Cars also raced

In 1979 my thoughts of music turned from the Beach Boys and Beatles toward a less savory genre of rock'n'roll. Far from the tunes on the radio, or the music I listened to on the family 3 in 1 stereo - MarkJ had truly moved to the dark side.
I was knocking around with Peter Elliot at the time, and on his bedroom wall was the biggest poster I'd ever seen. Four guys dressed in armor, faces made up in makeup, a bass guitar shaped like an axe ! Who the hell were these guys? They, of course, were KISS - and yes, they sooooo ROCKED.

A few weeks later I dropped around to Peter's place and the poster was gone - I was mortified when he told me he destroyed it - turns out KISS were a bunch of devil worshipers and so he destroyed all their music as well! I didn't have any albums or tapes myself, but I figured if Mum and Dad didn't know KISS were after my virgin soul they wouldn't mind if I brought an album or two with my pocket money. :)

Around this time are much more mature (read: older) Green Street Girl had also discovered the evils of KISS, but had only thrown here tapes in her rubbish bin. Her younger brother Kim kindly sold them to me for a tidy profit. Thanks Di - oh and Mosgiel Presbyterian Church too!

I'm only saying all this because last Sunday, after the Aussie F1 GP, KISS performed for the crowd. It was (excuse my French) fucking amazing. Song after song, memory after memory, 70's until today. All the lyrics stored away on dusty shelves in my mind came out to play once more, and I have a smile that still wont quit days later. I still love those guys. It's not just me either; Eddie Vedder was a member of the KISS Army - Dimebag Darrell was even buried in a KISS casket. It may not be cool to still dig KISS - but I just don't care!

Paul Stanley hit the nail on the head when he spoke to the audience;

This is what Rock 'n' Roll is all about guys
If you want bad news; read a newspaper, or watch the TV
If you want to be be preached to, then you're listening to the wrong fucking band.
We're here to have some fun.
So C'mon people - lets Rock 'n' Roll.