ALICE COOPER Guitarist NITA STRAUSS: 'ALICE Is A True Professional, True Performer In Every Sense Of The Word'

THE IRON MAIDENS guitarist Nita Strauss, who recently joined Alice Cooper's touring band, was, spoke to NI Rocks about the actual experience of performing with the legendary rocker. "There's definitely a lot going on," she said. "There's a lot going on visually and a lot going on musically. You definitely as a guitar player in a three-guitar lineup have to be mindful of what you're playing, not to make extra string noise and stuff like that. You really have to be mindful of what everyone else is playing and also where everybody else is on stage. There's a lot of people on that stage and a lot of props. Pretty sharp swords and guillotines! I know Tommy [Henriksen, guitar] got cut by the sword once. There's a lot going on, for sure! There's a lot going on from the audience perspective, but there's even more going on from the musicians' perspective."

Strauss also talked about Alice's dedication to his fans. She said: "Alice is a true professional, true performer in every sense of the word. The man is a legend. I have never seen him have a bad show, and that's the honest truth. Like you said, he always gives everything he's got. He leaves it all on stage. Even off stage, he's really amazing with his fans. He's definitely passionate about what he does and is really amazing with the fans; even if someone interrupts him when he is having a meal or is busy with his wife Sheryl, who's on the tour with us, he always takes time to greet the fans, take pictures, answer questions and re-enact the 'Wayne's World' scene where they say 'we're not worthy.' [laughs] He always takes time for everybody."

Cooper kicked off his summer run with three shows in Michigan in June before joining MÖTLEY CRÜE's final tour as a very special guest on July 2, running through late November. The trek marks the debut of Strauss, who was recently ranked #1 on Guitar World's list of "10 Female Guitar Players You Should Know." She takes the place of Orianthi, who toured with Alice for a few years.

Strauss, a longtime Ibanez signature series endorsee who made her name with THE IRON MAIDENS, FEMME FATALE and LA Kiss, has joined the rest of Cooper's band — guitarists Ryan Roxie and Tommy Henriksen, plus bassist Chuck Garric and drummer Glen Sobel.