The first day of the second edition of Summer Breeze Brasil took place this Friday, the 26th. Featuring a significant increase in its lineup compared to 2023, the festival extends into the weekend, the 27th and 28th.
Wikimetal was at the festival and you can check out what happened at the other shows of the day by clicking here.
Previously confirmed to play on Friday, Mercyful Fate was moved to Sunday, and then Gene Simmons Band . With Kiss on their final tour, the masked band is beginning to venture into other projects.
Starting off with an absolutely explosive bang, “Deuce,” from the album Kiss (1974), is one of the band’s greatest classics, and it already gave a brief spoiler of what the night would be like.
“Shout It Out Loud” is a phenomenal song and followed the same line of power and strength as the previous one.
Without even giving us time to breathe, the iconic "War Machine" followed. The bassist, with his raspy voice, shines in the most aggressive moments of the tracks. Guitarist Brent Woods , who played with Sebastian Bach , was already back on stage for another performance, once again showcasing his immense talent.
Another highlight is drummer Brian Tichy , who doesn't hold back on the drumsticks and truly shreds the instrument.
Now for a controversy. Gene Simmons played Paul Stanley during the show. The problem? None, however, when it was announced, fans imagined that the Demon would prioritize songs of his own authorship or even more B-side tracks. "Detroit Rock City" from the iconic album Destroyer (1976) features sensational bass lines and included vocals by guitarist Jason Walkers .
The next song, written by Ace Frehley , "Cold Gin," also from the first album, features an excellent guitar solo, which, accompanied by Simmons' bass, is even better.
When the audience was asked what they wanted to hear, many songs were mentioned, but they played "Dr. Love," which, despite being a classic, is rather bland.
Another killer track. “I Love It Loud” is part of Kiss's heaviest album, Creatures Of The Night (1981), and even before the band really started playing, the fans were already singing the iconic “eh-eh-eh”. Any drummer who plays any song from this record has to know how to unleash their energy, since Eric Carr was a drummer who truly tore up the drums. Like the rest of the band, Tichy doesn't disappoint and delivers an excellent performance.
“Parasite” from Hotter Than Hell (1974) came next. The track is sensational, in other words, a very high point. Simmons delivered great and powerful vocals in yet another track that won't leave any fan of the band standing still.
It was Walkers' turn to take on the role of vocalist again, but this time for a cover of Led Zeppelin with Simmons and Woods providing a truly excellent string duo.
In a dynamic interaction with the audience, Gene Simmons teased the crowd with "Lick It Up" before he and the band sang the chorus, using only the harmonies. An interesting experiment, but one that yielded an interesting result.
The guitarist returned to take on lead vocals for the track on the same year's 1983 album, flawlessly performing the parts originally sung by Simmons' longtime partner, Paul Stanley .
“Are You Ready” was introduced as a song that Kiss had never played live and has an easy-to-learn chorus. Clapping along to the rhythm of the song began, but aside from that, the track didn't excite the audience much, despite having good riffs and heavy drums, following the same line as the rest of the songs on the setlist.
When the bassist mentioned Motörhead , the audience got excited. Dedicating the song to Lemmy Kilmister , the vocals were handled by Tichy. It's worth noting that playing drums while singing is a difficult task, but the musician executed both actions very well in "Ace Of Spades".
Another song written by Starchild, “Love Gun,” from Love Gun (1977), is a great Kiss classic, but live, it's a different experience. The lights flashing in time with the drums, the bass lines present along with the guitar riffs, take on another dimension.
Both this song and the following one, "100,000 Years," were sung by Walkers. Kiss's self-titled album was heavily featured in the setlist.
One highlight, showcasing the high level of the band that accompanied Gene Simmons at Summer Breeze Brazil, was the drummer's solo.
“Let Me Go, Rock N' Roll” is also part of Hotter Than Hell . The song has all the essence of good old rock, but live, it came alive even more than its studio version, making it possible to clearly perceive the good bass lines of the track.
One of Kiss's most memorable introductions is that of "I Was Made For Lovin' You." To sing the song, singer Miranda Kassin was brought on stage, in a collaboration that I'm not sure was one of their best. In some parts, her voice sounded close to breaking, and she didn't seem to have a great command of the lyrics.
Some women were invited on stage for a performance of "Rock And Roll All Nite," which resulted in a relaxed atmosphere, with Gene Simmons handing over his microphone for them to sing.
Gene Simmons Band 's show was a true masterclass in delivering a high-level, fast-paced, and technically proficient performance. However, it was expected that the bassist would play more of his own compositions, or at least that the setlist wouldn't consist of so many songs already performed by Kiss on tour.
The band that accompanied him truly deserves praise. Talented musicians who provided incredible support.
Our contributor Leca Suzuki captured the shows with exclusive photos that you can see in the gallery below.
