Caught In A Dream – Day 6 – Five Friends, One Dream

In my opinion (yup, you might have heard this before)…

ALICE COOPER, the most influential American band of the 1970s landed in historic London – Wembley last evening for the last stop on their highly-anticipated tour of the U.K.

To set the mood, there was a palpable buzz of anticipation on the walk-up mall and queue to the Wembley SSE Arena. “Touters” (the local term for ticket scalpers) were commanding prices over £500 for the best seats in their limited inventories. From my 6th row centre seat (I can assure you I wouldn’t be sitting this night) I got a growing sense of anticipation and even nervousness as the aisles leading to the stage front became congested as fans jostled to stake their claim to the most valued rock n roll real estate available in Londontown this evening. The result was perhaps apropos, a ’70s festival seating feel was unfolding in the aisles.

From my centre position… I was in heaven. MY band… a band founded in 1964 by high school best friends Vince Furnier (Alice Cooper), Dennis Dunaway and Glen Buxton (who passed away in 1997). In succession, the band transformed to bring on guitarist Michael Bruce and drummer Neal Smith and on March 16, 1968, the group took the stage for the first time as “ALICE COOPER”.

London – Wembley on this night represented the triumphant and career-spanning return of the Alice Cooper group… the group that had been adopted and accepted since its first appearance at London’s Rainbow Theatre in November 1971, through its appearance at Wembley’s Empire Pool in 1972.

And it was in the summer of 1972 when Alice Cooper realized its first #1 chart-topping single “School’s Out” in England. A song that was credited to all five band members, included Glen’s iconic opening riff went on to hold down the #1 position for three consecutive weeks that summer… I can close my eyes and time travel back to the school bus or the outdoor community pool and that is the only soundtrack that plays. THAT is the magical impact of music.

“School’s Out” is unquestionably an anthemic song that defines its generation, and can easily stand shoulder-to- shoulder with the likes of “Satisfaction”, “My Generation” and “Born in the USA”.

On this night, four high school friends with a dream were welcomed by a capacity crowd at Wembley. And as they have done for the past four U.K. shows and the countless shows before this tour, whether Alice alone or with a reunion of the Alice Cooper group… there can only be one show closer. Rock is suppose to be suspenseful, dangerous and unpredictable and without question an Alice Cooper show and their music is all of that, but in pure Alice Cooperesque fashion, they once again turn the standard upside down and say “For the last two hours we have been a reflection of the masses… themes of sex, greed, violence and death… but predictably, there must always be retribution, elation and that boundless feeling of liberation brought on by the final school bell.”