Forty-two years ago a traumatic incident ‘rocked’ my world.

Back in 1980 – the year the Rubik’s Cube debuted – I was 14 years old and a walloping huge KISS fan.

The band toured Australia that year. But I didn’t get to go. Instead, some mates and I had to listen to freckled-faced Joe Cranitch – a boy in our class who would later grow up to wear a police uniform – recite HIS experience of having been front and centre in the fourth row at KISS’S Brisbane concert the previous night.

A bitter pill to swallow, by anyone’s reckoning. The disappointment of missing out on that Brisbane concert, light years ago, left lifelong scars. But apparently time heals all wounds (and wounds all heels) and three nights ago SCENIC WRITER’S SHACK took a massive step forward in righting the wrongs of the past.

Three nights ago, SCENIC WRITER’S SHACK attended the 2022 Brisbane KISS concert.

A KISS concert has always been about much more than just the music; in much same way the Mona Lisa could never be described as just another painting.

KISS live is about staging a full-on, no-holds-barred theatrical ‘show’, in the truest sense of that word. One complete with trench-warfare-like intensity. On Tuesday night the band delivered in spectacular fashion.

Eric Singer’s Eight Minute Drum Solo

As a former band drummer myself, this was always going to be a highlight. And it was. All eight platform-raising minutes of it.

Paul Stanley’s Monologues Between Songs

They were all pretty funny. Especially the one about why the concert had been postponed twice prior to Tuesday night (Covid).

Gene Simmons’ Fire Beathing Act

Knew this one one was coming. Ouch!

Avoiding the $120 T-Shirts at the ‘Merch’ Bars

I’m all for getting carried away in the moment. But not THAT carried away.

The Support Act

Support bands are supposed to be good, but not THAT good. Right? These Led-Zeppelin-ish-sounding Brisbane lads were freakin’ world class.

The Girl at the Candy Bar

That was a looooooooong queue to get a packet of Maltesers and some bottled water. But the young girl serving all by herself down that end of the counter was calm, so poised, so old-skool, understated nice. Getting the chocolates from her in that way was a moment to itself.

THE DEMON

Bloody good theatre! And I do mean BLOODY good.

THE KISS ARMY

KISS fans like to dress up. That’s putting it mildly. There were plenty of whole families – Mum, Dad, and three kids – all rockin’ wigs, facepaint and costume outfits. That’s the KISS way.

Random Sighting

Something pretty random happened on the drive-home after the concert. During the show’s finale, which I’ll get to next, hundreds of Kiss-logo emblazoned, oversized beachballs – each the size of an armchair -were released down onto the crowd from high up in the rafters.

About 15 km away, while driving along my route home at 1am, I spotted a lone figure in the darkness by the side of the road. It was a genuine KISS fan sighting. And what was this person hugging close to his chest to put the final strokes on the weird-random factor? One of those giant beachballs!

THE BONKERS AMAZING FINALE

Every show needs a grand finale and this one had one of the trophy-winning grandest. More fireworks and ear-piercing explosions went off in that last five minutes than a lifetimes worth of rugged SAS training courses.

Guitar smashing, platform risers, 20-foot-high flame stacks, confetti cannons by the dozen and hundreds of frenetic lazers. This had it all. Nothing – absolutely nothing – was saved in the tank.