Kiss
Islington Academy
Islington Academy
There's a
certain unique electricity in the air inside the Islington Academy tonight. Fuelled
by the lack of any support band and any rush by the headliners to get on stage
to a baying crowd, it would be forgivable for the assembled throng of fans to
go a little flat in the two hour wait for any music to begin. However, this
isn't your standard evening at the Academy. Tonight, Kiss are playing an remarkably intimate show – reportedly,
their smallest since the mid-70s – and nothing could dampen the sense of
anticipation for those lucky enough to bare witness to what has to go down as a
significant event in rock music.
Kiss certainly need no introduction, seemingly symbolised by the forgoing of the band's trademark "You wanted the best, you got the best!" intro. Instead, frontman/guitarist Paul Stanley, along with bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons, guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer in tow, simply walks on stage to a crowd that is now frothing at the mouth before announcing that the band were in Europe for an appearance on German TV and thought "Why not play a small London show?", before opening with new album Sonic Boom's lead single, Modern Day Delilah.
The only other song to get an airing from 2009's Sonic Boom is second single and album closer, Say Yeah, which set the tone for the show with its sing along chorus - something the band were keen to get everyone heavily involved in. The crowd didn't disappoint, remaining on good form through renditions of the likes of Love Gun and Black Diamond, building a crescendo of voices to set-closer Rock and Roll All Nite.
The upcoming leg of the Sonic Boom tour is billed 'From the Beginning to the Boom' and tonight appeared to be a warm up for the 'beginning' part of that billing. On top of the two tracks from their latest album, the only other song that wasn't released in the 70s was 1982’s I Love it Loud from the Creatures of the Night album.
It was during Rock and Roll All Nite that the gig took a turn. Confetti was fired out into the venue, filling it half a foot deep in snow-like white, however, it wasn't just confetti that filled the Academy; carbon dioxide was also filling the venue. The band persevered, however the CO² had taken its affect. Kiss retired backstage, before realising that each member was also struggling due to the lack of oxygen.
Kiss certainly need no introduction, seemingly symbolised by the forgoing of the band's trademark "You wanted the best, you got the best!" intro. Instead, frontman/guitarist Paul Stanley, along with bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons, guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer in tow, simply walks on stage to a crowd that is now frothing at the mouth before announcing that the band were in Europe for an appearance on German TV and thought "Why not play a small London show?", before opening with new album Sonic Boom's lead single, Modern Day Delilah.
The only other song to get an airing from 2009's Sonic Boom is second single and album closer, Say Yeah, which set the tone for the show with its sing along chorus - something the band were keen to get everyone heavily involved in. The crowd didn't disappoint, remaining on good form through renditions of the likes of Love Gun and Black Diamond, building a crescendo of voices to set-closer Rock and Roll All Nite.
The upcoming leg of the Sonic Boom tour is billed 'From the Beginning to the Boom' and tonight appeared to be a warm up for the 'beginning' part of that billing. On top of the two tracks from their latest album, the only other song that wasn't released in the 70s was 1982’s I Love it Loud from the Creatures of the Night album.
It was during Rock and Roll All Nite that the gig took a turn. Confetti was fired out into the venue, filling it half a foot deep in snow-like white, however, it wasn't just confetti that filled the Academy; carbon dioxide was also filling the venue. The band persevered, however the CO² had taken its affect. Kiss retired backstage, before realising that each member was also struggling due to the lack of oxygen.
The band
managed to return to play one of their four-song encore, Detroit Rock City. It was, however, somewhat appropriate that such
a unique event was to end on a Spın̈al Tap-esque moment. Could there really be
a more memorable way to end a historic night? It's tempting to say it was an
error befitting the occasion - it certainly didn't take away any of the sheen
for the 500 fans in attendance, who are able to say they were a part of
something exceptional on this chilly March night.
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