Ah, dear Alice Cooper. The professional wrestler of shock and glam rock. The man whose joke we all get and yet who we love all the same; perhaps even more.

It's been around 40 years and 20 studio albums since Vincent Furnier turned his back on the band 'Furnier' and sought a new direction. Inspired by the horror film genre, Cooper carved out a bloody niche as a highly theatrical shock rocker with a very dark sense of humour. He emerged as a charismatic frontman, splattering the audience with a selection of incredibly catchy heavy metal missives that pushed their way onto major network radio and music television worldwide.

Coupled with his compelling horror shtick, songs like School's Out, No More Mr Nice Guy, Only Women Bleed and Poison (a No 2 hit in the UK) helped turn Alice Cooper from a D-list curio into the real deal, revered by his peers and loved by a wide audience. From the outset, Cooper saw himself as an actor and has accumulated credits in dozens of films; from the bloody Nightmare on Elm Street series to The Muppet Show. This is Cooper's legacy - he's the bloodsucking rock vampire you'd happily introduce to your kids. And you'll get the chance to do exactly that later this year.

The seven-night Halloween Night of Fear III tour begins at the Cardiff Motorpoint Arena on 24th October, followed by shows in Wolverhampton, Bournemouth, London, Nottingham, Edinburgh and finally Sheffield on 1st November. The London gig is at Wembley Arena on 28th October and the Scottish capital gets the maximum fear, welcoming Alice on Halloween itself.

An impressive supporting cast has been announced in the shape of former Guns N'Roses bassist Duff McKagan's Loaded and Californian rockers Ugly Kid Joe who reformed in 2010.

We have tickets available now, priced from £36. Alice Cooper also plays the Bloodstock Open Air Festival 2012 in August - we have tickets available now (see below).