The Victorian ‘splendour’ of the people’s palace, (part cavernous arboretum, part deserted railway station film-set) provides the perfect setting for everyone's favourite golfing, Christian, teetotaller’s grand-guignol-musical-hall-fun-fair night of ghoulish gurning and flamboyant frights.
Animated by a hyperactive kid gone nuts with a box of crayons, The New York Dolls bounce onto the stage to deliver their bag of blues-punk-sleaze with a knowing nod and a wink. ‘Cause I Sez So’ supercharges Eddie Cochran and holds within it the DNA of the '80s Sunset Strip. Sylvain Sylvain strikes poses and looks like Eminen’s little brother, but 'Best Costume of the Night' goes to David Johansen for his Doug Mc Clure meets Mick Jagger meets Robin Askwith…er, hold on a minute…
Then its Roger Corman presents a Hammer Horror production, starring Alice Cooper in The Demented Dictator. Opening with ‘The Black Widow’, Alice remonstrates from atop a lectern in full control of the twisted world he creates on stage. The industrial thump of ‘Brutal Planet’, bathed in a sea of dry ice, is the cue for the vaults to be opened and a roll-call of classics to creep out of the crypt. ‘Eighteen’, ‘Under My Wheels’, and ‘Billion Dollar Babies’ all follow in quick succession. All killer cuts are delivered with heart and conviction. The proggy clatter of '70s rock then gives way to the sleek '80s glam of ‘Hey Stoopid’. New guitarist Orianthi, all Baby-Doll-Bardot-Vampire, strides the monitors for a solo shred before the boa constrictor takes his place in the spotlight for the wicked stoner sleaze of ‘Is It My Body’.
Every song is a mini-production delivered with control and buckets of black humour. The tender arched eyebrow of ‘Only Women Bleed’ is answered by the honky clank of ‘Cold Ethyl’. Alice revels in his oscillating role of lover, killer, demon, creator, destroyer. New song ‘I’ll Bite Your Face Off’ has an AC/DC/Rolling Stones boogie and is as dangerous as a pair of joke shop fangs. ‘Feed My Frankenstein’ is a full on Wayne’s World rock out, complete with monster, Igor and demented scientist. Oh and lest we forget, there is the iconic ‘School's Out’, which still retains its anthemic rebelliousness.
And just when you think it can’t get any better, Alice the maestro, magician and ringmaster presents… would you welcome to the show… the original madman of rock, the daddy of them all, Arthur Brown. Bursting onto the stage, head aflame, he makes Alice look like a Conservative politician. Springing around like an scalded catweazel he delivers an inflammatory version of ‘Fire’ that is dervishly deviant. The shock rockers union; loud, brash, committed, honest, entertaining, unapologetic. Long may they burn.