Joe Perry was 'not ready' for Hollywood Vampires touring pace

Alice Cooper and Joe Perry
Alice Cooper and Joe Perry (Image credit: Getty)

Joe Perry was “not ready” for Hollywood Vampires’ physically demanding touring schedule which led him to collapse onstage last month, Alice Cooper says.

The Aerosmith guitarist was stretchered to hospital from the stage at Coney Island in New York after being seen to struggle during the concert, then staggering off before collapsing behind the scenes.

Cooper tells Rolling Stone: “It scared the hell out of me. The lyrics to Raise the Dead, the first song we played that night, go, ‘Cardiac, heart attack, they never feared the reaper,’ and I look around the stage and he’s gone.

“He was lying behind an amp on his back, and I went, ‘Oh, my God.’ We didn’t know what happened until after the show.”

“Aerosmith does two shows a week, but we were on our eighth show in nine days, and I’m used to working like that. I’m used to working an hour and 40 minutes or two hours, five nights a week.

“I was in shape and so was Johnny and everybody else. I think Joe was not ready for that kind of pace.”

Cooper says the band perform 25-30 songs without a break and little rest between shows, leaving Perry “dehydrated” and “exhausted.” He says the guitarist told him he hadn’t eaten in two days.

He adds: “I think it just finally got to him. It was not a heart attack – it was pure exhaustion. They checked his heart and said his heart was actually very strong.”

Perry took two weeks off to recover on doctor’s orders before returning to the stage with Hollywood Vampires.

Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler previously expressed concern over his bandmate’s health, hinting that the Hollywood Vampires were being “overbooked.” Aerosmith have a run of South American dates scheduled over the coming months.

Hollywood Vampires tour dates 2016

Sep 17: Del Mar Kaaboo Festival, CA
Sep 29: Cundinamarca Parque Simon Bolivar, CA
Oct 02: Santiago Movistar Arena, Chile
Oct 05: Chateau Carreras Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes, Argentina
Oct 08: Buenos Aires La Plata, Argentina
Oct 11: Rio Porto Alegre, Brazil
Oct 15: Sao Paulo Allianz Parque, Brazil
Oct 18: Santa Cruz Estadio Ramon Tahuichi Aguilera, Bolivia
Oct 21: Chevrolet Hall State Of Pernaumbuco, Brazil
Oct 24: Lima District Estadio Nacional, Peru
Oct 27: Mexico City Arena Ciudad, Mexico

Hollywood Vampires: the unlikeliest, soberest supergroup ever?

Former TeamRock news desk member Christina joined our team in late 2015, and although her time working on online rock news was fairly brief, she made a huge impact by contributing close to 1500 stories. Christina also interviewed artists including Deftones frontman Chino Moreno and worked at the Download festival. In late 2016, Christina left rock journalism to pursue a career in current affairs. In 2021, she was named Local Weekly Feature Writer of the Year at the Scottish Press Awards.

Latest in
A close-up shot of the Marshall Major IV on-ear headphones on a turquoise, blue and black background.
I’ve never seen the Marshall Major IV headphones this cheap before - get them for half price in Amazon’s big spring sale
Evanescence in 2025
Evanescence release new song Afterlife from Devil May Cry TV series soundtrack, have their next album in the works
Tony Banks
“You only have to hear the opening sweep to reach for your lighter and wave it in the air”: Tony Banks' greatest Genesis moments
The Horrors
Ghouls Aloud: The Horrors come back from the dead with "a dazzling nocturnal spectacle of sombre reflections and oozing catharsis"
Bruce Dickinson in 2024 and a painting of William Blake in 1759
“This deluxe edition contains actual soil from the grave of William Blake”: Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson is releasing a comic book compilation with dirt from the resting place of one of England’s most famous poets
Steven Wilson in 2015 and Playboi Carti in 2025
“I’ve been touring around indie record stores, and I’ve yet to meet anyone who’s even heard of Playboi Carti”: Steven Wilson comments on chart battle with superstar rapper
Latest in News
A close-up shot of the Marshall Major IV on-ear headphones on a turquoise, blue and black background.
I’ve never seen the Marshall Major IV headphones this cheap before - get them for half price in Amazon’s big spring sale
Evanescence in 2025
Evanescence release new song Afterlife from Devil May Cry TV series soundtrack, have their next album in the works
Bruce Dickinson in 2024 and a painting of William Blake in 1759
“This deluxe edition contains actual soil from the grave of William Blake”: Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson is releasing a comic book compilation with dirt from the resting place of one of England’s most famous poets
Steven Wilson in 2015 and Playboi Carti in 2025
“I’ve been touring around indie record stores, and I’ve yet to meet anyone who’s even heard of Playboi Carti”: Steven Wilson comments on chart battle with superstar rapper
Hayley Williams performing with Paramore in 2024 and Chino Moreno performing with Deftones in 2024
Watch Paramore’s Hayley Williams join Deftones to sing Minerva in Nashville
Gong
Daevid Allen's final album with Gong to be reissued