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DVD, Review, DVD Review, Kiss, Kiss Rocks Vegas, Nevada, Paul Stanley, Eric Singer, Gene Simmons, Tommy Thayer, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Gibson, God of Thunder, Blck Diamond, The Joint, Hard Rock Hotel, Casino, Sin City, USA, NV, Roc and roll all night, do you love me, psycho circus, hell or hallelujah, deuce, the who, wont get fooled again, shout it out loud, lick it up, pyro, lasers, war machine, love her all I can, acoustic, plaster castwr, hard luck woman, ace frehley

Shot back in November 2014 when Kiss had a 9 date residency at The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

 

It's crammed to the hilt with pyro, lighting galore, video screens illustrating the show as it was happening from various angles and footage of the band from their yesteryears at one point. Not the best sounding venue since it's a bit too on the bass side for my liking and if I am brutally honest, Paul Stanley's voice is shot and can't get that same shrill highness he is famous for and its more of a trying bawl.

 

Musically though they are bang on form with Tommy Thayer doing his best Ace Frehley gimmicks such as fireworks shooting off the neck of his Gibson or Simmons splitting blood and going up and wires into the gods from 'God Of Thunder'. Plenty of audience interaction with Paul bring a young girl on stage and have her stand behind his axe while he's playing or walking the bridge that spans the width of The Joint – posing for all it's worth. Eric Singer is second to none on that kit with backing vocals perfection and even takes lead on 'Black Diamond'.

 

The 90 minute spectacle covers a wide range of their repertoire starting with 'Detroit Rock City' and closing with 'Rock And Roll All Night' with a mass of paper falling from the ceiling – I wouldn't want to have to clean that lot up after! Lol! In between you get classics such as the well received 'War Machine' that is one of Simmons finest moments of the 80's; 'Do You Love Me' with Paul quoting lyrics before they kick into the song, more recent numbers like 'Psycho Circus' and 'Hell Or Hellelujah' not to mention ever in the set songs like 'Deuce'; 'Shout It Out Loud' and 'Lick It Up that even features some of The Who's 'Won't Get Fooled Again' complete with the green laser work!

 

If I have one irk about it, it's the mass of mobile phones that people are parading – just enjoy the f*ck*ng show! It does my head in and ruins the gig in my opinion.

 

As an extra you even get the show on CD plus bonus footage 7 Kiss cuts on the DVD with the band on acoustic that even include the never heard 'Love Her All I Can'; Hard Luck Woman' sung by Paul and the always hilarious 'Plaster Caster' from Gene. There's a cute moment where Mr. Simmons asks a young girl what song she wants to hear who shouts 'Shout It Out Loud!' whereby the laugh and say it sounds better in make-up and if she was coming to the show that night! Nice take of Beth by Eric Singer too! Goes to show they can still deliver in the most intimate of settings... Excellent!

 

Overall a cracking DVD/CD Set that I recommend especially for the acoustic section alone.

 

9/10

 

By Glenn Milligan

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