Aussie rockers Strangers to play support for Alice Cooper's NZ tour

Melbourne four-piece rock band Strangers have been confirmed to open for Alice Cooper and very special guest Ace Frehley, on the ‘Spend The Night With Alice Cooper’ October tour. Strangers have built a strong live following and recently released their second album ‘Mirrorland’.

Alice Cooper, the architect of shock-rock, returns to New Zealand later this year to celebrate the 40th anniversary of his first ever concert tour of Australasia.  In what is sure to be rock event of the year, Alice will be joined by the original KISS “Spaceman” Ace Frehley, as Very Special Guest, playing KISS classics and his solo hits.  The pairing of Alice and Ace brings together these highly respected icons of rock and roll!

After completing a national tour of Australia, Alice performs Friday 27th October at The Trusts Arena in Auckland, before heading to Wellington’s TSB Bank Arena on Saturday 28th October, to showcase an immense body of work across the catalogues of both artists.

Alice Cooper pioneered a grandly theatrical brand of hard rock that was designed to shock.  Drawing equally from horror movies, vaudeville, and garage rock, the group created a stage show that featured electric chairs, guillotines, fake blood and boa constrictors. He continues to tour regularly, performing shows worldwide with the dark and horror-themed theatrics that he’s best known for.

Alice’s catalogue of hits and anthems, including “I’m Eighteen”, “No More Mr Nice Guy”, “School’s Out”, “Elected”, “Poison”, “Department of Youth”, “You and Me”, “How You Gonna See Me Now”, “Welcome To My Nightmare”, “Only Women Bleed” and more, are featured in his live show, along with a mix of newer songs and fan-favourite album cuts. Alice’s touring band features the three guitar attack of Nita Strauss, Tommy Henriksen and Ryan Roxie, backed by longtime bassist Chuck Garric and drummer Glen Sobel.

'Paranormal', Alice Cooper’s new studio album, his first in 6 years, will be released on July 28 via earMUSIC/Sony Music Australia as 2CD Digipak, 2LP, Limited Box Set and Digital. The 12 track album has been recorded with long-time collaborator Bob Ezrin and features a very special bonus CD – a mini-album consisting of two brand new songs written and recorded together with the original Alice Cooper band members Dennis Dunaway, drummer Neal Smith and guitarist Michael Bruce alongside selected recent live recordings.  “Paranormal” also features special guest appearances by U2’s Larry Mullen Jr., ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons and Deep Purple’s Roger Glover. 

With his influence on popular music long since acknowledged, his place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame secure, and with multiple gold and platinum albums, sold-out tours plus countless honours and career achievement awards, there is little that Alice Cooper hasn’t accomplished in his remarkable career.  He has spent almost 50 years touring the world, releasing 26 Studio Albums, has sold more than 50 million albums in the US alone, and is an entrenched, multigenerational pop culture legend.

Ace Frehley is a founding member of KISS, a musical maverick and iconoclast adored by millions of fans around the world.  Ace played on the classic KISS albums from 1983 to 1992 before reuniting with the band from 1996 to 2001.  Ace was responsible for many of the band’s biggest hits including “Talk To Me”, “New York Groove”, “2,000 Man”, “Rocket Ride”, “Shock Me” and more.  Like Alice, Ace is also a Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame inductee, and has influenced hundreds of bands and inspired guitar players of the ilk of Tom Morello and Dave Grohl.

Ace says, "I have been friends with Alice since the 70s, but I've never had the pleasure of touring with him!  Our tour of Australasia in October this year will be a major Rock & Roll event down under and leave all our fans with big smiles and wanting more!!!  I can't wait to hit the road!"

“My life has been a roller coaster ride, but somehow I've always been able to land on my feet and still play the guitar.  I can't even read notes. But I can teach someone how to make a guitar smoke” says Frehley.

Alice Cooper with Ace Frehley & Strangers

Friday 27 October: Trusts Stadium, Auckland

Saturday 28 October: TSB Bank Arena, Wellington

Tickets via www.ticketek.co.nz