Alice Cooper Group: "Fresh-Faced Innocents"

Alice Cooper Group performed at the Empire Pool (now Wembley Arena) in London, England, on June 30, 1972, as part of their Killer Tour promoting their albums Killer (1971) and School’s Out (1972). This concert marked a pivotal moment in their career, showcasing their theatrical shock rock style to a UK audience.

The Wembley show was part of the European leg of the *Killer Tour*, following U.S. performances. It was their second major UK appearance, after their 1971 Rainbow Theatre show, which had mixed reviews due to a reserved audience. At Wembley, they aimed to make a stronger impression with a more refined and theatrical performance.

The concert was a true spectacle, likened to an “updated version of the Roman Games,” featuring simulated violence and props like fake blood (“finger-lickin’ tomato ketchup”). Alice Cooper’s antics, including wielding a riding crop, whip, sword, cane, and maracas, were designed to shock and entertain, captivating a younger crowd while challenging traditional norms.

Performance Details

Setlist:

- Be My Lover

- You Drive Me Nervous

- Yeah, Yeah, Yeah

- I'm Eighteen

- Is It My Body

- Halo of Flies

- Dead Babies

- Killer

- Long Way to Go

- School's Out

- Under My Wheels

The show featured an elaborate stage production with props like a boa constrictor, fake blood, and simulated violence, including dramatic “death” scenes. Alice Cooper’s performance combined rock with theatrical excess, highlighted by a new 11-foot snake (the previous one allegedly escaped down a hotel toilet). The band also hinted at surprises, with Alice joking about wearing Catholic school uniforms to connect with UK audiences rebelling against dress codes.

Roxy Music, then an emerging band, opened for Alice Cooper, as noted in the concert program. This added significance to the event, as Roxy Music was becoming a key player in the UK glam rock scene.

The Wembley show attracted an energetic crowd, described as “fresh-faced innocents” who cheered enthusiastically for the band’s theatrical carnage. Unlike the quieter response at the Rainbow Theatre, the Wembley audience was far more engaged, reflecting the band’s growing UK fanbase. The concert marked a pivotal moment in solidifying Alice Cooper’s reputation as a theatrical rock act in Europe, with media highlighting their “best theatrical rock ‘n’ roll show since the Stones.”

The event featured a 14-page concert program for “The Alice Cooper Show,” which included a centerfold poster and promoted School’s Out

The concert was previewed in outlets like Melody Maker and reviewed in New Musical Express by Roy Carr, who likened the event to a modern-day Colosseum spectacle. A Guardian article from 2017, reflecting on the event, highlighted the band’s rising fame, noting their media penetration in the U.S. (e.g., a Wall Street Journal feature) and their ambition to outdo themselves

The band had just come from a U.S. tour, including a canceled Pittsburgh show at Three Rivers Stadium due to flooding, rescheduled for July 11, 1972. They flew to London specifically for the Wembley performance, indicating its importance in their tour schedule

By 1972, Alice Cooper was cementing their status as “The Godfather of Shock Rock,” blending horror, vaudeville, and garage rock. The band’s provocative stage antics (e.g., mock executions, baby doll mutilations) and androgynous image, inspired by films like What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, were polarizing but commercially successful.

The UK was a key market for Alice Cooper, with “School’s Out” topping the charts. The Wembley show was a chance to capitalize on this success and prove their live prowess after the lukewarm Rainbow Theatre response. Alice himself noted the difference in audience energy, expecting a more receptive crowd at Wembley due to the band’s tightened performance.

Island did a great job in promoting Roxy at the Alice Cooper gig on the 30th. Simply placing copies of the first album cover on each seat meant that punters, like myself and my pals, first saw Kari-Ann, then looked inside to catch a first glimpse of the band – instantly smitten! Steve E. @SteveE32042299