Friday 22 April at The Gov

Review – Geoff Jenke
In the 1980’s and early 90’s there was a plethora of Tribute Bands. On any given weekend in Adelaide, you could see Pink Floyd, Queen, U2, The Beatles and strangely enough Cold Chisel Tribute Bands. There is a story going around of how Ian Moss from Cold Chisel once gave a concert to a near empty room while a Cold Chisel Tribute Band played to a large sold-out venue.
I made a vow in the 80’s never to pay to see a Tribute Band and to only support original bands. I am much older now and have mellowed a lot and have seen a few really good Tribute bands. Besides, many of the bands being covered these days we are never going to see live again.
So, Friday evening saw me at The Gov watching not one, but two Tribute bands and the strange thing is, both of the original bands played together in Adelaide only a few years ago.
I have seen the real Motley Crue twice over the years, the first time, the show being a complete train wreck, but then a few years later when they supported KISS at Clipsal 500, they were magnificent. The Australian Motley Crue Show came out swinging with Shout at the Devil and Too Fast for Love, showing they were serious about playing the music of Crue. The two guitarists were dressed, and even looked like Mick Mars and Nikki Sixx (and looking a whole lot healthier than the original guys.)
The singer (sorry guys, didn’t get names) was superb in the role of Vince Neil. He got the ladies up dancing during Girls Girls Girls and then donned a guitar for a three-guitar assault on Don’t Go Away Mad. Smokin’ in the Boys Room had the crowd singing along and Dr Feelgood and Kickstart my Heart had fists raised in the air. The 14-song set didn’t leave anyone disappointed, in fact my companion for the evening, a Crue fan, did comment ‘they sounded better than the real band last time I saw them” Compliment indeed.
A bit of trivia – Kurt Cobain once said he didn’t like the Nevermind album as it sounded too much like a Motley Crue album.

One of the issues I have had with Tribute bands is, they just play the hits and popular songs. They play to the casual fan and not the serious fans who want to hear something deeper. The Australian Alice Cooper Show started with The Black Widow with a young lady dancing around stage dressed as a Black Widow spider. Nicely done! I’m Eighteen followed, every bit as powerful as when it was originally released.
Then The Australian Alice Cooper Show won me over. After the opening Black Widow and Eighteen, they played Luney Tunes, My Stars and Serious, songs I have never heard Alice play, and I have seen him live many times.
Dave Hudson, as Alice, played the part well. His voice was also very similar to Alice Cooper and the show was packed with Alice Cooper trademarks, like snake (during Is It My Body), baby dolls, female dummy (Cold Ethyl), nightmare creatures stalking the stage and during Billion Dollar Babies, using a sword with “money” on it.
Surprisingly, Only Women Bleed was not played – but no complaints from me as we got a wonderful performance of How You Gonna See Me Now. More delightful “obscure” tunes in Muscle of Love and Public Animal #9, before a set defining Halo of Flies. Halo of Flies is classic Alice Cooper, a very powerful song from Alice’s past, which tonight came complete with the young lady on stage again belly dancing through the whole 10 plus minutes of the song. The bass and drums pounded the audience into submission. Beautiful!
A surprising appearance of Clones (another brilliant tune that doesn’t see the light of day from Alice) led to the expected finale of Poison and Schools Out. Poison would have to be the greatest come back song from any artist ever and tonight the band did it full justice. I am over Schools Out as a song and while they did a fine version, the song should remain in the 70’s.
Another big surprise for the encore in Long Way to Go from the Love It to Death album, one of Alice’s finest albums. The Australian Alice Cooper Show continued to amaze me with their song selection.
Dave Hudson delivers Alice as one would expect, all the time not taking it too seriously. “What can I say, Sure, I’ve got the nose” he once said. The band were full of energy and having a lot of fun on stage.
The band won me over with the song selection. Enough hits to keep the casual fans happy but more than enough deeper tracks to keep the real fans happy. The only song missing for me to have made my night complete was Ballad of Dwight Fry. Maybe next time.
Alice Trivia – Alice Cooper once dated actress Raquel Welch, at the time regarded as the most beautiful woman in the world.

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