KISS performed at the Rupp Arena, in Lexington, KY on March 5, 1977 with supporting act Legs Diamond. This was during the Rock and Roll Over Tour, performing 14 songs to a sold out crowd of around 16,700 KISS Army Fans.
According to the newspaper article review below, the fans were not to crazy about the opening act Legs Diamond, of which seemed to be a pattern back in the 70's with opening acts for KISS. No one really cared to much for the openers, they just wanted to see their hero's performing on stage, period.
Review
Source References Provided by: goatley.com« Review by: Barry Bronson for the Lexington KY Harold.
This is the transcript of the third image below in the Gallery. If there is anything incorrect, a misspelled word or anything, please let me know, and I will correct it. This was a Image Text Strip.
KISS Army, 16,000 Strong, Enioys Bizarre Theatrics
It was the most bizarre Black and
White Minstrel Show ever to play Lexington.
Whatever rock band KISS Was
throwing out at Rupp Arena last
night its adoring fans - some 16,700
members of the famous KISS Army - were lapping it up.
Seventy minutes of high-powered rock and roll
left many in the audience standing on
their seats hollering for more.
If you've been living in a Cave for
the last two years you might not be
familiar with these four New York
musicians who fancy black and white
Kabuki-like makeup and black glitter outfits
With 7-inch platform heel.
The KISS style is basic guitar
chording and endlessly-repetitive lyrics
which turn teens every way but loose.
For KISS fanatics, these songs are teen anthems.
Opening the concert was Legs Diamond
a Angeles-based band With
punk-rock tendencies. Their 35-minute
set was mildly interesting to the KISS audience.
After three songs from the head-liners it
was obvious no one would remain
seated."Rock and Roll Party" and "Meet You in the Ladies
Room" kept the arena rocking, although
bass guitar player Gene Simmons
vocals on the "Ladies Room" was subpar.
Although KISS theatrics (flashpots,
explosions and a flashing "KISS" sign)
were employed from the start -
it wasn't until "Firehouse" that the kids
got the chance to see Simmons do
his flame-blowing routine.
That poignant scene Was followed
by lead guitarist Ace Frehley's flaming
guitar solo and his grinding playing
wasn't even good background music.
But a KISS show is more a visual
trip than an aural One. Those thunderderclap
rhythm lines cover a lot Of
Frehley's and Paul Stanley's guitar
parts. Songs like "Nothing to Lose"
rely on repetitious lyric lines and
cheerleading by band members to
work the audience into a frenzy.
But with KISS, the frenzy is a release and the
band delights in revealing that the dangers lurking on stage
are imaginary. They are the Current
masters of escapist rock and roll.
Where Some bands use glitter,
explosions, spotlight prisms, strobe
lights Or flashpots to create an effect
- KISS uses all of these effects, and
more, to appeal to the dark side of
the teenage psyche.
When Simmons perches on a
stack of speakers and coughs up
phony blood, the audience urges him
on. It's one way of saying he's giving
everything for his audience and he
isn't too far wrong on that score.
This band puts out.
As Peter Criss drum solo flowed
into "God or Thunder" the flashpots
signaled the concert climax - a climax
that was reached with "Rock and Roll All Night."
For their encore, Criss took Center Stage for his
"Beth" solo (backed by a recording
Of piano and Strings). "Shout It" Was
included in the encore and after 70
minutes Of a rock and roll firestorm,
KISS beat feet into limousines for the
trip back to the hotel.
KISS might very well have set the
Rupp Arena concert attendance
record - Lawrence Welk drew some
16,000 to the opening LCC concert last October.
Adults Be Prepared For KISS Concert
Source References Provided by: goatley.com« Review By: JOHN ALEXANDER
Entertainment Editor.
This is the transcript of the forth image below in the Gallery. If there is anything incorrect, a misspelled word or anything, please let me know, and I will correct it. This was a Image Text Strip.
Adults Be Prepared For KISS Concert
So you're a parent going for the first time to
Rupp Arena Saturday night to see what is turning
your teen-ager on. So then you'd better remember the Scouting
slogan - be prepared!
Seriously, advance ticket statistics indicate
that the turnout of parents for the KISS concert
Saturday night is the largest of any of the concerts
sponsored there so far, and the crowd itself will
likely be the largest for a musical event to date
excluding the Welk opener.
There will be some surprises for the older
folk, like me.
One is how well behaved generally the crowd
Will be. Teen-agers in Rupp Arena seem to be
developing a tradition of policing themselves in good
behavior. There are amazing few incidents Which
cause any trouble and only a few Which bring
about inconvenience.
Sound Level
On the Other side, the level of sound is going
to surprise you, who like me, remember Harry
James at Joyland park or even Bill Haley in concert.
Sound level within 100 feet of the powerful
amplifiers usually exceeds 110 decibels, may get as
high as 115 to 120.
This doesn't mean much. until you realize that
can begin to feel bass beats at about 30 to 40 decibels.
At 115 you can feel the vibrations themselves
on the skin at almost any frequency that is also audible.
Experiments have shown that at 130 decibels,
humans become disoriented and the ability to
speak is interfered with - but those extra 10 Or 15
decibels are not likely to be reached at any distance.
The solution? Ear plugs or soundproofing ear
muffs, like those worn by ground crews for
jet liners or in a shooting range.
It likely won't Stop the vibrations on the skin,
but it Will keep the sound in the ears down to a more
comfortable level. Which is not a criticism of
the teen-ager musical taste - simply a warning
that the loud sound takes some getting used to.
You could probably trade your up-front tickets,
if you have them, for some seats further back in
the house and further up from ground level and
make some difference as well.
Go Early
You'd be wise to arrive early. Crowds are
generally well behaved, but several thousand
people move slowly and some have difficulty finding
the right seats.
Expect some kids to groove with the sound,
but you won't have any Problems unless you
go expecting trouble.
Image Source for Gene Simmons
No Tongue In Cheek
Gene Simmons, the vampire figure of the
rock group KISS extends his tongue which
he constantly displays in a serpent-like
manner during the group's performance in
Hanford, Conn. (AP Wirephoto.)
