40th Anniversary World Tour - 2014 - '15
Start Date: June 23, 2014
End Date:October 16, 2015
Shows: 93
Legs: 5
Countries: Australia, Austria, Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Czech Republic, Ecuador, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, United States, Uruguay
Co-Headline Act: Def Leppard (North American tour only)
Opening Acts: Anima Inside, Blazer, Dead Daisies, FHT (Farenheit), Kobra and the Lotus, Motorocker, Steel Panther, Raimundos.
Average Attendance: 14,285
Line Up: Paul Stanley, Tommy Thayer, Gene Simmons, Eric Singer
After KISS concluded the Monster Tour, the band went on a small break, with maybe two shows a month. In March of 2014, KISS announced the KISS 40 Year Anniversary Tour with Def Leppard as a co-headline act. But something larger already was announced in December 2013, as KISS was finally nominated to go in to the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame, even though they were already legible since 2009.
Set list wise they stuck to the same from the Monster tour but every show had a different song being added or removed, "Hell Or Hallelujah", was one of these songs for the North American leg of the tour, that would switch with songs like "Hide Your Heart". "Hell or Hallelujah" would be the last song of their new material to be played as new material was not well received live and people took the opportunity when they played these songs as a bathroom break.
“With this lineup of KISS, Eric Singer, Tommy Thayer, Paul Stanley and myself, we have played to the largest South American, European and Australian shows we have ever played at, literally stadiums full of fans showed up en masse. Everyone was there to celebrate Kiss today, here and now. The band is alive and well and I think we're playing better than we ever have. What we've got is four people who believe in the same thing, the notion that we're damn lucky to be up on that stage. Once you feel the same thing in your heart you feel like a team." - Gene Simmons on the 40th Anniversary Tour -
KISS In The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame
KISS was finally was inducted in to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but only the four original members were to enter, this in turn angered Gene Simmons, as in the past, the Hall inducted for example every single member of the Grateful Dead’s various lineups. So as in a form of protest, they decided to not perform at the induction ceremony even though they were asked.
Tom Morello of the band Rage Against the Machine inducted the band and gave a great speech before hand, stating he was a KISS fan himself as a kid. Gene, Paul, Ace and Peter managed to get along on the stage and Gene even had some kind words for Ace that he never could be imitated, with Tommy Thayer, sitting right there in the crowd.
Peter Criss, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley, Gene Simmons and Tom Morello
The 40th Anniversary World Tour (2015) Stage
For the first part of the tour, the band still toured with the Monster Tour stage even though the spider was not used at some shows. For the November 5, 2014 Las Vegas show, the band would debut a new stage that was not that different from the Monster Tour stage. The new stage would have no traces anymore of the Spider and have light towers in front of the main video screen and video screens in the lighting rig. The Vegas show that was released on almost any physical media out available, had a bigger stage than the rest of the tour had. Like instead of a giant curtain before the show, a giant video screen would split open in the center like a giant door and the video screens on the ceiling would flow all the way into the venue.
The 40th Anniversary World Tour Stage:
Robotic Spider- The spider was only used during the North American and Australian leg of the tour.
Riser Cranes- The riser cranes were still in use, but strangely enough, for the Spider stage, they now used normal risers.
Flamethrowers- The flamethrowers, that would shoot in three directions, returned in full force and now shot in four directions and completely replaced the old style flamethrowers.
Video Screens- The stage now had four screens that would flow up to the lighting rig to the front of the stage and also down left and right of the drum riser. The band also used two video screens left and right of the stage that would lower down to the stage. During "Do You Love Me?" the main screen would show footage of the band from 1973 leading up to 2015.
Drum & Guitar Solo - There were no longer any separate drum and guitar solos for this tour, at the end of "Hell or Hallelujah" Eric and Tommy went into a almost jazzy like medley and Tommy would do his solo and shoot three rockets from his guitar as usual, this time no drum riser or crane were used as well. As there was no drum solo, Eric also no longer used his rocket launcher. At the end of 'Lick It Up', Tommy would also shoot three rockets
Drum Riser - Eric's drum riser now had a complete front that was made out of metallic panels with rivets and old looking stage light bulbs that would emit a very bright light. Other places on the stage also had these metallic panels with rivets.
Eric's Light Drum Kit - Eric had LED strips installed in the drums of his kit that was transparent and gave a cool glowing effect.
Laser Show - Returning to the stage were various colors of lasers used during the show.
Beam Lights - As used in the Spider stage, KISS used beam lights from Christie Lites, precisely 30 Elation Professional Platinum Beam 5R moving heads. LD Sean “Motley” Hackett (INXS, Savage Garden) has been designing the lighting for KISS shows since 2009. Sean had the popular color-changing beam lights grouped in fans of 5 or 6 in the rig and on stage and used them to complement the band’s catalog of hits with barrages of narrow, dense beam effects. Sean said he was after a beam fixture and Christie Lites in the US had what he was looking for in the Platinum Beam 5R. “They turned out to be great, very quick with good color and beam at a great price. I like how you can frost them out like a wash light with the frost or drop a prism and gobo in to get a big gobo look. They hold up well even with all the pyro blowing up around them. It is so cool having a great beam light as I loved the ACL look of the 80’s.”
Stage Props:
Pre-Show "hum"
Fire Engine Lights
Fire Engine Siren
Giant KISS Logo Curtain Before Show
Video Screens
Video Lighting Rig Screens
Gene Spitting Blood
Gene Breathing Fire
Flash Pots
Gene Flying
Paul Flying
Tommy's (Mini) Guitar Solo
Tommy's Shooting Rocket Guitar
Eric's (Mini) Drum solo
Eric's LED Light Drum Kit
Riser Cranes
Risers
Dry Ice Smoke
KISS Army Banners
Laser Show
Bombs
Fireworks
Pyrotechnics
Drum Riser
Four Directional Flamethrowers
Confetti
Paul Smashing Guitar
Gene Simmons and his bass guitar with a badly taped up guitar pick rail
Typical Setlist:
01.'Detroit Rock City'
02. 'Deuce'
03. 'Psycho Circus'
04. 'Creatures Of The Night'
05. 'I Love It Loud'
06. 'War Machine'
08. 'Hell or Hallelujah'
09. 'Calling Dr. Love'
10. 'Hide Your Heart
11. 'Lick It Up'
12. 'God Of Thunder'
13. 'Cold Gin'
14. 'Love Gun'
15. 'Black Diamond'
Encore:
16. 'Shout It Out Loud'
17. 'Samurai Son' (Japan Only)
18. 'I Was Made For Lovin' You'
Special Shows / Happenings:
Studio 6B, Rockefeller Center, New York, April 11, 2014
To promote the upcoming tour, KISS performed on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. They performed five songs but only 'King Of The Night Time World' was broadcast in this KISS themed show.
- USANA Amphitheater, West Valley City, UT, June 23, 2014 -
The first show of the North American leg of the tour, as there was no 'I Was Made For Lovin' You' or 'Love Gun'on the set list,
Paul flew to his platform before 'Psycho Circus'.
- PNC Music Pavilion, Charlotte, NC, July 19, 2014 -
This show was live-streamed live on Yahoo.
- Jiffy Lube Live, Bristow, VA, July 25, 2014 -
The start of the show was plagued with issues, after the opening sequence, the Spider got stuck on stage and the band had to leave the stage
after the fifth song, 'Hotter Than Hell', so the crew could unstuck it. Eric's drum riser also got stuck at the top position at the opening song and
Tommy's guitar kept cutting out at the first few songs.
- PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel, NJ, July 26, 2014 -
Joe Elliot of Def Leppard, did the "You Wanted The Best!" introduction for the show!
Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, NJ, August 2, 2014
Phil Collen of Def Leppard dressed up in Paul's spare costume and joined the band during the song 'Deuce'!
- Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Houston, TX, August 31, 2014 -
The last show of the North American leg of the tour.
- Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Mexico City, Mexico, October 25, 2014 -
This show was live-streamed live on the internet. For the first time ever a electric version of 'Plaster Caster' was performed live.
- The Joint, Hard Rock Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, November 5 - 23, 2014 -
KISS turned Elvis Presley at Las Vegas! Just like Elvis and many performers after him, KISS would perform multiple shows at Las Vegas. Nine shows to be precise (excluding the private show on January 8, 2015)! For these shows a more permanent stage was build. The 22nd and 23rd show of the tour was professionally recorded for CD and DVD/Blu-ray release. KISS Rocks Vegas was released in cinemas worldwide on May 25, 2016, and later released on pay-per-view on June 14, 2016. The Deluxe Edition of KISS Rocks Vegasincludes a 60 page photo book, DVD, Blu-Ray, 2 CD set, exclusive CD with a 7 song KISS Acoustic set.
88th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, NYC, November 27, 2014
KISS performed on a guitar shaped float during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade with 53 million people watching them on a cold, rainy and snowy day, almost all the band members looked miserable and cold except for Gene who stood there like it was any other day on stage for him. He very likely was smart enough to wear some thermal long johns under his armor!
Nippon Gaishi Hall, Nagoya, Japan, February 23, 2015
KISS collaborated with Japanese idol group "Momoiro Clover Z" and released the single 'Samurai Son' that surprisingly gave them a nr 1 hit in Japan! During the Japanese leg of the tour the group joined KISS on stage to perform the song and also stayed to sing 'Rock And Roll All Nite'.
- Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan, March 3, 2015 -
As part of the meet and greet, fans who bought the Ultimate Experience package got to experience a mini concert with a 10 song sized set list.
700 fans attended the mini concert.
- Movistar Arena, Santiago, Chile, April 14, 2015 -
The show was live streamed on the internet.
- Perth Arena, Perth, WA, Australia, October 3, 2015 -
For the first show of the Australian leg of the tour, as usual for a Australian show by now, 'Shandi' was added to the set list.
Stardust Theatre, Norwegian Pearl, Atlantic Ocean, November 2, 2015
For the second night of KISS KRUISE IV, the band dressed up in the Alive! era costumes and the stage was a copy of their Alive! stage and they played the entire KISS Alive! live album! No pyro was used because of safety reasons but confetti was used. This is how i always have seen KISS end their career, in a club sized setting just like they started but alas this seems but a pipe dream.
Backstage passes