Where do you stand with KISS? Undoubtedly giant rock icons who have been around for half a century, they are a band who massively divide opinions. Some love them, others detest them. Strip away the massive stage show, the single-minded business ideology and the entire franchise machine and underneath what you’ll find is a perfunctory rock n’ roll band who have made a little go not just a long way, but to the moon and back.
Off the Soundboard: Live in Virginia Beach is the second in a series of live releases which the band will release. More cash in the bank no doubt and one wonders how many live albums you really need from KISS. My money is on two; Alive I and Alive II being the legendary releases from the seventies. But there is a market out there and much like a shark tasting blood, KISS have moved in for the kill.
This release was recorded during the Rock the Nations Tour in 2004 and is notable for being the first full US tour to feature Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Tommy Thayer, and Eric Singer together. Although Thayer had been involved with the band on varying levels since 1989’s Hot in The Shade, it was only in 2002 that he applied the face paint of the Spaceman for the first time and this tour saw him step out as a fully-fledged member of the band alongside the two founder and returning drummer Eric Singer.
Coming in at around two hours and with a set list of 20 songs, this isn’t an album that non-KISS fans are likely to linger on too long. Paul Stanley’s voice has never been the strongest part of KISS for me and his performance on the opening track “Love Gun” raises the alarm bells, because it is, well, bloody awful to be fair. Thankfully, he slowly improves, which at least suggests that this ‘bootleg’ recording is somewhat genuine. In fact, the warts and all sound recording is a brave move in some respects as it shows up the flaws and limitations of the band in many aspects.
Although it’s nearly 20 years since this set was recorded, little has really changed in the performance. KISS have always put on a massively entertaining show, and the fire and flames, platforms and walkways have distracted from the tepid quality of the music and especially the rather schoolboy lyrics. And yet, if you grew up with the band in the seventies, there is something still magical about hearing “Christine Sixteen”, “Deuce” and “Makin’ Love” in the first few numbers.
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I must be honest, some of the music on here is dreadful. I’ve always hated “Lick It Up” so that was never going to get five stars and the version of “Tears is Falling” is weaker than a fence in Storm Eunice, with the singing particularly painful. It’s the much older classics like “She” and “100,000 Years” that are amongst the highlights in the set and it’s Simmons’ vocals that work best throughout.
In between songs, Stanley’s banter is as scripted as ever, his transformation into pantomime dame hysterical at times. It’s the two later additions to the band in Singer and Thayer who provide much of the musical stability. The former being a rock-solid drummer who adds fills and rolls that Peter Criss never did, whilst Thayer’s fretwork is at times light years more advanced that Ace Frehley’s ever was. Listen to Thayer’s extended workout on She as an example.
Audience participation comes as standard at a KISS show and Stanley ensures that there is plenty of opportunity on this recording. From the intro to “Lick it Up”, the classic back and fore of 100,000 Times, and the inevitable party anthems of “God Gave Rock ‘n’ Roll to You” and “Rock N Roll All Nite”, a KISS show will always get you singing.
Yes, it’s camp, it’s contrived and totally controlled but God, sometimes a good bit of KISS is what you need. Reviewing this after a shitty day in work, the likes of “Psycho Circus”, “War Machine”, “King of the Night-time World” and “Detroit Rock City” made the world a better place. This recording is raw, rough around the edges and if you slag KISS off, this will be all the evidence you need because at times it’s not that great. But KISS are where they are not because of the haters but because of hard graft and sheer doggedness and determination and Off the Soundboard: Live In Virginia Beach captures a couple of hours when thousands of fans left their lives behind, immersed themselves into a rock n’ roll theatre and enjoyed every minute. And for me, that is what rock music is all about.
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Off the Soundboard: Live In Virginia Beach was released on 11th March
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