Detroit '85 video review...

December 14/1985
Cobo Arena
Detroit, Michigan


Introduction

A quality show that reminds me of the Toledo show from this tour due to the performance and camera angle.


Background

The 12th show of the 91-date Asylum tour. According to the book Kiss Alive Forever, this was the first known appearance of Paul’s trapeze stunt that took place at the end of the performance and it was dropped from the show about a month later.


Video Specifics

An amateur handheld from the “ Bruce side ’’ of the stage, a very similar angle to that of the Toledo show, which means about midway back. The audio and video quality is more then acceptable.

The second of the three Asylum stages was used for this show, which includes the lightning bolt staircases and the recycled Animalize stage.


The Show

Detroit Rock City- the band is wearing their typically dreadful Asylum garb. Gene is especially hideous. Paul appears to be wearing black suspenders (!). Fans throw a beach ball up on stage that Gene promptly has to kick back twice. Prior to the next song, Paul takes off his pink robe and says this is the first show in Detroit since the MTV Animalize concert.

Fits Like A Glove- an ok version. A lot of stuff is thrown on stage especially around the microphone area (which Gene kicks some of it back into the audience). During the breakdown part of the song, Paul holds up a banner and poster given (thrown to) him by the crowd.

Cold Gin- this begins with the usual rap by Paul. Gene gives a leg kick perhaps to mock Paul. Paul makes the first effort by any band member to go up the lightning bolt stairs. He does so with little trouble. For the last part of the song, Paul carries around a white T-shirt of himself given to him by an audience member.

Uh ! All Night- Paul’s solo segues into this song and includes part of “ Oh Susannah ’’. Paul gets blocked by an audience member for parts of this song thus Gene, Bruce and Eric get more screen time then they would normally get. Eric seems buried behind his drum kit, which is enormous. For the last part of the song, Bruce stands back near the KISS logo and it seems to be the “ Gene and Paul ’’ show. The drum solo follows and is worth watching.

War Machine- Paul reappears wearing an Asylum T-shirt. Watching Gene sing this song with his ridiculous clothes is awkward to say the least. The song ends with pyro and Gene breathing fire (1 fireball).

I Still Love You- prior to this song, Paul picks up a pair of panties that a female audience member had presumably thrown on stage and say “ I can smell Julie in the front ’’. The song is decent enough although Paul’s vocals get a bit screechy at times which, I found annoying.

Under the Gun- all three-band members spend time on the stairs together during the song. Paul seemingly has to push Bruce out to the front of the stage for his solo. A case of nerves, Bruce ?

Tears Are Falling- Paul dons a sailor cap similar to the one he wore in the “ Uh! All Night ’’ video. Referring to MTV, Paul says “ I’m gonna be the guest VJ…after that MTV is never gonna be the same ’’. Gene’s ax bass makes its first appearance of the night. A beach ball gets thrown on stage during Bruce’s solo during the song. Gene’s bass solo follows complete with guitar gun and ample posing. Toward the end of the solo, Paul is on his hands and knees (insert joke here) just out of Gene’s spotlight on the “ Bruce ’’ side of the stage for some odd reason.

I Love It Loud- an energetic version and one of the better Asylum tour versions. Prior to the next song, Paul tells a story about a hotel, a geography teacher and a shower, which naturally leads into…

Love Gun- nothing extra special about this version but Paul’s vocals seem a bit buried in the mix and are a little hard to hear. The song ends with some pyro.

Rock and Roll All Nite- Gene seems to be yelling the words at times during this song. Its ends with the normal audience participation and a rather meager confetti storm and pyro.

Heaven’s on Fire- while Paul is introducing this song; “ this is one place that we look forward to more then any other ’’, Gene has some fun by putting guitar picks in Bruce’s and Paul’s hair. The song begins and ends with flames from the flame-throwers on either side of the stage. After the song, Eric trips while attempting to run up the lightning bolt stairs and Paul says “have a nice trip ? ’’. After a bit of encouragement “ do it again ’’, Eric does negotiate the stair successfully “ he made it ’’.

Won’t Get Fooled Again- a surprisingly decent version. The band trades off verses (Paul sings the first, Gene sings the second and Eric sings the third). The vocals are bit hard to hear and the camera is a tad shaky but nothing too objectionable at all.

Lick It Up- normally I find this song rather lame in a live setting but this is one of the better versions. The song and show end with Paul’s trapeze stunt where glides across the stage from the “ Gene ’’ side of the stage on top of the lightning bolt stairs to the bottom of the lightning bolt stairs on the “ Bruce ’’ side. According to Kiss Alive Forever, this stunt was dropped from the show about a month later.


Overall

A quality show by almost any criteria and certainly worth having since so few Asylum tour videos exist in complete form. Overall, an 8 out of 10.