Live Review: Hollywood Vampires – Utilita Arena, Birmingham
19th August 2026
Support: The Jesus and Mary Chain
Words & Photos: Tim Finch
The Utilita Arena Birmingham was packed for an evening built around rock royalty as Hollywood Vampires brought their theatrical, hard-hitting celebration of rock ‘n’ roll history to the city.
As gloom descended upon the arena, fog pumping from the dry ice machines, The Jesus and Mary Chain opened with ‘Jamcod’, immediately establishing an atmospheric mood. Jim Reid and the band moved through ‘April Skies’, ‘Head On’ and ‘All Things Must Pass’, balancing the abrasive edge of their sound with the melodic hooks that have made them such an influential band. ‘Some Candy Talking’ provided another standout moment before Simone Marie Butler joined them for ‘Venal Joy’, adding another dimension to the performance.
The set continued with ‘Blues From a Gun’, ‘In a Hole’, ‘Cracking Up’ and ‘Between Planets’, keeping the intensity despite the band’s characteristic cool detachment. Butler returned for ‘Sometimes Always’ and ‘Just Like Honey’, both of which were warmly received, before The Jesus and Mary Chain closed with ‘Reverence’.
Hollywood Vampires wasted no time making their presence felt, opening with ‘I Want My Now’ before launching into ‘Raise the Dead’. The band immediately demonstrated the chemistry between Alice Cooper, Joe Perry, Johnny Depp and Tommy Henriksen. ‘I’m Eighteen’ brought the first major classic of the evening, followed by ‘My Dead Drunk Friends’ and ‘The Boogieman Surprise’. Rather than simply playing a greatest-hits set, the Vampires continued to dig into their own catalogue along side fielding classic from across the genre.
The covers became increasingly prominent as the set developed, with ‘Venus in Furs’ and ‘People Who Died’ both featuring Johnny Depp on lead vocals. Depp’s contribution was particularly effective on these darker, more atmospheric numbers, while Joe Perry took the microphone for Johnny Thunders’ ‘You Can’t Put Your Arms Round a Memory’. ‘Who’s Laughing Now’ then gave way to Aerosmith’s ‘Livin’ on the Edge’ and The Who’s ‘Baba O’Riley’, keeping the audience, who are fans of their their respective bands, fully engaged. Perry returned to lead ‘Bright Light Fright’, while ‘Beck’s Bolero’ provided a powerful instrumental tribute to the late Jeff Beck.
The latter stages of the main set became a full-scale celebration of rock history. The Doors ‘Roadhouse Blues’ was followed by Killing Joke’s ‘The Death and Resurrection Show’, with Depp once again taking the lead vocal. David Bowie’s ‘Heroes’ provided another emotional highlight, before Tommy Henriksen stepped forward for AC/DC’s ‘Highway to Hell’.
Aerosmith’s ‘Walk This Way’ kept the momentum building, leading into a closing combination of ‘School’s Out’ and ‘Another Brick in the Wall’. It was loud, energetic and packed with songs that the Birmingham crowd knew inside out.
There was still time for an encore, with ‘The Train Kept A-Rollin’’ bringing the band back to the stage before they closed the night with ‘Hi Ho Silver Lining’, along with a huge crowd sing along.
With Alice Cooper commanding the stage, Joe Perry delivering the guitar firepower and Depp and Henriksen stepping into the spotlight throughout the set, this was a celebration of rock history delivered with genuine energy and plenty of attitude.
Photo credits: Tim Finch
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