On 13. June, 1979, Kiss did the dress rehearsal for the “Dynasty” tour at Lakeland Civic Center, Florida. Members of the local and national press attended. Known photographers on this event were Neal Preston and Bob Gruen.
That afternoon, Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, and Ace Frehley made an unmasked appearance on WRBQ radio in Tampa, while Peter Criss had the stitches removed from his injured hand. The injury had been sustained during the “Dynasty” cover photo shoot when, following a heated argument with Ace Frehley, he punched a wall mirror and severely cut his hand.
Although a concert had originally been scheduled for that day, it was canceled earlier in the week. The official explanation was that Peter needed additional time to recover from his hand injury, though some observers speculated that disappointing ticket sales also played a role. According to the Lakeland Ledger (15. June, 1979), only about 8,000 tickets had been sold for the two planned shows at the 10,000-seat arena. Instead of a full performance, Kiss staged only the show’s climactic finale, “Black Diamond,” for members of the press. The date had appeared on various itineraries as a rehearsal, a possible concert date, and a hold date, suggesting plans changed several times before the cancellation.
The “Dynasty” tour itself represented a massive financial gamble. With production costs reportedly reaching $2.2 million during a period when the music industry was experiencing a significant downturn in both touring and record sales, Kiss was taking to the road with one of the most ambitious stage productions of its era.
The following day, 14. June, 1979, Gene Simmons appeared on Orlando’s BJ-105FM lunchtime radio show, humorously adopting the nickname “Jumpin’ Gene Simmons.” During the broadcast, he chatted with callers, discussed the cancellation of what would have been the opening night of the tour, and promoted the band’s upcoming performances.
Photo by Neal Preston.
Related Kiss posts:
Peter Criss nearly falls from his malfunctioning drum riser
Ace Frehley playing the light guitar live for the first time
Gene Simmons and Cher hosts the NARM Awards Banquet
Gene Simmons flying on stage for the first time
Kiss tapes the Tomorrow Show with Tom Snyder
Gene Simmons and Ace Frehley interviewed on the Robert Klein Radio Hour
On 13. June, 1979, Kiss did the dress rehearsal for the “Dynasty” tour at Lakeland Civic Center, Florida. Members of the local and national press attended. Known photographers on this event were Neal Preston and Bob Gruen.
That afternoon, Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, and Ace Frehley made an unmasked appearance on WRBQ radio in Tampa, while Peter Criss had the stitches removed from his injured hand. The injury had been sustained during the “Dynasty” cover photo shoot when, following a heated argument with Ace Frehley, he punched a wall mirror and severely cut his hand.
Although a concert had originally been scheduled for that day, it was canceled earlier in the week. The official explanation was that Peter needed additional time to recover from his hand injury, though some observers speculated that disappointing ticket sales also played a role. According to the Lakeland Ledger (15. June, 1979), only about 8,000 tickets had been sold for the two planned shows at the 10,000-seat arena. Instead of a full performance, Kiss staged only the show’s climactic finale, “Black Diamond,” for members of the press. The date had appeared on various itineraries as a rehearsal, a possible concert date, and a hold date, suggesting plans changed several times before the cancellation.
The “Dynasty” tour itself represented a massive financial gamble. With production costs reportedly reaching $2.2 million during a period when the music industry was experiencing a significant downturn in both touring and record sales, Kiss was taking to the road with one of the most ambitious stage productions of its era.
The following day, 14. June, 1979, Gene Simmons appeared on Orlando’s BJ-105FM lunchtime radio show, humorously adopting the nickname “Jumpin’ Gene Simmons.” During the broadcast, he chatted with callers, discussed the cancellation of what would have been the opening night of the tour, and promoted the band’s upcoming performances.
Photo by Neal Preston.
Related Kiss posts:
Peter Criss nearly falls from his malfunctioning drum riser
Ace Frehley playing the light guitar live for the first time
Gene Simmons and Cher hosts the NARM Awards Banquet
Gene Simmons flying on stage for the first time
Kiss tapes the Tomorrow Show with Tom Snyder
Gene Simmons and Ace Frehley interviewed on the Robert Klein Radio Hour