From: Terri Bey
Let me start by saying that I was THE happiest person in Rupp Arena the night the Psycho Circus arrived in town. WHY? I had a car wreck the day before in Tennessee coming home from an Aerosmith show in Knoxville. (The Aerosmith show took place two nights before the KISS show and I had slept over. )
Anyway, to make an accident story short, I got run off the road by a semi that I was trying to pass , crossed the median and wound up on the lane going in the opposite direction. I got the car back into the median. Thank goodness there were no oncoming cars. (A near real live "Detroit Rock City huh). My first reaction: I got SECOND ROW SEATS TO THE KISS SHOW TOMORROW! I HAVE GOT TO GET HOME TO LEXINGTON KENTUCKY!!!!!
Now the show;
SETLIST: The same as what has been previously been reported. I do wish they would get rid of WITHIN. "You wanted.....best" would be a lot better. I do wish also that they would put in "Nothin to Lose" "Ladies Room", "Rocket Ride" I wish they would let Ace sing more.
PERFORMANCE: great overall. Paul was in excellent vocal shape. I have seen them 3 times on this tour and if I get my car back (I have a rental) I intend on going to Grand Rapids (it's my birthday) and New Years in Auburn Hills, and Paul's voice seems to get better and better. Gene was vintage Gene. He gave me the tounge and I gave it right back. Being in the second row is SO MUCH FUN. (more on that later). Peter sang "Black Diamond" and Beth well. His playing seems slower. He IS hitting the living daylights out of the drums with alot of fire power, but he does not seem to be keeping up with the pace. During "100,000 Years" in the solo sections, Ace and Peter were like in a push pull in the timing. I liked his drum solo a lot, but at all of the three shows I saw him at Philly, NYC and Lexington where I live, he just didn't seem to keep up. He as they say in horse racing seems to lose touch with the field. ACE, well, I can not say enough about how much he KICKED ASS. I thought he stole the show. Even in the write up in the Herald Leader praised his playing. He was on right out of the starting gate. His vocals during "Shock Me " and "Cold Gin" and "Into the Void" were great. However, I think his vocals during the chorus in "Into the Void" get buried. and I think he forgot one lyrc, but he covered it. His guitar solo was great. I loved it. He did have a problem getting the guitar on the hook, but he got it on and the guitar took off.
PYRO; The pyro effect were cool. When you are that close, you could really feel the heat. I still think the 3-d is hokey. ENOUGH WITH THE GUITAR NECKS AND GENE'S TONGUE. Of course I loved seeing Ace's new guitar effect during RARAN.. Seeing Gene spit blood and "breathe" fire up close is really cool too.
OTHER EVENTS: If you go to Rupp, I am telling you now, SECURITY ARE TIGHTASSES. In one of the old KISS ALIVEWORLDWIDE programs, there is a picture of someone with a plate (license) that read G SIMNS. Well I had an old plate from NJ where I used to live that said A FRHLY. I thought they would allow me in with it. WRONG. I had to check it. Well, that was not the ONLY problem I had with the people at Rupp. I ALMOST did not get to my seat, because THE IDIOT WHO RIPPED UP MY TICKET RIPPED THE WRONG END!! But, I protested, and I got it. Well, I thought I was , as the song ,"Cold Gin " says, "down and out". I could not get my personalized plate in so Ace could see it (I was 2nd row center, but toward ACE'S SIDE of the stage), I almost did not get my seat that I paid 265 dollars to a broker for due to a stupid idiot's error, and on top of that I WAS INVOLVED IN A CAR WRECK THAT COULD HAVE KILLED ME!!! Well , lady luck did NOT abandon me. I saw none other than TOMMY THAYER, THE ROAD MANAGER on the floor. He was walking around and spoke to a gentlemen in a wheelchair who wanted his autograph and who eventually got wheeled backstage before KISS when on. As he was speaking to the guy, I approached Tommy and poliltely waitedfor him to finish speaking and got an autograph from him. I have a virtual picture gallery, including KISS, and a racehorse named Strike the Gold (Alydar-Morning Gold-Hatchet Man) winner of the Derby 1991 (KY) Tommy signed my Strike the Gold pic and thought it wasmine. ( I WISH). I told him who it was, and he said , "Well, I don't live in Kentucky." I then told him , " I have something for you to give to Ace, so Tommy said , "Wait" and he had to take care of something on stage, while I got out a picture of my beagle, Ace Frehley, with a picture of the REAL Ace Frehley attached on the back. Fortunately, the dog's name is written above his head. Tommy came back to me and took my picture back to Ace.
During the show, I flashed another pic of my precocious beagle, (the members of UNION SIGNED IT) AND Ace acknowledged it. I showed Ace the shirt I was wearing (a white shirt with his face airbrushed on it) and he PAID A TON OF ATTENTION TO ME. (NODDING, WINKING POINTING) Of course, I saw what the real fun is in being in the front rows: FIGHTING OVER PICS. I could not get a one. Ace attempted to get me one over my way during "Shock Me", but some greedy lady stole it from me. Actully I found out later that it was Paul's pics that Ace was flicks, and that he was supposedly being stingy with his own. I had to contend with this greedy lady and her husband and her son. The three of them must have caught (I AM NOT MAKING THIS UP) between them at least 6. They were to the right of me, my immediate right. You can imagine my frustration(despite my good fortune. Oh Paul flirted with me too.as did Ace a little.)During "100000 Years" in the rap sequence, I was getting REALLY frustrated to the point of tears (I know this sounds immature to some readers, but please understand, my emotions were in overdrive because of what I had been through). Ace must have seen the frustration on my face because he took one of HIS OWN PICKS and threw it in my direction (I also put out my KISS HAT OUT when he threw it). well guess who wanted that pic. GUESS WHO HAD TO HAVE IT? You got it. That greedy lady with her greedy son. Well like Affirmed turned back Alydar the 7 of 10 times they met on the track including the Triple Crown Classics (who could forget that epic Belmont stakes) in 1977-78 in their 2 and 3 year old campaigns, I fought this lady off. I dove over,( sore as I was from my car wreck,) the chair right in front of me, looking for that pic. I felt it, but it slid underneath this girls heel. So I gingerly lifted her heel, and GOT THAT PICK. This guy witha VIP pass from the last reunion tour asked me if it was white, I said yes. He said , you got "Ace's" I was in seventh heaven. My dream came true. I got a pic from my hero, ACE FREHLEY Ace if you are reading this, I wish to thank you from the bottom of my heart.
During Peter's drum solo, I got on the screen. Also, Ace and Paul seemed intrigued by these two gals kissing, and I mean liplocked in the front row. During Black Diamond, Paul had a "shouting contest" between the two sides of the arena. I screamed so loud, I believe the band remembered my scream from the Garden. I also screamed "ACE IS IN THE HOUSE" like I did at the Garden. Ace again heard me, and smiled , then laughed, like , "That's my fan again." It was great.
RECOMMEDATION: I must apologize for this review being so damn long. So much does happen when you are in the front
If you are a KISS fan. GET YOUR ASS IN THE ARENA WHERE THE CIRCUS IS AT 'CAUSE KISS ROCKS !!!!!!!!
FYI THE AEROSMITH SHOW WAS GREAT ALSO. I HAD 12TH ROW C/O THE FAN CLUB