ALICE COOPERS CHRISTMAS PUD:
Two good reports from Alice Cooper's annual charity show, The Christmas Pudding Concert in Arizona, USA. As was announced a few months ago, the show would feature a full Damn Yankees re-union. Reports are as follows:
Stephen Christian reports: "I attended the Alice Cooper Christmas Pudding concert tonight, as I have every year for the past 4 years. This is was the longest show (4 hours and 15 minutes!) and definitely the best musical lineup. Rick Neilsen and Robin Zander from Cheap Trick played 3 tunes with Alice's band (I Want You To Want Me, California Man, Surrender) and rocked the house.
Near the end of the show, Ted Nugent came out and with Alice's bassist and drummer played Klusterphunky from Craveman, renaming some parts Merry Christmas, then played Wang Dang Sweet Poontang. This was a shock as this a relatively wholesome show every year, with religious affiliations and families attending. Although I like that song, I felt it was bad taste to play it at the show given it's lyrical content. But it's Ted. You have to expect him to shock people in one way or another. He then brought out a Damn Yankee named Jack Blades who played Cat Scratch Fever with Ted and Alice's drummer. Then brought out "some other Damn Yankees", namely Tommy Shaw and Michael Cartelone...a full Damn Yankees reunion!
It started with Jack and Tommy paying tribute to the man who instigated the reunion, Alice Cooper. Tommy had an acoustic guitar that he held up head level so it could be heard through the vocal mic as he and Jack sang a down home southern version of Eighteen. Not too far into it, Ted motioned with his finger to give him the guitar, which he then smashed to pieces. Then he told them to get some electric guitars and off they went.
The band played Don't Tread, High Enough and Coming Of Age and appeared to be having a blast. I saw the band "back in the day" and considering they probably just threw this together, they sounded damn good, harmonies and all. The spirit was there. You can tell that these guys love playing together.
Randy Christman reports: Got to see a great show on Saturday Night. Alice Cooper's Christmas Pudding which is Alice's annual charity show.
Rick Nielsen and Robin Zander from Cheap Trick played with Alice's band and did three songs I Want You to Want Me, California Man, Surrender. Arizona favorites, JD Simo (great blues guitar player), Gin Blossoms and Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers did great short sets. Glen Campbell (Rhinestone Cowboy) and Jessi Colter (Waylon Jenning's wife) played as well.
The highlight of the night was seeing Damn Yankees reunited again. After Ted Nugent did two songs solo, he introduced Jack Blades for the song Cat Scratch Fever. He then brought the rest of Damn Yankees - Tommy Shaw and Micheal Cartellone. In honor of Alice, Tommy and Jack started doing a countrified version of Eighteen. Ted walked over and took the acoustic guitar out of Tommy's hands and smashed the guitar to bits. Told Tommy to "grab an electric guitar, boy!"
They did Don't Tread On Me, High Enough and Coming of Age. I gotta tell you, these guys sounded great. I don't know how much they practiced before hand......it sounded like they have been touring with each other for the past 6 months. Jack and Tommy's harmonies are still great to hear together.
Alice of course came out with his band and rocked four or five songs, then came out for the encore with everyone else, Run, Run Rudolph and Jingle Bells."