"We're On A KISSion From God..."

KISSion Accomplished.

90 - Go to at least five concerts (1/5)

KISSion From God; Part2 - The Review

Kiss - Glasgow 9th May 2010: The Review...

So, what can a lowly fan say? Never before have I so wanted a band to deliver - this was, after all, the show I'd dreamed of almost all my adult life - but any fears were quite unwarranted, and extemely short-lived.

Do Kiss ever really need a support act? Poor Taking Dawn - they gave it their all, but the banners hanging above the auditorium didn't read "Taking Dawn Army", did they? They were most memorable for an energetic rendition of Fleetwood Mac's "The Chain", and their lead singer going "walkabout" in the crowd, but that was about it. Against less formidable odds, they might stand a chance, but not on Sunday evening...

So, to the Main Event - "The Hottest Band In The World"...

You were in absolutely no doubt that you were getting the full stage show as "Modern Day Delilah" kicked off things, Paul, Gene and Tommy rising from behind Eric's drum-kit on a platform that lowered them to the stage. Not the strongest of opening songs, and maybe not one of the real stand-outs on "Sonic Boom", but you really didn't care - I certainly didn't. Classics were very much the order of the day, throughout, but early in the set they were interspersed with new material - "Cold Gin", "Let Me Go Rock N Roll", "Firehouse", "Say Yeah" (a definite highlight of the new album), "I'm An Animal" - and then the big guns were wheeled out.

We were treated to a quite explosive "Shock Me" courtesy of Tommy Thayer on firework-firing guitar and Eric Singer on "bazooka", literally bringing part of the house down, and a "Crazy, Crazy Nights" that made you forget the "no make-up" era from which that song originated, but a real highlight for me was "I Love It Loud", with Gene in full blood-spitting Demon mode, flying up into the light rig to sing from a platform high above the crowd - awesome stuff!

The classics just kept on coming as the Kiss song-book was explored from cover to cover - "100,000 Years", "Black Diamond", "Love Gun" before a "Detriot Rock City" finale that seemed oddly premature - but there was a reason, for the band soon returned to break into "the longest encore ever". Stand-outs had to be "I Was Made From Loving You", as Paul went out on a zip-line to a platform in the centre of the auditorium; "God Gave Rock N Roll To You", another "post make-up" song that True Kiss claimed as their own - and which featured a video screen tribute to former drummer Eric Carr, taken from us way too soon, which I have to admit I found touching; and finally "Rock And Roll All Nite", filling the air with explosions and confetti.

"Leave 'em wanting more" is so often the way of things, and so it was last night, but I don't honestly think I could've been more satisfied. I saw a band I love, I got to keep a promise to myself that for so long I thought I never would... hey, I even wore the t-shirt to work. Gentlemen, I thank you, from the bottom of my heart. As the old song goes "will ye no come back again...?"

The Score - Maybe "Sonic Boom" needed a "Creatures Of The Night"-style Big Opener that "Modern Day Delilah" isn't, but that's real the only minus I can come up with. Good, strong set; great show - fantastic. Ah, hell, I can't hold "MDD" against you guys... 9/10

And later this evening, I get to relive the whole thing...