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Detroit Trash

An Interview with Alice Cooper

Steve Kostan: "For the last few years, you've always done your Halloween show here in Detroit — but not this time. Why the change?"

Alice Cooper: "Actually, the tour was over in Japan and we had just done Detroit. We did 4 shows at the Fox... we had just saturated Detroit for a while, and I thought it was a little too soon to go back in with everything. Besides, it's kind've a tradition that first we play and then they burn the city down."

Kostan: "You have great possibilities in Los Angeles — I imagine the entire set will be something you can't pull off anywhere else, really."

Cooper: "They built this all for us... and everything. Like I said, the tour was over and then we decided to do this thing."

Kostan: "Basically, the same line up that we saw at the Fox Theatre?"

Cooper: "...Same band, same everything — pretty much the same show. The nice thing is that we don't have to change the show for Halloween — because it is always a Halloween show."

Kostan: "It's been Halloween for you for about 22 years!"

Cooper: "Right! So for Halloween, usually dress up as a C.P.A. or an accountant or something."

Kostan: "That's your costume! That's your idea of a disguise, absolutely!

We've just had Iggy through town just a couple days back — played over at the Royal Oak Music Theater. He has a_song called Dumb Dumb Boys where he talks about the old Stooges 'what so and so is doing ... what so and so...' What's happening with the originals — the Glen Buxton and Michael Bruses? Do you ever keep in touch, at all?"

Cooper: "I saw Neal and Dennis — they're in Connecticut working in a Band called... uhhh, let me think of it right now... I'll think of it. Well... They're around. Glen and Mike I see in Phoenix all the time... so everybody is doing great."

Kostan: "The far out thing about Trash is that you worked with a couple of other musicians — Richie Sambora, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry from Aerosmith. How did that come about?"

Cooper: "That was great! You know we are old friends — we come from the same school of rock n' roll. We are kinda old Yardbirds fans... that's always been our musically influence, so I can speak the same language as Aerosmith when we talk about our musical influences. You know we are the same kinds of bands, really! We're more theatrical, they are more straight ahead... which is great! We both came through the same alcohol thing together. We're kinda kindred spirits."

Kostan: "Its basic guitar nirvana... it's guys like Aerosmith and Alice Cooper that kept me from getting a real job, Congratulations! Well, obviously the biggest album you've had in a long time, sales wise is Trash."

Cooper: "Yeh... I'm having a good time so far!"

Kostan: "A lot of cool stuff through the years! Sometimes it's weird... you can show up and be Alice Cooper for all those years... and sometimes they're not ready for you and other times... it's like right place at the right time."

Cooper: "That's really true this business... I hate to call it a business because it really is fun! I am surprised we get paid for what we do. We really just go out there and it's a party every night, you know. But as far as I'm concerned, it's really one of those things... hard rock came back strong and we were right there. I think people wanted to hear some vintage hard rock... and there was Aerosmith and there was Alice Cooper."

Kostan: "Any plans for a follow up LP? Are you doing any writing?"

Cooper: "I'm in the studio right now... I just did a thing with Guns n' Roses on their album. And I'm writing... I've got about 30 songs written for the next album."

Kostan: "Finally... how's the handicap? You know... how's the old golf game?"

Cooper: "I don't play any more."

Kostan: "You were into golf back in the early 70's... I remember you talking to Mark Parento on ABX in Detroit back when that was a rock station and golf was sure Bourgeois. Ever thought of having an Alice Open?"

Cooper: "Now what is it? Its not an old mans game... at the same time, maybe if we put Cararriepoisoning on our irons to make it a little more dangerous I might think of taking it up again."

Kostan: "Well... maybe the way I play or maybe Gerald Ford, you never know!"

(Originally published in Inside Out magazine, Volume 1, No. 7, November 5 - 11, 1990)