Is there anything in the world more worth seeing than a 6-foot blood-spitting, platform-booted, winged demon. A bare-chested, scream machine Starchild. A guitar-shredding Spaceman and a levitating drumming Catman?
I hoped that might grab your attention. In case you havent already guessed it, costumed rock legends – and they definitely are legends – pulled out all of the stops Wednesday night to put on a sensational stage show and set-list at Birmingham’s LG Arena.
It was always going to be tough for KISS to return to the UK and perform a gig more special than their 2008 appearance at Download Festival. However, with an all new jaw-dropping show and a list of tracks ranging from 1974 to their latest album ‘Sonic Boom’, KISS prooved once again that the veteran rockers are still the “hottest band in the world”.
Drawing in crowds from all over the UK and Europe, speaking to a few of the loyal members of the KISS Army prior to gig-time I found out that fans had covered the distance from as far as Newcastle, Plymouth, Cardiff and even Berlin to see their idols. Most donning the various tshirts from the long list of previous KISS tours, the crowds consisted of kids, plastered in the iconic face-paint, to grandads (and even some grandmas!) all with one thing in common however, to experience or relive some good-time rock’n’roll!!
No one could've been disappointed. The lights went out, the video screens showed the band leaving the dressing rooms and heading for the stage, the crowd joined in unison to finish the announcement of “You wanted the best, You got the best, The hottest band in the world… KISS!!!” and BOOM!! The stage curtain drops and our first glimpses of megastars Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley and Tommy Theyer are sights of the trio being lowered to the stage, standing on a giant metal platform! Could it be anymore extravagant!? Whilst being lowered over the top of Eric Singer perched aloft a 30-foot-something drum platform, the trio of Simmons, Stanley and Theyer are already belting out the opening riff of killer new track ‘Modern Day Delilah’ amongst a sheer blitz of pyrotechnics and smoke.
Following such an awesome entrance comes a full assault on the eyes and ears as the band bring a KISS heaven to the fans. From the moment the band touch down onto the stage, you knew you were getting some special treatment! The loud, grandiose spectacle treatment!
Its hard to describe the sheer size of the stage too. Is there nothing this band do small-scale? At the centre we have the familiar ‘KISS’ logo standing at what must be 10-feet high and 12-feet long, illuminated by hundreds of lightbulbs. Gene, Paul and Tommy are spread out across the front of the stage, each with a mic stand and an elevating platform at their disposal. Drummer Eric Singer is towered up about 30-foot above the crowd, sitting at the summit of what appears to be three rows of speakers and TV screens spread across the stage either side of the logo. The back-drop is a huge HD video screen showing the guys rocking-out through the gig, and it is huge, the biggest I have seen spanning the width of the stage nearly. Ladies and Gentleman, electricity bills will not come much larger than the one used for this show!
Hammering through a set-list that is solid KISS gold, Starchild, Demon, Spaceman and Catman roll out the big guns such as ‘Lick It Up’, ‘God Gave Rock n Roll To You’, ‘Detroit Rock City’, ‘Rock n Roll All Night’ and even the rarely-performed ‘Crazy Crazy Nights’. With a ecstatic crowd already psyched from such an introduction, Paul Stanley sends the crowd wild even further as soon as he shouts out to ‘Birming-um’ instead of the usual American-twanged ‘Birming-ham’. You’ve got us Paul, you’ve got us. We’re eating out of your hand.
The years may have taken their toll on our heros, with Simmons’ leather-clad arse and Stanley’s exposed chest not looking quite the same as they did all those years ago, however this isnt perfection – this is rock n roll! The guys ring out the classic and still sound great, even with the slight mis-timing of opening line of ‘Animal’ from Gene. Who cares though? The guy is 60 years old and breathed fire earlier in the night for god-sake!
The music itself, like everything else, is also top-notch. The dials are all up to ‘11’, big chords and ‘shout-out’ choruses are belted out across the arena. Whether it is about Love Guns or Love Doctors, the band are tight and putting on one hell of a show. Perhaps the ultimate show? Ive been to many a rock gig before, even those stars who enjoy a bit of the theatrical, Alice Cooper, Iron Maiden, AC/DC. I can honestly say that their stage shows don’t even come close to what KISS call ‘business as usual’.
Speaking of show-time, during the band’s performance of 1977 hit ‘Shock Me’ we see Tommy Thayer’s Les Paul guitar turn into a rocket launcher, firing three missiles into the rafters of the NEC. Of course, Gene Simmons grabs his fair share of the spectacle also with an eerie bass solo accompanied by some blood-spitting and creepy smoke and lighting effects. He ends his party piece by flying into the lighting rig some 50-foot above the crowd, poised like some leather-clad gargoyle before ripping into singing ‘I Love It Loud’. Personally, one of the highlights of the gig for me.
A true rock n roll experience, the show had everything from fire-breathing to elevating platforms. I havent even got to the part where Paul Stanley flies out above the audience yet too! The main set closes with the classic rock anthem ‘Detroit Rock City’ and the guys exit to a thunderous applause from a crowd excited for a roaring return for an encore.
What an encore it is! KISS return to the stage and take a bow. Now, you know some bands perhaps play the usual two, maybe three songs for their adoring fans? Well that doesn’t happen with KISS! As Paul Stanley bellows out on his return to the stage, “We’re all family here, and it would be rude to just play two songs!” He continues, “We’ve got the longest encore in the history of music!” The crowd go crazy for the annoucement and the band rip into ‘Lick It Up’.
Playing a further four songs, including a blistering performance of ‘God Gave Rock N Roll To You’ which featured Paul Stanley zip-wiring across the roof of the arena to perform solo on a mini-stage at the back of the arena (told you it was good!) The band close the show with party track ‘Rock N Roll All Night’ and it sums the night off perfectly. The ultimate rock n roll ending is built up through the help of flames, fireworks, rockets, lasers, smoke, confetti cannons, EVERYTHING! Returning from the elevating platforms one last-time, the band take centre-stage and thank the ‘Birming-um’ crowd one more time before they’re gone, shrouded in a haze of smoke and confetti.
Prooving once again why and how they’ve been around for over 35 years, it must’ve left everyone with the hope of seeing them again. You cant help but wonder how long both Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons can go on putting out such amazing performances! Incredibly these guys are around the 60-year-old mark! If you missed it this time, you HAVE to see KISS live before its too late. They’re one of those bands you just have to see. You wont be disappointed.
KISS set-list, Wednesday 5th May, Birmingham LG Arena
1. Modern Day Delilah
2. Cold Gin
3. Let Me Go, Rock N Roll
4. Firehouse
5. Say Yeah
6. Deuce
7. Crazy Crazy Nights
8. Calling Dr Love
9. Shock Me
10. Animal
11. 100,000 Years
12. I Love It Loud
13. Love Gun
14. Black Diamond
15. Detroit Rock City
Encore
16. Lick It Up
17. Shout It Out Loud
18. I Was Made For Lovin You
19. God Gave Rock N Roll To You
20. Rock And Roll All Night
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