KISS @ RAC Arena
w/ Legs Electric
Friday, September 2, 2022
There really is nothing like a KISS show. Even for seasoned fans that have seen every tour and multiple concerts within, there is some essence that brings out a lovin’ cup of fondness. For this fan, it was the eighth time in attendance, with the first of those being a grinning 14-year-old at their very first Australian show in Perth on November 8, 1980.
Even for those stopping by out of curiosity for The End Of The Road tour – and there seems to be more of those than ever – the sheer bombastic fun of it all is clearly a thrill.
Legs Electric initially landed this KISS support slot in late 2019, and it’s been two postponements (not to mention two babies for drummer, Kylie Soanes) and a very long wait for this unashamedly old-fashioned rock’n’roll band. Given walk-on music, a huge backdrop for their logo – most major arena acts would not grant this for their supports – they took the stage with swagger and focus.
“Good evening we’re Legs Electric, welcome to the show. We’ve got some work to do!” announced vocalist, Ama Quinsee, who owned the stage and worked the front rows and the back rows via the giant video screens from the get-go. Through songs such as the rockworthy Strange Addiction, the suitably reptilian groove of Snakeman, the hard pop/Pet Benatar-reminiscent Tuesday Girl, and riffy mid-tempo new single, Black Moon, all four members were full of sass and fire, the band pitch-and-picture-perfect for this big ol’ rock’n’roll show.
You know it’s coming, but it always raises the hairs on your neck. “Alright Perth. You wanted the best, well you got the best. The hottest band in the world… KISS!” It’s both an intro and a mantra, but it’s soon drowned by the opening chords of 1976’s auto-accident belter, Detroit Rock City, and enough explosions, smoke bombs and columns of flame for any NYE, as the band descend from the ceiling to the stage on ‘pods’ that soon double as video special FX screens.
And this is just the first 30 seconds. It’s sensory overload, but things get upped as the showbiz factor kicks in and vocalist/guitarist/Starchild Paul Stanley shrieks “Perth!” at all possible opportunities. It’s self-effacing too – KISS hasn’t released an album of new material since 2012’s Monster, a fact referenced when he says. “Tonight we’ve got some old stuff, some older stuff… and some older stuff!”
The old, older and older stuff includes the joyous Stanley and vocalist/bassist/Demon Gene Simmons duet, Shout It Out Loud, the stone cold debut album classic, Deuce (accompanied by the signature three-guitarist-back-and-forth-sway near song’s end – it’s a staple that every crowd adores), Heaven’s On Fire, I Love It Loud (featuring Simmons’ trademark firebreathing), Lick It Up, Calling Dr Love and Do You Love Me. Throughout, the huge central video screen – when not displaying various iterations of the iconic KISS logo – flashes old footage of the band performing in the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s. That means there’s glimpses of original members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss in action, which certainly warms the cockles, as well as the late Eric Carr, Bruce Kulick and er, Vinnie Vincent.
Which brings us to drummer/Catman Eric Singer and lead guitarist/Spaceman Tommy Thayer. Both have long histories in KISS folklore and have each worn the band-owned trademark make-up as post-Reunion members for over 20 years. Many old-school fans, still simply won’t have it but the truth is that they’ve kept this entity going in that time as talented-long-game-players. And their solos – Thayer’s rocket-launching guitar following the Frehley-penned Cold Gin (plus he and Stanley’s nod to The Who’s Won’t Get Fooled Again and a blues guitar duet that recalled Jimmy Page) and Singer’s dynamic levitating drum workout that followed the medley of Psycho Circus and 100,000 Years were both full of showmanship and finesse.
And still the hits and memories kept coming. Simmons took to centre-stage darkness with ominous bells chiming to deliver his bass solo, teasing the blood that would spill from his mouth, it eventually, spectacularly vomited out as the 10 video pods screened him doing said same thing. He ascended to the roof – of course! – and delivered God Of Thunder, the mission-statement-song that has delivered the essence of his tongue-wagging demonic character, despite being written by Stanley.
As for Stanley, he is still a master showman and preacher of rock’n’roll. Those wriggling hips may have endured two replacements over the years but the sass of his shimmy remains undimmed. He ‘flew’ to a mini-stage at the back of the GA section from where he delivered Love Gun and I Was Made For Loving You and lapped up the attention as much as the audience lapped up his performance. Lap it up, indeed.
His voice shows signs of 50 years of rock’n’roll wear-and-tear and there is various talk of tracks being used at times to aid him, but either way you got the best and the most of a very unique figure in the rock realm.
The bombast of Black Diamond still evokes the New York City attitude of the band when the song was written in 1973 and was a fitting closer to the main set. The first encore found Eric Singer behind a mirror-tiled piano singing the Peter Criss classic, Beth, before Stanley strapped on a 12-string and the band all launched into 1980’s Shandi, a bigger hit here at the time than anywhere else. KISS have tried various arrangements of this song in Australia over the years of touring, but this one was flat-out the best.
Two hours in with decades passing in explosions before our eyes, the ‘rock’n’roll national anthem,’ 1975’s Rock and Roll All Nite ended in firebombs, confetti, giant balloons and hands in the air. Celebratory doesn’t cover it. While the original KISS did a farewell tour in 2000-01, with Simmons and Stanley now in their 70s, The End Of The Road is exactly that. With the end in sight it seems the band has embraced the fun and sentimentality of it all so much more.
As the last sparks flew, the pyro popped and the final power chords rang out, Stanley ended it all by shouting, “We love you Perth. Fuck yeah!” For this reviewer that 14-year-old smile returned, except this time there may have been a tear or two in my eyes.
Let me tell ya something, Perth. I wasn’t alone.
BOB GORDON
Photos by Stu McKay
