​Dressed To Kill Tour - 1975
- Ozzy Osbourne: "When the Kiss army was happening, they blew us to smithereens. Pyro? Jeezus Christ, they were unreal. It was frightening going on after them!" -
Start Date:March 19, 1975
End Date:August 28, 1975
Shows: 65
Countries: United States
Headlining Acts: Black Sabbath, Golden Earring, Hunter-Ranson, Johnny Winter, Marshall Tucker Band, Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Rare Earth, Uriah Heep, War, ZZ Top
Opening Acts: ASTIGAFA, Atlanta Rhythm Section, Brian Auger's Oblivion Expres, Diamond Reo, The Flock, Heavy Metal Kids, Hydra, James Gang, Jo Jo Gunne, Journey, M-S Funk, Montrose, Mushroom, Nazareth, Passport, Point Blank, Pure Prairie League, REO Speedwagon, Rush, Salem Witchcraft, Skyscraper, Smokehouse, Status Quo, Stu Daye, Ted Nugent, Ted Nugent & the Amboy Dukes, Thin Lizzy, The Tubes, Vitale's Madman
Average Attendance: 5,973
Line Up: Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley, Gene Simmons, Peter Criss
A brand new album, a brand new tour! An album that would bring forth the rock and roll anthem, 'Rock And Roll All Nite' with the help of Neil Bogart from Casablanca Records. Tour rehearsals were held early March 1975 in the SIR Studios in Manhattan. KISS blew the roof off the joint on their third TV appearance on the "Burt Sugarman's Midnight Special"and recorded a promo video for their upcoming live album "KISS Alive!"Five shows ended up being professionally recorded for "KISS Alive!" Most interesting about the 'Dressed To Kill' Tour is the fact that money was almost none existent, Bill Aucoin, their manager and his accountant Alan Cohen had to support the tour with their American Express Cards.
New costumes were designed and arrived halfway in the tour in May. Gone was the leather, in were the leotards! Their original leather costumes were hard to clean, it was once quoted by Gene, that you could find their costume trunk backstage by just following your nose! Most of their costumes stayed the same, but received small changes. Ace on the other hand received a complete new costume with rhinestones covering his leotard presenting stars and lightning bolts on his lower back, silver rings around his shoulders like the ring of Saturn were added and platform shoes instead of platform boots.
Stage Props:
Fake Marshall Amps Among Real Amps
Fire Engine Lights
Fire Engine Siren
Fire Helmet
Chain Linked Drum Riser
Blood Spitting
Flash Pots
Confetti
2 Mirror Balls
Bombs
Dry Ice Smoke
Fire Breathing
7 Candles Candelabra
164 Light Bulbs KISS Logo
Smoking Guitar
Ace Shooting Bottle Rocket
Paul Smashing Guitars
Ground Flamethrowers
KISSin 1975!
Typical Setlist:
01.'Deuce'
02. 'Strutter'
03. 'Got To Choose'
04. 'Hotter Than Hell'
05. 'Firehouse'
06. 'She'
07. 'Nothin' To Lose'
08. 'C'Mon And Love Me'
09. '100,000 Years'
10. 'Black Diamond'
Encore:
11. 'Cold Gin'
12. 'Rock And Roll All Nite'
13. 'Let Me Go Rock 'N Roll'
Special Shows / Happenings:
- NBC Studios, California, April 1, 1975 -
This the taping of 'The Midnight Special', They performed 'Deuce', 'C'mon And Love Me', 'She' (with Ace's guitar solo), and 'Black Diamond', for some reason 'C'mon And Love Me' was never aired. Even though they blew the roof off the joint Gene was asked not to stick out his tongue and they were not allowed to touch each others knees during any choreographed moves. Peter smashed his kit to pieces in the end of the set, it was a brand new set from Pearl they got just for this appearance, why he did this was never known but the band was not happy he smashed a brand new drum kit.
- G. W Lisner Auditorium, April 6, 1975 -
This was a benefit performance for the Hillcrest Children's Medical Center at the George Washington University.
- Charlotte Park Center Auditorium, Charlotte, NC, April 25, 1975 -
A fan on his way to the show in Charlotte got killed in a car accident. This event provided the back story for the narrative for their future concert staple, 'Detroit Rock City'.
- Orpheum Theatre, Boston, MA, May 11, 1975 -
Last appearance of the KISS/Hotter Than Hell Tour outfits, the days between May 11 and May 16 were used for fitting costumes, filming professional footage of the band, doing a photo session, and rehearsing the new stage show. New York designer Moonstone designed the new costumes and constructed them from design sketches for $1,000 a piece. KISS ordered three costumes for each member in case one got damaged or stolen.
- Cobo Arena, Detroit, MI, May 16, 1975 -
The first show that was recorded for their upcoming KISS Alive! album. Live footage was projected onto a screen above the stage. The band opened the show with 'Rock Bottom', the intro of 'Rock Bottom' was heard when the band walked to the stage.
- Paramount Northwest Theatre, Portland, OR, May 24, 1975 -
A review from the Oregonian from the Portland May 24th show:
- "Kiss is certainly a Portland band. Not born in the city, but its appearances have been met with rollicking capacity houses at the Paramount Northwest theater. Well, Saturday night was no exception... There's something going on every minute onstage; not so much the dramatic outpourings of, say, an Alice Cooper, but in the continual interplay between the four members of the group as they utilize the entire stage for their monster-movie shenanigans. And it's all in fun; there's really very little to take seriously in this act. The theater rock effects are handled in a disciplined - if loose - manner while thunderous music practically blows your head away with decibels... Hair flies and bodies shake, and Kiss works to exhaustion. Musically, it's all rock and roll - and loud. Super loud. Extremely loud..." -
- Civic Theatre, San Diego, CA, June 7, 1975 -
To celebrate the end of the tour with Rush as their opening band, the crew and band pied Rush on stage, Rush retaliated during KISS's show by dancing on stage dressed up as Indians in war paint.
- Music Hall, Cleveland, Ohio, June 21, 1975 -
Second show recorded for the KISS Alive! album.
- Charleston Civic Center, Charleston, WV June 22, 1975 -
A reporter from the Charleston Gazette gave a (not so positive) review:
- "Next to Kiss, Alice Cooper and the New York Dolls make sense. This group of four men, thinks the concert is a costume party and they come dressed to kill. Kiss is weird, but its music is solid rock 'n' roll... It's hard to know exactly what to make of Kiss, this group with the Halloween makeup and exaggerated motions. They sometimes act as if they're not quite sure what their instruments are for, but when they play them, it's obvious they do... They call Kiss the hottest band in America. I'm not sure about that, but they certainly are the weirdest." -
- RKO Orpheum Theatre, Davenport, IA, July 20, 1975 ( two shows) -
Both shows were recorded for KISS Alive!, Gene yelling, "C'mon Quad City!" during 'Let Me Go Rock & Roll', is the only direct reference to a city on the recording.
- Wildwoods Convention Center, Wildwood, NJ, July 23, 1975 -
The fifth and final show recorded for KISS Alive!
- Sportscenter, Owensboro, KY, August 27, 1975 -
KISS scorched the ceiling of the venue with their pyro, KISS was promptly banned from the venue.
A look at the stage in Cobo Arena, Detroit on the 16-05-1975 show during the pre-show.