Kiss
with Ted Nugent and Skid Row
Friday June 23, 2000 @ Air Canada Centre in Toronto

This is the first real all out stadium rock show I have been to. I think the reasons are pretty obvious. Tickets for these kinds of shows are pretty expensive, and most huge rock bands simply suck. Kiss are an exception to the rule. The tickets were not cheap, that’s for sure, but with Kiss you know you are going to get your money’s worth. We wanted the best, and we definitely got the best.

None of us are hardcore Kiss fans, and in a lot of ways we had decided to go to this concert just because we thought it would be an amusing experience. The audience at a Kiss show is really strange. You see a lot of older people with their kids there, as well as the typical metalheads and stoners, and just average every day people. Fun for the whole family!We were lucky enough to have the people sitting beside us headbanging and smoking pot all night long. That was cool. It’s always fun to see the painted faces and costumes as well. Some of us painted our faces, and wore various heavy metal attire to effectively blend in with the crowd.

We missed Skid Row, which was a big disappointment. The show started really early. We never did find out if Sebastian Bach was actually playing with the band, or if he was off doing his own shit. Last I heard he was doing stuff on Broadway or something. Unfortunately, we did happen catch most of Ted Nugent’s set.

All I can say is that The Nuge is a total jackass. Not only is his music shit, but he has some fucked up views on the world that he tries to push on people. He made various racist and totally ignorant comments throughout his set. It was disturbing to say the least. Normally I would just dismiss it as part of his act, which he uses to get people riled up but the thing that bugged me is that so many people were applauding the things he said. I don’t really expect a lot of the stoners to have brains, but I was just thinking about the number of impressionable young kids that were probably in the audience that night.

He came out on stage for his encore wearing a huge indian headress and a shirt with the confederate flag on it. Then he ended his set off by bringing out his bow and arrow and saying “They can’t take my weapons away from me!” and muttering “Sacrifice the buffalo!” as he took aim and fired a flaming arrow at his amp and ignited some sort of pyrotechnic device.

Anyways, The Nuge and his redneck ranting were soon forgotten.On stage they erected a huge tent with the Kiss logo emblazoned on it. Behind the tent you could make out silhouettes of the crew members as they went about their job of setting up the various stage props and assembling other apparatus. (or is that apparati?) The suspense was starting to build. In the meantime we went out into the halls and examined the various overpriced t-shirts that were available for purchase.

It wasn’t too long before the tent finally dropped with a blast of pyrotechnics and Kiss were lowered down from a giant platform in the middle of the stage. They opened with Detroit Rock City, no doubt thinking that they had attracted a bunch of new fans with that movie. They probably did, I know that it played a part in our presence there that night.

This show was billed as the Kiss Farewell Tour. Who knows if it will really be the last time they are together, but they were certainly milking it for all it’s worth. After every song Paul Stanley would be like “People we love you! And this is the last time we will be here, but don’t be sad! It’s a happy occasion!”

Each band member had their own “solo” time on stage. Ace Frehley engaged in a lengthy guitar solo (it wasn’t as impressive as it sounds) and then soloed the theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey. That was pretty funny. Gene Simmons’ solo was also particularly memorable. They turned down the lights as he performed a demonic bass solo, during which he spit blood. Then he was hoisted up to a platform in the rafters and played the opening bass line for 100,000 Years, after which the rest of the band rejoined him onstage.

For me I think my favourite part of the show was when Paul Stanley was hoisted out to a small stage in the middle of the crowd while they played “Love Gun”. He looked so funny strutting around in his custom made platform shoes and wiggling his ass. Although Paul Stanley’s sexual orientation is clearly an issue for debate, you can’t deny that he is one of the most charismatic people in the world. He should run for president.

Another memorable performance was the song “Heaven’s On Fire”, where huge flames erupted during the chorus, and even up in the upper levels where we were sitting you could feel the heat coming off them.

We unanimously agreed that the cheesiest part of the show came towards the end, when Peter Criss delivered his rendition of Beth, complete with prerecorded piano in the background. And of course, the final song they performed was Rock And Roll All Night. I’m glad they didn’t go too overboard with the encores, because some bands just don’t know when to quit, but Kiss have the live show down to a science.

Now obviously I’ve never seen any other Kiss performances, but I have they feeling that they do pretty much the same live show for every tour. You definitely get your money’s worth, but I don’t think I would pay a lot of money just to see the same show over again. Maybe 20 years from now when they are decrepit old men in wheelchairs and they do the Old Men in Makeup Reunion tour I will be willing to shell out again.

Overall, the music was rockin, the pyrotechnics were dazzling, and the vibe was amazing. I know that it’s all part of the act, but Kiss come across as some of the most honest and genuine rock stars ever. They certainly know how to put on a show, and this easily ranks as one of the best concerts I’ve ever seen. — Sean