Nita Strauss Makes a Fiery Return to Alice Cooper’s Stage, Surprised by a Snake Encounter!
Nita Strauss has made her triumphant comeback as the lead guitarist for Alice Cooper’s legendary band, receiving an enthusiastic greeting from an unexpected source: the band’s resident snake.
After stepping away from the group due to scheduling clashes with her solo performances, Strauss saw Orianthi rejoin the band for a nostalgic stint. However, a hip injury sidelined Orianthi, leading to the last-minute addition of former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke.
Strauss concluded her solo tour in Houston, Texas, on March 8 and rejoined the shock rock icon’s ensemble on March 22 at the Wild Horse Pass Stadium in chandler, Arizona.
It appears that Cooper’s boa constrictor was particularly excited about her return, as Strauss humorously shared, “It licked me!” in an Instagram post celebrating her comeback.
The amusing incident, captured in a video shared by Strauss, occurred during a rehearsal of the 1991 classic Snakebite. Demonstrating her professionalism, she remained unfazed by the snake’s affectionate gesture—a gentle lick on the nose—while continuing to play her part flawlessly.
In the video, she can be seen mouthing something and gesturing to her face as she walks off stage, effortlessly strumming power chords with her left hand while processing the unexpected encounter.
Cooper’s touring crew manages several snakes, carefully coordinating their feeding schedules to avoid any mishaps during performances—after all, you wouldn’t want a hungry snake on stage in front of thousands of fans!
Over the years, Alice Cooper has owned a variety of snakes, including Lady Macbeth, Count Strangula, and Julius Squeezer. Tragically, Julius passed away after being bitten by a rat that was meant to be his meal, while another snake, a 12-foot-long creature named Yvonne, famously escaped down a hotel toilet in Knoxville, Tennessee.
“I placed her in the bathtub overnight as she loved to swim, but by morning, she had vanished down the toilet,” Alice recalled in an interview with MOJO. “She eventually resurfaced two weeks later in a different bathroom, having survived on sewer rats in the plumbing.”
In a twist of fate, Yvonne reappeared in the bathroom of country music legend Charley Pride, whose breakout hit was titled Snakes Crawl At Midnight.
In other news, Strauss recently discussed the influential female guitarist who inspired her musical journey and named a Scandinavian metal band as her “Beatles” while reflecting on five life-changing riffs.
Meanwhile, orianthi is on the mend from her injury and recently performed at a benefit concert, where she joined forces with two generations of Bon Jovi guitarists, Richie Sambora and Phil X, to play Livin’ on a Prayer.
Alice Cooper is set to hit the road again in May, gearing up for a busy summer tour across the United States and Europe.
