10 Hard Rock Bands With KILLER Live Shows

At the start of the '70s, the art of a great rock show was just starting to get born. While some bands like Alice Cooper and the Stooges were pushing the limits as to what could be done onstage, other acts like Led Zeppelin were making songs that were so epic in scope that they were meant to be played in massive halls. Though rock was still a chaotic form of music, KISS took the music world by the reins and turned the stage show into a circus.

Donning horrific makeup in the early days, each member turned into an exaggerated version of themselves onstage, from the Demon Gene Simmons to the Spaceman Ace Frehley. Even though the music was high quality hard rock, the primary focus was on the theatrics, whether it was the pyro, the drums levitating, the bass player spitting blood and breathing fire, or the guitarist playing so well that his guitar shot rockets. The allure of these guys ended up being so big that it was almost like watching modern rock superheroes live onstage.

Despite the band's quality in records waxing and waning, none of their shows ever suffered for it, as each member put in 110% even when they took the makeup off. At a time when rock was still finding its feet as a live entity, this is the kind of stage show that could turn even the most passive of rock fans into believers.