KISS Alive Forever: The Complete Touring History, will be released on Tuesday, October 1 but KISS Asylum has arranged to bring you five exclusive "sneak peeks " inside the book. Here's the second preview. Advance copies of the book can be ordered at www.kissaliveforever.com.


From Chapter 5, Dressed To Kill

July 5, 1975
Tampa, Florida
Florida State Fairgrounds
Headlining Acts: ZZ Top, Johnny Winter, Marshall Tucker Band, Ozark
Mountain Daredevils, War
Opening Acts: Pure Prairie League, Atlanta Rhythm Section, + local acts
Attendance: 40,000+
Promoters: Sid Clark Promotions, Marquee Promotions


This event was billed as the "Florida Jam." The Tampa Tribune reported: "Local talent will perform until noon and a special female security force will protect the stars." The show ran until midnight.

Tour Manager JR Smalling: "KISS had a tentative stage time of 1-2 PM. Obviously, KISS stuck out like a sore thumb, as the other acts were more country or southern rock; Ozark Mountain Daredevils and Atlanta Rhythm Section, those names pretty much speak for themselves."

The band flew into Tampa from New York early on the morning of the gig, and returned to New York in late afternoon that same day.

Equipment Manager Mick Campise: "There was a time in the early days where we were off the road and we came home for about a week. Paul's parents were out of town, so I stayed with him. It was just he and I staying there being two kids, listening to records. It was strange walking down the street with him and having kids in the neighborhood call him by his real name, 'Hey, Stanley, how's it going?' Never knowing that he was in KISS, never knowing what was going on.

"There was a drug store about a block from Paul's house that had a magazine rack. And we walked in and there was an old Jewish guy behind the counter, who said, 'Oh, hi Stanley! Do you still have your combo?' As we're going by, there is a Circus magazine with KISS on the cover with a big spread and there were little kids there about 12 years old just going crazy over KISS. Paul and I were standing right behind them and I knew, I knew it was killing Paul not to say 'That's me!' It was like being friends with Clark Kent.

"We ended up going back to the house, boiled some lobsters, and just kicked back all night listening to music, just hanging out. I have fond memories of little things like that, when they were themselves, when they weren't KISS."

From KISS ALIVE FOREVER: THE COMPLETE TOURING HISTORY by Curt Gooch and Jeff Suhs. (c) 2002 by Curt Gooch and Jeff Suhs. Published by Billboard Books, an imprint of Watson-Guptill Publications, New York. Photo courtesy of Jacques Van Gool.

From KISS ALIVE FOREVER: THE COMPLETE TOURING HISTORY by Curt Gooch and Jeff Suhs. (c) 2002 by Curt Gooch and Jeff Suhs. Published by Billboard Books, an imprint of Watson-Guptill Publications, New York. Photos (c) 1973/2002 by Gavino "Boji" Abaya.