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:
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".Winnipeg Free Press, February 11, 1974
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 SAIT Gymnasium February 8, 1974 Winnipeg Taché Hall Mood Jga Jga February 17, 1974 Long Beach United States Civic Auditorium Rory GallagherFleetwood Mac February 18, 1974 Los Angeles Los Angeles Room rowspan="2" February 21, 1974 Aquarius Theater March 22, 1974 Devon Valley Forge Music Fair Redbone March 23, 1974 New York City Academy of Music ArgentRedbone March 24, 1974 Owings Mills Painter's Mill Music Fair AerosmithRedbone March 25, 1974 Washington, D.C. The Bayou March 29, 1974 Asbury Park Sunshine In Concert Hall RenaissanceTruth March 31, 1974 St. Louis Aviation Field Thirteenth Floor April 1, 1974 Cleveland Agora Ballroom Rory Gallagher April 3, 1974 Columbus The Agora April 7, 1974 Detroit Michigan Palace AerosmithMojo Boogie BandMichael Fennelly April 8, 1974 Dekalb University Center Ballroom Conqueror Worm April 12, 1974 Detroit Michigan Palace Blue Öyster CultSuzi Quatro April 13, 1974 April 14, 1974 Louisville Beggar's Banquet Thunderhead April 15, 1974 Nashville Muther's Music Emporium Max Onion April 16, 1974 April 17, 1974 Memphis Lafayette Music Room Kathi McDonald April 18, 1974 April 19, 1974 Chicago Aragon Ballroom Quicksilver Messenger ServiceFlying SaucerLes Variations April 21, 1974 Charlotte Flash's Ritual April 27, 1974 Passaic Capitol Theatre Blue Öyster CultRoss May 2, 1974 Comstock Park Thunder Chicken Argent May 3, 1974 St. Louis Ambassador Theatre May 9, 1974 Parsippany The Joint in the Woods Sweetwater May 12, 1974 Wyandotte Benjamin Yack Recreational Center Savoy BrownSilverhead May 14, 1974 Fraser Fraser Hockeyland Arena May 16, 1974 Winnipeg Canada Centennial Concert Hall Savoy BrownManfred Mann's Earth Band May 17, 1974 Edmonton Kinsmen Fieldhouse May 18, 1974 Saskatoon Saskatoon Arena May 19, 1974 Lethbridge Exhibition Pavilion May 20, 1974 Calgary Foothills Arena May 24, 1974 Portland United States Paramount Northwest Theater May 25, 1974 Seattle Paramount Theatre May 26, 1974 Spokane JFK Pavilion May 27, 1974 Olympia St. Martin's Capitol Pavilion Savoy Brown May 28, 1974 Vancouver Canada PNE Gardens Auditorium Savoy BrownManfred Mann's Earth Band May 30, 1974 San Diego United States Sports Arena May 31, 1974 Long Beach Long Beach Auditorium June 1, 1974 San Francisco Winterland Ballroom June 3, 1974 Anchorage Sundowner Drive-In Theater Savoy BrownFlightIsland June 4, 1974 Fairbanks Baker Field House Savoy Brown June 12, 1974 Flint IMA Sports Arena New York Dolls June 14, 1974 Cleveland Allen Theater June 15, 1974 Toronto Canada Massey Hall June 17, 1974 Asbury Park United States Sunshine In Truth June 19, 1974 Atlanta Alex Cooley's Electric Ballroom Outlaw June 20, 1974 June 21, 1974 June 22, 1974 July 11, 1974 West Palm Beach West Palm Beach Auditorium Blue Öyster CultNazareth July 12, 1974 Orlando Jai Alai Fronton July 13, 1974 Tampa Bay Curtis Hixon Hall July 14, 1974 Birmingham Birmingham Municipal Auditorium July 16, 1974 Baton Rouge Independence Hall Blue Öyster CultNew York Dolls July 17, 1974 Atlanta Alex Cooley's Electric Ballroom Fat Chance July 18, 1974 July 19, 1974 Fayetteville Cumberland Auditorium Blue Öyster CultNazarethGlass Moon July 25, 1974 London Canada Centennial Hall RushRonny Legge August 3, 1974 Indianapolis United States Convention Center Blue Öyster CultJames GangChris Jagger August 4, 1974 South Bend Morris Civic Auditorium Blue Öyster Cult September 13, 1974 Kitchener Canada Sir Wilfrid Laurier Theater Fludd September 14, 1974 Toronto Victory Theater September 15, 1974 Lock Haven United States Lockhaven Fieldhouse Blue Öyster CultRush September 16, 1974 Wilkes-Barre Paramount Theater September 18, 1974 Atlanta Electric Ballroom RushFat Chance September 19, 1974 September 20, 1974 September 21, 1974 OutlawsFat Chance September 28, 1974 Detroit Michigan Palace Roy WoodWizzard September 30, 1974 Evansville Evansville Stadium Billy PrestonRush October 1, 1974 Jacksonville Leone Cole Auditorium Rush October 4, 1974 Houston Music Hall
Personnel Paul Stanley – vocals, rhythm guitar Gene Simmons – vocals, bass Peter Criss – drums, vocals Ace Frehley – lead guitar, backing vocals
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