Nita Strauss appeared on Khou 11 for a new interview and recalled almost turning down a gig with Alice Cooper. Talking about her work with the rocker, the guitarist praised Cooper and said:
“I think of him as a mentor and a friend as well as somebody I get to work with, so I feel very blessed.”
Apparently, Strauss almost declined the offer since she was already busy with other gigs. After she got the call for the offer, one thing changed her mind. She revealed:
“I had two weeks [to learn the songs,] and I had other gigs that I had to sub out. So when I initially got the call saying, ‘Hey, are you available for a summer tour?’ I was like, ‘Well, not really, I’ve got some other stuff, but what’s the tour?’ They said it’s Alice Cooper opening for Mötley Crüe. I was like, ‘Totally available! No plans at all. Fancy freak. Give him my number, let’s do this thing.’ I had to figure out how to get someone to cover my other gigs that I had going on.”
Pressure Causes Strauss to Work Better
Following the conversation, Strauss shared the place of pressure in her work and how it actually helps her to do better work. After taking the deal, the rocker had no longer than two weeks to learn the songs, which eventually she achieved to do so to be a part of the gig. She said of working under pressure:
“I think pressure makes diamonds. You do your best work at times when you’re able to just buckle down and say, ‘Look, I have two weeks and I’m going to be playing these songs in stadiums in front of people.’ So you get it done or you don’t, and I’m glad I got it done.”
Her Work With Alice Cooper
Despite not having much time to learn everything for the summer tour with Alice Cooper, the guitarist finished the tour and ultimately stuck to him. Now, the two have been working with each other since 2014, nearly a decade. Strauss refers to her work with Alice Cooper as one of her most proud moments, and getting to shine in a different way has been ‘legendary.’
Along with her work with Cooper, the guitarist worked with Demi Lovato for several months and returned later to tour with the Alice Cooper band. Comparing the two musicians, Strauss made it clear that she would not have to ‘choose anyone anytime soon.’
