The never-before-told story of Rockin' Robbie's first KISS

First, we at SooToday.com want you to know that, as of 10:20 a.m., the Essar Centre is still ranked #3 in all North America in the KISS fan-routed tour contest.

The Essar Centre staff really, really, really want to host a KISS concert, so we're encouraging all faithful SooToday.com readers to point their browsers to the KissOnline website, scroll down slightly and click on the yellow "Demand it!" button to let KISS know how much the Sault wants them to perform here.

We sincerely thank the 7,112 Saultbies who've already put their votes behind this campaign.

Meanwhile, Rockin' Robbie from Rock 101/ Oldies 93 (shown in a photo taken when she wasn't half as wise as she is now) is very excited about the possibility of KISS coming to the Ontario Sault.

Robbie sent us these memories of her first KISS!

************************* Hi Dave!

When I was about 15 (long, long ago in a place far, far away - well, really, in Soo, Michigan), we used to have a KISS garage band.

We worked very hard putting on concerts.

We had an elaborate sound system hookup with huge speakers.

We spent hours practising to lip-sync each song perfectly.

We had all the instruments, which we also worked very hard to look as if we were playing. (Borrowed from older brothers, if I remember correctly - a break-'em'-and-you-buy-'em king of thing.)

My friend Peggy's older brother actually played in a local band and helped us with some instruments and all of the pyrotechnics, so we didn't set their parent's garage on fire.

A lot of explosions and smoke.

Our costumes and face paint were meticulous. Right down to the blood coming out of the mouth of Gene to the four-to five-inch-high black boots.

I was always Peter Criss.

My girlfriend Peggy was Paul Stanley.

A couple of neighbour boys were Gene Simmons and Ace Frehley.

We would have a certain show time, go around to all the nearby neighbourhoods selling tickets and put on quite a show.

We'd have lineups to get into the garage to watch our shows and when they couldn't fit into the garage they'd stand outside.

I don't ever remember the police being called and I'm sure you could hear us from blocks away.

Those were the days my friend(s).

- Rockin' Robbie

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