Click Above For Info On Andre Augustine's New Book & Tell 'em KISS ASYLUM Sent Ya!

The KISS Asylum Interviews Andre Augustine

KA: Andre, thanks so much for taking time to answer some questions for the fans. For those who may not be as familiar with your history with the group why don't you tell us a little about how you got into the security business, and how you hooked up with KISS.

AA: Well, I got into this business in 1984 when i got a job with Contemporary Services Corp. They are the largest crowd management company in the states. They are the security at concerts at the front of the stage. I was sent out on the road with RUN DMC in 1986 as the supervisor overlooking the entire venue security plan for the U.S. tour that summer. We were brought in that year to plan and impliment a security plan that worked so well that the next year we were hired to do the same thing the following year.

I was hired to work with the KISS just before the Revenge tour by Steve Wood, who was their tour manager at the time. I had a relationship with him from working on the Nelson tour the year before. He liked my work and brought me on to do this one for him as well.

KA: Where are you from originally and what's your family like..... any brothers or sisters? Tell us a little about your background.

AA: I am from Los Angeles, born and bred....grew up in a typical middle class background....both parents worked and I have no brothers or sisters, i'm an only child, and spoiled rotten. I went to catholic schools all through high school....

KA: What are some of the jobs, security or otherwise, that you did before you got involved with KISS?

AA: Before Kiss I worked for a few other groups. RUN DMC, Public Enemy, L.L. Cool J, Fresh Prince (Will Smith), George Thorogood, N.W.A., Aerosmith, Nelson. Before I got involved in this type of work I played professional football for the N.Y. Jets for four years. I went to college before that. I've never really have had a real job.

KA: Wow! Pro football huh? What position did you play and why did you get out of it? Where did you play in college and what did you study while there?

AA: I played defensive tackle and end. I got out of it because it stopped being fun. It turned out to be just big business and I saw a lot of my friends get traded because they were a good bargining tool for something that could be gained by the suits. I played at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Co about 1 hour north of Denver. I studied journalism and photography....

KA: What's your best "war story" from your days in the pro ranks?

AA: Well you have to realize that when I played for the Jets they had Mark Gastineau and 3 other all pro defensive linemen, so my war stories are limited. The most action I saw in 4 years was in training camp... and we had a lot of wars within our own ranks against the offensive limemen....one day early in my first camp, our second day practicing w/ the vets, I was in a scrimmage with Marvin Powell, all pro tackle. He was just eating me up when all of a sudden the ball was snapped and he missed his block on me and there I was staring in the face of all pro running back Freeman McNeil, who tried to stop but I was on his tracks, he reversed his direction, but not in time, I ran him down from behind for a 10 yard loss... more to come.

KA: Did you listen to KISS before you became associated with the band? If not, do you listen to them now? What other types of music do you listen to most often?

AA: Everybody listened to KISS when we were growing up but only the early years, not in the non makeup years....I love Revenge, I dont know why that record didnt do better....I also listen to a lot of Rap and R & B....I like Prince too, and always loved Sting and U2...

KA: What does your family think about your job with KISS? Have any of them ever been to a concert and met the guys? If so, what were their impressions?

AA: My parents still want me to get a real job, but they have been to Aerosmith, KISS and Nelson shows...As far as my job, they dont really know what it is I do, not many people do, but my dad likes all the swag I bring him from off the road.They like some of the music but my dad likes mostly jazz so I take him to the Playboy Jazz Fest every year at the Hollywood Bowl here in LA.

KA: It seems like it would be very involved to keep things running smoothly for a tour as massive as the Alive World Wide '96/'97 tour. Everyone who's been to a concert has seen you around the front of the stage before and during the show keeping an eye on things, or leading the guys into and out of the venue, but what else goes into being the head of security for a group like KISS? What's a day in the life of a security chief like on tour?

AA: Well, this wasn't just a security directors job on Alive for me. I was the road manager as well, they got two for one this time.Because I was road manager as well, I planned all the band travel as well. From the air travel, hotels, ground transportation, when they get up to start their day, all aspects of their daily life. A typical day for me on this tour started around 8:30 or 9:00 am. Phone calls to limo company, our pilots, the next hotel we would be staying, the guys to wake them up. Call the office to see if there is anything that I need to have the guys do, ie interviews, phone calls, any personal business. Next thing would be to actually get them all up and at um. I'll let you guess who was the most difficult to get up in the morning, who was the nicest, who complained the most, and who said the least. Then it's off to the airport. Then to the venue. Do the show, back to the plane and return to the hotel. Usually after tending to their late night needs, I might be in bed around 3:00 am....Pretty long day.

KA: Ok, you won't tell us who complains the most or is the hardest to get up in the morning, but are there any interesting or unusual requests, habits, or superstitions any of the guys have associated with their travel arrangements and life on the road that you are willing to share?

AA: Well the only thing that not only the guys, but also myself dont like are the little crop duster planes, we will not get on those unless its absolutely nessassary. and they all have favorite drink and food items...

KA: What's the most unusual, bizarre thing a fan has ever done to sneak backstage or into a hotel to meet the band?

AA: The typical ploy is to use a fake pass to get backstage, or to tell the security people at the venue that they are a family member of the band. In the hotel fans usually just sit in the hotel cafe or bar and hang around. We usually can't do anything about that unless they are becoming a problem.

KA: Gene has been quite vocal during recent interviews about his opinion of online fans, referring to them as "warped" on more than one occasion. When the band isn't touring you are online fairly often - what is your opinion about the online fans?

AA: I think on line fans are like off line fans, most fans are some of the best people I have ever met. Some are real jerks. But for the most part I have a good relationship with all that I come across.

KA: Besides just rowdy behavior, have there ever been any unsettling security related incidents around the band since you've been with them? Has there ever been an occasion where you thought there was an event or person that actually presented a dangerous or unsafe situation for the guys?

AA: Well in South America, the fans are very passionate. They just want to be around the bands. They follow you everywhere and are really aggressive. If you arent a little heavy handed with them they will smother you. As far as an unsafe situation, on the last Australia trip we almost got trapped in the airport because so many fans were there to greet us and the police were not prepaired for that many people. We had to go out from the tarmac, on the runway. Just to many people in not enough space.

KA: Occasionally things go "wrong" at one of the shows, such as Gene's flying rig not working quite right, or the now infamous show where Paul and Ace got stuck over the crowd during "Black Diamond." What do you do during a situation like that? Were there ever any actual "scary" situations with any of those mishaps, or are they just more of an inconvenience than anything else?

AA: The road crew we had on this tour was the hardest working, most knowledgable crew in the business. There were only a few misshaps on this tour. I tip my hat to them. The only thing you can do when something goes wrong, and sometimes they do go wrong, is grin and bear it... Fix the problem as quickly as possible and continue with the show...kind of like getting back up on the horse when u get bucked off.....

KA: In all the tours you've been on with various bands you've had the opportunity to visit most of the United States and numerous foreign countries, any favorite places you always look forward to visiting?

AA: Australia is the place that I would live if I didnt live in the states. Its just like Calif without the crowds. I also always look forward to going to Japan. The people are so polite, respectful, and they take such good care of you, you have such a great cultural experience that I recomend it as a place everybody should see at least once in their life.

KA: Speaking of visiting places, have you had a chance to get away for some time to yourself since the tour ended? What have you been doing during this "down" time?

AA: Riding my Fat Boy !!!!

KA: So what type of things are you doing, if any, for the band these days? Or is your association with the group strictly an "on tour only" type of position?

AA: Well, unfortunetly, my position only calls for me during and preparing for an actual tour, so i dont do anything for the band during the downtime...

KA: Though the band has said they have no plans to call it quits any time soon, eventually it will come to an end. What are your long range plans? What do you see yourself doing down the road, after life with KISS?

AA: My long range plans are to eventually get into merchandising for different products that i have some great ideas for. I also want to write a book.

KA: What kind of book are you interested in writing? Something about your time with KISS, working security in the music business in general, or something completely unrelated to the music business?

AA: The book I have an idea for is my life on the road with all of the different bands I have been with... I dont want to do an expose', just all of the funny stories and the road life in general...

KA: Thanks for taking time out to talk to the fans. This is your soapbox, is there anything else you would like to add or say to the online KISS fans out there reading this interview?

AA: SEND MONEY!!!!! Just kidding, last thing before I go, when you see me out before a show or roaming outside the building, say hi , I really do like people, and it makes my job a lot more fun if we work together to make these shows more fun for everyone, me included.....