Before Kiss concert at Municipal Coliseum, Lubbock, TX on October 31, 1979, a local Lubbock church member organized a protest against the band, and gained quite a bit of press, on the grounds: "Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness" after admitting in the press that he didn't really know anything about the band other than them being "gross." The accusations against the band went to levels of strangeness: "Goff claimed that Simmons worshipped Satan. An evangelist's assistant said Simmons was 'normal' off stage, but drummer Peter Criss worshipped demons. Again, the question of sources came up. 'Well, People Magazine said that several times,' she said. 'But I think it was all considered a rumor until the band was interviewed a couple months ago on the 20/20 program on ABC. That's when the drummer said he worshipped Satan, and the band said their name stood for Kings in Service of Satan.' These accusations have no foundation in truth.
Contacted at ABC's 20/20 offices in New York City, Pam Spall, 20/20 host Hugh Downs' personal secretary, revealed that the KISS interview in question was conducted by reporter Sam Donaldson and aired on August 18, 1979. She then read the entire transcript of the interview and at no time was [there any] mention made of Satan, demons, or blood rituals. At no time did the band say that KISS stood for anything. At no time did the subject even come up" (Lubbock Avalanche Journal, 10/21/1979).
