From: Hidell@aol.com

I want to preface this review by stating that I've been a KISS fan for a long time, starting in the lean early 80's. I've defended the band and my admiration of them to many a detractor, but after what I witnessed last Saturday at Philly's First Union Center, I can now say with no problem whatsoever that KISS needs to hang it up. I don't care about them anymore.

There are so many places to start, but let me get this out of the way first: The Psycho Circus Tour is NOT a 3-D show. Not that the effects are necessary to enjoy the music, but this 3-D nonsense has been severely talked up by Simmons, and it just doesn't work. I stared at those screens at the proper times, and saw absolutely nothing. The experience was much like viewing the Psycho Circus home video, which offers only slightly better results. I have to hand it to Simmons though, he's a consumate rip-off artist. I bought into the hype, then I saw the show......

The staging and the set-list......It seems KISS has made the decision to forget about anything recorded after 1979 and just play the classics, as well as three new tunes. This philosophy worked well on the Alive/Worldwide Tour, because the idea of the original band reunited was novel enough. Now we're seeing an exact repeat of that show, with the exception of "Makin' Love," a rare bright spot. Of course the old songs are all great, but their insistence on playing virtually the same ones is ridiculous. Is "Plaster Caster" too dangerous to try? "Strange Ways?" "Two Timer?" And if you're gonna play almost the entire Destroyer record, how about "Flaming Youth"? How about ANYTHING DIFFERENT?!?!?

As for the Psycho Circus tunes, KISS continues to butcher "Within" (my favorite song on the album), and the opener is OK except Stanley can't sing the chorus live. Only "Into the Void" survived the carnage.

Of course this set list (which you might as well watch on a Reunion Tour bootleg video) could have been saved had KISS attempted to do anything remotely different with their theatrics. I don't have a problem with Simmons spitting a burst of fire at the end of "Firehouse", but how much longer is the same spit-the-blood, fly-to-the-ceiling, sing "God of Thunder" schtick going to work?? Ace repeated practically the same guitar solo he's been doing for years, and poor Peter (my favorite member) is still being made to perform a drum solo, if you can call it that. Paul Stanley has made many comments about building on what KISS did in the 70's and moving forward, but he's clearly all talk.

Walking around the First Union Center I found all sorts of things to laugh at, namely the $30 dollar tee shirts, and Psycho Circus Tour figures (which you'll soon be able to get at Toys R Us for under 10 dollars) selling for 30 bucks A PIECE!!! KISS is also hawking two different sized "collector" plates, as well as "championship" yo-yo's. This is important, and I think it bears repeating: YOU CAN BUY YO-YO's AT KISS SHOWS NOW!!!!!!

My friends and I half expected KISS to take a break in the middle of the show and have Paul start selling shit right from the stage: "Listen people, check out these cool KISS thro-oooo-whoah-ow rugs!!!!!" This is funny, considering Paul also commented in the past on how over commercialized KISS allowed themselves to get back in the 70's--I guess he doesn't have a problem with that anymore..........

Performance wise, KISS were OK, only showing their age a little (it must be hard to move around in that gear at 50). They seemed into it, but then again, I have a feeling KISS are going to be the last ones to stop believing in their own mythology. Simmons will be in his sixties, still giving those same ridiculous interviews, playing in a KISS cover band somewhere....

In the past I would sometimes wonder, "What the hell am I gonna do when KISS finally calls it quits?" I was so into them, I had invested so much of myself....would I be able to stand it knowing that another new KISS record was not somewhere in my future?? Now I don't care. The worst thing about the whole Reunion thing seems to be that KISS, especially Gene, are still clinging to this notion of heros and the feeling of awe one gets when inspired by them. But they need to check on one of their own song titles. We're in a world without heros these days, and KISS just don't do it for me anymore............

Any of you Stepford Kiss Fans have a problem with this? I can be reached at Hidell@aol.com Bring it on!!!!!!!

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