# 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.

## History

At the beginning of the tour Stanley returned to his iconic Starchild makeup after finishing the previous tour in his bandit makeup. 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.
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. 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. 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.

## 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".

## Setlist

* "Deuce"
* "Strutter"
* "She"
* "Firehouse"
* "Nothin' to Lose"
* "Cold Gin"
* "Kissin' Time"
* "Let Me Know"
* "Acrobat" ("Love Theme from Kiss")
* "100,000 Years" (with bass solo and drum solo)
* "Black Diamond"
Encore
* "Baby, Let Me Go" ("Let Me Go, Rock 'n' Roll")

## Tour dates

List of 1974 concerts :
| Date | City | Country | Venue | Support Act(s) |
| February 5, 1974 | Edmonton | Canada | Dinwoodie Lounge | Barbarossa |
| February 6, 1974 | Calgary | Canada | SAIT Gymnasium | Barbarossa |
| February 8, 1974 | Winnipeg | Canada | Taché Hall | Mood Jga Jga |
| February 17, 1974 | Long Beach | United States | Civic Auditorium | Rory Gallagher Fleetwood Mac |
| February 18, 1974 | Los Angeles | United States | Los Angeles Room | — |
| February 21, 1974 | Los Angeles | United States | Aquarius Theater | — |
| March 22, 1974 | Devon | United States | Valley Forge Music Fair | Redbone |
| March 23, 1974 | New York City | United States | Academy of Music | Argent Redbone |
| March 24, 1974 | Owings Mills | United States | Painter's Mill Music Fair | Aerosmith Redbone |
| March 25, 1974 | Washington, D.C. | United States | The Bayou | — |
| March 29, 1974 | Asbury Park | United States | Sunshine In Concert Hall | Renaissance Truth |
| March 31, 1974 | St. Louis | United States | Aviation Field | Thirteenth Floor |
| April 1, 1974 | Cleveland | United States | Agora Ballroom | Rory Gallagher |
| April 3, 1974 | Columbus | United States | The Agora | Rory Gallagher |
| April 7, 1974 | Detroit | United States | Michigan Palace | Aerosmith Mojo Boogie Band Michael Fennelly |
| April 8, 1974 | Dekalb | United States | University Center Ballroom | Conqueror Worm |
| April 12, 1974 | Detroit | United States | Michigan Palace | Blue Öyster Cult Suzi Quatro |
| April 13, 1974 | Detroit | United States | Michigan Palace | Blue Öyster Cult Suzi Quatro |
| April 14, 1974 | Louisville | United States | Beggar's Banquet | Thunderhead |
| April 15, 1974 | Nashville | United States | Muther's Music Emporium | Max Onion |
| April 16, 1974 | Nashville | United States | Muther's Music Emporium | Max Onion |
| April 17, 1974 | Memphis | United States | Lafayette Music Room | Kathi McDonald |
| April 18, 1974 | Memphis | United States | Lafayette Music Room | Kathi McDonald |
| April 19, 1974 | Chicago | United States | Aragon Ballroom | Quicksilver Messenger Service Flying Saucer Les Variations |
| April 21, 1974 | Charlotte | United States | Flash's | Ritual |
| April 27, 1974 | Passaic | United States | Capitol Theatre | Blue Öyster Cult Ross |
| May 2, 1974 | Comstock Park | United States | Thunder Chicken | Argent |
| May 3, 1974 | St. Louis | United States | Ambassador Theatre | Argent |
| May 9, 1974 | Parsippany | United States | The Joint in the Woods | Sweetwater |
| May 12, 1974 | Wyandotte | United States | Benjamin Yack Recreational Center | Savoy Brown Silverhead |
| May 14, 1974 | Fraser | United States | Fraser Hockeyland Arena | Savoy Brown Silverhead |
| May 16, 1974 | Winnipeg | Canada | Centennial Concert Hall | Savoy Brown Manfred Mann's Earth Band |
| May 17, 1974 | Edmonton | Canada | Kinsmen Fieldhouse | Savoy Brown Manfred Mann's Earth Band |
| May 18, 1974 | Saskatoon | Canada | Saskatoon Arena | Savoy Brown Manfred Mann's Earth Band |
| May 19, 1974 | Lethbridge | Canada | Exhibition Pavilion | Savoy Brown Manfred Mann's Earth Band |
| May 20, 1974 | Calgary | Canada | Foothills Arena | Savoy Brown Manfred Mann's Earth Band |
| May 24, 1974 | Portland | United States | Paramount Northwest Theater | Savoy Brown Manfred Mann's Earth Band |
| May 25, 1974 | Seattle | United States | Paramount Theatre | Savoy Brown Manfred Mann's Earth Band |
| May 26, 1974 | Spokane | United States | JFK Pavilion | Savoy Brown Manfred Mann's Earth Band |
| May 27, 1974 | Olympia | United States | St. Martin's Capitol Pavilion | Savoy Brown |
| May 28, 1974 | Vancouver | Canada | PNE Gardens Auditorium | Savoy Brown Manfred Mann's Earth Band |
| May 30, 1974 | San Diego | United States | Sports Arena | Savoy Brown Manfred Mann's Earth Band |
| May 31, 1974 | Long Beach | United States | Long Beach Auditorium | Savoy Brown Manfred Mann's Earth Band |
| June 1, 1974 | San Francisco | United States | Winterland Ballroom | Savoy Brown Manfred Mann's Earth Band |
| June 3, 1974 | Anchorage | United States | Sundowner Drive-In Theater | Savoy Brown Flight Island |
| June 4, 1974 | Fairbanks | United States | Baker Field House | Savoy Brown |
| June 12, 1974 | Flint | United States | IMA Sports Arena | New York Dolls |
| June 14, 1974 | Cleveland | United States | Allen Theater | New York Dolls |
| June 15, 1974 | Toronto | Canada | Massey Hall | New York Dolls |
| June 17, 1974 | Asbury Park | United States | Sunshine In | Truth |
| June 19, 1974 | Atlanta | United States | Alex Cooley's Electric Ballroom | Outlaw |
| June 20, 1974 | Atlanta | United States | Alex Cooley's Electric Ballroom | Outlaw |
| June 21, 1974 | Atlanta | United States | Alex Cooley's Electric Ballroom | Outlaw |
| June 22, 1974 | Atlanta | United States | Alex Cooley's Electric Ballroom | Outlaw |
| July 11, 1974 | West Palm Beach | United States | West Palm Beach Auditorium | Blue Öyster Cult Nazareth |
| July 12, 1974 | Orlando | United States | Jai Alai Fronton | Blue Öyster Cult Nazareth |
| July 13, 1974 | Tampa Bay | United States | Curtis Hixon Hall | Blue Öyster Cult Nazareth |
| July 14, 1974 | Birmingham | United States | Birmingham Municipal Auditorium | Blue Öyster Cult Nazareth |
| July 16, 1974 | Baton Rouge | United States | Independence Hall | Blue Öyster Cult New York Dolls |
| July 17, 1974 | Atlanta | United States | Alex Cooley's Electric Ballroom | Fat Chance |
| July 18, 1974 | Atlanta | United States | Alex Cooley's Electric Ballroom | Fat Chance |
| July 19, 1974 | Fayetteville | United States | Cumberland Auditorium | Blue Öyster Cult Nazareth Glass Moon |
| July 25, 1974 | London | Canada | Centennial Hall | Rush Ronny Legge |
| August 3, 1974 | Indianapolis | United States | Convention Center | Blue Öyster Cult James Gang Chris Jagger |
| August 4, 1974 | South Bend | United States | Morris Civic Auditorium | Blue Öyster Cult |
| September 13, 1974 | Kitchener | Canada | Sir Wilfrid Laurier Theater | Fludd |
| September 14, 1974 | Toronto | Canada | Victory Theater | Fludd |
| September 15, 1974 | Lock Haven | United States | Lockhaven Fieldhouse | Blue Öyster Cult Rush |
| September 16, 1974 | Wilkes-Barre | United States | Paramount Theater | Blue Öyster Cult Rush |
| September 18, 1974 | Atlanta | United States | Electric Ballroom | Rush Fat Chance |
| September 19, 1974 | Atlanta | United States | Electric Ballroom | Rush Fat Chance |
| September 20, 1974 | Atlanta | United States | Electric Ballroom | Rush Fat Chance |
| September 21, 1974 | Atlanta | United States | Electric Ballroom | Outlaws Fat Chance |
| September 28, 1974 | Detroit | United States | Michigan Palace | Roy Wood Wizzard |
| September 30, 1974 | Evansville | United States | Evansville Stadium | Billy Preston Rush |
| October 1, 1974 | Jacksonville | United States | Leone Cole Auditorium | Rush |
| October 4, 1974 | Houston | United States | Music Hall | Rush |

## Personnel

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