Kiss reveals its final live shows: ‘Yeah, this is the end’
Vinyl of the Week: New Order’s ‘Low-Life, Definitive Edition’
The final shows ever by Kiss have finally been announced.
The grease-painted rockers kicked off their End of the Road World Tour in January 2019 and traversed five continents in the years since, with nearly 250 shows expected to have taken place by the time it’s all over.
And when it does end, it will poetically be right back where it began for the band.
“Dec. 1st and 2nd is Madison Square Garden: those are the last two shows of the band,” co-founder and frontman Paul Stanley told Howard Stern this week. “We’re finishing up where we started. I believe there are 17 shows before that in the States.”
Next month, in South America, the final 50 dates of the run will begin. The tour will pop over to Europe before hitting North America one last time.
The closest to the Delaware County area will be Nov. 29 at CFG Arena in Baltimore. There was already one stop at the Wells Fargo Center in March 2019 and later that year in Hershey.
The trek also stopped in Allentown in early 2020 and Atlantic City in 2021.
“Some people have kind of snickered and said, ‘this End of The Road Tour has gone on for years,’ ” Stanley added. “Yeah, we lost two and a half years to COVID. We would have been done already. Yeah, this is the end.”
Kiss got their start in New York City five decades ago when Stanley linked up with bassist and singer Gene Simmons, guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer
Peter Criss.
The latter two left the band at the dawn of the 1980s, setting up years of growing pains as the rock music landscape changed dramatically.
Kiss removed their makeup in 1983 but put it back on in 1996 when Frehley and Criss returned to the fold for a lucrative reunion tour. Yet as the new millennia kicked in, both were out again, with Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer taking their places on guitar and drums, respectively.
Still, even with just half their lineup intact, those last shows are sure to be emotional not just for the fans of hits and anthems like “Beth,” “Shout It Out Loud,” “Rock and Roll All Nite” and “Lick It Up,” but the bandmembers themselves.
Stern asked the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers if Simmons would shed tears at the last gig.
“Oh, I’m sure,” Simmons said. “I kid around a lot about ‘men don’t do that.’ I’m sure I’m going to cry like a 9-yearold girl whose foot’s being stepped on. Kiss was born on 23rd Street. It’s only taken us 50 years to go play the final shows 10 blocks away on 33rd Street, which is Madison Square Garden.”
Of course, the reveal of the New York City dates as being the true “end of the road” has been met with skepticism and downright derision from critics.
After all, this is the same band who has gone on record claiming to be finished with touring in the past.
“People think we’re doing this for an effect. This is the real deal,” said Simmons. “We’re not trying to pull any punches. We want to make sure that you understand that we’re doing this for the fans. This is the farewell tour. This is not a game. There will be no other.”
By the way, that last quote from Simmons? It was taken just before Kiss embarked on The Farewell Tour in March … of 2000.
Vinyl of the Week
Keep an eye on this spot as each week we’ll be looking at new or soon-to-bereleased vinyl from a variety of artists. It might be a re-pressing of a landmark recording, special edition or new collection from a legendary act.
This week, it’s the definitive edition of a legendary synthpop outfit’s third album.
• New Order: “LowLife ”
There are many fans of New Order who would say it was with the 1985 LP “Low-Life” when they finally hit their groove, shedding the sonic shackles of Joy Division, the ashes from which the group rose from when frontman Ian Curtis hanged himself in 1980.
It was among songs like the singles “Love Vigilantes” and “Sub-Culture” where the band began to gain a true foothold in the States.
Recorded in 1984 at Jam and Britannia Row Studios in the group’s home country of England and self-produced, “Low-Life” is now available as a definitive edition box set, one that is stacked with a bevy of extras with a fresh vinyl pressing the crown jewel.
The 2CD/2DVD/1LP “Low Life” collection includes rare and unreleased material, new sleeve designs and a hardbound book.
The second CD contains previously unreleased mixes and alternate versions, including instrumentals of “Love Vigilantes” and “Sub-Culture,” along with the “Album Session Unedited Version of Sooner Than You Think.”
The two DVDs include an unreleased performance from The Manhattan Club, and rarely seen footage from Rotterdam Arena in the Netherlands, International Centre in Toronto and a BBC-filmed Whistle Test performance at The Hacienda club in Manchester, England — all from 1985.
The 180-gram vinyl comes wrapped in its original heavyweight tracing paper, designed by noted art director Peter Saville.
Additionally, the CD is wrapped in the same paper for the first time ever.
Also included in the set is a gorgeous hardback book featuring rare photos and new interviews with all of the band members.
In addition to the boxed set, New Order is also releasing — separately — a selection of 12-inch singles, including a limitededition version of “The Perfect Kiss” pressed on crystal clear vinyl in a mirror sleeve, which is exclusive to neworder.com.
“Sub-Culture” is also available in a plain black (no label) sleeve, updated with a new design, incorporating the original concept.
Look for “Low-Life ” box set online and from all respectable retailers who carry vinyl.