Alice & Albert
Monday June 28th 1999 Royal Albert Hall: British Rock Symphony.Well the Alice Cooper Allegedly is back from our trip with the nobs to the Royal Albert Hall.It usually hosts Prom concerts and the odd bit of pugilism.
Doors opened promptly at 6:45pm and we were escorted to our exclusive plush box. A red blazered lackey saw the door was locked and gushed " I'll get someone to open the door for you sir, enjoy your evening!" Blimey I thought nothing like the Astoria. We parked ourselves down on the faded red velour and then decided to explore. More red blazered staff skilfully extracted twenty-one quid from my bin in exchange for a programme and the British Rock Symphony CD.
We were in a posh box of eight seats. Me and Mountain Ash Mike in our Cooper T shirts along with a home counties couple who boozed expensive wine throughout, a well healed Canadian couple who didn't know Alice was still alive and an old geezer and his son up from Jersey. An eclectic bunch but we had a ball. The posh bird was sozzled by the end and kept leaping up to dance like a dervish. I explained to the Canadians that we were in the Royal box and that they were sat exactly where the Queen Mother sat. Realising they had bitten I gave them lessons in doing the Royal wave just in case the house lights should home in on our box.
And the gig. Well picture a small gospel choir, an orchestra, rock band, a brass ensemble, and excellent sound you get the picture. The show was in two acts as various luminaries took the stage to wail with the throng. And then suddenly there he was unannounced Alice Cooper in a leather ensemble, ( I'm sure those were the famous one of a kind Letterman trousers) whip and dark shades to belt out Pink Floyd's Another Brick in the Wall and then he was gone. Would he return ? Alice was made to snarl "Hey teacher leave them kids alone".
The Stones' Start Me Up started the Celebration Suite as Alice took stage front and centre to what seemed a huge roar. The crowd were well pleased to see him. The posh bird in our box shouted "Ooo look Alice Cooper". Alice shared stage with Roger Daltery as they belted out 5:15 and into See Me Feel Me Alice exited stage right. Alice having had a I can swirl the mike contest with Roger Daltery.
Daltery gives his spiel saying the BRS is about raising cash for instruments for those who cannot afford them. He says many rock artists failed to support him but one man was full of encouragement. "We go back a long way, we shared the stage in Detroit in 196?, ladies and gentlemen Alice Cooper".
School's Out Royal Albert Hall style follows. The Cooper is at home. He has the crowd in the palm of his leather clad hands and the toffs are up and shouting "No more pencils". And he's gone again.
The show finishes with I get by with a little help from my friends. Alice sharing the mike with all the other guests and making appropriate oo oo noises in his best Supremes voice. Alice highfived the conductor and there was much hugging and they were gone.
Where were the SickThings ? Other than Andy Michael who I saw beforehand I saw none of the gang till afterwards. Tony John and his wife were outside grinning from ear to ear. Tony having blagged Alice's leather glove from another concert goer. I also met Mike " I've got a Dalek" Drew. Bill " Lady Macbeth" Crowe then turned up and still wouldn't give me his autograph ! Nice to meet Paul "Glen Buxton Memorial Weekend" Forsyth and Maria Westin too.
Regurgitated from The Alice Cooper Allegedy Archives 1999
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