Last night was bittersweet. This is probably the last time i will see Alice.
The house in Cincinnati is all but sold and by this time next month i will be starting my new life on the south shore of Nova Scotia, Canada. So many good things about that, but one of those is not, as i have previously lamented, that it is a hot spot for big name touring bands. Sadly, very few name acts ever play Halifax. So unless a trip back to the States happens to coincide with a future show this will be my last time seeing Alice Cooper in concert. Even then, the likelihood that i would be shooting that show seems next to nil.
Alice Cooper is an act that never disappoints. It might have something to due with that fact that he has been honing this act for almost 50 years and surrounds himself with bright and exciting talent that really knows how to rock and roll. All this would be just flash and fluff if it were not for the great strength of the music; classic, well-structured songs with deep hooks and amusing lyrics that i've been listening to since my teenage years. This was my fifth time in the pit with Alice and while the stage act has pretty much stayed the same over time there always seems to be something new for me to capture that keeps the experience fresh.
It seems each time i have shot them has been just a little bit better than the last so i had high hopes for this show, but to be honest i do feel like i was actually more successful with last year's performance. The Taft Theatre has no pit for photographers so i was pressed into a fairly static position center stage, hemmed in by expectant and excited fans like commuters on a rush hour subway. I was thankful that they tolerated me taking such a prime position for the first few songs in a spot that they had indeed paid top dollar for. Fortunately i had met and photographed all the folks that were sitting in the front row when i was out in the lobby getting fan pics for the Enquirer gallery so we had already established a friendly rapport. Since everyone was standing anyway once the show began it wasn't hard to blend into the throng, but it meant that i had no real mobility as long as i wanted to remain so close to the stage.
I also found that this particular show had somewhat erratic front lighting. Some of the best moments that took place right in front of my lens didn't have the necessary illumination on the artist's faces to make the image work for me. But in an energetic and constantly changing show like this, that brings the action to every corner of the stage again and again, it's really just a matter of waiting for it. So in the end i was still pretty satisfied with what i was able to capture.
On the up side i did get some of my best shots of guitarist Tommy Henriksen, who has played with the band since 2011. I didn't do as well with bassist Chuck Garric this time, who unfortunately had no light on him the few times he was front and center on the platform when i would have expected him to get hit with the spotlight. And alas, i have never managed to nail a good image of drummer Glen Sobel, who is always elevated in the back and easy to overlook with all the rockstar posing that is taking place all over the stage. Sorry Glen, maybe in another lifetime.
So Alice, it's been great, and thanks for the memories. And if you happen to read this, maybe consider doing a show up in the Canadian Maritimes. The people are great, the seafood in fantastic, the coastal beauty is out of this world and they even have a few great golf courses....and now, of course, they also have your number one fan photographer. 😊
(please click on images for an enlarged gallery view)
All Photos ©David Sorcher 2018
