Rock band KISS received a mixed reception on Saturday when they took to the AFL Grand Final stage to headline the pre-game performance.
The rock legends, led by Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, gave an astonishing performance full of fireworks as they belted out their biggest hits.
While many fans praised the music icons, others were less than impressed as they accused the musicians of “lip-syncing” and “mimicking” their songs.
“KISS lip syncing is f**king sending me,” one person tweeted, while another wrote, “Do you think one of them could maybe pretend to play a little louder?”
Meanwhile, others gushed over the classic band, saying: ‘I’m sorry for those who came before. KISS just took all the pre-game entertainment from the recent Grand Finale off stage.”
‘The KISS opening was f**king ELITE!’ another commented.
While many fans debated how well KISS performed on the big stage, others focused on more important things.
‘Who would be in charge of recording the Kiss guitar hit?! Channel 7’s reporting missed it completely. You had one job,” someone said.
“Great direction from Channel Seven, who missed the money shot – Paul Stanley breaks his guitar – he’s only been doing it for 30 years I think,” wrote another.
A third added: ‘That’s the worst cameraman, showing everything but what people wanted to see. Paul smashes his guitar! The cameraman had ONE job. Jesus.’
Just before the band took to the stage for the big match, Stanley told Channel Seven: ‘This is exciting for us because football is new to us.
“It’s brutal compared to what we’re used to. Hopefully we’ll be a good warm-up.”
The global superstar also showered some love Down Under, saying he always misses Australia when he goes and has considered buying a house in the country.
“From the first time we came to Australia in 1980, it was known as Kiss-teria. I looked at houses,” he said.
‘You have the most fantastic country here. Maybe it’s a big secret because people don’t realize that this is the best way… This is God’s country.
‘It doesn’t get any better than this. I’ll miss it, but I’ll make sure I come back. I’m already making plans to come 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 as headliner of the big event after Kiwi icons Crowded House pulled out of the showpiece sporting event.
The American rock icons, led by Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, recently promised to deliver a groundbreaking performance.
“Bombastic will be the word of the day,” Stanley boasted.
“And we’ll establish a no-fly zone over the stadium because we’re going to blow up a lot of stuff. Subtlety is not our strong point.’
‘We’re really going to step it up. It’s anyone’s game,” Simmons added.
While many fans were ecstatic to hear that the rock legends would be playing instead of ‘an unknown Australian band’, others were not so impressed.
Some even went so far as to compare it to Meat Loaf’s disastrous performance at the 2011 grand final.
“Really… Wasn’t Meat Loaf bad enough?” a fan posted.
‘Wow! Four Meat Loafs in one go!!’ added another.
“It’s going to be Meat Loaf 2.0,” another posted.
Meat Loaf’s performance at the 2011 AFL grand final was the subject of controversy at the time due to the musician’s sub-par show.
Despite his legendary rock status, his halftime show performance was heavily criticized due to his vocal problems and erratic behavior on stage.
The event remains a notable moment in the history of the AFL Grand Final, often sparking debate over the choice of half-time entertainment.
The aging rocker fired back at the time, calling the AFL “the cheapest people I’ve ever seen in my life” before blaming a bleeding vocal cord for his terrible show.
Like Meat Loaf, KISS is a musical act that found great popularity and acclaim in the 1970s and 1980s.
The rock band’s hits, including Rock and Roll All Nite and Detroit Rock City, made them one of the best-selling acts in music history.
They have sold more than 100 million records worldwide, spread across 44 albums.
KISS’ lasting impact on the rock music landscape and their larger-than-life image have firmly established them as rock ‘n’ roll legends.