The Last Show Of The Classic Line-Up Of KISS

Full of Drama

KISS’ classic lineup of Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss played together for the last time at the North Charleston Coliseum in South Carolina. They were nearing the end of their Farewell Tour when Criss found out that Frehley was getting $50,000 for each show which was $10,000 more than what Criss was making. He wrote in his memoir, “It was the most devastating blow of my professional life. I was so hurt I thought I was going to have a heart attack.”

They still had seven shows left but Criss was more than ready to leave it all behind. And so their final show happened on October 7, 2000. The set ended with a two-song encore – Beth and Rock and Roll All Nite. After the last track, Stanley began smashing his guitar but Criss would not be upstaged. His drum riser was still in the air and so he tried to one-up Stanley by kicking his drums to the floor.

He wrote, “Everyone stood up and cheered and Paul thought the cheers were for him until he turned around and saw a huge tom-tom coming down at him. So he took his guitar, threw it down on the stage, and walked off.”

When the tour resumed on March in Japan, Eric Singer replaced Criss.