Letters

...Wow. They've been sitting down in a chair, staring at a mirror and putting on that make-up, most evenings during the week, for 40 years...!!! (Albeit with a brief hiatus). The kid who sat in front of me in 6th grade, whenever he opened the top of his desk to get inside, I always STARED at all of the pictures he had of KISS taped underneath there. Then I begged and pleaded for ALIVE!, because I'd heard so much about it...and then I got it for Xmas, along with the soundtracks for Grease and Saturday Night Fever...and after 6 months of ALIVE after school every night, I bought a used Gibson SG (It said on the back of the album that "KISS uses Gibson guitars and Pearl drums because they want the best.") So, I HAD to buy a Gibson. And I bought a Peavey Decade amplifier, because it was the smallest amplifier they sold, and it had a unique, fantastic distortion all it's own. And I've studied them, I've taken advice from them, I've learned that you can't always believe everything you see or hear from them...and I learned that it's IMPORTANT, if you're in a band, to walk out, make eye contact with everyone, wink and smile a lot and play smooth, well rehearsed music. Put on the best show you can. Be cool, without over-doing it, and you'll be remembered fondly by many of the people who paid $3 cover to be there, that night. I just read Ace Frehley and then Peter Criss' memoirs, and I know now that there really WERE a LOT of smoke and mirrors involved in KISS over the years. Many different kinds used in many different ways. But when you're 12, that stuff is way above you. You want to feel the sweat, run around and jump across parts of the stage, hear the roar of the crowd, close your eyes and play the guitar parts you wrote yourself and can play flawlessly, and get lost in the music for a moment. You want to have the girls waiting at your hotel room door, and you want to get paid to play your guitar...you wanna be COOL... If you loved KISS, you probably wanted to BE a rock star...and what better tutors than Criss, Frehley, Stanley and Simmons...

Hi there, My favorite memory had to been when Eric Carr first joined the band in 1980. He looked so excited and humbled just to be in KISS. :o) Kind of like how I felt to be a member of the KISS Army.... "He has the light in his eyes and the look of a real champion." Keep rockin' David

Congratulations on KISS reaching 40 years! I'll never forget seeing the Alive album in 7th grade. My life was never the same. I was caught like a moth in a flame. Been there ever since. My favorite group of all time. There's no one like them, and never will be. God bless you all in the Kiss family, many more years of success Fred Wolfe

Winning tickets to see KISS Unplugged. Best KISS show I have ever seen and I have seen them 32 times. Reuniting with Ace and Peter was a moment I will never forget!!! The other Great Moment was seeing KISS with my Daughters for the first time. Unbelievable!!!!!!

I was Three old when i saw alive cover look them like super heroes to me. first time saw KISS was In Reunion tour about ten old at time really fun show never forget how awesome show was i want say Thank You KISS

40 years,it seems like yesterday i was a kid walking into a record store and seeing kiss images everywhere.it was one of the happiest times yet one of the saddest times of my life. all my friends had kiss records, trading cards you name it. my dad found out i had some of the trading cards and made me rip them up cause he was convinced they were of the devil. but i have had my revenge, i have all them old trading cards,lunch box and records and have seen them several times since the makeup came back on most recently denver 2012. congrats on this milestone and thanks for the memories. hope to see you next tour, darin

Hi KISS Army! This year is very special for Kiss and KISS fans, we are celebrating the band`s 40 th anniversary and it is gonna be huge year and many amazing moments are coming. I started listen KISS in 1984 when I bought Alive 2 vinyl from record store in Helsinki. That amazing centerfold stage pic captured my mind right away and I listened those great songs over and over again. Also Gene looked so cool on the back cover. In 1984 Kiss was very huge and popular in Finland and Scandinavia, all the rock magazines were full of great Kiss stories and posters and of course I had to follow them all the time, bought OKEJ magazines and so on when it was released. My first KISS gig was in Helsinki on Crazy Nights European Tour in 1988. I went there with my brother Riku, who is also a big KISS fan. They had magical Eric Carr on drums and also I liked that unmasked lineup with Kulick, they did so great albums in 80`s. I grew up with listening them. I met KISS for the first time also in Helsinki 2008 at meet and greet before their concert. It was a highlight of my life. It took like 15 minutes, they were so nice for people, signing autographs, chattin few words with people and so on. Also now my brother`s daughter is KISS fan, so KISS legacy will continue in our family, haha. KISS has given me so wonderful memories and experiences over 28 years and the journey will continue, thanks for everything guys and congrats, 40 years and still rockin, we salute you! All the best and see ya on tour this summer - Saku-

i was like 10 yrs old in 1975 my girlfriends sister n boyfriend had tic to a show in ILL i think my ? is what city did kiss play in 1975 in ILL i know it was a long ride can u help me out or was it IND i was a kid 38 yrs ago it was my first show of like 5 kiss show n of like 350 live show in 38 yrs

Stafford Bingley Hall (in the UK) September 1980 on the Unmasked tour. Massive costumes. What Paul described as the Bingley Bloodbath!! The support act, Girl, left the stage and after a while we heard the familiar cry of "You wanted the best etc".. and these GIANTS walked on to the stage to Detroit Rock City and all hell broke loose!! Jets of fire from pots the size of dustbins flew into the air and hit the ceiling and spread out about fifteen feet and my jaw hit the floor. The gig was so loud I couldn't hear properly for 3 days afterwards, amazing. That was the first and the best KISS concert I have seen until I saw them an their Sonic Boom tour, like going through a time warp, fantastic

It was the first time I heard "Detroit Rock City" in 1976 it started it all! Then I saw the TV Commercial for Alive II wow! Then I took a ride on the roller coaster with KISS from then until now. As Paul once said in more or less words around Alive! By the way Guys I love "The Music From The Elder" I wish you would play them live! You gotta live up to your history! After all it is Kisstory too! So come on "The Oath", "I", "Only You", and my favorite "Just a Boy" Keep Rockin' All Nite!, Rob Graham NC