PRINS VAN ORANJE HALL, UTRECHT, NETHERLANDS, 13 MARCH 1999

 

Kiss came, saw, and burned. Right from the opening notes of the title track of the latest album, "Psycho Circus", to the closing notes of the final encore song ("Black Diamond"), Kiss was a well-oiled machine that didn't fail to capture the undidived attention of every last one present.

Kiss is not just a band - they're living legends, rock icons, professionals, dedicating to giving you your money's worth. As with the reunion tour of two years previous, they played just about all the classics, now with three songs off "Psycho Circus" thrown in (apart from the title song, they did "Within" and "Into the Void"). Classics included "Calling Dr. Love", "Deuce", "God of Thunder" (kicked off with Gene's demonic bloodspitting act), "Shock Me", "Shout it out Loud", "Firehouse" (including Gene's firebreathing act), "100,000 Years", "Let Me Go Rock'n'Roll", "Rock and Roll all Nite", "King of the Night Time World", "Detroit Rock City", "Beth" and "Love Gun" with Paul "going down to join his family" on a small stage in the middle of the crowd, via the air). A surprise was "Do You Love Me?" off the "Destroyer" album, can't remember ever having heard that live before. Show elements included Ace's guitar fireworks and now also had Peter's drum riser moving forward along the ceiling partly above the audience. And plenty of explosives, of course. Never mind if Venom call them firecrackers, there was a friggin' load of 'em.

Because of the cameras and huge film screen, all the good bits could be seen by just about anyone. As for the 3D gimmick - after all, it was billed as the "first ever 3D tour" - that was pretty cool with the visuals at times turning into 3D. I think Kiss concerts might be world record holders for visitors wearing kindof silly cardboard 3D glasses.

Although I've heard reports of people actually not liking a Kiss show, not liking a Kiss show is actually an incredible feat. Having said that, I don't think Kiss will do another tour in this classic line-up; they are definitely getting on in age, Ace seemed a bit uninspired and Peter Criss could hold the rhythm but otherwise seemed to come alive only during his drum solo and a few drum fills.

RK

 

Written March 1999

 

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