Rock band KISS received a mixed reception on Saturday as they took to the AFL Grand Final stage to headline the pre-game performance.
The rock legends, led by Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, put on an astounding performance filled with pyrotechnics as they belted out their biggest hits.
While many fans sung their praises of the music icons, others were less than impressed as they accused the musicians of ‘lip syncing’ and ‘miming’ their songs.
‘KISS lip syncing is f**king sending me,’ one person Tweeted, while another wrote: ‘Do you think any of them could maybe pretend to play a bit harder?’
Meanwhile, others gushed over the classic band, saying: ‘I’m sorry to those before. KISS has just demolished all recent Grand Final pre-game entertainment off the stage.’
‘The KISS opening was f**king ELITE!’ another commented.
While many fans debated how well KISS performed on the grand stage, others were focused on more important things.
‘Who was supposed be in charge of the filming of the Kiss guitar smash?! Channel 7’s coverage completely missed it. You had one job,’ one person said.
‘Great direction by Channel Seven who missed the moneyshot – Paul Stanley breaking his guitar – he’s only been doing it for 30 years I guess,’ another wrote.
A third added: ‘That’s the worst cameraman, Showing everything but what ppl wanted to see. Paul smashing his guitar! The cameraman had ONE job. Jesus.’
Just moments before the band hit the stage before the big game, Stanley told Channel Seven: ‘This is exciting for us because we are new to football.
‘It’s brutal compared to what we are used to. Hopefully we are a good warm up.’
The worldwide superstar also showered some love on Down Under, saying he always misses Australia when he leaves and has considered buying a house in the country.
‘From the first time we came to Australia in 1980 and it was known as Kiss-teria. I looked at houses,’ he said.
‘You have the most amazing country here. Perhaps it’s a great secret because people don’t realise that this is in the best way… This is God’s country.
‘It doesn’t get any better than this. I will miss it but I will make sure I come back. I’m already making plans to be back.’
AFL confirmed earlier this year that KISS would play the 2023 Grand Final as part of their global End of the Road farewell tour.
They took over the headlining slot at the grand event after Kiwi icons Crowded House withdrew from the showpiece sporting event.
The American rock icons, led by Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, recently pledged to deliver a groundbreaking performance.
‘Bombastic will be the word of the day,’ Stanley boasted.
‘And we will have a no-fly zone over the stadium because we are going to blow a lot of stuff up. Subtlety is not our strong suit.’
‘We’re really going to ramp it up. It’s anybody’s game,’ added Simmons.
While many fans were ecstatic to hear the rock legends would be playing instead of ‘some unknown Australian band’, others were not so impressed.
Some went so far as to compare it to the disastrous Meat Loaf performance during the 2011 Grand Final.
‘Really… Meat Loaf wasn’t bad enough?’ one fan posted.
‘Woah! Four Meat Loafs all at once!!’ added another.
‘Going to be Meat Loaf 2.0,’ posted yet another.
Meat Loaf’s appearance at the AFL grand final in 2011 was the subject of controversy at the time due to the musician’s subpar show.
Despite his legendary rock status, his performance during the halftime show copped heavy criticism due to his vocal struggles and erratic behaviour on stage.
The event remains a notable moment in AFL Grand Final history, often sparking discussions about the choice of halftime entertainment.
The ageing rocker fired back at the time, calling the AFL ‘the cheapest people I’ve ever seen in my life’ before blaming a hemorrhaging vocal cord for his abysmal show.
Like Meat Loaf, KISS is a musical act which found widespread popularity and acclaim in the 1970s and ’80s.
The rock band’s chart-topping hits, including Rock and Roll All Nite and Detroit Rock City, propelled them to become one of the best-selling acts in music history.
They amassed over 100million record sales across 44 albums globally.
KISS’ enduring impact on the rock music landscape and their larger-than-life image have firmly established them as rock and roll legends.
