Kiss announce their final Australian show ever
You wanted the best, you got the best ... and now four decades after playing their first show in Melbourne, Kiss will complete their End of the Road 2019 Australian tour in Melbourne.
The third and final Melbourne show at Rod Laver Arena – coming after consecutive nights on November 21 and 22 – will take place on November 30 after performances in Newcastle, Sydney and Brisbane. Tickets for the band's third Melbourne show will go on sale on May 29.
Kiss fans first saw the band play live in Melbourne at Waverley Park on November 15, 1980, as part of the Unmasked tour and this week singer and guitarist Paul Stanley said "saying goodbye to Australia, whose people we have loved for four decades is hard but also calls for a celebration. We promise unforgettable nights for a country that for us will always be unforgettable."
We love Australia. And Aussies have been so kind to us over the years.
Paul Stanley, Kiss
The band has returned to Australia several times since 1980, including a special performance in 2003 when they played a one-off show with the 70-piece Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Five years later fans at the Australian Formula One Grand Prix were treated to a spectacular Kiss show, closing what had been a high-octane weekend of fast cars and rock 'n' roll in Melbourne.
"This is a bittersweet moment," said bass player Gene Simmons. "We love Australia. And Aussies have been so kind to us over the years. But now is the time. We want to go out on top. And we promise to give you the show of shows, and appreciation for all the love you’ve shown us for so many years."
The band embark on the two-month European leg of their final tour next week and the Australian tour begins in Perth on November 16. Kiss will play eight shows in Australia, including their last ever performance in Melbourne.
Back in 1980 it was hits such as Shandi, I Was Made For Lovin' You and Rock and Roll All Nite plus thunderous versions of Detroit Rock City, Strutter and Shout It Out Loud that had Melbourne fans singing along to the hottest band in the land. There's been many more albums, hit singles and shows since, but local fans can expect just as much flat-out rock 'n' roll in 2019 when Kiss say farewell.
For ticketing and further information, go to ticketek.com.au and kissonline.com