Search - KISS:LIVE AT THE SYDNEY SHOWGROUNDS on DVD

Pop & Roll All Nite

Michael Legg | Brisbane Australia | 05/12/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This show was shot professionally for use in an Australian TV special called "The Inner Sanctum" which aired in 1980. The live versions of Detroit Rock City and Rock & Roll all Nite featured on the Exposed video were culled from this footage. I caught Kiss' very next show in Brisbane a couple of days after this one and I would have to say that I have mixed feelings about it. This concert comes from the time when the band were in the middle of their ghastly "Pop" phase (Unmasked having been released a few month's earlier). The whole mix leans more toward pop than hard rock - especially the drum sound. Also they used some sort of electronic harmonizer on Paul's vocals which gives these renditions of Kiss' classics a strange almost surreal edge. That said, this tour did have some unique features which make it an interesting part of Kiss history. Firstly this was the final leg of Eric Carr's first world tour with the band - the first tour ever without the 4 original members. (Eric does a fine job handling the lead vocals on Black Diamond). The set list contains a number of tunes which have rarely - if ever - been part of the set list since such as Is That You, Talk To Me & Shandi. In summary - this is not classic Kiss but if you're a fan you've just got to see it - it's an integral part of the Kiss puzzle."

Sydney

05/16/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's great to see something from Kiss which isnt all the same old songs done sounding the same way. Unmasked might not be liked by the band because it didnt sell, but the Kiss trend that was huge in the 70's was dying by the start of 80's so really anything they did prob wouldnt have sold. I cant wait to see how good this DVD is. The footage on exposed is actually considerably worse in quality than my copy of the show, so i hope theyve found the best source to put to DVD.Its not a harmoniser on Pauls voice, its actually a 2nd overdubbed vocal. The live vocal is lower in volume so the vocal your mainly hearing isnt the live vocal from the gig its the overdubbed one."