Drawing to an emphatic close, the formidable tandem of Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper unloaded arena-sized rock-heavy grandeur for the final weekend of the Freaks On Parade tour.
The pairing marked the second installment of what has potential to become an annual run – creating an unholy union of artists that understand the importance of spectacle when it comes to going at it live.
For Zombie, the soundtrack included cuts spanning his solo career and a handful of essentials from his tenure in White Zombie for good measure. Going from Hellbilly Deluxe to 2021’s The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy, the Deadman delivered a resounding 90-minute presentation that asserted why he remains one of the best in the game.
With a stageshow that translated like a freakish b-movie come to life with amazing technicolor vibrance and a little pyrotechnics for for some added flair, Zombie understood the assignment and pulled out all the performative stops for the tour’s weekend finale.
Asserting the lineage of this kind of tour, the legendary Alice Cooper put on a rock music clinic as the other half of the Freaks on Parade banner. Compiling a set that spanned more than two generations of influential shock rock, Cooper executed brilliant renditions of “No More Mr. Nice Guy”, “Under My Wheels” and “Billion Dollar Babies”. Songs some fifty years old felt resonated as raucous and relevant as ever, with the combination of Cooper and guitarist Nita Strauss in commanding the crowd.
Appropriately closing his set with “School’s Out”, there was a sense throughout the arena that Cooper and company had just presented a compelling lesson, underscoring why he is in fact a living legend.
Photographer Steve Rose was on-hand to capture the highlight moments that made the Freaks On Parade tour such a memorable run. See the comprehensive gallery of images from Rob Zombie, Alice Cooper and industrial heroes Ministry below.
ROB ZOMBIE
ALICE COOPER
MINISTRY
