# The Early Days of Kiss

The Early Days of Kiss (also referred to officially as the Club Tour) 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.

## History

The first Kiss performance took place on January 30, 1973, for an audience of fewer than ten people at the Popcorn Pub (renamed Coventry shortly afterward) in Queens. The band were paid $50 for performing two sets that evening, following a cold-call Simmons had made to the venue, convincing them to hire the new band for a three-night stand.
   Our first show ever was at Coventry. Coventry was a study in contrasts. The first time we played there was nobody there. The last time we played there, you could barely get in the door. —Paul Stanley
When the band performed at the Daisy in Amityville, Simmons recalled that it was "a drinking club, with cheap beer and a biker crowd", while Stanley remembered the Daisy being "no better than the size of a living room".
To give their performances a presence, the band would use fake Marshall amplifiers on stage with hollow cabinets to make the music seem louder than it was.
From October to November, the band recorded their self-titled debut album, which was released on February 18, 1974. The December 22 show at Coventry in Queens is the earliest filmed live performance by Kiss as described in Kissology Volume 1 and Volume 3. During the New Year's Eve show at The Academy of Music in New York City as an opening act for Blue Öyster Cult, Simmons accidentally set his hair ablaze while performing his fire-breathing routine.
For the last three shows of the tour, Stanley changed his makeup to "The Bandit" because Neil Bogart thought the Starchild character was "kind of swishy... kind of feminine" and that Stanley should be "more macho" onstage. As Stanley stated "I just came up with this Lone Ranger bandit, as it became known, and it lasted maybe a month. But I just went, 'You know what? My gig, my face, my makeup.' And I just went back to the Starchild. A lot of people believe that [the Bandit] came first, but it actually didn't."

## Reception

Fred Kirby of Variety who had attended the June and August performances, had given the band a positive review, citing that the band "outshine most of the others in clean, pulsating rock and roll, high in volume and excitement". He pointed out the unrelenting and solid set, as well as praising Gene as a 'theatrical plus'. Kirby concluded his review with stating that the music catches hold and never lets go. He would note that Kiss had drawn good crowds and were building a local following.
Stanley Mises, a local New York Sunday News reviewer who attended the Coventry performances, cited that the show was more complex and the music was "loud, loud, loud" but fairly simple. He would state that the members looked like "Lance Loud on a nightmarish blender".
Chris Charlesworth of Melody Maker, who attended the December 31, 1973 performance, praised the band's performance, music and costumes. He pointed out the music, saying it was "loud and heavy, simple riff-based rock and roll with a steady funky beat". Concluding his review, he noted the climax as "brash and spectacular" as well as pointing out the fire breathing incident during 'Firehouse'.
A reviewer from Billboard who attended the January 26, 1974 performance at the Academy of Music, noted on the band's embrace to touring after having performed at various local clubs for a year. The show was given a positive review with their set cited as being ear shattering, as well as the heavy reliance on special effects.

## Tour dates

List of 1973 concerts :
| Date | City | Country | Venue | Support Act(s) |
| January 30, 1973 2 sets | New York City | United States | Coventry | — |
| January 31, 1973 2 sets | New York City | United States | Coventry | — |
| February 1, 1973 2 sets | New York City | United States | Coventry | — |
| March 9, 1973 2 sets | Amityville | United States | The Daisy | — |
| March 10, 1973 2 sets | Amityville | United States | The Daisy | — |
| April 13, 1973 2 sets | Amityville | United States | The Daisy | — |
| April 14, 1973 2 sets | Amityville | United States | The Daisy | — |
| May 4, 1973 | New York City | United States | Bleecker Street Loft | Queen Elizabeth† The Brats‡ |
| May 26, 1973 | Palisades | United States | Lamont Hall | Bloontz‡ Rebillot Quintet‡ |
| June 1, 1973 | New York City | United States | Bleecker Street Loft | The Brats† |
| June 8, 1973 2 sets | Amityville | United States | The Daisy | — |
| June 9, 1973 2 sets | Amityville | United States | The Daisy | — |
| June 15, 1973 2 sets | Amityville | United States | The Daisy | — |
| June 16, 1973 2 sets | Amityville | United States | The Daisy | — |
| July 13, 1973 | New York City | United States | Crystal Ballroom | The Brats† Planets‡ |
| August 10, 1973 | New York City | United States | Crystal Ballroom | Street Punk‡ Luger‡ |
| August 17, 1973 2 sets | Amityville | United States | The Daisy | — |
| August 18, 1973 2 sets | Amityville | United States | The Daisy | — |
| August 24, 1973 2 sets | Amityville | United States | The Daisy | — |
| August 25, 1973 2 sets | Amityville | United States | The Daisy | — |
| August 31, 1973 | New York City | United States | Coventry | Wild Honey‡ The Dogs‡ |
| September 1, 1973 | New York City | United States | Coventry | Wild Honey‡ The Dogs‡ |
| September 2, 1973 | New York City | United States | Coventry | — |
| December 21, 1973 | New York City | United States | Coventry | Isis‡ Rags‡ City Slicker‡ |
| December 22, 1973 | New York City | United States | Coventry | Isis‡ Rags‡ City Slicker‡ |
| December 23, 1973 | New York City | United States | Coventry | — |
| December 31, 1973 | New York City | United States | Academy of Music | Blue Öyster Cult† Iggy Pop‡ Teenage Lust‡ |
List of 1974 concerts :
| Date | City | Country | Venue | Support Act(s) |
| January 8, 1974 | New York City | United States | Village East | — |
| January 26, 1974 | New York City | United States | Academy of Music | Fleetwood Mac† Silverhead‡ |
Support act key:
    † Headliner
    ‡ Opening/supporting act

## Personnel

* Paul Stanley – vocals, rhythm guitar
* Gene Simmons – vocals, bass
* Peter Criss – drums, vocals
* Ace Frehley – lead guitar, backing vocals