KISS will perform in Manchester this week as part of their final-ever tour.
The metal rock band announced details of their End of the Road World Tour last year – some 23 years after announcing that the band were retiring.
But 2023 will officially mark the final shows of this legendary’s group’s career, which started way back in 1973.
Made up of Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer, they’re famed for their black and white face paint and huge hair as much as their massive hits.
KISS were meant to perform in Manchester in 2021, but had to reschedule to Friday 7 July due to – well, you know what.
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KISS said of their farewell tour: “All that we have built and all that we have conquered over the past four decades could never have happened without the millions of people worldwide who’ve filled clubs, arenas and stadiums over those years.
“This will be the ultimate celebration for those who’ve seen us and a last chance for those who haven’t. KISS Army, we’re saying goodbye on our final tour with our biggest show yet and we’ll go out the same way we came in… Unapologetic and Unstoppable.”
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Here’s everything you need to know if you’re seeing KISS at the AO Arena in Manchester.
Are there tickets left for KISS at AO Arena, Manchester?
Ticketmaster still has some availability for tickets for tonight’s show, though there aren’t loads left.
The cheapest tickets start at £75.95, with the majority of seated tickets priced at £87.50.
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Things get pricier after that – floor standing tickets are £98.50, while the better seats are £109.95.
Standard seats go all the way up to £171.50, and then you’re into Platinum seats and VIP packages.
Who’s supporting KISS in Manchester?
KISS will be supported by Welsh heavy metal band Skindred at their show in Manchester.
Skindred are known for fusing metal with reggae sounds, and for their blistering live shows.
The Wild Things, who will also be performing at Night & Day in October, are also taking to the stage at the AO Arena to open the show.
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Expected setlist
This is the setlist KISS used at their London O2 Arena gig this week.
Detroit Rock City Shout It Out Loud Deuce War Machine Heaven’s on Fire I Love It Loud Say Yeah Cold Gin Lick It Up Makin’ Love Calling Dr. Love Psycho Circus 100,000 Years God of Thunder Love Gun Black Diamond Encore: Beth I Was Made for Lovin’ You Rock and Roll All Nite
Stage times for KISS
The AO Arena hasn’t, at the time of writing, confirmed the stage times for KISS, and it doesn’t look like they’ve made a habit of announcing stage times at previous shows either.
Doors to the venue will open at 6pm, with the AO Arena saying the show won’t start until 7.30pm.
Based on that, you can expect The Wild Things on stage around 7.30pm, Skindred around 8.15pm, and KISS on stage somewhere around 9pm, ahead of the venue’s curfew.
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The venue
The AO Arena has a few strict policies to keep gig-goers safe, so make sure to check entry requirementscarefully before you travel.
For example, only one small bag per person is allowed, and bags like backpacks, travel cases and laptop bags are not permitted inside the arena.
All bags are scanned on entry to check for prohibited items like laser pens, flares, projectiles, weapons, drugs and alcohol, and even selfie sticks.
Featured image: Publicity picture
Audio
Lady Gaga is a tour-de-force of talent at the Co-op Live Manchester
Clementine Hall
Lady Gaga proves she’s a truly world-class act after two sold-out nights at the Co-op Live Manchester, as if we needed any reminding.
The city of Manchester has been flooded with harness-wearing, mesh-sporting little monsters over the past two days.
And that’s because the absolute icon that is Lady Gaga brought her ‘Mayhem Ball’ to the Co-op Live for two nights.
I don’t think you’ll find anyone who doesn’t know who this fabulous woman is. Over the past decade, she’s won an Oscar, headlined the Super Bowl, performed in blockbusters alongside Al Pacino, no less, and her songs are literally ingrained into our minds.
It’s been a whole 11 years (yes, really) since she performed in Manchester, and it’s safe to say she was back with a bang.
The performance was split up into five distinct acts, and each one was as exhausting and exhilarating as the next.
She begins the show by bopping out of a comically huge red dress, but this staging was only the start of what madness was about to ensue.
Luckily, we’d been prepared by the other half of the Audio North team, who had the equal privilege of seeing her on night one and were left similarly speechless.
Throughout the 30-song epic, we had crutches, sand pits, cages, skeletons, enough wigs to produce an amateur production of Annie, and we didn’t question any of it. Why would we? It’s Lady Gaga.
Kicking things off with ‘Bloody Mary’, the two and a half hour marathon didn’t leave any stones unturned.
We had all the bangers, from ‘Just Dance’ and ‘Paparazzi’ to ‘Bad Romance’ and ‘Applause’, it had us wondering why any other superstar even bothers putting a song out these days.
Pop is in a good place at the moment with the likes of Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish and so on, but you can make a strong case for Gaga having helped pave the way for every lady in the business ever since.
Gaga truly had us in the palm of her hands (or claws at one point), even more so when she left the stage to de-robe and show her more vulnerable side for the last two songs – beanie firmly on.
It wasn’t just a concert: this was a fully-fledged tour de force of talent that Manchester won’t forget any time soon.
Sometimes there’s no point in intellectualising why someone has that ‘X-factor’; sometimes you just have to take a step back and say WOW.
Manchester nightclub clamps down on no-phones policy after ‘disappointing’ rule breakers
Daisy Jackson
Amber’s, a nightclub in Manchester with a strict no-filming policy inside, has shared a strict new set of rules to prevent people using their phones.
The venue says it’s seen an ‘increased amount of phones on the dance floor’ despite its very clear policy against such a thing.
That’s included a recent set from Fred Again, where videos of his show were all over social media the next day.
Amber’s has said it’s ‘disappointing’ to see people flouting the rules of the space, leading to the venue introducing a zero tolerance policy.
Fans who are caught filming on their phones will be asked to leave Amber’s on the spot – no second chances.
There’ll even be extra members of staff patrolling the venue, to protect the ‘vibe of the space’.
“If you are spotted at any point across the night using your phone to record, you will no longer be permitted inside Amber’s,” they shared.
Amber’s wrote in a statement today: “Since our launch back in December, we have made it very clear that we are a No Phones venue. We want to create an experience for everyone where they are present in the moment and not distracted by phones.
“While the majority of people that attend Amber’s keep their phones away, there are a select few that don’t.
“This is of course disappointing.
“Over the recent weeks and months, we have seen an increased amount of phones filming on the dancefloor and we are aware of numerous videos shot on phone appearing online.
“To those that come to Amber’s and respect our house rules, thank you, you are contributing to an incredible vibe in the room.
“For those that don’t, we ask that you think about the space and the people around you before removing your stickers.
“The rules previously have been that if you are seen filming on your phone, you are politely asked to stop, if you are seen again, you are asked to leave the venue.
“From now on, as a renewed pledge to our No Phones policy, if you are seen recording in the venue, you will be asked to leave, there will be no second chances.
“There will now be extra members of staff patrolling the venue, ensuring that the vibe of the space is protected and if you are spotted at any point across the night using your phone to record, you will no longer be permitted inside Amber’s.
“Open your mind. Honour the concept. Respect the space.”
Daisy Jackson -
6th July 2023 
