Rob Zombie welcomed back bassist Rob “Blasko” Nicholson for his first show with the band in 18 years, kicking off a co-headlining tour with Alice Cooper.
Blasko made his return on Tuesday (Aug. 20) as the tour kicked off with a show at Isleta Amphitheatre in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In a repeat of last year's “Freaks on Parade” tour, Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper will be on the road with Ministry and Filter through mid-September (get tickets here).
Get tickets for Rob Zombie here
Rob Zombie's 15-song set included many songs from Blasko's era with the band, including four songs from 1998. Hellbilly Deluxe (“Dragula” closed the set) and three songs from the 2001 album The sinister impulseThere were also some obligatory White Zombie selections (“More Human Than Human,” “Super-Charger Heaven” and “Thunder Kiss '65”). Just before the show, Zombie posted a photo of himself and Blasko on Instagram, writing, “15 minutes 'til ZOMBIE. Albuquerque, get ready!”
Blasko, who left Zombie in 2006 to join Ozzy Osbourne's band, returned to the band after bassist Matt “Piggy D.” Montgomery parted ways with Zombie in January. Hours after the news broke, it was announced that Blasko would be the replacement.
A year earlier, Zombie had lost guitarist John 5, who left for Mötley Crüe. He was replaced by Mike Riggs, who had been in the band with Blasko in the late 90s and early 2000s.
Meanwhile, Alice Cooper saw the return of his faithful live guitarist Nita Strauss last year. His 16-song set in Albuquerque spanned much of his career, playing songs from eight different albums, including hits like “No More Mr. Nice Guy,” “Elected” (he is running for president again, after all), and set-closer “School’s Out.” With the recent release of the 50th anniversary reissue of Billion Dollar BabiesIt was no surprise that he played more songs from that LP than any other.
Below you can see fan footage and check out Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper's setlists, as well as Zombie and Blasko's Instagram photo backstage.
Rob Zombie Tracklist:
Demon speeding up
Super-Charger Heaven (WHITE ZOMBIE Song)
I feel so numb
Well, everyone is fucking in a UFO
What is hidden in Channel X?
Superbeast
The Lords of Salem
The Triumph of the Freak King (A Crypt of Preservation and Superstition)
I'm never gonna stop (The Red, Red Kroovy)
Dead City Radio and the new gods of Supertown
The Satanic Rites of Blacula
More human than human (WHITE ZOMBIE song)
Living dead girl
Thunder Kiss '65 (WHITE ZOMBIE Song)
Dragula
Alice Cooper song list:
Lock me up
No more Mr. Good Boy
I am eighteen years old
Billion Dollar Babies
Hello stupid
He's back (The man behind the mask)
Snakebite
Feed my Frankenstein
Go to hell
Poison
Guitar solo (Nita Strauss)
Black Widow Jam
The Ballad of Dwight Fry
I love the dead
Elected
School is out
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