Document text
3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Proposed 200-room hotel on former Box R Ranch sidesteps the rules, state says ... Since You Asked: Friday last day for free Windows 10 upgrade ... 2 Oregonians arrested in Yreka shooting, kidnapping ... Proposed 200-room hotel on former Box R Ranch sidesteps the rules, state says ... Since You Asked: Friday last day for free Windows 10 upgrade ... 2 Oregonians arrested in Yreka shooting, kidnapping ... REVIEW Cooper, Vampires command Britt crowd By Bill Varble for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Bill Varble for the Mail Tribune Posted Jul. 24, 2016 @ 12:01 am Updated Jul 24, 2016 at 1:01 PM By Bill Varble for the Mail Tribune Posted Jul. 24, 2016 @ 12:01 am Updated Jul 24, 2016 at 1:01 PM » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> Johnny Depp played a supporting role Saturday night. That’s what happens when you share the stage with Alice Cooper. Same deal for Joe Perry. Cooper at 68 still has the charisma to command a stage. From the first chords of the Hollywood Vampires’ new rocker “Raise the Dead,” he prowled the stage like a man possessed, or maybe a vampire possessed, as Aerosmith’s Perry sent wave after wave of razor-sharp guitar licks up the Britt hillside, and the super pickup band rocked a sold-out crowd of at Britt. The band finally came on a bit before 9 after an incongruously sweet set from the fine singer/ acoustic guitarist/ songwriter Johnny Irion. The Vampires are pedal-to-the-metal rock, and the crowd was electric from the first, living on every rock-god gesture of Cooper in his velvet suit and raccoon eye makeup. Following the opening number, Spirit’s “I Got a Line On You” cranked the energy further. As the applause died down a bit, Cooper said, “Tonight we’re paying tribute to our dead drunk friends.” That was a reference to how the band was formed last year by pals Cooper, Depp and Perry. The original Hollywood Vampires were an informal drinking club of American and English rock stars (Cooper, John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Keith Moon, Harry Nilsson and others) who back in the day got together in a club called The Rainbow to let their hair down and, well, drink each other under the table. Some didn’t survive the rock ’n’ roll life. The band’s material, accordingly, runs to covers of classic rock tunes. They followed “I Got a Line On You” with a high-energy take on David Bowie’s “Rebel Rebel” with Cooper pacing back and forth across the front of the stage and Depp, in a white shirt and vest, his hair buzzed up the sides, jumping around with his guitar and ripping off Pete Townshend-ish mini-windmills. Depp is no mere rock wannabe. He was playing music and writing songs before he became known as an actor in the 1980s, and he plays like he by God cares, and like he belongs in this band of stars — guitarist Tommy Henricksen (Alice Cooper), drummer Matt Sorum and bassist Duff McKagan (both Guns N Roses), keyboardist Bruce Witkin, a producer and long-time Depp pal, and bassists Robert DeLeo (Stone Temple Pilots). The new Vampires released an eponymous album last year with guest artists such as Paul McCartney and Joe Walsh. The group was slated to appear on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert earlier this month but canceled after Perry collapsed in the middle of a show. He recovered and rejoined the group about a week ago and appeared to be good shape and played with fire. The Vampires’ playlist leans heavily to covers of classic rock by John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix, the Who, Led Zeppelin, the Doors. “Rebel Rebel” was followed by more vintage Bowie, with Depp out front as the band charged through “Suffragette City” and played the heck out of it. Perry rocked hard on Jimi Hendrix’s “Manic Depression,” and the band quickly surpassed even that energy level with a slammin’ version of The Doors’ “Break on Through” to a great groove by the two bassists. Then, if it was possible, a Depp original entitled “As Bad As I Am” rocked even harder. By this time the usual Britt decorum was long gone, with the crowd on its feet and people dancing in the aisles, and Cooper slapping hands with fans down in front. By comparison T Rex’s “Twentieth Century Boy” almost qualified as a ballad, a respite where you maybe thought for a moment of all the lives this business has claimed, now being remembered by others, some of whom are survivors. The band rocked hard on the anthemic “Bang a Gong,” after which The Beatles’ “Come Together” was created with a roar and went on to rock out. As a reviewer answered the call of deadline, Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” was wafting over the hillside of Jacksonville, another nice touch in a very hot show. Reach freelance writer Bill Varble at varble.bill @gmail.com. By Bill Varble for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Bill Varble for the Mail Tribune Posted Jul. 24, 2016 @ 12:01 am Updated Jul 24, 2016 at 1:01 PM » Comment or view comments Terms of Service /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501