KISS coming to the "End of the Road?"

The tour will be in my neck of the woods in late March. I'm going to try and work that night so I can see it for myself. The last time I saw them live a few years ago, Paul's voice was going. How likely does a 60-something's voice get better over time?

MetalGuy71 wrote:

How likely does a 60-something's voice get better over time?

Not very often, if ever. Hearing Rob halford live in concert, you can tell he can't belt it out like he used to, but he adapted and sings in lower octaves. He can still hold a note and be in pitch, but can't get those loud ear piercing screams like he used to do. Even when he tries it, they cover it up with reverb and make it seem like it's the same, but you can tell it's nothing like what it used to be. I have no problem with that though, since he's obviously still singing. Can't fault his age for betraying his voice, but you can fault outright deception when you start lip syncing to cover up your failing talents.

I also see King Diamond now using his wife as a back up vocalist during the live performances on his new DVD and when I saw them live a few years ago. Again, King isn't trying to deceive anyone, as he has her on stage singing with the band. After watching the dvd, I don't think she sings because he can't reach the high notes though either. I think she is there to give a bigger dynamic to the overall sound. I respect that over piping in music and not knowing about it. She makes the live sound more like the studio versions on a lot of songs which is great IMO. Watch a clip of Melissa to see what I'm talking about.

Lip sync action - gone wrong ?
Nothing can be as bad as this clip -
https://youtu.be/xdMiKETQruM

Ha! I've never actually seen a KISS tribute band, despite the surfeit of them. At this point, I think I'd prefer to see a raw tribute performance like that rather than this prerecorded light show that is the "End of the Road Tour."

Glower wrote:

Lip sync action - gone wrong ?
Nothing can be as bad as this clip -
https://youtu.be/xdMiKETQruM

That's a pretty good tribute band.

There were quite a few Kiss tribute bands making the rounds in NJ in the early 90s -- Strutter and Hotter Than Hell were the two big ones, I saw them both several times, but there was also KISS Army and a couple of others.

They all seemed to disappear once the original band got back together in '96 & put the make up back on, I guess it killed the demand for them, haha.

Mr. Speed is the one that comes around the Chicago area quite frequently.

The show Friday night was fun, if a bit predictable. Aside from a few minor changes in the setlist and a different stage look, the overall show was the same thing I saw twice before.

Here's where Gene spews fire, here's where Tommy shoots sparks during his solo. Now get ready for Paul to soar out over the audience. And speaking of Paul, that dude is a walking cliche of front man fan chatter.

"How ya doing (insert your town here)? As were were coming down (local highway) to see you, I was reminded of our first time in (your town) playing the (local small venue). Thanks for inviting us back to (your town). If it weren't for you, the fans, we wouldn't be here tonight. So let's keep this party going, alright (your town)? You didn't think were were done yet, did ya people? We're just getting warmed-up [plays 2 more songs, then exits the stage]. Cue confetti cannons.

I did notice alot of parents with kids at the show, so for first timers, it was quite a show to see. For an old-timer such as myself, it's more or less the same show I saw back in '96 on the original "farewell tour" and again a few years later with Eric and Tommy filling in for the departed Peter and Ace.

PS While I did notice Paul's voice sounding a bit strained at times, I saw/heard no evidence of backing tracks or lip-syncing.

My friend saw them Saturday night here in Pittsburgh and had the same assessment as you. I kicked around going but didn't feel like spending that kind of dough on a band I've seen before about a dozen times.

007 wrote:

My friend saw them Saturday night here in Pittsburgh and had the same assessment as you. I kicked around going but didn't feel like spending that kind of dough on a band I've seen before about a dozen times.

Aside from the fact that this could be their "final farewell", you really didn't miss anything. Don't get me wrong, it was quite the spectacle and like I mentioned, there were lots of families in the crowd. If you're a kid seeing this for the first time, it's gonna make an impression you'll never forget. However, if you've seen KISS in the last 20 years or so since they re-applied the grease-paint, you've seen this show.

Wrecked Neck wrote:

MetalGuy71 wrote:

How likely does a 60-something's voice get better over time?

Not very often, if ever. Hearing Rob halford live in concert, you can tell he can't belt it out like he used to, but he adapted and sings in lower octaves. He can still hold a note and be in pitch, but can't get those loud ear piercing screams like he used to do. Even when he tries it, they cover it up with reverb and make it seem like it's the same, but you can tell it's nothing like what it used to be. I have no problem with that though, since he's obviously still singing. Can't fault his age for betraying his voice, but you can fault outright deception when you start lip syncing to cover up your failing talents.

I also see King Diamond now using his wife as a back up vocalist during the live performances on his new DVD and when I saw them live a few years ago. Again, King isn't trying to deceive anyone, as he has her on stage singing with the band. After watching the dvd, I don't think she sings because he can't reach the high notes though either. I think she is there to give a bigger dynamic to the overall sound. I respect that over piping in music and not knowing about it. She makes the live sound more like the studio versions on a lot of songs which is great IMO. Watch a clip of Melissa to see what I'm talking about.

Halford was awesome when I saw Priest live a few years back. No, I didn't expect every note to be as perfect as on the original studio versions, but he still sounds great.

007 wrote:

My friend saw them Saturday night here in Pittsburgh and had the same assessment as you. I kicked around going but didn't feel like spending that kind of dough on a band I've seen before about a dozen times.

I have never seen KISS, love the band's music and I STILL won't pay that kind of dough. I just replaced 3 windows in my house for over $2K each so screw that.

tohostudios wrote:

007 wrote:

My friend saw them Saturday night here in Pittsburgh and had the same assessment as you. I kicked around going but didn't feel like spending that kind of dough on a band I've seen before about a dozen times.

I have never seen KISS, love the band's music and I STILL won't pay that kind of dough.  I just replaced 3 windows in my house for over $2K each so screw that.

Toho, no worries. The "farewell tour" is going to go on for at least 2 more years and possibly until someone drops dead.

So KISS played their "final" show at Madison Square Garden in NYC last night. (I was not in attendance.)

After the nearly two-year interruption caused by the pandemic, the constant rumors of Paul lip syncing to pre-recorded tracks, no Ace or Peter appearances, and their cancelling three shows during the last week of the tour due to Paul's flu, it felt less like a triumphant finale and more like they were dragging themselves across the finish line by their fingernails.

...so anyway, at the end of last night's gig, they revealed the "next phase" of KISS, which is some kind of animated digital-avatar group that they can send out on the road while they sit at home and collect the checks. Apparently this same tech has been used to create an animated version of ABBA which has been "performing" successfully in London for the past couple of years.


https://blabbermouth.net/news/kiss-announces-new-era-plans-to-continue-as-avatars



...I can't say I'm surprised. I kinda knew that the "big reveal" they were teasing last night was gonna be something stupid.

Y'all know how much I love KISS, but I'm not paying to watch an AI cartoon version.

Hail and farewell, fellas. Thanks for the memories, but I'm done.

Fat Freddy wrote:

So KISS played their "final" show at Madison Square Garden in NYC last night. (I was not in attendance.)

Between the nearly two-year interruption caused by the pandemic the constant rumors of lip syncing to pre-recorded tracks, no Ace or Peter appearances, and their cancelling three shows last week due to Paul's flu, it felt less like a triumphant finale and more like they were dragging themselves across the finish line by their fingernails.

...so anyway, at the end of last night's gig, they revealed the "next phase" of KISS, which is some kind of animated digital-avatar thing that I guess they can send out on the road while they sit at home and collect the checks.


https://blabbermouth.net/news/kiss-announces-new-era-plans-to-continue-as-avatars

...I can't say I'm surprised. I kinda knew that the "big reveal" they were teasing last night was gonna be something stupid.

Y'all know how much I love KISS, but I'm not paying to watch an AI cartoon version.

Hail and farewell, fellas. Thanks for the memories, but I'm done.

You don't want to pay money for this???

Witchfinder wrote:

You don't want to pay money for this???

Good Lord, no. I hated that song when it was new. The Mighty Morphin KISS Rangers graphics don't do anything to make it better.

R.I.P. 50% KISS

Gene and Paul just want more ways to cash in for their retirement.

Those imposters Thayer and Singer as immortalized avatars? No thanks!  

Ace and Peter will always be the spaceman and the cat.

One of my friends brought up an excellent (and quite funny) point:

In the classic 1978 film KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park, the mad scientist Abner Devareaux uses evil, high tech duplicates of KISS to cause mayhem.

...40 something years later, KISS themselves have pretty much done the same thing.

I can't believe they would just hand ol' Abner the victory like that after all this time!!


"I WIN!"

Fat Freddy wrote:

So KISS played their "final" show at Madison Square Garden in NYC last night. (I was not in attendance.)

After the nearly two-year interruption caused by the pandemic, the constant rumors of Paul lip syncing to pre-recorded tracks, no Ace or Peter appearances, and their cancelling three shows during the last week of the tour due to Paul's flu, it felt less like a triumphant finale and more like they were dragging themselves across the finish line by their fingernails.

...so anyway, at the end of last night's gig, they revealed the "next phase" of KISS, which is some kind of animated digital-avatar group that they can send out on the road while they sit at home and collect the checks. Apparently this same tech has been used to create an animated version of ABBA which has been "performing" successfully in London for the past couple of years.


https://blabbermouth.net/news/kiss-announces-new-era-plans-to-continue-as-avatars



...I can't say I'm surprised. I kinda knew that the "big reveal" they were teasing last night was gonna be something stupid.

Y'all know how much I love KISS, but I'm not paying to watch an AI cartoon version.

Hail and farewell, fellas. Thanks for the memories, but I'm done.

A friend of mine purchased the ppv and invited me over to watch it (I do have a friend who attended both Fri and Sat night.). But my thoughts after watching is it was basically KISS in slow motion. Which they've been in for a few years now. No surprises in the set list. Paul's vocals were pretty bad. In fact the best vocalist of the night was Eric Singer. No former members showed up which made me feel kinda sad (Not even Bruce Kulick came). All the silly 12 year old jr high school girl bickering shouldn't be going between dudes in their 70's. Put those differences aside if you really want to do something for the fans!

The KISS avatar thing is silly. If you're ending it, end it.

These last two shows were very uneventful. Big disappointment!

Paul couldn’t shut his stupid mouth long enough to have Ace and Peter make an appearance. Bruce also should’ve been there!

He sabotaged it.