Ace still smokin’ after all these years
 |
|
Former KISS guitarist Ace Frehley in action at The Tivoli in Brisbane. Pic: Marc Robertson
Source: News Corp Australia
“ACE Frehley! Ace Frehley! He’s still f—-n’ smokin’! He’s still f—-n’ smokin’ man!”
Don’t panic, the ex-KISS guitarist hasn’t lapsed back into substance abuse. In the tradition of KISS’ “you wanted the best, you got the best!” that was backing guitarist Richie Scarlet’s triumphant proclamation as smoke billowed from Frehley’s guitar at the climax of his signature song Shock Me, the penultimate tune of his main set at Brisbane’s Tivoli last night.
KISSED OFF: What bugs Ace Frehley
While his former KISS bandmates have cast aspersions on his playing ability in recent years, the eight-years-sober Frehley — who turned 64 on Monday — demonstrated his prowess with multiple solos that showed why the Spaceman inspired a generation of guitarists.
Frehley was resuming his Australian tour after a couple of dates in New Zealand. And for those fans to whom Frehley is the one true KISS guitarist, it was a treat to see and hear the “original and best” cranking out the classic tracks. And signs of his rich KISStory were everywhere, from his iconic burnt-orange Les Paul with lightning-bolt strap, to the high quotient of KISS T-shirts in the crowd, to the KISS-heavy setlist including ballistic boners Rocket Ride and Love Gun, megahits Strutter and Deuce, Aussie favourite Talk to Me, Stones cover 2000 Man and rare gems Parasite and Strange Ways.
On his last visit to Brisbane he took aim at his KISS replacement Tommy Thayer, but last night Frehley was content to let the music do the talking.
And it wasn’t all about KISS. Fans were treated to tunes from his latest solo album Space Invader (the title track, Toys, KISS-esque single Gimme a Feeling), his other old band Frehley’s Comet (Rock Soldiers), and of course his classic ’78 solo record (Snowblind, New York Groove).
Frehley liberally doled out guitar picks to the crowd, from a handy dispenser on the microphone stand.
His bandmates threatened to steal the show at times, with Scarlet, drummer Scot Coogan and bassist Chris Wyse assuming vocal duties on several KISS classics. But it only served to let Frehley shine doing what he does best, play guitar.
Scarlet dedicated Breakout to late KISS drummer Eric Carr, who collaborated with Frehley on the song.
Despite scores of hardcore fans queuing for a VIP meet-and-greet before the show, the Tivoli crowd was far from capacity, which actually made for a more pleasant concertgoing experience in contrast to Counting Crows’ jam-packed gig earlier this month.
The venue’s strict curfew meant Frehley couldn’t rock ’n’ roll all night, but he inched past the 11pm limit with a high-energy single-song encore.
Setlist:Rocket Ride, Gimme a Feeling, Toys, Parasite, Snowblind, Love Gun, Breakout, Space Invader, King of the Night Time World, Strutter, 2000 Man, Rock Soldiers, Strange Ways, Talk to Me, New York Groove, Shock Me, Deuce. Encore:Rip It Out
Originally published as Ace still smokin’ after all these years
www.news.com.au/entertainment/music
