Hollywood Vampires will cut another album once Johnny Depp can leave his residence and sync schedules with bandmates Alice Cooper, Joe Perry, and Tommy Henriksen. The hard rock supergroup hasn’t released a record since 2019’s Rise.
“I can’t imagine there not being one,” Cooper told Classic Rock, in an interview. “But we all have demanding day jobs. And you want to try getting Johnny out of his 44-room castle.”
Joe Perry said members of the actor’s team aren’t pleased about him taking time away for music. “I can tell you that some people in his camp are not happy he’s taking a couple of months out to play music,” Perry told Classic Rock. “But when it’s time for Johnny to play guitar, he knows it’s time.”
Cooper added of Depp’s role in the band, “People are shocked that we are so good, and I can see why. It’s sorta glam and you’ve got the movie star in there.”
Perry added, “Johnny has always wanted to be in a band, and now, finally, he’s in one. After the second or third song people get over the shock of seeing Johnny Depp up there with a guitar. And it’s legit. The band really plays. And you know what? He’s a great player. “
The group features Cooper as frontman. Perry from Aerosmith plays guitar, and Tommy Henriksen plays guitar too. Depp strums guitar in the band when his acting schedule allows.
Cooper has put out 30 albums throughout his career. Aerosmith has released multiple records with Perry as a founding member.
The band will head to the UK next month for a series of shows. They kick off at London’s The O2 on Aug. 12 before moving to Cardiff Castle, Scarborough Open Air Theatre, Glasgow’s OVO Hydro, Manchester’s AO Arena, Birmingham’s Utilita Arena, Colchester Castle, and Halifax’s Piece Hall. A run of dates across Europe will follow the U.K. leg.
Cooper said creating the setlist presents the biggest challenge. The group covers songs by The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, and the Small Faces while also playing original material from their two albums.
“The thing is, I love playing songs by The Doors, Jimi, or the Small Faces, and we worked hard to really nail them as a good tribute to the bands concerned,” Cooper told Classic Rock. “And yeah, we have two albums of original songs, and songs of our own. How many albums have Aerosmith made? I’m on my thirtieth. Setlists are always the hardest part of any show.”
Tommy Henriksen handles the initial setlist creation. “Tommy really helps,” Perry told Classic Rock. “He writes a list, sends it around, and we all make suggestions.”
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