Hollywood Vampires - UK Tour August 2026
If these vampires turned up at your window, you’d feel compelled to invite them in.
HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES
Review by Laura DQ - LONDON O2 ARENA, 12TH AUGUST 2026
Photos by Jai Dee - GLASGOW OVO HYDRO, 17TH AUGUST 2026
It seems appropriate that on the same evening the sun temporarily disappears behind the moon, the Hollywood Vampires return to the capital, seeking to ‘Raise the Dead’ with a show that brings together horror lovers, Alice Cooper fans, rock aficionados, Aerosmith fans and possibly one or two who are just eager for a glimpse of a certain well-known actor!
But far from revelling in the spotlight, Johnny Depp appears unassuming on stage, content to play his guitar, smoke his cigarette and throw the odd coy wave to delighted ladies. It is Alice Cooper who is the actor tonight; the sneering, cane wielding, top-hatted master of ceremonies who remains a commanding presence some 60 odd years into his career.
If you’re unfamiliar with the Hollywood Vampires concept, the “most expensive bar band in the world” offer up a selection of originals, songs from their respective catalogues and covers mostly relating to their ‘Dead Drunk Friends’. A celebratory tribute rather than a maudlin wake, their own material brings the party, from the anthemic ‘I Want My Now’ to the ominous groove of ‘The Boogieman Surprise’ and infectious ‘Who’s Laughing Now’. Throw in some images of blood and zombies, a giant inflatable set of fangs (it looks better than it sounds), some plumes of smoke and it’s hard to imagine entertainment any better.
The eclectic setlist is part of the joy, songs you’d expect (Cooper’s own ‘I’m Eighteen’ and Aerosmith’s ‘Walk This Way’) nestled amongst those you possibly wouldn’t. There’s a brooding ‘Venus in Furs’, Depp’s lead vocal somehow making it feel even more atmospheric than the original, and a brutal take on Killing Joke’s ‘The Death and Resurrection Show’ which is all riff and attitude. ‘People Who Died’ is pure punk, set against a backdrop of a depressing number of rockstars who have come and gone over the years, their images generating varying levels of noise, Ozzy Osbourne justifiably eliciting the most.
I’m not sure any of us are bargaining on hearing ‘Living On the Edge’, so when Joe Perry strikes up the unmistakeable guitar hook, it feels too good to be true. Better still when Tommy Henriksen’s backing vocals kick in, briefly fooling me that Steven Tyler might have arrived! A bit of a secret weapon, Henriksen later takes the lead for a storming ‘Highway to Hell’ and proves to be a strong frontman in his own right. Joe Perry is not quite so powerful behind the microphone, but more than makes up for it with his killer guitar chops and the relaxed, rock and roll attitude he brings to ‘You Can’t Put Your Arms Around a Memory’.
The main part of the set concludes, inevitably, with a joyful ‘School’s Out/Another Brick in the Wall’ medley, giant balloons tossed into the arena and bounced around, meeting their end back on stage courtesy of Alice Cooper. If the night ended now, nobody would feel hard done by, but, just in case we’re a little short of star power, Ronnie Wood joins the band for a rollicking ‘Train Kept a Rollin’ and ‘Brown Sugar’.
If these vampires turned up at your window, you’d feel compelled to invite them in. Don’t miss them as they continue to haunt venues across the UK.
