Kiss Tour

Last updated
Kiss Tour
Promotional tour by Kiss
LocationNorth America
Associated album Kiss
Start dateFebruary 5, 1974 (1974-02-05)
End dateOctober 4, 1974 (1974-10-04)
No. of shows84
Kiss concert chronology

The Kiss Tour was Kiss' first album support tour. Sometimes known as the First Tour, it also encompassed several shows before and after the "official" dates.

Contents

History

At the beginning of the tour Stanley returned to his iconic Starchild makeup after finishing the previous tour in his bandit makeup. [1] Stage props used for this tour were fire engine lights, a drum riser, sparkling drumsticks, Simmons spitting blood and breathing fire, a lighted logo of the band's name, Frehley's smoking guitar and flamethrowers. [2]

When the band was an opening act for Argent on May 2, 1974, in Comstock Park, they were only allowed to perform eight songs as Argent told them the rules, resulting in the headliners shutting off the power to Kiss' equipment when the audience wanted Kiss to perform more songs. [3] Rush opened for Kiss at the Centennial Hall in London, Ontario on July 25 during the tour, which was also John Rutsey's final performance with Rush. The opening act ended up impressing the band so much at that concert that they continued on tour with Rush as the opening act. [4] Kiss took most of August off from the tour to record their follow-up album, Hotter than Hell .

In the tour program for the band's final tour, Simmons reflected on the tour:

Being in Kiss in the very first year and touring around the United States, we felt like we were taking off. It was like somebody pushing you into the deep end of the pool whether you can swim or not. The early years of Kiss were far from glamorous. We rode in a station wagon hundreds of miles every day. We would take turns driving and sleeping in the back. We ate burgers at roadside taverns. We stopped and peed on the side of long stretches of highway when we couldn't find a town anywhere near. We ate beans and franks, because we couldn't afford better food as we were on a $85 a week salary! Becoming a rock star was better than anything and beyond anything I ever imagined. There were moments of doubt for me that we were gonna make it. [5]

Reception

A reporter from the Winnipeg Free Press who attended the Taché Hall performance in Winnipeg on February 8 which was part of the "Festival of Life and Learning", noted the number of visual effects that notably were smoke bombs, dry ice on the song "Firehouse", as well as the flashing lights and hydraulic lift for the drummer. The reporter however, noted the responses from the audience who were shocked, with others in attendance "sitting on their hands for the majority of the performance". [6]

Setlist

  1. "Deuce"
  2. "Strutter"
  3. "She"
  4. "Firehouse"
  5. "Nothin' to Lose"
  6. "Cold Gin"
  7. "Kissin' Time"
  8. "Let Me Know"
  9. "Acrobat" ("Love Theme from Kiss")
  10. "100,000 Years" (with bass solo and drum solo)
  11. "Black Diamond"

Encore

  2. "Baby, Let Me Go" ("Let Me Go, Rock 'n' Roll")

Tour dates

Date [7] CityCountryVenueSupport Act(s)
February 5, 1974 Edmonton, Alberta CanadaDinwoodie LoungeBarbarossa
February 6, 1974 Calgary, Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
February 8, 1974 Winnipeg, Manitoba Taché HallMood Jga Jga
February 17, 1974 Long Beach, California United StatesCivic Auditorium Rory Gallagher
Fleetwood Mac
February 18, 1974 Los Angeles, California Los Angeles Room—
February 21, 1974Aquarius Theater
March 22, 1974 Devon, Pennsylvania Valley Forge Music Fair Redbone
March 23, 1974New York City, New York Academy of Music Argent
Redbone
March 24, 1974 Owings Mills, Maryland Painter's Mill Music Fair Aerosmith
Redbone
March 25, 1974 Washington, D.C. The Bayou —
March 29, 1974 Asbury Park, New Jersey Sunshine In Concert HallRenaissance
Truth
March 31, 1974 St. Louis, Missouri Aviation FieldThirteenth Floor
April 1, 1974 Cleveland, Ohio Agora Ballroom Rory Gallagher
April 3, 1974 Columbus, Ohio The Agora
April 7, 1974 Detroit, Michigan Michigan PalaceAerosmith
Mojo Boogie Band
Michael Fennelly
April 8, 1974 Dekalb, Illinois University Center BallroomConqueror Worm
April 12, 1974Detroit, Michigan Michigan Palace Blue Öyster Cult
Suzi Quatro
April 13, 1974
April 14, 1974 Louisville, Kentucky Beggar's BanquetThunderhead
April 15, 1974 Nashville, Tennessee Muther's Music EmporiumMax Onion
April 16, 1974
April 17, 1974 Memphis, Tennessee Lafayette Music Room Kathi McDonald
April 18, 1974
April 19, 1974 Chicago, Illinois Aragon Ballroom Quicksilver Messenger Service
Flying Saucer
Les Variations
April 21, 1974 Charlotte, North Carolina Flash'sRitual
April 27, 1974 Passaic, New Jersey Capitol Theatre Blue Öyster Cult
Ross
May 2, 1974 Comstock Park, Michigan Thunder Chicken Argent
May 3, 1974St. Louis, Missouri Ambassador Theatre
May 9, 1974 Parsippany, New Jersey The Joint in the Woods Sweetwater
May 12, 1974 Wyandotte, Michigan Benjamin Yack Recreational Center Savoy Brown
Silverhead
May 14, 1974 Fraser, Michigan Fraser Hockeyland Arena
May 16, 1974Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada Centennial Concert Hall Savoy Brown
Manfred Mann's Earth Band
May 17, 1974Edmonton, Alberta Kinsmen Fieldhouse
May 18, 1974 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Saskatoon Arena
May 19, 1974 Lethbridge, Alberta Exhibition Pavilion
May 20, 1974Calgary, AlbertaFoothills Arena
May 24, 1974 Portland, Oregon United StatesParamount Northwest Theater
May 25, 1974 Seattle, Washington Paramount Theatre
May 26, 1974 Spokane, Washington JFK Pavilion
May 27, 1974OlympiaSt. Martin's Capitol PavilionSavoy Brown
May 28, 1974 Vancouver, British Columbia CanadaPNE Gardens AuditoriumSavoy Brown
Manfred Mann's Earth Band
May 30, 1974 San Diego, California United StatesSports Arena
May 31, 1974Long Beach, CaliforniaLong Beach Auditorium
June 1, 1974 San Francisco, California Winterland Ballroom
June 3, 1974 Anchorage, Alaska Sundowner Drive-In TheaterSavoy Brown
Flight
Island
June 4, 1974 Fairbanks, Alaska Baker Field HouseSavoy Brown
June 12, 1974 Flint, Michigan IMA Sports Arena New York Dolls
June 14, 1974Cleveland, Ohio Allen Theater
June 15, 1974 Toronto, Ontario Canada Massey Hall
June 17, 1974Asbury Park, New JerseyUnited StatesSunshine InTruth
June 19, 1974Atlanta, Georgia Alex Cooley's Electric Ballroom Outlaw
June 20, 1974
June 21, 1974
June 22, 1974
July 11, 1974 West Palm Beach, Florida West Palm Beach AuditoriumBlue Öyster Cult
Nazareth
July 12, 1974 Orlando, Florida Jai Alai Fronton
July 13, 1974 Tampa Bay, Florida Curtis Hixon Hall
July 14, 1974 Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham Municipal Auditorium
July 16, 1974 Baton Rouge, Louisiana Independence HallBlue Öyster Cult
New York Dolls
July 17, 1974Atlanta, Georgia Alex Cooley's Electric Ballroom Fat Chance
July 18, 1974
July 19, 1974 Fayetteville, North Carolina Cumberland AuditoriumBlue Öyster Cult
Nazareth
Glass Moon
July 25, 1974 London, Ontario CanadaCentennial Hall Rush
Ronny Legge
August 3, 1974 Indianapolis, Indiana United StatesConvention CenterBlue Öyster Cult
James Gang
Chris Jagger
August 4, 1974 South Bend, Indiana Morris Civic Auditorium Blue Öyster Cult
September 13, 1974 Kitchener, Ontario CanadaSir Wilfrid Laurier Theater Fludd
September 14, 1974Toronto, Ontario Victory Theater
September 15, 1974 Lock Haven, Pennsylvania United StatesLockhaven FieldhouseBlue Öyster Cult
Rush
September 16, 1974 Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania Paramount Theater
September 18, 1974Atlanta, GeorgiaElectric BallroomRush
Fat Chance
September 19, 1974
September 20, 1974
September 21, 1974Outlaws
Fat Chance
September 28, 1974Detroit, Michigan Michigan Palace Roy Wood
Wizzard
September 30, 1974 Evansville, Indiana Evansville Stadium Billy Preston
Rush
October 1, 1974 Jacksonville, Alabama Leone Cole AuditoriumRush
October 4, 1974 Houston, Texas Music Hall

Personnel

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kiss (band)</span> American hard rock band

Kiss was an American rock band formed in New York City in 1973 by Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss. Known for their face paint and stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid-1970s with shock rock-style live performances which featured fire-breathing, blood-spitting, smoking guitars, shooting rockets, levitating drum kits, and pyrotechnics. The band had gone through several lineup changes, with Stanley and Simmons remaining the only consistent members. The final lineup consisted of them, Tommy Thayer, and Eric Singer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wicked Lester</span> American rock band

Wicked Lester was a rock band based in New York City. Two notable members were bassist Gene Klein and rhythm guitarist Stanley Eisen. Originally formed in 1970 as Rainbow, the band changed its name to Wicked Lester in 1971 to avoid confusion with another local band named "Rainbow". Although it secured a record deal with Epic Records and recorded an album, the deal fell through and the band fell apart during 1972. Klein and Eisen, feeling that the band's failure was a result of its lack of vision and direction, decided to found a new band from its remnants. They changed their names to the respective Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, auditioned a new drummer and lead guitarist, and formed the band Kiss by the end of January 1973.

"Shock Me" is a song by American glam rock band Kiss, which first appeared on their 1977 album Love Gun. It was written by lead guitarist Ace Frehley, who made his lead vocal debut. The song was inspired by an event that took place during Kiss' Rock and Roll Over tour, when he was nearly electrocuted from his electric guitar. It was ranked #50 in Guitar World magazine's "100 Greatest Guitar Solos Ever".

The Psycho Circus World Tour was a concert tour by the American rock band Kiss that started on October 31, 1998 and concluded on April 24, 1999.

The Early Days of Kiss was a series of performances by American rock band, Kiss. During this time, Kiss hired Bill Aucoin as their manager, and were then signed to Casablanca Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unmasked Tour</span> 1980 concert tour by Kiss

The Unmasked Tour was a concert tour by the American hard rock band Kiss. It was the first tour not to feature original drummer Peter Criss, and the touring debut of his replacement Eric Carr.

The Creatures of the Night Tour/10th Anniversary Tour was a concert tour by the hard rock group Kiss in support of their album of the same title. It was the second tour with drummer Eric Carr, his first in the United States, and the first tour with guitarist Vinnie Vincent, who replaced Ace Frehley.

The Farewell Tour was a concert tour performed by the American rock band Kiss. It started on March 11, 2000 and concluded on April 13, 2001. It was the last tour to feature original member Ace Frehley.

The Dynasty Tour was a concert tour by the rock band Kiss. It was also the final tour with original member Peter Criss until the Alive/Worldwide Tour in 1996.

The Alive/Worldwide Tour was a concert tour by American heavy metal band Kiss which began on June 28, 1996 in Detroit, United States and concluded on July 5, 1997 in London, England. It was the first tour with original members Peter Criss and Ace Frehley since the Dynasty Tour in 1979.

The Alive II Tour was a concert tour by Kiss, and was the follow-up to the Love Gun Tour which ended in early September.

The Love Gun Tour was a concert tour by Kiss, in support of Love Gun.

The Destroyer Tour also known as The Spirit of '76 Tour was a concert tour by Kiss, in support of their fourth studio album Destroyer.

The Alive! Tour was a concert tour by American rock band Kiss, in support of their 1975 live album Alive!. The tour began on September 10, 1975 and concluded on June 6, 1976.

The Kiss My Ass Tour was a concert tour by American rock band Kiss. It was the last tour to feature drummer Eric Singer as a member until 2004, and the last tour with guitarist Bruce Kulick.

The Lick It Up World Tour was a concert tour by American hard rock band Kiss, in support of their eleventh studio album Lick It Up. It was the last tour to feature lead guitarist Vinnie Vincent.

The Asylum Tour was a concert tour by American rock band Kiss, in support of their thirteenth studio album, Asylum.

The Hotter than Hell Tour was the second tour of the American rock band Kiss. The tour featured songs from their first album and their newly released second album, Hotter than Hell, which was the album that the tour was in support of. During this tour, the band used fire and the destruction of guitars as part of their show. The January 31, 1975, show in San Francisco was filmed and later made available for public viewing.

The Dressed to Kill Tour was the fourth tour of American hard rock band Kiss. The tour was in support of the album Dressed to Kill, and took place in 1975 throughout the United States.

The Rock and Roll Over Tour was a concert tour by the American heavy metal group Kiss. It began November 24, 1976 and ended April 4, 1977.

References

  1. ↑ Kielty, Martin (2023-12-21). "Why Paul Stanley Rejected Bandit Makeup After a Month". Ultimate Classic Rock . Retrieved 2024-03-22.
  2. ↑ Weiss, Brett (2016). Encyclopedia of Kiss : Music, Personnel, Events and Related Subjects. Jefferson, North Carolina. p. 115. ISBN   9780786498024.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  3. ↑ Simmons, Gene (2001). Kiss and Make-up. New York: Crown Publishers. ISBN   978-1-4000-4523-5.
  4. ↑ Daly, Skip; Hansen, Eric (2019). Rush: Wandering the Face of the Earth – The Official Touring History 1968 – 2015. San Rafael: Insight Editions. p. 48. ISBN   978-1-68383-450-2.
  5. ↑ (2019). End of the Road World Tour Program, pg. 5.
  6. ↑ Winnipeg Free Press, February 11, 1974
  7. ↑ Gooch, Curt; Suhs, Jeff (2002). Kiss Alive Forever: The Complete Touring History. New York: Billboard Books. ISBN   0-8230-8322-5.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.