Alice Cooper. Johnny Depp. Joe Perry. And then Ronnie bloody Wood wanders out.
Because apparently Hollywood Vampires decided their first gig in more than three years wasnโt already packed with enough rock โnโ roll royalty. ๐ค
The supergroup officially returned to the stage at The O2 Arena in London on Wednesday, 12 August 2026, launching their latest European tour with a monster set packed with Hollywood Vampires originals, Alice Cooper classics, Aerosmith favourites and covers honouring some of rockโs fallen legends.
Then came the encore.
And London got a surprise guest with a CV roughly the size of the Severn Bridge.
Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood joined Hollywood Vampires onstage.
Absolute scenes, butt. ๐ธ๐ฅ
๐ง THE VAMPIRES HAVE RISEN AGAIN
Hollywood Vampires are built around the frankly ridiculous combination of Alice Cooper, Johnny Depp, Joe Perry and Tommy Henriksen, with the band originally created as a celebration of the rock stars who frequented the legendary Hollywood drinking scene surrounding Cooper in the 1970s.
Their live shows have subsequently become enormous celebrations of rock history.
And after more than three years away from the stage, London was where the coffins finally opened again.
The band kicked things off with โI Want My Nowโ, taken from 2019โs Rise, before diving headfirst into a set that bounced between their own material and songs connected to the musical worlds of Cooper, Perry and their heroes.
There was Bowie.
There was The Doors.
There was Aerosmith.
There was Alice Cooper.
Basically, imagine somebody gave a rock fan control of the jukebox after six pints.
๐ธ AND THEN RONNIE WOOD APPEAREDโฆ
Just when the audience thought theyโd had enough legends for one evening, Hollywood Vampires returned for their encore.
And they brought a mate.
Ronnie Wood.
The Rolling Stones guitarist joined the band for โBrown Sugarโ, bringing a rather significant chunk of genuine Stones DNA onto The O2 stage.
Wood then remained with the Vampires for โTrain Kept A-Rollinโโ, the old blues/R&B standard that became part of rock folklore through versions by The Yardbirds and Aerosmith.
So there youโve got:
Alice Cooper.
Joe Perry.
Johnny Depp.
Tommy Henriksen.
Ronnie Wood.
All sharing a stage.
Somewhere, a guitar shop spontaneously combusted.
๐ฅ๐ธ๐ฅ
๐ค NOT RONNIEโS FIRST NIGHT WITH THE VAMPIRES
Interestingly, Woodโs appearance wasnโt his first encounter with Hollywood Vampires.
Back in July 2023, Ronnie also joined the band at The O2 during their previous tour, appearing during a tribute to the late Jeff Beck before playing โTrain Kept A-Rollinโโ with them.
Johnny Depp had been particularly close to Beck and toured with the legendary guitarist during the final years of Beckโs life.
So when Ronnie appeared again three years later, there was a lovely bit of rock โnโ roll history repeating itself.
Except this time there was a Stones tune thrown into the bargain.
Tidy. ๐ค
๐ถ HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES โ THE O2 LONDON SETLIST
The London audience got one hell of a comeback set, with the show featuring originals alongside songs associated with Aerosmith, Alice Cooper and some of the musicians Hollywood Vampires have long celebrated.
The set included:
- I Want My Now
- Raise the Dead
- Iโm Eighteen
- Five to One / Break On Through (To the Other Side)
- The Boogieman Surprise
- My Dead Drunk Friends
- You Canโt Put Your Arms Around a Memory
- Baba OโRiley
- Whoโs Laughing Now
- People Who Died
- The Death and Resurrection Show
- Bright Light Fright
- The Jack
- Heroes
- Walk This Way
- The Train Kept A-Rollinโ
The performance also included additional material across the night, with reports highlighting โRoadhouse Bluesโ, โLivinโ on the Edgeโ and the encore appearance from Ronnie Wood.
And letโs be fairโฆ
When your setlist can jump from Bowie to Aerosmith to The Who to Alice Cooper without anyone questioning it, youโve basically unlocked the cheat codes for classic rock.
๐ MORE THAN JUST A SUPERGROUP
Hollywood Vampires have always been slightly different from the usual celebrity supergroup.
Yes, having Johnny Depp in the band generates enormous mainstream attention.
Yes, having Alice Cooper fronting proceedings gives you one of the greatest showmen rock music has ever produced.
And yes, having Aerosmithโs Joe Perry casually standing there with a guitar is borderline ridiculous.
But underneath all that star power is something surprisingly sincere.
Hollywood Vampires are essentially a gigantic, loud, distorted love letter to rock โnโ roll history.
The bandโs name itself dates back to Cooperโs infamous Hollywood drinking club of the 1970s, whose orbit included some of the biggest characters in music.
The modern Vampires took that spirit and turned it into something considerably healthier: celebrating the musicians, songs and friendships that shaped generations of rock.
Which means their gigs can feel somewhere between a concert, a tribute show and the worldโs most expensive jam session.
And you never quite know who might walk onto the stage.
London just proved that again.
๐งโโ๏ธ THREE YEARS AWAY? YOU WOULDNโT KNOW IT
Perhaps the biggest takeaway from The O2 wasnโt even the surprise guest.
Hollywood Vampires hadnโt played a full concert together for more than three years.
Thatโs a serious gap.
But rather than easing themselves back into things with a quiet little warm-up somewhere, they went:
โNah. The O2 will do.โ
๐๐ค
And judging by the scale of the set, there wasnโt much rust being shaken off.
This was Hollywood Vampires doing exactly what Hollywood Vampires do best โ turning rock history into one enormous live celebration.
๐ฌ๐ง AND NOWโฆ CARDIFF!
Now hereโs the bit that gets The Riff Report newsroom properly excited.
Because after waking the Vampires in London, the tour heads west.
Hollywood Vampires play Cardiff Castle on Friday, 14 August 2026.
Yes mun.
CARDIFF. BLOODY. CASTLE.
๐ฐ๐งโโ๏ธ๐ฅ๐ธ
Alice Cooper performing underneath the walls of Cardiff Castle already sounds like somebody accidentally booked a heavy metal Dracula convention.
Throw Johnny Depp and Joe Perry into the equation and weโre officially entering ridiculous territory.
And after Ronnie Wood appeared during the London opener?
Wellโฆ
Weโre not saying Cardiff should expect another surprise guest.
Weโre just saying weโre now suspicious of absolutely everyone standing near the side of the stage carrying a guitar case.
๐
๐ธ ROCK โNโ ROLL REFUSES TO DIE
Thereโs something wonderfully old-school about Hollywood Vampires.
No complicated concept required.
No thirty-minute explanation about what genre they belong to.
Itโs famous musicians getting together and playing songs they bloody love.
And sometimes Ronnie Wood from The Rolling Stones turns up.
Thatโs rock โnโ roll.
After three years away, Hollywood Vampires couldnโt have asked for a more fitting return.
London got Alice Cooper.
London got Johnny Depp.
London got Joe Perry.
And then London got Ronnie Wood casually strolling into the encore to remind everyone that rock history isnโt something sitting behind glass in a museum.
Itโs still happening.
And now the Vampires are loose again.
Lock up the pubs.
Hide the garlic.
And somebody warn Cardiff Castle.
The Hollywood Vampires are back. ๐งโโ๏ธ๐ฅ๐ค
๐ธ THE RIFF REPORT
For more rock and metal news, tour madness, gig reviews and questionable decisions involving very loud amplifiers, stick with The Riff Report.
Proudly Welsh. Proudly Loud. Zero Apologies. ๐๐ค๐ฅ
