Kiss at the O2 Arena

Whenever Kiss are in town it’s always an event for the music scene. After cancelling their show at the Manchester Arena – which is still close since the day of the attacks – any chance to nab one of the spare tickets from those who can’t attend the London gig anymore has became utopistic. Tonight it’s the first night at the O2 Arena for the New York rock band; religiously wearing their trademark makeup, they enter the stage and open with Deuce. The atmosphere is electricfying, even reverential at times.

In a tribute to the Mancunian victims of terrorism, Kiss ask for a moment of silence following their performance of Shout It Out Loud – and the crowd welcome this gesture with open arms. The huge light show – with three massive screens – gets properly pyrotechnic on Firehouse when Gene “The Demon” Simmons takes a burning sword and spits fire with it. There’s a long sequence of fun episodes; every team member, for instance, gets a proper solo moment. It’s more than hard to point out any highlights but Crazy Crazy Night surely make the crowd sing a bit louder than with any of the previous songs.

With his Union Jack-themed guitar, Paul “The Starchild” Stanley is literally uncontainable. From a distance, he still looks young and fit; in fact, he gets acrobatic when, during Psycho Circus, he zip-lines from one stage to another, literally flying over his fans. The band close the set on a high note playing the super-classic Rock and Roll All Nite.

As much as Kiss have a fantastic repertoire with tens of internationally successful singles, there are two songs loved more than the others and it’s not a coincidence that they save them for last: I Was Made for Lovin’ You, their definitive hit, and Detroit Rock City which – in the opinion of your reviewer – is the gem of the night. What a rock show.

Alex White
Photos: Guifre de Peray

For further information about Kiss and future events visit here.