The Hollywood Vampires launched their first UK tour in over three years at London's O2 Arena on August 12, with a surprise appearance from Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood and Johnny Depp back on UK soil.
The rock supergroup, fronted by Alice Cooper, delivered a set that included a final-song tribute to the late Jeff Beck, who died in January 2023 after contracting bacterial meningitis. The finale was an emphatic singalong of Hi Ho Silver Lining, released by Beck in 1967.
Depp's tribute to Jeff Beck
Insiders said the finale was masterminded by Depp, who shared a close bond with the musician and regarded him as his 'brother.' "Johnny wanted to do a tribute to Jeff and invited his wife Sandra along. The last song was for him and his family," said the source.
The band also paid tribute to late musicians and fellow friends including Tom Petty, David Bowie and Ozzy Osbourne, who got the biggest applause of the night.
Pre-show rituals and backstage visits
Asked about the band's preparations before coming on stage, insiders said Cooper was living up to his Goth reputation by throwing knives at the wall as part of a pre-show ritual. Depp also caught up with comedian Paul Whitehouse, who dropped by for a visit; the star met The Fast Show stars 26 years ago.
The Hollywood Vampires have not toured since playing in New York in July 2023, with their last performance taking place at the historic 1969 Woodstock site in Bethel.
From drinking club to rock collective
The supergroup was formed back in the 1970s by Cooper, originally as a celebrity drinking club that included the likes of John Lennon, Keith Moon of the Who, and Micky Dolenz of the Monkees. The mission of the club was to drink until no one could stand up. Their swaggering heyday took place during the height of Cooper's drinking in the 1970s; he has now been sober for 40 years.
Since then the group has morphed into an American rock collective who have released two studio albums featuring guest appearances by the likes of Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl and Christopher Lee among others.
Speaking to Classic Rock this year, Alice said there will be another album when they can get Depp out of his '44-room castle.' "I can’t imagine there not being one. But we all have pretty demanding day jobs. And you want to try getting Johnny out of his 44-room castle."
Guitarist Joe added: "I can tell you that some people in his camp are not happy he’s taking a couple of months out to play music. But when it’s time for Johnny to play guitar, he knows it’s time."
UK tour dates and setlist challenges
After playing London’s The O2 on August 12, the band will appear at Cardiff Castle, Scarborough Open Air Theatre, Glasgow’s OVO Hydro, Manchester’s AO Arena, Birmingham’s Utilita Arena, Colchester Castle and Halifax’s Piece Hall, before heading off across Europe.
Shock rock legend Alice admits compiling the setlist is the hardest part as they cover so many songs. He said: "The thing is, I love playing songs by The Doors, Jimi or the Small Faces, and we worked hard to really nail them as a good tribute to the bands concerned. And yeah, we have two albums of original songs, and songs of our own. How many albums have Aerosmith made? I’m on my thirtieth. Setlists are always the hardest part of any show."
