From: Greg Miranda
prelude Let me start by saying that I tried like hell to get good seats from vh1's early ticket sales, had 5th row but since ticketmaster has a five minute rule (if it takes more than five minutes you lose those seats, great rule is it not) so I had to settle for lower lever ones which in Charleston that's not bad.. So I was semi-happy.. Then a friend of mine who works for a country radio station (yes country) gave me two more tickets(lower level also) now armed with for tickets for two different sections my girlfriend and I went to my best friend in the world the ticket scalper(yea) who agreed to trade two 7th row(on the floor) seats for my four seats(what a Kiss fan for 24 yrs woen't do just to get good seat on a farewell tour)And ended up front row when Kiss came on.....

ACT I The opening acts.. Let me say please drop Skid Row (like from a tall building) they don't have it anymore...

Now Ted Nugent rocked the house, he really warmed aleady hot crowed with his classics like wang dang sweet puntang and cat scratch fever and free for all and new song like kiss my ass.. Great he should have been the only opening act

ACT II The Main Act Now I want to start this by saying I have seen every Kiss tour since 77 and they each hold a warm place in my heart..But this one will always bring great thoughts..

As soon as the lights went out you could feel it in the air, and as soon as they dropped the curtain with the refrain of you wanted the best you got the best the house was rockin and so was Kiss with the first song being Detriot Rock City and being lowered from the celling one knew that they had been transported to the world of Kiss.

Unlike alot of reviews I have read about the early shows from the farewell tour (some or should I say alot being bad) they really rocked Charleston.. Gene was really having fun and didn't look as big as everyone says, he sounds and looks great and still knows how to put on a show, and so does Paul, He looked great and sound great and they both still have the moves of a twenty year old.. Now Ace he was on that night not screwing up, he was really rockin when he did shock me (and he didn't start the solo to early or forget the words) and he was killer on 2000 man and he rocked with his solo. The only thing was when he went to put his guitar on the wire to send it up to explode he couldn't findthe hook and had to hand it to a roadie off stage and said with a laugh it was supposed to fly(now someone told me after the show that it was all part of the show that he did and said the something the night before who knows I wasn't there)But it looked like he was having fun, the only thing that I really noticed (and so did my girlfriend) was Ace's weight, he is really thin not like before (heavy) but really thin, I also notice how slow he seemed to move from side to side not like the last tour.But slow and sluggesh (check him out and see what you think??)And as for Peter he was laying down some great drum beats (and not missing a beat).. Peter sounded like he did back in the 70's, he sounded great on 100'000 years (not as long solo though) and his vocals on Beth were great, and after Beth Peter got up and started to his drums when Gene told him that his Pants were in the crack of his ass, so right in front of the whole place Peter reaches around and pulls out his pants from his crack, now Gene, Ace and Paul are all laughing at him, in return he tries to run Gene down to give him wedgie (is that the right spelling if not sorry) And Gene runs off the side of the stage...

Now for Paul's solo he started of with I still love you and he sang the first verse and then went in to hard luck women befor taking off on a really cool opening of 100,000 years. Gene did he's same (but great) sole starting off with the spitting of the blood (which I got splattered with)then he took off to the rafters with no problems on the way up or down and Paul had no problems with his flying act on the way out but on the way back to the stage he stopped for about ten seconds but he acted like nothing really went wrong..The stage is huge it has to be the biggest stage that they have ever used and the video was great really clear, I got some great pix of Paul playing and with the video screen in back it looks like a King Kong sized Gene looking down on Paul and Peter.. The only thing I missed was the large KISS sign, they have smaller ones on both sides of the video screen but it isn't the same(still loved it)The fire works and lighting was great not a bad word any where the whole night not even with Ace and Peter playing and singing on Lick it up and Heaven's on fire, it was almost like they played it on the album (pre-C.D.)

Act III the end (I know everyone is cheering)So let me say that at the end song which was Rock and Roll all nite they blew the whole place up, I have never saw so much confetti in my life(they made new years eve in new york city look bad)and Paul had a really sad look on his face like he was saying good-bye to an old friend, he did however said something that made my girlfriend and I look at each other really funny. He said since this Might Be Our Farewell tour remember that if you ever buy a ticket to see a band any band and they don't give you 150%, and you feel that you didn't get your moneys worth just give us a yell and we will come back and show you how to rock and roll....And so that ended the show, I left with my tour book and two t-shirts (one for my girlfriend) and my Paul Stanley guitar pick a happy but yet eyes full of tears( hey thats right I'm 32 yrs old and crying over the farewell of Kiss)It was a great show and if you have never saw Kiss live take the money and the time to do so, if you stay sobber and not get high you will have stories to tell everyone for years to come....One more thing I said before I have been a fan for 24 yrs, right through it all, make-up on then off and on again I cried with Ace and Peter left the band and I cried and the death of Eric Carr (god bless his soul)I had tears of joy of hearing of the reunion tour now tears once again fill my eyes, for the band that was more than a band (the ones who helped me through life)are saying good bye and it makes me wonder who's albums will I buy and who will I wait in line for days at a time waiting to buy tickets, No one's for there will never be a band like KISS no matter how they try they will all fall short................Rockin Ironton Ohio...... ROCK AND ROLL ALL NITE AND PARTY EVERYDAY.....................

KISS ASYLUM -- KISS Museum News Archive Features Tour Dates Photos