Kiss Tour

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.

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

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

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

Tour dates

List of 1974 concerts
Date[7] City Country Venue Support Act(s)
February 5, 1974EdmontonCanadaDinwoodie LoungeBarbarossa
February 6, 1974CalgaryJubilee Auditorium
February 8, 1974WinnipegTaché HallMood Jga Jga
February 17, 1974Long BeachUnited StatesCivic AuditoriumRory Gallagher
Fleetwood Mac
February 18, 1974Los AngelesLos Angeles Room
February 21, 1974Aquarius Theater
March 22, 1974DevonValley Forge Music FairRedbone
March 23, 1974New York CityAcademy of MusicArgent
Redbone
March 24, 1974Owings MillsPainter's Mill Music FairAerosmith
Redbone
March 25, 1974Washington, D.C.The Bayou
March 29, 1974Asbury ParkSunshine In Concert HallRenaissance
Truth
March 31, 1974St. LouisAviation FieldThirteenth Floor
April 1, 1974ClevelandAgora BallroomRory Gallagher
April 3, 1974ColumbusThe Agora
April 7, 1974DetroitMichigan PalaceAerosmith
Mojo Boogie Band
Michael Fennelly
April 8, 1974DekalbUniversity Center BallroomConqueror Worm
April 12, 1974DetroitMichigan PalaceBlue Öyster Cult
Suzi Quatro
April 13, 1974
April 14, 1974LouisvilleBeggar's BanquetThunderhead
April 15, 1974NashvilleMuther's Music EmporiumMax Onion
April 16, 1974
April 17, 1974MemphisLafayette Music RoomKathi McDonald
April 18, 1974
April 19, 1974ChicagoAragon BallroomQuicksilver Messenger Service
Flying Saucer
Les Variations
April 21, 1974CharlotteFlash'sRitual
April 27, 1974PassaicCapitol TheatreBlue Öyster Cult
Ross
May 2, 1974Comstock ParkThunder ChickenArgent
May 3, 1974St. LouisAmbassador Theatre
May 9, 1974ParsippanyThe Joint in the WoodsSweetwater
May 12, 1974WyandotteBenjamin Yack Recreational CenterSavoy Brown
Silverhead
May 14, 1974FraserFraser Hockeyland Arena
May 16, 1974WinnipegCanadaCentennial Concert HallSavoy Brown
Manfred Mann's Earth Band
May 17, 1974EdmontonKinsmen Fieldhouse
May 18, 1974SaskatoonSaskatoon Arena
May 19, 1974LethbridgeExhibition Pavilion
May 20, 1974CalgaryFoothills Arena
May 24, 1974PortlandUnited StatesParamount Northwest Theater
May 25, 1974SeattleParamount Theatre
May 26, 1974SpokaneJFK Pavilion
May 27, 1974OlympiaSt. Martin's Capitol PavilionSavoy Brown
May 28, 1974VancouverCanadaPNE Gardens AuditoriumSavoy Brown
Manfred Mann's Earth Band
May 30, 1974San DiegoUnited StatesSports Arena
May 31, 1974Long BeachLong Beach Auditorium
June 1, 1974San FranciscoWinterland Ballroom
June 3, 1974AnchorageSundowner Drive-In TheaterSavoy Brown
Flight
Island
June 4, 1974FairbanksBaker Field HouseSavoy Brown
June 12, 1974FlintIMA Sports ArenaNew York Dolls
June 14, 1974ClevelandAllen Theater
June 15, 1974TorontoCanadaMassey Hall
June 17, 1974Asbury ParkUnited StatesSunshine InTruth
June 19, 1974AtlantaAlex Cooley's Electric BallroomOutlaw
June 20, 1974
June 21, 1974
June 22, 1974
July 11, 1974West Palm BeachWest Palm Beach AuditoriumBlue Öyster Cult
Nazareth
July 12, 1974OrlandoJai Alai Fronton
July 13, 1974Tampa BayCurtis Hixon Hall
July 14, 1974BirminghamBirmingham Municipal Auditorium
July 16, 1974Baton RougeIndependence HallBlue Öyster Cult
New York Dolls
July 17, 1974AtlantaAlex Cooley's Electric BallroomFat Chance
July 18, 1974
July 19, 1974FayettevilleCumberland AuditoriumBlue Öyster Cult
Nazareth
Glass Moon
July 25, 1974LondonCanadaCentennial HallRush
Ronny Legge
August 3, 1974IndianapolisUnited StatesConvention CenterBlue Öyster Cult
James Gang
Chris Jagger
August 4, 1974South BendMorris Civic AuditoriumBlue Öyster Cult
September 13, 1974KitchenerCanadaSir Wilfrid Laurier TheaterFludd
September 14, 1974TorontoVictory Theater
September 15, 1974Lock HavenUnited StatesLockhaven FieldhouseBlue Öyster Cult
Rush
September 16, 1974Wilkes-BarreParamount Theater
September 18, 1974AtlantaElectric BallroomRush
Fat Chance
September 19, 1974
September 20, 1974
September 21, 1974Outlaws
Fat Chance
September 28, 1974DetroitMichigan PalaceRoy Wood
Wizzard
September 30, 1974EvansvilleEvansville StadiumBilly Preston
Rush
October 1, 1974JacksonvilleLeone Cole AuditoriumRush
October 4, 1974HoustonMusic Hall

Personnel

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: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 115. ISBN 9780786498024.
  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

  • Gooch, Curt; Suhs, Jeff (2002). Kiss Alive Forever: The Complete Touring History. New York: Billboard Books. ISBN 0-8230-8322-5.
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