KISS’s PAUL STANLEY Reflects On New Year’s Eve Concert: ‘Considering We Hadn’t Played In A Year, I Thought It Was A Good Evening’

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In a new interview with "The Rock Experience With Mike Brunn", Paul Stanley reflected on KISS's New Year's Eve performance in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. "I thought considering we hadn't played in a year, and I thought considering the circumstances not having an audience — playing to a hotel, more or less… The fireworks were absolutely staggering," he said (see video below). "And I thought it was a good evening, a good night." Paul also talked about KISS's decision to include "Strutter" in the setlist after only performing it sporadically in recent years. "Well, the funny thing was we played it because they said, 'You guys have gotta play longer,'" he said. "We weren't at midnight yet. And I looked at the guys, and I said, 'How about we play 'Strutter'?' It was done without rehearsal, and it was really off the cuff, and I can't tell you the last time we played that." As previously reported, KISS's Dubai concert broke Guinness world records for highest flame projection in a music concert and for most flame projections launched simultaneously in a music concert. Landmarks Live Presents produced the $10 million spectacular, which was filmed with more than 50 4K cameras and 360-degree views and was held on a massive 250-foot stage at The Royal Beach at Atlantis. The show included "a million dollars' worth of pyro," according to Stanley. KISS partnered with event company Tixr to beam the "Kiss 2020 Goodbye" show around the world. KISS reportedly cleaned up its act for to the Dubai concert, apparently out of respect for local customs and beliefs. Gene Simmons's blood-spitting stunt was missing during his bass solo, and the words "bitch" and "virgin soul" were removed from the lyrics of "100,000 Years" and "God of Thunder", respectively, the latter replaced by "sacred soul." Other songs reportedly had minor lyrical changes as well. KISS launched its farewell trek in January 2019 but was forced to put it on hold last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "End Of The Road" was originally scheduled to conclude on July 17, 2021 in New York City but is now expected to last well into 2022. KISS's current lineup consists of original members Stanley and Simmons, alongside later band additions, guitarist Tommy Thayer (since 2002) and drummer Eric Singer (on and off since 1991).