28 YEARS AGO

Kiss represented all this for me, joy, wish to live, love, and I try to transmit my passion to my children who were in Verona on 13 May 2008.
I've collected something among neckties, posters, telephone, clock, shirts, DVDs, CDs, lp, picture disc, VHS, I knew only via letter in the 80 Nicola Ciccarone, Alessandro Tozzi, Giancarlo Marino whose lists have helped me to have more Kiss of things.
Thanks to Kiss I also cultivated a passion for heavy music, then I started listening to 80s glam groups: Poison, Motley Crue, Tigertailz, Twisted Sisters, and so on.
I saw 3 Monsters of Rock (except Kiss in 1988 as I was under the army) and finally I saw Kiss in 1996, 1999, in 2008.
My favorite line up is GENE-PAUL-FREHLEY-CARR, my favourite albums are ALIVE!, CREAUTERES OF THE NIGHT.
I could go on indefinitely in describing the sensations that I feel listening to each Kiss album today at 41 years but each of us sometimes conceals the inside and its difficult to describe them.

30/11/08

KISS for me (by maat)

I believe, like we all, I had known KISS litening on the radio IWMFLY.
For me it was a shock, I loved them immediately and I love the Paul's voice.
I had the good fortune of having parents owning a newspaper shop, so I have "seen"KISS almost immediately after I listened them to radio, shock and electricity has become pure: fascinated by them beyond measure and hopelessly in love with Paul.
I was 14 years and a cousin who shared my passion, I made everithing to get the green light to go with him to the concert, 31 August 1980 in Genoa, but unfortunately three days before I got chickenpox, and the permit was revoked.
I remember crying for most of the night. In those years the love for KISS has been increased.
There was no internet, the only newspaper that spoke of them in a little more depth were "Bravo" and "16" that were only in bigger shops like the one at the station. The videos on TV were very rare, and when could see them it was a national holiday. There were not so much money, but I saved enough to buy their records, and I felt somewhat 'a white fly, because I did not know anybody except my cousin, who liked KISS.
By accident I met a girl that she too loved KISS and got her phone number, well, then I called. We're friends for nearly 30anni and still share the news and love for KISS.
I recall that the only time I made the bully was when  "Lick it up" come out, and the record store had only a copy. I did not want to hear reasons and I got the record! My family still does not understand what I found in KISS. There were and still there are many things that accompanied my life to the notes of their songs. They were there next to me and my feelings for over 28 years now. When they returned to Verona in Italy, I left home husband and son and I flew away. It will be the most beautiful memories and the realization of a dream. Thanks to my friend I could get in their hotel, get the autograph and take pictures next to Paul. Here it is at large (very large) my eternal love for the fantastic 4.
I am a wall KISS  the ivy.

16/11/08

K… I… S…S (by Gene-69)

1977 ... 8 years old ... my friend at school is drawing something strange in his diary ... K ... I ... S ... S ... I ask him: "What’s that?" And he said: "It’s KISS! A masked group that plays rock with flames and fireworks! ... are the favourite band of my brother! "
The next day, at school, my friend show my the KISS masks drawn on his diary and I was caught by Gene’s, I spend more time drawing their faces on my notebooks then studying! KISS fever begins to eat me ... but I should wait until 1980 to listen their music!
I will never forget! I go with my father in the only music shop in town and while browsing the singles stack I’m literally petrified by the cover of Shandi / She 's So European!
I’ll listen to that until I destroyed it!
I still remember the excitement while going to a newspaper shop in the hope to find a magazine with KISS on cover or some news about it, when rarely I got one it was a national holiday! I looked at Gene’s, Ace’s, Paul’s and Peter’s pictures with shiver on me! In the early days there was no internet and you could not have news about the band or new album and so you went to a record shop in the same silence when you enter a sacred place in the hope to find a KISS LP .. and when it happened I stayed front of the cover in shock!
That was paradise!
I remember the excitement for Unmasked, The Elder and especially "Creatures of the night" ... it was pure oxygen! With the release of "Lick it up" I had almost a heart attack to see my idols unmasked! I lived again these beautiful emotions in a more intense way, if I may say with the devastating "Meet & greet" in Verona, where I had the opportunity to meet ... I can write it ...!
Yes. ... KISS!!!

31/10/08

ROME 1980 (by Alessandro)
Many years have passed, and so much water under the bridge, as they say.
I remember the summer of 1980, Piazza Mazzini, my brother running toward Francesco Pascoletti and me, the future  Fuzz Fuzz of Metal Shock, waving the Unmasked vinyl. At barely knew them, I was convinced that Ace was the bass player ... more or less the same day we discover that Kiss will play live in Rome. Let's go back a few days before, holiday in Sicily with our camper, along the way we buy in newsstand the Intrepido magazine with the Dynasty poster, we arrive directly at Castel S.Angelo, with the posters hanging from one of the panoramic windows of our side ...
The waiting is nerve-wracking, there was my father who supported us, he raised us as we could not see a lot (I did the same for my daughter at Tokio Hotel concert), my two brothers happy and crazy, my mother and my younger brother, two years old ... crazy idea ;-)
I remember the green light tubes, lights and flames, Gene singing IWMFLY, Paul could not play and the roadie repairing the guitar live, I remember being up on the shoulders of my father the whole 2000 Man, Ace with the light guitar ... Wow!!!
Ace running away in a limousine on the Lungotevere, my mother is the only one who see him ...
I remember I thought I would have never saw them again ... Instead it was only the beginning :-)
Alessandro

16/10/08 My passions by Loris

1979 - my life proceeded quiet, few problems many friends. The first year of high school, professional graphics sector, to prepare for the job from which I would have never detached except for a brief period of my life ..
My passions? The piano, I studied for many years since I was 6 and for which I have an emotional bond some time too big and the only thing able to balance it for a while is the other passion I have:
KISS!
They hit me like a thunderbolt out of the blue: I was made for lovin' you was the first real song heard with the brain, the soul, heart, blood and all my cells.
I still remember where: while entering in my room, located at the north side of the great house of my parents, I heard the repeated sequence of notes of the great intro and then the melody, and a virtual hand took me next to the radio next to my bed. It was afternoon and the sun played in the air marked with beams of light that came in from the window of worked glass as diamond reflections. It was an unforgettable day. The song on the radio ended after about 5 minutes, it’s still playing my head!
It was a succession of questions, research, to understand who and where those guys came from yet unknown to me.
There was no Internet and not even mobile phones. At school I found a student who was known as a KISS fan; contacted him, and he was happy for my new passion, I talked so much about this band and he gave me Destroyer LP. I saw them masked for the first time, and this became the identity card of this band. I can not see them otherwise.
I decided at that point to call another friend who had a TV and stereo store, which I knew he was in contact with music dealers: I bought 6 or 7 LPs in one shot and then everything else until Dinasty, the latest at that time.
Nobody never entered in my heart in such a amazing way. And nobody made me spend so much money! I bought in recent years LPs, CDs, DVDs, bath robes, buckles, pins, hats, action figures, comic books, bootleg, posters, T-shirts, patches and more.
Carnivals were obviously linked to their masks and I often found myself talking to other 4 or 5 "Gene Simmons” more or less faithful to the original one and other members of the group.
Every friend at the time was inevitably contaminated by my passion and involved by the enthusiasm they can unleash at any time.
I’ve been living with KISS for 29 years now, with ups and downs. I also hated them when I knew of Ace and Peter, when I saw their masks disappear, even when my time probably was changing and their history not followed my passions anymore. But they returned as if they were never gone. Like old friends KISS are always linked to my name, everyone who knows me knows that I follow two things: KISS and HELLAS (Verona football team).
And the story never ends.

02-10-08

KISS & me by Anton4

KISS enters in my life in 1982 when two friends from high school - Franco and Fabrizio - spread the word among their classmates "infecting" positively my friend Carlo and myself.
Since then my relationship with KISS never stopped and the tattoo done shortly before the Milan concert this year (seen together with my great friend Stefania) it’s a simple seal of something that will accompany me until the end.

Vinnie, as may be understood from the picture of me in his make-up - embodies for me the lead guitarist of KISS. [FOTO]
I was lucky enough to know him in 2004 but unfortunately the last e-mail contact dates back in 2006 and then the deep darkness.
In any case I had the chance to share with him some reflections on various guitars and guitarists, and honour him with my picture with "his" Jackson RR3. Great Vinnie!
KISSARMY member on kissonline.com until they decided to close it (it was 2006 if I’m not mistaken) I’m proud to have got 8200 points and being a KISS ARMY GENERAL 3 stars (with the same nick here: anton4) number 3 in the overall world rankings (the number one was an Australian - Criss - with 12,000 points and second an American with a little over 9,000 if I remember correctly).
As culmination of more than two decades as KISS fan I finally can not avoid to mention the two meet & greet in Verona and Milan during which I know Fabio (Deuce) and I come across the Kissweb.it.

Today, with 41 springs behind, manager of a multinational company, I show with pride every time I can my love for KISS, I wear my T-shirts and talk about it. To my colleagues, as to my six grandchildren I try to pass this passion, when they ask me the true meaning of my love for KISS I always respond that I wish them to get all a passion that may accompany them for so many years, in joy and in sorrow with the same intensity! I WANT KISS!
A note before closing. Carlo is still, after all these years, my best friend and talking about Franco and Fabrizio, with which I’m still in contact on facebook, I think we are talking about at least 50 KISS concerts seen.
The infection continues! So: keep rockin!
Antonio

15/09/08

ELENA DI CIOCCIO TALKS ABOUT KISS AT DEUCENEWS
I'm pleased and proud to report what the great Elena di Ciccio tells about her KISS memories:
"It was the 1987 and I was listening to all rock and  metal records I found at home or to the tapes my friends was used to give me.
I was 13 and the "total black" look copied from Cinzia, my older dark sister, didn't represent me anymore.
I was becoming a new rocker who believed in the realm of metal and I wanted to show the signs of this faith.
A biker black leather jacket was the first step toward my new look, a jeans jacket with patches was the second one.
I chose accuratly my patches and the first one I had it sewed by my grandmother was the one with KISS first album cover.
and everithing started from here ......
Gosh!!! while I'm writing this I realise I could tell you about thousands bites of my life linked to KISS, the very first band, the first real love, the first erotic dreams, the first believes.
But I stop by now and I try take some moments to enjoy some sweet memories by my own and perhaps I try to put them in order to tell them.
I like this site!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
KISS
Elena di Cioccio"

15/09/08

Here we are with the second episode of memories of the great early years of KISS in Italy with this amzing picture from ankh:

One of the first articles about KISS was released in 1974 on Ciao 2001. It was an interview. Being KISS unknown here in Italy, the general tone was quite friendly.
     At the beginning of 76 I was still a Formula 1 fan(I was 8 years and a half) and listened to the music that my sister heard on the radio, plus some singles on vinyl received as gifts. In those days Elvis was still my favourite. One day my sister gave me a copy of Ciao 2001. Passing through the pages, I discover a picture of Gene Simmons (Alive! period) with his open mouth open, and I shout out loud: "this is the group I like!" with the dismay of all the people in the room.
The article was titled “Patti Smith & KISS, leaders of the new U.S. rock.”
It was a small page , with a small pictures of the group along with Elton John.
Oviously this article did not talk well, and made a beautiful service to Smith (KISS had a “fake approach to glam ?) and with clears references to Nazi symbolism"). They di littlelt otalk about the last album ”Destroyer”. In short, the tone was" on the one hand we have a new muse(Patty Smith), on  the other the barbarians come”
     After a while on the third page of the local newspaper “Il Mattino” a b/w picture of the group on the bridge of London appears with a few lines that say "fire, flames, blood and guitar that shoots rockets". During the summer, on holiday near Formia (Lazio) some friends call me to make me listen "Rock n 'roll all nite" by a local radio station(!). I like it so much but, no money, no record.
I remember the chorus by heart  and also some verses and I start singin’ it all the time.
     Time passes and one day I was watching "The other Sunday"(TV show) by Arbore, hoping to see interesting groups thanks to Michel Pergolani; but it’s Arbore himself that present a video of "I want you." Love at first sight. I try to buy the records, but nothing to do, the little money I had were for comics magazines of Shang Chi and Marvel superheroes, another typical  passion of the 70’.
     The same summer holydays near Bolzano, I was locked in the car waiting for my father when the door opens and he give me a tape of "Rock n roll over". I make mine his tape recorder and I listen to it again and again. I bring it with me during the whole summer  holiday with the “obvious” refusals to list by all my older cousins. I do not give a f……, I liked! I liked the music and the way they played, and the more I liked the music I liked their image, not one but four heroes. Due to lack of news, I did know absolutely nothing about them, the guys behind the mask, but at the time it was not so important. I had many tape and it gave me strong emotions and this was enough!
     I buy the tape of Destroyer.
Both tapes are originals one and were played over and over again on different recorders (the quality was really poor, not to mention the packaging ........).
     I buy "Love gun", the LP, found out by chance in a small record shop in town. I play it loudly on my home stereo. I liked so much; it’s not a passing passion.
     I try in vain to get articles in the newspapers. I ask to my parents the LP with RnR all nite on it and with great “effort” my father gets me, for Christmas, to the record shop.
I find the track only on the double live LP “ALIVE!”. I pray for having it even if it costs 14.000 liras. Since it is Christmas, I get it. It doesn’t matter if the gatefolds are made by cellophane (!), that the side A is printed on the B side.
I play it all, all the day. I find a brief note about the fan club, with reference to the amazing photo that dissolves just exposed to light. I can’t believe it. To see  their real faces becomes a new obsession. I’d like to subscribe immediately to the KISS Army, but they tell me it is "stuff for children".
         I go to the records shop every day (twice a day during summer for the air conditioning), the 4 solo LP appear. What I do? I obviously buy Gene. I like it. After two months, with some hesitation, I choose to buy Ace. Eight thousand liras were a lot for a boy of eleven years. Thre were no Rock magazine s at those days, Ciao 2001 and Posptar were the most famous. My friends at school was used to tell me “you are the only one who know those songs you’re singing’! " .
     A local TV channel, Channel 21, appears and despite the "snow" and the lack of audio, promotional videos of "Rock and roll  over" can be see. They were like UFO’s appearances.
     Popstar comes out with an article about KISS. In the meantime I have some newspaper crops that I jealously store. L 'only person I know is aware of the group is my American  aunt (years later was obliged to buy me KISStory). The other boys talk just about football. I do not care. Music was much more of a fantasy.
     Dynasty comes. All of a sudden, the group is known by all, losing that "magical" and "private" aura. Everyone talks about, often without a clue. You may see some more videos, like meteors in a trash music space . More articles appears, the tone is always superficial if not contemptuous, thay talks about the film. In the meantime I find a friend who every two days announced me  a new record is out (actually, his mother buy KISS records for him without a precise order). Since I was denied the purchase of "Alive II" ( "you already have those songs on cassettes that we've given to you"), we start listening it on my friend orange record equipment, that kind of strange thing whre the top was a speaker, we are enthusiastic, despite the fact that  I went on asking again and again to play Ace’s solo. He buys "Paul Stanley". So I may listen from him the records I hav not. We both desire for posters a fake record seller has. My friend mother buy it for 10.000 liras. We read the news behind it  before hanging on the wall (rather than read it , I memorized instantly). The only other news was given by Corrierboy,  Sorrisi e Canzoni TV .......... "Ragazza in" (a female magazine), bought without shame .. There were KISS, nothing else counted fro us. "Unmasked" comes. We see the "Shandi" video. I discover that the poster of my friend is actually appeared on a number of Popstar ( what then became "Rockstar" a few months after). One of my school friends  makes me see an article in Corrierboy with a photo without make-up. For the vary first time.    
     I go on holiday on the mountains and I discover that  they will come to Italy!
     The daily “Corriere delle Sera"  says: "KISS had a little problem. Drummer Peter Criss left the band. It’s been substituted  by Paul Caravello." I’m shocked. It’s impossible!
    I buy a Corrierboy where I find a photo of Peter with a question mark "Peter Criss has left the band. The name of the replacement is still unknown ": So it’s true! I cannot go to the concerts, for cruel irony, the film is projected for a single day in a cinema in my neighbourhood, the day when I'm not there, so I can’t watch it. I Buy Sorrisi e canzoniTV where I see:
     A) a picture of the group (Ace was not present) in the streets of Rome without make up.
     B) Eric Carr in his make up. I hate at first sight (I was young ).
     I read concerts reviews obviously negative, except for Iron maiden, I think what I lost. I try to survive with newspaper crops on which I can put my hands on and I hag the first two posters on my  room wall, the one next where I sleep. I buy girls’ magazines to have KISS posters where there were descriptions of the four, all wrong. I get the “Monello” poster with their autographs on it.
     The eighties were started...............

ankh