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.
Avantasia - The Toy Master
Don’t you be afraid, come and step inside, take a look around
I’m your holy grail in your candy store to save you from the profound
They used to dream in only black and white
Can’t you hear them scream, drowning in the tide
Out in the cold, I see water frozen in their eyes
What a sorry sight
I am willing to believe
They would pay for a smile
I’m the master of toys
and all you girls and boys
are welcome to my wonderland
I’m the angel of joy
And I’m here to paint the void
Welcome to my world
To my dream factory
Say hello to the gentleman with the paint
The deeper you’re in the blue, the sweeter the sound of your plaint
If only I had a heart it would break, Oh sure
And I wonder how much more they can take
Out in the cold, I see water frozen in their eyes
What a sorry sight
I am willing to believe
They would pay for a smile
I’m the master of toys
and all you girls and boys
are welcome to my wonderland
I’m the angel of joy
And I’m here to paint the void
Welcome to my world
To my dream factory
I come to bring you pain
And a little novacaine
Welcome to my world, to my toy factory
No more striding on the classes
No more striding on the masses
On their knees, conformity
They are waiting for the hero
They are flying at zero
It’s their turn, to crash and burn
No more striding on the classes
No more striding on the masses
On their knees, conformity
They are waiting for the hero
They are flying at zero
It’s their turn, to crash and burn
I’m the master of toys
and all you girls and boys
are welcome to my wonderland
I’m the angel of joy
And I’m here to paint the void
Welcome to my world
To my dream factory
I come to bring you pain
And a little novacaine
Welcome to my world, to my toy factory
If weren’t for pitiful sinners like me, perfect saints like you wouldn’t look so good...:)
[Lady MacBeth wept]
Let’s forward this thread to Alice.
It’s an unforgivable sin to accuse and condemn a man when he’s not here to defend himself.
>>”If weren’t for pitiful sinners like me, perfect saints like you wouldn’t look so good”
It isn’t a matter of “being a sinner.” We all are sinners.
Look at it this way. People who live beside a pulp mill soon get to where they don’t notice the smell. Except the ones who get sick, who either move away, or die.
DG
I’ve known “Christians” like you.
It galls you no end that “scum” will saved by grace.
You’re going to be terribly disgusted by the all “riff-raff” who will be sharing Heaven with you.
Bet those ‘last minute death bed conversion’ types ~really~ drive you batty.
Ozzy Osbourne is Catholic, as is Pete Steele of Type O Negative.
Dave Mustaine of “Megadeth is a devout Christian.
Gene Simmons is devout Jew.
Did your head just explode?
If it didn’t, go read John 3:16.
>>”I’ve known “Christians” like you.”
If you actually believe that what you are accusing me of, is true; you don’t know me at all.
>>”Ozzy Osbourne is Catholic, as is Pete Steele of Type O Negative.
Dave Mustaine of “Megadeth is a devout Christian.
Gene Simmons is devout Jew.”
Ted Kennedy was a Catholic.
John 8:11...Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either Go From now on sin no more.”
If she had kept on doing adultery, do you think Jesus would have said: “Oh, its OK. Lots of people like it...”?
I thank God when He forgives me of my sins, and when He forgives others. None of that makes continuing to practice evil, “good.”
DG
No the sneering is because the guys in charge of the venue have bought into the image, really into the old image from the 70s, and clearly didn’t bother to understand the person or the music. The promoter sited this passage of the contract: ‘incite evil and the power of darkness’, but the simple reality is that Alice, neither on stage or off, incites evil or the power of darkness.
The performance isn’t BAD. The performance uses his songs to build a very lose story line, basically taking the multiple characters of his songs and pretending they’re the same guy. But at the end that character is always executed, as Alice himself has commented (this is on his website): “Evil should get punished,” says Alice. “It should never win. And that, to me, is what’s most satisfying. I may love Darth Vader when I watch Star Wars, but I feel relief when he finally gets what’s coming to him.” He’s not inciting evil and the power of darkness, he’s PUNISHING it.
It’s very distinguishable from other artists. For one thing none of them have been sticking their head in a guillotine every night for the last 35 years.
Actually even Salvation is the maunderings of a psychopathic, sexual, serial killer. It’s a story album, about a serial killer, a serial killer that’s been popping up as a character in Alice’s songs for about 30 years. Notice how he gets caught and punished. The album isn’t trying to create sympathy for the character, it’s very clear throughout that he’s a bad person who deserves punishment, Salvation is a moment of clarity for the character, but he rejects it.
You have stated your position well. Thank you.
You know my position. I will leave it at that.
DG
You two are wasting your time. Rock ‘n roll is still “The devil’s tongue” for some people and always will be. Leave them to their sanctimonious cocoon of irrelevant self-satisfaction.
You can learn to dance
Or you can be a square
You can let the music take you anywhere
But where will you be when the music’s gone
You can learn to sing
You can play guitar
You can learn to rock
You can be a star
God gave rock and roll to you
Gave rock and roll to you
Put it in the soul of everyone
If you love the sound
Then don’t forget the source
You can turn around
You can change your course
‘Cause it’s never too late to change your mind
You can love the rock
And let Him free your soul
Or you can let the old man take his toll
It’s never too late to change your mind
Gonna be hummin’ that in my head all night now.
Thanks a *lot*
:-D
I doubt you'd pass.
Vincent's past is between him and God. Your opinions are irrelevant.
Either, or.
He kicked out the jams in York PA and that’s what I care about.
You haven’t lived until you’ve watched him sing TO to the audience “Vengeance Is Mine” and “Guilty”.
There’s nothing to compare to the bass line that begins “Go To Hell”.
People just don’t “get him”.
I do.
Do people here know that he runs a faith-based counseling center for rock stars who are about to “go off the rails”?
He’s got more “good works” racked up than I’ll ever have.
IIRC Cooper and Jack Benny were close friends. His act is just that, act.
Nothing like the real man.
How thoughtful.
>>”I’d love to put you through some of the Tests in the Maleous Maleficarum...
I doubt you’d pass.”
Does that mean that you believe that I am a witch? Which do you have in store for me, the dunking chair, or burning at the stake?
>>”Vincent’s past is between him and God.”
Certainly. That is why I didn’t bring up the subject. You, and your fellow witch hunters DID. Nor did I make disparaging remarks about it.
I expressed an opinion that his performances were harmful to the listener. You (all) need to look to your own motives.
DG
Can’t leave it alone can you...
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