Posted on 09/02/2009 8:27:45 AM PDT by Alex Murphy
Veteran American singer Alice Cooper's concert scheduled for Tampere in December has been shifted to Espoo because of concerns over his shock-rock image.
Tampere Arena, which was to have hosted the December 11 show, cancelled it because a perceived conflict with the venue's "Christian-based policies".
"The [Lutheran-based charismatic revivalist] group Nokia Mission and others use Tampere Arena for their events, so the venue's management did not want Alice Cooper appearing in the same hall. The contract which we received from Tampere Arena specifies that no artists may perform there who 'incite evil and the power of darkness'," promoter Kalle Keskinen told YLE.
Tampere Arena CEO Harri Wiherkoski announced the concert's cancellation on Friday. He said the contract was not signed after he read in a newspaper that Alice Cooper would be performing there. Wiherkoski says two previous concerts have been barred from the hall for the same reason.
"We never imagined that a rock veteran who has performed in Finland in four separate decades without any problems and who has spoken in public of his own religious convictions would not be allowed to perform at Tampere Arena in 2009," says Keskinen.
The 61-year-old Cooper began his career in the early 1970s, reportedly taking his stage name from a seventeenth century witch. He has often evoked horror-movie and macabre themes in his music and stage shows. However in later years, he has described himself as a born-again Christian and an avid golfer.
Cooper last appeared in Finland in November 2007, when he played in Helsinki and Oulu and at Powerpark in Alahärmä, Ostrobothnia.
>>”Alice has a doctorate in theology. A REAL one, not honorary.”
Lots of fine theological points made in “Billion Dollar Baby,” no?
Considering that subset of priests, (and the bishops, etc who covered up for them) AND those “ protestant” leaders; who took sexual advantage of people in their charge; how many of them had “real” theology degrees?
I’m going to see him this month.
I *wish* I could’ve seen my ultimate dream concert with Alice/BOC together in Ohio but that is just a *little* too far to travel.....:))
All of his first band members were letter men in track.
Everybody knows rock and roll stars collect antique wingback chairs.
Just watched an interview with him the other night.
That song was written against child abuse.
The second concert I ever saw (age 17) was at the Spectrum in Philly in 1971. Humble Pie and Alice Cooper opened for Black Sabbath. (The first concert I ever went to was at the same place about 6 months earlier when Humble Pie and Black Sabbath opened for Mountain.)
Alice Cooper did a great show.
Billion Dollar Babies is a 30 year old song. Alice converted 15 years ago, and got his doctorate 5 or 6 years ago.
I saw Pink Floyd and Grand Funk Railroad ...in Wichita. Have hearing loss from the P.F. concert.....as I had my hands on the stage!
Ha!! Nowadays.....I go to Jonny Lang concerts.
Elvis Costello is in T-town tomorrow night I think....I should have bot tickets.
Take care,
So now you’re trying to associate him with pedophile priests?! You’ve got issues.
I had a good time at Cooperstown in Cleveland. Would love to see Alice open a location in the NYC area.
This goes WAY beyond “issues”.
The biggest injustice of all: Run DMC is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Alice Cooper is not....
I wish I had seen Grand Funk Railroad. I did see Pink Floyd’s ‘Animals’ tour circa 1977. But for hearing loss, nothing will beat the three-ring circus I saw at Bucknell in 1975 - - Rush and Kiss opened for Blue Oyster Cult. I had a headache and serious ringing in my ears for nearly a week, literally.
By the way, I saw Elvis Costello last August (’08) and he was nothing short of great. He opened for The Police. Sting came out and sang ‘Allison’ with him. Cool stuff.
I sold coffee once to Elvis and Diana Krall many years ago. Really cool guy and a good tipper too!
>>”That song was written against child abuse.”
Against... For... How can you tell?
>>”That song was written against child abuse.”
It was the featured video on his website when I visited a few minutes ago.
That comment wasn’t from me. But so what. It’s a good song, it’s also the title track to his best selling album (an album I just happened to listen to this morning). There’s a lot of discussion in the fan community about what the song’s about, ranging from child abuse, to horror movies with kid themes, to generic rock and roll excesses, some even quote Alice as being unsure what the song’s about but enjoying the flow of the lyrics.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.