As a support act, we wanted the best but got The Dives. They had the look and sound of an American high school band playing prom night. A four piece, stylised in separate but distinct outfits, in greys, creams and blacks, they played sixties style guitar pop, with lots of backing vocal oohs and aahs. Each member sang lead at one point but the main vocalist was obviously the leading man, the Lennon of the group, front and centre, whipping his guitar up and enjoying their first night in an arena. Their one concession to the fact that it was a Kiss concert seemed to be the lightning flashes on the main man's guitar strap. An odd choice of support. I won't be rushing to download their new EP.
Then came the hottest band in the world: KISS. They've been coming to Scotland since 1976 and still do what it says on the face paint tin - pyros, fireworks, lasers, big screens, confetti cannons, streamer cannons, rising stages, flying band members, breathing fire, bleeding mouths and plenty of tongue. A two-hour show, with lots of energy and audience clapping, cheering and singing along, it was party time in Glasgow.
One irritation for me was the fact that Paul Stanley sounds more and more like Mark Hamill as the Joker (in the Batman Animated Series), an effect enhanced by the white face paint. If he'd donned a purple jacket and wide-brimmed hat, I'd have been looking around for Harley and wondering if the next pyro was going to be pointed at us. His on show six pack had a faint hint of cosmetic enhancement but he's certainly spritely for his age.
Gene Simmons is a monster who owns the stage. Sharing lead vocals on a number of songs, his mannerisms and extended tongue flicks are part of the joy of the band.
They chug out anthem after anthem, some I was not familiar with, and the audience laps it up. With all the flying about and rising stages, a highly entertaining show.
Setlist
Rock and Roll (Led Zeppelin song) (tape)
Deuce
Shout It Out Loud
Lick It Up
I Love It Loud
Firehouse
Shock Me
Guitar Solo
Flaming Youth
Bass Solo
God of Thunder
Crazy Crazy Nights
War Machine
Say Yeah
Psycho Circus
Black Diamond
Rock and Roll All Nite
Encore:
I Was Made for Lovin' You
Detroit Rock City
God Gave Rock 'n' Roll to You II (tape)
