Alice Cooper Promises These Three Things to Anyone Who Joins His Band
It’s not like many musicians would pass on the chance to back Alice Cooper, but even so, the veteran rock showman sounds like a pretty trustworthy employer. In a recent interview, Cooper revealed the three promises he makes to anyone who joins his band.
Now, would you like the good news or the bad news first? Because, while the “School’s Out” icon is dependable when it comes to providing his bandmates’ compensation, he doesn’t hide that things might get a little rough-going. In fact, he guarantees it, as the singer recently shared with the Metal From the Inside podcast.
“I always tell the band … I can guarantee you three things,” Cooper explained. “You’re gonna get paid. You’re gonna see the world. You’re gonna get stitches. Everybody in that band has had stitches.” [via Ultimate Classic Rock]
As those familiar with the shock rocker’s concerts are aware, theatrics are one reason Cooper’s performances remain so strong, even 50 years into his performing career. But with all the props and stage dressing required for an Alice Cooper gig, an accident or two is bound to happen.
“I’ve got switchblades, I’ve got swords, I’ve got everything up there,” Cooper illustrated. “And I’m a little bit freewheeling. I don’t necessarily look to where everybody is. And every once in a while, they walk a little bit close and get nicked. And those are not rubber swords.”
The singer’s had plenty of his own stage accidents in the past. He’s broken multiple ribs, stabbed himself in the leg and infamously even came close to hanging himself onstage.
Cooper’s latest studio effort, February’s Detroit Stories, pays tribute to the city where the singer got his start. In a press release for the album, the singer remembered his hometown as “the epicenter for angry hard rock. After not fitting in anywhere in the U.S. (musically or image-wise), Detroit was the only place that recognized the Alice Cooper guitar-driven, hard-rock sound. Detroit seemed to be a haven for outcasts. When they found out I was born in East Detroit … we were home.”