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​Rock And Roll Over Tour - 1976 - '77

Start Date: November 24, 1976

End Date:April 1, 1977

Shows: 70

Legs: 2

Countries: Japan, United States

Opening Acts: Blackfoot, Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band, Bow Wow, Climax Blues Band, Dictators, Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show, Graham Parker & The Rumour, Head East, Jesse Bolt, Legs Diamond, Natural Gas, The Raisin Band, Sammy Hagar, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Uriah Heep

Average Attendance: 10,868

Line Up: Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley, Gene Simmons, Peter Criss

In support of the 'Rock And Roll Over'album KISS went on another tour, the Rock And Roll Over Tour was not that different from the Spirit Of '76 Tour. The same stage (although altered, Peter had two new big cats left and right of his drum kit, the first two cats got stolen during the tour) and costumes were used but there was one big difference between the tours. All the extra props used on the Destroyer stage, like the Thunder Machine, Gene and Ace's tower, the giant crystals were all removed. What did get added was lights in the staircases. The biggest change in the middle of the tour was the band switching to wireless guitars as Ace nearly got electrocuted at Lakeland, Florida on December 12, 1976 because of a badly grounded railing.


KISS also toured Japan for the very first time! When the band arrived in Japan on March 19, 1977 it was a overwhelming scene. Thousands of fans awaited the band and the people escorting the band out of the airport literally had to push people away to get the band members through the crowd. KISS played four shows at the Nippon Budokan Hall breaking The Beatles' previous record. To promo the album, KISS appeared on the 'Don Kirshner's Rock Concert' TV program after the tour and did a lip sync performance of 'Hard Luck Woman', 'Love 'em Leave 'em', and 'I Want You'.

     Stage Props:

  • Fire Engine Lights

  • Fire Engine Siren

  • Fire Helmet

  • Hydraulic Drum Riser

  • Two Cat Statues On Drum Riser

  • Huge Cat Drum Riser Curtain

  • Giant KISS Army Banners

  • Confetti Storm

  • Gong

  • Flash Pots

  • Blood Spitting

  • Staircases With Lights

  • Bombs

  • Dry Ice Smoke

  • Fire Breathing

  • KISS Logo

  • Smoking & "Burning" Guitar

  • Paul Smashing Guitars

  • 3 Lighting "Pylon Towers"


Gene and Paul in Japan

Typical Setlist:

01.'Detroit Rock City'
02. 'Take Me'
03. 'Let Me Go, Rock 'N Roll'
04. 'Ladies Room'
05. 'Firehouse'
06. 'Makin' Love'
07. 'I Want You'
08. 'Cold Gin'
09. 'Do You Love Me?'
10. 'Nothin' To Lose'

11. 'God Of Thunder'

12. 'Rock And Roll All Nite'


Encore:

13. 'Shout It Out Loud'

14. 'Beth'

15. 'Black Diamond'

Tour Book:

The Rock And Roll Over tour book had the same front cover as the Destroyer tour book

and some pages had updated pictures, but the Japanese leg got it's very own version!

Special Shows / Happenings:

- Civic Center, Savannah, GA, November 24, 1976 -

First time ever 'Beth' was performed.


- Mobile Municipal Auditorium, Mobile, AL, December 5, 1976 -

Gene caught his hair on fire and injured himself badly enough to cut the show short.

Ace getting checked by the road crew after getting shocked...

Lakeland Civic Center, Lakeland, FL, December 12, 1976

At the start of the show, when Ace descended down his stairs as usual, he touched a railing that was not grounded properly and it almost electrocuted him. He fell down the stairs and was unconscious, the crew managed to get him to the dressing room to make sure he was alright. After 30 minutes KISS continued the show but Ace had to play with numb fingertips and he did not recall the accident. And to even make it worse, Gene set his hair on fire during this show as well! After this incident they started using wireless guitars using a Schaffer–Vega diversity system developed by Ken Schaffer, making KISS among one of the first bands to use wireless guitars! Other bands in this time using the system was AC/DC, The Rolling Stones, and Pink Floyd. This event eventually was Ace's inspiration for his first vocal song on 'Love Gun': 'Shock Me'.

- Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY, February 18, 1977 -

KISS fulfilled their long awaited dream of headlining Madison Square Garden. Paul got hit by a beer bottle and the show was halted for a

few moments as it caused a cut above his eye.


- Freedom Hall, Johnson City, TN, February 26, 1977 -

In the early morning (3.a.m.) Ace (Frehley) was arrested in the town of Dobbs Ferry, "charged with driving while intoxicated... [He] allegedly struck two parked cars on Cedar Street" (Tarrytown Daily News, 2/28/77). He was toappear in court on March 10 after being bailed at 5:30 a.m.


- Osaka, Japan, March 24, 1977 -

KISS performs for the very first time in Japan.


- Nippon Budokan Hall, Tokyo, Japan, April 1, 1977 -

KISS performed 4 shows at the Nippon Budokan Hall, and on April 2, 1977 even 2 shows on one day! This show was professionally videotaped by the Japanese TV Network NHK. Gene was smart enough to not give up the rights to the footage and KISS remained the original owner of the footage and it eventually ended up on the KISSOLOGY 1 DVD Box-set! Eddie Kramer recorded at least one of the four Tokyo concerts for a special Japan only Alive! that was planned at the time, it never saw the light of day but some tracks were used for Alive II, the original full recording is available in the bootleg scene named The Lost Alive II and is seen by some KISS fans as the real Alive II.

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