[Susan Foreman]

Tour related newspaper stories and interviews #1

No more Mr Nice Guy as Aberdeen bus driver dresses up as Alice Cooper | Aberdeen Evening Express

"Bus passengers in Aberdeen were stunned when they were greeted by a rock legend at the wheel.

Stagecoach driver Mark Goodall, 29, decided to dress up as his hero Alice Cooper to mark the music icon’s concert in Aberdeen.

Cooper is set to perform at P&J Live tonight – his first visit to the north-east.

And Mark, from Torry, who will be attending the gig, said he wanted to have some fun with his passengers.

He got into costume for his shift on the 727 service between Union Square and Aberdeen International Airport yesterday.

He said: “There’s no real reason for dressing up other than wanting to have a bit of fun. The shows have a bit of a theatrical side to them and I like getting involved in that.

“I’m going to the concert in my costume and I thought it would be fun to dress up for work too. I normally have a bit of a laugh and a joke with the passengers.”

Alice Cooper

Music fan Mark has attended numerous concerts over the years – but this evening’s gig will be the first time he has seen Alice Cooper live.

He admitted it would be second time lucky after missing out on seeing the icon perform by a matter of minutes at a festival.

He said: “I have been a fan for about 19 years and I was around 10 years old when I went to my first gig. Since then I’ve been to thousands of gigs – but it will be the first time I’ve seen Alice Cooper.

“I had the chance to see him play at Download Festival in 2011 but I missed out as I was too late getting there.

“Ever since then I have been desperate to see him and it’s amazing that it’s going to be here.

“It’s nice to be able to welcome him to Aberdeen.

“I’m really excited. My dad Frank is going with me and we both can’t wait. It’s been 19 years of waiting.”

As part of its link-up with the venue, the bus company is operating regular shuttle services to and from the city centre before and after the concert.

Service PJ1 operates every 10 minutes from Union Square, with the first departing at 5.30pm and the last leaving at 7.20pm.

After the concert, buses will run regularly from 11pm until the venue is cleared.

Kirsty Jarvie, marketing administrator for Stagecoach, said: “From a Stagecoach perspective, we have shuttle buses to P&J Live running from Union Square and we want to create a little bit of a buzz around the gig.

“It’s only our second time doing it and we want it to be a really special atmosphere.

“It’s going to be a great event.”"