Alice Cooper has wasted no time finding cover for Nita Strauss while she takes maternity leave — and the replacement he’s landed is a 22-year-old shredder from Newcastle, England named Anna Cara.
Cara makes her live debut with Cooper tonight (04/02) at the first of three special “Welcome To Our Nightmare” shows in Las Vegas, a collaboration with illusionist Criss Angel running through 04/04 at his theatre inside Planet Hollywood.
From there, she’ll be out on Cooper‘s U.S. “Alice’s Attic” tour from 04/14 through 05/09, followed by a return to Las Vegas for three more Criss Angel dates (05/22-24) and a European leg running 06/13 through 07/12.
Before landing one of the most high-profile guitar gigs in rock, Cara had already built her résumé working alongside Marc Storace of Krokus and Tommy Henriksen — a guitarist who pulls double duty with both Cooper‘s touring band and Hollywood Vampires. She’s also developed a following through her Instagram videos.
Strauss, who has been with Cooper since 2014 — when she stepped in for Orianthi ahead of a mammoth Mötley Crüe tour after being recommended by Kip Winger — was the one who put Cara‘s name forward in the first place.
Cooper said: “Nita found a brilliant British female guitarist to fill in for her while she is on maternity leave. Anna Cara is a beautiful, dynamic shredder in the vein of Nita but with a style of her own. She will fit in with our gang perfectly while Nita is away and we can’t wait for the sick things to meet her. Welcome to the show, Anna!”
Strauss added: “When I was asked in an interview who I thought was the best up-and-coming guitarist, I had no hesitation in answering ‘Anna Cara.’ Anna‘s precision and soulful, emotional playing will make her an amazing asset to the Cooper tour! Working with Alice for 12 years has been the experience of a lifetime, and I look forward to seeing you all back on the road (with a +1 along for the ride!) Until that time comes, I know that the show is in good hands and the fans are in for a treat!”
Cara herself described the opportunity in straightforward terms: “This is like a dream come true, to join Alice and his great band. Back when I started playing guitar at 14, I was watching Alice Cooper live shows on YouTube, dreaming of joining one day! Nita Strauss is a tough act to follow, and she’s been so encouraging to me this past month, so I am looking forward to showing everyone who I am and what I can do.”
