A haunting performance at Haapsalu

Aug 03, 2005
By Julia Balandina

Alice Cooper is what some might call “shocking”, “unforgettable”, “sickening”, “amazing” or perhaps even “satanic”, but whatever he has been called, all adjectives are surely preceded by the words Legendary King of Darkness. And no matter what you think of him, Alice Cooper is certainly one thing: one heck of a rock ‘n roll singer and song writer who has been dazzling audiences with amazing stage shows and tremendous vocal talent since the early 1970s.


More than thirty years after Alice Cooper (born Vincent Furnier) first hit the rock and roll scene, he still keeps going strong with his own brand of shock rock.

Despite his trademark eye make-up, outlandish costumes, and the horrific themes in his concerts, Alice Cooper is known to be a witty, intelligent and compassionate man. A Little League baseball and soccer coach, he is an active dad and has been married to the same woman for over 20 years. He is also founder of the Solid Rock Foundation -a Christian nonprofit organization that raises up to $150,000 each year to help inner city kids stay out of gangs and away from guns and drugs.

But of course he is better known for his horror rock music than his philanthropy. His 25-plus albums have sold millions of copies and several have even gone platinum. Cooper’s concerts are known best as theatrical extravaganzas where he is hung from gallows, decapitated in a guillotine, attacked by giant spiders, and all manner of mayhem. His stage shows were far beyond anything else being done at the time, and still amaze audiences today. Dressed in trademark Alice outfits – leather, runny mascara, torn nylons – Cooper brings stage shows to a new level with sets and props such as guillotines and electric chairs which “kill” Alice at the end of each theatrical concert.

At a spooky Haapsalu Castle, his stage act will haunt your dreams and excite your imagination on August 7. The castle yard, with its excellent acoustics, dates back to the 1270s and sets a natural stage for a Cooper extravaganza. This is the place where a figure of a “white lady” appears in the window of the baptistery at the full moon each August. And this is where the King of Nightmares will entertain and at the same time likely terrify Baltic spectators during his Dirty Diamonds tour. Crawling spiders, giant rats and skeletons will be only the beginning of this most extraordinary show. No one, but Alice Cooper knows what exactly will happen, but the show promises thrills, chills and, no doubt, a few therapist bills.

Lock up your children, lock up your cosmetics, lock up your poultry, and head to Haapsalu to welcome the perennial Mr. Alice Cooper on August 7. His spine chilling 20-scene show will no doubt be a highlight of your summer.

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