"Firehouse" is a song by American hard rock band Kiss, released in 1974 on their eponymous debut album. The track was written by the bands' rhythm guitarist and vocalist Paul Stanley. During live performances, bassist Gene Simmons has breathed fire, with red lights flashing and sirens sounding. "Firehouse" has remained a concert staple and is regarded as one of the band's classic songs. With its fan-favorite status, the song is one of the most played songs in the Kiss catalog, having been played more than 1,400 times as of June 2014.
Background
wrote the song while he attended the High School of Music & Art in New York City. He said he was inspired by British rock group the Move's song "Fire Brigade". The two tracks are similar in their choruses and background sound effects. Kiss played the song during its early Wicked Lester period and often afterwards as well. "Firehouse" was one of the first numbers that Kiss performed during the band's earliest national TV appearances, including ABC's In Concert on February 19, 1974. The band also played the song on The Mike Douglas Show on April 29, 1974, a broadcast that included Simmons' first televised interview. "Firehouse" is associated with Simmons' fire-breathing antics during concerts. One of many incidents occurred on December 31, 1973 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York City, when the band was opening for Blue Öyster Cult. Simmons' hair caught fire for the first of many times. In November 1972, Kiss, then performing as a Stanley-Simmons-Criss trio, played "Firehouse" along with "Strutter" and "Deuce" to Epic Records' A&R director Don Ellis. The showcase was intended to secure a record deal for the group. During the performance of "Firehouse", the band started ringing a bell. Stanley, enacting a fire-fighting scenario, then retrieved a red pail and threw it at an alarmed Ellis, who thought there was a real fire taking place. As Ellis was leaving, Peter Criss' drunk brother also vomited on his foot. Ellis later said that it was the worst performance he had ever heard.
Live performances
"Firehouse" has remained a constant concert staple, with the band performing it on almost every tour to date. An incident occurred during the Kiss Alive/35 World Tour on November 9, 2009 in Winnipeg, when a concussion bomb caught fire after the performance of "Black Diamond". Soon after the fire started, Gene Simmons started to play the bassline for the song, with the whole band joining eventually. Eric Singer sang parts of the song, as the other members couldn't reach their microphones.
