KISS
Qudos Bank Arena
Sydney, Australia
27 August 2022
Having been indoctrinated as a prepubescent into the KISS Army by a card-carrying and pinball machine owning elder family member who was there to witness the band's ascent to superstardom before the dawn of punk rock, the seemingly evil cohesive image, distinctive uniform and cartoon-esque idea of danger that Kiss conveyed proved to be revelatory during my formative years. The way Kiss married irresistible hard rock elements with the flamboyant aspects of glam resulted in one of the gateways that introduced me to darker shades of rock and sparked a lifelong love affair.
In-fighting leading to the current incarnation of Kiss with Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer in the make-up and characters of Ace Frehley and Peter Criss and divisive antics of the individual constituents of the band aside, Kiss as a phenomenon remains undeniable.
On their current “End of the Road” valedictory lap, which has been meandering around the globe since 2019, Kiss washes over the audience with a good time. Their meticulously planned ground-breaking concert production comprised of theatrics, gimmicks, pomp, a best of setlist, fire, pageantry and explosions galore is both literally and figuratively a blast.
An added bonus that accentuates this masterclass in entertainment and life-affirming celebration is that compared to other times I have seen Kiss incarnate with the original line-up, the band is in top form and it felt like the current version is genuinely having a lot of fun, which seamlessly translates, resonates with the audience and adds an important additional dimension to their impressive stagecraft.
Tonight’s carefully choreographed bombastic, sonically lean two-hour tour de force did neither lack grit nor swagger and culminating in a confetti spurting fulminant finale that saw them leave the stage of a borderline sentimental high, swept up the audience and cemented Kiss’ monumental legacy.
A majestic show you do want to catch before the mammoth End of the Road tour grinds to a halt sometime in 2023 and the brand continues in another shape or form in a live environment.
