Watch Alice Cooper and his writhing snake lift Billion Dollar Babies to psychotic new heights

(Image credit: The Midnight Special)

Two weeks after The Midnight Special's YouTube channel uploaded a clip of Alice Cooper playing I'm Eighteen in early 1979, another song from the same broadcast has appeared. This time it's Billion Dollar Babies, the title track from Cooper's 1973 album.

Joining the godfather of shock rock onstage are guitarist Davey Johnstone, plus three musicians who'd played on 1975's Welcome To My Nightmare album: bassist Prakash John, drummer Whitey Glan, and keyboardist Jozef Chirowski.

Also joining Alice onstage is one of his regular snake companions, who writhes around, perfectly snake-like, in a manner likely to raise the hackles of many an animal welfare professional. We believe this particular serpent may be Angel, who accompanied Cooper between 1977 and 1979, but tragically passed away after being bitten by a rat that had been procured for her dinner.

Yesterday Alice Cooper announced the arrival of his new album Road, which is due for release on August 25 via earMUSIC. He also unveiled the first single from the album, I'm Alice.

“For Road, I wanted the band to be involved in the foundation of all the songs,” says Cooper. “I only see these guys when we’re on the road. So, I wanted them to be as tight as they are for the show but on all new material. When you have a band this good, I believe in showing it off, and this is my way of doing so."

Alice Cooper's Too Close For Comfort tour kicks off as support to Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe on the next US leg of the Stadium Tour, on August 5 at the Wireless Dome in Syracuse, NY. Cooper then hooks up with Rob Zombie in late August for the Freaks On Parade tour. Full dates below.

Alice Cooper: Too Close For Comfort tour 2023

Aug 05: Syracuse JMA Wireless Dome, NY*
Aug 08: Columbus Stadium, OH*
Aug 10: Madison Overture Center for the Arts, WI*
Aug 11: Fargo Fargodome, ND*
Aug 13: Omaha Charles Schwab Field Omaha, NE*
Aug 16: Tulsa Skelly Field at H.A. Chapman Stadium, OK*
Aug 18: El Paso Sun Bowl Stadium, TX*

Aug 24: Dallas Dos Equis Pavilion, TX#
Aug 26: Tampa MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, FL#
Aug 27: West Palm Beach iThink Financial Amphitheatre, FL#
Aug 29: Raleigh Coastal Credit Union Music Park At Walnut Creek, NC#
Aug 30: Virginia Beach Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater, VA#
Sep 01: Tinley Park Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre, IL#
Sep 02: Des Moines Wells Fargo Arena, IA#
Sep 05: Clarkston Pine Knob Music Theatre, MI#
Sep 06: Toronto Budweiser Stage, Canada#
Sep 08: Scranton The Pavilion at Montage Mountain, PA#
Sep 09: Wantagh Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater, NY#
Sep 10: Hartford Xfinity Theatre, CT#
Sep 12: Nashville Bridgestone Arena, TN#
Sep 13: Cincinnati Riverbend Music Center, OH#
Sep 15: Bonner Springs Azura Amphitheater, KS#
Sep 16: Greenwood Village Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre, CO#
Sep 19: Ridgefield RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater, WA#
Sep 20: Auburn White River Amphitheatre, WA#
Sep 22: Concord Pavilion, CA#
Sep 23: Anaheim Honda Center, CA#
Sep 24: Phoenix Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre, AZ#

* with Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe
# with Rob Zombie

Tickets are on sale now.

Online Editor at Louder/Classic Rock magazine since 2014. 40 years in music industry, online for 27. Also bylines for: Metal Hammer, Prog Magazine, The Word Magazine, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Saga, Music365. Former Head of Music at Xfm Radio, A&R at Fiction Records, early blogger, ex-roadie, published author. Once appeared in a Cure video dressed as a cowboy, and thinks any situation can be improved by the introduction of cats. Favourite Serbian trumpeter: Dejan Petrović.