My KISS stories and experiences

1980

Even though I have been a KISS fan since I was about 7 years old (I was born in 1968), these stories actually start with an accident I had when I was a 12 year old kid.

In October 1980 I was swooped by a magpie (a vicious Australian bird) which resulted in me being hospitalised for around 4 weeks and losing the sight in my left eye.

Unfortunately the injury was very bad and I was bed ridden for nearly 2 weeks and wasn't allowed to move etc. as this was how treated these types of injuries back then. This was just before the 1980 KISS concert in Perth. Every day I asked my doctor to let me out of hosptial for fear of missing the concert. Every day he said no. FINALLY after the 4th week he gleefully anounced I could finally go home BUT I couldn't go out anywhere...especially the concert, because my condition was still to "delicate".

With that I went home extremely disappointed and of course very angry. The 2nd day after my realease I had to go back to the hospital to see the doctor, and while I was there I visited the kids on my ward with whom I had become friends. To my HORROR I found out KISS had visited the hospital the day before and signed autographs and sat and spoke to nearly everyone there. WORSE STILL, Paul Stanley had sat on MY bed to give out some autographs.

I was CRUSHED. I was DEVESTATED.

1995

It was another 15 years before KISS would visit Perth again in 1995. That tour was of course unmasked and consisted of Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Bruce Kulick and Eric Singer. I slept overnight on the concrete out the front of the Perth Entertainment Centre to get tickets for this show. I was only about 40 people deep in the queue but still got absolutely SHIT tickets. (Thank you to the arseholes who managed the ticketing to that concert). In fact most of the people in front of me even got lousy tickets too. There was nearly a riot as we proceded to get extremely angry an dismantle the ticket office.

On this tour KISS also held a convention in Perth displaying old memoribilia from Kisstory. Several times during the convention I got close to Gene and Paul...actually one person from Gene...but never managed to secure an Autograph.

1997

This was the ReUnion Tour, consisting of the 4 original members, Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss. This time I had gone to the trouble of joining the ticket agents "club" in the hope that I would get better seats for the priveleged club members. They were better than the tickets I slept out for in 1995 but they weren't in the lounge and were actually to the side at the Burswood Superdome. Thank you to the "Reds Ticketing". I think you people are complete arseholes. Fortunately, I was in Sydney the week before on a business trip and managed to get some tickets for that show as well. They were pretty far away, but of course who cares!

2001

As this was the "Farewell Tour" I put a lot of effort into this one.

I used as many favours owed to me and friends as I had to try and get good tickets and opportunities to meet the band. I had managed to at least secure 12th Row, Lounge, Slightly Left of Centre for the Perth concert at the Burswood Superdome. On top of this I decided to take the wife on a holiday and go to the Sydney concert also.

HERE IS WHERE THE STORY GETS AMAZING!

I heard that the local radio station was interviewing Gene and Paul so I rang the DJ and iterated the above story about what happened to me in 1980. He was extremely sympathetic and said he will call me during the interview so I can tell the story. Click here to hear it! Please don't laugh! I was freaking out and REALLY nervous!

If you can't play .mp3's or can't bothered, the short of it is they asked me to come backstage and meet them before the show started. Which of course I did. It was only brief, but I finally got to say "Hello", shake hands with them and have my photo taken, which is here. The other guy is a freind who came with me. He is a bigger fan than my wife and was really whinging so much that finally my wife offered her pass and he came back with me instead.

HERE IS WHERE THE STORY GETS EVEN MORE AMAZING!

As I mentioned, we went to the Sydney show also (actually I went to both Sydney concerts)

Location: Star City Hotel Casino Sydney, NSW (Australia)

Friday, 6th (AfterNoon)
We knew KISS were staying here so we hung around nearly all afternoon hoping to catch a meeting or autograph. All we saw was Ace Frehley rushing through to the elevator after signing one autograph. I was right behind him and less than a metre away. I quietly said, "Excuse me Ace. Have you got a sec for a quick autograph?". Disappointingly, he just fobbed me off with some excuse and didn't even look at me. Eventually we gave up and went to the Hotel's Restaurant to have dinner. Afterwards we decided to hang around the Casino and do some not so serious gambling.

Saturday 7th, approx. 12:10am
I sat down to have a couple of bets on a $25 table which is a bit rich for me so I hadn't planned to stay long. There was just me and one other guy playing. I actually sat down to play to help open the cards because I noticed the dealer was killing this guy. I was in the middle box, my wife was on my left, kinda sitting and watching and so was my mate who was on my right with his partner.

All of a sudden I saw Gene's girlfriend and another girl sit next to Linda, on her left of course, then at the same time heard Gene say to Linda "Do you mind if I sit there?" Linda didn't quite realise who it was but I knew his voice straight away and simply looked at him and FREAKED OUT!!!

I was a bit silent a first then just said,
"Hi Gene, do you remember me?".
And he said,
"Yes. Yes I do. You're the guy who had his eye poked out by a bird."

I guess now it's gonna be just that bit harder for him to forget me straight away ;-)

We didn't talk much, he mainly concentrated on teaching his girlfriend how to play Blackjack and I just tried not to lose all my money so I could there as long as possible!!!

Another amazing thing. As soon as Gene sat down everyones luck on the table changed, except his. He and his girlfriend probably lost $2000+ in that hour, and I won about $800!!!! The guy at the end who was getting killed earlier also won a heap of dough too. My mate came out ahead a little. I think EVERYONE except Gene was ahead by the time Gene left.

Truly the "God of Thunder"??? ;-)

While I was sitting I whispered to my wife to go buy a Black Artline because she was carrying a small 5" x 7" block mounted "plaque" of KISS I brought in case we got the chance for an autograph. When she got back I told her that Gene said he was going to leave after they lost the chips they had there, and to be ready to ask him for an autograph as soon as he moves away from the table...and of course she did and he did :-)

The first concert was on the night of the 7th and afterwards we went back to the Star City to try and get our programs signed. After a long wait Eric Singer finally turned up and I have to tell you people, this guy is so damn nice!!! He actually hung around in the Lobby for over 30 minutes signing autographs and talking to people. He let me take a photo of him and my wife and another of him and I. He also signed 3 autographs for us, my program, the inset he was on (personalised to me) and one for my wifes cousin. After our photo he shook my hand and actually looked me in the eye and said "It was a pleasure". Eric is the least conceited and most willing to spend time with fans.

A little later Paul Stanley finally made an appearance but was really very unwilling to "mingle". My wife did manage to get Paul's autograph on the program, but Paul is not the kind of guy to look a fan in the eye anymore and say "You are welcome". At least that was the impression I got while watching him. I guess he has been at it long enough now he is entitled to be a little conceited.

Aside from also going to the second Sydney concert and also thinking it was one of the most spectacular things on Earth that is my Amazing KISS Story!!!

2003

Of course this was the year of the KISS Symphony event with the MSO at the Telstra Dome in Melbourne.

How could a true fan miss this?

Again I tried my hardest to get good tickets, but the cost was starting to worry me. Finally I acquired one off e-Bay. SECOND ROW NO LESS!!! Booked a flight to Melbourne straight away! I ended up in front the row holding the barrier anyway. And it was the GREATEST ROCK CONCERT IN HISTORY for those of you who missed it ;-)

I appear on the Symphony DVD at least three times and my ghotie another time ;-)