The star-powered Hollywood Vampires have begun their first tour since 2016 with a handful of North American dates before they head overseas for a six-week European tour. The band members have had significantly busy schedules on their own with Alice Cooper and Joe Perry having released their own albums – Paranormal and Sweetzerland Manifesto, respectively – since the Vampires toured to support their 2016 self-titled album. Johnny Depp has three films scheduled for release this year.
So when the band returned to the stage on May 17 in Verona, NY and May 18 in Orillia, Ont. (Canada), it marked their first tour dates since their summer 2016 schedule.
The Vamps’ album paid homage to many of their classic rock forebears as does their covers-filled setlist. The virtually identical setlist for the first two shows featured hits from their traditional “day jobs” with Aerosmith (“Sweet Emotion”) and Alice Cooper (“I’m Eighteen,” “School’s Out”) and well-chosen covers from Spirit (“I Got a Line on You”), Motorhead (“Ace of Spades”), and David Bowie (“Heroes”), as well as The Who, the Doors and the Jim Carroll Band. (See below.)
Watch them perform a Motorhead favorite
Cooper has a busy 2018 calendar. After his own March dates, he paused briefly to take on the role of King Herod, in the live staging of the iconic 1971 Broadway rock opera, Jesus Christ Superstar. He resumes his own tour schedule on Aug. 3 with dates scheduled through Oct.
Watch Cooper sing lead on “Sweet Emotion”
Related: Our Alice Cooper interview
Watch Depp sing “Heroes” on May 18
Perry has performed several shows this year to promote his new solo album. In our 2018 interview, he told Best Classic Bands that Aerosmith are planning a 50th anniversary tour. Though no dates have been announced, the band did a sole performance at Jazz Fest in New Orleans on May 5.
Related: Our interview with Joe Perry
The band’s touring band includes Glen Sobel, Tommy Henriksen, Mark Johnson and Chris Wyse.
Watch the May 18 encore featuring favorites from Pink Floyd and Cooper
Hollywood Vampires, May 18, 2018, Casino Rama, Orillia, Ont., Setlist
I Want My Now
Raise the Dead
7 and 7 Is
I Got a Line on You
My Dead Drunk Friends
Five to One/Break On Through (To the Other Side)
The Jack
Ace of Spades
Baba O’Riley
As Bad as I Am
The Boogieman Surprise
I’m Eighteen
Combination
People Who Died
Sweet Emotion
Bushwackers
“Heroes”
Train Kept A-Rollin’
Encore
Another Brick in the Wall / School’s Out
Hollywood Vampires 2018 Tour Dates (Tickets are available at their website, as well as here and here)
May 28 – Moscow, Russia – Olympisky
May 30 – St. Petersburg, Russia – Ice Palace
Jun 02 – Hamburg, Germany – Stadtpark
Jun 04 – Berlin, Germany – Zitzdele Spandau
Jun 06 – Gothenburg, Sweden – Liseberg Tivoli
Jun 07 – Stockholm, Sweden – Grona Lund
Jun 08 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Tivoli
Jun 10 – Helsinki, Finland – Rockin’ Helsinski
Jun 12 – Warsaw, Poland – Torwar
Jun 13 – Prague, Czech Republic – Prague Rocks 2018
Jun 14 – Mönchengladbach, Germany – Sparkassenpark
Jun 16 – Birmingham, U.K. – Genting Arena
Jun 17 – Manchester, U.K. – Manchester Arena
Jun 19 – Glasgow, U.K. – SSE Hydro
Jun 20 – London, U.K. – Wembley Arena
Jun 22 – Clisson, France – Hellfest
Jun 24 – Dessel, Belgium – Graspop Festival
Jun 27 – Munich, Germany – Tollwood
Jun 29 – Frankfurt, Germany – Jahrhunderthalle
Jun 30 – Klam, Austria – Clam Castle
Jul 03 – Zurich, Switzerland – Samsung Hall
Jul 05 – Montreux, Switzerland – Montreux Jazz Festival
Jul 07 – Lucca, Italy – Summer Festival
Jul 08 – Rome, Italy – Rock in Roma
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