From: Clayton
Let me (finally) say here and now, to all of those bitchy fans dribbling on and on about how Ace Frehley is past it or simply not as good or talented as some of the other guitarists Kiss has had over the years : You have no idea what you have been talking about.

The proof on glorious display at Bakersfield. I'll not bore you with a set list or anything, because there are others who are more than happy to. I'll not bother reviewing Skid Row or Ted Nugent. Not only do I think that both are boring, silly, and untalented, but I didn't bother to show up to see them. Why would I? I can't dig it.

Kiss, however, rocked me like no one else can, except Oasis. The intimacy of the Centennial Garden was incredible, and I had seats on the floor, at about the midway point. They really shored up on the pyro, much more so than on the Reunion tour (of which I saw 2 shows, in San Jose and Sacramento). The set list was a little less eclectic than the Reunion shows, and I really don't care for "Heaven's on Fire" or "Lick It Up." I will say that Ace seemed to enjoy "Lick It Up."

Paul surprised me by having a lot of new things to say to the audience; some of it even sounded improvised (!). Fortunately he didn't patronise us by declaring Bakersfield "the rock 'n' roll capitol of California". His voice was stronger than I've heard before; not that it's ever been weak, but he's been working on his falsetto again (perhaps from "Phantom"?) and it shows. Put it this way-- his a capella singing (think "I Want You" from Alive II) was well done, and it looked like he knew it.

Peter looked a little (and I mean ONLY SLIGHTLY!) delicate, not exerting himself terribly, but who needs someone bashing on their kit like Animal from the Muppets? He was steady, able, and rock-solid. Peter is one of the most underappreciated and maligned drummers I can think of, mainly because his style is not the same as the flashy, over-the-top-and-then-some style of Eric Singer-- but you know what? I was horrified at Alive III. Peter knows the value of meat-and-potatoes rhythms, and that's far more valuable to me than someone who's desperately trying to impress me at the expense of the backbeat. Unfortunately, there was no drum solo, which I, for one, enjoyed immensely at the Reunion shows, and there were only two songs with his lead vocals ("Beth" and "Black Diamond".) I'd really have liked to hear him sing more... a lot more!

Gene was... well, he was Gene. He spit blood, he breathed fire, he stood posing like Mussolini, and he wiggled his tongue a lot. I grew tired of Gene long ago, but I will say that there were moments when he was great.

Ace, however, laid to rest all the quibbling and whining about how his abilities. Forget everything you've read and heard about how "frail" he is. Simply put, Ace rocked the joint all night long. His playing was awe-inspiring. His solo was full of new material and fresh creativity... he's always been incredible, but he was shining more brightly than I thought possible. He did amazing things on the fretboard, just amazing. Ace is a star, and with or without Kiss he belongs in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame right there with Hendrix and Clapton.

I won't go into any specifics about the show, because I feel that it's like tellig the ending of a film-- no matter how many others have blabbed, I refuse. You have to have a few suprises left in it, y'know?

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