Kiss / Kentish Town Forum

In what is one of the most intimate shows for the self-titled hottest rock band on the planet; this was a perfect opportunity for fans of Kiss to get up close to their heroes. You will never see so many middle aged men and women in one place wearing make-up and wigs (unless clown conventions come into fashion) but you will never see such a mad, passionate crowd either.

As expected the band was cliché. Pyrotechnics make up, glitter, axe shaped guitars, the world’s most famous tongue. Everything you expected. But from the moment they stepped on stage and struck up the chords to Detroit Rock City it seemed as though they were a parody of themselves. Giving a "Yeah" every time Paul Stanley raises his fist is all well and good but stopping a song halfway through to do it is very irritating, especially when a good five minutes of the show prior to that were spent pumping up the crowd – play the songs already!

That said however, there is no denying they have some brilliant tunes and boy did they give them to us! ‘Shout it Out Loud’ and ‘Calling Dr. Love’ were served up like a loving punch in the face, loud enough to hit home with the Kiss Faithful who may have been deafened the relentless years of following the band – a worthwhile price to pay! Firework guns and guitar solos so sizzling that they cracked lighting assured that the show was not to be enjoyed without that strange post explosive smell.

With an encore featuring ‘Crazy Crazy Nights’ and ‘Rock and Roll All Night’ the crowd had got what they wanted, although there was no Strutter – sort it out lads! Kiss up close and personal with all the clichés and a great mixture of the old and the new is a unique experience and although it is not up everybody’s street it is certainly a crazy crazy night!