Issue #7:
1976 Destroyer Rehearsals

Hello again! Welcome to the July issue of Video Spotlight, the online video review column that keeps growing on you like a bad fungus. This month is a short Spotlight, a mini spotlight if you will. I figured since it was so hot outside being July and all we should retreat indoors this month to the comforts of an air-conditioned loft. So if you haven't gathered it yet, we're going to visit KISS rehearsing for the Destroyer Tour. There's actually another reason for this, even though I reviewed the Anaheim show last month and you may be going, "Two Destroyer pieces back to back?" Well now that the news of Kiss doing a show the night before the Dodger stadium gig with the Destroyer outfits & stage has surfaced, it made me get all tingly inside and yearn for more Destroyer stuff. So let's just say I'm in a mood to destroy (ha haä Oh brother!)

3 Facts on the 1976 Loft Tape
1. 1st tape to show Kiss rehearsing until the clip of Take Me on the Kiss My Ass video.
2. This video was shot on a tripod with Ace's new video camera just for the band to see how they looked.
3. One of the only videos of the original band playing without make-up in the 70's, the others being the rehearsals for the Rock & Roll Over promo videos & dress rehearsals with make-up, also from Destroyer.

June Poll Results:

Favorite Song From '76 Anaheim Show
Rank	Song	Votes
1.	God of Thunder	5
2.	Detroit Rock City	4
3.	King of The Nighttime World, Do You Love Me, Deuce	3
6.	Let Me Go Rock & Roll, Hotter Than Hell, Shout It Out Loud	2
10.	Strutter, Nothing to Lose, Black Diamond	1

Member Who Gave The Best Performance
Rank	Member	Votes
1.	Paul	12
2.	Gene	8
3.	Ace	5
4.	Peter	2

Song You Would've Liked To Seen Played Live
Rank	Song	Votes
1.	Flaming Youth	9
2.	Beth	7
3.	Great Expectations	6
4.	Sweet Pain	5

The Loft Tape

Cold Gin - The tape starts out with a black screen and all you hear is Paul saying, "The massah won't play cause Ace is gonna be drinkin some Cold Gin." Ace strikes a chord and plays with the toggle switch but the guitar dies out on him. The guys goof off for a sec til someone yells Paul's name and Paul screams out, "You know COOLD GINNN!" The song goes off fine, with Gene even goofing around when the line, "The girl next door her lights are out yeah," where Gene follows up with "And Markie's walkin across the stage!" Either Markie Ramone was there or it's a stage hand -- I'd bet on option #2. Next happing occurs during the breakdown, or bridge, of the song when Gene yells out to Ace to come over to him, obviously still working out stage placement & choreography. Now to me this is a real treat to see behind the scenes stuff like that. So with Ace now at center stage they get to where Ace's big solo would take place and his guitar gives him trouble again. Now here's the kicker, they have to take it from the bridge part 3 times: 1 time because of Ace's guitar, the other 2 because Peter keeps missing the cue when to stop playing so Ace can start his solo. After the 3rd time they get it, but Ace doesn't do a solo. After all that and no soloä bummer!

God of Thunder - Gene starts off with the infamous distorted bass, playing out the blood spitting scene. Gene, after going thru the drama of pretending to spit the blood, plays the intro really sloppy. Peter strikes the gong and we're off into the song. The song flows nicely and now is my favorite part -- (sic) Peter's solo..... I can't even get away from this travesty on a rehearsal tape! I don't mean to sound negative towards triangle eyes, but after Alive 1 his solos just don't do it for me anymore. Sorry if I pissed off any Peter fans, but it's only my opinion. BUT there is a saving grace here, history in the making -- the first time ever the real name of a KISS member is said onstage. At this point we all knew Peter was Peter Crisscoula, but here's the twist as the plot thickens. Instead of Peter Criss on the drums after his "solo," Paul says George Crisscoula. This may shock some people here because there still are some people that didn't know that was Peter's real name. I only found out recently myself, about a year or so ago while reading the first Black Diamond book. When I saw the video I finally put 2 + 2 together (duh!!!). All the other times I watched this video I thought Paul was just goofing off with Peter! Huh, go figure.

Rock & Roll All Nite - This is the one problem with reviewing a new Kiss video every month -- some songs are on every video and after awhile you run out of things to say about some songs. But, like the trooper I am I'll attempt to find something new. Okay, I found one thing: even though they're playing this very sloppy they are still in goof off mode and during one of the last choruses of this little ditty Peter, out of nowhere, sings the first line of "Beth," but in the melody of Rock & Roll All Nite. All right Peter, whoops, I mean George.

Deuce - This to me is the best song on the tape. Gene is totally acting off the wall, but wait here's the best the best partä ACE JUMPS!!!! Not once, but twice! Wow! I didn't know he had it in him. Now you may be wondering why I'm getting all excited about Ace jumping, but watch him onstage -- the guy barely breathes let alone moves. Other notable points here: before the intro part is repeated after the solo Paul runs from one side of the stage to the other and overshoots the microphone almost missing his back up part. Then, during the choreography at the end of the song Gene bashes into Paul and also throws the microphone down. Man, Gene was really getting into it a bit to much! It was almost South Park: "Oh my god! Gene killed Pauly, you bastard!"

Black Diamond -Peter starts this one off by requesting a straightjacket for Gene. This is your average run of the mill version of this number. They run thru all of the classic moves and choreography, but since this is only a rehearsal there is no pyro, obviously, Peter's riser doesn't go up in the air & Paul doesn't break his guitar. But he does do a great "air-breaking" simulation -- kinda like air guitar but faking the breaking. (Get it? Ha Ha)

Video Rating
I'd have to give this one a 7 due to the camera being so distant and it not being very long (approximately 1/2 hr). The one cool thing is it's black n' white, and you can see some of the effects not visible on the other Destroyer shows currently available like the lightning machine. I'd recommend this one highly if you're interested in watching Kiss not being so serious and just playing in a loose and free environment.

Til next month, thanks for tuning in to Video Spotlight!

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