ANDRE AUGUSTINE (Head of security for KISS between 1992 and 1997)
Source: www.rockpages.gr
Rockpages.gr: You were hired as a security employee for KISS right before the start of the Revenge Tour. How did you end up going from Run DMC to KISS?Andre Augustine: Well it’s a long story but I will attempt to make is shorter than it actually was…When I worked for a company called CSC, it’s a crowd management company where I got my start into this business, we did 2 RUN-DMC tours and on the second tour in 1988 I met a tour accountant, Jeff Krump, he was from Denver and worked with Barry Fey the concert promoter. Jeff in turn worked with CSC in Denver a lot on local concert promotion. Steve Wood was the current tour manager for KISS and they knew one another. Well on thing led to another and Steve called Jeff looking for a recommendation for a Security Director. Jeff gave Steve my number and he called and told me that I had been highly recommended by Jeff for the position and the rest is history.
Rockpages.gr: How different was your job in KISS in comparison with your previous duties as a security guy?
Andre Augustine: Well the job is basically the same with whomever you work with. The thing that make it different from job to job are the people in each organization. From the band members to the bands management to each road crew. But I would have to say that the dynamics of KISS was something that was very interesting in the fact that you had two founding members that were both leaders in the organization and the dynamic of their relationship that was most interesting to see every day. The way Gene and Paul interacted on a daily basis was really very refreshing. They knew who they were and knew where they wanted to go with the direction of the group. I always felt it interesting that they had a manager but that they were the ultimate decision makers when it came time to make the big decisions. With career making decisions they trust their own feelings and have the benefit of having been there since the beginning of the bands creation and know where they started and what it took for them to be successful.
Rockpages.gr: When it came time to do the Reunion Tour, you were promoted as the head of security and you were supposed to do all kind of jobs, including waking up the band members. Is that correct?
Andre Augustine: Well no, actually my job title was Tour Manager for the Reunion Tour. But I did security work as well for this one… But let’s back up a minute…. Before the Reunion tour we did the Convention Tour and I was the Road Manager and Security Director for that one… It was a much smaller scale and was the same lineup as the Revenge tour, Gene, Paul, Eric and Bruce. So Gene knew I could take the step up before we started all the planning for Reunion… But I must also say that without Tim Rozner who was the Tour Director and Production Manager this tour would not have gone as smooth as it did. He had the vision to create some of the big ideas that set this tour apart from all of the previous KISS tours. My hat is off to him for being able to do what he did with Gene and Paul breathing down his neck each and every day before this thing even started to take shape. The other guy that deserves another tip of the hat is Doc McGee, without Doc selling the idea of KISS back in makeup to the promoters this tour wouldn’t have happened… he had the vision of KISS putting the makeup back on and was able to tell the story in such a way that promoters all over the world “GOT IT”. So back to the original question, Yes I did have the responsibility of waking the band up, or giving them wake up calls everyday. I also was responsible for making sure the luggage got from city to city, as well as all band transportation. Weather it was by plane or bus or train. So in short I was Tour Manager, Security Director, Press liaison, and also made sure Gene got his cookies when he wanted them…
Rockpages.gr: The Reunion Tour was by far the biggest KISS tour trek of their career. Which were the main differences in comparison…let’s say, with the Revenge Tour?
Andre Augustine: The differences between the two tours were enormous. First was the excitement and buzz about the tour. Everyone wanted to see them the way they first started. EVERYONE. So the initial tickets for the entire tour sold out in about 20 mins. Every ticket sold out… BTW, I told Gene and Paul that it would when Gene first told me what they wanted to do 6 months before. Quick story, The band was rehearsing in a small studio in Hollywood and I went to see them play. When I got there they were in full rehearsal mode and I just slipped inside the room and sat on a couch off to the side. When Gene saw me he nodded his head to say hello and Paul did an eyebrow thing he does to say hello. I sat there and after about 20 secs I closed my eyes and the feeling of the song took me back to high school and brought up a lot of old memories from those days. Suddenly Ace took off and did a solo that was one of the most uplifting things I ever heard him play. It literally brought tears to my eyes and at the end of the song I walked up to Gene and said, “This is going to be bigger than anything you guys have ever done before”. He said, “You really think so?” I said “Mark my words, bigger than ANYTHING…”. So the difference in short was the historical significance that was the biggest thing. This meant so much to so many, fans, the band, me and everyone else involved with this history-making event. KISS with the makeup means something different to everyone but one thing for sure… KISS has meaning to us all…
Rockpages.gr: You were in the middle of all the KISS frenzy during 1996-97. Was there any tension or even fights among the KISS members before or after a concert?
Andre Augustine: All I really want to say about this is yes there were a few times that they got on each others nerves and lashed out at one another, but the things I saw happen between them you see happen between brothers from time to time…
Rockpages.gr: In your opinion, which was the main reason behind the reunion? Money or giving the fans what they wanted?
Andre Augustine: Of course money is the main motivator for everything we all do in life. But this band wanted to give the fans the best KISS experience that they could. That is Gene and Paul’s life quest, without a doubt.
Rockpages.gr: Please, share with us a funny incident from the time that you worked with KISS (that includes KISS members, of course…)…
Andre Augustine: Funny with a twist…We were in Chicago at the Ritz Carlton and I was getting ready to settle down and hit the sack when I got a call from Peter. He was napping but could not get to sleep. He told me he kept hearing a buzzing in his wall by the bed. He had called the front desk and maintenance came up there 2 or 3 times already but couldn’t find what it was. So at 12:30am I went to Peter’s room and knocked. He let me in and showed me the area that the buzzing was coming from. It was in the area of the nightstand next to the headboard. So I sat there for a few mins and after about 5 mins I heard the buzzing. It seemed to be coming from the nightstand. So I opened the drawer to the nightstand and low and behold there was the culprit. His pager was set on vibrate and had been buzzing for the last 4 hours in the drawer… BTW his fiancé and daughter had been trying for hours to reach him since he had a DO NOT DISTURB on his phone. Go figure…
Rockpages.gr: Now that you remember those years, which KISS member –in your mind- was the one that moved the KISS vehicle? Gene, Paul or both?
Andre Augustine: Gene is the main person who moves KISS but Paul is right there nipping at his heels every step of the way…
