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The Odd Couple: Head-master Cooper
(Sheffield Star, 2002-11-27)

BEHEADING Britney Spears on stage? Now that's a hard act to follow. Countless would-be shock rockers have tried to follow Alice Cooper. But after 30 years he's still a king (queen?) of darkness, strutting his stuff long after good little pop idols have gone to bed. He's wielding his sword, butchering effigies of babies on stage and having himself guillotined. It would be great to see Will or Gareth try to copy that one. Vince Furnier created his monster Alice 3o-odd years ago, draping himself in live snakes and singing of death, addiction and - horror of horrors - adolescence. A generation of parents worldwide were scandalised. These days everyone recognises it as just a fine piece of over-the-top rock theatre. And many parents took their youngsters along to the Arena to see. Bet they'll not be bothered about watching Fame Academy after this. School's Out was a fist-in-the-air anthem of rebellion when I was an awkward 1970s teenager....

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