The original shock rock pioneers – five Phoenix kids who terrified parents and invented rock theatre! The Alice Cooper Group (1964–1975) were the godfathers of shock rock: raw Detroit garage energy, vaudeville horror shows, and glam-tinged hard rock that influenced everyone from Kiss to Marilyn Manson. The Classic Line-Up (The “Killer” era) Vincent Furnier (“Alice Cooper”) – vocals, ringmaster of chaos Glen Buxton – lead guitar (the quiet riff wizard, died 1997) Michael Bruce

Alice shocks America coast-to-coast – some stations literally pull the plug! Alice Cooper Group’s Hofstra University performance (November 2, 1972) aired nationwide on the ABC In Concert series, November 24, 1972 – the full “Gutter Cat” fight and “Killer” hanging scenes intact. The backlash was instant: Kingsport, Tennessee’s ABC affiliate complained but ran it anyway. WPVI-TV Philadelphia buried it at 1:30 a.m. on tape delay. Cincinnati’s WKRC-TV Channel 12 yanked it off air

Alice Cooper sparks teen chaos on Melody Maker's front page! Swinging by the Neck, a cover and two-page feature in Melody Maker, November 18, 1972.

Shock rock invades the Highlands! Alice Cooper Group’s cover and two-page article in Disc, November 18, 1972.

On November 10, 1972, the original Alice Cooper Group delivered a legendary, sold-out performance at Green's Playhouse in Glasgow, Scotland—their sole UK show that year and a key stop on the School's Out Tour '72. This concert is remembered for its explosive energy, theatrical spectacle, and the crowd's unrestrained enthusiasm, which reportedly led to fans wrecking three rows of seats in the venue. The event drew a predominantly male audience of around 3,000, who were on thei

Cooper's Campus Shock Therapy The Alice Cooper Group’s live performance at Hofstra University, was held on November 2, 1972, in Hempstead, New York, USA. This high-energy show, featuring the band’s theatrical shock rock antics, took place during their tour supporting the album School's Out. With Alice Cooper (vocals), Glen Buxton (guitar), Michael Bruce (guitar/keyboards), Dennis Dunaway (bass), and Neal Smith (drums), the setlist included hits like “School’s Out” and “I’m E

Alice Cooper Group’s "Through The Looking Glass," a six-page feature in Creem Magazine, December 1, 1971. Behind him there is some object...

December 1, 1971, show at the Academy of Music in New York City marked the world premiere of Alice Cooper's iconic mock hanging execution as the show's grand finale. This was the official kickoff of the Killer Tour (though a handful of warm-up gigs had occurred in the prior week), and it introduced the full theatrical escalation that defined the band's shock-rock legacy. Prior to this, the Love It to Death Tour (earlier in 1971) climaxed with a staged electric chair executi

Alice Cooper headlined a concert at The Park in North Baltimore, Ohio, on August 21, 1971 during their Love It to Death tour, a pivotal...

The night Alice threw a chicken – and shock rock legend was born! Alice Cooper Group performed at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival on September 13, 1969 – a one-day, twelve-hour festival packed with 50s/60s legends and one very out-of-place psychedelic freakshow from Arizona. The bill featured Little Richard, Bo Diddley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, Gene Vincent, Chicago… and John Lennon & Yoko Ono’s surprise debut as the Plastic Ono Band (with Eric Clapton, Klaus Voormann,