ANAHEIM, Calif. \u2014 Before Kiss was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and made a name for themselves in the genre for their iconic stage presence, they performed anywhere that would have them.<\/p>\n
\u201cEach of us was making $75 a week,\u201d said Gene Simmons, the bassist known for his demon makeup and extra-long tongue. \u201cWithin a year and a half, or so, we found ourselves headlining Anaheim Stadium, and when you\u2019re in the middle of the eye of the hurricane, all the swirling winds around you go by almost unnoticed.\u201d<\/p>\n
The eye of the storm that Simmons referred to was Kiss\u2019 The Spirit of \u201976 Tour, also known as the Destroyer Tour. Simmons remembers the tour being back-breaking, with 10-hour car rides in a station wagon between gigs, with each band member trying to catch up on sleep.<\/p>\n
The trip to Anaheim for their Aug. 20, 1976, performance didn\u2019t feel any different, but it would become a major milestone for the \u201cRock and Roll All Nite\u201d group. At the time, the band didn\u2019t realize the traffic was headed to the same destination until they got closer. After squeezing through fans, the group arrived with just enough minutes to put on their makeup, catch a few songs from the opening acts, and then take the stage.<\/p>\n
That night, Anaheim Stadium packed in more than 42,000 fans, the largest crowd the band had seen to date. Simmons said it didn\u2019t really register at that moment just how big of a deal it was, considering where the band was just a few years ago, mostly playing smaller venues to smaller crowds.<\/p>\n
\u201cHere you\u2019ve had a full stadium of fans, and it seemed like it all happened literally overnight, and it made no sense,\u201d Simmons said. \u201cWe didn\u2019t have hit singles and barely got any coverage on TV or the media. There was just this kind of word-of-mouth thing. We were always a much bigger live band, certainly in the first few years, than we were as record sellers.\u201d<\/p>\n
In honor of the 50th anniversary of the Anaheim show, the band is releasing \u201cKISS DESTROYS ANAHEIM \u201976,\u201d a newly mixed version of the concert from the original multi-track tapes developed by iconic rock producer and engineer Eddie Kramer. The release, slated for Aug. 21 and available exclusively for preorder now on KissOnline<\/a>, marks the first time this historic show will be officially available to the public.<\/p>\n The new album also comes with a 60-page book filled with extensive liner notes by Ken Sharp, unreleased photos, and memorabilia imagery. Sharp is the author and music journalist who co-wrote the band\u2019s official authorized biography \u201cKISS: Behind the Mask.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe were oblivious that it was going to be recorded live, but we assumed somebody would,\u201d Simmons said. \u201cIt was never intended to be released live, but management filmed and recorded it because it was our first time up at bat playing a stadium. If you were too young to be born when it happened, you can be there because the audience is as much a part of this as a performance.\u201d<\/p>\n Simmons recalls that rock duo Flo & Eddie introduced them that night, but what he remembers most vividly was the stage production\u2019s immense fog effect. As Simmons was coming down the 20-something flight of stairs in his 7-inch dragon boots, he took a tumble.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you see the video, you can hear a little bass flub, because I go down the stairs in my boots, but magically my bass didn\u2019t go out of tune, so we continued like nothing happened,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Simmons and Kiss guitarist Paul Stanley will also be throwing out the first pitch of the Angels game<\/a> at the stadium on Aug. 15. The celebration ahead of the milestone will feature a full Kiss-themed takeover night at the Anaheim stadium, full of activations, merch, music and more. When asked whether he prepares for pitches at baseball games, Simmons said that preparation is not his style.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t prepare,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ve never warmed up my vocals. I don\u2019t practice. I don\u2019t do anything. There is such a thing as genetics. Doesn\u2019t mean I\u2019m better or smarter than you are. It just means whatever works for me works. Google or YouTube: \u2018Gene Simmons throws out the ball at Dodger Stadium.\u2019 It\u2019s a sight and a pretty decent sweep. I don\u2019t know why I can do that; it\u2019s just the hand-eye coordination.\u201d<\/p>\n Simmons said a few other things are coming for Kiss fans, including a motion picture of the band that is close to its casting phase, a cartoon show, comics and an upcoming Kiss Kruise in Las Vegas.<\/p>\n The Kiss Kruise: Land-locked in Vegas<\/a> is headed to the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas on Nov. 13-15. The event will feature member appearances, exclusive activities, and two unmasked KISS sets (one acoustic and one electric), and an Ace Frehley<\/a> All-Star Tribute where Simmons, Stanley, Tommy Thayer, and Eric Singer will come together alongside special guest artists to honor Frehley\u2019s lasting impact on the band and rock and roll.<\/p>\n