Alice Cooper Returns to Rock Luxembourg

On the evening of Wednesday 8 July 2026, Alice Cooper returned to perform at the Rockhal in Esch-sur-Alzette.

Chronicle.lu was there with one question in mind: Does the iconic Godfather of shock rock still have what it takes to command an audience and chill them to the bone?

Formerly known as Vincent Damon Furnier, it is hard to reconcile this devout Christian and dedicated family man with the snarling demon who dramatically appears on stage as Alice Cooper. 

The concert began with a towering book collapsing and smoke pouring across the stage. Alice Cooper then stepped forward through smoke and, at 78 years old, he should not move with this much energy, but for the next 90 minutes, he rarely stood still.

From a photographer’s standpoint, the show was a phenomenal blend of the macabre and the theatrical. Photographing it was like capturing a stage show. The first thing to notice is Cooper’s agility and remarkable energy, his well-known passion for golf, reportedly playing six days a week with a handicap of four, may go some way towards explaining this.

One constant throughout Cooper’s career has been his ability to surround himself with the highest quality musicians. His current line-up is no exception and may even be the best he has worked with. Whilst it was disappointing to miss lead guitarist Nita Strauss, who is in a league of her own (and currently on maternity leave following the birth of her son in May), her replacement is Anna Blackthorn Cara. 

Anna is a 23-year-old from Newcastle who can seriously hold her own. It is always challenging to step into the shoes of another musician, not least one as talented as Nita, but Anna is not trying to be Nita; she is forging a path in her own right and is clearly a very talented guitarist. Her confident performance suggests she is one to watch in the future.

We then turn to Ryan Roxie and Tommy Henriksson. Cooper's three guitarists may seem excessive on paper but it creates an amazingly layered sound and they all contribute to the theatrics on stage. Roxie is a seasoned guitarist who has been touring with Alice on and off since 1996, and Tommy since 2011. To hold on to such talent for that length of time suggests Cooper must be doing something right. The sound of the three effortlessly synchronised guitars together really intensified the overall experience and allowed the audience to get immersed in the show. 

The band is incredibly tight musically, with Glen Sobel’s drums setting the rhythm with timing and precision and Chuck Garric’s infectious bass riffs reverberating through Rockhal. It reminds one that, whilst Alice remains centre stage, the show really is a team effort.

Cooper’s vocal performance is arguably as good as it has ever been. He has never been lauded as the most amazing vocalist of all time, and you are in the wrong place if you want high notes and piercing vocals, but what he does have is his own distinctive vocals which are unlike anyone else’s. His signature raspy vocals perfectly fit with the style of music he performs and are not easily imitated.

Rockhal is an intimate venue with notable acoustics. Being up close and personal leads one to feel as though you are part of the show, an aspect that is easily lost in bigger stadiums these days.

The show contained all of Cooper’s classics such as School’s Out, Poison and I’m Eighteen, and it was delightful to see things are still being mixed up with the addition of some deep cuts like Spark in the Dark,which had not been played in a live set since 1990. It was during songs such as this where each different guitarist had the opportunity to shine; stepping up for miniature solo pieces with effortless confidence and technical finesse.

Following School’s Out, the lights dimmed and Cooper returned with a surprise encore cover of Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit which had everyone singing.

After more than five decades of creating and redefining shock rock, Cooper remains one of the genre's great entertainers. The production and musicianship were phenomenal and the next time he comes to Luxembourg, I recommend everyone experience the spectacle for themselves.

AH

Credit: Anjelica Hyde