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KISS 
+ The Poor 
@ Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney,
26th August 2022

Review by Amelia Torresan

Photos by Nicky Carrall Photography

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KISS // Photo – Nicky Carrall Photography

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KISS are the definition of glam rock, being ‘extra’ before ‘extra’ was a thing. The stages were framed with stone statues of the members as their personas. The Demon and Catman on the left and Spaceman and the Starchild on the right, almost like a rock n roll Mount Rushmore overlooking their army of fans. In true KISS fashion, I attempted to pay homage to the legendary gods of glam rock by donning my biggest pair of platform boots, pleather pants and heavy makeup for the show because that night was the perfect time to go all out. Upon arrival, it was heartwarming to see the crowd had the same idea, with fans of all age and gender copying the band’s makeup and fashion sense for the occasion, with some going in full-out KISS cosplay to show their love for the band.

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THE POOR // Photo – Nicky Carrall Photography

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THE POOR // Photo – Nicky Carrall Photography

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In charge of hyping up the crowd were Australian hard rockers from Darwin, The Poor. Lead vocalist  Anthony “Skenie” Skene possessed all the charisma and talent of a great rock and roll frontalist, putting on an absolute hell of a show with the support of the band behind him. Their performance had a raw sound and an old-school quality that took any older rocker back to a time where hard rock was at its peak. The Poor performed songs from their entire career, with stand-out songs such as ‘Trouble,’ ‘Love Shot,’ and their upcoming single ‘Payback’s a Bitch.” The Poor are raw, high energy and aggressive with gut-busting guitar solos, solid beats and hair swooshing that rival a shampoo commercial. They’re reminiscent of AC/DC, Guns n Roses and Mötley Crüe, here for a good time and definitely the kind of music that Mr Schneebly from ‘School of Rock’ would listen to. The Poor went above and beyond setting the stage (literally and figuratively) for a night that had only just begun.

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KISS // Photo – Nicky Carrall Photography

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KISS // Photo – Nicky Carrall Photography

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“You wanted the best? You got the best. The hottest band in the world….KISS!”

As the curtain encasing the stage dropped, the crowd roared as the band descended on individual stages playing ‘Detroit Rock City’ with an impressive pyrotechnics display as their backdrop. If there’s one thing KISS have perfected in their many years of touring, it’s how to make a grand entrance. The members’ costumes were blinding, shining brightly under the intense stage lights, so much so that anyone in the front row would need a pair of sunglasses to see the performance.

‘Shout it out Loud’ and ‘Deuce’ were next up in the setlist, fans all over the stadium fist-pumping and singing along to their choruses. KISS incorporated videos from their career on the big screen, showing their newer fans a glimpse into the past and their older fans a familiar, nostalgic throwback. As a newer fan, it was so interesting to see the history of the band and that their love for a dramatic performance with a signature ‘KISS’ flair hasn’t changed over the many years that they’ve been around.

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KISS // Photo – Nicky Carrall Photography

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KISS // Photo – Nicky Carrall Photography

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‘War Machine’ and ‘Heaven’s on Fire’ saw the stage bathed in a harsh red light, matching the tone of both songs. Flame cannons and a red dragon motif on the projector set the tone, and crowd participation was at an all time high for the chorus of ‘Heaven’s on Fire.’ One of the best things about KISS’ lyrics is that even if you aren’t familiar with the song, it’s pretty easy to pick up the hook lyrics in the chorus, so by the end of the song it’s like you knew it all along.

KISS is a band that really commands the stage, their presence and their attitude make them a force to be reckoned with in the music industry and one of the main reasons why they’ve been so successful throughout their career, along with their undeniable talent. Peppered between their well known hits were solos for each of the members, a way to showcase their talent and play into their characters. The Spaceman played out a battle scene between himself and attacking UFOs on the screen behind him while he nimbly shredded a solo on the guitar, with firework explosions from his guitar being the cherry on top of his performance. The Catman boasted his skills on a double drum set, flaunting his stamina on kick drums while he twirled sticks between his fingers and wiped the sweat from his body and smashing every single part of the drumset during the peaks of his solo. Paul Stanley’s solo had the audience clapping along to the beat, encouraging him and cheering on his star-quality as the Star Child.

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KISS // Photo – Nicky Carrall Photography

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KISS // Photo – Nicky Carrall Photography

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It was so heartwarming looking out into the crowd; the smiles, the looks of anticipation, and the pure excitement and joy when a popular song was announced and the screams that echoed through the venue. For me, the crowd were part of the show, singing and jumping enthusiastically along with their idols, and setting a mood that was so contagious that soon everyone was joining in on the clapping, fist pumping and singing.

When Gene Simmons fully took on his persona as the Demon by acting possessed and spitting fake blood from his mouth to perform ‘God of Thunder’ on a stage that rose above the stage and gave him a god-like power, truly indulging in the theatrics of the Glam Rock genre. ‘Love Gun’ saw Paul Stanley perform a stunt I don’t think anyone in the crowd had seen before in their lifetime, judging from the collective gasp and cheering that rose from the crowd: The Star Child himself awesomely zip-lined from the main stage to a smaller stage at the other end of the venue, flying above the heads of the adoring crowd.

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KISS // Photo – Nicky Carrall Photography

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KISS // Photo – Nicky Carrall Photography

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It was finally time for my favourite KISS song: ‘I Was Made for Loving You’ which I very enthusiastically sang along to with my mum who I had brought along to the show with me, as she was the one who introduced me to KISS as a young child. After coming down from the high of hearing my favourite song performed live, ‘Black Diamond’ that faux closed the show, with the band members playing an adult version of ‘peekaboo’ with their fans. A glittering Swarovski crystal-covered piano was rolled onto the stage for Eric Singer, to perform the sole acoustic song of the night ‘Beth.’ With a breathy tone to his voice, the Catman touched the hearts of the crowd as he sang and played the piano before it was time to rock and roll once more.

After celebrating Gene Simmons’ birthday with a round of happy birthday and a cake (which he promptly smashed into his face and then threw into the crowd), KISS finished the night off strong, performing ‘Shandi’ and, what I believe to be their biggest song of all time, ‘Rock and Roll all Nite.’ Balloons fell from the sky, confetti and streamers were raining down on the crowd, and the most impressive and extravagant firework, smoke and fire-cannon display accompanied the final song of the night, truly ending the night on a high.

“Did you have a good time? Did you get what you came for?”

It’s safe to say that KISS takes both the glam and the rock in ‘Glam Rock’ to the absolute extreme and back again. Watching the band perform and get into the spirit of the performance, you could clearly see that they absolutely loved what they do, which is why they don’t do anything in halves. KISS was truly an experience to remember and this concert was such an amazing way to go out with a bang, solidifying their legacy and their title as one of the most influential rock n roll bands of all time.

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KISS // Photo – Nicky Carrall Photography

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AUSTRALIAN CONCERT DATES 2022

Saturday August 20
ROD LAVER ARENA, MELBOURNE VIC
www.ticketek.com.au & 132 849
Support:  Dead City Ruins

Sunday August 21
ROD LAVER ARENA, MELBOURNE VIC
www.ticketek.com.au & 132 849
Support:  Rival Fire

Tuesday August 23
ROD LAVER ARENA, MELBOURNE VIC
www.ticketek.com.au & 132 849
Support:  Dallas Crane

Friday August 26
QUDOS BANK ARENA, SYDNEY NSW
www.ticketek.com.au & 132 849
Support:  The Poor

Saturday August 27
QUDOS BANK ARENA, SYDNEY NSW
www.ticketek.com.au & 132 849
Support:  Battle Snake

Tuesday August 30
ADELAIDE ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE, SA
www.ticketek.com.au & 132 849
Support:  The Superjesus

Friday September 2
RAC ARENA, PERTH WA
www.ticketek.com.au & 132 849
Support:  Legs Electric

Tuesday September 6
BRISBANE ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE, QLD
www.ticketek.com.au & 132 849
Support:  Wolfmother

Saturday September 10
CBUS SUPER STADIUM
GOLD COAST, QLD
Supports:  Wolfmother & Tumbleweed
www.ticketek.com.au & 132 849

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KISS // Photo – Nicky Carrall Photography

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Check out Nicky Carrall’s full gallery of this event HERE

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Follow KISS
Website – Facebook – Instagram – Twitter

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KISS // Photo – Nicky Carrall Photography

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KISS // Photo – Nicky Carrall Photography

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Press Release February 2022 (below) HERE

KISS

Reschedule Australian Tour

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AMNPLIFY – DB