ROCK legends KISS were due to play Manchester Arena eight days after the 2017 terror attacks.
They were so deeply affected by the bombing — which killed 22 people and wounded 139 — the band attempted to play a benefit gig at another location in the city around the time they were due to perform, but were denied over safety concerns.
But tonight the US rockers finally get the chance to pay tribute to the victims with the latest gig of their farewell tour.
Gene Simmons, speaking ahead of the emotional gig, said: “Manchester broke our hearts. It’s the children, the innocent young people who have nothing to do with politics or foreign policy. It’s heartbreaking. We stepped up to do anything we could.”
The band raised £300,000 after auctioning Kiss-branded UK-themed guitars they were going to use at their cancelled concert. With the money going towards an MRI scanner for Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, where victims where treated following the blast at Ariana Grande‘s concert.
They are hoping to boost that tally by commissioning two more guitars — this time in the team colours of Man United and City.
They will be signed by Kiss, the current squads and legends before being auctioned at a fund-raiser on September 21. Gene added: “I hope the players put in bids as we’re sort of a big deal. They’ll pay.” He’s not wrong.
The band, who are worth £800million, are calling time on touring as performing has taken a toll on their bodies, especially lead singer Paul Stanley, who has had a hip replacement and two serious knee ops.
But they continue to push the Kiss brand and make even more cash — despite replacing original guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss.
Gene, who unlike most rock stars has never taken drugs, or drank alcohol, is so obsessed with his health he’s a self-confessed germaphobe, favouring a fist-pump over a handshake.
He adds: “I stopped shaking hands and I haven’t caught a cold in six years. The two dirtiest parts of your body are your mouth, so watch who you kiss, and your hands.” And his healthy living has kept his flowing locks — which are kept jet black courtesy of hair dye.
He admits it’s vital for a rocker to keep their hair long, saying: “If you’re in Coldplay it doesn’t matter. But it’s part of the culture of the music we do.
“I have a lot more on my back. I wake up in the morning a new hair has grown in my nose. It’s like God has a sense of humour.”
I’m not sure what’s more shocking, the rocker being sober all his life or that he loves his hairy back.
HE’S got women banging down his door to take him on a date – and even had a marriage proposal during his headline set in London on Wednesday. But Lewis Capaldi has admitted he is finding it hard to get a girlfriend because of his mum.
Describing himself as a “wee chubby loser” during his performance at Kew The Music, in Kew Gardens, West London, he went on to say his mum was unintentionally blocking him from finding love.
Lewis explained: “I am 22 and I live with my mother. At 22, that is undignified. I cannot get a girlfriend because I live with her and she is smothering me. I love her dearly but still…”
Since bursting on to the music scene in January, Lewis’s debut album, Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent, and single, Someone You Loved, have both broken records.
And his gig smashed another – with the festival’s biggest-ever crowd of more than 7,500 watching his set. And there were plenty of celebs pushing to get to the front, including former One Direction singer Nial Horan and TV’s Holly Willoughby. Maybe ask them to try and set you up, Lew…
BRITNEY Spears’ hit songwriter Ina Wroldsen has released her debut single, Forgive Or Forget. She said: “It’s about how to move on from someone and something while being OK with not forgiving, nor forgetting.”
SHE turns 50 in 12 days but Jennifer Lopez is giving pop stars half her age a run for their money on her It’s My Party Tour. The American singer belted out some of her biggest hits during her date in Milwaukee, including Let’s Get Loud and Waiting For Tonight.
As well as throwing herself into the routines, J-Lo got through four outfit changes. She strutted her stuff in a diamante covered bodysuit before swapping it up for a lime green creation with matching thigh high boots.
J-Lo then gave her fans a thrill in a pair of white chaps with a matching top before changing into a billowing scarlet gown. The mum-of-two’s tour kicked off in June and has seen her travelling around America before she heads to Israel, Russia and Turkey next month.
THIS radical re-invention of Joseph is a bit of a nightmare for leading man Jac Yarrow. It’s not a role which should be eclipsed by the musical’s narrator unless, of course, the narrator is Sheridan Smith.
Even Jason Donovan, as an Elvis-inspired Pharoah, couldn’t outshine her. Sheridan has a turbo-injected role as the storyteller. She appears in almost every scene, dance routine and song, even dueting with Jac on anthem, Any Dream Will Do. She also has a string of other roles.
There’s a Boltonian Jacob, Joseph’s father, and Potiphar’s wife, a man-hungry cougar who seduces Joseph. Even when she seems to be playing no role, Sheridan will canter across the stage to playfully tweak the nipples of Jason, who is a great performer but not the best singer.
Jac, however, has a fantastic voice and his rendition of Close Every Door received rapturous applause. But make no mistake, this is The Sheridan Smith Show. And it’s a rip-roaring Joseph for the 21st century.
