Well, where should I start? I'm not planning to make this "my life story", but I will give you a quick insight in my perspective at KISS as a band, and their music and lastly, what impact KISS have had on me. As a little footnote, I was born in 1982, the same year my favourite album of KISS was released.

As I have already written, I first heard KISS when I was around six years old. At that time I basically listened to everything a kid does, or at least did back then. Whatever I could get a hold of, and what was funny to listen to. After one of my brothers, Gard, played "War Machine", I pretty much knew that this was something great, and Larger than Life as in the song title from Alive II (1977).

I slowly but steadily started collecting cassettes, and Gard gave me his vinyl's and whatever posters he had lying around. I also started to draw huge amounts of drawings of KISS, from make believe live-shows I visualised in my mind, to only the faces of the members in make-up. Bear in mind that I was very into the "mystery of KISS", although they had been playing without the make-up for almost ten years.

Of course I was very aware of this too, but I never drew KISS without make-up. I truly believed that the personas in make-up were something unreal somehow; they didn't have zippers on their boots, or ever took their make-up off. When the utterly tragic death of drummer Eric Carr happened in November 1991 (due to cancer), I first read it in a magazine called "Topp" a couple of months later, and I was shocked and wondered what would happened to KISS.

As the years went by, and I got older, things got to be a little less "magic" in the way that KISS were superheroes, but I still to this day keep the notion I had back then. I collected everything I could get a hold of, from old magazines from the early eighties, to cheap vinyl's I could get a hold of. I also remember very clear getting a crisp and unopened Alive II double vinyl, from my oldest brother Tord, and how it amazed me too just look at the concert picture in the foldout from the Love Gun-tour.

Regarding listening to KISS, that was pretty much *all* I ever listened to from when I heard them for the first time, actually pretty much until attending High School (!). I remember thinking when Metallica were huge with the release of "the Black Album", I thought to myself; "it would be unfaithful to like them too". Today that's fun to think back on.

When I got a hold of the videotapes as they came out, KISS Exposed, KISS X-treme close-up, KISS Konfidential etc., I watched them over and over again on Gard's VCR. I almost had to book his room, because I watched them so often. Luckily I have them on DVD today as well.

Then the time came... KISS put on their makeup again. The year was 1996, and I was about 13 years old. I must confess that I didn't have all that great expectations about KISS reuniting into the original line-up in make-up, but I was very excited about it, don't get me wrong. Sadly, I didn't manage to get the tickets to the first concert of the Reunion Tour on '96-'97 in Oslo Spektrum in December 1996. But, in Christmas of '96, my parents got me tickets for me and both of my brothers in the jewel case of the Greatest KISS cd.

Then, in June of 1997, I attended my first KISS-concert with the original line-up of Gene, Paul, Peter and Ace. I was pretty short at that time, and we decided to stand by the mixing-stand, which resulted in a enormous amount of seemingly huge people, and I couldn't see s**t. Luckily they had the big screens on the stage, though. And one of the definitive highlights was when Paul came flying right over where I stood, and danced and pranced around to "Love Gun". But all in all, a great concert to attend.

Later I went to the concert in Oslo Spektrum in February 1999, as a part of the Psycho Circus Tour. This time I came better prepared, all dressed in a KISS t-shirt and Demon makeup (and also with glasses on top, I didn't have contacts then). As I stood in line to get in with Gard and a friend, the Norwegian TV-channel TV 2, filmed me as I was doing some "outdoor tongue-exercise"... They also tried to interview me about going to the concert, but I guess I just talked pure gibberish, excited as I was.

This really goes on longer than I planned, but there's more. But I will just talk about it in short reference. I kept on with my dedication for KISS, and went to conventions in Norway, with Bruce Kulick and Eric Singer. Great fun to meet and greet them, and get some stuff signed. I actually feel that it's "important" to meet past members, although they are very ordinary people too. I got involved with KISS Army Norway pretty early, when they still had the actual printed magazines and sent out newsletters by post (!). I have since been an active contributor to the online discussion forum, as well as attending the "KISS pubs" in Oslo, held at an somewhat regular basis.

Then in the spring of 2004 I went with KAN to Sweden, to the KISS Expo 2004 in Stockholm. Former KISS manager of the seventies, Bill Aucoin was there, as well as Bruce Kulick and other people involved more or less in the history of KISS, along with lots of merchandise.

A little later in the spring of 2004, Mr. Gene Simmons came to Oslo, Norway, to make an appearance on a show called "Store Studio" to promote his solo album "Asshole". I luckily got a ticket; as did as many others, put Gene's makeup on my face. I was a good laugh and exciting to attend in the audience, although I didn't get the chance to meet Gene personally or get anything signed. But still, a cool thing to be there.

Today, I keep myself updated on whatever happens in the "KISS camp" as well as discussing random topics about KISS and their members on the KAN-forum. Of all the music I have listened to through the years, I will never get tired of putting on a KISS record, and it will always sound "fresh" and be awesome to play air guitar to...

- Kyrre Wedvik winter 2005