AFTER first becoming aware of legendary rockers Kiss way back in the late 1970s during my school days (Kiss Alive II) it wasn’t until I first experienced the band live in 2010 on the Sonic Boom tour, that I fell in love with them!
Unless you’ve been lucky enough to see them live, it is difficult to describe the pure no-nonsense, high-energy rock ‘n’ roll experience. From start to finish, the show is jam-packed with stunning visual effects and pyrotechnics, more OTT than anything you will have ever witnessed before.
Being the last chance to see them live on tour in the UK, I decided to experience three different shows in Birmingham, London and Manchester – and while all three set lists were pretty much the same (Birmingham got an extra song for some reason?) each show was a different experience. Birmingham stood front (right), London (stood front left) and Manchester seated (stage right). It’s hard to pick which show was best – as they were all mind-blowing – but if I did have to choose, London probably just edged it, being a bigger venue. The fact that the bigger venue came out top shows just how big an impression Kiss make with their stage show. There were definately more balloons and ticker tape in London – and the flames were and fireworks a little bit bigger!
I lost count of the number of times I jumped out of my skin with the explosions, and that was when I knew when to expect them for shows two and three! From the opening riffs of Detroit Rock City, to the closing “Rock ‘n’ Roll All Nite,” Kiss delivers the perfect show!
With nothing complicated about the music, one wonders why no other band has tried to replicate this style of show and music – and maybe once Kiss hangs up their guitars for the final time, some band will try and take on the mantle. There are certainly plenty of tribute bands out there – but you’re going to need a lot of money in the bank to pay the road crew and for the special effects.
With original band members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley still fronting the band, they know exactly how to deliver – and boy did they deliver with their farewell gigs.
Surprisingly the setlist didn’t include their biggest UK hit “Crazy Nights”, which reached No. 4 in the charts – but for any Kiss purist that wouldn’t matter as long as they could Rock ‘n’ Roll All Nite!
For those of you who didn’t know the American rock band was formed in New York City in 1973 by Paul Stanley (vocals, rhythm guitar), Gene Simmons (vocals, bass), Ace Frehley (lead guitar, vocals), and Peter Criss (drums, vocals). They soon became known for their face paint and stage outfits and rose to prominence in the mid-1970s with shock rock-style live performances which featured fire-breathing, blood-spitting, smoking guitars, shooting rockets, levitating drum kits, and pyrotechnics. The band has gone through several lineup changes, with Stanley and Simmons remaining the only consistent members. The current lineup consists of them, Tommy Thayer (guitar), and Eric Singer (drums).
Kiss announced that, after 45 years of recording and performing, they would embark on their final tour, the End of the Road World Tour, which started in January 2019 and will conclude in New York City in December 2023.
After starting the tour before the pandemic, it got re-booted with extra shows, meaning UK fans got a chance to see them in 2019 and 2023!
Thanks for the memories! God gave Rock ‘n’ Roll to you!
Kiss Set List Manchester London & Birmingham
(Tape) Rock and Roll (Led Zeppelin song)
1 Detroit Rock City
2 Shout It Out Loud
3 Deuce
4 War Machine
5 Heaven’s on Fire
6 I Love It Loud (Gene breathes fire)
7 Say Yeah
8 Cold Gin
9 Guitar Solo (Tommy Thayer)
10 Lick It Up
11 Makin’ Love
12 Calling Dr. Love
13 Psycho Circus (partial)
14 Drum Solo
15 100,000 Years (partial)
16 Bass Solo (Gene spits blood and flies)
17 God of Thunder
18 Love Gun (Paul flies to stage B)
19 (I was made for Loving You – Birmingham only)
20 Black Diamond (Paul flies back to stage A)
Encore:
20 Beth (Eric on piano)
21 I was Made for Loving You (Do You Love Me Birmingham only)
22 Rock and Roll All Nite
(Tape)God Gave Rock ‘N’ Roll to You II
IT simply doesn’t get any better than this for a live rock ‘n’ roll performance as we bid a fond farewell to the mighty @kiss #Manchester #kiss #kissarmy #classicrock pic.twitter.com/BxXhbfjxd8
— Gary Skentelbery (@GarySkent) July 9, 2023
Thanks for the memories @PaulStanleyLive @kiss @AOArena #manchester #kiss #kissarmy pic.twitter.com/UzZaRWbjBv
— Gary Skentelbery (@GarySkent) July 9, 2023
