Subject:
Burswood Theatre, Perth, Western Australia Show Fan Review
From:
k5ymo on 04/24/2007
Burswood Theatre, Perth, Western Australia Show Fan Review
By: KENNY SYMMONS
Just in the door, home, literally minutes ago and WOW!! what a way to kick off your 30th Anniversary of being a KISS fan, and KISS being part of your life than a gig by the main man himself…Paul Stanley!! People today still say ‘Hey Kenny, you STILL into Kiss?’…HELL YEAH, and proud!!
Take yourself back to 1977…High School, just 14 years old, and ‘Love Gun’ had just come out in the UK with minimal press (I’m from Scotland, and have lived in Australia for four years), and a close school friend bought the album just for the ‘cool’ cover art!! Upon first listen, my life changed forever. Forget ‘Queen’, ‘Quo’ and all the other staples we were being fed…there was a new lion in the den!! Leap a year ahead, and I’m now buying all 4 solo albums from the Virgin Shop (Megastores were not yet invented) in Edinburgh…little did I know then that 30 years later KISS would be as a big a part of my life as it is, and putting ‘Paul Stanley’ on the turntable I would witness these classics live when in adulthood. Paul has always been my favourite KISS member, and my favourite singer in rock music. Yep, 30 years later, his 1978 solo album is still one of the great rock albums released and one of my all time favourite records.
The April 24th gig at Burswood Theatre in Perth is a fantastically acoustic venue, and small and intimate…just the place for the singer / songwriter of my generation. Needless to say the crowd was buzzing, ready for THE Perth gig of 2007. I was in row G, and disappointed not to get a pre-sale platinum ticket to meet Paul, but nothing could dampen my or the venues excitement.
Paul was quite simply the man that ‘rock stars’ should be…from the opening of ‘Live to Win’ to saying ‘Goodbye’ (my particular favourites), the songs hit the spot. Other songs from the 1978 record such as ‘Tonight You Belong to Me’ & ‘Wouldn\'t You Like to Know Me’, to more obscure KISS tunes like ‘Magic Touch’ had the Perth crowd drooling and panting for more, mixed in with the thumping KISS classics…’Love Gun’, ‘Lick it up’, ‘I want you’, Detroit Rock City, then’ to the new solo tracks of ‘Lift’ & ‘Bullet proof’, Paul and the Rock Star band nailed every one note perfect, as I said, in a fantastically acoustic theatre. ‘I Still Love You’, a Paul Stanley classic ballad, was incredible…the lyrics…the song…still a favourite:
‘And when I think of all the things you\'ll never know
There\'s so much left to say
\'Cos girl, now I see the price of losing you will be my hell to pay
My hell to pay, each and every day, hear what I say’
As haunting today as they were in 1982.
Paul still had great raps in-between songs, but not as cheesy as the KISS raps that we all love and smile to…these were really good and he seemed really happy to be here tonight.
I think the band realised that they get an incredible reception ‘Down Under’, and the Perth crowd did not disappoint…cheering the band along, singing and joining in, and getting Perth rockin’ for the night…looked like we were all dug in!! It was raining in Perth tonight, but nothing dampened us here at Burswood.
It was great to see the heart of KISS pounding along…Paul, we all know that you keep the band going and are the consummate rock ‘n’ roller, and we all know its not 1978 any more…we are all that ‘bit older’ now, but hey, why not relax for the night in the company of 3000 mates and your favourite front man in rock and let all the pressures of life escape for two hours.
What else can I say…I love KISS,…and I love the rock and roll of Paul Stanley…and he played all my favourite songs, songs that make me the man I am today. I just wish I had the Platinum ticket to say thanks for the last 30 years…oh well…music is in my heart.
Thanks Paul for a magnificent night, enjoy the hospitality of Australia, and if you want another solo tour or even getting the guys together for another KISS tour, c’mon on back…ANYTIME.
Set list (in order):
Live To Win, Hide Your Heart, A Million To One, Got To Choose, Move On, Bulletproof, Tonight You Belong To Me, Lick It Up, Wouldn\'t You Like To Know Me, Magic Touch, I Still Love You, Strutter, Every Time I See You Around, Do You Love Me, I Want You, Love Gun. Encore: Shandi (acoustic), I Was Made For Loving You, Detroit Rock City, Goodbye