So Long Old Friend...

[watelessness]

i too am saddened. the first record i ever bought was _Alive_. learned to play bass listening to gene. learned to play drums listening to peter.

 

[Victor Vector]

Was a huge fan as child, can recite all the lyrics still but now cant stand Gene Simmons as a person and what they did to Ace and Peter was totally not cool. Adios sucka.

 

[Max Headroom]

Huge Kiss fan here.
We got some crap because we painted the Destroyer cover on a complete wall of the student common room back in 77…lol.
Not so big back in England in those early days but I was smitten by the whole spectacle and razzmatazz of it all.
Beth was probably one of the first songs I learned to play from start to finish.
Proud member of the Kiss Army.
As to be expected my mother was horrified by them…which to a rebellious teen was all the more reason to turn the amps to 11.

 

[Bill SAS 513]

Yeah, I had the Gene spittin' blood shot from Alive II on my bedroom door...Oy, dad hated it. Of course, I remember him complaining about the "long-haired Beatles", too...LOLOL
I saw Kiss a few times...always entertaining, never dull. The Alive I cover led me to guitar...Paul had a Gibson S-1, or some other similar pretty cheap guitar, which led me to believe I too, could be cool. again, LOLOL!!!

Now, about them and Rush touring...let me know. I'm in.

 

[Bogner]

Kiss Was So Much More To Me Than Simply Their Music. So Many Of My Early Childhood Memories Are Tied To Them In All Kinds Of Ways. My Uncle Was A Huge Kiss Fan (Music In General) And He Turned Me On To Everything Good. He Was An Incredible Artist And Could Draw Anything And He Always Was Drawing Me Pictures And Often Times They Were Of Kiss. We Were Always Listening To Music Cranked In His Bedroom. He Would Belt Out The Lyrics And I Was A Very Little Boy Standing On The Bed (Stage) Playing Guitar With An Old Wooden Tennis Racquet. The Walls Were Covered With Incredible Drawings And Posters/Album Covers, Etc And Those Walls Were Our Audience. We Played Our Hearts Out! Many Times He Painted My Face For Our Little Shows. I Wasn't Even Old Enough To Go To School! Kiss Was Real To Me But Also The Young Child In Me Saw Them As Fantasy Or Like A Real Life Cartoon. They Were Out Of This World Cool To Me And So Much More In My Little Mind Than "Just A Band" Of Some Sorts. We Did Our "Concerts" With Other Bands But The Kiss Shows Were Always So Much More Electric. My Uncle Was Also A Concert Promoter And He Was Also A Radio DJ. I Would Often Go To "Work" With Him And "Help" Him Work. We Picked Out Records And I Got To See All Of The Equipment And Everything. I Thought It Was So Cool. I Remember Having To Be Quiet When He Was Talking On Air And Then That Red Light Went Off And I Could Talk Again...LOL. All Of That Stuff Seeded Me For A Lot Of Who I Am Today And What I Enjoy. This Thread Has Brought Back Some Very Fond Memories For Me...Memories I Haven't Pondered In A While And Am Glad I Did. Sadly, My Uncle Passed Away And A Part Of Me Died With Him. He Was An Incredible Guy And Loved Me Imensely And I Loved Him Too. He Was Like The Big Brother I Never Had. As I Reflect Back On Life, Music, Him, Me The Constant Theme In Everything Is Kiss. Kiss, In One Way Or Another, Is Always The Thread That Is Woven Throughout Everything. Kiss Had Some Great Songs But They Were Always More Than Their Music To Me. Thanks For Making This Thread And Giving Me An Opportunity To Stroll Down Memory Lane One More Time As It Has Been A Blessing For Me To Do So.

 

[d4rkst4r]

This is a great share, your enthusiasm can be felt with each sentence. I've tried to be that uncle to my nephew and I hope it means something to him some day.

 

[Daryl Jones]

I really hate to see any iconic band say farewell, and these guys definitely fit that description. But I have to say I was never really a fan like so many others. I thought they were too gimmicky or something when they hit the big time, I don't know. But they sure left their mark and made their presence known. Still sad to see them go, but that is the way of things in the music world.

 

[RickP]

Huge early influence. The Kiss Alive album from the Cobo Hall shows opened the door, and I picked up all off the original albums quickly after. I didn’t see them live until the “Love Gun” tour, and it defined what a show could be!

Hat’s off to them… what a run.