20 July 2023 , 10:52
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KISS’s End of the Road tour kicked off in January 2019 and had actually rolled through London once already last year.
This, though, we were assured, truly would be the last time the aging rockers performed in the city, and it was with great anticipation that I joined the hordes of the KISS Army making their way to the O2 on Wednesday night for this farewell gig.
Passing a mass of make-up-wearing fans and Gene Simmonds lookalikes, the atmosphere was festive and the excitement palpable. Having only experienced a Kiss show once before when they rocked the Montreal Forum back in the ‘80s on the Hot in the Shade tour, I was eager to see if, after so many years on the road, they could live up to their larger-than-life billing and take London by storm.
KISS' End of the Road tour performed at London's O2 Arena (Thomas Banneyer/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)They most certainly did. As the lights dimmed to Led Zeppelin’s Rock and Roll, the roar of the crowd reached a crescendo. And then the immortal lines, “You wanted the best, you got the best. The hottest band in the world…KISS!” Descending from the ceiling to a cacophony of explosions, the band kicked off with a masterful rendition of Detroit Rock City quickly followed by Shout it Out Loud, both classics from the Destroyer album.
You could literally feel the heat from the flames and fireworks on stage. “We’ve got old, older and oldest hits,” frontman Paul Stanley screamed into the microphone to the delight of the crowd, and the frenzied pace didn’t let up as they played a cornucopia of classics spanning the band’s 50-year career.
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Old clips of Kiss performing in 70s flashed up during Cold Gin, a nice link back to this incredible journey that began all those decades ago.
The production was flawless. The lighting, pyrotechnics, elevating stages and sound were all that you expected from a KISS show. Loud, brash, in your face – and so much fun.
The band played hits from their 50-year back catalogue (Thomas Banneyer/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)Paul Stanley zip-lined across the audience during Black Diamond to a stage at the other end of the cavernous arena and Simmons was projected on 16 screens as he rose high on a platform spitting blood during God of Thunder – having already breathed fire earlier in the set. What more could you want?
Tommy Thayer wailed his way through Love Gun with his flame-throwing guitar setting off yet more fireworks and Eric Singer channelled Peter Chris with a mesmerising drum solo then heart-wrenching rendition of the classic love song Beth. This was top-quality entertainment.
Ok, it’s true Paul Stanley’s voice is not quite what it was, but no one cared as the 71-year-old covered every corner of the stage in a lung-busting set. He explained how sad the band were that they would not be playing in London again – their spiritual musical home – but they left us with a party to remember.
Beth was the first encore, then I was made for Loving you – both met with delirium – before one final, fantastic rendition of Rock and Roll all Nite (sic). “You drive us wild, we’ll drive you crazy.” And that’s exactly what they did.
If you get a chance to catch KISS before they really do reach the end of the road at Madison Square Garden in New York in December, then grab it. As Simmons sang, “I Love it loud!” The music world will be all too quiet without them.