Primal Scream kicked off the night with a high-energy set that felt like a homecoming for Glasgows very own rock legends. Bobby Gillespie and the band wasted no time delivering fan favorites like "Loaded" and "Movin On Up,"injecting the crowd with a surge of local pride and adrenaline. Their performance was tight, and Gillespies commanding presence kept the audience hooked. As the support act, Primal Scream perfectly set the stage for the night of rock theatrics that followed, proving once again why they remain one of Scotlands most iconic bands.


Primal Scream at OVO Hydro - photo by Stewart Fullerton

When Alice Coopers two ominous crows strutted across the stage before the curtain dropped, the OVO Hydro was transported into Coopers twisted, theatrical world. The man himself emerged in classic style-slicing through the screen with a sword to reveal the band, embodying the spirit of grand rock 'n roll theatre. From the first moments of "No More Mr. Nice Guy," Alice Cooper acted not just as a frontman but as the conductor of his own wild, rock orchestra, directing solos with his iconic cane.


Alice Cooper at OVO Hydro - photo by Stewart Fullerton

It didnt take long for Cooper to lean into the irony of rock and rolls aging veteran-brandishing a crutch during 'Im Eighteen" while pulling off classic rock-star poses alongside his band, including a guitarist who had already thrown herself into every move, from power slides to upside-down guitar spins. As leather-clad and sweaty as ever, it was hard to believe it was only a Monday night, with the energy already feeling like the weekend had arrived early.


Alice Cooper at OVO Hydro - photo by Stewart Fullerton

The set was full throttle from the start, with highlights including "Bed of Nails," 'Billion Dollar Babies" with hundred-dollar bills fluttering across the screens, and a spooky Halloween atmosphere as glitter and a Scream mask made their way into the crowd. During "Snakebite," Cooper even paraded around the stage with a real snake coiled around him-luckily for the crowd, that prop stayed onstage!

Coopers signature pantomime continued through "Man Behind the Mask," where a girl onstage 'paid the price" for taking photos, followed by another brutal end to a paparazzo during "Hey Stoopid." At this point, I started to wonder if my photo pass was cursed! But its all part of the fun-a tongue-in-cheek horror show that makes you laugh while rocking out. The brief interlude with a massive guitar solo highlighted the musicianship of Coopers band before he re-emerged in a straightjacket to dispatch yet another antagonist during 'Feed My Frankenstein."



Alice Cooper at OVO Hydro - photo by Stewart Fullerton

The peak of Alices theatrics came during "Night of the Dead," where a guillotine dramatically 'decapitated" him, only for him to rise from the dead for one last hurrah with "Schools Out." The crowd went wild as they mixed in a bit of Pink Floyds Another Brick in the Wall, before Cooper introduced the band, finishing with a triumphant, 'Playing Alice Cooper... Its ME!"

And yes, Alice, it most definitely is.

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