Alice Cooper and Rob Zombie – Freaks on Parade Invade Virginia Beach, Virginia

Virginia Beach, Virginia – Co-headliners Alice Cooper and Rob Zombie descended upon Virginia Beach, Virginia wreaking a little havoc, as usual, with their Freaks on Parade tour stopping at Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater August 30, 2023. If you like horror movies but in concert form, Alice Cooper and Rob Zombie are two of the best in the business, and they brought along rock/metal bands Filter and Ministry for the ride. Digital Beat Magazine Correspondent David Decker and I had the privilege of covering two nights of this tour, with Hurricane Idalia approaching the East Coast. Thankfully, Virginia Beach only experienced some rain the night of the show.

First up, Filter energized the crowd right out of the gate. Richard Patrick and the band are touring in support of their brand new album, The Algorithm, much to the delight of industrial rock fans. The six-song set included “The Drowning,” “Welcome to the Fold,” and “Hey Man Nice Shot.”

Ministry continued building the freak show with a nine-song set including “Thieves,” “Burning Inside,” and “Just One Fix.” Adding to the mystery, Ministry was covered in smoke and spectacular lighting as band members Al Jourgensen, Cesar Soto, Roy Mayorga, Monte Pittman, John Bechdel and Paul D’Amour kept the party going.

Alice Cooper made quite the entrance, stepping through a banner that read, “Banned in Virginia… Trial Set: For Deeds Against Humanity.” This 75-year-old is still the king of Shock Rock, and has some of the most unique concert production elements in the business. The 8-foot Frankenstein, swords, a real boa constrictor, and a guillotine added horror aspects to the show.

“Lock Me Up,” and “No More Mr. Nice Guy” were very familiar and added a lighthearted karaoke aspect to the night with the entire crowd singing along. The boa came out for “Snakebite,” of course, and Frankenstein wandered the stage during “Feed My Frankenstein.” A highlight of the night, Nita Strauss took center stage with an incredible solo that leaves jaws dropped. Alice escapes from a straight jacket for “Ballad of Dwight Fry,” only to face the guillotine at the hand of his wife, Sheryl Goddard, who was dressed up like Marie Antoinette. Afterwards, his talented band stepped into the limelight, showcasing their expertise. Ending the set was Cooper’s most popular hit, “School’s Out.” Decades ago, I remember riding home on the bus on the last day of school, and we all belted “School’s Out” in unison much like the fans in the amphitheater. Good times.

Band Members: Tommy Henricksen (guitars, vocals), Nita Strauss (guitars, vocals), Glen Sobel (drums), and Chris Wyse was filling in on bass for Chuck Garrick (bass).

Alice Cooper Setlist
1. Lock Me Up
2. No More Mr. Nice Guy
3. I’m Eighteen
4. Under My Wheels
5. Billion Dollar Babies
6. Hey Stoopid
7. Lost in America
8. Snakebite
9. Feed My Frankenstein
10. Poison
11. Vincent Price Intro
12. Guitar Solo (Nita Strauss)
13. Black Widow Jam (Band Only)
14. Ballad of Dwight Fry
15. Killer (Band only; Cheryl Cooper cuts Alice’s head off in the Guillotine)
16. I Love the Dead (Band Only)
17. Elected
Encore:
19. School’s Out (w/ Snippet of Pink Floyd’s “ Another Brick In The Wall Pt. 2”; Band introductions)

For the grand finale of this freak parade, the curtain fell revealing Rob Zombie aloft on his “Zombie” platform and the drummer high above him. For the first song, “The Triumph of King Freak,” he was barely visible to the photographers in the pit, but I’m sure this looked amazing to the crowd.  For the second song, “Dead City Radio,” he stood behind a large mic stand resembling the sun, and was barely visible here, as well. Perhaps that adds to the mystery. For the third song, “Feel So Numb,” Rob rocked the stage going from platform to platform with ease, bathed in blue light. The American flags displayed on the multitude of screens at times was a colorful touch and fun to photograph, as was the abundance of pyro. My favorite moment of the night was when my camera caught the eye of bassist “Piggy D” who immediately pulled a Gene Simmons (see the photos below). My favorite production element for the night was of course, pyro flowing throughout the show. With multiple screens, an incredible light show, various platforms, this set was a visual spectacle, for sure. Rob Zombie’s major hit for decades has always been “Dragula,” so that naturally closed out the night.

Band Members: Rob Zombie/Robert Cummings (lead vocals), Mike Riggs (guitar), Piggy D./Matthew Montgomery (bass), Ginger Fish/Kenneth Wilson (drums).

The Freaks on Parade Tour continues through September 24, 2023.

Show Date: Wednesday, August 30, 2023