Kiss Alive Forever: The Complete Touring History [Paperback]

Curt Gooch (Author), Jess Suhs (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2002

KISS is unequaled in the world of concert performance. Over a quarter century’s worth of visually spectacular and financially profitable concerts are testimony to that fact. KISS Alive Forever is the must-have reference for every die-hard KISS fan—a complete archive of well over 1,900 performances, all categorized by tour.

KISS fans will find extensive overviews of each tour, including the number of shows, start date, end date, song pool, opening acts cross-referenced by tour, and average attendance. Entries on individual performances include date of show, city, state, and location of show, opening act, attendance, facility capacity, and promoter, as well as descriptions of the shows themselves. Entertaining sidebars feature one-on-one interviews with members of the KISS road crew, as well as with opening acts such as Iron Maiden, Rush, Cheap Trick, and Styx. Also included are an index of all 233 songs in the band’s catalog, over 560 setlists from shows throughout its career, and over 200 photos chronicling KISS’s amazing concert history.

Although KISS stated that its 2001 “farewell” tour would be its last, the tour is ongoing, and future performances are planned, topped by a spectacular television “Farewell Show.” KISS Alive Forever is sure to be a devoted fan’s lasting chronicle of this extraordinary band’s complete concert career.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Curt Gooch was executive producer and creative consultant on the documentary/home video Inside the Casbah: A History of Casablanca Records and Filmworks. He lives in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Jeff Suhs is a regular contributor to several of the largest KISS websites and has contributed information to several published books on the band. In addition, he recently completed work on the CD-ROM game The KISS Trivia Challenge. He lives in Odessa, Florida.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Billboard Books (September 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823083225
• ISBN-13: 978-0823083220
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,154,954 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing...., September 25, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Kiss Alive Forever: The Complete Touring History (Paperback)

After reading online that someone was attempting to assemble a "complete touring history" of the hottest band in the world, Kiss, my interest was immediately sparked. I had no idea what the book looked like, or what exactly it contained, but I didn't care. Being a die hard Kiss fan for several years now, I figured I'd get my money's worth. I wound up getting that and then some. This book, cowritten by Curt Gooch and Jeff Suhs is absolutely incredible. This is a Kiss fans dream come true; I've never seen anything like it. Everything you could possibly ask for is here. Details of every Kiss tour and every individual concert are explained in great detail. Insightful comments are given from members of Kiss' management, and others close to the band, as well as an occasional comment from band members themselves. And don't get me started on the pictures....Some of these have never been printed before until now, for example a picture of Ace right after one of his infamous car accidents which left his face in bad shape. This picture has him in makeup, but only half of his face is painted due to the injury. Casual fans are saying "what's the big deal?" but ... hard Kiss fans know that this type of stuff is just plain cool. Every set list for every show is included, as are the name of the venues and opening and headlining acts that shared the bills with Kiss. 288 pages, 3 pounds, it's a monster! God knows how long it will take me to get through the whole thing, but one thing is for sure.... this is must have for any Kiss fan. Hear the REAL stories behind every concert, things that you may have never heard before and may shock you! All in all, this is a great pick up for any Kiss fan, especially fans who purchased the box set and enjoyed the book that came along with it. I would compare it to this in the fact that they are both extremely informative and chock full of great photos of the band. So, if you're a true member of the Kiss Army, stop reading this and go get the book NOW. You'll be glad you did.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Ultimate KISS Book, February 9, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Kiss Alive Forever: The Complete Touring History (Paperback)

Over the years, there have been various books written about KISS. Some by journalists, some by those close to the band, and some by the band themselves.

This book is by far the best book yet about KISS. The amount of work and research put into this book is just mindblowing. They manage to track down and have stats on nearly every single KISS live show ever performed.

If you're a fan and have never read a book about the band, start here. If you've ever considered getting a book about the band, this is the only book you'll ever need.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars KISS misses yet another opportunity......, October 29, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Kiss Alive Forever: The Complete Touring History (Paperback)

What a missed opportunity the members of KISS must be feeling now. I am sure that they had a chance to make this an official KISS book - but chose to discount the efforts to two enthusiastic fans simply wanting to document a band that they hold in such high regard. All the while, thinking of course that they could do it better. Only time will tell to see if "KISS" can produce a more thorough and well-documented history. The book is absolutely the "best collective history" of the band that I have read. The time and effort it took to research, check facts, compile and finally write this book is evident in the accuracy of the facts. The mere thank you and credits to people who assisted the authors in compiling the data - speaks to the accuracy itself. True KISS connoisseurs will recognize the value of the book - don't wait to add this book to your collection.