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Richard Galbraith Photography Presents KISS was self-published in October 2009 through Lulu.com. A photography book as the name implies, the tome features photos from almost every major concert KISS performed in Oklahoma from 1976 to 1986. Each set of concert photographs include an introduction, and each introduction is based on information given to Greg Prato. Roughly seventeen of Galbraith’s KISS photos were included in Kiss Army Worldwide: The Ultimate Fanzine Phenomenon, written by Ken Sharp and bassist Gene Simmons, and also published in October 2009, but through Phoenix Books.
Here's an excerpt from a recent interview with Richard Galbraith:
Q: You attended your first KISS concert on March 4th, 1976 at the Oklahoma Civic in Oklahoma City, photographing the band four days later on March 8th at the Tulsa Assembly Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Given KISS’ stellar live reputation, did they live up to your live expectations? That day, you apparently met members of the band without realising…
A: KISS blew me away – it was a great show. I always loved the bigger than life shows like with Alice Cooper. I think the March 4th show was a last moment fill in date, but we went down and were standing by the back door hoping to meet the band. We met a woman that was with the lighting or sound guy and she needed a ride to the mall. We didn’t want to leave but then she offered a few backstage passes. When we got back we were told the band was not there yet, but as I mentioned in the book this guy in stacks and a shirt that says Simmons came up and talked with us so we told him how we got our passes, and then there was a guy surrounded by road cases playing the guitar. This is also the same show that had a bluegrass band open, Mountain Smoke – years later I found out that was the band that Vince Gill was in. But it was after the Tulsa show where we went out back afterwards and saw those same guys getting in the limo, and some were dressed up in suits from what I remember. We figured they had the roadies trying to throw everyone off, but part way home it hit us… guess we were a bit slow back then. But yes KISS lived up to everything you read about them or saw on TV… Killer shows…
Q: On January 6th, 1977, you were finally able to shoot KISS from the photopit, but Peter Criss was struck with a toilet roll while singing “Beth” (from 1976’s Destroyer). How different was it being able to shoot KISS from the photopit, and did the toilet roll incident spoil the occasion for you a little?
A: On this show I actually had front row tickets so I was able to shoot the whole show. I still had to shoot around people in the pit and the monitors but it makes a lot of difference when you can pace yourself and shoot the whole show. Back then I shot Ektachrome slide film and black and white so I was limited to how much film I could afford. But the show was going great and then someone nailed Peter Criss with a full roll of toilet paper. From what I remember he stood up and said “Fuck you assholes, fuck you”. Gene walked over and they talked and that was the end of the show, so I lost out on perhaps another three or four encore songs which really sucked since it was one of the few times I had a great seat for KISS.
Q: At the October 17th, 1979 show at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Oklahoma, unfortunately, a local photographer gave you a false backstage pass after the show. When you found out, how did you feel? And looking back, do you have a laugh about that in hindsight?
A: One of the shows where I didn’t have a pass. I saw a friend giving out passes after the show and you know it’s mainly for the women to get backstage, but he had some others and the one I got had poser on it which is really an insult, but at the time didn’t really know what the different passes meant. Guess it was like walking around with a sign that said loser on it… But after having been backstage or having passes for other shows it was a letdown or insult I guess.
Q: And on October 29th, 1979 at the Tulsa Assembly Center, you photographed KISS from the photopit, and actually met bassist Gene Simmons and rhythm guitarist / vocalist Paul Stanley backstage. What memories do you have of that backstage meeting?
A: I guess this was the show where I got to shoot a few songs from the pit then you have to go out front. I was backstage before the show sitting on a road case and Gene came over and talked with me for around ten minutes. He had his blood mixture warming up nearby so we talked about that as well, but I did ask if he could help me get a better pass to shoot the whole show. Gene kind of mentioned he was just the bass player and that there was a staff that took care of that end of the business, but it was worth a try. I think this was the show where I gave Gene a photograph from 1976 of him blowing fire, a mirror image shot I created in the darkroom… which would crop up many years later… 2009.
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