Asylum Tour - 1985 -'86
Start Date: November 29, 1985
End Date:April 12, 1986
Shows: 91
Legs: 2
Countries: Canada, United States
Opening Acts: Black 'N Blue, Blue Oyster Cult, King Kobra, Kix, W.A.S.P
Average Attendance: 6,200
Line Up: Paul Stanley, Bruce Kulick, Gene Simmons, Eric Carr
KISS never achieved being fully 'glam' in the 70's, but that changed with their 'Asylum' album! Bright colors, lots of glitter and still lots of make up! Metal glam bands were the thing back in the middle of the 1980's and KISS is known to follow popular trends. KISS also realized the importance of MTV allot more than years before and released a total of 3 music video's! 'Who Wants To Be Lonely', 'Uh! All Nite' and 'Tears Are Falling'.
The show was not that different from the Animalize US Tour, they used the same US Animalize stage but they added a giant KISS logo behind the stage! When the venue were they would perform was too small for the big stage, the ramp was not installed and instead big amplifier stacks were placed. The band would also be lifted upwards at the start of the show with a giant riser. (If the venue was again big enough) behind the drum kit just like in the Animalize Tour!
What stood out the most was the band's look, while most of the KISS members kept it simple, Gene nearly looked just like his psychopathic hermaphroditic gang leader character "Velvet Von Ragnar" in his 1986 movie role 'Never Too Young Too Die'. There were no shows professionally archived for a TV airing, or not made public. Up to today a pro shot Asylum Tour show is extremely valuable for KISS bootleg collectors!
KISS Asylum Tour Stage
The show was not that different from the Animalize US Tour:
Animalize Stage: They used the same US Animalize stage, when the venue were they would perform was too small for the big stage, the ramp was not installed and instead big amplifier stacks were placed.
Giant Yellow Stairs: For the first part of the tour, these giant yellow stairs, looking like they were made by Fisher-Price, were left and right of the stage. They were removed because they were just too dangerous for the band.
Giant Asylum Album Cover: For the first variation of the tour, a giant Asylum album cover was covering the whole stage, but it was eventually removed because it was deemed too slippery.
KISS Logo - A giant KISS logo was added behind the stage. The biggest KISS logo ever used and has used since created by Vari-Lights. It was top of the line as the lights could change color, something that was not possible before.
Riser - The band would be lifted upwards at the start of the show with a giant riser (if the venue was big enough) behind the drum kit just like in the Animalize Tour!
Humming Noise - The Asylum Tour saw the very first time the band used the loud humming noise at the start of the show that has become standard for a KISS show today!
Gene Shooting Rockets - Gene missed his blood spitting solo's, but seeing it would just be awkward to see him spitting blood without his Demon persona, he basically took Ace's rocket shooting guitar effect. He would jam a few good tunes and shoot a rocket into the lighting rig that would make it appear it exploded with every hit shot.
Eric's Electronic Drum Pads - Eric added electronic drum pads to his drum kit that he would only use during his drum solo and it created a very special sound. Eric also got a new effect added around his drum kit, during his drum solo flames would be in front and around Eric to make it look like he was engulfed in flames, at the end of his solo two flash pots would go off just like in the previous tour. Sadly fire marshals often prohibited the use of the fire effects.
Guitar & Drum Solo's - Bruce and Eric did have longer guitar/drum solo's that were just as long as the ones from the late 70's.
Tour Book:
The Asylum tour book
Stage Props:
Pre-Show "hum"
Drum Riser
Riser
Fireworks
Pyrotechnics
Flamethrowers
Bombs
Flash Pots
Dry Ice Smoke
Fire Breathing
Gene Shooting Rockets
Giant New KISS Logo
Paul Smashing Guitars
Eric making fireworks go off at the end of his drum solo
Typical Setlist:
01.'Detroit Rock City'
02. 'Fits Like A Glove'
03. 'Cold Gin'
04. 'Uh! All Night'
05. 'War Machine'
06. 'I Still Love You'
07. 'Under The Gun'
08. 'Tears Are Falling'09. 'I Love It Loud'
10. 'Love Gun'
11. 'Rock And Roll All Nite'
12. 'Heaven's On Fire'
Encore:
13. 'Lick It Up'
Special Shows / Happenings:
- Freedom Hall, Louisville, KY, December 12, 1985 -
After the show, Paul and Bruce performed live at a club with a local band called Mannekin.
- Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY, December 16, 1985 -
This was KISS's first appearance in Madison Square Garden since 1979. During the last two songs of the show, fans invaded the stage after Paul invited them to come on over.
- The Spectrum ,Philadelphia, PA, December 17, 1985 -
A professional video recording of this show may exist seeing as many concerts at The Spectrum were archived by the in house video crew.
- Civic Center, Glens Falls, NY, December 19, 1985 -
Allegedly, at the end of the show, Gene jumped into the crowd and punched a fan who was spitting on him. Earlier in the evening 'Uh All Nite' premiered on MTV!
Charleston Civic Center, Charleston, WV, January 15, 1986
As a prank, the band refused to return during Bruce's guitar solo, leaving him on the stage to entertain the crowd, Bruce extended his solo and eventually grabbed Gene's bass guitar and performed a short bass solo to fill the time until the rest of the band would reappear again.
- McKale Memorial Center, Tuscon, AZ, February 2, 1986 -
Paul dedicated the show to the astronauts who got killed in the Challenger space shuttle explosion.
- Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, UT, February 17, 1986 -
While in the middle of 'Rock and Roll All Nite', the power cut out ending the concert with the band waving
goodbye to the audience and walking off the stage like they just performed at a KISS Broadway show.
- Kiefer UNO Lakefront Arena, New Orleans, LA, March 2, 1986 -
As a end-of-tour prank. the members of the opening band W.A.S.P. entered the photo pit and started throwing raw meat at KISS.
- Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena ,Green Bay, WI, March 5, 1986 -
The facility was evacuated during opening band King Kobra's set due to a bomb threat. The place was searched but nothing was found and the concert continued.
- Duluth Arena, Duluth, MN, March 13, 1986 -
Steve Habl, the production manager, who was a notorious prankster, pranked the band multiple times, for example: he wrote messages on the exploding P.A. cabinets so when Gene blew them out he would see messages like, 'You Stink' or 'Fat boy'. At one time he pranked the entire band when he bought underwear size large and smeared the inside with brown shoe polish and tossed it on the stage grossing out the band. Gene placed it on Paul's mike when he was not looking and Paul in return placed it on Gene's microphone stand!
- Hammond Civic Center, Hammond, IN, March 30, 1986 -
This show took place on a East Sunday without the promoters realizing they booked the show on this day and this caused a outrage from the town council and local church groups. This ended in the church groups protesting at the venue of the day of the show, Gene and Eric walked around the perimeter of the building trying to have a conversation with the groups. During the show, the band blew out half of the windows of the outside west side of the arena! The president of the city's council made a rather nasty comment about the band playing on a Easter Sunday:
- "A concert on Easter Sunday by a group of that nature is offensive,' said Jon DeGuilio, president of the city council. 'Kiss goes beyond being a rock group. They promote satanic beliefs and violence and violate everything that Easter Sunday stands for" -
The new giant logo, manufactured by Vari-Lights (still exists today), the lights could change color, something that was brand new at the time.