Almanac Music: KISS End Of The World Tour –

 

KISS END OF THE ROAD WORLD TOUR

 

Fifty years of high-octane rock splutters to a climatic end.

 

We had already purchased our tickets to see KISS perform for the last time in Sydney prior to their stunning AFL Grand Final performance last week. I am not a massive KISS fan but following the pre-game extravaganza I was enthused and looking forward to the show. Our fourteen-year-old daughter had some how convinced us it would be a good idea to see the legendary glam rockers for the very last time as part of their End of the Road World Tour.

 

We made our way to Sydney Olympic Park courtesy of a middle eastern Uber driver who I tried to explain to that KISS was one of the world’s biggest rock bands and had been for five decades and not a gesture of affection between friends, family and loved ones. The poor chap had never heard of them but was encouraged when I said there would be around 60,000 fans attending many of whom would want a drive share trip home at the end of the night.

 

We arrived at Stadium Australia some two hours before the 9pm start time for our aging (aged) rock stars. For some reason we simply had to see support acts Regurgitator and Weezer as part of the overall nights experience. We failed to see Regurgitator as we had to queue up at the KISS Merchandise store to secure the Official Souvenir Program and t-shirt. Much to my horror the souvenir program set us back a lazy $60.00 and to add further to our shock we forked out an additional $60.00 for a screen-printed t-shirt featuring Gene Simmons elongated tongue.

 

We purchased a couple of drinks and a hot dog which amounted to over $40.00 and duly made our way to our seats some 500 meters from the stage-thank goodness for the large screens strategically located at the side of the stage. Following an impressive set from Indie Rock band Weezer who have been around since the early 1990’s a road crew of around 25 staff started the arduous task of setting up the lavish stage for our heroes.

 

At 9.05pm Led Zeppelin’s Rock N Roll started to reverberate around the stadium followed by a voice telling us we were about to get what we had asked for. And then with a burst of fire and brimstone our four-leather clad, masked rockers descended from the clouds on to the stage via individual brightly lit platforms. The crowd went into a crazed frenzy as front man Paul Stanley let rip with the opening lyric to a song I had never heard.

 

For the next 2 hours KISS put on a theatrical extravaganza which included plenty of explosions, fire, laser lighting, giant balloons, and confetti. They played with energy that belied their years and ran through a set list that contained all their hits. There was plenty of production featuring previous film clips tracing the bands history back to the 1970’s and dare I say it I did detect some subtle overdubbing.

 

When Gene Simmons was suspended high above the stage to deliver one of his lead vocal spots I was fascinated as to how his voice never waivered whilst chewing on a blood capsule that resulted in a grotesque, gory flow of red spew and bile. Our Gene was not averse to spitting on stage to add to the aura of his repulsively ugly character. Each time he protruded that biologically abnormal tongue and waved it around to his adoring fans I couldn’t help pondering as to the places that vital organ had been over Genes fifty year journey as one of rocks true superstars.

 

The crowd was in raptures all night as they sang and cheered to each song of the 20 plus set list. Even one of the female on duty police officers found time to capture the excitement by filming their biggest hit I Was Made For Loving You on her mobile phone. I had the misfortune of sitting in front of a pubescent 15-year-old girl adorned with the Star Man face mask who for the entire 2 hours screamed and whooped her little lungs out directly into my left ear. Her quasi-orgasmic yelps directed towards Paul Stanley was of much amusement to me when one considers the age of her sex idol-nothing wrong with a 60-year age gap, I guess.

 

And during the final song of the night; Rock n Roll All Night I found it curious that when a stop in instrument playing occurred to allow the drumbeat to reverberate around the stadium our energetic front man Stanley continued to strum his guitar-but lo and behold there was no sound coming out of his axe. It soon became evident that the said guitar was in fact not a guitar but a prop for his final act of theatre. Yes, while the Channel 7 director missed the final thwack of destruction on Paul Stanleys guitar the week before I was pleased to witness the final crushing blow which resulted in a visual disintegration of what clearly was a carefully crafted fake guitar.

 

All in all, KISS delivered a terrific night of entertainment for the motley throng of enthusiasts with the 71-year-old Paul Stanley and 74-year-old Gene Simmons at the top of their respective games. For this reviewer however it was a bit like going to the big-top. Once you have been to one circus performance you do not need to go again. For us in Australia and across the world that will not happen again as they promised that this was the last time! Or is it?

 

 

 
Kiss Live Sydney 7 October 2023

 

 

More from Richard Griffiths can be read Here.

 

 

 

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