As had been widely rumored (well on the interweb anyhow) since news of a Scottish date broke last week, KISS are finally coming back to give Ireland one more go.
KISS: Will they pull? Photo: David Atlas Photography
Messrs Stanley and Simmons may have sold an estimated 80 million albums worldwide, but when they last announced they’d be showing up here back in 1996, the Irish public made it very clear that they’d all be, well, anywhere else really and the gig was cancelled amid rumours of pretty horrendous ticket sales.
But that was then, this is now and in the meantime KISS have been busy. Busy making records? Not really, well they’ve made two and the new one’s quite good infact, but more specifically they’ve been busy selling the band to just about anyone who looks sideways at it. There’s been sell-out world tours, corporate entertainment performances, a Hollywood movie, a wrestling tie-up, casket shaped box sets, the Winter Olympics, an appearance on That 70’s show, a performance and album with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, a Coffee Shop, comics, a performance at the Australian Grand Prix, the Gene Simmons Family Jewels and Channel 4’s Rock School reality TV series and now a Guitar Hero pack too.
All of this, you might think will have done wonders for the Band’s popularity and maybe it has, but I suspect that it’s a case of everywhere but Ireland. I’m sure people are looking at AC/DC’s success in Ireland this year as a sign that even without radio play and media support good old fashioned hard rock and heavy metal will still sell concert tickets here. But let’s face it, AC/DC are in a very different league, having sold at least double what KISS has done and having that all important legacy of a very big fanbase here from the 70’s and 80s.
While the internet, downloading and the kind of smart promotion mentioned above have definitely changed the way today’s kids consume the music their parent’s used to listen to, I really wouldn’t be relying on them to find their way to The O2 next May. The Celtic Tiger’s cubs may have grown up watching Gene Simmons on reality TV, some of them may even have been over to Download in 2008, but with unemployment now even higher than it was in 1996 many of them could be hard pressed to even come up with the ticket price, let alone what to Rock all Night and Party Every Day…..
KISS play Dublin on Friday, May 7th 2010 at The O2. Tickets On Sale This Friday 27th November 9.00am. From Euro 49.20 including booking fee, from Ticketmaster and usual outlets.
