The Alice Cooper Group: Hofstra University Concert (1972)

Alice Cooper Group
Nov 2, 1972
2 min read

Cooper's Campus Shock Therapy

The Alice Cooper Group’s live performance at Hofstra University, was held on November 2, 1972, in Hempstead, New York, USA. This high-energy show, featuring the band’s theatrical shock rock antics, took place during their tour supporting the album School's Out. With Alice Cooper (vocals), Glen Buxton (guitar), Michael Bruce (guitar/keyboards), Dennis Dunaway (bass), and Neal Smith (drums), the setlist included hits like “School’s Out” and “I’m Eighteen,” captivating the university crowd. It was broadcast on November 24, as part of The ABC In Concert series, and included the "Gutter Cat" fight scene and the "Killer" Hanging scene.

ABC kicked off its first In Concert, pre-empting the Dick Cavett Show, featuring performances taped a few weeks earlier at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York. On the bill was the Senior General of Rock, Bo Diddley, acoustic duo Seals and Croft, R&B man Curtis Mayfield and for the opening act, The Alice Cooper Group.

Rock fans in Cincinnati, however, didn't get to see beyond the first few minutes of Alice's violent theatrics. Lawrence H. Rogers II was so mortified by what he saw that he ordered the ABC affiliate he owned, WKRC-TV Channel 12, to yank the show off the air immediately. Channel 12's decision to protect its viewers was responded to within minutes with a phoned-in bomb threat and several carloads of youths picketing the station. Some 4,000 letters of protest, many profane, poured in over the next few days, the biggest mail load that station officials could remember.

Station manager Ro Grignon told TV Guide that he wasn't opposed to rock concerts. "In fact, we think they're going to be a smashing success. We simply found Alice Cooper a little tense."

Meanwhile, the ABC affiliate in Kingsport, Tennessee complained to the network about the performance but ran it nonetheless. WPVI-TV Channel 6 in Philadelphia ran the show on tape delay at 1:30 a.m. Channel 12 in Cincinnati later televised an edited version of the show, sans Alice, to give viewers a chance to enjoy the other, less offensive acts that were on the show. The next In Concert show was sent to affiliate managers via closed-circuit for approval before broadcast

Concert Overview

Event Details:

Date: November 2, 1972.

Venue: Hofstra University Gymnasium, Hempstead, New York, USA.

Capacity: Approximately 5,000 (university gymnasium).

Notes: Part of the School's Out tour, shortly after the album’s July 1972 release.

The songs broadcast were:

Eighteen

Gutter Cat V The Jets

Killer

School's out

The lineup was Alice Cooper (vocals), Glen Buxton (guitar), Michael Bruce (guitar/keyboards), Dennis Dunaway (bass), and Neal Smith (drums).