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Rating: "HI VERONA!"
In the darkness of the arena, Paul Stanley's unmistakable voice resounds, 13,000 people stand up screaming and a deafening roar erupts. A guitar riff is heard, and before the audience's noise has time to rise, the lights turn on, and "Deuce" erupts. It's them, it's them and they're here, right here... the long black manes, the boots with 30 cm high heels, those glam and sparkling clothes, the raw rock emanating from their enticing, diamond-studded guitars... the makeup hides their faces and the inexorable marks that time has left on them, and it's as if the years have never passed, as if on this mild May evening we have returned for two hours to that golden age so distant and unreachable that we will always regret, and that all of us, even those who have never lived it, will always have a bit in our hearts with nostalgia.
Two unmistakable drum rolls: it's "Strutter" and Paul and the crowd sing it in unison. And then "Got To Choose", "Hotter Than Hell", "Nothing To Lose", truly well sung by Eric Singer, "C'mon And Love Me"... what can I say, all magnificently perfect. Paul roams the stage like a sprite with his charming and cheeky demeanor, urging the crowd; Gene, on the other hand, from the height of his demonic grandeur, is more static and threatening, and seems to delight in watching his bandmate in the role of frontman. It's Simmons who takes back the microphone for a truly superb "Parasite", followed by "She". As the song ends, the lights go out, and only a spotlight remains illuminating Tommy Thayer and his beautiful Les Paul. Thayer deftly navigates and fiddles with his guitar, and after yet another explosion from the audience, starts shooting fireworks from the neck of his Gibson, caught in the crowd's roar of amazement. Now the others also return to the stage, and a deafening bass note introduces another great track: "100,000 Years", in which Singer launches into an effective and technically superb drum solo; then it's the turn of "Cold Gin" and a rousing "Let Me Go Rock'n Roll" greeted by the audience with a roar. The lights dim again, and Stanley begins to weave a delicate yet moving melody with just his guitar: when "Black Diamond" kicks off, the arena explodes yet again. And then finally... "Rock And Roll All Nite": confetti rains down on the crowd throughout the piece, while fireworks are shot behind them exploding in the sky, near the moon, while the four on stage wave their arms urging everyone to sing the chorus with them, and Stanley towards the end spins his guitar in the air before smashing it violently on the ground... yes, it's them, it's them...
After greetings and thanks, Paul says goodnight, and together with the others they leave the stage. But it can't end this way, the magic lasted too little... the whistles from the audience are deafening. Then the lights turn back on, and the four are still there, with their makeup, and they bombard the crowd with "Shout It Out Loud" and "Lick It Up" accompanied by pyrotechnic shows that tear through the sky under the arena's rumble. At this point, the scene belongs entirely to the demon Simmons, who makes an incredible noise with his bass, amid the screams of the bowl (I can't describe it any other way), spits blood while shaking his head, and then looks at the crowd with an evil, satisfied grin. Afterwards, he takes flight over the lights atop the stage, and the stadium anthem "I Love It Loud" begins. The arena is stunned and sings along with him. At the end of the piece, Paul takes control again. "This was a big hit here..." and that's all it takes for the arena to understand and explode once more for the famous "I Was Made For Loving You". Stanley's voice has been strained for quite some time, and age takes its toll, but it doesn't matter because the entire crowd sings along with him. Fireworks and the audience's voice also frame "Love Gun". Again Stanley shakes up the crowd a bit: "This song is about a Rock City... Verona is a Rock City!" The arena roars. "This is Detroit Rock City!" and off they go, into a long ride accompanied by another pyrotechnic show and the last remaining confetti to be launched over the crowd. Then, when the song ends, there are a few seconds of darkness, and when the light comes back on, the stage is deserted. The magic is truly over this time... it has suddenly dissolved just as it was created with that initial guitar riff. The arena fades out and slowly empties... and everything gradually returns to normal...
...but perhaps, after this mild May evening, we will all feel a bit more glam.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Deuce (03:56)
Get up
And get your grandma outta here
Pick up
Old Jim is workin' hard this year
And baby
Do the things he says to do
Baby, if you're feeling good
And baby if you're feeling nice
You know your man is workin' hard
He's worth a deuce
Honey
Don't put your man behind his years
And baby
Stop cryin' all your tears
Baby
Do the things he says to do
Do it
Baby, if you're feeling good
And baby if you're feeling nice
You know your man is workin' hard
He's worth a deuce
And baby, if you're feeling good
Yes baby if you're feeling nice
You know your man is workin' hard
Yeah
02 Strutter (03:22)
I know a thing or two about her
I know she'll only make you cry
She'll let you walk the street beside her
But when she wants she'll pass you by
Ev'rybody said she's lookin' good
And the lady knows it's understood
Strutter!
She wears her satins like a lady
She gets her way just like a child
You take her home and she says "Maybe, baby"
She takes you down and drives you wild
Ev'rybody said she's lookin' good
And the lady knows it's understood
Strutter!
(Solo)
I know a thing or two about her
I know she'll only make you cry
She lets you walk the street beside her
But when she wants, she'll pass you by
Everybody said she's lookin' good
And the lady knows it's understood
Strutter- I know she'll just make you cry
Strutter- Look out, that girl just pass you by
Strutter- Whoa oh! She gets her way like a child
Strutter- Mama!, That girl will just drive you wild
Strutter! (repeats out)
03 Got to Choose (03:40)
Baby, you know I heard the neighbours say
Baby, you might be leavin' me today
Oh yeah, mmm, someone's come along and shared your time
Don't care, no I don't, no
But you can't be his and still be mine, so
Ooh, got to choose who's your baby
Ooh, got to choose
Sometimes, oh sometimes, I know you need a change of pace
Oh yeah, but I ain't gonna run no race
Baby, you've got to tell me yes or no
Alright, alright, come on and tell me
Tell me if you're gonna go, come on
Ooh, got to choose who's your baby
Ooh, got to choose who's your baby
Ooh, got to choose who's your baby
Ooh, got to choose, got to choose
Who's your baby, who's your baby
Who's your baby, who's your baby
04 Hotter Than Hell (03:30)
Come on
She looked good
She looked hotter than hell
All dressed in satins and lace
I looked at her and it was just too clear
I had to get on the case
I said "Lady, oh lady, can I take you home
There's just so much we could do
I'll take you all around the whole wide world
Before the evening is through"
Hot, hot, hotter than hell
You know she's gonna leave you well done
Hot, hot, hotter than hell
Burn you like the midday sun
I asked her why she couldn't make up her mind
She said "You don't understand
I'd love to go, but there's something you should know"
She showed me her wedding band
Hot, hot, hotter than hell
You know she's gonna leave you well done
Hot, hot, hotter than hell
She'll burn you like the midday sun
Hot, hot, hotter than hell
You know she's gonna leave you well done
Hot, hot, hotter than hell
She'll burn you like the midday sun
05 Firehouse (03:50)
Whoo, hoo, yeah
Whoo, hoo, yeah
She'll adore you and she'll floor you
With her wisdom and her vision
And you'll love it and think of it
Till you lose all intuition
Come on
She can move you and improve you
With her love and her devotion
And she'll thrill you and she'll chill you
But you're headed for commotion
And you'll need her so you'll feed her
With your endless dedication
And the quicker you get sicker
She'll remove your medication
Get the firehouse
'Cause she sets my soul afire
Get the firehouse
And the flames keep gettin' higher
She's like bad weather but it seems so good
You'd never leave her but you know you should
She's like bad weather but it seems so good
You'd never leave her but you know you should
Ooh
Get the firehouse
'Cause she sets my soul afire
Get the firehouse
Whoo, hoo, yeah
Get the firehouse
Whoo, hoo, yeah
06 Nothin' to Lose (03:33)
Before I had a baby
I didn't care anyway
I thought about the back door
I didn't know what to say, yeah, yeah
But once I got a baby
I tried every way
She didn't wanna do it
But she did anyway, yeah, yeah
So baby please don't refuse
You know you got nothin' to lose
You got nothin' to lose
You got, got nothin' to lose, oh nothin'
You got, got nothin' to lose, ooh, baby
You got, got nothin' to lose, ow, come on mama
You got, got nothin' to lose, you really, really, got nothin'
You got, got nothin' to lose, ah, sing with the catman
You got, got nothin' to lose, yeah, yeah, yeah
You got
You got, you got, you got nothin' to lose
So now I got a baby
And I tried every way, I tried any way
You know she wants to do it, know she wants to do it
And she does anyway, yeah, yeah
But baby please don't refuse
You know you got nothin' to lose
You got nothin' to lose
You got, got nothin' to lose, oh, nothin'
You got, got nothin' to lose, ha, ha, oh, baby
You got, got nothin' to lose, ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-yeah
You got, got nothin' to lose, ah, sing one time with Pete
You got, got nothin' to lose, don't you know baby
You got, got nothin' to lose, yeah, yeah, yeah
You got
You got, you got, you got nothin' to lose
You got, got nothin' to lose, I can't hear you
You got, got nothin' to lose, come on baby
You got, got nothin' to lose, yeah, yeah, yeah
You got, got nothin' to lose, ow
You got, got nothin' to lose, you got nothin'
You got, got nothin' to lose, oh, New York
You got, got nothin' to lose, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
You got, got nothin' to lose, all right
Yeah
08 Parasite (03:34)
She'll always be there trying to grab a hold
She thought she knew me, but she didn't know
That I was sad and wanted her to go
Parasite lady
Parasite eyes
Parasite lady
No need to cry
I didn't wanna have to get away
I told her things I didn't want to say
I need her and I hope she'll understand
Parasite lady
Parasite eyes
Parasite lady
No need to cry
09 She (06:56)
She walks by moonlight
noone really knows
encanted starlight
never goin home
i know shes goin down knowin
everybody knows
shes so good
doin well for others
she dosent really know
the powers are within her
as she takes off her cothes
i know shes goin down knowin
everybody knows
shes so good
doin well for others
she dosent really know
the powers are within her
as she takes off her cothes
i know shes goin down knowin
everybody knows
shes so good
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