Introduction

This show is probably the second best show after the Detroit pro-shot video on the Revenge tour although the Long Island show could make this claim as well.

Background

This show was the 53^rd show of the 55-date, Revenge arena tour. This tour averaged around a paltry 5,000 per show. The West Coast leg of this tour was short and for good reason with most shows averaging less (in some cases, substantially) then the tour average. However, the early shows and these later shows of the tour seemed to be the best, musically speaking (as witness by some of the audio bootlegs from this tour- Montreal; Portland, Maine; New Jersey and Seattle. All of which are worth locating if you are a fan of this era).

Video Specifics

This is an amateur handheld shot from the Bruce side of the stage. The video is close enough to see facial expressions on the band members while on stage. There are a few rough spots in terms of the video being a tad shaky but overall this show is well filmed.

The Show

Creatures of the Night- the video is a little bit shaky at the start of the song but the problem doesn’t linger for very long. The song is well played with good energy by all members.

In case you care, Gene is wearing a “ F*ck Censorship ’’ T-shirt along with his usual leather and stud clad Revenge era appeal. Paul is wearing a skull T-shirt along with a vest and the obligatory black leather pants. Bruce is wearing a green tie dyed, long sleeve shirt.

Deuce- after the first verse, Gene says “ do it ’’. I’ve heard Paul say this so many times in this song, it was a bit surprising to see Gene say it.

I Just Wanna- the camera is a bit rough for the first verse but nothing too bad. During Bruce’s solo, an audience member throws a hat at Bruce. It hits him right in the hands while he is playing. Being the consummate that he is, Bruce doesn’t miss a note. For most of the song, the filmer looks at everyone else except Paul even though he is the one singing ! Near the end of the song, Paul takes the mic off the stand (a la 100,000 Years) and leads the crowd in the F-word chant.

Unholy- even though Gene’s vocals are a little hard to hear, this version is certainly one of the better versions of this song.

Parasite- the shakiest song of the show, in terms of camera work, is this song. The audio is fine but the video detracts from an another wise solid version of this long lost classic. Throughout the song, in fact, throughout the first few songs of the show thus far, Paul throws an endless number of guitar picks to the crowd.

Heaven’s on Fire- this song didn’t have the usual pyro opening that was used during this song. The filmer didn’t show the entire stage but from what I saw, I don’t think it was used. For the song itself, Paul’s vocals are low for the first half of the song but this version is decent.

Domino- reasonably clear Gene vocals help make this song a good version.

Watchin’ You- a faithful version of this gem. Gene doesn’t attempt the high-pitched “ tryin’ not to stare ’’ part instead he sticks with his usual singing voice. This songs segues into…

Hotter Then Hell- a decent version of this classic. Paul substitutes “ She had to sit on my

face ’’ instead of the usual “ I had to get on the case ’’ which he did frequently on this tour. This song rather predictably segues into…

Firehouse- all members smile during this song and seem to be having a good time. Prior to Gene’s fire blowing, an audience member throws something at Gene (it looks like it might be a popcorn bag). The audience member misses and Gene blows 1 fireball. Before the next song, Paul says they are saving the pyro for the end of the show.

I Want You- the audience sings the spoken word opening. Paul then asks “ who doesn’t know this one ? ’’. The crowd then boos those who don’t know it. The song is well played by all members. The song ends with Bruce’s solo, Eric’s solo and Paul’s vocal flexing.

Forever- Paul introduces the next song by mentioning that they just recorded Alive III and that they had to “ stop during the next song because there were so many matches ’’. A generally

well played version.

War Machine- Gene uses his cherry red bass during this song. Nice vocals by Gene make this song one of the better ones of the night. Good camerawork captures the face of the Statue of Liberty while it crumbles.

Rock and Roll All Nite- a well-played version of this setlist mainstay without the usual audience participation.

Lick It Up- while using one of the side mics, Gene has some fun playing to the fans. He strokes the microphone stand and tongues the mic as well. The filmer gets points for getting this instead of looking at Bruce or Paul.

Take It Off- Paul fools around with some female fan prior to this song by saying “ Honey, I can tell the temperature of this coliseum just by looking at you ’’. In case you care, four blonde women come on stage and play around with the band. Gene, in particular, has some fun with 1 young lady. She gets down on her knees and old Gino puts his bass guitar behind her head and simulates the beginning of their fellationship. J

Strutter- one of the better songs of the night. Well played and well filmed.

I Love It Loud- the vocals are a bit rough at the beginning of the song but they clear up nicely as the song progresses. The filmer pans around the arena, which is rather empty.

Detroit Rock City- one of the more amusing song intros by Paul. He says that “ people in California don’t walk around saying peace brother and live on communes ’’. He even makes the peace sign with both hands when saying the above-mentioned sentence, which is funny to see.

Shout It Out Loud- just as the band comes back on stage for the encores, Paul says “ say hi to Eric Singer, the blonde midget ’’.

God Gave Rock and Roll to You II- a surprisingly good version of this song. The vocal tradeoffs between Gene and Paul seem to work well, which isn’t the case most of the time.

Love Gun- the big finale. Bruce helps a rather standard playing of the song some good guitarwork and the laser effects help as well. The ending of this song segues into The Star Spangled Banner. All of the pyro that Paul promised goes off without a hitch. The camera work is a little bit shaky at the end but nothing is missed.

Overall

Call me crazy but I like this show more then the Detroit pro-shot from this tour. There are a few minor problems but this show is a worthy addition to any Kiss video collection. Overall, a 8.5 out of 10.