The 6th installment of the KISS Kruise had somewhat of a different flavor to it this year. The band decided to do their sail away show at 9 pm rather than when the boat departs port. There were mix feelings about this but more on that later.
Appearing in a t-shirt of his son Evan’s band called The Dives, Paul Stanley dove right into the chords of the up-tempo and crowd pleasing “I Stole Your Love.” That set the mood for the nights set. This show was also unlike most KISS shows. Stanley kept the inset talking almost to a minimum. He said very little in between as he and his band mates cranked out a very fast set. They let the music certainly do the talking as they played crowd favorites “Firehouse” “C’mon and Love Me” and “Love Her All I Can.” The gem of the setlist in my opinion was “A World Without Heroes.” This song has only been performed 5 times since their Unplugged tour in 1995. Yes it was performed at last years sailaway show butit sounded crisp and Simmons voice gave the ballad more of a heartfelt meaning. In fact, Simmons sounded amazing throughout the set. He even hit the high note on “Watchin’ You.” It seemed he even surprised himself as he looked amazed.
Drummer Eric Singer handled vocals on “Nothin’ to Lose” and “Mainline.” His harmonies are quite evident during “Got to Choose.” He really filled out the sound for the track. Guitarist Tommy Thayer sang lead vocals on “Shock Me.” His guitar playing was spot on and is quite underrated. KISS is able to do songs they haven’t played in years due to the capability of Thayer and Singer. Both are catalysts to get Stanley and Simmons to stretch out of their comfort level.
We have two sides of the fence here. For the 1st and 2nd timers, the songs they played are a KISS fan’s dream. I have to speak for the die hards who have been on all 6 Kruises though like myself. Most of the songs we have heard on previous sail away or KISS Kruise indoor shows. I was hoping for a more deeper or eclectic choice of songs for this show. Again, with the 7th Kruise now firmly announced, the band will face a yearly dilemma on how to balance pleasing new and veteran Kruisers with their choice of songs. Let’s hope they dig a tad bit deeper for those planning on attending next year!
Setlist:
I Stole Your Love
Plaster Caster
Take Me
Nothin’ to Lose
Hide Your Heart
Watchin’ You
Hotter Than Hell
Firehouse
A World Without Heroes
Shock Me
Got to Choose
Christine Sixteen
C’mon and Love Me
Mainline
All the Way
Goin’ Blind
Love Her All I Can
Shout it Out Loud
