Page 62 - Black Velvet Magazine Issue 108

BV108 pg 62-65 KISS.qxp_BV108 pg 62 19/06/2023 19:55 Page 1

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KISS / SKINDRED / THE WILD THINGS - BIRMINGHAM RESORTS WORLD ARENA, 05.06.23
New York glam rock legends KISS have Pyrotechnics accompany most songs and particular, showstopping highlights include bassist/vo-
been on their End Of The Road World Tour calist Gene Simmons breathing fire at the end of 'I Love It Loud' and eerily spitting blood, demonic-
since January 2019 and they played five style, and rising up into the lighting rig to sing 'God Of Thunder, lead guitarist Tommy Thayer shooting
shows in the UK in July of that year, including rockets from his guitar during 'Cold Gin', drummer Eric Singer performing a crowd-pleasing solo while
the Birmingham Arena. Unfortunately, the up in the air on his drum riser, and Paul flying over the heads of the crowd on a zipwire to a smaller
rest of their world tour was interrupted by stage at the back of the arena to sing 'Love Gun' and 'I Was Made For Lovin' You', before flying back
Covid, which put a temporary halt to it for a to the main stage for climactic set-closer 'Black Diamond', which features Eric on lead vocals and ends
year and a half. After performing a stunning with more bombastic pyro and bombs.
show at last year's Download Festival, the
band are now back once more for their final
shows ever here in the UK, including Birm-
ingham again, this time at the Resorts World
Arena.
UK rock band The Wild Things open the
show and impress from the moment they
begin. Fronted by Sydney Rae White, who
has been in the acting business since the
age of 10 and appeared in a variety of TV se-
ries and movies, the band have won the ap-
proval of The Who’s Pete Townshend, who
recorded some music with them. We’re not
surprised that Pete wanted to work with
them, as they are a class act. It’s clear that
Sydney Rae is talented in more than one
profession, and the band, which includes
Sydney’s brother Cameron and husband
Rob Kendrick, are well worth arriving early
for. ‘Paradise’, about good times, and ‘Only
Attraction’, are definite attractions – but not
the only ones! ‘Heaven Knows’ (where Syd-
ney takes off her guitar ‘so I can do whatever
the fuck I want’, she exclaims), and ‘Drunk
Again’ (which they prescribe for the rest of
the night) are delectable, danceable dreams.
Full of vibrancy and infectious energy, The
Wild Things make the UK pop/rock scene
fresh and exciting again.
Skindred mix things up a bit with their
unique combination of rock and metal, reg-
gae, hip hop and electronica. ‘Kill The Power’
gets rid of any negativity as Benji Webbe
tells the story of when he told his brother he
wanted to be in a band; his brother said ‘Shut
the fuck up’. “If anybody has dreams or as-
pirations, fuck them. You do your thing,” he
adds. Benji has definitely done well going for
his dreams and is an inspiration to many.
The chugging and pumping beats of ‘No-
body’ (a song ‘for everybody’) and phantastic
‘Gimme That Boom’ are addictive, while the
spiralling ‘Warning’ sees Benji introduce new
friends to the Newport Helicopter – where
the audience take off their T-shirts and wave
them over their heads around and around.
It’s a fun way to end the set.
A KISS concert is a huge, highly enter-
taining spectacle from start to finish; the
band members descend from the lighting rig
on platforms while playing the all-time
favourite 'Detroit Rock City', accompanied by
bursts of flames and flashbombs, swiftly fol-
lowed by 'Shout It Out Loud', which features
long streamers shot out of cannons, most of
which hang from the ceiling for the rest of the
evening, giving a party atmosphere to the
venue. Vocalist/guitarist Paul Stanley recalls
that KISS have played in Birmingham nu-
merous times, going right back to 1976, and
now, this is the last chance they'll have to
play here. They certainly make this final time
a night to remember. The band are in a great
mood and occasionally engage in a bit of
playful banter between songs, which makes
for even more entertainment. The set is com-
prised of wall-to-wall KISS classics, plus the
rarely-played, fan favourite 'Makin' Love',
which goes down a storm.

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