Alice Cooper named the three bands he believes each younger musician ought to hearken to to allow them to take their uncooked expertise and switch it into highly effective artwork.
He’s a decide on the No Cowl present, the place musicians are evaluated on their unique songs, reasonably than with the ability to sing materials written by others.
“I’m at all times saying all the things revolves round how good the tune is,” Cooper informed LA Weekly in a current interview. “You already know, I don’t care how thrilling you might be up there. … Spend your time listening to the Beatles. I inform younger bands on a regular basis: ‘I would like you to hearken to the Beatles, the Seashore Boys and the 4 Seasons. They wrote excellent songs, proper? Their data had been excellent.”
He famous that “you could be an offended punk rock band, however write a tune round it. Don’t simply play a riff or a drum half and yell at me. That’s not a tune. You must have a verse and a refrain. That’s why I would like you to hearken to early Beatles and the Seashore Boys. You could be simply as offended and have a great tune. You don’t have to simply throw it away. Too many bands simply throw it away.”
Cooper shared his enthusiasm for watching younger bands onstage, saying, “They remind me of when my band was in highschool. We couldn’t be onstage lengthy sufficient. We needed to be up there for eight hours. … After which I’ve simply obtained to say … you’ve obtained to be a star. For those who’re going to be a star, it’s a must to suppose you’re a star. You’ll be able to’t simply go on the market and simply be face worth, it’s a must to perceive that you’re a star or the viewers won’t regard you as one.”
He argued that audiences need the lead singer to be “the focus” of a efficiency. “Which means don’t ever look away from them,” he defined. “You must stare them down. You must be you and you’re the star up there. You’re greater than life. So, you understand, don’t come up right here and be shy. That’s not what a rock singer is.
“I inform my band this on a regular basis. While you’re onstage, I would like you to reek of ego. While you’re offstage, I don’t need any ego in any respect.”
Alice Cooper Albums Ranked
You’ll be able to’t kill Alice Cooper.