On 15. May 1975, the “Alive!” photo session with photographer Fin Costello took place at the Michigan Palace in Detroit. The band also filmed promo videos for “Rock And Roll All Nite” and “C’mon And Love Me”.
Fin Costello:
“Michigan Palace was a rehearsal place then (a Victorian music hall and home gig of the STOOGES and the MC5, now a car park) where we shot a promo film and did the publicity shots for the album which was to be recorded the next day at Cobo. I got them to do the ‘STATUS QUO’ pose (Gene’s words) a few times, which is where the shot came from. At that time we were just shooting every idea that came to mind. I was still thinking we would get the cover shot at the actual gig.”
– Kiss Kollector Online
Fin Costello:
“The cover was shot at the Michigan Palace in Detroit [now a parking lot], which had been the home of the Stooges, and MCS. It was being used by KISS for rehearsals for their Cobo Hall show, where they were recording the live album. We hung a backdrop in front of the drums and did some shots for the European and Japanese magazines and then went on to film and photograph a run-through of the show. I had just moved to the U.S. from London, where I had worked with bands like Deep Purple, Humble Pie, and Status Quo. Quo had a bit in their show where the three guitarists came close together and did a little dance kind of thing, which had impressed Gene. It became a sort of in joke during the shoot. I kept saying, “Let’s do the Quo shot again,” until eventually Paul said, “Hey man, we are KISS not Quo.” As you can see from the high angle of the camera this could not have been taken at a live show, as I would have had to have been suspended above the stage to get that angle.
Technically, it’s not very good as a photograph but really cuts it in terms of atmosphere. The album’s back cover was the big surprise for me. I thought that a shot showing the size of the gig might work and went down to the front just before the show. As I was taking a shot, these two kids walked into frame with a poster they had made. They were pleased to have their picture taken but must have been as surprised as me when it made the back cover. A fan’s dream come true.”
– “Kiss: Behind the mask” by David Leaf
Fin Costello:
“We were there all day and my plan was to get a poster shot for a Swedish magazine called Poster. There was no intention of getting a photo for the album cover. So I put up this yellow background in the middle of the stage in front of the drums and we photographed the band against it. Status Quo were a big British band who had a bit in their show where the three guitarists came close together and did a little dance, which had impressed Gene. It became a sort of in-joke during the shoot. They were doing something with their guitars and I said, “That’s a bit like Status Quo.” I took the backdrop out, which left the band’s stage set. I told them to do the Quo move again, which was holding the guitars together and swinging them back and forth. On the cover of Alive! you can see that Quo move with the way Ace is holding his guitar. I kept on making them do it over and over until Paul eventually got fed up and said, “Look, we’re not Status Quo, we’re KISS” [laughs]. In the heat of it the band are just a prop, they’re not people, you’re just shouting at them to do what you want them to do.”
– “Nothin’ to lose: The making of KISS (1972-1975)” by Ken Sharp, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley
