Letters

Dear KISS, I just wanted to say that I have only been a fan for Two years I love you guys and I want to say That You guys are a kick ass band and I couldn't have it any other way. LOVE YOU KISS!!!!!! Thanks Allison Tomaszewski

Had to share this story with you guys since I share it with everyone else. I was 16 years old in 1996 and wasn't into music much. The only CDs I had were Weird Al Yankovic and ESPN Jock Jams. I had grown up around music but it never sank in. I never tried to sing or play an instrument. I just wasn't interested. During my freshman year, KISS had reunited and put on the makeup, much to the delight of a family friend of ours. He wanted to go but couldn't find anyone available that night. He asked me to see KISS and I said, "Are those the make up guys?" He confirmed my idiotic question and I agreed to go with him. It was August 9th, 1996 at Market Square Arena in Indy, I was about to have my life changed. The anticipation was growing and the crowd became restless for the real show to start. As soon as the lights went out and the announcer came on to utter those famous words, I started to get goosebumps. Something big was about to happen but I had no idea exactly why. A loud BANG echoed MSA and the curtains dropped. Before my eyes were these larger than life, comic book super heroes on stage with instruments. "Deuce" was the first song they opened with and I was hooked as soon as the intro riff blared through the speakers at MSA. The whole show was a blur and don't remember anything but just being in complete amazement and feeling an instantaneous transformation as I said goodbye to my former self. After that show, I knew what I wanted to do. I told my mom I wanted to play guitar, I wanted to go buy some CDs. The first KISS album I bought was "Double Platinum". This seemed like a good starting point. I listened to it over and over again, trying to mimic the guitar parts only using my ears and fingers. Eventually I learned to play every rhythm section and riff Paul played and sang all the words.Over time, my brain was starting to recognize musical patterns and chords and scales. KISS had help me learn to play an instrument and sing without any formal training or lessons. A few years pass and my whole life has changed. The clothes I wear, the music I like, everything had changed. KISS led me to Zeppelin and the Beatles, Zeppelin and Beatles led me to Metallica and Megadeth, Metallica and Megadeth led me to AC/DC, AC/DC led me to Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, etc. etc. Since then I have lived my dream of being a singer/guitar player in a rock band. I have written songs and even have an album on iTunes (Blue Luster). At a KISS Konvention in Indy, I had the pleasure to eat lunch with Eric Singer and John Corabi. No VIP pass, just sat down at our table. I even got to open up for bands like Bad Company and Night Ranger all because a good family friend took me to see the hottest band in the world and I've never been the same since. Thank you guys. Thank you KISS past,present, and future. I wish you the best. JD

My story with KISS It was April 07, 2009, in anhembi show in S�o Paulo, for my day to day it was impossible to go to the show, but ultimately things worked out! I took the car and drove, parked, everything normal, but still had a journey of some 1000 meters to the anhembi, in the unexpected way, I stepped on a rock that rolled over and sprained my foot, the pain was great, falls in ground for a few minutes, a water seller saw me and brought ice, stood there for a while before getting up, and my girlfriend said, 'Shall we go? said: - No, it's KISS! and went to the ticket, bought the ticket, and we entered, there was no way, I sat on the floor in pain, my ankle swelled much, I could not stand up! I then decided to go to the infirmary, and was attended medical said - I'll call an ambulance to take you to the hospital to see that ankle, something serious happened but I have no equipment here for this type of care, is not it a pity? come here and miss the show! I said: - Why? there are still many hours, and I'll come back to it!, No, she said, will not go, maybe you have to operate! I thought and said, So me something to feel pain and I do not watch the show and then I go to the doctor, she: - I can not. then I said: - You can not? ok, I'll be in pain but I'm on the show, I'm not going anywhere, now you leave me with is in pain or not, you decide, but do not go here! and she applied the medication, I stayed until the end of the show, I confess that everything sparkled more than usual, hehehe, and the next day I could not even step on the floor, went to the hospital and the result: Disruption total ligament of the right ankle, solved only with cirugia reconstruction, I did not, but I did all the treatment, a month without being able to walk! but worth it I do not regret anything!

Greetings to KISS fans worldwide! Just thought I'd drop a line to congratulate KISS on 40 years of kickin' ass and showing all bands indeed how the big boys do it. I've been a fan since I was 13 years old in 1985/1986 when I bought Destroyer on vinyl. Little did I know the journey that would start! Since then I've seen 14 KISS shows across the southeast along with some Ace and Paul solo tours, met various band members at KISS Expos, etc. I've also met MANY fellow KISS fans over the years...many who have become friends. I just wanted to thank all the past and present members of KISS for 40 years of great rock & roll, killer tours, and still putting on the best show in the world. I've included a photo of me and Gene Simmons at one of the KISS Fragrance tour stops at our local mall in October of 2006. Cheers! Sincerely, Robert Knapp

I want to congratulate,Paul Gene Tommy and Eric with 40 years of KISS. Cogratulations guy's Keep on rockin Greetings from Patricia. I live in Bergen op zoom (the Netherlands)

remember hearing kiss album, '73 on cjom fm, local rock in windsor ont. can. hooked, 18 at the time. 1st saw them fall 73, or maybe it was spring 74, IMA AUDITORIUM, FLINT MICH. opening for the new york dolls, and later in london ont. can. where they were giving a new bar band a break by opening, that band???RUSH! anyway been there all the way, 'cept when the makeup came off, sorry guys, but jumped right back on in 96 and was at TIGER STADIUM. figure i've seen KISS at least 50/60 times, most recently at CAESARS WINDSOR in 09 and 11, which brought it full circle, reminding me of the early years in smaller 4000-7000 seat auds. love you guys, ace and peter too! THANKYOU FOR EVERYTHING!!!! duane ivey windsor ont. can.

I started listening to KISS around '82, when I was 9 with my friend who lived above a candy shop (KISS and candy, a nine year old's dream). We'd jam to the records all day and night (at his strange house/apartment) never admitting I was actually terrified of Gene, especially after seeing Phantom of the Park. However I have three great memories/stories of KISS that all involve my friend Kathy Sutula (the truest Jersey heavy metal girl even today). You must understand there is no bigger fan of KISS than my friend Kathy. First, I was over at her house and she had just purchased a DVD of live footage/concerts of KISS and was watching it with her. Keep in mind she has been to hundreds of KISS shows. And out of the blue, there she was in the crowd in one of the shots. Although I understand that many people get filmed, they usually have some idea of it, and search for it. Not Kathy, just hanging out watching (another) KISS DVD, and she goes "hey that's me." Second. Kathy gave my friend and I two tickets to the Psycho Circus show with the Smashing Pumpkins at Dodger stadium because she had gotten BETTER tickets. Just gave them to me. One the way to the show (on Halloween I might add) we see Fabio in a Mercedes next to us. Of course we laugh (as did he). Who else saw Fabio on the way to a KISS show at Dodger stadium on Halloween? Total LA moment. Last but not least, although I'm always flabbergasted and awed by Kathy's dedication to KISS at it's members, I was none-the-less shocked by her fandom when she announced that she was traveling to Toronto (from LA) to see Paul star in the Phantom of the Opera! Who else would fly across the country to see the lead singer of their favorite band perform in a musical? Not many. Andy

I was introduced to KISS when I was in the 8th grade, in math class, I sat at the back table with this long hair rocker guy, he was drawing some pictures instead of doing math work, I said "what the heck are those guys?" he told me "Man, some new band called KISS!!, they wear make-up and rock out!!" I started drawing them, never even heard their music!! I finally saved up enough to by my first 8 TRACK CASSETTE (anyone remember those?) of KISS ALIVE! I have never looked back, I have been fortunate to have seen them live nine times in four different arenas & two states! My daughter (24) has seen them 3 times and has taken me to two concerts just because she loves her daddy! My thanks to you for being in my life all this time!! Sincerely, Mike Farmer Carson, Ca.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCpDY-LUkUY Please put this one!!! Sorry the other one didn't have the address...Check it out!!!! One of the main characters is painted as Paul!!!!

Hey, this is a carnaval party in Recife, Brazil, where they play all rock classics in the frevo beat (a most famous local rhythm). The band plays in Kiss make up and Gene's face appears at the party's logo. Take a look at this --> http://www.facebook.com/tabomagentefreva?ref=ts&fref=ts