The Manchester show on 18 August was part of the Vampires’ long-awaited UK return, with The Jesus and Mary Chain opening the night. The Vampires took to the stage at 9pm for a 105-minute performance that moved effortlessly between their own material, Alice Cooper and Aerosmith classics, and tributes to the artists who helped shape them.

The opening was suitably theatrical. ‘Bela Lugosi’s Dead’ created an appropriately gothic atmosphere before ‘I Want My Now’ and ‘Raise the Dead’ finally unleashed the band. It was a dramatic introduction, but Hollywood Vampires have never been interested in subtlety.

Cooper, of course, is the heart of it. At 78 he remains an extraordinary stage presence. The voice is instantly recognisable, the timing impeccable and the mischievous theatricality completely intact. ‘I’m Eighteen’ was an early highlight, sounding less like an exercise in nostalgia and more like a declaration that Cooper still has plenty of life left in him.

‘My Dead Drunk Friends’ summed up the evening’s purpose. Hollywood Vampires were formed around a simple idea: to celebrate the music and memories of the rock stars who are no longer here. That makes the band’s set something more than a collection of covers. It is part tribute show, part history lesson and part enormous rock ‘n’ roll party.

Johnny Depp, meanwhile, proved considerably more than the celebrity guest some might have expected. Taking lead vocals on ‘Venus in Furs’ and ‘People Who Died’, he looked completely at home onstage, contributing guitar and vocals without attempting to steal the spotlight from Cooper or Joe Perry.

‘People Who Died’ was particularly effective. There was something poignant about thousands of people singing a song built around remembering lost artists, while the Vampires themselves stood as living connections to several generations of rock history.

Joe Perry brought a different kind of authority. His guitar playing remains gloriously economical, with no need for unnecessary flash when you’ve spent half a century helping define the sound of Aerosmith. ‘You Can’t Put Your Arms Round a Memory’ gave Perry the opportunity to take centre stage vocally before ‘Livin’ on the Edge’ turned the arena into an Aerosmith singalong.

The set then continued through ‘Baba O’Riley’, ‘Bright Light Fright’, ‘Beck’s Bolero’ and ‘Roadhouse Blues’, with the Manchester set broadly following the song choices heard elsewhere on the UK tour.

What makes Hollywood Vampires work, however, isn’t simply the famous names involved. The supporting musicians are superb, giving the songs a muscular, contemporary edge while allowing the headline trio to concentrate on the spectacle. The result is a band that sounds considerably tighter and more powerful than the concept might suggest.

Yes, it’s indulgent. Three huge personalities, a set of their heroes’ songs, arena lighting and a production to match. But indulgence is the whole point of a band like this. Nobody walks into a Hollywood Vampires show expecting restraint, and in Manchester nobody wanted it.

The most impressive thing about the night was the sheer energy. This could easily have been a museum piece, three famous musicians running through the classics and letting nostalgia do the heavy lifting. It wasn’t. It felt like a party thrown by people who still love this music.

By the time the final notes rang around the AO Arena, Hollywood Vampires had delivered exactly what their name promises: a gloriously excessive celebration of rock’s past, performed with enough energy and attitude to make it feel very much alive in the present.

Cooper is still a master showman, Perry an institution on guitar, and Depp has earned his place in the band rather than just occupying it. Manchester got one hell of a rock show.

Verdict: 10/10 A theatrical, loud and hugely entertaining celebration of rock’s fallen heroes, with enough genuine musicianship to make the nostalgia feel completely justified.

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The Hollywood Vampires consists of Alice Cooper, Johnny Depp, Joe Perry, and Tommy Henriksen, and after nearly three years away, they’re bringing that rebellious spirit back to the UK and Europe this summer. The tour kicks off at London’s O2 on August 12th, and this isn’t just another nostalgia cash grab.

The band was named after Cooper’s legendary 1970s drinking club that included Keith Moon, John Lennon, and Harry Nilsson. They honour rock’s fallen heroes with blistering covers of The Who, Led Zeppelin, and Motörhead alongside their own original material.

The UK leg sees them conquering everything from Cardiff Castle to Glasgow’s OVO Hydro, before tearing through Europe. The Jesus and Mary Chain join them for arena shows, fresh off their 40th anniversary and new album Glasgow Eyes. Punk legends The Damned bring their 50th anniversary celebrations to outdoor venues, with their Brian James tribute album Not Like Everybody Else dropping just as tickets go on sale.

For those wanting the full vampire experience, VIP packages promise front row access and behind the scenes tours. There’s even a documentary in the works, ‘Unleashed Spirits’.

After a decade together, Hollywood Vampires remain one of rock’s most intriguing collaborations. They’re celebrating the music that made them who they are, performed by musicians who’ve lived through rock’s golden age and survived to tell the tale. That little room above The Rainbow is a shrine to the past, but this tour proves the spirit lives on.

Tickets hit general sale January 23rd at 10am. Set your alarms.

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Much to the confusion of the audience, The Tubes came on first and nobody really knew how to feel about what was happening. The whole band came out wearing different brightly coloured suits and played some really bright and lively new wave/punk, that’s probably a contradiction but nobody cares about genre anymore anyway. 

Frontman Fee Waybill had several costume changes, including a particular spicy shirtless moment complete with fetish masks. It’s hard to sell this but it was a fantastic set and definitely worth checking out especially if the history of punk is of any interest to you. 

The final track saw a towering Fee Waybill in drag complete with platform heels and a proactively dressed nurse helping him off the stage and that didn’t seem to sit well with the audience. The Tubes probably weren’t the best opener for a band with the broad appeal of Hollywood Vampires but that added to the charm. Seeing a mass of upset and confused middle-aged white people is the ultimate essence of punk. 

Shortly after Hollywood Vampires came on to rapturous applause as the star-studded lineup made their way on stage. Alice Cooper came out with a stick that he’d use to point at things, a noble cause for the tree used to build it. Joe Perry was there ripping out killer solos and the Transcendence star was there to look mysterious and be eye candy, I suppose. 

Hollywood Vampires are a supergroup full of major heavyweights including Alice Cooper himself along with several members of his band, Joe Perry from Aerosmith and the star of the 1999 box office flop The Astronaut’s Wife. Hollywood Vampires is a conceptually amazing supergroup but once you’ve gotten over the novelty of how famous everyone is then you’ve got to have the tunes to back it up but Hollywood Vampires have that covered, literally. The majority of the setlist is full of covers of classic songs which originally featured rock stars who have since passed away. 

The band played tracks from The Who, Johnny Thunders, AC/DC and The Doors and they were all fairly faithful to the point that it felt like the most expensive open mic night in history. Hollywood Vampires is definitely a vanity, the origin of the band was that of a Hollywood bar band that just happens to feature the most famous people in music (and film). 

Johnny Depp is world renowned for his stellar acting in films like Yoga Hosers and Mordtecai but he’s somewhat reserved on stage, owing largely to an injured foot which limited his movements. He’s quiet for the most part but he still gets a chance to sing ‘People Who Died’ which will be stuck in my head for a very long time. 

The fact that some of these were deeper cuts was helpful, it’s not often you get to hear someone cover ‘Five to One’ by The Doors and Joe Perry does a masterful job replicating Robbie Kreiger’s bluesy solo work. Baba O’Riley is a classic track and a big crowd-pleaser but maybe the whole setlist could have been weighed a bit more towards what made the band work. 

There were six original tracks played and these all had personality and seemed like what you would get by putting these people together in a room. High-energy, punk-inspired tracks like ‘Raise the Dead’ could have been featured on one of Depp’s outings with Tim Burton. Perhaps it would be in Benny and Joon?

Alice Cooper is by far the best part of this whole ensemble, the man is a rock god and one of the best frontmen money can buy and he absolutely delivers here. Hearing Alice perform his classics, ‘I’m Eighteen’ and ‘School’s Out’ were the highlights of the show and the Hollywood Vampires tracks like ‘Who’s Laughing Now’ feel like they’ve been plucked straight from his untouchable repertoire. 

Hollywood Vampires is designed for die-hards of each individual member, it doesn’t have much for anyone outside of that and if you’re tired of the same tales of highly storied figures in rock history then this is definitely not for you. Luckily Alice Cooper is still touring with his solo band and Johnny Depp will hopefully continue his career as an actor which he’s still amazing at as evidenced by his performances in The Tourist and Secret Window. 

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Joe Perry (of Areosmith) tells us “Next Summer it will be finally time for the Hollywood Vampires to rise again! We can’t wait to play the songs from our latest album, Rise, for all our fans across the pond. The excitement builds as we countdown the days! See you all then…remember, leave the garlic at home!”

Alice Cooper continues “Well, it’s already been three years since the Vampires have toured because of Covid. Also, Johnny has his movies, Joe’s in Aerosmith and I’m in Alice Cooper, so we have to look at that whole thing and see when we can all get a month or two off where we can go out and tour. And, we are going to be doing that, next summer coming up, 2023. I can’t wait to get back with the guys, I really love being in that band. My band is great and wonderful, but playing with the Vampires is an entirely different situation. I don’t necessarily do any theatrics at all, I’m just the lead singer, in a band, and the band just happens to be one of the best bands around! It’ll be great to see Johnny and Joe and Buck and Chris and all the guys. We’ll be rocking these places, especially the UK, I can’t wait to get to the UK!“

The Tubes from San Francisco will be supporting on all UK Tour dates except for
Scarborough.

You can get tickets from Friday 28th October 2022 @ 10am from aegp.uk/hv2023.

Presales (Glasgow/Manchester/London): Wednesday 26th Oct 2022 @ 10am.

Other venue presales: Thursday 27th Oct 2022 @ 10am.

Hollywood Vampires VIP Packages will be available to purchase from 25th October.

VIP packages may include a personal photograph with Joe, Johnny and Alice, a front row
ticket, exclusive merchandise, autographed memorabilia and more.

UK Tour 2023:
Wednesday July 5 – Scarborough, Open Air Theatre
Friday July 7 – Swansea, Swansea Arena
Saturday July 8 – Manchester, AO Arena
Sunday July 9 – London, The O2
Tuesday July 11 – Birmingham, Utilita Arena
Wednesday July 12 – Glasgow, OVO Hydro

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“Pump” featured the absolute classic Aerosmith lineup: vocalist Steven Tyler, lead guitarist Joe Perry, rhythm guitarist Brad Whitford, bassist Tom Hamilton, and drummer Joey Kramer. These five guys together in a room made some of the greatest music ever recorded, and this album is no exception.

Kicking off with “Young Lust”, the absolute bluesy swagger is evident from the off. Kramer’s drums provide the pace and allow the combination of Tyler and Perry, otherwise known as ‘The Toxic Twins’, to really fly over the top. Tyler signature vocal style combines so well with Perry’s bluesy guitar to create an incredible combination. A fast and furious start to this great album.

Next up is the groovy “F.I.N.E.” which drips with groove and the main riff just underpins a brilliant vocal melody. The chorus is just classic Aerosmith, with the melody and guitar following each other tightly. This may not be the way other bands do it, but by God it works so well for Aerosmith.

Following on from this is “Love in an Elevator”, one of the band’s biggest songs, and it is easy to see why. With its sing-a-long verse and chorus, this song firmly planted Aerosmith back in the public consciousness. The mid section is simply stunning, and it includes a barnstorming guitar solo from Joe Perry. The man is simply one of the best rock and roll guitarists of all time, and proves it in droves here.

Up next is “Monkey On My Back”. This song is filled with more groove than you could ever imagine, and the main riff is like a lighter version of the bands Aerosmith really influenced, including such luminaries as Guns N Roses and Skid Row. Tom Hamilton’s bass is really audible on this song, creating a stunning foundation along with Kramer’s drums to allow the guitars to create a wonderful sonic palate. It is simply a stunning song.

Next is “Janie’s Got A Gun”, a simply wonderful rock/pop song. It could easily be described as a ballad, however it has so much attitude under the emotional soulful vocals. The wonderful effect created by the musical layers and Tyler’s vocals at the start is just wonderful and reminds us this truly is a great versatile band we’re listening to. The use of gated drums provides a shotgun effect which ties with the song title brilliantly. The song starts out softly, yet really kicks up into a rock and roll song as it goes along, dropping back into a softer dynamic every now and then. This is simply a wonderful piece of music that deserves to be heard by all.

Following on from this amazing song is “The Other Side”. The real highlight of this album, this song has layered vocals which are just perfectly done. Tyler uses both aspects of his voice, the low soulful tone and the signature high aggressive pitch to create dual vocal lines which are played in tandem. This effect almost makes you forget there’s a band playing underneath, but when you listen closely, they are just doing their job and creating the perfect backing for Tyler. The use of brass instruments here adds another dimension and this funk rock song really blows it out of the water. What a stunning, unexpected song and a real highlight.

The blues kicks back up a notch with the next track “My Girl”. The guitar on this track is the standout, really driving the song along, evoking memories of ZZ Top combined with Cream. The vocal harmonies here are done really well, adding yet another wonderful dimention to the Aerosmith sonic machine. Once again, Kramer’s consistent drums hold the whole thing together, with the odd brilliant fill here and there.

Next up is “Don’t Get Mad, Get Even”, which includes a harmonica. Second only to the cowbell in the “criminally underused instruments list”, the harmonica is a key component in the blues. The guitar takes over from the harmonica in this song which could easily have come straight from Robert Johnson. Well, Robert Johnson raised on a diet of ZZ Top. Tyler’s lackadaisical vocals here almost seem to lag behind, yet keep pace all the way through. This groove is the trademark of a great blues singer.

Following this is “Hoodoo/Voodoo Medicine Man”, a fantastically groovy blues number. The snare drums in particular accentuate this song wonderfully and break through the ethereal wall of guitars and vocals. The solo here has so much attitude and once again, shows Perry in a legendary light. A real underrated song, with great use of dynamics and feel.

Closing the album is “What it Takes”, the only true ballad on the album. Tyler’s voice is just fantastic here and the use of a piano increase the melodic content. This classic 80s ballad is just so perfect, with its structure adhering to that of the other ballads, yet every so often it’ll throw a different section in there to keep you guessing. Even with their big emotional songs, Aerosmith really want to surprise the listener. It’s just fantastic.

In closing, there isn’t much to say about this album that hasn’t already been said. It is musical, aggressive, soulful and emotional. A lethal combination for one of the best rock and roll albums of all time. This album comes with the highest of recommendations. If you like your music with blues, swagger and funk, this is for you. Fantastique.

www.aerosmith.com

FOR FANS OF: Bon Jovi, Guns N Roses, Van Halen

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