Kiss LG Arena Birmingham 5th May 2010
Sometimes after a gig it is good to take a couple of days to think about what you have seen rather than just explode on your return.Sometimes even after a few days it still seems as good as it was on the nite. Last Wednesday falls into that category.
Taking Dawn were up first . Very young 4 piece from Las Vegas just released their first cd on Roadrunner called Time To Burn. I had heard earlier in the tour they had filled the set with unwanted bass and drum solo's. Well they obviously listened as the 40 minute set flew past with basically the cd played and no extras. Led by geetarist/vocalist Chris Babbitt(who looks like a young Ted Nugent)they played an energetic cross between Skid Row and Aerosmith and although with a muddy mix their brand of high energy ass kicking metal went down very well. Finishing with their version of Fleetwood Mac's "The Chain"a band to look out for.
Now we all know about Kiss,36 years in and they still proclaim to be the Hottest Band In The World. I have seen them without make up and on their reunion tour of 1996. After last years excellent Sonic Boom cd(3 songs played)how would they fare. With a setlist like this how could they fail.
Modern Day Delilah
Cold Gin
Let Me Go Rockn'roll
Firehouse
Say Yeah
Deuce
Crazy Nights
Calling Dr Love
Shock Me
I'm An Animal
100,000 Years
I Love It Loud
Love Gun
Black Diamond
Detroit Rock City
1 encore of these
Lick It Up
Shout It Out Loud (photos (C) Shazz Evans 2010)
I Was Made For Lovin' You
God Gave RocknRoll To You
Rock And Roll All Nite
For 2 hours and 10 minutes we had the entire Kiss arsenal thrown at us. From the opening of the geetarists on a ramp that came over the drumriser to the firework exploding catherine wheel spinning end we got the lot.
An enormous lighting rig,confetti bombs,enough pyro and flamethrowers to burn off a Gulf Of Mexico oil slick,fantastic sound,great stage set of 3 rows of huge TV's,the flashing KISS logo, to the full stage width video screen at the back. In fact with 2 screens up to each side your whole vision was taken up by the size of the set. Gene spat blood and rose to the top of the rig to sing, Paul swang over us to a stage in the middle of the arena for Lovin' You, Tommy Thayer(geetar) fired cannon shots into the lighting rig, Eric Singer(drums) fired his bazooka into the rig too and Gene spat flames too..all of this performed to a sea of painted faces and not one of them thinking about a General Election. Yes we have seen it before but who cares when it done this well.
Special mention to Singer and Thayer who have taken up their roles so well. Both are on top form. You don't miss Criss or Frehley in fact musically I have to say at present they blow the old band out of the water. Their drum and geetar solo was great too.
Stanley is still the consummate pro dancing like a big girl but talks too much between songs and his vocals on the nite were very good. Gene is still Gene tongue included!!
For the new generation and the older generation this was an arena gig with bells on,an arena gig with added cheese but everyone in Birmingham LOVED IT!!
ME 10/10
