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Alice Cooper First Lady of Rock

THE WEMBLEY Empire Pool will never be the same after this Saturday night. That's the night Alice Cooper performs his "Killer" act for this first and last time in Britain.

To find out if Alice was looking forward to the gig, I phoned him at the "Holiday Inn" (where else?) in Michigan, one of the stopovers in the band's current US tour. After untold explanations to international operators that Alice was indeed a "Mr.," we were finally connected and Alice's friendly voice came through loud and clear.

Earlier this year, Alice did his "Love It To Death" routine in front of a packed audience at the Rainbow Theatre and, after all the reliable reports I'd heard of his amazing impact "live," I'd felt all was not well with his performance that night. Alice agreed:

"Apart from the fact I had a dreadful chest cold, I was baffled by the audience. I don't normally get nervous about anything. They were so quiet and subdued and I felt very uncomfortable. In the States we usually have everyone on their feet by the second number. I was getting strange vibes from the people. At Wembley, I will know what to expect and we're a lot tighter now anyway."

In fact, the only time the Rainbow crowd showed any sign of life was at the end when Alice lured them out of their seats to fight over the money he was baiting them with on the end of a stick. I wondered if their eagerness disturbed him:

"It only proves they're human," he said. "One minute they're all saying 'Oh man, drop out and groove' and the next they're prepared to kill each other to get at the money.

"There are three commodities that are universal — sex, violence and money. Whatever you do, as long as it involves one of these things, It'll be successful."

At Wembley, Alice has a few new tricks up his sleeve and down his jump-suit for that matter:

"I have a new snake now. The last one crawled down a hotel toilet, so I had to buy a new one. It's 11 feet long and so phallic. It'll probably break me," he joked.

Apart from that, I have a lot of surprises for Wembley which I think should work well. I hear the English school kids are rebelling against wearing uniforms so we might come onstage wearing Catholic uniforms."

Alice's choice of the word "Catholic" prompted me to ask him about his religious beliefs:

"My Dad's a Minister, but I don't believe in organised religion. I can't see how the church can have billions of dollars and still say they're only interested in spiritual matters. It's too much of a big business to be sincere. My father likes me though. He may not agree with my techniques but he's glad I'm doing something. I sent him my latest Gold album for Father's Day."

Alice is very pleased with the success of the "Killer" album in the States and somehow his act, to me at least, reflects something of the general state of America.

"Sure, everyone in the States is crazy," he admits. "They're nuts, but I love it. I like to stand on 42nd Street in New York City and watch the theatre pass by. The people are baptised in sex and violence which is fine by me.

"However, I would have thought the English market would be even more into the theatrical thing. I thought they'd be really open-minded.

"Unfortunately, most people think of our 'act' rather than our music; whereas we spend all our time on the music — we're really into hard rock."

In America, particularly, the band often appears alongside solid rock acts like in Pittsburg last week when they were billed with Humble Pie and Uriah Heep. Fifty-five thousand people saw that show.

Paradoxically, Alice's personal taste in music is as straight as his act is bizarre:

"Mostly I listen to James Bond soundtracks and Burt Bacharach," he tells you convincingly. "I guess I'm a sentimentalist. You could say Alice Cooper is a romantic.

"Most of the time I sit in my hotel watching television and drinking beer. I learn everything from TV — especially from quiz programmes. I'm a TV addict. I have it on all night, no matter what is on."

All things considered, Alice off and onstage is somewhat of a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

"Onstage, it's a beautiful Frankenstein" is how he puts it. "an incredible force takes over. The band enjoys it completely because we are there to entertain. In its extreme form it's a bit like 'Clockwork Orange'."

Getting back to the "Killer" act, Alice tells of the talk that has always surrounded the band and, in fact, helped to make them a legend in their own time.

"A lot of people are hearing strange things about the act. A lot of controversy has built up and I never deny anything," he shrewdly admits. "In one city I was asked if I was going to smash kittens with a sledge-hammer. What could I say? I was lost for words. Isn't that diabolical?"

Nevertheless, Alice's image is something he tries to control: "It's so powerful that people are scared of me in the streets. Parents grab their children in case I'm going to kill them. When I go out, I wear the same clothes I wear onstage and I always wear make-up because I look better with it than without it," he laughs.

After Alice kills off "Killer" at Wembley he will start on his new "School's Out" act. "School's Out" is Alice's next album and, like past LPs, it is conceptual and a new routine has been worked out.

Predictably, Alice had a funny story concerning the album cover: "The sleeve takes the form of a school desk, complete with folding legs. Every time you play the album you have to pull down these panties! We imported the paper panties from London and Customs wouldn't let them through because they weren't fire-proof!

"The Israeli Government heard about it and said they would supply us with fire-proof ones which means we'll probably be banned in Egypt!" A snake crawling down a toilet, smashing kittens, James Bond soundtracks, fireproof panties for a record sleeve. Mr. Alice Cooper. Somehow it all figures!

Now I'm looking forward to a beer in front of the telly before the "Killer" takes the stage at Wembley!

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"School's Out" (Warner Bros. K 16188)

This single and that by the Electric Light Orchestra were the only records I played this week that stirred the Pig into any sort of positive reaction. "Who's that, it's great is that?" she said and, as usual, she was right. This must be the group's best record yet. Crude and raucous, it brings up to date those superb old school records from Gary "U.S." Bonds. This time not only is school out but it's also been blown to pieces — "School is out for ever!"

You'll hear some of those "no more pencils, no more books, no more teacher's dirty looks" verses incorporated in the whole, along with such elements as one of those borderline of reason guitar breaks. "Got no class, got no principles," (principals — get it?). It all storms along at an indelicate tempo and over the close there are schoolgirls giggling. Why, if any daughter of mine... I'd put her over my knees and spank her little bottom until, until, until... nurse, I'm having one of my attacks. Application under plain cover c/o "Disc."

- John Peel