09/07/2026
Listen or Watch on Spotify — Opening Bands – How They Get the Gig, Great Bands We Saw, Not So Great Bands, Who Opened for KISS
The Three Sides of the Coin podcast discussed opening bands, focusing on how opening acts are selected for tours and sharing experiences with both good and bad opening bands at KISS concerts and other shows. Mark shared stories about seeing Rush and Iron Maiden perform recently, noting how these bands that once opened for KISS are now headlining sold-out arena tours with elaborate productions. The discussion covered the business aspects of tour support, record label involvement in booking opening acts, and how bands like Faster Pussycat could be dropped from tours when album sales declined. Michael, Mark and Lisa Martini exchanged memories of memorable opening acts including Wasp, Motley Crue, Bon Jovi, and various bands from KISS tours throughout the 1980s, discussing what made some opening performances stand out and others fall flat. They also touched on how tour frequency can impact a band’s marketability and the challenges of maintaining fan interest over time.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0Gwst39oqQAvcsR5JxmzBc?si=tCzGC4YRTFWY95m-5jVwhg
Three Sides of the Coin – A KISS Podcast and Radio Show · Episode