|
America Online Odeon
July 28, 1997
VH1 BETH: We're in store for a historic moment tonight: ALICE COOPER is about
to make his first ever online appearance!
VH1 BETH: He's taking a quick break from rehearsals for his U.S. tour,
appropriately titled "Alice Cooper's Rock N' Roll Carnival." It kicks off
Wednesday in California, and crosses the country through August 30. He
recently recorded one of his legendary live sets, and it comes out on CD
tomorrow. It's called "A Fistful of Alice," and it captures him at his raw,
noisy best.
VH1 BETH: He took rock to a new level with his pioneering theatrical
performances, and tonight he's all ours. Welcome online, Alice!
ALICE COOPER: Thanks-great to be here electronically!
QUESTION: Did you have any Marx Brothers-like experiences hanging out with Groucho?
ALICE COOPER: Yes-when he gave me his round bed. He had told me he went thru 3
wives with it and never had any luck...
ALICE COOPER: moving it out of his house. It was a scene out of "Night At The Opera."
ALICE COOPER: I later gave the bed to Paul McCartney.
QUESTION: how long have u been performing?
ALICE COOPER: Since I was 16 and formed my first band in high school called the Earwigs.
QUESTION: What was the inspiration behind your macabre approach to rock theatrics?
ALICE COOPER: Salvador Dali, West Side Story, every RKO horror movie from the
'40's and LOTS of Television.
QUESTION: Do you get and read all your fan mail? How much do you get daily?
ALICE COOPER: LOTS!! My assistant Renfield goes thru as much of the mail as
he can and then he sends the strangest ones to me to read.
QUESTION: What did your family say when you told them you were changing your name to "Alice?" :-)
ALICE COOPER: My parents looked puzzled until they came home one day and found
their new swimming pool in the back yard.
QUESTION: In '74 my entire school was obsessed with Alice Cooper. Why do you
feel you made such a phenomenal impact on kids?
ALICE COOPER: Because I am secretly Captain Kangaroo--ok--it's out and I'm glad to be out.
QUESTION: If you could start your career all over again, what would you do differently?
ALICE COOPER: I wouldn't have become the alcoholic that I did--that took a lot
of time and energy.
QUESTION: I've got tickets to see you in Colorado Springs on Friday night Aug
1st, will you be playing you hits or new tunes?
ALICE COOPER: With 25 albums -- I try to pick songs that everyone will relate
to or almost demand to hear. The new show will have all the greatest hits and
some songs from The Last Temptation and some surprises with songs I haven't
performed in years.
ALICE COOPER: And some songs that I haven't even written yet!
QUESTION: Is it true that you brought your boa constrictor on as a guest on
Johnny Carson's Tonight Show?
ALICE COOPER: Yes--it was her national television debut.
QUESTION: AC, settle a bet for me....weren't you in a Muppets episode singing
"Welcome To My Nightmare?"
ALICE COOPER: Yes-Miss Piggy kept coming on to me to the point of distraction-
-I never knew she was such a slut.
QUESTION: Alice, what artists did you listen to before you started in music?
ALICE COOPER: The Beach Boys, The Beatles, The Four Seasons, James Bond themes
and of course anything by Julie Andrews.
QUESTION: Did Frank Zappa really discover you--and if so how did this come about?
ALICE COOPER: Frank was the only one who would touch the Alice Cooper group--
we were turned down by every record company --Frank saw something in us that
was so negative that it turned into positive.
QUESTION: What are your feelings on Marilyn Manson, and the more serious and
graphic level that they are taking shock rock?
ALICE COOPER: I've never felt Marilyn Manson.
QUESTION: What is your largest selling single...and album?
ALICE COOPER: I'm not sure--I know that Welcome To My Nightmare and Billion
Dollar Babies were big, big sellers as well as Trash. School's Out and I
Never Cry were big hit singles. Poison was one of my biggest hits ever.
ALICE COOPER: But who's counting?
QUESTION: Were you influenced by punk rock when it came out, or did you figure
you had already "been there, done that"?
ALICE COOPER: I was the FIRST one to use safety pins as a fashion statement
and I have the photos to prove it. Of course, the problem was we couldn't afford thread.
ALICE COOPER: Nobody beats Iggy Pop at punk.
QUESTION: Is there anything on 'Fistful' that you wish was a bit better, or
are you totally satisfied with the album?
ALICE COOPER: Yes, very satisfied. It's right in your face and exactly what I
want to sound like in the 90's.
QUESTION: What was Vincent Price's impression of your stage act?
ALICE COOPER: He obviously loved it. I mean, we were the Edgar Allen Poe of
Rock. I think he related quite well.
ALICE COOPER: I think he may have done another album after the Nightmare album
but I can't think of the title.
QUESTION: What is your favorite place to perform past or present?
ALICE COOPER: Budapest.
QUESTION: Will there be any small club shows in the Los Angeles County/San
Bernardino County area before or after the Universal Amphitheatre show? (like
a Ventura Club type show--which was really cool last year).
ALICE COOPER: No, we are doing a full tour this summer with a new show --
mostly outdoor shows for the summer. We do special club shows for special
occasions-weddings, Bar Mitzvahs.
QUESTION: Hey Alice. How goes it? My QUESTION: After having been on the
concert circuit for so long, how do you get "up for the show" when (and if)
you're ever "not feeling into it" on a given night?
ALICE COOPER: Fear.
ALICE COOPER: Fear is a marvelous catalyst. I know there is an audience out
there and if I'm up or not, you've got to kill that audience.
ALICE COOPER: There's no business like show business
QUESTION: What does Alice do with things he gets from fans?
ALICE COOPER: I have a huge yard sale every month.
QUESTION: Have you heard about the SickThings mailing list?
ALICE COOPER: Of course--I know where they all live. Be careful what you are
typing over your modem. The scratching at the window may be me.
QUESTION: Have you read any of the postings of SickThings, or the AOL Alice
Cooper discussion, or the Alice Cooper web pages?
ALICE COOPER: No, I'm not online. But my assistant Renfield keeps me posted
on what's going on over the internet.
QUESTION: What's your favorite horror movie?
ALICE COOPER: Probably Suspira by Dario Argento.
ALICE COOPER: And The Sound Of Music.
QUESTION: How much of the "Me Alice" book did you write?
ALICE COOPER: The real question is--How much do I remember?
QUESTION: Are there certain singers that you admire or try to top in your own performances?
ALICE COOPER: Steven Tyler has the best voice in rock n roll today.Bob Dylan has the most soul.
QUESTION: When is the last time you heard new music that you thought was really exciting?
ALICE COOPER: I really like the Wallflowers. And The Refreshments. Jane's
Addiction was a very exciting band when they came out.
QUESTION: You are wonderful, but have you toned down a little bit, over the
years??? Some people say you are becoming a softie.
ALICE COOPER: Only the shade of my make-up has toned down. You obviously have
not seen the show.
ALICE COOPER: Softie? Try telling that to my snake.
QUESTION: Do you think you will ever stop, and call it quits?
ALICE COOPER: As long as I don't weigh 300 pounds and don't go bald.
QUESTION: Will you be doing some theatrics from the old days?
ALICE COOPER: Some classic Alice pieces and some new classic pieces will be in
the new show this summer.
QUESTION: Alice..u r soo cool..Has being a star ever changed ur outlook on life??
ALICE COOPER: No, I was always a star.
QUESTION: Does the song No More Mr. Nice Guy still apply to you?
ALICE COOPER: Yeah. I feel like I have to prove something every time I go onstage.
QUESTION: What's the last rock concert you went to, besides your own?
ALICE COOPER: I saw the new U2 show in Phoenix. They did a piece of Welcome
To My Nightmare during the show in my honor. I knew there was something I
liked about those guys. The show was great and HUGE.
QUESTION: Alice, I know you are a huge GOLF fan, who is your favorite golfer,
how long have you been playing and what is your handicap?
ALICE COOPER: Johnny Miller--he was the first one besides me in golf with long
hair and shooting 63's. I've been playing off and on for 20 years -- I'm down
to a four handicap.
QUESTION: how do you feel about being part of the 70's glam phase?
ALICE COOPER: Do you mean how do I feel about "starting" the 70's glam phase?
QUESTION: Do you still feel like a teenager?
ALICE COOPER: Alice is eighteen when he sings I'm Eighteen. Sometimes I even
break out in pimples.
QUESTION: Is the song "Is Anybody Home" about people online?
ALICE COOPER: Yes. It's the first internet blues song. It's about a guy that
is so connected to the internet that he has no social skills or life. So if
nobody is home on the internet he is marooned and lonely. Just him and his
mouse.
QUESTION: Have you ever gotten injured during a concert?
ALICE COOPER: Yes. Lots of times. I stuck a real sword into my leg. That hurt. Was
nearly hanged for real. And got 8 broken ribs and a broken arm from falling off the stage.
ALICE COOPER: And that was just one show!!!
QUESTION: Who's idea was it to make a comic for the last temptation?
ALICE COOPER: It was my idea. Instead of a video, I wanted the fans to have
something tangible and collectible. Of course Neil Gaiman did the project with me.
QUESTION: When did you know you had "made it" and become a rock star?
ALICE COOPER: When you are watching tv and you hear a question about yourself
on Jeopardy. That is fame.
QUESTION: If you weren't ALICE COOPER, what would you be doing for a living?
ALICE COOPER: Brain surgery or a cook at Domino's pizza.
QUESTION: Did you ever lose your voice?
ALICE COOPER: Only once in 30 years of singing. It only lasted a minute.
QUESTION: Alice I have a question for you , what was Jim Morrison like ??
ALICE COOPER: Mysterious, poetic, self-destructive and a snappy dresser.
QUESTION: What has been the highlight of your tour so far?
ALICE COOPER: Going to Poland and Prague for the first time ever.
QUESTION: Are you going to perform a song on Jay Leno Thursday Night??
ALICE COOPER: Yes. I'm Eighteen.
QUESTION: Alice, Welcome to our cyber dreams, When will the box set be out?
ALICE COOPER: Ask Warner Bros. Records. Feel free to call or write Warner Bros. about that.
QUESTION: Is it ever hard for you to live up to the legend of ALICE COOPER?
ALICE COOPER: I let the shows and the albums speak for that.
QUESTION: Were you ever a hippie?
ALICE COOPER: NO.
ALICE COOPER: I used to eat hippies for breakfast though.
ALICE COOPER: Hippies would be a great name for a cereal.
QUESTION: What are the most important qualities a person should have to be a rock star?
ALICE COOPER: Creativity, athletic ability, and an iron stomach...room service can be murder.
VH1 BETH: Alice, thanks for taking the time to chat with us! Have a great time
on your summer tour!
ALICE COOPER: I want everyone to have a great rest of the summer and if we are
in your neighborhood on our tour, come out and see The Alice Cooper Rock n Roll Carnival.
ALICE COOPER: Thanks for having me and thanks for asking me questions that I
could spell the answers to. And hey...School's Out.
VH1 BETH: Check out the chat area of VH1 Online (keyword VH1) for a transcript
of this chat tomorrow, plus info on Alice Cooper's upcoming concert dates,
new album, "A Fistful of Alice," and live Cabo Wabo concert appearance on VH1
premiering Tuesday, August 12 at 8:00 PM.
* * *
Abschrift eines Chats mit Alice Cooper bei AOL. Kein Anspruch auf Richtig- oder Vollständigkeit.
|
|
