From: Ray Elliott Crawford

Hello to all the good people at KISS ASYLUM!

This is kind of long, but it's a little different from just a review of the show, and includes some production details too. Also, I'll probably type the word AWESOME several times....

I drove 14 hours round-trip from south Mississippi to Nashville to experience KISS on the last show of the first leg of the Psycho Circus tour...and it was worth it! (that sentence is about as long as my ride was:)

I drove up early to avoid driving in bad weather and this proved to be a great move. When I was checking in to my hotel two busses pulled up and I thought..."this is too good to be true", but it WAS happening. It was the KISS crew! I knew members of the KISS road crew, and said hi. The next day I was able to get in the arena early to watch the set-up of the Psycho Circus stage show.

As an old KISS fan and touring musician/soundman myself, I'm very interested in the "behind the scenes" action of a touring show on this scale. I was escorted on stage during "production rehearsals" for the local Fire Marshal and it was AWESOME!

When all was set up they turned out the arena lights to better check the stage lighting, and here's what happened while I was on stage: All the arena lights were out, the lighting crew was testing out the light show, I was near center stage, then someone on the pyro crew warned "PYRO CHECK STAGE RIGHT!". I was told to stay right where I was and I'd be OK...then WHOOSH! A huge wall of flame shot up beside me! IT WAS SO COOL! The flames were the "old style" pyro blasts and shot up from behind Gene's bass amps. Then they tested the spining spark machines they use at the end of the show. As a long time fan it was a thrill to be on that stage when they tested out the pyro. Now, I've been on stages from coast to coast in North America both as a "tech" and as a performer...but this was KISS' STAGE BABY! I was excited, and the show had not even started!

The other reviews of the Nashville show pretty much sum up the night...KISS was KILLER! Paul really went all out.. I've NEVER seem him go as NUTS on LOVE GUN as he did this night. Peter was great, Ace's solo's sounded great, just a minor flub near the end of the show, and Gene was great too...he seems more into "the demon" character than on the Reunion tour dates I was at (all which were great too). KISS has added extra scenes in the video/3D portion of the show since Halloween, and the crowd around me really seemed to enjoy the 3D effects. I don't know if it was because it was the last show (for a few weeks), but the pyro at the end of the night seemed improved too (for an indoor show it was awesome).

As many of you may know, KISS travels with their own crew, but also hires local stage hands and security in each city they come too. After the show I joined several stage hands to help break down the equipment. This was an HONOR and AWESOME event in my KISSTORY. I was able to score guitar pics from everyone except ACE, (including Peter Criss guitar pics) plus Peter autographed my copy of MODERN DRUMMER magazine with him on the cover!!!

There are several interesting details about their equipment that I could share, but one that I'd like to address is Peter's drums. Yes, it's true that he uses triggers to add clarity to his sound , But EACH drum had it's own microphone mounted inside (with the exception of the snare drum and cowbell, which used external microphones), and the cymbals had their own mics too. What you hear in concert is a BLEND of Peter's real DW DRUMS mixed with the triggered ddrum electronics! I don't think the KISS live drum sound was ever better than now IMO.

I was told that when they get back from Europe it is believed that they will hit Texas and other Southern states first. We'll have to see, but one thing is sure...if I can make it to other KISS shows, I'll BE THERE! My Nashville experience was an AWESOME way to start the new year!!! thanks to KISS ASYLUM for the forum for these reviews,

Also I must add that everyone in the KISS CREW that I came in contact with was a real pro, and had great attitudes...as a long time fan I'm glad they have good people on their team.

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