"Like Cooper's career, a bumpy ride, but a pleasure all the same"

(Review: Magnus Jørgensen)

Oh boy! What a brilliant choice of an hors d'oeuvre before the main course of Iron Maiden. I've seen uncle Alice many times over the years, and he has never let me down. Last year in Hannover, an awful sound made the show fall a bit flat, but the performance was solid.

And 'solid' seems to be a key word when describing Alice Cooper, because while I have yet to see him delivering a bad show, I have also yet to see him delivering a truly great one. And frankly, 6 pm at a festival under the blazing sun doesn't seem like the optimal conditions for Cooper's hard rock theatrics. But as any professional knows – and The Coop is the quintessential professional – you can only work with what you're given. And so we're off on a 75-minute romp through an incredible, bumpy, glorious and utterly entertaining 60-year career.

A snippet of "Hello, Hooray" precedes the opener "Who Do You Think We Are", and I breathe a sigh of relief as the sound is loud, crisp and clear. Cooper croaks his way through the song with that peculiar... technique of his. And just as I'm about to point out the great Nita Strauss to my companion, I realise it's not Nita. I had no idea she was on maternity leave. Guitar prodigy Anna Cara is substituting, and she takes the show by storm. So effortlessly cool and skillful, dominating the stage with a flawless performance, all at the age of 22. Damn.

Only five minutes into the show, I get a second, pleasant surprise: "Spark in the Dark"! Back after more than 30 years off the setlist, and it's sounding as fresh as ever. Cooper's long-time band of Garric/Henriksen/Roxie/Sobel are clearly enjoying themselves, and they should be – everything is on point as they go through live staples like "No More Mr. Nice Guy", "I'm Eighteen" and "Feed My Frankenstein". Try NOT singing along to the latter. Nope, can't be done. And "House of Fire" is back in the set. It's a fucking great day to be alive.

I do have a few complaints, though. One is that halfway through, the set takes a real dive energy-wise. The Desmond Child-penned "Dangerous Tonight" is another surprise, but it doesn't take off. And while "Poison" brings cheers, the following "Brutal Planet", "Ballad of Dwight Fry" (as always featuring Alice in a straitjacket) and "Cold Ethyl" threaten to bring the show to a halt. Loading the first half with sing-alongs from "Trash" and "Hey Stoopid" and the second with 70's tracks might not be the right choice.

To no one's surprise, Cooper gets decapitated during the medley of "Second Coming" and "Going Home". Yes, it's the same act as the last 20+ years, but I'm not gonna tell a 78-year-old dog to learn new tricks. It's all love and shock and horror and smiles. And the nonsensical lyrics of the final song, a cheeky cover of "Smells Like Teen Spirit", seem so very fitting: "I feel stoopid and contagious / Here we are now, entertain us".

Like Cooper's career, a bumpy ride, but a pleasure all the same. 'Til next time, Alice.

Rating: 4.5 out of 6

Genre: Hard rock
Venue: Copenhell, Helvíti Stage
Date: Wed., June 24th, 2026

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Setlist:

1. Who Do You Think We Are
2. Spark in the Dark
3. No More Mr. Nice Guy
4. House of Fire
5. I'm Eighteen
6. Feed My Frankenstein
7. Dirty Diamonds
8. Hey Stoopid
9. Dangerous Tonight
10. Poison
11. Brutal Planet
12. Ballad of Dwight Fry
13. Cold Ethyl
14. Only Women Bleed
15. Second Coming / Going Home (medley)
16. School's Out
17. Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana cover)