Carter Alan's Decibel Diaries

Carter Alan's Decibel Diaries

Every Sunday from 10PM-midnight, hang out with Carter Alan as he digs through the stories, interviews and music, for a peek behind the curtain of...Full Bio

 

Alice Cooper Talks Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, & More

(Alice Cooper. Photo by Getty Images)

Alice Cooper spoke by phone to Carter Alan on Feb. 22, 2018.  Alice and his band appear at Boston’s Boch Center on March 6.

Read on for selected highlights from their conversation, and listen to the full thing down below!

WHO IS LED ZEPPELIN?

Alice reminisced about the days with his band in Los Angeles in the late-sixties... 

“There were probably 500 bands in L.A. from different cities just trying to get into the Whiskey-a-Go-Go or Gazzarri’s [for a gig].  We finally got into the Whiskey and we drive up and we see our name [on the marquee] and it says ‘Alice Cooper and Led Zeppelin.’  Who’s Led Zeppelin? Nobody had ever heard of Led Zeppelin.”

Alice’s memory is correct; the Alice Cooper band headlined for a few nights at the Whiskey with Led Zeppelin warming up.  Zeppelin was out on its very first tour of America and the future superstar Band was still unknown!

PINK FLOYD AND ALICE – ANYONE FOR CORN FLAKES?

Alice Cooper and his band were practically starving during their attempt to make it in the Los Angeles music scene.  But they weren’t starving as badly as Pink Floyd, who came to town on tour in 1967.  

“We played the Cheetah Club and it was Alice Cooper and some guys named Pink Floyd.  They weren’t superstars at all.  So they ran out of money and we said, ‘Why don’t you come over and stay at our house?’”

Pink Floyd’s L.S.D. casualty, Syd Barrett was well on his way to losing his grip on reality.  

“Syd would eat in the kitchen and he would watch a box of cornflakes the way you and I would watch cartoons!  I would image the corn flakes were dancing and singing and stuff!”

HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES at Dracula’s Castle

Alice’s side band along with Johnny Depp and Joe Perry did a tour of Europe and spent some time at Dracula’s Castle in Transylvania.  

“It was very significant for Hollywood Vampires to go to Dracula’s Castle, to THE SOURCE!  They did a special dinner for us and Tim Burton was with us.  If you’re going to be at Dracula’s Castle, do it with Johnny Depp, Joe Perry, and Tim Burton!  It was definitely a place where you would not want to spend the night; it was very dark and lots of shadows…it was creepy.”

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR

On Easter Sunday NBC is presenting a live production of Jesus Christ Superstar and Alice is playing the part of the evil King Herod who does his best to rub out Jesus.  

“It’s in front of a live audience and live on TV, so it’s really going to be fun to do.  I haven’t done any rehearsal yet, but I know the song.”

Does Alice have any nerves about a live-to-millions-of-American-households broadcast?

“I would be nervous if there wasn’t an audience there.  I’m used to that.  When I see an audience, it takes me to another place’; makes me clearer, more aware.  I do live theater anyway [in my own show].  It won’t be a stretch for me, as much as john Legend [who’s playing Jesus].”


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