We are to yet another disc that was included in the John Humphrey Collection I bought last year at an auction where I got my hands on 38 Bootleg CDs from his personal collection. Oh, if you don’t know who John Humphrey is, you need to know he is a massive Kiss collector. And he is the drummer of the band Seether. John decided to sell off his entire collection…sort of…he kept all the vinyl (like 4,000 of them). He did it through an auction at Backstage Auctions and I had to have a piece of it…which I did.

This particular bootleg comes to us from The Godfatherecords and was released on October 1, 2014. What you get here are two complete live shows from Kiss on one disc. Surprising, I know, however these shows are from 1974 when Kiss was basically an opening act. The first show is from Independence Hall in Baton Rouge, LA on July 16,1974 and the second show is from The Bayou in Washington D.C. on March 25, 1974. When you look at the names of the places they played, you think the names have to be mixed up because The Bayou sounds like a place in Louisiana and Independence Hall sounds like it should be in our Nation’s Capitol. But, trust me. Those are the correct cities for each arena.

The first show at Independence Hall saw Kiss as the opening act of a three band line-up. The other bands were the New York Dolls and Blue Oyster Cult. Kiss was relegated to only 6 songs which makes it last around 30 minutes. The other show at The Bayou saw Kiss do not one, but two shows that night and both sold out. The first at 8pm and the second at 10:30pm. The Bayou was basically a hole-in-wall club that was said to look like an unfinished basement when I looked it up on Kissconcerthistory.com. The recording is the 2nd show and both shows on this disc I think are audience recordings, but done ver well.

INDEPENDENCE HALL (July 16, 1974):

Up first is Independence Hall and they kick off the show with “Deuce” but not before the announcer says “put your two lips together and get ready for Kiss!”. The band comes exploding out of the gate. Gene sounds a little bit younger here and so does Paul. They are still very early in their touring career but they sound tight and mean. There is a long pause between this one the next one which is “Strutter”. Not as abusive as “Deuce”. Strangely, Gene seems to sing the first couple lines before Paul comes in to finish it off. Being an audience recording, the instruments are little muddied, but you can still hear them pretty well.

Paul’s first interaction with the crowd comes before “She” which is an old Wicked Lester song. However, they have turned it into a Kiss song as it is a slowed down, sludged up heavy metal song now. Really killer. The solo on here is not what you’d come to get later on, but the guitar break towards the end is really cool and exactly what I remember. During the song, one of the backing vocals gets so freaking high on a word that it will catch you off guard. I don’t recall ever hearing that before on other early live versions. Pretty funny. This song wouldn’t come out for another year on ‘Dressed to Kill’.

There is a long break between “She” and the next track that many have suggested contained “Nothing to Lose”, but no setlist for that show has that song listed. Next us is “Firehouse”. A Kiss classic we’ve heard a million times and I could hear it a million more. There is cowbell, guitar, Gene’s gnarly backing vocals and Paul’s great lead vocals. Such a great song. The guitar solo is a little sloppy, but Ace was so understandable. And the song ends with the famous Kiss siren blaring louder than the band.

The set ends with back-to-back epic songs. First you get “100,000 Years” which starts off with some heavy bass from Gene, very ominous and eerie. The full band kicks in and it is off to the races. The song speeds up and Paul quickly spits out the lyrics. I love Peter’s drum fills while Paul was conversing with the crowd. He was a great drummer back in those days for sure. And who was blowing the GD whistle while Paul was talking??? (Ha!) The last track is “Black Diamond” and is another favorite for me. You get both Paul and Peter on vocals. Both songs completely rock out. The band sasy good night, the loud damn whistle blows and it is over. And that is the end. There is talk that there was one more song, “Let Me Go” which is how they ended shows early on, but no boots have that track either.

THE BAYOU (March 25, 1974)”

The Bayou show is actually earlier than the previous show so it is interesting to listen for differences in they way they played the two shows. And they both are excellent and the band is as brutal on each show as the other. This is their second performance of the evening as the announcer states. They kick it off with the same two songs, “Deuce” and “Strutter”. “Deuce” is the heavier of the two songs. Gene on vocals and Ace blasting guitar licks. The band is electric and destroying everyone’s eardrums. Next up is “Strutter” and Paul actually talks more between songs then they did on the other performance. I guess it is because as openers, they only had so much time. This song rock out as well, more hard rock then metal as “Deuce” is definitely more metal. Paul on vocals on this one. Sound is a little more hollow with this audience recording, but you can still hear it all.

The band is laid back between songs, some noodling and weird bantering. Did Paul just say “Olive Oil”?? “She” then kicks in I don’t feel this time it is as dirty and sludgy as the Independence Hall show. But it is still smoking hot. Ace’s guitar playing is always the star on this one. When they get to “Every body knows” or whatever he’s saying, that high pitched vocal, almost scream, I mentioned on the other show is here as well. Wow! Crazy. I don’t remember noticing that ever before. I will say that Ace’s guitar at the first solo is a little rough sounding but that is the tape and not his playing. The second guitar break is as killer as ever.

“Firehouse” is up next and there is no difference between the two different shows. The band know what they are doing with this one. Same sludgy, gritty bass and guitar riffs. Paul struts through the lyrics and the siren at the end. They could do this one in their sleep. Next is “Acrobat” and both sections of the song are performed on this show. The first part is what would become “Love Theme from Kiss” off the debut and the other is called “Much Too Young” which was a Gene idea that never materialized. Most of the song is an instrumental, but there are some lyrics with the “Much Too Young” part.  From what I can find, this might be the last time that would ever happen…or at least one of the last times. Cool to capture it here.

After some noodling around, they finally jump into the fun “Let Me Know” which was called “Sunday Driver” at one time. What is cool about this one is that both Gene and Paul shared vocals. This is something they should’ve done more of in the later years. It is an upbeat song that musically makes you feel good. It has a great beat and a bouncy feel to it. Then they go dark with “Black Diamond”. Paul and Peter tear it up with Peter being extra screamy during this one. He sounds deranged and I love every scream of it. They end it all with “Let Me Go, Rock And Roll” as this is 1974, no “Rock And Roll All Nite” yet. Gene lets out a howl of “Rock & Roooolllll” and off they go. A fast paced rocker with lots of energy and excitement. Ace flies over the frets and Gene passionately yells out the lyrics. A great song to go out on as it gets everyone on their feet.

And there you have it. Another great bootleg from John Humphrey’s collection. Man, there have so many good ones in this set. These are two great short shows from Kiss’ early years and even though they are audience recordings, they are quality recordings for the time and worth hearing. You won’t be disappointed. I love the fact it captures the last full performance of “Acrobat” and I love the energy of a band that is so young and hungry at the time. Two solid shows from Independence Hall and The Bayou. Grab this if you find it. My Overall Score is a 4.0 out of 5.0 Stars only because the recordings are great, just not soundboard quality. We still have a lot more boots to get to so I hope you come back for those. If you need to catch up on all the boots, they are listed below.

The Kiss Bootleg Series:

1. Kiss – ‘Accept No Imitations’ (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (ASYLUM TOUR)
2. Kiss – Look Wot You Dun to Me (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (CRAZY NIGHTS TOUR)
3. Kiss – The Summer of Satan: The Devils Ride Out! (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (DESTROYER TOUR)
4. Kiss – Return to Capital Center (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (DYNASTY TOUR)
5. Kiss – With Fire & Thunder (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (HOTTER THAN HELL TOUR)
6. Kiss – Northhampton PA March 19th, 1975 (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (DRESSED TO KILL TOUR)
7. Kiss – The Hottest Show On Earth (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (THE HOTTEST SHOW ON EARTH TOUR 2010)
8. Kiss – All the Way to the Ball Room (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (Australian Tour 1995)
9. Kiss – Kiss of Thunder (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (The Rising Sun Tour 2006)
10. Kiss – Agora Ballroom 1974: The Cleveland Broadcast plus Bonus Cuts (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (THE KISS TOUR)
11. Kiss – Hotter Than Hell: Radio Broadcast 1976 (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (ROCK & ROLL OVER TOUR)
12. Kiss – The Tickler (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (LICK IT UP TOUR 1983)
13. Kiss – Barbarize (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (ANIMALIZE WORLD TOUR 1984 – North American Tour)
14. Kiss – They Only Come Out At Night (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (ANIMALIZE WORLD TOUR 1984 – EUROPEAN TOUR)
15. Wicked Lester and the Progeny Demo Sessions (Bootleg)
16. Kiss – Black Diamond: Lafayette Music Room, Memphis, TN April 18th, 1974 – FM Broadcast
17. Kiss – End of the Road: In Allentown 2020 (PPL Center, Allentown, PA, 4th February 2020) (End of the Road Tour) – Blu-Ray
18. Kiss – ‘Monster Tour: Simpsonville 2013’ (Charter Amphitheatre at Heritage Park, Simpsonville, C – 13th August 2013) – Blu-Ray
19. Wicked Lester – The Original Wicked Lester Sessions (Bootleg)
20. Kiss – The Ritz on Fire (August 12, 1988, The Ritz, New York City. A radio broadcast – Crazy Nights Tour)
21. Kiss – Kiss My Axe 1978: Live from the Los Angeles Forum in California, August 25, 1977 (Love Gun Tour)
22. Kiss – Gods of Thunder: The Legendary Concert Broadcast – Sao Paulo, August 27, 1994′
23. Kiss – Black Diamond: Lafayette Music Room, Memphis, TN April 18th, 1974 – FM Broadcast (Alternate Cover)
24. Kiss -Alive! in Amityville: June 1973 – (2021)
25. Kiss – Set the World On Fire: Live (10 CD Box Set – Radio Broadcasts 1974-1994)
26. Kiss – Diamonds in the Dust (2022)
27. Kiss – Wicked Lester (John Humphrey Collection)
28. Kiss – Unplugged (John Humphrey Collection)
29. Kiss – Kabuki Beasts: Kyoto 1977 (John Humphrey Collection)
30. Kiss – Live in Australia 1980 (John Humphrey Collection)
31. Kiss – Electric Magic: Live East Lansing, MI October 21, 1974 (John Humphrey Collection)
32. Kiss – Detroit 1984: Cobo Hall, Dec. 12, 1984 (John Humphrey Collection)
33. Kiss – Snake Attack Budokan: Last Show Japan Tour 1977 (John Humphrey Collection)
34. Kiss – Live in Maryland 1977 (John Humphrey Collection)
35. Kiss – Feel Like Heaven (John Humphrey Collection)
36. Kiss – Madison Square Garden 1977 (John Humphrey Collection)
37. Kiss – The Lost Alive II Album (John Humphrey Collection)
38. Kiss – Live Vol. 1 : Detroit, Michigan April 7, 1974 (John Humphrey Collection)
39. Kiss – Boxx (Vol. 1): Live in USA 1975/’85 (John Humphrey Collection)
40. Kiss – Boxx (Vol. 2): Live in Europe 1984 (John Humphrey Collection)
41. Kiss – Kiss and Ace Demos (John Humphrey Collection)
42. Kiss – The Rock ‘N Roots of Kiss (2025)
43. Kiss – Choppers ‘N Chicks (Camp Curtis Guild Armory 11/15/1976 RARO Tour Rehearsal)
44. Kiss – Watching Us (John Humphrey Collection)
45. Kiss – Return to Thunder: Winter Tour 1976/1977 (John Humphrey Collection)
46. Kiss – Houston: The Summit Sept 2, 1977 (John Humphrey Collection)
47. Kiss – What Goes On Behind Closed Doors (2012) (John Humphrey Collection)
48. Kiss – Days of Sorrow And Madness (2014) (John Humphrey Collection)