Monster World Tour - 2012 - '13

Start Date: November 7, 2012

End Date: November 8, 2013

Shows: 56

Legs: 5

Countries: Australia, Austria, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Norway, Paraguay, Sweden, Switzerland, United States

Opening Acts:

Amon Amarth, Bitch 'N' Chips, Firewind, Five Finger Death Punch, Hardcore Superstar, Ingenting, Kvelertak, Leogun, Rata Blanca, Reckless Love, Rival Sons, Rosa Tattooada, Rouge & Roll, Viper, Satan Takes A Holiday, Sonata Artica, Shinedown.

Average Attendance: Unknown

Line Up: Paul Stanley, Tommy Thayer, Gene Simmons, Eric Singer

With the Monster Tour, for the first time, KISS would start a tour right when they were still in a tour! While The Tour ended on March 12, 2013, the KISS Monster World Tour, started on November 7, 2012. With the second KISS Kruise right behind them, the KISS Monster World Tour started for the first time ever in Buenos Aires, Argentina. KISS would also visit Australia again and Japan for the first time since 2006. Paraguay also received their first KISS! The first part of the tour still used The Tour' stage, but for the European leg, they debuted a new stage with a giant robotic spider!

Set list wise nothing really special was changed or added, the biggest change was that the band would start playing 'Shock Me', and half way through the song would straight go into Tommy's song from Monster 'Outta This World' marking Tommy's first time singing a song of his own making. 'Hell or Hallelujah' was now in the set list in place of 'Say Yeah'. 'Wall Of Sound'', Gene's song from Monster was only played on the February 28, 2013 Perth, Australia show.

“With KISS it's always about giving the fans more bang for their buck and with the Monster tour we delivered just that. The Monster tour is beyond anything the fans have ever seen. We're using the latest technology and lights. We have a gigantic robotic spider on the stage, which is spectacular. It shoots fireballs and like a spider, it can move all over the place. It's simply spectacular.” - Gene Simmons -

The Monster World Tour Stage

The robotic spider, that was part of the lighting rig, would move around, lower the band at the start of the show, shoot pyrotechnics, smoke and had glowing eyes. The biggest downside of the whole thing was that it was unreliable during the whole tour as it malfunctioned many times. The stage itself was the same stage as used during The Tour but with some minor changes, while the lighting rig had it's spider, the actual stage looked like a dead spider on his back with his legs in the air.

The Monster World Tour Stage:

Robotic Spider - A giant lighting rig come to life in the form of a spider, it emitted smoke, pyrotechnics and would change form during songs. And malfunction allot.

Riser Cranes - Gone were the risers they have used for years, now two cranes were in their place, they were used for Tommy during his guitar solo and for Gene and Tommy during the last song before the encore. They would move out from their positions and would move over the crowd!

Flamethrowers - The flamethrowers, that would shoot in three directions, were no longer used.

Drum Riser Curtain - The drum riser curtain was now a digital version that would be behind the drum riser on the video screen.

Mirror Ball - The mirror ball used for the tour was probably the biggest they ever used.

Video Screen Cubes - The video screen cubes were now replaced with a handful rectangular versions placed on the far left and right of the stage on the little towers

Eric's Rocket Launcher - Eric's Rocket Launcher was now much bigger than the previous tours and now resembled a AT 4 Anti-Tank Rocket Launcher.

KISS Army Banners - The KISS Army banners once again returned left and right of the stage.

Stage Props:

Pre-Show "hum"
Fire Engine Lights
Fire Engine Siren
Giant KISS Logo Curtain Before Show
Video Screen
Video Screen Cubes
Gene Spitting Blood
Gene Breathing Fire
Flash Pots
Gene Flying
Paul Flying
Tommy's Guitar Solo
Tommy's Shooting Rocket Guitar
Eric's Rocket Launcher
Eric's Drum solo
Riser Cranes
Dry Ice Smoke
KISS Army Banners
Bombs
Fireworks
Pyrotechnics
Drum Riser
Flamethrowers
Confetti
Paul Smashing Guitar

Paul Stanley in his element.

Typical Setlist:

01. 'Detroit Rock City'
02. 'Shout It Out Loud'
03. 'Calling Dr. Love'
04. 'Hell Or Hallelujah'
05. 'Wall Of Sound'

06. 'Hotter Than Hell'

07. 'I Love It Loud'
08. 'Outta This World'

09. 'God Of Thunder'

10. 'Psycho Circus'

11. 'War Machine'

12. 'Love Gun'

13. 'Black Diamond'

Encore:

14. 'Lick It Up'

15. 'I Was Made For Lovin' You'

16. 'Rock And Roll All Nite'

Tour Book:

The Monster Tour book had two versions, one standard version for North America, Europe and South America and one for Australia with the only difference being

the front cover and the credit page. No special tour book for the Japanese leg was printed as the leg only held 4 shows.

Tour Book:

The Australian cover with the different graphics for the Monster Tour 2013 logo and the added 40th Anniversary logo

Tour Book:

Australian version with different credit page

Tour Book:

Special Shows / Happenings:

River Plate Stadium, Buenos Aires, Argentina, November 7, 2012

First date of the tour, the band sang Happy Birthday to Tommy Thayer before his guitar solo! The show was live-streamed on vorterix.com .

- Friends Arena, Stockholm, Sweden, June 1, 2013 -

The first show of the European leg of the tour with the debut of the new Spider stage.

- Forum, Copenhagen, Denmark, June 11, 2013 -

The Spider malfunctioned most of the show.

- Mediolanum Forum, Milan, Italy, June 18, 2013 -

Two stage workers got injured and one died because of an accident backstage while moving gear back to the trucks. The Meet & Greet was for some reason cancelled.

- Hallenstadion, Zurich, Switzerland, June 20, 2013 -

A (almost) sold out show in Zurich that was broadcasted on AXS TV.

- Pepsi Live and Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC, Canada, July 6, 2013 -

At the FiLong & McQuade Musical Instruments in Vancouver, Tommy Thayer held a solo meet & greet in the afternoon.

The spider caused so much issues before the show that the show was delayed for a short while.

- Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, CT, August 10, 2013 -

Eric Singer broke a toe before the show, but like the little cat trooper he is, he still played!

- Rosen Center, Orlando, FL, August 15, 2013 -

As part of ArenaBowl XXVI weekend, the band performs an acoustic set at the AFL Celebrity Gala without makeup and in dinner attire. Gene and Paul had purchased a share of an AFL expansion team to start an arena football team called Los Angeles KISS that would eventually disband in 2016.

Rosen Center, Orlando, FL, August 15, 2013

As part of ArenaBowl XXVI weekend, the band performs an acoustic set at the AFL Celebrity Gala without makeup and in dinner attire. Gene and Paul had purchased a share of an AFL expansion team to start an arena football team called Los Angeles KISS. The games were KISS themed and even had pyrotechnics! The team would eventually disband in 2016.

DUMBO, Brooklyn, New York, NY, September 9, 2013

Private show for designer John Varvatos, who KISS used his suits for a commercial filming and photo shoot with Bob Gruen in the District Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass (DUMBO).

- Nippon, Budokan, Tokyo, Japan, October 24, 2013 -

The show was broadcast on Wowow TV, 'Psycho Circus', 'Shout It Out Loud' and 'Hell or Hallelujah' ended up on the "Best of KISS 40" Japan deluxe edition.

- Pool Deck, Norwegian Pearl, Port of Miami, FL, October 28, 2013 -

KISS Kruise III sails away!

- Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, AB, Canada, November 8, 2013 -

Final show of the tour, originally planned for July 13 as the venue had flooding damage. Both Gene and

Paul did not fly this show.

- Comerica Theatre, Phoenix, AZ, December 5, 2013 -

KISS co-headlined Alice Cooper's annual holiday music and comedy benefit gala that was hosted by John O'Hurley.

Any proceedings from the event went to Alice Cooper's Solid Rock Teen Center charity.

Comerica Theatre, Phoenix, AZ, December 5, 2013

KISS co-headlined Alice Cooper's annual holiday music and comedy benefit gala that was hosted by John O'Hurley. Any proceedings from the event went to Alice Cooper's Solid Rock Teen Center charity.