DESTROYER era shots...

caligari · Post by **caligari** » Mon Apr 12, 2021 8:54 am

K I S S

caligari · Post by **caligari** » Mon Apr 12, 2021 8:57 am

caligari · Post by **caligari** » Mon Apr 12, 2021 8:59 am

1976/1977

caligari · Post by **caligari** » Mon Apr 12, 2021 10:59 am

Outdoor shots from Roosevelt Stadium, NJ

caligari · Post by **caligari** » Mon Apr 12, 2021 11:03 am

Shout It
Shout It
SHOUT IT OUT LOUD

Kisscandinavia · Post by **Kisscandinavia** » Mon Apr 12, 2021 11:08 am

Great photos, but it's so sad that they had only one theatrical stage set and the lighting was bad on that tour.

caligari · Post by **caligari** » Mon Apr 12, 2021 11:20 am

Includes some Tour Book alternates...

caligari · Post by **caligari** » Mon Apr 12, 2021 11:23 am

Bootlegs

caligari · Post by **caligari** » Mon Apr 12, 2021 11:33 am

The Tour

caligari · Post by **caligari** » Mon Apr 12, 2021 11:38 am

PETER CRISS on the drums!

Australia1980 · Post by **Australia1980** » Mon Apr 12, 2021 12:46 pm

AMAZING THREAD!!!

Thanks so much for all of the pics of the elusive Destroyer stage

NHKISSFAN · Post by **NHKISSFAN** » Mon Apr 12, 2021 1:19 pm

Yup. THIS is what makes the FAQ such a joy. Thank you all for posting. I’ve been a fan over 40 years but haven’t ever seen some of these before. Fantastic.
As a kid, I remember meeting the teenage sons of my folks friends who had seen KISS at the Cape Cod Coliseum on this tour and I was SO jealous.

caligari · Post by **caligari** » Mon Apr 12, 2021 2:57 pm

More KISS!

caligari · Post by **caligari** » Mon Apr 12, 2021 2:57 pm

STILL MORE KISS!!

Tommyr · Post by **Tommyr** » Mon Apr 12, 2021 3:13 pm

caligari wrote: ↑Mon Apr 12, 2021 10:59 am Outdoor shots from Roosevelt Stadium, NJ

I'm in that 3rd pic somewhere in the middle! LOL! I had some other shots on the site here but Julian moved them to who knows where. Wild day in Jersey!

Here's a shot of the orange juice container fight I took:

Lofton23rdSt · Post by **Lofton23rdSt** » Mon Apr 12, 2021 3:24 pm

Tommyr wrote: ↑Mon Apr 12, 2021 3:13 pm

I'm in that 3rd pic somewhere in the middle! LOL! I had some other shots on the site here but Julian moved them to who knows where. Wild day in Jersey!

Here's a shot of the orange juice container fight I took:

Did you feel safe there? Chris Lendt said there was a stabbing there a few weeks before.

Post by **Kissoff** » Mon Apr 12, 2021 5:06 pm

Makes me wish all my stuff wasn't in storage

Tommyr · Post by **Tommyr** » Tue Apr 13, 2021 4:46 am

Lofton23rdSt wrote: ↑Mon Apr 12, 2021 3:24 pm
Tommyr wrote: ↑Mon Apr 12, 2021 3:13 pm

I'm in that 3rd pic somewhere in the middle! LOL! I had some other shots on the site here but Julian moved them to who knows where. Wild day in Jersey!

Here's a shot of the orange juice container fight I took:

Did you feel safe there? Chris Lendt said there was a stabbing there a few weeks before.

I knew nothing about the crime there, I'm from N.Y. I felt safe except for all the fireworks being thrown around that day. There were literally tens of thousands of firecrackers, etc. exploding all over the field all day long and night. It was wild and VERY hot that day. In the line outside a glass bottle exploded and cut a guy's leg pretty badly.

Kissologist · Post by **Kissologist** » Tue Apr 13, 2021 6:34 am

Great pics

caligari · Post by **caligari** » Tue Apr 13, 2021 7:00 am

76/77

caligari · Post by **caligari** » Tue Apr 13, 2021 7:04 am

Paul in ALIVE costume
New Haven, CT

Allamericanman · Post by **Allamericanman** » Tue Apr 13, 2021 12:48 pm

Bar none, my favorite era. Thanks!

caligari · Post by **caligari** » Tue Apr 13, 2021 7:27 pm

I messed with the brightness and contrast to “bring to light” the magnitude of the ENTIRE stage.
The string of small lights extending out to the audience, the Castle to the left, tree and crumbled buildings,
lunar surface to the right, red, white & blue lightning cloud above, 3 high voltage tours serving as lighting trusses.

Phyllis Simmons · Post by **Phyllis Simmons** » Tue Apr 13, 2021 8:48 pm

Great stuff, pure Magic. Makes me realise that I have not seen all that many photos of the Destroyer stage set like this. Some of the close ups of the set do make it look a little cheap and nasty. But on darker stage with lights hitting it etc, Im sure it came up nice...

Best "theme" they've had obviously for a stage; recreating the album cover, with the broken walls, bricks and rocks.. lightning bolts..Those awesome light towers left and right. I'd love a definitive, clean HQ Destroyer show. Anaheim is a good starting point. The end part with the long shots of the stage, with the different logos flashing, lights, explosions.. its different to anything else ever on film, especially then. Im surprised it never appeared in a compilation or anything. Destroyer is in their best 2 or 3 albums, (though I know not all FAQers agree. At worst Top 5

). Its deserves some attention for a special concert dvd release.

caligari · Post by **caligari** » Tue Apr 13, 2021 8:50 pm

GOD OF THUNDER

KLP68 · Post by **KLP68** » Tue Apr 13, 2021 9:03 pm

The album and the era I got hooked to KISS as a young kid.

Mr Slow · Post by **Mr Slow** » Wed Apr 14, 2021 1:21 am

Here’s another. Forgive me if it made it into this thread. I had a quick scan but didn’t notice it...

Kisscandinavia · Post by **Kisscandinavia** » Wed Apr 14, 2021 1:34 am

"Mr.Magic" says on Facebook that this photo is from 1977 "77-02-18 New York, New York, Madison Square Garden"
I thought that this stage wasn't used anymore in '77?

Post by **BigJohnsFirehouse** » Wed Apr 14, 2021 1:46 am

Certainly wasn’t used at that show.

Maybe he’s so busy deleting comments he made a mistake.

Kisscandinavia · Post by **Kisscandinavia** » Wed Apr 14, 2021 2:14 am

Yes, he must be so busy...

He made that comment 2 days ago while working hard on Magic.

DeKiLaLoMa · Post by **DeKiLaLoMa** » Wed Apr 14, 2021 3:09 am

Kisscandinavia wrote: ↑Wed Apr 14, 2021 1:34 am "Mr.Magic" says on Facebook that this photo is from 1977 "77-02-18 New York, New York, Madison Square Garden"
I thought that this stage wasn't used anymore in '77?

Wasn't it (sincere question, not trying to be snarky)?

caligari · Post by **caligari** » Wed Apr 14, 2021 4:27 am

Kisscandinavia wrote: ↑Wed Apr 14, 2021 1:34 am "Mr.Magic" says on Facebook that this photo is from 1977 "77-02-18 New York, New York, Madison Square Garden"
I thought that this stage wasn't used anymore in '77?

Yes it was.
THAT IS THE “NEW” ROCK AND ROLL OVER Drum Riser.
A visual that can be used to determine WHICH tour it is,
Destroyer OR RARO. Or if you see a Traditional overhead lighting structure.

RARO visually looks same as
DESTROYER minus

Cloud (lightning bolts reconfigured)
3 High Voltage Towers with lighting truss
Crystal Clusters, etc at stage edge in front of monitors
The Cats are always squat - Never skinny.

The rest stayed
Until Japan...
Which is a totally different story.

THIS PICTURE
IS THE
ROCK AND ROLL OVER TOUR

caligari · Post by **caligari** » Wed Apr 14, 2021 4:29 am

BigJohnsFirehouse wrote: ↑Wed Apr 14, 2021 1:46 am Certainly wasn’t used at that show.

Yes it was.
THAT IS THE “NEW” ROCK AND ROLL OVER Drum Riser.
A visual that can be used to determine WHICH tour it is,
Destroyer OR RARO. Or if you see a Traditional overhead lighting structure.

RARO visually looks same as
DESTROYER minus

Cloud (lightning bolts reconfigured)
3 High Voltage Towers with stage lighting truss
Crystal Clusters, etc at stage edge in front of monitors.
The Cats are always squat - never skinny.

The rest stayed
Until Japan...
Which is a totally different story.

THIS PIC IS
ROCK AND ROLL OVER TOUR

Post by **BigJohnsFirehouse** » Wed Apr 14, 2021 4:52 am

My bad.

caligari · Post by **caligari** » Wed Apr 14, 2021 5:24 am

More...

Phyllis Simmons · Post by **Phyllis Simmons** » Wed Apr 14, 2021 5:45 am

I love the Roosevelt Stadium stuff! Thats a show that has a somewhat prominent place in KISS folklore. Arguably the first "Stadium" show??!! A rundown old baseball Stadium I think it was described as?.. CK Lendt's highly detailed account of that show (being his first) in his book.. Love the day shots, and the orange juice fight in this thread! A hot day - Im surprised more people weren't actually drinking their orange juice!

And of course the early 2000's release "The Lost Concert" dvd that was available for a while before being pulled... it was Roosevelt Stadium show (I believe?). I still got my copy; long while since I played it though.. Magic stuff..

caligari · Post by **caligari** » Wed Apr 14, 2021 5:46 am

KISS
WINTER TOUR ‘77 for
ROCK AND ROLL OVER
FEBRUARY 17,1977 Madison Square Garden, NYC

Lunar Landscape & Blood Spike Tower

caligari · Post by **caligari** » Wed Apr 14, 2021 5:59 am

Excuse my on the fly, very crude iPhone editing of the photo.

THIS was the ROCK AND ROLL OVER Tour STAGE
that KISS played on in late ‘76 & 1977.
(When they ended the tour in Japan they took with
them the - still being built - “Love Gun” stage.)

caligari · Post by **caligari** » Wed Apr 14, 2021 6:37 am

KISS ends ROCK AND ROLL OVER Tour
In JAPAN with the not fully built
“Love Gun” staging.

Paul and Ace playing Greco (Ibanez) Guitars

k1ssarmy · Post by **k1ssarmy** » Wed Apr 14, 2021 7:03 am

rwgriffith wrote: ↑Sun Apr 11, 2021 4:51 pm
BC Witch wrote: ↑Sun Apr 11, 2021 4:27 pm Great thread! Thanks to all who have posted. I don't think I've ever seen pics of this version of the cat coming up under the drum riser before!
That is a wonderful shot.

Love that too! I've never noticed the big chains holding the cat back! Really great pics from this era. Thanks to Mr. Slow, caligari and others for the wonderful shots!

I wish we had a decent proshot where all of the props could be seen in action clearly. These pics show the band on fire during this time! I love it! My fave era on stage is the second three klassic albums.

jetcity · Post by **jetcity** » Wed Apr 14, 2021 9:49 am

caligari wrote: ↑Wed Apr 14, 2021 6:37 am KISS ends ROCK AND ROLL OVER Tour
In JAPAN with the not fully built
“Love Gun” staging.

Paul and Ace playing Greco (Ibanez) Guitars

This decision, to use the noticeably incomplete Love Gun stage (no hydraulic platforms, no platform buckets) for the 1977 mini-tour of Japan, has always baffled me. Compare the pros/cons between doing the tour with the Destroyer/RARO stage vs the Love Gun stage.

1. Is the stage complete?
D/R: Yes.
LG: No.

2. Does the crew know how to set up the stage?
D/R: Yes.
LG: No.

3. Are the bugs worked out of the production?
D/R: Yes
LG: No

4. Is the crew (or band) familiar with the stage/production?
D/R: Yes.
LG: No.

5. Does the stage have to be immediately flown back to the States for the next tour?
D/R: No
LG: Yes

I'm not sure how Aucoin Mgmt assessed this as coming out in favor of using the LG stage. It ended up functioning OK, but the crew were forced to lay out the entire stage in a parking lot and then assemble it with considerable difficulty (according to several crew members I spoke to) with no production rehearsal time to speak of. Then the Japanese audiences got an incomplete version of the show. And Aucoin would then have to fly the entire stage back the States to begin production rehearsals in six weeks in Newburgh. If they'd used the RARO stage, they could have either left it in storage in Japan, junked it there, or sent it back to the States on a ship at greatly reduced cost and with no need to worry about how long it takes to get there.

Very odd decision.

caligari · Post by **caligari** » Wed Apr 14, 2021 9:59 am

jetcity wrote: ↑Wed Apr 14, 2021 9:49 am
caligari wrote: ↑Wed Apr 14, 2021 6:37 am KISS ends ROCK AND ROLL OVER Tour
In JAPAN with the not fully built
“Love Gun” staging.

Paul and Ace playing Greco (Ibanez) Guitars
This decision, to use the noticeably incomplete Love Gun stage (no hydraulic platforms, no platform buckets) for the 1977 mini-tour of Japan, has always baffled me. Compare the pros/cons between doing the tour with the Destroyer/RARO stage vs the Love Gun stage.

1. Is the stage complete?
D/R: Yes.
LG: No.

2. Does the crew know how to set up the stage?
D/R: Yes.
LG: No.

3. Are the bugs worked out of the production?
D/R: Yes
LG: No

4. Is the crew (or band) familiar with the stage/production?
D/R: Yes.
LG: No.

5. Does the stage have to be immediately flown back to the States for the next tour?
D/R: No
LG: Yes

I'm not sure how Aucoin Mgmt assessed this as coming out in favor of using the LG stage. It ended up functioning OK, but the crew were forced to lay out the entire stage in a parking lot and then assemble it with considerable difficulty (according to several crew members I spoke to) with no production rehearsal time to speak of. Then the Japanese audiences got an incomplete version of the show. And Aucoin would then have to fly the entire stage back the States to begin production rehearsals in six weeks in Newburgh. If they'd used the RARO stage, they could have either left it in storage in Japan, junked it there, or sent it back to the States on a ship at greatly reduced cost and with no need to worry about how long it takes to get there.

Very odd decision.

Probably Not the #1 reason BUT
At the time in the interview Paul Stanley said that KISS thought that it would be in very bad taste to play in Japan on a stage that Resembles a city that was hit with an atomic bomb

caligari · Post by **caligari** » Wed Apr 14, 2021 11:29 am

It kind of Looks Like That moment before they smack their heads together...

DeKiLaLoMa · Post by **DeKiLaLoMa** » Wed Apr 14, 2021 11:44 am

caligari wrote: ↑Wed Apr 14, 2021 9:59 am
jetcity wrote: ↑Wed Apr 14, 2021 9:49 am
caligari wrote: ↑Wed Apr 14, 2021 6:37 am KISS ends ROCK AND ROLL OVER Tour
In JAPAN with the not fully built
“Love Gun” staging.

Paul and Ace playing Greco (Ibanez) Guitars
This decision, to use the noticeably incomplete Love Gun stage (no hydraulic platforms, no platform buckets) for the 1977 mini-tour of Japan, has always baffled me. Compare the pros/cons between doing the tour with the Destroyer/RARO stage vs the Love Gun stage.

1. Is the stage complete?
D/R: Yes.
LG: No.

2. Does the crew know how to set up the stage?
D/R: Yes.
LG: No.

3. Are the bugs worked out of the production?
D/R: Yes
LG: No

4. Is the crew (or band) familiar with the stage/production?
D/R: Yes.
LG: No.

5. Does the stage have to be immediately flown back to the States for the next tour?
D/R: No
LG: Yes

I'm not sure how Aucoin Mgmt assessed this as coming out in favor of using the LG stage. It ended up functioning OK, but the crew were forced to lay out the entire stage in a parking lot and then assemble it with considerable difficulty (according to several crew members I spoke to) with no production rehearsal time to speak of. Then the Japanese audiences got an incomplete version of the show. And Aucoin would then have to fly the entire stage back the States to begin production rehearsals in six weeks in Newburgh. If they'd used the RARO stage, they could have either left it in storage in Japan, junked it there, or sent it back to the States on a ship at greatly reduced cost and with no need to worry about how long it takes to get there.

Very odd decision.
Probably Not the #1 reason BUT
At the time in the interview Paul Stanley said that KISS thought that it would be in very bad taste to play in Japan on a stage that Resembles a city that was hit with an atomic bomb

An AMERICAN band, to boot!

I suspect that it also had something to do with the will of bringing something special and new to show off to the army of journos they brought along as well as to the Japan promoters, who had gone out of their way to make the Japan '77 tour a bona fide super event. After all, no one at the time knew it was not complete.

caligari · Post by **caligari** » Thu Apr 15, 2021 10:49 am

Ace & Paul

caligari · Post by **caligari** » Thu Apr 15, 2021 2:29 pm

Smokin’!

jkiss · Post by **jkiss** » Thu Apr 15, 2021 3:36 pm

DeKiLaLoMa wrote: ↑Wed Apr 14, 2021 11:44 am
caligari wrote: ↑Wed Apr 14, 2021 9:59 am
jetcity wrote: ↑Wed Apr 14, 2021 9:49 am
caligari wrote: ↑Wed Apr 14, 2021 6:37 am KISS ends ROCK AND ROLL OVER Tour
In JAPAN with the not fully built
“Love Gun” staging.

Paul and Ace playing Greco (Ibanez) Guitars
This decision, to use the noticeably incomplete Love Gun stage (no hydraulic platforms, no platform buckets) for the 1977 mini-tour of Japan, has always baffled me. Compare the pros/cons between doing the tour with the Destroyer/RARO stage vs the Love Gun stage.

1. Is the stage complete?
D/R: Yes.
LG: No.

2. Does the crew know how to set up the stage?
D/R: Yes.
LG: No.

3. Are the bugs worked out of the production?
D/R: Yes
LG: No

4. Is the crew (or band) familiar with the stage/production?
D/R: Yes.
LG: No.

5. Does the stage have to be immediately flown back to the States for the next tour?
D/R: No
LG: Yes

I'm not sure how Aucoin Mgmt assessed this as coming out in favor of using the LG stage. It ended up functioning OK, but the crew were forced to lay out the entire stage in a parking lot and then assemble it with considerable difficulty (according to several crew members I spoke to) with no production rehearsal time to speak of. Then the Japanese audiences got an incomplete version of the show. And Aucoin would then have to fly the entire stage back the States to begin production rehearsals in six weeks in Newburgh. If they'd used the RARO stage, they could have either left it in storage in Japan, junked it there, or sent it back to the States on a ship at greatly reduced cost and with no need to worry about how long it takes to get there.

Very odd decision.
Probably Not the #1 reason BUT
At the time in the interview Paul Stanley said that KISS thought that it would be in very bad taste to play in Japan on a stage that Resembles a city that was hit with an atomic bomb
An AMERICAN band, to boot!

I suspect that it also had something to do with the will of bringing something special and new to show off to the army of journos they brought along as well as to the Japan promoters, who had gone out of their way to make the Japan '77 tour a bona fide super event. After all, no one at the time knew it was not complete.

Bill also was able to get everyone to agree to have Sean along as well. I would suspect part of the reason Bill wanted him present was to whip the roadcrew into shape, get right in there & start figuring-out their new toy (supposedly, he programmed the stairs). And as he did before with the "Destroyer" stage. Sean always appeared to be effective enough before, so why not again?

Another good reason to have Sean come along & to share, be part of the Japanese experience, together (since Bill as his official 'partner', despite an open relationship). Also, the other part was to work on writing new songs with anyone that Bill figured needed him.

I doubt Bill really cared if the Japanese were getting an incomplete show. And not only that, he allowed for a show to be videotaped & broadcast on television (& wind-up on home video), even.

caligari · Post by **caligari** » Thu Apr 15, 2021 6:16 pm

More...

Eddie Van Hazel · Post by **Eddie Van Hazel** » Sat Apr 17, 2021 4:08 pm

Thank you for posting these shots!...Never saw a pic of Gene spitting blood with Paul next to him.

Now do the "LOVE GUN" era!

LoveGuns · Post by **LoveGuns** » Sat Apr 17, 2021 7:54 pm

This thread is pure awesomness