Hollywood Vampires at the O2 Arena

Despite being in a band together, and both getting murdered by Freddy Krueger, Alice Cooper and Johnny Depp are almost exact opposites: Cooper was shunned by parents and Mary Whitehouse for corrupting the youth, but actually proved harmless; Depp had the backing of Disney and JK Rowling in a number of kids films, and turned out to be one of the most questionable role models since Krueger. Whatever you think of the actor’s alleged violent behaviour, the fact he is able to perform at the O2 Arena strongly suggests that the impact of cancel culture is overstated.

The singer and guitarist are joined by Aerosmith’s Joe Perry on lead guitar, and Warlock’s Tommy Henriksen, also on guitar. This excess of axes makes for a fun, flamboyant outing for the supergroup, who unearth a selection of Hollywood Vampires originals and slick covers, played with an infectious love for their rock heroes. There are remakes of the members’ hits (School’s Out by Alice Cooper, Walk This Way by Aerosmith), as well as old chestnuts from AC/DC to The Who. And in case there was any shortage of guitars on stage, Ronnie Wood steps in for a genuinely touching tribute to the late Jeff Beck.

The show only occasionally veers into awkward territory, including the song My Dead Drunk Friends with its unfortunate-in-context refrain of “We drink and we fight”, and Depp’s rendition of David Bowie’s Heroes, accompanied by an insincere and vague topical video that features Greta Thunberg and the Ukrainian flag. At its best, the gig is essentially an Alice Cooper concert. It lacks the theatricality and set pieces of his own stage shows, but the gravel-voiced 75-year-old remains the consummate showman, and holds the whole bizarre spectacle together.

Named after Cooper’s old drinking club that counted Keith Moon and Ringo Starr among its members, Hollywood Vampires celebrates what rocks but also stinks about the genre, carrying the torch for 70s rock while refusing to reckon with its toxic elements. Apart from a degree of notoriety, Depp ultimately brings nothing to the table, especially as he wasn’t even there in the 70s. But the crowd adore him, thrilled to see the actor back doing what he does best: pretending to be a rock star.

Dan Meier
Photos: Virginie Viche

For further information and future events visit Hollywood Vampires’s website here.

Watch the video for the single Heroes here: