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May. 25, 2016

REVIEW: Hollywood Vampires honor the dead with a show full of life

SOURCE – syracuse.com

By Katrina Tulloch | ktulloch@syracuse.com 
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VERONA, N.Y. — When three legends take one stage, and one of those legends is Alice Cooper, it’s hard to pay attention to anyone else.

Rock supergroup Hollywood Vampires, featuring Cooper, actor Johnny Depp and Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry, kicked off their summer tour on Tuesday night (May 24) at the Turning Stone Resort Casino.

At 68, Cooper is the picture of vivacity. He commanded the stage with vigorous vocals, glam rock swagger and full “vampire” attire. (Lestat, not Edward Cullen). His frilly poet shirt was splattered with blood, and despite wearing both a corset and skintight leather pants, Cooper missed no opportunities to gyrate his hips.

Perry, rock royalty dressed in deep purple, seemed to have an endless supply of guitars at his disposal. Around 8:30 p.m., Perry smashed his white guitar and threw pieces of it into the crowd.

It was only the fifth song of the night.

Another white guitar appeared in its place, only to be traded for an orange and white arrow during “Break on Through,” and later, a classic black shredder. He played just as he always has, with razor sharp licks and even a behind-the-head solo on “Stop Messin’ Around.”

Next to the wildly confident Cooper and Perry, global megastar and sex symbol Johnny Depp looked almost boyish.

Dressed in a simple black vest over a collared white shirt, Depp played the right-hand man for most of the show, backing up Cooper’s vocals and Perry’s guitar expertise. With a toothy smile, Cooper played down Depp’s celebrity, calling him “Johnny D from Kentucky.”

But Depp is no Hollywood hack. He showed off impressive chops during “As Bad As I Am” with a picking style to rival Keith Richards. One audience member remarked Depp looked like he could’ve been Richards’ son.

Depp seemed to enjoy taking a backseat to Cooper. He smiled coyly at the massive cheers following his solos, and wiggled his fingers at fans.

That’s important to note: Johnny Depp does not wave, he wiggles. It’s like a little piece of Captain Jack Sparrow never left him. The audience loved it, cheering wildly every time he murmured a “thank you” into the mic.