Birmingham Show Reports Thread

[RippingFleshFromBone]

Decided to stand back and get to see the full show...and what a damn fine decision that was!!!! Stunning is all thats coming to mind. The light show is awesome especially during CN of all songs!!!!! The effects look even better from a distance compared to front row. Still think ES bazooka is hilarious! Pure cheese. And still think the Animal, 100,000 Years & ILIL section is kinda dull but otherwise I'm lovin the set list.

Good to meet a few forum members at the gig to! Hi to all!!!

Bring on Glasgow...

[Maverick]

Chuck a few thousand extra people in and look what happens! The place was pretty much sold out I reckon and everyone there clearly wanted the best and man did they get it! Whilst no surprises again (bar the bonus banter and a joke from Paul), tonight was proof of just how much difference the audience makes to a show!

Animal now marks my bar/bog break in the set - still makes no sense having this in the set to me when there's so much better they could play, but hey-ho.

First time I've been to the LG Arena - been to the NEC no end of times as it is the local 'arena' venue to me and what a massive improvement since LG branded it - they actually have facilities now!

[BDJ87]

Hell yeah man, the vending machines for drinks (1.95 a bottle ) saved my life afterwards, I was so dehydrated!

Roll on the 10th!

[MoNsTeR]

Loved it last night - fookin' loved it!! My wife (KISS virgin) also loved it! She also now sees Paul Stanley in a whole new light...

Driving back to Exeter was a bitch though - didn't get back 'til 2am so am now knackered!

Great show though - so many fireworks and pyro! Awesome stuff (first time I've seen them in make-up. Other 2 shows being in '88 and '92).

We had seats in row YE in block 16, so the sound was a bit muddy, but not too bad. Unfortunately, the hanging video screen obscured our view of the real screen at the back of the stage, but other than that, we had a great view.

Great to see the floor absolutely packed (good crowd vantage point from where we sat). I don't understand why the people at the back in the seats were separated from the other people - massive bank of empty seats between them. Odd.

Anyway, I now have to go to work. BOO!!

Have great shows those who are going again!

Oh yeah - I thought the revamped LG Arena was great. Expensive, but really well done.

[hywelkidd]

My first Kiss show and it was absolutely amazing. Paul sound amazing considering he's nearly 60, the new intro is great and I loved Pauls joke (before GGRNRTY if I remember correctly). The bazooka was also quite cool.

I was sat towards the back of the arena (Block 12 row V) but everything looked incredible from there. Set list was great but I would have preferred When Lightning Strikes instead of Shock Me. And I thought I'm An Animal works really well live, although it would have been better after Gene's solo instead of I Love It Loud. Will post video's later although I didn't manage to get all of the intro, I did get other songs although the zoom is crap on my phone. I got a new phone recently and didn't realise the default setting for the camera is to film for around 10 seconds and had to change it every time I wanted to film.

[niteworker]

KISS fecking rocked last nite.great to meet up with some great people from here you know who you are.and woody did you find a kebab shop on your way home.photos will be posted on sunday after i get back from dublin..

[milese]

awesome show. Glad to bump into some forumites - was with the family so couldn't mingle too much but hey there's always next week

I thought the band were excellent, I was nervous about Paul's voice but he didn't let us down at all. Was seated with aforementioned family in blk 14 so although that wasn't where I wanted to be it provided a great view and will be a nice balance to my next gig in Wembley which will be standing. My sister came along too and somehow she brought in her hugely impressive and expensive Canon digital SLR. She's taken dozens of photos and will be sending them on soon so I'll upload them but from I saw, some of them are amazing pictures.

[Frehley75]

Strange one this as I like to be as close to the front as possible but, being nothing in not an obedient gentleman, stood by the second stage with four month pregnant wife, another seeing the band for the first time. So, “took it all in” and, yep, it’s as good from there as anywhere else.

Ended up sitting in the disabled section, LG staff couldn’t have been more accommodating as the missus started to flag. By the end she was loving it – to be fair I pretty much defy anybody to watch the last forty minutes of this show and not float away with a smile on their face. Awesome.

Fingers crossed for the flights to Dublin and Glasgow then.

[kissengland]

This was the most "accomplished" performance I have ever seen KISS perform. I have waited so long for last night. It is most relaxed I have ever seen Paul & Gene on stage.
Tommy is now one of the family, just as Eric has been for a while and all in all I can happily say that if this is the last time I am lucky enough to see this amazing band who have been part of my life since 1976, I have seen them at their best.
Was lucky enough to shake hands with Doc also!

Now, something quite amazing happened to me last night. I wore the Nick Smith "Gene solo" shirt that I won in a caption competition on here.....I had what must have been over 30 people want a picture of me in it! So, if you saw someone on crutches hobbling around in that shirt while I was looking for Don (acesmiddlefinger), then thank you, it was nice to meet you!

[tazman]

Last night was one of the best KISS shows I've seen since 1980. I actually had goosebumps at certain points during the show, and that doesn't happen often. I also thought that the crowd played a great part in making the atmosphere brilliant. Hats off to the KISS Army. Thought the whole band was on fire and do agree with I'm An Animal being the only slight drop in energy.

[espressomanfishing]

Thats it, im never going to another gig ever again... I mean how the f**k do you follow that. The boys were simply AWESOME, paul was on top form, I got knackered just watching him, Gene screwed up the opening of Animal but Paul got him back in line and I think most people didnt notice. One of the highlights had to be Tommy & Erics solo, the bazooka was a nice touch. I was right at the fromt in the middle about 15 yards from the stage brilliant spot for pics (of which I took no less than 240!) Ill post a few when I have sorted them out.... well thats it, my first Kiss gig after a 30 year wait... well worth it.

[AxeBass]

Pauls voice, their age, replacement members, no new material, same old effects etc etc etc are all issues that this band have faced over recent years and like any good band or business they have dealt with every issue they have and the end result is something that I can only describe as - great fun rock n roll. The band are a tigher team than they have ever been, they are all in great shape and all have a smile on their faces and pride in what they are doing. Pauls voice is no longer an issue.

Last night was the best fun I have ever had at a Kiss gig. I took my Dad for his first ever Kiss show and he loved it, he had a smile on his face throughout. Pauls comments about dont expect to be preached to about saving the world hits the nail squarely on the head in terms of what Kiss are about.... superb entertainment. I feel lucky today that we have this band, that Gene and Paul have the desire to entertain at such a high level and that I've got another 3 shows to go to.

[Glammy Dave]

wow! First time ive ever been seated at a kiss gig and i can tell ya i had as much fun as when i was on the barrier in sheffield,simply brilliant,roll on monday,will post some pics later my brother took from the barrier,hes a damn good tog and what i saw on his camera last night was beyond great.... Hopefully my feet will hit the floor sometime soon.

[Robdj]

Yeah great show - fantastic even.

Glad I'm going to Wembley too next week, every minute was great although have to agree that I don't think Animal is the best song. They could play another classic instead of that or one of the far better songs on Sonic Boom. Never Enough would sound great live!
But that's just being picky!

The show was brilliant and afterwards you could hear so many people saying that was 'the best' or 'one of the best shows I've ever been to.' I agree, they were awesome.

Superb stuff - and get the impression that reviewers and lots of people who didn't 'get' Kiss before are really starting to appreciate them now.
Good times.

[almack]

Well, 3rd show of the tour for me and it was definately the busiest one I have attended, however, I think that the Liverpool crowd was in better voice overall. KISS look like they are really enjoying the tour!!

Good to see everybody I know from the forum and its really cool to go to a KISS gig and be certain that you will meet up with somebody from this forum!

Oh yeah and I took the wife to her first KISS gig (my 12th) and her come away with a smile on her face.

Roll on next week and Wembley's 2 nights!!