Written by Jon Williams
The Grammy Awards ceremony on Monday night produced some incredible musical moments. From Taylor Swift’s opening number to Kendrick Lamar’s fiery performance (literally), the taste of Broadway’s Hamilton, Little Big Town’s haunting rendition of their hit “Girl Crush,” and more, there was something for fans all across the spectrum to enjoy. And then there were the tributes—the Eagles taking the stage with Jackson Browne to perform “Take It Easy” in honour of Glenn Frey, and Lady Gaga’s medley of David Bowie hits.
One of the
more unexpected moments came late in the show when Alice Cooper took the stage
with a band of familiar faces. Introduced by Dave Grohl of the Foo
Fighters, they first played an original song, then faded it into a cover of
“Ace of Spades” in tribute to Motorhead’s
Lemmy Kilmister. They did so with a brand of straightforward rock sound that
was absent from the rest of the show and, indeed, has seemingly gone missing
from the music world’s consciousness as other forms of pop music have come to
the forefront.
The band is
called the Hollywood Vampires, and this wasn’t just a one-off performance. A
tribute in themselves to Cooper’s famous drinking buddies of the ‘70s, they
formed in 2015 with principal members Joe Perry and Johnny Depp joining the
singer. Their debut
album featured contributions from such luminaries as Grohl,
Joe
Walsh, Sir
Paul McCartney, and the late Christopher
Lee. And while not technically full members of the band, they’ve frequently
been joined, as they were on Monday night, by Guns
N’ Roses associates Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum.
And of
course, to score such an incredible list of collaborators, the supergroup’s
actual members are pretty famous in their own right. Alice
Cooper, of course, just finished up a supporting stint on Motley
Crue’s final tour. He’s been at the forefront of the rock n’ roll business
for decades. The same can be said of Joe
Perry, lead guitarist for Aerosmith
since 1970. The third member is something of a surprise, as Johnny
Depp is known for his acting career, but it turns out he has some serious
musical chops as well.
The
Hollywood Vampires only have one album for now, but Cooper recently reported
that he’s working on a follow-up, as well as perhaps a live album, as the band
gets ready for its summer concert schedule. Make sure you have it on your
shelves, as well as music from the band’s members, collaborators, and other
similar acts to satisfy your rock-loving patrons as this style of music tries
to regain its foothold in popular culture.
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