At the time of writing this review, Kiss are back in the States after wrapping up a spectacular and emotional tour in South America. A few days have passed since I had the opportunity to see them again in my country. Peru is known for being the capital of the Inca Empire and recently for its food but we have not given the world any international level rock band.
Being a rocker in Peru was never an easy task. Unlike Brazil, Argentina or Chile, my country has not developed this culture. There are many fans, but our market is so small that we always had to see the plane with our favorite bands going to those countries without stopping here. To give you an idea, we have known KISS since 1979 when the songs “I Was Made For Loving You” and “Sure Know Something” became popular, both from the album Dynasty. We were able to see KISS in the distance at that wonderful concert at the Maracanã stadium in Brazil where they gathered 137 thousand people in 1983 (the largest number of people they have ever had in a single concert). So close and so far at the same time.
It took more than 30 years to see them for the first time in Peru in that memorable 2009. That first visit was a dream come true for thousands of Peruvians and we enjoyed it because we felt that it was the first and last time, we would see them. This writer did his best to accredit himself as a photographer that first time and failed.
In 2020 it was announced that KISS would return again on their End of The Road farewell tour, you can imagine the joy and excitement of being able to see them again. Then came the Covid 19 pandemic and the suspension of concerts around the world. When we already lost hope, the new dates for this 2022 were announced. Kiss returned to Lima on May 4, 2022, and this time to inaugurate a new space for concerts called Arena 1 Costa Verde.
Since the date of the concert was made official, I was looking for a way to accredit myself as a photographer. A Spanish-language media outlet with which I collaborate tried to accredit me, but finally they told me no. Fortunately, a few hours before the concert a good friend of mine invited me to the Meet & Greet and they let me bring my camera. Getting to the place was complicated, not because of the distance but because of the traffic generated. The concert venue is located on the beach, a few meters from the seashore. The problem is that there is only one way to get there, and it was full of cars.
The concert was announced for 9 pm. The doors would be open from 5 in the afternoon and the opening band would be Frágil, one of the historical bands of Peru, which would play at 7:45 at night. The doors only opened at 8:15 at night in the middle of a general annoyance of the public that was waiting in long lines for hours. Finally, due to problems with the stage, there was no opening act and the concert only started at 10:30 at night.
Since the chords of Led Zeppelin‘s “Rock and Roll” were heard through the speakers, the public began to shout reaching their euphoria when the well-known “All right Lima, you wanted the best you’ve got the best, the hottest band in the world: KISS” was heard. The curtain fell as the opening strains of “Detroit Rock City” played, and amid the fireworks, lights and smoke, Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons and Tommy Thayer appeared in the foreground and Eric Singer on the giant drum kit behind them.
“Shout It Out Loud” served to unite the voices of Paul and Gene before the indescribable joy of the public. At the end of the second song all the photographers were invited to leave, there were complaints because there were supposed to be three songs that could be photographed, I managed to stay because I had a guest accreditation, but they asked me not to take more photos. It was curious because at that moment the one who was looking at me intrigued was the great photographer Ross Halfin who covered the entire tour for the band. It is known that Halfin is very jealous when he works for a band and he does not like competition. I didn’t want him to order security to get me out of there. I must confess that I have always admired his work so as an anecdote I will mention that it was very interesting to see him work.
“Good night Lima, we have waited a long time to be here, tonight is the night” were the first words of the StarChild welcoming everyone present and then in Spanish he said “I do not speak Spanish well but I understand your feelings and my heart… It’s yours!” people screamed endlessly, and Paul handled the crowd like he always has. It was Gene’s turn who gave us “Deuce” and “A War Machine” loaded with fire and red lights that took us to hell itself. I could go on describing every minute of the concert but if you’ve seen KISS in the last few years, you know that the setlist hasn’t changed much and that the staging is always impressive. Everything that can be expected from the band was present that night.
“After Heaven’s on Fire”, Paul remembered the first visit in 2009 and that he was sure that this time they would also be “numero uno”. “I love It Loud” would be one of the most anticipated moments of the night because it was the opportunity to see Mr. Simmons spitting fire from his mouth. Something that lifelong fans appreciate is that the setlist has emblematic songs of the time without masks such as the aforementioned “Heaven’s On Fire”, “Lick It Up” and “Tears Are Falling”. As well as more recent songs like “Psycho Circus and “Say Yeah!” Tommy Thayer’s turn would come with “Cold Gin” with his guitar launching fireworks all over the stage and minutes later the long-awaited drum solo by Eric Singer. Gene Simmons would spill blood in “God of Thunder” and Paul Stanley would fly over the crowd during “Love Gun”.
Another important moment of the night would be the interpretation of the best-known song of the band here in Peru. It is no exaggeration to mention that all Peruvians have danced “I Was Made for Loving You” in the city’s nightclubs, total ecstasy! The band would say goodbye after “Black Diamond” with Eric Singer’s drums going up in the air before the astonished gaze of the public. No other band has brought such a spectacle to Peru.
The encore would bring us the Catman interpreting “Beth” and with “Rock and Roll All Night” we knew that the night was about to end. The sky was filled with confetti and balloons with the KISS logo until the stage could no longer be seen. When we could see the stage again we realized everything was over and we wondered if perhaps we had not dreamed it. It was more than two hours that made us forget all the long wait. We know that it is the last tour but we would like to dream that there may still be another visit.
KISS:
Paul Stanley – Vocals/Guitar
Gene Simmons – Vocals/Bass
Tommy Thayer – Lead Guitar
Eric Singer – Drums/Vocals
Setlist:
1.) Detroit Rock City
2.) Shout It Out Loud
3.) Deuce
4.) War Machine
5.) Heaven´s On Fire
6.) I Love It Loud
7.) Say Yeah!
8.) Cold Gin
9.) Lick It Up
10.) Dr. Love
11.) Tears Are Falling
12.) Psycho Circus
13.) 100,000 Years
14.) God Of Thunder
15.) Love Gun
16.) I Was Made For Loving You
17.) Black Diamond
Encore:
18.) Beth
19.) Do you Love Me
20.) Rock and Roll All Night
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I’m a photographer with extensive experience working for national and international media. I’m also a passionate photography educator with extensive experience working with students of different ages. I love Heavy Metal music and I began shooting concerts in 1992. Concert Photography is my passion. I’m based in Perú but willing to travel anywhere.
