Manchester International Film Festival 2020: Part III
Saturday March 14th
Charles Edmonds showed up with our old friend, Brigs Jones. Brigs and I had a cup of tea while Charles ran over our plans for the day. Brigs is a gentlemanly soul, known for his positive and prolific literary skills on social media. His poetic eloquence rings of centuries past, and he loves the Pretties For You¹ album – go figure!
Chris Penn of Good Records² in Dallas had shipped Live From The Astroturf³ items to Brigs, which Brigs had received and brought along with him from his home in Devon in southwest UK – near Charles’ home.
A busy production line began as Cindy and I signed the items for the people that had purchased tickets for the screening. The idea was to facilitate social distancing by giving our pre-signed items rather than signing everything up close in person. Plus Charles would mail items to the ticket buyers that had stayed home due to virus concerns. Their unused tickets would be handed out to whoever wanted one.
That afternoon, Charles met Cindy & I at the Odeon Great Northern⁴ for the red-carpet interview. Other than a few staff people, the film festival was isolated. They said many films hadn’t even screened due to lack of attendance.
Later that evening at 7:45 as scheduled, we walked into the theater lobby filled with one of my favorite smells, popcorn! So far, social distancing had been easy, even as a few people came up to say hi to Cindy & I. We bought concessions and then Charles announced our arrival as we entered the theater. There were about fifty people in attendance, and they gave us a warm welcome. People were excited to be there, and we were happy they made the trip out.
The screen was large and the sound was loud enough to make it feel like the band was actually playing in the room. The worries of the world were temporarily forgotten.
Cindy and I weren’t there just to see the film again. We were there to show that we appreciate our fans, and also in hopes that our presence will raise awareness and therefore help get this film out to as many people as possible. Live From The Astroturf, Alice Cooper isn’t just a feel good film, it captures a historical reunion. And because Chris Penn had helped us raise the funds for the Cold Cold Coffin⁵ Rock Cinema, we were more than happy to help him with this team effort. And let’s face it: Cindy and I have the “Show Must Go On” gene!
There’s yet another incentive: The film is actually a documentary about a book-signing event for my book, Snakes! Guillotines! Electric Chairs! My Adventures In The Alice Cooper Group⁶. Every time the film screens, I see a bump in book sales. For me, it’s not all about recouping investments and making a buck, though; It’s mostly about sharing the history of the original group. But there were no fresh recruits here - this theater was full of knowledgeable hardcore fans.
Cindy and I have seen the film a dozen times of course, but thanks to the great editing it always has a fresh new feel. The funny parts still made us laugh, and the sound still seemed surprisingly live. I’ve never heard Neal’s drums so pronounced in a mix! And his playing was as solid as ever.
After the final credits rolled, Cindy and I made our way down to the front of the room to field questions, and to humbly listen to heartfelt testimonies about how much our music means to various individuals. Of course, that makes us very proud of what we did, and still do, but it mostly reflects how the arts are life’s true treasure.
Cindy explained how she made the costumes and how she considered herself part of the team. She explained how Michael, Neal, Alice, Glen, and I focused on the music, and that guided the stage concepts, and how she took that into consideration as she created the Alice Cooper stage costumes. She also officially announced that she is writing her own book!
As we spilled back out into the lobby, Charles was determined to maintain social distancing. Yes, he had already handed out the pre-signed items to everyone, but this was like family, so politeness and habit found us all in semi-close proximity. It was a special gathering.
It was dark by the time we got back to the hotel. The nearby grocery store was closed, so we walked a couple of blocks to another one. As we stood ready to check out, a loud scuffle erupted between the security cop and a guy that apparently was trying to swipe something. While that distraction was in full swing, several tall guys in military masks came in and quickly grabbed armloads of food and booze and split.
Cindy and I recognized the old gang distraction/theft routine. We’re not only (pretty much) New Yorkers, we had owned our own retail store, so we didn’t flinch. Charles, coming from a quiet town, was a bit shaken, so we calmed him as we walked back to our hotel.
One of the many wonderful things about the UK is the absence of guns. The cops don’t carry them and usually criminals don’t either. It seems so much more civilized.
When we got back to our hotel lobby, we thanked Charles and said good night. His hotel was a block away. Despite the ruckus, all in all, it was, as Cindy said, a “brill” day!
Despite the mayhem at the end of our day, the thrill of the screening we’d been long awaiting still had us abuzz! It was a success, and we looked forward to the fun the remainder of our stay would undoubtedly provide.
Next week, the exciting conclusion of the Manchester Film Festival⁷ adventure!