When I decided to move to Europe, it was on the cards that I was going to visit Sweden. I have a close friend who lives in Gothenburg and it just so happened that both Hollywood Vampires and Queens of the Stone Age were playing the week we were organising my holiday. Funny how that seems to happen a lot with the bands I like…

 

So, the venue Liseberg Gothenburg is amazing in itself, being one of the most popular theme parks in Scandinavia, it is always busy and I suppose that is why the price of the admission is so cheap. I paid 10 Euros to get into the park and that included my concert ticket.  I am still shocked that I could see a big international band for that amount of cash.

 

When we arrived at the venue around 6pm, there were not a lot of people standing at the stage so I figured it was safe to have a walk around and take a look at the park itself. However, by the time we got back for the concert, it was crazy; so packed! I could hardly see the screens, let alone what was happening onstage.

The band featuring Alice Cooper, Joe Perry and Johnny Depp took to the stage with original track ‘The Last Vampire’. During this time, my friend and I pushed our way through the sea of people watching. This proved pretty difficult, and we made it to about halfway back. It was so packed, I could hardly see the screens, let alone what was happening onstage!

 

Both ‘I Want My Now’ and ‘Raise the Dead’ were also new original tracks that followed.

 

They started going into the covers of their ‘Dead Drunk Friends’ (also the title of an original song played later in the night) such as Spirit’s ‘I Got A Line On You’ and Love’s ‘7 And 7 Is’. My highlight was the iconic cover of The Doors ‘Break On Through To The Other Side’. Alice Cooper’s vocals are so diverse and it is always wonderful to hear him sing such a range of different styles and songs.

 

The crowd really enjoyed ACDC’s ‘The Jack’ and ‘Ace of Spades’ by Motorhead.

 

Following, was ‘I’m Eighteen’, an Alice Cooper original. This is one of my all time favourite songs and it was so interesting to see this performed by Alice but not at a conventional Alice Cooper concert. An Alice Cooper show is like a theatre show; it is so precise, theatrical and entertaining, which is why I love it so much. I felt odd watching this type of show, which was still entertaining but more loose and organic.

 

They went into ‘Combination’ and ‘Sweet Emotion’, both Aerosmith originals played by the one and only Joe Perry on guitar

Next up was David Bowie’s ‘Heroes’ David Bowie with Johnny Depp on vocals. The novelty of watching Johnny Depp is cool, but to be honest, I was not overly impressed with Johnny Depp’s guitar and vocals on this song.

 

The night ended with Alice Cooper’s ‘School’s Out’ following into Pink Flloyd’s ‘Another Brick In The Wall’. Alice threw his signature confetti filled balloons in the audience for the encore, however the audience and the wind played a weird part in this and although he beckoned for the balloons to be bounced back to him onstage, none reached him and he was unable to stab them with his epee.

 

All in all, it was a fun concert and the crowd was really into it. Worth checking them out when they come to your city!

 

Written by Hollee Gunter

Photo credits: Hollee Gunter