By: jhs5150

Died-in-the-wool Kiss fans have had a military connection for years.  The “Kiss Army” has been the right arm of Kiss fandom since the 70s when it was founded by two fans.  The combination of The Kiss Army and Gene Simmons’ close connections with the U.S. military in recent years has come to benefit both fans and military members alike. For their current tour together, Def Leppard and Kiss have made it possible for those that served and continue to serve to gain tickets to their shows at a discount — something that is both poignant and proper for those who have been prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice so that others may enjoy the freedoms this country was founded upon.

In Camden, N.J., a stones throw across the river that our most important General (George Washington) made famous, these two bands put on a stellar show for the throng of followers who gathered at the Susquehanna Bank Arena.

Def Leppard, with a new stage show encorporating neon lights with a distinctively “Las Vegas Strip” bend, played a 90 minute show instead of the usual 2-hour one (as with Kiss).  Starting off with High And Dry’s “Let It Go”, it seems the band understands that fans like the pre-Pyromania songs just as much as the albums that followed thereafter.  From there they launched in to a collection of mostly Pyromania and Hysteria hits such as “Animal”, “Foolin'” and “Love Bites”, the latter of which used the same lighting and effects used at their residency in Las Vegas last year, as well as with “Rockit.”  If you were there and remember how amazing those backgrounds were and how they set the stage for the songs the way they did, it was a welcome blast from the past.  Other songs that they tucked in surprisingly were “Let’s Get Rocked” and acoustic versions of “Two Steps Behind” and “Bringin’ On The Heartbreak”, which were very well done, I might add.  In an indirect mentioning of Irish guitarist Vivian Campbell’s ongoing battle with Hodgkins disease, he was the only member introduced to the audience and was referred to as “the man who put the word “fast” in “Belfast.””  Of course, no DL show would be complete without the classic hits “Armageddon It” and “Pour Some Sugar On Me”, followed by the encores “Rock Of Ages” and “Photograph.” They played one deep cut: “Switch 625.” Other deep cuts such as “Gods of War” and “Another Hit And Run” would have to be left for another tour. They were tight, sounded great and (in case any of the ladies wondered) looked great.

The full Def Leppard Setlist can be found here –
http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/def-leppard/2014/susquehanna-bank-center-camden-nj-33cea8a5.html

Kiss, on the other hand, did exactly what Kiss does — hit you over the head with their over-the-top stage show featuring lots of pyrotechnics, plenty of cameras displaying huge images of the band at the back and sides of the stage and a lighting rig that looked and functioned as a gigantic spider, lowering the band to the stage while standing atop the huge spider’s body.  It amazes me how Kiss never leaves a stone unturned to bring fans the ultimate experience. As Paul Stanley said: “you will never forget it”, and he was right.

Starting off with “Psycho Circus” (which seemed a little out of place until I realized that hey, this is after all, Kiss), they then cruised through a collection of hits including “Shout It Out Loud”, “War Machine”, “Hotter Than Hell (in which Gene does his belching fire routine), “I Love It Loud” and “Lick It Up” followed by Gene’s bass solo, in which he spits blood in all of his demonic glory, then launches right into “God Of Thunder.”  Next, it’s Paul Stanley’s turn to entertain.  Speaking to the audience and looking to spread some “organized chaos”, he first climbed upon a cable with a stirrup at the bottom for his foot and rode it toward the back of the audience where he landed in front of the soundboard, approximately 30 feet from where I was standing (see picture) and sang “Love Gun.”  Clearly he wanted to connect with nearly every member of the audience, even those who aren’t lucky enough to sit near the front of the stage.  The band surely are people pleasers and want to make sure that every fan has a good time, and they do a great job of it.  They filled out the set with the classics “Black Diamond”, “Detroit Rock City” and a stretched-out “Rock And Roll All Nite”, in which the audience is treated to a bludgeoning of fireworks, cannon fire, flames and confetti, ensuring that if you hadn’t already experienced an assault on the senses, they weren’t going to let you leave until you did.

All in all, it was a great time and a good contrast of the two bands, Def Leppard’s’ rocking melodic light metal and Kiss’ in-your-face assault.  A good time was had by all.  Salute.

Discount tickets for past/present military members can be found here –
http://www.kissonline.com/heroes

I apologize for the shakiness of the DL video but hey, that’s rock and roll.