Kiss rock ‘n’ rolled all night to shock their crazy fans

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Paul Davies | Express

Pantomime season started early, as metal gods Kiss made their grand entrance at the O2 London Arena.

Self-parody being a market that Kiss maximised and monetised a long time ago, the visuals are what most came to see.

Their stage production of hydraulics, zip wires and pyrotechnics would give Alton Towers a run for its money.

With a barrage of bangs and a thud, thud, thud of Eric Singer’s drums, all hell broke loose as the band kicked into opening song Deuce.Banks of multi-coloured lights, spelling the Kiss name, lit up the stage. This was rock ‘n’ roll Las Vegas style.

The band definitely lived up to their motto: ‘you wanted the best, you got the best!’

Gene SimmonsPA

Banks of multi-coloured lights, spelling the Kiss name, lit up the stage

As the last notes of hit Shout It Out Loud faded, a minute’s silence was observed for the victims of the Manchester Arena bomb.Kiss had to cancel their Manchester show due to the tragedy.

Although his voice was noticeably croaky, the glittering charm of lead singer Paul Stanley always shines through.

Stanley likes to ask questions of a bawdy nature between songs.

None more so than, ‘how many girls like to be licked, how many boys like to be licked?’ – the boys cheered the loudest – before rocking out to a delirious Lick it Up. The audience shouting along to the chorus.

The psycho-circus continued, with Gene Simmons breathing fire on the incendiary stomp of Firehouse. A dramatic cameo from Tommy Thayer on Shock Me surprised all, as he shot fireworks from his buzzsaw guitar.

But Gene Simmons is not one to be upstaged. As he pounded out a chunky bass solo, spitting fake blood from his mouth, he flew into the air over the stunned crowd. Still clunking away, with menace, he returned to the stage to growl out the words to God of Thunder.

With the blistering chant of Crazy, Crazy Night’s ringing in everyone’s ears, and the crowd chanting his name, it was time for Paul Stanley’s solo turn.

Gene SimmonsPA

Gene Simmons pounded out a chunky bass solo

He stepped onto a zip wire to a raised plinth set in the middle of the arena. Safely landed, he sang a thunderous Black Diamond. He then glided back, over the shocked and awed crowd, to the main stage to play metal anthem Rock ‘n’ Roll All Nite.

Encores included the disco oddity I Was Made For Lovin’ You. Better still, it was followed by classic head-banging rocker Detroit Rock City.

Never a band of the highest musical ability, Kiss make the most of what they have got: chunky rock riffs strummed and sung loud.

On tonight’s evidence, their motto should read: ‘you wanted bombast, you got bombast!’ Which is exactly what their dedicated army of face-painted followers got.