Johnny Depp Joins Alice Cooper
London’s O2 Arena shook to its bones on July 25 as Alice Cooper transformed a sold out show into an unforgettable homage to the late, great Ozzy Osbourne. Just when the night couldn’t get any louder, a surprise guest stormed the stage, Johnny Depp.
The Hollywood Vampires co-founder and screen icon strapped on his guitar and dove headfirst into the chaos as Cooper launched into Black Sabbath’s 1970 anthem, “Paranoid.” Fans erupted in screams as the duo unleashed a ferocious version of the song that practically rewrote the rulebook on heavy music.
It wasn’t just a performance; it was a resurrection. Three days after Ozzy’s passing at 76, Cooper donning an Ozzy tribute shirt raised his fist high as the final chords roared like a war cry. The moment felt less like a farewell and more like a pact: the spirit of heavy metal would never die.
A Brotherhood Forged in Rock: Cooper, Depp, and the Hollywood Vampires
For those who’ve followed the careers of Alice Cooper and Johnny Depp beyond the tabloid headlines, this wasn’t some random pairing, it was family business. The two are founding members of Hollywood Vampires, a rock supergroup formed in 2015 as a living, breathing tribute to their fallen friends from the hard partying ’70s era.
The band’s name itself nods to Cooper’s infamous drinking club of the same name, which once included legends like Keith Moon, John Lennon, and, yes, Ozzy Osbourne himself. With guitarist Joe Perry of Aerosmith rounding out the lineup, Hollywood Vampires have spent the past decade celebrating the dangerous glamour of rock and roll while injecting their own original material into the mix.
Seeing Depp join Cooper on stage for this Ozzy tribute wasn’t just a cool stunt, it was symbolic. It was a Hollywood Vampires’ mission statement made flesh. Honor the icons, keep the riffs alive, and never let the music fade into silence.
A Legacy Cast in Iron
As videos of the O2 performance flood social media, fans can’t stop talking about the raw power radiating from the stage. Cooper, now 77, remains the consummate showman, turning grief into spectacle without ever cheapening the emotion behind it. Depp, gritty, locked in, and very much a guitarist in his own right played not like an actor pretending to be a rock star, but like a man who’s been living inside the music for decades.
The timing gave the moment extra weight. Just days after losing the Prince of Darkness, two of his closest allies in chaos turned their stage into a shrine. A roaring, riff driven reminder of why Ozzy changed the game in the first place.
Ozzy may be gone, but his voice still echoes in every amp that roars and every riff that rattles bones. On this night in London, Alice and Johnny made sure it stayed that way.
Johnny Depp joins Alice Cooper on stage at London’s O2 Arena on July 25, 2025.Credit : Jim Dyson/Getty
Check out Metal Lair’s weekly feature Seven Deadly Songs