Kiss 's debut on Brazilian stages, the memory of their first show in the country remains among the best memories of the band's career for bassist and vocalist Gene Simmons.
Creatures of the Night tour arrived in the country for three shows. Now without Ace Frehley and Peter Criss , the band featured Vinnie Vincent and Eric Carr as replacements for the original members, delivering a performance that would remain etched in the memories of young headbangers for a lifetime.
With Simmons, the first impression of the Brazilian audience also stands out. In a press conference about the documentary KISStory , on the A&E channel , the musician recalled the emotion of playing in Rio de Janeiro for more than 130,000 people after arriving at the event venue under escort in an army tank.
“We played at the Maracanã stadium in Brazil, I remember looking at that stadium, the biggest in the world, and really realizing how many people were there,” he said. “It’s four times bigger than any other stadium in the world. It’s something I’d love to repeat, it was the most wonderful thing we’ve ever seen, it was like performing for the universe.”.
From religious protests accusing Kiss of Satanism to a mocking article in Folha de São Paulo , the press reaction at the time was one of persecution and prejudice, but none of that changed the magic for those who were present on that historic night.
The band's return to Brazil is scheduled for April and May 2022 with The End of The Road Tour , Kiss's farewell tour. Learn more here.
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