From: Jasin Lee Lagoe
Well, I feel as if I should give some background before I get into the review. I am from Mexico, New York and drove out to see the Vancouver New Years Eve Kiss show with my girlfriend Leigh Anne. It was a great and exhausting trip. It only took a few days, and we arrived in Vancouver early.

I missed whatever was on stage before Big Wreck. Due to the fact that I was wrestling through the croud to get an Alive 4, I was There, t-shirt. That is always a hastle. I think that the people selling the merchandise should make people get in lines and wait their turn. And people refuse, don't sell anything until they get in line.

Big Wreck was alot better than I thought they would be. Their new song for their next album was petty damn good. The singer was able to rally the drunks in the audience to a semi-frenzie. The singer seems to be the only personality to their show though. The other musicians didn't seem that into it. I'ld fire their lead guitarist and hire Vinnie Vincent. He hasn't worked in awhile. Big Wreck was good.

Kiss hit stage, and I went insane. The people around me were sitting in their chairs just lounging. "Screw them", I thought, as I belted all of the words to the songs that they played. As all of the real Kiss fans there did. Is it just me? Or did the end of "Do You Love Me?" sound just a little different than it sounded before? I like the change.

Hearing "Heavon's On Fire" and "I Love It Loud" live for the first time were memories that I will take to my grave. During "Lick It Up", did Ace look as if he was sick to his stomach while singing the backgrounds for the song. He prblably protested the song. He looked ill. Even under all of that makeup. "2000 Man", even if it is a Rolling Stones song, was nothing less than amazing. I didn't think that Paul and Gene would go for 2000 Man being the first song Kiss played as a band after the midnight event. I was thinking either a new song, or a song that they could have all sang as a band.

Did Paul deck the person that tried to get close to him during "Love Gun"? He looked as if he pulled that right hand back to try and deliver a killing blow. Here's news for you boys and girls, don't mess with Paul Stanley. Or he'll knock your head clear off your shoulders. I really hope that's in the home video. I think that it problably won't be though.

During one of the songs a rather unsober fellow fell on a very large man's wife. The drunkard apologized and continued to make an ass of himself almost falling over tha railing while watching the show. The rather large fellow went and got security.

The drunkard resisted security and was pummelled into submission. He wasn't fighting, but he was trying to get away from his friendly escourts. I don't normally side with police brutallity. But if they hadn't came and got that fool he would have been beaten much worse by all of the audience members that were around him trying to enjoy the show.

"God of Thunder" is always incredible to see live. Even if there was a small mishap with the beginning were Gene flies up into the rafters to perform the song. The song "Into the Void" seemed to fall apart. Just like "Got To Choose" did. I hope that there was technical difficulties rather than problems with the immortal Ace Frehley and Peter Criss. I hope that their health is good and that they're fine. Those two songs just didn't live up to the rest of the concert. And I can't help but be a little concerned for the well-being of their health. It just seemed a little odd.

I thought that I would be hearing the songs "Within", "New York Groove", "Shandi" and maybe even "Crazy Nights". Or even "Hotter Than Hell", "War Machine" and "Forever". How cool would have been to hear Ace Frehley sing "Hide Your Heart" with Kiss? Or hear Peter Criss sing an obscure Kiss song like "Rock and Roll Hell"? Whatever happened to the song "Domino"?

Although there weren't really any surprises at this concert(like maybe a four hoursemen reference). This is the best Kiss show that I've ever seen. Even if I've only seen the immortal four perform together three times now. This show was my favorite. It beats their August 96 Reunion show at the Las Angeles Forum. It also beat their Heartford, Conn. Psycho Circus November 97 show. KISS is the band that conquers all. And although I will never get to hear Gene sing "She's So European" live, everytime that I see KISS live is a religious experience. Long live KISS. And let's all make Alive 4 outsell all of the other KISS albums.

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