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ALICE-NCE TO KILL

Rock legend Cooper reveals his secret dream as he launches tour of Britain I've always wanted to be a James Bond villa in. I reckon I could take on Daniel Craig

Shock Rock legend Alice Cooper has been terrifying his fans for more than 40 years - and now he wants to scare the living daylights out of James Bond.

The mascara-loving singer may have racked up millions of album sales and landed a string of prestigious awards for worldwide hits like Schools Out.

But he says he won't be satisfied until he comes face to face with Daniel Craig's superspy 007.

Alice, 60, says: "I've always wanted to play a Bond villain.

"I see myself as a great adversary like Blofeld, though I'd have a python instead of a white cat.

"I don't think Bond has ever really had a nemesis to match him so I could be that.

"He needs someone the audience believe might actually beat him. I reckon I could take on Daniel Craig."

Alice - born Vincent Furnier - is no stranger to putting on an act.

His amazing stage shows have included guillotining baby dolls, hanging himself, electric chairs and giant albino snakes.

He is also notorious for claims he bit the head off a live chicken during one gig - although he insists that's an urban myth.

Alice - who's new album Along Came a Spider is released next Monday - is playing the Motor Show Festival at London's ExCel Centre on Thursday and says his concerts are still as wild as ever.

But away from the spotlight the rocker who once drank beer like water now prefers the quiet life as a family man and golf nut.

It's not all sweetness and light, though - ask him about Simon Cowell's TV shows American Idol and X Factor. He says bitterly: "They aren't looking for rock bands, they're looking for people who are going to end up with shows in Vegas.

"Bands from the 60s and 70s still have hits being played on the radio, like the Rolling Stones, Black Sabbath and us.

"But I don't think many of today's will because music's becoming totally disposable."

Despite his pessimism, Alice is determined to rock till he drops.

He says: "Mick Jagger is five years older than me, so every time I see him on stage I'm like, 'Well, I've got another five years'.

"I'm almost in as good a shape as he is and if I can do an hour and 50 minutes on stage I don't think I have to retire yet."

Alice launched his music career in the 1960s. But he had to wait till 1971 to hit superstardom with two smash hit albums, Love It To Death and Killer.

He married his ballerina wife Sheryl - who he is still with today - in 1973.

But years of massive beer binges and hellraising began to take the toll.

And after The Who's wildman drummer and legendary drinker Keith Moon died in 1978, Alice checked into a New York drying-out clinic.

He recalls: "I was in my 30s when Keith died and I was on that same track.

"But I learned so much about myself from doing it and being hurt by it and now I will always know I'm in charge."

Alice admits he feels sorry for the new generation of "tortured" artists such as Babyshambles' frontman Pete Doherty and award-winning singer Amy Winehouse.

He says: "There's one thing with alcohol but they are on heroin as well. Really, that's life-threatening.

"You are really saying you have a death wish when you are doing that stuff." Preacher's son Alice found God after quitting the booze and these days he is a regular churchgoer.

He is also a golf fanatic who plays off a handicap of just three or four.

He only lets his dark side come out when he is on stage.

But Alice says: "It's impossible to shock an audience these days - CNN shows stuff more scary than any rock band could think of.

"We pretend to cut someone's head off and they show someone REALLY cutting some guy's head off.

"But we have to come up with new things.

"We've done me hanging and me in a straitjacket.

"So this time we're going to do me hanging while in a straitjacket."

And he adds with a laugh: "It makes it a little dangerous because I really don't have any control at all so if it goes wrong it's the end.

"But I like the audience to think there is a real chance it could go wrong.

"I just make sure I'm good mates with the crew who set it up."

Alice dismisses suggestions he should follow in the footsteps of his rocker pal Ozzy Osbourne and star in a reality TV show with Sheryl and their children Calico, 27, Dashiell, 24, and Rose, 15.

He says: "Ozzy was hilarious but I don't think my family would do it.

"Maybe we could do an updated version of the Addams Family.

"Or maybe I could get a role in Dr Who - I'd love that too."

But best of all would be that dream acting job - as a Bond villain.

SOURCE: UK National Newspaper