REVIEW: These Vampires Don’t Suck
Popular lore dictates that vampires burst into flames when exposed to sunlight, but as the Hollywood Vampires took the stage Saturday night (July 16th) while the sun was still setting past the DTE Energy Music Theater in Clarkston, Mich., the only thing on fire was the energy between the band and the vocal crowd.
Part tribute band and part belated wake, the Hollywood Vampires covered the likes of John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix, The Doors and The Who, a nod to the members of Alice Cooper‘s former drinking of the same name, and also honored some of rock’s more recent losses with a pair of David Bowie covers and a raucous rendition of Motorhead‘s “Ace Of Spades.”
A homecoming of sorts for Detroit-native/frontman Cooper, the biggest crowd reactions came via Cooper classics “I’m Eighteen” and encore closer “School’s Out,” but the next runner-up was without a doubt the band’s performance of “Sweet Emotion.” The song, naturally, was dedicated to Vampire guitarist Joe Perry, who’s recovering from his health scare that took place during the band’s New York gig last Sunday.
While Perry’s absence was definitely felt, there certainly wasn’t any shortage of cool on stage, and yes, we’re referring to actor/guitarist Johnny Depp. Depp’s great stage presence shouldn’t be any surprise, but the way he was interacting with his fellow Vampires showed just how much fun he is having on tour, or perhaps impersonating Keith Richards for well over a decade has rubbed off on him in more ways than one.
Cooper cheekily said during the band’s first bow before their encore that if you didn’t hear a specific song during the show, it’s because that artist isn’t dead yet, but rest assured, when they do go to rock ‘n’ roll heaven, the Vampires will comes back around on another tour and perform them then. We hope Cooper wasn’t too serious with that statement. (2016 has lost enough great rockers already.) However, we certainly wouldn’t mind seeing the Hollywood Vampires come around again in the very near future.
Hollywood Vampires – 07/16/2016 Setlist – DTE Energy Music Theater – Clarkston, Mich.
Raise the Dead
I Got a Line on You
Rebel Rebel
Suffragette City
Manic Depression
Five to One / Break On Through (to the Other Side)
As Bad As I Am
20th Century Boy
Bang a Gong (Get It On)
Come Together
7 and 7 Is
Whole Lotta Love
My Dead Drunk Friends
Ace of Spades
Pinball Wizard
My Generation
I’m Eighteen
Sweet Emotion
Encore
Train Kept A-Rollin’
School’s Out
Erica Banas is a rock/classic rock reporter who never leaves home without her iPod, because to her, there’s something very comforting about carrying around every piece of music she’s ever owned in her life.
