Kiss at the Bell Centre on a Saturday? That sounds like a party – one you can bring the kids to! Walking the hallways before the show, I saw lots of kids wandering around, wondering why all the older people were wearing face paint. Some were in massive outfits that looked like low-budget spacesuits. ‘Is this adult Halloween?’ I could read on their faces. For mom and dad, this is Halloween, New Year’s Eve, and their childhood all rolled into one.
Crown Lands were great, as always. If you don’t know them, check them out. They have classic rock vibes. But you’re here for Kiss, and if this paragraph is one word longer, you’ll just skip it.
So, in their mid-seventies, it would be fair to expect that this tour is a final cash-in and that the Kiss of days old would be toned down. You would be dead wrong.
From the moment the curtain dropped, pure chaos ensued. The band descended from the rafters on an LED platform displaying booming speakers. Sparklers were going off. Flames were engulfing the background, melting my face (how does their makeup never run?). Lasers were shooting everywhere. And as your eyes overloaded with pretty light sources, the band was blasting ‘Detroit Rock City’ into your ears. As commanded, everybody left their seats, and everybody moved their feet. It was a collective injection of adrenaline for the 15,000-strong packed house.
They’re the same age as Ozzy. I remember seeing Ozzy ten years ago and fearing for his safety when he tried to just jump in place. Here were Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons in high platforms and what must have been heavy costumes, whipping around, above and beyond the stage as if Father Time never bothered to check in on them.
The show was a perfect blend of old-school stage theatrics mixed with modern tech, like about two dozen LEDs floating around above the stage. Speaking of floating, Gene Simmons was elevated back up to the rafters while the screen showed a close-up of his face, spitting blood out of his mouth while soloing.
Paul Stanley, again in his seventies, ziplined over the crowd to a secondary stage at the back, where he performed while Simmons and Tommy Thayer spun above the crowd on mechanical arms that rotated over two axes, like a carnival ride.
The setlist, described by Stanley as a mix of old stuff, older stuff, and the oldest stuff, journeyed through their career without missing any fan favourites. The showstoppers were reserved for the encore, which started with drummer Eric Singer at a piano performing ‘Beth.’ After that single moment of quiet, the crowd was back on its feet for ‘I Was Made For Loving You’ and ‘I Wanna Rock n’ Roll All Night.’
I get that a Kiss farewell tour is a bit of a meme at this point – this is their third one – but I get it. They’ve still got it. They have more energy and stage presence than 95% of bands currently touring in their prime. They still look like they’re having fun and enjoying it, something that’s hard to fake for two hours a night, so it must be true. So, if this is farewell, what a farewell it was, and the Kiss Army thanks you for the memories. If you decide to do another farewell tour, only a fool would complain.
Rock horns up. Kiss Army out.
Review – Richard Brunette
Photos – Kieron Yates
