Kiss Farewell Tour Wish List: 5 Things We Want From ‘End of the Road’
Now that Kiss have officially announced their End of the Road farewell tour, let's do some fantasy booking. Here are five things we'd love to see happen when the hottest band in the world takes the stage for the last time.
1. Bring Back the Real Kiss Sign
For the past several tours, Kiss have been performing without a physical version of their traditional lighted logo sign, instead displaying images of one on huge video screens behind the stage. We're not asking for the return of the massive Asylum tour version or anything, but if we're saying goodbye, let's do it old-school style with real, heat-generating lights.
2. 'Greatest Hits' Stage Set
Over the years, the band's stage set evolved from a spare candelabra-accented design to various massive structures filled with lighted stairs, raised platforms, drum risers with functioning tank cannons and even the Statue of Liberty. If we can send billionaires to circle the moon, can't we cram the key elements from all of those tours into one history-spanning spectacle?
3. Opening Act: Ace Frehley
We get it -- the original Spaceman isn't getting his old job back. It's cool, things are as they should be. But if Ace, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley are all getting along -- recording, writing and even performing together -- how about recruiting Frehley as the opening act for the farewell tour? Check out how much of the band's history he and Simmons were able to cover when they teamed up on a recent joint tour of Australia.
4. Alumni Guest Stars
So, since Frehley's already in the building under this plan, how about a nightly guest spot along the lines of when the Rolling Stones welcomed Mick Taylor and Bill Wyman to the stage on their 50 and Counting tour? Let's expand that invite to all alumni. Founding drummer Peter Criss seems fairly set on retirement, and Eric Carr and Mark St. John are sadly no longer with us. But it sure would be nice to see Bruce Kulick get a chance to celebrate his decade-plus tenure with the group -- and dare we dream about an onstage reunion with the recently re-emerged Vinnie Vincent?
5. A Louder "I Love It Loud" for Eric Carr
Speaking of Carr ... without serious augmentation, the live drums on "I Love It Loud" don't stand a chance of matching the massive studio-generated sound of the original version. Maybe Kiss could bend their admirable "no backing tracks" live performance policy just long enough for us to hear and see their former drummer play the introduction to this song in its full glory every night?