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 (August 20th) when the trek commenced with a gig at the Isleta Amphitheater in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In a repeat of last year’s “Freaks on Parade Tour,” Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper are on the road with Ministry and Filter through mid-September (get tickets here).
Rob Zombie’s 15-song set included many songs from Blasko’s era of the band, including four songs from 1998’s Hellbilly Deluxe (“Dragula” closed the set) and three songs from 2001’s The Sinister Urge. There were also some obligatory White Zombie selections (“More Human Than Human,” “Super-Charger Heaven,” and “Thunder Kiss ’65”). Right before the set, Zombie posted a photo of himself and Blasko in Instagram, writing, “15 minutes until ZOMBIE. Albuquerque get ready!”
Blasko, who left Zombie in 2006 to join Ozzy Osbourne’s band, came back into the fold after bassist Matt “Piggy D.” Montgomery parted ways with Zombie in January. Hours after the news broke, Blasko was announced as the replacement.
A year prior, Zombie had lost guitarist John 5 to Mötley Crüe. He was replaced by Mike Riggs, who was previously in the band with Blasko back in the late ’90s and early 2000s.
Meanwhile, Alice Cooper saw the return of his trusty live guitarist Nita Strauss last year. His 16-song set in Albuquerque spanned much of his career, hitting 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 Babies, it was no surprise he played more songs from that LP than any other.
Below you can watch fan footage and see Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper’s setlists, as well as the Instagram photo of Zombie and Blasko backstage.
Rob Zombie Setlist:
Demon Speeding
Super-Charger Heaven (WHITE ZOMBIE song)
Feel So Numb
Well, Everybody’s Fucking In A U.F.O.
What Lurks On Channel X?
Superbeast
The Lords Of Salem
The Triumph Of King Freak (A Crypt Of Preservation And Superstition)
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 Setlist:
Lock Me Up
No More Mr. Nice Guy
I’m Eighteen
Billion Dollar Babies
Hey Stoopid
He’s Back (The Man Behind The Mask)
Snakebite
Feed My Frankenstein
Go to Hell
Poison
Guitar Solo (Nita Strauss)
Black Widow Jam
Ballad of Dwight Fry
I Love the Dead
Elected
School’s Out