From: John Schuller
Had a great New Years in Vancouver BC topped by a very cool and bizarre KISS show. Luckily, we were in walking distance to the BC Place Concert Bowl. The streets were alive, people screaming and getting loaded. We arrived at the show just in time for Big Wrecks set. I will give them a little credit. They didn't suck like other bands I have seen open for Kiss (Stabbing Westward, and that "I just wanna Fly" band). It wasn't too long of a wait for Kiss. The excitement in our area was great. Reserved seats in the back. A very cool video appears on the screens, giving us a bit of Kisstory. Following all the steps leading up to the New Years show. (minus Mark St. John and Carnival) It ends with the crowd in a frenzy. The intro starts up--and it's KISS! Fantasic lights! Best I have ever seen in a concert arena setting. Fantastic sound! I left the earplugs out. Didn't need them. It was the perfect volume. (unlike the torture at the Key Arena show two years ago.) And then Kiss.

1)Psycho Circus- God I hate the album this came off of. But that aside, Lots of energy, but Paul's vocals sound like shit. Is he sick? I don't know. Better head to the studio for some overdubbing on this one.
2)Shout It Out Loud- YES! YES! YES! The crowd is going nuts! Singing along and having a great time! Fantastic version! Alive 4 material.
3)Deuce- Good version. Kiss is in good form.
4)Heavens On Fire- Although I am not a fan of the non-makeup era, they kisked ass on this! Although a view on the screens towards the end of the tune exposed a very bored looking Peter. Can't remember Ace's solo on this. There were a lot of people in my area doing the heavy metal fist in the air thing!
5)Shock Me- Very good version of this. Although Ace needs to quit with the whiny "Shock Me-e-E-e-E-e" during the chorus. No extravagent Ace solo here.
6)Firehouse- Paul introduces with a "Wow, it sho is hot up he-yuh"! No firemans cap. No big bursts of flame. Gene's Fire Brweathing is sweet as usual.
7)Do You Love Me- Great version. Paul does the thing at the beginning where he leaves some of the verses to the crowd. It took awhile for them to catch on. Love this song!
8)Let Me Go Rock and Roll- Kind of a haphazard version. Not too great.
[The Midnight Countdown] The midnight countdown was a freaking joke. Paul totally blew it. The end LMGRAR Paul announces one minute to go. Then says he is not a genius and is looking at a clock. He then asks if there is going to be a countdown. Then all of a sudden says-"It's Midnight People!" what the fuh? Anyway, lots of confetti is kicked about everywhere.
9)2000 Man- After a very unenergetic intro by Paul, the bust into 2000 man. Yippee. Decent version. Backup vocals are horrible.
10)Ace's Solo- the highlight of the show???? right after 2000 Man, Ace cuts into his solo. The first third is standard Ace, missing notes with a lot of balls. Then he stops- goes up to the mic and starts mumbling. All of a sudden I make out that he says "This one goes out to Stanley Kubrick cuz we are approaching 2001!" Then he busts into a looooooooooooong version of that theme. Stops to dead silence in the room. Dead SILENCE. Says "Please, don't fall asleep on me" and continues with the rest of his junky solo.
11)Cold Gin- Another sad intro by Paul. Getting no feedback from the crowd. "This ones called CO-O-OLD- (Crowd- gin) I said CO-O-O-O-O-OLD (gin very unenthusiasic) COLD GIN!
12)Gene's Solo- good. Although I don't think Gene was getting the reaction he wanted from the crowd.
13)God Of Thunder- It looked as if Gene's hoist was sketching out. I think he probably had pooped his pants by the time he reached his platform above the stage. Good version until Ace screwed up and screwed Peter out of a drum solo. He went back into the song at the wrong point, catching everyone else off gaurd. They recovered nicely.
14)Lick It Up- Another pleaser. Good version.
15)I Love It Loud- After some weird rambling between Paul and Gene. Paul-"this one is off an album before we looked diffrent, you know like before we weren't wearing makeup- we were wearing makeup-" Gene (grumbly scary voice)- "What Are You Talking About?" Paul (imitating Gene) "What do you mean what am I talking about? I am talking about before we took off the makeup!" Awesome version of I Love It Loud!!!!!!! Hell Yeah!!! Maybe they are picking it backup?
16)100,000 Years- good
17)Love Gun- Some more antics here. Where the hell is Ace? Pual asks- Ace come dancing out-Paul forgets what the heck he was doing. Then remembers and hops onto his stage prop thing and flies out into the audience. He then sings from the crowd. His mic stand gets taken away into the audience. Some guy jumps onto to Pauls little stage and grabs at him. Paul gives him a really good Bitch Slap. The guy get's hauled away.
18)Black Diamond- After three attempts at the beginning of this song, Paul finally gets the crowd into it. He tells everyone he knows they are tired. Peter's mic wasn't turned up until the second verse. Says good night and they leave the stage. Break- A couple of radio guys bring out the dude that paid three thousand dollars to get to do the new Years countdown with Kiss. He must be bummed.
19)Detroit Rock City- Good energy. Phew!
20)Into The Void- God this song blows. Live it is even worse. Very very very bad backup vocals.
21)Beth- Excellent version. Best I have ever seen live.
22) Rock and Roll All Nite- Good version. Everyone is drunk and tired. Ready to hit the streets.
All in all, I would say I had fun, it was good, it was bizarre, it was very unrehearsed, it was bad, it was a mixed bag.

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