"So he called me and was like, 'I think you're perfect for this role,'" Jordan tells Playbill. "He kind of wooed me. It's very unconventional, but I'm very grateful for it because I didn't have to jump through a million audition hoops."
Jordan does indeed ooze charm as Neil Bogart in Spinning Gold, which releases in theatres March 31. The movie charts the record executive's life and career from his own young dreams to be a professional singer, through the debt-laden start of Casablanca and its eventual success, to his untimely death at age 39. Through Casablanca, Bogart signed music legends Kiss, Donna Summer, Village People, and Parliament (with George Clinton).
"He wanted to be a showman. He wanted to be on the stage or on the screen or in the album, but it just never worked out for him. So, he ended up behind the scenes," says Jordan. "The beautiful thing about the movie is that we tell it in a way that he gets to embellish on his personal life story and add himself in moments where he gets to be the star." Neil often breaks the fourth wall in the film, turning straight to the camera to tell his own story.
Spinning Gold has a very theatrical, larger-than-life feel that is sure to please Broadway fans. "Tim, the writer-director, is a huge Broadway fan," reveals Jordan. "We were always talking about how to musicalize moments." According to Jordan, they wanted the film to feel like a stage show that just happened to be filmed: "It's all this sort of play within [Neil's] mind."
That theatricality is fitting because, fun fact, Neil Bogart was actually a Broadway producer at one point in his eclectic career. In 1981, he helped bring The First to the stage (this isn't depicted in Spinning Gold). The short-run musical starred David Alan Grier as Jackie Robinson, the first Black baseball player to play in the Major League. Check out Bogart's Playbill bio below, which also name-dropped Cher and Robin Williams.
For Jordan's part, he admits to having his own rock star dreams growing up. And Broadway dreams. And movie star dreams. "I'm still working on the rock star dream part," he says. But Spinning Gold is definitely checking movie star boxes. Jordan is at least tangential leading a rock biopic that features a cast studded with some of today's hottest music makers, including Jason Derulo, Wiz Khalifa, Ledisi, and Tayla Parx. (And not to get too Broadway about it, but Jordan did, coincidentally, make his Main Stem debut in Rock of Ages...)
Fellow Broadway fellow Casey Likes, who made his debut this season in Almost Famous, costars in the film as a young Gene Simmons, the Demon bass player from the rock spectacle band Kiss. Jordan promises that in real life, Likes is the opposite of the "very angsty rock-and-roll dude" he is onscreen. (Watch a clip of Jordan and Likes here—there's no Kiss makeup, but there is some very '70s hair happening for both.)
And while Jordan is off fulfilling his movie- and rock-star dreams, Broadway will wait for his return. But in the meantime, we'll have to buy movie tickets.
But history knows better. And the story of Neil Bogart, the explosive, perpetual motion machine behind superstars Donna Summer, Kiss, Parliament, Gladys Knight, Bill Withers, Curtis Mayfield, the Village People, and a host of other globally renowned superstars is the story of where some of the greatest music of our lives really came from.
The legend of Casablanca Records reads like something out of a music industry fever dream: after defining new music genres like Bubble Gum (“Yummy Yummy Yummy”) and the Gospel-Crossover (“Oh Happy Day”), founder Neil Bogart gets tired of battling his corporate boss’ instincts to say “no” and strikes out on his own to launch what would become the biggest independent label in music history at the time. But rising to those heights would come at a great cost.
Now that story is finally hitting the big screen courtesy of an audacious biopic due to be released on March 31st, written and directed by Timothy Scott Bogart, Neil’s son. As Bogart explains, “Spinning Gold will chart the impossible and improbable story of a group of dreamers who once upon a time lived a fairy tale, and together, changed the music business forever.”
Taking us through the greatest hits of some of the wildest stories ever told, the film boasts a star-studded cast, including Wiz Khalifa as George Clinton, Jeremy Jordan as Neil Bogart, Ledisi as Gladys Knight, Jason DeRulo as Ronald Isley, Pink Sweat$ as Bill Withers, Sebastian Maniscalco as Giorgio Moroder, and Tayla Parx as the one and only Donna Summer.
My father’s gift was being able to see the music as much as hear it. He understood the power of these songs and knew that the secret to unlocking their potential, was in believing in the dreamers and artists who created them, and that’s the story we’ve set out to tell” says Bogart.
The film’s opening scene takes us through the memory of how Bogart discovered one of his first hits at Buddah Records, “Oh Happy Day,” sung by a gospel group called the Edwin Hawkin Singers. And as legend has it, Bogart secured the song with a briefcase full of cash and a cross country flight during one of the biggest storms in years as his crew kept the Reverend Hawkins on the phone line so no one else could outbid them. All while Bogart leaned on his friends in the mob to help tip the scales. The set piece serves a dual purpose, both to introduce us to the larger than life character that is Bogart, as well as to let the audience know that for the next two hours, they’re in for a ride.
Spinning Gold then takes the audience on the impossible trip through one near-death experience after the next as Casablanca struggles to stay alive before finally finding unprecedented glory in the mid-1970s.
“Most people believe Kiss must have been an instant hit,” Spinning Gold producer Jessica Martins explains. “Most assume everybody loved Donna Summer right off the bat. None of that was true. Kiss was a disaster from the moment they were introduced, and ‘Love To Love Ya Baby,’ was released and instantly forgotten about. Nobody cared. And had Neil Bogart listened to anyone other than his own instincts, that could have been the end of Casablanca right there.”
Lucky for music fans, those early misfires didn’t spell the demise of Casablanca Records. The label would go on to release seminal records like Donna Summer’s “Last Dance”, KISS’ “Shout It Out Loud,” Parliament’s funk classic “Give Up The Funk,” as well as “Y.M.C.A.,” one of the biggest hit singles in music history from the Village People.
It’s no wonder then, that music and musicians are at the heart of Spinning Gold. Evan Bogart—a Grammy-award winning songwriter (“Halo”) and producer—serves as the film’s executive music producer, and sees the movie as a way to give audiences a lens through which to see iconic artists in the manner his father did. “We wanted that moment of discovery to come across in this film,” he says. “The moment Neil saw that magic in these artists, that lightning in a bottle. My dad was able to see something in people that they weren’t able to see in themselves, and then amplify that quality and elevate it. When people think of the music business greats – it’s Clive Davis, it’s Jimmy Iovine, and yes, it’s Neil Bogart, they were the greatest showmen – but his story, simply got lost to history. Until now.”
Neil Bogart’s vision led to some of the most influential and celebrated artists of all time, and Spinning Gold puts that story on the big screen for the very first time. Musicians like the Isley Brothers, Bill Withers, Donna Summer, and KISS don’t emerge as fully formed successes overnight. They need someone to believe in their magic and give them a shot when no one else will. That was the power of Neil Bogart and Casablanca Records.
Don’t miss Spinning Gold, coming to theaters on March 31st, 2023.
June 12 - Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Ziggo Dome
June 13 - Brussels, Belgium @ Palais 12
June 27 - Lyon, France @ Halle Tony Garnier
June 29 - Tuscany, Italy @ Lucca Festival
July 01 - Mannheim, Germany @ SAP Arena
July 02 - Cologne, Germany @ Lanxess Arena
Four years ago, SKID ROW bassist Rachel Bolan said that he was not convinced KISS's "End Of The Road" tour will actually mark retirement for the 1970s theatrical rock behemoths.
The New Jersey rockers go back a long way with KISS, with a dispute over whether to tour with the New York icons said to have played a part in the departure of classic-era SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach in 1996.
At the time "End Of The Road" was first announced, KISS claimed each show on the tour would be the band's final visit to that city.
"Man, I have the feeling it's not gonna be their farewell tour," Bolan told the "White Line Fever" podcast. "If you remember, in 2000, we played [KISS's first] farewell tour. We opened up for them on the farewell tour, and we were out with them for about nine months. So I have a feeling, as long as they can keep doing it… Maybe it'll take a break, maybe it'll be a decent hiatus, but I have a feeling we're not gonna see the last of KISS."
Asked if he would like SKID ROW to open for KISS at some stage on the current tour, Bolan said: "We would love to be on that. How many times can you say you've been on the same band's farewell tour — twice!?"
Offering his feelings upon learning that the band was planning to stop touring, Bolan said: "Being such a huge KISS fan, it's sad in a way, but they've been doing it a long time."
SKID ROW released its sixth studio album, "The Gang's All Here", in October 2022. Helmed by Grammy Award-winning producer Nick Raskulinecz, the album reached Top 20 chart positions in nine countries worldwide. The band also completed a tour of Europe this fall, as well as a Las Vegas residency with rock icons SCORPIONS last spring.
"The Gang's All Here" marked the introduction of SKID ROW's latest addition, Swedish-born singer Erik Grönwall, who famously went from auditioning for the competition show "Swedish Idol" back in 2009 by singing a cover of SKID ROW's "18 And Life" to now fronting the band.
Grönwall joined SKID ROW as the replacement for ZP Theart, who had been in the group for more than six years.
Producer Burt Sugarman announced today’s launch of the Midnight Special YouTube channel, noting that the channel will make available performances that have not been seen in nearly 50 years (at least officially – bootleg copies have circulated for years; some performances from the show were previously available on DVD).
“The Midnight Special was a groundbreaking and revolutionary show that pushed the boundaries of what was possible on television as not one broadcaster had programming available after 1:00 AM back then,” said Sugarman, the show’s creator. “I insisted on live performances in front of an audience, there was no lip syncing. I’m thrilled that it will be available for all fans, as well as a new generation of viewers who may not be familiar with the show. Audiences can enjoy hours of classic performances and interviews from the biggest stars of that era.”
In addition to Bowie, Turner and John, the performers showcased on the late-night music variety series included Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, KISS, The Beach Boys, The Bee Gees, Fleetwood Mac, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Johnny Cash, and Loretta Lynn, as well as comedians Steve Martin, Billy Crystal, Richard Pryor and George Carlin. The Midnight Special ran from 1972 and 1981.
The original pilot episode and dozens of performances, including Bowie, Turner, Linda Ronstadt, Fleetwood Mac, Rod Stewart and more, are already available to stream today.
Videos (Detroit Rock City, Shout It Out Loud, Rock and Roll All Nite)
In a joint statement, the band said, “KISS was born in New York City. On 23rd Street. Half a century ago. It will be a privilege and honor to finish touring at Madison Square Garden, 10 blocks and 50 years from where we first started.”
The final two shows, both at MSG, will take place on Dec. 1 and Dec. 2 of this year.
The band’s decision to call it quits has long been expected – the name of their current and final tour is The End of the Road Tour – but there had been some question on whether performances would spill over into 2024.
Produced by Live Nation, the final show dates will kick off in October in Austin, Texas, and culminate in what Live Nation is calling “a massive show” at MSG.
Tickets will be available starting Monday, March 6.
The band’s current line-up includes Simmons, Stanley, Eric Singer on drums and Tommy Thayer on guitar. The band was founded in New York City in 1973, with the line-up of Simmons, Stanley, guitarist Ace Frehley (who last played with the band in 2002) and drummer Peter Criss (who left in 2003).
According to a new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, David Mathews accused KISS' manager Doc McGhee, of mishandling the grave situation involving Francis Stueber. KISS legends Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley are also named defendants in the suit.
Mathews claims the group was on a tour stop in October 2021 when he learned Stueber had contracted a severe case of COVID while staying in an Illinois hotel room.
He says he urged Stueber to contact Stanley to arrange being sent to the hospital, and Stueber agreed to do so.
Mathews says he then went to Stanley's dressing room and told him, "Call Fran. He's very sick. I can hear the fear in his voice. He needs to go to the hospital."
Stanley allegedly responded, "I get it. I was afraid too when I was sick with COVID." The rock star, according to the docs, phoned Stueber and advises him to go to the hospital, explaining that the disease was "nothing to mess around with."
But, hours later, Mathews says McGhee told him Stueber didn't want to go to the hospital, which conflicted with Stueber's earlier statements to him.
Still, Stanley called Stueber again and told him to go to the hospital, the docs say. Stueber apparently agreed, and McGhee promised to have a Live Nation rep take him to the medical center.
That allegedly never happened. Nearly an hour later, according to the docs, Matthews inquired about Stueber with McGhee, who said Stueber was being tested with an oxygen meter to see if he really needed to go to the hospital.
Matthews says, "Unfortunately, it was apparent that Mr. McGhee did not act in a timely manner. The Live Nation representative did not arrive until the following morning. When visitors entered Mr. Stueber's room at about 1 a.m., he was found dead."
Rolling Stone magazine then ran an article about Stueber's death, blaming KISS for having lax COVID protocols while on tour. The band was allegedly furious and blamed Matthews for the anonymous leaks to the R.S. reporter.
Although Mathews denied being the source of the information, the band apparently didn't believe him and allegedly ended up canning him the following May after 30 years of service.
Mathews is suing the group for wrongful termination, retaliation in violation of labor code and failure to pay all wages.
We reached out to KISS's rep ... so far, no word back.
The multi-platinum band's fifth authorized "Soundboard" live release comes from the November 28, 1984 "Animalize" tour show at the Mid-Hudson Arena in Poughkeepsie, New York, featuring the only known soundboard recording with guitarist Mark St. John. While the tracks "Young And Wasted" and "Rock And Roll All Nite" from this historic show are incomplete due to a tape change and tape space — these recordings were originally for archival use — this live recording is of historical importance due to St. John's appearance.
"Off The Soundboard: Poughkeepsie, New York" finds the legendary band in the midst of the U.S. leg of their successful "Animalize" world tour with the short-lived lineup of Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Eric Carr and St. John. The career-spanning 18-song set includes such tracks as "Creatures Of The Night", "I Love It Loud", "Lick It Up" and 1984's "Heaven's On Fire", which hit No. 49 U.S. Billboard chart. "Poughkeepsie, New York" also features perennial KISS anthems "Detroit Rock City", "Love Gun" and "Rock And Roll All Nite" from their classic back catalog.
KISS are globally recognized as one of the greatest live bands of all time and are the creators of what is universally considered the best live album ever, 1975's gold-certified and No. 9 Billboard-charting "Alive!" The "Off The Soundboard" series continues their storied legacy of groundbreaking live albums with a document of the spectacular, larger-than-life extravaganza that is a KISS concert.
Known for their trademark performances, KISS has proven for decades why they are hands down the most iconic live show in rock n roll. The Rock And Roll Hall Of Famers have sold more than 100 million albums worldwide. Peerless as a live act, the band's illustrious legacy has been marked by record breaking global tours during a remarkable 50-year career.
"Off The Soundboard: Poughkeepsie, NY" track listing:
01. Detroit Rock City
02. Cold Gin
03. Creatures Of The Night
04. Fits Like A Glove
05. Heaven's On Fire
06. Guitar Solo
07. Under the Gun
08. War Machine
09. Drum Solo
10. Young and Wasted (incomplete)
11. Bass Solo
12. I Love It Loud
13. I Still Love You
14. Love Gun
15. Black Diamond
16. Oh! Susanna
17. Lick It Up
18. Rock And Roll All Nite (incomplete)
Donna Summer, Parliament, Gladys Knight, The Isley Brothers, The Village People, and Bill Withers all have one thing in common with the rock band KISS — they all rose to their musical heights under the watchful ear Bogart, the founder of Casablanca Records, the most successful independent record company of all time.
Along with a rag-tag team of young music lovers, Neil and Casablanca Records would rewrite history and change the music industry forever. Their mix of creative insanity, a total belief in each other and the music they were creating, shaped our culture and ultimately defined a generation. In a story so unbelievable that it can only be true, comes the motion picture event of the musical journey of Neil Bogart and how his Casablanca Records created the greatest soundtrack of our lives.
The cast of Spinning Gold includes Jeremy Jordan as Bogart, Michelle Monaghan as Beth Weiss, Jay Pharoah as Cecil Holmes, Dan Fogler as Buck Reingold, Jason Issacs as Al Bogatz, Lyndsy Fonseca as Joye Biawitz, Chris Redd as Frankie Crocker, Casey Likes as Gene Simmons, and Sebastian Maniscalco as Girgio Moroder.
Famous faces will pay tribute to the legends of the past with Wiz Khalifa as George Clinton, Jason Derulo as Ron Isley of the Isley Brothers, Pink Sweat$ as Bill Withers, Grammy Award nominee Tayla Parx as Donna Summer and multi-Grammy winner Ledisi as Gladys Knight.
Sam Harris will play Paul Stanley, Alex Gaskarth will be Peter Chris and Tayla Parx will give life to Donna Summer.
Other actors include Payton List as Nancy Weiss, James Wolk as Larry Harris, Michael Ian Black as Bill Aucoin, Vincent Pastore as Big Joey and Nick Sandow as Mo Ostin.
Spinning Gold is written, directed, and produced by Timothy Scott Bogart and produced by Jessica Martins, and Laurence Mark, as well as produced by Gary A. Randall, Chris Torto, Bradley Bogart, and David Haring. Grammy Winning Music producer Evan “Kidd” Bogart, along with Harvey Mason, Jr. and Atlantic Records president Kevin Weaver are executive producers on the film and Atlantic Records will be releasing the soundtrack.
Spinning Gold is scheduled to hit theatres on March 31, 2023.
Page Six exclusively caught up with the 70-year-old rocker, who is in the midst of KISS’ “End of the Road World Tour,” to discuss the looming end of the band’s nearly 50-year reign.
“At this point, it really comes down to what’s possible at certain ages,” Stanley told us.
“If we were wearing sneakers and T-shirts and jeans, we could do this into our 90s. But we’re carrying around 30, 40, 50 pounds of gear on stage, and making it look easy. And at some point, you realize that you can’t do that indefinitely.”
KISS originally consisted of Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss. However, the latter two were part of the band on and off throughout the years before finally quitting in the early 2000s.
Since January 2019, Stanley and Simmons have been on tour alongside Eric Thayer and Tommy Singer — and they haven’t shown any signs of stopping.
“As far as a tour going on forever, we have to acknowledge that two years were lost with COVID,” he said. “So from the time the tour was announced, we lost two years.”
“But that being said, last week we played to 80,000 people in Mexico City and the week before we were close to 40,000 in Tokyo.”
As for the future of the rock group without its original members, Stanley sees the band “continuing” to be part of American culture even after they’re gone.
“I see KISS continuing — in what form that manifests itself is really something that will develop over time. I don’t know exactly what that means. But quite honestly, we couldn’t kill KISS if we wanted to. It’s a part of Americana.”
He continued, “It’s part of world consciousness, and even if we stop, the band continues, in essence. But should it diversify and spread in terms of what KISS is? Sure, the idea, the limitations of other bands, that’s their problem. We’re not those bands.”
While neither Simmons nor Stanley has revealed the last stop on their tour — which fans have hilariously dubbed the “never-ending world tour” — the former told us last month that they know when things will come to an end.
“I know where and when, but I’m not [revealing yet],” Simmons told us. “I do know the last day and date. But you don’t want to find out what you’re getting for Christmas as a present in July, right?”
“We love the fans, and we don’t want to stay on stage too long, but we’re having the time of our lives,” he continued.
When Stanley isn’t performing in front of thousands of people, the guitarist prefers to decompress through another artistic avenue.
“A little more than 20 years ago, I was going through some turmoil, and my best friend said to me, ‘you should paint.’ And somehow, after I finished scratching my head, it resonated with me,” he told us.
In fact, Stanley is showcasing some of his “new original paintings” on Dec. 17. at the Wentworth Gallery in Short Hills, NJ.
“I certainly never painted with the idea of anyone really seeing my work and more so, never thought of the idea of exhibiting,” he said.
The original KISS guitarist offered an update on the LP's recording progress while sharing a list on social media of his "Best 10 Sci-Fi Movies Released Up Until 1960". At the end of the message, he wrote: "My New Studio Record is nearing its completion! Hopefully it will be out Spring-Summer 2023!!!"
Back in November 2021, Ace said that he had collaborated with his longtime friend Peppy Castro on "some heavy songs."
Peppy reportedly taught Frehley how to play guitar and previously collaborated with KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons as a songwriter and performed on Frehley's and KISS frontman Paul Stanley's solo records.
In December 2020, Frehley told Talking Metal Live that he would start recording his next all-original album the following year. The record will be the follow-up to "Spaceman", which was released in October 2018 via eOne. At the time, he said that had "been writing all along. Plus, I have tracks that I've already recorded that I have to revisit and decide whether they have a chance to make it on my new studio record — [if they] have to be rewritten or [they're] just good the way they are," he explained. "And I've got people sending me song ideas constantly… So, little by little, it's an ongoing process, and it evolves as it goes."
Earlier in 2020, Frehley told Canada's iHeart Radio that he had "only written about three songs" for his next LP, and he added they were "not finished." He said: "Now that I'm [living] on the East Coast [after moving to New Jersey from Southern California], my engineer only lives an hour from me, Alex Salzman, who worked with me extensively on this last record, and he played a lot of bass guitar as well, So it's gonna be even easier, 'Origins Vol. 3' and the next [original] record."
Frehley's latest release was "Origins Vol. 2", the sequel to his 2016 collection of cover songs that inspired the former KISS guitarist.
"Origins Vol. 2" featured cover versions of THE BEATLES' "I'm Down", DEEP PURPLE's "Space Truckin'", LED ZEPPELIN's "Good Times Bad Times", THE ROLLING STONES' "Jumpin' Jack Flash", THE KINKS' "Lola" and THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE's "Manic Depression", among others. A cover of the 1975 KISS tune "She" also appeared as a bonus track. Guests on the set included CHEAP TRICK's Robin Zander, Lita Ford and former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick.
KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons co-wrote two tracks on "Spaceman", "Without You I'm Nothing" and "Your Wish Is My Command", the latter of which also features Simmons's bass playing.
Since the artist's last exhibit over four years ago, Stanley has created new original paintings, hand-painted signature Paul Stanley Ibanez guitars, mixed media originals, and limited-edition artworks including new works on metal. Several of the pieces on display come from the Black Series that was originally commissioned in 2020 for museum exhibition. As with most events in 2020, that exhibit was canceled due to COVID.
With the Black Series, Stanley pushes the boundaries of his art by starting with a black canvas and creating vibrance and emotion with his trademark bright colors. A wide selection of curated works is currently being showcased in Wentworth Gallery locations throughout the United States.
Christian O'Mahony, principal at Wentworth Gallery, said: "Paul's artwork really connects with people. In particular, his unique use of colors elicits strong emotions. It is extremely rare to sell an entire gallery of art during a show, but Paul does it regularly. He has become an art phenom."
Stanley designed and created the iconic KISS emblem which remains universally recognized as one of the greatest logos of the 20th century. His artistic and visual input has been and continues to be seen in his designs of KISS album covers, performance stages and apparel.
Stanley returned to his passion for painting 10 years ago by creating portraits and abstracts that are emotionally charged compositions. His tremendous success with his artwork has led to an entirely new fan and media presence. He maximizes the direct and powerful impact of his paintings through scale, texture, color and simplicity of imagery.
Stanley's works have been praised by well-known and distinguished art concerns and acquired by fans, celebrities and art collectors worldwide. Stanley's works have been coveted by collectors as evidenced by consecutive sell-out art shows with total sales in the tens of millions. Additionally, the artist has been commissioned to create numerous large works that are on exhibition globally.
In-gallery appearances by Paul Stanley (artist will be in attendance at all showings)
Saturday, December 17 @ 5-8 p.m.
Wentworth Gallery at Mall at Short Hills
Address: 1200 Morris Tpke, Short Hills, NJ 07078
(973) 564-9776
Stanley will appear at the Florida locations of Wentworth Galleries weekend of January 28, 2023 and the Washington, D.C. area Wentworth Galleries the weekend of February 18, 2023. Details will be announced shortly.
In a 2010 interview with Celebrity Extra, Stanley stated about his artwork, "I've been doing it for quite a few years now. I started painting really as a way of finding another creative outlet. I'm always looking for another way to express myself, and that's how I attempted to find myself. So whether it was doing 'Phantom Of The Opera' or painting or doing what I do in KISS, they're all ways for me to emote stay creative. That's who I am, that's what's in my blood.
"I originally painted with no expectations of ever doing a show or of ever showing anybody my art. It came about because I hung the piece in my house, and people kept saying, 'Who did that painting?' And funny because I wasn't very secure or confident in my ability, I never signed it. To this day that piece isn't signed, but it gave me food for thought, because people seem to connect so much with it that I got talked into doing a show. At this point I've been averaging probably anywhere from 12 to 15 shows a year around the county, and they've been amazingly successful in a way that quite honestly leaves me speechless."
On the eve of the iconic Thanksgiving Day parade, viewers will enjoy a behind-the-scenes peek at the incredible stories of the floats, balloons and bands prior to their journey through the streets of New York.
The special will be hosted by Emmy Award nominee Amber Ruffin, host of Peacock’s “The Amber Ruffin Show” and writer/performer on NBC’s “Late Night with Seth Meyers."
Making appearances in the “Countdown to Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade®” special are Paula Abdul, Lauren Alaina, Jon Batiste, Darren Criss, Jordan Davis, Jimmy Fallon, Andy Grammer, Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, Al Roker, Gene Simmons, Jordin Sparks and Rob Thomas.
“Countdown to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade®” is produced by the Emmy Award-winning Brad Lachman Productions. Brad Lachman and Bill Bracken serve as executive producers.
Her family told the Santa Barbara News-Press that Herrin died October in Santa Barbara but did not provide a cause or other details.
Herrin was a model who covered more than a dozen magazines, including twice for Playboy, before being cast in the 1984 music video for ZZ Top’s “Legs.” The clip was a third in an over-the-top trilogy that also included “Gimme All Your Lovin'” and “Sharp Dressed Man” and had made the Texas boogie trio regulars of the then-nascent cable channel. Herrin told an interviewer that she replaced one of three women in the first two videos that the other two “didn’t like.” She was the woman in the bright-red top in “Legs,” which became the band’s biggest hit, reaching the Top 10 in the U.S. and several other countries.
She also appeared in ZZ Top’s 1985 video for “Sleeping Bag” — another Top 10 single — 1987 longform Kiss video Exposed and a David Lee Roth video in the mid-’80s.
Herrin also landed a pair of roles in popular 1984 films: Robert Zemeckis’ Romancing the Stone, starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner, and Ivan Reitman’s Ghostbusters, which featured Bill Murray, Dan Ackroyd, Harold Ramis and Sigourney Weaver, among others. Herrin has a brief but memorable role in the latter as was cast as the floating apparition who appeared above a sleeping Ackroyd’s bed and appeared to do more than float.
Born on October 2, 1957, in Lompoc, CA, Herrin also had small roles on the big screen in Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Road House (1987) and Moving Violations (1985) and guested on the TV dramas Matt Houston and St. Elsewhere.
Kymberly is survived by her mother, Billie Dodson; her brother, Mark Herrin; along with several nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews. In The family y to the American Cancer Society to further the research of the prevention and treatment of breast cancer.
The release and distribution will be handled by Hero Partners in partnership with Howling Wolf Films, with Universal Pictures Home Entertainment distributing across transactional home entertainment.
Neil Bogart saw the rise and fall of Casablanca Records, which in its heyday from the mid- to late-1970s was a powerhouse in the disco sphere with artists such as Donna Summer, pop with The Village People and hard rock with KISS.
The boom of the music scene and opulence of the drug era took its toll on Casablanca, ultimately putting it in a strenuous financial position. In its desperation it relied on a 1974 two-record set of audio highlights from TV’s The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, entitled Here’s Johnny: Magic Moments from the Tonight Show. Bogart pushed the album as gold with 500K copies in an effort that it would turn platinum, but alas that did not happen, with a flood of unsold records sent back to the label.
Casablanca now resides under the Universal Music Group umbrella as sub-label of Republic Records, focusing on dance and electronic music.
Timothy Scott Bogart directed, wrote and produced the movie. Jessica Martins, Laurence Mark, Gary A. Randall, Chris Torto, Bradley Bogart and David Haring also produced.
Grammy-winning music producer Evan “Kidd” Bogart, along with Harvey Mason, Jr. and Atlantic Records president Kevin Weaver are executive producers on the film. Atlantic Records will be releasing the soundtrack.
Christian Mercuri’s Capstone Global is leading global sales and will be taking the pic to AFM. Mercuri is also an EP.
Howling Wolf Film’s Damon Wolf said, “Launching creative ad agencies, heading up marketing at Sony’s Screen Gems and TriStar labels and leading Lionsgate to its record success with its 2019 film slate as Head of Worldwide Marketing and Distribution, allowed a unique landscape to help refine a dynamic and intimate approach to theatrically market and distribute films that can stand on their own without sacrificing any of the creativity, tactics and support needed to connect with audiences. We are thrilled to be putting Spinning Gold – the greatest music story that’s never been told – in theaters next year.”
Added Laurence Mark: “What makes this so exciting is that it encourages deeper collaboration between the filmmakers and the marketing team. In this ever-evolving theatrical marketplace, creating ways for more films to be released in theaters is a thing devoutly to be wished. Spinning Gold is a film that deserves to be seen on a big screen allowing an audience to get caught up in the music and the spectacle.”
Spinning Gold features a cast that includes Tony nominee Jeremy Jordan (Newsies, Bonnie & Clyde), Michelle Monaghan, Jay Pharoah, Jason Issacs, Tony winner Dan Fogler, Lyndsy Fonseca, Chris Redd and comedian-actor Sebastian Maniscalco. The pic debuted in the Cannes market back in May.
Some of today’s hottest music stars are playing the icons who inspired them and singing their most popular songs including Grammy and Golden Globe nominee Wiz Khalifa as George Clinton, Jason Derulo as Ron Isley of the Isley Brothers, Pink Sweat$ as Bill Withers, Grammy nominee Tayla Parx as Donna Summer and multi-Grammy winner Ledisi as Gladys Knight.
Hero Partners is the production company behind Spinning Gold headed up by Martins, Timothy Scott Bogart and Torto. They are also producing North Star from Oscar nominee Jim Sheridan which tells the story of the director’s early life in Northern Ireland, with music by U2’s Bono and the Edge, as well as MTV, the story of the launch of the most influential channel in history.
Howling Wolf Films is headed up by Wolf who was the Chief Marketing Officer and Head of Worldwide Distribution for Lionsgate during its recent record-breaking 2019 year, overseeing such films as Knives Out and John Wick 3, as well as head of marketing at TriStar Pictures, Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions overseeing the releases of such hit films as Baby Driver and Don’t Breathe.
Listen To The Previously Unreleased Track "Betrayed (Outtake)" Taken From 'Creatures Of The Night 40,' HERE
Celebrating its 40th anniversary, Creatures Of The Night from 1982 is a seminal album in the KISS catalog. It crushed fans' expectations with a huge, back-to-rock sound and has become a fan favorite and cult classic. On November 18, 2022, UMe will release Creatures Of The Night 40 as a 5-CD + Blu-ray Audio Super Deluxe Edition, 3-LP Deluxe, 2-CD Deluxe, 1-LP Half-Speed Master 180gm, 1-CD Remaster, as well as a 5-CD Super Deluxe Edition Digital Download + Streaming and 2-CD Digital Download-only version plus a color Vinyl exclusive. All configurations can be pre-ordered through the official KISS online store.
Having rechanneled their efforts into consciously making a return to the hard rock that they were known for, KISS – Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, and Eric Carr – unleashed Creatures Of The Night in October of 1982. In addition to a harder sound, the album is also noted for its heavier, darker mood. The single "I Love It Loud" has been performed on nearly every subsequent KISS tour, while "War Machine," the ballad "I Still Love You," and the title song also featured heavily in their live sets for a number of years. Also of note is "Killer," which featured the group's first songwriting collaboration with their soon-to-be-guitarist Vinnie Vincent. Creatures Of The Night received accolades in magazines such as Kerrang! and Guitar Player – which both placed the album in their top five end of year chart for 1982 – and has attained Gold Album status (sales of 500,000+).
The 'Creatures Of The Night 40' Super Deluxe boasts 103 total tracks with 75 tracks being unreleased. Newly remastered on CD 1, the original album has never sounded better. CDs 2 & 3 feature 34 demos, rarities & outtakes including unreleased gems such as "Deadly Weapon (Penny Lane Demo)," "Not For The Innocent (Demo)" and "Betrayed (Outtake)." CDs 4 & 5 highlight 26 incredible, soundboard live recordings from the Creatures '82/'83 Tour and seven super rare tour sound effects, all recorded and archived by the Creatures Tour sound engineer Harry Witz. The Blu-ray Audio disc showcases a first-ever Atmos and 5.1 surround mix from the original album multi-tracks plus the high-resolution newly remastered 1982 stereo mix of the original album.
Additionally, the Super Deluxe box features an extensive array of bonus kollectible KISS memorabilia and ephemera, including:
80-page Hardcover Book with Extensive Liner Notes by Ken Sharp and a treasure trove of unreleased photos and imagery
Creatures Of The Night 1982 Press Kit featuring:
Creatures Band Press Bio Sheet
Creatures Tour Band New Poster 11"x17"
2 Stage Drawings
The Loudest Band In The World Poster 16"x24"
Japanese Promo Poster 16"x22.5"
Band Black & White Promo 8"x10"
Gene, Paul, Eric & Vinnie Color Photos 8"x10"
Creatures 40th T-shirt Iron-on Transfer Sheet
"I Love It Loud" Bumper Sticker
Australian Creatures Sticker
Marcana~ Stadium, Rio de Janeiro 6/18/83 Replica Ticket
Creatures Tour "Detroit" VIP Cloth Sticky Backstage Pass
4 Killers-era Trading Cards
Creatures 1982 Replica Tour Program
Gene, Paul, Eric & Vinnie – Chris Hoffman Illustrations 9"x12"
Gotham Rock City News Volume 2 Newspaper – Track-By-Track Interviews with Gene, Paul, Eric, Vinnie, Michael James Jackson, Bryan Adams, Jim Vallance, Adam Mitchell and Mikel Japp
4 Glow-In-The-Dark Guitar Picks
Iron-on Patch
4 Buttons
KISS is America's #1 Gold Record Award winning Rock group of all time and have sold over 100 million records worldwide. Peerless as a live act, the band's illustrious legacy is marked by record breaking global tours. Now, after an astonishing 49-year career, KISS - Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer - are currently in the midst of their END OF THE ROAD tour.
5-CD SUPER DELUXE EDITION TRACKLISTING
DISC ONE:
CREATURES OF THE NIGHT
Original Album Remastered
1. Creatures Of The Night
2. Saint And Sinner
3. Keep Me Comin'
4. Rock And Roll Hell
5. Danger
6. I Love It Loud
7. I Still Love You
8. Killer
9. War Machine
DISC TWO:
DEMOS, RARITIES & OUTTAKES
1. I'm A Legend Tonight
2. Down On Your Knees
3. Nowhere To Run
4. Partners In Crime
5. Deadly Weapon (Penny Lane Demo)*
6. Feel Like Heaven (Penny Lane Demo)*
7. Nowhere To Run (Penny Lane Demo)*
8. Deadly Weapon (Original Demo)*
9. Feel Like Heaven (Original Demo)*
10. Nowhere To Run (Take 11 – Instrumental)*
11. Tell It To A Fool (Take 4 – Drums & Bass Instrumental)*
12. Chrome Goes Into Motion (Take 2 – Drums & Bass Instrumental)*
13. I'm A Legend Tonight (Mix 4 – Instrumental & Background Vocals)*
14. Don't Leave Me Lonely (Take 8 – Drums & Guitar Instrumental)*
15. Something Seems To Happen At Night (Gene Simmons Demo)
16. It's Gonna Be Alright (Gene Simmons Demo)
DISC THREE:
DEMOS, RARITIES & OUTTAKES
1. Legends Never Die (Gene Simmons Demo)
2. It's My Life (Gene Simmons Demo)
3. Not For The Innocent (Demo)*
4. I Still Love You (Take 1)*
5. I Still Love You (Take 2)*
6. Saint And Sinner (Take 1)*
7. Saint And Sinner (Take 2 – False Start)*
8. Saint And Sinner (Take 3)*
9. Betrayed (Outtake)*
10. Creatures Of The Night (Alternate Mix 19)*
11. Partners In Crime (Alternate Mix 16B)*
12. I Love It Loud (Alternate Mix 21)*
13. War Machine (Full-Length Version – Mix 11)*
14. Rock And Roll Hell (Take 2 – 9/10/1982)*
15. Rock And Roll Hell (Take 1 – Incomplete – 9/15/1982)*
16. Rock And Roll Hell (Take 2 – 9/15/1982)*
17. I Love It Loud (Single Edit)
18. Creatures Of The Night (1985 Remix)
DISC FOUR:
CREATURES TOUR LIVE '82/'83 – PART ONE
1. Creatures Of The Night (Rockford, Illinois – 12/31/1982)*
2. Strutter (Sioux City, Iowa – 12/30/1982)*
3. Calling Dr. Love (Sioux City, Iowa – 12/30/1982)*
4. Firehouse (Sioux City, Iowa – 12/30/1982)*
5. I Love It Loud (Rockford, Illinois – 12/31/1982)*
6. Cold Gin (Sioux City, Iowa – 12/30/1982)*
7. Keep Me Comin' (Sioux City, Iowa – 12/30/1982)*
8. War Machine (Sioux City, Iowa – 12/30/1982)*
9. I Want You (Houston, Texas – 3/10/1983)*
10. Rock And Roll Hell (Rockford, Illinois – 12/31/1982)*
11. I Still Love You (Sioux City, Iowa – 12/30/1982)*
12. Shout It Out Loud (Sioux City, Iowa – 12/30/1982)*
13. Gene's Bass Solo (Sioux City, Iowa – 12/30/1982)*
14. God Of Thunder / Eric's Drum Solo / God Of Thunder (Rockford, Illinois – 12/31/1982)*
DISC FIVE:
CREATURES TOUR LIVE '82/'83 – PART TWO
1. Paul's Love Gun Rap (Rockford, Illinois – 12/31/1982)*
2. Love Gun (Rockford, Illinois – 12/31/1982)*
3. Paul's Guitar Solo (Rockford, Illinois – 12/31/1982)*
4. Black Diamond (Houston, Texas – 3/10/1983)*
5. Detroit Rock City (Houston, Texas – 3/10/1983)*
6. Rock And Roll All Nite (Houston, Texas – 3/10/1983)*
BONUS LIVE PERFORMANCES
7. Rock And Roll Hell (Sioux City, Iowa – 12/30/1982)*
8. I Want You (Rockford, Illinois – 12/31/1982)*
9. King Of The Night Time World (Pine Bluff, Arkansas – 2/11/1983)*
10. Cold Gin (Houston, Texas – 3/10/1983)*
11. I Still Love You (Houston, Texas – 3/10/1983)*
12. Strutter (Houston, Texas – 3/10/1983)*
BONUS CREATURES TOUR SOUND EFFECTS
13. Tank Start Of Show*
14. Turbine*
15. Firehouse Siren*
16. Drum and Ending Tank*
17. Bass Solo Wind and Gargoyles*
18. Bells*
19. Flames*
BLU-RAY AUDIO:
CREATURES OF THE NIGHT
*48kHz 24-bit Dolby Atmos / *48kHz 24-bit Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Surround / 96kHz 24-bit High-Resolution PCM Stereo
1. Creatures Of The Night
2. Saint And Sinner
3. Keep Me Comin'
4. Rock And Roll Hell
5. Danger
6. I Love It Loud
7. I Still Love You
8. Killer
9. War Machine
* Previously unreleased
3LP DELUXE EDITION – COLOR VINYL – ECOMM EXCLUSIVE
LP ONE:
CREATURES OF THE NIGHT
Original Album Remastered
SIDE ONE
1. Creatures Of The Night
2. Saint And Sinner
3. Keep Me Comin'
4. Rock And Roll Hell
5. Danger
SIDE TWO
1. I Love It Loud
2. I Still Love You
3. Killer
4. War Machine
LP TWO:
DEMOS, RARITIES & OUTTAKES
SIDE THREE
1. Deadly Weapon (Original Demo)*
2. Betrayed (Outtake)*
3. I'm A Legend Tonight (Mix 4 – Instrumental & Background Vocals)*
4. Nowhere To Run (Take 11 – Instrumental)*
SIDE FOUR
1. It's My Life (Gene Simmons Demo)
2. Not For The Innocent (Demo)*
3. Rock And Roll Hell (Take 2 – 9/10/1982)*
4. I Love It Loud (Alternate Mix 21)*
5. Don't Leave Me Lonely (Take 8 – Drums & Guitar Instrumental)*
LP THREE:
CREATURES TOUR LIVE '82/'83
SIDE FIVE
1. Creatures Of The Night (Rockford, Illinois – 12/31/1982)*
2. I Love It Loud (Rockford, Illinois – 12/31/1982)*
3. Keep Me Comin' (Sioux City, Iowa – 12/30/1982)*
4. War Machine (Sioux City, Iowa – 12/30/1982)*
SIDE SIX
1. I Want You (Houston, Texas – 3/10/1983)*
2. Rock And Roll Hell (Rockford, Illinois – 12/31/1982)*
3. I Still Love You (Sioux City, Iowa – 12/30/1982)*
*Previously Unreleased
2CD DELUXE EDITION
DISC ONE:
CREATURES OF THE NIGHT
Original Album Remastered
1. Creatures Of The Night
2. Saint And Sinner
3. Keep Me Comin'
4. Rock And Roll Hell
5. Danger
6. I Love It Loud
7. I Still Love You
8. Killer
9. War Machine
DISC TWO:
DEMOS, RARITIES & OUTTAKES
1. Deadly Weapon (Original Demo)*
2. Betrayed (Outtake)*
3. I'm A Legend Tonight (Mix 4 – Instrumental & Background Vocals)*
4. Nowhere To Run (Take 11 – Instrumental)*
5. It's My Life (Gene Simmons Demo)
6. Not For The Innocent (Demo)*
7. Rock And Roll Hell (Take 2 – 9/10/1982)*
8. I Love It Loud (Alternate Mix 21)*
9. Don't Leave Me Lonely (Take 8 – Drums & Guitar Instrumental)*
CREATURES TOUR LIVE '82/'83
10. Creatures Of The Night (Rockford, Illinois – 12/31/1982)*
11. I Love It Loud (Rockford, Illinois – 12/31/1982)*
12. Keep Me Comin' (Sioux City, Iowa – 12/30/1982)*
13. War Machine (Sioux City, Iowa – 12/30/1982)*
14. I Want You (Houston, Texas – 3/10/1983)*
15. Rock And Roll Hell (Rockford, Illinois – 12/31/1982)*
16. I Still Love You (Sioux City, Iowa – 12/30/1982)*
*Previously Unreleased
1CD REMASTER
CREATURES OF THE NIGHT
Original Album Remastered
1. Creatures Of The Night
2. Saint And Sinner
3. Keep Me Comin'
4. Rock And Roll Hell
5. Danger
6. I Love It Loud
7. I Still Love You
8. Killer
9. War Machine
1LP HALF-SPEED VINYL – 180-GRAM BLACK VINYL
SIDE ONE
1. Creatures Of The Night
2. Saint And Sinner
3. Keep Me Comin'
4. Rock And Roll Hell
5. Danger
SIDE TWO
1. I Love It Loud
2. I Still Love You
3. Killer
4. War Machine
SUPER DELUXE EDITION – DIGITAL
DISC ONE:
CREATURES OF THE NIGHT
Original Album Remastered + Atmos*
1. Creatures Of The Night
2. Saint And Sinner
3. Keep Me Comin'
4. Rock And Roll Hell
5. Danger
6. I Love It Loud
7. I Still Love You
8. Killer
9. War Machine
DISC TWO:
DEMOS, RARITIES & OUTTAKES
1. I'm A Legend Tonight
2. Down On Your Knees
3. Nowhere To Run
4. Partners In Crime
5. Deadly Weapon (Penny Lane Demo)*
6. Feel Like Heaven (Penny Lane Demo)*
7. Nowhere To Run (Penny Lane Demo)*
8. Deadly Weapon (Original Demo)*
9. Feel Like Heaven (Original Demo)*
10. Nowhere To Run (Take 11 – Instrumental)*
11. Tell It To A Fool (Take 4 – Drums & Bass Instrumental)*
12. Chrome Goes Into Motion (Take 2 – Drums & Bass Instrumental)*
13. I'm A Legend Tonight (Mix 4 – Instrumental & Background Vocals)*
14. Don't Leave Me Lonely (Take 8 – Drums & Guitar Instrumental)*
15. Something Seems To Happen At Night (Gene Simmons Demo)
16. It's Gonna Be Alright (Gene Simmons Demo)
DISC THREE:
DEMOS, RARITIES & OUTTAKES
1. Legends Never Die (Gene Simmons Demo)
2. It's My Life (Gene Simmons Demo)
3. Not For The Innocent (Demo)*
4. I Still Love You (Take 1)*
5. I Still Love You (Take 2)*
6. Saint And Sinner (Take 1)*
7. Saint And Sinner (Take 2 – False Start)*
8. Saint And Sinner (Take 3)*
9. Betrayed (Outtake)*
10. Creatures Of The Night (Alternate Mix 19)*
11. Partners In Crime (Alternate Mix 16B)*
12. I Love It Loud (Alternate Mix 21)*
13. War Machine (Full-Length Version – Mix 11)*
14. Rock And Roll Hell (Take 2 – 9/10/1982)*
15. Rock And Roll Hell (Take 1 – Incomplete – 9/15/1982)*
16. Rock And Roll Hell (Take 2 – 9/15/1982)*
17. I Love It Loud (Single Edit)
18. Creatures Of The Night (1985 Remix)
DISC FOUR:
CREATURES TOUR LIVE '82/'83 – PART ONE
1. Creatures Of The Night (Rockford, Illinois – 12/31/1982)*
2. Strutter (Sioux City, Iowa – 12/30/1982)*
3. Calling Dr. Love (Sioux City, Iowa – 12/30/1982)*
4. Firehouse (Sioux City, Iowa – 12/30/1982)*
5. I Love It Loud (Rockford, Illinois – 12/31/1982)*
6. Cold Gin (Sioux City, Iowa – 12/30/1982)*
7. Keep Me Comin' (Sioux City, Iowa – 12/30/1982)*
8. War Machine (Sioux City, Iowa – 12/30/1982)*
9. I Want You (Houston, Texas – 3/10/1983)*
10. Rock And Roll Hell (Rockford, Illinois – 12/31/1982)*
11. I Still Love You (Sioux City, Iowa – 12/30/1982)*
12. Shout It Out Loud (Sioux City, Iowa – 12/30/1982)*
13. Gene's Bass Solo (Sioux City, Iowa – 12/30/1982)*
14. God Of Thunder / Eric's Drum Solo / God Of Thunder (Rockford, Illinois – 12/31/1982)*
DISC FIVE:
CREATURES TOUR LIVE '82/'83 – PART TWO
1. Paul's Love Gun Rap (Rockford, Illinois – 12/31/1982)*
2. Love Gun (Rockford, Illinois – 12/31/1982)*
3. Paul's Guitar Solo (Rockford, Illinois – 12/31/1982)*
4. Black Diamond (Houston, Texas – 3/10/1983)*
5. Detroit Rock City (Houston, Texas – 3/10/1983)*
6. Rock And Roll All Nite (Houston, Texas – 3/10/1983)*
BONUS LIVE PERFORMANCES
5. Rock And Roll Hell (Sioux City, Iowa – 12/30/1982)*
6. I Want You / Vinnie's Guitar Solo (Rockford, Illinois)*
7. King Of The Night Time World (Pine Bluff, Arkansas – 2/11/1983)*
8. I Want You (Rockford, Illinois – 12/31/1982)*
9. I Still Love You (Houston, Texas – 3/10/1983)*
10. Strutter (Houston, Texas – 3/10/1983)*
BONUS CREATURES TOUR SOUND EFFECTS
11. Tank Start Of Show*
12. Turbine*
13. Firehouse Siren*
14. Drum and Ending Tank*
15. Bass Solo Wind and Gargoyles*
16. Bells*
17. Flames*
* Previously unreleased
The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers first visited our shores in 1980 during ‘KISSteria’, kick- starting a deep connection between the band and Aussie fans that has continued to thrive for more than four decades. With countless timeless hits like ‘I Was Made For Loving You’, ‘Detroit Rock City’, ‘Love Gun’, ‘Shout It Out Loud’, ‘Lick It Up’, ‘God Gave Rock’n’Roll To You’ and the knock -em dead anthem that closes every KISS show Rock’n’Roll All Nite’, the KISS legacy has continued to grow, generation after generation.
Australian Musician editor Greg Phillips caught up with Kiss guitarist Tommy Thayer to chat about the upcoming tour, the band’s career and his association with Gibson and Epiphone guitars.
In the latest addition to the Gibson App Guide, fans can learn how to play KISS guitarist Tommy "Spaceman" Thayer's favorite iconic KISS guitar solos including "Shout It Out Loud", "Detroit Rock City", "Black Diamond" and "Psycho Circus". Learn each solo through video-guided lessons from Thayer himself showing you all of his hints and tricks to master the individual parts, then jump into the song lessons and refine those newly acquired solo skills. New Gibson App Guides are added regularly and include Jared James Nichols's "Guide To Blues", Richie Faulkner's (JUDAS PRIEST) "Guide To Metal", Celisse's "Guide To Songwriting" and more.
Thayer has had a long relationship with Gibson and Epiphone, releasing four sold-out Epiphone Les Paul signature guitars with the brand including his most recent release, the Epiphone Tommy Thayer Electric Blue Les Paul.
The Gibson App uses a unique two-way, interactive platform to teach guitar students how to do everything from playing their first note to shredding loads of songs. The Gibson App features interactive lessons with thousands of lessons and songs. Learn the songs step by step with video tutorials from superstar artists and pro guitarists in the "Gibson App Guide". The Gibson App also includes a built-in tuner, metronome, Gibson TV, and new songs are added every week. The Gibson App free version features a few lessons a day, the premium version of the Gibson App offers full access and a 14-day free trial, then $19.99/£16.49 monthly or $119.99/£98.99 yearly.
The Gibson App uses "audio augmented reality" to provide dynamic feedback to students as they learn and play. As you pluck a note or strum a chord, the Gibson App listens to your guitar and gives you real-time feedback on your playing. It also gives students a more contextual learning experience: Instead of learning chords and scales in a vacuum, you're able to practice on a scrolling tablature that lets you hear how you sound with the backing of a virtual band. That means you can load up Tom Petty's "American Girl", PIXIES' "Where is My Mind", Joan Jett's "I Hate Myself For Loving You", Kane Brown's "Heaven", Ed Sheeran's "Shape Of You", QUEEN's "Killer Queen" and GUNS N' ROSES' "Sweet Child O' Mine", and hundreds of songs in a wide-range of genres, to see how your play matches up with such seminal tracks.
As you're playing, the Gibson App gives you feedback on timing and tone, ensuring that students are getting active input on how their play is developing. The Gibson App appeals to players of all levels, it's not just for beginners looking to learn a few chords, the app can assist seasoned guitarists who are working their way through difficult riffs, want to learn their favorite songs, or polish their advanced techniques.
Players can also challenge themselves by speeding up or slowing the tabs. Like having a full-time guitar teacher, the Gibson App keeps track of all your progress and adjusts lesson plans accordingly. The Gibson App released a "backing track mode" which supports both lesson and song playback without headphones, so users can self-select what works best for their current environment. And that's not all: the Gibson App also packs in a fully-featured digital tuner for guitar first-timers, there's even a detailed lesson on how to tune your instrument, a multi-function metronome, players can connect to free one-on-one consultations with Gibson's Virtual Guitar Tech team, and to direct links to the Gibson, Epiphone and Kramer online stores for easy shopping for guitars, gear, apparel, and accessories.
The Gibson App is more than a pocket-sized guitar teacher, it's loaded with an archive of exclusive content and original programming from its premium and accessible award-winning online network Gibson TV, featuring music icons telling their best guitar stories, with more episodes and installments added regularly. Users can watch BLACK SABBATH's Tony Iommi share insights and tales from his decades-long career on the series "Icons", dive into Joe Bonamassa's assortment of legendary Les Paul guitars on "The Collection" or see how Gibson's iconic instruments are made in their Nashville factory from body to binding on "The Process". There's even a series called "The Scene" that focuses on backstage stories from hallowed music venues from coast to coast like The Troubadour and Grand Ole Opry.
Earlier today (Thursday, July 14),KISS took to social media to write: "Michael James Jackson has passed away from the complications of COVID related pneumonia. He was the driving force behind 'Killers', 'Creatures Of The Night', 'Lick It Up' and 'Animalize'. His passion and belief in the band was instrumental in our new found success in the 80's. He loved our fans and was a close member of the KISS family until the end. We mourn his loss and celebrate his life."
KISS frontman Paul Stanley also shared a personal message via his Twitter account. He wrote: "Michael James Jackson-My dearest and best friend for 40 years has died. His kindness and steadfast commitment to me and our friendship was a rock that supported me through the toughest times. He pushed me to start painting and reveled unselfishly in all my successes. Heartbroken".
In addition to KISS, Jackson had produced such artists as Paul Williams, Jesse Colin Young, Pablo Cruise, Tom Snow, Lauren Wood and RED RIDER. His work has earned seven gold and five platinum record awards.
The drink is made with Hampton Water Rosé, Grey Goose Vodka, peach liquor, citrus and fresh strawberries.
“Just like a good song, wine can bring people together no matter where they are in the world,” Bon Jovi says, “and that’s why Jesse and I are excited to partner with Rock & Brews, which was created by my friends and fellow rockers, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, to launch Hampton Water Frosé. It’s the perfect drink to enjoy with your friends and family coast to coast while listening to your favorite music all summer long.”
This is the latest in a series of live releases by the band and will be available to stream and download, with a 17-song two-LP standard black vinyl set, single CD, and a limited-edition two-LP set pressed on 180-gram purple vinyl available exclusively through the official KISS online store. All configurations of "Off The Soundboard: Live In Des Moines 1977" are available to pre-order.
"Off The Soundboard: Live In Des Moines 1977" was recorded during the landmark and extravagantly-produced "KISS Alive II" tour, and the 17-song set features a raw and powerful performance of classic KISS concert staples such as "Let Me Go Rock 'N' Roll", "Love Gun", "Rock And Roll All Nite" (No. 12 Billboard),"Shout It Out Loud", and "Beth" (No. 7 Billboard chart hit and the 1977 People's Choice Award winner in the "Best Song" category) performed by the lineup of Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss. "Off The Soundboard: Live In Des Moines 1977" captures a monumental moment in KISStory and is a celebration of the legendary band giving rock 'n' roll fans the ultimate live KISS experience.
KISS is globally recognized as one of the greatest live bands of all time and is the creator of what are universally considered two of the best live albums ever, 1975's gold-certified and No. 9 Billboard-charting "Alive!" and 1977's double platinum-certified No. 7 Billboard-charting "Alive II". The "Off The Soundboard" series continues their storied legacy of groundbreaking live albums with a document of the spectacular, larger-than-life extravaganza that is a KISS concert.
Known for their trademark performances, KISS has proven for decades why they are hands down the most iconic live show in rock and roll. The Rock And Roll Hall Of Famers have sold more than 100 million albums worldwide and are America's No. 1 gold-record-award-winning rock group of all time. Peerless as a live act, the band's illustrious legacy has been marked by record breaking global tours during a remarkable 49-year career.
"Off The Soundboard: Live In Des Moines 1977" track listing:
01. I Stole Your Love
02. King Of The Night Time World
03. Ladies Room
04. Firehouse
05. Love Gun
06. Let Me Go, Rock 'N Roll
07. Makin' Love
08. Christine Sixteen
09. Shock Me
10. I Want You
11. Calling Dr. Love
12. Shout It Out Loud
13. God Of Thunder
14. Rock And Roll All Nite
15. Detroit Rock City
16. Beth
17. Black Diamond
Steelhouse promoters Mikey and Max said in a statement: "We have been informed by Ace Frehley's representatives that, due to unforeseen circumstances on his part, he needs to cancel his entire European tour including his appearance at Steelhouse."
The organizers of Masters Of Rock released a similarly worded statement, saying: "Unfortunately, we will not see the original guitarist of the famous band KISS and subsequently the successful solo artist Ace Frehley at Masters Of Rock this year! We are extremely sorry, but his management has canceled all his planned summer shows in Europe. The changes are sometimes really unpredictable, and so is the official reason for canceling his show: 'Due to unforeseen circumstances Ace Frehley's performance has been cancelled.'"
Tickets for both concerts be available starting Friday, June 17 at 9:00 a.m. local time.
Proceeds will benefit charities in both the U.K. and the U.S. chosen by the Hawkins family.
As one of the most respected and beloved figures in modern music, Taylor's monolithic talent and magnetic personality endeared him to millions of fans, peers, friends and fellow musical legends the world over. Millions mourned his untimely passing on March 25, with passionate and sincere tributes coming from fans as well as musicians Taylor idolized. The Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concerts will unite several of those artists, the Hawkins family and, of course, his FOO FIGHTERS brothers in celebration of Taylor's memory and his legacy as a global rock icon — his bandmates and his inspirations playing the songs that he fell in love with, and the ones he brought to life.
Hawkins was found dead at the Four Seasons Casa Medina hotel in Bogota.
An official cause of death for Hawkins hasn't yet been released. But on March 26, Colombia's attorney general's office released a preliminary toxicology report, saying that medical examiners found evidence of 10 types of substances in Hawkins's body, including opioids, benzodiazepines, marijuana and antidepressants.
Hawkins joined FOO FIGHTERS in 1997. Prior to that, he played with the Orange County band SYLVIA and was also in the backing band for Sass Jordan. He also toured with Alanis Morissette as her drummer.
Hawkins was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame last year as a member of the FOO FIGHTERS.
Hawkins's most recent work with FOO FIGHTERS included last year's "Medicine At Midnight" album, a collection of BEE GEES covers and FOO FIGHTERS' horror film "Studio 666".
Kelly's passing was confirmed earlier today by his friend Danny Stanton, president and founder of Coallier Entertainment. Stanton wrote simply: "RIP KEN KELLY. You will always be a legend in the KISS world. Such a great guy, artist, friend."
Over Kelly's 50-plus-year career, he has focused in particular on paintings in the sword and sorcery and heroic fantasy subgenres.
Early in his career, he was able to study the paintings of Frank Frazetta in the latter's studio, but Frazetta never let out his trade secrets. In the early 1970s, he did a couple of cover paintings for Castle Of Frankenstein magazine. Throughout the 1970s, he was one of the foremost cover artists on Warren Publishing's Creepy and Eerie magazines.
Kelly has depicted Conan The Barbarian and Tarzan while also creating the artwork for KISS's "Destroyer" and "Love Gun", RAINBOW's "Rising", several albums from MANOWAR, and Ace Frehley's "Space Invader" record.
His work often portrayed exotic, enchanted locales and primal battlefields. He developed the artwork for COHEED AND CAMBRIA's album "Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume Two: No World for Tomorrow", and a painting of his was used as the cover art for ALABAMA THUNDERPUSSY's 2007 release "Open Fire". In 2012, one of Kelly's paintings was used for the cover of ELECTRIC MAGMA's 12-inch vinyl release "Canadian Samurai II".
Kelly has been a guest at the Kiss By Monster Mini Golf course in Las Vegas, Nevada, doing autograph signings of prints for the classic KISS albums he has drawn cover artwork for.
The guitarist took Ace Frehley’s position as the Spaceman in 2002, after having been part of the band’s backroom team since 1994. He’d been a handyman, researcher, tour manager, musical director and film producer before hitting the stage alongside Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley.
Thayer recently announced the release of five previously unheard songs by Black N’ Blue, the band he formed in 1981. Titled The Lost Tapes, it arrives on June 3 under the banner Thayer - St. James. The songs were written and mainly performed by Thayer and singer Jaime St. James.
Asked in a recent Vinyl Writer Music interview if the release signaled an “open door” for future work, Thayer replied, "After Kiss, I’m not planning on being in a band anymore. Honestly, I wasn’t planning on being in a band anymore back in the mid-'90s! ... Jaime and I will always be friends and enjoy music together, just like we’ve always done."
He went on to explain Simmons’ involvement with the unheard material, which was written in the late ‘80s. “Back then Gene had paid for the recordings of the five songs with the idea that he might shop them or be involved label-wise,” the guitarist said. “Years later, we were talking about it, and he said, ‘You guys can have the recordings back; they’re yours, free.’”
And Thayer admitted that he “fucked up” by keeping the tapes in his attic, which degraded the recordings to the point that the first versions he found couldn’t be rescued. “I started going through my boxes of old tapes and luckily found a DAT [digital audio tape] master of four of the five of the songs. … The only problem was the fifth song wasn’t on the DAT! So I went back to my old tape boxes and found a cassette of the last one. Luckily, the cassette sounded good, and we had it transferred, so it worked.”
Kulick's group, which also features singer and guitarist Todd Kerns, bassist and singer Zach Throne and drummer Brent Fitz, performed mostly songs from Kulick's 1980s and 1990s KISS era.
Vincent started his set Saturday night (May 28) with around 15 minutes of guitar shredding before he played the KISS classic "I Love It Loud" accompanied by a backing track. Kulick then joined him for "War Machine" before Frehley also stepped in for "Deuce" and "Cold Gin".
According to fans attending the event, "phones/video/audio" during Vinnie's set were prohibited, so most of the footage that has been posted online captures only a portion of the performance.
Vincent — who was a member of KISS when the band publicly "unmasked" in 1983 — made several public appearances in 2018 after spending the past two decades out of the public eye.
In 1983, KISS wrote and released "Lick It Up" — their first album without makeup — a recording on which Vincent co-wrote eight of 10 songs, including the title track, which remains a staple of the group's live performances to this day.
Despite the album's success, Vincent was fired by KISS after the "Lick It Up" touring cycle came to an end, allegedly due to a dispute over both the terms of his employment contract with the band and royalties. From there, Vincent founded VINNIE VINCENT INVASION, which recorded two albums.
In 1992, Vincent re-teamed with Simmons and Stanley to write three songs for their acclaimed album "Revenge", including the record's first two singles, "Unholy" and "I Just Wanna". Their relationship quickly soured once again, however. Four years later, Vincent released a solo EP, the aforementioned "Euphoria", which featured vocals by former VVI singer Fleischman and included material from sessions recorded around 1990. Soon after that, Vincent vanished from the public eye and remained off the grid for more than two decades.
In April 2018, Vincent joined Gene Simmons at the KISS bassist/vocalist's "Vault" event in Nashville, Tennessee. He later said in an interview that he felt that got "a cold reception" and was "treated very indifferently" by Gene at the event.
Frehley first left KISS in 1982. He rejoined in 1996 and parted ways with the band once again in 2002 after the conclusion of their first "farewell tour."
Bruce joined KISS in 1984 and accompanied the band on the "Animalize" tour and continued with them until the reunion tour. Bruce is heavily featured on "Kissology - Vol. 2" and "Vol. 3", the band's DVDs spanning their historic four-decade-plus career.
Frehley and original KISS drummer Peter Criss reunited on stage Friday night (May 27) at Creatures Fest. The two legendary rockers performed two early KISS classics during Frehley's set, "Hard Luck Woman" and "Strange Ways", both featuring Criss on lead vocals. (Video1, Video2, Video3, Video4, Video5)
Founded in 1974 by Neil Bogart, who’d had limited success as a record man at Buddha Records, a sublabel of MGM which had signed Gladys Knight and the Pips and the Ohio Express, Casablanca had the reputation of a place of excess. Sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll was the mantra of the day, and certainly so for the record company that contributed the first smash extended single to clubs and radio stations all over the world — Summer’s 17-minute “Love to Love You,” produced by Giorgio Moroder and first released in 1975.
As legend has it: the record was played at one of Bogart’s wild Hollywood parties, where it unintentionally repeated over and over again until the host realized that, at 17 minutes, the song was just long enough to soundtrack the pre-AIDS sex everyone was having — and likely coincided with the timespan of their cocaine high.
Tim Bogart, one of Neil’s sons alongside hit songwriter Evan Bogart (Rihanna’s “SOS,” Beyonce’s “Halo”), has given a lot of thought to the brief amount of time his dad was on this earth (the elder Bogart died in 1982 of cancer, by which time disco had gone out of fashion), and has worked diligently to preserve the story in the form of a screenplay.
“Spinning Gold” was first conceived in 1990 and, after many drafts, multiple castings and a decades-long search for the right director (the road ultimately led to Tim), is finally a finished feature film making its screen debut at Cannes.
Playing Neil Bogart is Broadway star Jeremy Jordan and taking on the acts on the roster are current-day music artists like Ledisi (Gladys Knight), Tayla Parx (Donna Summer), Jason Derulo (Ron Isley) and Wiz Khalifa (George Clinton). Also featured are comedians Sebastian Maniscalco, playing Moroder, Jay Pharoah and Chris Redd. (Watch an exclusive clip of “Spinning Gold” here.)
Music-wise, the original songs were not used for the soundtrack, which will come out on Atlantic Records. The Bogarts — younger brother Evan serves as executive music producer alongside Harvey Mason jr., the head of the Recording Academy – opted for new versions that demonstrate how the genesis of these songs, from the demo phase to the top of the Billboard charts.
Why did it take three decades to get these six seismic years right? Tim Bogart spoke to Variety about the evolution of the film.
How did you land on yourself as director?
We chose to tell the movie the way we wanted to tell the movie, which meant independently was the only way to do it. Not necessarily because we were trying to protect or whitewash the story — I actually found my father’s flaws to be some of the most fascinating components of his character. I don’t really see them as flaws. He never would have achieved success without truly being a gambler, in the most extreme sense of the word.
The movie was mostly shot during the pandemic. How did that work?
When I decided to direct it, that was about three years ago, just as the independent film business itself was changing because of streamers and the way international pre-sales worked. Then, as we were closing the financing, a global pandemic forced us to shut everything down, like the rest of the world. Not knowing: is this a month? Two months? Forever? Ultimately, we ended up realizing it could be forever and we packed everything away and waited until we could find another opportunity to complete the picture.
“Hit Men: Powerbrokers and Fast Money Inside the Music Business ” really put the Casablanca Records story on the map as it was a very popular read among those who worked in the music industry, or aspired to. It came out in 1990, the year you first started on the script. What’s your take on the book?
“Hit Men” is funny. There’s a scene in the book where it says, in essence, that the house that Neil Bogart lived in burned down to the ground. And the way it’s described, it’s like the hand of God came down and wiped it from the earth. The author is correct that there was a fire — I was in the house when it happened — but it was only the garage.
So you saying it’s embellished?
It’s embellished to me. Yes, there was sex — before it was deadly; there was rock and roll; and try to find somebody who wasn’t doing drugs in the ’70s. I don’t pretend my father didn’t do drugs. He did. He loved them. There are people who certainly had excesses; my father was one of them, to be sure. But I don’t think that defined the story.
The movie is not about that. It’s just part of the fabric of those peoples’ lives. And what I think “Hit Men” did was try to make it all about sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. What it didn’t do was celebrate any of the extraordinary accomplishments of the characters in the book, who really were some of the boldest, bravest and most creative executives that ever worked in our business.
Explain the thinking behind not using original songs.
When you’re doing a movie about the ultimate gold standards — these classic songs like “Lean on Me,” “Midnight Train to Georgia,” “Rock and Roll All Nite, “Last Dance” — I felt there was nothing new to tell. My vision always was as a love letter to these artists. I wanted to understand where the songs came from and what the creative process was. That actually opened up a remarkable palette for us to play with because we weren’t saying, these are the masters. We were saying these are the original moments of inspiration of these songs.
You have actors replicating the arena-rock grandness of KISS. Do you need to go to Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley for their blessing?
Every single artist I reached out to — Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Peter Criss, Ace Frehley, Donna’s husband Bruce Sudano, George Clinton himself — has been so supportive of the movie. In fact, the people who play P Funk are the actual children and grandchildren of the original Funkadelics. You reach out to these folks for publishing for sure, but I made no promises to tell the story in a specific way. Ultimately, I do think every one of them is going to be thrilled.
Will we see the infamous party where the extended “Love to Love You” was born?
It’s 100% a true story and is in our film.
Which role was hardest to cast?
My father, without question. I couldn’t land on the person, and I spoke to some extraordinarily wonderful actors who wanted to play him. I had actually committed to cast someone, and had a total panic attack that I’d made the one bad decision that would sink the whole thing. When I heard about Jeremy Jordan, I Googled his performances and saw the extraordinary talent and charisma he had, and the similarities he had to my father’s essence. I jumped on a redeye to New York, had a secret read-through, and cast him on the spot. It was the smartest and best creative decision I made in my life.
You were in talks with Justin Timberlake at one point?
I did develop the project with Justin for a couple of years early on. His music career became too busy for us to figure out how to how to work around that schedule. And ultimately, I decided I was ready to go and that I want to go a different way than what we were talking about.
Sebastian Maniscalco as Giorgio Moroder was an unexpected casting.
Capturing comedy was very important from the beginning. With Sebastian, we sort of looked at what Cameron Crowe did so beautifully with Jimmy Fallon in “Almost Famous.” You didn’t really know it was Jimmy Fallon [Fallon played Stillwater manager Dennis Hope], but it was this wonderful essence of a human that you felt. And only after you realize, that’s Jimmy Fallon. I think that’s what people will say about Sebastian. I think they’ll capture this funny character with this crazy accent — [Moroder is] a German in Italy writing in English — and will love what he did. But it’s very much meant to be something you’re only going to understand later.
What does “spinning gold” mean?
It references a number of things. My father spun plates as a three-ring circus leader at one time — he’d have 20 in the air hoping they weren’t going to crash. And obviously gold refers to success in the music industry, as in gold records and money — his ability to create it even when he kept spending or losing it all. But “Spinning Gold” really was the art of one person believing enough to keep going until it succeeds.
Is there any acknowledgment of the sexism and misogyny of that time in the film? .
We really wrestled with that question because it’s such a different time today. And there were early iterations of the story that delved a lot more into the sexuality. Ultimately, that’s not the story I chose to tell. It’s not that we’re depicting it and not commenting on it; we believe we made a very honest story about the time and about the people. But that particular component, while unbelievably important, is not something that the film itself tells.
The “Spinning Gold” soundtrack includes:
“Last Dance” – Donna Summer
“Love To Love Ya Baby” – Donna Summer
“Bad Girls” – Donna Summer
“Dim All The Lights” – Donna Summer
“It’s Your Thing” – The Isley Brothers
“Oh Happy Day” – Edwin Hawkins’ Singers
“Midnight Train To Georgia” – Gladys Knight
“Give Up The Funk” – Parliament
“Mothership Connection” – Parliament
“Ooh Child” – The Five Stairsteps
“One Toke Over The Line” – Brewer & Shipley
“Ain’t No Sunshine” – Bill Withers
“Lean On Me” – Bill Withers
“Who Is He” – Bill Withers
“Rock N Roll All Nite” – Kiss
“Shout It Out Loud” – Kiss
“Beth” – Kiss
“Yummy, Yummy, Yummy” – Ohio Players
“Wooly Bully” – Sam The Sham & The Pharoahs
“Ymca” – The Village People.
Fans who already secured their cabin for October 29 - November 3 can double down on the "Kiss Kruise" fun and become a two-timer by sailing on both weeks and receive an exclusive laminate, an exclusive signed item by KISS, happy hour with the band, and a specialty two-timer t-shirt.
This past February, KISS announced that "Kiss Kruise XI" would be their "last performance onboard".
As has been the case on all the previous cruises, fans will get to see KISS's unmasked acoustic and electric shows and engage in activities with the bandmembers.
SISTERS DOLL was previously the backup band for Criss at what was being billed as his last live show in the USA in June 2017, also at the Cutting Room. Prior to that, Peter played with SISTERS DOLL at a concert in Australia in May 2017.
Criss, who turned 76 in December, first left KISS in 1980. Since then he's worked with other bands and released solo albums. He teamed up with KISS again for a reunion tour in the 1990s and most recently in 2004. He was replaced by Eric Singer.
Criss has claimed that his contract with KISS wasn't renewed in March 2004. That charge has been disputed by Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons.
In addition to playing drums in KISS, Peter also provided lead vocals for a number the band's most popular and memorable songs, including "Beth", "Black Diamond" and "Hard Luck Woman".
In a 2012 interview with "The Opie & Anthony Show", Criss revealed that a power struggle, with Simmons and Stanley on one side, and Peter and Ace Frehley on the other, led to his departure from KISS. "I could start feeling [Stanley and Simmons] wanting the power," he said. "The more we were going up the ladder of future and fame, the more it was kind of swaying to Mr. Simmons and Stanley. Ace and I were kind of not getting our musical [ideas] in. It's funny — I wrote the biggest hit the band [ever had] [the 1976 ballad 'Beth'], and meanwhile, I was kind of always getting put down for this stuff. So it was always a battle."
According to Criss, he and Frehley were extremely close, which is why it was especially hurtful for the drummer to learn that Frehley was making more money when the farewell tour ended in 2000. "[It] broke my heart when [Ace] broke my heart," he said. "In the book, I tell the story, but towards the reunion, towards the end, I was devastated, man. I couldn't believe what went on. And it was again about the old M-O-N-E-Y. Money, money, money. Power, power, power. It never was enough for those guys."
Simmons has remained baffled at why Criss decided to leave the band nearly two decades ago following such a triumphant reunion tour and album. "Most people only have one chance, if at all, to swing the bat," Gene said. "Peter's had many chances. When there's a party, not everybody comes. And if you're not in the party, from the outside looking in, you scratch your head and say, 'Why wouldn't anybody want to go to the party? Lots of girls. Lots of money. Lots of good times.' You got me."
After weeks of bad-mouthing each other in the press, the four original members of KISS were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in April 2014 by RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello, with all four — Stanley, Simmons, Frehley and Criss — delivering warm, nostalgic and even sweet-natured speeches that put aside the simmering tensions for at least 12 minutes.
KISS did not perform — the Hall Of Fame wanted the original quartet only to play, while Simmons and Stanley insisted on the current lineup — which also includes guitarist Tommy Thayer and Singer — performing as well. In the end nobody won that battle.
Criss, who was known as "Catman," released his last solo CD, titled "One For All", in 2007. Peter produced the album himself for the first time, and was joined by guest musicians that included keyboardist Paul Shaffer and bassist Will Lee of "Late Night With David Letterman". The album featured a range of styles, from rock and jazz to blues and Broadway, and included covers of "What A Difference A Day Makes" and "Send In The Clowns".
Although unconventional and a self-described “recovering groupie,” Albritton evolved as an artist, expanding from music stars to film directors, eventually adding females. She started her career by making a cast using a dental mold-making substance called alginate, which solidified around the subject’s member and then slipped off as the participant, er, “cooled off.”
In 1968, Jimi Hendrix was her first cast. She later expanded to include male filmmakers in the collection and then female artists’ breasts.
Among the artists who submitted to the process were Wayne Kramer of the MC5 and Pete Shelley of the Buzzcocks. Kiss’ Gene Simmons wrote a song called “Plaster Caster” for the band’s 1977 platinum album Love Gun. “The plaster’s gettin’ harder and my love is perfection/A token of my love for her collection,” he sang — but Albritton said she never casted any member of that band.
Albritton was born in Chicago, and moved to Los Angeles after befriending Frank Zappa, who supported her craft but declined to participate in the art.
After her apartment was burglarized in 1971, the casts were given to Zappa’s business partner, Herb Cohen. After a long hiatus from cast-making, Albritton tried to get them back. When Cohen balked, things eventually devolved into a court case, with Albritton ultimately getting back all but three of the casts.
She had her first art exhibit in New York in 2000 and then was the subject of a 2001 documentary, Plaster Caster.
No information on survivors or memorial plans has been announced.
Stanley’s Corvette is VIN 001 for the 2022 model year and is finished in Red Mist Metallic Tintcoat. It also sports a black roof, the available Z51 package, and the High Wing Spoiler. Making Stanley’s 2022 Corvette stand out even further are the yellow brake calipers.
The interior of the car also makes quite a bold statement thanks to the tan-colored leather that adorns the seats and parts of the dashboard, door panels, and transmission tunnel. Other areas of the cabin are clad in black leather with tan-colored contrast stitching.
Stanley has long been a fan of the Corvette and in 2014, helped to design a C7 Corvette Stingray that Chevy displayed at that year’s SEMA Show. His first new car was a 1977 Corvette and he says he took inspiration from some of his favorite European vehicles in speccing out his 2022 model.
The KISS frontman is selling the car with no reserve because he “couldn’t do it justice” as he is so conscious of its pedigree and the fact that it is VIN 001. “I want to make it available to somebody who might be able to get more out of it, whether it’s to add to a collection or to drive it,” he told Barrett-Jackson.
The winning bidder won’t just receive the keys to the car but will also be handed an autographed Ibanez PS120 Paul Stanley Signature guitar.
“The guitar is another part of my life, another aspect of who I am,” Stanley says. “So I thought that whoever acquire the car would have another piece of who I am. I want somebody to take this car and do whatever makes them happy with it, to enjoy it,” Stanley said. “That’s really the keyword, I think, for any collector of anything — joy. And for me, my life has always been about the joy I can bring to other people. So here’s a car and a guitar. Go enjoy.”
"Gibson is an outstanding company and has earned its place as a leading guitar brand with fans around the world," says Simmons. " The new G² Thunderbird basses are all handmade in the USA, with a sound that is off the charts. The design is so beautiful and collectible, they are simply works of art."
"We are excited to launch the first of many projects together with Gene Simmons!" says Cesar Gueikian, brand president, Gibson Brands. "The Gibson Gene Simmons G² Thunderbird Bass guitar has been more than a year in the making. It looks and sounds EPIC, and it is unmistakably Gene. Working with him is such a privilege for all of us at Gibson; he is deeply involved in every aspect of developing the guitars and planning our launch. A legendary musician who has touched the lives of generations of music fans, Gene is also a creative and successful entrepreneur. This is the first of many ways in which the G² partnership will be paying tribute to Gene, his iconic status, and continue to inspire new generations of Gibson and Gene Simmons fans to play and create music."
The stunning Gene Simmons G² Thunderbird Bass guitar is designed to meet Gene's performance needs and preferences in stadiums across the globe. Designed for modern bassists, it features the classic Gibson Reverse Thunderbird body and headstock shape. The Gene Simmons G² Thunderbird Bass is voiced with a pair of powerful T-Bird Pickups, each with individual Volume controls and paired with a master Tone control. The bound ebony fretboard features pearloid reverse split diamond inlays. A GraphTech nut and Hipshot Mini-Clover tuners keep the tuning rock-solid, while the other end of the strings anchor to a Hipshot Bass Bridge. The back of the headstock features a G² logo. The Ebony nitrocellulose lacquer finish is paired with Black Chrome hardware and a Mirror Plex truss rod cover with a Mirror Plex pickguard which features a laser engraved custom Gene Simmons logo. A hardshell case is included.
Simmons is a serial entrepreneur, philanthropist, and media mogul. Simmons has achieved success that reaches far beyond his music career, extending into television shows, films, publishing, merchandising, worldwide restaurants, consumer products, and more. Simmons was inspired to become a rock star when he first saw a televised performance by THE BEATLES. Simmons formed several bands and then met fellow KISS co-founder Paul Stanley in 1970 and they formed the group WICKED LESTER. In the winter of 1972, with a desire to create the "ultimate" rock band, not just "another" rock band, Simmons and Stanley formed KISS with original band members Peter Criss and Ace Frehley. Inspired by his love of comic books and horror films, Simmons conceived the concept of his face paint. The addition of elaborate costumes, frenetic stage performances and ostentatious concert effects, catapulted KISS to international stardom and a coveted position as one of the most recognized rock and roll bands in the world. Since their inception, KISS has developed millions of fans around the world, also known as the KISS Army. With over 100 million CDs and DVDs sold worldwide, KISS continues to sell out stadiums and arenas around the world, breaking box-office records set by Elvis Presley and THE BEATLES. KISS was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2014 and in 1999 received a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame. Merchandising giant Simmons's keen business acumen has expanded the KISS brand beyond the stage. With more than 5,000 licensed/merchandised items, KISS has generated more money from merchandising and trademark deals than any other band in music history. Recently, Gene launched Gene Simmons MoneyBag soda — a new line of sodas made with all natural flavors, colors, and pure cane sugar, and packaged in painted bottles.
"Off The Soundboard: Live At Donington 1996" was recorded during the final year of the original run of the renowned annual music festival held at Donington Park in Leicestershire, England, and the 17-song set features powerhouse performances of classic KISS concert staples such as "Do You Love Me", "Shout It Out Loud", "God Of Thunder" and the title song from their 1976 multi-platinum Top Five album "Love Gun". KISS closed the festival on this date, which was also part of the highly anticipated "Alive/Worldwide" reunion tour featuring Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, making "Off The Soundboard: Live At Donington 1996" a stunning sonic souvenir of this moment in KISStory.
KISS is globally recognized as one of the greatest live bands of all time and are the creators of what is universally considered the best live album ever, 1975's gold-certified and No. 9 Billboard-charting "Alive!" The "Off The Soundboard" series continues their storied legacy of groundbreaking live albums with a document of the spectacular, larger-than-life extravaganza that is a KISS concert.
Known for their trademark performances, KISS has proven for decades why they are hands down the most iconic live show in rock and roll. The Rock And Roll Hall Of Famers have sold more than 100 million albums worldwide and are America's No. 1 gold record award-winning group of all time in every category. Peerless as a live act, the band's illustrious legacy has been marked by record breaking global tours during a remarkable 49-year career.
CD1
01. Deuce
02. King Of The Night Time World
03. Do You Love Me?
04. Calling Dr. Love
05. Cold Gin
06. Let Me Go, Rock 'N' Roll
07. Shout It Out Loud
08. Watchin' You
09. Firehouse
10. Shock Me
CD211. Strutter
12. God Of Thunder
13. Love Gun
14. 100,000 Years
15. Black Diamond
16. Detroit Rock City
17. Rock And Roll All Nite
Speaking about Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Simmons said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The world forever will be filled with good people and there are gonna be some bad people. My heart goes out to the people in the Ukraine who are bravely not lying down and trying not to inflame the conversation because Mr. Putin has clearly gone off the rails. And I feel for those Russian young soldiers, who, by the way, were not told — I have some friends in D.C., and we've had discussions — they weren't told they were going across the Ukraine. It was just a military exercise. Some of them thought they were war games, so they were totally unprepared for what's happening.
"Look, there's no simple answer, but if America wasn't here as a deterrent, let's say, even if it comes down to the extreme of nuclear apartheid, the world would be a different place, unfortunately, because even people who you sit across and have discussions with can turn into despots and dictators and decide to exert their will over others," he continued. "I'm using very soft language. What it really means is they become mass murderers because they want certain things. And Putin has joined that club, unfortunately, and I hope it can all come to a peaceful end. Now, in the meantime, we should do everything to punish that guy and the oligarchs and everybody else. But, of course, the by-product of that is innocent people in Russia have to bear the brunt of that — higher prices, the ruble is worth next to nothing. And so everybody suffers because one asshole decides he wants to do something like this. It's devastating. I don't even know how to respond. But only the military and the brave people of Ukraine… Wow. One of the world's most powerful regimes is finding out that they're at a standstill and they can't exert their force because the Ukrainians have decided not to lie down… They're not gonna give up. And there's a good chance Russia's gonna get their pants handed to them — perhaps not in a nuclear way, not militarily, but everybody there's gonna have to fight door to door, building to building. They're not gonna win."
On February 24, Russian president Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" in Ukraine. Putin made the announcement during a televised early morning speech, peddling accusations of Nazi elements within Ukraine to justify the attack on his western neighbor, a move that experts slammed as slanderous and false. (Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy is Jewish and lost three family members in the Holocaust.)
The Russian leader called for Ukraine's "demilitarization and denazification" and warned other countries that any attempt to interfere with the Russian action would lead to "consequences they have never seen."
According to NPR, nearly 600 civilian fatalities have been confirmed in the first three weeks of the war, including a U.S. journalist.
The U.S. military estimates that between 2,000 and 4,000 Ukrainian armed forces, national guard and volunteer forces have been killed. It estimates that between 5,000 and 6,000 Russian soldiers have been killed.
Ukrainian armed forces say more than 12,000 Russian troops have been killed since February 24.
According to Creatures Fest promoter Neil Davis, Criss will join Frehley on stage during the guitarist's May 27 set to play a few tracks.
"They both spoke, said they were excited about being at Creatures Fest; they were excited about seeing you, the fans," Davis said. "And they talked, and they just thought that what would be great for the fans, for all of us, is if they got together and played some songs during Ace's set."
Vincent is scheduled to perform on night two of Creatures Fest, while Kulick will close out the event on Sunday, May 29. The festival will also feature performances by QUIET RIOT, ENUFF Z'NUFF, VIXEN, John Corabi, RETURN OF THE COMET and PRETTY BOY FLOYD, among others.
Criss first left KISS in 1980. Since then he's worked with other bands and released solo albums. He teamed up with KISS again for a reunion tour in the 1990s and most recently in 2004. He was replaced by Eric Singer.
In addition to playing drums in KISS, Peter also provided lead vocals for a number the band's most popular and memorable songs, including "Beth", "Black Diamond" and "Hard Luck Woman".
Criss, who was known as "Catman," released his last solo CD, titled "One For All", in 2007. Peter produced the album himself for the first time, and was joined by guest musicians that included keyboardist Paul Shaffer and bassist Will Lee of "Late Night With David Letterman". The album featured a range of styles, from rock and jazz to blues and Broadway, and included covers of "What A Difference A Day Makes" and "Send In The Clowns".
Criss played what was being billed as his final U.S. concert in June 2017 at the Cutting Room in New York City.
Frehley, a founding member of KISS, recently said that he is up for a reunion of the original band, but only if the price is right. During an appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Frehley stated about the chances of him playing with his former bandmates: "Anything's possible — I've always said that. That's the first question so many people have asked me over the years: 'Would you ever consider doing a KISS reunion?' I said, 'I never closed the door on anything.' If the money's right and it's presented to me in the right way, anything can happen.
"I'm on good terms with Paul [Stanley, guitar/vocals] and Gene [Simmons, bass/vocals], which is nice, because we created something really special in the early '70s that has outlasted so many other bands. And God bless 'em. They're still doing it; I'm still doing it. Peter is still around. I'm not quite sure why Peter hadn't toured over the years as much as I have, but it is what it is."
Vincent — who was a member of KISS when the band publicly "unmasked" in 1983 — made several public appearances in 2018 after spending the preceding two decades out of the public eye.
Bruce joined KISS in 1984, and accompanied the band on the "Animalize" tour and continued with them until the reunion tour. Bruce is heavily featured on "Kissology - Vol. 2" and "Vol. 3", the band's DVDs spanning their historic four-decade-plus career.
The hard rock band’s elaborate costumes, face makeup and pyrotechnic stage shows helped turn them into one of the biggest acts in the world at the time (between 1977 and 1979, they sold $100 million in records and merchandise, roughly $400 million today), and their manager, Bill Aucoin, wanted to take it to the next level. Curiously, Hanna-Barbera, the animation studio behind The Flintstones and The Jetsons, was chosen to produce the TV film for NBC.https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Print-Issue-6-endpg_kiss-tearsheet-EMBED-2022.jpg
Phantom shot at Magic Mountain near L.A. and followed a mad scientist (Anthony Zerbe) whose animatronic Kiss members do battle with the real ones (who happen to have superpowers like fire-breathing and laser eyes).
“I embrace it like an ugly child,” says Kiss co-founder Paul Stanley. “You have to realize that we were like these imbeciles who got to take over the school. We knew nothing about acting, nothing about filmmaking. We were sold the idea of the film in a sentence that was virtually, ‘A Hard Day’s Night meets Star Wars.’ Well, it was far from either.” If anything, it ended up closer to The Star Wars Holiday Special, which debuted a month later on CBS: an embarrassment that grew into a fan favorite over time.
Stanley, 70, spoke at length with The Hollywood Reporter about the making of the 1978 cult classic.
Seeing Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park as a child left a huge impression on me. To me, it was the coolest thing ever. And then I was reading up on it, and I saw you guys disowned it. Do you still feel that way?
I guess you would have to define it as kitsch, although it wasn’t supposed to be that in the beginning. But you had four guys who never read the script, who were clueless about even the fundamentals of acting, basically allowed to do whatever we wanted to. And a take was considered anything where we didn’t flub our lines.
How far along were you in this idea of Kiss having a mythology around it when you were first presented with the idea of a movie? I was trying to place whether the Kiss Marvel Comics came first, but I think Kiss Meets the Phantom may have come first. It is kind of a chicken or the egg, and it was an ugly chicken. [The first Kiss comic book predated the film by one year.]
I don’t remember. I don’t remember much, honestly. When we were introduced to the idea of the film, we basically said, “Make a film? Great.” It was kind of like The Little Rascals. “Let’s put on a show.” There was so much going on at that time. Two members of the band weren’t speaking to the other two members of the band. We had both [lead guitarist] Ace [Frehley] and [drummer] Peter [Criss], who would [act] on whatever whim might cross their mind. They would leave the set in the middle of shooting. In some scenes, we have stand-ins and stunt doubles [playing us]. And the idea of “the talisman” [which gave us our powers] — clearly we’d never heard the term talisman. Look, we were idiots, and we were suddenly put into a position where The Marx Brothers were being taken seriously.
Did it occur to you at the time that you might be making a dud?
I remember that Anthony Zerbe, who was a credible actor, who played the mad scientist — which, every film needs a mad scientist — he was not terribly enamored to be working with us. We weren’t used to being corralled or told what we needed to do. I just remember at one point being on set at Magic Mountain and turning to my manager at the time, Bill Aucoin, and saying: “I think this is going to be horrible.” And he said, “Don’t worry.” You should never hear anybody say, “Don’t worry.” You know?
How did the NBC executives react to the final product?
They gave us a viewing of the film before it aired on NBC. And I just slid further and further down in my chair. By the time it was over, I was looking at chewing gum on the bottom of the seats. I remember a scene where we were levitating some magic box, and you could see the wires onscreen. And in typical Hollywood fashion, when it was over, people were coming over and shaking my hand and congratulating me.
For me, it wasn’t “Springtime for Hitler,” but it’s just interesting how people hold that film in some affectionate memory. And I think that’s terrific. I was there and it wasn’t. I lived it. And whatever you saw on the screen and whatever dubious thoughts you have about it, let me tell you, you just saw the tip of the iceberg that sank the Titanic.
Did you guys make any effort to stop it from airing?
No. We were caught up so much in our fame and this incredible ride we were on, that, no, I didn’t think much of it. But it was also going to be an NBC Movie of the Week. So let other people judge and let other people [say] what they think of it. It was disappointing to me, but I certainly didn’t lose sleep over it. Again, you’re dealing with four guys who had no concept of what making a film was, let alone what was entailed in acting. Literally, before each scene, we would yell out “Line!” and they would feed us the line, and then they’d roll cameras. I said, “Gene, Peter, let’s go, let’s kill the robots.” If I got it all out, that’s a keeper. Let’s move on.
So the Ed Wood School of Filmmaking.
Well, I think that Gordon Hessler, who directed it, and who was a credible director, must have been ready for shock therapy after he worked on that film. It reached a point where after each take, he would ask us if we liked it.
Did it negatively impact your tour sales or your record sales?
Oh, gosh. Nothing could impact our sales at that point. It was viewed by the people who loved us as great, and by the people who didn’t like us as crap.
Did it affect your cool factor at all?
Cool is in the eye of the beholder. There are many people who have always thought we were cool. And there’ve also been many people who thought we weren’t. So we were used to the sticks and stones that were thrown at us. That was part of who we were and who we are. We’ve never played by the rules. Our only rule has always been no rules. We do what we want.
When we started putting out merchandise, it was thought of as completely uncool. Having a fan club was completely uncool. Whereas we thought, if our fans want something, that’s the ultimate cool. If people want to wear a uniform that identifies with us, whether it’s a belt buckle or a T-shirt, they should have it. And although there was a large population of critics and other bands who looked down their noses at it, as soon as those bands saw the kind of income it generated, they all became Kiss clones.
I’m sure I’m not the first person to say this, but to me the genius of Kiss is that you married rock ‘n’ roll to superhero and sci-fi culture.
Yeah. If you gave Superman a guitar and plugged it into a Marshall amplifier, you’d probably have Kiss.
The KISS rocker is selling his beautiful glass palace for $13.5 million and it's got a lot to offer. The 6-bed, 8-bath house features a koi pond, an 11-car garage and many of those glass walls are retractable!
No shocker here, but Gene built the 11,000 sq. ft. home in the perfect location -- the crib has sparkling views of the Vegas strip and the surrounding desert.
And, you can take in all of that from the spacious pool.
Back in December, Gene was on TMZ Live, and told us how much he loved the house, and also why he'd put it on the market.
He told us after all of the perks that came with living in Vegas, the one issue that made him sell -- his family members aren't huge fans of desert life. Something about the heat and having strippers down the street wasn't a great sales point for them.
Gene says he bought the property next door as well ... planting 137 trees on the land -- something hard to come by in that Nevada weather.
The Vegas home is currently under contract ... meaning an offer has been accepted, but we're told it won't close until next month. Simmons was accepting crypto as payment for the house, but it's unclear if the buyer went that route.
Ivan Sher of Berkshire Hathaway held the listing.
As has been the case on all the previous cruises, fans will get to see KISS's unmasked acoustic and electric shows and engage in activities with the bandmembers.
Last year's edition of the "Kiss Kruise" required fans to be vaccinated to attend.
In October, KISS frontman Paul Stanley said that the final concert of the band's "End Of The Road" tour would likely happen by early 2023.
KISS launched its farewell trek in January 2019 but was forced to put it on hold in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"End Of The Road" was originally scheduled to conclude on July 17, 2021 in New York City but has since been extended to at least the end of 2022. The trek was announced in September 2018 following a KISS performance of the band's classic song "Detroit Rock City" on "America's Got Talent".
"I believe strongly by the beginning of 2023 we will be finished," Stanley told Ultimate Classic Rock, adding that "it seems only natural [for the final show] to be in New York. That is where the band started, and that was really the background for the band getting together and writing these songs and played loft parties and played clubs starting with an audience of probably 10 people," he said. "It seems we should go full circle."
Stanley went on to say that unlike KISS's 2000-2001 tour, which was also supposed to be its last, "End Of The Road" will truly be the last time KISS performs live. "It's a different time than we had pondered [farewell tours] in the past," Stanley explained. "The fact is that, physically, it's incredibly demanding to do what we do. Look, we played [recently] in Austin, an outdoor show, 100 percent humidity. We're running around for two-plus hours, not only with guitars, but I've got 30-plus pounds of gear on. There's a point where you go, 'You know what? This is more challenge than I want.' And I only want to do it as long as I can do it smiling.
"There's really no thought about changing our minds," he continued. "It has nothing to do with personalities in the band or tensions or a difference of opinion or musicality. It's purely practical. You can play beat the clock, but ultimately the clock wins."
KISS's current lineup consists of original members Stanley and bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons, alongside later band additions, guitarist Tommy Thayer (since 2002) and drummer Eric Singer (on and off since 1991).
Formed in 1973 by Stanley, Simmons, drummer Peter Criss and lead guitarist Ace Frehley, KISS's first "farewell" tour in 2000 was the last to feature the group's original lineup.
In early 2019, Stanley told Australia's "Sunday Night" that "Rock And Roll All Nite" "has to be" the song that KISS performs as the last encore at the final concert of the "End Of The Road" tour. "That is the rock anthem that connects the world," he explained. "It was the start of other people coming up with anthems. They really didn't exist, per se. So, 'Rock And Roll All Nite And Party Every Day', that's a song that just connects with people on all different levels."
Simmons concurred, telling BUILD Series: "How do you not end with 'Rock And Roll All Nite'? We will have played that song, probably without exception, more than any other song we've ever been involved with. You might say, 'Aren't you sick and tired of hearing that?' But I will tell you the roar of the crowd, the smell of the grease paint, there ain't nothing like it. When you hear everybody getting jazzed about that and you get off the stage... [it's] like the fire in the belly. You're dog-tired; you've just done a big show; and you get up on that stage, when you see the joy in everybody's face... We've seen it all. We've been around for generations, but when you see a little 5-year-old kid in KISS makeup on his dad's shoulders who's wearing KISS makeup, next to his father... we're badass kind of guys — nothing affects us much — but that stuff will put a lump in your throat. You have to turn around for a second. It gets me. Yes, it's music, but it's generational, and it brings families together instead of separates [sic] them."
Born John Joseph Harte III in Newark, NJ on November 15, 1951, he was the older of two boys raised in a traditional Irish-Catholic family in nearby Passaic. When Harte's mother unexpectedly passed away, he helped support his family while dreaming of becoming a famous musician. The rock-and-roll band that Harte played drums and percussion for did not last long, but a chance experience keeping people at bay outside a Grateful Dead concert would change the trajectory of his life.
"I was noticed at that show because I was big, dressed in denim and black, looked tough with my biker's mustache and could handle a rowdy crowd," Harte recalled while working on his memoir in 2021. "I soon found myself handling security at Passaic's Capitol Theater, Jersey City's Roosevelt Stadium and New York's Fillmore East for musicians ranging from Gregg Allman to Lou Reed to the New York Dolls. I learned all aspects of the music business 'ground up' by ushering guests, tuning instruments for performers and doing whatever was needed to ensure a concert ran smoothly."
KISS! "A fella named Rick Stuart, who was already working security with the group, knew I wanted to get on the road as the next step in my career. After the band played the Capitol in October 1975, Rick took me to the hotel room where they were staying. I met tour manager JR Smalling, and was given - or subjected to (laughter) - an impromptu interview. A few days later, I was offered the job by manager Bill Aucoin, soon went on the group's first European tour and worked an average of six days per week for almost a decade. An experience of a lifetime!"
"Guys like [John] are a rare breed," states KISS co-founder and frontman, Paul Stanley from his Foreword contributed to Harte's forthcoming book:
"John was a formidable presence and was rough around the edges for sure, but that never overshadowed the dedication and conscience he would show while babysitting and coddling four spoiled and needy rockstars who were always vying for attention and affirmation that they were his favorite."
"Big John is a legend in the KISS world, nearly as big as the band itself," recalls Michael Brandvold, co-founder of KISS-fan podcast Three Sides of The Coin. "Growing up I saw him as this larger than life, imposing figure who was tasked with protecting the identities of the KISS members. But, when I first met him in 2018 I quickly saw John for who he really was... a quiet, gentle giant with a big heart."
After an exclusive eight-year stint with KISS, Harte spent much of the 1980s touring with British Heavy Metal band, IRON MAIDEN, enjoying more than his share of all perks the music business had to offer- the Rock Star Lifestyle that millions have fantasized about.
"John had worked with us for several years and I recently had a great visit with him laughing and sharing stories together," recalls longtime Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain. "A great guy and valued member of the family who will be sadly missed!"
Harte's days with Maiden would lead to a four-decade friendship with Steve Altman, who signed on as bassist Steve Harris's personal assistant and later encouraged Harte to chronicle his Rock 'N Roll adventures:
"I was young and John took me under his wing, even as we both moved on to other music industry opportunities," says Altman. "He was a constant 'go to' in my life and was always there for me."
Harte would eventually settle down and marry the love of his life, MaryAnn, and have their son Brian. Although he would give up the day-to-day, grueling schedule required of world touring, Harte would continue working as late as the 2003 KISS/Aerosmith tour. It was then Harte realized that he had his own following of supporters, and would travel to various conventions and an official KISS Kruise in 2017 to meet them.
"John was loved by so many fans of the bands he had worked for," said his wife. "The admiration that was always shown to him by those whom he met always blew him away. He treasured those moments."
Harte's book will be completed and published posthumously in 2023. "John was not only a part of KISStory but, in a sense, also a rock star in his own right," says Harte's co-author Robert V. Conte. "He witnessed first-hand how the concert scene evolved from the days of the most basic, often error-ridden performances to the visual and audio spectacles most concerts offer today. John and I spoke often over the past few years developing his book and I promised his memoir would be published no matter what. Despite his terrible loss, I will keep that promise."
Those wishing to leave their remembrances with "Big" John Harte may do so on his social media page. A GoFundMe page has been established for those interested in contributing to John's final expenses.
As previously reported, KISS will also headline this year's Welcome To Rockville festival on Thursday, May 19 in Daytona Beach, Florida. GUNS N' ROSES, FOO FIGHTERS and KORN will close out the rest of the four-day event.
2022 U.S. tour dates:
May 11 - Milwaukee, WI - American Family Insurance Amphitheater
May 12 - Dayton, OH - Wright State University Nutter Center
May 14 - Hartford, CT - Xfinity Theatre
May 17 - Raleigh, NC - Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
May 19 - Daytona Beach, FL - Welcome To Rockville – Daytona International Speedway
"Off The Soundboard: Live In Virginia Beach" finds the legendary band in the midst of their "Rock The Nation" tour, which is notable for being the first full U.S. tour of the longstanding Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer lineup. The career-spanning 20-song set includes classic KISS tracks such as "Lick It Up", "I Love It Loud" and the worldwide smash and No. 11 1979 U.S. Billboard-charting "I Was Made For Lovin' You", as well as perennial KISS fan favorites "Makin' Love", "King Of The Night Time World" and "100,000 Years" that dig deep into the band's astonishing 40-plus-year back catalog.
KISS is globally recognized as one of the greatest live bands of all time and are the creators of what is universally considered the best live album ever, 1975's gold-certified and No. 9 Billboard-charting "Alive!" The "Off The Soundboard" series continues KISS's storied legacy of groundbreaking live albums with a document of the spectacular, larger-than-life extravaganza that is a KISS concert.
Known for their trademark performances, KISS has proven for decades why they are hands down the most iconic live show in rock n roll. The Rock And Roll Hall Of Famers have sold more than 100 million albums worldwide and are America's No. 1 gold record award-winning group of all time in every category. Peerless as a live act, the band's illustrious legacy has been marked by record-breaking global tours during a remarkable 48-year career.
"Off The Soundboard: Live In Virginia Beach" track listing:
2CD
Disc 1
01. Love Gun
02. Deuce
03. Makin' Love
04. Lick It Up
05. Christine Sixteen
06. Tears Are Falling
07. She
08. Got To Choose
09. I Love It Loud
10. I Want You
Disc 2
01. Psycho Circus
02. King Of The Night Time World
03. War Machine
04. 100,000 Years
05. Unholy
06. Shout It Out Loud
07. I Was Made For Lovin' You
08. Detroit Rock City
09. God Gave Rock 'N' Roll To You II
10. Rock and Roll All Nite
3LP
Disc 1
01. Love Gun (Side A)
02. Deuce (Side A)
03. Makin' Love (Side A)
04. Lick It Up (Side A)
05. Christine Sixteen (Side B)
06. Tears Are Falling (Side B)
07. She (Side B)
08. Got To Choose (Side B)
Disc 2
01. I Love It Loud (Side A)
02. I Want You (Side A)
03. Psycho Circus (Side A)
04. King Of The Night Time World (Side B)
05. War Machine (Side B)
06. 100, 000 Years (Side B)
Disc 3
01. Unholy (Side A)
02. Shout It Out Loud (Side A)
03. I Was Made For Lovin' You (Side A)
04. Detroit Rock City (Side A)
05. God Gave Rock 'N' Roll To You II (Side B)
06. Rock And Roll All Nite (Side B)
Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, Stevie Nicks and Neil Young are some of the iconic musicians who have recently sold off substantial rights to their music, whether it's just for publishing or the original recordings, known as masters. Investors, major music companies and private equity firms have poured billions of dollars into buying song catalogs, believing that the rise of streaming and growing music revenues will make song rights acquisitions highly lucrative in the long term as they can be exploited for up to 70 years after a musician's death.
Asked in a new interview with A Journal Of Musical Things if KISS will ever sell its catalog to anyone, Simmons replied: "How much have you got? Bob Dylan sold his stuff for $300-400 million. The problem — and I love the guy and worship the ground he walks on — but [his music] isn't going to mean a lot to a 20-year-old. They don't care about 'The Times They Are A-Changin'', 'Maggie's Farm' — they just don't. Very few pieces of music stand the test of time. What KISS has that no other musical entity has is trademarks. Our faces are bigger than the music, bigger than anything.'
The KISS bassist/vocalist continued: "Springsteen just sold for $500 million and what you get is the music, not the imagery. I've never seen a Springsteen cartoon, comic book, or action figures. KISS is the only one. So what you're buying into — if anyone does the right price — you're into buying the imagery that has stood the test of time. Our analogy is Santa Claus/Superman: imagery that is trademarked so that no one can reproduce. And no other musical act has that."
A year ago, KISS frontman Paul Stanley told Ultimate Classic Rock that the idea of older musicians selling their publishing rights in multimillion bundle deals makes perfect sense to him. "As far as I know, we only get one trip on this earth, and you can't take it with you, so I totally get it," he said. "If there's money to be had and it's going to make your life better, then why not? It's a different business model, but it makes total sense... At some point in your career, you look at what you've created and what it's worth. Artists do that; it's what painting's about. You don't stash your artwork — you sell it."
KISS continues to be among the most merchandised bands in history and a pioneering force in the music merchandise and licensing industry, with KISS-branded merchandise available in major retailers around the globe, including Nordstrom, Macy's, Urban Outfitters, Hot Topic, Torrid, Tilly's, Pacsun, Cotton On, Revolve, Nasty Gal, Princess Polly, Target, Walmart and Kohl's, among many more.
Recent KISS deals in North America include Dead Sled Coffee, for pre-packaged coffee in the U.S.; a fashion and accessories collaboration with Robert Graham in the U.S.; high-end apparel with Lauren Moshi in the U.S.; a line of seasonal apparel with Ugly Christmas Sweater for Holiday 2021 in the U.S. In the international marketplace, recent strategic partnerships include Brands For Fans for gin and dark rum in Europe, Japan, and Australia; Metal Departments for real money gambling worldwide; Fexpro for apparel and accessories in Mexico, Central America, and South America; Konnekt for apparel and accessories in Japan; and EastPak for bags, backpacks and accessories in U.S. Europe, Middle East, Asia and Canada; among many others.
Spanish Drum Solo 2022: Video.
Kulick's group, which also features singer and guitarist Todd Kerns and bassist and singer Zach Throne, performed mostly songs from Kulick's 1980s and 1990s KISS era.
The setlist was as follows:
01. Creatures Of The Night
02. Unholy
03. Uh! All Night
04. Domino
05. Heaven's On Fire
06. Watchin' You
07. Tears Are Falling
08. I Love It Loud
09. Detroit Rock City
10. King Of The Night Time World
11. God Gave Rock And Roll To You
12. Forever
13. War Machine
14. Jungle
15. Paralyzed
16. I Just Wanna
17. Spit
18. Star Spangled Banner
19. Crazy Crazy Nights
20. Turn On The Night
Kulick and his band previously played two shows aboard the 10th edition of the Kiss Kruise.
In the Reverb listing, the seller of the Carr kit writes: "While I was playing in a KISS tribute band in 2005, my dream came true when I bought this kit from Paul Orofino, one of Eric's closest friends and the one who recorded Eric's audition demo tape for KISS. Paul told me Eric gifted him this drum set, Simmons pads and, I believe, his chrome Chikara set, and Eric had it sent freight right after his video shoot for 'God Gave Rock 'N' Roll To You II' song by KISS, from Los Angeles to Paul's recording studio in Milbrook, NY. Paul said he recorded albums by BLUE ÖYSTER CULT and other popular bands with some of the drums from this set."
Carr replaced Peter Criss in KISS in 1980 and made his recording debut with the band on 1981's "Music From 'The Elder'" album. His final recording with KISS was "God Gave Rock And Roll To You II". His last public appearance before his death was at the MTV Video Music Awards in September 1991.
Carr contributed his talent to the bands many gold and platinum albums during his tenure, and can be heard on the band's many hit songs from the 1980s, including "Lick It Up", "Heaven's On Fire", "Crazy Nights", "Tears Are Falling" and "Forever", to name a few. In addition to his musical contributions, Carr was equally known for his inviting personality and genuine love for the fans. From the time he joined the band to this very day, Carr remains one of the most beloved members of the KISS family.
Carr died on November 24, 1991 of a rare heart cancer. He was 41.
Back in 2011, on the 20th anniversary of Eric's passing, KISS frontman Paul Stanley stated about Carr: "At a time when KISS was in the midst of upheaval and turmoil, Eric brought calm and an optimism that refocused our priorities so we could move forward. I can't overstate his contribution to our rebirth. His dedication to his music was only matched by his dedication to his fans. He was a kind soul who couldn't say an unkind word about anyone and I think of him all the time."
Added KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons: "I never knew anyone more humble in my life. Eric Carr was a kind soul who never said anything bad about anybody. He was also a double threat on drums, and vocals. I miss him."
As previously reported, an official Eric Carr documentary, backed by the late KISS drummer's family, is in the works.
In 2000, MVD Visual released an Eric Carr documentary called "Inside The Tale Of The Fox: The Eric Carr Story". The 120-minute documentary, directed by Jack Edward Sawyers, included extra footage, outtakes, pictures and interviews, as well as previously unreleased music written and performed by Eric from his pre-KISS and KISS days, plus interviews with Bill Aucoin, Bruce Kulick, Carrie Stevens, members of SLAUGHTER, Fred Coury, and more.
Carr was inducted into the Metal Hall Of Fame on September 12 via a free livestream event hosted by Cathy Rankin.
Frehley, a founding member of KISS, recently said that he is up for a reunion of the original band, but only if the price is right. During an appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Frehley stated about the chances of him playing with his former bandmates: "Anything's possible — I've always said that. That's the first question so many people have asked me over the years: 'Would you ever consider doing a KISS reunion?' I said, 'I never closed the door on anything.' If the money's right and it's presented to me in the right way, anything can happen.
"I'm on good terms with Paul [Stanley, guitar/vocals] and Gene [Simmons, bass/vocals], which is nice, because we created something really special in the early '70s that has outlasted so many other bands. And God bless 'em. They're still doing it; I'm still doing it. Peter [Criss, drums] is still around. I'm not quite sure why Peter hadn't toured over the years as much as I have, but it is what it is."
Vincent — who was a member of KISS when the band publicly "unmasked" in 1983 — made several public appearances in 2018 after spending the preceding two decades out of the public eye.
In 1983, KISS wrote and released "Lick It Up" — their first album without makeup — a recording on which Vincent co-wrote eight of 10 songs, including the title track, which remains a staple of the group's live performances to this day.
Despite the album's success, Vincent was fired by KISS after the "Lick It Up" touring cycle came to an end, allegedly due to a dispute over both the terms of his employment contract with the band and royalties. From there, Vincent founded VINNIE VINCENT INVASION, which recorded two albums.
In 1996, Vincent released a solo EP, "Euphoria", which featured vocals by former VVI singer Fleischman and included material from sessions recorded around 1990. Soon after that, Vincent vanished from the public eye and remained off the grid for more than two decades.
In November 2019, KISS manager Doc McGhee claimed that all former members of the group have been contacted about possibly taking part in the band's last-ever tour.
Prior to the "End Of The Road" launch, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons weren't very enthusiastic about the prospect of an onstage collaboration with Vinnie Vincent. "Now Vinnie, that's one exception, and for so many reasons," Stanley told Guitar World. "I would say that's not someone who I want to celebrate."
Simmons also chimed in, explaining that "it's worth stating that Vinnie has sued the band and lost 14 times. I'm not here to cast any aspersions. He's a talented guy. That's why he was in the band. But would I depend on him to get up onstage and do anything? Never. … Can he come to the shows? Of course! Anybody can. But onstage? Never."
In April 2018, Vincent joined Simmons at the KISS bassist/vocalist's "Vault" event in Nashville, Tennessee. He later said in an interview that he felt that got "a cold reception" and was "treated very indifferently" by Gene at the event.
The touring industry was one of the first sectors hit by the coronavirus pandemic in early 2020, and it may be one of the last to recover. One problem has been the inability to get foreign artists into the United States because of a long backlog of visa applications at American embassies and consulates.
Returning to the road after the touring industry shut down due to COVID has proven to be particularly gratifying for someone like GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash, who is notorious for spending most of his time playing live shows.
"GUNS just did a U.S. tour, which was a lot of fun," he told Germany's Radio Bob! in October. "It was great because you had all these crowds that were super hungry for live gigs. And so it was a very energetic tour. At the same time, [we] also had a lot of intense restrictions. We didn't have any kind of aftershow guests — no guests whatsoever — and we never left the hotel pretty much the entire time. And everybody just had to really keep it together so that we didn't have somebody get sick and have to postpone the tour and all that kind of stuff. But we made it through unscathed. So it was good."
These are some of the rock/metal artists who have made Pollstar's "2021 Year-End Top 100 Worldwide Tours" list:
01. THE ROLLING STONES ($115.5 million)
03. GREEN DAY, WEEZER, FALL OUT BOY ($67.3 million)
07. GUNS N' ROSES ($47.3 million)
30. KISS ($16.9 million)
42. SLIPKNOT's "Knotfest Roadshow" ($12.3 million)
48. KORN ($10.3 million)
53. ZZ TOP ($9.4 million)
61. MEGADETH, LAMB OF GOD ($7.9 million)
63. SHINEDOWN ($7.5 million)
64. THE BLACK CROWES ($7.4 million)
69. PRIMUS ($7.0 million)
76. FOREIGNER ($6 million)
85. FOO FIGHTERS ($4.5 million).
According to Simmons, the museum will feature his own memorabilia from his time in the band. “I was in Las Vegas to start working on the Kiss museum, which is really just my collection, because I’ve got a half-century of Kiss stuff,” he told the Las Vegas Review Journal over the weekend. “I want the fans to see it.”
As Simmons tells it, fans won't be disappointed by the end result. “It’s going to be breathtaking,” he told the outlet. “I was there the first day, as my stuff started to come in. We have three tractor-trailers full of stuff, and it’s going to be spectacular. The fans are going to dig it. You can play golf, you can have your photo taken, you can take videos of yourself onstage with Kiss, and then go visit my private collection.”
Like the rock music icon said, fans will be able to play mini-golf on the expanded 2,000 square foot glow-in-the-dark attraction Kiss By Monster Mini Golf located in the Rio in Las Vegas. The museum itself will be a 15,000-square-foot space, all of it Kiss-themed, of course, also located in the Rio, as reported by the Review Journal.
Simmons also addressed Kiss's former Vegas residency plans, which were supposed to be held at Zappos Theater beginning on Dec. 29 and runing through Feb. 5. While Simmons would love to get those plans back in motion, he said they will likely wait another year or two before reviving the residency.
“Our original plan was to come in just before New Year’s, but it was just too busy,” Simmons explained. “When I came into town and joined my friend Dave Grohl onstage, that same night you could see George Strait at T-Mobile Arena, literally across the street. You go down the street and you can see many more artists. I mean, it’s packed.
“There are more artists per square inch in a city that never sleeps than anyplace on the planet," he continued. “With all due respect to other all the other artists who are terrific, and who are great and iconic, we’d rather wait for the traffic to die down and bring the best show on Earth, period.”
Welcome To Rockville is produced by Los Angeles-based Danny Wimmer Presents, one of the largest independent producers of destination festivals in America. Additional DWP events include Aftershock, Bourbon & Beyond, Epicenter, Hometown Rising, Louder Than Life, Sonic Temple Art + Music Festival and more. They're also the co-creators of Rock On The Range, America's largest and most acclaimed rock festival, which celebrated its 12th and final year in 2018.
Danny Wimmer, founder of Danny Wimmer Presents, said in a statement: "We knew we had to do something massive to follow the biggest Welcome To Rockville in history so we went out and got rock legends @gunsnroses, newly inducted Rock & Roll Hall of Famers, @foofighters, (you wanted the best, we got you the best) @kissonline and DWP's most requested band, @korn_official. We're looking forward to breaking records at THE WORLD CENTER OF ROCK with you, see you in 2022!"
This year's Welcome To Rockville kicked off on Thursday (November 11) and runs through Sunday (November 14). The four-day festival features 70 bands, including METALLICA, SLIPKNOT and DISTURBED.
Welcome To Rockville, which was canceled in 2020 because of COVID-19 concerns, moved from Jacksonville to Daytona Beach in 2021 because organizers said it had outgrown Metropolitan Park.
This year's edition was expected to draw around 40,000 fans daily after it was expanded from three days to four, not including an additional pre-party slate of bands that performed for campers on Wednesday night.
Peppy reportedly taught Frehley how to play guitar and previously collaborated with KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons as a songwriter and performed on Frehley's and KISS frontman Paul Stanley's solo records.
Frehley shared the news of his latest latest studio sessions with Castro in an Instagram post on November 4. At the time, he wrote: "Been Recording all day w/my dear friend Peppy Castro…collaborated on some heavy songs!!!"
Earlier today, Ace offered an update on his studio activities, writing: "Been Recording all day!!! I'm thinking about Christmas & how lucky I am that I have complete creative freedom over my music, and I'm very thankful for all the gifts God has given me… I sometimes forget how good I have it, and I'm trying to act humble & be worthy of my talents & situation, considering I grew up with nothing in the Bronx!"
Originally Released on September 8, 1980, Out Of Control is the second solo release by former KISS drummer and founder Peter Criss. The LP art was created by Todd Schoor from a concept by Peter Criss.
Album Details:
Producer - David Wolfert and Peter Criss
Engineer - Leanne Ungar
Studio - RCA Recording Studios, NYC - March to July 1980
Musicians:
All Lead Vocal - Peter Criss
Drums and Percussion - Peter Criss
Guitars - Stan Penridge, David Wolfert
Bass - Tony Mercandante, Stu Woods
Keyboards - Benny Harrison
Synthesizers - Ed Walsh, Benny Harrison, David Wolfert
Synthesizer Programming - Ed Walsh, Greg Zanthus Winter
Background Vocals - Stan Penridge, Benny Harrison, Tony Mercandante, David Buskin, Peter Criss
Soprano Sax Solo - George Young
Strings arranged By - David Wolfert\
Conducted By - John Lissauer
Concert Master - David Nadien
Horns Arranged By - Louis Delgatto
Tracklisting and songwriters:
Side 1
"By Myself" - Peter Criss, Stan Penridge and David Wolfert
"Feel Like Letting Go" - Criss, Penridge
"I Found Love" - Criss, Penridge, Wolfert
"In Trouble Again" - Criss, Penridge
"My Life" - Criss, Wolfert, David Buskin
Side 2
"Out Of Control" - Criss, Penridge
"There’s Nothing Better" - Criss, Penridge
"Where Will They Run" - Criss, Penridge
"Words" - Criss, Penridge
"You Better Run" - Eddie Beigati, Felix Cavaliere
Originally Released on June 25th 1982, Let Me Rock You is the third solo release by former KISS drummer and founder Peter Criss.
Album Details
Producer - Vini Poncia for Mad Vincent Productions
Engineer - Bob Schaper
Studio - Conway Recording Studios - Los Angeles
Musicians
Lead Vocal - Peter Criss
Drums and Percussion - Dennis Conway, Michael Braun, Peter Criss
Guitars - Michael Landau, Caleb Quaye, Bob Messana, Phil Grande, Steve stevens, Steve Lukather
Bass - John “Cooker” Lo Presti, Davey Faragher
Keyboards - James Newton Howard, Jai Winding, Jim Roberge
Synthesizers - Ed Walsh, James Newton Howard
Background Vocals - Rory Dodd, Eric Trayer, Mark Kreider, Bob Messano, Vini Poncia, Suzanne Fellini
Tracklisting and songwriters:
Side 1
"Let It Go" - Tommy Faragher, Davey, Faragher, Brie Howard
"Tears" - Vincent Cusano, Adam Mitchell
"Move On Over" - Vini Poncia, Peter Criss
"Jealous Guy" - John Lennon
"Destiny" - Charlie Midnight, Cash Monet, Jeff Schoen
Side 2
"Some Kinda Hurricane" - Russell Ballard
"Let Me Rock You" - Ballard
"First Day In The Rain" - Steve Stevens
"Feel Like Heaven" - Gene Simmons
"Bad Boys" - Peter Criss, Jim Roberge
A founding member and the drummer of the internationally renowned rock group KISS, Peter Criss is an honored member of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Peter also released several solo LP’s heavily influenced by his musical interests in swing and jazz.
Zappos Theater representatives have told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that ticket providers will contact purchasers with refund information.
According to Las Vegas Review-Journal writer John Katsilometes, "soft ticket sales" are reportedly the reason the run has been called off.
The following 12 shows have been canceled:
December 2021: 29, 31
January 2022: 1, 19, 21, 22, 26, 28, 29
February 2022: 2, 4, 5
The legendary rockers have released a statement defending themselves after a group of their roadies suggested to Rolling Stone magazine that the lack of COVID protocols enforced on the tour led to the death of a longtime guitar tech, 53-year-old Francis Stueber. Stueber died of coronavirus in his Detroit hotel room on October 17, just two days after being quarantined.
"We are profoundly heartbroken at the loss of Francis, he was a friend and colleague of 20 years, there is no way to replace him," KISS said in its statement. "Millions of people have lost someone special to this horrific virus and we encourage everyone to get vaccinated. Please protect yourself and your loved ones.
"Our 'End Of The Road' world tour absolutely had COVID safety protocols in place that met, but most often exceeded, federal, state, and local guidelines," the band added. "But ultimately this is still a global pandemic and there is simply no foolproof way to tour without some element of risk."
Having tested positive for Covid-19, Stueber died just two days after being quarantined in a Detroit hotel room. According to the Wayne County Health Examiner’s office, the father of three died of the virus. “We are profoundly heartbroken at the loss of Francis, he was a friend and colleague of 20 years, there is no way to replace him,” the band tells Rolling Stone in a statement. “Millions of people have lost someone special to this horrific virus and we encourage everyone to get vaccinated. Please protect yourself and your loved ones.”
But three crew members — who spoke on the condition of anonymity over fear of retaliation — say not enough was done to protect them. They place the blame for Stueber’s death squarely on tour production. The trio told Rolling Stone that the tour didn’t take strict enough safety measures, which they say sickened several tour workers and potentially cost Stueber his life.
“Every day during the shows, we weren’t tested. And there are so many unknowns,” one crew member tells Rolling Stone. “Did we superspread this, did we spread this thing from city to city? It’s horrible that Fran passed, and it’s horrible if this is our protocol just for us to tour. Is this going to be the normal, to stick someone in a hotel and if somebody dies, ‘Oh, well, off to the next guy?’ ”
Stueber’s death marked an unexpected, tragic loss of one of the band’s most beloved crew members — and a wake-up call when it comes to touring during a pandemic that is still very much in play. In the wake of tragedy, members of the tour seem eager to place blame: Some of Stueber’s fellow roadies point to what they perceived to be lax Covid-19 safety protocols as the culprit; while the band reveals that workers concealed sickness and even faked vaccine cards in some cases. Either way, as the pandemic continues to imperil the live-music business — and artists fight to get back on the road to work — situations like these beg the question: How much is enough when it comes to keeping bands on the road and their teams safe?
Stueber’s wife, Catherine, did not immediately respond to Rolling Stone’s request for comment, but his sister Mary Stueber-Grass tells Rolling Stone: “He was a hard worker, he loved what he did, and he loved meeting people.… I’ve gotten messages from around the world from friends, fans — anyone who he’s met — sending pictures and memories. He was so full of life, and we’re all devastated.”
“We’d been frustrated for weeks, and by the time Fran died, I just thought, ‘You have to be fucking kidding me.’”
According to a production executive who spoke with Rolling Stone, the crew workers’ assertions about the lack of safety measures are not strictly true. There were protocols in place, even if they were later found lacking. The band required that all the crew submit vaccination cards and wear masks backstage, and catering was separated between local workers and the touring crew. Those who tested positive would be sent to hotels to quarantine, and their bus mates were also tested, the executive said. But the roadies RS spoke to said masks were not always properly worn and tests were not given regularly enough.
That production exec also said that a team of four people, including the executive, presented multiple options to Kiss management when they were designing the tour, including options for how frequently to test the crew. The band’s team elected to only test if someone showed symptoms, a policy similar to ones employed by acts like Green Day. The tour was originally slated to have a designated Covid-19 compliance officer, the executive says, adding that management decided to nix that position a day before the tour started, and those responsibilities fell onto the production team.
“Our End of the Road World Tour absolutely had Covid safety protocols in place that met, but most often exceeded, federal, state, and local guidelines,” the band says in its statement. “But ultimately this is still a global pandemic and there is simply no foolproof way to tour without some element of risk.”
Kiss production manager Robert Long confirms that daily testing was not implemented — and that production presented the band with options for how frequently to test when determining Covid protocols before the band made its decision — but says that he did nothing to discourage testing, despite some roadies’ claim to the contrary. “I never told anyone we didn’t want to test them,” Long tells Rolling Stone. “If you wanted a test, we’d supply it. If you wanted to get tested, if you felt symptoms, if you think someone might be sick, please raise your hand. We had thermometers on every bus, sheets to write down temperatures every morning, mask boxes, and sanitizers everywhere. People were getting tested every other day, we ordered tests regularly. I’m not going to not test people; I take this shit seriously.”
Still, the crew members Rolling Stone spoke with say they were unsatisfied with the way production handled outbreaks. “I couldn’t believe how unsafe it was, and that we were still going,” a second roadie, who said they’d never work for the band again, told RS. “We’d been frustrated for weeks, and by the time Fran died, I just thought, ‘You have to be fucking kidding me.’”
“It was the Wild West out there. You’d think they’d see to it that a band they signed would go through with the protocol they were supposed to do.”
Publicly, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley have both been staunch advocates for vaccinations and mask mandates. Simmons told Rolling Stone in August that the band was requiring vaccines and masks for its crew, and, last month, Simmons told Good Morning Britain that anti-vaxxers need to “get over yourself.” The band even took a brief hiatus when both Simmons and Stanley tested positive for the virus in August.
When it came to the crew’s safety, however, frustrated roadies say protocol was lacking. They said Stueber was reportedly one of around 13 crew workers on Kiss’ nearly 70-person tour team who had caught the coronavirus since the tour resumed in September, and until Stueber died, none of the crew’s Covid-19 cases caused any concert postponements. Some crew members had mild symptoms, some more noticeable, and some were asymptomatic; Stueber is the only one who has died.
Four different workers on the tour described Stueber as noticeably ill with a cough and breathing troubles in the days leading up to his death, starting around a week before he was quarantined. But he wasn’t given a test until just a couple of days before he died. Workers say tour management was vocal about not wanting to test to avoid the complications of a positive test, which Long, the executive, and the band dispute. “People [who tested positive for Covid] were sent into mandatory quarantine paid for by the band and denied their efforts to travel while potentially infected,” the band says. “Medical care was offered at every step of the way.”
Even so, when it came to testing, it was largely on the shoulders of the staff to opt in, which some chose not to do because a positive test would put them in quarantine at a hotel in a random city. Moreover, frustrated crew members say that the band seldom notified other workers about a positive Covid test. Instead, they say, the worker would inexplicably disappear from the tour. “If a dude tests positive and is on a bus with 12 other people in close quarters, shouldn’t all those other people also be told, tested, and quarantined until it’s clear they don’t have the virus?” a third Kiss roadie says.
The production team refuted that claim, adding that they notified all workers on the same buses as crew members who tested positive, as well as those who worked alongside them.
Criticism of the production team among lower-ranking crew members isn’t wholly universal. A fourth roadie — who says he got Covid-19 and quarantined at the same hotel where Stueber died — acknowledged that protocols were rocky, but said the production team itself was responsible and that “certain individuals” on the tour were less willing to follow regulations.
“Production did a really good job to the best of their ability going into it,” the crew member says. “Individuals from a bunch of different departments were sometimes more lackadaisical about it, some took it upon themselves not to wear a mask. People were getting sick, but these were people not doing what they’re supposed to.”
Kiss also pointed out that they had little control over the day-to-day actions of the crew. “While the protocols were in place for the tour, it was impossible to police the crew minute by minute of their lives,” the band says. “If certain crew chose to go out to dinner on a day off, or have beers at a local bar after the show, and did so without a mask or without following protocols, there is little that anyone can do to stop that. Particularly when many of our tour markets did not have any state or local mask mandates in place.”
They also revealed a troubling discovery they claim they made post-tour: “We are now aware there were crew members who attempted to conceal signs of illness, and when it was discovered, refused medical attention…. Furthermore, it has recently been brought to our attention that certain crew members may have provided fake vaccination cards which, if true, we find morally reprehensible (as well as illegal), putting the entire tour in harm’s way.”
“Out of greed, we watched our friend die day after day. And nobody did anything.”
According to the fourth roadie, Stueber tried to tough it out on the way to the hotel where he was set to quarantine. “We’d told him he should probably think about going to the hospital, but he said he was fine,” he said, noting that the tech was having a hard time breathing even while sitting in the vehicle. “On a personal standpoint, I wish I pushed it a bit more to get him to call 911, but he’s the only one who could’ve known how bad he felt.” Just a few days later, Stueber was dead.
It’s hard, in the end, to determine where the blame lies. Some crew members point the finger at production — specifically the band, management, and Live Nation. Some take aim at individuals they believe acted without regard for themselves and others. While Live Nation has required its own employees to be vaccinated and is requiring proof of vaccination or negative Covid-19 tests for attendees and crew at its own venues, individual tour travel practices and protocols up to the artists.
Live Nation declined to comment on record for this story.
“Between Live Nation, [Kiss’ manager] Doc McGhee, Kiss, whatever the hell else, it was the Wild West out there,” one of the roadies says. “You’d think they’d see to it that a band they signed would go through with the protocol they were supposed to do. I don’t know who dropped the ball.”
Kiss, for their part, point out that crew members, in the end, operated based on their own free will. “We had the option to outright cancel the remainder of this tour, but chose to start the tour up again so the touring crew who had been out of work for more than 18 months could get back to their jobs,” they say. “If anyone had felt that it was just too unsafe, we would have absolutely understood their desire to not work on this tour and stay home and stay in a safer environment.”
Still, having lost a longtime friend and co-worker, the roadies RS spoke to are naturally looking for answers — or at least some form of accountability. “Out of greed, we watched our friend die day after day,” the third roadie adds. “And nobody did anything.”
We've learned the KISS star actually got something of a deal for the 4-bed, 5-bath crib with close to 8,000 square feet of living space. The deal closed today, so Gene's personal belongings probably haven't even made it through the front door yet.
As for the home ... it's about as modern-looking as they come, with a pool complete with LED lighting, a home theater, built-in art installation and wine cellar fit to hold enough booze to get a small village wasted.
Simmons has been quite the real estate aficionado as of late ... he recently sold his long-time Beverly Hills home for $16 million and just listed his Vegas crib for $15 million.
Gene scored big on his most recent purchase, the home was first listed at $11.5 million ... so the $10.5 million Simmons paid to the former owner -- a billionaire Swiss steel magnate -- ain't too bad.
Celeb real estate agent Tomer Fridman -- who reps the Kardashians on almost every real estate transaction they make -- repped the seller. He's with Compass. Gene was represented by Lisa Young ... also at Compass.
According to a news release, the legendary rock icon has listed his Southern Nevada home for $14,950,000.
Located in Henderson's prestigious Ascaya community, the sprawling desert mansion features breathtaking panoramic views of the Las Vegas Valley and the Strip.
According to a news release from listing group the Ivan Sher Group of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Nevada Properties, the home, which expands more than 11,000 square feet, is perched well above the valley and sits on a nearly one-acre two-parcel property, featuring a private garden with walking trails adjacent to the house.
The release states that the estate features three levels, including a lower-level basement, six bedrooms, eight baths and 11 attached garage spaces.
For more information about the estate or to request a private tour, call 702-278-3222 or visit www.isluxury.com.
KISS launched its farewell trek in January 2019 but was forced to put it on hold last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"End Of The Road" was originally scheduled to conclude on July 17, 2021 in New York City but has since been extended to at least the end of 2022. The trek was announced in September 2018 following a KISS performance of the band's classic song "Detroit Rock City" on "America's Got Talent".
"I believe strongly by the beginning of 2023 we will be finished," Stanley told Ultimate Classic Rock in a new interview, adding that "it seems only natural [for the final show] to be in New York. That is where the band started, and that was really the background for the band getting together and writing these songs and played loft parties and played clubs starting with an audience of probably 10 people," he said. "It seems we should go full circle."
Stanley went on to say that unlike KISS's 2000-2001 tour, which was also supposed to be its last, "End Of The Road" will truly be the last time KISS performs live. "It's a different time than we had pondered [farewell tours] in the past," Stanley explained. "The fact is that, physically, it's incredibly demanding to do what we do. Look, we played [recently] in Austin, an outdoor show, 100 percent humidity. We're running around for two-plus hours, not only with guitars, but I've got 30-plus pounds of gear on. There's a point where you go, 'You know what? This is more challenge than I want.' And I only want to do it as long as I can do it smiling.
"There's really no thought about changing our minds," he continued. "It has nothing to do with personalities in the band or tensions or a difference of opinion or musicality. It's purely practical. You can play beat the clock, but ultimately the clock wins."
KISS's current lineup consists of original members Stanley and bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons, alongside later band additions, guitarist Tommy Thayer (since 2002) and drummer Eric Singer (on and off since 1991).
Formed in 1973 by Stanley, Simmons, drummer Peter Criss and lead guitarist Ace Frehley, KISS's first "farewell" tour in 2000 was the last to feature the group's original lineup.
In early 2019, Stanley told Australia's "Sunday Night" that "Rock And Roll All Nite" "has to be" the song that KISS performs as the last encore at the final concert of the "End Of The Road" tour. "That is the rock anthem that connects the world," he explained. "It was the start of other people coming up with anthems. They really didn't exist, per se. So, 'Rock And Roll All Nite And Party Every Day', that's a song that just connects with people on all different levels."
Simmons concurred, telling BUILD Series: "How do you not end with 'Rock And Roll All Nite'? We will have played that song, probably without exception, more than any other song we've ever been involved with. You might say, 'Aren't you sick and tired of hearing that?' But I will tell you the roar of the crowd, the smell of the grease paint, there ain't nothing like it. When you hear everybody getting jazzed about that and you get off the stage... [it's] like the fire in the belly. You're dog-tired; you've just done a big show; and you get up on that stage, when you see the joy in everybody's face... We've seen it all. We've been around for generations, but when you see a little 5-year-old kid in KISS makeup on his dad's shoulders who's wearing KISS makeup, next to his father... we're badass kind of guys — nothing affects us much — but that stuff will put a lump in your throat. You have to turn around for a second. It gets me. Yes, it's music, but it's generational, and it brings families together instead of separates [sic] them."
Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the KISS frontman just closed on the sale of his two-acre property in Benedict Canyon for $16 million.
He's getting less than asking ... as we first told you, Gene put the home up for sale back in October for $22 million but couldn't unload it, so then he made some renovations and relisted it in March for $25 mil.
Our sources say the buyer is Max Nobel of Nobel Development Group ... and we're told he's planning to remodel the estate.
The property is 16,000-square-feet with 7 bedrooms ... or now, the bells and whistles include a 60-foot water slide, professional size tennis court and parking for 35 cars.
We’re told Gene bought the property back in October 1986 for $1,337,500.
"Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles" stars Josh and Matt Altman of Douglas Elliman represented both sides of the sale, but did not want to comment.
The film will be directed by Joachim Rønning, the Norwegian filmmaker whose credits include Kon-Tiki, Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil and Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. The script is written by Ole Sanders. Pic will be a co-production of Mark Canton’s Atmosphere Entertainment and Universal Music Group.
McGhee confirmed the script is finished and will focus on the band’s formative years.
"And I think it's a very interesting look at the formation of KISS, the mindset of how that came about, the social pressure that everybody was in in the '60s and '70s that brought something like KISS to the forefront, that it could actually happen,” he says. “So it's a very interesting, and I think it's a well-written movie. And our partners right now is Netflix. It'll be a theatrical release, then Netflix."
For the recording of "Destroyer", Bob Ezrin was brought in as KISS's new producer, helping the band reach new levels, both sonically and creatively. The album also showed the band's growth as musicians and songwriters, experimenting with new sounds which came in the form of the softer side of songs like "Do You Love Me?" , and songs heavy with orchestral arrangements including "Great Expectations" and their Billboard No. 7 hit single "Beth". Following the breakthrough success of 1975's No. 9 Billboard-charting "Alive!", "Destroyer" was the KISS album that brought them to the forefront of the mainstream and transformed them into global rock icons. For its anniversary, UMe celebrates this seminal album's legacy with a staggering amount of bonus material.
CD 1 includes the original album newly remastered at Abbey Road Mastering, while CD 2 features 15 demos from Paul Stanley's and Gene Simmons's personal archives — nine of which were previously unreleased. CD 3 is packed with studio outtakes, alternate versions / mixes and single edits — most notably a brand-new stripped-down mix for "Beth (Acoustic Mix)", and CD 4 contains an electrifying performance from the band's visit to Paris France at the L'Olympia on May 22, 1976. For the Blu-ray audio disc, Steven Wilson was brought in to create a first-ever Dolby Atmos and 5.1 surround mix of the original studio album plus two bonus tracks, "Beth (Acoustic Mix)" and "Sweet Pain (Original Guitar Solo)", the latter featuring Ace Frehley's original recorded guitar solo that was not released on the studio album (this track is available on the 2012 "Destroyer: Resurrected" project).
Additionally, the Super Deluxe box features an extravagant array of collectable KISS memorabilia and ephemera, including a complete recreation of the original KISS Army Kit with the original folder and following items:
* KISS Army newsletter Volume 1 - No 2 announcing "Destroyer"
* 2x 8"x10" "Destroyer" Press Photos
* Discography Sheet
* Gene, Paul, Ace & Peter Bio Sheet
* KISS Army Member Certificate
* KISS Army Membership Card
Also included in the Super Deluxe set:
* KISS logo Iron-on
* KISS Army Sticker
* "Detroit Rock City" Bumper Sticker
* "Destroyer" Cover Sticker
* 11"x17" KISS on Westminster Bridge UK Poster
* 4 brand new 8"x10" Band Member Photos
* 8"x12" "Destroyer" Foil Flyer
* 8"x12" "Destroyer" Canadian Flyer (super rare)
* 4x Band Member Trading Cards (newly created for this boxset)
* 16"x24" KISS Over New York Skyline Poster
* 16"x24" KISS Halloween 1976 Concert Poster
* 2x 9"x12" "Destroyer" Tour Stage Blueprints on Transparent Vellum (never been seen before)
* 16-page "Destroyer" 1976 Tour Program
* Gotham Rock City News Volume 1 Newspaper that is a track-by-track interview with all 4 band members, Bob Ezrin and crew
* 68-page hardcover book with extensive liner notes by Paul Elliott and Ken Sharp featuring interviews from Gene, Paul, Ace, Peter, then-manager Bill Aucoin, album producer Bob Ezrin, and many more about the album's writing and production process, U.S. and European tours, photo shoots, promotional stories, band member memories from their TV appearance on "The Paul Lynde Halloween Special", and an intoxicating amount of unreleased photos and imagery
The entire contents are housed in a lift top- style box and features artist Ken Kelly's original "Destroyer" cover art, arguably one of the most iconic album covers in rock, making this the ultimate KISS "Destroyer" souvenir.
Super Deluxe track listing:
Disc One:
Destroyer: Original Album Remastered
01. Detroit Rock City
02. King Of The Night Time World
03. God Of Thunder
04. Great Expectations
05. Flaming Youth
06. Sweet Pain
07. Shout It Out Loud
08. Beth
09. Do You Love Me?
Disc Two
"Destroyer"-Era Demos
Paul Stanley demos
01. Doncha Hesitate
02. God Of Thunder And Rock And Roll
03. It's The Fire*
04. Detroit Rock City*
05. Love Is Alright*
Gene Simmons demos
06. Bad, Bad Lovin'
07. Man Of A Thousand Faces
08. I Don't Want No Romance*
09. Burnin' Up With Fever*
10. Rock N' Rolls Royce*
11. Mad Dog
12. Night Boy*
13. Star*
14. Howlin' For Your Love*
15. True Confessions
Disc Three
Destroyer: Outtakes, Alternate Versions / Mixes, Single Edits
01. Beth (Acoustic Mix)*
02. Shout It Out Loud (Single Edit)
03. Flaming Youth (Single Edit)
04. Detroit Rock City (Single Edit)
05. Shout It Out Loud (Mono Single Edit)
06. Flaming Youth (Mono Single Edit)
07. Detroit Rock City (Mono Single Edit)
08. Beth (Mono)
09. King Of The Night Time World (Live Rehearsal Instrumental)*
10. Do You Love Me? (Mono Instrumental)*
11. God Of Thunder (Early Instrumental Mix)*
12. Ain't None Of Your Business (Instrumental)*
13. Detroit Rock City (Instrumental)*
14. King Of The Night Time World (Alternate Mix)*
15. Great Expectations (Early Version)*
16. Flaming Youth (Early Version)*
17. Do You Love Me? (Early Version)*
18. Shout It Out Loud (Alternate Mix)*
19. Ain't None Of Your Business (Outtake)*
20. Beth (Take 6 – Instrumental)*
21. Beth (Instrumental)*
22. Do You Love Me? (Alternate Mix)*
Disc Four
Live In Paris - L'Olympia - May 22, 1976*
01. Deuce
02. Strutter
03. Flaming Youth
04. Hotter Than Hell
05. Firehouse
06. She / Ace Frehley Guitar Solo
07. Nothin' To Lose
08. Shout It Out Loud / Gene Simmons Bass Solo
09. 100,000 Years / Peter Criss Drum Solo
10. Black Diamond
11. Detroit Rock City
12. Rock And Roll All Nite
Blu-ray audio:
"Destroyer": *Dolby Atmos 48kHz 24-bit, *Dolby True HD 5.1 96kHz 24-bit,
DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 96kHz 24-bit, PCM Stereo 96kHz 24-bit
01. Detroit Rock City
02. King Of The Night Time World
03. God Of Thunder
04. Great Expectations
05. Flaming Youth
06. Sweet Pain
07. Shout It Out Loud
08. Beth
09. Do You Love Me?
Bonus Tracks:
10. Beth (Acoustic)
11. Sweet Pain (Original Guitar Solo)
* Previously unreleased
Deluxe Edition 2CD track listing:
Disc One
"Destroyer": Original Album Remastered
01. Detroit Rock City
02. King Of The Night Time World
03. God Of Thunder
04. Great Expectations
05. Flaming Youth
06. Sweet Pain
07. Shout It Out Loud
08. Beth
09. Do You Love Me?
Disc Two
Paul Stanley demos
01. God Of Thunder And Rock And Roll
02. Detroit Rock City*
03. Love Is Alright*
Gene Simmons demos
04. I Don't Want No Romance*
05. Rock N' Rolls Royce*
06. Star*
Rarities
07. Beth (Acoustic Mix)*
08. Shout It Out Loud (Mono Single Edit)
09. King Of The Night Time World (Live Rehearsal Instrumental)*
10. Detroit Rock City (Instrumental)*
11. Flaming Youth (Early Version)*
12. Shout It Out Loud (Alternate Mix)*
Live In Paris - L'Olympia - May 22, 1976*
13. Deuce
14. Strutter
15. Flaming Youth
16. Hotter Than Hell
*Previously Unreleased
Deluxe Edition 2LP track listing:
LP One
"Destroyer": Original Album Remastered
Side One
01. Detroit Rock City
02. King Of The Night Time World
03. God Of Thunder
04. Great Expectations
Side Two
01. Flaming Youth
02. Sweet Pain
03. Shout It Out Loud
04. Beth
05. Do You Love Me?
LP Two
Side Three
Paul Stanley demos
01. God Of Thunder And Rock And Roll
02. Detroit Rock City*
03. Love Is Alright*
Gene Simmons demos
04. I Don't Want No Romance*
05. Rock N' Rolls Royce*
06. Star*
Side Four
Rarities
01. Beth (Acoustic Mix)*
02. Shout It Out Loud (Mono Single Edit)
03. King Of The Night Time World (Live Rehearsal Instrumental)*
04. Detroit Rock City (Instrumental)*
05. Flaming Youth (Early Version)*
06. Shout It Out Loud (Alternate Mix)*
*Previously Unreleased
Dolby Atmos - streaming
"Destroyer": *Dolby Atmos 48kHz 24-bit
01. Detroit Rock City
02. King Of The Night Time World
03. God Of Thunder
04. Great Expectations
05. Flaming Youth
06. Sweet Pain
07. Shout It Out Loud
08. Beth
09. Do You Love Me?
Bonus Tracks:
10. Beth (Acoustic Mix)
11. Sweet Pain (Original Guitar Solo)
* Previously unreleased
The KISS bassist/vocalist's diagnosis comes less than a week after his bandmate Paul Stanley revealed that he had also contracted the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, forcing the postponement of three shows on the group's "End Of The Road" farewell tour.
Earlier today (Tuesday, August 31), KISS released the following statement: "KISS will postpone their next four tour dates. While Paul Stanley recently tweeted that he has recovered from COVID, Gene Simmons has now tested positive and is experiencing mild symptoms. The band and crew will remain at home and isolate for the next 10 days and doctors have indicated the tour should be able to resume on September 9th at FivePoint Amphitheatre in Irvine, CA. All previously purchased tickets will be honored for the new dates once announced. More information will be emailed to ticketholders directly."
Postponed shows:
Aug. 26 - Burgettstown, PA @ The Pavilion at Star Lake
Aug. 28 - Raleigh, NC @ Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
Aug. 29 - Atlanta, GA @ Cellairis Amphitheatre at Lakewood
Sep. 01 - Clarkston, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre
Sep. 02 - Dayton, OH @ Wright State University Nutter Center
Sep. 04 - Tinley Park, IL @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
Sep. 05 - Milwaukee, WI @ American Family Insurance Amphitheater - Summerfest Grounds
When Stanley first tested positive last Thursday, KISS said the whole band and the crew members who are traveling with them on the tour are fully vaccinated.
Members of KISS "and their crew have operated in a bubble independently to safeguard everyone as much as possible at each show and in between shows," the band wrote in the statement.
"The tour also has a COVID safety protocol officer on staff full-time that is ensuring everyone is closely following all CDC guidelines," the statement continued.
In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Simmons urged fans to get vaccinated against COVID-19, saying: "I would highly recommend for everybody to get two Pfizer or Moderna shots, please — for the rest of us. Even if you believe the Earth is flat, it's not."
KISS kicked off the summer 2021 leg of its "End Of The Road" farewell tour on August 18 at the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts. The concert marked the band's first full-length live appearance in front of an audience since March 2020.
KISS's farewell trek was launched in January 2019 and was originally scheduled to conclude on July 17, 2021 in New York City but is now expected to last well into 2022.
KISS's current lineup consists of original members Stanley and Simmons, alongside later band additions, guitarist Tommy Thayer (since 2002) and drummer Eric Singer (on and off since 1991).
Formed in 1973 by Stanley, Simmons, Peter Criss (drums) and Ace Frehley (guitar), KISS staged its first "farewell" tour in 2000, the last to feature the group's original lineup.
"Gene Simmons" was one of four solo albums released by the members of KISS in September 1978. It reached position No. 22 on the Billboard 200 chart and was the highest-charting of all the four KISS solo albums.
KISS was forced to postpone at least three shows on its current tour last week after frontman Paul Stanley tested positive for COVID-19.
In a social media post, KISS said the whole band and the crew members who are traveling with them on the tour are fully vaccinated.
Members of KISS "and their crew have operated in a bubble independently to safeguard everyone as much as possible at each show and in between shows," the band wrote in the statement.
"The tour also has a COVID safety protocol officer on staff full-time that is ensuring everyone is closely following all CDC guidelines," the statement continued.
KISS kicked off the summer 2021 leg of its "End Of The Road" farewell tour on August 18 at the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts. The concert marked the band's first full-length live appearance in front of an audience since March 2020.
KISS's farewell trek was launched in January 2019 and was originally scheduled to conclude on July 17, 2021 in New York City but is now expected to last well into 2022.
KISS's current lineup consists of original members Stanley and Simmons, alongside later band additions, guitarist Tommy Thayer (since 2002) and drummer Eric Singer (on and off since 1991).
Formed in 1973 by Stanley, Simmons, Peter Criss (drums) and Ace Frehley (guitar), KISS staged its first "farewell" tour in 2000, the last to feature the group's original lineup.
The KISS frontman tested positive for the disease caused by the novel coronavirus last week, forcing the postponement of at least three KISS shows.
Yesterday evening (Monday, August 30), Paul took to his Twitter to write: "My COVID symptoms were MILD compared to many others and let me tell you... It kicked my ass. It's over now."
KISS called off its show last Thursday in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania while fans were waiting for the gates to open.
"I had been sick with flu-like symptoms and was tested repeatedly and was negative," Stanley tweeted that day. "As of late this afternoon I tested positive. The crew, staff and band have all tested negative once again."
In a social media post, KISS said the whole band and the crew members who are traveling with them on the tour are fully vaccinated.
Members of KISS "and their crew have operated in a bubble independently to safeguard everyone as much as possible at each show and in between shows," the band wrote in the statement.
"The tour also has a COVID safety protocol officer on staff full-time that is ensuring everyone is closely following all CDC guidelines," the statement continued.
On Friday, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons told "TMZ Live" that Paul is "gonna be great because he got vaccinated. He's gonna be fine… Yesterday he started feeling like his voice wasn't up to it and he started feeling a little fatigued. So we always take precautions. And we sent a doctor over, and he said, 'Okay, you may be coming down with something. You guys better just stop.' And that's exactly what we did. And at the right time, as soon as we heard from the doctor, we had paramedics come in from a local hospital and tested the entire crew — the truck drivers, our backstage lineup, the band and everything. Everybody tested negative; Paul tested positive. Now we're quarantining ourselves — all of us; the band, the crew and everybody — for at least five days, just to make sure that we're not carrying it even though we're not experiencing anything. I feel great. We can do shows. My voice is great. Paul is not feeling great. And to be safe for everybody else, we're making sure."
KISS kicked off the summer 2021 leg of its "End Of The Road" farewell tour on August 18 at the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts. The concert marked the band's first full-length live appearance in front of an audience since March 2020.
KISS's farewell trek was launched in January 2019 and was originally scheduled to conclude on July 17, 2021 in New York City but is now expected to last well into 2022.
KISS's current lineup consists of original members Stanley and Simmons, alongside later band additions, guitarist Tommy Thayer (since 2002) and drummer Eric Singer (on and off since 1991).
Formed in 1973 by Stanley, Simmons, Peter Criss (drums) and Ace Frehley (guitar), KISS staged its first "farewell" tour in 2000, the last to feature the group's original lineup.
The famous rock 'n' roller joined "TMZ Live" Friday to talk about canceling the band's Pennsylvania show after Paul tested positive for the coronavirus.
Gene says Paul, who's been fully vaccinated, started to lose his voice Thursday and felt tired so the band's doctor suggested he and the crew get a COVID test. Sure enough, Paul tested positive ... and Gene says everyone else on the tour was tested too, but all came back negative.
Gene says everyone involved is quarantining to make sure additional tests don't come up positive. As for Paul, medical professionals advise COVID carriers quarantine for 10 days.
Gene says there is no KISS without Paul, which likely means the band won't hit the stage again until Sept. 9 in Irvine, CA. So upcoming shows in NC, GA, MI, OH, IL and WI will almost certainly be rescheduled.
Gene's assuring all the KISS fans out there Paul will be fine. Fingers crossed for sure.
**UPDATE #2**: KISS has issued a statement confirming Paul Stanley's COVID-19 diagnosis. The statement reads: "KISS show at The Pavilion at Star Lake in Burgettstown, PA is unfortunately postponed due to Paul Stanley testing positive for COVID. More information about show dates will be made available ASAP.
"Everyone on the entire tour, both band and crew, are fully vaccinated. The band and their crew have operated in a bubble independently to safeguard everyone as much as possible at each show and in between shows. The tour also has a COVID safety protocol officer on staff full-time that is ensuring everyone is closely following all CDC guidelines."
**UPDATE #1**: According to TMZ, KISS frontman Paul Stanley has tested positive for COVID-19, leading to the cancelation of tonight's concert.
Paul is fully vaccinated and feeling fine despite testing positive for the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
Although there were rumblings on Twitter that Paul was having heart issues, he took to Twitter just minutes ago to shoot down that rumor, saying: "PEOPLE!!! I am fine! I am not in ICU! My heart allows me to do 26 miles a day on my bike! I don't know where this came from but it's absolute nonsense."
Just before 7:30 p.m., the venue posted on Twitter that the show "is being rescheduled." The tweet did not explain why tonight's show was canceled.
All previously purchased tickets will be honored for the new date, which has not yet been announced.
The original article follows below.
According to TribLive.com and WPXI, tonight's KISS concert at the Pavilion at Star Lake in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania has been canceled.
A number of KISS fans have posted on social media that they were being turned away at the gates, with no additional information made available.
As of this writing, KISS has not addressed the cancelation via any of its social media sites and no further details have been provided on the web sites of the venue or Live Nation.
KISS kicked off the summer 2021 leg of its "End Of The Road" farewell tour on August 18 at the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts. The concert marked the band's first full-length live appearance in front of an audience since March 2020.
KISS's farewell trek was launched in January 2019 and was originally scheduled to conclude on July 17, 2021 in New York City but is now expected to last well into 2022.
KISS's current lineup consists of original members Paul Stanley (guitar, vocals) and Gene Simmons (bass, vocals), alongside later band additions, guitarist Tommy Thayer (since 2002) and drummer Eric Singer (on and off since 1991).
Formed in 1973 by Stanley, Simmons, Peter Criss (drums) and Ace Frehley (guitar), KISS staged its first "farewell" tour in 2000, the last to feature the group's original lineup.
“You do have to take a moment to breathe, but somewhere in there we’re going to do a bunch of shows,” Gene Simmons, the band’s 71-year-old co-founder and bassist, tells Rolling Stone.
This marks Kiss’ first Vegas showroom residency since a 2014 engagement at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. Tickets for the 12 concerts go on sale to the general public on August 20th, with a Kiss Army fan club presale set for August 17th.
Along with the residency announcement, Kiss are gearing up to resume their End of the Road World Tour this Wednesday in Mansfield, Massachusetts. We talked to Simmons about how Las Vegas could figure into the band’s future, what the pandemic means for Kiss’ VIP meet-and-greets, and why he’s encouraging fans to get Covid-19 vaccinations.
Rolling Stone: So what brought Kiss back to Las Vegas for another residency?
Gene Simmons: There are matters of the heart and then there are matters of the pocket and it’s nice when they both converge. So it’s a very nice payday. They pay well and that’s reason enough. But it’s also easier for the band because you don’t have the wear and tear of traveling.
What kind of production will the residency have? Is it scaled down or is it on par with the touring show?
The answer is yes to both, because when we play stadiums around the world, those shows are like Transformers. You can make them as big as you want. Kiss’s shows have been talked about for longer than you’ve been alive. Anything that’s got a roof on it, we have to scale back the pyro or we’ll blow the roof off, literally. But we are planning lots of surprises for Vegas, which nobody’s seen yet. We’re in the middle of putting that together.
After playing Dubai on New Year’s Eve and New York City in June for the Tribeca Film Festival, Kiss makes its official return to the road this week. How do you navigate touring during a pandemic?
I would highly recommend for everybody to get two Pfizer or Moderna shots, please — for the rest of us. Even if you believe the Earth is flat, it’s not. The former president… I knew the man before he ran for office. It was a crime for him to rip the mask off and take that stance and create that negative culture of distrust when he himself was vaccinated. The least he could do is say, “Hey, guys, I’ve been vaccinated because I don’t want to die. You may want to think about doing the same thing.” Nope, never talked about it. I think that’s highly unethical. So what do we do? The entire road crew must be vaccinated twice. Nobody gets backstage or onstage without wearing masks, and everybody stays at a safe distance and you’ve got to wash your hands and do everything else the CDC says. Don’t listen to politicians. They’re not qualified. Listen to scientists.
Speaking of keeping a safe distance, one of the hallmarks of the Kiss experience is the backstage VIP meet-and-greet. How do you continue to do that now?
Well, we’re not going to do it backstage. You can’t get near the stage or backstage without being fully vaccinated and wearing masks. We were thinking about Plexiglas enclosures and all that stuff and the closest we came to it that’s safe for the fans and the band is, we do soundchecks before the show. So why not invite the fans to be in the audience and answer questions, play tunes, just kind of hang out together, but at a safe distance. The closest they’re going to get to us is, oh, maybe 100 feet. So maybe it’s a new experience for the fans who can sort of see the reality, and see the stage for what it is without the lights doing tricks. And we can have the back and forth of, “Hey, why don’t you do ‘Hard Luck Woman’?” “OK, guys, remember the song? Let’s do it.”
So you’ll take requests?
Yeah, but you don’t want to do that [for the] whole [meet-and-greet]. Or they may have us doing “Sugar, Sugar” by the Archies.
Some artists are requiring proof of vaccination for their audiences. Is that something that’s been discussed?
We have, and because the different states and different cities have different mandates, we can’t impose that. We’ve been thinking long and hard about that. There are folks in America who keep saying, “I’ve got my rights,” and we’re hoping that smart decisions on their end are going to lead to safer environments. But it bears noting about people who scream about rights: You do not have the right to go through a red light, even if you want to. You must stop, because it’s not about you, pal. It’s about the other cars that are coming the other way. You don’t want to endanger them. You don’t have the right to stand up in a movie theater and yell, “Fire!” You won’t get in trouble for saying, “Hey, fire!” in a movie theater if there’s a fire. But if you’re lying, that’s called incitement to riot. And that’s when you become an asshole.
Before the pandemic halted the tour, David Lee Roth was opening for Kiss. Now it’s the performance painter Garibaldi. So David is not back?
Not. But it bears noting that during Dave’s heyday, nobody did what he did. He was the ultimate frontman. Not Plant, not Rod Stewart, nobody. He took being a frontman way beyond anything. And then, I don’t know what happened to him… something. And you get modern-day Dave. I prefer to remember Elvis Presley in his prime. Sneering lips, back in Memphis, you know, doing all that. I don’t want to think of bloated naked Elvis on the bathroom floor.
You’ve talked in the past of one day replacing the members of Kiss, including yourself, and having the band carry on. It seems that a Las Vegas showroom would be ideal for that.
You’re pretty smart, you’re pretty smart…. We are the four most recognized faces on earth. I know to nonbelievers out there it sounds a bit like self-aggrandizement, but I offer the following: we know that Sweden is a monarchy, which means there’s a king and often a queen. But you and I, despite the fact that we’re well-read, have no idea what their names are or what they look like. Which is curious because everybody in Sweden knows what Kiss looks like.
So Vegas could be the type of place where Kiss starts that transition?
Already talking about it… The idea would be more than just music. Like most stage productions, there’s a story. So the Kiss show would certainly include a book, a story, a script.
And the band’s story and music can continue to be told and performed.
Simultaneously around the world.
Almost like a Broadway production?
Well, closer to Blue Man Group, with music.
You started painting during the pandemic and have an art showing in Vegas in October. Your bandmate Paul Stanley is an avid painter too. Do you both compare works?
Nope, not at all. I just told him, “Hey, pandemic’s here, I’m going to fool around. I’ve never done this before.” Paul’s studied it. He has a sense of what a paintbrush can do in this kind of stuff. I haven’t. On the other hand, I can’t read or write music, but I write songs. I can’t cook, but we have a restaurant chain, two at LAX, and across the country. I don’t know how engines work in a truck, but I can drive my truck.
One of the most polarizing of Kiss albums, Music From “The Elder,” turn 40 this fall. How do you view that record now?
I take full blame. It was based on a treatment, a semi-script that I wrote called The Elder. I was staying at the Beverly Hills Hotel at that point and I wrote it on the Beverly Hills Hotel stationery. And when [producer] Bob Ezrin came back into the fold, he said, “What do you got there?” I said, “I’m developing this motion picture. It’s called The Elder,”…a mythological fantasy, which I’ve always been drawn to. And he said, “OK, we’re going to do a concept record and we’re going to write songs based on your various premises.” The decision was Bob Ezrin. And in hindsight, it was an interesting mistake. We all were sort of [thinking], “The Who are the threat, and they have Tommy? Why can’t we have The Elder! The Beatles had Sgt. Pepper. This will be ours.” Well, it wasn’t.
Well, good luck back on the road and with the residency, Gene.
I’m also thinking about a new religion called Kiss-tianity. What do you think?
Sounds good. Who is the Christ figure?
Without being crucified, I’ll take the job — because it’s all tax-free income.
The legendary rockers' engagement at Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood will launch the last week of December.
The 12 shows are as follows:
December 2021: 29, 31
January 2022: 1, 19, 21, 22, 26, 28, 29
February 2022: 2, 4, 5
Tickets go on sale to the general public beginning August 20 at 10 a.m. Las Vegas time.
A KISS Army Fan Club presale will begin on August 17 at 10 a.m. Citi cardmembers will have access to purchase presale tickets beginning August 18 at 10 a.m.
Caesars Rewards members, Caesars Entertainment's loyalty program, as well as Live Nation, Ticketmaster and Zappos customers will have access to a presale beginning Aug. 19 at 10 a.m.
VIP upgrades will be available as an add-on to any ticket. Packages will include a photo with KISS, access to the pre-show soundcheck, Q&A and an invitation to the KISS Army Captain's Lounge.
The legendary rockers previously set up shop in Sin City in November 2014 at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel And Casino. The nine-show run was captured for the "Kiss Rocks Vegas" DVD and Blu-ray set, which arrived in August 2016.
Asked by Rolling Stone what brought KISS back to Las Vegas for another residency, bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons said: "There are matters of the heart and then there are matters of the pocket and it's nice when they both converge. So it's a very nice payday. They pay well and that's reason enough. But it's also easier for the band because you don't have the wear and tear of traveling."
As for what kind of production the residency will have and whether it will be scaled down or on par with the touring show, Gene said: "The answer is yes to both, because when we play stadiums around the world, those shows are like Transformers. You can make them as big as you want. KISS's shows have been talked about for longer than you've been alive. Anything that's got a roof on it, we have to scale back the pyro or we'll blow the roof off, literally. But we are planning lots of surprises for Vegas, which nobody's seen yet. We're in the middle of putting that together."
KISS is in the middle of its "End Of The Road" farewell tour, which was originally scheduled to conclude on July 17, 2021 in New York City but is now expected to last well into 2022.
KISS's current lineup consists of original members Paul Stanley (guitar, vocals) and Gene Simmons (bass, vocals), alongside later band additions, guitarist Tommy Thayer (since 2002) and drummer Eric Singer (on and off since 1991).
Formed in 1973 by Stanley, Simmons, drummer Peter Criss and lead guitarist Ace Frehley, KISS staged its first "farewell" tour in 2000, the last to feature the group's original lineup.
The Metal Hall Of Fame livestream is being presented by Deko Entertainment and Volume.com.
2021 Metal Hall Of Fame inductees include:
KISS
* Doc McGhee, Manager: 1995-Current
* Bill Aucoin, Manager: 1973-1982 (Posthumously)
* Bruce Kulick, Guitarist, 1984-1996
* Eric Carr, Drummer, 1981-1991 (Posthumously)
TRIUMPH
* Gil Moore
* Rik Emmett
* Mike Levine
IRON MAIDEN
* Paul Di'Anno, Singer, 1977-1981
* Blaze Bayley, Singer, 1994 -1999
* Derek Riggs (creator of IRON MAIDEN mascot Eddie)
Marty Friedman (MEGADETH)
STRYPER
Mark Weiss (photographer)
Presenters included in the 2021 Metal Hall Of Fame livestream video include:
* Paul Stanley (KISS)
* Dee Snider (TWISTED SISTER)
* Gus G. (FIREWIND, OZZY OSBOURNE)
* Jimmy Kay
* Frank DiMino (ANGEL)
* Nigel Glockler (SAXON)
* Tim "Ripper" Owens (JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH)
* Carrie Stevens
* Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX)
* Keith Roth
* Glam Rock Guy
* Todd La Torre (QUEENSRŸCHE)
* Joey Vendetta
* Roman Fernandez (accepting for Bill Aucoin)
* Bobby Rock
* Eric Singer (KISS)
* Lisa Lane Kulick
* Jeff Scott Soto (SONS OF APOLLO)
* Sara-Jean Bartky (accepting for Eric Carr)
* Chris Jericho (FOZZY)
The 2021 Metal Hall Of Fame livestream video will also feature inductions and performances from past galas as part of the event's fifth anniversary.
Pat Gesualdo, Metal Hall Of Fame president and CEO said: "The world premiers of the 2021 Metal Hall Of Fame livestream gala video is a great way to have all hard rock and heavy metal fans around the world to take part in our annual induction ceremony.
"In 2021 we had to do a recorded livestream video of the gala as a result of the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. We are excited that, as of now, the annual 2022 Metal Hall Of Fame gala will be back to normal in January and held in person."
The Metal Hall Of Fame holds the annual Metal Hall Of Fame celebrity charity gala. It is dedicated to forever enshrining the iconic musicians and music industry executives responsible for making hard rock and heavy metal music what it is today. Their contribution to the genre is invaluable, and they continue to inspire fans throughout the world, from generation to generation.
The Metal Hall Of Fame is part of the 501 (C)(3) non-profit organization D.A.D. (Drums And Disabilities). D.A.D. provides free therapy and advocacy services for special needs children and wounded veterans in health facilities, schools, and community centers in over 15 countries.
Back in December, 1973, after KISS was signed to their first recording contract, Frehley bought this guitar from Manny’s Music on 48th Street in New York. Ace played the guitar heavily, with over 50 documented concerts from 1973-1976. Frehley loved the guitar so much he even carved the neck heel himself with a screwdriver.
In 1976, Frehley went to Strings & Things in Memphis, Tennessee and converted this Tobacco Burst Les Paul Deluxe into his new one-of-a-kind Black Double-Cut Les Paul nicknamed "Blackie". From then on, the guitar can be pictured in Ace's collection throughout the years.
Ace eventually sold the guitar and it switched hands from collector to collector until eventually, it landed in the hands of a good friend of Ace's. He thought, after so many years, it would be nice to have the guitar reunited with the original owner. In 2015, Ace got his hands back on the guitar that debatably started KISS's illustrious career. Ace immediately recognized his old guitar and was beyond happy to play it one more time. The guitar is also signed on the back by Ace in 2015.
The guitar is set to hit the auction block tomorrow (August 11), and is expected to fetch between $150,000 and $250,000. It comes with a letter of provenance, a letter of authenticity from Frehley and a Gotta Have Rock And Roll certificate of authenticity.
The news of KISS's return to Las Vegas was broken by the band's bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons during an interview at Animazing Gallery at The Venetian Grand Canal Shoppes, previewing his "ArtWorks" collection of paintings and sketches.
Asked if KISS will be coming back to Vegas for another residency, Simmons said: "We are. My favorite band are gonna be at Zappos [Theater at Planet Hollywood] in Las Vegas starting December 27th. That's right, even through New Year's. And we'll be here through February. But in the middle of the KISS tour that's going around the world."
The legendary rockers previously set up shop in Sin City in November 2014 at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel And Casino. The nine-show run was captured for the "Kiss Rocks Vegas" DVD and Blu-ray set, which arrived in August 2016.
Speaking to Las Vegas Weekly, KISS frontman Paul Stanley stated about how the idea for the residency came about: "To spend as much time as we do in Vegas and to live as close as we do, the idea of doing a residency and leaving our stage setup, as opposed to breaking it down nightly, was really appealing."
He continued: "We [had] just finished 42 cities and played for 600,000 people, but that meant that every night the show got disassembled and moved. There's something appealing and challenging about building a set that doesn't have to be moved. You don't have to take into account the practicality of it, being able to be broken down constantly and reassembled. So this was something that we had wanted to do for quite a while; it was just a matter of making sure we found people who were in agreement on how to do it. The Joint was the natural place to do it."
KISS is in the middle of its "End Of The Road" farewell tour, which was originally scheduled to conclude on July 17, 2021 in New York City but is now expected to last well into 2022.
KISS's current lineup consists of original members Stanley and Simmons, alongside later band additions, Thayer (since 2002) and drummer Eric Singer (on and off since 1991).
Formed in 1973 by Stanley, Simmons, drummer Peter Criss and lead guitarist Ace Frehley, KISS staged its first "farewell" tour in 2000, the last to feature the group's original lineup.
"Moving to the United States from Israel as a young boy, I didn't speak English," said Simmons. "I fell in love with comics and American television, and they not only helped me learn the language, but inspired creativity and a passion for drawing and painting."
Simmons, a serial entrepreneur who is recognized as much for his off-stage business and creative prowess as he is as for his bold onstage performances with KISS, has enjoyed success in many arenas. Well known as a branding expert, published author of numerous books, film and television star, public speaker, and founder of numerous businesses, Simmons has quietly held a secret passion for more than five decades — art.
"I started doodling and drawing when I was 8 years of age and as a teenager, I had hundreds of illustrations published in fanzines created by and for sci-fi and comic book enthusiasts," said Simmons. "With the KISS "End Of The Road' tour taking a pause during the pandemic, I had a chance to pull decades of my art out of storage and it reignited my passion for drawing and painting again."
Leone, CEO of Animazing Gallery in Las Vegas, had a chance to see a private showing of Simmons's artwork at Simmons's new Las Vegas residence.
"I always knew that Gene had many talents, but I had no idea that he was such an incredible artist. Getting to see samples of his artwork, ranging from his childhood illustrations to his current paintings, was eye opening. There is so much variety in his works," said Leone. "I asked if he would like to show, and possibly even sell some of his work, he humbly said 'why not', and here we are."
The Gene Simmons ArtWorks debut at Animazing Gallery will feature a private VIP event for art collectors and celebrities on October 14, followed by two days of public showings with personal appearances by Simmons from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. on October 15 and 16.
"I have had no professional training; I just like to draw and paint. I don't always know where I'm going, and then all of a sudden, I'm on my way," said Simmons. "I have great respect and admiration for art and artists, and I'm excited that people like the work that has resulted from what I consider to be my lifelong hobby."
Simmons finds inspiration from such artists as Jackson Pollack, with many of his newest works embracing Pollack's action painting style with large format canvases on the floor, and Andy Warhol as a leading figure in the pop art movement.
In the mid-'70s, Simmons was an active members of the vibrant social scene in New York. He fondly remembers attending a party at renowned designer Halston's mansion on Park Avenue with his then-girlfriend Cher. Mingling among the event's who's who of artists, musicians, actors, dancers, and socialites, he met Warhol, who invited him to his studio.
"Wow. Spending a day with Andy was mind-blowing. Watching him paint — his passion, his vision — was so inspiring," said Simmons. "He was a giant among artists and a true pioneer."
For more information about the Gene Simmons ArtWorks debut, visit www.animazing.com, e-mail info@animazing.com or call (702) 785-0061.
Kahan launched his career in the early '80s, when he directed a series of short promotional live videos for Rush, incorporating the band's songs "Tom Sawyer," "Limelight", "Red Barchetta" and "Freewill." After his return to hometown New York City, Kahan began working closely with Columbia Records, directing videos for Scandal ("Love's Got a Line on You"), Ian Hunter ("All the Good Ones Are Taken"), Loverboy ("Queen of the Broken Hearts") and Eddie Money ("The Big Crash").
He also helped make rock history when he directed Kiss' "Lick It Up" in 1983, the band's first video to feature the members without makeup.
"I remember sitting with their business manager, Howard Marks, and Gene [Simmons] and Paul [Stanley], saying, 'Guys, you have to do something dramatic,'" Kiss' creative consultant Danny Goldberg recalled in the 2005 biography, Kiss: Behind the Mask. He urged the band to consider trying something new at a time when its commercial fortunes had dramatically fallen. "That was absolutely the right way to launch it ... [Kahan] did a really good job. The video really brought the band back." (Kahan also directed Kiss' "All Hell's Breakin' Loose" video.)
After he started his own production company, Kahan's clientele expanded even further to include Bon Jovi ("She Don't Know Me" and "In and Out of Love"), Scorpions ("I'm Leaving You"), the Firm with Jimmy Page and Paul Rodgers (“Satisfaction Guaranteed”) and Motley Crue ("Too Young to Fall in Love").
He also worked with a variety of country artists like Ricky Skaggs, Alan Jackson and Sawyer Brown.
Kahan once noted while there was a "need to make money in this business," he insisted there was also room for artists' and directors' "own creative voice." He directed his last video in 2000 for Kenny Chesney's song, "I Lost It."
VIP packages start at $149. One-day general admission tickets start at $30.
Visit fanboyexpo.com/knoxville for the complete list of celebrity appearances.
Earlier today (Thursday, July 15), his family released the following statement: "It is with great sadness and the heaviest of hearts that the Cohen/Corbett family needs to let everyone know that after a hard-fought battle with cancer Gary Corbett passed away last night on Wednesday [July] 14, 2021
"Those who knew Gary know that we and the world of music have all lost a very talented, funny, kind and gentle soul.
"The pain cuts so deeply that our hearts are bleeding.
"A memorial event is being planned. The details will come at a later date
"Today is Gary's birthday. Please keep Gary and our family in your thoughts and your heart.
"Gary Corbett will be truly and deeply missed by all who know him.
"Lenora Corbett/Cohen and Mindy Cohen".
According to LA Weekly, Corbett played offstage keyboards and handled background vocals on KISS tours promoting late-'80s and early-'90s LPs "Crazy Nights", "Hot In The Shade" and "Revenge". Before that, his credits included co-writing Cyndi Lauper's Top 5 hit "She Bop" and working with the solo band of former FOREIGNER singer Lou Gramm, who recommended Corbett to KISS frontman Paul Stanley.
"There seemed to be a trend in the '80s that bands didn't want the image of having a keyboard player onstage," Corbett told LA Weekly. "Some people think keyboards aren't as much of a rock instrument as a guitar. Gene Simmons is definitely of that mindset. At every soundcheck, if the soundman asked me, 'Could you just give me a couple of notes,' [Simmons] would immediately put his hands behind his back and act like he was ice skating around a rink."
In his interview with LA Weekly, Corbett recounted a particularly memorable experience playing with KISS at the 1988 "Monsters Of Rock" festival. "It was such a big show that they had big Diamond Vision screens on each side of the stage," he said. "So when the guys that were working the cameras on the side of the stage were roaming around and filming everything, I guess nobody told them that they weren't supposed to be filming me. So during 'Rock And Roll All Nite', I'm standing there singing and playing and having a good time. And later I found out I was on the big screens in front of, like, 60,000 people, which I don't think made the guys very happy."
After KISS, Corbett played with CINDERELLA until 2011. He also got a couple of Grammys for his work with reggae legends Damian and Stephen Marley.
The new KISS product launches will coincide with the return of the "End Of The Road" world tour, which launched in 2019 and generated record sales. The tour will continue to wow audiences in 2021 with rescheduled shows and new additional concert dates. Known for their trademark larger-than-life, blistering performances, KISS has proven for decades why they are hands-down the most iconic live show in rock and roll.
KISS continues to be among the most merchandised bands in history and a pioneering force in the music merchandise and licensing industry, with KISS-branded merchandise available in major retailers around the globe, including Nordstrom, Macy's, Urban Outfitters, Hot Topic, Torrid, Tilly's, Pacsun, Cotton On, Revolve, Nasty Gal, Princess Polly, Target, Walmart and Kohl's, among many more.
New KISS deals in North America include Dead Sled Coffee, for pre-packaged coffee in the U.S.; a fashion and accessories collaboration with Robert Graham to launch in the U.S.; high-end apparel with Lauren Moshi in the U.S.; a line of seasonal apparel with Ugly Christmas Sweater for Holiday 2021 in the U.S.; and more (complete list below).
In the international marketplace, new strategic partnerships include Brands For Fans for gin (launching July 2021) and dark rum (launching August 2021) in Europe, Japan, and Australia; Metal Departments for real money gambling worldwide; Fexpro for apparel and accessories in Mexico, Central America, and South America; Konnekt for apparel & accessories in Japan; and EastPak for bags, backpacks and accessories in U.S. Europe, Middle East, Asia and Canada; among many others (complete list below).
"Our licensing partners from around the world continue to do an outstanding job collaborating creatively with us to further build our retail program," said KISS. "And we are eternally grateful to our legion of fans that continue to engage and support us, and we cannot wait to get back on the road this year with an explosive tour to remember! We're pumped and can't wait to celebrate the wildest and hottest show ever!"
Lisa Streff, EVP global licensing at Epic Rights, stated: "KISS's licensing program is hotter than ever. The band's merch continues to grow bigger and better year after year into new and unique categories with expansion into new markets around the world, as well as the return of their highly successful global tour in this summer. The strong interest from our licensing partners worldwide, as well as the remarkable sell-in and sell through success at retail, is a testament to the never-ending strength of this evergreen giant."
Complete list of new licensees for the KISS brand include:
Worldwide & International Deals:
* Metal Departments (real money gambling) - Worldwide
* Brands For Fans (spirits) - U.K., Europe, Japan, Australia
* Absolute Garments (tops for H&M) - Worldwide
* Bradford Exchange (collectibles) - United States, France, Italy, Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand
* Wren & Glory (fashion denim jackets) - Worldwide
* Ropa Viva (apparel) - Mexico
* Fexpro (apparel & accessories) - Mexico, Central America, South America
* Gloria Jeans (apparel) - Russia
* Konnekt (apparel & accessories) - Japan
* Replay (apparel collection) - Worldwide
* Eastpak (bags, backpacks, accessories) - Europe, Middle East, Asia, United States and Canada
* Aquarius (playing cards, puzzles & board games) - U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Europe
* Smartshake (protein drink shakers) – Worldwide
* Shinko (t-shirts & tote bags) - Japan
North American Deals:
* Dead Sled Coffee (brew-at-home coffee) - United States
* Robert Graham (fashion & accessories) - United States, Canada
* Darring USA (denim & apparel capsule collection) - United States
* Gotham City (wall art & calendars) - United States, Canada, Mexico
* Ideastream (storage boxes) - United States, Canada
* Lauren Moshi (high-end apparel) - United States
* My Custom Sports Chair (chairs) - United States, Canada
* Ugly Christmas Sweater (seasonal apparel) - United States
* Toynk (toys & games) - United States, Canada
* J&F Design (plus-size apparel) - United States, Canada
* Intimo (loungewear, sleepwear, accessories & bags) – United States
Renewed Deals:
* Liquid Blue (apparel) - United States and Canada
* Fun.com (costumes) – Worldwide
* UD Replicas (costumes) – Worldwide
* Advanced Graphics (life-size cardboard cut-outs) – United States and Canada
* Zippo (lighters) - Worldwide
The former MARILYN MANSON and current ROB ZOMBIE guitarist revealed Criss's participation in the project during an appearance on Sirius XM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" on Wednesday (June 23).
"I have a new record coming out. It's called 'Sinner', and it is a new JOHN 5 AND THE CREATURES record," John 5, whose real name is John William Lowery, said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "It's all new tracks. And this is something that's really cool. Peter Criss is playing drums on the song 'Georgia On My Mind', which is the last song on the record. And I'm telling you… This guy… Barry Pointer, my producer, flew out to Peter's house, set up a couple of mics. Now, this is a jazz type of song, and Peter is known for that jazz feel he has. I shit you not, he sat behind those drums, played two takes. Barry's mouth was dropped open. Wait till you hear this. I mean, it was perfect."
John 5 continued: "It's something you can't teach, is this feel and this vibe. And he nailed it in two takes. And Barry was, like, 'Well, what do we do now?' It took him, like, literally probably eight minutes. And it was just perfect. He was, like, 'There's nothing else we can do. That was perfect.'"
In a 2014 interview, Criss said that he had been working with John 5 on material for a new rock solo album, which he promised would be "heavier" than the stuff he had done in the past.
Criss first left KISS in 1980. Since then he's worked with other bands and released solo albums. He teamed up with KISS again for a reunion tour in the 1990s and most recently in 2004. He was replaced by Eric Singer.
In addition to playing drums in KISS, Peter also provided lead vocals for a number the band's most popular and memorable songs, including "Beth", "Black Diamond" and "Hard Luck Woman".
Criss, who was known as "Catman," released his last solo CD, titled "One For All", in 2007. Peter produced the album himself for the first time, and was joined by guest musicians that included keyboardist Paul Shaffer and bassist Will Lee of "Late Night With David Letterman". The album featured a range of styles, from rock and jazz to blues and Broadway, and included covers of "What A Difference A Day Makes" and "Send In The Clowns".
Criss, who turned 75 last December, played what was being billed as his final U.S. concert in June 2017 at the Cutting Room in New York City.
Production is now underway in New Jersey, and Capstone will introduce the film to Cannes market buyers next week.
Jeremy Jordan plays Neil Bogart in the the pic that charts the rise of his Buddah and Casablanca labels in the 1960s and ’70s with a roster that included Donna Summer, KISS, Parliament, Village People, The Isley Brothers, Gladys Knight and Bill Withers among others.
Jay Pharoah, Michelle Monaghan, Jason Isaacs, Jason Derulo, Sebastian Maniscalco, Dan Fogler, Chris Redd, Peyton List, Pink Sweat$, Casey Likes, Sam Harris, Alex Gaskarth, Jimmy Wolk, Michael Ian Black and Vinnie Pastore are also already aboard in the cast.
Laurence Mark is producing with Jessica Martins of Hero Entertainment, Timothy Scott Bogart, Grammy chief Harvey Mason Jr, Gary Randall of The Boardwalk Entertainment Group, and David Haring. Christian Mercuri of Capstone, Walter Josten of Blue Rider, and Marc Goldberg of Signature Films are executive producers.
Music producer Evan Bogart and Atlantic Records president Kevin Weaver will also executive produce with Atlantic Records, which is set to release the soundtrack. It will be a killer, featuring new versions of some classics — including Summers’ “Last Dance” and “Love to Love You Baby”; Parliament’s “Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof Off the Sucker)”; the Isley Brothers’ “Fight the Power” and “It’s Your Thing”; Knight’s “Midnight Train to Georgia”; Withers’ “Lean on Me” and “Ain’t No Sunshine” Kiss’ “Rock and Roll All Nite” and “Shout it Out Loud”, Village People’s “YMCA”; and “Oh Happy Day” by the Edwin Hawkins Singers — performed by Parx, Khalifa, Derulo, Pink Sweat$, Harris, Casey Likes, Gaskarth and Ledisi.
The project has been in the works for a long time, notably with Justin Timberlake attached to play Neil Bogart as far back as 2011.
“Spinning Gold is about a group of people who, once upon a time, lived a fairytale and made their dreams come true, all set to some of the greatest music ever pressed in vinyl. Bringing these dreamers and artists to life has been the privilege of my life,” Timothy Scott Bogart said. “For a film about one of the greatest salesmen in the entrainment business, I am thrilled to be working with Christian, Marc and the entire team of Capstone to share this timeless story to audiences and music lovers around the world.”
Khalifa is repped by SMAC Entertainment and Taylor Gang Ent.; Parx by ICM Partners and 3020 Management; Ledisi by Benchmark Entertainment and Wasserman; and Fonseca by ICM, 360 Management and Morris Yorn.
"The music that moves the world — R&B, rock, blues, country western, various jazz — was all invented right here in America by the people who now can't even quit their day job to devote their time to art," said Simmons. "There's not going to be another Lennon, McCartney or Gershwin or somebody else because — even though the talent is out there — most people don't realize every time you download a song, the songwriter is making minuscule amounts of one penny."
"Protecting the rights of American music creators and defending the value of music has always been a core part of ASCAP's mission, and we are thrilled to have some of our most talented members join us as we urge lawmakers in Washington to support the people who make the music we all know and love," said ASCAP CEO Elizabeth Matthews.
The pandemic has created unique challenges for the entire music industry — from songwriters, composers and music publishers to performance venues — but, as music creators became more dependent upon streaming income during lockdown, it has also highlighted how outdated music licensing rules no longer work in the modern digital music marketplace. Now, more than ever, music creators need to be able to earn a fair, livable wage for when their music is played. During "Stand With Songwriters" Advocacy Month, ASCAP members will encourage members of Congress to stand with songwriters during this difficult time and help music creators rebuild and modernize America's vibrant music industry.
To learn more about ASCAP's music creator advocacy efforts, visit www.ascap.com/advocacy.
As many fans know, most musicians don't have health insurance, or when they do, it's not that great. Due to the costs of treatment, Gary is on the verge of losing his home, and the medical bills are piling up alongside all the other bills. He has completed a series of radiation therapy, is undergoing an aggressive series of chemo and immunotherapy, and is slated to start cognitive and occupational therapy soon.
Gary and his wife Lenora are desperate. They cannot afford to pay for his treatment and stopping it is not an option. This is where your help comes in: This money will help pay his outrageous medical costs and keep his bills and mortgage paid while he's coping with his illness and the long road to recovery.
According to LA Weekly, Corbett played offstage keyboards and handled background vocals on KISS tours promoting late-'80s and early-'90s LPs "Crazy Nights", "Hot In The Shade" and "Revenge". Before that, his credits included co-writing Cyndi Lauper's Top 5 hit "She Bop" and working with the solo band of former FOREIGNER singer Lou Gramm, who recommended Corbett to KISS frontman Paul Stanley.
"There seemed to be a trend in the '80s that bands didn't want the image of having a keyboard player onstage," Corbett told LA Weekly. "Some people think keyboards aren't as much of a rock instrument as a guitar. Gene Simmons is definitely of that mindset. At every soundcheck, if the soundman asked me, 'Could you just give me a couple of notes,' [Simmons] would immediately put his hands behind his back and act like he was ice skating around a rink."
In his interview with LA Weekly, Corbett recounted a particularly memorable experience playing with KISS at the 1988 "Monsters Of Rock" festival. "It was such a big show that they had big Diamond Vision screens on each side of the stage," he said. "So when the guys that were working the cameras on the side of the stage were roaming around and filming everything, I guess nobody told them that they weren't supposed to be filming me. So during 'Rock And Roll All Nite', I'm standing there singing and playing and having a good time. And later I found out I was on the big screens in front of, like, 60,000 people, which I don't think made the guys very happy."
After KISS, Corbett played with CINDERELLA until 2011. He also got a couple of Grammys for his work with reggae legends Damian and Stephen Marley.
The KISS star nabbed a 6-bed, 8-bath palace in Henderson with 11,000 square feet of living space and distinctively modern features ... like a floating pathway entrance over a koi pond and floor-to-ceiling glass walls.
Gene and his family jewels will have room to move -- the place has seriously spacious rooms inside ... and outside there's a pool, hot tub, built-in barbecue and a courtyard. Desert cool, baby!
We broke the story ... Simmons put his recently renovated Beverly Hills mansion back on the market in March for $25 million.
He'd initially listed it for $22 mil, but then took it off the market and made several improvements.
Around that time, he told reporters he was leaving California, saying ... "There are earthquakes, fires and pandemics every year. Even though there is nice sunshine, I’m done."
Gene must be serious, because along with buying a new home in Henderson ... he slashed the asking price on his Bev Hills home to just under $20 mil. As they say, priced to move!!!
Zac Efron just made a similar move to sell his L.A. home, and it worked ... so good luck, Gene.
As a young man in 1978, Darius Cho attended a concert of his favorite band, a memory that has stuck with him to this day. Now he is a massively wealthy tech giant, but mysteriously reclusive. Some even believe he may not exist at all, simply serving as a ghostly facade for an endless consortium of corporations. At least until KISS receives an all-expense invitation to play an exclusive concert for him. Playing for an audience of just Cho, his assistant and a crowd of "Westworld"-style androids invented by the mega-billionaire, everything seems a little off… Especially when the band wakes up in luxurious accommodations, but with no way to leave, and their powerful talismans stolen from them!
"It was 1977, in the U.K., and I was 14. I actually discovered KISS in issues #12 and 13 of Marvel's Howard The Duck!," said writer Ian Edginton. "I didn't know who the hell they were, but loved the look. A friend of mine who knew his metal played me the 'Love Gun' album and I was hooked, which is why 'Love Gun' (song and album) has always been my favorite!"
Acclaimed writer Ian Edginton (X-Force, Iron Maiden) twists this mystery and more for readers in this rocking new series. He's joined by artist Celor (Hack/Slash, Zombie Tramp) as well as colorist Valentina Pinto and letterer Troy Peteri. With official collaboration and approval by the band, this is a series that KISS fans can't miss!
In addition to a concert scene, of course, and the band's fight to break free from Cho's captivity, Edginton is tackling some serious questions in the series. Delving into science fiction territory with an exploration of humanity and identity by way of the androids. Which ties right into the band's famous identities involving masks and makeup. Also featured will be a romp through a theme park, with reference and influence from major parts of Japanese culture like Godzilla and the horrific manga works of Junji Ito. But ultimately, Edginton confirms, "It sounds deep, but it's mostly about robots, monsters, and blowing shit up!"
No great rock album is complete without iconic cover art, and comics are no different! In addition to one by interior artist Celor, Jae Lee leads the pack, tapping into the Japanese influences of the story on his cover. KISS fan-favorite artist Stuart Sayger returns, following his contributions to previous series Blood & Stardust, The End and Kiss Zombies, all now available in graphic novels. Celor brings along his Hack/Slash collaborator, writer and artist Tim Seeley, for one too. Plus, of course, a photo of the band themselves, and a blank sketch cover for aspiring artists!
Kiss: Phantom Obsession #1 is solicited in Diamond Comic Distributors' June 2021 Previews catalog, the premier source of merchandise for the comic book specialty market, and slated for release in August 2021. Comic book fans are encouraged to preorder copies of the issue with their local comic book retailers. It will also be available for individual customer purchase through digital platforms courtesy of Comixology, Kindle, iBooks, Google Play, Dynamite Digital, ComicsPlus, and more.
Says Gene: "Join me, Gene Simmons, in an intimate private setting, on Saturday, June 26, 2021, in Las Vegas, Nevada as I teach you and your classmates to play bass and write a song! That's right — we'll be together, on stage."
You will learn to play bass. You will write a song. You will perform as a band — together.
Don't know how to play a note? No worries. Gene will show you how. You'll have an amazing experience followed by a personal bass signing.
For more information, visit GeneSimmonsAxe.com.
Paul Stanley may be best known for his "Starchild" persona — rock and roll icon, painted-face superstar, co-founder and frontman for the legendary rock group Kiss — but he’s as complex as the costumes and pyrotechnics you see on stage at his concerts. A successful author, painter and business owner, Stanley has a soft and soulful side you might not expect from the man in leather tights selling out arenas. He opens up to host Giselle Fernandez about life as the Kiss frontman and says the reason the band works so well — with 30 gold records and more than 100 million worldwide album sales — is they’ve always listened to what the fans want. These days, Stanley is going in another direction with his 15-piece ensemble band Soul Station, whose newly released album pays tribute to the R&B and soul sounds of the past.
The trek will kick off on June 1, 2022 in Dortmund, Germany and conclude on July 21, 2022 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Tickets that were previously purchased for the postponed 2020 and 2021 shows will be valid for the new dates.
KISS 2022 European tour dates:
Jun. 01 - Westfalenhalle - Dortmund, Germany
Jun. 03 - Atlas Arena - Lodz, Poland
Jun. 06 - Sportspalais - Antwerp, Belgium
Jun. 07 - Accor Arena - Paris, France
Jun. 10 - Download Festival - Castle Donington, UK
Jun. 13 - Barclaycard Arena - Hamburg, Germany
Jun. 16 - Copenhell Festival - Copenhagen, Denmark
Jun. 18 - Tele 2 Arena - Stockholm, Sweden
Jun. 20 - Hartwell Arena - Helsinki, Finland
Jun. 22 - Scandinavian - Gothenburg, Sweden
Jun. 24 - Festhalle - Frankfurt, Germany
Jun. 26 - Stadthalle - Vienna, Austria
Jun. 28 - Schleyerhalle - Stuttgart, Germany
Jun. 30 - Festival Du Printemps De Perouges - Saint-Vulbas, France
Jul. 02 - Rockfest - Barcelona, Spain
Jul. 03 - Wizink Arena - Madrid, Spain
Jul. 05 - Festival De Nîmes - Les Arènes De Nîmes - Nîmes, France
Jul. 07 - Hallenstadion - Zurich, Switzerland
Jul. 09 - Zagreb Arena - Zagreb, Croatia
Jul. 11 - Arena Di Verona - Verona, Italy
Jul. 13 - O2 Arena - Prague, Czech Republic
Jul. 14 - Budapest Arena - Budapest, Hungary
Jul. 16 - Romexpo - Bucharest, Romania
Jul. 21 - Ziggo Dome - Amsterdam, Holland
Paul Stanley recently told Rolling Stone magazine that KISS has every intention of resuming its "End Of The Road" tour once the pandemic has subsided. "Totally," he said. "We were 120 shows into it and having a ball [when the pandemic began]. I mean, most of the time when you lose somebody or the situation changes, you find yourself saying, 'Gee, if I had only known,' whereas here, you have a situation where we've come to the conclusion that we can't continue [as a touring band]. It's not feasible. If we were wearing jeans and T-shirts, we could do this into our eighties or nineties, but we're carrying around 40 and 50 pounds of gear for a couple of hours. There's an age factor, which makes it more real for people who may have doubted the idea of the 'end of the road.'But that in mind, it gives us a night with people where we really get to share what we built together. … So the 'End Of The Road', I don't see it as bittersweet. I see it as sweet. And will there be tears? Sure. But oh, my God, look what we've been given. And from what the fans say, look what we gave them. It's unlike other bands."
KISS's farewell trek was launched in January 2019 and was originally scheduled to conclude on July 17, 2021 in New York City but is now expected to last well into 2022.
Last December, bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons told the 95.5 KLOS radio station that KISS has "a hundred and fifty" shows left in its "End Of The Road" tour, including a stop at "the coldest place on earth."
KISS last performed this past New Year's Eve in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The concert broke Guinness world records for highest flame projection in a music concert and for most flame projections launched simultaneously in a music concert.
KISS's current lineup consists of original members Stanley and Simmons, alongside later band additions, guitarist Tommy Thayer (since 2002) and drummer Eric Singer (on and off since 1991).
Formed in 1973 by Stanley, Simmons, Peter Criss (drums) and Ace Frehley (guitar), KISS staged its first "farewell" tour in 2000, the last to feature the group's original lineup.
In its 48-year career, KISS has accumulated 23 gold and platinum albums — more than any other U.S. band.
Cooper, a Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee, usually spends up to six months a year on the road, bringing his iconic brand of rock psycho-drama to fans both old and new, enjoying it as much as the audience does. Known as the architect of shock rock, Cooper (in both the original Alice Cooper band and as a solo artist) has rattled the cages and undermined the authority of generations of guardians of the status quo, continuing to surprise fans and exude danger at every turn, like a great horror movie. Alice Cooper concerts remain a "not-to-be-missed" attraction!
Cooper's universally acclaimed new album "Detroit Stories" is out now via earMUSIC. The record is a celebration of the sound and spirit of the golden era of Detroit rock, and debuted on the Billboard album sales chart at No. 1 upon release in February.
The Associated Press called "Detroit Stories" "a masterpiece of classic rock, soul and R&B in homage to the city that produced him," while Entertainment Weekly proclaimed the release "a love letter from Cooper to his city, and one that encourages a deep dive into his own back catalog and that of his peers." Variety deemed the album "a delicious tip of the hat to '70s classics such as 'Killer' and 'School's Out' without sounding like a throwback." Rolling Stone enthused, "That spirit of rock & roll abandon still exists in Cooper's music half a century later, and his inherent showmanship is why people still fill theaters to see his guillotine act. It's also why his records are still fun to listen to: You never know where he's headed."
"We've always had fun touring together and it should be a heavy rock show with Ace and a great way to get everyone back to live concerts again," says Cooper. "It should be a great night of virtuoso guitars!"
Frehley, KISS co-founder and 2014 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee, continues his reflections on a lifetime in music with "Origins, Vol. 2". No stranger to cover versions throughout his musical history — having recorded, rebranded and repossessed such notable nuggets as "New York Groove", "Do Ya" and "I Wanna Go Back" over the course of his eight previous studio efforts — this new collection presents a thoughtful and exciting selection of songs that inspired and helped shape the legendary guitarist. Foremost of importance to the original Spaceman is delivering an album his fans will enjoy, but one where every song also has a place in his life's jukebox.
"I've known Alice for over 30 years," says Frehley. "We're good friends, and we've toured together numerous times and always had a blast. Our musical roots are very similar, and the combination of our two bands make for a great event that nobody is gonna want to miss. Being off the road for more than a year because of the pandemic has been tough on everyone in the music industry, and I'm really looking forward to seeing all of the fans happy, healthy, and ready to rock."
Pre-sale tickets are available Tuesday, May 18 at 10 a.m. local time. Venue and radio pre-sales are set for Wednesday, May 19 at 10 a.m. local time. The general on-sale is set for Friday, May 21 at 10 a.m. local time.
Alice Cooper tour dates with Ace Frehley:
Sep. 17 - Atlantic City, NJ - Ovation Hall at Oceans Resort Casino (Without Ace Frehley)
Sep. 18 - Gilford, NH - Bank of NH Pavilion*
Sep. 19 - Bridgeport, CT - Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater*
Sep. 21- Boston, MA - Rockland Trust Bank Pavilion*
Sep. 22 - Farmingville, NY - Long Island Community Hospital Amphitheatre at Bald Hill*
Sep. 24 - Chicago, IL - Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island*
Sep. 25 - Detroit, MI - DTE Energy Music Theatre*
Sep. 27 - Youngstown, OH - Youngstown Foundation Amphitheater*
Sep. 28 - Huber Heights, OH - Rose Music Center*
Sep. 29 - Indianapolis, IN - Farm Bureau Insurance Lawn at White River State Park*
Oct. 01 - Milwaukee, WI - BMO Harris Pavilion*
Oct. 02 - St Louis, MO - Saint Louis Music Park*
Oct. 03 - Nashville, TN - Ascend Amphitheatre*
Oct. 05 - Pikeville, KY - Appalachian Wireless Arena
Oct. 06 - Raleigh, NC - The Red Hat Amphitheater*
Oct. 07 - Charlotte, NC - Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre*
Oct. 09 - Jacksonville, FL - Daily's Place*
Oct. 10 - West Palm Beach, FL - iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre*
Oct. 11 - Tampa, FL - MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre*
Oct. 13 - Montgomery, AL - Montgomery Performing Arts Center
Oct. 14 - Birmingham, AL - BJCC Concert Hall
Oct. 18 - Sugar Land, TX - Smart Financial Centre
Oct. 19 - Austin, TX - HEB Center
Oct. 20 - Ft. Worth, TX - Will Rogers Auditorium
Oct. 22 - Tupelo, MS - Bancorp South Arena
Oct. 23 - Atlanta, GA - Shaky Knees Festival (Without Ace Frehley)
* Produced by Live Nation
You can own handwritten lyrics to any or all songs penned by Vinnie Vincent from both the KISS and VINNIE VINCENT INVASION catalogs.
Prices:
* $3,500 per individual song
* $50,000: complete set of all 14 Vinnie Vincent KISS handwritten lyrics
* $75,000: complete set of all 20 VINNIE VINCENT INVASION handwritten lyrics
* $125,000: complete set of all KISS and VINNIE VINCENT INVASION handwritten lyrics
Vincent — who was a member of KISS when the band publicly "unmasked" in 1983 — made several public appearances in 2018 after spending the past two decades out of the public eye.
In 1983, KISS wrote and released "Lick It Up" — their first album without makeup — a recording on which Vincent co-wrote eight of 10 songs, including the title track, which remains a staple of the group's live performances to this day.
Despite the album's success, Vincent was fired by KISS after the "Lick It Up" touring cycle came to an end, allegedly due to a dispute over both the terms of his employment contract with the band and royalties. From there, Vincent founded VINNIE VINCENT INVASION, which recorded two albums.
In 1992, Vincent re-teamed with Simmons and Stanley to write three songs for their acclaimed album "Revenge", including the record's first two singles, "Unholy" and "I Just Wanna". Their relationship quickly soured once again, however. Four years later, Vincent released a solo EP, "Euphoria", which featured vocals by former VVI singer Fleischman and included material from sessions recorded around 1990. Soon after that, Vincent vanished from the public eye and remained off the grid for more than two decades.
In November 2019, KISS manager Doc McGhee claimed that all former members of the group have been contacted about possibly taking part in the band's last-ever tour.
Prior to the "End Of The Road" launch, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons weren't very enthusiastic about the prospect of an onstage collaboration with Vinnie Vincent. "Now Vinnie, that's one exception, and for so many reasons," Stanley told Guitar World. "I would say that's not someone who I want to celebrate."
Simmons also chimed in, explaining that "it's worth stating that Vinnie has sued the band and lost 14 times. I'm not here to cast any aspersions. He's a talented guy. That's why he was in the band. But would I depend on him to get up onstage and do anything? Never. … Can he come to the shows? Of course! Anybody can. But onstage? Never."
In April 2018, Vincent joined Simmons at the KISS bassist/vocalist's "Vault" event in Nashville, Tennessee. He later said in an interview that he felt that got "a cold reception" and was "treated very indifferently" by Gene at the event.
Founding members Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons will be joined by current band members Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer for a multi-song, live, performance at the event. The concert, at a currently undisclosed location, is announced on the heels of the news of the definitive A&E documentary "Biography: KISStory", which is set to premiere with a two-night event on June 27 and June 28 from 9 p.m. ET to 11 p.m. ET.
Festival passes are on sale now. Tickets to attend the outdoor in-person screening/events are available starting Monday, May 10 at 11:00 a.m. EST.
Directed by D.J. Viola, "Biography: KISStory" chronicles the band's five decades in the business as founders Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons reflect on their historic career.
After 50 years of rocking and rolling all night and partying every day, the No. 1 gold-record-selling band of all time, KISS, shares their story of success before finally smashing their last guitar and extinguishing the fire-breathing demon. Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, along with current members Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer as well as guests Dave Grohl (NIRVANA, FOO FIGHTERS), Tom Morello (RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE), manager Doc McGhee, music producer Bob Ezrin (ALICE COOPER, PINK FLOYD) and more tell the wild story of the most successful and influential band in the world.
Selling more than 100 million albums worldwide and over 40 years of record-breaking global tours, the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame band is giving viewers a behind-the-scenes look at their rise to fame. Featuring original recording sessions, home movies, behind-the-scenes stories and rare footage, the film grants fans an all-access pass to the band's legendary journey. Fans will hear a first-hand account of the emotional story behind the band's start in New York City's gritty rock scene of the 1970s, their meteoric rise to fame, almost losing it all to drugs and alcohol in the 1980s and how they ultimately fought their way back to the top of the charts in the 1990s to become a household name synonymous with rock and roll.
"Through the 'Biography' lens, we are able to give fans a backstage pass to a two-night event that honors the legacy of the rock icons behind KISS," said Elaine Frontain Bryant, EVP and head of programming for A&E. "This documentary event is a special tribute to a one-of-a-kind band and the incredible Kiss Army fanbase that has idolized them for generations."
"Biography: KISStory" is a Leslie Greif production, produced for A&E Network by Critical Content and Big Dreams Entertainment with Leslie Greif and Jenny Daly serving as executive producers and D.J. Viola serving as director. Elaine Frontain Bryant and Brad Abramson serve as executive producers for A&E Network. A+E Networks holds worldwide distribution rights for "Biography: KISStory".
The celebrated "Biography" brand continues to highlight newsworthy personalities and events with compelling and surprising points-of-view and remains the defining source for true stories from some of the most accomplished non-fiction storytellers of our time. Extensive on-air and branded digital content, including short form, will roll-out on all platforms, including Biography.com, the home to hundreds of profiles of notable cultural figures and influencers.
After 50 years of rocking and rolling all night and partying every day, the No. 1 gold-record-selling band of all time, KISS, shares their story of success before finally smashing their last guitar and extinguishing the fire-breathing demon. Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, along with current members Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer as well as guests Dave Grohl (NIRVANA, FOO FIGHTERS), Tom Morello (RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE), manager Doc McGhee, music producer Bob Ezrin (ALICE COOPER, PINK FLOYD) and more tell the wild story of the most successful and influential band in the world.
Selling more than 100 million albums worldwide and over 40 years of record-breaking global tours, the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame band is giving viewers a behind-the-scenes look at their rise to fame. Featuring original recording sessions, home movies, behind-the-scenes stories and rare footage, the film grants fans an all-access pass to the band's legendary journey. Fans will hear a first-hand account of the emotional story behind the band's start in New York City's gritty rock scene of the 1970s, their meteoric rise to fame, almost losing it all to drugs and alcohol in the 1980s and how they ultimately fought their way back to the top of the charts in the 1990s to become a household name synonymous with rock and roll.
"Through the 'Biography' lens, we are able to give fans a backstage pass to a two-night event that honors the legacy of the rock icons behind KISS," said Elaine Frontain Bryant, EVP and head of programming for A&E. "This documentary event is a special tribute to a one-of-a-kind band and the incredible Kiss Army fanbase that has idolized them for generations."
"Biography: KISStory" is a Leslie Greif production, produced for A&E Network by Critical Content and Big Dreams Entertainment with Leslie Greif and Jenny Daly serving as executive producers and D.J. Viola serving as director. Elaine Frontain Bryant and Brad Abramson serve as executive producers for A&E Network. A+E Networks holds worldwide distribution rights for "Biography: KISStory".
The celebrated "Biography" brand continues to highlight newsworthy personalities and events with compelling and surprising points-of-view and remains the defining source for true stories from some of the most accomplished non-fiction storytellers of our time. Extensive on-air and branded digital content, including short form, will roll-out on all platforms, including Biography.com, the home to hundreds of profiles of notable cultural figures and influencers.
Paul unloaded tons of KISS merchandise ... the collectibles were displayed in his master bedroom.
We're told most of the band's merch still had the tags on, and folks were buying up all the KISS shirts, pins, license plates, cups and travel bags for anywhere between $15 and $50.
There were some pricier items too ... drinking glasses were going for upwards of $1,200, big French doors went for $900 a pop and Paul's couch went for over $2,000.
Paul's daughter, Emily, had a bunch of stickers on her bedroom door and it was up for grabs at $95.
Heck, Paul even put his lemon trees on sale ... as well as pots and planters starting around $400.
The estate sale went down last week, and by the weekend, pretty much everything had been sold ... so stuff was really flying out of the house.
Now that Paul's done some serious spring cleaning, we're told he's knocking down the 7-bedroom home and building a more modern estate on the property.
Vinyl- KISS Off The Soundboard: Tokyo 2001
On June 11, rock legends KISS will launch their new official live bootleg series "KISS - Off The Soundboard", with "Tokyo 2001", recorded by the band at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan on March 13, 2001. This marks the first in a series of upcoming live releases through UMe and will be available as a 3-LP standard black vinyl set, a 2-CD set, digital downloads and available to stream. "Off The Soundboard: Tokyo 2001" will also be available as an exclusive 3-LP set pressed on crystal clear vinyl with bone swirl via the official KISS online store. All configurations can be pre-ordered here.
Tokyo has always held a special place of importance throughout the KISStory of the band and "Off The Soundboard: Tokyo 2001" captures KISS giving the packed 55,000-seat venue the quintessential KISS live experience, direct from the soundboard with such classic anthems as "I Was Made For Lovin' You", "Heaven's On Fire", "Rock And Roll All Nite" and the #7 1976 Billboard hit "Detroit Rock City", as well as rarities such as "I Still Love You" from 1982's "Creatures Of The Night". The 21-track concert is a celebration of the band's musical legacy and features co-founders Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, with Ace Frehley on guitar and Eric Singer on drums.
KISS is globally recognized as one of the greatest live bands of all time and is the creator of what is universally considered the best live album ever, 1975's gold-certified and No. 9 Billboard charting "Alive!" "KISS - Off The Soundboard" continues their storied legacy of groundbreaking live albums with a document of the spectacular, larger-than-life extravaganza that is a KISS concert.
Known for their trademark larger-than-life blistering performances, KISS has proven for decades why they are hands down the most iconic live show in rock and roll. The Rock And Roll Hall Of Famers who have sold more than 100 million albums worldwide have said this tour is devoted to the millions of KISS Army fans.
KISS "Off The Soundboard: Tokyo 2001" (2CD) track listing:
CD1
01. Detroit Rock City
02. Deuce
03. Shout It Out Loud
04. Talk To Me
05. I Love It Loud
06. Firehouse
07. Do You Love Me
08. Calling Dr. Love
09. Heaven's On Fire
10. Let Me Go Rock & Roll
11. Shock Me / Guitar Solo
12. Psycho Circus
CD2
01. Lick It Up / Bass Solo
02. God Of Thunder / Drum Solo
03. Cold Gin
04. 100,000 Years
05. Love Gun
06. I Still Love You
07. Black Diamond
08. I Was Made For Lovin' You
09. Rock And Roll All Nite
3LP
LP1, Side A
01. Detroit Rock City
02. Deuce
03. Shout It Out Loud
04. Talk To Me
LP1, Side B
01. I Love It Loud
02. Firehouse
03. Do You Love Me
04. Calling Dr. Love
05. Heaven's On Fire
LP2, Side A
01. Let Me Go Rock & Roll
02. Shock Me / Guitar Solo
LP2, Side B
01. Psycho Circus
02. Lick It Up / Bass Solo
03. God Of Thunder / Drum Solo
LP3, Side A
01. Cold Gin
02. 100,000 Years
03. Love Gun
LP3, Side B
01. I Still Love You
02. Black Diamond
03. I Was Made For Lovin' You
04. Rock And Roll All Nite
Digital track listing
01. Detroit Rock City
02. Deuce
03. Shout It Out Loud
04. Talk To Me
05. I Love It Loud
06. Firehouse
07. Do You Love Me
08. Calling Dr. Love
09. Heaven's On Fire
10. Let Me Go Rock & Roll
11. Shock Me / Guitar Solo
12. Psycho Circus
13. Lick It Up / Bass Solo
14. God Of Thunder / Drum Solo
15. Cold Gin
16. 100,000 Years
17. Love Gun
18. I Still Love You
19. Black Diamond
20. I Was Made For Lovin' You
21. Rock And Roll All Nite.
According to sources, Netflix is tying up a deal after a bidding battle for a film that will be directed by Joachim Rønning, the Norwegian filmmaker whose credits include Kon-Tiki, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. The script is written by Ole Sanders. An earlier draft was done by William Blake Herron. The pic will be a co-production of Mark Canton’s Atmosphere Entertainment and Universal Music Group.
Shout It Out Loud will have close cooperation from bandleaders Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley. The band’s concert-arena anthems will be a big part of this, but the film will focus on that duo going back to when they were two misfit kids from Queens who formed an unlikely friendship, starting KISS after enlisting guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss. Trying to set themselves apart from the “hair” bands of the day, they accented their power chords and pyrotechnics with makeup. At heart, their formative story is in the vein of The Commitments, if that Irish soul band employed makeup and spiked heels.
Picture the fire-breathing, blood-dripping demonic and growly voiced bass player Simmons at age 12, when he was a Hasidic Orthodox Jew from Israel who found a new faith one fateful day while exiting the yeshiva. “I remember walking out onto the street, seeing this Spanish girl jumping rope across the street, and staring at her long black hair slapping against this great butt,” he once said. “It occurred to me this was better than religion. How could I get near that?”
Stanley, the lead singer with the jet-engine vocals, wasn’t always sex-symbol material. “I was deaf in one ear and had a slight deformity that made me look different,” Stanley said. “I was this short, fat kid, and music became my salvation, a place to hide and dream. And when I played music, there were always girls around.”
Although their musical motives matched, Simmons and Stanley didn’t instantly mesh when they met. “Gene felt he, Lennon and McCartney were the only ones who wrote music,” Stanley once said. “I played him a song that ended up on our first album, and he played three for me, one about soup.” Combining Simmons’ passion for comics with the ’70s Gotham glitter-rock craze, they hit the makeup mirror with a specific goal: “Become the Beatles on steroids.”
“All the glitter-rock bands had wrists as thin as their girlfriends did, and here we looked like linebackers who had raided their girlfriends’ closets,” Stanley said. At an early downtown date, they heard snickers from their glam counterparts “until we plugged in and played, and then everyone’s mouths hung open,” Simmons said.
Their perseverance paid off with KISS Alive! a mega-selling live album that for a time saved Casablanca Records and made them a top-selling and global touring band. KISS has sold more than 100 million records, has 30 Gold and 14 Platinum albums, and they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.
The film will be produced by Canton through his Atmosphere Entertainment, Leigh Ann Burton through Opus 7, Courtney Solomon, David Blackman and Jody Gerson through Universal Music Group, Doc McGhee through his McGee Entertainment (he is KISS’ longtime manager), Rønning and KISS’ Simmons and Stanley. Atmosphere’s Dorothy Canton and David Hopwood are the executive producers.
The project is on a fast track. The band is in the midst of its “End of the Road Tour,” which has been slowed by the pandemic, but picks back up in the fall and included a loud New Year’s Eve concert in Dubai. There is every reason to imagine Netflix and KISS will use the synergy of a big rock biopic to memorialize their final days on stage, more than 50 years after Simmons and Stanley first got together.
Rønning is repped by UTA and Brillstein Entertainment Partners.
None of the participants would comment because the deal is not completed.
Hosted and executive produced by AXS TV fan-favorite Katie Daryl, acclaimed countdown series "The Top Ten Revealed" is back with 12 all-new episodes as a rotating panel of icons and experts from across the entertainment spectrum weigh in on the absolute best artists, albums, and songs in a wide variety of fun and unique categories. The season kicks off on May 9 with a sizzling look at "Smokin' 'Hot' Songs For Summer"; other highlights include a breakdown of the best "Artists Gone Solo" (May 16), "Motown All Stars" (June 6), "Patriotic Songs" (June 27), "Debut Albums Of 1981" (July 25), and "End Of The World Songs" (Aug. 8), among others. The upcoming season also boasts a slate of first-time panelists including KISS frontman Paul Stanley, "Full House" star Jodie Sweetin, "American Idol" finalist and singer/songwriter James Durbin, Grammy-winning songstress Macy Gray, BACKSTREET BOYS' AJ McLean, acclaimed comedienne Margaret Cho, Variety music critic Chris Willman and more, as well as returning favorites such as Dee Snider, Sebastian Bach and Matt Pinfield.
Rounding out the night is the insightful and entertaining profile series "A Year In Music", hosted by Grammy-winning singer/guitarist Lzzy Hale, frontwoman of the rock band HALESTORM. Putting the spotlight on a different period each week, "A Year In Music" presents an in-depth exploration of some of music's most definitive years — viewing each era's biggest bands, influential albums, surprising breakups and monumental breakthroughs through the lens of the political and social happenings of the time. The series' fourth season features 12 all-new episodes, opening with a look back at the Golden Age of Music Videos, 1982, which was headlined by the release of the signature Michael Jackson hit "Thriller". Other highlights include retrospectives on 2012 (May 16), which saw the rise of ONE DIRECTION and the tragic loss of Whitney Houston; 1967's Summer Of Love (May 23); the Y2K bug that threatened the year 2000 (May 30); the mainstream success of Horrorcore amidst the backdrop of the infamous O.J. Simpson trial in 1995 (June 6); the empowered women who provided the soundtrack to 2017 (June 13), and more.
"It doesn't seem all that long ago that 'The Top Ten Revealed' was making its debut on AXS TV, and now we are getting ready to head into our fourth season!" Daryl said. "It is truly an honor to be back, and we could not be more humbled by the support we've received from the AXS TV audience. Each new season presents a fun challenge to try and up the epic categories and iconic panelists from the year before, and I think we have really outdone ourselves this time with even more of the fun themes and legendary guests. I cannot wait to share everything we've been working on when season four kicks off on May 9!"
"I had a blast getting to cut my teeth as a first-time TV host on 'A Year In Music' last season, and I am ecstatic to be back with the series for season four," said Hale. "I learn something new with each episode, and it is so cool to be able to share all of these great facts and findings with other music enthusiasts across the globe. We're covering a lot of ground this year, spanning some truly landmark moments in both music and history. If you love music as much as I do, you won't want to miss a second of it!"
Schedule:
"The Top Ten Revealed" - 8 p.m. ET
May 9 - Smokin' "Hot" Songs For Summer
May 16 - Artists Gone Solo
May 23 - Ode To The Color Black
June 6 - Motown All Stars
June 13 - Space Songs
June 20 - Social Distance Tunes
June 27 - Patriotic Songs
July 11 - Classic Songs Sampled In Rap
July 18 - Animal Titled Songs
July 25 - Debut Albums Of 1981
August 1 - Songs That Count
August 8 - End Of The World Songs
"A Year In Music" - 8:30 p.m. ET
May 9 - 1982
May 16 - 2012
May 23 - 1967
June 6 - 2000
June 13 - 1995
June 20 - 2017
June 27 - 1987
July 11 - 1992
July 18 - 2006
July 25 - 1970
August 1 - 2015
August 8 - 1990.
Get your virtual ticket now for $15 to watch the premiere on April 16 at 9 p.m. ET. The show will be available for purchase and to enjoy until the end of April.
Last December, Kulick hosted another livestream event, "Kissmas Masquerade", during which he played an acoustic KISS set accompanied by Kerns.
In November 2019, Kulick celebrated the 35th anniversary of his first shows with KISS by performing a six-song "Animalize" medley on the "Kiss Kruise" with a band that consisted of Kerns and SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS drummer Brent Fitz along with bassist/vocalist Zach Throne. The foursome's set also included other '80s and '90s songs that KISS rarely, if ever, played live.
Kulick joined KISS in 1984, soon after then-guitarist Mark St. John left the band after being diagnosed with Reiter's Syndrome, a form of inflammatory arthritis. He recorded five studio albums with the group — "Asylum", "Crazy Nights", "Hot In The Shade", "Revenge" and "Carnival Of Souls" — and can also be heard on the band's "Alive III" and "Kiss Unplugged" live sets. He joined GRAND FUNK RAILROAD in 2001 and continues to serve as the band's lead guitarist today.
Bruce is heavily featured on "Kissology - Vol. 2" and "Vol. 3", the DVDs spanning KISS's historic five-decade career.
The Facebook Live event, set for Sunday evening, will include an announcement of the winners in categories such as Outstanding Live Performance, Outstanding Tribute Band and Outstanding Music Video. There are also a slew of awards for specific genres like gospel, rap, blues, jazz, rock and more.
The virtual version of the 30th Detroit Music Awards — which is typically a live event at the Fillmore Detroit — will have memorial tributes to two Detroit music legends who have died since last year's gathering: the Supremes' Mary Wilson and saxophonist Alto Reed.
The online broadcast will include performances by Detroit-based musicians Electric Six, Feeder Loft featuring Cousin Mouth, Keynote Sisters, Danny Kroha, Matt Smith of Outrageous Cherry, Rob Stone and nominee David McMurry & Black Light Collective.
Viewers can expect to see the video premiere of "The Devil In Me" from Detroit-bred rock and roll queen Suzi Quatro. Kiss's Paul Stanley and his group Soul Station will also give a shout to the Motor City in a video performance.
30th annual Detroit Music Awards
8 p.m. Sun.
Facebook Live at facebook.com/DetroitMusicAwards
Hall died Wednesday of congestive heart failure at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, his rep Mike Arnoldi told The Hollywood Reporter.
Hall's daughter Constance has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help with burial costs. Her dad "was a family man, an adored father, proud grandpa and a beloved mentor," she wrote. "He loved movies, Godzilla, sculpting and inspiring the next generation of creatives."
Constance and another daughter, Elora, and his ex-wife, Sonia, followed him in business and appeared with him on the 2012 Syfy reality series Monster Man. A year earlier, he was on another Syfy show, Face Off, a competition program that pitted makeup effects artists against one another.
Raised in Jacksonville, Florida, Hall said he knew what he wanted to do for a living after his mom took him to see the 1964 Japanese film Godzilla vs. the Thing. And in Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985), he played Godzilla in a costume that he designed himself, later describing the experience as "this little kid's dream come true!"
Hall served as a puppeteer on The Sandlot (1993) and collaborated with late makeup artist John Carl Buechler on films including Ghoulies (1984), The Dungeonmaster (1984), Re-Animator (1985), Zone Troopers (1985), Troll (1986), Eliminators (1986) and TerrorVision (1986).
He also created props for such musical acts as Kiss — he did Gene Simmons' chest armor — Insane Clown Posse and Alice Cooper and received a Daytime Emmy nomination in 2008 for his work on the Nickelodeon kids series Yo Gabba Gabba!
In a 2012 interview, Hall said he hoped computer effects would not destroy the old-school, hands-on techniques that he specialized in. "I think CG is it's a good complement to the physical effects. It shouldn't replace them," he said. "I grew up with Ray Harryhausen, and those films [with] those gripping scenes, these amazing effects, it's like now you know how they were done."
He also is survived by another daughter, Zoe, and two grandchildren.
Simmons and his wife Shannon Tweed Simmons are selling their Beverly Hills home and relocating to the State Of Nevada full time. Recent reports that Simmons purchased a home in Malibu are false and inaccurate. His wife Shannon Tweed purchased the hilltop home in Malibu with her own money as a personal investment. Simmons and his wife Shannon have always had separate accountants, have always filed solo tax returns and have never filed joint tax returns. Their finances have always been maintained as separate business interests, investments, and financial accounts.
Other reports that Simmons purchased a 22-acre estate in the State of Washington are also inaccurate. Simmons has never owned real estate of any kind in the State of Washington.
Simmons has been very vocal about his desire to leave California for some time due to wanting a quieter lifestyle and to get away from being listed on celebrity maps or having to deal with Beverly Hills tour buses.
"We have been exploring our primary residence options outside of California for a couple of years," Gene said. "We considered various properties in various states but ultimately decided that Nevada is a better choice for us. We are at a place in our lives where a big city lifestyle is just not our thing anymore."
Last fall, Simmons put his Beverly Hills house on the market for $22 million. He later relisted it for $25 million after it never sold and he reportedly invested a lot of money in making improvements.
"California and Beverly Hills have been treating folks that create jobs badly and the tax rates are unacceptable," Gene told the Wall Street Journal in October. "I work hard and pay my taxes and I don’t want to cry the Beverly Hills blues, but enough is enough."
Simmons also said that part of the reason he and his wife listed the two-acre property in Benedict Canyon because the home had become too big for the both of them since their children had grown up.
Gene and Shannon were married in 2011 after dating since 1975. They have two children, Nick, 32, and Sophie, 28.
Gene, Shannon and their kids all appeared on the reality TV series "Gene Simmons Family Jewels" from 2006 until 2012.
For the past few months, Gene has been vocal about people taking the COVID-19 outbreak seriously. He has also blasted Americans who are defiantly skeptical of mask wearing, saying that their refusal to follow the rules is putting all of our health at risk.
In its 48-year career, KISS has accumulated 23 gold and platinum albums — more than any other U.S. band.
The rocker just shelled out $5.8 million for a Malibu hilltop home — despite his vow to swear off California just a few months ago due to the state’s “unacceptable” high taxes.
Simmons and his wife, Canadian actress and 1982 Playboy Playmate of the Year Shannon Tweed, purchased the three-bedroom, four-bathroom California home on March 15, property records show.
Last fall, the Kiss frontman put up his longtime Beverly Hills abode — which he bought in 1984 — for $22 million, revealing that he would be heading to Washington State instead. He later upped the asking price to $25 million.
“California and Beverly Hills have been treating folks that create jobs badly and the tax rates are unacceptable,” Simmons, 71, told the Wall Street Journal in an October interview. “I work hard and pay my taxes and I don’t want to cry the Beverly Hills blues, but enough is enough.”
But apparently it wasn’t enough.
Spanning 3,707 square feet, the gated home sits on 2.45 acres of land on top of one of the highest designated ridgelines in Malibu.
Initially built in 1975, one side of the home boasts 180-degree ocean views and another side boasts 180-degree mountain views.
Designed as a newly renovated and custom modern property, the home offers complete privacy. Features of the home include a pool, spa, an RV/boat carport and a three-car garage.
Simmons explained that in addition to wanting to escape the California state tax burden, he and his wife listed the two-acre property in Benedict Canyon because the home had become too big for the both of them since their children had grown up.
The bassist and singer recently purchased two adjacent homes in the Hollywood Hills for their two children and said they plan to relocate their primary residence to Washington.
They currently own a sprawling 22-acre estate near Mount Rainier.
The Israeli-born Simmons and his wife sold their smaller Laurel Canyon spread for $2.2 million last August.
But, apparently, part of them will always remain in the Golden State no matter how high their taxes can fly.
The official music video for the third single from the album, "I, Oh I", can be seen below. Written, arranged and orchestrated by Stanley, "I, Oh I" is the first original song to be released from "Now And Then". (Video)
Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the KISS frontman just relisted his two-acre property in Benedict Canyon for a cool $25 million.
Gene previously put the home up for sale back in October for $22 million, but it never sold and we're told he invested a lot of money in making improvements.
Our sources say the home was almost like a miniature KISS museum, with 4 of the 7 bedrooms decked out with all kinds of band gear ... but as you can see, the rooms no longer look like KISS shrines.
The massive property is 16,000 square feet and it's still got all the bells and whistles you would expect from a rock star's home ... a 60-foot water slide, parking for 35 cars and a professional size tennis court.
'Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles' stars Josh and Matt Altman hold the listing on the property, but did not want to comment.
Off The Soundboard: Tokyo Dome - Tokyo, Japan 3/13/2001 will be released on triple vinyl via UMC - Mercury on June 11. The release is currently listed for pre-order via Amazon UK, and Amazon US.
Check out the track listing below, and stay tuned for further details.
Track listing:
Side One
"Detroit Rock City"
"Deuce"
"Shout It Out Loud"
"Talk To Me"
Side Two
"I Love It Loud"
"Firehouse"
"Do You Love Me"
"Calling Dr. Love"
"Heaven’s On Fire"
Side Three
"Let Me Go Rock & Roll"
"Shock Me" / Guitar Solo
Side Four
"Psycho Circus"
"Lick It Up" / Bass Solo
"God Of Thunder" / Drum Solo
Side Five
"Cold Gin"
"100,000 Years"
"Love Gun"
Side Six
"I Still Love You"
"Black Diamond"
"I Was Made For Lovin’ You"
"Rock And Roll All Nite"
"Lullaby Versions Of Kiss" track listing:
01. I Was Made For Lovin' You
02. Rock And Roll All Nite
03. Detroit Rock City
04. Heaven's On Fire
05. Forever
06. Lick It Up
07. Strutter
08. Beth
09. Crazy Crazy Nights
10. Love Gun
The song "I Was Made For Lovin' You" can be streamed above.
Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star was born for the parent that wants to pass along their biggest passion to their child, music. Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star transforms popular music into instrumental lullabies perfect for babies, yoga or just relaxation. Now, parents can enjoy the music from LADY GAGA to METALLICA in soothing lullaby style. With over 135 titles to choose from, Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star is the largest line of pop, rock, metal and jamband music lullabies in the world.
These aren't novelty recordings. They are cute, they are soft but these are serious recordings. Roma Music Group, which releases Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star, is run by two music industry veterans who put the fidelity of these recording at the top of the priority list. Let's face it, much like the brand name clothes you buy for your infant, this music is really for you. Whether you are raising a metal baby, rocker or hippie baby, Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star has your music transformed from arena anthems into nursery classics.
The rock star sold his 3-story pad that sits in Laurel Canyon for just a tad under the $2.2 million asking price. The house, and its views, are a beaut ... with 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and iconic 180-degree views of downtown L.A., the Hollywood Sign, Griffith Park Observatory, Beverly Hills and the Pacific Ocean.
As we reported ... the house offers a spacious deck and tons of living space ... with 2,345 square feet that's perfectly suited for any rock star.
As for his other crib ... the KISS singer and bassist's Beverly Hills estate remains on the market, but the price on that one is a tad higher ... at $22 million. That one's way more house!
Speaking about the new music, Stanley said: "Between us doing some great SOUL STATION shows and starting the album, I started to think that neither the band or the music we love should depend only on the past so I started writing with the goal of seamlessly taking songs into the present. From what a lot of people I respect have told me, that mission was accomplished."
When Stanley conceived SOUL STATION, the group excelled in the live venue setting, playing smaller, intimate clubs — a setting where Paul Stanley would reflect on those classic hits that were his early inspiration, playing the songs with a reverence and respect for how he and the band believe they should be performed and heard.
"Long before I ever heard the great British bands, I grew up listening to Philly Soul, Motown and so much more," he said. "I was lucky to see Otis Redding and Solomon Burke among others. That music and its storytelling gave me strength and hope even in some tough days. The great classics of that era are magical medicine for most and I felt myself drawn back to that era for some sorcery I think we could all use."
Stanley's bandmembers include Rafael "Hoffa" Moreira (guitar and backing vocals), Sean Hurley (bass), Alex Alessandroni (musical director, keyboards), Ely Rise (keyboards), Eric Singer (drums and backing vocals), RayYslas (percussion), Gavyn Rhone (backing vocals), Crystal Starr (backing vocals) and Laurhan Beato (backing vocals) and Jon Pappenbrook (lead trumpet).
The band is augmented by three string players and two horn players of the same stature enabling SOUL STATION's wall of sound to be firmly rooted in the past while staking claim to both the present and future.
"Now And Then" track listing:
01. Could It Be I'm Falling In Love
02. I Do
03. I, Oh I
04. Ooo Baby Baby
05. O-O-H Child
06. Save Me (From You)
07. Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)
08. Whenever You're Ready (I'm Here)
09. The Tracks Of My Tears
10. Let's Stay Together
11. La-La – Means I Love You
12. Lorelei
13. You Are Everything
14. Baby I Need Your Loving
Speaking about how the idea for SOUL STATION came about, Paul told Scott Lipps: "I was really lucky, because, before I ever saw [LED] ZEPPELIN or any of the British bands that I grew to love, or the blues bands that I saw, I saw Otis Redding as a kid, I saw Solomon Burke and THE TEMPTATIONS. So that really is the core of what I do. It's not all that I do, but it's in there, and it always has been. SMOKEY [ROBINSON] AND THE MIRACLES; early Stevie Wonder; Philly soul; Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, all the things that they produced — Thom Bell. So you have THE DELFONICS, STYLISTICS, BLUE MAGIC, THE TEMPS, FOUR TOPS, and on and on. So, for me, that music, unfortunately, has been relegated to becoming samples in somebody's rap songs. Those songs deserve so much more, not only respect, but to be listened to, because when we play those songs live, everybody's faces light up, because they're just great, great songs.
"SOUL STATION is 15 people, and everybody's played with everyone from Smokey to Stevie Wonder to Natalie Cole to TEMPTATIONS, Whitney Houston, and on and on and on," Stanley continued. "And it really is like a family. We hang out at my house and have a great time. But what really bonded us together was this love of that music and wanting to recreate it accurately, respectfully. Even some of those bands, when they wound up playing live, did these uptempo, kind of soulless versions of their own songs. And we're playing those songs the way they're supposed to be, and it's glorious.
"Look, I started doing it selfishly, 'cause I love that music, and to have it surrounding me, and to get to sing those songs, is crazy. And then to also write some new tunes that really marry so well to the old tunes is like writing another page.
"Will it surprise some people? Yeah," Paul added. "But, honestly, I'm not… Somebody said, 'Oh, you're reinventing yourself.' I'm not the champion of blues rock or hard rock or metal or this. I did 'Phantom Of The Opera'. I'm a singer, and I choose to sing whatever I choose to sing at any given time. So, really, honestly, it's as natural for me to sing Philly soul as it is to sing rock. It's just I haven't done it publicly."
Last May, Stanley released a cover version of Smokey Robinson's classic song "Ooo Baby Baby", recorded by SOUL STATION. In a statement accompanying the clip, Stanley said: "These are challenging times. Long before I ever heard the great British bands, I grew up listening to Philly Soul, Motown and so much more. I was lucky to see Otis Redding and Solomon Burke among others. That music and its storytelling gave me strength and hope even in some tough days. The great classics of that era are magical medicine for most and I felt myself drawn back to that era for some sorcery I think we could all use."
He added: "While it's hard to connect physically, some of SOUL STATION decided to reach out and make a virtual and emotional connection on a great Motown and Smokey Robinson classic, Ooo Baby Baby."
In 2019, Stanley told the Real Radio 104.1 radio station that he wanted to wait for the right time to release the SOUL STATION LP. "It really deserves full attention and my full commitment," he explained. "So until we can do great live performances — the band is amazing live — and until we can promote it the way we should, it's just going to simmer."
Asked if he gets any hate from KISS fans for making an album that is stylistically far removed from the music his main band is best known for producing, Stanley said: "I'm sure there are some people who'd rather me doing a KISS album or something like that, but when you sign on with me, you understand that we're both in this together, and sometimes I have to do what I need to do. And that's part of the joy and the reward for me. So I would rather do a great SOUL STATION album right now than tamper with KISS or the KISS legacy and do something that I'm really not feeling at the moment."
KISS partnered with event company Tixr to beam the "Kiss 2020 Goodbye" show around the world.
Tickets to view the stream are currently on sale on the event's official web site https://www.kiss2020goodbye.com/
KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons told The Oakland Press about the band's decision to play the Dubai concert: "We get offers all the time, thank goodness, and we've been saying no to everybody because it's just not safe — for us, for the fans. With this, we happened to be in the right place at the right time, and it all make sense. The folks in Dubai, which is a fascinating place, suggested something crazy and said, 'You can do anything you want here, no restrictions.' And we said, 'Wait a minute. You mean we can put on the biggest pyro show of all time, since Krakatoa and the Big Bang? You mean we're gonna be safe going over there?' They said 'yeah,' so there you are."
Landmarks Live creator, director and executive producer Daniel E. Catullo told KhaleejTimes.com that this wasn't his first time collaborating with the rock legends.
"I worked with KISS back in 2005 and I wanted to have a crack at doing a bigger show with them," he said. "Somehow, I developed a reputation of producing challenging shows, whether doing one with Andrea Bocelli at Palazzo Vecchio, the FOO FIGHTERS at the Acropolis or pulling off the biggest show of the year in the middle of a pandemic. Hosting the KISS show in Dubai was a logical step. The United Arab Emirates is among the world leaders in mitigating the spread of COVID and continues to effectively manage the pandemic given the government’s extraordinary response measures. It [made] sense for us to bring Landmarks Live to the UAE."
Catullo went on to say that working with KISS has been "a dream come true" for him. "To be able to capture them in such an explosive and record-breaking way will certainly be a highlight of my career," he said. "Logistically, this was the largest undertaking I've ever done, and during a pandemic made it all the more challenging. Our crew is comprised of over 400 people, most of whom are based in Dubai. It has been a very complex show to put together: almost five months of planning, hundreds of working crew, coordination with the Dubai government, major coordination with the band; this show will go down in the record books. We're also filming a documentary on how we are pulling this show off. We're doing the biggest production in KISS's history.
"The most arduous task has been developing a safe COVID compliance protocol amid the pandemic to ensure no virus transmission among the crew. The crew will essentially create a bubble for the show setup, particularly the few staffers who will be in direct contact with KISS. American Hospital is conducting daily testing. We have to take beyond-extraordinary measures to keep people safe."
According to BBC, Dubai is very conservative when it comes to bad language. Swearing, profanities, insults and "all kind of vulgar language" are considered obscene acts — as is making rude gestures — and offenders can be fined or jailed.
Saying "fuck" is a crime in Dubai as the swear word "disgraces the honor or the modesty" of a person according to Article 373 of the UAE Penal Code.
Swearing in public in Dubai can land you in prison for up to a year. A huge fine may also be imposed for swearing, amounting to as high as Dhs 10,000 ($2,700).
KISS is not the first international artist to self-censor its show in order to bring its music to fans in United Arab Emirates, where expatriates make up most of the population. Back in 2014, Lady Gaga wore a Christmas ornament with a Tayoi Kasuma costume, in lieu of revealing clothing, when she kicked off the Asian leg of her "ArtRAVE" tour at Dubai's Meydan Racecourse. Two years earlier, Madonna held a controversial concert in Abu Dhabi where she reportedly angered the audience with allusions to Judeo-Christian traditions, revealing outfits and erotic dances.
Landmarks Live Presents produced the KISS show, which attempted to set the world's record for largest pyro. The $10 million spectacular was filmed with more than 50 4K cameras and 360-degree views and was held on a massive 250-foot stage at The Royal Beach at Atlantis.
KISS launched its farewell trek in January 2019 but was forced to put it on hold earlier this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"End Of The Road" was originally scheduled to conclude on July 17, 2021 in New York City but is now expected to last well into 2022.
KISS's current lineup consists of original members Paul Stanley (guitar, vocals) and Gene Simmons (bass, vocals), alongside later band additions, guitarist Tommy Thayer (since 2002) and drummer Eric Singer (on and off since 1991).
Known worldwide as "The Emperor Of Rock And Roll", Scarlet has played guitar and toured with Criss and original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley. He has also performed with Sebastian Bach and Alice Cooper, and played bass with MOUNTAIN.
Speaking to SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about how Criss came to guest on "The Catman & The Emperor", Scarlet said: "I've been close to Peter for many, many, many years, and we've talked the talk about recording something many times, and it's now finally materialized.
"I'm very honored and grateful to have Peter Criss on the track. It's a song I wrote kind of about both of us. There are some KISS references in there — like '100,000 Years', and I mention 'Beth'. And there's a snippet of [Frehley's] '2 Young 2 Die', verse-wise.
"Peter and I are both half Italian and half Irish, right down the middle, and we both grew up in New York City — me originally in the Bronx and him in Brooklyn — so there's references to that on the bridge section of the song," he continued. "And John Regan, of course, did the bass.
"Peter originally was gonna play on another track, a different song I wrote, but then this particular song, I picked up a guitar, and it was just crazy how it just came out of me. The first thing that came out of me was, 'The Catman and The Emperor just left the building. One's off to Brooklyn, the other's just chilling.' And from there, it just kind of materialized very quickly."
Scarlet went on to say that Peter "played his ass off" on "The Catman & The Emperor". "He hadn't played drums that hard in years," Richie said. "He really slammed it. It was a beautiful thing to see that.
"I'm not sure if Peter's ever played drums on another record before, other than his own and KISS — I'm not sure," he continued. "But people haven't heard him play drums in a long, long time. He certainly slams on this song — he didn't hold back at all. And that's what I think his fans are gonna really appreciate, because people haven't really heard him play this heavy in a long time. If anything, it will certainly give his fans just a taste that he's still here, and he's still around — he's not going anywhere. I think it's a great track; it's a catchy tune, to me… It should give rock and roll people a vibe, and especially KISS people."
Scarlet was in FREHLEY'S COMET from 1984 to 1985 and played in three of the band's seven different lineups. He most recenty played in Frehley's solo band in 2018 before being fired by the original KISS guitarist shortly after Richie's wife had just passed away after battling ALS for many years.
In 2018, Scarlet, Regan and former FREHLEY'S COMET guitarist/vocalist Tod Howarth joined forces with former ACE FREHLEY drummer Steve Werner in a new band called RETURN OF THE COMET.
Asked how he got nicknamed "The Emperor Of Rock And Roll", Scarlet told Kiss Hell in a 1997 interview: "Well, it was a joke, Elvis Presley obviously was the king, and then once he died, some people in New York started calling me that just as a goof, and then Ace started calling me that, and the next thing you know I'm 'The Emperor Of Rock And Roll.'"
Criss first left KISS in 1980. Since then he's worked with other bands and released solo albums. He teamed up with KISS again for a reunion tour in the 1990s and most recently in 2004. He was replaced by Eric Singer.
In addition to playing drums in KISS, Peter also provided lead vocals for a number the band's most popular and memorable songs, including "Beth", "Black Diamond" and "Hard Luck Woman".
Criss, who was known as "Catman," released his last solo CD, titled "One For All", in 2007. Peter produced the album himself for the first time, and was joined by guest musicians that included keyboardist Paul Shaffer and bassist Will Lee of "Late Night With David Letterman". The album featured a range of styles, from rock and jazz to blues and Broadway, and included covers of "What A Difference A Day Makes" and "Send In The Clowns".
Criss, who turned 75 last Sunday (December 20), played what was being billed as his final U.S. concert in June 2017 at the Cutting Room in New York City.
Dead Sled Coffee strives to create a culture of acceptance and respect no matter what your level of coffee knowledge is. It is the highest quality of freshly roasted coffee that comes along with a dark dense of humor, the love of originality, artists and entertainment.
Dead Sled Coffee is an independent business born from a desire to bridge the gap between coffee elite, who need to know everything possible about the coffee they consume, and those of us who just want a good cup of coffee.
Dead Sled Coffee strives to offer amazing product that doesn't require your thesaurus or atlas to appreciate. Feel comfortable ordering our coffee and know that it's not a crime if you don't care where the beans came from. Or where it was processed. Dead Sled has slurped and sniffed through endless cuppings so you can just sit back and enjoy your coffee experience.
Rock and roll icons KISS are back in a big way. After suspending their global End of the Road final tour due to the pandemic, the band announced KISS 2020 Goodbye, a special livestream event.
He tells “Extra’s” Senior Music Correspondent Adam Weissler that fans can expect “a million dollars’ worth of pyro.”
“We want to shake the ground, rock the heavens, and do what we do best,” Paul said. Watch the interview!
Filmed with more than 50 cameras and 360-degree views, the show will be produced by Landmarks Live Presents will be filmed in 4K and can be seen globally with a 1080p Livestream and ticketing powered by Tixr and available on any computer, mobile, and Apple TV.
Putting nearly 400 crew members back to work for the first time in 8 months, the production will take extraordinary on-site COVID protocols including daily testing and biometric crew wristbands to ensure highest safety standards for the entire event. Performed in front of a live COVID-screened and safe audience in Dubai, this will be a first of its kind hybrid live-ticketed and live streamed event.
KISS said: "After nine months of this pandemic darkness the world may finally be seeing light of day. On New Year's Eve KISS will rock the heavens, shake the earth and blaze the way out of 2020 with the largest and most bombastic celebration in our and anyone else's history. We all need it. We all deserve it. Here's to 2021."
Daniel E Catullo III, creator, director and executive producer of Landmarks Live, said: "Working with KISS is an honor and dream come true for me. To be able to capture them in such an explosive and record-breaking way will certainly be a highlight of my career. This show will be unlike any other show or live stream of 2020. Logistically, this was the largest undertaking and production I've ever done and during a pandemic made it all the more challenging. Our crew is comprised of over 400 people from all over the world. It has been a very complex show to put together, but we are happy to bring the world something of this size at a time when it is needed the most. It's a perfect way to say goodbye to 2020 or KISS 2020 goodbye.
"Almost five months of planning, hundreds of working crew, coordination with the Dubai government, major logistics and coordination with the band, and putting on a rock show during a global pandemic, this show will go down in the record books," Catullo added.
"We are incredibly excited that KISS and Landmarks Live has chosen Atlantis Dubai for this first-of-its-kind initiative," said Timothy Kelly, executive vice president and managing director, Atlantis Dubai. "Atlantis has a reputation as being a trailblazer in the world of entertainment and we know that this event which will be watched by millions across the world will provide electrifying, ever-lasting memories for all who join in the celebrations."
The show will also feature a live pre-show that can be streamed for free. The KISS concert and pyro show will feature numerous price points to accommodate all New Year's Eve celebrators safely from home. While the show will be broadcast live timed to midnight in Dubai, ALL of the streaming packages allow a replay option so that fans can re-watch timed to their own midnight festivities.
Price tiering:
* $39.99 - Live Stream and 24 hours of unlimited replays
* $49.99 - Live Stream and 72 hours of unlimited replays
* $249.99 - Gold VIP package - Live Stream, 30 days of unlimited replays, Limited Edition DVD w/ 16-page book, Limited edition T-shirt, limited edition poster
* $999.999 - Platinum VIP Package - Live Stream, 30 days of unlimited replays, Limited edition DVD w/ 16-page book, name in DVD credits and in book, Limited edition T-shirt, limited edition poster (autographed), limited edition Hoodie, metal engraved limited edition commemorative ticket, limited edition vinyl record of the show
Tickets are available now at www.KISS2020Goodbye.com.
Landmarks Live is the brainchild of Emmy Award-winning documentary and live television producer/director Daniel E Catullo III. The initial version of Landmarks Live, the award winning PBS series "Landmarks Live In Concert", featured a lineup of global music superstars performing season one episodes, including "Foo Fighters Live From The Acropolis", "Alicia Keys Live From New York", "Andrea Bocelli Live From The Palazzo Vecchio", "Brad Paisley Live From WVU", "Prophets Of Rage From Sunset Strip And The Stone Pony", "Kings Of Leon Live From Memphis", "K.D. Lang Live From San Antonio" and the "Black Eyed Peas From Royal Albert Hall".
To send off 2020 in their larger-than-life style on New Year’s Eve, the iconic Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, multi-platinum-selling band is reigniting the fire and roaring back to life! In true KISS fashion, they are bringing the biggest and baddest concert event and pyrotechnics show of the year, proving once again, that KISS never does anything small. The massive stage production and free pre-show will be brought directly into your living room at 9 p.m. live from Atlantis Dubai on December 31.
Filmed with more than 50 cameras and 360-degree views, this show produced by Landmarks can be seen globally with ticketing technology and livestream powered by TIXR and experienced like no other virtual concert before. You're invited to spend New Year’s Eve with The Demon, The Starchild, The Spaceman, and The Catman as they rock out of 2020 and roll into 2021…all night!
"Frankly, I wasn't interested in doing a stream on the level of Live at the Troubadour in L.A.," frontman Paul Stanley tells Rolling Stone. "Not that those aren't good, but they aren't KISS. Either we do this right, or we don't do it. For us, size matters. We don't have to reinvent the wheel; we invented it and it runs real well. We're just making sure it's on a scale and a size that does justice not only to the situation we're in, but that it makes the people watching at home feel like they're a part of it."
Gene Simmons states: "We play big. There's not a lot of subtlety in what we do. It's like the Fourth of July. You don't want chaos. You can have the biggest, but it won't be the baddest because just random explosions everywhere and 300-foot fireballs going off, you can't tap your foot to that or sing along. You want to have something that has coordination. So everything that we're naturally doing onstage is going to be amplified — 10-to-100-fold bigger, oh my God.
"The best way to shut everybody up and get everybody to enjoy life right now is to make a big resounding noise and shake the heavens with some pyro," he adds.
Tickets to the event can be purchased at Kiss2020Goodbye.com, with prices starting at $49.99 and gong all the way up to $999 for a bundle that includes 14 "exclusive and limited edition items," including a Blu-ray of the concert.
In January 2019, KISS launched its "End Of The Road" farewell tour, which was previously scheduled to conclude on July 17, 2021 in New York City.
KISS's current lineup consists of original members Stanley (guitar, vocals) and Simmons (bass, vocals), alongside later band additions, guitarist Tommy Thayer (since 2002) and drummer Eric Singer (on and off since 1991).
Formed in 1973 by Stanley, Simmons, Peter Criss (drums) and Ace Frehley (guitar), KISS staged its first "farewell" tour in 2000, the last to feature the group's original lineup.
In its 46-year career, KISS has accumulated 23 gold and platinum albums — more than any other U.S. band.
The KISS frontman just listed his two-acre estate in beautiful Benedict Canyon for a cool $22 million ... which gets ya 7 bedrooms and 16,000-square-feet of pure luxury.
Gene's pad comes tricked out with a 60-foot water slide, parking for 35 cars, and a professional size tennis court. Yeah, rock star status. He's also got an incredible collection of KISS memorabilia ... but he's taking that with him.
The inside of Gene's custom mansion is super lavish too, complete with chandeliers, coffered ceilings and several balconies and decks overlooking the manicured grounds.
Josh and Matt Altman of Douglas Elliman hold the listing on this property, the second one Gene's listed this year. He's also selling a 3-story crib in the Hollywood Hills for $2.2 million.
The Mediterranean villa in the Lake Sherwood community of Ventura County was built in 2005 and was remodeled and upgraded after Thayer purchased the place in 2008 for $1.815 million.
The 4,497-square-foot house includes a gallery, a center-island kitchen, four bedrooms, five bathrooms, five fireplaces and a three-car garage.
"Space Truckin'" is taken from Frehley's newest album, "Origins Vol. 2", out now via Entertainment One (eOne), which continues Ace's reflections on a lifetime in music and inspiration. No stranger to cover versions throughout his musical history — having recorded, rebranded and repossessed such notable nuggets as "New York Groove", "Do Ya" and "I Wanna Go Back" throughout his eight previous studio efforts — this new collection presents a thoughtful and exciting selection of songs that inspired and helped shape the legendary guitarist. That spirit of fun is carried through with exquisite execution, and guitar aficionados will enjoy Frehley's fresh interpretations of these classic songs.
"Space Truckin'" was recorded at The Creation Lab in Turlock, California with drummer Matt Starr and keyboard player Rob Sabino.
"'Space Truckin' was recorded years ago, and then I just re-recorded some parts and changed it a little," Frehley said in a statement. "We never ended up putting it on a record, so it was just sitting around. It turned out very well. Rob Sabino is a very accomplished studio musician, and we actually grew up in the Bronx together, so we go way back."
"Space Truckin'" picture disc EP track listing:
01. Space Truckin'
02. Space Invader (Radio Edit)
03. Mission To Mars
04. Space Truckin' (Radio Edit)
05. The Return Of Space Bear.
Ace (virtually) invites us into his home to talk about the new album and play an unforgettable game of Rock & Tell, where he shows off some of his coolest music memorabilia!
Legendary rock guitarist, Ace Frehley, joins The Cassius Morris Show for his first ever remote video interview.
Spanning a wide variety of eras and genres — from hip-hop and rockabilly to country, grunge and everything in between — "Music's Greatest Mysteries" guides viewers on an immersive journey investigating the infamous myths and larger-than-life personalities which have come to define the music industry throughout the decades. Separating fact from fiction, "Music's Greatest Mysteries" presents a fresh perspective on stories both well known and slightly more obscure, unearthing hidden gems and long-forgotten lore with the help of music icons and noted experts. Blending insightful commentary with rare archive footage, the series seeks to answer the "whys" and "hows" of each new topic until the whole truth is revealed.
"Music's Greatest Mysteries" features six episodes in its inaugural season, searching for the answers to intriguing questions such as "Why Did Michael Jackson And Prince Feud?", "Was Elvis A Narc?" And "Is Avril Lavigne Really Dead?", as well as addressing "The Conspiracies Of Backmasking", "The Myths Of KISS" and "The Sad Story Of 'Friends In Low Places'", among many others. Not only are the themes meshed in history, but so are the interview locations. Legendary music venues such as the Bluebird Café in Nashville and Antone's in Austin will be woven into the fabric of these stories.
"As AXS TV continues to evolve and expand, we are committed to creating new and original reality and lifestyle music programming," said Sarah Weidman, head of original programming, development and multi-platform content for AXS TV. "'Music's Greatest Mysteries' gives viewers an in-depth look at the myths and legends that have rocked the industry. Featuring some of the biggest names in music, packed with expert commentary, and exploring compelling stories both known and unknown, 'Music's Greatest Mysteries' promises to reveal new tales to even the most seasoned music fans. I am excited to share this new series with our viewers when it debuts later this year."
"As a music fan, and someone who's been enamored with these legends for years, it's been a wild journey digging into all of these stories," said executive producer Chip Rives. "Even the most wild tales, when truly exposed, make you wonder. It's been so fun…and we can't wait to share our discoveries this fall."
"Music's Greatest Mysteries" is jointly produced by Texas Crew Productions and Hideout Pictures, with Chip Rives, David Karabinas, Brad Bernstein, Shannon Houchins and Trevor O'Neil serving as executive producers.
Describing the process in selecting the songs on this album, Ace comments: "I just thought about the songs that I used to play in clubs when I was doing other people's material. I went through my album collection and thought about the songs that influenced me the most. It was fun picking out the songs. It's a pretty well-rounded record and I think the fans will enjoy it." That spirit of fun is carried through with exquisite execution and guitar aficionados are going to enjoy Frehley's fresh interpretations of these classic songs.
As the second volume focusing on his musical origins, Ace has also grown since "Origins Vol. 1" was released in April 2016. That album hit No. 23 on the Billboard 200 chart, becoming his fourth Top 40 and second-highest-charting solo album — and there's no questioning Ace's productivity with this album being his fifth recorded work in a decade. Ace chuckles: "Since I had one covers album under my belt, the process of doing 'Origins Vol. 2' was easier because I had put together a formula, picking guest stars and so on." The challenge for him was to put a suitable personal stamp on the material, and "Origins Vol. 2" is replete with special touches that both honor and embellish the material.
Perhaps appropriately, "Origins Vol. 2" kicks off with LED ZEPPELIN's "Good Times Bad Times". Ace is very much aware of that song being the first song on the first side of the first ZEPPELIN album, and the first single that the band released in the United States (backed with "Communication Breakdown", it reached No. 80 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in April 1969). Ace recalls: "Right off the bat, 'Good Times, Bad Times' by LED ZEPPELIN came to mind, because it was the first LED ZEPPELIN song on the first album they released. So, that was at the top of my list. I just wasn't sure I was going to be able to be able to sing it, but somehow I pulled it off." It contrasts well with "Bring It On Home", recorded for "Origins Vol. 1", and Ace has added some lyrics at the end of the song, "directed at people over the years who have done me wrong." These match the fierce vocal and fiery soloing on a cut that includes his solo band guitarist Jeremy Asbrock and drummer Matt Starr.
MOUNTAIN's "Never In My Life" follows — utilizing the lyrics from the Japanese album insert Never In My Life with the more appropriate "bolt of lightning" reference. For some this song is less well known than the signature "Mississippi Queen", but it features a riff that Jimi Hendrix purportedly dug on hearing while MOUNTAIN worked in the studio in 1970. Fans of the heavier Frehley-penned KISS classic "Strange Ways" should dig the riff too. For Ace, the song ties back to his youth. "I distinctly remember in high school, I went to see a friend's band, and they were performing it on a stage in the basement of a church," he says. "I wasn't that familiar with this song, but the guitar player in the band was playing it really good, so I went home and learned it."
In addition to connecting with old songs, Frehley has also reconnected with old friends on "Origins Vol. 2". The first of these making an appearance is keyboard player Rob Sabino, who has performed with the likes of Peter Frampton and SIMON & GARFUNKEL. Sabino had been involved in both the CRAZY JOE & THE VARIABLE SPEED BAND album (the first project to feature Ace outside of KISS in 1980) and the FREHLEY'S COMET debut (1987). On "Origins Vol. 2", Rob takes on the role of DEEP PURPLE's late Jon Lord on "Space Truckin'", one of a pair of tracks recorded at The Creation Lab in Turlock, California. Ace notes: "'Space Truckin'' was actually recorded years ago and then I just re-recorded some parts and changed it a little. We never ended up putting it on a record, so it was just sitting around. It turned out very well. Rob Sabino is a very accomplished studio musician and we actually grew up in the Bronx together, so we go way back."
Longtime fans may be surprised at the inclusion of a BEATLES song, the 1965 non-album single B-side "I'm Down". Under questioning, Ace laughs: "Everyone was telling me, 'You gotta do a BEATLES song, Ace. You didn't do one on the first record.' The early BEATLES inspired me more than the later records, because they were more raw and more rock and roll. I decided to tackle 'I'm Down' and I thought it came out great. John 5 did a great solo on the song, and then we riffed out at the end." In addition to the stellar contribution to the song by John 5, it is also one of several tracks on which engineer Alex Salzman performs bass. When recording, there's no plan, Ace details. "I normally try and keep the bass lines pretty simple and pretty close to the original recordings," he says. "Usually, when I record, it's just me and Alex in a studio and then we add the drums last. Alex is a very accomplished musician, he plays keyboards, guitar, and bass. But I'd sometimes say, 'Alex, why don't you throw the bass down?' I just got finished doing a guitar solo or a vocal. And I guess a little of it has to do with it is that sometimes I'm just lazy!" There's certainly no laziness in the performance that does more than a little justice to the original and Ace gets the opportunity to rip out a rocking traditional guitar solo.
Another non-album single follows, originally recorded by THE ROLLING STONES in 1968, with Ace tackling "Jumpin' Jack Flash". The exquisite Lita Ford returns on vocals for her second "Origins" project with Ace, who's very fond of her. "Lita's like my sister," he says. "I've known Lita since she was in THE RUNAWAYS and we've always remained friends over the years. She did a great job on 'Wild Thing', so I decided to bring her back for this record. She actually stayed over at my house in San Diego and I coached her on the vocal for two days. I think it came out great!" And throwing out another playful Frehley tease, Ace ad-libs "Kick out the Jams Motherf**ker!" at the end, the starting lyric of the legendary MC5's best-known track. Ace had met the MC5's Wayne Kramer at the MAP Fund Rockin' For Recovery benefit at the Club Nokia in Los Angeles in May 2014 and the two have remained friends. According to Ace, "If the record company decides they want an 'Origins Vol. 3' somewhere down the road, you wouldn't be surprised if I did that song."
In terms of his musical history, one of Ace's first concerts was MURRAY THE K's "Music In The Fifth Dimension" in March 1967 at the RKO Theater in Manhattan. On the bill that day, far below headlining Mitch Ryder and Wilson Pickett, were CREAM and THE WHO, who were both making their U.S. debut during the nine-day engagement. Guitarist Eric Clapton made a lasting impression on Ace, even though CREAM only performed a couple of songs during a short set. More than half a century later, Frehley makes a lasting impression with the power of his cover of "Politician". Ace is adamant: "I try not to get involved with politics. I think it dilutes rock 'n' roll and should be kept separate. If people want to interpret any type of political message in my songs, so be it, but I don't do it on purpose." However, musically, the song allows space for both he and guest John 5 to shine with some stunning guitar interplay. One notable part of the track is the crossfaded double solo which Ace notes: "We used an auto-crossover plug in that comes with Pro Tools. If you listen to that long solo with headphones, our solos crisscross back and forth, left to right. We didn't plan it; it was like one take and it just worked out that way. He [John] didn't step on my parts and I didn't really step on his parts." John has become something of a regular on Ace's "Origins" projects, and not without reason. "John is a really talented musician and he can play many different styles of music," Ace says. "He's a much more versatile guitarist than myself, so I respect him for that — plus he's a good friend! He's very fast in the studio."
"My daughter Monique thought that this was the best song on the album. I did 'White Room' on 'Origins, Vol. 1', and I was trying to decide on another CREAM song to do. I started jamming on that riff and it just seemed so strong. I wasn't sure of whether or not I'd be able to sing it, so we spent 15 minutes tracking the riff and then I tried the vocal and was actually able to sing it."
Ace's humor is clearly present with the inclusion of THE KINKS' "Lola". A Top 10 hit in 1970, the then controversial but tongue-in-cheek song was always a favorite of his. "I always thought that it was a great song and when I was a kid it was a big hit," he says. "I just started fooling around with it and realized I could sing it — which is a prerequisite. My new girlfriend is a great singer as well, so after the album was recorded, I had her replace the original background vocal." Lara brings special vocal seasoning to that song, and "Good Times, Bad Times".
Sentimentality is also represented with a smoking cover of HUMBLE PIE's "30 Days In The Hole", which features CHEAP TRICK's Robin Zander on lead vocals. Not only had CHEAP TRICK opened for KISS on tour in the 1970s, Ace and CHEAP TRICK were both a part of the 2017 "The Children Matter" benefit concert for hurricane victims. At the time, Robin had expressed an interest in working with Frehley, so "Origins Vol. 2" brings together the two Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame stars. Ace, a lifetime fan of Steve Marriott, knew he'd need some help on the track. He admits: "I tried singing it a couple of times, but there's no way I was going to be able to do it justice, so I gave Robin Zander, an old friend of mine from CHEAP TRICK, a call. And he killed it." Once again, the song is firmly rooted in Ace's personal musical journey: "I've always been a huge fan of HUMBLE PIE and was present both nights they recorded live at the Fillmore. I was lucky enough to meet Steve Marriott at a party in New York City. I've always idolized Steve Marriott's voice and his range. He was such a little guy, but he could really belt it out."
Over the decades, Ace has interacted with fellow guitarist Bruce Kulick on numerous occasions. The two also share a common love for Jimi Hendrix, and a song like "Manic Depression" was the perfect vehicle for both guitarists to shine, with Ace delivering a perfect vocal for the mood. Originally released on "Are You Experienced" (1967), Ace recalls: "Bruce offered his services and I thought that it was a great idea. I've been friends with Bruce through thick and thin, and when Bruce told me he would love to do a track I was happy to accommodate him. He did the bulk of the solo, and then he and I soloed off together towards the end." Bruce executes a dynamic solo with plenty of the elements fans of both guitarists will appreciate.
Like the studio version of KISS's "Rock And Roll All Nite", the PAUL REVERE & THE RAIDERS hit "Kicks" didn't originally include a guitar solo. This limitation didn't prevent Ace from developing the arrangement and adding a perfect "three-part harmony guitar solo that really Ace-i-fies the song." The first of two Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil compositions on the album, the song was noted for being an early antidrug anthem ahead of its time (1966). And, of course, the song has a fabulous immediately noticeable riff! Ace comments: "They had that look like THE KINKS had in the early days. I always thought that it was a great song and it always stood out and had a catchy riff, so I decided to put that on this record. I think that it's a good message for the youth of today."
The second of the Mann/Weil songs is the Vietnam-era anthem "We Gotta Get Out of This Place". Originally recorded by THE ANIMALS, the song hit No. 13 on the charts in October 1965 and was later included on the U.S. version of "Animal Tracks". Ace delivers a raw vocal matched by his solo, one that he performed very early during his musical career. He recalls: "I always liked that song by THE ANIMALS. It was one of the first songs that I performed live when I was in a band with my brother. We even had a guy playing a Farfisa organ. It brings back good memories and I didn't even think about its political connotations, I just think it's a great song. I recorded that one a while back when I did 'Space Truckin''."
Rounding out the album is the bonus track "She". This song was performed by KISS at their very first show at the Coventry in January 1973 and was revamped for inclusion on "Dressed To Kill" a couple of years later. It's perhaps even more fitting than the KISS songs included on "Origins Vol. 1", dating back to the very genesis of his time in that band. Ace, however, is pragmatic about its inclusion. "It was a song that we had decided to perform live the last three or four months we were touring, before everything got shut down," he says. "We were having a lot of fun doing it live, so 'She' was one of the first songs that popped into my mind as a KISS bonus track for the album." And with its inclusion, Ace allows his solo band members — Jeremy Asbrock, Ryan Spencer Cook and Philip Shouse — an opportunity to shine, while answering the demand of many fans to get the popular performers on a KISS-related record together!
"Origins Vol. 2" is a well-thought-out, but not over-thought, album. For Ace, keeping things organic is an important part of crafting an album's atmosphere. "I just let it happen," he says. "Things evolve when I start doing these records and I try not to plan too much ahead. I like spontaneity. I like coming up with ideas off the top of my head. It's the same way I write guitar solos. When things are fresh and spontaneous, they always come out better for the listener."
Ace gets the last word with a direct message to his fans: "I'm happy with the end result and I hope the fans like it as well."
Track listing:
01. Good Times Bad Times (LED ZEPPELIN)
02. Never In My Life (MOUNTAIN)
03. Space Truckin' (DEEP PURPLE) (Video)
04. I'm Down (THE BEATLES)
05. Jumpin' Jack Flash (THE ROLLING STONES)
06. Politician (CREAM)
07. Lola (THE KINKS)
08. 30 Days In The Hole (HUMBLE PIE)
09. Manic Depression (THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE)
10. Kicks (PAUL REVERE & THE RAIDERS)
11. We Gotta Get Out Of This Place (THE ANIMALS)
12. She (KISS) (bonus track).
A description of the 340-page paperback reads:
They were just a couple of tweets, but they propelled actress and Playboy Playmate Carrie Stevens into the headlines as stories swirled about sexual harassment in the movie industry and President Trump’s alleged affairs. Besieged by the media, Carrie was shocked and astounded at the frenzy these tweets aroused. It convinced her that she needed to write her memoir.
Her attitude: If they think these stories are sensational, just wait until they hear about all of her life’s adventures. The result is UNRATED Revelations Of A Rock ‘N’ Roll Centerfold, the memoir of an unimaginable evolution from small town girl, to an extraordinary life in the fast lane. A life in which she had intimate encounters with marquee celebrities from all walks of life — rock stars, Oscar winning actors, movie stars, royalty, a future president, sports legends, and billionaires. It’s a life she shared with the privileged and the powerful that took her from KISS' tour bus to the Playboy Mansion, hopping on private jets at a moment’s notice and cruising the Mediterranean on mega-yachts. And even six months as a “guest” in the exotic harem of the Prince of Brunei. Carrie candidly admits that she chose to become a sex object because she couldn’t escape being treated like one. She takes you on an unapologetic, whirlwind adventure of debauchery, disfunction and heartache with humor and wisdom.
Carrie reflects on the tornado of emotional torture she’s endured and the choices she has made, including life as a single mother. Her story is more than that of survival... It’s about soul mates. In her quest for what matters most in life, (and twenty-nine years after his passing) Carrie can’t let go of her love for her late boyfriend, Eric Carr, drummer for the rock band KISS. Yet, through the years, she has found a way to embrace the loss, and use it as her guiding light. Eric will always be the heart and soul of her story.
Further details can be found at CarrieStevens.com.
The iconic rocker just listed his 3-story pad in picturesque Laurel Canyon for a cool $2.2 million ... which gets ya 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and rock star-worthy views.
Gene's crib is on a gated private road, perched at the top of Laurel Canyon ... so you get offers 360-degree views of the downtown skyline, Hollywood sign, Bev Hills, Santa Monica Mountains, Griffith Park Observatory and the Pacific Ocean. Basically all of L.A.
You can take in the sights from spacious outdoor decks on all 3 levels of the 2,345-square-feet home, which Lisa Young and Kennon Earl of Compass are listing.
The master suite -- or primary suite, your choice -- has a reading alcove full of shelves and the room opens up to one of the decks ... and the kitchen and bathrooms are recently updated with modern touches.
By the way, Gene's not packing up his family jewels and leaving Hollywood altogether. He and Shannon still have their massive mansion in those other Hills. Beverly, that is.
With concerts and festivals still largely on pause, there are hundreds of thousands of crew members who still need help as they see their work interrupted through what is normally the core summer concert season and through the remainder of the shutdown. The fund hopes to double its impact and raise at least $30 million so that it can continue providing support for these independent workers who are the backbone of the live music industry.
Crew members spend years perfecting their specialty to create unforgettable memories and are highly skilled and formally educated in their craft. They include lighting technicians, sound engineers, stage designers and builders, and many others. In addition to those who are employed by tours or promoters, many are self-employed or typically work for independent venues and vendors on a show-by-show basis, sparking overwhelming demand from across the industry at all levels. They are an integral part of live shows, which in turn fuel local economies by promoting consumer activity across restaurants, lodging, transportation and more. Crew Nation aims to provide these valued workers with support so they can sustain through the shutdown and continue their impactful career contributions to concerts and local communities once concerts return.
The fund was launched with an initial $5 million donation from Live Nation, which then matched the next $5 million in donations from artists, fans and employees for a total contribution of $10 million from the company.
"Concerts wouldn't be possible without the many crew members working behind the scenes every step of the way and we want to make sure that as independent workers, they get the support they need from both the industry and the government," said Michael Rapino, president and CEO, Live Nation. "Live Nation is proud to be among the many artists, donors, partners and fans who are helping drive this mission forward and support those who make the magic of live possible."
"The support we have received has been overwhelming, but the number of people who still need assistance is staggering and our work is nowhere near done," said Nurit Smith, executive director, Music Forward Foundation. "The artist community has been so incredibly supportive and creative, utilizing their resources and platforms to make personal donations and drum up contributions through the release of exclusive merch, new music, live streamed performances and much more, and our hope is that it continues to keep rolling."
Crew Nation also just dropped a new line of summer merch, with 100% of proceeds benefiting the fund. To buy merch, go to this location.
Contributions up to $80,000 USD can be made directly via PayPal. Any larger gifts can be coordinated by contacting crewnation@hobmusicforward.org.
The fund is accepting applications as shows would have played off to meet the current demand for missed income. To check the current application window and apply, go to this location.
Artists who have generously contributed donations include:
AEROSMITH
ANDERSON .PAAK
AWOLNATION
BACKSTREET BOYS
BTS X BIG HIT ENTERTAINMENT
CHER
COLDPLAY
DEPECHE MODE
FROM ASHES TO NEW
GUNS N' ROSES
JOHN MAYER
JOHNNYSWIM
JOURNEY
JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE
KESHA
KID ROCK
KISS
KYGO
LAMB OF GOD
METALLICA
MOTÖRHEAD
PANTERA
ROBBIE WILLIAMS
SUM 41
TAKE THAT
THIRD EYE BLIND
TWENTY ONE PILOTS
U2
WESTLIFE
To find out more about ways to get involved, donate, buy merchandise or apply for relief, head to livenation.com/crewnation.
After an epic and well documented 45-year career that launched an era of rock 'n' roll, the legendary KISS will perform in the U.K. at Download festival 2021, in a U.K. exclusive. They embarked on their final-ever tour in 2019 under the appropriately named "End Of The Road", and known for their trademark larger-than-life blistering performances, KISS have proven for decades why they are hands down the most iconic live show in rock 'n' roll, and one of the best headliners Donington has ever seen. With more than 100 million albums sold worldwide, 2020 was due to be their final-ever Download appearance, but due to COVID-19 they'll be bringing their spellbinding show to the hallowed grounds in 2021 instead.
Also headlining Download 2020 will be SYSTEM OF A DOWN, also in a U.K. exclusive. With just five studio albums, the Californian/Armenian band have earned themselves a worldwide following, never failing to put on a mind-blowing performance.
SYSTEM OF A DOWN bassist Shavo Odadjian says: "We're disappointed we weren't able to make it over this year, but we're looking forward to next. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Mostly, we all just want to make sure everyone is provided with a safe and secure environment, so we were prepared to wait as long as we needed to."
Returning to Donington after their fantastic headline set in 2017 are Scottish rock titans BIFFY CLYRO, who will headline the festival once again in 2021. With the band set to release their ninth studio album, "A Celebration Of Endings", this month, the trio will be keen to show off new tracks as well as some of their most well-known hits, including "The Captain", "Mountains" and "Many Of Horror".
In addition to the brilliant acts who have continued over from 2020, Download are delighted to announce several new additions to the lineup, along with BIFFY CLYRO, including the mighty STEEL PANTHER, pop punk kings A DAY TO REMEMBER, the mysterious CREEPER, who have recently returned from hiatus, punk legends RISE AGAINST, internet sensation POPPY, and many more.
Returning to Donington in 2021 are DEFTONES. Since their inception, the multi-platinum, Grammy-winning alternative rock band from Sacramento have released seven albums and sold over 10 million albums worldwide which include fan-favourite tracks "My Own Summer (Shove It)", "Change (House Of Flies)" and "Swerve City".
BIFFY CLYRO said: "We can't wait to return to headline Download in 2021! It's a highlight of the festival calendar and a big part of our history as a band. Headlining in 2017 was special and now it's time to celebrate again! Fuck on!"
With 13 albums behind them already, KORN will be back too. The two-time Grammy Award-winning band have toured the world countless times and have continued to push the limits of the rock, alternative and metal genres, while remaining a pillar of influence for legions of fans and generations of artists around the globe.
Also returning are the one and only THE DARKNESS, LA punk rockers THE DISTILLERS, Hollywood favourites BLACK VEIL BRIDES, Scottish pirate metallers ALESTORM, Maryland death metallers DYING FETUS, metalcore heroes KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, Brazilian heavy metallers SEPULTURA, Welsh icons FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND in their last ever festival appearance, and many more.
With over 70 bands confirmed to return to Donington in 2021 and much more in the works, Download festival could not be more ready to reunite with its incredible community. COVID-19 might have put a stop to Download 2020, but the spirit of Download never died.
Download festival's Andy Copping said: "2020 has been a tough year for us all, and we were beyond gutted not to be able to experience Download festival with you all. We gave you Download TV to reflect on memories of the past, and what the festival means to all of us. Download 2021 is going to be something special and go down in the history books as when the Download family reunited. We're going to be working hard behind the scenes to make Download 2021 an unforgettable experience and a celebration of the festival we all love."
"'Space Truckin' was recorded years ago, and then I just re-recorded some parts and changed it a little," Frehley said in a statement. "We never ended up putting it on a record, so it was just sitting around. It turned out very well. Rob Sabino is a very accomplished studio musician, and we actually grew up in the Bronx together, so we go way back."
Track listing:
01. Good Times Bad Times (LED ZEPPELIN)
02. Never In My Life (MOUNTAIN)
03. Space Truckin' (DEEP PURPLE)
04. I'm Down (THE BEATLES)
05. Jumpin' Jack Flash (THE ROLLING STONES)
06. Politician (CREAM)
07. Lola (THE KINKS)
08. 30 Days In The Hole (HUMBLE PIE)
09. Manic Depression (THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE)
10. Kicks (PAUL REVERE & THE RAIDERS)
11. We Gotta Get Out Of This Place (THE ANIMALS)
12. She (KISS) (bonus track)
It was previously reported that "Origins Vol. 2" would feature guest appearances by Lita Ford (on THE ROLLING STONES' "Jumpin' Jack Flash"), CHEAP TRICK's Robin Zander (on HUMBLE PIE's "30 Days In The Hole", former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick (on Jimi Hendrix's "Manic Depression") and ROB ZOMBIE's John 5 (on BEATLES' "I'm Down" and CREAM's "Politician").
Last year, Frehley told The Weekender that "Origins Vol. 2" will once again feature a LED ZEPPELIN tune, "Good Times Bad Times". He also revealed that he wanted to lay down the vocals for "30 Days In The Hole" himself, but that he "just couldn't cut it, vocally, because [Steve] Marriott's just too good of a goddamn singer. I just couldn't do justice to his vocals," he explained. "But I remembered that I had bumped into Robin Zander years ago at a meet-and-greet and he had mentioned to me that he'd like to sing on one of my upcoming records, so I remembered that and gave him a call. And he killed it as well. He sounds like a young Marriott."
Released in April 2016, "Origins Vol. 1" debuted at No. 23 on The Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 16,000 equivalent album units. The CD featured KISS frontman Paul Stanley joining Ace on FREE's hit "Fire And Water"; Slash trading leads on THIN LIZZY's classic "Emerald", Ford singing and playing lead on THE TROGGS staple "Wild Thing", ROB ZOMBIE guitarist John 5 playing guitar alongside Ace on the classic KISS composition "Parasite", and PEARL JAM's Mike McCready playing guitar with Ace on KISS's "Cold Gin".
In a 2016 interview with The Aquarian Weekly, Frehley admitted that doing the first covers album was "the record company's idea. To be honest with you, initially, I wasn't that excited about the project, because I had just come off the high of the success of 'Space Invader', which is all originals except for a cover of 'The Joker'," he said. "It was almost, like, 'Okay, I'm going to go through the motions and get this out of the way and then jump into the studio for my next real studio album.' But I've gotta tell ya, man, once I started the process and started remembering the groups that influenced me, narrowing down which songs I thought were going to be best for the record, and then started the recording process; I really started getting more excited about it."
Frehley's latest album, "Spaceman", was released in October 2018 via eOne. KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons co-wrote two tracks on the disc, "Without You I'm Nothing" and "Your Wish Is My Command", the latter of which also features Simmons's bass playing.
Frehley's full version of "Space Truckin'" is expected to make its online debut on Tuesday, July 28.
It was previously reported that "Origins Vol. 2" would feature guest appearances by Lita Ford (on THE ROLLING STONES' "Jumpin' Jack Flash"), CHEAP TRICK's Robin Zander (on HUMBLE PIE's "30 Days In The Hole", former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick (on Jimi Hendrix's "Manic Depression") and ROB ZOMBIE's John 5 (on BEATLES' "I'm Down" and CREAM's "Politician").
Last year, Frehley told The Weekender that "Origins Vol. 2" will once again feature a LED ZEPPELIN tune, "Good Times Bad Times". He also revealed that he wanted to lay down the vocals for "30 Days In The Hole" himself, but that he "just couldn't cut it, vocally, because [Steve] Marriott's just too good of a goddamn singer. I just couldn't do justice to his vocals," he explained. "But I remembered that I had bumped into Robin Zander years ago at a meet-and-greet and he had mentioned to me that he'd like to sing on one of my upcoming records, so I remembered that and gave him a call. And he killed it as well. He sounds like a young Marriott."
Earlier today, Stanley posted a photo of him wearing a mask in the studio, and he included the following message: "Day 2 in the studio finishing up Soul Station album and YES, We're ALL wearing masks. We do it for our families, children, hospital workers, first responders and many more. Tragic that for some there's no pandemic until it hits their home. Now we suffer the consequences."
This past May, Stanley released a cover version of Smokey Robinson's classic song "Ooo Baby Baby", recorded by SOUL STATION. In a statement accompanying the clip, Stanley said: "These are challenging times. Long before I ever heard the great British bands, I grew up listening to Philly Soul, Motown and so much more. I was lucky to see Otis Redding and Solomon Burke among others. That music and its storytelling gave me strength and hope even in some tough days. The great classics of that era are magical medicine for most and I felt myself drawn back to that era for some sorcery I think we could all use."
He added: "While it's hard to connect physically, some of SOUL STATION decided to reach out and make a virtual and emotional connection on a great Motown and Smokey Robinson classic, Ooo Baby Baby."
SOUL STATION has spent the last couple of years working on its debut album.
"We are heartbroken at the passing of Philip Ashley," his family confirmed. "A loving father, husband & partner, a wonderful friend and passionately talented musician. ... We hope to honor his life next year with a memorial service - details to come.
Kiss guitarist Paul Stanley said he was "at a loss for words" via Twitter. "My dear friend Phil Ashley has died suddenly. He was a no bullshit, warm and kind soul who I shared so many hours talking with about the value of life, family and music. He played keyboards for many of the greats. The times we won't have leaves me empty."
Joe Satriani added: "Our dear friend Phil Ashley passed away last week," attaching a picture of the two of them with Doug Wimbish and Simon Philips during the recording of The Extremist. "He was a magnificent musician and human being. My deepest condolences to his family. R.I.P Phil, we will all miss you."
Ashley studied classical music as a child before moving into rock and other genres around age 12. "I would just jump into different styles," he told the Kiss Concert History site. "I loved classical, I loved rock, I loved pop; and then, by the time I was 16 or 17, I was playing jazz. So, that gives you kind of an idea, I was all over the place, but I always just loved music."
He left college to tour with Rupert Holmes, best known for his 1979 hit "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)," and later found steady work as a session player. Ashley's credits also include Billy Idol's 1986 LP, Whiplash Smile; Aerosmith's late '80s singles "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)" and "Rag Doll"; Jagger's 1987 record, Primitive Cool; and projects from Debbie Harry, Tina Turner, Cher, Michael Bolton, Satriani, Yoko Ono and Chicago, among many others.
But Ashley had an especially close relationship with Kiss. He was casual friends with Stanley growing up in Queens, and the two often discussed music. "We were always running into each other, whether it was parties or at the bus stop — because he went to school in the city — and I was always going into the city," Ashley told Kiss Concert History. "So we'd always see each other and stop and talk about music. This was our thing, but we weren't in the same bands because I was doing more of the Allman Brothers type stuff and he was doing a bit more of the hard rock stuff."
They become good friends over the years, and Ashley eventually found himself collaborating with the band. "I had programmed [Eric Carr]'s syn drums for his solo, and then I eventually did some opening music, but they flew me out and were doing rehearsal," he told Kiss Concert History. The keyboardist wound up playing on 1987's Crazy Nights, their 1988 single "Let's Put the X in Sex" and two tracks from 1989's Hot in the Shade.
"[Stanley is] the only person that I knew as a teenager that I ended up working with so much later on, and that was always a different bond," he told the site. "There was a certain friendship there, like when he first got married, I was one of his groomsmen. I did a string arrangement for the wedding that they walked out of the thing for. I think it was 'Forever,' so for me Kiss was really this relationship with Paul."
A rock music, blues rock and country music drummer and percussionist, Oldaker was born September 5, 1951 in Tulsa. He was an exponent of the shuffle style.
After a stint in Bob Seger's band, Oldaker joined Eric Clapton in 1974 during the recording of "461 Ocean Boulevard". Oldaker would remain a member of Clapton's studio and touring bands through 1979, when the entire band was dismissed. Oldaker would return to the Clapton band in 1983, leaving in 1986. Oldaker appears on the blues side of the live recording "24 Nights" from 1990 and 1991. Not long after leaving Clapton's band, Oldaker briefly became a member of KISS guitarist Ace Frehley's project FREHLEY'S COMET, appearing on the 1988 album "Second Sighting". He was a founding member of the alt-country band THE TRACTORS in 1994. Oldaker has also played on recordings of musicians such as THE BELLAMY BROTHERS, ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL, Peter Frampton, Stephen Stills, Leon Russell, Freddie King and THE BEE GEES.
"Jamie Oldaker has been my dear friend and brother for over 40 years," Frampton said in a statement provided to the Tulsa World by Oldaker's family. "He was a very warm, caring, true friend with a gentle heart. He cared about us all almost more than he did himself. Most will know him as the drummer on Eric Clapton's albums. His playing was unique; a laid-back style of drumming with an incredible feel. We traveled the world, played many wonderful shows and great recordings together. He was a much-loved person and I will miss him for the rest of my time here. Love you, Jamie."
Oldaker was involved in working with the organizers and the building of the OKPOP museum in Tulsa. He and his wife, Mary, were also hosts of an annual fundraiser, MOJO Fest, to raise money for the Tulsa Day Center For The Homeless.
Criss uploaded the video to Vimeo, writing in an accompanying message: "My friend and a longtime fan Mark stopped by my house to help me out with a few things and while he was here. He asked if I would sing for him one of his favorite songs from my 1978 solo record ('Don't You Let Me Down'). So here I am singing live along with my solo record. He wanted to share his exciting moment with all of you other fans and asked if I could post it on my site for you to see. He was so excited he was shaking. Hope you all enjoy it as well. We did. It was fun!!!"
"Don't You Let Me Down" was originally written in 1971 for Criss's pre-KISS band LIPS.
"Peter Criss" was one of four solo albums released by the members of KISS on September 18, 1978. The LP was produced by Vini Poncia, who went on to helm the KISS albums "Dynasty" (1979) and "Unmasked" (1980).
Criss first left KISS in 1980. Since then he's worked with other bands and released solo albums. He teamed up with KISS again for a reunion tour in the 1990s and most recently in 2004. He was replaced by Eric Singer.
The four original members of KISS were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in April 2014 by RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello.
KISS did not perform — the Hall Of Fame wanted the original quartet only to play, while Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley insisted on the current lineup — which also includes guitarist Tommy Thayer — performing as well. In the end nobody won that battle.
Criss, who was known as "Catman," released his last solo CD, titled "One for All", in 2007. Peter produced the album himself for the first time, and was joined by guest musicians that included keyboardist Paul Shaffer and bassist Will Lee of "Late Night with David Letterman". The album featured a range of styles, from rock and jazz to blues and Broadway, and included covers of "What a Difference a Day Makes" and "Send in the Clowns".
Bob died on May 28 at the age of 70. A cause of death has not been revealed.
On Wednesday (June 17), Bruce took to his Instagram to share a few photos of Bob, and he included the following message: "My brother Bob's recent death was a shock to me as well as the entire music world. Words cannot express the emotions I felt with the sudden news. Even though we had some issues in the recent past, we both respected and loved each other very much. Some of his contacts just recently shared with me how he spoke well of me, and if anything ever happened to him, that his brother would handle his affairs.
"[My wife] Lisa and I have been dealing with all the unfortunate matters that one has to take care of when a loved one passes away. Anyone that has experienced this would understand the sadness and the complexities involved.
"Bob lived alone in Las Vegas. Although he died at 70, he lived a full life, with his music career beginning as a teenager. I was always proud of his ambition to make it in the music business. Looking back now at his accomplishments and the list of artists he worked with, he did fulfill his dream. He collected everything from every tour, recording session, travel photos, post cards, press clippings, and anything related to his 50-year career.
"Lisa and I are overwhelmed with the vastness of what we have found. And happy of course to know he saved these items. Over time I will share things with you, since there's so many interesting photos and clippings of his career I know you will love.
"In addition to all of his personal items, some of you might remember that Bob lived in Beverly Hills for 30 years. He was in a long term relationship with the famous Hollywood actress named Stella Stevens. He met her in 1983, and I jokingly called him 'Hollywood Bob'. Her legacy is something that Lisa and I will share with you as well, and I am certain this is something that would make Bob smile from heaven. Stella meant the world to him, and he loved and adored her very much. #bobkulick #bobkulickmusic #guitarist #kisstory #stellastevens #hollywoodbob #gonetoosoon #ripbob"
Throughout his 40-plus-year music career, Bob Kulick worked with an astonishing array of artists: from Meat Loaf to MOTÖRHEAD; from KISS to Michael Bolton; W.A.S.P. to Diana Ross; as well as legends such as Roger Daltrey, Alice Cooper, Lou Reed and Paul Stanley's first solo LP and tour.
Bob began his musical profession at 16 — when most high schoolers are still trying to figure out where they're going in life — appearing on the 1966 album "Winchester Cathedral" from the RANDOM BLUES BAND, the "baby band" that Bob played in that played The Café Wha in New York's Greenwich Village alongside Jimmy James and the BLUE FLAMES (later rechristened Jimi Hendrix).
1973 saw Kulick make the connection that he has been associated the most with throughout his career. He auditioned for — and got passed over by — KISS. Instead of being dejected, the six-stringer aligned himself with the band over the years, playing on the studio material on "Kiss Alive II", providing solos on the "Killers" album, co-writing "Naked City" from "Unmasked" and guesting on Paul Stanley's 1979 solo album and tour a decade later. He even suggested his brother to the band.
This past April, Bruce admitted in an interview that his relationship with Bob was "not healthy." Bruce spoke about his estranged older brother five months after Bob made a public post on his personal Facebook page as as well as on his Instagram accusing Bruce of contributory "copyright infringement" over the sale of "Kulick Brothers" merchandise items, including a signed photo. According to Bob, the items were being made available via Kiss Army Merchandise with permission from Bruce only. Bob went on to say that Bruce had "a restraining order" against him, but didn't offer any more details about the circumstances that led to the order being issued.
During 2017's "Kiss Kruise VII", the Kulick brothers played a 13-song set that featured 10 rarely performed KISS songs such as "Turn On The Night" and "All American Man", as well as three classics from Paul Stanley's 1978 solo album (on which Bob performed). That same year, Bob released a solo album, "Skeletons In The Closet"
Coronavirus restrictions have eased somewhat in Ohio, making the events possible with social distancing rules in place.
The Facebook page for the Robins Theatre outlines the venue's safety precautions in the midst of the pandemic.
"After an unplanned break, the Robins Theatre is preparing to reopen in compliance with the Responsible RestartOhio guidelines as set forth by the Ohio Department of Health," the message notes. "As we move forward, the safety of those who enter the facility is at the forefront of our efforts. As you may already know our restrooms are completely touch-less. Additionally, an electrostatic deep cleaning of the entire theater will be performed before we open, we have installed plexiglass at the concession area as well as hand-sanitizing stations at the entrance of the theater and all of our restrooms. Seating will be within the social distancing requirement. Ushers and concession workers will be required to wear protective masks, as well as gloves, to ensure the safety of all of our patrons. A UV cleaning will be performed in addition to our conventional cleaning after each show. A free face mask will be provided to those who want one."
Ace Frehley 2020 tour dates:
August 06 - Warrendale, PA @ Jergels
August 07 - Warren, OH @ Robins Theatre
September 18 - Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
October 10 - Lawrenceburg, IN @ Lawrenceburg Event Center
October 23 - Atlantic City, NJ @ Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
December 31 - Stockholm, Sweden @ Grona Lund.
Earlier today, Ace took to his Facebook to share a picture of him with his girlfriend, and he included the following message: "Just want to say Hi to all my fans, since it's been a while. Hope you're all healthy, happy, and safe... I've been working on a new studio record for next year, since all my concerts have been postponed. Here's a pic of Lara and I at a friends house yesterday, enjoying the beautiful Jersey weather. See you all soon!"
This past April, Ace told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation" that he has been using the coronavirus downtime to work on "new material for a studio record." He explained: "Because of this virus, everything has been pushed back," he said. "The release of my 'Origins Vol. 2' [the sequel to his 2016 collection of cover songs that inspired him] has been pushed back to the fall. I don't wanna be too idle, so I decided to start recording my next studio record. What the hell?"
According to Ace, "Origins Vol. 2" was "done months ago" but there is no concrete release date yet for the effort.
So far, the following artists are scheduled to perform aboard "Kiss Kruise X":
KISS
RATT
QUEENSRŸCHE
BRUCE KULICK
FOZZY
BLACK 'N BLUE
TUK SMITH & THE RESTLESS HEARTS
JARED JAMES NICHOLS
LILIAC.
According to a post from Lydia Criss, the ex-wife of original KISS drummer Peter Criss, Smalling passed away on June 1st, 2020.
"I am in total shock & my heart is broken once again. I am so sad to let you know that I lost another good friend. Today I learned of the passing of JR Smalling. He was one of the original KISS road managers. He passed away June 1st, but we were just notified. JR Rest In Peace. You will be missed by all!!"
Smalling guided the fledgling KISS from 1974 through their breakthrough with ALIVE! and Destroyer, and is perhaps most remembered for being the man who literally invented perhaps the most famous concert introduction in rock: KISS's famous "You wanted the best..." intro. It is Smalling's voice, in fact, who begins the band's 1975 double-disc Alive!
Forbes estimated that METALLICA earned $40.5 million in the last 12 months to land at position No. 78 on the list, with BON JOVI pulling in $38 million (No. 87) and KISS pocketing $36.5 million (No. 95).
Forbes compiled the list by estimating pre-tax earnings from June 2019-June 2020, before deducting fees for managers, based on data from Nielsen, touring trade publication Pollstar, movie database IMDB, as well as interviews with industry experts and many of the celebrities themselves.
To view the complete list, go to this location.
Last December, music industry trade publication Pollstar reported that METALLICA was the top-grossing hard rock/metal band in the world during the period of November 22, 2018 to November 20, 2019. During that 12-month period, the group sold $179 million worth of concert tickets for its 48 reported shows around the globe.
The world's second-highest-grossing hard rock/metal artist during that period was BON JOVI, who sold $134 million worth of tickets worldwide for its 31 reported performances. Next on the list was KISS, who were the highest grossing hard rock/metal band in North America during the reporting period. Overall, the band — which kicked off its "End Of The Road" farewell tour on January 31, 2019 — sold $89.8 million worth of tickets for 74 reported concerts.
The band states: "We'll continue monitoring the global situation and will reschedule the dates as soon as possible."
Ticket holders can hold on to existing tickets for rescheduled dates or contact ticket outlets for options.
Says KISS guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley: "We will be back as soon as possible, and in the meantime, we want to say to the Kiss Army in Europe, stay safe."
Adds KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons: "To all our European fans, stay healthy and we will be back rocking you all very soon."
There will only be 4,000 copies of the album released for the annual event, that will be taking place on August 29th. This will also mark the first time that album has been available on vinyl since 1989.
RSD had these details: "No longer under the band name Frehley's Comet, the album features guest performances by former Kiss drummer Peter Criss, as well as Skid Row members Sebastian Bach, Rachel Bolan and Dave Sabo. Long time Frehley's Comet rhythm section Anton Fig (on drums) and John Regan (bass) back up Frehley throughout the album.
"This yellow/orange 180g double vinyl release is the album's first vinyl pressing since 1989. 1. Shot Full of Rock, 2. Do Ya (The Move cover), 3. Five Card Stud, 4. Hide Your Heart (Bonnie Tyler cover), 5. Lost in Limbo, 6. Trouble Walkin', 7. 2 Young 2 Die, 8. Back to School, 9. Remember Me, 10. Fractured III"
Benante uploaded a video of the performance to his YouTube channel, writing in an accompanying message: "This has always Been a favorite from the Great 'Rock and Roll Over' album. According to Paul: It's was written about having all the lines and know-how to pick up a woman quickly!
"Here is a fun version of a KLASSIK song ! Thanks to John 5, PJ and Joe #paulstanley #genesimmons #petercriss #acefrehley #kissband #70skiss #kissalive #kissarmy @joe_mcginness_official @kissonline @pjfarley @Kuarantine_Official @john5official @anthrax.com @kissnyc @knightsinsatanservice #trixter @officialraband thanks to @dlevanchuk for the awesome edit"
Benante has been using his coronavirus downtime to connect virtually with other metal musicians and share videos of them covering various pop, rock and metal tracks, including those by RUSH, IRON MAIDEN, Billie Eilish and Tom Petty.
ANTHRAX has spent most of the last four years touring in support of its latest album, "For All Kings", which was released in February 2016. A follow-up effort is expected in 2021.
According to a press release, the weekend - spanning June 12 to 14 - will be divvyed up into day and evening programming; the former will "celebrate the spirit of Download Festival" while the latter will see up to three hours of "tailor-made programming" designed to mimic what the actual event would have looked like.
The Friday night "headline" slot will be taken by KISS, with "a replay of standout moments from their huge 2015 headline set".
Saturday night will see a mix of vintage Iron Maiden clips mixed with clips from the Legacy of the Beast Tour and "something just for Download TV".
System of a Down will take out the Sunday night headlining slot with a combination of clips from their 2005, 2011 and 2017 Download spots.
Other performances being streamed across the weekend include Korn, Deftones, Babymetal, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, Creeper, The Offspring, Blues Pills, Alter Bridge, The Pretty Reckless, Funeral For A Friend, Volbeat, The Darkness, Bowling for Soup and - unbelievably - much more.
The daytime programming will boast "a whole host of interactive content and activities", including tutorials, artist Q&As, special live performances and mindfulness sessions plus "cookalongs", with Masterchef's Simon Wood, Nat's What I Reckon and BOSH.
An official "socially distanced" performance music video for SOUL STATION's rendition can be seen above.
In a statement accompanying the clip, Stanley said: "These are challenging times. Long before I ever heard the great British bands, I grew up listening to Philly Soul, Motown and so much more. I was lucky to see Otis Redding and Solomon Burke among others. That music and its storytelling gave me strength and hope even in some tough days. The great classics of that era are magical medicine for most and I felt myself drawn back to that era for some sorcery I think we could all use."
He added: "While it's hard to connect physically, some of SOUL STATION decided to reach out and make a virtual and emotional connection on a great Motown and Smokey Robinson classic, Ooo Baby Baby."
SOUL STATION has spent the last couple of years working on its debut album.
Last year, Stanley told the Real Radio 104.1 radio station that he wanted to wait for the right time to release the SOUL STATION LP. "It really deserves full attention and my full commitment," he explained. "So until we can do great live performances — the band is amazing live — and until we can promote it the way we should, it's just going to simmer. But it's really just mind-blowing good. These are songs that, for one reason or another, have been relegated to samples on a rap tune. And I don't wanna hear background music for a rhyme — I wanna hear those songs.'
He continued: "This band is 13 people strong, and everybody's played with Smokey and Stevie [Wonder] and THE TEMPS [THE TEMPTATIONS] and Natalie Cole and Whitney Houston, and we knock those songs out of the park."
Asked if he gets any hate from KISS fans for making an album that is stylistically far removed from the music his main band is best known for producing, Stanley said: "I'm sure there are some people who'd rather me doing a KISS album or something like that, but when you sign on with me, you understand that we're both in this together, and sometimes I have to do what I need to do. And that's part of the joy and the reward for me. So I would rather do a great SOUL STATION album right now than tamper with KISS or the KISS legacy and do something that I'm really not feeling at the moment."
A couple of years ago, Stanley spoke to Rock Cellar Magazine about how the idea for SOUL STATION first came about. He said: "Well, my roots are much more broad and varied than some people might realize. This is funny; I was having tea with Jimmy Page in London and we were talking about this. I said, 'Before I ever saw [LED] ZEPPELIN or THE WHO or any of those bands, I saw Otis Redding. I saw Solomon Burke. I saw THE TEMPTATIONS.' So it's very much a part of my DNA. Motown and Philly soul and Stax/Volt, all that music is really, unfortunately too nostalgic at this point and used too often for loops and samples as opposed to hearing a great song. What's missing nowadays so much is great live performances of that material. What's being passed off now as R&B is usually a computer and a drum machine. For a while, I thought about that, and I had an opportunity a few years ago to put together something that was in essence SOUL STATION. We did a couple of private shows and we all looked at each other said, 'Why aren't we doing more of this?' It's great to have that coming from people who are not only in demand but working all the time with Stevie Wonder or Smokey [Robinson] or Pink or John Mayer. These are real crème de la creme players but everybody has the same passion for this music. To be able to recreate it, not in a sterile way but with the same passion and intensity that it was made with is something that we all feel very close to."
Asked what the greatest challenges are that he faces in delivering this material in a live setting, Paul told Rock Cellar Magazine: "There's a big weight on my shoulders because I'm singing songs by some legends, and if I can't deliver them, I shouldn't be doing them. So if I'm gonna sing Smokey or if I'm gonna sing Al Green or David Ruffin or Eddie Kendricks, you'd better be on-point or you shouldn't be doing it, plus the rest of the band is so damn good. They have played with Smokey, they've played with Stevie Wonder, with Natalie Cole, they've played with Whitney Houston and John Mayer and with Carlos Santana; I mean, the list goes on and on. For us all to be together as peers and be creating something this exciting, everybody on stage is smiling. We're all just caught up in the moment. To hear Crystal [Starr] sing 'I Want You Back' is just mind-boggling. Her dad was a backup singer for Jackie Wilson. Everybody's got their roots. From the get-go, anybody I ever called to be a part of this immediately said, 'I'm in!' just to have the opportunity to recreate and revive these songs; you don't get that chance."
SOUL STATION made its live debut in September 2015 at West Hollywood, California's The Roxy Theatre. The band also features KISS drummer Eric Singer.
Earlier today, Bruce posted the following message on social media: "I am heartbroken to have to share the news of the passing of my brother Bob Kulick. His love of music, and his talent as a musician and producer should always be celebrated. I know he is at peace now, with my parents, playing his guitar as loud as possible. Please respect the Kulick Family's privacy during this very sad time."
Throughout his 40-plus-year music career, Bob Kulick has worked with an astonishing array of artists: from Meat Loaf to MOTÖRHEAD; from KISS to Michael Bolton; W.A.S.P. to Diana Ross; as well as legends such as Roger Daltrey, Alice Cooper, Lou Reed and Paul Stanley's first solo LP and tour.
Bob began his musical profession at 16 — when most high schoolers are still trying to figure out where they're going in life — appearing on the 1966 album "Winchester Cathedral" from the RANDOM BLUES BAND, the "baby band" that Bob played in that played The Café Wha in New York's Greenwich Village alongside Jimmy James and the BLUE FLAMES (later rechristened Jimi Hendrix).
1973 saw Kulick make the connection that he has been associated the most with throughout his career. He auditioned for — and got passed over by — KISS. Instead of being dejected, the six-stringer aligned himself with the band over the years, playing on the studio material on "Kiss Alive II", providing solos on the "Killers" album, co-writing "Naked City" from "Unmasked" and guesting on Paul Stanley's 1978 solo album and tour a decade later. He even suggested his brother to the band.
Last month, Bruce admitted in an interview that his relationship with Bob was "not healthy." Bruce spoke about his estranged older brother five months after Bob made a public post on his personal Facebook page as as well as on his Instagram accusing Bruce of contributory "copyright infringement" over the sale of "Kulick Brothers" merchandise items, including a signed photo. According to Bob, the items were being made available via Kiss Army Merchandise with permission from Bruce only. Bob went on to say that Bruce "has a restraining order" against him, but didn't offer any more details about the circumstances that led to the order being issued.
During 2017's "Kiss Kruise VII", the Kulick brothers played a 13-song set that featured 10 rarely performed KISS songs such as "Turn On The Night" and "All American Man", as well as three classics from Paul Stanley's 1978 solo album (on which Bob performed). That same year, Bob released a solo album, "Skeletons In The Closet".
The custom Mediterranean villa, built in 2005, was remodeled and upgraded after Thayer purchased the place in 2008.
Designed to maximize the scenery, the multilevel house features six patios, including one with an outdoor fireplace. Picture windows in the common areas bring views of the lake and mountains inside.
Reached through a gated courtyard entry, the 4,497-square-foot house holds a gallery, a center-island kitchen, four bedrooms and five bathrooms. Box beam ceilings top the family room, which has one of five fireplaces. The grand living room opens to the front courtyard. A loft/bonus room caps the top floor.
The house rests on about a third of an acre with lawn and formal landscaping. A three-car garage sits off the front.
Thayer, 59, in the 1980s gained fame in Hollywood’s rock scene as frontman of the glam metal band Black ‘n Blue. He joined KISS as the band’s lead guitarist in 2002, replacing Ace Frehley, and co-wrote 10 songs for the band’s 2012 album “Monster.”
Jordan Cohen of RE/MAX One holds the listing.
Jericho told SPIN about KUARANTINE: "This is how you can form a band in the COVID era. You have four badasses singing and playing this era of rock and roll from one of the biggest bands in the world that no one ever focuses on this part of their career. It's cool and organic.
"Had there been no COVID, this never would have taken place," he said. "And gives a little shot in the arm to a scene that's a little bit stagnant because of what's going on worldwide."
FOZZY is gearing up to release its new full-length album, "2020", this fall. The LP features the band's newest hit song "Nowhere To Run", which recently hit Top 10 on the rock radio chart. The song is the band's third track to hit Top 10 on rock radio, following "Judas" and "Painless".
Since reuniting, TRIXTER has released two studio albums via Frontiers Music Srl — 2012's "New Audio Machine" and 2015's "Human Era".
KISS frontman Paul Stanley announced the postponement in a video message earlier today. He said: "Hey, everybody. I hope you're staying safe and I hope you're staying sane. I have to regrettably tell you that this year's 'Kiss Kruise' is being postponed until next year. We kind of saw this coming, but we were hoping things would change, but they haven't. Even if we wanted to do a 'Kiss Kruise' this year, it would probably be canceled because there are so many restrictions being put in place that you wouldn't get the cruise you wanted anyway. So 'Kiss Kruise X' will be 'Kiss Kruise X' again. And we will see you next year. Hold on to your tickets. The ship is sold out. You don't wanna lose your place."
"Kiss Kruise X" was slated to set sail for from Miami to Harvest Caye, Belize and Roatan, Honduras. Joining KISS on the ship were QUEENSRŸCHE, RATT and Chris Jericho's band FOZZY.
In January 2019, KISS launched its "End Of The Road" farewell tour, which was previously scheduled to conclude on July 17, 2021 in New York City.
KISS's current lineup consists of original members Stanley and Gene Simmons, alongside later band additions, guitarist Tommy Thayer (since 2002) and drummer Eric Singer (on and off since 1991).
Formed in 1973 by Stanley, Simmons, Peter Criss (drums) and Ace Frehley (guitar), KISS staged its first "farewell" tour in 2000, the last to feature the group's original lineup.
In its 46-year career, KISS has accumulated 23 gold and platinum albums — more than any other U.S. band.
On Friday, the Australian-born pop star released the bouncy charity single “The Wall Will Fall” — which features an all-star music video cast including Andy Cohen, Ellen DeGeneres, Paul Stanley, Sammy Hagar and Richard Marx. The tune, which benefits the nonprofit Feeding America, is already No. 1 on the iTunes Rock Chart.
And it all started with a good-natured case of plagiarism.
The “Jessie’s Girl” singer, 70, told Page Six that he ended up teaming with Vance DeGeneres (Ellen’s brother) on the tune after seeing Vance’s comic videos on how to teach guitar in 60 seconds, in which Vance he keeps getting interrupted.
“So I stole it and started doing videos on how to play ‘Jessie’s Girl’ in 60 seconds where I kept getting interrupted too.
“He saw it and called me up and said, ‘You stole my idea! Let’s do something together. Let’s write a song together,'” Springfield said. “So it started off as a fun thing, kind of joke and ended up being a really good song so it’s been an interesting journey.”
Interestingly, the “General Hospital” alum says quarantining has actually been good for his mental health. Springfield has been very open about his decades-long battle with depression a failed suicide attempt at age 16, writing about his struggles in his 2010 autobiography, “Late, Late at Night.”
“The lockdown hasn’t increased my depression,” revealed Springfield, who is quarantining in Malibu, Calif., with his family. ”It’s actually alleviated it to a degree because I’ve been so busy in the studio doing stuff and feeling like I’m doing a little part somewhere to lift somebody’s spirits and so that’s helped my mood.”
The father of two said that it’s a life-long condition.
“I’d rather have something else,” he said. “At least [with] a coke habit you can go to rehab and quit. There is no rehab for depression.”
Bild reporters obtained the documents and recently showed them to the rock star 75 years after American troops liberated the Mauthausen camp on 5 May, 1945 — three days before the official end of World War II.
Gene’s mother, Flora Klein, was the only member of her family to survive at the camp. She died in 2018, aged 93.
“She was strong,” he says. “She fought all of this on her own… If somebody says that all of this was in the past — that’s not true. It was yesterday. It all happened just now.”
The documents also featured a victim impact statement Klein wrote, revealing she and her family members were ordered to leave their home in Budapest, Hungary, and she found herself working at the concentration camp in Ravensbruck, living in a hut “surrounded by barbed wire and guarded by the SS.”
She was moved to another camp in early 1945 and then on to Mauthausen on an overcrowded train carriage.
In 1949, Klein moved to Israel and then to the U.S. when her son, real name Chaim Witz, was eight.
Reading the documents in an article to mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation, Simmons pointed out his grandmother’s name and said, “My mother told me that they drove the old people into the gas chambers first. My mother spoke of her last conversation with her mother. They touched each other’s hand, and then — gas chamber.”
Simmons claims his mother survived the camp because she knew how to cut hair.
“When she was a 12-year-old girl, she came to a hairdresser and learned how to cut hair. The SS commander’s wife needed someone to do her hair. She asked several girls, ‘Do you speak German?’ The girls raised their hands and said yes. Whoever raised their hand was sent to the gas chamber. My mother spoke a little German, but she didn’t say so.
“That was the reason for why she was chosen. When she was doing the hair, the commander’s wife thought she wouldn’t understand anything. But she did.”
According to Ace, "Origins Vol. 2" was "done months ago" but there is no concrete release date yet for the effort.
"We're talking about the end of the summer," he said. "We might put out a single earlier than that — during the summer. We're talking about probably not till September. But that can change. Don't quote me or anything. First it was the summer, then it was the end of the summer. Last I heard it was September. Everybody's worried about their health. Health comes first, because without your health, you've got nothing."
Frehley's latest album, "Spaceman", was released in October 2018 via eOne. KISS bassist/vocalit Gene Simmons co-wrote two tracks on the disc, "Without You I'm Nothing" and "Your Wish Is My Command", the latter of which also features Simmons's bass playing.
It was previously reported that "Origins Vol. 2" would feature guest appearances by Lita Ford (on THE ROLLING STONES' "Jumpin' Jack Flash"), CHEAP TRICK's Robin Zander (on HUMBLE PIE's "30 Days In The Hole", former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick (on Jimi Hendrix's "Manic Depression", ROB ZOMBIE's John 5 (on BEATLES' "I'm Down" and CREAM's "Politician").
Originally released in early 2019, "Start With A Dream" is a story about making your dreams come true no matter what obstacles stand in your way. It starts from Joey's early childhood when he was first introduced to his musical idols KISS, and then ultimately touring with KISS with his band ZO2. ZO2 went on to star in its own TV show, "Z Rock", with guest stars Joan Rivers, Gilbert Gottfried, Dave Navarro, Daryl Hall and Sebastian Bach. After "Z Rock", Joey went on to perform with the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical "Natasha Pierre & The Great Comet Of 1812", starring Grammy Award winner Josh Groban. The book is filled with unique and colorful tales of life in the entertainment business, and is for anyone who has ever had a dream — or even more so for those who have yet to discover their own.
TWISTED SISTER singer Dee Snider said: "Joey C is 'that guy.' That guy you want in your band, that guy you want in your show, that guy you want to hang out with. Joey C is the total package!"
Added former DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy: "From international rock and roll stages to TV to Broadway, Joey Cassata lines 'em up and knocks 'em down no matter what he’s doing… Joey is not only a great drummer, but also one of the funniest guys I know and I can't wait to read his stories! (even the ones I've already heard)."
During an appearance earlier today (Monday, April 27 — his 69th birthday) on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation", Frehley stated about his former bandmates: "I texted Paul [Stanley] and Gene [Simmons] last week and just wished them well, and Peter [Criss]. And I got a text from Doc [McGhee, KISS manager]. Everybody's okay — thank God. Knock on wood. Eric Singer's been sending me some silly texts [Laughs] 'Cause me and Eric always got along really well on the road.
"Everything's cool," he continued. "What's gonna happen is gonna happen. But everything is delayed at this juncture, so who knows? … I'm doing my own thing. Unless they come forward and the price is right, you're not gonna see me anywhere close by."
In the year and a half after KISS announced its "End Of The Road" farewell tour, fans wondered openly if original members Frehley and Criss would be involved in the trek, especially considering the apparent recent goodwill between Stanley and Simmons and Frehley. Ace's latest album "Spaceman" — a title suggested by Simmons himself — features two songs the pair wrote together, and the duo completed a joint summer 2018 tour of Australia, after which Frehley fired his solo backing band and hired Simmons's.
Bruce discussed his estranged older brother five months after Bob made a public post on his personal Facebook page as as well as on his Instagram accusing Bruce of contributory "copyright infringement" over the sale of "Kulick Brothers" merchandise items, including a signed photo. According to Bob, the items were being made available via Kiss Army Merchandise with permission from Bruce only. Bob went on to say that Bruce "has a restraining order" against him, but didn't offer any more details about the circumstances that led to the order being issued.
Asked in new interview with music journalist Miles "The Shoe" Schuman whether he and his brother have made amends since Bob's original online outburst, Bruce said (see video below): "Of course, in every family dispute or business dispute that people have, there's two sides to the story. And I decided not to get into the sandbox kind of thing in this situation. So I laid out, and I'm gonna remain laying out.
"Unfortunately, my relationship's not healthy with him, but it's better just to say that there's nothing more to say about it," he continued. "It's unfortunate that it went that way. I took the high road, and that's why I'm not gonna really discuss any details about it. But I would imagine anybody who sees it as an outside person would go, like, 'All right. Well, what is the other side? What's going on on the other side?'
"It's not that I wasn't hurt by it or upset about it, but that didn't amount to me responding either. The proper response was not to respond. And for a lot of other reasons too. So it's just not something I discuss ever. I'm not upset with you that you mentioned it, but everyone that's kind of watched any of that or heard any of that has known that I've never said anything. And I will continue not to say anything, because that's the smart and the healthier thing to do.
"I think most people know that I'm not a really bad guy," Bruce added. "But in business, there's always people's perceptions and disputes, and I just wanna leave it on a high road that I don't wanna talk about it. And I regret that it even went that way, but that was his choice, not mine."
During 2017's "Kiss Kruise VII", the Kulick brothers played a 13-song set that featured 10 rarely performed KISS songs such as "Turn On The Night" and "All American Man", as well as three classics from Paul Stanley's 1978 solo album (on which Bob performed). That same year, Bob released a solo album, "Skeletons In The Closet".
Bruce Kulick joined KISS in 1984 and remained with the band until the group's original lineup reunited in 1996. He joined GRAND FUNK RAILROAD in 2000 and continues to perform with the group to this day.
(Video)
The event was set to take place on June 12-14 at Castle Donington, with headlining performances by IRON MAIDEN, KISS and SYSTEM OF A DOWN.
The festival organizers announced the cancelation in a statement earlier today.
They wrote: "Download Festival will no longer be taking place this year.
"We've been closely monitoring this unprecedented situation and it's become clear that it just isn't possible for the 2020 festival to go ahead. This decision hasn't been taken lightly and we're beyond disappointed, we extend our heartfelt apologies to all of you — we really did try to make this work.
"Please rest assured we will be back next year. Now, more than ever, we need the Download spirit to thrive and offer support to those that need it most. We’ll do our best to put together an amazing line up for you in 2021 and can’t wait to see you all then. Thank you, as ever, for your continued support.
"We are working closely with our ticketing partners now and they will be in touch very soon to process your refund, or, if you prefer, you can retain your ticket and carry it over to next year. Look out for an e-mail from your ticketing agent very soon and please only contact them if you have not been contacted after 5 days as they are very busy at this time."
Earlier this month, Download organizers said they were bringing eight major new site improvements to this year's event, including a new hard-standing tarmac "lake," a merchandise superstore, shorter walking distances to the arena, extra car park and more vegan options. The festival was also slated to become even more sustainable on site with 100 percent hydrotreated vegetable oil biofuel to be used, reducing carbon emissions by 60 percent.
Last week, Britain's Glastonbury festival, which was set to take place June 24-28 on Worthy Farm in Somerset, was canceled by the promoters. The decision came after the government advised people to avoid mass gatherings.
KISS manager Doc McGhee released a statement announcing the cancelation, explaining that the bandmembers "have been advised to temporarily" call off these events as authorities struggle to keep people out of crowded places as the virus continued to spread.
"Our Meet and Greets have always offered us and you our fans a unique opportunity to literally stand shoulder to shoulder together," McGhee said in the statement. "After many discussions with experts in the field, we have been advised to temporarily cancel these events given the reality that we do this nightly for a hundred or more fans. Shows will continue as scheduled and we look forward to resuming our time with you backstage."
Around 100,000 people worldwide have contracted the coronavirus and more than 3,000 people have died — the majority in China.
According to the Centers For Disease Control And Protection (CDC), coronavirus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person — between people who are in close contact with one another (within about six feet), and through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs.
The agency is recommending that people avoid "close contact" with anyone showing flu-like symptoms.
As the disease officially called COVID-19 continues to spread, concert organizers have been canceling or postponing events across the globe.
Preliminary estimates suggest that the death rate associated with COVID-19 is between one and two percent, which is higher than the average death rate associated with seasonal flu strains, at around 0.1 percent.
KISS is in the middle of the "End Of The Road" farewell tour, which is scheduled to conclude on July 17, 2021 in New York City.
"End Of The Road" kicked off in January 2019 in Vancouver and resumed on February 1, 2020 in Manchester, New Hampshire.
Print-on-demand apparel by Fifth Sun launched in January 2020, and a wider range of products will follow.
“The strength and power of the Marvel Universe has inspired musicians, artists and creative talent for more than 80 years,” says Paul Gitter, senior vice president, Marvel Licensing. “Our KISS x Marvel collaboration continues the legacy of working with these amazing rock ‘n’ roll hall of famers, and we are beyond excited to bring fans a loud and proud merchandise collection that screams Marvel style, with rock ‘n’ roll attitude.”
The collaboration between KISS and Marvel originated in the 1970s after the rock band starred in comics like Howard the Duck #12 and the Marvel Comics Super Special series.
“[It’s] a privilege and an honor to follow up our debut 1978 Marvel relationship, KISS Comics, where we met Spider-Man, Dr. Doom and the Fantastic Four with this new partnership,” say Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, KISS. “This is as cool as it gets.”
Other products in the deal include accessories and drinkware from Bioworld, home goods from Jay Franco and posters from Trends International.
“We are thrilled to bring these two legendary brands with such a rich history together for this one-of-a-kind collaboration and feel confident that this will generate strong retail success,” says Lisa Streff, external vice president, global licensing, Epic Rights. “The KISS x Marvel co-brand is sure to have something for fans of all ages who love these evergreen giants.”
In other KISS-related news, Gene Simmons will be speaking at this year's Licensing Leadership Summit in New York City.
A year later, and long before “rebranding” came into the lexicon, schoolmates Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley auditioned a drummer named Peter Criss and guitarist Ace Frehley and reimagined themselves as a fire-breathing, blood-spitting, ass-kicking, blowing-shit-up, rock ‘n’ roll band. It isn’t a case of arrested development or male adolescent fantasy – it’s KISS.
Today, after some 10,000 shows, at least $1 billion in tickets and merchandise sold, according to manager Doc McGhee, countless tons of pyro exploded and possibly the first and one of the biggest official fan clubs known to man in the KISS Army, the band embarked last year on its “End Of The Road” tour, which is to close its 2020 leg Oct. 2. Time will tell what the band may add between then and its final blowout July 17, 2021 in New York City. The final venue hasn’t yet been announced, but the team hints the final month will be a party for the ages with several possible sites in the mix.
“It’s very clear, we’re the hardest working band, period,” the mighty, self-assured “Demon” that is Simmons tells Pollstar. “If you put on dragon boots that weigh about 10 pounds, break your back for two hours flying through the air and stuff, you wouldn’t last a half-hour. … Now I’m 70; I look great. I work out every day and get the heart pumping because we don’t want to do a paint-by-numbers rock show. Now’s a good time to go out on top and with a tug at the heart and a lump in the throat for me.”
It’s Alive!
Stanley, the “Starchild,” yin to Simmons’ yang, is a bit more reflective about the final tour. “I hate to use the word closure, because there will never be closure,” he says.
“KISS would exist with or without our blessing. It’s so much a part of culture at this point there’s no way it could really stop. But in terms of touring, it’s certainly a chance for us to have a victory lap and celebration with the people who have made this possible and also the people who have championed us against all kinds of odds.”
And sometimes those odds were heavily weighted against them. One early review in particular stood out for Simmons. Critic Patrick McDonald, writing for a now-defunct Seattle publication, wrote in 1974: “I hope the four guys who make up the group, whose names don’t matter, are putting money away for the future. The near future, because KISS won’t be around long.”
Funny how things work out. And Simmons hasn’t forgotten, tweeting about the review 44 years later.
The screed, according to Ultimate Classic Rock, also called KISS “a very flashy glitter band that tries to make up in theatrics what it lacks musically” with songs “strictly on the moron level … made up of a series of simple chords any child could learn and lyrics that are there because they rhyme.”
“We’re actually good-natured about the whole thing,” the outspoken Simmons concedes. “We’re blessed to have had a good ride. When you’ve had a good ride and the time of your life, what people are saying on the ground doesn’t mean anything. Not everybody liked Jesus, either. You’ll never be able to have everybody love you. To thine own self be true, do the best you can, have pride, and be true to your own morals, ethics and beliefs. Otherwise you become somebody else’s hand puppet with their hand up your ass.”
KISS has certainly had the last laugh. Since then, the band has played virtually every market in the U.S. and every corner of the globe, according to Doc McGhee of McGhee Entertainment, the band’s manager since 1995. As proof of the band’s staying power, even though its biggest radio hits are some 40 years behind them, KISS is averaging 12,046 tickets sold per show for an average gross of more than $1.2 million reported to Pollstar on “The End Of The Road” caravan.
Over the years, Criss (“The Catman”) and Frehley (“The Spaceman”) departed the band, and for the last 17 years the band has comprised Simmons, Stanley, lead guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer. In addition to personnel changes, KISS toyed with “unmasking” – performing without makeup – beginning in 1983. McGhee told them he wouldn’t manage them without the makeup.
”I asked Gene if they were going to put the makeup back on and, when he didn’t answer, I said, ‘I’ll be right over,’” McGhee says of the beginning of his managerial tenure with KISS.
Mitch Rose, CAA’s co-head of contemporary music, has been with the band for about 35 years – even before the agency formally established a music department.
“The show has just gotten louder, brighter, more over the top than it’s ever been, which is exactly what KISS fans want,” Rose says. “KISS was revolutionary in how a concert was presented, and they brought theater to the concert. They brought pyro, they brought explosions, I can’t say they were the first but they were among the first to weave those elements into the show.”
Rose has been instrumental in booking and routing a farewell tour that aims to hit all the bases.
“I think the interesting thing about farewell tours is people see they are still on the road two years later since there’s a lot of cities in the world and you can’t do them in one year,” he says. “We are doing a lot of primary markets but we are also doing a lot of secondary and tertiary markets and where people want KISS, we will go. But that’s always been their touring philosophy.”
“We’ve made sure that this show is the greatest one we’ve done and the most all-encompassing in terms of songs, song selection, visuals,” Stanley says of the final caravan. “I think it’s safe to say that any band with money can put on a KISS show, and many do. But you can’t be KISS.”
Live Nation President of Talent/Touring Rick Franks marvels at the current show. “They blow more stuff up than anyone on the planet. It’s the craziest, most awesome show you can ever imagine.
“There’s never a point you can ever get bored at a KISS show because there’s just so much going on in so many different ways. It’s wild.”
Just how much “stuff” does KISS blow up? It’s probably close to a battalion’s worth of ordnance.
Each show requires 1,300 pieces of pyro including gerbs, comets, mines, flash trays, SPD bullet hits, mortar hits, jets, waterfalls, sparkle cannons, flash reports, cannon simulators and more, according to production manager Robert Long. KISS blew up more than 13,000 pounds of pyro in 2019 alone.
Setting it all off requires roughly 100 liters of Isopar and more than 21,000 grams of multi-gas fuel, Long says, and each show also uses more than 2,250 pounds of liquid Co2, roughly 800 pounds of dry ice and 30 liters of fog fluid.
McGhee has been with the band some 25 years and has also managed Bon Jovi, Mötley Crüe, Scorpions and, briefly, Guns N’ Roses.
“After over 40 some years of touring, it’s amazing the number of shows we’re doing,” McGhee says. “There’s not a lot of huge hits. We had a lot of fun and a lot of songs and musical lyrics that people loved. What they weren’t was some kind of red-carpet band. They weren’t going to win the Nobel Peace Prize. They weren’t going to get anointed by the Queen. They were going to get kicked out of town because they were ‘Satan worshippers’ and a ‘mothers, lock up your daughters’ thing.”
Ah, yes. The “Knights In Satanic Service” rumor. The stylized logo that some conspiracy theorists interpreted as supposedly promoting National Socialism. McGhee brushes that off, pointing out that “I have two Jewish guys here, and people are saying ‘Look at the SS logo’ in the KISS logo. None of that ever happened.
“KISS was, ‘Let’s party, have a great time. You can be whatever you want to be, and stand up for yourself,” McGhee says. “They meant it and went out there and played it. They didn’t talk about ‘kill your mother’ and how pissed-off they were. They talked about what they did, which was party and have a great time. Life’s short.”
Forming with original members Simmons, Stanley, Criss and Frehley in 1973, KISS has released 20 studio albums, 11 live discs, 14 compilations and greatest hits packages and nine boxed sets. After 1974’s impressive, eponymous debut, the band broke through in a big way with 1975’s classic, double-disc live album, Alive! that spawned the anthemic hit “Rock And Roll All Nite.” That was followed by platinum-sellers Destroyer, which contained the two-sided single with hits “Beth” and “Detroit Rock City,” Rock And Roll Over and Love Gun.
By this time, KISS developed a massive stage production including generous amounts of pyro, confetti, video presentations, ever more elaborate costumes, and stage antics unrivaled to this day. Effects including spitting blood and a flame-throwing guitar joined the most famous tongue in rock (rivaled only by The Rolling Stones’ logo) to became KISS trademarks.
The KISS Army was well on its way to recruiting more than 1 million foot soldiers over the years, according to Epic Rights chief Dell Furano, who has handled the band’s merchandising, marketing and fan club relations since 1980. Furano credits KISS with being the originators of the now-ubiquitous classic black concert T-shirt, considered the gold standard of band merch across the industry and accounting for about 80% of at-show merch sales.
“Prior to the late ‘70s, merchandise wasn’t really considered ‘cool,’” Furano says. Simmons, the consummate rock ‘n’ roll capitalist, is all too happy to elaborate. “We didn’t care about what was cool or what was not. We just wanted to own, and therefore reap the rewards of, anything we created,” he says. “We trademarked our faces before anybody even knew what that meant. In the Library of Congress, the only four faces of human beings are the KISS faces. You can’t get within 1,000 yards of our faces without paying an entrance fee.
“So everything from our faces to our songs, before it was cool, we owned. We started the fan club because we wanted that,” Simmons continues. “We started doing T-shirts and belt buckles and condoms and caskets and all that because we wanted to do it, not because it was cool. We were lambasted for it. But eventually, even the Grateful Dead had Cherry Garcia ice cream, for fuck’s sake.”
Stanley says the band’s ability to listen not only to its team but to its fans is a key element of its success. “In terms of merchandising, people have always said we’re geniuses. But the fact of the matter is, the only thing I would take credit for is that we listened.
“We’ve never put out products on a whim, even from the very beginning when we started doing T-shirts, which was fairly unheard of, and belt buckles,” Stanley continues. “It was because fans wanted to align themselves with us in a way that was almost like wearing a uniform. That was really the start of it but, to this day, any merchandise that we put out is based on feedback. When we plan a tour, we always work on not what is best for us in terms of the financial or economic end. If the lowest of expectations isn’t appealing to us, then we don’t do it. We know before a tour happens what the bottom line is, even in the worst case scenario.”
The KISS team is the first to say the band has never been about producing high art; it’s about entertainment and giving the fans what they want. And KISS fans are among the most loyal in the world, with shows drawing three generations and the band reciprocating with generous meet-and-greets and no hesitation about playing even the smallest markets even though they could route the biggest venues in major markets and call it a day.
“We’ve played Dawson’s Creek at mile marker one on the Alaskan Highway,” McGhee says, laughing, but quite serious about the band’s dedication to its fans. “Those guys would play a pay toilet and use their own change if it meant connecting with a fan.”
Being able to make a connection with fans is of utmost importance to KISS and its team. McGhee says he hangs out with fans during
every show and listens not for what makes them happy, but what doesn’t.
“We created the template that a lot of bands try to follow now,” Stanley says of fan engagement. “In many ways, we were the wakeup call to audiences as to what they should not accept, which is less than the best.
“When we came on the scene there was a tremendous amount of apathy and even disrespect by bands for the people who were buying tickets. In essence, I feel like I came out of the audience, came onstage and kicked whoever was onstage off of it, and said, ‘Let me show you the way it should be done.’ The way we’ve always tried to be is the band we never saw. With that in mind, we have a tremendous sense of gratitude and also a sense of responsibility to the fans to deliver what we’ve fought for over the years and what they’ve embraced.”
Franks explains that KISS has mastered not only the art of staging the kind of show that makes them happy, but how to do it most effectively for the fans and for themselves.
“Gene and Paul both are two of the smartest, veteran music guys there are,” Franks says. “They’ve done this for 40 years on a worldwide basis, so there’s no surprises for them. They understand every aspect of it.
“Just from a financial standpoint, so many artists don’t really understand how much it costs to really do the show and how we build and settle a show. But these guys know everything and exactly what has to be done. It’s really helpful as a touring partner to make this stuff even better. We’re all about being in the KISS business and couldn’t be any more respectful of these guys.”
Being astute businessmen doesn’t mean KISS is necessarily cheap, at least not where its stage show is concerned. The band travels with about 30 vehicles – 20 trucks, and about 10 other vehicles including crew buses and merchandise trucks. It sets off an inordinate amount of pyro and confetti over the course of a show, and the production includes band members flying across arenas. It’s a tall order.
Production Manager Robert Long started his career with KISS as Stanley’s guitar tech when he was 23 years old. He moved into production, working with the band on and off for decades, and regularly since 2009. He also works with Mötley Crüe and several other bands.
He says he’s currently running 16 trucks carrying nothing but production for “The End of The Road.”
KISS uses several vendors to supply the firepower, including gear from MagicFX, Club Cannon, Artistry in Motion, and LOOK Solutions. It employs a state of the art, proprietary dry ice machine developed inhouse by ffp-fx, along with a flame system custom built for KISS in Berlin.
Lightwave International provides laser effects while Christie Lites supplies the elaborate lighting that is a key component of any KISS show.
It all takes six to eight hours to load into a venue and two and a half hours to load out, making for a long day for Long and his crew, without a doubt the unsung heroes of the KISS team.
Merchandise sales helps offset some of that cost. Furano says some shows average per-head sales up to $60 to $80, compared with a typical per head of $7 to $10 for a concert by mere mortals. Another popular merch item is the collectible lithograph poster, and KISS-branded tote bags to carry all that bounty home from the show.
“People used to say, ‘You’re sellouts’ and I’d say, ‘That’s right, bitch, every night,’” Simmons says. To some, “The Demon” might sound somewhat defensive until he explains his reasoning.
“You have a big KISS show that costs an enormous amount of money. But the imagery of KISS has surpassed everything. I know it often sounds like I’m boasting, but the four faces of KISS are the most recognized faces on Earth. People aren’t sure how many faces are on Mount Rushmore or who they are. But they know the four faces of KISS.”
Rose echoes other members of the KISS team about what their association with the band has meant to him.
“It’s been one of the joys, one of the best things in my career with KISS, is they keep the same level of excellence and standards for their fans that they have over the life of their career,” he says. “They never compromise, they always have the fan first and foremost in mind when deciding when to tour, what the ticket prices are, what the show should be, and every element is geared toward the fans.
“If you go to a show and see the meet and greets, you’ll see the joy of people, adults aged 30 to even in their 80s, in meeting them. You can’t replicate that connection – KISS is at the top of connection and loyalty of a fan base.”
Franks adds, “It’s been tremendous. I’ve been with them around the world, we’re in business in Europe, the U.K., South America, you name it. It’s the traveling circus. It’s a Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey of a rock show.
“It’s a giant thing to move from city to city. We blow more stuff up than anyone. The show is more entertaining than anything in show business. The KISS logo is such a branded logo that when you see it, you immediately know what you’re getting. There’s no secret. It’s KISS.”
The "America's Got Talent: The Champions" season 2 finalists are Alexa Lauenburger, Angelina Jordan, Boogie Storm, Duo Transcend, Hans, Marcelito Pomoy, Sandou Trio Russian Bar, The Silhouetttes, Tyler Butler-Figueroa, and V. Unbeatable.
KISS will take a break from its "End Of The Road" farewell tour to appear on the program.
The band is scheduled to play in Fort Wayne, Indiana on February 16 and in Springfield, Missouri on February 18.
This isn't the first time KISS has appeared on "America's Got Talent". The group previously performed "Detroit Rock City" on the show finale in September 2018, after which it announced it would launch the "End Of The Road" tour.
This will be the definitive documentary of KISS. But in order to make the film the KISS fans deserve, the producers are conducting a global hunt for rare and compelling KISS-related media. This could include but is not limited to:
* Never-before-seen footage of the band onstage or offstage during the 1970s,
* Still photographs or video of the band in the 1970s trying to conceal their identity
* Unscripted, candid or revealing moments between band members, onstage or off, from any era.
* Obscure local or international TV/ radio interviews or news reports from the 1970s, '80s or '90s.
The documentary producers say: "We want to help the world see the band through your eyes. Don't miss this chance to become a permanent part of the band's legacy. Kisstory is literally being made."
To upload your video, audio or photographs for consideration, visit this web site and be sure to include a brief description of your submission in the "Message" section.
The documentary, apparently titled "Kisstory", is expected to arrive in the fall.
The last concert of KISS's "End Of The Road" farewell tour will take place on July 17, 2021 in New York City.
"End Of The Road" kicked off in January 2019 in Vancouver and will resume on February 1 in Manchester, New Hampshire.
KISS's current lineup consists of original members Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, alongside later band additions, guitarist Tommy Thayer (since 2002) and drummer Eric Singer (on and off since 1991).
Formed in 1973 by Stanley, Simmons, drummer Peter Criss and lead guitarist Ace Frehley, KISS staged its first "farewell" tour in 2000, the last to feature the group's original lineup.
The Global Licensing Group at Informa Markets, the licensing industry's leading tradeshow organizer and media partner, has announced world-renowned entertainer and entrepreneur Gene Simmons will headline Licensing Leadership Summit 2020 as the lead keynote speaker.
Simmons has been tantalizing and titillating fans for more than four decades. Simmons is the co-founder of KISS, America's No. 1 gold record award-winning group of all time, and is the brains behind the merchandise powerhouse that has driven more than $1 billion in retail sales of licensed consumer products for brands ranging from "Gene Simmons Family Jewels" to Rock & Brews, Erebus Pictures, Simmons Records, LA KISS and more. He's also engineered collaborations with best-in-class partners such as Archie Comics, Coca-Cola, Hello Kitty, Visa, USPS, Indy Car Series and more. In his keynote, "Gene Simmons: Creating a Brand", Simmons will speak candidly to the Licensing Leadership Summit audience about the launch of his newest branding empire and the secrets to leveraging a brand when you're the star.
"Licensing is an ever-changing, multi-faceted industry that, if executed passionately and strategically, allows brands to showcase and monetize their style and personality," said Simmons. "I look forward to sharing my personal experience and lessons learned over my years mastering the art of this electric business with Licensing Leadership Summit attendees."
Year over year, the business of brand licensing is continuously growing and evolving. According to the Licensing International Annual Global Licensing Survey, global retail sales of licensed merchandise and services grew to $280.3 billion in 2018. Licensing Leadership Summit, an exclusive executive-level conference and networking event, sits at the center of the industry's innovation, connecting global trend setters shaping the dynamic industry across manufacturing, retail, brands, and agents. The intimate conference set to take place at the New York Hilton Midtown, March 16-17, 2020, will bring together more than 300 brand licensing and retail executives for two full days of networking and thought leadership.
"We are honored to announce that Gene Simmons will headline this year's Licensing Leadership Summit," said Anna Knight, vice president, Global Licensing Group. "Simmons is truly a merchandising genius — as the driver of one of the biggest music brands of all time, the innovation behind and staying power his brand is certainly one any business leader would want to emulate. His ability to take risks, foster deep and lasting brand growth and diversify across product categories is inspiring and will be an experience our attendees will take back to the board room."
To register to attend, go to this location.
Frehley's former girlfriend, Rachael Gordon, filed for a restraining order against the former KISS guitarist in late July.
Following the decision in an exclusive interview with Frehley, he said he feels vindicated.
“I never laid a hand on Rachael and she admitted it in her deposition,” said Frehley.
In court, Judge Powazek said domestic violence is never logical.
The couple dated for 11 years and were living together in a Rancho Santa Fe mansion.
“We had been inseparable, completely inseparable since then,” Gordon said.
Gordon said things changed the night of July 12, 2019, when Frehley rushed into their Rancho Santa Fe home, took his belongings, and suddenly left.
Gordon said one of the bodyguards threatened her.
“When I turned to go out of the room the female bodyguard had her fist in my face already and said, 'hey if you say one word you’re going down, one word and listen I’m going to lay you out, right now,’” Gordon recalled. “She grits her teeth right up into my face and scared me.”
Frehley's attorney Jennifer Goldman said Frehley was taking his things because the couple broke-up.
Following the judge’s ruling, the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer said he has no ill-feeling towards Gordon.
“I hope she finds someone else and continues on with her life,” said Frehley. “I have no bad feelings about her, we did have some good times, but those have passed.”
Gordon said despite not being granted the restraining order she said she still feels like she won.
“I won because legally he can’t come around,” explained Gordon. “I have a lot of power right now that I can work with and plan to work with.”
From KISS's electrifying shows and exciting activities with each member of the band to autograph sessions with artists from the lineup and much more, the tenth adventure is sure to be an experience of a lifetime. Beyond their onboard rock shows, KISS is bringing their rare memorabilia collection, the KISS Expo, back to the high seas. Additionally, QUEENSRŸCHE, RATT and Chris Jericho's band FOZZY are set to join KISS as they celebrate a decade at sea with more to be announced in the near future.
A destination of her own, Norwegian Pearl offers guests Norwegian Cruise Line's signature freedom and flexibility to enjoy 11 onboard bars and lounges, 15 dining experiences, a casino, one outdoor pool, hot tubs, and a full menu of spa treatments. Prices for the cruise start at $1,380 with flexible payment options available and a low deposit of $250 per person.
Known for their trademark larger-than-life blistering performances, KISS has proven for decades why they are hands down the most iconic live show in rock and roll. The Rock And Roll Hall of Famers who have sold more than 100 million albums worldwide have said this tour is devoted to the millions of KISS Army fans.
KISS's current lineup consists of original members Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, alongside later band additions, guitarist Tommy Thayer (since 2002) and drummer Eric Singer (on and off since 1991).
Formed in 1973 by Stanley, Simmons, drummer Peter Criss and lead guitarist Ace Frehley, KISS staged its first "farewell" tour in 2000, the last to feature the group's original lineup.
In its 46-year career, KISS has accumulated 23 gold and platinum albums — more than any other U.S. band.
Confirmed dates so far:
Feb. 08 - Lincoln, RI - Twin River Casino
Feb. 15 - Yuma, AZ - Yuma Proving Ground
Feb. 21 - Las Vegas, NV - Golden Nugget Casino - Showroom
Feb. 22 - Pauma Valley, CA - Casino Pauma
Mar. 07 - Atlantic City, NJ - Tropicana Casino & Resort
Mar. 14 - French Lick, IN - French Lick Resort
Mar. 21 - Northfield, OH - MGM Northfield Park
Apr. 03 - Baton Rouge, LA - Event Center at L'Auberge Casino and Hotel
Apr. 10 - Marysville, WA - Tulalip Resort Casino
Jun. 12 - Kansas City, MO - Star Pavilion at Ameristar Casino Hotel
Jul. 11 - Chippewa Falls, WI - Northern Wisconsin State Fair - Grandstand
Jul. 16 - Hampton, IA - Franklin County Fair
Jul. 23 - Nashville, TN - Schermerhorn Symphony Center
Named in honor of the band's 1975 Billboard pop smash, the 40-date "Some Kind Of Wonderful Tour" will start in Lincoln, Rhode Island on February 8. Originating from Flint, Michigan in 1969, this top-selling American rock group of the 1970s is "Comin' To Your Town To Help You Party It Down." They've achieved 13 gold and 10 platinum records with record sales exceeding 25 million copies sold worldwide.
Known as "The American Band," the high-energy five-piece group GRAND FUNK RAILROAD includes original founding members Don Brewer (vocals and drums, writer and singer of the multi-million selling hit, "We're An American Band") and bassist Mel Schacher, "The God of Thunder." Joining Don and Mel are true "all-stars." Singer Max Carl is a rock veteran from 38 SPECIAL. Max penned and sang 38's biggest hit "Second Chance" and was co-founder of California's legendary JACK MACK AND THE HEART ATTACK. Don refers to Max as "the best blue-eyed soul singer on the planet." Lead guitarist Bruce Kulick is best known for his 12 years with KISS and has credits with Michael Bolton, Meat Loaf and Billy Squier. (KISS members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley were influenced early on by GRAND FUNK.) Keyboardist Tim Cashion has a master's degree in music from the University of Miami. Affectionately called "Dr. Tim," his credits include stints with BOB SEGER AND THE SILVER BULLET BAND and English soul man Robert Palmer.
GRAND FUNK laid the groundwork for such bands as FOREIGNER, JOURNEY, VAN HALEN and BON JOVI with its signature hard driving sound, soulful vocals, muscular instrumentation and forceful pop melodies. The fact that GRAND FUNK's legacy still reigns over the classic rock landscape 50 years after is a testament to the group's influence and staying power. Mega-hits "We're An American Band", "I'm Your Captain/Closer To Home", "Locomotion" and "Some Kind Of Wonderful" still receive continuous airplay on classic rock radio. "We're An American Band" has received notoriety in recent years being used in movie soundtracks and in television/radio advertising. The huge hit was featured in a General Motors national TV ad campaign and in Disney's animated feature film "The Country Bears". "We're An American Band" was featured in the Cuba Gooding Jr. film "Radio", and in the swash buckler "Sahara" starring Matthew McConaughey.
Internationally acclaimed GRAND FUNK has toured the world, selling out in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Japan and South America. A 1971 performance at New York's Shea Stadium sold out faster than THE BEATLES. The group's widespread appeal is also evident in its prestigious recording achievements. Over their career, GRAND FUNK has had 19 charted singles, 8 Top 40 hits and two Number One singles ("We're An American Band" and "Locomotion", both selling more than one million each). The group has now accumulated 13 gold and 10 platinum records with record sales exceeding 25 million copies sold worldwide. The most recent gold CD award was presented to the band for their greatest hits package "Grand Funk Railroad The Collectors Series".
The multi-talented band carries on the tradition of GRAND FUNK hits and creates a new chapter in the legacy of GRAND FUNK RAILROAD. GFR drew 25,000 people to their Molson Canal Series Concert outside Buffalo, 20,000 in Albany, New York, and 20,000 fans to downtown Orlando, Florida. EMI/Capitol (Universal Music) released a new GRAND FUNK "greatest hits" package that includes a bonus DVD of rare concert footage. GRAND FUNK RAILROAD's 2019 "50 Years Of Funk Tour" was a huge success and now, with the group's 2020 "Some Kind Of Wonderful Tour", seasoned GRAND FUNK lovers and contemporary rock fans discovering the group for the first time will be able to celebrate 50 years of funk with GRAND FUNK RAILROAD.
Yoshiki's televised performance with KISS follows his surprise on-stage appearances with the band at Tokyo Dome and Kyocera Dome Osaka during their "End Of The Road" world tour, electrifying the audience with a piano performance on "Beth" and playing the drums on "Rock and Roll All Nite".
Yoshiki worked previously with KISS to create a 72-piece orchestral cover of "Black Diamond" for the 1994 tribute album "Kiss My Ass: Classic Kiss Regrooved". In 2016, Gene Simmons joined Yoshiki on stage to perform "Rock And Roll All Nite" at the Visual Japan Summit in Tokyo.
The upcoming performance will mark the first time Yoshiki and KISS have appeared on television together.
"I want us to create a performance that will have a big impact," Yoshiki said. "I think we're really going to shock people."
"It's an honor to perform on NHK in my favorite country in the world," says Gene Simmons of KISS. "Yoshiki is a Japanese legend, but he never forgets to have a humble heart. I've been influenced by his humble approach to his work."
Paul Stanley of KISS also praised Yoshiki, adding, "Not only is Yoshiki a wonderful pianist and drummer, but he continues to express the importance of living and has had a great impact on us."
For Yoshiki, KISS was a life-saving force in his childhood as he dealt with the despair caused by the sudden death of his father.
"KISS saved my life," explained Yoshiki, who studied classical piano throughout his youth and began drumming as a way of releasing his emotional pain.
"Instead of banging things, I started banging drums," Yoshiki said in the X JAPAN documentary film "We Are X". Gene Simmons appears in the film to praise the band which was in fact inspired by KISS. "If those guys were born in America," Simmons said, "they might be the biggest band in the world."
Yoshiki's "Kohaku Uta Gassen" appearance will mark his fifth consecutive performance since 2015 as both a solo artist and as leader of the rock group X JAPAN. He defeated Godzilla in 2016, played the drums for the first time following his cervical vertebra surgery in 2017, and made history in 2018 as the first artist to perform on the program for both the red and white teams, appearing as "Yoshiki feat. Hyde" for the "Attack On Titan" theme "Red Swan" and playing the piano with Sarah Brightman on vocals for the chart-topping crossover single "Miracle".
The Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana said Tuesday that Roth had been added as a special guest to the last leg of the "End Of The Road" tour that will stop in Fort Wayne on Sunday, February 16, 2020.
"David Lee Roth will bring his exciting stage show featuring a twin guitar big rock sound and a set list of classic hits and future energy," the Memorial Coliseum said.
KISS's North American dates kick off February 1 in Manchester, New Hampshire, and run through October 2 in Fort Worth, Texas. The trek will consist of two legs, with gigs in South America and Europe taking place in between.
The VAN HALEN frontman is scheduled to play a nine-show residency at the House Of Blues in Las Vegas in January and March, but none of those shows conflict with the KISS dates. Roth will also appear at the Epicenter festival in Charlotte, North Carolina on May 1.
In a recent interview with the KSHE 95 radio station, Roth confirmed that he will play additional shows beyond his Vegas residency.
"Once we get this up and rolling, then, of course, we're going to start to take this out on the road," he said. "I think I'm the face of VAN HALEN from this point on, and we take it as seriously as all you listening to it. Yeah, there's a lot of smile and style to it, but there's a lot of, 'We really, really have to mean it in the notes and what we do in the subtext of the lyrics.' It's the sound of several generations on one big prison break... We're up there on stage to work it."
Roth told Van Halen News Desk that his band will recreate the sound of VAN HALEN's albums and his own solo work, not VAN HALEN's live performances.
"We do not sound like VAN HALEN live," he said. "You have not heard this. VAN HALEN live is lead guitar, bass, drums, sing. Here, we bring it the way a record brings it. To do that requires two or three guitars. We have five people hollerin'. It's a big rock sound. It's not [1985's] 'Just A Gigolo'. It's not brass band. That was a quickie vacation."
Roth's upcoming Vegas residency won't be the first time he has set up shop in Sin City. Back in 1995, Roth completed a Las Vegas engagement at Bally's Hotel and Casino and another short run at MGM Grand.
VAN HALEN has been inactive since it completed its U.S. tour in October 2015 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California.
Roth recently launched Ink The Original, a skin-care line specifically made to preserve, protect, and highlight tattoos and keep them from fading.
The world's second-highest-grossing hard rock/metal artist during that period was BON JOVI, who sold $134 million worth of tickets worldwide for its 31 reported performances. Next on the list was KISS, who were the highest grossing hard rock/metal band in North America during the reporting period. Overall, the band — which kicked off their "End Of The Road" farewell tour on January 31 — sold $89.8 million worth of tickets for 74 reported concerts.
Pollstar's reporting period encompassed the majority of the 2018 tour by TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA and the first week of the Yuletide rockers' 2019 trek. Altogether, TSO grossed $65.7 million during the 12-month period, selling 1.02 million tickets along the way. Notably, only Elton John sold more tickets in North America during the same time frame.
IRON MAIDEN's ongoing "Legacy Of The Beast" tour also did strong business, as its 44 stops during the reporting period grossed $49.5 million. All but six of those shows took place in North America, where the band's average attendance was more than 13,000.
Here are Pollstar's Top 10 Worldwide Hard Rock/Metal Tours of 2019:
01. METALLICA ($179 million, 1.74 million tickets, 48 shows)
02. BON JOVI ($134 million, 1.31 million tickets, 31 shows)
03. KISS ($89.8 million, 890,000 tickets, 74 shows)
04. TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA ($65.7 million, 1.02 million tickets, 104 shows)
05. IRON MAIDEN ($49.5 million, 750,000 tickets, 44 shows)
06. QUEEN + ADAM LAMBERT ($45.5 million, 370,000 tickets, 25 shows)
07. AEROSMITH ($34.1 million, 165,000 tickets, 34 shows)
08. TOOL ($31.6 million, 330,000 tickets, 24 shows)
09. RAMMSTEIN ($29.8 million, 285,000 tickets, 7 shows)
10. GUNS N' ROSES ($26.5 million, 250,000 tickets, 13 shows)
Here, meanwhile, are Pollstar's Top 20 North American Hard Rock/Metal Tours of 2019:
01. KISS ($81.6 million, 800,000 tickets, 67 shows)
02. TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA ($65.7 million, 1.02 million tickets, 104 shows)
03. METALLICA ($45.8 million, 380,000 tickets, 23 shows)
04. QUEEN + ADAM LAMBERT ($45.4 million, 370,000 tickets, 25 shows)
05. IRON MAIDEN ($36.9 million, 510,000 tickets, 38 shows)
06. AEROSMITH ($34.1 million, 165,000 tickets, 34 shows)
07. TOOL ($28.4 million, 280,000 tickets, 21 shows)
08. GUNS N' ROSES ($20.1 million, 165,000 tickets, 11 shows)
09. SHINEDOWN ($18.9 million, 375,000 tickets, 71 shows)
10. DEF LEPPARD ($18.7 million, 160,000 tickets, 23 shows)
11. ZZ TOP ($15.8 million, 265,000 tickets, 60 shows)
12. DISTURBED ($15.4 million, 260,000 tickets, 37 shows)
13. BREAKING BENJAMIN ($14.5 million, 410,000 tickets, 48 shows)
14. THE WHO ($12.7 million, 120,000 tickets, 10 shows)
15. LYNYRD SKYNYRD ($10 million, 150,000 tickets, 20 shows)
16. GRETA VAN FLEET ($9.6 million, 195,000 tickets, 38 shows)
17. ROGER WATERS ($8.6 million, 85,000 tickets, 7 shows)
18. JOURNEY ($7 million, 50,000 tickets, 11 shows)
19. GODSMACK ($6.5 million, 125,000 tickets, 21 shows)
20. HEART ($6.1 million, 100,000 tickets, 11 shows)
Last month, Kulick celebrated the 35th anniversary of his first shows with KISS by performing a six-song "Animalize" medley on the "Kiss Kruise" with a band that consisted of SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS singer/guitarist Todd Kerns and drummer Brent Fitz along with bassist/vocalist Zach Throne. The foursome's set also included other '80s and '90s songs that KISS rarely, if ever, played live.
On December 3, Kulick spoke about the "Kiss Kruise" during an interview with Soy Kissero. Calling the experience of playing the KISS-curated event "amazing" and "a lot of fun," Bruce said that he "really did enjoy it. And the crowds were amazing," he said. "To play that music, it means a lot to me — especially for that particular crowd, of course. They're wonderful. So, [it was] a lot of fun."
Asked what project he has lined up for 2020, Kulick said: "Well, I have to admit I would love to have an opportunity to record a few songs with that 'Kruise' band. To do some recording would be really exciting. So, I'm looking forward to that."
Kulick joined KISS in 1984, soon after then-guitarist Mark St. John left the band after being diagnosed with Reiter's Syndrome, a form of inflammatory arthritis. He recorded five studio albums with the group — "Asylum", "Crazy Nights", "Hot In The Shade", "Revenge" and "Carnival Of Souls" — and can also be heard on the band's "Alive III" and "Kiss Unplugged" live sets. He joined GRAND FUNK RAILROAD in 2001 and continues to serve as the band's lead guitarist today.
Bruce is heavily featured on "Kissology – Vol. 2" and "Vol. 3", the DVDs spanning KISS's historic 45-year career.
But there’s one story Rangers great Ron Duguay had never shared before, now revealing for the first time how he ended up in Gene Simmons’ bed with Cher after a night out at Studio 54.
“This is gonna be an exclusive thing because I’ve never been a kiss-and-tell type of guy,” Duguay said on the debut episode of “Up In The Blue Seats,” The Post’s New York Rangers podcast.
The Rangers had just defeated the Islanders at the Garden on Jan. 20, 1982, when Duguay went to celebrate at Studio 54, where he often went at the time despite drawing the ire of Herb Brooks — then the Rangers coach who led the “Miracle on Ice” USA squad over the Russians en route to a gold medal at the 1980 Olympics. (Duguay was traded to Detroit in June 1983.)
Duguay, who was 24 at the time, says he was minding his own business at Studio 54 when a woman pointed at him and called him over. It was Liza Minnelli, who said she’d always wanted to meet Duguay and liked the Rangers. After Duguay chatted with Minnelli’s husband, Minnelli invited Duguay to her house for a party later in the evening and asked if he’d like to meet someone. When he said yes, Minnelli called over none other than Cher, 35 at the time, who had been on the dance floor.
“If you know Cher, if she wants something, she goes after it,” Duguay says. “Grabs me by the arm and says, ‘You dance?’ I said, ‘Yeah.’ So we go and start dancing, we’re dancing to all this fun stuff back then — the Bee Gees, Rod Stewart, Billy Joel. To this day, if you Google ‘Ron Duguay and Cher,’ it breaks down to a slow song. Her head’s on my [shoulder]. She’s looking very comfortable. And you look at my face, and the expression on my face is like, ‘Oh my God, I’m dancing with Cher.’ I look like I don’t feel comfortable because I’m not comfortable, because I grew up as a Canadian watching ‘Sonny & Cher.'”
The moment Duguay references was captured perfectly by The Post’s Vernon Shibla at Studio 54, Cher resting her head on Duguay’s right shoulder with her eyes closed.
The two then went back to Minnelli’s table, where she said she and her husband were going back to their house. “C’mon, we’re going,” Cher told Duguay.
They were sitting in the lobby of Minnelli’s apartment building, waiting roughly 30 minutes for her arrival before Cher began to get angry. She had enough, so she and Duguay got in a taxi.
“Where are we going?” Duguay asked.
“Just come with me, son,” Cher answered.
The cab went five or six blocks to what Duguay described as a “beautiful” townhouse. Before Cher turned the key to open the door to the house, she turned around to tell Duguay, “By the way, I don’t beep, beep, beep on the first date.”
“Fill in the blank,” Duguay says on the podcast. “And I said, ‘I’m happy to just be here.'”
Duguay looked around at the gold records on the wall of the house, but he noticed they weren’t Cher records, but rather those of KISS. Cher then told Duguay they were at Simmons’ house.
“So I’m in Gene Simmons’ townhouse, not sure why I’m there. Next thing I know, she told me, ‘We’re not doing anything tonight,'” Duguay recalls. “Next thing you know, we’re sitting on his bed. And that’s where the story stops.”
Thayer has been an Epiphone signature artist since 2014 and both his "White Lightning" Les Paul and Explorer were an instant success with fans and critics alike. The new Tommy Thayer Electric Blue Les Paul features a classic Les Paul profile made from Mahogany with a Maple cap and finished in Electric Blue — from custom paint designer John Douglas — with Les Paul Custom style white and black binding on the top. The Mahogany neck has a 60s SlimTaper profile with an Indian Laurel fingerboard and standard Les Paul trapezoid inlays. The neck has a 24.75" scale, a 12" radius, 22 medium frets, and a 1.69" Graph Tech nut. The truss rod cover has a metal "bell" shape engraved with Tommy's name and the back of the "dovewing" headstock features a "SpaceMan" logo and a reproduction of Tommy's signature in silver.
For his Electric Blue Les Paul, Tommy chose Seymour Duncan JB Humbuckers, the original archetype hot-rod humbucker and one of Duncan's earliest and most revered designs. The neck pickup features a covered JB Humbucker while the bridge pickup features an open-coil JB Humbucker with blue bobbins. Volume and Tone Controls come with custom Blue Top Hat knobs with metal pointers. Tommy selected the classic Lock Tone ABR bridge and Stop Bartail piece along with Grover Rotomatic tuners with an 18:1 tuning ratio for fast and reliable tuning and intonation. The Tommy Thayer Electric Blue Les Paul Outfit comes with a limited lifetime guarantee and Gibson's world-famous 365/24/7 customer service. See your authorized Epiphone dealer soon while supplies last.
Thayer joined KISS in February 2003, stepping into the boots the band's original guitarist, Ace Frehley.
KISS's current lineup consists of original members Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, alongside later band additions, Thayer and drummer Eric Singer (on and off since 1991).
Rachael Gordon was granted a temporary restraining order against Ace -- who she says she's been with for 11 years -- after what sounds like a bizarre and frightening incident at their house.
She claims in the docs, he returned home from a business trip unannounced and barged in with muscle -- a male and a female bodyguard -- along with his daughter, Monique.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer allegedly refused to talk to Gordon as he went into his office to gather up his guitars and gold records. Rachael says the female guard threatened her with physical violence and Monique screamed at her ... "You are a skank. My family will kill you."
According to the docs ... Gordon claims as quickly as they stormed in, Ace and his crew took off, leaving her "in shock, afraid, filled with anxiety" and "paralyzed with fear."
A friend of Rachael's witnessed the alleged incident, and claims in docs ... Frehley, Monique and the security guards "looked like they were on drugs."
Gordon also alleges Frehley's exhibited physical and troubling behavior with her in the past, claiming he once threw a knife on their bed and said something like ... "you know what that can do to you."
Frehley's filed legal docs of his own, claiming the accusations against him are "unfounded, false, and baseless" ... and he's requesting to introduce the testimonies of 7 witnesses he believes will support dismissing the restraining order.
There's more, though -- Gordon's also seeking money from the ex-KISS member. She claims the home ambush happened as their lease was up, and says she needs the dough to get a new place ... because she doesn't work and Ace allegedly controls their finances.
She wants $11k for rent and deposits, $20k for moving expenses, and for Ace to cover all the costs of their vehicles. She also wants him to fork over $25k for legal fees.
A court hearing's scheduled for January.
He said: "I have Lita Ford singing [THE ROLLING STONES'] 'Jumpin' Jack Flash'. I have Robin Zander singing '30 Days In The Hole' by HUMBLE PIE. It came out fabulous. It was a lot of fun working with Lita, 'cause Lita's like my sister. KISS and THE RUNAWAYS used to tour together back in the '70s… I have [former KISS guitarist] Bruce Kulick doing a solo on [Jimi Hendrix's] 'Manic Depression'. I have John 5 playing on a BEATLES song, 'I'm Down'. And he did one other song, 'Politician' by CREAM… If you listen to the CREAM version, [Eric] Clapton does a double solo — he's playing two solos at the same time. So what me and John 5 did is, he did a solo, I did a solo, and then Alex Salzman, my engineer, we did a crossfade. So if you listen to the song with headphones on, you hear me going from one side to the other, and John going from one side back. So it's a really interesting mix. If you listen to it with headphones, you'll get a big kick out of it."
According to Frehley, one of the most appealing aspects of making an album of covers is the fact that he doesn't have to write the songs. "So all I have to do is kind of make it my own, and maybe change the guitar solo a little, maybe change the arrangement a little, and then get some guest stars. I can knock it out in 30 days."
Ace also talked about the delay in releasing "Origins Vol. 2", which was initially expected before the end of 2019.
"It was finished a couple of months ago, and now we're just at the process of mastering and sequencing it," he said. "Originally, we were supposed to put it out in January, and now the record company wants to hold the release date till March. I don't know anything about selling records; I just know how to make 'em. So if they say they wanna put it out in March, I say fine. It gives me more time to work on writing new material for my next studio record."
Frehley previously told The Weekender that "Origins Vol. 2" will once again feature a LED ZEPPELIN tune, "Good Times Bad Times". He also revealed that he wanted to lay down the vocals for "30 Days In The Hole" himself, but that he "just couldn't cut it, vocally, because [Steve] Marriott's just too good of a goddamn singer. I just couldn't do justice to his vocals," he explained. "But I remembered that I had bumped into Robin Zander years ago at a meet-and-greet and he had mentioned to me that he'd like to sing on one of my upcoming records, so I remembered that and gave him a call. And he killed it as well. He sounds like a young Marriott."
Released in April 2016, "Origins Vol. 1" debuted at No. 23 on The Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 16,000 equivalent album units. The CD featured KISS frontman Paul Stanley joining Ace on FREE's hit "Fire And Water"; Slash trading leads on THIN LIZZY's classic "Emerald", Ford singing and playing lead on THE TROGGS staple "Wild Thing", ROB ZOMBIE guitarist John 5 playing guitar alongside Ace on the classic KISS composition "Parasite", and PEARL JAM's Mike McCready playing guitar with Ace on KISS's "Cold Gin".
In a 2016 interview with The Aquarian Weekly, Frehley admitted that doing the first covers album was "the record company's idea. To be honest with you, initially, I wasn't that excited about the project, because I had just come off the high of the success of 'Space Invader', which is all originals except for a cover of 'The Joker'," he said. "It was almost, like, 'Okay, I'm going to go through the motions and get this out of the way and then jump into the studio for my next real studio album.' But I've gotta tell ya, man, once I started the process and started remembering the groups that influenced me, narrowing down which songs I thought were going to be best for the record, and then started the recording process; I really started getting more excited about it."
Carr replaced Criss in KISS in 1980 and made his recording debut with the band on 1981's "Music From 'The Elder'" album. His final recording with KISS was "God Gave Rock And Roll To You II". His last public appearance before his death was at the MTV Video Music Awards in September 1991.
Earlier this week, Criss took to his official web site to plug the newly released officially licensed Eric Carr commemorative collectors coin, and included the following message: "I'd like to help promote Eric Carr's coin and the designer, Ralph Asbury, to all the fans. Eric Carr was a sweetheart of a man and a great drummer. He would call me often in his years with KISS for guidance and he was so respectful. I really liked him and felt for him. He always gave his best!"
Carr contributed his talent to the bands many gold and platinum albums during his tenure, and can be heard on the band's many hit songs from the 1980s, including "Lick It Up", "Heaven's On Fire", "Crazy Nights", "Tears Are Falling" and "Forever", to name a few. In addition to his musical contributions, Carr was equally known for his inviting personality and genuine love for the fans. From the time he joined the band to this very day, Carr remains one of the most beloved members of the KISS family.
Carr died on November 24, 1991 of a rare heart cancer. He was 41.
Back in 2011, on the 20th anniversary of Eric's passing, KISS guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley stated about Carr: "At a time when KISS was in the midst of upheaval and turmoil, Eric brought calm and an optimism that refocused our priorities so we could move forward. I can't overstate his contribution to our rebirth. His dedication to his music was only matched by his dedication to his fans. He was a kind soul who couldn't say an unkind word about anyone and I think of him all the time."
Added KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons: "I never knew anyone more humble in my life. Eric Carr was a kind soul who never said anything bad about anybody. He was also a double threat on drums, and vocals. I miss him."
"I have been working on the Titans Of Rock festival concept for many years," said Simmons. "Our goal is to provide classic rock fans with a one-of-a-kind, immersive, three-day experience featuring legendary names in a venue where they can celebrate their love of rock with other fans."
Simmons met Varabioff when his GENE SIMMONS BAND performed at Cannafest in 2018. Varabioff produced the event and Simmons saw potential to revamp, rebrand and expand the concept into a series of events that would make it more accessible to fans throughout Canada and the United States.
"While our past events have been extremely successful, with Gene's active involvement, creative influence and business savvy, combined with the event's evolution to Titans Of Rock, we will offer fans something they can't find anywhere else," said Varabioff.
Simmons is set to personally host Titans Of Rock in Grand Forks in August. The lineup will be announced prior to the end of 2019 and sponsorships and vendor opportunities are currently available.
Varabioff's previous events included appearances by dozens of notable artists and bands, including the GENE SIMMONS BAND, Bret Michaels, CHEAP TRICK, BEACH BOYS, WHITESNAKE, LOVERBOY, Vince Neil, Tom Cochrane, Lita Ford and Randy Bachman.
RV parking, camping and other accommodations are available to festival goers, and a broad range of vendors will provide food, drinks and retail products.
A percentage of proceeds from the event will benefit local charities, and Habitat for Humanity Kamploops will auction off a show-quality, collectible car to raise funds to build affordable housing for lower income families in the Thompson and Cariboo Chilcotin regions of British Columbia.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit TitansOfRock.com.
IMG will develop licensing plans for multiple product lines, including apparel, homeware, automotive, travel accessories, gaming, and electronics, with an eye towards having products on the shelves by early 2020.
Additionally, IMG’s representation of Simmons will include promotions, commercial tie-ins, and brand endorsements.
“Gene Simmons is a branding and merchandising maven and we are so excited to be working with him. Together, we will use our extensive skills base, relationships and experience to showcase Gene’s iconic style and personality,” said IMG’s Vice President of Licensing Gary Krakower.
Simmons is best known as the frontman for KISS, but has also starred in the TV series ‘Gene Simmons Family Jewels,’ and is the co-founder of the ‘Rock and Brews’ restaurant chain. He also is regularly featured a speaker through the auspices of his ‘Gene Rich and Famous Expos’ venture and is currently in the midst of penning his seventh book “On Power.”
The former KISS guitarist's official web site is accepting pre-orders for this "historic" re-release of "Speedball Jamm", priced at $250.00 apiece. Each CD will come with a limited-edition autographed 8x10 photo and a "BIG" guitar pick. The discs are expected to ship in February 2020.
"Speedball Jamm" — previously issued under the title "Archives Volume 1" — has been described as "a single 70-minute track of blistering guitarmageddon." According to Rarebird's Rock And Roll Nest, the song "is divided into ten not-very-distinct parts. It's a subterranean-sounding recording of Vinnie jamming endlessly on a lead guitar at high speed, sometimes solo, sometimes with the accompaniment of bass and drums."
Vincent — who was a member of KISS when the band publicly "unmasked" in 1983 — made several public appearances last year after spending the past two decades out of the public eye.
In 1983, KISS wrote and released "Lick It Up" — their first album without makeup — a recording on which Vincent co-wrote eight of 10 songs, including the title track, which remains a staple of the group's live performances to this day.
Despite the album's success, Vincent was fired by KISS after the "Lick It Up" touring cycle came to an end, allegedly due to a dispute over both the terms of his employment contract with the band and royalties. From there, Vincent founded VINNIE VINCENT INVASION, which recorded two albums.
In 1992, Vincent re-teamed with Simmons and Stanley to write three songs for their acclaimed album "Revenge", including the record's first two singles, "Unholy" and "I Just Wanna". Their relationship quickly soured once again, however. Four years later, Vincent released a solo EP, "Euphoria", which featured vocals by former VVI singer Fleischman and included material from sessions recorded around 1990. Soon after that, Vincent vanished from the public eye and remained off the grid for more than two decades.
Vincent recently announced that he will host "Vinnie Vincent's Merry Metal Christmas" on December 14 and December 15 at S.I.R. Studios in Nashville, Tennessee.
Although KISS has canceled its Australian farewell tour after Stanley was diagnosed with a bad case of the flu, the legendary rockers will still perform under the sea for great white sharks and eight fans separated from them by a small submarine.
After KISS and its fans travel aboard separate boats off the coast of Port Lincoln in South Australia, the band will stay above board on one vessel, and the fans will be lowered beneath the surface of the water from a second boat into the viewing sub in an area known for shark activity.
Tour group Adventure Bay Charters said: "Due to band member Paul Stanley's illness, KISS concert promoters One World Entertainment and TEG Live announced the tour was cancelled. We are sorry to hear this news that many fans lost the opportunity to join KISS last road trip concert, and we wish the best for Paul Stanley and a speedy recovery.
"We are glad to announce that we will keep hosting KISS concert for the remaining band members, the shark trip will still go Monday, the Ocean will rock&roll! 8 lucky customers will jump on our shark warrior, using our unique underwater sub, enjoy a KISS live concert and Great White Sharks!"
When the concert was first announced, Stanley told Rolling Stone that he and his bandmates were intrigued at the suggestion.
"Airbnb approached us with this idea that sounded, quite frankly, a little weird, but we're used to being approached with things that are a little weird," he said. "I've played for a lot of land sharks. Now I finally get a chance to play for the ocean varieties."
KISS was forced to cancel the Australian leg of its "End Of The Road" world tour due to Stanley's ongoing illness.
Just days after rescheduling the start of the tour, KISS scrapped all of this month's shows and the rescheduled Perth concert on December 3.
KISS's shark concert this month will mark only the fourth time the band has performed as a trio. KISS previously played as a three-piece in 1982 when original guitarist Ace Frehley reportedly refused to show up during a lip-synced performance of "I" from Studio 54, broadcast via satellite to the Sanremo Festival in Italy; in 2007 when a heart issue caused Stanley to be rushed to the hospital prior to KISS's concert at the Soboba Casino in San Jacinto, California; and in 2016, when Stanley missed a charity show after tearing a bicep.
Earlier this week, it was announced that doctors had advised Paul Stanley to rest due to a bad case of influenza, prompting the rescheduling of the tour's first show in Perth and the cancelation of New Zealand. It was hoped the extra few days rest would allow Stanley the chance for a complete recovery so the tour could proceed as planned. However, unfortunately, this has not occurred. Stanley has an additional infection in his throat requiring complete vocal rest and medication for at least two weeks and possibly longer.
Stanley said: "Words cannot begin to convey our massive disappointment in having to cancel our 'End Of The Road' tour of your incredible country. Our connection to you is unparalleled and decades deep. We waited as long as we could and held out hope to the last minute that my situation would clear up and we would be able to march forward. Doctor's orders ultimately have taken precedence and finally we now find ourselves with no choice but to surrender. With heavy hearts, KISS."
Promoters One World Entertainment and TEG Live said: "We are devastated with the cancelation of the Australian tour. We've been in constant contact with the band in the past few days hoping for a positive outcome. We know how much fans were looking forward to the tour. We send our best wishes to Paul for a speedy recovery."
Tickets purchased by credit or debit card will be refunded in full (including ticket insurance premium, if relevant) and patrons do not need to take any action. Patrons should allow up to 10 working days for the refund to appear in their account.
Patrons who purchased tickets in an Agency using cash or EFTPOS will be contacted via phone in the next 15 days to arrange for a full refund.
For Supercars Newcastle 500 tickets, the concert portion will be refunded, being $65 for Gold tickets and $115 for One Last KISS tickets. All refunds will go back to the credit card it was purchased on by December 6.
On Friday, Bob made a public post on his personal Facebook page as as well as on his Instagram accusing his brother of contributory "copyright infringement" over the sale of "Kulick Brothers" merchandise items, including a signed photo. According to Bob, the items are being made available via Kiss Army Merchandise with permission from Bruce only.
"I have NOT given permission for this and have not been accounted to or paid for merchandise SOLD bearing my name and photos with my likeness," he wrote. "This is called COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT and an indication to all of you as to where my back stabbing Brother Bruce is in all this ! Disgraceful , uncalled for and a situation that will be answered in time !"
Bob went on to say that Bruce "has a restraining order" against him, but didn't offer any more details about the circumstances that led to the order being issued.
During 2017's "Kiss Kruise VII", the Kulick brothers played a 13-song set that featured 10 rarely performed KISS songs such as "Turn On The Night" and "All American Man", as well as three classics from Paul Stanley's 1978 solo album (on which Bob performed). That same year, Bob released a solo album, "Skeletons In The Closet".
Throughout his 40-plus-year music career, Bob Kulick has worked with an astonishing array of artists: from Meat Loaf to MOTÖRHEAD; from KISS to Michael Bolton; W.A.S.P. to Diana Ross; as well as legends such as Roger Daltrey, Alice Cooper, Lou Reed and Paul Stanley's first solo LP and tour.
Bob began his musical profession at 16 — when most high schoolers are still trying to figure out where they're going in life — appearing on the 1966 album "Winchester Cathedral" from the RANDOM BLUES BAND, the "baby band" that Bob played in that played The Café Wha in New York's Greenwich Village alongside Jimmy James and the BLUE FLAMES (later rechristened Jimi Hendrix).
1973 saw Kulick make the connection that he has been associated the most with throughout his career. He auditioned for — and got passed over by — KISS. Instead of being dejected, the six-stringer aligned himself with the band over the years, playing on the studio material on "Kiss Alive II", providing solos on the "Killers" album, co-writing "Naked City" from "Unmasked" and guesting on Paul Stanley's 1979 solo album and tour a decade later. He even suggested his brother to the band.
Bruce Kulick joined KISS in 1984 and remained with the band until the group's original lineup reunited in 1996. He joined GRAND FUNK RAILROAD in 2000 and continues to perform with the group to this day.
Bob discussed his growing frustrations with people within the KISS camp, including his brother, during an October 2019 interview with "Rock Talk With Mitch Lafon".
KISS announced over the weekend that it will play its last-ever show on July 17, 2021, in New York City. It will be the finale of the two-and-a-half-year "End Of The Road" world tour, which, by the time it is finished, will have taken in more than 165 dates across several continents.
In the months after KISS announced "End Of The Road", fans wondered openly if original members Ace Frehley (guitar) and Peter Criss (drums) would be involved in the tour, especially considering the apparent recent goodwill between Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons and Ace. Frehley's latest album "Spaceman" — a title suggested by Simmons himself — features two songs the pair wrote together, and the duo completed a joint summer 2018 tour of Australia, after which Frehley fired his solo backing band and hired Simmons's.
McGhee said during a question-and-answer session on the ninth annual "Kiss Kruise" that KISS is open to reuniting with all former members at the final gig.
"We want to include everybody that played with KISS to celebrate the 45 years of KISS," he said. "And everybody — Vinnie Vincent and everybody else — that [has] played with KISS is part of this whole celebration of 45 years. So, we're still looking at what we're gonna do on the final show of KISS."
According to McGhee, Frehley and Criss have both "been talked to" about participating in some form. But, he acknowledged, "It's pretty difficult. When people say, 'Oh, you should bring Ace and Peter up.' How do you do that when you have two Catmen and two Spacemen? So you say, 'Okay. You don't wear makeup and you wear makeup.' And then they [Ace and Peter] go, 'Well, that was my makeup.' I don't know. So it's real hard to do, but we'll figure it out because they're very much a part of the heritage of KISS. And they're acknowledged by Gene and Paul and everybody in this room as the founding members… So. it's important to you guys [and] it's important to us. It's just a matter of the balance and we can bring it where it works for everybody and everybody is having a great time."
Last year, Frehley told VintageRock.com that "the only way" he would "seriously consider" taking part in "End Of The Road" is "if I took back my make-up and costume and my character — which I designed." He added that current KISS guitarist Tommy Thayer "is not a bad guitar player, but he basically just mimics everything I wrote, and tries to imitate my persona. He's been doing it for 15 years," he said. "But the reality is I'm the original guy. And nobody can really copy the way I play guitar."
Asked if he would still consider participating in the tour if Criss was not involved, Ace said: "I think it would be great if Peter was involved. Obviously, at this point in his life, he wouldn’t be able to do a two-hour show. But I can see if we worked out a situation where Peter came out at the end and did three or four songs — sang 'Beth', did 'Black Diamond' and a couple of others, I think that would be fun."
"End Of The Road" kicked off on January 31 in Vancouver and will resume on November 16 in Perth, Australia.
KISS's current lineup consists of original members Simmons and Stanley, alongside later band additions, Thayer (since 2002) and drummer Eric Singer (on and off since 1991).
Formed in 1973 by Stanley, Simmons, Criss and Frehley, KISS staged its first "farewell" tour in 2000, the last to feature the group's original lineup.
The band made the announcement onstage prior to the second and final indoor concert of this year's Kiss Kruise, also stating that 90 new tour dates would be announced shortly.
"We've been on the End of the Road tour, and people have said, 'when is the last show?'" Frontman Paul Stanley explained. "So we're here to tell you that the end of the road comes to an end on July 17, 2021 in New York City."
A gigantic countdown clock behind the band during the announcement read 622 days, 23 hours and 51 minutes.
"What happened was that Peter Criss and Ace Frehley — who are the original founding members with Paul and myself 46 years ago... Not everybody is designed to run a marathon, it's fair to say," Gene said. "And not everybody should be in a band that lasts decades and decades. So, by the turn of the 2000s, the early 2000s, it became dysfunctional to the extreme. They were asked to leave or left on their own volition three different times because of the cliché of clichés — bad behaviour, unprofessionalism, drugs, alcohol. It's, like, it's been done — come on. Then we looked at each other and said, 'If we can't live up to the, 'You wanted the best, you've got the best, the hottest band in the world,' let's just call it quits.' You've got the cash, the fame. So we stopped — we stopped for a while and kept getting a deluge of gifts and inquiries. 'Why can't you do it? If you've got a flat tire, change the tire. Why do you wanna stop?' And Paul and I had a moment where we just said, 'You know what? We're thinking small.' I always thought of THE BEATLES, 'Nobody will ever take the place of anybody.' But Ringo [Starr] is not an original member; he took the place of Pete Best. So when you take a look at all the bands, 'Oh, there can be a different lead singer of VAN HALEN.' Actually, there can, and there has been. And I'm the guy that found them, so I know what I'm talking about."
Simmons went on to confirm that KISS's ongoing "End Of The Road" trek is indeed the band's "final tour." He said: "It's a long one. We've got another two years of staying out there. We've already done 93 cities around the world, [and we are] coming back again. But the reality is that I'm 70. By the time I'm 72, it's time to get off the stage. We've both seen bands that stayed too long on that stage… You wanna get off the stage before they're tired of you… Leave them wanting more. Don't stay on there too long."
Frehley left KISS after the band's 2002 "Farewell Tour" dates, saying afterwards that he took the word "farewell" seriously. Criss has claimed that his contract with KISS wasn't renewed in March 2004. Both charges have been disputed by Stanley and Simmons.
Simmons and Stanley have chosen to have the rest of the current KISS lineup — guitarist Tommy Thayer and longtime drummer Eric Singer — dress up as Criss's and Frehley's respective "Spaceman" and "Catman" personas.
Earlier this month, Gene underwent a successful kidney stones surgery.
Last month, KISS postponed its shows in Oakland and Los Angeles. The date at Oakland Arena, originally set for September 16, is now listed on the venue web site as March 6. The date at Staples Center in Los Angeles, originally set for September 20, now takes place March 4.
The only reason given for moving the Oakland and Los Angeles performances was "unforeseen scheduling issues."
"This was a good time in my career to consolidate my complex portfolio of diverse rights for the sake of my family and my estate" says Ezrin. He continues: "Larry and all the folks at Primary Wave have been terrific partners in this effort and I am extremely happy with the results. Plus, on top of rationalizing the past, they also presented me with a solid vision for the future that I am very excited about — since I intend to keep creating for many years to come!"
"We are beyond excited about partnering with the legendary Bob Ezrin," says Lawrence Mestel, CEO/founder of Primary Wave Music Publishing. He goes on, "Bob continues to be one of the most sought-after producers in the world. His talent is unparalleled and his body of work is extraordinary. We are delighted to welcome him to the Primary Wave family."
The phrase "super-producer" is often used when discussing Bob Ezrin — and with good reason. In a legendary career that spans nearly 50 years, the Toronto-born Ezrin has worked around the world as a music and entertainment producer, personality and entrepreneur. Throughout his five decades in the industry, Ezrin has worked on recordings, TV, film, and live events for a wide variety of artists, including Andrea Bocelli, PINK FLOYD, Alice Cooper, DEEP PURPLE, KISS, Lou Reed, U2, Jay-Z, Peter Gabriel, 2CELLOS, THE TENORS, AEROSMITH, HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES, DEFTONES, Rod Stewart, NINE INCH NAILS, Pete Seeger, and many others and he remains one of the most sought-after producers in the world today. Beginning his career at the age of 8, Bob worked in TV and radio in Toronto as both an on-screen and voice-over performer. During his teen years, he was a folk musician playing the same clubs as Joni Mitchell, Gordon Lightfoot and Neil Young. By the age of 21, he was not only producing major rock bands under the tutelage of Jack Richardson, but he formed a friendship with Alice Cooper which would ultimately lead to a nearly 50-year creative partnership that continues today.
In 2004, Bob was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall Of Fame and, two years later, he was inducted into the Canadian Music Industry Hall Of Fame. 2012 saw Bob being named as a Fellow of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. A year later he was inducted into Canada's Walk Of Fame. Bob is a co-founder of Wow Unlimited Media Inc. and The Nimbus School of Media Arts, both in Vancouver, B.C., and he co-founded 7th Level Inc. in Richardson, Texas and Enigma Digital in Los Angeles, California, both seminal companies in interactive entertainment, education and social media. He served as co-chairman of Clear Channel Interactive and chairman of Live Nation Artists Records.
Ezrin's passion extends far beyond the recording studio. He currently sits on the boards of directors of In Place of War in Manchester, U.K. and Los Angeles; The Canadian Journalism Foundation in Toronto; The Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation in Los Angeles; is an eco-activist in Canada and the U.S., Chairman Emeritus of the Los Angeles Mentoring Partnership and, along with the Edge of U2, the co-founder of Music Rising, an initiative to replace musical instruments that are lost in natural disasters. He and his wife Jan are Leadership Circle members of MusiCounts in Toronto. He is also a "Water Warrior" for UNICEF in Guinea, Africa and a major proponent of mental health awareness and suicide prevention.
The Ezrins live in Nashville and Toronto.
"The Rainbow" explores the vast history of Hollywood's famed Rainbow Bar & Grill and Whisky A Go Go on the Sunset Strip. Both iconic venues were founded by the late Mario Maglieri. The Rainbow, which opened in 1972, is filled with rich rock and roll history. Mario's Italian heritage inspired the delicious food that is served there, especially the pizza, which is known as the best in the city.
Truly a lover of music and the arts, Mario — known as the King of the Sunset Strip — helped hundreds of artists get their start in Los Angeles. Hopefuls from all over the world came to the The Rainbow with the desire of being discovered. He frequently came across talented musicians who went on to become platinum sellers. Their pictures line the walls of The Rainbow.
The documentary gives viewers an inside look at the Maglieri family who has owned the venue and dedicated their lives to preserving rock history.
"Telling the story of the Rainbow Bar & Grill, the Whisky A Go Go and the Maglieri family in this film has been a great honor and one that truly represents the history of rock n' roll in America," says producer Matthew Perniciaro of Bow And Arrow Entertainment. Perniciaro and Michael Sherman of Bow And Arrow produced the film, with Todd Singerman, Erik Kritzer of Link Entertainment, Mikeal Maglieri and Mike Maglieri Jr. serving as executive producers.
"We are excited to release 'The Rainbow' documentary as it is a true testament to rock and roll history. The iconic Rainbow Bar and Grill has been the home to many legends over the years and this is a must-see documentary for any music and sunset strip lover," said Nolan Gallagher, founder and CEO of Gravitas Ventures.
Gallagher negotiated the deal with Matt Perniciaro of Bow And Arrow Entertainment.
"The Rainbow" can be preordered on iTunes now.
According to a recently released promotional video for the event, "There will be Vinnie shredding, songs, excellent food, Q&A, photo ops, more memorabilia on display, [and] signings. Unreleased and master tracks of Vinnie Vincent's classic songs will also be previewed and much, much more."
Tickets for "Vinnie Vincent's Merry Metal Christmas" are priced at $500.00 per ticket and can be purchased via PayPal or credit card.
Vincent celebrated his 67th birthday at a private event for select fans on August 10 in Nashville, Tennessee. The party took place at S.I.R. Studios and consisted of "six hours of stories, music, photos and fun."
Vinnie's birthday party came a couple of months after the cancelation of his performance at the "Speedballjamm", which was scheduled to take place on June 7 at the S.I.R. Soundstage in Nashville.
Earlier in the year, Vinnie called off his original comeback concerts. which were supposed to take place February 8 and February 9 in Nashville, due to a dispute with the promoter.
Vincent's plan for his comeback has publicly changed several times. In the initial announcement, the show — which was originally slated to happen in November — was described as a true solo gig with Vinnie singing and playing songs from his career on acoustic guitar and telling stories about the old days.
Last year, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons suggested in an interview that Vincent was "his own worst enemy" and expressed his doubt that Vinnie would successfully relaunch his career.
"There's something called the classic failure mechanism, which I was told by doctors and everything — I'm not saying he is one," Simmons said at the time when asked about Vincent's attempt to trademark the name "Vinnie Vincent's Kiss". "But there are people who simply cannot handle when things are starting to go their way — success — so they torpedo it by making stupid decisions to make sure they don't succeed, so they can deal with that."
Vincent — who was a member of KISS when the band publicly "unmasked" in 1983 — made several public appearances last year after spending the past two decades out of the public eye.
Vinnie joined KISS in 1982, replacing Ace Frehley. As the "Ankh Warrior," he toured with the group in support of "Creatures Of The Night", on which he played lead guitar on six songs prior to becoming an official member of the band.
The rockers have been booked to perform at sea off the southern coast of Australia, where their audience will be a group of lucky fans and Great White sharks.
The gig will take place on Nov. 18 on The Shark Warrior, a glass-bottomed boat that allows passengers to see the sharks swimming beneath them.
Experts expect the big fish to flock to the boat show as they are drawn to low frequencies.
All proceeds from the event will go to the Australian Marine Conservation Society.
Meanwhile, KISS bass player Gene Simmons is expected back onstage for the group’s ongoing farewell tour later this month after taking time off to undergo surgery to remove kidney stones.
Sources close to the KISS singer tell TMZ ... Gene was admitted into Cedars-Sinai Hospital early Tuesday morning to undergo a medical procedure that should help get rid of the stones. It's non-invasive, we're told, and only took about an hour to complete.
Our sources say a stent was inserted in his urethra, which helps urine flow from the kidney to the bladder ... ultimately forcing the stones to pass through. Sounds like he'll be peeing 'em out soon.
We're told the stent will be removed in about a week -- and any remaining stones will be removed too. Gene should be good to go at that point.
It sounds like he's been ramping up for this procedure for at least a few weeks now -- Gene tweeted to fans on Sept. 13 that he and the band would be putting their farewell tour on pause so he could handle his health issues. But, he assured them it was no biggie.
Here's the kicker ... back in 2009, Gene sold one of his kidney stones for $15,000, which ended up going to charity. If things go well here ... he might have a bundle on his hands.
Any bidders out there?
Produced by Chris Laney of Danish metal band PRETTY MAIDS and executive producer Mike Dalager, the track commemorates the 35th anniversary of the release of Stephen King's "Children Of The Corn" and Bruce Kulick's first recording with KISS on "Animalize", where he played the ghost solo for Track 5, "Lonely Is The Hunter".
"Penitentiary" is a beefed up, cinematic version of the title track from 2013's "Dreams In The Witch House: A Lovecraftian Rock Opera", an adaptation of HP Lovecraft's classic horror tale from 1932. The track also marks Kulick and Blair's seventh collaboration with the rock opera. In a previous interview Kulick noted, "When [Chris] approached me, along with Mike, about being involved I said, 'I'm in!' even though I don't know much about HP Lovecraft. But I know Chris understood what I'd be able to lend to the project."
Hollywood actors John Franklin and Courtney Gains, renowned for their iconic roles as child cult leader Isaac and henchman Malachai aren't known for their singing abilities. Executive producer Mike Dalager states: "They will blow you away with their vocal chops! John got his start in musical theater in Chicago and Courtney's an accomplished songwriter and singer who headlines his cruise grunge band RIPPLE STREET." John Franklin states, "My teenage dream of being a rock star is suddenly resurrected. And don't get me started on how friggin' amazing Mr. Gains is!"
"It would be nice to go back out again with them," Frehley said. "But it's not my call. I think we have a really good relationship now. I text Paul back and forth and we've worked together, as I have with Gene. I would seriously consider it, but the money would have to be right. I'm not gonna take Tommy Thayer's salary.
"It would certainly sell more tickets with me involved," Ace added. "I have a gut feeling it will happen."
Ace acknowledges that he wasn't always the easiest to work with in KISS, given his acknowledged problems with drink and drugs.
"I know that I put those guys through hell in the past," he conceded. "Sometimes I was too drunk at soundchecks, but sobriety has made me more dependable and reliable." Frehley says he's been sober for 13 years now and would be fighting fit to rejoin the self-styled "Hottest Band In The World" for what would be an unforgettable experience, especially if original drummer Peter Criss were to come back into the fold.
"It would be really exciting," he said. "Not just for me, but also for the fans. I'm ready. I feel reborn."
Read the whole of this revealing article, and many more fascinating features, in issue 16 of Rock Candy, available in shops worldwide or direct online at this location.
"It has been a pleasure to work with Gene. He has been a valuable asset to the company," said Trevor Dixon, president and chief executive officer of Invictus. "Gene has pledged his ongoing support of the company, its leadership and its new direction."
Simmons continues to be a shareholder in Invictus.
"I have enjoyed my time with Invictus," said Gene. "I remain a big fan!"
The KISS bassist/vocalist, who has always promoted clean living and scoffed at peers who snort drugs and get high, made headlines in March 2018 when he landed the Invictus gig.
For those confused about this relationship given the fact that Simmons had been on the record about never trying cannabis in his whole life, Gene explained his stance during an interview with SmallCapPower at the 2018 New Green Frontier cannabis investor conference, which was held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
"Historically, I have to say I was completely wrong about the entire space," he said. "I thought cannabis was for stoners and losers and all that, and slowly but surely, over the years, the amount of research that I saw just blew me away. Seeing little girls who suffer from epilepsy rubbing a salve, not on the inside but outside of their body and seemingly miraculously getting cured made me take stock.
"Big Pharma [the global pharmaceutical industry] is not fond of this space, because cannabis, in its various forms, is actually gonna help people," he continued. "That's what researchers are telling me. And I'm telling everybody else there are a lot of new companies, especially in Canada, and good for them. Some of them are solid, some of them are garbage, and it's up to you to find out what it's all about. I happen to believe in Invictus, and all I urge anybody to do is to go to Invictus-MD.com and do your own research.
"When you go into a restaurant, you get a menu," Simmons added. "Think what looks good for you. It's all there. Some of it's good, some of it's fresh, some of it's rotten and been there a long time. But, generally, the cannabis space, I think, is gonna be good for humanity. Certainly much better than cigarettes, which might give you cancer. This other thing, even as a recreational item, might give you the munchies [the desire for salty, sweet or fatty carbohydrate-rich foods]. Let me see: I get the munchies or I might get cancer."
Simmons also disclosed that he had "10 million in stock" in the company and said that he was "glad to do it."
As part of his deal with Invictus, Simmons had agreed to appear at least 50 investor and industry presentations for the company over a five-year period.
Gene told the Vancouver Sun that he has been drawn into many of his diverse ventures, more often than not, because he established a personal connection, adding that he "liked" the company's former CEO, Dan Kriznic, the first time he met him.
"I may drive a truck, but open the hood and I call the mechanic because he can fix it," Simmons explained. "The most important view is the one from 30,000 feet because that is where you can take in the big picture. Whether it's religion, rock stars or politicians, you need to be able to tell the story and convince people that they need stuff they don't need. With what we're doing with Invictus MD … is something that I'm very bullish on because it's real."
Invictus is a global cannabis company with a focus on the Canadian cannabis space, offering a selection of products under a wide range of cannabinoid profiles that fit the demand of the company's medical clients and retail customers. The company's integrated sales approach is defined by five pillars of distribution including medical, adult-use, international, licensed producer to licensed producer and sales to provinces.
Bogart’s Boardwalk Entertainment has fully financed the picture with Jessica Martins’ Hero Entertainment. In a film that will feature some of the most iconic music of the 1970s, Jeremy Jordan plays Bogart and Michelle Monaghan plays his wife, Beth; Samuel L. Jackson plays Parliament leader George Clinton, Kenan Thompson is Motown’s Berry Gordy, Jason Isaacs is Al Bogart (the record producer’s father), Jason Derulo is Ron Isley of the Isley Brothers, Jay Pharoah is WBLS radio DJ Frankie Crocker, D.L. Hughley is Parliament’s Bootsy Collins, Jazmine Sullivan plays Gladys Knight, Steven Strait and X Ambassadors’ Sam Harris play KISS leaders Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, Neil Patrick Harris plays KISS co-manager Bill Aucoin, Peyton List plays Nancy Reingold, Caitlin Fitzgerald plays Joyce Biawitz (Bogart’s second wife and co-manager of KISS and Donna Summer), and Dan Fogler, SNL‘s Chris Redd, and James Wolk also have key roles.
The film is being produced by Laurence Mark, Bogart, Martins, and Alex Habrich. Harvey Mason Jr., Evan “Kidd” Bogart, Gary Randall and Wei Zheng are also in producing capacities.
Maniscalco, who has established himself as a top touring standup comedian, was last seen in Green Book and he will next be seen onscreen in The Irishman, the Martin Scorsese-directed drama that has its world premiere at the New York Film Festival. He’s repped by UTA and Levity Entertainment Group, and Dreyfuss is APA.
Originally formed by Sorum in 2012 as ROCK 'N' ROLL ALL STARS, KINGS OF CHAOS features a core lineup of members as well as a rotating cast of guest musicians.
KINGS OF CHAOS has recorded just one song so far: a cover of DEEP PURPLE's "Never Before" for the 2012 tribute album "Re-Machined: A Tribute To Deep Purple's 'Machine Head'".
Back in 2014, Bach spoke about Frehley while commenting on KISS' induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and the announcement that the original four members of KISS would not perform at the ceremony.
"As a fan, I understand why people would want to see that," Bach told Ultimate Classic Rock. "But as a [now-51]-year old man that has worked with Gene Simmons and Ace Frehley, I understand why Gene Simmons doesn't work with Ace Frehley."
Bach added cryptically: "Ace has sides to him that maybe the fans don't see. That's all I can say." Sebastian concluded by saying, "I understand why Gene doesn't play with [Ace]."
Bach and Frehley worked together on the track "Know Where You Go" for drummer Anton Fig's solo album "Figments", which came out in 2002. At the time, Bach said that recording with Ace and Anton was "a dream come true and an honor."
The event takes place on Monday, October 28 and Tuesday, October 29 with a lineup of Grammy winners and rock standouts. Opening the Monday show are fan favorites JADED PAST and "Kiss Kruise" alumni THE NO. 13'S. They are followed by an amazing performance by the KRUISE FEST ALL-STAR BAND. Anchored by Ace Frehley's touring musicians, the group will be joined by Grammy winners John Regan and Bob Kulick, and artists including Richie Scarlet and Tod Howarth, with more to be announced. Closing out the night will be Sebastian Bach performing a full set consisting of the first SKID ROW album in its entirety!
Tuesday will feature a non-make-up acoustic set by KISSTERIOUS, a tribute band from The Netherlands, followed by front man extraordinaire John Corabi (MÖTLEY CRÜE, RATT, THE DEAD DAISIES) performing poolside in what is sure to be a highlight of this two-day event. Hosting the pool party will be Steve Mitchell, "ChippenPaul Stanley" of the Las Vegas tribute SINCITY KISS. The evening set begins with KISS AMERICA (Florida's ultimate KISS tribute band!), followed by international recording act THUNDER MOTHER from Sweden, and RETURN OF THE COMET (featuring members of FREHLEY'S COMET). Tuesday's headliner will be none other than the Spaceman himself, Ace Frehley! Ace will be performing a full set with his band AND will jam two songs with RETURN OF THE COMET for a once-in-a-lifetime experience for those in attendance.
Throughout both days, between-set tunes will be provided by Miami's own "Kiss Kruise" alum DJ Noiz, entertaining the crowd with favorite rock songs and mixes. Also on site will be an International KISS Exchange And Rock-n-Roll Expo featuring vendors selling KISS and rock memorabilia. Special Expo guests in attendance Tuesday will be Jake J and the Killjoys, former KISS security Big John Harte, KISS and DIO album designer Ken Kelly, and several KISS podcast representatives. Fans will have the chance to meet and interact with all special guests!
General Admission tickets are only $85 and admit you to all the shows in the concert hall on both days.
For tickets and hotel and event details, go to www.kruisefest.com.
Asked in a brand new interview with Long Island, New York's News 12 if he still gets chills when he performs live for his fans, Ace said (see video below): "It feels great. It's great to be adored and worshipped. I mean, I'm used to it, but I still enjoy it. I just turned 68 in April, but I'm still having a great time. I'm actually having more fun now than I did in my 50s. I don't know what the reason is. Sobriety might have something to do with it. The fact that I'm in better shape. I'm a lot more creative now. I've done five albums [in the past decade]. And 'Origins Vol. 2' is done. It's just being mixed. That'll be out in October. So there's a lot of stuff going on."
Frehley recently told The Weekender that "Origins Vol. 2" will once again feature a LED ZEPPELIN tune, "Good Times Bad Times". "I'm really excited about 'Origins Vol. 2'," he said. "It's surpassed my expectations. I got Lita Ford singing 'Jumping Jack Flash', and she's amazing. She came to my home and I coached her for two days with vocals and she just [expletive] killed it. I also have Robin Zander singing '30 Days In The Hole' by HUMBLE PIE. I really wanted to do the HUMBLE PIE song, but I just couldn't cut it, vocally, because [Steve] Marriott's just too good of a goddamn singer. I just couldn't do justice to his vocals. But I remembered that I had bumped into Robin Zander years ago at a meet-and-greet and he had mentioned to me that he'd like to sing on one of my upcoming records, so I remembered that and gave him a call. And he killed it as well. He sounds like a young Marriott."
A poster announcing the birthday bash was posted on Vinnie's official web site, along with the following caption: "Vinnie Vincent's Birthday Bash August 10th, 2019 – Nashville, TN. Stay tuned for news and event details!"
A message purportedly from Vincent to his fans about the event was posted two weeks ago on Facebook. In the missive, the musician lamented the existence of "relentless Internet bullying mobs of hate-filled lunatics engaged in the systematic witch hunt to sabotage my brand name and reputation" and expressed his desire to "publicly enjoy this ride with the fans whether it's playing, recording or reconnecting with the fans." Vinnie went on to say that he was "planning some surprises" at the bash and promised that "it will be a blast."
The official announcement of Vinnie's birthday party comes just a month after the cancelation of his performance at the "Speedballjamm", which was scheduled to take place on June 7 at the S.I.R. Soundstage in Nashville.
Vincent's "Speedballjamm" appearance was being billed as an intimate event, with only 60 VIP tickets being made available at the cost of $300 per ticket. The performance was supposed to see Vincent backed by his handpicked musicians, Mike Weeks and Chuck White.
Earlier in the year, Vinnie called off his original comeback concerts. which were supposed to take place February 8 and February 9 in Nashville, due to a dispute with the promoter.
Robert Fleischman, a former member of JOURNEY and Vincent's post-KISS band VINNIE VINCENT INVASION, was supposed to sing for Vinnie but abruptly pulled out of the project in November, saying that he was unhappy about elements of the production.
Derek Christopher, the promoter of Vinnie's comeback concerts, said that he was "shocked" by Vincent's decision to scrap the shows two weeks before they were scheduled to take place.
Vincent's plan for his comeback has publicly changed several times. In the initial announcement, the show — which was originally slated to happen in November — was described as a true solo gig with Vinnie singing and playing songs from his career on acoustic guitar and telling stories about the old days.
Last summer, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons suggested in an interview that Vincent was "his own worst enemy" and expressed his doubt that Vinnie would successfully relaunch his career.
"There's something called the classic failure mechanism, which I was told by doctors and everything — I'm not saying he is one," Simmons said at the time when asked about Vincent's attempt to trademark the name "Vinnie Vincent's Kiss". "But there are people who simply cannot handle when things are starting to go their way — success — so they torpedo it by making stupid decisions to make sure they don't succeed, so they can deal with that."
Vincent — who was a member of KISS when the band publicly "unmasked" in 1983 — made several public appearances last year after spending the past two decades out of the public eye.
Vinnie joined KISS in 1982, replacing Ace Frehley. As the "Ankh Warrior," he toured with the group in support of "Creatures Of The Night", on which he played lead guitar on six songs prior to becoming an official member of the band.
Before KISS's "End Of The Road" tour launched in January, Frehley addressed some comments Simmons made about about a possible reunion of the band's original lineup, dismissing Gene's claim that Ace had been fired from KISS three times (he says he quit), alleging that Simmons groped Ace's wife, Rachel, during one of the bassist's "Vault Experience" events in Los Angeles and accusing Simmons and KISS frontman Paul Stanley of trying "to derail my solo career multiple times over the years." After the allegations, he included a threat: "Without a complete and heartfelt apology, an offer to give me my old job back and removing Tommy [Thayer] from the throne I created, the shit will hit the fan and they'll [sic] be no stopping it. It's on!!!" He concluded the post with an image of him pointing at a camera emblazoned with the words, "The gloves are off!!"
Asked in a new interview with Alan K. Stout of The Weekender in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania if he has had a chance to try and mend things with Simmons, Ace said: "I have had no contact with Gene, and Gene hasn't commented on Rachel's accusations. He hasn't said 'Yay' or 'Nay' or denied it, or apologized. It's just very unsettling and an unfortunate situation that that had to go down. I don't know the specifics, exactly, because I did not witness anything. In reality, talking hypothetically, if Rachel decided to sue Gene … in the court of law, I would have to have to say, if they put me on the stand, that I did not witness anything. It's a tough situation. And that's all I really have to say about it."
Frehley added that he has had some contact with Stanley, who wrote in his latest book, "Backstage Pass", that he is glad to have rekindled a friendship with Ace.
"I spoke with Paul last week," Frehley told The Weekender. "I just touched base. He didn't really want to talk about the feud between me and Gene. I heard he'd said some nice things [in the book], and I actually sent him a text thanking him for the kind words …. That's what prompted me to get a hold of him and thank him, and wish him luck on the European tour that they're on right now. I always try to keep the door open."
This past February, Simmons told the Los Angeles Times that he didn't want to go into detail about Ace's explosive remarks. "I'm not gonna say anything in print other than I love Ace and Peter [Criss, original KISS drummer] and I thank them forever — they're every bit as important as Paul and myself for launching the band," he said. "I'm not going to make any guesses of why the emotions are so volatile, but it's happened before."
Stanley — who guested on Frehley's 2016 album "Origins, Vol. 1" — told Billboard he was aware of Frehley's January 2019 comments but was "not sidetracked by anything. I have no comment about that."
Frehley recently has completed work on "Origins Vol. 2", the sequel to his 2016 collection of cover songs that inspired the former KISS guitarist. The LP, which is tentatively due later this year, will feature guest appearances by Lita Ford (singing "Jumping Jack Flash") and CHEAP TRICK's Robin Zander (singing HUMBLE PIE's "30 Days In The Hole").
Production will begin July 16 in Montreal on Spinning Gold, a film written and to be directed by Timothy Scott Bogart, son of the late musical idolmaker who died at age 39 of cancer and lymphoma.
Bogart’s Boardwalk Entertainment has fully financed the picture with Jessica Martins’ Hero Entertainment, and here is the cast: Samuel L. Jackson plays Parliament leader George Clinton (the Godfather of Funk), Kenan Thompson plays Motown’s Berry Gordy, Jason Isaacs plays Al Bogart (the record producer’s father), Jason Derulo plays Ron Isley of the Isley Brothers, Jay Pharoah plays WBLS radio DJ Frankie Crocker, D.L. Hughley plays Parliament’s Bootsy Collins, 11-time Grammy nominee Jazmine Sullivan plays Gladys Knight, Steven Strait and X Ambassadors’ Sam Harris play KISS leaders Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, Neil Patrick Harris plays KISS co-manager Bill Aucoin, and a top young singer is about to be set to play Donna Summer.
Playing Bogart will be Tony nominated Broadway actor Jeremy Jordan, with Michelle Monaghan set to play his wife, Beth. Dan Fogler, SNL‘s Chris Redd, and James Wolk also have key roles.
The film is being produced by Laurence Mark, whose musicals include The Greatest Showman and Dreamgirls, Bogart and Martins. Harvey Mason Jr., Evan “Kidd” Bogart, Gary Randall and Wei Zheng are also in producing capacities.
Bogart told Deadline that with the exception of a 3-month option to Sherry Lansing at Paramount in the 1990s, he has resisted numerous overtures for the rights to frame a drama around the life of his father, including one where a producer sent two different scripts and a huge check. Bogart didn’t read the scripts or cash the check, he said. While he and his brother rebuilt the Boardwalk brand his father started post-Casablanca into a successful business, and as he cut his teeth writing and producing TV and films, Bogart eventually came around to the feeling he was the one to tell his father’s story. His father had the reputation of a master promoter and showman who broke a swarm of acts that defined the ’70s disco era, but Bogart was also a man who would spend $4 to earn $3, and he didn’t leave much behind for his sons.
“My father was making $100 million a year, at the height of Casablanca, but he quote unquote forgot to pay his taxes and my inheritance amounted to three years at NYU, a Dodge Daytona and the rights to this story,” he said. “I was going to protect this with all I had.”
The film will recapture the highs and lows, the extravagant parties and decadence, as Bogart says he won’t sugarcoat the excesses of sex and drugs that were prevalent in the music business during his father’s heyday. But he also won’t judge the people depicted in that world. As he spoke to Deadline, Bogart was sitting among sets that recreated his father’s office and the home he grew up in. The director sees the movie in the style of films like Boogie Nights and All The Jazz.
“There were many parts to Neil Bogart, including gambling, womanizing, drugs, but for my father, they were his superpowers,” Bogart said. “If he wasn’t a gambler like his own father, he wouldn’t have been able to run to Vegas to come back and make payroll. He was a functioning Quaalude user who would operate under the influence in the office or at my little league games. But when Frankie Crocker scared the shit out of J Edgar hoover and every record exec turned his back on him after Frankie was arrested in the payola scandal, my father created a fake album to give him an advance that paid his legal fees. It would be wrong for me or the film to judge these people, though the audience certainly can.”
Said Bogart: “When I ask people who were around my father what it was like, they inevitably say a variation of the same thing. That is, ‘I don’t know how I survived it or if I would do it again, but I had the greatest fu*king time of my life.’ That is the compass of the movie, a story of an enormously tight knit group that made magic happen, who believed in their dreams and made them come true.”
The son, who at 49 said he is a teetotaler who has been monogamous and with the same woman he met at age 18, did get one quality from his father: a willingness to bet big, which he is doing by co-financing the under $30 million film.
There is a lot of goodwill among the Casablanca alums. KISS frontmen Simmons and Stanley will give the actors playing them something similar to when Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga sang their A Star Is Born songs unannounced at music festivals. KISS has invited their doppelgangers to be their opening act during an upcoming tour, so that the scenes can be filmed with a packed house.
Among the songs that Bogart has rights to that will be featured in the film — and its soundtrack — are Summers’ Last Dance and I Feel Love, Parliament’s We Want the Funk, the Isley’s Fight The Power and It’s Your Thing, Knight’s Midnight Train to Georgia, Bill Withers’ Lean On Me, Mayfield’s Freddie’s Dead and Superfly, Kiss’ Rock N’ Roll All Night, The Village People’s YMCA and In The Navy, Oh Happy Day by the Edwin Hawkins’ Singers, and numerous others.
“I’m self-financing, we put this together ourselves and only answer to ourselves,” Bogart said. “And after it’s done, I will take it to studios are are right now looking at the returns on Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman,'” he said. “These are great stories of artists finding themselves, set to an entire soundtrack of our lives.”
ICM Partners is repping worldwide distribution rights on the picture and the soundtrack is being released through Boardwalk Records.
Produced by Chris Laney of Danish metal band PRETTY MAIDS and executive producer Mike Dalager, the release date commemorates the anniversary of Bridget Bishop's hanging during the Salem Witch Trails of 1692. Bridget was the first person condemned to hang by the court. Twenty others were executed.
"Sanitarium" is a predominantly acoustic version of the title track from 2013's "Dreams In The Witch House: A Lovecraftian Rock Opera", an adaptation of HP Lovecraft's horror story from 1932. In a recent interview, Gains noted: "To do the title track is pretty exciting… and then now it's starting to evolve into this whole thing where Bruce Kulick is playing lead guitar on it, Doug Blair is playing guitar on it. Every time I hear a new version my head explodes and it's just getting bigger and bigger and I'm really excited where this thing is going."
On September 22, an enhanced ensemble version of "Sanitarium" will be released, titled "Dreams In The Witch House: Penitentiary". With an added verse and a heavier dynamic, the track adds actor John Franklin ("Children Of The Corn", "Childs Play", "The Adams Family") on vocals, along with cello virtuoso Tina Guo, and Hans Zimmer protégé Jon Monroe as orchestrator. The September release of "Penitentiary" will commemorate the anniversary of Martha Corey's hanging, the final execution of the Salem Witch Trails.
A free download of "Dreams In The Witch House: Sanitarium" is available at this location.
Caridi died on Tuesday, his reps confirmed to Variety. He had been in a coma at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles. TMZ first reported the news.
His Carmine Rosato character in “The Godfather: Part II” played a key role in the territorial feud with Frank Pentangeli, played by Michael V. Gazzo. Studio executive Robert Evans said in his 1994 memoir “The Kid Stays in the Picture” that Caridi was director Francis Ford Coppola’s first choice for the role of Sonny Corleone in “The Godfather.” However, Evans, he said in the book, thought Caridi was too tall for the role, which instead went to James Caan.
The veteran actor also appeared in “The Godfather: Part III” as a different character, Albert Volpe, an investor in Michael Corleone’s casinos who is killed in an attack at a hotel in Atlantic City. He also starred in TV shows including “Phyllis,” “Starsky and Hutch,” “Taxi,” “NYPD Blue” as Detective Vince Gotelli and “Fame” as Angelo Martelli.
In 2004, Caridi became the first person to be expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He was ousted for circulating screeners of movies vying for Oscar attention. Caridi and Russell Sprague were also sued by Sony and Time Warner on civil charges of copyright infringement. Caridi was cleared of wrongdoing.
“Mission to Mars” comes off Frehley’s recent album, Spaceman.
Regarding the writing process behind Spaceman, Frehley told Guitar World, “One of the things that started the creative process happening this time was actually when Gene [Simmons] came down to my house and we wrote the two songs for the album. One of them, ‘Without You I’m Nothing,’ opens the record. And the other is the song ‘Your Wish Is My Command.’ ”
As for how former band mates hooked up, Frehley recalled, “I called him up and said, ‘You wanna write a couple of songs with me?’ And he said, ‘Sure.’ Everybody thinks there’s this mysterious thing you gotta do to get two Kiss guys together, you know? But we all have the other’s cell phone numbers and we just call each other! The same thing happened when I asked Paul [Stanley] to do the video and sing ‘Fire and Water’ on [2016’s] Origins, Vol. 1. It just happened. It was, ‘Yeah, I’d love to do it!’ Okay, great. Let’s do it.”
Regarding the gear he used on Spaceman, Frehley said:
“I’ll usually record the basic track with a Les Paul — I’ve been using a lot of the ’59 reissues that Gibson gave me. The aged ones sound great — just like an original ’59. And then I double that with a Strat or a Tele. And a lot of the songs have an acoustic on the track as well. They’re just buried down in the mix.”
He continued, “I use different heads — Marshalls, Fenders — and different mic configurations. And I always put a [Shure SM]57 in front of the speaker and then I’ll blend in a second mic. Actually, Blue Microphones makes an inexpensive condenser mic that’s orange [the Blue Spark], and I blended that with the 57. I used that configuration a lot on the record.”
Frehley is currently out on a short U.S. tour.
The page selling tickets for the former Kiss guitarist's June 7 Speedball Jamm concert at S.I.R. Studios in Nashville has been removed from Vincent's website.
A representative for S.I.R. confirmed to UCR that the show won't be happening at the venue, explaining that it had been pulled from the schedule this morning and that its only involvement with the event was to rent the space to Vincent. (There's no word on whether or not the show will be rescheduled at another venue.)
After nearly two decades out of the public eye, Vincent answered fan questions and signed autographs at the January 2018 Atlanta Kiss Expo. Five months later, he announced what would have been his first shows in more than 30 years, which were later postponed from their originally scheduled date of December 2018 to February 2019.
Those were eventually canceled amid a cloud of finger-pointing among Vincent, the promoter and the musicians who were set to play with him at those concerts.
In April 2018, Vincent joined former Kiss bandmate Gene Simmons onstage at an event promoting Simmons' Vault box set, and in October he joined the band Four by Fate on rhythm guitar for performances of three Kiss songs.
Last month, Vincent announced the June Speedball Jamm show, which, as he explained on the Rock Talk With Mitch Lafon podcast, would be an "informal, onstage-look at each other, and everybody just join in [and] follow where I'm going and let's play our asses off and have fun. It'll probably be about an hour or so of guitar. Vinnie guitar."
Vincent also had a message for anybody who doubted the show would take place. "I hear, ya know, you've got the typical bashers out there [saying], 'Vinnie's not gonna show up,'" he told Lafon. "Well that's complete bullshit. So go fuck yourself, you fucking morons. How dare you say such a fucking thing like that! This is happening."
The 69-year-old rocker stopped by a veterans event at the Pentagon, and then he went to the White House. It is unclear whether he met with President Donald Trump. The White House did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.
McClatchy journalist Tara Copp reported that Simmons gave an emotional speech to a room full of service members, recounting how his mother survived Nazi concentration camps before moving to Israel to give birth to him, before coming to America.
In video from McClatchy, Simmons is seen discussing his mother's Holocaust survival story. "I'm a proud son of a concentration camp survivor, Nazi Germany. My mother was 14 when she was in the camps. I'm measuring my words because I'm about to break up again."
He went on to discuss how his mother would cry when she saw the American flag and his gratittude for coming to America.
"As an 8 year old boy, I didn't understand why. But from my mother's point of view, we were finally safe," Simmons continued. "I may have been born in the country that people have referred to throughout history as the promised land, but take my word for it, America is the promised land for everybody."
Instead of a more “rock on”-type vibe, Simmons choked back tears as he told the room how his mother was 14 when she was put in a Nazi concentration camp, survived, gave birth to him in Israel and came to America.
— Tara Copp (@TaraCopp) May 16, 2019
He thanked the audience for their service.
Simmons is a former contestant on the Celebrity Apprentice and has spoken favorably of Trump.
In an interview with Loudwire in October 2017, Simmons said that Trump had invited him to come to the White House "once or twice," but he hadn't had the time to go.
“I do have a piece of advice for everybody — stop picking on each other and arguing with each other. It’s just politics … Stop fighting amongst each other, because we’re supposed to be one country," he said at the time.
Watch: Gene Simmons from KISS, and his long hair, experience a Trump helicopter departure at the White House pic.twitter.com/Rda1aXmwm1
— Steven Nelson (@stevennelson10) May 16, 2019
In total, the band’s North American leg grossed $58.7 million and sold 518,395 tickets. They have been remarkably consistent since launching on Jan. 31 at Vancouver’s Rogers Arena. All but five dates have grossed at least $1 million and all but seven sold at least 10,000 tickets. The tour’s biggest showing was at New York’s Madison Square Garden on March 27, where they grossed $1.947 million and sold 13,359 tickets. The same venue still holds the record for the band’s highest-grossing engagement ever, when they earned $3.3 million over four shows from July 25-28, 1996 during the Alive/Worldwide Tour (this was the band’s first tour since 1979’s Dynasty Tour with original members Peter Criss and Ace Frehley).
Of course, this isn’t the first time Kiss has said goodbye. Almost 20 years ago, the Kiss Farewell Tour ran from March 11, 2000, through April 13, 2001. That trek had reported grosses of $55.6 million, already outperformed by their 2019 tour despite being another two decades removed from their last Billboard Hot 100 entry (“Rise to It,” No. 81, June 30, 1990).
Their 2019 grosses lift Kiss’ career total past the $300 million mark. Their entire headline touring ($297.4 million) plus co-headline runs with Aerosmith, Motley Crue and Def Leppard total to $333.2 million and 6.3 million tickets sold.
While Kiss has toured less frequently as time has gone on, their earnings have continued to grow. Throughout the 1990s, the glam superstars grossed $77.4 million and sold 2.05 million tickets across 255 shows. From 2000-2009, they sold 2.02 million tickets from 198 shows, but saw a 30% increase in their grosses, pulling in $100.7 million. And in the 2010s, they grew another 9% to $109.3 million, while playing 135 shows and selling 1.15 million tickets.
Kiss will continue along the End of the Road World Tour throughout 2019, with 26 dates in Europe, an additional 26 in North America, and eight final shows in Australia and New Zealand.
Earlier today, Stanley tweeted: "TEN THOUSAND hardcovers, over FIVE HUNDRED ebooks and SEVEN HUNDRED audiobooks of BACKSTAGE PASS sold the first week. THANK YOU and if you don’t already have it, pick it up. I wrote it for you."
Stanley told Philadelphia's WTXF that the follow-up to his 2014 autobiography, "Face The Music: A Life Exposed", "is almost, in a sense, a companion to the first [book], and maybe what it goes into more is how I accomplished what I've accomplished and what my approach is," he said. "I'm certainly not preaching to people and telling people, 'Do this,' but I think people can get some insight into what's possible for them by seeing what I've done. I don't think we accomplish much by telling people, 'If I were you, I would do…' Because when you do that, first of all, well, you're not me — you've never lived a moment in my shoes — so [it's] much more important that you figure out for yourself. But I think we can all learn something from what other people do. So what I've tried to do in the book is express my point of view and how I got from point A all the way to point Z."
Official "Backstage Pass" book overview: "The New York Times bestselling author and legendary frontman and rhythm guitarist of KISS offers grants fans an all-access backstage pass to his personal life, and shows them how to pursue a royal rock 'n' roll lifestyle of their own, offering hard-won advice and rules to live by from a rock 'n' roll legend.
"In this follow-up to his popular bestseller 'Face The Music', the Starchild takes us deeper into his personal life and his home today, life on and off the stage, revealing what he eats, drinks, and does with his friends and family, [what] he's learned from a lifetime at the frontman of the iconic band KISS, and how he brings his unique sensibility not only to his superstar music career but to every area of his life — from the business to parenting to health and happiness. kitchen and the bar to the gym and the office.
"Showcasing his unique lifestyle, 'Backstage Pass' is a rare look at the man beneath the modern rock god persona. Paul shares fascinating details about his life — his fitness routine, philosophy, business principles, how he finds inspiration, passion, and joy after nearly 50 years filling arenas and selling out shows, and even his favorite meals, and includes recipes from friends such as Anthony Bourdain, Rocco DiSpirito, Mario Batali, and other star chefs.
"'Backstage Pass' divulges more true stories of the rock legend's relationships, hardships, and wild nights, contains intimate four-color, never-before-seen photos from Paul's personal collection, and offers surprising lessons on the discipline and hard work that have made him one of the healthiest and most successful rock 'n' roll frontmen in history — and a model superstar for the modern age.
"This is the book for fans who love living large, but also want to kick ass at everyday life. From doing shots at the bar to enjoying a glass of red on the patio, Paul shows you how you can rock 'n' roll all night and party every day — without missing a beat or looking like you do."
Released in April 2014, "Face The Music: A Life Exposed" debuted at No. 2 on The New York Times' Best Sellers list for Print Hardcover Non-Fiction. On top of that, "Face The Music" debuted on the Times' Combined Print and E-Book best seller list and E-Book best sellers list at No. 3 and No. 13, respectively.
In the "Face The Music", Stanley talked frankly about his early struggles with hearing — he was born with Level 3 Microtia and is deaf in his right ear. Microtia is a congenital deformity of the cartilage of the outer ear that can affect normal hearing.
"Backstage Pass" will be released on April 30, 2019 via HarperOne, HarperCollins's San Francisco-based unit that specializes in publishing books in religion, spirituality, and personal growth.
The woman — who sued the KISS bassist/vocalist under the name Jane Doe — filed a request for dismissal Wednesday in Los Angeles. The case was originally filed in December of last year, and the woman claims she was working at a dishwasher at Gene's restaurant, Rock & Brews, back in 2016 during the launch party.
The request is asking for the case to be dismissed with prejudice, which means it's over and done with. The documents don't say if a settlement was reached, but a request for a dismissal from the plaintiff is indicative that something was worked out between the two parties.
Once a judge signs off on the request for dismissal, the case will be completely finished.
The woman said she was working as a dishwasher at the Highland, California location of Rock & Brews restaurant chain in 2016. According to the lawsuit, which can be found below, Gene was visiting the restaurant, and Gene's manager and the woman's co-workers encouraged her to take a photo with the KISS star. The woman claimed Gene's manager encouraged her to move closer, and when she did, Gene allegedly "reached over and forcefully placed his hand on her vagina completely covering it." The woman said she tried to stop Gene, and once the photo was taken, she showed it to co-workers. The woman accused Gene of acting in a "sexually charged" manner to other women during the visit, touching their hand and encouraging them to unbutton their shirts.
Jane Doe also named Rock & Brews as a defendant, claiming the company was negligent because it "had advanced knowledge" that Simmons "would engage in unlawful conduct based on previous complaints and lawsuits alleging sexual misconduct." Simmons co-founded the company in 2012.
Simmons settled a separate lawsuit for sexual assault last year after a reporter accused him of groping her, once again at the opening of a Rock & Brews eatery. In that case, the woman claimed he made "unwanted, unwarranted sexual advances" during a radio interview, including touching her buttocks after posing for a photo. The alleged incident also took place at the Highland, California Rock & Brews location. Simmons settled the lawsuit for an undisclosed amount in July 2018. Simmons was previously sued for sexual assault in 2010 by a makeup artist who claimed he humped her while she was working at an ESPN broadcasting studio.
Only 60 VIP tickets are available for the event, which will see Vincent backed by his handpicked musicians, Mike Weeks and Chuck White.
Each $300.00 VIP ticket will include the exclusive Vinnie Vincent "Speedballjamm" performance, a Vinnie Vincent meet-and-greet on Saturday, June 8 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the same S.I.R. soundstage (one autographed item; no guitars, parts, accessories or musical instruments, parts or accessories).
Guitars, parts, and musical instruments will each be autographed for an additional $500.
S.I.R. NASHVILLE
1101 Cherry Avenue
Nashville, TN 37203
Tickets for this event are only available via PayPal through VinnieVincent.com and will not be sold at the door.
Your PayPal receipt will act as your ticket to be admitted and will be matched to your name on list at the door.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, June 7.
Earlier in the year, Vinnie canceled his original comeback concerts. which were supposed to take place February 8 and February 9 in Nashville, due to a dispute with the promoter.
Robert Fleischman, a former member of JOURNEY and Vincent's post-KISS band VINNIE VINCENT INVASION, was supposed to sing for Vinnie but abruptly pulled out of the project in November, saying that he was unhappy about elements of the production.
Derek Christopher, the promoter of Vinnie's comeback concerts, said that he was "shocked" by Vincent's decision to scrap the shows two weeks before they were scheduled to take place.
Vincent's plan for his comeback has publicly changed several times. In the initial announcement, the show — which was originally slated to happen in November — was described as a true solo gig with Vinnie singing and playing songs from his career on acoustic guitar and telling stories about the old days.
Last summer, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons suggested in an interview that Vincent was "his own worst enemy" and expressed his doubt that Vinnie would successfully relaunch his career.
"There's something called the classic failure mechanism, which I was told by doctors and everything — I'm not saying he is one," Simmons said at the time when asked about Vincent's attempt to trademark the name "Vinnie Vincent's Kiss". "But there are people who simply cannot handle when things are starting to go their way — success — so they torpedo it by making stupid decisions to make sure they don't succeed, so they can deal with that."
Vincent — who was a member of KISS when the band publicly "unmasked" in 1983 — made several public appearances last year after spending the past two decades out of the public eye.
Vinnie joined KISS in 1982, replacing Ace Frehley. As the "Ankh Warrior," he toured with the group in support of "Creatures Of The Night", on which he played lead guitar on six songs prior to becoming an official member of the band.
On the influence of KISS: Danko: "I did join the Kiss Army when I was six. I got KISS 'Alive!' – that was my first rock album. I guess that would be a big deal, especially when KISS wrote me back. That was actually the biggest thing. Once they wrote me back, I kind of became a fan for life, so to speak... I am a fan, but my fandom isn't blind. There's people who will buy everything. Maybe 10 years ago, or even further back, I would have bought stuff that I could [have], anything, but [now], I don't need it. Once I got the 'Kisstory' books, I'm done. That's all I need, really. I don't need anything else. What else is there after that? Especially 'Kisstory I'. Nobody needs 'Kisstory II'. It's pretty garbage, but just having those two things, I don't need anything else. Plus, I honestly feel [that] with Tommy [Thayer] and Eric [Singer], they're cool and very capable musicians, but if they're to join KISS, they have to have their own makeup. That's a big thing to me. When Eric [Carr] joined and when Vinnie [Vincent] joined, they had their own makeup, and it made sense to me. I accepted them easily, but you can't wear Ace's makeup. That's Ace Frehley's makeup. They set the precedent when they made Eric 'The Fox'. I'm not going by my own rules. These are the rules they set. That's just how I feel. I'm not into it, man. The new music is cool, and they can do whatever they want — it's their band — but I don't have to be, like, a huge booster like I was growing up, and like I am up until about, I don't know, 'Lick It Up' [and] 'Asylum'. That's where I pretty much say, 'Bye.' I like 'Revenge', but that's about it."
The idyllic estate spans four acres in a storybook setting. An arched wooden bridge tops a stone-lined creek out front, which feeds into a pond.
Inside, the living spaces combine brick, stone and wood throughout 3,735 square feet. Past the formal entry hall, there’s a living room under dramatic vaulted ceilings, a dining room with a corner fireplace, an office, a wood-paneled pub and a country kitchen with a rustic vibe.
Four bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms fill out the rest of the floor plan, including a master suite with a fireplace, sitting area and balcony. Elsewhere on the second story, a wraparound terrace takes in views of the property, which boasts a patio and bocce court.
Across the grounds, there’s a 650-square-foot cottage with a kitchen and lofted bed space.
Tuck Keating of Douglas Elliman holds the listing.
Criss, 73, co-founded KISS in the early ’70s with Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons and Ace Frehley. He recorded eight albums with the rock band and was elected into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame five years ago.
Season seven puts the spotlight on a roster of superstars from across the entertainment spectrum who join with Rather each week to candidly discuss their lives, legacies, and incredible careers. The season kicks off with a rare sit-down with rock superstar — and former JOURNEY singer— Steve Perry, who talks about his decision to leave the band at the peak of their success, a decision that was brought on by the overwhelming feeling that the passion for music had left him in the first-look clip below. He explains, "I could not find the honest passion for singing… and then, I think, my voice was also suffering." Perry continues, "Eventually, the feeling just got very clear to me that I need to just stop." Also during the interview, Perry reflects on growing up as a child of divorce and the impact it had on him, examines the highs and lows of fame, and opens up about his personal life offstage.
The new season also includes conversations with beloved KISS frontman Paul Stanley; pop pioneer Cyndi Lauper; FOREIGNER members Mick Jones and Lou Gramm; Kevin Cronin, Neal Doughty, Bruce Hall, Dave Amato and Bryan Hitt of REO SPEEDWAGON; Oscar-winning actor, writer, director, and musician Billy Bob Thornton; comedic genius Carl Reiner and acclaimed filmmaker Rob Reiner; iconic country star Travis Tritt; celebrated singer, songwriter, and guitarist Boz Scaggs; and multi-talented musician, television personality, and radio host Paul Shaffer, among others.
"I'm incredibly proud to see 'The Big Interview' returning for season seven," Rather said. "It has been my honor to sit down with these entertainment trailblazers every week, as they welcome me — and viewers across the world — into their personal lives. Hitting our 100th episode last season was truly a landmark moment, but it was only the beginning. I look forward to what the future has in store as we continue to build upon that success."
"'The Big Interview' has strongly resonated with our viewers, and Dan Rather is a major reason for that," said Evan Haiman, vice president of music programming and production at AXS TV. "He has a unique ability to get larger-than-life figures to open up in a deeply personal way, showing viewers a side of these icons that they don't usually get to see. Season seven continues that proud legacy, offering up even more of the legendary guests and in-depth discussions that have come to define the series throughout the years."
Broadcast Schedule* (Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET)
April 16 - Steve Perry (JOURNEY)
April 23 - Paul Stanley (KISS)
April 30 - Cyndi Lauper
May 7 - FOREIGNER (Mick Jones and Lou Gramm)
May 14 - REO SPEEDWAGON (Kevin Cronin, Neal Doughty, Bruce Hall, Dave Amato and Bryan Hitt)
May 21 - Billy Bob Thornton
May 28 - Carl and Rob Reiner
June 4 - Travis Tritt
June 11 - Boz Scaggs
June 18 - Paul Shaffer
* subject to change
For 45 years, the hottest band in the world, KISS, has been beloved around the globe. The emoji brand, one of the most influential lifestyle brands in the world, is loved by all ages. The two brands are coming together to bring a fun, playful and expressive global licensing program to life.
Cleverly combining their strengths, the power of music and the magic of icons, the KISS x emoji brand collaboration has a dedicated brand guide including hundreds of unique icons available for licensing across categories such as apparel, accessories, footwear, electronics, figures and collectibles, drinkware, fan merch, home goods, stationery, and more. The mix of co-branded products will appeal to fans of all ages.
Epic Rights and the emoji company have appointed the following licensing agents around the world to represent the unique KISS x emoji program.
* Celebrities Entertainment – Germany, Austria, Switzerland
* CPLG - France
* Exim – Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay
* JM Brands – Benelux
* Lotus Global Market – Brazil
* Merchantwise – Australia, New Zealand
* Retail Monster – United States
* Segal - Canada
* Tycoon - Mexico
Lisa Streff, EVP of Epic Rights, stated: "More than 6 billion digital icons are used on a daily basis. There is simply no better way to express emotions or to convey a message than by saying it with icons. We are thrilled now to offer KISS x emoji to the millions of KISS fans around the world."
Marco Huesges, CEO of the emoji company, added: "The emoji brand truly is one of the most powerful and communicative global lifestyle brands, moving and influencing people all of the world, in the same way that KISS has for 45 years. This partnership is the perfect symbiosis of two global power brands."
KISS's farewell tour, "End Of The Road", commenced January 31 and is expected to run through 2020.
You can now listen to the one-hour "All Access" special, which contains such KISS classics as "Rock And Roll All Nite", "Detroit Rock City", "Deuce" and many others, using the SoundCloud link below. (Listen)
"Something happened between Vinnie and the promoter," Carmine said. "I know there was something going on. I talked to Vinnie a few times, and him and the promoter were not seeing eye to eye on a lot of stuff. But I always thought that if Vinnie messed this up, or whoever messed it up, I don't know if there'll be another chance. 'Cause this is his comeback. He already canceled it once [before]. And if gets canceled again, nobody's gonna care anymore. [They'll say] 'I'm not gonna go even buy a ticket. He's not gonna show up. Or something's gonna happen.' But I was looking forward to it, because me and Tony Franklin — I love playing with Tony, and we were gonna play the Vinnie KISS songs, which would have been fun."
According to Carmine, he was a bit concerned about Vincent's ability to put on a good show after watching a video of the guitarist playing three KISS songs with FOUR BY FATE last October at the pre-Kiss Kruise party in Miami, Florida.
"Vinnie played with me in a band before he was in KISS called CARMINE AND THE ROCKERS, and I know he's a great player and a great writer and a good singer and he's a good stage performer," Carmine said. "But after I saw that [footage]... Vinnie's always been like a showoff kind of guy, and he just stood there. He looked like he was scared to me. I asked him: 'Can you still play? You've been out 30 years.' He goes, 'Yeah. I've been playing in my house. Yeah, of course, I can still play.' I said, 'Okay. I believe you.' But I don't know what happened. All this other crazy stuff was going on with singers and this and that, and the promoter. It's too bad, 'cause it would have been fun."
Robert Fleischman, a former member of JOURNEY and Vincent's post-KISS band VINNIE VINCENT INVASION, was supposed to sing for Vinnie but abruptly pulled out of the project in November, saying that he was unhappy about elements of the production.
Derek Christopher, the promoter of Vinnie's comeback concerts, said that he was "shocked" by Vincent's decision to scrap the shows two weeks before they were scheduled to take place.
Vincent's plan for his comeback has publicly changed several times. In the initial announcement, the show — which was originally slated to happen in November — was described as a true solo gig with Vinnie singing and playing songs from his career on acoustic guitar and telling stories about the old days.
Last summer, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons suggested in an interview that Vincent was "his own worst enemy" and expressed his doubt that Vinnie would successfully relaunch his career.
"There's something called the classic failure mechanism, which I was told by doctors and everything — I'm not saying he is one," Simmons said at the time when asked about Vincent's attempt to trademark the name "Vinnie Vincent's Kiss". "But there are people who simply cannot handle when things are starting to go their way — success — so they torpedo it by making stupid decisions to make sure they don't succeed, so they can deal with that."
Vincent — who was a member of KISS when the band publicly "unmasked" in 1983 — made several public appearances last year after spending the past two decades out of the public eye.
Vinnie joined KISS in 1982, replacing Ace Frehley. As the "Ankh Warrior," he toured with the group in support of "Creatures Of The Night", on which he played lead guitar on six songs prior to becoming an official member of the band.
In honor of the 2019 Grammy Awards, airing Sunday, February 9 on CBS, "The Price Is Right" is hosting a week of shows celebrating music. Each day, the show will be themed for a different genre, starting Monday with KISS and rock and roll. The iconic band will model a special prize package featuring their farewell tour and present a musical showcase.
"The Price Is Right" airs weekdays on CBS. Check your local listings for more details.
Derek Christopher, the promoter of the event, says that Vincent "has sent a notification letter that he will not be performing the concerts scheduled for February 8th and 9th, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee."
Christopher adds: "While we cannot discuss the terms of the contract due to a confidentiality clause within the contract, we are shocked at this development, and it is, unfortunately, beyond our control. The matter has been turned over to our attorney. As they say, it's 'now in the hands of the lawyers.' In the meantime, every ticket and meet-and-greet order will be automatically refunded in full.
"We want to thank everyone who worked so diligently and tried so hard to make these shows happen. A lot of really good people were involved and tried to make these shows a reality for the fans."
Vincent's plan for his comeback has publicly changed several times. In the initial announcement, the show — which was originally slated to happen in November — was described as a true solo gig with Vinnie singing and playing songs from his career on acoustic guitar and telling stories about the old days.
Vincent had tapped drummer Carmine Appice (VANILLA FUDGE, ROD STEWART, JEFF BECK, BLUE MURDER) and bassist Tony Franklin (DAVID GILMOUR, JIMMY PAGE, THE FIRM) to join him at the Nashville concerts.
Robert Fleischman, a former member of JOURNEY and Vincent's post-KISS band VINNIE VINCENT INVASION, was supposed to sing for Vinnie but abruptly pulled out of the project in November, saying that he was unhappy about elements of the production.
Last summer, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons suggested in an interview that Vincent was "his own worst enemy" and expressed his doubt that Vinnie would successfully relaunch his career.
"There's something called the classic failure mechanism, which I was told by doctors and everything — I'm not saying he is one," Simmons said at the time when asked about Vincent's attempt to trademark the name "Vinnie Vincent's Kiss". "But there are people who simply cannot handle when things are starting to go their way — success — so they torpedo it by making stupid decisions to make sure they don't succeed, so they can deal with that."
Vincent — who was a member of KISS when the band publicly "unmasked" in 1983 — made several public appearances last year after spending the past two decades out of the public eye.
Vinnie joined KISS in 1982, replacing Ace Frehley. As the "Ankh Warrior," he toured with the group in support of "Creatures Of The Night", on which he played lead guitar on six songs prior to becoming an official member of the band.
Simmons and Stanley told Guitar World magazine in a new interview that while KISS's former members were welcome to take part in the band's "End Of The Road" farewell tour, they can only do so in a guesting capacity.
"Ace and Peter [Criss, drums] have gotten three chances," Simmons said. "They were in and out of the band — fired — three times. For drugs, alcohol, bad behavior, being unprofessional … they weren't carrying their load. ... So the short answer to your question is we'd love to have Ace and Peter join us here and there. And if they don't, it's not going to be because of us. But they're never going to be in KISS again."
He added: "Three times is the charm; 'I promise I'll pull out' doesn't work. It's the boy who cried wolf: 'Oh, I've been straight for a million years.' Terrific! Have a good life! ... Would we welcome Ace or Peter to jump up onstage for a song or two? Of course. Could we depend on either Ace or Peter to do a full set night after night? Not on your fucking life."
Stanley said that "it's really not up to" him whether former KISS members join the band onstage for a guest appearance on the upcoming tour. "But I'll say that this is a celebration of this band and its accomplishments and its history," he said. "So anybody who was shortsighted enough to think this should be a reunion is missing the point. That being said, I would love to see everybody at one point or another be onstage. And if that doesn't happen, it's their choice, not mine."
After Simmons's and Stanley's comments were first reported earlier today, Frehley took to his Facebook page to issue a fiery response, accusing Simmons of being "an asshole and a sex addict" who allegedly "groped" Ace's wife and "propositioned her" a year ago.
Ace's full post reads as follows:
"Gene, your memory is really incorrect!… I was NEVER FIRED from KISS, I quit twice (not 3 times) of my own free will, because you and Paul are control freaks, untrustworthy and were too difficult to work with!
"Your slanderous remarks about my bad habits over the years has cost me millions of dollars and now that I'm over 12 years sober, you're still saying I can't be trusted to play a whole nights show! Well, that's exactly what I've been doing for the last 12-years with different configurations of 'The Ace Frehley Band' to you and Paul's dismay!
"I'm also the most successful solo artist to come out of the original KISS lineup, and proud of it!… You and Paul have tried to derail my solo career multiple times over the years unsuccessfully.
"I've tried to be nice and friendly by inviting you and Paul to perform on my past albums for eOne Music, give each of you guys one of my prized Gibson Les Paul 59' models, but today's comments have made me realize you're just an asshole and a sex addict who's being sued by multiple Women, and you're just trying to sweep it all under the carpet!
"The icing on the cake was when you groped my wife and propositioned her in Los Angeles at the Capitol Records building behind my back, when I was trying to help you out at one of your 'Vault Experiences' which I only found out about several weeks later… she was planning on pursuing a suit against you, but I told her to call it off!!!
"Well, now the gloves are off after your terrible comments today and I'm thinking that this really may be 'The End Of The Road Tour' for you guys!!!
"Without a complete and heartfelt apology, an offer to give me my old job back, and removing Tommy from the Throne that I created… THE SHIT WILL HIT THE FAN AND THEY'LL BE NO STOPPING IT-IT'S ON!!!"
In the months after KISS announced the trek, fans wondered openly if Frehley and Criss would be involved in the tour, especially considering the apparent recent goodwill between Paul and Gene and Ace. Frehley's new album "Spaceman" — a title suggested by Simmons himself — features two songs the pair wrote together, and the duo completed a joint summer tour of Australia, after which Frehley fired his solo backing band and hired Simmons's. Stanley, meanwhile, appeared on Frehley's previous studio album, the 2016 covers set "Origins, Vol. 1".
The first North American leg of "End Of The Road" will launch January 31 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada at Rogers Arena and will hit an additional 43 cities.
The touring lineup features the current version of the band — Stanley, Simmons, Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer.
In the months after KISS announced the trek, fans wondered openly if Ace Frehley and Peter Criss would be involved in the tour, especially considering the apparent current goodwill between Paul and Gene and Ace. Frehley's new album "Spaceman" — a title suggested by Simmons himself — features two songs the pair wrote together, and the duo recently completed a joint tour of Australia, after which Frehley fired his solo backing band and hired Simmons's. Stanley, meanwhile, appeared on Frehley's previous studio album, the 2016 covers set "Origins, Vol. 1".
In a new interview with Guitar World, Simmons said that appearances by Frehley and Criss have not been taken off the table.
"Ace and Peter have gotten three chances," he said. "They were in and out of the band — fired — three times. For drugs, alcohol, bad behavior, being unprofessional … they weren't carrying their load. ... So the short answer to your question is we'd love to have Ace and Peter join us here and there. And if they don't, it's not going to be because of us. But they're never going to be in KISS again."
He added: "Three times is the charm; 'I promise I'll pull out' doesn't work. It's the boy who cried wolf: 'Oh, I've been straight for a million years.' Terrific! Have a good life! ... Would we welcome Ace or Peter to jump up onstage for a song or two? Of course. Could we depend on either Ace of Peter to do a full set night after night? Not on your fucking life."
Stanley said that "it's really not up to" him whether former KISS members join the band onstage for a guest appearance on the upcoming tour. "But I'll say that this is a celebration of this band and its accomplishments and its history," he said. "So anybody who was shortsighted enough to think this should be a reunion is missing the point. That being said, I would love to see everybody at one point or another be onstage. And if that doesn't happen, it's their choice, not mine."
Both Simmons and Stanley spoke in glowing terms about former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick. "We love Bruce," Simmons said. "He was always professional and showed up on time. … So I can never say anything bad about Bruce." "Bruce is somebody who shouldn't be overlooked or underestimated as far as his role in the band," Stanley added.
Stanley and Simmons were far less enthusiastic about the possibility of an onstage collaboration with Vinnie Vincent. "Now Vinnie, that's one exception, and for so many reasons," Stanley said. "I would say that's not someone who I want to celebrate."
Simmons also chimed in, explaining that "it's worth stating that Vinnie has sued the band and lost 14 times. I'm not here to cast any aspersions. He's a talented guy. That's why he was in the band. But would I depend on him to get up onstage and do anything? Never. … Can he come to the shows? Of course! Anybody can. But onstage? Never."
The first North American leg of "End Of The Road" will launch January 31 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada at Rogers Arena and will hit an additional 43 cities.
The touring lineup features the current version of the band — Stanley, Tommy Thayer, Gene Simmons and Eric Singer.
Kulick said during a recent interview with Rock Titan that he'd "love to be there" if given the chance to participate in KISS's farewell tour. "Obviously, if there's ever an opportunity where they did want to pay a little tribute to any of the other eras, they know I'd be there," he said. Vinnie Vincent also voiced similar sentiments during an interview with BackstageAxxess last year. "If they ask me, I'll be there," he said. "They're still my buds, my friends, and [there's] a lot of love left. A lot of magic left."
Frehley rejoined his former bandmates last October during the 2018 "Kiss Kruise" to perform an acoustic set of KISS classics. Also appearing with them was Kulick.
"End Of The Road" is expected to continue for more than two years.
A young man finds himself possibly dead and wrangling with some of life's most eternal questions. It's a good thing he runs into Death, who sets him on a path to track down their own demon offspring. His prophetic guides in this quest are none other than the otherworldly KISS — The Starchild, The Demon, The Spaceman and The Catman. Their help will be needed, with plenty of peril along the way.
Writer Amy Chu ("Red Sonja", "Poison Ivy") returns to the franchise that she helped Dynamite launch with the breakout hit 2016 ongoing series. Joining her is electrifying artist Edu Menna ("Twilight Zone", "ZNation") and letterer Troy Peteri ("Amazing Spider-Man", "Witchblade").
Fans have a choice between multiple show-stopping covers. Stuart Sayger ("Vampirella vs. Reanimator") returns following his jaw-dropping pieces for Bryan Edward Hill's "Kiss: Blood And Stardust". Joining him is recent rising star Jorge Fornés ("Batman", "Magnus"). Denis Medri ("Red Hood/Arsenal") rounds out this setlist of cover artists. Plus, of course, a fourth option of classic KISS photos from their incredible library.
"I'm totally stoked to be back on KISS, especially for the final tour. And to be working with Edu Menna who drew my friend Craig Engler's 'ZNation', it's pretty awesome," said writer Amy Chu. "I'll be incorporating parts of the actual tour and KISS history into the storyline, and expect lots of Easter eggs, just like in the previous 'Elder' run!"
Artist Edu Menna shared: "I've listened to KISS since my teenage years and their 'Unplugged' album is a favorite. I've followed Amy's work and have had 'envy' of artists who partnered with her...finally my turn arrived! I always try to bring something new for each project. In this work I want to use my style combined with the elegance of the European masters. I hope fans enjoy what we're putting together."
"A lot of books have rock and a lot of books have roll, but none of them are going to combine the two like we are with this one. This is the first comic that is going to make your ears ring," said editor Kevin Ketner. "So go hydrate, do some stretches, and get your LCS to pre-order your copy."
"Kiss: The End" #1 will be solicited in Diamond Comic Distributors' February 2019 Previews catalog, the premier source of merchandise for the comic book specialty market, and slated for release in April 2019. Comic book fans are encouraged to preorder copies of the issue with their local comic book retailers. It will also be available for individual customer purchase through digital platforms courtesy of Comixology, Kindle, iBooks, Google Play, Dynamite Digital, ComicsPlus, and more.
TSA employees can choose to eat either a Pulled Pork Sandwich or a Strawberry Fields Salad.
Speaking to CNN, Stanley said (see video below): "It's obviously tough when people's mortgages are on the line, when people are trying to pay for meals for their children. This is horrific.
"Look, Chris Wallace on Fox said to [Vice President] Mike Pence yesterday that he believed that the government should be open and that this was just leverage," he continued. "The problem is when you're leveraging the government and you're shutting it down… Who is the government? The government is of the people, by the people and for the people. Who are you hurting? You're hurting the people. These are the people who make this country what it is, and to see them in this horrendous position… Everybody — not just me; not just Rock & Brews — everybody can do something.
"The gift of giving is a gift to the people who give also," he added. "So everybody can't give the same, but I always say, 'Don't give until it hurts. You give until it feels good.' It feels good to help people. Those are the people who help us."
Asked for his personal opinion of the current state of the U.S. government, Stanley said: "I think, again, people need to put their political affiliation aside and the priority has to be to get people back to work, back on the payrolls, and then let's figure out what the solution is. I certainly have my own point of view, but I'm not gonna share it, because I'm a rock and roller and I know my place."
In his prime-time address earlier this month, President Donald Trump said a wall along the southern border is key to national security, as he called for lawmakers to fund it and end a partial government shutdown. Democrats called the idea of a physical barrier across the entire border expensive and ineffective, and said the solution involves more personnel and detection technology.
Trump, whose central campaign promise was that Mexico would pay for a wall stretching across the roughly 2,000-mile border, admitted that Mexico would not directly cover the cost of the wall's construction, claiming that it will instead be paid for by revenue gained from a new trade deal pending in Congress.
Public polling continues to indicate a majority of Americans oppose the construction of a border wall. Meanwhile, Trump has continued to argue the wall is needed to resolve a security and humanitarian "crisis," blaming illegal immigration for what he said was a scourge of drugs and violence in the U.S.
According to The New York Times, illegal border crossings have been declining for nearly two decades. In 2017, border-crossing apprehensions were at their lowest point since 1971.
A recording/touring musician for well over 35 years, Crean has released four solo albums on major labels, including his latest effort, "Insatiable", which was issued through Carmine's label Rocker Records.
The vocalist for the popular tribute band HAIR NATION, Crean has been rocking bars and nightclubs in the Buffalo area since the eighties. He has opened many a show for such national acts as Bret Michaels, SLAUGHTER and DOKKEN. Crean also makes a guest appearance on "Sinister", the first joint studio album by Carmine and his drumming brother Vinny Appice, which was released in October 2017.
Robert Fleischman, a former member of JOURNEY and Vincent's post-KISS band VINNIE VINCENT INVASION, was originally supposed to sing for Vinnie at the Nashville concerts but abruptly pulled out of the project in November, saying that he was unhappy about elements of the production.
"I think a lot of you know my history with Mr. Vincent [has] been a rollercoaster or two," he said in a Facebook post. "Things were not feeling good on the business side… The promoter extremely low-balled me to the point of it being insulting… The amount of money he offered and the poor organization and lack of respect."
He also criticized the poster advertising the dates, which listed Appice and Franklin as members of Vincent's "all-star band" but only credited Fleischman "in tiny little letters which would take a microscope to read it." He continued: "After that, I said to myself, 'I'm not going down this road again,'" and added: "Unfortunately, some people don't learn from their past. Well, I do. I'm not going to hop on that train ever again."
Vincent — who was a member of KISS when the band publicly "unmasked" in 1983 — made several public appearances last year after spending the past two decades out of the public eye.
Vinnie joined KISS in 1982, replacing Ace Frehley. As the "Ankh Warrior," he toured with the group in support of "Creatures Of The Night", on which he played lead guitar on six songs prior to becoming an official member of the band.
A new promotional video for the Nashville shows can be seen Video.
The special concert for SiriusXM will feature KISS performing songs from the band's 45-year career. This marks the first time KISS has played a club in over twenty years and will be their first performance at the world famous Whisky a Go Go in Los Angeles, the venerable rock club on the Sunset Strip that has played host to rock 'n' roll's most important bands and artists, from The Doors, to Janis Joplin, to Led Zeppelin, as well as today's emerging new artists.
KISS' performance at Whisky a Go Go will launch SiriusXM's "The Party Continues," a new live series that will feature music's top artists performing in an intimate venue for SiriusXM subscribers following music's biggest night at the Grammy Awards. KISS, in the midst of their END OF THE ROAD WORLD TOUR, kicks off the series at the historic Whisky a Go Go. "The Party Continues" joins a series of concerts established by SiriusXM at special and iconic venues across the country, including at the Apollo Theater in New York City, The Stephen Talkhouse in the Hamptons, the Faena Theater in Miami Beach and more.
The performance will air on Tuesday, February 12 at 5:00 pm ET on KISS Army Radio, channel 30, and through the SiriusXM app on smartphones and other connected devices, as well as online at siriusxm.com. The concert will air on Howard Stern's Howard 101 channel on Friday, February 15 at 9:00pm ET.
KISS Army Radio, the band's exclusive limited-run SiriusXM channel, will showcase music from KISS' 45-year career including stadium anthems, rarities and live tracks. The band's channel will also feature exclusive stories and insights from Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer. Additionally, listeners will hear music from other artists who opened for Kiss throughout their career including AC/DC, Guns N' Roses, Alice In Chains, Cheap Trick and more.
KISS Army Radio will launch on Monday, February 4 at 5:00 pm ET via satellite on channel 30 and will run through Sunday, February 17.
After an epic and storied 45-year career that launched an era of rock n roll legends, KISS announced that they are hanging up their 9-inch tall touring boots. Known for their trademark larger-than-life blistering performances, KISS has proven for decades why they are hands down the most iconic live show in rock n roll. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers who have sold more than 100 million albums worldwide and have toured to nearly every city on the planet and played every venue imaginable have said this tour is devoted to the millions of KISS Army fans. Having played for Kings & Queens, for U.S. veterans, and for millions of devoted KISS Army fans, they will play their final shows as part of the multi-year END OF THE ROAD WORLD TOUR.
Subscribers will have the opportunity to win tickets to this private SiriusXM performance through an invitation sent by e-mail. Subscribers since January 2, 2019 will be able to enter for the chance to win a trip for two to Los Angeles, LA including airfare, hotel stay and a pair of tickets to SiriusXM Presents KISS at Whisky a Go Go. See Official Rules for complete details at siriusxm.com/KISS.
SiriusXM subscribers are able to listen to KISS Army Radio (channel 30) on SiriusXM radios, and those with streaming access can listen online, on-the-go with the SiriusXM mobile app and at home on a wide variety of connected devices including smart TVs, Amazon Alexa devices, Apple TV, PlayStation, Roku, Sonos speakers and more. Go to www.SiriusXM.com/streaming to learn more.
"David and I had a blast filming 'Late' at our friend Chris Santos's restaurant, Beauty & Essex in New York City," says Bello.
"The song has an easy feel to it, so we shot the video with that same spirit," adds Ellefson. "The music is haunting with a memorable hook and Frank's personal storyline. These songs are fun and inspiring to perform."
A kind of rock 'n' roll primal-scream therapy, "Get It Out" is the result of nearly four years of writing and recording sessions — and decades of touring, searching, striving and living. "I've learned that writing songs is very cathartic," says Bello, who has long made songwriting a daily practice. When ANTHRAX is off the road, he tries out new material at open mics around New York City. "A lot of these lyrics are about the inner struggles of my life, and about the rage that has built up from my life experiences — my brother's murder; my father abandoning my family when we were young, leaving us with no funds to pay the bills," he says. "The ups and downs of life in general. I've always had an anger inside that music really helps me deal with."
"The album has the perfect title," Ellefson adds. "This is music that has been living inside of us for so long. There's a big musical part of each of us that doesn't get heard anywhere else."
Boasting a deep bench of guest stars, including Ace Frehley (ex-KISS; the track "Late"), Gus G. (OZZY OSBOURNE, FIREWIND), Nita Strauss (ALICE COOPER), Christian Martucci (STONE SOUR) and Satchel (STEEL PANTHER), the record also represents the fulfillment of a lifelong but little-known ambition for two uniquely gifted artists. As Bello puts it, "All I ever wanted to do was write good songs. I've always been a melody guy. I love hooks; I love catchy songs with a good riff."
The ALTITUDES & ATTITUDE story begins in 2010, when Bello and Ellefson started touring together to lead bass clinics for the amp manufacturer Hartke. In need of backing tracks to support their demonstrations, they embarked upon some writing sessions and discovered their chemistry.
Bello and Ellefson debuted ALTITUDES & ATTITUDE in early 2014, with a self-titled three-song EP that earned the duo airplay on SiriusXM and an appearance on VH1 Classic's "That Metal Show". Those tracks — "Booze and Cigarettes", "Tell the World", "Here Again" — are included on "Get It Out" as bonus cuts, in remixed and remastered form.
Ellefson explains that "ALTITUDES & ATTITUDE could have only happened at this moment in time" — when the titans of thrash metal's "Big Four" are older, wiser, kinder and more open creatively. "When you're still climbing up the hill," he says, "there's no room for friendly competition. But once you've been to the top of the hill and you've seen the view — which all of the 'Big Four' have — it's okay to break bread, hang out, have a drink." Or, in the case of ALTITUDES & ATTITUDE, delve into hard-rock songwriting in a profound way. "To hear other sides of us as artists — not just as musicians and performers, but as artists."
The KISS bassist/vocalist, who has always promoted clean living and scoffed at peers who snort drugs and get high, made headlines in March 2018 when he landed an odd new gig as "chief evangelist officer" at Canadian cannabis and fertilizer company Invictus.
For those confused about this new relationship given the fact that Simmons has been on the record about never trying cannabis in his whole life, Gene explained his stance during an interview with SmallCapPower at the 2018 New Green Frontier cannabis investor conference, which was held on November 19 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
"Historically, I have to say I was completely wrong about the entire space," he said (see video below). "I thought cannabis was for stoners and losers and all that, and slowly but surely, over the years, the amount of research that I saw just blew me away. Seeing little girls who suffer from epilepsy rubbing a salve, not on the inside but outside of their body and seemingly miraculously getting cured made me take stock.
"Big Pharma [the global pharmaceutical industry] is not fond of this space, because cannabis, in its various forms, is actually gonna help people," he continued. "That's what researchers are telling me. And I'm telling everybody else there are a lot of new companies, especially in Canada, and good for them. Some of them are solid, some of them are garbage, and it's up to you to find out what it's all about. I happen to believe in Invictus, and all I urge anybody to do is to go to Invictus-MD.com and do your own research.
"When you go into a restaurant, you get a menu," Simmons added. "Think what looks good for you. It's all there. Some of it's good, some of it's fresh, some of it's rotten and been there a long time. But, generally, the cannabis space, I think, is gonna be good for humanity. Certainly much better than cigarettes, which might give you cancer. This other thing, even as a recreational item, might give you the munchies [the desire for salty, sweet or fatty carbohydrate-rich foods]. Let me see: I get the munchies or I might get cancer."
Simmons, who serves as Invictus's media spokesperson among other duties, disclosed that he has "10 million in stock" in the company and said that he was "glad to do it."
Dan Kriznic, CEO and chairman of Invictus, credited Gene's business acumen for the appointment. According to Kriznic, Simmons "created one of the most iconic bands of all time, but has spent decades building successful brands internationally in various industries."
As part of his deal with Invictus, Simmons has agreed to appear at least 50 investor and industry presentations for the company over a five-year period.
Gene told the Vancouver Sun that he has been drawn into many of his diverse ventures, more often than not, because he established a personal connection, adding that he "liked" Kriznic the first time he met him.
"I may drive a truck, but open the hood and I call the mechanic because he can fix it," Simmons explained. "The most important view is the one from 30,000 feet because that is where you can take in the big picture. Whether it's religion, rock stars or politicians, you need to be able to tell the story and convince people that they need stuff they don't need. With what we're doing with Invictus MD … is something that I'm very bullish on because it's real."
Asked if KISS could ever carry on without any original members, Simmons said: "Sure. Of course. We've had 10 different lineups. AC/DC has had 22 or so. And there are bands that tour now that sell out things with different lead singers and different guitar players. At the end of the day, it is about the material and about the culture. Because there are better musicians — jazz musicians — that will never be able to make the money that people who are less talented but have charisma [are able to make]. You can go to school to learn guitar or bass — you can't learn, 'You're exciting. You have charisma.' There's no school for that. Walk this way, do [it] that way. You just have it or you don't."
He continued: "What I also love about KISS is that we don't portray ourselves to be what we're not. We are entertainers. It doesn't negate being in a rock band. And we wear outfits, uniforms, costumes — call it what you will — but is that any different than the guy who goes on stage with a pair of $300 ripped jeans? That's a costume, too. The only difference is we're copping to it."
In September, KISS announced its "End Of The Road" farewell tour on NBC's "America's Got Talent", and a month later, the band revealed the first set of dates and cities in North America, produced by Live Nation. International markets were announced simultaneously.
The first North American leg of "End Of The Road" will launch January 31 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada at Rogers Arena and will hit an additional 43 cities.
"One thing for sure is that this is the last tour," Stanley told Billboard. "What goes beyond that is really hard to say. The tour may go three years, but once we play your city, it is done. That is our big thank you."
The lineup features the current version of the band — Stanley, Tommy Thayer, Gene Simmons and Eric Singer. But Stanley has hinted that former members like Ace Frehley and Peter Criss could make appearances.
Ron was kind enough to answer questions from some readers of the Rockford Rocked Interview’s column. He is also currently in the process of writing his autobiography.
KISS: (Crazy Nights – Mercury Records 1989)
I want to know about the Kiss stuff. It must have been hard for KISS to compete with bands like Bon Jovi during the Crazy Nights era. What was it like working with KISS? – Mike Parr, Rockford
Ron Nevison: Well, as far as KISS trying to compete with Bon Jovi at the time I guess it’s kind of true. Bon Jovi at the time had come out with “livin’ on a prayer,” etc. Paul Stanley of KISS was in New York writing with Desmond Child and all the people Bon Jovi was working with.
In the beginning of the Crazy Nights sessions Paul had shown me eight or ten great quality songs that he thought we could use. Gene just kind of sent me some songs that he had laying around. Maybe twenty five or so. If I remember correctly he basically only contributed a couple of the songs that made it to the record.
We did most everything at Rumbo near Los Angeles. To tell you the truth, I’m a little disappointed that the Crazy Nights album didn’t have a big hit single.
Ten years prior to the Crazy Nights sessions I had an interview with Paul Stanley just before KISS did their solo albums. I met Paul at Casablanca Records but for whatever reason I didn’t end up working with them. I don’t know if they didn’t want me to do it in the end or I didn’t want to do it. Or perhaps I was just too busy.
On December 19, Stanley tweeted a photo of him and what appears to be more than half a dozen other musicians in the studio and wrote in an accompanying caption: "A SOUL STATION ALBUM! Wow! Having a ball. Horns and strings next."
Stanley spoke to Rock Cellar Magazine about how the idea for SOUL STATION first came about. He said: "Well, my roots are much more broad and varied than some people might realize. This is funny; I was having tea with Jimmy Page in London and we were talking about this. I said, 'Before I ever saw [LED] ZEPPELIN or THE WHO or any of those bands, I saw Otis Redding. I saw Solomon Burke. I saw THE TEMPTATIONS.' So it's very much a part of my DNA. Motown and Philly soul and Stax/Volt, all that music is really, unfortunately too nostalgic at this point and used too often for loops and samples as opposed to hearing a great song. What's missing nowadays so much is great live performances of that material. What's being passed off now as R&B is usually a computer and a drum machine. For a while, I thought about that, and I had an opportunity a few years ago to put together something that was in essence SOUL STATION. We did a couple of private shows and we all looked at each other said, 'Why aren't we doing more of this?' It's great to have that coming from people who are not only in demand but working all the time with Stevie Wonder or Smokey [Robinson] or Pink or John Mayer. These are real crème de la creme players but everybody has the same passion for this music. To be able to recreate it, not in a sterile way but with the same passion and intensity that it was made with is something that we all feel very close to."
Asked what the greatest challenges are that he faces in delivering this material in a live setting, Paul said: "There's a big weight on my shoulders because I'm singing songs by some legends, and if I can't deliver them, I shouldn't be doing them. So if I'm gonna sing Smokey or if I'm gonna sing Al Green or David Ruffin or Eddie Kendricks, you'd better be on-point or you shouldn't be doing it, plus the rest of the band is so damn good. They have played with Smokey, they've played with Stevie Wonder, with Natalie Cole, they've played with Whitney Houston and John Mayer and with Carlos Santana; I mean, the list goes on and on. For us all to be together as peers and be creating something this exciting, everybody on stage is smiling. We're all just caught up in the moment. To hear Crystal [Starr] sing 'I Want You Back' is just mind-boggling. Her dad was a backup singer for Jackie Wilson. Everybody's got their roots. From the get-go, anybody I ever called to be a part of this immediately said, 'I'm in!' just to have the opportunity to recreate and revive these songs; you don't get that chance."
SOUL STATION made its live debut in September 2015 at West Hollywood, California's The Roxy Theatre. The ten-piece band also features KISS drummer Eric Singer.
Original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley, Regan and world-renowned drummer Anton Fig formed FREHLEY'S COMET in 1984. The band went on to sell well over 1.5 million albums and had multiple MTV music videos in heavy rotation from 1987 to 1990.
Now for the first time ever, FREHLEY'S COMET alumni Regan, Howarth and Scarlet, along with Werner, will celebrate their writing, recording, touring and co-production contributions to the FREHLEY'S COMET legacy by performing the hits and classics from the FREHLEY'S COMET catalog and more under the name RETURN OF THE COMET.
RETURN OF THE COMET is:
* John Regan (FREHLEY'S COMET, ACE FREHLEY, PETER FRAMPTON) - bass
* Tod Howarth (FREHLEY'S COMET, CHEAP TRICK, TED NUGENT) - guitar/lead vocals
* Richie Scarlet (FREHLEY'S COMET, ACE FREHLEY, MOUNTAIN) - guitar/lead vocals
* Steve "Budgie" Werner (ACE FREHLEY, LESLIE WEST, HINDENBERG) - drums
Scarlet was in FREHLEY'S COMET from 1984 to 1985 and played in three of the band's seven different lineups. Howarth was in FREHLEY'S COMET from 1986 to 1988 and was in the group's last three lineups. Both Frehley and Regan were members of FREHLEY'S COMET for the duration of the band's four-year existence.
Frehley told Ultimate Classic Rock that the keyboards on FREHLEY'S COMET's debut album were a result of "Howarth's influence." He explained: "I tried to keep the keyboards to a minimum, because I'm really not a keyboard guy. KISS never really used them, except on a couple of songs. I always wanted to follow the same direction with my career as I had with KISS musically. It was almost like I had to fight to keep more keyboards off the record, because I was there with three other band members and my producer."
In a 2017 interview with the Poughkeepsie Journal, Regan — who met Frehley in the mid-1980s at a friend's recording studio in White Plains, New York — described Ace as "a kook, in a good sense. In a world full of copies, he's a one-off. He's an original."
Frehley reunited with Regan and Howarth to perform the songs "Rock Soldiers" and "Cold Gin" during his September 2017 concert in Poughkeepsie, New York.
"I've gotta tell you," he continued. "People say is this bittersweet? No. If the tour is anything like this stage, it's totally sweet. We always try to raise the bar — that's just for us — but when other bands would see us, they would feel they had to up their game. Let me tell you something: everybody better start working out, because we're upping the game that much more. This is absolutely mind-bogglingly good. It's totally KISS. And I'll be looking for you on the 'End Of The Road' tour."
The woman -- who is suing under the name Jane Doe -- said she was working as a dishwasher at one of Simmons' Rock & Brews locations in 2016. In the docs -- obtained by TMZ -- the woman says Gene was visiting the restaurant, and Gene's manager and the woman's coworkers encouraged her to take a photo with the KISS star.
According to the lawsuit -- the woman claims Gene's manager encouraged her to move closer -- and when she did, Gene allegedly, "reached over and forcefully placed his hand on her vagina completely covering it."
The woman says she tried to stop Gene, and once the photo was taken, she showed it to coworkers.
The woman accuses Gene of acting in a "sexually charged" manner to other women during the visit ... touching their hand and encouraging them to unbutton their shirts.
Stanley told Philadelphia's WTXF that the follow-up to his 2014 autobiography, "Face The Music: A Life Exposed", "is almost, in a sense, a companion to the first [book], and maybe what it goes into more is how I accomplished what I've accomplished and what my approach is," he said. "I'm certainly not preaching to people and telling people, 'Do this,' but I think people can get some insight into what's possible for them by seeing what I've done. I don't think we accomplish much by telling people, 'If I were you, I would do…' Because when you do that, first of all, well, you're not me — you've never lived a moment in my shoes — so [it's] much more important that you figure out for yourself. But I think we can all learn something from what other people do. So what I've tried to do in the book is express my point of view and how I got from point A all the way to point Z."
Official "Backstage Pass" book overview: "The New York Times bestselling author and legendary frontman and rhythm guitarist of KISS offers grants fans an all-access backstage pass to his personal life, and shows them how to pursue a royal rock 'n' roll lifestyle of their own, offering hard-won advice and rules to live by from a rock 'n' roll legend.
"In this follow-up to his popular bestseller 'Face The Music', the Starchild takes us deeper into his personal life and his home today, life on and off the stage, revealing what he eats, drinks, and does with his friends and family, [what] he's learned from a lifetime at the frontman of the iconic band KISS, and how he brings his unique sensibility not only to his superstar music career but to every area of his life — from the business to parenting to health and happiness. kitchen and the bar to the gym and the office. "Showcasing his unique lifestyle, 'Backstage Pass' is a rare look at the man beneath the modern rock god persona. Paul shares fascinating details about his life — his fitness routine, philosophy, business principles, how he finds inspiration, passion, and joy after nearly 50 years filling arenas and selling out shows, and even his favorite meals, and includes recipes from friends such as Anthony Bourdain, Rocco DiSpirito, Mario Batali, and other star chefs.
"'Backstage Pass' divulges more true stories of the rock legend's relationships, hardships, and wild nights, contains intimate four-color, never-before-seen photos from Paul's personal collection, and offers surprising lessons on the discipline and hard work that have made him one of the healthiest and most successful rock 'n' roll frontmen in history — and a model superstar for the modern age.
"This is the book for fans who love living large, but also want to kick ass at everyday life. From doing shots at the bar to enjoying a glass of red on the patio, Paul shows you how you can rock 'n' roll all night and party every day — without missing a beat or looking like you do."
Released in April 2014, "Face The Music: A Life Exposed" debuted at No. 2 on The New York Times' Best Sellers list for Print Hardcover Non-Fiction. On top of that, "Face The Music" debuted on the Times' Combined Print and E-Book best seller list and E-Book best sellers list at No. 3 and No. 13, respectively.
In the "Face The Music", Stanley talked frankly about his early struggles with hearing — he was born with Level 3 Microtia and is deaf in his right ear. Microtia is a congenital deformity of the cartilage of the outer ear that can affect normal hearing.
Klein's passing was first confirmed by Simmons' wife, Shannon Tweed Simmons.
"Rest in peace my dear Flora," Tweed wrote in a social media post. "The best grandma and mother in law I could ask for. You were loved and you will be missed."
Gene himself added that Flóra was "The best mother in the world."
Gene's band mate, Kiss front man Paul Stanley, added his own tribute.
"I knew here as long as I've known Gene," Stanley wrote. "Beyond her fierce love and pride in her only child, she was his inspiration to live up to being worthy of the sacrifices she made in a very difficult and, at times, horrific life."
Stanley continued, noting that he "admired and loved" Flóra, a Holocaust survivor and single mother, who left Israel for Queens, New York, in the 1950s in search of a better life.
"I will miss her laugh and smile," Stanley wrote. "Let us all say a prayer for her, Gene and his family."
Gene and Stanley together spoke earlier this year about Flóra's involvement in Kiss's early days.
Gene recalled at a Vault event this past spring in Las Vegas about how his mother once referred to Stanley as "a bum."
"Yup," Stanley confirmed, before elaborating. "I call his house and I want to talk to him and his mom, bless her heart...She has a thick accent and she thinks the world revolves around him — and that's what he thinks too. I call up and I say, 'Can I speak to Gene?' and she says, 'The king is on the throne.' And I go, 'Yeah, that's nice. Can I speak to Gene?'"
"'The king is on the throne,'" Stanley recalled her repeating. "I go, 'Nice, the king is on the throne. Can I speak to Gene?'"
Gene's mother repeated herself one more time before Stanley got the message: nature had called earlier and Gene was answering, moving his bowels.
Gene has often spoken lovingly over the years about his mother's influence on his life. He credits her with inspiring his work ethic, and with keeping him away from drug and alcohol abuse.
As an only child, Simmons said he would ask himself, in light of his mother's former suffering, "What right do I have to torture her and make her unhappy? No, that's never gonna happen."
The band’s farewell world tour titled the End Of the Road is to kick off in January 2019, performing on June 11 at the Ice Palace in St. Petersburg, and on June 13 at the VTB Arena stadium in Moscow.
“Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Eric Singer and myself, we decided that while the band is still very good and we are doing the best shows, we have been doing…in the history of the band, that we wanted to go out when we’re in top form and do a final tour,” he explained.
He went on to note that when comparing the shows of such rock stars as the Rolling Stones or Paul McCartney, KISS’s performances are far more “physically taxing” due to all the group’s gear and the “physicality of the show”. If the band continues to do it, year after year it will be difficult to keep it up.
Thayers explained that the two founders of the band - vocalist Paul Stanley and bassist Gene Simmons are about 70 years old now and want to end their career.
He admitted that KISS had already done a farewell tour in the early 2000s and after that tour, the two other original members - guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Kriss left the band. However, this time the farewell is real.
“It is not a gimmick, it is legitimate. This will be the final tour of KISS. The shows in Moscow and St. Petersburg will be the last KISS is going to play there,” Thayer vowed.
The rocker predicts that the coming tour will become the biggest in KISS history. The show will use new pyrotechnics, and the set list will include the best songs of the band’s 45-year career.
Will Thayer rock on?
Thayer said that he is not going to retire from music business after the tour ends.
“I am younger than the other guys…maybe I will still be involved with KISS on a different way,” he said adding that he has been involved with KISS for 25 years (not only as a guitar player).
The musician plans to take part in other projects. "It will probably be something which is associated with music or the entertainment business for sure,” he noted.
About the band
KISS was founded in 1973 in New York City. The rockers are known throughout the world for their trademark black-and-white face paint and flamboyant stage outfits. The group shot to stardom with their extravagant live performances, which featured fire-breathing, blood-spitting, smoking guitars, shooting rockets, levitating drum kits and pyrotechnics. Over their 45-year career, the band sold over 100 mln copies of their albums.
As far as rocking Russian audiences goes, the quartet performed in Moscow in 2008 and 2017.
"There's always a chance I might get that emergency phone call," Ace said (hear audio below). "But pretty much I think it's built into my… I told my agent to build into my contract, in the event I do get an emergency phone call and KISS wants me to join the tour and take over for Tommy [Thayer], that I can get out of the dates that I have booked for the summer. So we'll see what happens. You know me — I'm the kind of guy that says 'never say never.' But at this juncture, I have no plans on performing on the upcoming KISS tour, and I haven't gotten any phone calls or had any correspondence. So that's where it stands at this juncture."
As for his solo touring plans for 2019, Ace said: "I have two shows coming up in January on the West Coast. We're doing Seattle, Sacramento, and they might even add some shows and bring us all the way down to San Diego. And then I think might be doing some dates with Alice Cooper in the summer. My guys get along with their guys, and I've known Alice forever. So that's always gonna be a lot of fun. I think they're talking about July and August — it'll be five weeks. So that can be a really special thing."
KISS frontman Paul Stanley recently told the "Rolling Stone Music Now" podcast that while he is not closing the door on the possibility of guest appearances by former members during the "End Of The Road" tour, he doesn't promise anything either. "I really can't say," Stanley said. "This will be a celebration of KISS and not any individual lineup or any individual members. I wouldn't rule anything out, but it's not the crux of what we're doing… and I'm not being coy either. I don't want to mislead anybody. That's not something that's been given a lot of thought at this point. The majority of our time has gone into what is the stage going to be, what is the show going to be, and we're actually in the midst of toying with setlists now." Frehley — whose new solo album, "Spaceman", was released in October via eOne — first left KISS in 1982. He rejoined in 1996 and parted ways with the band once again in 2002 after the conclusion of their first "farewell tour."
Anthony worked as a pyro tech on tours for elite guitar groups like AC/DC, Aerosmith, Motley Crue, Bon Jovi, Dio, Skid Row, Ratt, ZZ Top and U2, and even rappers Run-DMC and pop-star Janet Jackson.
Usually stationed downstage-right near the guitar techs, Anthony triggered flames, sparks and booms to dramatically punctuate the musicians' onstage performances.
"There was always a giant positive response to everything that you did," Anthony says of fans' reactions. "You could always hear it. It was either a roar or cheer of some sort from the audience."
The 1981 Buckhorn High grad got started in the business through Huntsville concert lighting and pyrotechnics company Luna Tech. His first job there was janitorial. He'd been working at a shoe store as stock-boy. "I'm like, "If this is a chance to at least advance it's more than I'm getting where I am now,'" Anthony recalls. "If it means cleaning the floors and emptying the garbage, put me in coach."
Anthony cleaned the Luna Tech shop for about three years, soaking up whatever knowledge and experience he could.
If the company was working a concert within 200 miles, he'd drive there and help-out with pyro for acts like Ozzy Osbourne and Journey.
Around 1983, once he was 21 and old enough to be listed on pyrotechnics licenses, Anthony got his first shot to go on-tour, with hard-rock heroes Kiss. At the time the band featured frontman Paul Stanley, bassist Gene Simmons, drummer Eric Carr and guitarist Vinnie Vincent. This would be the Kiss' last tour wearing their signature makeup until 1996, when Stanley and Simmons reunited with fellow original members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss.
Anthony got the Kiss gig after a tech known as "Pyro Pete" left for another tour.
For his first Kiss tour, Anthony remembers the band's pyro including a lot of spark effects. "We would do spinning wheels, a motorized effect, off the Kiss sign," Anthony says. The electrical, 30-foot-high and 40-foot-long or so Kiss sign is one of the band's best-known stage props. "We would also do a wall of sparks falling from the lighting-truss at the top of the Kiss sign, which would cascade down and look almost like a waterfall effect. We would also do what we called airburst effects, which were just small flash charges with sparkle in it that were also rigged from the lighting-truss to simulate an aerial effect, in a controlled environment."
Alas, Kiss axed their pyro for that tour after only a week or so after he joined up, Anthony says. "I can only imagine that it was a case of they were trying to cut costs where they could, and at the time pyro was a big part of their budget. Shortly thereafter the rest of the tour was cancelled."
But he'd be back on the road with Kiss. He was also their pyro tech for tours supporting the band's "Asylum," "Crazy Nights" and "Hot in the Shade" albums. Kiss' opening acts during Anthony's time with them included W.A.S.P., Slaughter, Ted Nugent and Winger.
Perhaps not surprisingly, Simmons - whose onstage antics had long included a "breathing fire" stunt - took the most interest in Kiss' pyro, beyond basic "where to stand and where not to stand" safety concerns.
"I think it was just his nature," Anthony recalls of Simmons. During Anthony's time with Kiss, Simmons was also would fire effects from his bass, a "cold spark" one could put their hand over without injury.
Anthony operated pyro effects using controllers that ranged from briefcase-sized to kitchen-over-shaped. The controllers featured numerous switches and turnkeys. He also helped load-in, set-up and break-down the pyro. His workdays often started around 7 a.m. and pushed through into 2 a.m. the next day. And then he'd get up and do it again. Before the other gear was loaded in, Anthony would get out his remote-control car and send it zooming it around the arena floor. After load-out he'd often play with the toy car again until it was time to get on the tour bus.
"Back in those days a lot of the bands would tour where you're doing five shows in a row, and you would have a travel day," Anthony says. "You maybe travel 600 days on that day off and turn around and do another six in a row."
He wanted to deliver awesome effects for a show, but safety was his biggest concern, Anthony says. "As a pyro guy, your job can affect any and all other departments involved with the production, whether it's the staging, lighting or audio or backline for that matter. You have to be aware of all your surroundings and all the other departments and make sure: number one, you're not going to hurt anybody; number two, you're not going to destroy anyone else's equipment. Your job affects everybody else."
On tour, beside dealing with the pyro itself, Anthony would deal with fire marshals and fire departments of whatever city Kiss was performing in. "For a lot of the fire departments back in those days it was a learning experience," he says. He'd get things approved, make any adjustments to the show that night local codes required, and inform the band of any updates.
Working with more and more bands, Anthony conducted pre-tour presentations for each act and their production personnel, to demonstrate effects he proposed using for that tour. During such a presentation before U2's groundbreaking "Zoo TV Tour," he triggered a strobing flare-effect the band had previously requested be built to last several minutes. After 20 or so seconds of watching the flare, the band was satisfied with what they'd seen and wanted to move on. Anthony replied, "Well, we will move on in a couple minutes when this is through burning. I can't stop it. It's just something we have to sit and wait through for the next few minutes.'" Awk-ward.
During another pre-tour demo, this one for "18 and Life" rockers Skid Row, Anthony says larger-than-life frontman Sebastian Bach kept asking, "'Can you make it bigger? Let's just make this whole stage blowup!' And I'm like, 'We can't. I'll give you what I can but know we can't go that crazy.'"
Asked for his most memorable pyro gigs, Anthony fondly recalls AC/DC's 1985 Rock in Rio set ("We played two nights to crowds of over 250,000 people each night") and Bon Jovi's 1988 to 1990 "New Jersey Syndicate Tour" ("I had two birthdays on this tour, both in Europe").
“It has a computer built into it,” Frehley, age 67, says. “If you align it to the North Star, it'll go to all the planets in the solar system. If you wanna go see Saturn, you punch in a three-digit code. It's a high-end telescope. Serious astronomers buy it. I love all that sh*t.”
It’s appropriate that the KISS co-founder and guitarist coined himself “The Spaceman,” back in the 1970s. Decades later, the nickname still sticks. Fresh off the release of his eighth solo album, aptly titled Spaceman, the musician carried himself with a sense of wonderment uncommon in could-be jaded rockstars.
Frehley had been running around New York like a madman. With two hours to rest, he stopped back at The London NYC hotel. He threw himself on his suite bed — cheetah print shirt, leather pants and boots on — taking phone calls from friends and family as he shared his adventures promoting the new record. With a glass bottle of Coke, he took a breather on the couch before his next engagement. Hundreds were already lined up outside of Sam Ash Music Store on W. 34th Street eagerly awaiting autographs. Earlier in the week, he signed the birth certificate of a fan’s child. The boy’s middle name was Ace.
“You’d be surprised what I've signed,” Frehley says. “Asses, tits, you name it. I've never signed a penis though. That's where I draw the line. I’ve had guys ask for hugs and then kiss me on the cheek. That's a little weird, but, what are you gonna do?”
Frehley remains unfazed at the rigmarole of releasing a new album. That week, he made traditional media appearances, like performing for Fox 5’s morning program Good Day New York, but also got a kick out of sitting down for an interview with a 10-year-old YouTuber. He was tired, but ecstatic with the reaction to Spaceman.
“The artists that say they don't give a sh*t about reviews are bullsh*tting,” he says. “They do care. They only say that when they get bad reviews. When they get good reviews, believe me, they talk about it.”
Frehley says critics have likened the sound of his new album to his 1978 self-titled solo record which featured the hit “New York Groove.” Forty years later, he’s fond of the comparison.
“That’s a real big compliment because that album has withstood the test of time,” Frehley says. “It's still my biggest-selling solo record. If Spaceman can do half what that record did, then this is going to be a huge!”
The parallels to Frehley’s older work actually go back to 1976, when KISS released its fourth studio album, Destroyer. Fans have acknowledged a correlation between Spaceman single “Rocking With The Boys” and KISS classic “Beth.”
“Ironically, I never really thought about it when I was writing it,” Frehley says. “I wrote that chorus in the ‘70s, but I was never happy with the verses or the bridge, so I revisited it. It’s about touring with KISS and leaving our loved ones behind.”
While the dark side of rockstardom taught the guitarist a particular loneliness, he’s happy to say that doesn’t represent his life anymore. On the road, his fiancée helps him keep his act together. But a healthy romantic relationship is no substitute for a clear state of mind. Twelve years sober, Frehley is gradually regaining his wits.
“Without the use of substances and alcohol, I’m much more focused,” he says. “My creativity for this past record was at an all-time high. Every year I'm away from drugs and alcohol, some of the memory cells are coming back. My producing is better and the songs I'm writing are better.”
He continues: “Prior to the release of Anomaly in 2009, 20 years went by before I released a record. I find it mind-boggling that I let that happen. But when you're under the influence, you lose track of time and you make mistakes. Right now I'm making up for lost time. And I'm having a lot of fun doing it.”
Frehley’s day-to-day life is calm now. This wasn’t guaranteed, considering his years of substance abuse and raucous childhood hot-wiring cars with the Ducky Boys gang.
“It seems like a different lifetime,” Frehley says. “I wanted protection. I got tired of getting beat up. Once you joined, it's like you were untouchable. If somebody f*cked with you, retribution would follow.”
But the youngster was often pulled away from violence, frankly, because of scheduling conflicts.
“By the time I was 15, I'd be getting calls from the Ducky Boys saying, ‘We're going to a rumble tonight in a school yard, bring a switchblade and a chain.’” Frehley says. “And I'd say, ‘I can't, I got two gigs this weekend!’ In essence, music saved my life, because half of those guys ended up dead, overdosing on drugs or going to jail. One of my best friends stabbed a guy in a bar and did some serious time. God has a plan for everybody. I was lucky enough to get out of that element. Music took me away.”
Frehley recorded Spaceman at his home studio in Rancho Santa Fe, California, about a half-hour north of San Diego. His house rests on four acres and features a guesthouse, pool, a pond and palm trees. For an ex-member of one of the world’s biggest rock bands, it’s charming how excited he gets about the domestic side of life. He describes it as his own oasis — and raves about the money he saves through solar panels and well water.
But don’t be misled. Frehley doesn’t spend his time adjusting thermostats. On his property, he built the studio where Spaceman and much of his recent work was recorded. If he has an idea for a song, at any hour, he heads to the studio, lays down a few tracks, then reviews them in the morning. If it’s as good as he thought it was the night before, he’ll continue to develop it.
For the first time during the recording of Spaceman, Frehley’s old KISS cohort Gene Simmons joined him in his private studio. After working with Simmons on some of his elaborate Vault fan experiences, Frehley pulled the favor card.
“Getting Gene on the record was a brilliant idea,” Frehley says. “He kinda felt guilty saying ‘no.’ He showed up on my doorstep and within three or four hours we had two songs done.”
During the session that produced “Without You I’m Nothing” and “Your Wish Is My Command,” Frehley felt happy to flex some of his technical skills.
“Once we figured out the songs with acoustic guitars, I said, ‘Let's lay down a demo, you play bass, I'll play electric guitar.’” Frehley says. “I'm running the Pro Tools, setting up the mic, doing this and that. One of the first things Gene said to me once I started engineering was, ‘How'd you learn to do all this stuff Ace?’”
He continues: “I said, "Unlike you, sometimes I used to stay after the recording session and ask, ‘What do these buttons do?’”
While Frehley did use an engineer for his new album, he takes pride in his ability to record. He remembers back in the ‘70s, learning from engineers like Eddie Kramer, who worked on his debut solo album.
“'New York Groove,’ Eddie Kramer is responsible for that song," he says. "I didn't even want to record it. But, he was persistent and wore me down. We actually finished the last of the dubs down in Manhattan at a studio that I don't think exists anymore, it was up above Radio City Music Hall. The Rockettes would walk by the studio on their way to the roof to sun themselves.”
As a member of KISS, Frehley spent little time behind the microphone. The Bronx-native is far from a traditionally trained guitarist and save for a few vocal lessons, he’s been on his own when it comes to singing, too. But, as a solo artist, Frehley has assumed the role of lead vocalist.
“You can take the boy out of the Bronx, but you can't take the Bronx out of the boy,” Frehley says. “I still have a Bronx accent. Maybe not so much when I sing, but my voice is very recognizable. I've never considered myself a lead singer. I've always sang out of necessity. I'd be much happier just playing lead guitar and singing one or two songs. Singing and playing guitar at the same time takes a lot out of me, but my voice has gotten stronger over the years.”
On tour in 2018, Frehley likes to arrive 10 minutes prior to showtime. He checks his hair, throws on a guitar and walks on stage. He has no patience for warm ups or getting dolled up.
“It’s the complete opposite of what happened when I was in KISS,” Frehley says. “We used to get to the show at least two hours before we performed and went through that whole ritual of putting on the makeup. We've had so many great acts open for us over the years and I never got a chance to see them. At one point, I told them to put a monitor in our dressing room so we can at least watch them while we're putting on the makeup.”
He’s not exaggerating either. Bands like Cheap Trick, Rush and Bob Seger often opened the show for KISS, giving the artists a chance to perform to arenas. But in reality, it’s been many years since Frehley has been tied down to the makeup chair. After the release of the 1981 record Music From “The Elder,” Frehley departed the band.
Fifteen years later in 1996, he rejoined the original lineup for a reunion tour and contributed to the 1998 album Psycho Circus. After a 2001 “Farewell” tour, Frehley once again exited the band. Since his departure, guitarist Tommy Thayer has assumed the role of The Spaceman.
At the time of this interview in mid-October, Frehley addressed rumors that he might rejoin KISS for the band’s yet-to-announced farewell tour.
“I would do it for the fans if the price was right, but I wouldn't do it halfway,” Frehley says. “I'm the real Spaceman. If there's gonna be a real KISS reunion, I'm gonna regain my throne and Tommy's gonna have to do something else.”
By the end of the month, KISS announced the 2019 End of the Road tour, and despite recently performing some tracks with members of KISS on a concert cruise, there is no plan for Frehley to join the band next year.
In addition to the lineup changes of KISS, Frehley’s band has experienced some upheaval as of late. In October, he fired all of the members of his touring band to replace them with Gene Simmons’ solo backing band, citing issues with communication, ego and work ethic. It was met to some dismay by fans, although Frehley doesn’t pay it much mind.
“Everybody's got an opinion, like everybody's got an a**hole,” Frehley says. “I don't pay attention to the internet. Luckily the positive comments far outweigh the negative stuff. I'm in a good place. There's always gonna be some idiot that's gonna say something stupid. I don't let that stuff bother me.”
In 2019, Frehley will begin work on his next album, Origins, Vol 2. December 7-9, you can meet him and see him perform at the New Jersey KISS Expo. In late January, he’ll be playing a handful of shows on the West Coast.
Fleischman was the singer in the first iteration of the Vinnie Vincent Invasion from 1984 - 1986, Vincent's first and most legitimate shot at parlaying his association with KISS into a free-standing career.
But Fleischman, who is also a former member of Journey, recently announced that he dropped out of the would-be reunion with Vincent after he started getting flashbacks to the end of his first tenure with the mercurial virtuoso guitarist.
"I think a lot of you know my history with Mr. Vincent [has] been a rollercoaster or two," Fleischman wrote in a Facebook post.
He explained that "things were not feeling good on the business side...again" and that Vincent's management made him a paltry offer. But that wasn't all.
Fleischman also cited what he called "poor organization," saying he was hardly in contact with anyone from Vincent's team about the gigs since agreeing to take part. He wagged his finger at Vincent's promoter for the way the Memphis shows were canceled earlier this month, noting that they had known "some time ago it wasn't going to happen."
He says he lost money by having to cancel his travel arrangements so soon before the shows, and he was also more than a little hurt to see he was apparently demoted on the new bill, which advertised drummer Carmine Appice and bassist Tony Franklin as being part of the "all star band. Fleischman noted that his name was relegated to "tiny little letters which would take a microscope to read."
"[After] that I said to myself, 'I'm not going down this road again,'" Fleischman said. "...[U]nfortunately some people don't learn from their past. Well, I do. I'm not going to hop on that train ever again."
Below the statement, Fleischman included what he said was the text message he sent Vincent informing him of his resignation.
Fleischman confirmed in the comments below the post that his text went unanswered. He also expressed agreement with one commenter who described the shows falling apart as Vincent being "back to his usual BS."
Vincent's former Kiss collaborator and band mate Gene Simmons suggested in an interview this summer that he doubts Vincent will successfully relaunch his career.
"There's something called the classic failure mechanism, which I was told by doctors and everything — I'm not saying he is one," Simmons said at the time when asked about Vincent's attempt to trademark the name "Vinnie Vincent's Kiss." "But there are people who simply cannot handle when things are starting to go their way — success — so they torpedo it by making stupid decisions to make sure they don't succeed, so they can deal with that."
Vincent's plan for his comeback has publicly changed several times.
In his initial announcement, the show was described as a true solo gig with Kiss's former Ankh warrior singing and playing songs from his career on acoustic guitar and telling stories about the old days.
It's understandable that adding the vaunted "full shred" set would complicate matters; Vincent needed to find a band and rehearse it to his high standards, all while making appearances at conventions around the country.
The guitarist says all tickets purchased for the postponed shows will be honored at the February dates.
While tickets are on sale now, the new venue has still not been named.
Promoter Derek Christopher said: "Vinnie is ready to rock and roll and is disappointed by the postponement, but we needed extra time to add and confirm additional guests for the show. We wanted to make sure it's done right."
For the February shows, Vinnie will be joined by an all-star band that will include Carmine Appice (VANILLA FUDGE, ROD STEWART, JEFF BECK, BLUE MURDER) on drums, and Tony Franklin (DAVID GILMOUR, JIMMY PAGE, THE FIRM) on bass.
Tickets for the December 7 show will be honored on the February 8 date, and tickets for the December 8 show will be honored on the February 9 date.
Tickets can be exchanged or refunded on VinnieVincentLive.com.
Vincent — who was a member of KISS when the band publicly "unmasked" in 1983 — has made several public appearances this year after spending the past two decades out of the public eye. He recently addressed rumors about his gender identity but declined to answer the question directly, explaining that he wanted to keep a mystique about the subject. He also said that he hopes to complete his autobiography "within a year."
Vinnie joined KISS in 1982, replacing Ace Frehley. As the "Ankh Warrior," he toured with the group in support of "Creatures Of The Night", on which he played lead guitar on six songs prior to becoming an official member of the band.
Because The End of the Road tour, starting next year, is actually Kiss’s second goodbye.
The original Kiss line-up reformed for a farewell tour that ran from 2000 to 2001, but lost drummer Peter Criss before it finished and guitarist Ace Frehley soon after.
Stanley and fellow co-founder Gene Simmons would later state Criss and Frehley’s playing skills meant they weren’t especially proud of the reformation tour musically, even if it was the line-up the fans wanted to see.
“The first farewell tour was almost 19 years ago,” Stanley says. “Cynics be damned. Those people will always find something to say. That (reformed) line-up of the band was dysfunctional. People in the band weren’t showing respect to the fans or the band itself. We decided to put the horse down. The truth is we’ve carried on for 19 years (since the first farewell) because we realised people still wanted to see Kiss, we just had to have a tyre change.”
For this farewell tour, dubbed The End of the Road, Kiss will again be Stanley, Simmons and “new boys” Tommy Thayer (15 years in the band) and Eric Singer (27 years).
Stanley insists this will be it, despite bands regularly receiving raised eyebrows when they announce they’re splitting for good — Motley Crue had to sign a pact in public to prove to fans that their final tour was indeed the last goodbye.
“Not to take away from anybody else, but you can make up any piece of paper that makes people believe one thing or another,” Stanley says.
“It’s all about your intent. We’ve been thinking about how to do this for a while. With the band being really in top form and getting on terrifically, it’s time to take a victory lap. We made the conscious decision that this is it.”
Stanley, 66, says Kiss have strategically planned their exit. Dates for The End of the Road have so far announced been announced for all of 2019, but they’ll potentially tour for up to three years.
“It’s a big world,” Stanley explains. “We want to go out and celebrate with every country and every city that we’ve been to and that will take some time. We planned this. We’re not getting any younger. If we were playing some rock and roll songs wearing blue jeans and T-shirts we could do this into our 90s. But we’re wearing 40 or 50 pounds (18 to 22kgs) of gear, running around on stage.
“I’m 66. People half my age probably wish they were in the same shape. But there’s no beating the clock. You can’t. There are no 60-year-old footballers or basketball players or track runners. Your body can’t take that. At this point we are facing the inevitable and want to do it in the best way possible. We want to do it while we feel great as opposed to letting things deteriorate.
“Forget about a typical rock band, we’re so much more than a rock band. This is the greatest show we’ve ever put together. It’s a completely different stage, a completely new technology. We’re not one of those bands who does a farewell tour because we can’t do it anymore. This will be the ultimate Kiss show.”
Part of the band’s manifesto as they head out one last time is celebrate the success they have achieved despite the critics who always wrote them off. As much as the internet has given the Kiss Army a new platform to rally the troops, there are also plenty of Kiss haters online.
Decades of jumping around on stage in heavy boots may have taken its toll on Stanley’s hips (he’s had both replaced), but some voices online are more concerned with the impact age has had on his voice, posting unflattering concert videos to back their claims.
During his Australian solo tour this year, bandmate Simmons even mocked the Stanley “losing his voice”. (Stanley was quick to point out Simmons was struggling to sell tickets to his concerts.)
“If anyone wants to hear me sound like I did on (1975’s) Kiss Alive! then put on Kiss Alive!” Stanley says. “It would be absurd. Of course your voice changes. Any athlete’s body changes. Any singer’s voice changes. The naysayers and the scrooges will find the video of you falling on your ass, that’s the one they’ll post. But when you’re playing to between 20,000 to 60,000 fans a night and beginning and ending a show with an audience going crazy, I’m not really that concerned with the sceptics.
“I’m in the same boat a lot of people are,” he adds. “I see singers around my age and we talk about it. The difference could be many bands have a singer where you go ‘Well he sounds really good’ but, so does the keyboard player singing along with him. Or the person singing off stage. Kiss have never done that.
“I understand there’s people who tend to spout negativity but they’re in the vast, vast, vast minority. I will do everything in my power and I know that I will sound great on this tour. That is not delusional. I don’t look the same as I did at the beginning of the band, nobody looks the same today as they did decades ago, but it’s all about degree. But there are realities of course.”
Stanley — who is also an accomplished painter — says there are no plans to keep making new music once the final curtain goes down on Kiss’s live career.
“I don’t think there’s any reason to record at this point. You’re up against your past. Your past is much larger and more potent than the quality of your songs. It’s about songs that had a moment in somebody’s life, that’s where the power comes. It’s a photograph of a certain moment for somebody.
“Whether or us or the Stones or any classic band, when people say, ‘Why don’t you do a new album?’ they have no intention of wanting to hear it. They may tolerate a new song or two. But don’t kid yourself, when the (Rolling) Stones put out a new album someone will say, ‘That’s terrific, now play Brown Sugar’. It’s the nature of the beast. I’d rather go out and celebrate our glories and not hunker down in the studio to do an album which, understandably, will never receive the embracing that earlier ones do.
“If you put on a live concert of any of the classic bands and turn off the sound, I could tell you every time they’re playing a new song because the audience sits down. People really don’t want to hear those new songs live.”
It’s a different world Kiss will be saying goodbye to. The sexual metaphors in their lyrics would be hard for a new act to get away with, while even notorious pantsman Simmons has finally opted for marriage rather than salaciously reliving stories of the thousands of women he bedded over the years.
Indeed, on Andrew Denton’s Interview this year Simmons, 69, declared that, looking back on his behaviour through the #MeToo prism, he’d been “an arrogant and sexist pig”.
The two Kiss originals are very different personalities — they’ve clashed many times in recent years, most recently over Simmons’ unsympathetic views on the death of Prince and drug victims. However, Stanley and Simmons will go out as they came in — as friends.
“The Gene most people know is a self-created commodity for the media,” Stanley admits. “He’ll say all kinds of things. That’s who he is. He likes to stir things up, he likes to have soundbites. I can’t address anything other than to say we’ve been together 50 years at this point. We have an unbreakable bond and an appreciation for each other that goes far beyond what most people are fortunate enough to have.”
Kiss will also go out having left a big impression on the music industry. Once criticised for finding a way to merchandise everything from coffins to paid meet and greets, they’re now seen as the band who wrote the blueprint for finding new financial streams beyond album and ticket sales.
They’re a band that achieved pretty much everything possible and Stanley can see their legacy all around.
“There’s not a rock show out there, or a rap show, or any live show you see without some Kiss DNA in it. We were the wake up call to audiences of what they should expect and not tolerate less than. We are still fans of Kiss and we are Kiss.”
While they’ve prepared themselves musically and visually, is Simmons emotionally prepared for that final show — for which they’ve already pencilled in Rock and Roll All Nite as the last song they’ll ever play?
“The term ‘bittersweet’ comes to mind,” he says. “I’m so grateful for everything I’ve been given and everything I’ve shared. I see this as a celebration. It probably won’t sink in for quite a while that it’s over. That being said it’s a time of joy and defiance if you will, celebrating that we’ve always, for better or worse, done it our way, unapologetically. We’ve stood by our victories and brushed ourselves off in defeat. We were and remain the band we always wanted to see. That’s what we’re going out as, the band we always wanted to see.”
Kiss, RAC Arena Perth November 16 2019, Coopers Stadium Adelaide November 19, Rod Laver Arena Melbourne November 21-22, Supercars Newcastle November 23, Qudos Bank Arena Sydney November 26, Brisbane Entertainment Centre November 28. On sale 10am November 12, Ticketek
Lee was declared dead at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after having a medical emergency, our sister site Variety reports.
During his many years at the comic-book publishing house, Lee created characters including Spider-Man, the X-Men and the Fantastic Four. He left the company in 1972 but kept the title of chairman emeritus until his death, and he received production credit on TV series like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Agent Carter, The Gifted, Inhumans, Jessica Jones and Luke Cage.
Lee also was known for making cameos — often playing himself — on TV series including The Gifted, Fresh Off the Boat, Nikita, Eureka and The Big Bang Theory, as well as in many feature films (where spotting him at times was a well-known, Alfred Hitchcock-style diversion).
In addition, Lee contributed his voice to a bunch of animated series, including The Simpsons, Ultimate Spider-Man and The Incredible Hulk.
He continued: "It's funny — I just did a show north of San Francisco, in Petaluma, and I realized my old publicity agent from the Casablanca [Records] days lives there. And so we met up and reminisced for about an hour and a half. I went, 'This is some good stuff! You've gotta write it down and e-mail it to me so I can put it in my second book!' Because he was telling me a lot of stuff I completely forgot about. And you know, most of the stories are from the days when I used to get loaded. But now I'm in one of the best places I've ever been in."
Back in 2016, Frehley acknowledged the fact that he has had to piece a lot of the material together from third-party anecdotes owing to his active addictions around the time that the events took place.
"Everybody does have an Ace story, in most cases, and it's actually good for me, because my memory isn't what it used to be," he said. "So [how it comes together is by] sitting down with old friends and employees and family members, and saying, 'What do you remember? Jog my memory.' And nine times out of ten, it comes back to me once they kick off the story."
Frehley said a few years ago that his next book would "be along the same lines as the first one." He continued: "I don't believe in bashing people. I don't believe in a lot of negativity, so most of the stories in the book are going to be about me: funny stories and funny situations on the road, all stories about me in the Bronx growing up, and so on and so forth.
"There wasn't much in the first book about the FREHLEY'S COMET years, and there's plenty of stories along those lines, there's still plenty of KISS stories, and plenty of stories of me growing up. I probably have enough stories for five books."
"No Regrets: A Rock 'N' Roll Memoir" landed at position No. 10 on the New York Times "Hardcover Nonfiction" best sellers list. The book, which was described as a look back at Ace's "life of sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll," arrived on November 1, 2011 via Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster.
"No Regrets" was co-written by New York Times journalist Joe Layden who also authored "The Last Great Fight" about what is considered by many to be the biggest upset in the history of boxing: James "Buster" Douglas's tenth-round knockout win over Mike Tyson in 1990.
Frehley performed with KISS from its inception in 1973 until his first departure in 1982 before rejoining KISS in 1996 for a very successful reunion tour. Frehley's latest stint lasted until 2002.
Corden, who wore his own custom costume and face paint, changed the lyrics of the songs to reflect the fact that the older we get, the more difficult it becomes to rock and roll all night on top of partying every day.
"You show us everything you've got / You keep on dancin' and the room gets hot / You drive us wild / We'll drive you crazy," he sang.
"More than two drinks is a big mistake / Can't fall asleep and get the worst headache / I got work tomorrow / Let's not get crazy."
A month ago, KISS announced its "End Of The Road" farewell tour on NBC's "America's Got Talent", and last week, the band revealed the first set of dates and cities in North America, produced by Live Nation. International markets were announced simultaneously.
The North American leg of "End Of The Road" will launch January 31 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada at Rogers Arena and will hit an additional 43 cities.
Video of the massive takeover of four enormous clusters and 13 huge billboards right in the heart of the Big Apple can be seen below.
"We don't do anything small," the band says in the video.
"I was a New York City cab driver. I remember driving through Times Square but never could I have imagined that instead of driving the cab, I'd be up on the billboard," said frontman Paul Stanley. The initial "End Of The Road" announcement was made a month ago on NBC's "America's Got Talent", and earlier this week, the band revealed the first set of dates and cities in North America, produced by Live Nation. International markets were announced simultaneously.
The North American leg of "End Of The Road" will launch January 31 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada at Rogers Arena and will hit an additional 43 cities.
The legendary rockers — Paul Stanley (vocals, guitar), Gene Simmons (bass, vocals), Tommy Thayer (guitar) and Eric Singer (drums) — are playing multiple shows during the eighth installment of their seagoing extravaganza, which embarked yesterday from Miami and will visit Key West, Florida, and Nassau in the Bahamas before returning to port on November 5.
Frehley, whose solo band is one of the artists performing on the cruise, took the stage during KISS's acoustic show on Wednesday and played four songs with the current KISS lineup: "2000 Man" (THE ROLLING STONES cover, which Ace sang on KISS's 1979 album "Dynasty"), "New York Groove" (HELLO cover, which appeared on Ace's 1978 debut solo album), "Nothing' To Lose" and "Rock And Roll All Nite". Kulick, who is also one of the cruise's scheduled performers, joined in on acoustic guitar.
"Life is full of coincidences," Stanley joked before Frehley's appearance. "Here we are, on a ship... Bruce Kulick just happens to be on this ship. And someone just said, 'You know who else is on this ship?' Ace Frehley! So, let's bring him up too."
Right before kicking into "Nothin' To Lose", Ace got emotional, telling the crowd and his formed bandmates: "This is great... this is so great. Thank you guys for inviting me up." Stanley then added: "Ace, hold on a second. All this couldn't have happened if we hadn't happened. We started this. So thank you for being here."
Earlier in the evening, Kulick reunited with KISS for performances of the "Revenge" track "Domino" — which KISS hadn't played live since 1995 — and "Hide Your Heart".
Last month, Ace told ABC Radio that the cruise could possibly feature one or more reunion performances with KISS. "Anything can happen on this cruise, and I think the fans are expecting something special," he said. "Either I might be invited onstage or I might invite Paul or Gene, or both of them. We'll see what happens…It's a 'Kiss Kruise' and the sky's the limit."
Frehley — whose new solo album, "Spaceman", was released last month via eOne on October 19 — first left KISS in 1982. He rejoined in 1996 and parted ways with the band once again in 2002 after the conclusion of their first "farewell tour." Ace said that both times he left KISS were by choice. "I remember the first time I wanted to quit the band," he recalled during a "live conversation" on September 25 at Musicians Institute. "Gene called me up and goes, 'Ace, you don't have to leave the band if you want to do a solo record. You can still stay in KISS. We'll even take a break and let you do it.' They didn't want me to leave. They never wanted me to leave, and I quit the band twice. If you look at old interviews, sometimes they would lump me in with Peter and say, 'Yeah, we fired Peter and Ace.' They never fired me — I always quit. I want to make that clear."
As he did at this past weekend's Chiller Theatre event in Parsippany, New Jersey, Vincent donned a variation of the "Ankh Warrior" makeup for his FOUR BY FATE guest appearance.
The original "Ankh Warrior" ancient Egyptian motif was created by Paul Stanley, KISS's lead singer and rhythm guitarist. Vincent wore the makeup with KISS while on tour in support of the band's 1982 album "Creatures Of The Night", on which he played lead guitar on six songs prior to becoming an official member of the band. After that, he remained with KISS for one additional album, "Lick It Up" recorded in 1983, before being fired from the band for alleged unethical behavior.
Vincent was the last member of KISS to wear a unique makeup/costume configuration until he and the rest of KISS were first shown without the makeup during an interview on MTV in September 1983.
Vincent has made several public appearances this year after spending the past two decades out of the public eye. He recently addressed rumors about his gender identity but declined to answer the question directly, explaining that he wanted to keep a mystique about the subject. He also said that he hopes to complete his autobiography "within a year."
Vinnie's official comeback concerts will take place December 7 and December 8 in Memphis, Tennessee at the Theatre at Graceland. They will mark Vinnie's first full-blown return to the stage in over 30 years.
Known for their trademark larger-than-life blistering performances, KISS has proven for decades why they are hands down the most iconic live show in rock n roll. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers who have sold more than 100 million albums worldwide have said this "End of the Road" Tour is devoted to the millions of KISS Army fans.
“This time out is far beyond what we have done before, not just because of technology. It is because the meaning of this tour is so, so great because we have been an indelible part of people’s lives, but guess what -- people have been an indelible part of our lives,” Kiss guitarist Paul Stanley tells Billboard. “A thank you is in order, but also one last time to live up to what everybody says we have been and what we are.”
“When we introduce ourselves for 45 years with you, [you] wanted the best, you got the best, the hottest band in the world. The bar is very high, maybe the highest. We’re in competition only with ourselves,” singer Gene Simmons says. “We don’t wish any ill will to anybody else, but we’re too busy being the most fabulous band on planet earth. Look at us. Just one look and you go ‘Wow.’”
The End of the Road Tour will include band members Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer for the multi-year run that promises dates until at least 2020. The current North American dates will hit major markets including Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago, Detroit, Montreal, Boston, New York and Miami. The final North American date is scheduled for April 13 in Birmingham, Ala.
“One thing for sure is that this is the last tour. What goes beyond that is really hard to say,” Stanley says of what will happen to the band beyond their End of the Road dates. “The tour may go three years, but once we play your city, it is done. That is our big thank you.”
“We’re going to take it nice and slow because we are not like the wonderful bands who wear sneakers and T-shirts and show up with a guitar somewhere,” Simmons says, adding that there is nothing wrong with that. “For us to move anywhere, this is the 600,000-pound gorilla. We can’t move without having tractor trailers up the wazoo. We leave a big imprint and that’s how we like it.”
The band promises bigger than ever stage theatrics, technology and brand-new attire. Simmons explains that each member has designed new outfits for the tour, put together and embellished with that signature Kiss flair, including nine-inch platform boots.
“These are new outfits that we took a long time to craft. All of us design our own stuff. At the end of the day we are fully complete by ourselves,” Simmons tells Billboard. “We’re not only in Kiss, we’re fans of the band. I’m on stage with these guys. I look across the stage, and wow. We’re the greatest band on earth.”
Simmons, Stanley, Thayer and Singer will all continue to don their unique makeup in character as the Demon, Starchild, Spaceman and Catman, respectively.
“This tour is really the last chance for everybody to come, but especially those people who have never seen Kiss before. This is the last opportunity to come and see the wow that [Simmons] is talking about,” adds guitarist Tommy Thayer. “Not only that, it is the last opportunity for the tried and true Kiss army to come out and see us one last time as well. So be there.”
Each night of the tour, the band says they will perform hits from their expansive decades-long catalog. Songs will range from their 1974 debut album to well into the 1990s and beyond.
“For all the audience saying ‘When are you going to record a new album or will you play a deep cut?’ Why? We have ‘Detroit Rock City,’ ‘Love Gun,’ ‘Rock and Roll All Night,’ “Shout Out Loud,’ ‘Firehouse,’ ‘Hotter Than Hell,’ and the list goes on and on,” says Stanley. “There isn’t room for some obscure song. Songs that are obscure are obscure for a reason.”
Stanley adds, “And if we’re going to please a handful of diehards, the real crazy diehards and have 20,000 other people go ‘What’s that?’ or “Let’s go out and get a Coke’ then we are failing the masses. We wouldn’t do that.”
Kiss will be offering VIP experiences and special Kiss Army fan presales beginning on Oct. 31. Kiss meet and greet experiences will be available beginning Tuesday (Oct. 30) at 10 a.m. local time through Epic Rights.
Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday (Nov. 2) at 10 a.m. local time. View upcoming tour dates below the news.
The original "Ankh Warrior" ancient Egyptian motif was created by Paul Stanley, KISS's lead singer and rhythm guitarist. Vincent wore the makeup with KISS while on tour in support of the band's 1982 album "Creatures Of The Night", on which he played lead guitar on six songs prior to becoming an official member of the band. After that, he remained with KISS for one additional album, "Lick It Up" recorded in 1983, before being fired from the band for alleged unethical behavior.
Vincent was the last member of KISS to wear a unique makeup/costume configuration until he and the rest of KISS were first shown without the makeup during an interview on MTV in September 1983.
Vincent has made several public appearances this year after spending the past two decades out of the public eye. He recently addressed rumors about his gender identity but declined to answer the question directly, explaining that he wanted to keep a mystique about the subject. He also said that he hopes to complete his autobiography "within a year."
Vinnie's comeback concerts will take place December 7 and December 8 in Memphis, Tennessee at the Theatre at Graceland. They will mark Vincent's first return to the stage in over 30 years.
As most fans remember, back in 2000 and 2001, KISS already performed a "Farewell Tour". The trek, which was the last to feature both guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss, played 142 shows over five legs, covering North America, Japan, and Australia.
"Let's put it into perspective and try to at least get a sense of what's different [this time around]," Stanley told Rolling STone. "The farewell tour took place 19 years ago. The farewell tour was at the end of the time that we had brought back the two original members [guitarist Ace Frehley and Peter Criss] and it was such drudgery and so difficult and so unhappy that it just seemed, like, 'Let's put the horse down.' And after the tour was over, it didn't take me very long to realize I didn't want to say goodbye to the band; I wanted to say goodbye to two members. So that was the differences. We've had 19 years of the band. The band has never been better, happier… But with all that in mind, it's time to think about an end."
Although Stanley didn't rule out the possibility of guest appearances by former members, he didn't promise anything either. "I really can't say," Stanley said. "This will be a celebration of KISS and not any individual lineup or any individual members. I wouldn't rule anything out, but it's not the crux of what we're doing… and I'm not being coy either. I don't want to mislead anybody, really that's not something that's been given a lot of thought at this point, the majority of our time has gone into what is the stage going to be, what is the show going to be, and we're actually in the midst of toying with setlists now."
Rumors of KISS's final run of live shows gained strength several months ago following the news that the band was attempting to trademark the phrase "The End Of The Road." An application from KISS was filed in February to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, which means that the band could use it in connection with "live performances by a musical band."
Basist/vocalist Gene Simmons recently told Sweden's Expressen newspaper that KISS's next tour will last three years. Calling it the band's "most spectacular tour ever," the bassist/vocalist added that the trek will make stops on "all continents."
Asked what was it like to have Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley as her employers, Nita said: "I didn't work directly with them, though I was little starstruck the first time I met them. I mainly worked through the talent department. I didn't work directly too much with Gene and Paul, but they were very nice to work for. When I was leaving and the last half of the season, I had a great conversation with Paul. I had just landed the Alice Cooper tour and had to make a decision to do one thing or the other. I had to let them know I was having to leave. but I had a good reason. [Laughs] This was the MÖTLEY CRÜE farewell tour with Alice Cooper supporting. Gene and Paul were extremely understanding. On the last day, Paul pulled me aside and said, 'Listen, if we have to lose you to anyone, I'm glad it was the Alice Cooper organization because they are going to treat you really well.' I have a lot of respect for him because of that. He didn't have to do that, but he did, and that was really, really cool of him."
Nita will release her debut solo album, "Controlled Chaos", on November 16 via Sumerian Records.
Asked if he would still consider participating in the tour if original KISS drummer Peter Criss was not involved, Ace said: "I think it would be great if Peter was involved. Obviously, at this point in his life, he wouldn’t be able to do a two-hour show. But I can see if we worked out a situation where Peter came out at the end and did three or four songs — sang 'Beth', did 'Black Diamond' and a couple of others, I think that would be fun."
Ace told Houston Press earlier in the month that he hasn't been approached to take part in KISS's farewell tour. "I haven't been asked to do anything with KISS," he said. "The fans are talking about it, but I haven't got the phone calls. So until that happens, it's still up in the air."
As most fans remember, back in 2000 and 2001, KISS already performed a "Farewell Tour". The trek, which was the last to feature both Ace and Peter, played 142 shows over five legs, covering North America, Japan, and Australia.
Frehley, whose new solo album, "Spaceman", was released on October 19 via eOne, first left KISS in 1982. He rejoined in 1996 and parted ways with the band once again in 2002 after the conclusion of their first "farewell tour."
Kiss frontman Paul Stanley says the band's (second) farewell tour could include former members performing onstage.
In an interview in Atlantic City where he was promoting his artwork, Stanley told The Associated Press the band's "End of the Road" world tour starting next year could include appearances by former members. He did not single out anyone by name, but living ex-members are guitarists Ace Frehley, Vinnie Vincent and Bruce Kulick, and drummer Peter Criss.
Since the tour was announced last month, Kiss fans have been clamoring for a farewell that includes former members.
"I wouldn't discount any possibilities," said Stanley, who plays the Starchild character in the band. "I learned long ago to never say never. Would I negate the possibility of former members making appearances? Absolutely not. I don't know in what capacity."
Stanley then went on to extol the virtues and stability of the current lineup: himself, bassist and vocalist Gene Simmons; drummer Eric Singer and guitarist Tommy Thayer, calling it "the crux and the core of the band on tour."
That lineup is already rehearsing the farewell show, even as its elements remain undecided. Stanley said the set list will be expanded from the recent 16 songs to 25, adding the band has "thrown away every piece of hardware that we used on any of the previous tours and created a completely new show."
Formed in 1973, Kiss did a farewell tour in 2000 with the original lineup of Stanley, Simmons, Frehley and Criss. Yet within a year, Simmons and Stanley decided to keep the band going, promoting guitar tech and band assistant Thayer to the role of full-fledged lead guitarist, and bringing back Singer, who first drummed with the band following the death of Eric Carr in 1991 through the 1996 reunion tour of original members.
Tensions within the band soon resurfaced in 2000.
"In the emotional state that we were in, we thought that it's better to put down the horse rather than nurse it back to health," Stanley said. "We in essence threw the baby out with the bath water."
Those tensions are never far from the surface when former Kissers get together — and could still scuttle a last hurrah for them, despite everyone's best intentions.
"There are personalities and histories and things that may make it impossible to spend a romantic evening with your ex-wife," Stanley said.
Speaking of ex-wives, Stanley started painting several years ago while in the midst of a divorce.
"Anyone who's been through a divorce probably spent a lot of time either banging their head on the wall or crying a lot," Stanley said. "It's a very tumultuous time. My best friend said to me, 'You should paint.' I never painted. But my life is pretty much built on the premise of 'why not?' instead of 'why?' I had no idea how or what I was going to do. And I started painting."
His pieces include self-portraits, paintings of fellow Kiss band members, as well as Jimi Hendrix, Marilyn Monroe, and more abstract art. It's heavy on bold color and simple in brush strokes and design.
He has sold over $10 million worth of art through the Wentworth Gallery in the past five years.
Other guests scheduled to appear at the event include Lita Ford, Bobby Rock (VINNIE VINCENT INVASION, NELSON), Lydia Criss and artist Ken Kelly ("Destroyer", "Love Gun").
Tickets are on sale now at NJKissExpo.com.
Co-produced with frequent KISS collaborator Eddie Kramer, "Ace Frehley" is widely hailed as the best of the four KISS solo albums released simultaneously in 1978. It peaked at No. 26 on the Billboard 200 and outsold the solo efforts of his three bandmates. Regarding how the decision to perform all of "Ace Frehley" came about, the guitarist told BUILD Series: "It came from the people putting the event together and some of the people who work for me. They all said it would be a great idea, and I said, 'Yeah, I think it would be,' so we're going to make it happen."
In addition to a trio of songs ("Snow Blind", "Ozone", "Wiped-Out") that reflect Frehley's extracurricular interests at the time, the album includes a cover of HELLO's 1975 song "New York Groove", which reached No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and remains a staple of the guitarist's live performances today.
During a recent "live conversation" at Hollywood's Musicians Institute, Frehley discussed his goals for the album. "I just wanted to make the best record possible," he said. "I had a revelation after all four albums came out and mine became the most successful — pretty much there's this voice in my head going, 'Ace, you know you're a lot more creative away from those guys than you are with them.' That was kind of the beginning of the end for me, because I realized that I could make a lot better music away from Paul [Stanley] and Gene [Simmons] and Peter [Criss] than I could with them. But I was also drinking and doing a lot of drugs, so that could have affected my decision-making."
Frehley's new solo album, "Spaceman", will be released on October 19 via eOne.
With the band embarking on a One Last Kiss: End of the Road World Tour in 2019, Frehley is reading the tea leaves that he might be included in some fashion -- though Kiss itself has not said anything about that and co-founders Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons have long maintained Frehley and drummer Peter Criss are gone for good. But there have been recent signs of a thaw: Stanley guesting on Frehley's 2016 covers album Origins Vol. 1; Frehley making guest appearances at shows Simmons did to promote his opulent Vault package; Simmons writing and recording two songs with Frehley for Spaceman; and most recently Frehley dismissing the band seen in the "Rockin' With the Boys" video and hiring Simmons' solo band.
"I think anything can happen," Frehley tells Billboard. "It looks like we're going in that direction. If you go on the Internet and see what the fans are saying, they want it, and Paul and Gene usually don't have a deaf ear to fans. They try to make the fans happy, 'cause that's who pays our rent. I think it boils down to dollars and cents; If (Kiss manager) Doc McGhee says that after talking to promoters around the world (Kiss) could make double the amount of money with Ace in the band, it's a no-brainer." Frehley is quick to note that no discussions have taken place with Stanley and Simmons, so his optimism is tempered -- but still there.
"Who knows what's going to happen," the guitarist says, "but I think they'd be foolish not to include me in some capacity, if not full-blown capacity. I think the fans will be really pissed."
Until that's worked out, or not, Frehley is pumped about Spaceman, his eighth solo album. With a title that alludes to his alter ego in Kiss, the nine-song set has a slight autobiographical and sentimental feel in tracks like "Bronx Boy" and "Rockin' With the Boys," the latter of which came from a chorus Frehley wrote during the '70s. "For some reason I could never get a verse and a bridge that I liked that went along with that chorus," Frehley says about the song -- whose video was filmed live during an August concert in Kiss' fabled Detroit Rock City. "I figure if a chorus is great, the rest of (the song) has to be equally good. Up until when I started recording Spaceman I wasn't able to come up with anything, and then it just came to me in one day."
Spaceman also includes a cover of Eddie Money's "I Wanna Go Back," while Frehley says working on the two songs with Simmons -- "Without You I'm Nothing" and "Your Wish Is My Command" -- was like riding a proverbial bike. "It was a lot of fun," Frehley recalls. "I had done a Vault Experience (show) with him up in L.A., and I think I just emailed him a few days later; I did him a favor, so I said, 'Hey, why don't you come down to my place and try writing a song or two?' and he said 'Great!' and within a week he was down at my studio, and within three hours we came up with both of those songs. It was painless." Frehley acknowledges that his 12 years of sobriety has helped reunite him with his former Kiss mates.
"We're on the same level again," he explains. "Years ago I was loaded half the time and we weren't on the same plane of consciousness, so to speak. A lot of the things they said about me made sense to me once I got sober -- that's why I don't hold any grudges. I hate being around drunk people now, too."
With Spaceman out Oct. 19, Frehley will be taking part in this year's Kiss Kruise, setting sail Oct. 31, and play a few shows in Florida and southern California. His next recording move, meanwhile, may be a second volume of Origins, which he hopes to begin "right away. I'm gonna start kicking around ideas for songs and so on and so forth. I'm not wasting any time."
Ace Frehley: Actually it was Gene Simmons' idea. [Laughs] I was doing a question and answer session with him in Miami at one of his Vault Experiences and I originally wanted to call the record 40 Years Later because it’s been 40 years since my first solo album and I was kind of polling the audience to get a reaction and it was kind of lukewarm and then Gene got on the microphone and said [Imitating Gene's Voice] “Ace you have to call it Spaceman,” so I went along with Gene’s idea.
Houston Press: That outfit you're wearing on the cover of your new album; who came up with that? Was is something a wardrobe designer made for you or is that your own outfit?
Ace Frehley: Well if you check the internet you can find pictures of me in a similar outfit sitting on a plexiglass chair which was a photo session I did with makeup. The photo session was done with Barry Levine who at the time was a very big rock photographer and we did several sessions with him over the years. But I’m sitting in a plexiglass chair with a silver jumpsuit and there’s fog inside the chair and around me. So we kind of did a takeoff of that photo session with this new album cover.
Houston Press: I listened to your new album and I really liked it; the song 'Without You I’m Nothing' was that written about anyone in particular?
Ace Frehley: Well Gene came up with that title and pretty much I wrote the remainder of the lyrics. And he came up with the chord structure and the bass part and you know I wrote the bridge and filled in an interesting solo.
Houston Press: What about the song 'Bronx Boy?' What was it like growing up in The Bronx? I’m from Texas; I know about The Bronx in New York City only from the movies. What was it like?
Ace Frehley: It was tough. You know it was a place where you could walk two or three blocks and go to the store and end up getting beat up. [Laughs] You know, by some tough guys. So eventually I got sick of getting beat up so I made friends with the tough guys and joined a gang; then I had protection. But then I realized I really didn’t want to be in the gang because I didn’t like the stuff they were doing so around the same time I joined the gang I also picked up the electric guitar so what happened was over a period of two or three years I started doing gigs on the weekends when the gang would meet and go out and raise hell. And they called me up and I’d say “I can’t go I have a gig to do.” So music kind of saved my life with that whole scene.
Houston Press: The song 'Pursuit of Rock and Roll'; that’s one of my favorite ones on the new album. You mention some of the bands and artists you are a fan of, like Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Elvis, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones in the lyrics.
Ace Frehley: Yeah. That song has been kicking around for a while you know. Anton Fig is playing drums on that but pretty much what me and my engineer did is re import it from a two-inch reel of tape and then erased everything but the drums and I rewrote the song. I left Anton Fig’s drumming on there because it’s wonderful.
Houston Press: So you did some touring with Gene Simmons recently how did that go?
Ace Frehley: It was really painless. I mean I invited him to come down to my home studio in Rancho Sante Fe, California and he came down and within three hours we had written two songs so it was the quickest two songs I ever wrote. [Laughs]
Houston Press: So it seems like you and Gene and Paul Stanley are getting along a lot better these days. Paul provided the vocals on a song on your last album before your recent work with Gene.
Ace Frehley: Yeah we’ve kind of patched up any negative vibes at this point. We call each other on the phone just to say hi. I was up in LA ten days ago I had a listening party and I called Paul and invited him to the Rainbow; unfortunately he had to go to Vegas to promote his new Puma sneaker. [Laughs] Yeah everybody is so busy these days. Gene’s always off doing something, now he’s the spokesperson for a cannabis company. I think it’s called Invictus MD. But you know he’s always been very enterprising; I’m happy just coming up with good music and touring and recording and spending time at home relaxing. I like the balance.
Houston Press: You’re on a roll lately as you’ve been putting out albums on a regular basis now, some very good albums. Space Invader that was a great album and Origins, Vol. 1 with the cover songs was cool, and now this new one. Are you going to keep this schedule going and put out albums on a regular basis?
Ace Frehley: I’ve already started on Origins, Vol. 2. I just got my studio wired up last week because I recently moved and were in full tilt and I’m kicking around songs for Origins, Vol. 2 already before this album even hits the streets. [Laughs]
Houston Press: So what about the KISS ‘End of the Road’ Farewell Tour, were you asked to go out on that or not at this point?
Ace Frehley: I haven’t been asked to do anything with KISS. The fans are talking about it but I haven’t got the phone calls so until that happens it’s still up in the air.
Houston Press: Would you be open to that?
Ace Frehley: If it was presented to me in the right way and the money was right, sure. I would do it for the fans more than anything.
Houston Press: I read online that you might be doing some weddings in Vegas, is that true? Like walking people down the aisle or something like that?
Ace Frehley: [Laughs] Well what happened was Paul and Gene’s assistant Keith Larue, who’s also a good friend of mine as we’ve done some work together in the past, suggested I do a signing at the KISS Mini Golf in Vegas. So I said alright that sounds like fun and then like two or three weeks later he said "you know they have a wedding chapel there Ace, you can make x amount of dollars to just walk somebody down the aisle and take a few pictures," so I said that sounds like fun. [Laughs] So that’s how that came along. It was just the people running the KISS Mini Golf and Keith and I think Eric Singer has done it, and possibly Paul, I’m not sure. I think it could be fun so I said yeah I’ll do it.
Houston Press: Any good memories of Houston? Is Houston a good rock and roll city? You can be honest with us.
Ace Frehley: Houston is a great rock and roll city. So is Dallas, so is Austin, you know I’ve played them all several times and always had a great response. You know there’s a lot of great rock and roll fans down there, I just make sure I wear my cowboy boots on those shows. [Laughs]
Houston Press: Are you going to go on tour anytime soon?
Ace Frehley: I’m doing the KISS Kruise October 31; that’s five days and after that I have at least four shows in Florida and then I’m coming home to start recording Origins, Vol. 2 and I think I have a signing in December at an Expo in New Jersey like ten days before Christmas and then I’m taking the holidays off and then I have like three or four shows in northern California at the end of January. And that’s pretty much all I have booked at the moment.
Houston Press: Why did you decide to cover the Eddie Money song 'I Wanna Go Back' on the new album?
Ace Frehley: I’ve always loved that song and I was lying in bed with Rachael and that video came on; we were watching videos on YouTube you know and I really identified with the video where he went back to his old high school because I had pretty much done that with The Village Voice in New York. They did a interview with me and they wanted me to go to the Bronx and see where I went to high school and where I used to hang out and so I identified with the song and I loved the melody and the lyrics and the whole message of the song. But Eddie Money’s version is pretty much all keyboards and sax so I said I think it would be nice to just layer on a shitload of guitars but keep the melody. [Laughs]
Houston Press: So what is the Bronx like today is it different from when you were growing up or the same?
Ace Frehley: No it’s different.
Houston Press: Not so many gangs today?
Ace Frehley: I don’t think it’s the same; I’m sure there are more gangs now. It was always a tough place I think it may even be tougher now because a lot of people moved north out of the Bronx into the suburbs.
Houston Press: The song 'Off My Back' is that aimed at anyone in particular?
Ace Frehley: Not really. I just drew from experience of maybe some girlfriends that I couldn’t get rid of. [Laughs]
Houston Press: 'Quantum Flux' is the new instrumental. What is a Quantum Flux anyway? Do you know?
Ace Frehley: No, I have no idea. [Laughs] I just try and continue to make fans happy by putting 1 instrumental on every studio record.
Houston Press: 'Rockin' With the Boys' that kind of reminded me of 'Beth' a little bit. You know kind of similar lyrics, similar theme.
Ace Frehley: I had written that chorus in the '70s believe it or not. But I was never happy with the verses or the bridge so that songs been kicking around for like 40 years and finally I revived it and wrote new lyrics for the verses and wrote a good bridge and it really all came together for this record.
Houston Press: So what do you think Paul and Gene will do if this really is their farewell tour? Will they go on with their own individual bands and stay in music do you have any idea? Any thoughts?
Ace Frehley: I can never tell what those guys are gonna do you know they’ll say one thing and then they do the opposite, so you know. They change their minds like the weather. [Laughs]
Houston Press: The song 'Your Wish Is My Command' what is that song about?
Ace Frehley: Well Gene came up with the title and me and him wrote the song and then I pretty much came up with the remainder of the lyrics and came up with the idea to just start with just the acapella vocals and I’m real happy with the production on this record and the mixing.
Houston Press: Space Center Houston has a new exhibit called Mission Mars and you have a new song on your album called 'Mission To Mars' as well. Have you always been interested in space travel?
Ace Frehley: Well I’ve been a sci-fi fan since I was a kid you know and when I joined KISS we all had to come up with characters so I invented The Spaceman. So I’ve had a fascination with sci-fi and astronomy and space travel from a young age so it all makes sense to me. I believe eventually were going to colonize Mars and go further.
Houston Press: What’s the best sci-fi movie in your opinion?
Ace Frehley: Well one of my favorite old vintage ones is Forbidden Planet with Leslie Nielsen. Probably my second favorite old sci-fi film is The Day the Earth Stood Still with Michael Rennie.
Houston Press: Do you collect any old movie posters or stuff like that?
Ace Frehley: Yeah I have a bunch of posters in storage; I have so much stuff it’s crazy. I just moved into a new mansion and I have to get a lot of stuff framed. I probably have like a 100 8x10 photos of me with other celebrities. I was just in my garage going through a box that I found like 3 pictures that Keith Emerson who recently passed away signed to me. I just have so much stuff. But I’m always busy. [Laughs] So it’s going to be awhile before I pull all that stuff out of storage and get it framed and put it up in the new house. But eventually it will all get done. I have to prioritize my time. What’s more important: framing an 8x10 or writing a song?
Houston Press: I noticed the new albums you have been putting out have been released on vinyl in addition to the other formats; are you a fan of vinyl records?
Ace Frehley: Well vinyl’s making a comeback, I just saw on the Internet yesterday that one of my vinyl records is already sold out. So I don’t know what’s happening but it seems like there’s been a huge resurgence of vinyl and especially my fans seem to appreciate vinyl. My record company I think is putting out three or four different versions of the record on vinyl with different covers and different color records and stuff. So their doing a great job in the marketing area.
Houston Press: What kind of relationship do you have with (original KISS drummer) Peter Criss these days? Do you talk to him regularly?
Ace Frehley: I’m still friends with Peter we’ve always been good friends. I mean he recently retired, didn’t he? I think he did his final show several months ago in New York. So you know there’s not much to talk about if he retires but you know many rock stars have been known to come out of retirement. [Laughs] So who knows what’s going to happen with Peter.
Houston Press: You are planning on writing another book is that correct?
Ace Frehley: I’ve already started. You know I have enough stories on the road to write five books. That first book I came out with just scratched the surface. So I’ve been jotting down stories that come to mind and I probably have about 3 chapters written or close to it.
Houston Press: So why did you leave KISS the last time? I’m sure you’ve answered this hundreds of times already but just refresh our memories.
Ace Frehley: I had just had enough at that juncture in my life. But I was still fooling around with drugs and alcohol which clouded my judgement. If it wasn’t for that maybe I wouldn’t have quit but luckily I got sober 12 years ago and since then things have been going onwards and upwards especially my relationship with Paul and Gene over the last couple of years so it’s all positive.
Houston Press: Did you ever have any kind of relationship with (second KISS lead guitarist) Vinnie Vincent? I’m just curious.
Ace Frehley: Somebody asked me that the other day. I never even met him. [Laughs]
Houston Press: Because he is making kind of a little comeback himself.
Ace Frehley: I don’t know if you’d call it a comeback. [Laughs]
Houston Press: Well, trying to I guess.
Ace Frehley: [Laughs] I heard Vinnie showed up at one of Gene’s Vault Experiences and Gene was on the stage with him for about 5 minutes and then walked off. [Laughs] So who knows what’s going to happen; the sky’s the limit, I’m one of those guys that never say never you know, anything can happen. And people ask me is there going to be a KISS reunion with you or maybe Peter and I say what’s going to make it happen is when promoters call up Doc McGhee and say we're going to pay you double the amount of money if you get Ace and Peter back. So it’s all about dollars and cents these days. So we'll see what happens. I like the fact that nothing is set, nobody knows exactly what’s going to happen and that includes me. [Laughs] I like spontaneity and not knowing what the future holds.
KISS hasn't released a full-length disc of new music since 2012's "Monster", which sold 56,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 3 on The Billboard 200 chart.
The band's previous LP, "Sonic Boom", opened with 108,000 units back in October 2009 to enter the chart at No. 2. It was KISS's highest-charting LP ever.
Over the weekend, Stanley stopped by the Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp and was asked by teenage radio host Miles "The Shoe" Schuman if fans can expect to hear anything new from KISS prior to the completion of the group's "One Last Kiss: End Of The Road World Tour". He responded (see video below): "No. I don't think so. Look, it's a different time now. I could write 'Let It Be', and people would still say, 'That's great. Now play 'Detroit Rock City'.' And I understand it, because when songs have a history with you, they're kind of like a snapshot of a time in your life, and that's not something that anything can take the place of overnight." He continued: "It's interesting that I think 'Modern Day Delilah' or 'Hell Or Hallelujah' are as good as anything we did [on the earlier albums], but I understand that people are more connected to those old classic songs. I understand it.
"Look, if you put on a live video concert of any band — if you put on [Paul] McCartney, if you put on THE [ROLLING] STONES — and you turn off the volume, I will tell you every time they're playing a new song, because the audience sits down."
Stanley added: "It's always interesting that people say, 'When are you gonna churn out new material?' But when those acts, or any classic act turns out new material, people tolerate it. They're asking you to do it and they're asking you to produce it, but at the same time, they really don't want it. So, at some point, I go, 'Really, what's the point?' Unless it's something that's fulfilling for me, to go back in the studio just to record new KISS material, I think everything we've done so far speaks volumes and it's enough of a legacy."
Paul had previously expressed uncertainty about the idea of making another KISS album in a number of other interviews, telling the "Loudwire Podcast": "If we're going to do an album, it would be because we want to do an album, not because of sales. I think we're living in a time, obviously, now where albums don't sell what they once did, so you either do it because it's a creative outlet and because it satisfies something in you, or not. If you're doing it purely for sales, then you're probably doing it for the wrong reason."
Paul's comments were echoed by his bandmate Gene Simmons, who said that he was "not incentivized" to release another KISS disc unless there are some major changes in the way music is consumed. He said: "The idea that you work your ass off and then someone with freckles on their face decides they want to download your music and file share — that's not what I work for. How'd you like to be a plumber, come over somebody's house and work all day to fix their plumbing and then when it's time to get paid, they say, 'No, I just wanted to say thank you.' No."
"One Last Kiss: End Of The Road World Tour" will launch in early 2019 and will likely last two or three years, according to Stanley.
Backing Frehley and Simmons on the Australian tour were Philip Shouse on guitar/vocals, Ryan Cook on guitar/vocals, Jeremy Asbrock on guitar/vocals, and Christopher Williams on drums. After the Aussie dates, Shouse, Cook, Asbrock and Williams accompanied Frehley on the Japan trek. Shouse switched from guitar to bass for Frehley's show.
Asbrock and Shouse are the founders of THEE ROCK N' ROLL RESIDENCY, a popular Nashville tribute band that routinely hosts surprise appearances by such rocks stars as Alice Cooper, Robin Zander (CHEAP TRICK) and Roger Glover (DEEP PURPLE).
Asked by "The Cassius Morris Show" if he feels a sense of closure about his time with KISS, Ace said: "Well, I was one of the founding members of KISS and made KISS what it is today. [Current KISS guitarist] Tommy Thayer was just trying to copy everything I created — he hasn't come up with one inch of anything original. From what I read on the Internet, I think the fans really want me back in the band. I'm doing fine without KISS, but if it was offered to me in the right way, I'd seriously consider returning for the last tour. But I haven't been asked yet, so it's kind of up in the air."
Frehley — whose new solo album, "Spaceman", will be released via eOne on October 19 — first left KISS in 1982. He rejoined in 1996 and parted ways with the band once again in 2002 after the conclusion of their first "farewell tour."
KISS frontman Stanley recently told the "Rolling Stone Music Now" podcast that while he doesn't rule out the possibility of guest appearances by former members during the "End Of The Road" tour, he doesn't promise anything either. "I really can't say," Stanley said. "This will be a celebration of KISS and not any individual lineup or any individual members. I wouldn't rule anything out, but it's not the crux of what we're doing… and I'm not being coy either. I don't want to mislead anybody. That's not something that's been given a lot of thought at this point. The majority of our time has gone into what is the stage going to be, what is the show going to be, and we're actually in the midst of toying with setlists now."
On his new album, "Spaceman":
Ace: "It's one of the best records I ever recorded, and that's not coming from me — that's coming from everybody who's heard it. I've done about 50 interviews, and all the interviewers said, 'Ace, this is one of the best things you've ever done.' I wanted to call the album '40 Years Later', because the first solo album I did with 'New York Groove' was 1978. I was doing a 'Vault Experience' in Miami with Gene [Simmons], and we were doing a Q&A. I polled the audience and I said, 'What should I call the next album — '40 Years Later'?' I got a lukewarm response, and then Gene [said], 'Ace, you should call the album 'Spaceman'.' I said, 'Okay. Coming from you? Great. I don't want Tommy Thayer knocking on my door going, 'I'm the Spaceman.' I don't think so.'"
On growing up in the Bronx: Ace: "I got involved with a gang because I got tired of getting beat up. When you're in a gang, you have protection — you're walking down a street and somebody wants to pick a fight with you, and his buddy will go, 'Don't pick a fight with him. He's in the Ducky Boys.' That's pretty much why I got involved with the gang scene, even though it wasn't something that I really was excited about or really wanted to do. I just wanted protection. As I got older — I joined the gang when I was about 13, and that's around the time I picked up a guitar, so by the time I was 14, I was already in bands and performing on weekends at, like, church dances, so on and so forth — wherever we could play. By the time I was 15, I was really into it and working almost every weekend, and I'd be getting calls from guys in the gang going, 'Hey, we got a fight tonight in a schoolyard. Bring a switchblade.' I'd say, 'I can't go — I got a gig.' Music kind of got me out of that whole gang scene and saved my life."
On the bands that inspired him in his youth:
Ace: "THE BEATLES and THE [ROLLING] STONES. When I was 13, I remember getting the single of 'I Want To Hold Your Hand'. They had those matching suits with no collars. [I was a] huge fan of THE ROLLING STONES — actually, more so than THE BEATLES. I'm attracted to bad boys."
On the classic bands he'd encourage rock fans to listen to:
Ace: "I don't like to be a dictator and tell people listen what to listen to and what not to. What I would say to up-and-coming guitar players and bands [is], listen to LED ZEPPELIN. Listen to CREAM. Listen to Jeff Beck. Listen to THE WHO. Those are the guys that influenced me, and I got my guitar style by copying their solos and their songwriting. I never took a guitar lesson, and just about every day, somebody comes up to me and says, 'If it wasn't for you, I never would have picked up a guitar.' I feel guilty because I never took a guitar lesson. I go, 'You're idolizing an idiot.' [Laughs] I don't even know what I'm playing half the time. I can't verbalize it — it just comes out of the speakers."
On the late comedian John Belushi:
Ace: "I was with John two weeks before he passed away. We were partying together. We used to go on three-day coke runs. We had fun. I'm not promoting drugs, because they can kill you, real quick. I was just lucky. I was one of the few people that could make John Belushi crack up. He told me that, and I was very flattered. Before he left to got to California to finish up the movie he was working on, he said to me, 'Ace, you're going to be in my next film. You have to be.' We all know what happened at the Chateau Marmont. Tragic. I never knew John to use needles. The fact that that girl shot him up with a hot dose of ups-and-downs... John never did that. Leave it to your imagination. I'm not accusing anybody, but I never knew John to stick a needle in his arm, and I spent a lot of time with him."
On KISS's much-maligned 1981 album "Music From The Elder":
Ace: "I want to give you my two cents about 'The Elder'. [Producer] Bob Ezrin flew into Connecticut. A lot of it was recorded at my home studio in Connecticut. It was a professional studio — I spent about a million dollars on it. During the recording process, I kept telling all those guys — Bob, Paul [Stanley] and Gene — I go, 'This is the wrong album for this period of time. I think fans want to hear a heavy hard rock album.' They just had a deaf ear to me. I said, 'It's not going to work,' and of course, the album bombed. I guess I had a handle on what was happening. Those guys never had any street sense. It's no fault of their own — Gene grew up in Israel, and Paul grew up in Queens, but he wasn't a guy like me who hung out on the corner and got into fights and did crazy stuff. I always had my pulse on what was going on, and I knew at the time — I would have bet a million dollars that the album was going to fail. I didn't want it to fail, and actually, if you take that album out of sequence with the KISS records, it's not a bad record. I did some great solos on it and there's some really good songs, but it wasn't the right record for the time. I was doing an interview with Billboard magazine, and they said, 'What would happened if 'The Elder' never happened, and you went from [1980's 'Unmasked'] to [1982's] 'Creatures Of The Night'?' I thought for a second, because I like 'Creatures Of The Night' — it's heavy, it's powerful, it's everything I said we should be doing when we recorded 'The Elder'. I may not have quit the band, but you can't rewrite history unless we go into a time warp or a black hole."
On the drummer Simmons and Stanley hired to replace Peter Criss, the late Eric Carr:
Ace: "Eric Carr was a sweetheart of a guy and a very good drummer. I became good friends with him. We used to have a couple of beers together — nothing crazy, because he was too afraid to get fired by Paul and Gene. Paul and Gene treated him like he was an employee, and I used to take him on the side and say, 'Don't worry about it. Everything's going to be okay, buddy.' Whenever there was an argument or dissension in the band, I would always try to heal it — probably because I'm a Taurus and I don't like confrontation, usually. But don't fuck with me."
On FREHLEY'S COMET:
Ace: "It was an experiment. It wasn't bad. Some of those records, there's some good songs. When I started touring with FREHLEY'S COMET, invariably, on the marquee, the promoter would put 'ACE FREHLEY'S COMET.' I wanted to keep it a band, but in reality, I just missed the fact of being in a band — like with KISS for so many years, we were all equal partners — but I realized the guys in the band weren't really famous as me, and it was never to be. Pretty much, I ended up changing it to THE ACE FREHLEY BAND, and some people left and I got some new people. Life goes on."
On rejoining KISS, first for "MTV Unplugged" in 1995 and then for a reunion tour the following year:
Ace: "It was a little strange. Paul and Gene had just finished a tour of conventions. You'd walk into a room and there'd be mannequins of all our old costumes and stuff. The 'Unplugged' thing happened, and I think they were testing the waters. They actually had recorded an album ['Carnival Of Souls'] with Bruce [Kulick] that was due to be released that they scrapped once 'Unplugged' went over so big. The next thing you know, I'm sitting in an office negotiating a reunion tour. The rest is KISStory."
On the "Bad Boys Of Rock" tour he and Criss did together in 1995:
Ace: "We just thought it was a good idea to do something together. The fans enjoyed it, and I guess Paul and Gene took notice. Next thing you know, we're doing 'Unplugged'."
On whether he — or KISS — owns his "Spaceman" makeup:
Ace: "My attorney told me that I've licensed the makeup to KISS. My attorney is a big attorney. He said from what he has ascertained through the documents, he says, 'You've licensed the makeup to KISS. You didn't sell [it].' I'm not saying it for me — I'm just repeating what my attorney told me. Right now, we're all getting along. I don't want to start a lawsuit."
On songwriting:
Ace: "It's amazing to me when I meet people how they read into my lyrics all these deep meanings, and I'll write lyrics in a half an hour for a song. If the words rhyme, great. If it makes some type of sense, great. Usually I write the music first and write lyrics that kind of make sense and go along with the theme. Sometimes, like in the '80s and '90s, I used to write songs and it almost felt an alien or somebody was beaming the lyrics into my head, because I couldn't write them fast enough. I'm getting help from somebody — maybe it's the people from Jendell. [Laughs]"
On his favorite KISS song:
Ace: "My favorite KISS song is 'Deuce'. Not only is it a great, ass-kicking song, it was the first [KISS] song that I heard. When I auditioned for KISS, Paul and Gene played 'Deuce' for me and they said, 'It's in the key of A. Plug in and play a solo.' That's how I got the gig, so 'Deuce' has a special place in my heart. I love playing it live, and I enjoyed playing it when I was in KISS. It's a real kick-ass song, so that's probably my favorite KISS song."
On his favorite album he's recorded:
Ace: "Probably the first solo album is the most special album I've recorded, because it's stood the test of time. Forty years later, it's still a great record."
On his determination to succeed:
Ace: "I've always been a fatalist and believed in fate. When I was 16 years old, I was convinced I was going to be a rock star. Nobody could change my mind. Somebody said to me in an interview, 'What would have happened if KISS failed?' I said, 'I would have been famous with another band.' Nothing was going to stop me. You need that kind of drive and fortitude to be successful. I knew as a teenager that I wanted to be in a theatrical rock group, because I was greatly influenced by Alice Cooper and THE WHO. As much as I loved CREAM and Jeff Beck, they just stood there, but when you went to a WHO concert, you've got [Pete] Townshend throwing his guitar up in the air; he's smashing it into his amps; Keith Moon's wrecking his drums... I found that fascinating, and a lot of fun. I went to see Alice Cooper a couple of times, and I was just blown away by the show. The production was amazing. The 'Billion Dollar Babies' tour at Madison Square Garden, me and Paul Stanley went there, and we snuck down to the front of the stage because we couldn't afford the tickets. We were mesmerized. We all kind of knew, the four of us, that we wanted to do a theatrical rock group. We were all talented; we all could write songs; we all could sing; but we wanted to take it a step further than Alice Cooper did or any other band we had seen. That's how KISS happened."
On whether he was ever "intimidated" by other guitarists:
Ace: "I've never been intimidated by any guitar player. I was in Sweden, and I was doing the biggest television show in Sweden. It was like the Johnny Carson show of Sweden. I'm walking down the hallway with the producer, and he says to me, 'Ace, are you a little nervous?' I looked at him and said, 'I don't get nervous. I make other people nervous.' I've never been intimidated by anybody, really. Maybe when I was a teenager, but not once I became a professional musician."
On his proudest moment:
Ace: "Probably growing up in New York City and doing three nights at Madison Square Garden. That was one of the pinnacles. The second thing was probably the show we did in Tiger Stadium for the reunion tour, opening night. We had sold out Tiger Stadium in a record time of 48 minutes. We were all wearing old costumes — obviously, redone — and wearing the same makeup, and halfway through the show, I had this amazing feeling of deja vu: 'Are we in the '90s, or back in the '70s?'"
On his 2011 autobiography "No Regrets":
Ace: "That was just scraping the surface. I'm working on 'No Regrets 2'. That's going to be even better. It's going to be fun. I don't understand Paul's book [2014's 'Face The Music: A Life Exposed'] — he's crying about his ear; he's crying about... he even threw Gene under the bus. What's that about? He really tore Peter a new asshole. He was easier on me than I thought he was going to be. I don't know why — maybe he likes me? The next book I'm going to write is going to be a fun book. I want it to be entertaining; I don't want any negativity in it. I want it to be just a fun rock n' roll book that's easy reading."
On his early contributions to KISS, and how the band's dynamic changed over the years:
Ace: "One of the first songs, I guess, was 'Shock Me'. 'Love Theme From Kiss' was actually mostly me. It says all four of us wrote it, but pretty much, that was my riff, and then Gene came up with the middle part. Gene also wrote the bridge in 'Cold Gin' and never took credit for it — he goes, 'Don't worry about it. You wrote the song.' Sometimes Gene would write a song and I'd change a part, and I would say, 'I don't want any credit — it's your song.' It was like that. We were like brothers, and then all of a sudden, we became multi-millionaires and everybody started going their own way. Gene started dating Cher and Diana Ross. Paul was out here [in Los Angeles] doing something; Peter's doing this; I'm crashing race cars and getting loaded. It was like too much, too soon. It happens, especially in the entertainment business, but thank God I'm still here."
On deciding to get sober 12 years ago:
Ace: "I tried getting sober years before that. I put a year together, a year and a half, and then I'd go out on tour. I'm on the tour bus, and the other guys on the tour bus are drinking and smoking pot, so within a week I'd relapse. Finally, I sat down with my sponsor. He goes, 'Look — if you're serious about getting sober, you can't hang out with people that get high.' I had to change my friends and fire some people, and on September 15, 2006, something special happened. My daughter gave me a call… they all talk about alcoholics having that moment of clarity. I had relapsed with my sponsor — me and my sponsor decided to get drunk together — and after about two months, I started going down that path. I hadn't hit bottom yet or picked up cocaine, but I was drinking. My daughter calls me up and goes, 'Dad, I'm not hearing good things about you.' I looked in the mirror and just said, 'Shit — she's right.' That evening, I called my sponsor and he took me to an AA meeting, and I've been sober ever since."
On agreeing to participate in "wedding experiences" at the chapel inside Kiss By Monster Mini Golf in Las Vegas, Nevada:
Ace: "I got a call from Keith Leroux. He's been working for KISS forever, and he's been helping me out. He called me up, like, a week ago and said, 'Do you want to do that?' My initial reaction was 'no,' but I was talking to Rachael [Gordon, Frehley's longtime fiancée] about it, [and] she goes, 'That might be fun, helping somebody get married.' I think it's going to be fun. I think I'm going to have a gas doing it if somebody decides they want me to walk them down the aisle. It's going to be fun."
Frehley — whose new solo album, "Spaceman", will be released via eOne on October 19 — first left KISS in 1982. He rejoined in 1996 and parted ways with the band once again in 2002 after the conclusion of their first "farewell tour."
He says he has not been approached to take part in the band's upcoming "One Last Kiss: End Of The Road World Tour".
"I just wanted to make the best record possible," Frehley said. "I had a revelation after all four albums came out and mine became the most successful – pretty much there's this voice in my head going, 'Ace, you know you're a lot more creative away from those guys than you are with them.' That was kind of the beginning of the end for me, because I realized that I could make a lot better music away from Paul [Stanley] and Gene [Simmons] and Peter [Criss] than I could with them. But I was also drinking and doing a lot of drugs, so that could have affected my decision-making."
The album featured South African-born drummer Anton Fig, who would later play with the "World's Most Dangerous Band" on the long-running NBC talk show "Late Night With David Letterman" and with the CBS Orchestra on the Letterman-hosted "Late Show". "When I met Anton, he was very green," Ace recalled. "He hadn't played with a lot of famous people. A friend of mine said to me, 'I know this guy Anton Fig,' because I was looking for a drummer for the [1978 solo] record. He told me about Anton and said, 'This guy's great.' Then about three days later, Eddie Kramer called me, my producer, and he said, 'There's this guy I've heard about called Anton Fig and I want you to audition him.' When you get that from two different people you know and trust... I called him up and said, 'Let's get together and jam.' It was just like magic, and it's been magic. Every time I've work with Anton, we have this telepathy. I don't even have to tell him what to do — I just look at him, and he does a drum fill. It's so weird. We just work so well [together]. We're, like, connected mentally."
Fig would go on to "ghost-perform" all but one song on KISS's 1979 album "Dynasty" and the band's entire 1980 album "Unmasked". According to Frehley, he was even briefly a member of the group. "Paul and Gene came to me and said, 'We're going to fire Peter,'" Frehley said. "I said, 'If it's going to happen, it's going to happen. I have no control. I'm outvoted anyway, two to one.' They said, 'We need to get a drummer.' The first thing out of my mouth was, 'What about Anton Fig?' I go, 'Listen to my solo album — he's an amazing drummer.' They said, 'Why don't you give him a call?'
"I called Anton that evening and said, 'Hi, Anton. I've got some good news — you're in KISS," Frehley continued. "The next day, Paul and Gene changed their mind, but for one day, Anton was the drummer of KISS. I really felt bad calling him back and telling him, 'Paul and Gene decided [against it].' I think it was because me and Anton were really good friends and we liked to party together, and they probably thought it wasn't a good idea. Me and Peter used to party together, but we still did our job. I still did the shows. I was 99 percent on. I had a tour manager who'd tell me he used to work with THE [ROLLING] STONES, and he said Keith Richards was so stoned, they had to carry him onstage and put him a chair, but the minute they put the guitar in his hand, he was brilliant. I was never that loaded where I couldn't walk on the stage, but I always performed and I always came through."
Fig later joined Ace in FREHLEY'S COMET and appears on Frehley's new solo album, "Spaceman", which will be released via eOne on October 19.
Although the shows were originally planned to be acoustic, Vinnie eventually decided to go all electric. "More and more he was seeing it's what the fans wanted, and that's what he wanted to give them," said promoter Derek Christopher. "He wanted to play the songs like they remembered — loud, brash and over the top."
Vincent will be joined at the Graceland concerts by special guest Robert Fleischman, original vocalist for the VINNIE VINCENT INVASION.
For tickets and more information, visit www.VinnieVincentLive.com.
Back in January, Vincent was joined by his Fleischman at the Atlanta KISS Expo 2018 to perform an acoustic version of the VINNIE VINCENT INVASION song "Back On The Streets". During the same event, Vinnie gave his first public interview in more than two decades, and said that he still feels "very strongly" about the two VINNIE VINCENT INVASION albums he released three decades ago, 1986's self-titled effort and 1988's "All Systems Go". However, Vinnie said that "the second record should have never happened. Rob [Fleischman] should have stayed with the project," he said. "The basic sound of that record was like [Jimmy] Page and [Robert] Plant — it was Rob and me. That first record was pretty red-hot. It was my vision; Rob singing; everything was just right. Second version of it should have been aborted, should have never happened. I had the power; I should have taken it. I should have called the shots, which should have been, 'Stop this. Revamp it. Go back, let me get the people I need.' The people that were involved with it at that time should have not been involved with it, but it was such a publicity machinery piece of... it was like a product. It was all publicity and hype. The songs I felt were really good, but I didn't feel the music came out to be... the records weren't what I would have done. I would have never settled on records like that. When I say records, the first one, yes; the second one, no; and that singer [Mark Slaughter, who sang on 'All Systems Go'] was unbearable as far as I'm concerned."
Vincent — who was a member of KISS when the band publicly "unmasked" in 1983 — has made several public appearances this year after spending the past two decades out of the public eye. He recently addressed rumors about his gender identity but declined to answer the question directly, explaining that he wanted to keep a mystique about the subject. He also said that he hopes to complete his autobiography "within a year."
Vinnie joined KISS in 1982, replacing Ace Frehley. As the "Ankh Warrior," he toured with the group in support of "Creatures Of The Night", on which he played lead guitar on six songs prior to becoming an official member of the band.
"For the people who say, 'Well, you already did a farewell tour,' that tour was 19 years ago — 19 years ago!" Stanley said (hear audio below). "Bands don't last 19 years. And when we did that tour, it really was because the members of the band were miserable, [and] I was miserable. It seemed like the best thing to do was to put the horse down, so to speak. It wasn't till afterwards that it became clear to me, and should have been all along, that the band should continue. It was just the misery of being with the members at that time was just overwhelming and turned it into drudgery. The difference this time [is] the band gets along great — we see each other, we spend time together, we look forward to being together. It's just reached a point where we needed to have an endgame in place."
He continued: "If we were on stage in track shoes and jeans playing rock and roll songs, that would be… yeah, we could do that into our… forget about 70s; we could do that into our 80s. But we're carrying around 30-, 40-plus pounds of equipment, whether it's boots and guitars and what have you, and running around, and making it look pretty easy. So I think the elephant in the room became bigger and bigger, and we just needed to look at each other and say, 'How are we going to put a cap on this?' So I think this made a lot of sense. And the 'End Of The Road' is absolutely the end of the band touring, doing anything with that kind of regularity. We wanna go out and do the greatest show we can, and we virtually have thrown out everything that has been on stage for the past 10 years, at least, and created a whole new stage an a whole new show. So this really is the best show we could under the best circumstances. We're not crawling to the finish line; we're celebrating."
Stanley also touched upon the reasons for why the original KISS lineup decided to call it quits in 2001 after completing what, at the time, was supposed to be the band's last-ever tour. "It fell back to all the things that were wrong to begin with, and a lot of animosity, a lot of resentment," he said. "There is that old adage, 'If you don't learn from the past, you're doomed to repeat it.' And it was horrible — it was horrible to try to get people… forget about onstage; how about trying to get 'em to the lobby? It wasn't fun, and there was certainly an anger and resentment about finances and why we weren't equals. And I'll tell you why we weren't equals — because two of us kept the band alive after the original two had gone, and we toured relentlessly and worked at our craft. And you can't come back in and [expect that] everything goes back to what it was. But it's short-sighted when somebody is more concerned with how much I'm making rather than how much they're making, especially when it's really just a matter… it's degrees of wealth. And there are certainly people who are wealthier than I am, and I don't lose any sleep over it; I'm not envious."
He continued: "We were all blessed, and for whatever reason, family members, friends just poisoned the well again. And from having people come back swearing that they would never make the same mistakes again and how grateful they were to be back, it turned into the same situation. And short-sighted… I think I certainly looked at it and thought, 'We have to end this.' But it didn't mean, as they say, throwing the baby out with the bathwater, and that's basically what we were doing. And once that tour was over, it wasn't too long before someone came to me and said, 'I loved the 'farewell' tour. When are you going out on the 40th-anniversary [tour]?', or whatever it was. So that's when the light went off and I realized that we didn't really have to adhere to something just because we believed it when we did it."
Asked if he is open to the idea of releasing solo music in the future once KISS is done touring or if he will find out ways to satisfy himself creatively, Stanley said: "Well, doing solo albums… Doing [2006's] 'Live To Win' was an interesting one, because I don't know that everybody embraced that album. I did an album that I thought was almost the opposite of my first solo album — on purpose. I wanted to avoid doing that album again. Would I possibly wanna do an album like that in the future? If I did another album, would it be guitar driven? Absolutely. That being said, I spend five days a week now doing art. The success of my art, at last count, was over 10 million dollars. So I love being creative in that way.
"For me, life is about finding outlets for my creativity, and that's how I define myself," he continued. "So what will I do when there's no more KISS? Well, there's loads of things to do. I'm not a believer in bucket lists. The whole idea that you cross things off your bucket list and you want to get them all done, I believe that every time you cross something off, you should be at a point where something else comes on the horizon. So, for me, art is a big part of it.
"I'm in Vegas now for the launch of my Puma shoes, which are already sold out — you can't get 'em; there's wait lists. So life's exciting. It may sound corny, but, for me, every day I wake up is a new challenge and new possibilities.
"So, what am I gonna do after this?" Stanley added. "There won't be a vacuum. There are bands out there who tour incessantly, because they have no lives, because they're nobody when they go home, because they don't think they're anybody to begin with. So, really, I bask in the spotlight, I love being onstage, I love doing my best to give everybody what they came for, but it's not everything. I have a great life and terrific family and great friends. And that's not my drug. And for a lot of people who are out there on tour non-stop, it's because they have nothing else going on. I've got loads of things going on."
Rumors of KISS's final run of live shows gained strength several months ago following the news that the band was attempting to trademark the phrase "The End Of The Road." An application from KISS was filed in February to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, which means that the band could use it in connection with "live performances by a musical band."
Gene Simmons recently told Sweden's Expressen newspaper that KISS's next tour will last three years. Calling it the band's "most spectacular tour ever," the bassist/vocalist added that the trek will make stops on "all continents."
"I remember it very well," Frehley said."I had a lot of fun. When we started shooting at [the Los Angeles-area amusement park] Magic Mountain, they closed the park at 6 o'clock, so I had the run of the park. I bought a moped and used to drive around all those asphalt trails between the rides. I crashed a few times, but luckily, I had that costume on with all the padding, and I didn't get hurt.
"The whole experience for me was pretty good," Frehley continued, "[but] there was one day that I really kind of lost it, and that was when I had a fight with a producer. What happened was, I was partying the night before, we had to get up at 7 o'clock [and] drive to Magic Mountain. Then we had to put our makeup on and costumes and stuff. I had the day's shooting schedule, and I was supposed to start shooting at around 10:30, 11 o'clock. All of a sudden, somebody knocks on the door and they says, 'Excuse me, Mr. Frehley. We're going to be doing close-ups on Gene Simmons all morning, and we won't need you until after lunch.' That happened more than once, but the second time it happened, I just lost my [tempter]. I ran into the producer's office [and said], 'This shit's not going to fly with me. You get your shit together. If you want me here at 9 o'clock in makeup, you better make sure you got your shooting schedule right,' because nobody wants to sit around in that makeup and costume for 12 hours. I lost it — I jumped into my Mercedes and took off."
Although his former bandmates have voiced their displeasure with the movie, Frehley doesn't share their opinion. "Paul [Stanley] and Gene have gone on record that they hate the film," he said. "I think it's hysterical, and I think it's campy and I think it's a silly rock 'n' roll movie. I don't think there's anything wrong with it. They took the film so goddamn seriously that it just ruined it for them when they saw the final cut, because they expected 'Gone With The Wind'."
"Kiss Meets The Phantom Of The Park" originally aired on the American television network NBC on October 28, 1978. Filmed largely on location at the Magic Mountain theme park in Santa Clarita, California, the film finds the members of KISS — playing themselves — using their "superpowers" to battle an evil inventor.
According to the 1997 book "Kiss And Sell: The Making Of A Supergroup", for years after its airing, no one who worked for KISS was permitted to mention the movie in the band's presence.
On VH1's "When Kiss Ruled The World" program, Simmons offered his thoughts on the film: "It's a classic movie — if you're on drugs."
The European edit of the film was included on KISS's 2007 DVD anthology "Kissology Volume Two: 1978-1991".
Speaking with Kat Walters of Ithaca, New York I100 radio station, Simmons explained (hear audio below): "I was always fascinated by what it is about the 27th year of the lives of the rich and famous going all the way back to 'The Elephant Man' [Joseph Merrick] of the 1800s, all the way up to Kurt Cobain [NIRVANA], Amy Winehouse, Avicii [Tim Bergling], this EDM, electronic music artist just committed suicide as he left the 27th year, as he became 28. There's a rapper, Mac Miller, who just overdosed from drugs and you're hurting yourself. He was just about to turn 27. There's something going on here. Nobody can figure out what it is. And so, we write about Cobain, Winehouse, [Jimi] Hendrix everybody, Janis Joplin, they all died at 27, and Jim Morrison [THE DOORS]. The book is about that, but what I hope comes out of this is that I was shocked to learn that one out of every five people in America have some emotional or mental problems — either depression or chemical imbalance or they're just not feeling good about themselves."
He continued: "When it gets really bad and you want to hurt yourself, I please ask that you give a call to 911 or the suicide-prevention hotline and just talk or if you know somebody and it could be a family member. It could be mom or dad or kids or brothers and sisters or your next-door neighbors, just talk. 'Hey, how are you doing?' 'Oh, I had a bad day.' 'Me too. I was watching the ballgame and they lost.' Just engage in the conversation and reach out and just let people know they're not alone.
"When people are alone and they're not feeling good, some bad stuff can happen," Gene added. "So, by talking to people, you may be saving a life. You can see it all the time when people are on top of a building about to jump or on top of a bridge and somebody comes along and gets beside them and hangs out and tries not to grab them and says, 'Hey, how you doing?' You just start talking. You talk him off of suicide and make him realize that everyday above ground is a good day. That there is hope and the sun will come up tomorrow and why shouldn't you be here to see it?"
Gene also talked about the genesis of his new side outfit, the GENE SIMMONS BAND, which includes members of the popular Nashville tribute band THEE ROCK N' ROLL RESIDENCY. "KISS has been around 45 years," he said. "We're the number one gold-record-award-winning group of all time, in all categories, but this last year we took some time off and I didn't want to hang around, so I launched a cannabis company out of Canada called Invictus MD and there's fruits and vegetables coming to Whole Foods and all that stuff. There's Money Bag and Simmons Books just launched, and on the days off, I like meeting people and having a good time. Who doesn't want to go to a party? So, I put together the GENE SIMMONS BAND and we have a great time. We just get up there and rock out, play anything we want to play. No fuss, no muss; it's much more intimate. And we have stairs going out into the audience so the fans are invited up onstage. You can actually get up there and hang out and dance if you'd like or you can grab the mic and sing or play, sure you can do that. You can go to YouTube and see some of the really cool, young people as a matter of fact, drummers and guitar players who get up onstage and jam with us. It's a hoot."
KISS will embark on its "farewell" tour, dubbed "One Last Kiss: End Of The Road World Tour", in 2019. The trek is expected to last three years and cover "all continents," according to Simmons.
"That's really out of character for me," Frehley said during a "live conversation" at Hollywood's Musicians Institute on September 25. "What happened was, we had an ongoing rule on tour that there's no women allowed in the dressing room. When we're getting ready, we don't want anybody... we don't even want guys in there. We had a standing rule that no girlfriends or anything are allowed in the dressing room.
"I had a girlfriend with me — a model from Canada, and, of course, she always had to wait outside," Frehley continued. "When Shannon [Tweed-Simmons] and Paul's [Stanley] wife came on tour, they just pranced into the dressing room. I let it go — I didn't make a big deal out of it. But now, this is the last day of the tour in Australia. Everybody has left the dressing room. Paul, Gene [Simmons] and Peter [Criss]... was Peter there, or was it Eric [Singer]? It's not important to the story. They had all split, so my girlfriend was standing outside, and I said, 'Hey, honey, come on in. Nobody's here.'
"Five minutes later, Tommy Thayer comes walking in and goes, 'Ace, you know the rule — no women in the dressing room.' I go, 'There's nobody here. It's the end of the tour.' He started being authoritative with me, so I gave him a shot. I got aggravated. I guess the Bronx boy in me came out."
Frehley — whose new solo album, "Spaceman", will be released via eOne on October 19 — first left KISS in 1982. He rejoined in 1996 and parted ways with the band once again in 2002 after the conclusion of their first "farewell tour."
He says he has not been approached to take part in the band's upcoming "One Last Kiss: End Of The Road World Tour".
Reflecting on why he quit the band, Frehley told a Musicians Institute audience during a "live conversation" on September 25 that "KISS in the seventies was just like this roller-coaster ride for me. I was holding on for dear life. We were just constantly busy, and the drugs and the alcohol and all the partying in conjunction with that type of schedule just started to get to me. By the early eighties, I just wanted to jump off the roller coaster because I thought I was going to crash.
"I was sitting in my lawyer's office prior to quitting the band," he continued. "We had just gotten a $15 million contract. I'm talking to my lawyer going, '$15 million, that's great, but every night I drive home to Connecticut, I want to drive my car into a tree because I'm not happy.' He goes, 'Okay, Ace, I hear that, but it's $15 million.' After about a half an hour, I said, 'Look, you cannot spend money six feet under.' He still didn't get it. Unfortunately, when I left, they lost $7.5 million, which I feel bad about, because the contract stated at least three of the four [original] members had to be in the band. They [had already] let Peter [Criss] go, so when I decided to quit, I cut the contract in half and it went from $15 million to $7.5 [million]. I think they were a little mad at me about that."
Frehley said that while it wasn't easy to walk away from such a big payday, he felt he needed to do so. "I'm still alive — you've got to put that ahead of everything else," he said. "I remember when I was at the richest point in my life, I was the most miserable. I'm sure other people have said that. I've met a lot of wealthy people who are miserable. It depends on how you make your money. There's a lot of wealthy people who are crooked, and they're probably unhappy with themselves and have trouble sleeping at night because it's all on their conscience. That wasn't my problem. My problem was I was doing too much — way too much."
The guitarist also confirmed that both times he left KISS were by choice. "I remember the first time I wanted to quit the band," he said. "Gene called me up and goes, 'Ace, you don't have to leave the band if you want to do a solo record. You can still stay in KISS. We'll even take a break and let you do it.' They didn't want me to leave. They never wanted me to leave, and I quit the band twice. If you look at old interviews, sometimes they would lump me in with Peter and say, 'Yeah, we fired Peter and Ace.' They never fired me — I always quit. I want to make that clear."
Frehley — whose new solo album, "Spaceman", will be released via eOne on October 19 — first left KISS in 1982. He rejoined in 1996 and parted ways with the band once again in 2002 after the conclusion of their first "farewell tour."
He says he has not been approached to take part in the band's upcoming "One Last Kiss: End Of The Road World Tour".
"I haven't been asked," he said during a "live conversation" at Hollywood's Musicians Institute on September 25. "I had a meeting with those guys several months ago, and they talked about retiring to me, and that didn't seem right either. Who knows what's going to happen? I read comments on the Internet, and I fall off my bed laughing. There's all these people that have all these different ideas of a configuration of what the next KISS tour should be, and it's crazy — but overwhelmingly, they want me back in the band, I think. That's what I'm reading on the Internet.
"I'm doing fine on my own," Frehley continued. "My career is on an upswing; I'm having a ton of fun; I like producing my own records. I don't like anybody standing over my shoulder telling me what to do. I've had a lot of freedom, and working with Paul [Stanley] and Gene [Simmons] again, it would be different. But then again, I'd probably make $5 or $10 million, so I might consider that...
"Hopefully next year, what all the KISS fans really want to happen will happen. I'm hoping. I want to be involved, especially for the fans. It's not like my dream job, because I've done it a couple of times and quit, but I really want to do it for the fans if it's going to happen."
Stanley recently told the "Rolling Stone Music Now" podcast that while he doesn't rule out the possibility of guest appearances by former members during the "End Of The Road" tour, he doesn't promise anything either. "I really can't say," Stanley said. "This will be a celebration of KISS and not any individual lineup or any individual members. I wouldn't rule anything out, but it's not the crux of what we're doing… and I'm not being coy either. I don't want to mislead anybody. That's not something that's been given a lot of thought at this point. The majority of our time has gone into what is the stage going to be, what is the show going to be, and we're actually in the midst of toying with setlists now."
Frehley — whose new solo album, "Spaceman", will be released via eOne on October 19 — first left KISS in 1982. He rejoined in 1996 and parted ways with the band once again in 2002 after the conclusion of their first "farewell tour."
“I feel great!’ said rock and roll’s God of Thunder. “I feel blessed. I’m 69. The hand still doesn’t shake.”
Clearly, turning the big 7-0 next year doesn’t phase him.
“Terrific!” he said. “You know, we’re men, we don’t give a f—?’ I’ve never had a guy come up to me and say, ‘Gene, guess how old I am?’ I don’t care. We don’t play by those rules. Get over it. It’s going to happen anyway. Have fun.”
We caught up with Simmons while in Toronto recently to speak at The Money Show and promote his new book 27: The Legend and Mythology of the 27 Club and new soda line, Gene Simmons’ MoneyBag Sodas.
What does one discuss at The Money Show?
You know how to make it, what do you do with it, can you bathe in it, stuff like that.
CAN you bathe in it?
Oh yeah, it’s glorious. It’s like women and diamonds. You want to take a diamond bath don’t you?
Honestly, I’ve never thought about that.
Yes, you have. (Sings) You’re a woman!
Why did you — as a clean-living rock and roller — want to write a book about all those musicians who have died at the age of 27?
I’m hoping there’s going to be an upside to this. I’m hoping the book is going to open up the conversation (about why they died).
What is it though about that age?
I’ve asked scientists and sociologists and so on and nobody knows. But it is a mathematical curiosity that people haven’t yet figured out.
You’ve had 10 rotating members of KISS over the years. Were you ever concerned KISS might lose someone that way?
Nobody in KISS, no. KISS is a straight band. I’ve never been knowingly high. Never rolled anything or put anything in my nose and I’ve never been drunk. I’ve never smoked cigarettes. (Singer-rhythm guitarist) Paul (Stanley) too is a pretty straight shooter. He has a little wine now and then but that’s it. No drugs, no smoking.
But what about original guitarist Ace Frehley (a hard drinker now 12 years sober) and drummer Peter Criss, who was into cocaine back in the band’s early days (off drugs since 1984)?
Observationally, it’s interesting they were kicked out of the band three times and for that. I’m shocked they’re alive.
But the Gene Simmons Band more recently played live with Ace. How did that go?
He was terrific, but only because he wasn’t in charge. He brought his guitar and he used my backing band to open the shows. Some people believe they need babysitters around them. ‘Oh, I can’t do things for myself.’ But clearly you can. So he was okay but everything was taken care of — the sound, the lights, which hotel, and how to get there and all that stuff — and he had his girlfriend/slash/wife with him and he had somebody who tuned his guitar. Somebody’s who there to wipe his butt.
People do have guitar techs, do they not?
Yeah that’s right. But I don’t. I show up.
Why did you get into the soda pop business?
I met two brothers, the Janick brothers, from upstate New York. John and Paul Janick, third generation soda people. Their grandfather started making homemade soda in Buffalo in the 1930’s and then their father learned and then the sons bought the company from their father, none of this ‘handed to them.’ So I love the idea it’s a family business.
At this point, how do you feel the very polarizing U.S. President Donald Trump is doing in his job?
A lot of people are unhappy, perhaps rightfully so. But the Dow Jones Industrial (Average is) 26,0000 or so, job rates are down to 3.9%, the economy is booming like never before. The rest of it — politics. You like the guy, vote him back in. You don’t like guy, just make sure nobody votes him back in. My assessment is very clear, unless he’s impeached, if there are no more big wars and if the Dow approaches 29,000, which it may, not only will President Trump be re-elected but it’ll be a landslide.
So as long as the economy is booming, Trump is doing his job well?
Not if you have a problem with him socially and politically and stuff like that. But either you approach a country like a business or not because families only care about two things: Is my family safe? Which means war, police, things like that. And can I feed my family? Do I have a job? Am I getting paid well? The rest is politics. If you’re going to after President Trump for having an affair, you have to go all the way to George Washington and (Justin) Trudeau’s father, everybody. You have to go after men. The tendency to wander.
According to the Kiss By Monster Mini Golf web site, the "Ace Frehley Wedding Experience" includes:
* Ace as your best man and/or Ace give away the bride and walk her down the aisle.
* Use of the KISS wedding chapel for the ceremony (wedding, vow renewal or commitment ceremony)
* Professional photographer, complete photo session and digital rights to ALL images (Yep! You get ALL of the photos, e-mailed to you to keep!!)
* The wedding will be livestreamed via Facebook Live on Ace's Facebook and KISS wedding chapel so your friends and family can watch your ceremony live from the comfort of their homes!
* Rockin' photo session with Ace's actual guitar
* An "I Got Married At The 'Love It Loud' Wedding Chapel" 45rpm with colored vinyl record and special certificate! With Ace's signature as the witness!!
* Rockin' wedding cake
* "Love It Loud" wedding chapel lanyards and laminates for couple
* "Love It Loud" wedding chapel certificate
* Two "Love It Loud" wedding chapel poker chips
* Two "Love It Loud" wedding chapel shot glasses
* Two "Love It Loud" wedding chapel temporary tattoos
* Up to 10 guests + bride and groom
Kiss By Monster Mini Golf's location is a unique 13,000 square-foot "KISS-themed" attraction that showcases an indoor glow-in-the-dark custom-designed, rockin' 18-hole miniature golf course filled with state-of-the-art video design and never-seen-before KISS props.
The environment is filled with arcade games, a special event room, a colossal sized KISS and rock 'n' roll gift shop, and a rock 'n' roll wedding chapel with themed wedding packages. In addition, a live DJ rocks the house, throughout the days and many "Crazy, Crazy Nights" with continuous KISS music, trivia, contests, and prizes, creating a destination embraced by locals, tourists, and rockers of all ages.
Kiss By Monster Mini Golf is located at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino at the Masquerade Village Casino level, at 3700 W. Flamingo Road.
It is open daily from 10 a.m. to midnight with 18-holes of miniature golf available at $11.95 and $9.95 for Las Vegas locals.
"Jimmy Kimmel Live!" airs every weeknight at 11:35 p.m. EDT, 10:35 CDT on ABC.
Frehley filmed the official music video for his new single, "Rockin' With The Boys", on August 18 at Motor City Muscle Music Festival in Detroit, Michigan.
"Rockin' With The Boys" is the second song Frehley has made available from his forthcoming all-new "Spaceman" album, due October 19 via Entertainment One (eOne). Frehley previously released the track "Bronx Boy" in April.
Said KISS frontman Paul Stanley: "This is gonna be our last tour. It will be the most explosive, biggest show we've ever done. People who love us, come see us. If you've never seen us, this is the time. This will be the show."
KISS added in a statement: "All that we have built and all that we have conquered over the past four decades could never have happened without the millions of people worldwide who've filled clubs, arenas and stadiums over those years. This will be the ultimate celebration for those who've seen us and a last chance for those who haven't. KISS Army, we're saying goodbye on our final tour with our biggest show yet and we'll go out the same way we came in... unapologetic and unstoppable."
Preorders commence today, September 18, for the limited run of 2,500 vinyl box sets, available exclusively through KISS's artist webstore and The Sound Of Vinyl. Each heavyweight 180-gram LP features a unique color to match its associated cover art; "Gene Simmons" appears in red vinyl, "Paul Stanley" sports purple vinyl, "Ace Frehley" contains blue vinyl, and "Peter Criss" is in green vinyl. All four albums are housed together in a deluxe black-matte slipcase that features glossy black images of the four artists' faces surrounding a silver-foil print of the infamous KISS logo.
Also included in this set are four 12-by-12-inch posters of each album cover, plus an exclusive turntable slipmat that shows all four of artist Eraldo Carugati's iconic, painted album-cover face images all connected together.
All four of these solo albums served to showcase the wide range of talents of each KISS bandmember. "Gene Simmons", co-produced by Simmons and Sean Delaney, features the band's bassist and co-lead vocalist switching over mainly to acoustic and electric guitar duties for songs that highlight his penchant for BEATLES-esque melodies, funk, and hard rock. Highlights include a remake of "See You In Your Dreams" (initially found on KISS's 1976 benchmark album "Rock And Roll Over") and a cover of the 1940 Disney classic from "Pinocchio", "When You Wish Upon A Star". Guest musicians include AEROSMITH's Joe Perry, CHEAP TRICK's Rick Nielsen, Bob Seger, Cher, Donna Summer and Katey Sagal.
Meanwhile, "Paul Stanley" was co-produced by Stanley and Jeff Glixman and it showcases all-original material and stellar work across the board from the KISS lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist, in addition to lead and acoustic guitar work from longtime KISS axe associate Bob Kulick. The super-catchy track "Hold Me, Touch Me (Think Of Me When We're Apart)" reached No. 46 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart.
"Ace Frehley", produced by Eddie Kramer and Frehley, finds the lead guitarist doing what he does best. Frehley's foot-stomping cover of "New York Groove", originally a 1975 hit by the British glam band HELLO, peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart. Guest musicians include Anton Fig on drums (a sometimes KISS session musician who later became a member of FREHLEY'S COMET) and bassist Will Lee, both of whom went on to become core members of both of David Letterman's late-night talk-show house bands led by keyboardist Paul Shaffer.
Finally, "Peter Criss" was produced by Vini Poncia, a onetime Ringo Starr co-writer who later produced a pair of key KISS albums, 1979's "Dynasty" and 1980's "Unmasked". Most of the songs on "Peter Criss" had been written back in 1971 for the drummer/vocalist's aptly named pre-KISS band, LIPS. The album also boasts a rousing cover of Bobby Lewis's No. 1 1961 hit single, "Tossin' And Turnin'", a song that KISS often wound up playing live during their 1979 "Dynasty" tour.
Word of his passing came via an announcement by the rock band Kiss, in which Thayer's son, Tommy, is lead guitarist.
"First and foremost he was a great family man and great father, but had a great military, business and civilian career," Tommy Thayer said Monday. "He liked to help people and organizations that needed help."
Thayer was born in Portland but grew up on a farm in the Yamhill County town of Carlton. He earned a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Oregon.
He received the Silver Star and Bronze Star for his service in the U.S. Army during World War II, and was credited with liberating the Gunskirchen Nazi death camp, which he discovered while leading a platoon in Austria in May 1945.
"I didn't know what to do," he recalled in an interview with The Oregonian/OregonLive in 2012. "I got on the radio and said, 'We need all the help we can get, right away.'
After the war, Thayer served as a colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve. He was later promoted to brigadier general and commander of the Oregon State Defense Force.
He also owned an office supply business, the J. Thayer Co., and served on the boards of the Port of Portland, Reed College, the Oregon Graduate Institute and other organizations. Thayer had been residing recently at a retirement community in Lake Oswego.
The Oregon Military Museum, under renovation at Camp Withycombe in Clackamas, was named for him in 2012.
"Retired Gen. James Thayer served our country & our state with great distinction in World War II and for decades afterward," U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden wrote Monday on Twitter. "I'm sad to learn about his passing. My condolences to his family."
For most of his life, Tommy Thayer said that his father was reluctant to talk about the difficult things he had seen during the war. That changed in 1992 when James Thayer joined a tour of concentration camps organized by the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council.
A Jewish man approached him at the airport in Vienna and identified himself as a survivor of the camp in Austria that Thayer discovered. The man, Wolfe Finkelman, said he wouldn't have survived another 24 hours if the Americans hadn't arrived.
"That changed my life," Thayer said in 2012.
Thayer and his wife, Patricia, had five children, Jim Jr., John, Tommy, Michael and Anne, according to a University of Oregon profile.
Patricia and Anne preceded him in death, according to that profile. His son Tommy has been associated with the hard rock band Kiss since the 1980s and formally joined the band in 2002. Kiss frontman Gene Simmons, whose own mother was a Holocaust survivor, once said he owed "a debt of gratitude to Gen. Thayer."
The rock legends behind "Rock and Roll All Nite" and "Detroit Rock City" will open the two-hour finale, which will air at 8 p.m. ET.
The rock band will up the ante as the top 10 finalists -- Brian King Joseph, Courtney Hadwin, Daniel Emmet, Duo Transcend, Glennis Grace, Michael Ketterer, Samuel Comroe, Shin Lim, Vicki Barbolak and Zurcaroh -- await to see who will win this year's grand prize.
Tune in Wednesday night for Kiss and the crowning of a new winner at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.
Each year, in true KISS Army style, various fan-organized pre-Kruise parties and reunions are held in the city of departure. This year, eight-time kruisers Joe D'Angelo and Andy Moyen are teaming up to present "The Gathering 3": a party so big it needs two days!
The event begins on Monday, October 29 and Tuesday, October 30 with a special opportunity to meet former KISS guitarist Vinnie Vincent. This meet-and-greet experience will provide fans with a professional photo of themselves and Vinnie, a commemorative poster, the opportunity to have two personal items signed (no guitars, please) and a swag bag loaded with KISS and Vinnie Vincent items. Both days of meet-and-greets are being held at the Holiday Inn Miami Downtown. (The Tuesday meet-and-greet is sold out; tickets for the Monday session are still available).
Tuesday night, after the Holiday Inn event, is a pre-Kruise party at the Hangar Nightclub (60 NE 11th Street in Miami) which features live performances from Florida's 1984 (VAN HALEN tribute band out of Orlando) and KISS AMERICA (Florida's ultimate KISS tribute band). It will also feature national recording act FOUR BY FATE featuring members of FREHLEY'S COMET, CHEAP TRICK and SKID ROW. FOUR BY FATE will perform a full electric set, with Vinnie Vincent joining them live on stage to perform a few songs; the first electric performance from Vinnie Vincent in over 20 years. Fans need only a general admission ticket ($20) to experience these live bands and witness this piece of KISStory.
Other special guests in attendance Tuesday night will be supergroup THE DEAD DAISIES, Ace Frehley bandmate Richie Scarlet, author and photographer Lydia Criss, former KISS security Big John Harte, actor James DeBello ("Trip" from KISS-centric movie "Detroit Rock City"), KISS costume designer Maria Contessa, author and musician Ken Sharp as well as several KISS podcast representatives. Fans will have the chance to meet and interact with all special guests throughout the evening.
This two-day event will also feature several raffles, with all proceeds to be donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF). The BCRF provides critical funding for cancer research worldwide to fuel advances in tumor biology, genetics, prevention, treatment, metastasis and survivorship. The BCRF is recognized as one of the most financially efficient nonprofits in the country, and is the highest rated breast cancer charity in the U.S. Prizes include a Vinnie Vincent-signed pink Jackson "V" guitar, a "Gene Simmons Vault Experience", and drumheads signed by KISS drummer and breast cancer survivor Peter Criss (aforementioned raffles are just $10 each; winners need not be present to win.) Musicians from all over the globe have also signed several drumheads, including Lita Ford, Bob Kulick, Mark Slaughter, Anton Fig, Bruce Kulick, Carmine Appice, Frank DiMino, and Mark Mendoza, which will also be raffled off that night with tickets available for purchase on-site.
For more information, visit www.thekisskruisepreparty.com.
The 16-track album traverses a wide musical terrain and a myriad of lyrical themes. "Rock Show" delivers the intoxicating joy of getting your band on the concert stage; "Pull The Strings" is a quirky story of an adult in his mid-40s who can’t survive without his ventriloquist dummy by his side ("Pull The Strings"), the death of David Bowie is explored on "The Day That David Bowie Died"; "Sinking" chronicles the transformative power of loss while "Listen To Me" is a plea for unity in a world torn apart by social and political tumult and divisiveness.
"Being a Philly boy with my ear permanently glued to the radio dial, the sound of Philadelphia etched its indelible mark on my musical DNA," says Sharp. "Being able to work in the studio with John Oates, someone whose music was the soundtrack of my youth, was a supersonic blessing of brotherly love! Another full-circle moment for me, being a huge fan of KISS since I was a kid, I was thrilled that Ace Frehley laid down a solo on the opening track, titled, appropriately enough, 'Rock Show'."
"Beauty In The Backseat" is Sharp's fifth album. He is a seasoned live performer who’s recently landed high profile gigs opening for John Waite, David Cassidy and THE BABYS and headlined The Troubadour in Hollywood, California.
"Beauty In The Backseat" track listing:
01. Rock Show
02. Mona Lisa Smile
03. Lemons To Lemonade
04. No One Seems To Stay Together Anymore
05. Closer
06. 24 Hours A Day
07. Pull The Strings
08. The Day That David Bowie Died
09. The Hardest Part
10. Jetfighter
11. Ring On Your Finger
12. Listen To Me
13. Sinking
14. I Wanna Be David Cassidy
15. Philly Kind Of Night
16. Miracle.
The KISS bassist/vocalist made his comments less than two months after it was reported that he had settled a sexual battery lawsuit filed against him by a radio and television broadcaster.
Simmons spoke about his behavior toward women late last month during an appearance on Australia's "The Project" show. He said (see video below): "Oh, I'm sure some of it's been out of line, but I'm a good guy. I sleep well at night. I have a wonderful family and kids. And it is true that people can say all kinds of things, but I happen to be a good guy. The unfortunate thing is there used to be something called presumption of innocence, that the courts would handle something. And now, the Internet and stuff…
"Look, I wish everybody well," he continued. "My past is checkered, like most people's is, and let those who are without sin cast the first stone. You're in a band, and the arrogance and cocksmanship, if you will, in the '70s and '80s, and even later on, you can come on and just be brazen and just sort of inappropriate and you go, 'That's right. You're in a band.' I wouldn't be able to have gotten away with any of that if you were a dentist or a politician or a plumber.
"For guys especially, when the ladies aren't around, we're full of garbage — we talk garbage, we do all kinds of stupid stuff — and if it wasn't for the highest form of life on earth — women; our moms, our daughters, our wives, girlfriends and so on — we'd be living in darkness," Gene added. "If it wasn't for my mother and [my wife] Shannon, and especially Sophie, my daughter — she holds my feet to the fire, and rightfully so."
The woman who sued Gene, identified as "Jane Doe," filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court on last December alleging that the KISS bassist/vocalist grabbed her hand multiple times and "forcefully placed it on his knee and held it on his knee." The accuser, identified in the documents as a "longtime on-air personality for a local rock station," also said the 69-year-old rocker "forcibly flicked/struck" her throat when she spoke to Simmons and his bandmate Paul Stanley at their Rock & Brews restaurant at San Manuel Casino in Highland, California. In addition, she claimed Simmons "reached toward [her] buttocks and touched it" while they were posing for a promotional photo together after the interview.
A hearing took place on July 2 about the case, and the woman's attorney told Los Angeles County Supreme Court Judge Daniel S. Murphy the parties had reached a settlement. The judge said both sides need to file a request for dismissal to officially dismiss the case.
Terms of the proposed settlement haven't been revealed.
Gene previously denied any wrongdoing in the matter.
"For the record, I did not assault the person making these accusations in the manner alleged in the complaint or harm her in any way," he said last December.
The lawsuit against Gene came less than a month after it was reported that he had received a lifetime ban from Fox News for crashing a staff meeting and allegedly indulging in some bizarre behavior. He later denied the allegations, telling BBC "Hardtalk" that "somebody [at Fox] apparently had the goods in for me and called The Daily Beast or something and said whatever they said I did. I did nothing. I always had people around me. Like when I come here, I've got handlers and everybody sees what I'm doing. You can't go into a public area and do anything."
Simmons went on to talk about the pitfalls of social media at times only spotlighting one side of a story: "Nobody calls you and says, 'Do you have a comment?' So the story was printed, and, of course, everybody exploded. And Fox, they're nice people — I like them a lot — closed ranks and they're afraid of getting sued by everybody. Nothing happened. I stand by every word."
"I'm overwhelmed by the love and support from the fans, and look forward to two incredible shows at Graceland," Vincent said.
The Graceland concerts will be Vincent's first live appearances in over 30 years. The shows will start with an acoustic set, followed by an intermission, and then a full shred electric set. In addition to special guest Robert Fleischman, original vocalist for the VINNIE VINCENT INVASION, who will be joining Vinnie for several songs including "Back On The Streets", there will be more special guests, to be announced soon.
Vinnie will release a special promotional video for the Memphis show on Friday, September 28 at 12:00 noon PST to give fans a little taste of what to expect at the Graceland shows, plus maybe a surprise or two. For tickets and more information, visit www.VinnieVincentLive.com.
"Rockin' With The Boys" is the second song Frehley has made available from his forthcoming all-new "Spaceman" album, due October 19 via Entertainment One (eOne). Frehley previously released the track "Bronx Boy" in April.
"Spaceman", Frehley's eighth solo LP, features nine new original tracks, including a cover of Eddie Money's "I Wanna Go Back", a ripping power pop makeover of the original.
"No need to worry, I'll be home soon, 'cause I'm rockin' with the boys," Frehley sings on "Rockin' With the Boys", which tells the tales of life on the road. Ace says he wrote the original version of the song back in KISS's heyday in the '70s. Both "Rockin With The Boys" and "Bronx Boys" are available on all streaming platforms today, and are iTunes instant-grat tracks for fans who preorder the album.
In addition to Ace's distinctive guitar sound on each track, Ace played bass on all of the songs on "Spaceman" except for two. The listener might recognize the mighty dinosaur growl of a bass tone belonging to Gene Simmons on the album opener, "Without You I'm Nothing", which Gene also co-wrote, and "Your Wish Is My Command". Both songs were recorded at Frehley's home studio in Rancho Santa Fe, California.
Ace's reconnection with Simmons and fellow KISS vocalist-guitarist Paul Stanley (who joined Ace on a cover of FREE's "Fire And Water" for 2016's covers LP "Origins, Vol. 1") might be chalked up to the fact that Frehley has been sober for more than a decade (he celebrates 12 years of sobriety in September). Ace's clean living no doubt has a lot to do with his productive streak, which began with the release of his top 20 "Anomaly" album in 2009.
"Spaceman" (a title suggested by Simmons himself) serves as the first collection of all new Frehley-penned material since 2014's "Space Invader", which debuted at No. 9 on the Top 200 chart. The LP scored the highest=charting position of any former or current KISS bandmember ever and marked Frehley's first return to the Top 10 since KISS's 1998 "Psycho Circus" reunion album.
Widely known as the original "Space Ace" and founding guitarist for 16 cumulative years (over two tenures) of the multi-platinum selling rock band KISS, Frehley is arguably the most popular original member. In addition to having the best-selling solo album career (vintage or current) among the original foursome, Frehley's self-titled "Ace Frehley", released in 1978, went on to sell over one million copies, producing the only Top 40 single, "New York Groove", from any of the legendary KISS solo albums (peaking at #13).
Vinnie said: "I've been paying attention to what the fans are writing and saying, and seeing how many fans want me to put on the electric guitar and shred on so many of the great songs we all know and love."
With many sections of the theater already sold out for the show, the concert at Graceland will start with an acoustic set, followed by an intermission, and then a full shred electric set. In addition to special guest Robert Fleischman, original vocalist for the VINNIE VINCENT INVASION, who will be joining Vinnie for several songs including "Back On The Streets", there will be more special guests, to be announced soon.
Vinnie will release a special promotional video for the Memphis show on Friday, September 28 at 12:00 noon PST to give fans a little taste of what to expect at the Graceland show, plus maybe a surprise or two.
For tickets and more information, visit www.VinnieVincentLive.com.
"Spaceman", Frehley's eighth solo LP, features nine new original tracks, including a cover of Eddie Money's "I Wanna Go Back", a ripping power pop makeover of the original.
"No need to worry, I'll be home soon, 'cause I'm rockin' with the boys," Frehley sings on "Rockin' With the Boys", which tells the tales of life on the road. Ace says he wrote the original version of the song back in KISS's heyday in the '70s. Both "Rockin With The Boys" and "Bronx Boys" are available on all streaming platforms today, and are iTunes instant-grat tracks for fans who preorder the album.
In addition to Ace's distinctive guitar sound on each track, Ace played bass on all of the songs on "Spaceman" except for two. The listener might recognize the mighty dinosaur growl of a bass tone belonging to Gene Simmons on the album opener, "Without You I'm Nothing", which Gene also co-wrote, and "Your Wish Is My Command". Both songs were recorded at Frehley's home studio in Rancho Santa Fe, California.
Ace's reconnection with Simmons and fellow KISS vocalist-guitarist Paul Stanley (who joined Ace on a cover of FREE's "Fire And Water" for 2016's covers LP "Origins, Vol. 1") might be chalked up to the fact that Frehley has been sober for more than a decade (he celebrates 12 years of sobriety in September). Ace's clean living no doubt has a lot to do with his productive streak, which began with the release of his top 20 "Anomaly" album in 2009.
"Spaceman" (a title suggested by Simmons himself) serves as the first collection of all new Frehley-penned material since 2014's "Space Invader", which debuted at No. 9 on the Top 200 chart. The LP scored the highest=charting position of any former or current KISS bandmember ever and marked Frehley's first return to the Top 10 since KISS's 1998 "Psycho Circus" reunion album.
Widely known as the original "Space Ace" and founding guitarist for 16 cumulative years (over two tenures) of the multi-platinum selling rock band KISS, Frehley is arguably the most popular original member. In addition to having the best-selling solo album career (vintage or current) among the original foursome, Frehley's self-titled "Ace Frehley", released in 1978, went on to sell over one million copies, producing the only Top 40 single, "New York Groove", from any of the legendary KISS solo albums (peaking at #13).
"Spaceman" track listing:
01. Without You I'm Nothing
02. Rockin' With the Boys (Audio)
03. Your Wish Is My Command
04. Bronx Boy (Audio)
05. Pursuit Of Rock and Roll
06. I Wanna Go Back
07. Mission To Mars
08. Off My Back
09. Quantum Flux.
As previously reported, Vinnie, whose real name is Vincent Cusano, will perform live for the first time in 30 years on December 7 at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee. The event will consist of an acoustic set featuring KISS and VINNIE VINCENT INVASION songs, with a special guest appearance by former VINNIE VINCENT INVASION singer Robert Fleischman.
Vincent has made several public appearances this year after spending the past two decades out of the public eye. He recently addressed rumors about his gender identity but declined to answer the question directly, explaining that he wanted to keep a mystique about the subject. He also said that he hopes to complete his autobiography "within a year."
Vinnie joined KISS in 1982, replacing Ace Frehley. As the "Ankh Warrior," he toured with the group in support of "Creatures Of The Night", on which he played lead guitar on six songs prior to becoming an official member of the band. He was also a member of KISS when the band publicly "unmasked" in 1983.
After Vincent sued Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons for "Lick It Up" royalties, a federal judge in Los Angeles ruled against the guitarist and awarded the KISS defendants about $66,400 in attorney's fees and $15,400 in costs.
In June 2010, Vincent lost his 6th Circuit appeal of an order barring him from seeking bankruptcy protection from paying more than $81,000 to his former bandmates.
Vinnie joined Gene in April at the KISS bassist/vocalist's "Vault Experience" event in Nashville, Tennessee. The reunion took place just a couple of months after Vincent said that reconnecting with Simmons was "probably the nicest thing that's happened" to him in recent years. "I love Gene," he said. "In the early days, he treated me so supportive."
Doc McGhee will continue operating McGhee Entertainment, while his brother Scott has launched a new artist management venture, 1 Entertainment Music And Management Group. The newly formed company plans to offer brand development, digital and social media strategies, and content creation. Both companies will continue to maintain their current Nashville offices. McGhee Entertainment will also continue to operate an office in Los Angeles.
Back in January, Vincent was joined by his ex-VINNIE VINCENT INVASION bandmate Robert Fleischman at the Atlanta KISS Expo 2018 to perform an acoustic version of the VINNIE VINCENT INVASION song "Back On The Streets". During the same event, Vinnie gave his first public interview in more than two decades, and said that he still feels "very strongly" about the two VINNIE VINCENT INVASION albums he released three decades ago, 1986's self-titled effort and 1988's "All Systems Go". However, Vinnie said that "the second record should have never happened. Rob [Fleischman] should have stayed with the project," he said. "The basic sound of that record was like [Jimmy] Page and [Robert] Plant — it was Rob and me. That first record was pretty red-hot. It was my vision; Rob singing; everything was just right. Second version of it should have been aborted, should have never happened. I had the power; I should have taken it. I should have called the shots, which should have been, 'Stop this. Revamp it. Go back, let me get the people I need.' The people that were involved with it at that time should have not been involved with it, but it was such a publicity machinery piece of... it was like a product. It was all publicity and hype. The songs I felt were really good, but I didn't feel the music came out to be... the records weren't what I would have done. I would have never settled on records like that. When I say records, the first one, yes; the second one, no; and that singer [Mark Slaughter, who sang on 'All Systems Go'] was unbearable as far as I'm concerned."
Vincent — who was a member of KISS when the band publicly "unmasked" in 1983 — has made several public appearances this year after spending the past two decades out of the public eye. He recently addressed rumors about his gender identity but declined to answer the question directly, explaining that he wanted to keep a mystique about the subject. He also said that he hopes to complete his autobiography "within a year."
Vinnie joined KISS in 1982, replacing Ace Frehley. As the "Ankh Warrior," he toured with the group in support of "Creatures Of The Night", on which he played lead guitar on six songs prior to becoming an official member of the band.
Criss, who was watching the performance sidestage, was brought out to the front of the stage by ROB ZOMBIE's frontman and namesake, who cited the KISS co-founding member as an early inspiration to become a musician.
This is not the first time Criss was seen at a ROB ZOMBIE concert. Back in May 2014, Criss joined the shock-rocker on stage at 93.3 WMMR MMR*B*Q at Susquehanna Bank Center in Camden, New Jersey to perform a cover of the KISS classic "God Of Thunder".
Zombie told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that KISS was one of his biggest influences when he was young. "There was three things in the '70s when I was a little kid that were incredibly influential to me," he said. "You know, Alice Cooper, Elton John and KISS. As a kid, I was just crazy about all three of those."
In May 2006, Rob Zombie joined original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley and ex-GUNS N' ROSES axeman Gilby Clarke plus an all-star band consisting of Slash (guitar; GUNS N' ROSES), Tommy Lee (drums; MÖTLEY CRÜE), and Scott Ian (bass; ANTHRAX) to perform "God Of Thunder" as a tribute to KISS at the "VH1 Rock Honors" event.
ROB ZOMBIE and MARILYN MANSON kicked off their "Twins Of Evil: The Second Coming" tour on July 11 at Detroit's DTE Energy Music Theatre.
When KISS kicked off its European tour earlier in the month in Barcelona, Spain, a number of YouTube videos surfaced online of Stanley clearly struggling to hit the high notes in many of the band's classic songs. This prompted renewed calls for the group to finally call it quits, with some KISS detractors insisting that Paul hasn't been able to deliver the band's material with conviction for many years.
Corabi, a former member of MÖTLEY CRÜE and THE SCREAM, whose current band, THE DEAD DAISIES, spent several months on the road in 2016 as the support act for KISS, addressed Stanley's vocal issues during a brand new interview with Mariskal Rock TV. He said (see video below): "I think a lot of the fans forget… 'Cause I've been hearing different things about… They're, like, 'Well, Paul didn't sing,' or, 'Gene's not singing that well,' or, 'Paul's not singing that well,' or, 'They didn't play very good.' Every band has an 'off' night once in a while — that's gonna happen. The other thing, too, is I don't think a lot of people take into consideration that they are almost 70 years old. And I've gotta be honest with you. We were on tour [with KISS] last year or the year before, and just for the hell of it, I said to one of the wardrobe girls… I just wanted to pick their boots up. And Gene's boots, honestly, it's probably 15 pounds each boot; they're heavy, heavy boots. Same with Paul's. And I just sat there and I put it in perspective."
Corabi, who previously played with KISS drummer Eric Singer in the ERIC SINGER PROJECT (ESP), continued: "I did another interview in New York, and the guy was talking about… he was complaining about KISS. And I go, 'How many 70-year-old men do you know who can't even get off the couch, let alone go up and do a two-hour set in boots that each boot weighs 10 pounds, or five kilos, and they're running around, jumping and doing all this stuff for two hours every day — and singing. It's not easy to do… And I just sit there and I go, 'Okay, this is like my dad…' I mean, think about it — he's 70 years old. It's your dad putting on, like, 30 pounds or 40 pounds of gear and running around for two hours and singing and performing. I personally don't know a lot of people at 70, other than those guys — [and] Steven Tyler — but the fact that they're still doing it at 70, I've got nothing but props for that. you've gotta give 'em credit for that."
Back in 2011, Stanley blamed his voice troubles on singing "through sheer willpower" to "cram in" as many shows as possible.
The 66-year-old frontman, who underwent surgery on his vocal cords seven years ago for a recurrent problem with his throat which left his voice "cracking," admitted that more than 40 years of performing with KISS left him struggling to sing, and he worked his voice too hard as the band attempted to fit in as many concerts as possible.
He told the Hollywood Reporter: [I was singing] through sheer willpower... [to] cram in as many shows as possible to maximize profit... The nature of rock singing is a strain on the voice and when you compound that with that amount of shows, you're not giving yourself time to recuperate and the problem is compounded... I was finding myself working harder and harder to do what was once effortless, and having already passed through puberty, I was surprised to hear my voice cracking."
Stanley added that many artists ruin their vocal cords by partying too hard, explaining: "If you're going to mix alcohol, cigarettes and drugs with singing, you've got a combustible combination that can only get you in trouble.
"When I was starring in 'Phantom Of The Opera', I found I couldn't drink a glass of wine the night before because it affected my vocal cords the next night, so people who are staying up till all hours, snorting this, smoking that and drinking the other, turn over the sand timer and when the sand runs out, your number comes up."
The summer of 1969 was a momentous one in modern history. It was a season punctuated with change. Apollo 11 landed on the moon, thousands of young fans flocked to rock 'n' roll festivals like Woodstock and the controversial Altamont Freeway concert, the Manson Family cult were on a high-profile killing spree, and the first uprisings that would become the Stonewall Riots began. It was an electric summer of violent endings, new beginnings, and social unrest.
It was also the summer that a myth was born–beginning with the tragic, untimely death of THE ROLLING STONES founder Brian Jones. The world soon lost two more huge music stars: Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix. Not only did losing these three beacons of music culture seem to signal the end of a musical era, it also felt like a foreboding sign; they had all died at exactly the same age. All three had lost their lives at the pinnacle of their creative output, and all three were exactly 27 years old.
People have speculated that there could be a dastardly lineage, from the poisoning of blues pioneer Robert Johnson in 1938, through these icons of the '60s, and more recently to rebel chanteuse Amy Winehouse's death from alcohol poisoning in 2011. Could it be a twisted fate that the world's very best creative souls come to early, often violent, deaths at just 27 years old? Over time, this idea began to be known as, "the 27 club," and it has persisted in the public imagination.
In "27: The Legend & Mythology Of The 27 Club", rock 'n' roll icon Gene Simmons takes a deep dive into the life stories of these legendary figures, without giving credence to the romanticized idea that being in the "club" is somehow a perverse privilege. Simmons wills us to acknowledge the extraordinary lives, not the sensational deaths, of the musicians and artists who left an indelible mark on the world.
Gene told the WRIF 101.1 FM radio station that he didn't really set out to write a book that would play up the supernatural aspects of the "club" — instead, he wanted to talk about what lies at the root of self-destructive behavior.
"It's really about when you become rich and famous and everybody admires you, what is that thing that makes people destroy themselves, even to die? What is that?" Simmons said. "The rest of the world adores you and your fans love you and they give you money and fame and all that, and then you kill yourself. I don't get it."
Simmons is the co-founder of KISS — America's #1 gold-record-award-winning group of all time in all categories (RIAA), Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductees since 2014, and 45 years strong as one of rock's most influential bands. With KISS, Simmons has recorded 44 albums and sold over 100 million records worldwide, and the band continues to sell out stadium tours today. Simmons is also a bestselling author, boasting New York Times bestsellers "Me, Inc." and "On Power" among others, and has founded a number of hugely successful businesses, including the restaurant chain Rock & Brews.
"27: The Legend & Mythology Of The 27 Club" will be released on October 2 via powerHouse Books.
Visit http://eearth.us/?l=n6cnr1 for more info now!
Commemorating one of the most definitive and iconic KISS albums of all-time, KISS Destroyer 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure Deluxe Box Set features The Demon, The Starchild, The Spaceman, and The Catman in their iconic outfits from the cover of their fourth album, Destroyer. These rockin' sculpted figures are one-of-a-kind variants of the standard Bif Bang Pow! Destroyer action figures. In full costume and makeup, they include 11 points of articulation so you can position them any way you want - like an album cover, posed as they rock and roll all night, or in any way your imagination takes you! With drumsticks for The Catman and guitars for everyone else, this box set (the third in the series) is an exclusive limited edition of only 826 pieces that comes in amazing vintage-style packaging designed to look just like the famous Destroyer album.
Head to Detroit Rock City with all-new KISS Window Decals! This sensational set includes The Demon, The Starchild, The Spaceman, and The Catman with their instruments, plus a KISS logo decal. With these removeable decals on your ride, everyone will know you're a proud member of the KISS Army!
Simmons and the plaintiff, identified as "Jane Doe," announced to Los Angeles County Supreme Court Judge Daniel S. Murphy on July 2 their case had been settled. The terms of the settlement are unclear.
The parties will need to submit an official request for dismissal to end the lawsuit.
Simmons was originally sued in December for allegedly groping the plaintiff and making "unwanted, unwarranted sexual advances" during a Nov. 1 interview with Simmons and his Kiss bandmate Paul Stanley at their Rock & Brews restaurant at San Manuel Casino in Highland, California.
According to the lawsuit, Simmons repeatedly grabbed the plaintiff's hand and "forcefully placed it on his knee and held it on his knee." It also alleged the rocker "forcibly flicked/struck" the plaintiff's throat, later providing an "incoherent explanation" for his behavior.
The suit also said that while posing for a promotional photograph together after the interview, Simmons "reached toward Plaintiff Doe's buttocks and touched it."
The plaintiff was identified in the documents as a "long-time on-air personality for a local rock station."
"Defendant Simmons turned standard interview questions into sexual innuendos, which made plaintiff Doe extremely uncomfortable," the suit read.
Her attorney, Willie W. Williams, told The San Bernardino Sun in an interview last year her client was "embarrassed and humiliated by the incident with Mr. Simmons" and "filed suit because she wanted to make a strong statement that this behavior is unacceptable and she wants to see an end to this type of behavior."
"For whatever reason, the original company lost the license to make a KISS casket," Stacey said. "Now, we're the only ones with the license."
The KISS casket costs $3,000 and was provided to the Abbott family by KISS members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley. The casket was offered as a gift at Vinnie's family's request. The PANTERA and HELLYEAH drummer will also be laid to rest in some of his trademark clothes, including his hat, shoes and flannel.
Vinnie's brother, "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, was buried in the original Kiss Kasket prototype in 2004 after his untimely death. The coffin featured the faces of the four founding members of KISS, the KISS logo and the words "Kiss Forever." Both Abbotts were huge fans, especially Darrell, who was shot dead by a gunman in December 2004.
Vinnie's favorite rock 'n' roll memory involved KISS, as he told The Washington Times. He recalled: "PANTERA was the opening band on the KISS reunion tour in 1997... We did three nights in Mexico City, then we had a flight on my birthday, which is March 11, and we were on a flight from Mexico City to Santiago, Chile. KISS was in first class, and we were in business class. Halfway through the flight, all four of the original members of KISS came back to me and sang 'Happy Birthday' in four-part harmony. They gave me a 'Kisstory' book. I felt like a 14-year-old kid. I had tears coming out of my eyes."
Vinnie Paul will be buried next to his brother, and his mother, Carolyn, at Moore Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Arlington.
A public memorial for Vinnie Paul will be held this Sunday, July 1, at Bomb Factory in Dallas, Texas. Fans interested in attending "Vinnie Paul: A Public Celebration Of Life" must receive a wristband to enter the Bomb Factory. The line for wristbands will begin at noon outside the venue prior to the 3:33 p.m. memorial. The event announcement notes: "There are no advance tickets, lines or lists."
PANTERA fans will know 3:33 p.m. as "Dime Time," in honor of Dimebag.
Vinnie Paul explained in a 2006 interview: "[Dimebag's] number was three, you know. And every day, 3:33 will appear on the clock, and I don't even mean to look at it, and it just reminds me of him every day. It doesn't matter if it's at night or during the day. I'll be doing something. I'll be right in the middle of something, busy, busy, busy, and I'll look over, and by gosh it's 3:33."
Vinnie passed away on June 22 at his home in Las Vegas at the age of 54. The drummer's death "did not appear suspicious," according to the official report of the event recorded by Metropolitan Police officers. Sources close to Vinnie told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that he suffered a "major heart attack," but that information has not been corroborated yet by an official source.
Vinnie had reportedly finished laying down drum tracks for the next HELLYEAH album, although there is no word yet on when that LP will see the light of day.
The former PANTERA drummer's brother, "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott was buried in the original KISS casket prototype in 2004 after his untimely death. The coffin featured the faces of the four founding members of KISS, the KISS logo and the words "Kiss Forever".
Darrell was a huge KISS fan and even had a tattoo of original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley on his chest. In addition, Darrell had Frehley autograph it and had that tattooed to his body as well.
Simmons announced he was giving Dimebag's family the coffin during a December 2004 appearance on Fox News' "The Big Story Weekend Edition With Rita Cosby" a couple of days after the guitarist's death. Simmons told Cosby: "Well, I wasn't really prepared to talk about it, but the family requested, as a personal issue between the family and the grieving people who are going to be there, to send a Kiss Kasket. We initially did it as a promotion. And you know, I think it meant a lot to Darrell when, you know — when he was alive, he gave lots of people great joy. I mean he had the band tattooed onto his chest. He was a major figure in rock and roll. He's going to be greatly missed. And the family wish — you know the one last wish they had was that he be buried in a Kiss Kasket. And I think it's a private matter for the family and the fans, actually."
In a 2015 interview with The Washington Times, Vinnie Paul was asked if had a favorite rock 'n' roll memory. He responded: "PANTERA was the opening band on the KISS reunion tour in 1997, with all the original members. We toured with them in South America. We did three nights in Mexico City, then we had a flight on my birthday, which is March 11, and we were on a flight from Mexico City to Santiago, Chile. KISS was in first class, and we were in business class. Halfway through the flight, all four of the original members of KISS came back to me and sang 'Happy Birthday' in four-part harmony. They gave me a 'Kisstory' book. I felt like a 14-year-old kid. I had tears coming out of my eyes." He added: "They took us under their wing, really liked us, and it was a great tour."
A public memorial for Vinnie Paul will be held this Sunday, July 1, at Bomb Factory in Dallas, Texas. Fans interested in attending "Vinnie Paul: A Public Celebration Of Life" must receive a wristband to enter the Bomb Factory. The line for wristbands will begin at noon outside the venue prior to the 3:33 p.m. memorial. The event announcement notes: "There are no advance tickets, lines or lists."
The musician's funeral will be held on Saturday, June 30, with the private service also scheduled to begin at 3:33 p.m. Following the services on Saturday and Sunday, Vinnie will be buried alongside his mother and brother.
Vinnie passed away on Friday (June 22) at his home in Las Vegas at the age of 54. The drummer's death "did not appear suspicious," according to the official report of the event recorded by Metropolitan Police officers. Sources close to Vinnie told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that he suffered a "major heart attack," but that information has not been corroborated yet by an official source.
Vinnie had reportedly finished laying down drum tracks for the next HELLYEAH album, although there is no word yet on when or if that LP will see the light of day.
The KISS bassist/vocalist — who is a former contestant on Trump's "The Celebrity Apprentice" series — made his comments while discussing his new business venture as Chief Evangelist Officer for Invictus MD, a publicly traded cannabis startup, with TheStreet's executive editor Brian Sozzi.
Simmons, who predicted in the months following the last U.S. presidential election that the Dow Jones Industrial Average would plow past 23,000 (it currently stands at over 25,000) as optimism over corporate earnings turbocharged, remains extremely bullish about the outlook for the U.S. economy. He told TheStreet (see video below): "We will see the day shortly — [within] two years, it's gonna break 30,000. Let me give you the scenario. Ready? Saudi, Israel and Egypt form a public alliance of cooperation. Flights from Israel are gonna fly into Saudi Arabia; it's gonna be a different world. One. Two: North and South Korea do actually come together. Don't worry about the diatribes and all that — that's not 'diet' and 'tribes'; it's a diatribe. They are gonna come together; Kim Jong-un has already started to dismantle [North Korea's nuclear weapons program]. President Trump, who I know and understand, is part of vitriol and getting up there and… He has no… It's kind of Tourette's kind of stuff. But that doesn't matter.
"I don't care what anybody says. Do it! Make it happen!" he continued. "So there have been other presidents who have been better with media, from [Ronald] Reagan on up. But at the end of the day, people in America are concerned about two things. They don't know about TheStreet or the Dow. Is my family safe? Is my country safe? That's foreign policy. Can I feed my family? That's commerce. Those are the only things they care about. The rest is for the academics in New York and L.A. to argue about. In the middle America, [all they care about is] 'Can I feed my family?' and 'Am I safe?'"
Simmons went on to say: "I don't know about you, but this president is gonna get re-elected, whether you like it or not, if there is peace and confluence, congruence between North and South Korea and the Dow is about the break 30,000 before the end of his presidency. I'm calling it. If that happens, he's our next president."
Asked if he was surprised by how markets have reacted to the Trump presidency, Simmons said: "Well, as you know by the numbers, as he was coming in, there was a dip and it was at 17,000. Buy low, sell high. Isn't that what you learned with grandma? Right? Mr. [Warren] Buffett understands this and all that. When the Dow goes down, believe in America. The president was going to… He started to announce it: 'I'm gonna lower [the corporate tax] to 15 or 20…', whatever it is. The Wall Street just kind of [went], 'That our kind of guy: pro business.' You get a stack of papers like this to start a new company. What are you trying to do? Drive every company overseas except to France where you can't fire anybody. Yay, socialism! And so what he did was make it business friendly, and so, all of a sudden, the Dow is exploding. 'Oh, the Dow is at 24,764, now 24,765. We're down 50 points.' Are you kidding me?"
Last September, Simmons told "The Strombo Show" that it was "too early" to judge Trump's presidency. "Do I think he said a lot of stupid things? Oh, yeah," Simmons said. "He says stupid things, and so do you, and so [do] I. I'm not validating it, but… There's not a human being that walks on the face of the planet that privately hasn't made racist or anti-Semitic or anti-women jokes, or anti-Irish jokes. Privately, everybody does it. He is a Tourette's president who will say whatever he wants, and he doesn't give a fuck if you approve of him, and he's doing the job for one dollar. I like that."
Gene also defended Trump's occasional off-color remarks and frequently outrageous statements, saying: "I don't know anybody here who hasn't said stupid things publicly or privately, and if they get outed, if you get caught on tape, from Mel Gibson to everyone… I know Mel very well, and I'm Jewish myself, and he said some stupid things, racist things, anti-Semitic things when he was, you know, high or drunk or whatever. But I know the guy, I know that he gave a twenty-million dollar check to start mending kids privately and never talked about it, I know the guy that goes out of his way to help refugees and stuff like that and doesn't advertise it. It's your deeds, not what you say. You've said potty words and so have I. So I'm gonna give the guy who was duly elected a chance to show us what he can do, and then I'll judge his legacy."
Simmons previously confirmed that KISS was inivited to perform at Trump's inauguration but turned it down because it was "not a good idea."
Simmons said that he "didn't necessarily vote for President Trump or candidate Clinton" in the 2016 presidential election, adding that "it's really nobody's damn business" whom he voted for. "I think you'd be surprised by my choice — but he's President Trump, because even if you don't like the man, you must respect the office of the presidency and the will of the Electoral College," he said.
Simmons's latest comments echo those made by his bandmate, Paul Stanley, who told CNBC's "Squawk Box" that KISS will embark on its "biggest tour" next year.
Rumors of KISS's final run of live shows gained strength several months ago following the news that the band was attempting to trademark the phrase "The End Of The Road." An application from KISS was filed in February to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, which — should it be accepted — means that the band could use it in connection with "live performances by a musical band." As it stands now, no official farewell tour has been announced.
As most fans remember, back in 2000 and 2001, KISS already performed a "Farewell Tour". The trek, which was the last to feature drummer Peter Criss, played 142 shows over five legs, covering North America, Japan, and Australia.
In a recent interview with Australia's News Corp, Simmons confirmed that he "had nothing to do" with KISS's attempt to trademark "The End Of The Road."
"The god's honest truth is that I've heard this before but I literally had never heard of it until somebody mentioned it and I had nothing to do with it," he said. "So I might learn something, but I know nothing of it. I wouldn't pull your leg, by the way.
"Kiss Catalog [the company that filed 'The End Of The Road' application] is one of our companies, that's true — but we trademark all sorts of things. I own [the phrase] 'Motion Pictures' — I actually do.
"There's always been talk, every tour, that this is the last time.
"Let me put it bluntly: One day we are going to stop and do the last show. I don't know when that is… I still look stunning in real life," he laughed.
"The band's in great shape — Tommy [Thayer, guitar] and Eric [Singer, drums] are fantastic. Everybody finally seems happy with their lot in life."
"When you want to lose weight, the guy at the gym doesn't tell you what you want to hear, because he's doing what's good for you," he continued. "If you go into the military, you're going to have a drill sergeant and you're going to hate him. But he is going to prepare you to survive. The problem is that politicians are telling you what you want to hear.
"Also, you have to give to your constituency. There's $4 million in research going on in Hawaii on why flies fart. It's called pork. It's why the two most hated professions are politicians and lawyers. Be suspicious of all politicians because both sides give pork to their constituencies."
Simmons previously said that he "didn't necessarily vote for President Trump or candidate Clinton" in the 2016 presidential election, adding that "it's really nobody's damn business" whom he voted for. "I think you'd be surprised by my choice — but he's President Trump, because even if you don't like the man, you must respect the office of the presidency and the will of the Electoral College," he said. Simmons also confirmed that KISS was inivited to perform at Trump's inauguration but turned it down because it was "not a good idea."
Simmons began personally delivering copies of his new box set, "Gene Simmons - The Vault Experience: 1966-2016", in January. It is a comprehensive box set of Gene's solo material that comes packaged in a safe.
Thayer, who grew up in Beaverton and graduated from Sunset High School in 1978, has served on Pacific's Board of Trustees since 2005. He has helped the university generate more than $3.5 million for its NCAA Division III intercollegiate athletics program, primarily through a highly successful celebrity fundraiser Legends, which ran from 2007 to 2016. In 2016, the 10th anniversary Legends event launched the creation of the Tommy Thayer Endowments for Music and Athletics, benefiting students in both programs at Pacific.
Last spring, the Pacific University Board of Trustees approved awarding Thayer a doctorate of humane letters degree for his philanthropic leadership efforts that have directly helped thousands of Pacific student-athletes.
Prior to receiving his degree during the ceremony, Thayer gave the keynote address to the class of 2018 consisting of approximately 350 bachelor's degree candidates.
Instead, he shared some advice with the outgoing class of 2018.
“Make the most of your life and be proud of what you do,” he said during his commencement speech. “Make sure at the end of the day, you can look at yourselves in the mirror and like who you see. Go forward, have a great life and remember that even on its worst day — and I’ve had my share — life is a miracle. Go out and prosper. Make this a better world, you can do it. And, take some time to rock ’n’ roll too.”
Mr. Stanley, who’s also an author, entrepreneur and philanthropist, shared stories of how fighting against adversity in his own life pushed him to succeed.
Born with microtia — a congenital deformity resulting in an underdeveloped ear — he said he was ridiculed as a young child and later mocked for his desire to pursue music.
“I’m deaf on my right side and have no ear canal — I didn’t have an ear on that side,” Mr. Stanley said. “People asked, how can you go into music? But, I’ve always said that you have to innately know what you’re capable of doing, no matter what anyone tells you. People say that those who are successful are lucky. It’s not luck. People who are successful look at situations and see opportunities others missed. The people who tell you it’s just luck are the ones who didn’t succeed. It’s a rationale for their failure. Don’t be one of those people.”
Rousing the graduates, Mr. Stanley urged them to put hard work and drive behind whatever they hope to accomplish.
“My background is probably very different than yours, but I think I’m proof that regardless of the field you choose to go into, success comes from the fundamentals: hard work, tenacity and believing in yourself,” he said. “If you can dream and you can work hard, you can make the dream into a reality.
You’re the masters of destiny. The only thing standing between you and success is hard work.”
Making remarks for the senior class, graduate and Student Government Association president Betty Lee also shared a story of overcoming adversity and celebrated the life of a classmate who died.
“While we celebrate today, I’d also like to take a moment to celebrate the life of a Wolverine (Wesley’s sports mascot) who’s no longer with us,” said Ms. Lee. “Brittany Paige died my freshman year. After her death, I continued to find little notes she’d written for me and tucked among my nursing textbooks and my notebooks. Each note told me to ‘keep going’ and that I am ‘beautiful’ and I could ‘do it’ and that I am ‘strong.’ If Brittany were here today, she’d be all our biggest fan. On the one-year anniversary of Brittany’s death, I got to spend the day with her parents and they gave me the best advice I was even given. They told me to tell my parents that I loved them as often as I can. At the end of the day that’s all that really matters.”
The 19-year-old Ms. Paige was killed in early 2015 after being hit by a car while jogging several blocks from the school, reported Dover Police.
Many hundreds of well-wishers, proud family members and friends joined the graduating students on the lawn of Wesley College campus in Dover during the outdoor ceremony. Several politicians and dignitaries, including U.S. Sen. Thomas Carper, joined the celebration.
With temperatures in the low 80s and plentiful sunlight, the weather was an improvement from previous years.
“This is the first time in two years without rain, so this is already a good sign,” said college president Robert Clark II during his speech.
As other speakers did, Mr. Clark encouraged graduates to face down adversity.
“I challenge each and every one of you to work hard toward the realization of your potential,” he said. “Don’t waste it. Face, head on, the challenges your class will encounter and overcome them. Embrace what the future holds by being an active part of it.”
During the ceremony, Mr. Clark also took the opportunity to mark and honor the retirement of two professors: Nancy Rubino and John Paul Muczko.
Ms. Rubino is retiring from the nursing department after 30 years with the college and Mr. Muczko retired from the kinesiology department after 17 years with the college.
Thayer, who grew up in Beaverton and graduated from Sunset High School in 1978, has served on Pacific’s Board of Trustees since 2005. He has helped the university generate more than $3.5 million for its NCAA Division III intercollegiate athletics program, primarily through a highly successful celebrity fundraiser Legends, which ran from 2007 to 2016. In 2016, the 10th anniversary Legends event launched the creation of the Tommy Thayer Endowments for Music and Athletics, benefiting students in both programs at Pacific.
Last spring, the Pacific University Board of Trustees approved awarding Thayer a doctorate of humane letters degree for his philanthropic leadership efforts that have directly helped thousands of Pacific student-athletes.
Prior to receiving his degree during the ceremony, Thayer will give the keynote address to the class of 2018 consisting of approximately 350 bachelor’s degree candidates.
Simmons tells Australia's News Corp, "We're going after that person. When I was growing up and somebody said something bad about you, you would be able to sue back for slander. There's presumption of innocence, and I don't go into the night softly. I've had a long 45-year career. Anybody wants to start something, you picked the wrong guy."
A woman identified as Jane Doe filed a lawsuit against Simmons in Los Angeles Superior Court in December 2017, alleging he grabbed her hand multiple times and "forcefully placed it on his knee and held it on his knee" and "forcibly flicked/struck" her throat during an interview session at his Rock & Brews restaurant in Highland, California.
She also claimed Simmons touched her butt while they were posing for a promotional photo together.
"Bronx Boy" is available on all digital music services starting today.
Frehley's next studio album is expected to include the two songs he co-wrote last summer with KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons.
"Gene came over my house to write — it went fantastic," Ace said. "In a matter of three hours, he and I came up with two new songs for my [next] record. I'm thrilled." The occasion was momentous for another reason. "It was the first time I have worked with him while I was sober," he revealed, "and it was a pleasure."
Frehley's last release was a covers collection "Origins, Vol 1", which received great reviews and landed in the Top 25 on the Billboard album chart. The effort featured a guest appearance by KISS lead singer Paul Stanley on a cover of FREE's "Fire And Water", marking their first collaboration since 1998's "Psycho Circus".
Last September, Frehley released a newly expanded deluxe edition of his 2009 album, "Anomaly", eOne Music. Among the new tracks were two previously unreleased demos: "Hard For Me", which was later reworked into the album's "Foxy & Free", and an early take of "Pain In The Neck", different in tempo and arrangement from the final version. Also included was the previously digital-only "Anomaly" bonus track "The Return Of Space Bear". "Anomaly Deluxe" also featured enhanced album art, a new live poster, and extensive liner notes by rock writer and Ace Frehley historian Ron Albanese (including track-by-track commentary by Frehley). (Listen)
News of a final set of shows went into overdrive earlier this year after it was revealed the band was attempting to trademark the phrase “The End Of The Road”.
An application was filed back in February 8, and now bassist Simmons has acknowledged the finale is likely to happen in the not-too-distant future.
“There will be one at some point,” he recently told the Chicago Sun-Times. “We can’t keep doing this forever. We are the hardest-working band in show business. If (Mick) Jagger stepped into my dragon boots (stage costume), he couldn’t last a half an hour.”
“We don’t want to stay on stage a day longer than when we feel valid… Remember, we introduced ourselves as, ‘You wanted the best, you got the best, the hottest band in the world’. Not, ‘We used to be’ the best’.”
But the rocker insists he had nothing to do with plans to trademark “The End Of The Road”, and that was all down to bandmate Paul Stanley, who previously told journalist Michael Cavacini, “I thought it was a terrific name, and I was surprised nobody had used it before. I wanted to make sure that when we used it, and there will be a time that we do, I imagine – I wanted to be sure that we own it and it’s ours.”
Stanley, who paints in his spare time, said that in addition to the “bunch of art shows” he has scheduled, “KISS [will] do a world tour starting in January, I think.”
A source close to the band confirms to ABC Radio that KISS is, in fact, putting together a major tour, which is expected to extend well beyond 2019.
Video footage of Vincent's appearance can be seen here (courtesy of a Facebook Live video from Rosie Luck).
For the last three months, the KISS bassist/vocalist has has been traveling around the U.S., personally delivering copies of his limited-edition box set, "Gene Simmons - The Vault Experience: 1966-2016", to buyers. The set, including a ticket to one of the "Vault" gatherings, costs $2,000, with the most expensive version going for $50,000.
Although Simmons has been joined by several of his current and former bandmates at various "The Vault" events so far, his KISS partner Paul Stanley has yet to make an appearance. However, that will all change on May 26 when the two KISS co-founders come together in Las Vegas.
Stanley tweeted a graphic advertising his appearance at the event, along with the caption: "Me Busy?? Yes!! TOO Busy?!?! NEVER!!! Can't Wait!"
KISS fans recently speculated that the band would soon embark on a farewell tour following the news that the legendary rock act was attempting to trademark the phrase "The End Of The Road." An application from KISS was filed on February 8 to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, which — should it be accepted — means that the band could use it in connection with "live performances by a musical band." As it stands now, no official farewell tour has been announced.
For the last three months, the KISS bassist/vocalist has has been traveling around the U.S., personally delivering copies of his limited-edition box set, "Gene Simmons - The Vault Experience: 1966-2016", to buyers. The set, including a ticket to one of the "Vault" gatherings, costs $2,000, with the most expensive version going for $50,000.
Although Simmons has been joined by several of his current and former bandmates at various "The Vault" events so far, there has been no sign of his KISS partner Paul Stanley.
A few days after Gene told the attendees at his March 25 "Vault" event in New York City that he has been unable to get Paul to come out to any of the gatherings, Stanley took to his Twitter to address his absence.
"Going over my schedule to see when I can join my 'Brother From Another Mother,' Gene, at one of his Vault events," Paul wrote. "You BET I'm going!"
KISS fans recently speculated that the band would soon embark on a farewell tour following the news that the legendary rock act was attempting to trademark the phrase "The End Of The Road." An application from KISS was filed on February 8 to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, which — should it be accepted — means that the band could use it in connection with "live performances by a musical band." As it stands now, no official farewell tour has been announced.
For the last three months, the KISS bassist/vocalist has has been traveling around the U.S., personally delivering copies of his limited-edition box set, "Gene Simmons - The Vault Experience: 1966-2016", to buyers. The set, including a ticket to one of the "Vault" gatherings, costs $2,000, with the most expensive version going for $50,000.
Although Simmons has been joined by several of his current and former bandmates at various "The Vault" events so far, there has been no sign of his KISS partner Paul Stanley.
During the March 25 "Vault" event in New York City, Gene addressed Paul's absence, telling the attendees (see video below): "Along the way, some of our friends and family members who started the band with us came by to say hello to wonderful folks like you. Ace [Frehley, original KISS guitarist] has been to three of the 'Vault' events — Los Angeles and a few others. Ace, by the way, is gonna be opening up for the GENE SIMMONS BAND when we do five shows in Australia. He's gonna be using my back-up band and we're just gonna have a great time. He'll play 'Ozone' and lots of other crazy stuff. And Peter Criss [original KISS drummer] came by yesterday, in case you didn't hear. Vinnie Vincent [former KISS guitarist] is gonna be in Nashville. Paul Stanley, I can't get him to come out yet, but we'll see. Maybe I'll get him some paint brushes," apparently referring to the fact that Stanley has been spending much of his time painting and exhibiting his original artwork at various galleries around the country. Simmons added: "The thing we do is tease each other. Tommy [Thayer, current KISS guitarist] and Eric [Singer, current KISS drummer] came to Los Angeles. Bruce Kulick's [former KISS guitarist] been out. Of course, he likes to go out anywhere."
A few years ago, Simmons told Classic Rock magazine about his relationship with Stanley: "Paul is the soul of KISS and I'm… the cock. Paul is much more emotional, and I'm drier. Paul will go see romantic movies, I'll throw up at them." Singer offered his own perspective, telling the magazine: "Gene loves the sound of his own voice, we all know that. But nothing happens in KISS unless Paul Stanley says it does."
KISS fans recently speculated that the band would soon embark on a farewell tour following the news that the legendary rock act was attempting to trademark the phrase "The End Of The Road." An application from KISS was filed on February 8 to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, which — should it be accepted — means that the band could use it in connection with "live performances by a musical band." As it stands now, no official farewell tour has been announced. (Video)
"Ernest Hummingbird", created by Feiss ("Cow And Chicken") is a children's story of a lovable young hummingbird named Ernest who wants to sing and not just hum. When his parents initially object, Ernest and his two BFFs Bilfickle Bee and Edgar Allen Poodle set out on a musical journey of wonder, comical roadblocks, and eventual success, finding their way to sing on the big stage!
Thayer produced the "Ernest Hummingbird" animated storybook available at the Apple app store, narrated by Grammy-Award-winning artist Darius Rucker, and filled with original music and sing-along songs written by Thayer, Feiss and Peter Asher, one-half of the '60s pop duo PETER AND GORDON and a former vice president of Sony Music Group.
Charles Mechem, former CEO of Taft Broadcasting, who owned Hanna Barbera for 25 years, heads Mechem Media and is also a partner in the "Ernest Hummingbird" project.
A series of "Ernest Hummingbird" storybooks for the 4 to 8-year-old demographic are planned. Multimedia, short-content stories and sing-along songs are in development.
During a question-and-answer session as part of the KISS bassist/vocalist's "Vault Experience" event this past weekend in New York City, Simmons was asked about the "The End Of The Road" application and what it means for the band's future.
"I had nothing to do with that," Gene said (see video below). "I really don't know who stuck it on there, and I don't know if it's a fan or somebody in the band. I would tell you the truth. I literally don't know anything about it. KISS is playing some big outdoor shows in Spain in July. Around there, the GENE SIMMONS BAND is playing, headlining some festivals and stuff like that. We're very lucky. I have a ball doing it, playing obscure songs like 'I' and 'She's So European', stuff we've never played before. So I get to have a great time. But as regards to your [question], I have no idea."
After being introduced by Gene as "the powerful and the attractive, the original, one and only, Peter Criss," the drummer took the microphone and told the crowd (see video below, courtesy of Mike Brunn): "Hi. It's good to be here. It's good to see you. It's good to be here. I'm feeling great. I had to come and say hi to my bass player from my old band KISS. [Laughs] No. Really, Gene sent me a wonderful invitation; I couldn't resist. And we haven't seen each other since the [Rock And Roll] Hall Of Fame. Out of all the bandmembers, we always had a Twinkie thing going, and way back in the day…" At this point, Simmons chimed in, "He means cake," before Criss continued: "So I had to come in and say hi to him. I do have a big place in my heart for Gene — I always will, out of all the members. So it's good that you came down for him. He loves to be loved, so give him all the love you want, and he'll take it all in. And God bless you all, and thank you so much."
In addition to playing drums in the band, Peter also provided lead vocals for a number KISS's most popular and memorable songs, including "Beth", "Black Diamond" and "Hard Luck Woman".
Criss first left KISS in 1980. Since then he's worked with other bands and released solo albums. He teamed up with KISS again for a reunion tour in the 1990s and most recently in 2004. He was replaced by Eric Singer.
The four original members of KISS were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in April 2014 by RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello.
KISS did not perform — the Hall Of Fame wanted the original quartet only to play, while Simmons and Paul Stanley insisted on the current lineup — which also includes guitarist Tommy Thayer — performing as well. In the end nobody won that battle.
Criss, who was known as "Catman," released his last solo CD, titled "One for All", in 2007. Peter produced the album himself for the first time, and was joined by guest musicians that included keyboardist Paul Shaffer and bassist Will Lee of "Late Night with David Letterman". The album featured a range of styles, from rock and jazz to blues and Broadway, and included covers of "What a Difference a Day Makes" and "Send in the Clowns".
Gene began personally delivering copies of his new box set, "Gene Simmons - The Vault Experience: 1966-2016", in January.
"Gene Simmons - The Vault Experience: 1966-2016" is a comprehensive box set of Gene's solo material that comes packaged in a safe. The set includes 150 previously unreleased songs spread over 10 discs, a leather-bound photo book, a Gene Simmons action figure, an "In Gene We Trust" gold medallion and a "surprise item."
Original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley has made appearances at a couple of the "Vault Experience" events so far, while ex-KISS axeman Vinnie Vincent is expected to join Simmons on April 14 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Jeff Tremaine is directing the Netflix/LBI Entertainment film that stars Douglas Booth as Nikki Sixx, Iwan Rheon as Mick Mars, Daniel Webber as Vince Neil and Machine Gun Kelly as Tommy Lee.
The pic is based on the Neil Strauss’ book The Dirt: Confessions of the World’s Most Notorious Rock Band, which was adapted for the screen by Rich Wilkes, Tom Kapinos and Amanda Adelson. It follows the band’s rise to international stardom in the 1980s.
Julie Yorn, Erik Olsen, and Allen Kovac are producing.
Costabile, whose credits include Breaking Bad, Lincoln and 13 Hours, is repped by ICM and Gartner/Green.
“I think it’s wonderful for women to be engaged in the conversation and the positive side is there have been a lot of bad guys who have gotten away with it (and aren’t anymore) — that’s a good thing,” the 68-year-old KISS bassist said while in Toronto earlier this week as the new media spokesman for Canadian cannabis company Invictus.
“The collateral damage is heinous because anybody can say anything and there’s no presumption of innocence. That’s the problem,” Simmons said. “The problem is you don’t have your day in court.”
“As soon as somebody cries and the mascara runs, the guy’s life is ruined and it’s over. He may be guilty or he may be innocent but what happened to our justice system? You’ll make more money. You’ll embarrass him everyday. Instead of in a news conference which gets you no money. I’m totally in support of anything and everything that follows the rule of law. Get a lawyer. Do it legitimately.”
Simmons also doesn’t believe the movements will change the music industry.
“No. Let me put it bluntly. I think the s–tstorm is going to be here for a while and the pendulum will finally get to reality after,” he said. “Right now it’s in the extreme. But I’m the last guy to understand any of this stuff.”
“My opinion is laws are good. And the more lawful of a society we are the better off we’ll be,” Simmons added.
KISS bassist Gene Simmons was at the TSX Venture Exchange Tuesday ringing the morning bell as Canadian cannabis producer Invictus — which has two licensed sites in Edson, Alta. and Hamilton, Ont. — changed its share ticker name from IMH to GENE.
“Yes, it is easy to remember but it really comes from genetics,” insisted Simmons, 68, dressed in a black suit and grey tie for his new role as the Vancouver-based Invictus’ “Chief Evangelist Officer.”
For those confused about this new relationship given Simmons’ staunch teetotaler status — he’s never drank, smoked cigarettes or weed or done any drugs (except under a doctor’s care he says of the latter) and lashed out at abusers — he understands.
“I was wrong and I was not informed,” said Simmons. “Well, drug abuse, you don’t have to be a genius (to know that’s wrong) and alcohol abuse, everybody knows that’s wrong but I’ve been dismissive of cannabis. And I didn’t know much about it. I just dismissed it out of hand.”
“I have to man up and admit in the past, I used to dismiss lots of things because of ignorance and arrogance,” he explained. “About three years ago when I did my own research, I found out astonishingly new information that doctors and researchers were talking about with regards to cannabis.”
Don’t forget, the branding expert has been the driving force behind 5,000 licensed products for KISS, himself and beyond.
“The appeal Invictus has for me is I’m bullish on the company and as an investment strategy for myself,” said Simmons, who will serve as the company’s media spokesperson among other duties.
“For me this is a great business opportunity. As a matter of full disclosure, I’ve got 10 million in stock in the company and I’m glad to do it,” he said. “Respectfully, I’m not as much a celebrity as a business man because you can’t find somebody like me. I have a restaurant chain, also some other businesses that have nothing to do with playing a guitar.”
“At the end of the day, business is the sexiest thing,” Simmons added.
Other Simmons’ stuff:
– He’ll be in Toronto hand delivering his Vault box set to fans on May 5-6.
– The Gene Simmons Band will headline the CannaFest Aug. 24-25 in Grand Forks, B.C.
– He’s spoken to reality TV show producer Mark Burnett about finding the next generation of KISS musicians when they’re ready to retire: “We can’t do this forever.”
– He doesn’t think the #MeToo/#TimesUp movements will change the music industry: “No. Let me put it bluntly. I think the s–tstorm is going to be here for a while and the pendulum will finally get to reality after. Right now it’s in the extreme.”
– His daughter Sophie, who has released three singles, can take care of herself: “She will kick you in the nuts — she’s not afraid of anybody or anything.”
Asked by journalist Michael Cavacini for the details on why this trademark was filed, KISS frontman Paul Stanley said: "It's not the first trademark that's been filed. I thought it was a terrific name, and I was surprised nobody had used it before. I wanted to make sure that when we used it, and there will be a time that we do, I imagine — I wanted to be sure that we own it and it's ours. When we wanted to go out and do the 'Hottest Show On Earth' tour, Ringling Bros. came to us and said, 'You can't do that.' It set off a light and bell for me. We've always had slogans or sayings that are synonymous with us, and this was another. Everything does end, in one form or another. When it's my time, I want to go out in style, and I want to go out guns blazing. So, when I came up with this idea, I thought let's make sure we tie this up."
KISS had once before publicly announced its plans to call it quits nearly 20 years ago. Stanley later said that the band's tumultuous "Farewell Tour" in 2000 was nothing more than an attempt by the group to "put KISS out of its misery" after years of ego clashes and disagreements over songwriting credits between the band's original members.
Stanley has repeatedly said that the band could one day continue without him and bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons, explaining in an interview: "Once the original [KISS lineup] was no more, it just became clear to us that, in some ways, we're much more a sports team. We don't fall into the limitations of other bands, because we're not other bands. So, yeah, at some point, I'd love to see somebody in the band in my place, and it's because I love the band."
Back in January, Stanley said that he wasn't sure "about the idea of KISS coming to an end. We've built something that's so iconic, and I think it transcends any of the members so I can certainly see me not being there, seriously." He also spoke about his reasons for wanting to spend less time on the road. "I don't want to go leave home," he said. "I have a family and I have children and, honestly, I think my primary responsibility is to be a dad, and I don't want to miss out on that. And certainly, as we got older, we know that life is finite and I pick and choose what I want to do at this point."
The partnership involves Simmons’ leadership in a variety of capacities focused on assisting the Company with its public awareness strategy and eventual branding strategy for the recreational market that is anticipated to be legal in Canada in 2018. His responsibilities will include providing marketing counsel, serving as a spokesperson in the media, public appearances and participation in the Company’s annual general meeting and investor meetings, among others.
“Gene Simmons is a branding and merchandising genius, who not only created one of the most iconic bands of all time, but has spent decades building successful brands internationally in various industries,” said Dan Kriznic, Chairman and CEO of Invictus. “Gene will lead marketing initiatives that will help spread the positive messages that dwell at the heart of Invictus in accordance with the strict regulations of Health Canada’s Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR), the Food and Drugs Act (FDA) and the Narcotic Control Regulations (NCR)” said Kriznic.
“Values and family are very important to me, and when I first connected with Dan at Invictus, I understood immediately that we enjoyed a shared passion for these key life foundations,” said Gene. “Instead of launching straight into business, we talked about the things that matter the most.”
While Simmons has achieved extraordinary success beyond the concert stage and recording studio, his KISS-related achievements are astounding in themselves with the band having sold more than 100 million albums; earning more American Gold Record Awards than any other group, in all categories (RIAA); building a merchandising/licensing empire with over 2,500 licenses including everything from t-shirts and comic books, to pinball machines, credit cards and lunchboxes; and breaking box office records set by The Beatles and Elvis.
Beyond KISS, Simmons’ celebrity television show, Gene Simmons Family Jewels, aired for eight years and 167 episodes, and was viewed in 84 countries — one of the longest-running celebrity reality TV shows in history. He discovered Van Halen, managed the recording career of Liza Minnelli, and is a founding partner in the global restaurant chain Rock & Brews.
Simmons’ achievements in marketing encouraged McClaren to hire him as their brand ambassador and Indycar engaged him to do their marketing. Simmons has a record label Simmons Records, is a published author with Simmons Books about to publish his latest book “27”, on the heels of his two previous best sellers Me, Inc., and On Power; and Simmons Comics continues to grow. In addition, he published his own magazine, Tongue (Sterling-McFadden) and is about to launch his newest magazine, “iMOGU” focusing on entrepreneurs that matter. Simmons created and executive produced the TV shows My Dad The Rock Star, Mr. Romance, and others. He has also acted in numerous motion pictures and television shows for more than three decades and is currently co-producing a slate of motion pictures with Arclight Films.
Simmons is a partner in the New York-based Family Office of Highmore Group Advisors, he has rang the bell at the New York Stock Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange, and was keynote speaker at NASDAQ. Gene Simmons also had a United States Postage Stamp.
Among his latest ventures, Simmons is launching a premium soda line, MoneyBag™ Sodas, across all 7-Eleven stores; his 50th anniversary rock tour, Gene Simmons: The Vault Experience, continues with stops around the world; and, he will soon launch MoneyBag™ FootGear.
Terms of the agreement
Pursuant to the terms of the agreement Invictus acquired all the issued and outstanding shares of Gene-Etics Strains Co. from Gene Simmons and Simmons will provide the marketing and branding efforts described above for a purchase price comprising of $2.5-million (U.S.) payable in cash and the issuance of 2,631,141 common shares in the capital of Invictus to be paid on the closing date. Invictus and Simmons will also enter into a management services agreement and international licensing agreement, for an additional 1,973,355 common shares and a second tranche of 1,973,355 common shares to be issued to Simmons on the later of 240 days following the closing date and January 2, 2019.
The shares are being issued at a deemed price of $1.97
About Invictus MD Strategies Corp.
Invictus MD Strategies Corp. is focused on two main verticals within the Canadian cannabis sector, namely the Licensed Producers under the ACMPR, being its 100% investment in Acreage Pharms Ltd., located in West-Central Alberta, and 50% investment in AB Laboratories Inc., located near Hamilton, Ontario, that has its cultivation and sales license under ACMPR. In addition to ACMPR licenses, the Company has an 82.5% investment in Future Harvest Development Ltd. a Fertilizer and Nutrients manufacturer based in Kelowna, British Columbia.
For more information, please visit www.invictus-md.com.
Word of the application has led to speculation among KISS fans that the band could be preparing to embark on its final tour.
KISS had once before publicly announced its plans to call it quits nearly 20 years ago. Guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley later said that the band's tumultuous "Farewell Tour" in 2000 was nothing more than an attempt by the group to "put KISS out of its misery" after years of ego clashes and disagreements over songwriting credits between the band's original members.
"The 'Farewell Tour' was to get off the stage with our tails between our legs while we still had some self-respect left," bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons explained. "And it became very clear the fans didn't want us to go."
Simmons said in a 2017 interview that KISS had "a few more years" left before it would call it quits. He told Glasgow Live: "We're the hardest-working band in show business. I wear over forty pounds of studs and armor and all that stuff, seven-inch platform heels, spit fire and have to fly through the air and do all that stuff.
He continued: "In hindsight, it would have been smarter to be a U2 or THE [ROLLING] STONES, to wear some sneakers and a t-shirt and you're comfortable. No, we had to do it the hard way.
"So we're not gonna be able to do it into our 70s, and I'm 67 now. We'll do it for a few more years, and then when we think it's time to go, we'll go, and we'll do it the right way, with a big party. I'd like to think that we would do something that rocks the planet — something big and worldwide and maybe free."
Stanley has repeatedly said that the band could one day continue without him and Gene, explaining in an interview: "Once the original [KISS lineup] was no more, it just became clear to us that, in some ways, we're much more a sports team. We don't fall into the limitations of other bands, because we're not other bands. So, yeah, at some point, I'd love to see somebody in the band in my place, and it's because I love the band."
"It's My Life" was originally demoed for KISS's 1982 album, "Creatures Of The Night", but it did not make the final record. It was later re-recorded for 1998's "Psycho Circus", but once again found itself excluded from a KISS album for which it was recorded.
Gene's original demo version of "It's My Life" is one of the tracks featured on his recently released, massive collection "Gene Simmons - The Vault Experience: 1966-2016", which celebrates the KISS co-founder's 50 years in music.
A different version of "It's My Life" was included on "WOW", the debut solo studio album by THE PLASMATICS singer Wendy O. Williams, which was produced by Simmons and released in 1984 by Passport Records.
While promoting "The Vault" box set, Simmons told the story of how "It's My Life" came to be recorded by Williams. He said: "KISS had taken out THE PLASMATICS, featuring Wendy O. Williams on lead vocals. During one of the shows, Wendy came up and said that she wanted to do a solo record and would I like to produce her. And I said, 'Sure. I think it'd be a great idea. But if I'm gonna produce you, I'm gonna decide everything. I'm gonna decide which songs you record, and if you don't have the songwriting talent within the band, then I'll get you the songs, or I'll write some stuff for you. But the songs have to be first and foremost.'"
He continued: "Paul Stanley had an old piece that he started working on called 'Every Little Beat Of Your Heart', so I took the chordal passage and I wrote a brand new song around it called 'It's My Life': 'I've got a reputation / people know who I am / rules are made to be broken / you can't kill what you don't understand,' which felt very much, and I designed it, to be Wendy talking about herself, about being an individual. And, yeah, she's a chick, but she'll be damned if she'll let any guy tell her what to do."
After BLABBERMOUTH.NET published an article on Saturday (February 17) about Simmons's first-ever live performance of "It's My Life" — which took place during his February 16 concert at the Lynn Auditorium in Lynn, Massachusetts — Stanley took to his Twitter account to set the record straight regarding the song's origin.
Paul wrote: "For anyone it matters to... The song 'It's My Life' had nothing to do with any other song of mine. I wrote the title, chorus, chords, melody & lyric to 'It's My Life' and didn't want to use at the time. Gene wanted to use it so he wrote the rest. THAT'S the story!"
He added in a separate tweet: "FYI...I wrote for the song 'Every Little Beat Of Your Heart' for the Bob Ezrin project which became 'The Elder'. It's transformation started when Lou Reed wrote a terrific lyric poem for it called a 'A World Without Heroes'. Bob put them together."
"It's My Life" was originally written by Gene and Paul Stanley and demoed for KISS's 1982 album, "Creatures Of The Night", but it did not make the final record. It was later re-recorded for 1998's "Psycho Circus", but once again found itself excluded from a KISS album for which it was recorded.
Gene's original demo version of "It's My Life" is one of the tracks featured on his recently released, massive collection "Gene Simmons - The Vault Experience: 1966-2016", which celebrates the KISS co-founder's 50 years in music.
A different version of "It's My Life" was included on "WOW", the debut solo studio album by THE PLASMATICS singer Wendy O. Williams, which was produced by Simmons and released in 1984 by Passport Records.
Regarding how "It's My Life" came to be recorded by Williams, Gene said: "KISS had taken out THE PLASMATICS, featuring Wendy O. Williams on lead vocals. During one of the shows, Wendy came up and said that she wanted to do a solo record and would I like to produce her. And I said, 'Sure. I think it'd be a great idea. But if I'm gonna produce you, I'm gonna decide everything. I'm gonna decide which songs you record, and if you don't have the songwriting talent within the band, then I'll get you the songs, or I'll write some stuff for you. But the songs have to be first and foremost.'"
He continued: "Paul Stanley had an old piece that he started working on called 'Every Little Bit Of Your Heart', so I took the chordal passage and I wrote a brand new song around it called 'It's My Life': 'I've got a reputation / people know who I am / rules are made to be broken / you can't kill what you don't understand,' which felt very much, and I designed it, to be Wendy talking about herself, about being an individual. And, yeah, she's a chick, but she'll be damned if she'll let any guy tell her what to do."
In a recent interview with Detroit, Michigan's WRIF 101.1 FM radio station, Simmons revealed that "27" is "about all the sadness with these people who killed themselves. Frances Bean, Kurt Cobain's daughter, is friends with my son, they hang out," he said. "You should read the quotes she does in the media. 'Hey, it's real cool your father dies while you're still a baby from drugs.' No, it ain't. It sucks."
Speaking in more detail about the inspiration for his upcoming book, Simmons said: "You'd be shocked at how deep this runs mysteriously. But, again, it's not about the idea that it's 27, although we ask that question: 'Why then? Why not 28? Why not 30?' and all that. But it's really about when you become rich and famous and everybody admires you, what is that thing that makes people destroy themselves, even to die? What is that?
"The rest of the world adores you and your fans love you and they give you money and fame and all that, and then you kill yourself. I don't get it."
Gene went on to reiterate that he has "literally never been high or drunk" in his life, "other than [while sitting] in a dentist chair. And that's because of my mother," he explained. "My mother was 14 years of age when she was in the concentration camps of Nazi Germany, and she had a horrific life. And what right do I have to torture her and make her unhappy? No, that's never gonna happen."
Simmons also denied that he has ever been tempted to turn to alcohol or drugs for solace while dealing with the pressures of being on tour.
"What temptations?" he said. "If you drink enough, your equipment won't work. If you get high, trust me, you're not gonna be witty or look cool. No, there's nothing about that. We've gotta tear down this stupid fascination with it; it's self-destructive.
"What's happening with opioids is killing everybody," he continued. "No, there's nothing cool about that. I'll tell you what's cool — somebody who arches their back, stands up straight and says, 'Every day above ground is a good day. Now watch me burn rubber.' That's cool."
The official synopsis of "27: The Legend And Mythology Of The 27 Club" reads as follows:
"Beginning in the summer of 1969, a slew of major rock stars all died in quick succession: Brian Jones, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison, all hugely influential musicians of their time, passed away, under tragic circumstances, and at exactly 27 years old.
"This is how the rumor of the '27 club' — the idea that there is something fateful, myth-worthy, or even cursed about turning 27 — began. Since then, the morbid pantheon has continued to grow, now including art prodigy Basquiat (d. 1988), legendary NIRVANA frontman Kurt Cobain (d. 1994), and nu-blues heroine Amy Winehouse (d. 2011), among other unforgettable figures. Becoming a member is a perverse privilege, but the cost of entry is dangerously high.
"In '27', rock legend Gene Simmons of KISS fame, a man with over 10 million album sales and many a story to his name, will serve as our guide to the enigmatic 27 club, examining sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll from the inside, and answering our enduring questions… Why do we find ourselves obsessed with the untimely deaths of the famous and the infamous? Is the 27 club just a compelling urban legend? What does age 27 really mean for our most beautiful and damned?"
Last year, John 5 — real name: John William Lowery — took partial credit for reuniting Frehley and Gene Simmons at the former KISS guitarist's February 2017 concert in Beverly Hills, California, marking the first time the KISS legends were photographed together since their 2014 induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
John 5 told Seattle Music Insider that he "wanted to be like KISS" when he first started to play guitar. "[I] loved KISS growing up," he said. "Who didn't?" John 5 revealed in a separate interview with Digital Trends that KISS's 1977 classic "Love Gun" was the first album he connected with. "It's got a great cover. I loved it. I was, like, 'Oh my God — these are monsters with guitars!' I was so young then."
John 5 is touring in support of his concert album, "It's Alive!", which came out on January 25. The first live album released by John 5 and THE CREATURES — which includes Ian Ross on bass and Rodger Carter on drums — is also the first LP released by John 5 to be made available on vinyl.
Tommy Thayer is featured in the app that accompanies a children’s book called “Ernest Hummingbird.” It’s the first book written by animator David Feiss, who has worked on “The Ren & Stimpy Show” and a reboot of “The Jetsons,” and who created “Cow and Chicken.”
Thayer co-wrote some of the songs with musician and producer Peter Asher, who was part of the 1960s duo Peter and Gordon and worked with the Beatles’ Apple organization, James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt.
Thayer, Feiss and Asher will read from the book and sign copies Saturday at Barnes & Noble in Thousand Oaks.
Thayer said he was excited to work with Asher.
“I’m a huge Beatles fan and ’60s British pop,” Thayer said. “What a legend.”
All the songs are available on an Apple app. Country music star Darius Rucker, formerly of Hootie & the Blowfish, narrates a “read to me” option.
For Thayer, the project offered a nice alternative to Kiss, which he said consumes about three to four months a year of his time.
“Kiss is a wonderful band and one of the biggest bands of all time, but it’s very defined,” Thayer said. “It’s great to get out and write other kinds of songs in different styles and genres.”
He said he was drawn to “Ernest Hummingbird” because of its themes.
“I related to Ernest’s story of persistence and in following your dreams,” Thayer said during a recent interview at his Lake Sherwood home. “Thirty-five years ago, I was a kid with stars in my eyes who showed up in Hollywood with a band — my BFFs! — and worked hard to make those dreams come true. There most definitely are parallels between my experience and Ernest’s story. I suppose that’s what drew me to this.”
Feiss said the idea for the story came to him during the summer of 2012 when a hummingbird flew up beside him and his wife while they were sitting in his Westlake Village backyard.
“I laughed about the idea of a hummingbird that didn’t want to hum, but wanted to sing, which would be a shock to his traditional dad,” Feiss said. “I named him Murray. But a day later, while driving, the name Ernest Hummingbird came to me. I remember writing it down on a notepad as I was driving north on the 101.”
Feiss contacted Thayer, with whom he’d worked in 2014.
“I wrote the lyrics for a few of the songs, but I had no idea what the music was going to be until Tommy emailed me and said, ‘What do you think about this?’” Feiss said. “It was so inspiring.”
A few months ago, Thayer combined the two worlds on a Kiss Kruise, reading from “Ernest Hummingbird” and signing copies.
“Out of 3,000 ship guests, there were probably about 200 to 400 kids, so it was perfect,” Thayer said. “They loved it.”
He’s hoping the project will expand into a television show that explores the book’s multiple themes and several more that are on tap.
“The story is timeless,” Thayer said. “It never goes out of date.”
If you go
What: Reading and signing of “Ernest Hummingbird” and Q&A with Kiss guitarist Tommy Thayer and others
When: 1 p.m. Saturday
Where: Barnes & Noble, 160 S. Westlake Blvd., Thousand Oaks
Information: 446-2820
Stanley will be showing off his paintings and sculptures on Friday (Feb. 9) and Saturday (Feb. 10) at the Wentworth Gallery in Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton, respectively. He might not rock n' roll all night at either locale, but Stanley feels like these events are their own kind of parties.
"I enjoy going to the galleries," Stanley, who studied art as a youth and returned to active painting a decade ago, tells Billboard. "I enjoy meeting people. People acquire pieces and we get a chance to talk about those pieces and I'm interested in their take and what they're getting out of the piece. I'm a big believer that people are intimidated by art and theater because critics have intimidated them. Nobody needs to be told what good art is; Good art is what you like and bad art is what you don't like. I would love to get people to realize they don't have to justify their opinions about anything and just find what makes them happy and embrace it. I hate when people preface what they're going to say with, 'Well, I don't know anything about art.' There's nothing to know. You either like it or you don't. End of story."
Stanley's Florida exhibitions will include a variety of works, ranging from paintings (including pieces of he and Kiss co-founder Gene Simmons on stage) to an acrylic guitar sculpture that represents some of his most recent artistic interests. "I like dealing with three dimensions," explains Stanley. "You can only create what you're capable of creating, as time goes on your skill level increases along with your ability to conceive. The better you are at your skill the more you can think further, beyond your comfort zone, so to be doing these plexiglass pieces is very, very interesting."
Stanley, who also fronts a 13-piece R&B group called Soul Station, has more time for his visual art in what looks like a light year for Kiss. The group has a handful of festival and headlining dates during July in Spain and Portugal but will be spending most of the year off the road. And Stanley freely acknowledges that: "I don't want to go leave home. I have a family and I have children and, honestly, I think my primary responsibility is to be a dad and I don't want to miss out on that. And certainly as we got older we know that life is finite and I pick and choose what I want to do at this point." That said, Stanley does expect that "there's a world tour down the pike," though he adds that he's not sure how many more of those he's up for.
"The thought of me not being involved certainly comes to mind," Stanley notes. "I'm not sure about the idea of Kiss coming to an end. We've built something that's so iconic, and I think it transcends any of the members so I can certainly see me not being there, seriously. There was a time where people said it had to be the four of us (Stanley, Simmons, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss) and those people are already 50 percent wrong. So I'm betting (another absence) could be overcome, too."
Meanwhile, Stanley remains enamored with Soul Station, which recently played a dozen shows in Japan. "We're working on a mission to really bring Philly soul and Motown live, the way it was done, in the studio," he says, adding that the group is also considering some original material. "I have some friends of mine who are some of the top producer/writers, and we may do some new material that's very much in that vein," Stanley notes.
Describing the book as "a very detailed and personal 12-chapter memoir about the entire VINNIE VINCENT INVASION saga," Rock said that he was originally going to release it in 2017, "but then I heard about Vinnie's impending appearance at the Atlanta KISS convention and decided to hold off. I didn't want to muddy the waters in any way for Vinnie's long-awaited return," he explained.
Regarding his decision to release "The Boy Is Gonna Rock" now, Bobby said: "A couple years back, I had posted a few memoirs of my early days with VINNIE VINCENT INVASION on my blog. People seemed to freak over them, so I figured I should probably do an entire memoir on the VINNIE VINCENT INVASION saga. So in early 2017, I started cranking up the hours and mowing through the manuscript. And then, just as I was getting close to completing a first draft, the highly improbable happened: it was announced that the V-Man himself would be coming out of hiding for an exclusive appearance at a KISS convention in Atlanta. Holy shit!
"Honestly, I was as pleasantly stunned to hear about this as anyone else. However, I decided to rethink my initial release date for this book and, instead, wait until after Vinnie's recently announced appearance. I didn't want there to be any form of distraction relating to Vinnie's return to the public. I thought it would be best for Vinnie to talk about what he wanted to talk about, and answer questions the way he wanted to, as opposed to having to potentially address assertions from my side of the elephant."
"The Boy Is Gonna Rock: A Drummer's Journey From Houston To Hollywood In Search Of Hair Metal Heaven" will initially be available through a PledgeMusic campaign, which will kick off in March.
The book's preface can be read at this location.
Bobby previously said that landing the VINNIE VINCENT INVASION gig out of a once-in-a-lifetime audition opportunity in 1985 "was one of the most unforgettable memories I've had in my professional career. Unfortunately, recording the first INVASION album two months later would also be one of my most 'unforgettable memories'… but for reasons I would rather forget!" he said.
Bobby was a member of VINNIE VINCENT INVASION for three years — from October 1985 until the band's split in October 1988.He later told KissMonster.com in an interview that "Vinnie was an extremely complex character... not exactly the kind of guy where it was always smart to be completely forthcoming about the truth (as I would later find out the hard way)… Looking back, I feel like Vinnie was probably less of a liability and more misunderstood, mishandled and mismanaged all the way around. It seemed like, on a certain level, he was being 'imaged' as more of a super-glam, wild and crazy rock star kind of character, when he should've been handled more like a private Ritchie Blackmore kind of character, which is more what he was like. I mean, someone like [POISON guitarist] C.C. DeVille really is that character you see... it's authentic to him. But Vinnie was actually a very private person and — as everyone now knows — a family man with a wife and two young daughters. He didn't drink or do drugs and had a nice, normal life in an L.A. suburb. He wasn't the kind of guy to go out trolling the Sunset Strip, banging different girls every night. (The rest of us, however, were a different story back then!) Of course, the public didn't have to know anything about his private life, but it could've at least been left to their imagination. I don't know how comfortable Vinnie was with all of that glam shit, but I don't think he was always represented authentically. Now whether this was Vinnie's undoing or just how he was steered, I couldn't tell you."
Paul Stanley is bringing his artwork to South Florida, exhibiting work at Wentworth Gallery on Las Olas, as well as at the Wentworth location in Boca Town Center in February.
The art collection is made up of originals, mixed media originals and limited-edition print artworks and acrylic guitar sculptures, currently being showcased in Wentworth Gallery locations throughout the country.
Stanley designed and created the iconic KISS logo, which remains universally recognized today. His artistic input continues to be seen in his designs of KISS album covers, performance stages and band apparel.
Two meet-the-artist appearances are scheduled on Feb 9., from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Wentworth Gallery on Las Olas and on Feb. 10 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Wentworth Gallery in Boca Town Center.
To RSVP for the Las Olas event, call 954.468.0685 or email lasolas@wentworthgallery.com. For the event at Boca Town Center, call 561.338.0804 or email towncenter@wentworthgallery.com.
Wentworth Gallery on Las Olas, 819 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 954.468.0685; wentworthgallery.com
Wentworth Gallery in Boca Town Center, 6000 Glades Road, Boca Raton; 561.338.0804; wentworthgallery.com
Asked what led to his departure from KISS after the "Lick It Up" touring cycle came to an end, Vincent said: "The problem was really simple. I was writing a lot of songs, and I felt us growing so much as a band, and I wanted them to want me. I know they wanted Eric [Carr, drums] — they loved Eric — but I didn't feel that they wanted me. Even after 'Lick It Up', the perception of it was that it was a big album, and I still felt, 'No matter what I do, they're just not gonna want me in this band.' And there was a contract they wanted me to sign. But I was bringing… My take-home pay was 550 dollars a week, so I never made any money being in the band. From the beginning to the end, it was 550 dollars a week; that's what they paid me. That was my take-home after taxes."
According to Vinnie, he was only asking for a bare minimum so that he could support himself and his family. "This was my dream to be in this band," he said. "I didn't want anything as much as I wanted this. Maybe just a little bit so I can buy a house or something. Maybe I could buy a nice car. But that wasn't gonna happen. And there was a contract that they wanted me to sign — it was an employment contract — and there was literally nothing in it for me. I had a family. I had twins that I didn't know I was gonna have, and there was no money to take care of them, and there was no money to buy a home. We were living with relatives, and I was on call 24 hours a day, which was okay — it was all okay. But I couldn't move on; there was no future. There was the future of being Vinnie Vincent of KISS and what that was, but, financially, there was no future in it for me. And I didn't want to be a royalty member, although that would have been nice. But that's not what I asked for. I just asked for something that could take me out of living in an apartment or with my relatives, and maybe a nice car instead of driving around in a car the size of a can of tuna. And while I'm on the road, I've got a family, I've got little children. I wanted to know that they were well taken care of and at least that some of my value, my worth to them would have been special to them and said, 'Look, we can afford to make this work for you,' and they just didn't."
Vincent said that everything came to a head at the end of "Lick It Up" tour when "the pressure" on him "was so, so, so unbearable to sign" the contract which was presented to him, which he described as "all for us and none for Vinnie. I said, 'I can't, I can't, I can't. Just please treat me better than this and everything will be fine,'" he recalled. "There was nothing. I never saw any royalties during the time I was in the band; it was just a paycheck, that I took home 550 bucks a week. So after the 'Lick It Up' tour was a success and I'm thinking, 'We have a great band. This is a new chapter. This is now…' The makeup came off. This was probably for Gene [Simmons] and Paul [Stanley] a really difficult time, because the makeup was what the band was. To remove it, I think, was a bit of a relief. This is my opinion — it was a bit of a relief, but [there was also] a bit of fear, trepidation, because you didn't know what was coming. But 'Lick It Up' said, even with Vinnie, this worked. The songs were great, the reception was great, the tours were great. And at the end of the 'Lick It Up' tour, I remember… The last thing we said to each other was, 'We're gonna record a new record. Come back in about two months with your new songs.' Everybody said, 'Well, see you then. We're all gonna record our new songs, demo them, bring them together and see what we've got for the new record.' I recorded and demoed [future VINNIE VINCENT INVASION songs] 'Boyz Are Gonna Rock', 'Shoot U Full Of Love', 'No Substitute', 'Animal' and 'Twisted'. Those were the five songs that I wrote that I was gonna bring back. They were demoed, and I said, 'This is gonna be one hell of a KISS record, and I think they're gonna love them.' So they asked me to come back, and I said, 'I wanna come back, but I've got to survive. I can't survive on this. And I'm coming back with a great album. Can't we make this work?' And, unfortunately, the answer was no. 'Unless you sign the contract, you can't come back.' And I said, 'You know what? This is gonna break my heart. I can't come back.' So then, about a month later, in May of '84, they sent me a letter saying, 'Well, you're fired.' I guess it was redundant because I already said I wasn't coming back if you can't make this work. And that's what happened. And it broke my heart."
Vincent also talked about his "20-year-lawsuit" against his former bandmates, alleging unpaid songwriting royalties. He said: "It could have all been avoided. It was senseless, because there were millions of dollars in warranties. And I tried for four fucking years — from '91 to '97 — to say, 'Can't we just work something out?' This wasn't something I wanted to do; this was the last thing I wanted to do. But right is right, and I'm willing to… Just show me some humanity, just a little compassion. Maybe just help me out — settle with me. Just something to make all of this just have been worth it for me. And they said 'no.' And they hurt me deeply — deeply, deeply, deeply, fucking deeply — and there was nowhere to go but to file this lawsuit.
"The miracle that I survived that lawsuit was probably as miraculous as surviving what happened to me in 1984," he added. "And I just put it behind me. We eventually settled everything that we had between us, all the problems, about seven years ago. But I was in hell for 20 years, and it was my hell — nobody knew it. And I saw the world going by, I saw what everybody was saying about me, I saw what everybody in the band was saying about me, and I said, 'What a shame. What a shame.' There was no reason for it. I mean, we could have had — in my opinion — such a fucking great band. We still can, we still can, because that magic never ends. I still love them. I mean, it's never gonna go away. So when you respect — and I do dearly respect Gene and Paul with all my heart; I love them and I always will. They gave me this. With the good came the bad. But the magic that we have together never dies."
Vincent said that he had a fond recollection of his last collaboration with KISS, which happened when he was brought in to co-write "Unholy", "Heart Of Chrome" and "I Just Wanna" for the band's 1992 album, "Revenge". "I didn't see them from '84 to '91," he said. "'91 was our first meeting again after VINNIE VINCENT INVASION. And Gene said, 'We're recording a new record.' I think I saw Gene in a recording studio. 'Give us a call. Let's work together.' And I said, 'Ah, I'd love to see you.' And then 'Revenge' happened and those songs. And I said, 'This is the moment. This is the band. This is it.' 'Unholy' was Gene and I; that was our baby. Paul and I wrote two songs, and we worked together for a year on that record. And it was another fun time. I mean, every time we worked together, it was just a joy. The magic, it's something that I can't put into words. 'Magic' is not the right word for it, because it's electric when you just… Something that happens when you plug in something and there's electricity here and it just works. So it turned out to be a great record and a lot of music that I'm proud of."
Vinnie Vincent joined KISS in 1982, replacing Ace Frehley. As the "Ankh Warrior," he toured with the group in support of "Creatures Of The Night", on which he played lead guitar on six songs prior to becoming an official member of the band. From there, KISS wrote and released "Lick It Up" — their first album without makeup — in 1983, a recording on which Vincent co-wrote eight of 10 songs, including the title track, which remains a staple of the group's live performances to this day.
In recent years, Vincent has been the subject of a number of rumors about his gender identity, including that he has been cross-dressing and that he has undergone a sex change.
Last year, Vincent was the focus of a Swedish TV documentary called "KISS Och Gitarristen Som Försvann" ("KISS And The Guitarist Who Disappeared") which apparently tried, unsuccessfully, to track Vinnie down and get him to sit down for an interview.
In his first public interview in more than two decades, Vincent told SiriusXM's Eddie Trunk on Friday that he still feels "very strongly" about the two VINNIE VINCENT INVASION albums he released three decades ago, 1986's self-titled effort and 1988's "All Systems Go". However, Vinnie said that "the second record should have never happened. Rob [Fleischman] should have stayed with the project. The basic sound of that record was like [Jimmy] Page and [Robert] Plant — it was Rob and me. That first record was pretty red-hot. It was my vision; Rob singing; everything was just right. Second version of it should have been aborted, should have never happened. I had the power; I should have taken it. I should have called the shots, which should have been, 'Stop this. Revamp it. Go back, let me get the people I need.' The people that were involved with it at that time should have not been involved with it, but it was such a publicity machinery piece of... it was like a product. It was all publicity and hype. The songs, I felt were really good, but I didn't feel the music came out to be... the records weren't what I would have done. I would have never settled on records like that. When I say records, the first one, yes; the second one, no; and that singer [Mark Slaughter, who sang on 'All Systems Go'] was unbearable as far as I'm concerned."
Vincent told SiriusXM that he has accepted the invitation to appear at Gene Simmons's Nashville stop of the KISS bassist/vocalist's promotional tour in support of his box set, "The Vault", which will take place on April 14.
Vinnie joined KISS in 1982, replacing Ace Frehley. As the "Ankh Warrior," he toured with the group in support of "Creatures Of The Night", on which he played lead guitar on six songs prior to becoming an official member of the band. From there, KISS wrote and released "Lick It Up" — their first album without makeup — in 1983, a recording on which Vincent co-wrote eight of 10 songs, including the title track, which remains a staple of the group's live performances to this day.
Despite the album's success, Vincent was fired by KISS after the "Lick It Up" touring cycle came to an end, allegedly due to a dispute over both the terms of his employment contract with the band and royalties. From there, Vincent founded VINNIE VINCENT INVASION, which recorded the aforementioned two albums.
In 1992, Vincent re-teamed with KISS principals Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley to write three songs for their acclaimed album "Revenge", including the record's first two singles, "Unholy" and "I Just Wanna". Their relationship quickly soured once again, however. Four years later, Vincent released a solo EP, "Euphoria", which featured vocals by former VVI singer Fleischman and included material from sessions recorded around 1990. Soon after that, Vincent vanished from the public eye and remained off the grid for more than two decades.
In recent years, Vincent has been the subject of a number of rumors about his gender identity, including that he has been cross-dressing and that he has undergone a sex change.
Last year, Vincent was the focus of a Swedish TV documentary called "KISS Och Gitarristen Som Försvann" ("KISS And The Guitarist Who Disappeared") which apparently tried, unsuccessfully, to track Vinnie down and get him to sit down for an interview.
(Video)
Frehley and KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons performed together onstage for the first time in over 16 years last September at The Children Matter benefit concert to support the victims of Hurricane Harvey. They also collaborated on two songs for the former KISS guitarist's next solo album.
More recently, Simmons was joined by Frehley on January 6 at the Capitol Records building in Los Angeles, California when Gene began personally delivering copies of his new box set, "Gene Simmons - The Vault Experience: 1966-2016".
Rumors about Frehley's return to KISS gained strength in 2016 after he teamed up with KISS lead singer Paul Stanley on a cover of FREE's "Fire And Water", marking their first collaboration since 1998's "Psycho Circus".
Frehley's version of "Fire And Water" appears on his covers collection "Origins, Vol 1", which received great reviews and landed in the Top 25 on the Billboard album chart.
Stanley told Billboard last year that he had no interest in a reunion of KISS's original lineup.
The four original members of KISS were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in April 2014 by RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello.
KISS did not perform — the Hall Of Fame wanted the original quartet only to play, while Stanley and Simmons insisted on the current lineup performing as well. In the end, nobody won that battle.
A destination of her own, Norwegian Jade offers guests Norwegian Cruise Line's signature freedom and flexibility to enjoy 11 onboard bars and lounges, 15 dining experiences, one outdoor pool, hot tubs, and a full menu of spa treatments. Enjoy duty-free shopping and awe-inspiring architecture in beautiful Nassau. Explore your adventurous side diving into the crystal blue water with dolphins and colorful fish, or try your luck in a casino.
To learn more about The KISS Kruise VIII, visit TheKISSKruise.com.
Video footage of the event — courtesy of Sonny Pooni of the Podcast Rock City and Growin' Up Rock podcast — can be seen below.
Simmons and Frehley performed together onstage for the first time in over 16 years last September at The Children Matter benefit concert to support the victims of Hurricane Harvey. They also collaborated on two songs for the former KISS guitarist's next solo album.
"Gene Simmons - The Vault Experience: 1966-2016" is a comprehensive box set of Gene's solo material that comes packaged in a safe. The set includes 150 previously unreleased songs spread over 10 discs, a leather-bound photo book, a Gene Simmons action figure, an "In Gene We Trust" gold medallion and a "surprise item."
Describing "The Vault" as "literally and physically the largest box set of all time," Simmons told the "Hair Jordan" show that it stands "three feet tall" and "weighs 38 pounds. You need two arms to wrap around it and two arms to pick it up. It has metal hardware, metal wheels. I'm really proud of it."
Simmons added the price is only $2000, and "there are only gonna be a few thousand made on Earth. After that, they will be gone and they will never be done again. It's not available in stores — no nothing. And I'm gonna be going around the world and hand-delivering it to the fans who buy it."
According to Gene, he will "take a year off and literally travel around the world and hand-deliver the box set to whoever gets it. And the reason for that is… I'm really doing this for myself. Imagine you dreamed as a young kid you'd be a broadcaster and you finally get there and the people that allowed you to get there are the fans, right? The people who listen to you every day. So, because you're so enormously rich and powerful, what you wanna do is you wanna put on the biggest party of all time, but if you're the only person there, it's not much of a party. So my experience is, I'm on stage, but there's a separation between the stage and the fans; there are security guards and I can't get close to them. And when you go through a hotel lobby or some place, there's always a security guard who's keeping the folks away. So what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna change all that and I'm gonna go myself, pay for my own flights, hotels, security, insurance — I'll do that — and I'm gonna be going around the world, yeah, even to New Zealand, and hand-delivering the box sets."
"Gene Simmons - The Vault Experience: 1966-2016" spans the rocker's entire musical career, from 1966 to 2016, and includes the first song he ever wrote at the tender age of 14. There are tracks co-written with Bob Dylan, songs with Eddie and Alex Van Halen from VAN HALEN (a band he says he "discovered"), Joe Perry, and a slew of other luminaries.
Rumors about Frehley's return to KISS gained strength in 2016 after he teamed up with KISS lead singer Paul Stanley on a cover of FREE's "Fire And Water", marking their first collaboration since 1998's "Psycho Circus".
Frehley's version of "Fire And Water" appears on his covers collection "Origins, Vol 1", which received great reviews and landed in the Top 25 on the Billboard album chart.
Stanley told Billboard last year that he had no interest in a reunion of KISS's original lineup.
On the contents of "Gene Simmons - The Vault Experience: 1966-2016":
Gene: "I don't want to come off like a used car salesman, but informationally, there are few thousand of these monsters that are going to be available. After that, no more. This is the largest box set of all time, literally. There's only one place to get it — no stores, no nothing — you got to go to GeneSimmonsVault.com. There's never going to be a cheaper version. It's not going to be downloaded, schmall-loaded in the cloud, just one place to get it if you want it. After those few thousand are gone, there will be no more. What the 'Gene Simmons - The Vault Experience' is, I'm going to be going around the world and I'm going to be hand-delivering the vaults, anywhere you are. We're going to pick a convenient time and place and wherever people are, whether it's New Zealand or Russia, I'm going to hop on a plane at my cost and come to folks and put the largest box set of all time in their hands. It's three feet tall, weighs 38 pounds, looks like a safe, has got a combination and all of that. Inside, it's got metal hardware, metal wheels — this is something that stands the test of time. Inside are 150 tracks that have literally never been released before, from 1966 until 2016. It includes songs I've co-written with Bob Dylan. Eighteen years ago, Bob and I sat down, including the songwriting sessions where we are kidding around and strumming guitars back and forth, three songs that came out of that. I discovered VAN HALEN in the '70s, the brothers Van Halen [Alex and Eddie] were kind enough to jump in the studio with me and we did three tracks together, one of them became [KISS's] 'Christine Sixteen', which became a hit. Joe Perry from AEROSMITH is on one, all the KISS guys going back to '73/'74 are doing original versions, including 'Rock And Roll All Nite' and 'Calling Dr. Love' and all that stuff."
On whether any Simmons family home videos previously shown on the "Gene Simmons Family Jewels" reality television show are included in the box set:
Gene: "No, but the family certainly makes an appearance because it's also part of my life and there's a 50,000-word book inside of it that has photos and stories about where I was and all that stuff. None of this has ever been released. But speaking of 'Gene Simmons Family Jewels', we're actually talking with a broadcaster about making new ones."
On his recurring message that if people are "above ground," as in alive, they should be happy:
Gene: "Well, life is short and then you're gone. And your job and I think you're making a difference — every once in a while, you put a smile on people's faces and that's important. Your job, my job, everybody's job is to leave this world a little bit better than when we came into it. It's not really all that hard. During Christmas, stop by the Salvation Army, contribute to Wounded Warriors, do it year-round, you make a difference. If you imagine all the people on earth do just a little bit, it greatly improves everything in everybody's life."
"Gene Simmons - The Vault Experience: 1966-2016" spans the rocker's entire musical career, from 1966 to 2016, and includes the first song he ever wrote at the tender age of 14.
"Gene Simmons Family Jewels" aired for seven seasons and followed the life of Simmons, his wife Shannon Tweed and their two children, Nick and Sophie. The most recent episodes of the show aired in 2012.
Describing "The Vault" as "literally and physically the largest box set of all time," Simmons said that it stands "three feet tall" and "weighs 38 pounds. You need two arms to wrap around it and two arms to pick it up, 'cause it's over 38 pounds," he explained (hear audio below). "It has metal hardware, metal wheels. I'm really proud of it."
Simmons added the price is only $2000, and "there are only gonna be a few thousand made on Earth. After that, they will be gone and they will never be done again. It's not available in stores — no nothing. And I'm gonna be going around the world and hand-delivering it to the fans who buy it. Starting January 6 in Los Angeles, I'm gonna be hand-delivering the very first Gene Simmons Vaults."
According to Gene, he will "take a year off and literally travel around the world and hand-deliver the box set to whoever gets it. And the reason for that is… I'm really doing this for myself. Imagine you dreamed as a young kid you'd be a broadcaster and you finally get there and the people that allowed you to get there are the fans, right? The people who listen to you every day. So, because you're so enormously rich and powerful, what you wanna do is you wanna put on the biggest party of all time, but if you're the only person there, it's not much of a party. So my experience is, I'm on stage, but there's a separation between the stage and the fans; there are security guards and I can't get close to them. And when you go through a hotel lobby or some place, there's always a security guard who's keeping the folks away. So what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna change all that and I'm gonna go myself, pay for my own flights, hotels, security, insurance — I'll do that — and I'm gonna be going around the world, yeah, even to New Zealand, and hand-delivering the box sets. This starts in Los Angeles January 6th from 11 a.m. till 7 p.m., I'll be at the legendary Capitol studios. And the fans are gonna gather there. We're gonna have some alone time for quite a few hours."
Ironically, "New York Groove," which also blares at MetLife Stadium when the New York Giants score, was a song Frehley didn't want to include when he recorded his first solo album in 1978.
"It's such an honor that both teams picked that song," Frehley told NHL.com. "I didn't think it was 'rock and roll' enough [to record]. It turns out to be my biggest hit. Go figure.
"It's a fun song to play, and it always goes over great in concerts. We get the whole audience to sing along. I'm sure it's going to be a great day."
Citi Field is a stone's throw from Queens Boulevard, where Kiss first started playing live at a since-closed establishment called Coventry in 1973. Fewer than 10 people attended their first show there. By 1977, Kiss was one of the most popular bands in the world. That was also the year they played at Madison Square Garden for the first time. With all four original band members (Frehley, Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons and Peter Criss) native New Yorkers, it was a lifelong dream fulfilled.
Kiss was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.
"We always used to say when we used to play at bars and clubs, 'Tonight's the Garden,' to get all psyched up," said Frehley, who played with Kiss from 1973-82 and again from 1996-2002. "The first time we played Madison Square Garden, all of us coming from New York, it just like all came together and we really looked and each other and said, 'Well, we've made it.'"
Frehley, who grew up a Rangers fan and attended games growing up, performed "New York Groove" by himself between periods of a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2012. His band will play alongside him at Citi Field.
"I did perform at Madison Square Garden for the Rangers, but that was about six or seven years ago, and it was taped," Frehley said. "But it's going to be special, because I'll have my live band with me. It's going to be really cool. I've never been to Citi Field. I can't wait.
"I'm really looking forward to it; I'm a big fan of the Rangers, coming from New York. Growing up in the Bronx, I'd go to Yankee Stadium and I'd go to Madison Square Garden. I'd go to the Garden and wish that one day I'd perform there. God willing, I did."
Frehley has released two Billboard Top 10 albums in the past four years, including "Space Invader" and "Origins Vol. 1." He expects to release another album in 2018 via Entertainment One.
As for one more go-round with Kiss, Frehley wouldn't rule it out.
"You go on the internet, kids are talking about it constantly," Frehley said. "It's something that the fans want, and it's something I would entertain if it was handled correctly. Absolutely."
His son, Morgan, said the cause was an abdominal aneurysm.
Casablanca, whose parties and other stimulant-enhanced antics are part of music-industry lore, rose and fell with the disco craze and is often identified with that genre. But its roster was wide-ranging, encompassing not only Kiss, the makeup-encrusted rock band, but also Cher, the funk band Parliament and stand-up comics like Robin Williams and Rodney Dangerfield.
Mr. Harris was the No. 2 man at the company behind Mr. Bogart, who had what Mr. Harris called a “sky’s the limit” approach to promoting the label’s acts.
“Publicity, promotion, advertising, tour support — we went the distance on everything we could,” Mr. Harris told the website Legendary Rock Interviews in 2011. “We flew everyone first class, and limos all over the place. We wanted to stand out as the funnest label ever, and I think we accomplished that.”
Larry Alan Harris was born on May 31, 1947, in Brooklyn. His father, Oscar, was a salesman, and his mother, the former Gertrude Gilbert, was a homemaker. He received a bachelor’s degree from the New York Institute of Technology.
In his 2009 book, “And Party Every Day: The Inside Story of Casablanca Records,” written with Curt Gooch and Jeff Suhs, Mr. Harris recalled an early, unexpected brush with the music business. He and some friends headed to the Woodstock festival in the summer of 1969, but they were more prepared than many — he had booked a hotel room nearby. When he arrived he was surprised to find that the hotel was the de facto headquarters for the festival’s organizers and that many of the performers were staying there. Arlo Guthrie, he said, helped him push his car out of the mud after the famous rainstorm.
“Of the hundreds of thousands camped out on Yasgur’s farmland, I’m not sure that any could claim to have gotten more out of Woodstock than I did,” he wrote.
In 1971, Mr. Harris interviewed for a job with Mr. Bogart, whom he had met only briefly a decade earlier. Mr. Bogart, four years older than Mr. Harris, was already general manager of the Buddah and Kama Sutra record labels, which had enjoyed some success, especially with bubblegum pop. Mr. Bogart hired him as a promotion man, responsible for building relationships with retail outlets and radio stations in the New York area.
By 1973 Mr. Bogart was growing restless. He founded his own label, Casablanca (the movie of that name, of course, starred Humphrey Bogart), and took Mr. Harris with him. The two had auditioned Kiss for Buddah, and they quickly signed the band to the new label, though it would take several albums and several years before the band’s attention-getting stage show translated into significant record sales with “Alive!,” a live double album released in 1975.
Casablanca’s no-holds-barred approach was evident early: In February 1974, the label staged an elaborate party at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles to introduce itself and Kiss. The event had a Casablanca — and “Casablanca” — theme.
“There was a live camel,” Mr. Harris recalled in an interview for the 2013 book “Nothin’ to Lose: The Making of KISS, 1972-1975.” “Palm trees were brought in, real and fake.”
Though it took Kiss a while to generate record sales, Casablanca had quicker success with a relatively unknown singer it signed in 1975, Donna Summer. Her first album for the label, “Love to Love You Baby,” was released that year and became a huge hit, as did its title song, full of the sounds of sexual ecstasy.
Ms. Summer’s music largely defined the disco era for the rest of the decade. Among other disco acts on Casablanca were the Village People, an eclectically costumed bunch whose hits included “Macho Man” and “Y.M.C.A.”
Casablanca, though, also had failures, most notably four solo albums by the members of Kiss that it released simultaneously in 1978. The company expected four hits; instead the albums quickly landed in the discount bins.
If Casablanca had oversaturated the market with Kiss material, disco too was proving to have its limits. By the end of the 1970s the genre was dying out, and Casablanca was feeling the effects. Mr. Harris left the company at the end of the decade, as did Mr. Bogart, who died of cancer two years later. Casablanca was absorbed by PolyGram and later went dormant, although the label name has been revived several times since.
In 1989, Mr. Harris, who had married Mary Candice Hill in 1975, moved to Bellevue, Wash., where he worked for the Track Record Company. In 2002, he moved to Port Angeles, Wash. That same year he opened a comedy club, the Seattle Improv.
In addition to his wife and son, he is survived by a daughter, Emily Harris, and two sisters, Patricia Lusthaus and Arlene Hauser.
The 1970s at Casablanca’s headquarters in Los Angeles were full of cocaine and extreme behavior, but Mr. Harris bristled at a passage in a 1990 book by Fredric Dannen, “Hit Men: Power Brokers and Fast Money Inside the Music Business,” which claimed that the offices closed at 3 p.m. every day so that the wildness could begin.
“While I can appreciate overstatement for humor’s sake,” Mr. Harris wrote in his book, “the comment is very misleading. We had a ton of fun at Casablanca, and we indulged in all the vices you’d expect, but that never kept us from working hard and putting in long hours.”
E Street Band drummer Max Weinberg and KISS legend Ace Frehley have been added to the performance lineup for the outdoor hockey game, joining the previously announced Goo Goo Dolls.
Weinberg will be performing throughout the game as part of his quartet the Max Weinberg Jukebox, who will be serving as the house band during the event. Fans can vote via Twitter and Facebook on one of the songs Weinberg's group will perform at the game, with the choices being AC/DC's "Highway to Hell," Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run," Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Fortunate Son" and The Ramones' "I Wanna Be Sedated."
Frehley, meanwhile, will rock his classic hit "New York Groove" during the pre-game festivities. The song is played at Citi Field following every home win by the New York Mets.
Goo Goo Dolls will perform during the first intermission of the NHL Winter Classic, which will air live January 1 at 1 p.m. ET on NBC.
The Friars Club has canceled its March 2 roast of Gene Simmons. Confidential has learned that the legendary club nixed the tribute in light of recent allegation of sexual impropriety against the Kiss bassist.
As it happens, Simmons was picked to be honored after the club chose to cancel its roast of Harvey Weinstein because of charges of sexual misconduct against the disgraced movie mogul.
The decision comes the same day a reporter from Australia’s Daily Telegraph said she walked out on a 1990s interview — the only time she’s done so in her career — after comments by Simmons made her uncomfortable.
That complaint came a day after reports that Simmons was being sued by an unidentified woman, who claims the 68-year-old rocker groped her last month in a restaurant he co-owns. Simmons denies the claim.
According to The Daily Beast, Simmons was also banned from Fox News studios after he “crudely insulted female Fox staffers” during a visit in November.
Simmons’ skewering was to have been hosted by George Lopez. Insult comic Jeffrey Ross was also signed on to playfully taunt the musician. The event was to have taken place at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in Midtown, where we’re told the show could still go on without Simmons. As of Monday, club sources confirm that the search was on to find another honoree.
The legendary comedy club, which boasts “We only roast the ones we love,” has roasted the famous and the infamous in its 113-year history.
Past roastees include Humphrey Bogart, Milton Berle, Johnny Carson and Lucille Ball. Hugh Hefner, Matt Lauer and Donald Trump have also received the honor.
The Friars Club didn’t return our calls, but a board member confirms the cancellation.
“In light of recent developments, and after careful consideration, the Friars Club has decided to cancel its roast of Gene Simmons effective immediately,” we’re told.
Setlist was as follows:
01. Rip It Out
02. Hard Times (KISS song)
03. 2000 Man (THE ROLLING STONES cover)
04. Snowblind
05. Love Gun (KISS song)
06. Parasite (KISS song)
07. Rock Soldiers
08. Bass Solo
09. Strange Ways (KISS song)
10. New York Groove (HELLO cover)
11. 2 Young 2 Die
12. Shock Me (KISS song)
13. Ace Frehley Guitar Solo
14. Cold Gin (KISS song)
Encore:
15. Detroit Rock City (KISS song)
16. Deuce (KISS song).
The woman, identified as "Jane Doe," filed a lawsuit against Simmons in Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday (December 15), alleging that the KISS bassist/vocalist grabbed her hand multiple times and "forcefully placed it on his knee and held it on his knee." The accuser, identified in the documents as a "longtime on-air personality for a local rock station," also says the 68-year-old rocker "forcibly flicked/struck" her throat when she spoke to Simmons and his bandmate Paul Stanley at their Rock & Brews restaurant at San Manuel Casino in Highland, California. In addition, she claims Simmons "reached toward [her] buttocks and touched it" while they were posing for a promotional photo together after the interview.
"My client is embarrassed and humiliated by the incident with Mr. Simmons," the woman's attorney, Willie W. Williams, told The San Bernardino Sun. "She filed suit because she wanted to make a strong statement that this behavior is unacceptable and she wants to see an end to this type of behavior."
The allegations included in the suit, which can be read in full below, include sexual battery, gender violence, battery and assault.
Earlier today, Simmons released a statement refuting the woman's allegations and vowing to prove his innocence.
"I intend to defend myself against any alleged charges you may have been reading about in the media," Simmons said in the statement sent to Ultimate Classic Rock. "For the record, I did not assault the person making these accusations in the manner alleged in the complaint or harm her in any way. I am conferring with my lawyers with the aim of vigorously countering these allegations. And, I look forward to my day in court where the evidence will prove my innocence."
Last month it was reported Simmons had been banned for life from Fox News due to lewd behavior following his appearance on November 15 on Fox News and Fox Business Network. The KISS co-founder was on hand to promote his latest book, the financial self-help guide, titled "On Power", on both "Fox & Friends" and "Mornings With Maria". Simmons, who during the "Fox & Friends" appearance took the opportunity to aid meteorologist Janice Dean in her weather report, and later on, spoke frankly about the various sexual misconduct scandals in Hollywood.
Simmons denied the allefations during an appearance on BBC "Hardtalk", explaining, "Somebody there apparently had the goods in for me and called The Daily Beast or something and said whatever they said I did. I did nothing. I always had people around me. Like when I come here, I've got handlers and everybody sees what I'm doing. You can't go into a public area and do anything."
Simmons went on to talk about the pitfalls of social media at times only spotlighting one side of a story: "Nobody calls you and says, 'Do you have a comment?' So the story was printed, and, of course, everybody exploded. And Fox, they're nice people — I like them a lot — closed ranks and they're afraid of getting sued by everybody. Nothing happened. I stand by every word."
Simmons told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that the roles that men and woman play are genetically predisposed. "Until the age of 12, the female of the species far outperforms the male of the species in science, in math, and everything else — I mean, by a few grades," he said. "As soon as puberty hits, she stops with science and math and everything else, and completely becomes dedicated to making herself attractive to the opposite sex. She takes up a new profession. The profession is? To make herself as valuable in her looks as possible, because — my assessment — that's her meal ticket."
The lawsuit -- filed by a Jane Doe -- claims she interviewed Simmons last month at the opening of a Rock & Brews in San Bernardino. The accuser claims during the interview, Gene reached over, grabbed her hand and forcibly placed it on his knee. She says it made her feel uncomfortable, but continued the interview.
The docs claim Gene grabbed the reporter's hand, commented on how soft it was and creepily suggested she must use lotion ... things got more weird when Simmons reached over and allegedly flicked the interviewer's throat.
The defendant says following that action, she did her best to stop the interview, but Gene tried to keep going. Finally, she claims he touched her ass when everyone posed for a group photo.
We reached out to a rep for Gene ... so far, no word back.
It was reported last month that the KISS bassist/vocalist would not be welcomed back to the conservative news network due to lewd behavior following his appearance on Fox News and Fox Business Network. The Daily Beast reported Simmons was on hand to promote his latest book, the financial self-help guide titled "On Power", on both "Fox & Friends" and "Mornings With Maria". During the "Fox & Friends" appearance, he took the opportunity to aid meteorologist Janice Dean in her weather report and later on spoke frankly about the various sexual misconduct scandals in Hollywood.
It was what allegedly happened once the cameras stopped rolling that got Simmons banned from the network. Gene was set to plug the book with FoxNews.com's entertainment division, when according to an unnamed Fox staffer, he barged into a production meeting, pulled open his red velvet shirt and yelled "Hey chicks, sue me!" — before "telling Michael Jackson pedophilia jokes, and then bopped two employees on the head with his book, making derisive comments about their comparative intelligence according to the sound their heads made when struck." The source was quoted as saying: "It was pretty severe."
Simmons shot down The Daily Beast's report during an interview with BBC "Hardtalk"'s Sarah Montague. Insisting that he never disrupted a Fox meeting or ripped his shirt off, Simmons said: "Here's how I wear my shirt. Somebody there apparently had the goods in for me and called something called The Daily Beast or something and said whatever they said I did. I did nothing. I always had people around me. Like when I come here, I've got handlers and everybody sees what I'm doing. You can't go into a public area and do anything."
Gene continued: "The problem is with social media today is nobody calls you and says, 'Do you have a comment?' So the story was printed, and, of course, everybody exploded. And Fox, you know, they're nice people — I like them a lot — closed ranks and they're afraid of getting sued by everybody. Nothing happened. I stand by every word."
Pressed by Montague to clarify that "nothing happened" but Fox still banned him from the network, Simmons said: "That's right. That's exactly right. I stand by every word I just said."
During the "Hardtalk" chat, Simmons was asked about women who have opened up about their experiences with sexual harassment/assault in the wake of allegations of misconduct by Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. Gene, who is renowned for his sexual appetite and decades of consensual conquests, was himself accused on social media of behaving inappropriately around at least two women.
"All of a sudden, 44 years on in a rock band, somebody's coming up and saying, 'This guy is a bad guy.' It's not true," Gene told Montague in response to accusations of his sexual misconduct. "I think the climate is horrifically bad and yet at the same time empowering to the right women. There are some really bad guys out there; I just happen not to be one of them."
Commenting on the culture that has for many years protected abusers — and, in some cases, enabled them to harass or assault multiple people — Simmons said: "The women who are going after the Weinsteins of the world? They should go to the cops. The police are here and the court system is here for you to do what the women did with Bill Cosby. You have a complaint? Go to the cops. Going to the court of public opinion on social media is… Maybe it exactly happened the way it happened. Why don't you get yourself a lawyer and do due diligence."
When Montague pointed out to Simmons that some of the sexual misconduct doesn't rise to the level of criminal prosecution, however obnoxious and unacceptable it may be, but should still be brought to the public's attention in order to change the culture that has kept women abused and silent, Gene said: "There's an organization here in England — I saw it yesterday on a chat show — a woman heads it, about the victims, you know, the men who are committing suicide, who are wrongly accused of all kinds of nonsense. What about that?"
Asked if he thinks the current witch hunt for sexual predators has gone too far or is unfair, Simmons responded: "I'm not saying it's gone too far or not enough. I'm saying, go to the cops."
Weinstein's career was brought to a halt after dozens of women in the entertainment industry — including Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie — accused him of varying degrees of sexual misconduct over the years.
A spokeswoman for Weinstein has repeatedly denied allegations "of non-consensual sex." Weinstein has also apologized for "the way I've behaved with colleagues in the past."
Vincent replaced lead guitarist Ace Frehley in 1982 and played with KISS for two years. He left the group on bad terms, and later claimed Simmons and Stanley owed him royalties for his work on the group's 1983 album "Lick It Up".
It was recently announced that Vincent will appear as a special guest at the Atlanta Kiss Expo in January. The 65-year-old musician will be signing autographs and taking photos during the special VIP Meet & Greet on Friday, January 19, 2018, as well as all day long at the Atlanta Kiss Expo on Saturday, January 20, 2018.
In a brand new statement released to BLABBERMOUTH.NET, Vincent said: "I love and respect Gene Simmons like a brother, and have nothing but the fondest of memories working with him and Paul Stanley. Ours was a very special chemistry. We made one hell of a great band, and the magic we made together is timeless.
"I am proud of our work and the songs we wrote that appeared on the 'Creatures Of The Night', 'Lick It Up' and 'Revenge' albums that became KISS classics, and are staples of their live shows to this day. We brought happiness to the fans with performances and songs that will live on.
"I am appearing in person at the Atlanta Kiss Expo to celebrate KISS, embrace our music and our time, and share good will with the fans. And for all of the above, I wish both Gene and Paul nothing but the best."
Simmons recently told The Aquarian Weekly that he would never work with Vincent again. "He's a very talented guy," Gene said. "Everybody's got their troubles in life. You can't fix everything. I'm a big supporter of his talent. You know, go with god. Enjoy life, be happy. But I don't need more dark clouds over my life. It's nice and calm. Eric [Singer, KISS drummer] and Tommy [Thayer, guitar] have been with us for a very long time, and it's professional to the highest degree. Everybody is happy to be together. Everybody shows up on time. There's no, 'The dog ate my homework.' None of that crap.
"When you use drugs and alcohol and other bullshit things, it's everybody else's fault," Simmons continued. "You're always the victim. You never take charge of your situation, and I'm sick of it. I don't tolerate any of that. I won't have any of those losers around in my life. That includes regular people too. If somebody I work with in other areas drinks, they're gone. By the way, they don't care about you. They just want what they want."
After Vincent sued Stanley and Simmons for "Lick It Up" royalties, a federal judge in Los Angeles ruled against the guitarist and awarded the KISS defendants about $66,400 in attorney's fees and $15,400 in costs.
In June 2010, Vincent lost his 6th Circuit appeal of an order barring him from seeking bankruptcy protection from paying more than $81,000 to his former bandmates.
After running into into Simmons at a recording studio and reportedly apologizing for causing KISS all the grief while he was a member, Vincent was brought back into the KISS fold to co-write "Unholy", "Heart Of Chrome" and "I Just Wanna" for the band's 1992 album "Revenge". However, once the record was released, "Vinnie was up to his old tricks again," Simmons told Rolling Stone. "He reneged on a signed deal we had made and decided that he wanted to renegotiate. He eventually sued us and lost. As far as I was concerned, he was persona non grata forever."
"It's a shame," Simmons said. "He's talented beyond most people that you'd meet, but you get to sleep in the bed you make."
In May 2011, Vincent was arrested and with aggravated domestic assault after allegedly roughing up his wife, Diane Cusano, at their home in Smyrna, Tennessee. He spent the night in jail and was released on $10,000 bond the following morning.
In a statement released after the arrest, Vincent said: "Please don't believe everything you read. I would never hurt anyone — ever. What has been reported is an absolutely inaccurate depiction of the events that occurred that evening. When it's time, the truth will be known."
In January 2014, Diane Cusano passed away due to conditions stemming from chronic alcoholism. She was 47 years old.
In recent years, Vincent has been the subject of a number of unsubstantiated rumors about his gender identity, including that he has been cross-dressing and that he has undergone a sex change.
Earlier this year, Vincent was the focus of a Swedish TV documentary called "KISS Och Gitarristen Som Försvann" ("KISS And The Guitarist Who Disappeared") which apparently tried, unsuccessfully, to track Vinnie down and get him to sit down for an interview.
It was reported late last week that the KISS bassist/vocalist was banned for life from Fox due to lewd behavior following his appearance last Wednesday (November 15) on the right-leaning cable channels. The Daily Beast reported Simmons was on hand to promote his latest book, the financial self-help guide titled "On Power", on both "Fox & Friends" and "Mornings With Maria". Gene, who, during the "Fox & Friends" appearance, took the opportunity to aid meteorologist Janice Dean in her weather report, later on spoke frankly about the various sexual misconduct scandals in Hollywood.
Having previously boasted about his sexual appetite and decades of consensual conquests, Simmons said during the panel on "Mornings With Maria": "I'm a powerful and attractive man and what I'm about to say is deadly serious. Men are jackasses. And from the time we're young, we have testosterone. I'm not validating it or defending it. Guys need to be trained from their very, very young ages from their mothers and their loved ones that half the world's population are female, and they need to be treated with respect."
It was what allegedly happened once the cameras stopped rolling that got the KISS bassist banned from the network. Simmons was set to plug the book with FoxNews.com's entertainment division, when according to an unnamed Fox staffer, he barged into a production meeting, pulled open his red velvet shirt and yelled "Hey chicks, sue me!" — before "telling Michael Jackson pedophilia jokes, and then bopped two employees on the head with his book, making derisive comments about their comparative intelligence according to the sound their heads made when struck." The source was quoted as saying: "It was pretty severe."
Although Simmons went on to film the piece for Fox entertainment, it reportedly will not be aired.
Gene has since issued a statement apologizing for the incident, saying: "I have appeared frequently over the years on various Fox News and Fox Business programs and have a tremendous amount of respect for the talented women and men who work there. While I believe that what is being reported is highly exaggerated and misleading, I am sincerely sorry that I unintentionally offended members of the Fox team during my visit."
A while back, The Pulse Of Radio caught up with Paul Stanley and asked him how he feels about Simmons's highly opinionated beliefs and high-profile persona apart from the band. Stanley explained that Simmons is free to do whatever he likes — as long as it doesn't negatively impact KISS. "I think Gene has earned the right to do whatever he wants to," Paul said. "Gene certainly in all venues has the freedom and the right to do whatever he chooses, as long as it doesn't directly impact on anything that he's only part of. He's come away unscathed till now."
Fox News confirmed that Simmons was banned after a series of events first reported by The Daily Beast.
Simmons had come to Fox to do an interview with Maria Bartiromo on Fox Business's "Mornings With Maria" to promote his new book.
Bartiromo's studio is located on the third floor at Fox News and Fox Business headquarters in midtown Manhattan. After the interview, he went to the 14th floor for an entertainment feature, where he began acting improperly.
“Hey chicks, sue me!” Simmons said while pulling open his velvet shirt to expose his chest and stomach, according to The Daily Beast.
He also allegedly touched a number of employees while telling jokes about pedophilia. The touching included knocking on their heads to mock their intelligence.
Simmons, 68, who appeared on Fox News and Fox Business occasionally as a guest, was "banned from all Fox properties permanently," per The Daily Beast.
The Israeli-born rocker, whose real name is Chaim Witz, immigrated to the U.S. in 1957.
KISS was formed in the mid-70s and scored several major hits, including "I Wanna Rock-n-Roll All Night." The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.
This time, the 68-year-old Kiss singer suggests women should use their sexuality to gain more money and power.
In case you missed it, Simmons made the controversial remarks while discussing his new book—On Power: My Journey Through the Corridors of Power and How You Can Get More Power—with the NY Post.
"Women have a choice," he told the publication. "They can dress in potato sacks, [but] as soon as they pretty themselves up with lipstick, lift and separate them and point them in our general direction, they're gonna get a response. Guys are jackasses—we will buy them mansions and houses...all because of sex."
He also argued that women can't have a career and kids.
"Get over your biological urges," Simmons said. "It's natural to want to have kids, but, sorry, you can't have it both ways. You have to commit to either career or family. It's very difficult to have both."
Needless to say, when Simmons joined Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb on the Today show this morning, they asked him to clarify his remarks.
"Here's the reality: I'm aware of the rules, I didn't create them," he said. "I'm not saying life is fair. What I'm saying is the male species is visually stimulated. That's life. So you have power—the power of being a female—and you can access that power to make more money."
He continued, "We appreciate it. We want you [women] to be as attractive to as possible for us [men] and for each other."
Still, Simmons argued that he's on the female side, noting he wants women to have as much power as possible, which he believes can come from the way women present themselves.
He also went on to assure viewers he wants all the "jackasses" who were acting improper "to go to jail," alluding to the sexual misconduct allegations that have come out over the last few months.
"It's time for women to stand up and take charge," he said.
Watch Simmons interview by launching the video here.
The announcement comes on the heels of the recent return of the sold-out KISS Kruise VII. The KISS Kruise VII left from New Orleans, Louisiana on Norwegian Pearl visiting Cozumel and Costa Maya, Mexico. Along the way, the KISS Navy was treated to a first-ever KISS storytellers sail away set as well as 2 full-scale KISS masked concerts in the ship's indoor Stardust Theater. Joining the musical legends on board were Bruce and Bob Kulick, EXTREME, STEEL PANTHER, Derek St. Homes, BIG ROCK SHOW, BITERS, LED ZEPAGAIN, HARD DAY'S NIGHT, Sophie Simmons, THE DIVES, Jake J and the KILLJOYS, and KI.
Beyond the music, 2,300 KISS fans were treated to a wide array of activities led by the band, including: "Kruise Kitchen with Paul Stanley", "Are You Smarter Than A Rock God with Gene Simmons", "Name That Solo with Tommy Thayer" and "Drum Off with Eric Singer." KISS Kruisers were also able to get one to one with rock-n-roll history in the exclusive Kissworld Konfidential panel that featured Bruce Kulick, Bob Kulick, Big John Harte, Michael James Jackson and Lydia Criss. Throughout the sailing, the ship fully embodied Kissworld with historical costume displays, face painting, a full-service tattoo parlor, photo opportunities with KISS memorabilia, once-in-a-lifetime chances to mingle with their favorite artists, culminating with each guest receiving a signed commemorative poster and photo with KISS.
A destination of her own, Norwegian Jade offers guests Norwegian Cruise Line's signature freedom and flexibility to enjoy 11 onboard bars and lounges, 15 dining experiences, one outdoor pool, hot tubs, and a full menu of spa treatments. Enjoy duty-free shopping and awe-inspiring architecture in beautiful Nassau. Explore your adventurous side diving into the crystal blue water with dolphins and colorful fish, or try your luck in a casino.
To learn more about The KISS Kruise VIII, visit TheKISSKruise.com.
In his new book, “On Power: My Journey Through the Corridors of Power and How You Can Get More Power” (Harper Collins, out Tuesday), the Kiss bass player and vocalist uses his decades of business experience to preach about how to get ahead in the modern world.
For women, Simmons argues that using sexuality is still the quickest route to power.
“Women have a choice,” he told The Post. “They can dress in potato sacks, [but] as soon as they pretty themselves up with lipstick, lift and separate them and point them in our general direction, they’re gonna get a response. Guys are jackasses — we will buy them mansions and houses .?.?. all because of sex.”
And, ladies, if you’re thinking of being a working mom, think again. “Get over your biological urges,” Simmons said. “It’s natural to want to have kids, but, sorry, you can’t have it both ways. You have to commit to either career or family. It’s very difficult to have both.”
Simmons knows his (freakishly long) tongue will get him in trouble. But as he so eloquently put it, he doesn’t “give a f–k what anyone thinks.” The rocker — whose band’s earnings and business interests, such as the restaurant chain Rock & Brews, have earned him an estimated net worth of $300 million — offers “On Power” as a way to share his valuable insights and help the common schmuck be as important as he is.
The way he sees it, people desire power and money more than they let on: “I’ve met losers in my life who’ve said, ‘I just need enough to get by,’ but they’re lying to themselves.”
In the book, Simmons argues that the idea of power as a corruptive force is a myth. Even as once-influential figures such as Harvey Weinstein, Brett Ratner and Kevin Spacey have recently seen their careers and reputations disintegrate because of the alleged misuse of their positions, Simmons stands by his theories in the book.
“Power is neither good or bad, it is simply a tool,” he said. “I’d rather the good guys have it. In the hands of someone like the Dalai Lama, it’s going to be used well, and not to hurt people. In the hands of Harvey Weinstein, maybe not.”
And Simmons, who has a son, Nick, 28, and a daughter, Sophie, 25, with his wife, ex-Playboy model Shannon Tweed, doesn’t want to hear any whining from people who haven’t yet earned their power.
“You’ve got 20-year-olds who are saying, ‘I’m looking forward to my vacation,’?” he said. “Vacation? You’re 20! You haven’t worked!”
In all fairness, no one can argue that Simmons had anything handed to him. Born Chaim Witz in Israel in 1949, he grew up so poor his family reused rags for toilet paper. They arrived in New York in 1958, and Simmons quickly learned the value of a hustle. In college, he set himself up as a typist to earn extra money, later worked at a deli and even taught sixth grade in East Harlem before Kiss started to take off in 1973. The band would go on to sell more than 75 million albums around the world.
Simmons, who now lives in Beverly Hills, Calif., feels no guilt about being rich. In fact, he feels the unwashed masses should be thankful he is.
“If it wasn’t for the rich, there wouldn’t be jobs for people. There’d be no philanthropy. There’d be nothing,” he said. “A poor person never gave me a job. The American dream is not only alive, but it’s better and stronger than ever.”
Rock And Roll Hall Of Famers Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley jointly stated: "KISS is very excited to be partnering with Sproing to bring the KISS Army and game enthusiasts such an entertaining mobile game. The game play rocks, we know you'll love it!"
KISS Rock City is a laugh-filled adventure that takes players through the struggle of building a legendary rock band just like KISS. Players need to work their way up from playing the local bar circuit to the international spotlight, play along with original KISS hits and reach fame and fortune through skill, business deals and the help of their KISS mentors. No rock-star cliché is too small as players need to deal with the quirks of their band members, rivals, their manager and other weird characters — players will be laughing all the way!
By working in close partnership with Stanley and Simmons, Sproing is able to ensure the KISStory is spot on, as well as offer day-to-day updates and stories from the band to keep the game play relevant, current and exciting.
"For a musician like myself a dream came true working together with KISS to create the first rock'n'roll stardom adventure game for mobile devices," says Harald Riegler, CEO at Sproing. "The game features some highly addictive music gameplay, and is a game that fans of rock music and rock games will love!"
"KISS has done such an amazing job building not only an incredible band known for their iconic songs and legendary stage performances, but also building the biggest rock merch brand in the industry. We are excited to see KISS extended into a highly-engaging mobile game that fans will love!" says Lisa Streff, EVP global licensing at Epic Rights.
The Brisbane concert was part of Cooper's "Spend The Night With Alice Cooper" world tour, which also marks the fortieth anniversary of his first ever concert tour of Australia back in '77.
Prior to the trek, Ace stated about the prospect of playing with Cooper: "I have been friends with Alice since the '70s, but I've never had the pleasure of touring with him. Our tour of Australia and New Zealand in October this year will be a major rock and roll event Down Under and leave all our fans with big smiles and wanting more! I can't wait to hit the road."
Cooper released "Paranormal", his first album in six years and twenty-seventh overall, via earMUSIC in August. The disc features special guests like U2's Larry Mullen Jr., who plays on nine of the twelve new songs; Billy Gibbons of ZZ TOP; DEEP PURPLE's Roger Glover, as well as a highly anticipated mini-reunion of the original Alice Cooper band members.
Upon release, "Paranormal" climbed the iTunes rock charts, landing at No. 1 in twelve countries and the Top 5 in twenty countries.
Frehley last month released a newly expanded deluxe edition of his 2009 album, "Anomaly", via eOne Music. Among the new tracks are two previously unreleased demos: "Hard For Me", which was later reworked into the album's "Foxy & Free", and an early take of "Pain In The Neck", different in tempo and arrangement from the final version. Also included is the previously digital-only "Anomaly" bonus track "The Return Of Space Bear".
Rumors about Frehley's return to KISS gained strength last year after he teamed up with KISS lead singer Paul Stanley on a cover of FREE's "Fire And Water", marking their first collaboration since 1998's "Psycho Circus".
More recently, Ace and KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons got together in Southern California to write two songs for the former KISS guitarist's next solo album.
Frehley's version of "Fire And Water" appears on his covers collection "Origins, Vol 1", which received great reviews and landed in the Top 25 on the Billboard album chart.
Asked by radio personality Eddie Trunk during an October 9 interview if he thinks his renewed friendship with Stanley and Simmons will eventually lead to his return to KISS, Ace said: "Well, Paul and Gene haven't really talked to me about that. So until I get the phone call, as far as I'm concerned, we're just having fun and reconnecting for old times' sake. And if that happens, it happens. If it doesn't, that's okay too. I have my own career at this juncture, and those guys… well, they're working with half a cover band, actually. [Laughs]"
Frehley added that he would be open to playing at least a one-off reunion show with KISS under the right circumstances. "Yeah. I mean, I think it could be great," he said. "If it was handled correctly and presented in the right way, I think it could be really special for the fans. It's a wait-and-see kind of situation, but I'm not holding my breath. I stay busy working on my new studio album in the studio, leaving for Australia this Friday. And we have some shows booked in Texas in December, which will be probably wrapped around some other shows, so I stay busy."
Ace's latest comments came just two weeks after he and Simmons performed together onstage for the first time in over sixteen years at The Children Matter benefit concert to support the victims of Hurricane Harvey.
The September 20 event at CHS Field Stadium in downtown St. Paul, Minnesota saw the two musicians sharing vocal duties for three classic KISS songs: "Parasite" from the 1974 album "Hotter Than Hell"; "Cold Gin" from KISS's self-titled 1974 debut; and "Shock Me" from 1977's "Love Gun".
Even though Frehley reached out to Simmons a couple of years about contributing to "Origins Vol. 1", the bassist/vocalist ended up not appearing on the record. Frehley told Trunk that Gene may have been "just really busy" and couldn't commit to taking part in the project. "I mean, he's such a workaholic," Ace said. "He hasn't changed very much from when I worked with him in the band, when I was still performing with them. He's always… He gets up at seven o'clock in the morning, he's making phone calls. He actually said to me in the lobby of the hotel in St. Paul that… I said, 'Gene, better go upstairs and get some rest.' And he goes, 'No, I'm gonna be on the phone until three or four in the morning' with different places in the world, where the time is different, where it's earlier and so on and so forth. He just loves making business deals and doing this and doing that. That's kind of the way he's always been — it feeds his ego and personality."
Ace also dismissed Internet chatter about whether his drinking and drugging days are truly behind him. "It's definitely in my past," he said. "I celebrated eleven years [sober] on September 15th. Ironically, I was looking at some of the comments online, and, actually, some people were saying that I look drunk. That hurts, because I've worked so hard — it was the hardest thing in my life to overcome my demons. And after eleven years, you'd think people would use a little tolerance. Because even though I'm sober, I still have bad balance. And maybe sometimes I don't talk as clear as I should, because I have a Bronx accent and it was a long day, so by the time I got up on stage, I was a little tired. But I can't believe that some people are making cracks, that I was drunk. So that's unfortunate. But I actually got one apology online when I was looking at some of the comments, where one guy said, 'You know, Ace, I apologize I said that [you were drunk] in an earlier comment, because I realized that you weren't, because I spoke to people that were seeing you before you went on and after, and that you were sober.' So that made me feel better."
Stanley told Billboard earlier this year that he had no interest in a reunion of KISS's original lineup.
On Thursday, model and actress Carrie Stevens (Days of Our Lives, Beverly Hills, 90210), responding to a Hollywood Reporter story about Oliver Stone's brief expression of sympathy for Weinstein, tweeted: "When I heard about Harvey, I recalled Oliver walking past me & grabbing my boob as he walked out the front door of a party. Two of a kind!"
During a press conference Friday at the Busan International Film Festival in South Korea, where he is serving on the festival's competition jury, Stone declined to condemn Weinstein, saying that he thought "a man shouldn't be condemned by a vigilante system." Stone added: "It's not easy what [Harvey Weinstein] is going through, either."
Stone later walked back the comments, posting a message on Facebook, saying that he had been unaware of the extent of the allegations against Weinstein because of his recent travel schedule.
"After looking at what has been reported in many publications over the last couple of days, I’m appalled and commend the courage of the women who’ve stepped forward to report sexual abuse or rape," Stone wrote. The multiple Oscar winner also said he would be abandoning a planned Weinstein Co.-produced TV series — Guantanamo, which was set to be his television drama debut — until TWC is no longer involved.
Stevens appeared on Days of Our Lives and Beverly Hills, 90210 in the early 1990s, followed by parts on shows like Black Scorpion on what was back then the Sci-Fi Channel and USA Network's Pacific Blue. Later she made guest appearances on Two and a Half Men and Jake in Progress, followed by small parts in movies like Vegas, City of Dreams and Rock Star with Mark Wahlberg and Jennifer Aniston. As a model, she appeared in Playboy as "Playmate of the Month" for September 1997.
THR reached out to Stevens to ask if she could confirm the allegation of her tweet and would share more of her story. Stevens' reply, in full, is below.
"It was at Ted Field's home years ago, around the time Oliver did JFK. The party was in his honor. Oliver was on his way out; Ted was seeing him to the door. Oliver spied me standing nearby and just reached out and instead of doing what a normal person does and shaking my hand, he just groped my boob and honked it like a horn and grinned and kept walking.
I was humiliated but didn't want to complain. I didn't want Ted to think I was ungrateful for the invitation, and I was new on the scene and just navigating my way around Hollywood. I came from the rock 'n' roll scene. Eric Carr from Kiss was my boyfriend and he had just passed away. I met Ted because he produced Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. Kiss did the soundtrack, so I met him at the premiere. Ted is a nice guy and he knew I was having a hard time over Eric's passing so he invited me to his party — last thing I wanted to do was be a trouble maker.
There are a million reasons girls don't speak up. Thank God I was never alone with [Oliver Stone]. If he's grab[bing] me like that in front of people, imagine what he would do in private, given the chance.
I am lucky I never met Harvey. Unfortunately, I have met many of their kind in this business and it took its toll. Unfortunately, I came to believe my body parts were the only thing I had going for me — and so I did Playboy. But I'll tell you what: I always felt protected and respected by Hef and Playboy Enterprises. I do know Oliver hung out at some parties at the Mansion. Thankfully, I never saw him there. But I can tell you if he ever tried to grab anyone's boob there, Hef would have had security show him the door.
Starting at 6 p.m. with a preshow red-carpet event, fans will see musicians from some of the greatest bands being honored for their contributions to rock and roll.
Inductees this year, all to appear in person, include:
* Lita Ford
* Kenny Aronoff
* Phil Soussan (OZZY OSBOURNE, BILLY IDOL)
* Kenny Aronoff (John Fogerty, John Mellencamp)
* Daniel Margasa
* Frankie Banali (QUIET RIOT)
* Carmine Appice (Rod Stewart, BLUE MURDER, VANILLA FUDGE)
* Dustin Brayley (TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA)
* Bruce Kulick (KISS, GRAND FUNK RAILROAD)
* Chris Chaney (JANE'S ADDICTION)
* Gregg Bissonette (David Lee Roth)
* Rory Kaplan (Michael Jackson)
* Gary Hoey (Gary Hoey, Ho Ho Hoey)
* Robin Mcauley (Michael Schenker)
* Lee Sklar (Phil Collins, TOTO)
* Richie Kotzen (POISON, MR. BIG, THE WINERY DOGS)
* Elliot Easton (THE CARS, CREDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL REVISITED)
* Norman Harris (Norman's Rare Guitars)
* Phil Chen (Rod Stewart, Jeff Beck)
* Stephen Perkins (JANE'S ADDICTION)
* David Weiderman (Guitar Center)
* Tommy Nast (Fathom Events, Album Network, Rock Band Ent.)
Producer and founder of the event Cindy Landeen says: "This event gets bigger each year and this year’s show will be the best yet."
The music directors are Tony Franklin and Buster Akrey, and Sandy Rizzo is this year's event manager and artist liaison.
The School House Of Rock band will be the house band for this prestigious event, there will be live performances from most of the inductees.
For more information, visit www.rockgodzhalloffame.com.
Up next is former Journey drummer Deen Castronovo. He discusses the new Revolution Saints album, compares Journey singers, talks about letting down Neal Schon and more.
Finally, go on a walk with Lynch Mob guitarist George Lynch who discusses the bands new album, his respect for Dokken, the cheese factor of... well, just listen!
According to the official web site for the Atlanta Kiss Expo, the 65-year-old musician will be signing autographs and taking photos during the special VIP Meet & Greet on Friday, January 19, 2018, as well as all day long at the Atlanta Kiss Expo on Saturday, January 20, 2018.
The organizers say about what is being billed as Vinnie's first public appearance in almost twenty years: "We have worked long and hard to secure the legendary Ankh Warrior for the show, and he's been absolutely awesome and is looking forward to meeting all of his fans."
In a recently released handwritten note posted on the L.A. KISS Expo Facebook page, Vinnie said: "Dear fans, I'm happy and excited to be seeing all of you at the Atlanta KISS Expo on January 20, 2018. It's been a long time coming, and I know we're going to have an amazing and memorable time. I look forward to meeting you, signing autographs, taking photos, answering your questions and generally having a fun weekend. It will be a celebration for one and all! Thank you for your love and faith."
Vincent replaced lead guitarist Ace Frehley in 1982 and played with KISS for two years. He left the group on bad terms, and later claimed KISS members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley owed him royalties for his work on KISS' 1983 album "Lick It Up", according to the Courthouse News Service. However, a federal judge in Los Angeles ruled against him and awarded the KISS defendants about $66,400 in attorney's fees and $15,400 in costs.
In June 2010, Vincent lost his 6th Circuit appeal of an order barring him from seeking bankruptcy protection from paying more than $81,000 to his former bandmates.
"He's such a mysterious figure," Bruce Kulick, who held down the lead guitar spot in KISS for twelve years following Vincent's departure, told Rolling Stone. "In some ways, he's the Howard Hughes of KISS. Vinnie has laid low for so long that it adds to his legend."
After running into into Simmons at a recording studio and reportedly apologizing for causing KISS all the grief while he was a member, Vincent was brought back into the KISS fold to co-write "Unholy", "Heart Of Chrome" and "I Just Wanna" for the band's 1992 album "Revenge". However, once the record was released, "Vinnie was up to his old tricks again," Simmons told Rolling Stone. "He reneged on a signed deal we had made and decided that he wanted to renegotiate. He eventually sued us and lost. As far as I was concerned, he was persona non grata forever."
"It's a shame," Simmons said. "He's talented beyond most people that you'd meet, but you get to sleep in the bed you make."
In May 2011, Vincent was arrested and with aggravated domestic assault after allegedly roughing up his wife, Diane Cusano, at their home in Smyrna, Tennessee. He spent the night in jail and was released on $10,000 bond the following morning.
In a statement released after the arrest, Vincent said: "Please don't believe everything you read. I would never hurt anyone — ever. What has been reported is an absolutely inaccurate depiction of the events that occurred that evening. When it's time, the truth will be known."
In January 2014, Diane Cusano passed away due to conditions stemming from chronic alcoholism. She was 47 years old.
In recent years, Vincent has been the subject of a number of unsubstantiated rumors about his gender identity, including that he has been cross-dressing and that he has undergone a sex change.
Earlier this year, Vincent was the focus of a Swedish TV documentary called "KISS Och Gitarristen Som Försvann" ("KISS And The Guitarist Who Disappeared") which apparently tried, unsuccessfully, to track Vinnie down and get him to sit down for an interview.
The idea was to record ten songs with ten different singers and call the album "10x10". He brought Phillips and Singer to Doug Messenger's studio in North Hollywood, and the three musicians set up to record live — no pre-production rehearsals and no overdubs — and knocked out ten basic tracks in two or three days. Sadly, Montrose was unable to see the album through during his lifetime and it quite possibly may never have been heard beyond a few Montrose-family friends. Montrose did manage to record some of his chosen vocalists — such as Sammy Hagar and Edgar Winter — but finances, schedules, and a frightening illness conspired to slow and eventually stop progress.
We can all thank Phillips, Singer, Leighsa Montrose and Rhino Records now, because the album that appeared destined to be lost to time is now available for pre-order.
"I was talking to Eric Singer about '10x10' after Ronnie died, and I was pretty sure that I wanted to see if I could finish it, but I hadn't been able to move forward on it," says Phillips. "But Eric said, 'It has to be you. You and I were there to record it. We were there when Ronnie was talking about it — what he wanted to do, who he wanted to sing on it, how he wanted it to sound. If someone else gets into this thing, it's going to suck, and you're going to hate it.' That did it. I called Leighsa Montrose."
Phillips made it his mission to finish the songs by enlisting a small army of Ronnie's musician friends to record the vocals and the guitar solos for each song, completing the album over the course of recent years.
The songs represent some of Montrose's best work. According to Ricky Phillips, "His songs still have the fire and angst of a young rebel, but with some added wisdom and foresight voiced in his own unique language of 'guitar-speak.' On '10x10', we hear Ronnie at the top of his game, from the opening crunch guitar of 'Heavy Traffic', all the way to the closing song, 'I'm Not Lying', which was Ronnie's tip of the hat to his friend Robin Trower."
On September 29, 2017 Rhino Records will release "10x10" on 180-gram vinyl ($21.98), CD ($14.98) and digitally. The album features inspired pairings, like DEEP PURPLE singer Glenn Hughes with DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen ("Still Singin' With The Band") and singer Sammy Hagar with TOTO guitarist Steve Lukather ("Color Blind"). Legendary blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa also showcases his guitar talents on the track "The Kingdom's Come Undone" with Ricky Phillips on vocals. A few artists both sing and play, like Edgar Winter ("Love Is An Art") and Tommy Shaw ("Strong Enough").
Several artists who appear on "10x10" had recorded with Ronnie during his career, like Edgar Winter, who included the guitarist on his 1972 album, "They Only Come Out At Night". Sammy Hagar got his start singing with MONTROSE. Between 1973 and 1975, he recorded two influential albums — "Montrose" and "Paper Money" — with the band and toured the world.
More than forty years later, Hagar was among the first who agreed to help finish Ronnie's final album. "It's valuable to have '10x10' be seen as Ronnie's last work, rather than going and digging up some stuff from his past. This was something he truly had a vision for," says Hagar.
"10x10" track listing:
01. "Heavy Traffic" featuring Eric Martin & Dave Meniketti
02. "Love Is An Art" featuring Edgar Winter & Rick Derringer
03. "Color Blind" featuring Sammy Hagar & Steve Lukather
04. "Still Singin' With The Band" featuring Glenn Hughes, Phil Collen & Jimmy "Z" Zavala
05. "Strong Enough" featuring Tommy Shaw
06. "Any Minute" featuring Mark Farner & Ricky Phillips
07. "The Kingdom's Come Undone" featuring Ricky Phillips & Joe Bonamassa
08. "One Good Reason" featuring Bruce Turgon & Brad Whitford
09. "Head On Straight" featuring Davey Pattison & Marc Bonilla
10. "I'm Not Lying" featuring Gregg Rolie, Tom Gimbel & Lawrence Gowan
In the clips below, Eric Singer and Ricky Phillips discuss their involvement with "10x10".
A note from Leighsa Montrose about the cover art: "Ronnie loved the use of a double entendre to convey meaning. My inspiration for the cover artwork is a personal nod to him, how he thought, and what would have been aesthetically pleasing to him. This is beautifully illustrated by Peter Grant. What you see is a sound wave from 'Head On Straight', which he wrote for '10x10'. This was captured by Steve Ledesma with special thanks to Alfred Ruiz. When looking at this soundwave, I wanted the eye and mind to see it as if it was moving and fluid — as if it was him on the cover.
"Ronnie is music. He had the mindset of an engineer. Math and music was the way he thought. To be able to combine these attributes of Ronnie with depth of meaning, I believe he would have appreciated the thought that went into everyone's combined efforts to understand and create the cover."
(Video1, Video2, Video3, Video4, Video5)
Rumors about Frehley's return to KISS gained strength last year after he teamed up with KISS lead singer Paul Stanley on a cover of FREE's "Fire And Water", marking their first collaboration since 1998's "Psycho Circus".
More recently, Ace collaborated with Gene on two songs for the former KISS guitarist's next solo album. And then last week the Space Ace and and the Demon shared a stage for the first time in sixteen years at a benefit concert in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Asked directly about the chances of Frehley's return to KISS, Simmons told "The Cassius Morris Show" (see video above): "That's not gonna happen. Ace has been in and out of the band three different times. That's enough."
Gene's words echo those made by Stanley, who told Billboard earlier this year that he had no interest in a reunion of KISS's original lineup. "That's not coming from any place of animosity," he explained. "I sang on Ace's most recent album and did a video with him. I have the connection and the reconnection and to celebrate the good things we've done together is terrific. The band as it is — I've played with [current KISS drummer] Eric Singer for, I think, twenty-five years and Tommy's [Thayer, guitar] been in the band probably fifteen years at this point. I have no thoughts of revisiting the past. With that said, I am happy to enhance or do whatever I can for anyone who has helped put me where I am, but that doesn't include getting hitched again to somebody I unhitched from."
Frehley said a few months ago that he hadn't been contacted about re-teaming with KISS for one last run of shows before the band calls it quits. But, he added, "I'm not ruling it out. It's a possibility, I guess. But the ball's in Paul and Gene's court. If that's something that they would like to do to end off the career of KISS, I think it could be… if it was handled correctly, it could be great. But those guys pretty much run the show these days. And I'm doing my thing, and they're doing their thing. And if it happens, it'd be great, and if it doesn't, I'll be fine and they'll be fine."
It was Gene's wife Shannon Tweed that originally revealed Trump's camp approached Simmons and his bandmates about participating, telling a TMZ cameraman last December that the KISS bassist/vocalist "politely declined."
Asked in a new interview with The Daily Beast if Shannon was correct in saying that KISS was asked to appear at the January event, Gene said: "That's true. We were invited to perform, but in this polarizing era, it's not a good idea." Simmons added that there was "no reason" for KISS to play the inauguration. "I'm not sure celebrities should be used as brownie points for politicians," he explained. "'Yeah, I'm running for government so I'm going to get some rock bands and performers beside me.' It's all bullshit, really. Once you're trying to influence people by having celebrities beside you, then it becomes who's got the bigger celebrity and all that. And by the way, I'm not a fan of having our foreign policy decided by anybody living in Malibu. Anybody living in Malibu, their opinions aren't worth more than the opinions of somebody living in Wisconsin."
Simmons went on to say that he "didn't necessarily vote for President Trump or candidate Clinton" in last year's presidential election, adding that "it's really nobody's damn business" whom he voted for. "I think you'd be surprised by my choice — but he's President Trump, because even if you don't like the man, you must respect the office of the presidency and the will of the Electoral College," he said.
Prior to last November's election, Simmons — a former contestant on Donald Trump's "The Celebrity Apprentice" show — told People magazine that he liked how Trump was shaking up the presidential race.
"The important thing about Trump, and I'm not saying whether I'm voting for him, or Hilary [Clinton], or anybody else, is that he has changed the game," Simmons said. "He doesn't want your money. This guy funds his own campaign, and he is going to say things that tens of millions of people actually say quietly because politically it's 'incorrect.'"
In a March 2016 interview with Rolling Stone, Simmons described Donald Trump as "the truest political animal I've ever seen onstage." The rocker explained: "He has no speechwriters, no editing, no nothing. He's actually on tape going 'motherfucker.' You cannot turn away."
Simmons stressed at that time that he wasn't saying he was supporting Trump. "He has said some very vile, unkind things," he said. "But don't kid yourself. He speaks off the cuff, and what you see is what you get. And he'll double down. If you ask him about building a wall [between the U.S. and Mexico] he'll say, 'Fuck you, I'm going to make it ten feet higher, just because you asked me.' He's not there to be your friend."
"He's good for the political system," Simmons added. "The middle, the centrists, they can say, 'What do you think of this?' because everybody is sick and tired of being politically correct. Secretly, tens of millions, perhaps a hundred million people may actually have some positive feelings about a wall.”
The event at CHS Field Stadium in downtown St. Paul, Minnesota saw the two musicians sharing vocal duties for three classic KISS songs: "Parasite" from the 1974 album "Hotter Than Hell"; "Cold Gin" from KISS's self-titled 1974 debut; and "Shock Me" from 1977's "Love Gun".
"Before you were born, 1973, in New York City, this guy and I — and two other guys — put together a band we'd never seen onstage," Simmons said while introducing his former bandmate. "Let's hear it for Ace Frehley! He still looks great, goddamn it — doesn't he?"
Video footage of the reunion can be seen below (the clips were shot and uploaded by Mike Brunn).
All proceeds from The Children Matter benefit concert will be directed to the hurricane relief efforts of the nonprofit Matter. The nonprofit works in partnership with on-ground relief organizations to source and ship the items needed most, such as: Matterbox Meal Kits, sanitation and contamination prevention supplies and more to the children and families affected displaced by the hurricane.
The Children Matter is a collaborative initiative created by Simmons and the nonprofit Matter on the simple belief that the lives of children matter. Regardless of race, income, gender, religion, or location, every child deserves the same access to a full and healthy life.
Frehley told StarTribune that he approached Simmons about being a part of the St. Paul concert.
"I just did four shows on the East Coast, and I looked at my calendar and I noticed I was off today," Frehley said."I had to head back to San Diego eventually where I live, so I figured I could make a pit stop here. I called Gene, and he was really excited about me being involved, and it's that simple."
Ace recently collaborated with Gene on two songs for the former KISS guitarist's next solo album.
Rumors about Frehley's return to KISS gained strength last year after he teamed up with KISS lead singer Paul Stanley on a cover of FREE's "Fire And Water", marking their first collaboration since 1998's "Psycho Circus".
Frehley's version of "Fire And Water" appears on his covers collection "Origins, Vol 1", which received great reviews and landed in the Top 25 on the Billboard album chart.
Even though Frehley reached out to Simmons a couple of years about contributing to "Origins Vol. 1", the bassist/vocalist ended up not appearing on the record because "either [Gene] didn't get the message or he was just too busy," Frehley told the WPDH 101.5 FM radio station last year.
Stanley told Billboard earlier this year that he had no interest in a reunion of KISS's original lineup.
The story is centered around Johan Kihlberg, who was the president of Kiss Army Sweden for ten years. He hung out in the studio with Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, got drunk with Eric Carr, performed with Vinnie Vincent and was tour manager for Bruce Kulick. And he scolded Ace Frehley. Johan Kihlberg did it all. And he lived to tell the tale.
It all started in the early eighties when Johan began stalking the members every time they were in Stockholm. Together with principal photographer Mats Vassfjord, he continued to follow and document KISS around the world. This is his own incomparable Kisstory told to Sweden Rock Magazine's prominent journalist Carl Linnaeus.
Said Simmons: "Johan Kihlberg is great. I'm a fan of creative people and anytime someone does something from the heart, it's real. It's the biggest honor that somebody would even say hello to you, much less devote a lot of time to do something like this book."
Linnaeus is perhaps best known for the acclaimed KISS biography "Den Osminkade Sanningen". His latest book, "Jag Sålde Min Själ Till Hårdrocken", is based on his most notable interviews done for Sweden Rock Magazine, where he's been one of the most prolific writers for the last ten years.
The KISS bassist/vocalist withdrew his application to trademark the symbol in late June — less than two weeks after filing with the federal copyright office.
Most music fans slammed Simmons for the trademark request, saying the symbol has become ubiquitous and means different things to different people.
Asked by Canada's Metro if he is bothered by the negative feedback he got for trying to trademark the "metal horns" or "rock on" hand sign, Simmons replied: "You can't please everybody. Not everybody likes Jesus, either.
"Instead of worrying what people think, I just go my merry way and do whatever I want to do.
"If I could, I would trademark the air you breathe. Every breath. Yes, I would."
Gene's KISS bandmate Paul Stanley recently said that he had no idea why Simmons attempted to trademark the "devil's horns" hand gesture. Stanley told the Loudwire Podcast: "Well, you know, Gene elicits some very strong reactions from people. And what he does he does for the reasons that only he knows. So I can't really say that I have really any thought about it. It was really something that he wanted to pursue, and the reaction was how people felt about it. So I don't know why he pulled it, and I don't know why he started it. I really have no… I haven't asked him."
In his original request, which was filed on June 9, Simmons described the sign as consisting "of a hand gesture with the index and small fingers extended upward and the thumb extended perpendicular." He paid $275, seeking to use the hand signal symbol for "Entertainment, namely, live performances by a musical artist; personal appearances by a musical artist."
Gene claimed the gesture was first used in commerce on November 14, 1974, which corresponded to KISS's "Hotter Than Hell" tour. He wrote in his signed declaration that he believed "no other person, firm, corporation or association has the right to use said mark in commerce, either in the identical form or in such near resemblance."
It's unclear why Simmons suddenly withdrew his application to trademark the gesture but it's unlikely he would have succeeded anyway.
Copyright lawyer Ronald Abrams told Forbes that such hand gestures can't be trademarked unless they are part of a logo. Trademark attorney Michael Cohen with Cohen IP Law Group in Beverly Hills, who deals with trademark, patent and copyright infringement cases, concurred, telling the Los Angeles Times that it would have been very difficult for Simmons's application to be approved because the gesture has become "genericized."
Simmons's version of the gesture is actually "I love you" in American Sign Language, with the thumb extended, rather than the thumb holding two middle fingers close to the palm.
Ronnie James Dio's widow Wendy also criticized Simmons for attempting to trademark the hand sign. She told TheWrap: "To try to make money off of something like this is disgusting. It belongs to everyone — it doesn't belong to anyone. It's a public domain, it shouldn't be trademarked.”
With streaming services dominating the way listeners consume music, artist royalties have been a major topic of discussion.
Artists and labels have in the past complained about minuscule revenue from streaming sites when compared to downloads or physical sales.
While promoting his new box set of previously unreleased solo material, "The Vault", this past Wednesday (September 13) on Fox Business, Simmons was asked if he thinks streaming services hurt artists when it comes to music ownership and earnings. He responded (see video below): "It's a disaster. It's a disaster, because the fans have decided, and they've been trained to not pay for music."
He continued: "Imagine a supermarket. Farmers have worked all their lives to grow the fruit, and the trucks and the unions that bring it to the stores, and the beautiful stores and the people that work there. Imagine walking in there and being able to walk out with anything you want without paying for it. How long is the farmer gonna stay in business? How long is retail gonna stay in business? So everything is dying because fans have trained themselves not to pay for the music."
Simmons added: "Look, you're not affecting me — I'm doing okay, my rent's paid — but you're killing the new band. You're killing the next BEATLES, and that breaks my heart."
Gene went on to say he believes "legislation is the answer" when it comes to ensuring that as the companies behind these digital services swell into multibillion-dollar enterprises, it doesn't come at the cost of the artists and their collaborators who put the work into making the music.
"Look, my daughter, Sophie Simmons, had a ten-million-viewed single two years ago — ten million!" he said. "She made two hundred and fourteen bucks. Spotify is taking all the money. The bands are taking, the acts are taking a small percentage of one penny per download, which is a crime."
Spotify says it has more than 140 million active users, and more than 60 million paying subscribers across 61 markets.
Because record labels own the music, they force Spotify to pay 70 percent or more of its revenue to them for royalties.
Since Spotify's profits are constrained by huge licensing costs, the company's losses more than doubled in 2016 to 556.7 million euros ($581.4 million) on revenues of 2.933 euros ($3.064 billion).
Former TALKING HEADS frontman David Byrne in 2015 called for more transparency from major labels and streaming services over the fees which musicians receive when their music is played on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.
Throughout his forty-year music career, Bob Kulick has worked with an astonishing array of artists: from Meat Loaf to MOTÖRHEAD. From KISS to Michael Bolton. W.A.S.P. to Diana Ross as well as legends such as Roger Daltrey, Alice Cooper, Lou Reed and Paul Stanley's first solo album and tour.
After serving as a sideman and producer for much of his professional career, Kulick has decided that it was time to release a solo album — and he brought along a few of his good friends to support him in the endeavor.
"Skeletons In The Closet" will be released on September 15 through Vanity Music.
The eccentric KISS frontman is commemorating his 50-year career in music with Gene Simmons: The Vault Experience, a limited-edition box set featuring band memorabilia and 150 never-before-released tracks. The limited-edition, 38-pound vault includes 10 CDs, a non-makeup Simmons action figure, a gold medallion reading “In Gene We Trust,” a book of never-before-seen images, and a hand-picked item from his personal collection.
“We all go through our lives doing whatever it is you’re doing," Simmons says over coffee at Manhattan's The London hotel. “Whether you think of it as a journey or a race, as you get closer to the finish line, that’s when you turn on the heat. I’m 68 now — I’m not going to live forever. So I thought now is the best time if it ever is going to come out.”
None of the music included in The Vault Experience, which can be pre-ordered at genesimmonsvault.com, will be released digitally. Songs include original demos and studio recordings, some of which, “stylistically, (are) all over the place, which is why (they) didn’t end up on KISS records,” Simmons explains.
There are also a slew of collaborations, including demos of three tracks with Van Halen and a recording with Bob Dylan. One of the most personal is My Uncle Is a Raft, the first song Simmons ever wrote and recorded as a teenager. The tune is about his uncle, George, who became a father figure for him when he and his mom moved to the United States from Israel.
“I must’ve written over a hundred really horrible songs,” Simmons says. “My first one (went), ‘My uncle is a raft and he always keeps me floating. He is so good to me.’ I didn’t have the gift of gab — I wasn’t born in America — so my lyrics were bizarre.”
The set goes for $2,000 and will be hand-delivered to buyers by Simmons starting Dec. 31. Additional packages run $25,000 and $50,000, and include a Vault executive producer's credit and a two-hour get-together with Simmons at a fan's home.
Hefty price tag aside, Vault is the only opportunity for fans to hear new material from KISS for the foreseeable future: Simmons says the band currently has no plans to release another album.
"What’s the incentive of working for six months to a year on a new record when people are going to download it for free?" he says. "KISS is not a charity."
Plus, the gruff rock icon is busy with a handful of other projects: a book about personal wealth, On Power, due Nov. 14, and an expanding restaurant chain, Rock & Brews, which he co-founded with bandmate Paul Stanley.
Simmons says he doesn't think about KISS' legacy, because "we've already scaled the heights. Our licensing and merchandising dwarfs Elvis and The Beatles combined. If you go to Graceland, there’s a KISS exhibit — that’s what people come to see."
When KISS was founded in 1973, "nobody thought it would go the distance," he continues. " 'Here’s an idea: I’m going to wear more makeup and higher heels than your mommy, and we’re going to look completely different than any band that’s out there, and I’m going to stick my tongue out and spit fire, and fly through the air.' Not a chance in hell.
"We always kind of just bumbled along and marched to the beat of our own drum. KISS was always KISS."
Titled "The Vault", the collection of one hundred and fifty "never-released-before songs written and performed by Simmons," which features "notable rock 'n' roll artists, including member of KISS past and present," is being sold exclusively online.
Fans who order "The Vault" have the option to have the box set delivered to them personally by Simmons in one of three ways.
* $2,000 will get you an invite to one of twenty-one "Vault Experience" events across the world, where you will pick up a copy the personalized and autographed box set — packaged in a massive 12" x 12" x 6" leather-bound commemorative book featuring dozens of never-seen-before images of Simmons over his fifty-year career — and take part in a "songs-and-stories" playback and question-and-answer session. In addition, you will be granted one-on-one photo, autograph and video time with Simmons.
* $25,000 will get you an invite to one of eleven "Producer Experience" events, which include all the "Vault Exerience" items above plus "an intimate hour in a recording studio with Gene listening to tracks from 'The Vault'" and an executive producer's credit on the set itself.
* Fans who spend $50,000 will have Simmons deliver all the above-mentioned items right to their homes, where they and up to twenty-five of their friends can spend two hours with the KISS legend.
Among the songs expected to be featured on "The Vault" are Simmons's "Love Gun"-era demos featuring Eddie and Alex Van Halen.
"Any artist can release a boxed set, and never really thank the fans for their support," said Simmons. "I want to celebrate my fiftieth anniversary in rock with the fans, and I have had a blast putting something really special together for them. 'Gene Simmons: The Vault Experience' gives fans something truly unique that they can keep forever, and it gives me a chance to personally thank them for all of their support over the years."
"What Gene and Rhino have put together with 'The Vault Experience' is truly unprecedented. We have taken the idea of a boxed set to a completely different level," said Mark Pinkus, president of Rhino Entertainment. "As a card-carrying member of the KISS Army from a young age, I'm honored to be working with Gene on such an exciting and innovative project. His fans are going to be absolutely blown away by 'The Vault Experience'."
For more information, visit www.genesimmonsvault.com.
Over ten thousand people are expected to fill CHS Field Stadium in downtown St. Paul to witness rock history with once-in-a-lifetime collaborative performances between Simmons, Frehley, Felder and CHEAP TRICK as they turn up the volume for the victims of Hurricane Harvey.
All proceeds from The Children Matter benefit concert will be directed to the hurricane relief efforts of the nonprofit Matter. The nonprofit works in partnership with on-ground relief organizations to source and ship the items needed most, such as: Matterbox Meal Kits, sanitation and contamination prevention supplies and more to the children and families affected displaced by the hurricane.
Tickets starting under $60 and range up to $250 for VIP meet-and-greet.
Tickets can be purchased online at www.thechildrenmatter.ngo.
The Children Matter is a collaborative initiative created by Simmons and the nonprofit Matter on the simple belief that the lives of children matter. Regardless of race, income, gender, religion, or location, every child deserves the same access to a full and healthy life.
Ace recently collaborated with Gene on two songs for the former KISS guitarist's next solo album.
Rumors about Frehley's return to KISS gained strength last year after he teamed up with KISS lead singer Paul Stanley on a cover of FREE's "Fire And Water", marking their first collaboration since 1998's "Psycho Circus".
Frehley's version of "Fire And Water" appears on his covers collection "Origins, Vol 1", which received great reviews and landed in the Top 25 on the Billboard album chart.
Even though Frehley reached out to Simmons a couple of years about contributing to "Origins Vol. 1", the bassist/vocalist ended up not appearing on the record because "either [Gene] didn't get the message or he was just too busy," Frehley told the WPDH 101.5 FM radio station last year.
Stanley told Billboard earlier this year that he had no interest in a reunion of KISS's original lineup.
In a newly released video message, the KISS bassist/vocalist states: "For the past three years, I've been working on something that I've wanted to share with you my entire life. I've gone through hours and hours of music I've recorded and written over the past fifty years to craft my career-spanning solo recordings box set. It's called 'The Vault'."
He continues: "'The Vault' is one hundred and fifty-plus never-before-released songs I've written, spanning fifty years, going all the way back to when I was fourteen years old, all the way to some of the songs that became KISS classics. Tens CDs right here, all inside 'The Vault'. It's finally ready to bring to you. Yeah, that's right, I said 'to bring to you,' because what I'm gonna be doing is something that's never been done before by any artist or band. I'm gonna hand-deliver 'The Vault' box set to you and to fans like you around the world."
Simmons adds: "I also wanted you to have really cool stuff: an exclusive Gene Simmons action figure, an 'In Gene We Trust' medallion, a beautiful full-color book packed with photos from my peronsal archives, and my stories behind the songs — and a very special surprise item from me to you. You're not gonna believe the things we found."
More information on "The Vault" will be made available at www.genesimmonsvault.com.
Simmons has released two solo albums and also written for and with other artists, including Bob Dylan and Donna Summer.
"I've always written 'outside' stuff," he explained in response to a fan question on his official web site back in 2009. "But KISS is KISS. And that means the outside stuff winds up on solo albums, or I keep it in the drawer."
Simmons's sophomore solo album, "Asshole", sold around 13,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release back in 2004 to land at position No. 86 on The Billboard 200 chart. Like Gene's 1978 self-titled solo album, "Asshole" featured a number of outside songwriting contributions and guest appearances. Bob Dylan and Gene co-wrote the album's "Waiting For The Morning Light". Frank Zappa and Gene share co-writing credit on "Black Tongue" and the Zappa Family, Dweezil, Ahmet, Moon, Gail and Frank Zappa himself sing and play guitar on the song.
A source tells Page Six that Simmons is inking a deal with the Beverly Hills, Calif., and Sydney-based film sales and finance company Arclight Films.
Arclight is backing Paul Schrader’s film “First Reformed,” with Ethan Hawke and Amanda Seyfried, at the Venice Film Festival.
The company’s also behind an upcoming remake of the 1958 horror classic “The Blob” that will star Samuel L. Jackson.
Simmons produced the recent Wesley Snipes film, “Armed Response,” with WWE Studios, which was his first narrative film as a producer since the 1999 Kiss-centered “Detriot Rock City.”
He’s also been exec producer of his A&E reality show, “Gene Simmons: Family Jewels,” and “My Dad the Rock Star.”
Reps did not immediately get back to us.
According to the official web site for the Atlanta Kiss Expo, the 65-year-old musician will be signing autographs and taking photos during the special VIP Meet & Greet on Friday, January 19, 2018, as well as all day long at the Atlanta Kiss Expo on Saturday, January 20, 2018.
The organizers say about what is being billed as Vinnie's first public appearance in almost twenty years: "We have worked long and hard to secure the legendary Ankh Warrior for the show, and he's been absolutely awesome and is looking forward to meeting all of his fans."
In a newly released handwritten note posted on the L.A. KISS Expo Facebook page, Vinnie said: "Dear fans, I'm happy and excited to be seeing all of you at the Atlanta KISS Expo on January 20, 2018. It's been a long time coming, and I know we're going to have an amazing and memorable time. I look forward to meeting you, signing autographs, taking photos, answering your questions and generally having a fun weekend. It will be a celebration for one and all! Thank you for your love and faith."
Vincent replaced lead guitarist Ace Frehley in 1982 and played with KISS for two years. He left the group on bad terms, and later claimed KISS members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley owed him royalties for his work on KISS' 1983 album "Lick It Up", according to the Courthouse News Service. However, a federal judge in Los Angeles ruled against him and awarded the KISS defendants about $66,400 in attorney's fees and $15,400 in costs.
In June 2010, Vincent lost his 6th Circuit appeal of an order barring him from seeking bankruptcy protection from paying more than $81,000 to his former bandmates.
"He's such a mysterious figure," Bruce Kulick, who held down the lead guitar spot in KISS for twelve years following Vincent's departure, told Rolling Stone. "In some ways, he's the Howard Hughes of KISS. Vinnie has laid low for so long that it adds to his legend."
After running into into Simmons at a recording studio and reportedly apologizing for causing KISS all the grief while he was a member, Vincent was brought back into the KISS fold to co-write "Unholy", "Heart Of Chrome" and "I Just Wanna" for the band's 1992 album "Revenge". However, once the record was released, "Vinnie was up to his old tricks again," Simmons told Rolling Stone. "He reneged on a signed deal we had made and decided that he wanted to renegotiate. He eventually sued us and lost. As far as I was concerned, he was persona non grata forever."
"It's a shame," Simmons said. "He's talented beyond most people that you'd meet, but you get to sleep in the bed you make."
In May 2011, Vincent was arrested and with aggravated domestic assault after allegedly roughing up his wife, Diane Cusano, at their home in Smyrna, Tennessee. He spent the night in jail and was released on $10,000 bond the following morning.
In a statement released after the arrest, Vincent said: "Please don't believe everything you read. I would never hurt anyone — ever. What has been reported is an absolutely inaccurate depiction of the events that occurred that evening. When it's time, the truth will be known."
In January 2014, Diane Cusano passed away due to conditions stemming from chronic alcoholism. She was 47 years old.
In recent years, Vincent has been the subject of a number of unsubstantiated rumors about his gender identity, including that he has been cross-dressing and that he has undergone a sex change.
Earlier this year, Vincent was the focus of a Swedish TV documentary called "KISS Och Gitarristen Som Försvann" ("KISS And The Guitarist Who Disappeared") which apparently tried, unsuccessfully, to track Vinnie down and get him to sit down for an interview.
The three-time New York Times bestselling author shares twenty of his most valuable lessons for achieving your goals and living the life you want, jam-packed with fantastic stories and the classic off-the-wall, laugh-out-loud Jericho references he's famous for, with a foreword by KISS frontman Paul Stanley.
Chris Jericho has known what he wanted out of life since he was a teenager: to be a pro wrestler and to be in a rock and roll band. Most of his high school friends felt that he lacked the tools necessary to get into either, but Chris believed in himself. With the wise words of Master Yoda echoing through his head ("Do or do not. There is no try."), he made it happen. As a result, Chris has spent a lifetime doing instead of merely trying, managing to achieve his dreams while learning dozens of invaluable lessons along the way.
"No Is a Four-Letter Word" distills more than two decades of showbiz wisdom and advice into twenty easy-to-carry chapters. From developing a strong work ethic thanks to WWE chairman Vince McMahon, remembering to always look like a star from Gene Simmons of KISS, learning to let it go when the "America's Funniest Home Videos" hosting gig goes to his rival, adopting a sense of perpetual reinvention from the late David Bowie, making sure to sell himself like his NHL-legend father Ted Irvine taught him, or going the extra mile to meet Keith Richards (with an assist from Jimmy Fallon), Chris has learned countless lessons during his decades-long career. Now, in the hopes that those same principles might help and inspire his legions of fans, Chris has decided to share them while recounting the fantastic and hilarious stories that led to the birth of these rules. The result is a fun, entertaining, practical, and inspiring book from the man with many scarves but only one drive: to be the best. After reading "No Is a Four-Letter Word", you'll discover that you might have what it takes to succeed as well... you just need to get out there and do it. That's what Jericho would do.
Jericho told Loudwire about "No Is A Four-Letter Word": "It's basically like a self-help motivational guide as to how I was able to make both these dreams come true being in wrestling and rock and roll when everybody told me that I couldn't do it. No is a dirty word. You shouldn't use it. I think that if people read this book, they'll see I have twenty principles as to how I was able to do what I did. All of them based around advice that I received. There's the Gene Simmons principle, the Paul Stanley principle, the Mystic Man principle. If somebody taught me something over the course of these years, I made it a theme for the book. I like it because it's different from any of the books that I've done, but still has a lot of great ridiculous stories but there's a theme to it."
He added: "It's not another autobiography. Believe me, I have enough material, but I think four autobiographies in the course of ten years might be pushing it. This is not an autobiography per se, but it still has a lot of great stories from all the years that I've experienced these things."
According to the official web site for the Atlanta Kiss Expo, the 65-year-old musician will be signing autographs and taking photos during the special VIP Meet & Greet on Friday, January 19, 2018, as well as all day long at the Atlanta Kiss Expo on Saturday, January 20, 2018.
The organizers say about what is being billed as Vinnie's first public appearance in almost twenty years: "We have worked long and hard to secure the legendary Ankh Warrior for the show, and he's been absolutely awesome and is looking forward to meeting all of his fans."
Vincent replaced lead guitarist Ace Frehley in 1982 and played with KISS for two years. He left the group on bad terms, and later claimed KISS members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley owed him royalties for his work on KISS' 1983 album "Lick It Up", according to the Courthouse News Service. However, a federal judge in Los Angeles ruled against him and awarded the KISS defendants about $66,400 in attorney's fees and $15,400 in costs.
In June 2010, Vincent lost his 6th Circuit appeal of an order barring him from seeking bankruptcy protection from paying more than $81,000 to his former bandmates.
"He's such a mysterious figure," Bruce Kulick, who held down the lead guitar spot in KISS for twelve years following Vincent's departure, told Rolling Stone. "In some ways, he's the Howard Hughes of KISS. Vinnie has laid low for so long that it adds to his legend."
After running into into Simmons at a recording studio and reportedly apologizing for causing KISS all the grief while he was a member, Vincent was brought back into the KISS fold to co-write "Unholy", "Heart Of Chrome" and "I Just Wanna" for the band's 1992 album "Revenge". However, once the record was released, "Vinnie was up to his old tricks again," Simmons told Rolling Stone. "He reneged on a signed deal we had made and decided that he wanted to renegotiate. He eventually sued us and lost. As far as I was concerned, he was persona non grata forever."
"It's a shame," Simmons said. "He's talented beyond most people that you'd meet, but you get to sleep in the bed you make."
In May 2011, Vincent was arrested and with aggravated domestic assault after allegedly roughing up his wife, Diane Cusano, at their home in Smyrna, Tennessee. He spent the night in jail and was released on $10,000 bond the following morning.
In a statement released after the arrest, Vincent said: "Please don't believe everything you read. I would never hurt anyone — ever. What has been reported is an absolutely inaccurate depiction of the events that occurred that evening. When it's time, the truth will be known."
In January 2014, Diane Cusano passed away due to conditions stemming from chronic alcoholism. She was 47 years old.
In recent years, Vincent has been the subject of a number of unsubstantiated rumors about his gender identity, including that he has been cross-dressing and that he has undergone a sex change.
Earlier this year, Vincent was the focus of a Swedish TV documentary called "KISS Och Gitarristen Som Försvann" ("KISS And The Guitarist Who Disappeared") which apparently tried, unsuccessfully, to track Vinnie down and get him to sit down for an interview. (Video)
After serving as a sideman and producer for much of his professional career, Kulick has decided that it was time to release a solo album — and he brought along a few of his good friends to support him in the endeavor.
"Skeletons In The Closet" will be released on September 15 through Vanity Music.
Joining Bob on the album are:
Lead vocalists
Dee Snider
Robin McAuley
Andrew Freeman
Vick Wright
Todd Kerns
David Glen Eisley
Dennis St. James
Bassists
Rudy Sarzo
Chuck Wright
Bobby Ferrari
Bruce Kulick
Dennis St James
Kjell Benner
Keyboardists
Doug Katsaros
Jimmy Waldo
Drummers
Vinny Appice
Frankie Banali
Eric Singer
Brent Fitz
Scot Coogan
Chuck Burgi
Bobby Rock
Jay Schellen
Bob himself provided all of the guitar tracks and co-produced the album, along with Bobby Ferrari at Vegas View Recording in Las Vegas, Nevada.
"Skeletons in the Closet" track listing:
01. Rich Man
02. Not Before You
03. London
04. Goldfinger
05. Player
06. India (from MURDERER'S ROW)
07. Skeletons In The Closet (from MURDERER'S ROW)
08. Can't Stop The Rock (previously unreleased track)
09. Guitar Commandos (from Skull — also features a guitar duel with Bruce Kulick)
10. Eyes Of A Stranger (from SKULL)
Fifty years is a long time to have a career in any type of industry. However, fifty years in the cut-throat music business is a miracle unto itself. Not to mention a relevant, successful run in not only one but several fields.
Grammy Award-winning guitarist, songwriter and producer extraordinaire Bob Kulick began his musical profession at 16 — when most high schoolers are still trying to figure out where they're going in life — appearing on the 1966 album "Winchester Cathedral" from the RANDOM BLUES BAND, the "baby band" that Bob played in that played The Café Wha in New York's Greenwich Village alongside Jimmy James and the BLUE FLAMES (later rechristened Jimi Hendrix). "This was the first club gig I had experienced and it completely changed my world!" recalls the guitarist.
1973 saw Kulick make the connection that he has been associated the most with throughout his career. He auditioned for — and got passed over by — KISS. Instead of being dejected, the six-stringer aligned himself with the band over the years, playing on the studio material on "Kiss Alive II", providing solos on the "Killers" album, co-writing "Naked City" from "Unmasked" and guesting on Paul Stanley's 1979 solo album and tour a decade later. He even suggested his brother to the band. "It took multiple tries but we finally got him there!" Bob laughs.
Aside from KISS, Bob has, of course, played with Meat Loaf, BALANCE, Lou Reed, W.A.S.P., SKULL, MURDERER'S ROW and several other bands and studio projects over the years.
Fifty-one years after making his recording debut, the well-respected axe slinger has decided it's time to release his first actual solo album, "Skeletons In The Closet". Kulick explains, "I started writing new music in 2015 which then turned into songs co-written with my former BALANCE bandmate Doug Katsaros and my brother Bruce. I've had the thought of doing a solo project using some of the musicians I had worked with in the past for some time. Now armed with four new original songs, my girlfriend (photographer Julie Bergonz) introduced me to producer Bobby Ferrari at Vegas View Recording and he loved the idea of working with me, the guest artists and the four new songs and that introduction led to the making of this album."
A ten-song affair, "Skeletons In The Closet" is half brand new songs and half material from his storied past. "The idea of doing these new songs / retrospective songs as one CD only came to me after the new original songs were done. Then we added our cover of 'Goldfinger' and pulled five of my all-time favorite songs out from my 'closet,' creating 'Skeletons In The Closet'."
Kicking off with "Rich Man", the uplifting track is the lyrical juxtaposition between what we don't have and being "rich" because we have "you" — a girlfriend, lover or a guitar or whatever it is that makes everything else alright. "Not Before You", co-written with Bob's brother Bruce, is a specific reference to, in this case, a new love. "London", Bob says, "is Jack The Ripper sideways. Our homage to Sweeney Todd and a 6 / 8 tempo and feel that, with Dee Snider's vocal, takes you to that place in London where 'No one hears you scream in the darkness.'" Frankie Banali's unique drumming concept helped turn this into a larger-than-life song. "Goldfinger" is a tongue-in-cheek tribute to James Bond films — a heavy version of the classic Shirley Bassey song. "Player" is a theme we're all familiar with — getting "played by someone." This is another take on that story. Bob's back catalog begins its appearance with MURDERER'S ROW's "India" with an Indian / Middle Eastern metal double-bass-drum guitar gallop and with a coral sitar solo played by Kulick. With the title track, Bob states: "I often look to start and/or end recorded songs by setting a mood, vibe or sound effect that 'speaks.' In 'Skeletons In The Closet', you can hear the skeleton sounds in the beginning of the song, helping set the dark mood." "Can't Stop The Rock" "was written produced and recorded when David Eisley and I came up with the Sponge Bob song 'Sweet Victory'. This is another 'rock' lyric song but a fun one we came up with which went great with 'Sweet Victory' at that time." From Bob's SKULL days, "Guitar Commandos" sees him trading lead guitar licks with his brother Bruce. "It's basically a song about the road and touring," he says. Wrapping up the album, "Eyes Of A Stranger" is a song about how crazy love is. "The ups and downs of love, ya know, but also an uplifting and driving track to finish things off."
The Kiss guitarist told TMZ on Wednesday that Bieber should, “Get a life. You don’t have to worry about anything. You’re rich. In case you didn’t notice, you’re white. You’ve got white privilege… You have nothing to complain about.”
Still, the 67-year-old added he wishes Bieber well. Simmons said, “He’s young; he’s got lots of fans.”
Bieber posted a message to his 90 million Instagram followers explaining his reason for quitting the tour.
Bieber stated the chance to make his life and career more “sustainable” ultimately led him to cancel the rest of his “Purpose” world tour.
The KISS bassist/vocalist withdrew his application to trademark the symbol late last month — less than two weeks after filing with the federal copyright office.
Most music fans slammed Simmons for the trademark request, saying the symbol has become ubiquitous and means different things to different people.
Asked by the Loudwire Podcast for his thoughts on Simmons's trademark attempt, Stanley said: "Well, you know, Gene elicits some very strong reactions from people. And what he does he does for the reasons that only he knows. So I can't really say that I have really any thought about it. It was really something that he wanted to pursue, and the reaction was how people felt about it. So I don't know why he pulled it, and I don't know why he started it. I really have no… I haven't asked him."
In his original request, which was filed on June 9, Simmons described the sign as consisting "of a hand gesture with the index and small fingers extended upward and the thumb extended perpendicular." He paid $275, seeking to use the hand signal symbol for "Entertainment, namely, live performances by a musical artist; personal appearances by a musical artist."
Gene claimed the gesture was first used in commerce on November 14, 1974, which corresponded to KISS's "Hotter Than Hell" tour. He wrote in his signed declaration that he believed "no other person, firm, corporation or association has the right to use said mark in commerce, either in the identical form or in such near resemblance."
During a recent edition of her show "The Talk", Sharon Osbourne slammed Simmons for the trademark request, accusing the rocker of "trying to make money from posters and t-shirts." She said: "He's crazy. He's trying to get money from the merch where you see this [gesture] on merch, but actually this [symbol], in Italian, which has been going for hundreds of years, means 'the devil.' That's what it means. And so kids at concerts have been doing it for years and years and years. And in '74? Where were you in the '60s when they were doing it, kid, because they've been doing it forever."
It's unclear why Simmons suddenly withdrew his application to trademark the gesture but it's unlikely he would have succeeded anyway.
Copyright lawyer Ronald Abrams told Forbes that such hand gestures can't be trademarked unless they are part of a logo. Trademark attorney Michael Cohen with Cohen IP Law Group in Beverly Hills, who deals with trademark, patent and copyright infringement cases, concurred, telling the Los Angeles Times that it would have been very difficult for Simmons's application to be approved because the gesture has become "genericized."
Simmons's version of the gesture is actually "I love you" in American Sign Language, with the thumb extended, rather than the thumb holding two middle fingers close to the palm.
Ronnie James Dio's widow Wendy also criticized Simmons for attempting to trademark the hand sign. She told TheWrap: "To try to make money off of something like this is disgusting. It belongs to everyone — it doesn't belong to anyone. It's a public domain, it shouldn't be trademarked."
Although KISS hasn't released a studio album since 2012's "Monster", frontman Paul Stanley said last fall that a follow-up effort was on the way.
Asked by Doug Podell of Detroit's 94.7 WCSX radio station if there is an incentive for KISS to make new records considering that direct music sales play a significantly diminished role compared to a couple of decades ago, Simmons said (hear audio below): "The business is dead. Not for us — we can continue to tour, and THE [ROLLING] STONES can continue to play the songs everybody loves and so can Paul McCartney and stuff. But for a new band, it's dead. You have to give away your music for free, because generations of fans have been trained — shamefully — not to pay for music. Download, fileshare, view — I don't care what you call it — the truth is new bands don't have a chance."
He continued: "In terms of writing, sure, I write all the time. In fact, a few weeks ago, [original KISS guitarist] Ace [Frehley] and I sat down and we wrote two things for his next record, which is gonna be coming out whenever he says. So writing happens all the time, and in my box set, which is gonna come out — oh, I don't know — before the end of the year, there are gonna be hundreds of songs. But the actual business of it? No, it's dead. It's dead. Because the fans won't pay for music."
Simmons also once again criticized RADIOHEAD for utilizing a pay-what-you-want model for its 2007 album "In Rainbows", saying: "There was an English band, very well respected. I don't wanna say their name, 'cause their fans get so upset. And I'm actually a fan of the band. And they decided to put out a brand new album on the Internet, and the headline was, 'Listen, there's no price for this. Just pay whatever you wanna pay, or don't pay anything at all.' They only did that once, because it doesn't work. If you can walk into a store and there's a sign up that says, 'You can have anything for free or pay whatever you want,' how long do you think that store would stay in business?"
Gene's comments echo those made by Stanley, who last year said about the prospect of the band making a new album: "Well, it's a very conflicted subject. In one sense, there's no reason to put out any new music. Because the delivery systems that are available don't pay. We're in a situation now where artists have to take what they can get, as opposed to what they deserve. For me, it's more of a moral issue than anything else, because I don't have to worry about paying the rent, but what about new bands?"
Stanley previously that "it's only worth [making a new studio album] if, artistically, you wanna do it. Every time we finish an album, I kind of go, 'Well, that's it.' Whenever we've done an album… When we did 'Sonic Boom', it was because the band was so good that I just thought to not capture the band and do new material would be a shame. But once we did 'Sonic Boom', I said, 'Well, we've made the point.' And then, a few years later, it was, like, 'Wow, why don't we dig deeper and get a little closer to the roots and the people that we loved and kind of do something else,' so we did that, and then I said, 'We're done.' But lately I've been thinking, yeah, we should do another."
He added: "We had a fantastic time. He came down. We ate in the backyard while I was watering my palm trees. [Laughs] He was going to [my fiancée] Rachel, 'This is something new I've never seen before.' He's eating a sandwich and I'm watering a palm tree in my backyard. But it was a lot of fun."
According to Ace, the two new songs came together when the two former bandmates "just started jamming. We initially each picked up an acoustic guitar. I don't remember who came up with the beginning of the song. One guy plays one thing and then I play another thing. I think Gene actually came up with more ideas than I did and I just kind of complemented them. And then I started writing lyrics for a songtitle, which I don't wanna give away yet. And then we kind of took a break and then he started playing this bassline and he said, 'Ace, play these thee chords against it,' and within thirty minutes we had a second song. I was really pleased, and so was he."
Asked if he and Gene ever wrote music together before in the early days of KISS, Frehley said: "We did a lot more than people are aware of, but it's uncredited. For instance, I wrote 'Cold Gin', but I didn't really have a bridge or a breakdown section for that song, and Gene's the one that wrote that whole section; that's all Gene. But he never took credit for it."
Ace revealed that he has "already started recording" the follow-up to 2014's "Space Invader" album. "After the Fourth of July, we're gonna go full force," he said. "I have a studio now built in the new house here in Rancho Santa Fe. I built a drum room and I upgraded all my equipment. I've got, like, a twenty-by-twenty room with a twelve-foot ceiling. So it's a great control room. And then the drum room is in the garage right next to that room, so we just put a little hole in the wall and threw a snake through the wall. So we've got all the mics coming right into all the preamps. It's working really nicely. Alex Salzman, my engineer, did most of the wiring."
Rumors about Frehley's return to KISS gained strength last year after he teamed up with KISS lead singer Paul Stanley on a cover of FREE's "Fire And Water", marking their first collaboration since 1998's "Psycho Circus".
Frehley's version of "Fire And Water" appears on his covers collection "Origins, Vol 1", which received great reviews and landed in the Top 25 on the Billboard album chart.
Asked if there has been any talk about him doing something with KISS again, Frehley told Eddie Trunk: "I can only be honest with you. It's something I haven't pushed and it's something that Paul and Gene haven't brought up to me. I'm just gonna let nature take its course. If the fans demand it, it'll probably get to a point where they're not gonna be able to say 'no.' But I've always said: they'll be fine with what they're doing and I'll be fine on my own. I've got a great solo band. We tour the world. We're touring Australia again with Alice Cooper in October. So whatever happens, one way or the other, everybody's gonna be fine. But if by chance Paul and Gene decide to bring me back in the fold and do a world tour, I think that could be great too, if it was handled correctly. But I haven't been approached, no. Honestly."
Ace added that his return to KISS for a reunion tour "could be a great thing for the fans. Even if I didn't wanna do it, I would do it for the fans, because we owe it to them. You know what I'm saying?"
According to Ace, whether or not he ever reunites with KISS will depend largely on the demand from the band's fans and concert promoters around the world.
"I don't think Paul and Gene do anything innocently," he said. "I think there's a motive behind everything they do, and they're driven by money — let's be honest — and they'll be the first to admit it.
"Rachel said to me the other day, 'Do you really think there might be a reunion?' And I said to her honestly, 'You know when there's a gonna be a reunion? When promoters call up [KISS manager] Doc McGhee and Paul and Gene and offer them multimillion-dollar figures. It's all about money — you know that and I know that. So if a promoter calls up Doc McGhee and says, 'We'll give you two hundred million dollars and do a six-month tour,' I'm gonna get a phone call. If that doesn't happen, I may not. Who knows? But, like I said, either way, everybody's gonna be fine."
Even though Frehley reached out to Simmons a couple of years about contributing to "Origins Vol. 1", the bassist/vocalist ended up not appearing on the record because "either [Gene] didn't get the message or he was just too busy," Frehley told the WPDH 101.5 FM radio station last year.
Stanley told Billboard earlier this year that he had no interest in a reunion of KISS's original lineup. "I sang on Ace's most recent album and did a video with him," he said. "I have the connection and the reconnection and to celebrate the good things we've done together is terrific. The band as it is — I've played with [current KISS drummer] Eric Singer for, I think, 25 years and Tommy's [Thayer, guitar] been in the band probably 15 years at this point. I have no thoughts of revisiting the past. With that said, I am happy to enhance or do whatever I can for anyone who has helped put me where I am, but that doesn't include getting hitched again to somebody I unhitched from."
The news of the two former KISS bandmates' collaboration was broken by the bassist/vocalist as he was giving an interview to the Minnesota classic rock radio station 92 KQRS last week.
Asked if KISS has any plans to return to the studio and make new music, Simmons said (see video below): "Well, I suppose at some point. But literally two days ago I was with Ace, who's not in the band — he used to be in the band three different times — and we wrote two songs. He asked me to write for his next solo record. So I went over to his place, way out in the desert some place, and we wrote two things. And eventually the band [the current lineup of KISS] will go back in [the studio to make new music]. But there's no great incentive, because the record industry, the entire thing, is so dysfunctional. You work hard and you get paid, and if we're gonna work a year on a record, I wanna get paid too. KISS is not a charity. We make a difference between what we do personally and as a band. We buy houses for vets, we supply jobs, we give money to charity, but that's 'cause I wanna give. I don't want anybody deciding that our art, our music, our concerts is free, because 'you have enough money.'"
Even though Frehley reached out to Simmons a couple of years about contributing the original KISS guitarist's "Origins Vol. 1" collection of covers, the bassist/vocalist ended up not appearing on the record because "either [Gene] didn't get the message or he was just too busy," Frehley told the WPDH 101.5 FM radio station last year.
"Origins Vol. 1" featured a guest appearance by KISS guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley on a cover of the FREE classic "Fire And Water".
Frehley said in March that he was still on good terms with Stanley. "Yeah, we're good friends," the ex-KISS guitarist told Brazil's Kazagastão (KZG). He added that he also reconnected with Simmons for the first time since they spent time with each other at KISS's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction in 2014. "I just saw Gene [in February]. He came to my concert in Los Angeles. He hung out all night. [He was] very, very, very friendly. He was great with everybody."
Asked if there is any chance that he will rejoin KISS in the not-too-distant future, Frehley said: "I haven't heard anything. But if I were a betting man, I'd say maybe 50-50. That's good odds."
Rumors about Frehley's return to KISS gained strength last year after he teamed up with Stanley on the "Fire And Water" cover in what was their first collaboration since 1998's "Psycho Circus".
Stanley told Billboard earlier this year that he had no interest in a reunion of KISS's original lineup. "I sang on Ace's most recent album and did a video with him," he said. "I have the connection and the reconnection and to celebrate the good things we've done together is terrific. The band as it is — I've played with [current KISS drummer] Eric Singer for, I think, 25 years and Tommy's [Thayer, guitar] been in the band probably 15 years at this point. I have no thoughts of revisiting the past. With that said, I am happy to enhance or do whatever I can for anyone who has helped put me where I am, but that doesn't include getting hitched again to somebody I unhitched from."
Criss handled the vocals and some of the drums at the show and was backed by musical director and keyboardist Alex Salzman, guitarist Erik Rudic from the band the COLD SEAS and a horn and string section.
Criss's set consisted of KISS classics and his solo songs, including "I Can't Stop The Rain", from the 1978 solo album "Peter Criss".
Criss handed out roses while he sang "Beth" and closed out the set with the swing classic "Sing Sing Sing".
Asked by Australia's The Rockpit in a brand new interview if he is "moving on to do other things," Criss responded: "You know what?! I'm 71. That scares me when I say that [laughs], but if you're around me, I'm like a 15-year-old kid — I really am. But I've had an amazing career in music. I was around in the '60s and '70s, which was about the best time to be a musician. I actually saw Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison and THE BEATLES when I was young. I've seen the greatest of the greats perform. I grew up at a time when music was so cool. There was Bob Dylan, and things were changing — things were becoming amazing for musicians in the world. So I played clubs for 15 years, then I started the band with the guys.'
He continued: "I'm a big BEE GEES fan, I was watching the salute to Barry [Gibb, the last surviving member of the BEE GEES], I've been a big fan since they started, and I love that he got up there and performed. And I see now all these guys, from THE ROLLING STONES, Paul McCartney, Rod Stewart, and we're all in our 70s now, and I hate to say it, but we're dying out, and that's so real. There's less rock and roll in the world, less music in the world, and it's kinda sad.
"So I'm 71 I'm in the best health I've been in for a while, and I thought if I'm gonna do it, I've gotta do it now. I had male breast cancer and I beat it, and that's really changed my life, and my wife also beat cancer too, so I went out I signed autographs, I wrote a book. When I connected [with the fans] again, I got to hear their stories and they'd ask me if I'd play again or sing again; there was so much love. And when I looked around, everyone was slowing down or retiring, like Eric Clapton, and I wondered what I have left."
Criss added that he is planning on finally completing the solo album that he started work on nine years ago.
"Before my cancer, I really put down some really heavy rock and roll. I put down some ballads too, but it was heavier than the stuff I normally do. And then I got sick and I put it aside and I've been sat on it these last eight years. And when I moved to California, I took it with me. There aren't any vocals on there yet, but I played it to a good friend and he told me that it was the best stuff he'd heard in years and I had to finish it, so when I'm over in June to play my last show in New York City, I'll finish it."
In addition to playing drums in the band, Peter also provided lead vocals for a number KISS's most popular and memorable songs, including "Beth", "Black Diamond" and "Hard Luck Woman".
Criss first left KISS in 1980. Since then he's worked with other bands and released solo albums. He teamed up with KISS again for a reunion tour in the 1990s and most recently in 2004. He was replaced by Eric Singer.
Criss, who was known as "Catman," released his last solo CD, titled "One for All", in 2007. Peter produced the album himself for the first time, and was joined by guest musicians that included keyboardist Paul Shaffer and bassist Will Lee of "Late Night with David Letterman". The album featured a range of styles, from rock and jazz to blues and Broadway, and included covers of "What a Difference a Day Makes" and "Send in the Clowns".
The four original members of KISS were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in April 2014 by RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello.
KISS did not perform — the Hall Of Fame wanted the original quartet only to play, while Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley insisted on the current lineup — which also includes guitarist Tommy Thayer — performing as well. In the end nobody won that battle.
Videos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15.
Simmons filed an application last week with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for a trademark on the hand signal fans and rockers alike hold up during shows, in which the index and pinkie fingers are extended, the middle and ring finger are curled into the palm, and the thumb either sticks out from the hand like an errant branch from a tree or is also curled into the palm. The KISS bassist/vocalist claimed the gesture was first used in commerce on November 14, 1974, which corresponds to KISS's "Hotter Than Hell" tour. He wrote in his signed declaration that he believes "no other person, firm, corporation or association has the right to use said mark in commerce, either in the identical form or in such near resemblance."
Most music fans have slammed Simmons for the trademark request, saying the symbol has become ubiquitous and means different things to different people.
In issue 196 of Classic Rock magazine, Simmons revealed where he got the inspiration for the gesture, explaining it was inspired by Spider-man and the way he shoots webs from his wrists.
Simmons told Classic Rock: "We laid down the templates. When you see bands rocking out in sync, that's us. When you see bands putting up that two-fingered devil horn salute, that started with KISS."
When asked if it was Ronnie James Dio who actually started it, Simmons replied: "Well, I've heard Ronnie say that to my face and I said, 'God bless you.' I mean him no ill will, but I think he's wrong.
"Mine came from Spider-man doing his hand signal, as a homage to him. If you see me in photos, I'm sticking out my thumb. That's the sign in sign language which means 'I love you.'"
Ronnie James Dio's widow Wendy has slammed Simmons for attempting to trademark the hand sign, calling it "disgusting." She told TheWrap: "To try to make money off of something like this is disgusting. It belongs to everyone — it doesn't belong to anyone. It's a public domain, it shouldn't be trademarked.”
Kiss frontman Gene Simmons is awaiting the signal from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office after he filed an application Friday for a trademark on a hand gesture. Rock fans are probably familiar with the sight. Here's the drawing that's included in the application: Pic.
According to Simmons, this hand gesture was first used in commerce Nov. 14, 1974. That appears to correspond with Kiss' Hotter Than Hell tour.
Speaking of hell, the hand gesture appears quite similar to what's known as the "Sign of the horns," a devil signal that, according to an entertaining entry from Wikipedia, dates back to the 5th Century BC founder of Buddhism. It's also the American Sign Language gesture for "I love you."
Simmons is claiming the hand gesture mark for "entertainment, namely, live performances by a musical artist; personal appearances by a musical artist."
Before the Trademark Office allows this hand gesture to be registered — it perhaps wouldn't be unprecedented — an examiner would consider the likelihood of confusion and, possibly, whether it's too generic to be associated with Simmons. Here, for example, is the album cover for the Beatles' 1966 single, Yellow Submarine/Eleanor Rigby: Pic.
On the road to registration, Simmons might have other obstacles besides John Lennon. Among them could be how in certain Mediterranean cultures, the horns — or "rock on" — gesture is, in the words of The New York Post, "made to a man to imply that his wife is cheating on him." Whether or not that matters is possibly impacted by the U.S. Supreme Court's upcoming ruling in Tam v. Lee. Then again, maybe Simmons is saying "I love you," but if so, those who use sign language might not love what he's doing.
An even bigger question is the extent to which Simmons could enforce trademark rights even if his registration is accepted.
Former professional wrestler Diamond Dallas Page has tried. Some reported that he had sued Jay Z over the "Roc-A-Fella Hand Gesture,” alleging it was a trademark infringement of his "Diamond Cutter hand gesture," although we couldn't locate any complaint. However, we did find a lawsuit filed by Page in 2010 against the American electronic music duo, 3OH13. Here was the complaint filed in court. According to records from the Trademark Office, the case settled.
No matter what happens for Simmons, we guarantee nobody will ever be able to trademark a handshake.
The legendary U.S. rockers had been scheduled to play at the Manchester Arena on May 30, just one week after a suicide bomb killed 22 people at an Ariana Grande gig at the same venue.
As a result, the Manchester Arena remains closed, which has forced the band to cancel their performance.
KISS said in a statement: "We are heartbroken by the atrocity committed against the innocent victims of Manchester.
"We sadly will not be able to play Manchester Arena on the 30th May.
"We have always looked forward to these shows and our local fans, but in light of recent events, a canceled rock show seems of such little consequence.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of those affected and all the people of Manchester at this difficult time. We are with you and you are in our prayers."
Refunds for the the show will be granted to all ticketholders at the point of purchase.
KISS's other performances in the U.K. will go ahead as planned.
Several other artists — including BLONDIE and TAKE THAT — also canceled concerts in the wake of the attack.
Speaking to Hot Metal, the 63-year-old said he could never play a song idea for both Simmons and Stanley — he had to chose which one would give him the best chance of success.
"During my years with KISS, it was always a challenge to make Gene or Paul really zone in and say, 'I wanna work on that,'" Kulick said. "Then the issue with them was, if you played something for Gene, you can't play it for Paul. You know what I mean? It was like you had to pick and choose your battles and everything.
"Anyway, that was always like an interesting dynamic but understandable. Groups are very much like that. Just like within a family you know, you can tell one brother one thing but you wouldn't mention that to the other ... your sister or whatever."
During the extensive chat, Kulick also discussed going out socially with Paul Stanley years before joining the band — because brother Bob Kulick was a friend of the Starchild.
"Paul was a huge rock star living like a king in New York City," Bruce recalled. "Bob would go, 'Come on along, let's go', we were in Queens we’d hang out, 'We're going to the movies with Paul Stanley,' and everyone was like, 'Wow, that's kind of cool.'
"That was kind of weird. I'm not saying I really got to know him well. You know when you have that level of fame, you're very carefully with your circle of people you hang with. But that helped when Paul realized, 'You know, I'm hearing good things about Bruce, not only from Bob, from other musicians in L.A.' That's how I really got my start, so I'm grateful to my brother obviously for the introduction but the rest was all my own."
In 1984, Bruce joined KISS, where he remained as their lead guitarist for more than a decade, accompanying the band on the "Animalize" tour and continuing with the band until the 1996 reunion tour. Bruce is heavily featured on "Kissology – Vol. 2" and "Vol. 3", the band's DVDs spanning their historic 40-year career.
Sources at Live Nation tell us refunds will be available for UK concerts featuring Katy Perry, Iron Maiden, KISS, Robbie Williams, Phil Collins, Depeche Mode, and James Arthur. BTW, Senator Bernie Sanders also has a show scheduled at 02 Academy Brixton, and it's sold out.
Our sources say Live Nation has not made a decision on refunds for other countries, but they are having discussions at offices worldwide ... and they expect to come up with a policy soon.
The decision to refund tickets in England is partly because of the attack at the Ariana Grande concert and partly because the Prime Minister has made it clear ... another attack seems imminent.
One Live Nation source tells TMZ, "We've gotten about a thousand media calls but very few consumer calls asking for refunds."
On his long-lasting — and sometimes rocky — relationship with KISS co-founder Gene Simmons, Stanley explained: "Gene's my brother. He lives right down the street. And we like each other so much that we stay out of each other's way. As sickening as it might sound, we're not beyond sending each other texts of appreciation. We both have the lives that perhaps we didn't intend to in the beginning, but we both made it possible for us to reach the lives that made us happy. If you would have told him thirty, forty years ago where he'd wind up, he couldn't comprehend it. But you have to keep moving forward. And you may find your destination is not where you intended."
Although Paul Stanley has been vocal about his issues with co-founding members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, in his recent memoir, "Face The Music: A Life Exposed", he talks frankly about the problems in keeping a partnership going with Gene Simmons over the decades. He admitted to The Pulse Of Radio that it's taken a lot of work to keep the pair moving forward and on the same page. "Oh, sure," he said. "That over the years that's been an ongoing theme in our relationship. But time is the ultimate judge, and the fact that we've been together, at this point for, forty — my gosh — almost forty-four years says volumes. There have been times where I've been very angry and resentful — and I'm not saying momentarily, I'm saying for long periods of time. But, in time, everything falls in place and you get a better perspective — hopefully. If you don't expect from someone what's not possible, then you won't be disappointed."
When KISS blew into Sweden last weekend, (more than 2o years after the band’s first date there!), the country’s 5-year-old future queen, Princess Estelle, once again showed off her high-spirited personality.
And befitting her VIP status, Princess Estelle not only attended last weekend’s Stockholm concert, but she also she went backstage to meet the band.
Rockers Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer happily posed with Estelle and her parents, Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel. Meanwhile, Estelle’s baby brother, 1-year-old Prince Oscar, stayed home.
But Princess Estelle, pictured in her father’s arms for the photo op, really got into the groove, complete with Stanley’s signature star makeup on her right eye.
Earlier this year, Estelle’s grandmother, Queen Silvia, spoke about the little princess.
“She is overprotective and very sweet to [her brother Oscar],” Silvia said of her granddaughter, who is second in line to the Swedish throne. “It feels good when you see the two of them together. Estelle’s so alert, interested, happy and curious. She’s adorable and funny — just like her mother when she was little.”
Setlist:
01. I Can't Stop The Rain (solo - 1978)
02. Hooked On Rock And Roll (solo - 1978)
03. Strange Ways ("Hotter Than Hell" - 1974)
04. Strutter ("Kiss" - 1974)
05. Don't You Let Me Down (solo - 1978)
06. Hooligan ("Love Gun" - 1977)
07. Nothing To Lose ("Kiss" - 1974)
08. Words (solo, "Out Of Control" - 1980)
09. Beth ("Destroyer" - 1976)
10. Rock And Roll All Nite ("Dressed To Kill" - 1975)
11. Sing, Sing, Sing (a tribute to Gene Krupa - 1937)
Criss is scheduled to play two U.S. shows in June. His appearance at the New York KISS Expo on June 9-11 will include a meet-and-greet, expo and a New York landmark tour. Five days later, on June 16, Peter will take part in a VIP dinner performance, which is being billed as his last live performance in the USA.
Asked by Australia's The Rockpit in a brand new interview if he is "moving on to do other things," Criss responded: "You know what?! I'm 71. That scares me when I say that [laughs], but if you're around me, I'm like a 15-year-old kid — I really am. But I've had an amazing career in music. I was around in the '60s and '70s, which was about the best time to be a musician. I actually saw Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison and THE BEATLES when I was young. I've seen the greatest of the greats perform. I grew up at a time when music was so cool. There was Bob Dylan, and things were changing — things were becoming amazing for musicians in the world. So I played clubs for 15 years, then I started the band with the guys.'
He continued: "I'm a big BEE GEES fan, I was watching the salute to Barry [Gibb, the last surviving member of the BEE GEES], I've been a big fan since they started, and I love that he got up there and performed. And I see now all these guys, from THE ROLLING STONES, Paul McCartney, Rod Stewart, and we're all in our 70s now, and I hate to say it, but we're dying out, and that's so real. There's less rock and roll in the world, less music in the world, and it's kinda sad.
"So I'm 71 I'm in the best health I've been in for a while, and I thought if I'm gonna do it, I've gotta do it now. I had male breast cancer and I beat it, and that's really changed my life, and my wife also beat cancer too, so I went out I signed autographs, I wrote a book. When I connected [with the fans] again, I got to hear their stories and they'd ask me if I'd play again or sing again; there was so much love. And when I looked around, everyone was slowing down or retiring, like Eric Clapton, and I wondered what I have left."
Criss added that he is planning on finally completing the solo album that he started work on nine years ago.
"Before my cancer, I really put down some really heavy rock and roll. I put down some ballads too, but it was heavier than the stuff I normally do. And then I got sick and I put it aside and I've been sat on it these last eight years. And when I moved to California, I took it with me. There aren't any vocals on there yet, but I played it to a good friend and he told me that it was the best stuff he'd heard in years and I had to finish it, so when I'm over in June to play my last show in New York City, I'll finish it."
In addition to playing drums in the band, Peter also provided lead vocals for a number KISS's most popular and memorable songs, including "Beth", "Black Diamond" and "Hard Luck Woman".
Criss first left KISS in 1980. Since then he's worked with other bands and released solo albums. He teamed up with KISS again for a reunion tour in the 1990s and most recently in 2004. He was replaced by Eric Singer.
Criss, who was known as "Catman," released his last solo CD, titled "One for All", in 2007. Peter produced the album himself for the first time, and was joined by guest musicians that included keyboardist Paul Shaffer and bassist Will Lee of "Late Night with David Letterman". The album featured a range of styles, from rock and jazz to blues and Broadway, and included covers of "What a Difference a Day Makes" and "Send in the Clowns".
The four original members of KISS were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in April 2014 by RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello.
KISS did not perform — the Hall Of Fame wanted the original quartet only to play, while Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley insisted on the current lineup — which also includes guitarist Tommy Thayer — performing as well. In the end nobody won that battle.
He continued: "I didn't know that the writing was on the wall even though I was a little uncomfortable, but Gene [Simmons] and Paul [Stanley] obviously had a plan that should the original band have some difficulty working together or animosity towards each other or if someone wasn't willing to do it, KISS would have continued with Eric Singer and myself. But apparently, and I think what I understood was, shortly after or while they were trying to put together the 'Unplugged' thing, even though that was not the reunion tour, it was a reunion on stage in front of the world so they were feeling offers."
Kulick added: "Life is political, and so is business. There was a lot going on behind the scenes, just like in our political world and everyday business. It was really interesting."
During the same chat, Bruce confirmed that he continued to be paid by KISS for a full year after the "Alive/Worldwide Tour" launched in 1996, even though he was not part of the band's touring lineup. Asked if he was ever offered an extended role within the KISS camp as a behind-the-scenes guy, Kulick said: "No, although they did look to me to do some work for 'Psycho Circus'. That was very strange, but also made me feel really important [laughs] — you know what I mean — because when they got into the studio, I demoed some things with Paul and I was even able to co-write a song with him for that album. Just the fact that they asked me to play some bass and help out on the song I wrote with Paul in the studio was nice. Even the song 'I Finally Found My Way' from the 'Detroit Rock City' soundtrack, I played the bass on that track too, which was cool. I also did some work on both Paul and Gene's solo records, 'Live To Win' and 'Asshole', which was nice."
In 1984, Bruce joined KISS, where he remained as their lead guitarist for twelve years, accompanying the band on the "Animalize" tour and continuing with the band until the 1996 reunion tour. Bruce is heavily featured on "Kissology – Vol. 2" and "Vol. 3", the band's DVDs spanning their historic 40-year career.
KISS's last studio effort, 2012's "Monster", sold 56,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 3 on The Billboard 200 chart.
The band's previous LP, "Sonic Boom", opened with 108,000 units back in October 2009 to enter the chart at No. 2. This marked the KISS's highest-charting LP ever.
Asked by Michael Cavacini if KISS is going to record another studio album or not, Simmons said: "There's some writing going on. Not too long ago I wrote a song called 'Your Wish Is My Command'. It sounds anthemic, like something that might have come off 'Love Gun', maybe. But I'm not incentivized. The idea that you work your ass off and then someone with freckles on their face decides they want to download your music and file share — that's not what I work for. How'd you like to be a plumber, come over somebody's house and work all day to fix their plumbing and then when it's time to get paid they say, 'No, I just wanted to say thank you.' No."
He continued: "I've heard people say, 'Oh, you have enough money.' That's what I need: an eighteen-year-old kid telling me when enough is enough. It doesn't affect me at all. And it doesn't affect THE [ROLLING] STONES or U2 — a lot of the bands that do well. There's only a handful, actually. The saddest thing of all is that the next great bands, with the talent and the charisma and all that stuff, will never have the chance that we did — because there's no music industry. There's no way for them to pay the rent. They're going to have to give away their music, practically, for free."
Simmons added: "It almost makes you say, 'You know what, I'll get a day job.' The saddest part of all is that it's not aliens from another planet, it's not another country that invaded us and did that. No, no, no. Your next-door neighbor, the fans, are killing new music. They're killing the bands that want to create music for them. That's who's killing it. You're killing it, by not paying for it. Imagine how long a supermarket would stay in business if everybody went in, took the food and went away and didn't pay for it. [It] wouldn't last very long at all."
Gene's comments were echoed by KISS frontman Paul Stanley, who last year said about the prospect of the band making a new album: "Well, it's a very conflicted subject. In one sense, there's no reason to put out any new music. Because the delivery systems that are available don't pay. We're in a situation now where artists have to take what they can get, as opposed to what they deserve. For me, it's more of a moral issue than anything else, because I don't have to worry about paying the rent, but what about new bands?"
Stanley previously that "it's only worth [making a new studio album] if, artistically, you wanna do it. Every time we finish an album, I kind of go, 'Well, that's it.' Whenever we've done an album… When we did 'Sonic Boom', it was because the band was so good that I just thought to not capture the band and do new material would be a shame. But once we did 'Sonic Boom', I said, 'Well, we've made the point.' And then, a few years later, it was, like, 'Wow, why don't we dig deeper and get a little closer to the roots and the people that we loved and kind of do something else,' so we did that, and then I said, 'We're done.' But lately I've been thinking, yeah, we should do another.”
Simmons's last book, "Me, Inc.: Build An Army Of One, Unleash Your Inner Rock God, Win In Life And Business", came out in 2014.
Although Gene has long portrayed himself as the brains behind KISS, his bandmate Paul Stanley's memoir, "Face The Music: A Life Exposed", paints a different picture, with Stanley claiming that Simmons was always more concerned with the Gene Simmons business. According to Keith Spera's review of "Face The Music" in The Times-Picayune, Paul wrote in the book that he, along with his therapist at the time, realized in the 1980s that KISS's financial managers were acting in bad faith. Other managers — not Simmons — encouraged diversification into a wide and lucrative range of merchandising opportunities.
"I saw the term 'marketing genius' used in reference to Gene quite frequently .?.?. [and] it turned my stomach," Stanley wrote of Simmons. "Neither Gene nor I has had an active hand in any significant deals.
"He was no marketing genius. He just took credit for things. It was unwarranted, selfish, and hurtful, and there was no way to excuse it. Calculated strategist? Sure. Genius? No."
Despite the barbs directed at Simmons, Stanley said in an interview that his longtime bandmate and business partner "had no arguments with" the comments Paul made in "Face The Music". "We've always been very honest with each other," insisted Stanley.
“My dear friend Dr. Frederic Rueckert has died at 95,” Stanley tweeted. “He truly changed my life when he constructed my right ear from my rib. God Bless You.”
In a series of five surgical procedures, Rueckert removed pieces of cartilage from the rock star’s rib cage and carved them into the framework of an ear, which was then “implanted with a series of skin grafts.”
Stanley chronicled his ear struggles in his 2014 book, “Face The Music: A Life Exposed.”
“I had nothing more than a stump on the right side of my head, and my ear canal was also closed, so I was deaf,” the 65-year old Rock and Roll Hall of Famer wrote. “That left me unable to tell the direction of sound, and more importantly, made it incredibly difficult for me to understand people when there was any kind of background noise or conversation. These problems would lead me to instinctively avoid social situations.”
Stanley hid the deformity by growing his hair long, and worked through insecurities with a therapist, Dr. Jesse Hilsen, as KISS rose to rock prominence. It was Hilsen who suggested Rueckert after reading an article on the New Hampshire surgeon. At the time, the surgery was relatively new and mainly used on kids.
“I always tried to express to Dr. Reuckert the life-changing role he was playing for me,” wrote Stanley, who was 30 when he underwent the procedure. “He was a humble man who helped countless children avoid the experience and turmoil and endlessly compounded problems I faced as a kid. He helped give me a new lease on life; I gave him a Rolex watch when he retired. I could never figure out a way to truly show him how much he meant to me.”
The film goes behind the scenes and explores the personalities and creativity of the best session players and backup musicians in the world, ranging from Liberty DeVitto, who has played with Billy Joel, to rock guitarist John 5 who has played with Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson.
A synopsis of the film — directed by Fran Strine — described these musicians as "a group that possesses uncommon musical ability and an uncanny knack for being able to deliver a great performance time and again."
"We have been overwhelmed by the support and feedback received throughout our festival run," Strine said. "'Hired Gun' is about musicians whose DNA are all over the music and tours we love, without us knowing their faces or names. It’s a music documentary with passion and talent at its core, digging deep and ripping the curtain back to expose what it’s really like to tour and record with the legends."
"Hired Gun" features Jason Hook (FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH), Liberty DeVitto (BILLY JOEL), Kenny Aronoff (JOHN MELLENCAMP), Rudy Sarzo (OZZY OSBOURNE), Phil X (BON JOVI), Justin Derrico (P!NK), Jason Newsted (METALLICA), Eric Singer (KISS), John 5 (ROB ZOMBIE), Glen Sobel, Nita Strauss (ALICE COOPER), Steve Lukather (Michael Jackson, TOTO), Steve Vai (DAVID LEE ROTH), Paul Bushnell (Katy Perry), Jay Graydon (STEELY DAN) and Chris Johnson (RIHANNA).
Tickets go on sale on May 24.
Hook, who did stints with Mandy Moore, Hilary Duff, MÖTLEY CRÜE singer Vince Neil and Alice Cooper, before joining FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, told The Pulse Of Radio he understands what it takes to catch a break with a big artist. "I went through years of trying to get gigs myself, and so I really understand what it's like to be the guy reaching out," he said. "And I always admired people that gave me a shot, recognizing that it's an unknown, you don't know if it's… The referrals are easy, when somebody says, 'I've got the perfect guy,' that door has been opened. But for you to open your own doors is very difficult.”
The foundation, which is located in Tinton Falls, will sponsor its largest fundraising event of the year on April 29 when the Beauty Ball 2017 is held at the Asbury Hotel in Asbury Park.
The affair, which is in its 11th year, will run from from 6:30 p.m. until 11:30 p.m.
Peter Criss, founding member and original drummer for the rock n’ roll supergroup, KISS, will highlight an evening of entertainment.
As a cancer survivor and recipient of the foundation’s Man of Courage Award, Criss will be performing his hit song “Beth,” live at the event.
The affair, which will help support families dealing with the impact of cancer, will feature an evening filled with live and silent auctions, basket raffles, dinner, cocktails and entertainment provided by a DJ and the jazz group,”The Wright Trio.”
This year, the foundation will honor both the Holt Construction Corporation and Frank Rizzo for significant contributions.
The Holt Construction Corporation, which services New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, will receive the 2017 Diamond Award for Philanthropy.
According to the foundation, Holt Construction Corporation has been a loyal supporter of the foundation for the past 11 years, sponsoring and attending many of their events including the Beauty Ball, while also contributing to many other charitable organizations.
The Unsung Hero Award will be presented to Rizzo, co-owner of Amazing Decoration, a holiday decorating company that is available throughout New Jersey. According to the foundation, Rizzo has surprised many foundation families by donating outdoor decorating during the holiday season.
Since its inception in 2007, the Beauty Foundation for Cancer Care has supported over 1,500 families by providing over $1,500,000 million in grants and services to cover such costs as transportation, household bills, groceries, housecleaning services and childcare.
With affairs such as the Beauty Ball, the foundation can maintain special programs, which include the holiday Adopt-a-Family Program and Thanksgiving meal delivery initiative.
For information, go to www.beautyfoundationnj.com or call them at 732-719-9909.
Berry died on March 18 at the age of 90. The musician was long recognized as a founder of rock and roll music, influencing rock popularizers such as the Beatles, the Beach Boys and the Rolling Stones.
Chuck Berry's memorial took place on Sunday in his hometown of St. Louis. The funeral service occured at the Pageant, a hall located just blocks away from Blueberry Hill’s Duck Room, a venue where Berry played a monthly show for many years.
Simmons apparently gave a surprise spech at Berry's memorial. In the touching tribute, the Kiss bassist reportedly became choked up when talking about the rock and roll originator. Simmons told the gathering he was wearing dark sunglasses to try and hide his tears.
"These shades are going to help me a lot, because in the back of them are real tears."
“To write about someone and then have it affect their family, I feel like is a really kind of low place to sell a book,” Simmons said on “Allegedly With Theo Von & Matthew Cole Weiss” on Tuesday, adding, “I mean, congrats to the one groupie who thought they got ahead, but apparently didn’t.”
Simmons also says of the former “Married With Children” star — who’s landed a new CBS series, “Superior Donuts” — “You tried to get ahead in music, it didn’t work; ... You played the game and you lost. I’m really sorry. You’re a really talented actress so it worked out.”
On May 12-14, Criss is scheduled to appear at the KISS Konvention Australia in Victoria, with his May 12 set said to be Peter's last live performance in Australia. Criss's appearance at the New York KISS Expo on June 9-11 will include a meet-and-greet, expo and a New York landmark tour. Five days later, on June 16, Peter will take part in a VIP dinner performance, which is being billed as his last live performance in the USA.
In addition to playing drums in the band, Peter also provided lead vocals for a number KISS's most popular and memorable songs, including "Beth", "Black Diamond" and "Hard Luck Woman". Peter's "Catman" persona is an instantly recognizable icon in pop culture.
Criss first left KISS in 1980. Since then he's worked with other bands and released solo albums. He teamed up with KISS again for a few gigs in the 1990s and most recently in 2004. He was replaced by Eric Singer.
Criss, who was known as "Catman," released his last solo CD, titled "One for All", in 2007. Peter produced the album himself for the first time, and was joined by guest musicians that included keyboardist Paul Shaffer and bassist Will Lee of "Late Night with David Letterman". The album featured a range of styles, from rock and jazz to blues and Broadway, and included covers of "What a Difference a Day Makes" and "Send in the Clowns".
The four original members of KISS were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in April 2014 by RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello.
Stanley said in the announcement for the club date: "We're living in a time of being fed canned pre-programmed backing tracks and lip syncing in place of the electricity and passion of real live R&B.
"When I was a boy, before I ever saw THE WHO or LED ZEPPELIN, I saw Solomon Burke and Otis Redding. I saw THE TEMPTATIONS and all that music is part of the foundation of the music I've made. SOUL STATION is my chance to celebrate it for a night that's real, live and faithfully recreates the sound with the respect it deserves."
He went on to say: "Whether it's THE STYLISTICS, THE DRAMATICS, THE TEMPTATIONS, Smokey (Robinson) and THE MIRACLES, BLUE MAGIC and on, these songs, arrangements and sound just blow you away.
"I don't play guitar in the band and we don't do a single KISS song. That's not what this is about.
"It's magical to hear those songs played right and we're making magic."
Stanley told The Pulse Of Radio that he always wanted KISS's greatest work to contain everything that he loved and admired about his favorite records growing up. "I'd like to think that the bands that you are influenced and inspired by doesn't necessarily mean that you mimic them," he said. "It means that their passion, or their approach is inspirational. So, whether its gospel, or Motown — it all is music of passion. And that's what I think we wanted to and I wanted to see us channel was the passion and the fervor that all the music I loved had. Y'know, its not about perfection — it's about passion."
KISS next performs on April 21 in Reno, Nevada at Grand Sierra Resort & Casino.
Backing Simmons at the shows will reportedly be guitarist Phil Shouse (Rodney Atkins, John Corabi, LIPSTICK, THEE ROCK N' ROLL RESIDENCY), drummer Jarred Pope (THEE ROCK N' ROLL RESIDENCY), guitarist/bassist Jeremy Asbrock (THE SHAZAM, John Corabi, THEE ROCK N' ROLL RESIDENCY) and guitarist Ryan (HAIR OF THE DOG, THEE ROCK N' ROLL RESIDENCY).
On March 2, Simmons and his solo band played a corporate event, and video footage of the gig has been uploaded to Facebook. Check it out above.
"This is gonna be a first for me," Simmons told CantonRep.com about playing his own shows. "Outside of KISS, I've never done a solo tour. I never did anything like that. Every once in a while I'll jump up on stage and do a song with somebody. Johnny Depp and I did a few songs together, a few other knuckleheads, but that's about it. When Wizard World and I agreed to do five events together, the idea of jumping up onstage and gulping it on for an hour or so came up. And I got a great bunch of guys, real rocking guys who are gonna get up with me, and we'll play all the hits and have ourselves a good old time."
Simmons will perform "An Evening With Gene Simmons And His Band" and attend five Wizard World Comic Con events as an iconic star attraction in 2017. The club venue concerts are in conjunction with appearances at conventions in Cleveland (March 18-19), St. Louis (April 8-9), Philadelphia (June 2-3), Chicago (August 26-27) and Austin (November 17-18).
Evening concerts are planned on Friday in each of the respective cities, with Simmons on hand each Saturday to greet fans, pose for photo ops, sign autographs and conduct live interactive question-and-answer sessions at each Wizard World Comic Con.
Simmons said in an interview last week that he was still working on his box set that will include "150 songs that have never been released. That news is gonna be released soon.
The event includes exclusive 2017 U.S. appearances by KING DIAMOND performing the landmark "Abigail" release in its entirety, French progressive rock unit MAGMA, black metallers ABBATH led by former IMMORTAL guitarist/vocalist Abbath, and cult stoner/desert rock unit SLO BURN fronted by KYUSS's John Garcia. Additionally, Mulatu Astatke, the father of Ethio-jazz, will be making his west of Chicago exclusive appearance while MANILLA ROAD, who will be celebrating their 40th anniversary, will perform their classic "Crystal Logic" in its entirety as a worldwide exclusive for Psycho Las Vegas 2017 .
“Obviously, this is important to me on a personal level because my father is involved,” said Tommy Thayer in a private interview yesterday, “but it is important, too, for people to remember and commemorate the amazing people and their stories of heroism. The things they did for our country are inspirational and help us understand where we came from, what helped make us, as a country.”
Thayer’s father, the 94-year-old retired Brigadier General James B. Thayer, is a decorated hero who served in World War II. In 1945, Thayer led his platoon forward in Europe, engaging in hand-to-hand combat with SS soldiers, and eventually entered Austria. “My dad’s platoon discovered and liberated an Austrian death camp for Hungarian Jews,” explains Tommy Thayer. “It was a horrific experience, but they saved the lives of 15,000 refugees in that camp.”
In fact, James B. Thayer received both a Bronze and Silver Star for his acts of heroism and was also honored decades later by the Austrian government. For his bravery, the Oregon Military Museum has been named after the Brigadier General, and rock star Tommy Thayer jumped in to help support the cause.
Similarly, Kiss rocker Gene Simmons also has a personal connection, in that his mother and her family were held in a concentration camp believed to have been a part of the network of camps that Thayer infiltrated. You can read more about that story here.
“Gene’s mother’s life was spared at the age of 14, but what she went through makes this effort even more personal for all of us in the band,” says Tommy Thayer. “The band as it is today, all of us are very close and very supportive of each other’s charitable and philanthropic efforts, and especially this one. We have supported the military and the veterans throughout our tours in various ways.”
In fact, Thayer says that fellow band member, Eric Singer was instrumental in putting Thayer in touch with Zenith and in helping to design the watch that honors his father. Singer is a known watch collector and enthusiast who frequently visits Swiss watch factories.
“Eric is the one who initially suggested we reach out to Jean-Claude Biver, who was very excited about the cause,” says Thayer. “Eric also helped steer me in the right direction about which watch style to choose and worked with me and Zenith throughout the project.”
Once Singer and Thayer talked with Biver, CEO of the watch division of LVMH (which includes brands Zenith, TAG Heuer and Hublot, among others), it was decided the World War II story most closely aligned with Zenith, and steps were quickly underway to create a commemorative watch for Tommy’s father, and a second one to be auctioned at last night’s event.
That watch, the Zenith Pilot Extra Special Thayer Edition, is created in 18-karat rose gold and titanium, and features an engraving on the case back of James B. Thayer in uniform during World War II, with the Oregon Military Museum name on it. The commemorative pieces feature an alligator strap and are offered in a special presentation box with a 48-star flag and a signed letter from ret. BG James B. Thayer about his experiences.
Additionally, a limited edition of 25 pieces of the watch is being created in bronze. This piece features a very special strap that, according to Tommy Thayer, was Eric Singer’s idea: a strap made of leather from actual World War II ammunition bags.
At last night’s event, one of the commemorative watches was presented to GB Thayer, while the other watch was auctioned. The watch, which holds a retail value of approximately $14,000, sold for $40,000. All proceeds go to the museum efforts.
“We have been working on raising funds for the museum for some time now,” says Tommy Thayer. “It is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. The private fundraising, which I am focusing on, takes a lot of time and effort. It is a matter of building the story and having people commit to it.”
Last night’s event emulated one that was held several years ago, wherein the Kiss members also performed. That event raised $1.2 million. The museum is approximately 70 percent complete and the fundraising in more than half way fulfilled. The Brigadier General James B. Thayer Oregon Military Museum, hopefully to be opened by the end of this year, is a 32,000-square-foot museum that will house not only the story of Oregon military men, but also planes, tanks and other educational war materials that trace centuries of military (from Native Americans to today’s Global War on Terrorism) in its state-of-the-art facilities.
Sagal, best known for playing a sex-starved housewife on “Married… with Children” and biker mama Gemma Teller Morrow on “Sons of Anarchy,” recounts the tale in a new memoir, “Grace Notes,” out next month.
Before she was an actress, Sagal was an aspiring singer, and at 20 she took a job as a singing waitress in a restaurant in Santa Monica, where she worked alongside Ricki Lee Jones, Ronald Reagan's daughter Patti Davis, and Danny Elfman of Oingo Boingo.
One night the then-little-known band Kiss came in — sans makeup — after opening a bill at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. Simmons flirted, she sang for him, and she took him home — “because he was quite persuasive, and I like men,” she writes.
At first, she says, “I thought Gene was really weird," But she also thought “he was cute and had a lot of confidence.” When he paid attention to Sagal, something inside of her “bloomed” she recalls.
The next day he tagged along to her band rehearsal, and liked what he heard. So he took them to meet Neil Bogart, the president of Kiss' label, Casablanca — and Bogart signed them on the spot.
Sagal’s big break fizzled, after the band's record bombed, and they got dropped. But she maintained an off-and-on affair with Simmons, whom she fell for despite knowing what a womanizer he was — even after finding hundreds of Polaroids of his conquests in his New York apartment.
“I fantasized that I would be the exception,” she writes in the book, which details her years in the music business and her shift to acting, her drug use and subsequent sobriety, an early bout with cancer and her three marriages.
When she started dating another musician who proposed to her, she accepted — but only after telling Simmons she'd decline if he wanted to marry her: he laughed.
Simmons left her with enduring advice, she says: don't give up her career ambitions for a man. “And I never did,” Sagal writes, saying that was a lesson she needed to learn.
The band will headline the post-parade Endymion Extravaganza in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Feb. 25, sharing the bill with rapper FloRida and disco-era favorites KC and the Sunshine Band.
Additionally, members of KISS are slated to ride in Endymion for the final few blocks of the parade route. The plan is for them to board a float near the Joy Theater on Canal Street, then wave and toss throws the rest of the way to the Superdome.
Endymion founder Ed Muniz, the krewe's captain for its entire 51-year history, announced the entertainment roster Wednesday at Mardi Gras World.
The members of KISS were supposed to serve as the 1979 Endymion parade's grand marshals. But a police strike that year canceled most Carnival parades in Orleans Parish. Endymion rolled in Kenner, but bassist Gene Simmons and his bandmates opted not to ride.
Muniz took Simmons out to dinner in Metairie anyway. At one point, the rock star put his girlfriend at the time, Cher, on the phone with Muniz.
The four members of KISS were depicted on a float in the 2016 Endymion parade, which commemorated the krewe’s 50th anniversary.
KISS joins a long list of celebrity entertainers associated with Endymion. In 1976, rocker Alice Cooper, then at the height of his popularity, rode as the parade’s grand marshal.
“That was a big deal,” Muniz recalled earlier this year. “That was the first time Endymion went super.”
In 2015, country superstar Luke Bryan rode aboard Endymion's grand marshal float for the entire route, a span of more than six hours. He then rallied for a midnight performance at the Extravaganza, which, with its ice chests and tables piled high with food and drink, is akin to a mass tailgate party in formal attire.
The 2016 Extravaganza headliners, Pitbull and Steven Tyler, did not participate in the parade itself, although Tyler did make a brief appearance at Endymion’s pre-parade Samedi Gras celebration on the Orleans Avenue neutral ground near City Park Avenue.
The 2017 Samedi Gras event will kick off at noon Feb. 25 and feature local cover bands the Topcats, Groovy 7 and the Bucktown Allstars.
With more than 3,000 members, Endymion stages the largest parade in Carnival. It will roll at 4:15 p.m. Feb. 25 on its traditional Mid-City route. The 2017 theme is "The Constellations." Individual floats will depict celestial bodies.
Muniz, who made a fortune in the radio business before getting into Jefferson Parish politics, still keeps abreast of popular music. For the Extravaganza, he books acts to appeal to the krewe's diverse membership.
"That's what I learned when I was operating radio stations — you don't go for just one demographic," Muniz said Wednesday. "I would think FloRida is a different demographic than KISS. FloRida is younger."
Overall, "the membership seems happy" with this year's selections, he said. Most of the 20,000 tickets for the Extravaganza already have been sold. The only way to buy one now, Muniz said, is from a member of the krewe.
Headlining acts at the Extravaganza are paid hundreds of thousands of dollars. They are invited to ride in the parade but are not contractually required to do so.
"We book them to perform," Muniz said. "We invite them to ride. If they don't ride, we don't get upset about it."
Some performers opt to skip the parade because they don't want to wear themselves out by spending hours on a float leading up to show time. Others would rather spend the early evening rehearsing or doing sound checks at the Superdome.
But the members of KISS have tentatively agreed to climb aboard a float when the parade reaches the Joy.
"In a perfect world, that's what is going to happen," Muniz said. "It all seems to work out. I think God loves Mardi Gras."
A picture of Simmons and Frehley was posted on the former KISS guitarist's Facebook page, along with the following caption: "MEANWHILE ~ some guy name 'Eugene' crashed Ace's VIP meet-n-greet last nite in Beverly Hills without rendering payment. If any of you Rock Soldiers can identify this man of mystery, let us know!"
Rumors about Frehley's return to KISS gained strength last year after he teamed up with KISS lead singer Paul Stanley on a cover of FREE's "Fire And Water" in what was their first collaboration since 1998's "Psycho Circus".
Frehley's version of "Fire And Water" appears on his covers collection "Origins, Vol 1", which received great reviews and landed in the Top 25 on the Billboard album chart.
Asked if there is a chance that he will re-team with KISS, Frehley told "Talking Metal" at the Revolver Music Awards in December: "I haven't heard anything from Paul and Gene — although I did get a text from Gene the other day. He wanted to come see me perform this January. So, you know, maybe he'll pop the big question. Who knows? [Laughs]
He added: "Whatever happens, we're all good. It's all good."
Ace's "Talking Metal" comments echoed those he made in November when he told Eddie Trunk of the "Trunk Nation" radio show: "I haven't been contacted [about a reunion]. I'm not ruling it out. It's a possibility, I guess. But the ball's in Paul and Gene's court. If that's something that they would like to do to end off the career of KISS, I think it could be… if it was handled correctly, it could be great. But those guys pretty much run the show these days. And I'm doing my thing, and they're doing their thing. And if it happens, it'd be great, and if it doesn't, I'll be fine and they'll be fine."
Ace told "Trunk Nation" that his relationship with his former bandmates was never bad as it was portrayed by the media. "However the press colors the fact that we don't get along, in reality we do," he said. "You know, we have disagreements and things are said sometimes, taken out of context. But I've always been friends with those guys and they've been friends with me. We may not have agreed about certain things over the years and maybe there were times we didn't talk. I mean, we created something amazing that withstood the test of time."
Asked why Simmons ended up not appearing on "Origins Vol. 1", Ace told the WPDH 101.5 FM radio station: "Well, I tried calling Gene a couple of times and I got his answering machine. So I shot him a few different texts. I even went as far as to get ahold of Doc McGhee [KISS's manager] and tell Doc to let Gene know I wanted to get ahold of him. And I guess either he didn't get the message or he was just too busy. So I said, 'Well, let me reach to Paul.' I had Paul's cell phone [number] in my phone. I gave him a buzz, and he picked up immediately. And from the outset, he thought it was a great idea and would be a lot of fun. It took a while to choose which song we wanted to do. We were originally thinking about DEREK AND THE DOMINOS' [version of Jimi Hendrix's] 'Little Wing', then we were kicking around maybe 'My Generation' [by THE WHO]. But towards the end of the elimination process, I came up with the idea for [FREE's] 'Fire And Water', and he loved it."
If you would like more information on this great project, or would like to donate, visit http://oregonmilitarymuseumproject.org/.
Earlier today (Wednesday, January 25), Stanley revealed that he was still going through the recovery process, forcing him to rescheduled the SOUL STATION dates. He wrote: "MY APOLOGIES. Recovery from concussion will take a bit longer. I am postponing ALL FOUR California Soul Station shows Feb. 1-4. So sorry."
This is not the first physical setback that Stanley had experienced in recent years. Back in April 2016, he underwent surgery to repair a torn bicep tendon.
In a 2013 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Stanley talked about how his stage performances have damaged his body. He said: "My boots weigh 30 pounds. I'm running around and kicking with 15 pounds on each leg. We do at least four shows a week, and the days off are recuperation time."
He continued: "What I do has taken its toll. I've had both my rotator cuffs surgically repaired. They're all similar to sport injuries. I've torn my meniscus in both knees and had a hip replacement. This is all from onstage performances. It's like doing a triathlon with a guitar around my neck. You have to jump, sing, swing your arm and play the right chord. With that combination, anything can go wrong. I used to jump up in the air and land on my knees. It didn't hurt then, but it does now."
Stanley reiterated those sentiments in a 2014 interview with The New York Times. He said: "Things that didn't hurt me 40 years ago hurt me today. From 40 years ago. I've had both my rotator cups repaired, my knees. I've had a hip replacement. But I'm doing splits and everything on stage. I'm blessed. Every time I go out on stage, it is exhilarating."
Stanley, who had his first hip replacement at age 52, told U.K.'s Independent that he had no regrets about the nightly strutting in his eight-inch heels. "Every scar on my body was proudly earned," he said. "There's nothing worse than looking back and wishing you had done things, but I did 'em all. That's how life is supposed to be lived."
Stanley, who grew up half-deaf and scarred with a deformed right ear, eventually had reconstructive surgery in 1982 to create an ear using a piece of his rib cage.
KISS celebrates another milestone, reaching 125 new licensing partners worldwide, adding to the juggernaut of all music licensing/merchandising entities' thousands of products over a 43-year history!
Among its 125 new licensing partners, KISS holds the distinction of introducing unique products into the market, including the band's first-time-ever mobile game (for IOS, Android and Kindle), KISS digital emojis and KISS sticker packs for mobile messaging, KISS photo booths and KISS crane games in malls, parks and entertainment centers around the globe and even a KISS high-performance racing bike!
Epic Rights, KISS's exclusive worldwide licensing and merchandising partner, announces the following roster of licensees with unique and on-trend products.
New licensees with worldwide rights include:
* Dynamite Entertainment (comic books and graphic novels)
* Sproing Publishing (digital mobile video game)
* Swyft Media (virtual goods — emojis, stickers, frames, overlays, themes, wallpapers, avatars)
* Apple Industries (photo booths and branded prints)
* Sciacallo Bikes (carbon racing bikes)
* Staramba (3D printed figurines)
* New Ray Toys (long hauler model trucks)
New licensees with North American rights include:
* Pangea Brands LLC (waffle makers, toasters, popcorn makers)
* S&B Entertainment (branded vending and crane machines)
* Wish Factory (pet products and automotive)
* Rhode Island Novelty (amusement products) — North America plus Mexico
* AJJ Enterprises (cornhole/bean bag toss)
* Card Corporation (debit cards and credit cards)
KISS co-founders Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons jointly said: "We have always believed that to be successful, in life and in music, you've got to keep moving forward. No one wins standing still and we have always refused to live within the limitations of others. Our decades of record-breaking merchandising success is rooted in our motivation to give our fans what they want. Dell and his team at Epic Rights are always on the lookout for what's new, what's trending, and how KISS can be a part of it."
Other licensees adding to this momentous milestone of 125 partners include Dead Tentacles (worldwide), Fun.com (worldwide), PSD Underwear (worldwide), KISS4Sale (North America), Breygent Marketing (North America), CMD a.k.a. FigPin (North America), Eurographics (North America), iCup (North America), Imaginarium Goods (North America), OT Sports (North America), Robert Kaufman Fabrics (North America), Get Down Art (North America), Odd Sox (North America) and Philcos (Canada).
"The past 18 months have been among the band's most prolific of the past 40 years, and a key factor in building the KISS brand globally is the their continuous engagement with fans through touring and social media," explained Epic Rights executive VP of global licensing Lisa Streff. "KISS has more gold album awards than any other American band, and they continue to sell out tour dates and events around the world. They have encouraged Epic to explore and develop every opportunity when it comes to reaching out to their millions of ardent fans in every corner of the globe." Streff adds: "KISS have always been innovators and risk takers, and it continues to pay off in terms of developing unique and interesting licensing partnerships."
Wizard World is proud to announce that the first venture of Wizard World Touring a joint venture production with Gene Simmons by which the legendary KISS front-man, bassist and rock icon will perform “An Evening with Gene Simmons and his Band” and attend five Wizard World Comic Con events as an iconic star attraction in 2017. The club venue concerts are in conjunction with appearances at conventions in Cleveland (March 18-19), St. Louis (April 8-9), Philadelphia (June 2-3), Chicago (August 26-27) and Austin (November 17-18).
Evening concerts are planned on Friday in each of the respective cities, with Simmons on hand each Saturday to greet fans, pose for photo ops, sign autographs and conduct live interactive Q&A sessions at each Wizard world Comic Con.
“I’m excited to bring Rock & Roll back to Wizard World Comic Con in 2017,” said Simmons. “It will be great to meet fans and perform for them in every city.”
Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, members of rock band KISS, are set to bring their Rock & Brews restaurant concept to the Kaw Nation casino in Braman, northwest of Ponca City about 15 miles south of the Kansas state line on Interstate 35.
A groundbreaking ceremony is set for Jan. 12, where more details about the project will be announced.
There are just more than a dozen Rock & Brews restaurants across the country, including in the Dallas metro area and in Oklahoma City. The partnership with the Kaw Nation will be the first to take the restaurant to the casino and resort project. It also includes partners Michael Zislis, and Dave and Dell Furano. They will be on hand for the announcement, as well as local partner Kirk Williams and Kaw Nation Chairwoman Jacque Secondline Hensley.
“This partnership with Rock & Brews will provide the Kaw Nation with the opportunity to again be the prime gaming and entertainment destination in our market,” Hensley said in a statement announcing the partnership.
To commemorate Singer’s 30 year tenure as a devoted drum set artist, Pearl recently collaborated with famed engraver John Aldridge to craft a pair of one-of-a-kind SensiTone 14”x5” black nickel-over-brass snare drums.
The first, a gift from Pearl to Singer, was presented to Eric by Artist Relations Manager John Farquharson at a KISS concert in Uncasville, CT, while the band was meeting fans in their famous stage make-up. “Eric has an impressive collection of Pearl drums from every era,” states Farquharson. “We wanted to make sure this was a timeless piece that could never be duplicated.”
Each drum features beautifully-figured ornamental fillagree, the KISS logo and Catman icon, a special commemorative 30th Anniversary scroll, and a Kanji graphic representing the Japanese symbol for “Power”; all hand-etched in the outer shell by Aldridge. In tribute to Eric’s passion for watches and drums, his personal drum features an ornate clock face with the word “CHRONOMETRIS” (Latin for “Time Keeper”,) engraved in one panel.
The “Auction” drum, features hand-signatures from each member of KISS, will be sold in a special online charity auction with all proceeds from the sale going to benefit the Lifeline Education Charter School. Benefiting their music and arts programs. For more info on the school, visit their website - www.lifelinecharterschool.com.
Eric says: “It has been an honor and pleasure to play PEARL DRUMS for over 30 years and counting! They have truly given me The Best Reason to Play Drums…”
The special online Ebay auction will begin on December 17th at midnight and extend to December 19, 2016.
Kulick, also known for his membership in GRAND FUNK RAILROAD, was a member of KISS from 1984 to 1996 during its so-called "no-makeup" era. His performance of 10 KISS songs at Ultimate Jam Night will be the most played in one show since his inclusion in the band.
Over 50 artists, including ACE FREHLEY bassist Chris Wyse, L.A. GUNS guitarist Michael Grant, GOV'T MULE bassist Jorgen Carlsson, AUTOGRAPH vocalist Simon Daniels, drummer Jason Sutter of MARILYN MANSON, and guitarist Nikki Stringfield of THE IRON MAIDENS will perform tunes from KISS's entire career.
Ultimate Jam Night is a long-running free weekly show currently in residence at L.A.'s famed Whisky A Go Go. Founded in 2015 by QUIET RIOT's Chuck Wright, the show features a rotating cast of the world's finest musicians assembled in an entirely unrehearsed setting. Since its inception, the night has provided a combination of live music, performance art, comedy bits, walk around characters, and community and charitable giving. More information can be found by visiting www.ultimatejamnight.com.
The KISS guitarist, who put together many of the band's previous home video collections before joining the group himself in 2002, has been compiling material for the project, which — like its predecessors — will combine never-before-seen footage, full-length concerts and rare TV appearances from the KISS archives.
Asked by Michael Cavacini why the fourth volume of "Kissology" still hasn't arrived even though it was originally due in November 2011, Thayer said: "I don't know if it was officially slated to be released then. I know we were talking about it and maybe that was the intention. It's still on hold. It's about 85 percent done. I put it together and produced what we've done so far."
He continued: "'Kissology 4', like the other Kissologies, will chronicle a certain era of the band. It will chronicle the band from early 2001-2002 up until the current date. It will also include vintage footage from the KISS archives that people haven't seen, so there'll be a cool bonus element to it too.
"Getting back to your question, I don't know if I have a good reason why it hasn't come out yet. There have just been so many other things going on, and something as important as that has to have its own window of time where it's focused on and committed to, in terms of talking about it, putting it out and doing it the right way, so the right attention is given to it. Sometimes that kind of stuff happens.
"A project like this is a little bit timeless so you have more flexibility where it doesn't have to come out at a certain time, so I guess that's why it hasn't yet. So, we're waiting to find the right time to put it out so it gets the attention that it deserves."
KISS frontman Paul Stanley said in a 2008 interview that he was taken aback by one particular aspect of the success of the "Kissology" series. "I think my biggest surprise is that 'Kissology Vol. 3' is the biggest and I thought that 'Kissology Vol. 1' would be the biggest because 'Kissology Vol. 1' is the beginning. And if you believed the loudest voices, the loudest opinions, you would think that the majority of people wanted the earliest stuff. But as it turns out, the biggest seller by far is 'Kissology Vol. 3', so once again the people who speak the loudest are not necessarily the majority."
Although KISS hasn't released a studio album since 2012's "Monster", Stanley told the audience at the band's October 29 concert at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut that a follow-up effort is on the way. Asked by Michael Cavacini when KISS will start writing material for the new disc and begin recording it, Thayer said: "I think right now it's still in the idea phase. I don't believe anything definitive has been determined or decided on yet for that. Within the band, we've talked and thrown some ideas around. So I think there's a good likelihood of that happening, especially since Paul announced it from the stage the other night. We'll see, but it would be nice to do another record.’
For more information, visit www.lakissexpo.com.
In addition to playing drums in the band, Peter also provided lead vocals for a number KISS's most popular and memorable songs, including "Beth", "Black Diamond" and "Hard Luck Woman". Peter's "Catman" persona is an instantly recognizable icon in pop culture.
Criss first left KISS in 1980. Since then he's worked with other bands and released solo albums. He teamed up with KISS again for a few gigs in the 1990s and most recently in 2004. He was replaced by Eric Singer.
Criss, who was known as "Catman," released his last solo CD, titled "One for All", in 2007. Peter produced the album himself for the first time, and was joined by guest musicians that included keyboardist Paul Shaffer and bassist Will Lee of "Late Night with David Letterman". The album featured a range of styles, from rock and jazz to blues and Broadway, and included covers of "What a Difference a Day Makes" and "Send in the Clowns".
The four original members of KISS were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in April 2014 by RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello.
KISS did not perform — the Hall Of Fame wanted the original quartet only to play, while Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley insisted on the current lineup — which also includes guitarist Tommy Thayer — performing as well. In the end nobody won that battle.
In addition to the donation, Simmons also auctioned off a ‘blade’ guitar.
A total of $280,000 was raised by the gala, the centre said.
Simmons was there with his wife, Canadian model and actress Shannon Tweed, to show support for their daughter, Sophie Tweed-Simmons, who lent her name to the Surrey facility.
Since 2012, Sophie's Place has assisted abused children up to the age of 18 by providing a safe space where they can talk about their experience of physical, mental or sexual abuse with trained staff and law enforcement professionals.
In a statement issued by the centre, Tweed-Simmons said the team at Sophie’s Place conducted more than 200 interviews with abused children over the past year.
“It’s really important that kids have a place to go where they can be taken seriously, and where they can express what’s happened to them in a safe environment," Tweed-Simmons said.
The Centre also operates satellite offices in Langley that provides a number of professional services for children with special needs including: physiotherapy, communication therapy, occupational therapy, and services for children and families affected by Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder.
The Langley location is also home to the centre's fundraising arm, the Child Development Foundation of British Columbia.
For more information, visit www.the-centre.org or phone 604-584-1361.
Among the highlights of the show were Hagar teaming with FOO FIGHTERS leader Dave Grohl for a duet on VAN HALEN's "Finish What You Started" before they were joined by Jason Bonham for a take on LED ZEPPELIN's "Rock 'N' Roll".
Stanley tackled ZEPPELIN's "Whole Lotta Love" and THE ROLLING STONES' "It's Only Rock ‘n' Roll (But I Like It)" in addition to several KISS favorites.
Check out photos of the event at RedRocker.com.
Grohl told The Pulse Of Radio a while back how he got to know Stanley outside of the music business. "I see Paul Stanley every morning at drop-off 'cause our kids go to school with each other," he said. "Paul is not only a great dude, but a great dad. He's there at 7:30 every morning with his kid and it's the greatest — I mean, it's inspiring. Like, of course, I love KISS and I'm inspired by him as a musician, but when I see him being, like, a dude — being a dad — it's like, that's the coolest thing in the world to me."
The FOO FIGHTERS played a selection of their own hits, including "Learn To Fly", "My Hero", "Times Like These", "All My Life", "Everlong" and "Best Of You".
FOO FIGHTERS have been on hiatus since the end of their European trek last November, but various anecdotal reports suggest that Grohl has been working on new music, potentially for the group's ninth studio effort.
Although Grohl has hinted that HBO was interested in a second season of the documentary series "Sonic Highways", which followed the FOO FIGHTERS around the country as they recorded the 2014 album of the same name, there has been no official announcement that the series is returning.
"As I understand, [LA KISS] won't be involved in any football moving forward," AFL Players Union executive director Ivan Soto wrote in an e-mail on Monday.
LA KISS became the third AFL team to fold and the fifth to leave the league over the past week. First, one of the league's longest serving teams, the Orlando Predators, folded earlier this week. Then, one of the league's newer teams, the Jacksonville Sharks, announced they were leaving the AFL for a rival league. Another long-standing team, the Arizona Rattlers, are looking to join the Indoor Football League. That leaves just four teams in the AFL, half the number that started the 2015 season.
No official announcement about LA KISS's status has been made by the team or the league.
When LA KISS was launched in August 2013, Simmons and Stanley had high hopes for the Anaheim-based expansion team.
"The whole idea of an alternative to what has perhaps become a corporate sport is very intriguing, and resonates with us," Stanley told USA Today at the time. "We've always tried to be a band that relates to everybody, and the AFL is built on that whole premise."
Regarding their involvement in the team, Stanley said: "We don't want to wear too many hats. When it's appropriate, we will defer to the people who have experience with this. We're bringing something new to the party."
"We're not going to be passive players in this," Simmons added. "We're really going to be a part of this thing."
According to The Orange County Register, attendance for LA KISS games dropped sharply in the second season, to an average of 7,913 fans at Honda Center in 2015. That was down from the 10,945 LA KISS averaged in 2014, when they were second in the AFL in attendance.
The team drew an average of 7,056 this past season, next to last in the league.
Over a 30-plus-year career, the fast-talking, heavy-hitting singer has played with guitar legends Gary Moore, Brian May and Lita Ford, joined Black Sabbath for three years and worked extensively with Alice Cooper. But there are few bigger gigs in rock than Kiss.
“Life works in funny ways and I don’t regret the choices I’ve made or didn’t make,” says Singer. “I have a lot of stories when I was asked to be in bands and said no and those bands were successful, but sometimes by staying the course, some connection I made manifested later down the line. Things happen for a reason.”
Singer’s drum heroes include Buddy Rich and Vinnie Colaiuta, but the Kiss gig is all about power, energy and showmanship.
“Gary Moore said to me years ago, ‘If I’m doing rock, I want a rock drummer. There is nothing I hate worse than a rock drummer trying to be a fusion drummer.’ And that stuck with me,” says Singer, who showed he can lay down the groove when backing Kiss’s Paul Stanley on his Soul Station project.“
Everybody doesn’t have to be Vinnie Colaiuta or Gregg Bissonette where you’re a chameleon. If you go, ‘I’m a rock drummer, that’s what I do,’ that’s cool too, because you can make a living and be successful. So what works for you.”
Was your first big break when you landed the gig with Lita Ford?
“That was in ’84. I entered a Carmine Appice drum contest in LA in September ’84. I remember it was a radio station, I think it was KLOS, you sent in a tape and from that they picked 50 people – 15 girls and 35 guys.
“They had you play at a Guitar Center in the parking lot, they set up two drum kits, one double bass kit, one single bass kit. Out of that they picked the finalists. Steven Adler was in the contest. He didn’t get picked for the finals, I remember he was upset. His mother went up to Carmine Appice, ‘How come my son Steven didn’t get picked?’ I was standing right on the sidewalk next to him while his mother was asking Carmine. It had to be an awkward moment.
“The funny thing was, three years later he’s in the biggest band in the world, so you never know how things are going to turn out. After that, fast forward, I made the finals, I didn’t win, I took third place. Some girl asked Carmine for my number, so the next day I got a call, ‘Hey, I got your number from Carmine Appice and I’m doing this video for Playboy magazine, they’re doing all these videos called women of rock.’
“I did it with a girl called Brenda Lee Holliday. Being in that drum contest, that’s how I got discovered. The guy that played bass in the video, Ray Marzano, had played with Lita. His girlfriend was Lita’s best friend. Randy Castillo was her drummer. Ray goes, ‘Randy quit, Lita doesn’t even know it yet, she’s in England with Tony Iommi,’
“He said, ‘She’s going to need a drummer, I’m going to recommend you.’ So Ray and a few other people all told Lita about me, I auditioned and got the gig. She was going out with Tony Iommi so that’s how I started playing on some of his demos and ended up in Black Sabbath. I know it’s a cliche´ but life is a chain-link fence, everything connects to something else.”
What was the path that led to you joining KISS?
“I was in a band called Badlands with Ozzy’s old guitar player Jake E Lee. We started that band after the Gary Moore tour and we got a record deal around the Fall of ’88. I actually quit the band halfway through the recording process, then they convinced me to stay and we decided to regroup and write new songs. ‘Let’s go to New York and get a change of scenery.’
“While we were there, this bassist Dennis St James was managed by the same people and he was going to be playing with [guitarist] Bob Kulick on Paul’s solo tour. He asked the management, ‘Hey, what’s Eric doing? Paul Stanley needs a drummer.’
“I met with Paul, I brought him some Black Sabbath CDs. He told me he was trying to get either me or Gregg Bissonette but Gregg wasn’t available. That night Jason Flom, who was our A&R guy, happened to be at the China Club which was a popular hangout where people jammed in New York City. He goes, ‘Hey, I just ran into Paul Stanley, he told me you’re playing drums on his solo tour.’ That’s how I found out.
“The minute I got home that next day to LA I got a call saying, ‘Paul decided he wants to start rehearsals earlier.’ I had to turn around and fly back to New York and really start cramming on learning the songs.”
How did the band work in the studio on the most recent albums Sonic Boom and Monster?
“The way we did the last two records, the band played live in the studio. We didn’t play with a click track. One song on the newest record I played with a click track only because it was a song we literally wrote on the spot.
“If you’re playing and everybody is making mistakes you’re not going to get the track. I thought, let’s play to a click, let’s at least get the drums. I did it mainly for expediting the process, but other than that every other thing was played live as a band. You get it warts and all but that’s the thing, it’s live.
“At this point I’m pretty experienced from working in recording. All the other songs we did, we would go into a rehearsal room, jam the ideas out, get a basic arrangement so that everybody was familiar with the ideas and the riffs and had a chance to live with it, so when we got to the studio we would do two, three, or four songs at a time and we had that rehearsal tape as a point of reference for the tempo and the arrangement.
“The new record, on some of the songs you can hear me clicking the sticks or counting things off, you hear some of those noises in the background. I like that, to me that gives it that raw, really live element, which is important. That’s why we did it this way because we wanted it to be less slick and less produced in the sense of it being so perfect.”
It’s important to give the music room to breathe?
“Music breathes. Music moves. If you listen to a symphony orchestra, you have a conductor, they’re reading sheet music, but the band has to learn how to play as an ensemble together. There’s almost this unspoken free-form time in a lot of classical music, it’s not dead set where you can tap your foot to it like a rock’n’roll song.
“Humble Pie was a great example, that band really played well together and the music moved around. You’ll feel certain sections of the song slow down and then speed up and they all do it together. They’re really feeling the music as an ensemble and to me that’s more of an orchestral, symphonic vibe where the music has that real human element.
“Sometimes that happens automatically. Many times you’ll play with another guitar player or bass player and go, ‘Wow, I played really well with this guy, we hear things the same.’ It’s true. The way you interpret things and the way you feel the beat, whether it is ahead or behind or on the mark, those little subtleties are where people say, ‘we’re really clicking together.’ It just has to do with how you hear music.”
What drums did you use for recording Monster?
“I used my old Pearl GLX kit. It’s one with those old super-Gripper lugs. There is something unique about those drums, they only made them from around ’86 to 1990, they never really caught on in America.
“That was my first endorsement kit that I got from Pearl in 1986. I kept those drums all these years and I’ve used them on many tours with Gary Moore, Sabbath, Badlands, even Kiss, Alice Cooper.
“Last year I decided to dig them out of the warehouse. I hadn’t used them in about 10 years and I had the kit refurbished, had the shells cut down to more standard sizes, because it was an old power toms kit. I used them on tour for a while last year and it reminded me how great these drums sounded – 12", 13", with 16", 18" floor toms, and a 24".
“I set it up as a double-bass kit but I never even put a pedal on the left drum, I only set it up because that’s what I was physically used to playing and I thought it would make it more comfortable for me.
“In the studio I don’t care about having a giant kit. Honestly I’m fine with one bass drum, one rack, and one floor tom if I really had to. But with Kiss I wanted to have the option of having more tom sounds, so I used four toms. That kit sounds really great. I used a Pearl Free Floating 14"x61/2" clear acrylic snare.
That drum ends up being my secret weapon whenever I’m in the studio.
“I brought in a whole arsenal of snare drums, Black Beauties, old ones from the ’30s, a Tama Bell Brass, all the different Pearl signature drums, I even had one of Cozy Powell’s drums that I got years ago, one of the Yamaha ones. It’s a really weird drum because it has this unique stringer set up on it and has these thick die-cast hoops, the strainer looks like something off a marching snare, Cozy must have had these made special for him because I’ve never seen these before or since.
“I even tried that when we were first working on rough ideas, but nothing sounded like that Pearl acrylic Free Floater. It’s weird how it would sound better than all the other drums. Usually you never go wrong using a Black Beauty in the studio, that’s always a failsafe mechanism, but that Free Floater is the one.”
Is it tough to juggle drumming and singing live?
“As long as I’m feeling healthy and I have my voice then I love singing. It’s tough sometimes when it’s 115° in Phoenix and you’re playing outside with all the flames. There are some times when playing feels like work.
“Generally, it doesn’t feel like work, I’ve got one of the greatest jobs in the world, getting to play every night for all these people, playing a giant drum kit on a huge stage, putting on a big show, it doesn’t suck. I’ve got one of the greatest drumming gigs that anybody could ever want. Every day is a new adventure.”
During a brand new interview with Florida's 99 Rock radio station, the ANTHRAX guitarist was asked if he thinks Stanley and Simmons should reunite with former KISS members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss. He responded: "Look, I'm a lifelong fan of that band. But the bottom line is, and what people need to understand is, look, it's Gene and Paul's band. They are the guys that have worked their asses off since 1973 to keep that band, that business moving forward all the way into 2016 and still on the level that they're doing it."
He continued: "I know a lot of fans get pissed off — 'Oh, those guys are being dicks' or whatever — and it's, like, you have no idea. You have no idea what it takes to make a band last that long at the level that KISS is. So it's their band and it's their decision.
"As a fan, I would love to see Ace Frehley play one more time in KISS. And I'm gonna be completely honest, and this is no knock on Peter, but the last time I saw them with Peter, on the KISS/AEROSMITH run, like thirteen years ago or something, whenever that was, the tempos were terrible; everything was just way too slow. So if that's the case, no, I don't wanna see that; I wanna see stuff played at the right tempo. If [Peter] could play it at the right tempo, then more power to him, and I would love to see that; of course I would. But, you know, it's not my band. It's Gene and Paul's band, and those guys know what's right for their band; they've proven it. Stop questioning Gene and Paul."
Rumors of a KISS reunion with Frehley gained strength earlier this year when Stanley reconnected with his former bandmate for a cover of FREE's "Fire And Water" for Ace's solo covers set, "Origins Vol. 1". Stanley subsequently dismissed the speculation, saying that "It doesn't need to, and won't, lead anywhere in terms of… Why would we change the [current KISS] band? The band is great. KISS is great the way it is. And it's great to be in contact and texting and speaking with Ace. He's in great shape. Psychologically, you know, he's clean and sober, and he's one of a kind. He can be a strange apple, but that's what makes him so cool. And I'm glad I took up the opportunity to be on his album and also shoot a video with him."
ANTHRAX is continuing to tour in support of its latest album, "For All Kings", which sold 34,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 9 on The Billboard 200 chart.
Guests at the screening included Sofía Vergara and Joe Manganiello and X Japan fan Marilyn Manson.
Also on hand was X Japan’s leader Yoshiki, who performed a version of the “The Star-Spangled Banner” at an after-party on a see-through grand piano. (His band specializes in a “colorful collision of thrash metal and classical piano,” according to Rolling Stone. Their slogan’s “Psychedelic Violence Crime of Visual Shock.”)
A mesmerized fan told us of Yoshiki’s national anthem, “Everyone’s hearts and ears were in awe.”
Yoshiki said Monday he’ll play Carnegie Hall with the Tokyo Philharmonic next year. Balthazar Getty DJ’d the LA bash at Teddy’s. The film’s scheduled to make a New York screening Thursday with a performance by Yoshiki.
Co-written by series writer and comics superstar Amy Chu (Poison Ivy) and Erik Burnham (Back to the Future, Ghostbusters), with art by Eman Cassallos (Jennifer Blood, Vampirella), KISS: The Demon will feature the band's iconic bassplayer and co-founder himself, Gene Simmons, in his own miniseries!
Before Blackwell, before Morpheus, there was the MUSIC. In a small town in Iowa, three young KISS fans meet at a concert and form their own band, unaware they are about to embark on a journey that will not only change their lives, but also the fate of the world. A prequel to the ongoing series!"I am so excited to collaborate on The Demon with friend and fellow writer Erik Burnham. He's written a ton of great stuff: X-Files, Scarlet Spider, and Ghostbusters for Marvel, IDW, Image among others." states co-writer Amy Chu "I figured this was a great opportunity to tell a really different kind of story, and it's awesome that Dynamite is letting us do it! Our aim is to build an incredible backstory for the current KISS series, answer a lot of the origin questions like who is Mr. Blackwell? and push the envelope of the KISS comics franchise."
"KISS has never just been a band. Our comic book history has been long and proud and has spanned decades, and now with Dynamite Entertainment, we intend to go even further," says Gene Simmons. "When we get a great writer and artist team, we know better than to micromanage. We stay out of the way. Everyone involved wanted to take our personas and do classic KISS comic books, and with Amy Chu writing, this will be an adventure the fans will absolutely love."
"I will reiterate, Gene is a rock star in every sense, and an incredible storyteller and showman. I couldn't think of a better way to expand our line of KISS comics than to tackle stories of the individual characters," said CEO and publisher, Nick Barrucci. "The Demon is one of the most iconic characters in music and comics, and a great candidate for the first spinoff series. The fact that we could keep Amy on-board, co-writing with Erik Burnham and joined by our very own Eman Cassallos, helps continue the quality that we're establishing with the main KISS series."
KISS: The Demon #1 will be solicited in Diamond Comic Distributors' November 2016 Previews catalog, the premier source of merchandise for the comic book specialty market, and slated for release in January 2017. Comic book fans are encouraged to reserve copies of KISS with their local comic book retailers. KISS: The Demon will also be available for individual customer purchase through digital platforms courtesy of Comixology, Dynamite Digital, iVerse, and Dark Horse Digital. Look for updates in the coming months, and make sure to keep up with Dynamite on social media.
Rank ACT
Total Gross
Show Date Range
Venue/City (Shows/Sellouts)
Total Attendance (Capacity)
9 KISS
$1,532,287
Sept. 3-9
DCU Center, Worcester, Mass. (1/0)
Cross Insurance Arena, Portland, Maine (1/0)
Webster Bank Arena, Bridgeport, Conn. (1/0)
Richmond Coliseum, Richmond, Va. (1/0)
22,212 (29,261)
Krewe founder Ed Muniz said that the Extravaganza entertainers are always invited to ride in the enormous parade, where they serve as celebrity grand marshals. Some accept the invitation. Some decline, fearful of ruining their voices in advance of their post-parade performances, or because riding in the parade doesn't allow time for sound checks, Muniz said.
Endymion treasurer Joe Travato said KISS frontman Gene Simmons was the parade's grand marshal in 2005. KISS had been scheduled to ride in the Endymion 1979 parade, before the police strike in New Orleans forced the krewe leadership to move the parade to Kenner. In the end, the band did not appear that year.
Muniz announced that 2017 will be KC and the Sunshine Band's fourth Endymion appearance.
At Endymion Extravaganza 2016, Pitbull and Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler performed at the annual party at the Mercedes Benz Superdome.
With 81 floats, 3,200 riders, and a budget of $7 million, Endymion is the largest Mardi Gras parade. It is also the only parade to roll on a route from Mid-City to downtown New Orleans.
Illuminated with high-tech lighting effects and even rolling video screens, Endymion is also the most avant-garde parade. This year lighting designer Ray Ziegler promised a lavish lighting update of the signature Captain Eddy's S.S. Endymion float.
In addition, for the first time, the parade will be led by a rolling spotlight truck that will project the krewe's logo, a cartoon shepherd, onto the clouds a la the Batman signal. That's if there are clouds. Ziegler said that if not, the spotlight handlers may have to project the image on buildings as the parade passes.
The theme of Endymion 2017 will be "The Constellations," with floats decorated with celestial symbols, such as a blue bear for the constellation Ursa Minor, twin cherubs for Gemini, and a huge fly for Musca.
In addition to Robert's reliable vocals and the exquisite band arrangements, the album features prominent guests from bands like KISS, WHITESNAKE, EUROPE and TNT. Swedish singers Svante Thuresson and Jan Johansen also contribute duet vocals.
Robert Haglund has been a professional musician for 20 years now.
"At the age of 15, I already knew that I wanted to become a musician," he said. However, as a teenager a lot revolved around the rock star myth.
Robert was realistic and talented enough to actually become a trained musical artist, going on the become hired for both shows and musicals.
When he saw the DRIFTERS live, got the idea to form av vocal group. Thus, the FANTASTIC FOUR were born, combining Motown soul with crooner aesthetics.
All along, Robert kept enjoying his old favorite rock bands, like KISS and VAN HALEN. Rockers with a strong image and great songs with a groove.
Soon, the idea was born to revisit the world of rock, but from a jazz angle.
It wasn't as far-fetched as it may seem. VAN HALEN always had influences from swing jazz — the father of the Van Halen brothers was a jazz clarinetist, and even played on some of the band's albums. "It was also through their lead singer, David Lee Roth, that I discovered Frank Sinatra," said Robert, who once was a contestant in the Swedish version of "Stars In Their Eyes", sucessfully taking on the role of Roth.
The idea of an album took shape. Having guest artist seemed obvious, but Robert wanted to whip the material into shape first, in order to be able to present the concept clearly.
He took his ideas to multi-instrumentalist Erik Mjörnell, together with whom he created most of the arrangements.
A lot of songs were tried out, since not all had the natural swing it took for them to work in this setting.
"Arrangements of this type aren't put together in 15 minutes, Robert explained. It had to sound alive, natural and not like the new instrumentations were forced upon the songs.
When the track listing was decided on, and arrangements finalized, he started contacting a number of musicians and vocalists. To make sure their hearts were in it, he let them decide which songs to contribute to.
The first one to show interest was Bruce Kulick, solo guitarist of KISS between 1984 and 1996. "He got back to me the very day after I had contacted him," he said. "Bruce only works with projects that he genuinely likes, and he found this projct to be cool, and well put together."
The fact that Kulick ended up appearing on three different tracks was the seal of approval needed to get others on board. Rudy Sarzo (QUIET RIOT, OZZY OSBOURNE, WHITESNAKE) joins Kulick on the KISS classic "Love Gun".
"Sarzo turned out to be another humble star, with a big heart," Robert said. "He spends a lot of his time taking care of homeless dogs.
The album also features a few Scandinavian musicians and vocalists of note.
Guitarist Kee Marcello of the bands EASY ACTION and EUROPE gets to showcase his jazz rock and fusion chops in "The Price" by TWISTED SISTER.
"Kee is a super musician whose versitality not eveyone is aware of," Robert enthused. "He really made the song shine. If you listen carefully, you can even find a litte tribute to THE BEATLES' 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' in there."
Robert was also very pleased with THIN LIZZY's "Don't Believe A Word", a duet with Tony Harnell of TNT.
"Tony loves LIZZY, and his voice has a bluesy tone that suits the song perfectly," Robert said.
The Swedish stars singing duets with Robert on the album aren't half bad, either. Jan Johansen has his roots in melodic rock, while Svante Thuresson is the only one guesting the album who originally comes from the jazz and swing world.
"Svante turns 80 next year, but is still curious about new things," said Robert.
The legendary singer chose to lend his smooth voice to "Ain't No Love In the Heart Of The City", a Bobby Bland classic that WHITESNAKE took to another level.
The title track, "I Wanna be Somebody", was originally written and recorded by W.A.S.P. Another visual, highly image-driven band that Robert grew up listening to.
"Some may think that the title refers to me, but it's mainly about the fact that a lot of people today want to become celebrities at any cost," Robert said. "Our whole society seems to be consumed by this dream of becoming famous."
All in all, there are ten brilliantly re-arranged rock classics on the album.
Needless to say, Robert is pleased that it finally sees the light of day.
"It's easy to lose heart at times, when the jigsaw is spread out, you have kids and everything seems to take more time than it should," he said. "But, just like my childhood heroes, I refused to let others decide on my destiny. If one door closes, another one usually opens, and now the album is finished!"
It is Robert's hope, and belief, that listeners will find these versions worthwhile.
"A lot of rockers probably feels that they have heard a song like 'Enter Sandman' enough times. Here they may find new sides to the song, and others on the album."
"I Wanna Be Somebody" was released August 19 on MMS Records, and distributed by Universal Music. The release will be followed by live gigs in a slightly smaller format.
Listen to the interviews with Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons on iTunes.
Not many bands have had the staying power of KISS (Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Tommy Thayer, Eric Singer). And Paul Stanley recognizes and appreciates that. “I’m blessed, but I work hard to maintain a standard. The bar that we set for ourselves is pretty, pretty ruthless and unrelenting. We expect a lot from our road crew, but they do it because they see we’re just as hard on ourselves. We played our first show of this tour—it was 103 degrees outside and that’s where we were playing. It doesn’t matter. We’re KISS. We have an incredible legacy to uphold, and many people come to see us for the first time and all they’ve heard is a legend, and it’s up to us to live up to that and go beyond it. So we wear that with great pride. Every time I get on stage, for me it’s a victory lap.”
KISS has always been about immersing audiences in an experience. And the band has been going on that journey with their fans each time they play. Whether it’s live or via DVD or CD, the KISS mission is the same. “I want people to come to our show and be there—be present. I’m there…We want to have an experience of celebrating rock and roll, and celebrating life, success, the pursuits of the individual—things that are really important, that are timeless,” says Stanley.
Did the singer/songwriter ever think that KISS would have the staying power and impact he has witnessed 42 years into the game? “To be honest with you, I have always believed that if you do what you love and love what you do you’ll find others who have the same point of view…if you address your needs and if you address the things that matter to you, it’ll resonate with somebody else.
“So did I necessarily think that we would play a stadium in South America and everybody would be singing a song I wrote on my sofa? No. But it makes sense… I think what we do, and what I try to do, is something that’s universal. It’s personal, but in the same way that I’m not really that different than the people who come to the show… if I love something, more than likely they will. Did I think it would be this big? Yes and no. I hoped for five great years with the band and here we are four decades in with many, many people saying that on this tour the band’s never been better, and that the show’s never been better. And I tend to agree with them,” Stanley says.
What advice would the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer give others who hope to find creative success? “I think the key to success is doing what you love and what we owe ourselves in life is to find something we’re passionate about. It doesn’t have to be music. It has to be something that you are fulfilled by. And if you’re fulfilled by something, the success will probably come. And if it doesn’t, you’ll still be fulfilled. There’s nothing worse than pursuing something that you don’t believe in. Then if it fails, what have you got to show for it? If you do something you love doing and you pursue what you in your heart feel is worthwhile, then that doesn’t change. The success is a bonus.” I love it when rockstars are cool and wise.
Read more about Kiss Rocks Vegas on Parade.
With a new series — simply titled KISS — launching from Dynamite Entertainment this October, Heat Vision talked to Gene Simmons about what to expect from the new series and what makes his band so successful in the comic medium. According to him, the appeal is very simple: "Kiss has never been just a band."
Instead, he suggested, it's the fantasy element of the band that allows them to move from music to comics and back again with such ease. "I fly through the air at 8 feet per second. Yes, I spit fire. And yes, I wear bat wings and dragon boots," Simmons says, adding with mock scolding, "Don't be jealous."
That crossover between reality and the fantastic has been fueled by what Simmons calls his "fascination with literature that has a sense of wonder." As he put it, "When you think about it, superheroes are really modern day versions of the great Greek gods of mythology: Mercury had wings and could fly. Vulcan was the god of fire." Kiss, then, fits neatly into that spectrum with their Catman, Starchild, Spaceman and Demon personas.
The iconic, mythological approach is one reason why Simmons calls Amy Chu and Kewber Baal, the writer/artist team behind the new Dynamite series "a dream team" for chronicling the band's comic book adventures. "It's not just because they're both talented, but because they understand and respect the mythology of Kiss," he explains. "From the outset, we started the band with four separate and distinct personas, each with his own tone, each with their own cross to bear — not always getting along together, but connected in a way none of them realizes."
That idea — of a group dealing with ideas and forces they don't fully understand — is one that echoes the band's beginnings in the real world. "We were completely delusional and inexperienced and really had no idea what we were doing, except for one magical thought: Let's put together the band we never saw on stage," Simmons remembers.
"And then we were carried away by our own self-imposed mandate, which then led us to completely ignore all the other bands, fans, fashion and especially what critics for Rolling Stone thought. We have always marched to the beat of our own drummer, and here we are, over 42 years later, America's number one gold record award winning group of all time. In all categories, I might add."
The new comic book series, Simmons promises, will be a love letter to the fans who've stayed with the band for that time — as well as newcomers who've never read a Kiss comic before.
"The wonderful thing about the Dynamite team is that we are all of like minds," he says. Everyone involved wanted to take our personas and do a classic Kiss comic book, and to include deep fanboy references to [Music from] the Elder, our one and only concept album. With Amy Chu writing the books, this will be an adventure the fans will absolutely love. I've already seen the covers and artwork, and in the patois of the street, it rocks."
Asked about the continued success of the band's comic book alter egos, Simmons puts it down to simply recognizing when to let the professionals do their thing. "When we get a great writer and artist team, we know better than to micromanage," he says. "We stay out of the way. Our comic book history has been long and proud and has spanned decades, and now with Dynamite Entertainment, we intend to go even further. We can't wait."
KISS launches digitally and in comic book stores this October and is available for pre-order now.
Stanley said last month that "it's only worth [making a new studio album] if, artistically, you wanna do it. Every time we finish an album, I kind of go, 'Well, that's it.' Whenever we've done an album… When we did 'Sonic Boom', it was because the band was so good that I just thought to not capture the band and do new material would be a shame. But once we did 'Sonic Boom', I said, 'Well, we've made the point.' And then, a few years later, it was, like, 'Wow, why don't we dig deeper and get a little closer to the roots and the people that we loved and kind of do something else,' so we did that, and then I said, 'We're done.' But lately I've been thinking, yeah, we should do another."
During the Q&A discussion, Simmons will show the never before seen, short film titled GENE SIMMONS: ROCK ICON & MEDIA MOGUL.
“I’m excited to bring Rock & Roll to Wizard World Comic Con in Richmond,” says Simmons. “It’s gonna be a killer time, so I hope to see you there!”
Gene Simmons is a multi-hyphenate entrepreneur and one of the world’s most recognized personalities. He co-founded KISS 42 years ago. KISS has sold over 100 million CDs and DVDs worldwide, is celebrating its 42nd year, and continues to sell out stadiums and arenas around the world, breaking box-office records set by Elvis and the Beatles. KISS was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame at the 2014 induction ceremony, and the band is recognized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for its pioneering work.
“We’re incredibly excited to have Gene Simmons join us at Wizard World Richmond,” says John Maatta, Wizard World President and CEO. “This is the kind of exclusive and exciting programming that Wizard World is all about.”
Located at the Greater Richmond Convention Center, Gene Simmons will join previously announced guests including Jewel Staite (Firefly; Serenity), Nichelle Nichols (Star Trek), Lindsey Morgan (The 100; General Hospital), Kevin Sorbo (Hercules, The Legendary Journeys), Tommy Flanagan (Sons of Anarchy), Joey Fatone (*NSYNC), and more.
For more information on Gene Simmons’ appearance, and to purchase general and VIP admissions for the event, view the schedule, location, show hours, hotel and travel information, please visit: http://wizardworld.com/comiccon/richmond.
6 KISS
$1,438,799
Aug. 1-5
Verizon Wireless Center, Mankato, Minn. (1/0)
AMSOIL Arena, Duluth, Minn. (1/0)
La Crosse Center, La Crosse, Wis. (1/0)
i wireless center, Moline, Ill. (1/0)
21,760 (27,944)
Stanley also addresseed the issue that fans of classic rock bands don't always like to listen to new music and prefer to hear old favorites.
"A classic song can only become classic as it gains patina, so to speak, as it gains age," he noted. "Not to get too highbrow, but fine wine has to age, and what makes a song classic is that it endures and that you have a time period or an event that's associated with it, and that doesn't just happen overnight. 'Psycho Circus' has become a classic, 'Lick It Up' has become a classic. Do I think 'Hell Or Hallelujah' [from 'Monster'] will? Absolutely."
Stanley said earlier in the month that "it's only worth [making a new studio album] if, artistically, you wanna do it. Every time we finish an album, I kind of go, 'Well, that's it.' Whenever we've done an album… When we did 'Sonic Boom', it was because the band was so good that I just thought to not capture the band and do new material would be a shame. But once we did 'Sonic Boom', I said, 'Well, we've made the point.' And then, a few years later, it was, like, 'Wow, why don't we dig deeper and get a little closer to the roots and the people that we loved and kind of do something else,' so we did that, and then I said, 'We're done.' But lately I've been thinking, yeah, we should do another."
"Monster" sold 56,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 3 on The Billboard 200 chart.
KISS' previous CD, "Sonic Boom", opened with 108,000 units back in October 2009 to enter the chart at No. 2. This marked the band's highest-charting LP ever.
"KISS has had a four decade-long, proud history in comic books, starting with Marvel Comics in the 1970s, and now with Dynamite's KISS comics," says KISS co-founder Gene Simmons. "KISS is America's number one gold record award-winning group of all-time, and we are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as well as having our own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Having our own comic book, I have to say, rekindles the thrill I first had as a young teenager, as I followed the adventures of my favorite superheroes. This is going to be fun."
"In our rich and lengthy tradition of championing KISS in the comic/panel graphic realm, we are proud to announce this partnership and look forward to breaking new ground," says KISS co-founder, Paul Stanley.
"Gene and Paul are rock stars in every sense and are incredible storytellers and showmen. They are living icons. Their genuine love and knowledge of comics is incredible. I couldn't be more pleased to be working with Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, and KISS on a new line of comics," says Nick Barrucci, CEO and publisher of Dynamite Entertainment. "Over the years, the band has produced so many stories which stand on their own, with characters that belong right alongside even the most well known in the medium. Publishing KISS comics is a dream come true, and we couldn't be more excited to have someone of Amy Chu's caliber to tell the new tales."
"I am beyond thrilled to be working so closely with the icon that is KISS," says Executive Editor Joseph Rybrandt. "Rock solid storytelling and art are going to rock and roll you all night long. You wanted the best? You're going to get the best!"
KISS returns to comics with KISS #1 in October, a futuristic, dark sci-fi adventure written by Amy Chu (Poison Ivy) and illustrated by Kewber Baal (Army of Darkness: Furious Road). In a world without sun and a world without heroes, four young friends embark on a dangerous mission - to uncover the truth about the mysterious Council of Elders and their underground home, the city of Blackwell. But first they need some help from the past…
"What is the power of KISS? I was having breakfast recently with the fabulous writer Kelly Sue DeConnick. When she found out I was writing this series, it was like firecrackers had been set off in the restaurant, she was so excited. So I'm doing this not just for the hardcore fans (like Kelly Sue) but also the new ones, like her children," says Amy Chu. "It's a huge challenge. KISS is iconic. Legendary. It's global and cross-generational. So much has been done before with KISS in comics, a LOT of fun and crazy stuff, so for this series, I thought, why not go more serious? For research, I hunkered down and listened to the 1981 album Music from The Elder several times. Like the movie Blade Runner which came out around the same time, people didn't know what to make of it. If that album came out now, I think it would be entirely different reception. So this storyline is more focused on mythology, heroism, and legend, and inspired by themes, lyrics, and song titles from that album."
Artist Kewber Baal says, "When I received Dynamite's proposal to draw the new KISS series, I immediately got to work with researching each persona: their clothing details, stage performances, their music... and it was only then that it suddenly dawned on me: My actual job is getting paid to listen and draw KISS! How incredible is that? How many hardcore fans, how many KISS Army members will read the series? Oh my, can you see this is a huge responsibility, and what an amazing opportunity? I hope that all the fans will love the story, will love each page, and feel assured that I will do my best. That's a promise from one KISS fan to all other fans in world!"
"For KISS, it's not just the music, but the visual imagery," says Chu. "It's Kabuki theater. I've been working hard with the artist, Kewber Baal, to craft a fantastic new world that pays homage to the band and the Elder album."
The debut issue features a whopping ten covers! Four covers, each highlighting a different member of the band, are illustrated by acclaimed Mighty Morphin Power Rangers cover artist, Goni Montes. Francesco Francavilla (Afterlife with Archie) and series artist Kewber Baal contribute additional covers, while other cover editions include a photo variant, a "Demon" Emoji variant (the first in a series of four, spread across issues #1-4), a special Coloring Book cover by Fernando Ruiz, and a Blank Authentix Edition that aspiring and professional artists can illustrate. Finally, a special cardstock variant edition, autographed by Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, will be available as an incentive to qualifying retailers for their strong support of the series launch.
KISS #1 will be solicited in Diamond Comic Distributors' August 2016 Previews catalog, the premiere source of merchandise for the comic book specialty market, and slated for release in October. Comic book fans are encouraged to reserve copies of KISS with their local comic book retailers. KISS will also be available for individual customer purchase through digital platforms courtesy of Comixology, Dynamite Digital, iVerse, and Dark Horse Digital.The classic line up returns to sequential storytelling for the first time in over two years with multiple series planned, and creative details forthcoming! Look for updates in the coming months, and make sure to keep up with Dynamite on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!
Asked what he thinks about the recent news reports that Apple is working on a technology that could potentially allow music venues to disable a smartphone's camera, making it impossible for fans to tape concerts on mobile phones, Gene said: "When we first started out, this was before cellphones or technology and even voice mail. There was no cable, there was no nothing, so at the concerts, they took away your cameras — they didn't allow you to do that. So, in a lot of ways, the concert experience, especially with KISS, was real — it was emotional, it was deep. You know, people would pass out and cry; it was very emotional. And it's become… Technology, of course, has made everything less emotional. You know, when you get back home and look at your cellphone and the video there, and you go, 'Oh, I don't remember that from the concert!' Well, of course you don't, 'cause you were too busy texting or looking at your cellphone. But do I think they should have the technology to shut off your stuff? Well, maybe with your 'okay.' You know, at least beforehand, they say, 'Okay, you're about to enter a no-cellphone area' and stuff, that's fine. As long as you know, going in."
According to reports, Apple's technology would use infrared signals to send encoded data to cell phones to disable the camera function. The phone would detect the signal and either alter what's shown on the screen or shut down its video features completely.
A number of hard rock and heavy metal musicians have been asking fans to shut off their phones at live shows for years.
NILE mainman Karl Sanders in 2014 slammed fans who insist on shooting photos and video at the band's concerts, saying that they are not "involved in the show" and are cheating other people out of a place where they could be enjoying the music.
Former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach said in 2015 that live performers should be given the same respect as films in movie theaters, which have a long-standing policy requiring audiences to silence their phones and putting away any recording devices during showings. The singer explained: "You can't go to a movie and have your cellphone on, but when you have actual live human beings, it's fucking okay? That's fucking bullshit! It's not appropriate in our society to stand up in a theater and film the fucking movie, but it's totally acceptable to do that at a concert? I've done four fucking Broadway shows and you can't pull out your fucking cellphone or you'll get kicked out! Do you know why? Because it's distracting. It's just not the way to watch and enjoy a show."
Bach went on to say: "I've toured with the best of the best. I've filmed shit on my cellphone from the side of the stage watching Axl [Rose] and everybody. Guess how many times I've watched that shit? Zero. I look at it and go, 'That sucks! Delete.' It sounds like shit and it looks like shit. I think it takes the mystery out of rock and roll."
Ace Frehley revealed to The Pulse Of Radio that the impetus for "Origins, Vol. 1" reaching its potential actually came from his treatment by his former bandmates at the Rock Hall induction. "As you probably know, we were asked to perform at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame ceremony, by the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, and me and Peter [Criss] were up for doing that and Paul [Stanley] and Gene [Simmons] shot it down, y'know?" he said. "They made some innuendos that maybe me and Peter weren't up for the task, and that just made me do a better record. [Laughs]"
The Pulse Of Radio asked Frehley how his sobriety improved the recording process this time around. "I'm a lot more focused and I think when people listen to this album, they're probably going to say that — in fact, a lot of reviewers have already said that," he said. "I'm a lot healthier than I was ten years ago. Not everybody can say that in their 60s, y'know, that they're healthier than they were in their 50s. So, I mean, it's a big plus. Y'know, I got a beautiful lady that I'm engaged to, who co-wrote two songs on the record with me and, y'know, life's good today."
During an interview with KNPR News, Stanley was asked why he declined to perform with Criss and Frehley at KISS's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction. "It's a tough question to answer, but there's so much involved in it," he replied. "Firstly, the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame wanted nothing to do with us; they begrudgingly let us in. And my sense was that we were going to be a dog-and-pony show. They wanted to have the original guys play in the band, and all of us in makeup, and, quite honestly, I think it would have done the band a disservice. That lineup has not been together for 14 years, and physically, perhaps, wouldn't have looked that great, and musically, undoubtedly, probably, would have sounded a bit suspect. So, to have people watch it on television and identify that as KISS because there's four guys in makeup would not send a great signal to the people who are not following the band in its current permutation, or what it is today."
He continued: "Look, we just did 42 shows and played to 600,000 people in America, and I would hate for those people to turn on a TV show where we were an unwanted guest in the first place and see us strong-armed into doing something that really does a disservice to something that I worked at for 40 years.
"I never quit the band twice, once, and to dilute what I've worked on all these years just to make a committee happy that really was not all that thrilled that we were there in the first place, it sent the wrong message and it endangered something that I hold very dear to me.”
Captured in the midst of their 40th Anniversary World Tour, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers sonically shook Vegas during their residency at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in November 2014. This Sin City set sizzles with KISS classics from across their 44 album legacy: “Rock And Roll All Night,” “Detroit Rock City,” “Shout It Out Loud,” “Love Gun,” and more. Punctuated with pyrotechnics galore, the film presents the fire, electricity, and one-of-a-kind rock experience that earned KISS over 100 million sales globally.
The Deluxe Edition of KISS Rocks Vegas is presented as a hardcover package with a 12X12 book, boasting photos from the show and more, also included is an exclusive CD featuring a seven-song acoustic set.
“We Rocked and Vegas Rolled ! This was Epic In Your Face KISS ! We got Up close and personal, I think Rock and Roll fans will really enjoy this spectacle that only KISS can deliver.”- Paul Stanley
“KaBOOM! We blew up the Joint at The Hard Rock in Vegas like never before. We are very proud of this and know that you will be blown away as well.” -Gene Simmons
"Kiss Rocks Vegas" track listing:
01. Detroit Rock City
02. Creatures Of The Night
03. Psycho Circus
04. Parasite
05. War Machine
06. Tears Are Falling
07. Deuce
08. Lick It Up
09. I Love It Loud
10. Hell Or Halleluja & Tommy Solo
11. God Of Thunder
12. Do You Love Me
13. Love Gun
14. Black Diamond
15. Shout It Out Loud
16. Rock And Roll All Night
Acoustic set:
01. Coming Home
02. Plaster Caster
03. Hard Luck Woman
04. Christine Sixteen
05. Goin' Blind
06. Love Her All I Can
07. Beth
On Saturday, June 18, Neff will guide the first ever KISStory Tour, where five permanent "KISStorical markers" will be placed at major sites around the city where fans and residents can get a better impression of where KISS interacted with Cadillac.
The five sites include the old city hall building, the Sweet Shop, Veteran's Memorial Stadium, the CHS north gym, and the Cadillac News. On the tour, participants will see the only KISS monument in the world. The monument is a laser-etched granite touchstone more than 8 feet tall, 5 feet wide and roughly 5,000 pounds.
A fan luncheon will follow the tour at Hermann's European Cafe downtown, where fans can meet and mingle. A KISS Tour lunch special for $17 includes a KISSCadillac T-shirt. Seats for the luncheon can be reserved by calling Hermann's at (231) 775-9563. A menu and details are available at kisscadillac.com.
The Cadillac KISStory Tour will begin at 10 a.m. at Cadillac High School on Saturday, June 18. Fans will receive a tour brochure, have opportunities to take photos and be able to talk to Jim Neff.
Other surprise plans are also in the works. For details, follow the KISSCadillac Facebook page.
KISS will hire a currently serving member of the National Guard or Reserve force to be a “Roadie for the Day” for each of the 32 U.S. concerts. In addition, KISS will donate a limited number of tickets to veterans in each community and distribute those tickets through VetTix.org. Veterans and their family members will also have the chance to purchase discounted tickets through Vet Tix. Military discounts will also be available at venue box offices with proof of a valid military ID in select markets around the country. Please note this offer is not available in all cities.
The U.S “KISS: Freedom to Rock” tour stops are all home to a large number of Army and Air National Guard or Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps Reserve members. Since September 2001, hundreds of thousands of Guards and Reserve members have been recalled to active duty, and many have deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. Nearly 900 of these brave men and women made the ultimate sacrifice.
KISS’ founder Paul Stanley said “KISS is celebrating our “Freedom To Rock” tour this summer; the same freedom that’s been upheld by our veterans and active duty service members”
"Any band with money can put on a KISS show, but they can't be KISS," said Stanley, who spoke to Boise Weekly about his life and legend.
Is there any part of touring that you still love?
Honestly, it's a lot like winning the lottery but complaining about having to pay taxes. Everybody should have my life. It's everything anyone could ever dream of. All presidents want to be rock stars; but rock stars don't ever want to be president.
To that end, do you feel some responsibility to your fans?
We have a legend to live up to and a standard that we've kept from the very beginning. I don't take it lightly. This kind of stature doesn't come without hard work. But that doesn't mean it can't be fun.
I'm certain I'm not the first to tell you that I could be at a KISS concert and see my kids and my parents there.
It would be pretty uncomfortable if I looked out on an audience that looked like an outing for a retirement community. That said, it's amazing that we've become much like a tribe that crosses all generations. It's still a thrill to see a neighbor, little brother or grandfather at our show. It's the world's largest cult and everybody celebrates their membership.
I must tell you that it was a bit of a surprise to learn in your 2014 autobiography, Face the Music, that you were born with a misshapen left ear resulting in a hearing deficiency.
Perhaps part of my quest for fame was really about my own insecurities. Those were magnified by having a birth defect and feeling very insecure, being a little kid who was stared at or being made fun of. Face the Music ended up being a New York Times bestseller and translated into languages all over the world. I really wrote that book for my children, for them to know what it takes to succeed and for them to understand we have a choice to see ourselves as victims or to lead the life that we deserve. For me, it's very rewarding to share with kids to know that life can be difficult but the outcome can be terrific.
Have you ever considered that KISS arrived at the exact right time in our history of popular culture?
So it seems. I guess we were needed as much as we thought. KISS started as being the band we wanted to see but never saw. As a rock fan, I felt certain things were missing from the bands I was seeing. I think there was a lack of respect, a lack of appreciation for audiences. You had bands on the stage thinking they were doing audiences a favor. I think KISS was a wake-up call, the right band at the right time to mount the attack.
And as far as your endurance—and we're talking about more than 40 years—my sense is that KISS is an essential rock band but the makeup and pyrotechnics only amplify that.
A crappy band with a big show is still a crappy band. We've seen enough of those. You've got to have the content. You can't last 40 years on a gimmick. You're only the new band on the scene just once and once that buzz dies, it's deafening. You may end up on the cover of Rolling Stone by putting a teapot on your head; next year you'll be serving fries.
How do you design one tour to be different from another while not being too different for diehard members of the tribe?
What are we going to do? Come out wearing red leather and hats? We're KISS. But we try to do a better, more powerful version of what we've done before. It doesn't get bigger, but it sure can get better.
Stanley and Gene Simmons are the two remaining original members of the Rock and Roll Hall of fame band.
About "Detroit Rock City:"
Stanley co-wrote the song which was featured on the band's 1976 album "Destroyer." The song did not chart in the U.S., but was popular in Detroit. The b-side, "Beth," ended up becoming a hit instead. The band reissued the single with "Beth" as the a-side.
Stanley told me the song is not only about Detroit, but about a Kiss fan who died in a car crash on his way to a Kiss concert.
"There had been an accident outside of an arena in Charlotte. Someone was killed coming to the concert. I thought, how odd and how striking and the juxtaposition of someone coming to a Kiss concert, which celebrates being alive, to lose your life. That was the twist of "Detroit Rock City." To change it from a song about your amazing city to something much more epic."
Stanley says Detroit embraced Kiss before anyone else did.
"While we were still an opening back on a three act bill, we were headlining in Detroit. The city embraced us. We were met with open arms and legs. Detroit always understood what we were about. There was a point of view and embracing of rock and roll that saw us taken in with a hospitality that we hadn't seen yet anywhere else."
Stanley then decided to write a song about Detroit.
"I had heard a few songs about cities, and I thought, well, Detroit is as good as it gets. So, I thought of "Detroit Rock City." The first thing that came was the chorus: 'Get up! Get down! You gotta lose your mind in Detroit Rock City.'"
"Then when the lyrics started, we were trying to push ourselves on 'Destroyer,' and step out of the box on the kind of songs we'd been singing before."
Stanley says he enjoys playing "Detroit Rock City" at each show on tour.
With Kiss preparing for the worldwide May 25 screening of its Kiss Rocks Vegas concert film and the early July launch of its summer Freedom To Rock tour, Stanley has been the fulcrum of some pointed social media exchanges during the past week. He took Simmons to task on Twitter for some derogatory interview comments the bassist made about Prince's death, calling them "cold, clueless statements." Simmons subsequently apologized via Twitter. But when Sixx later slammed Simmons as a "bully" and claiming that "nobody in rock" respects him, Stanley posted a sharply worded Facebook retort calling Sixx's comments an "unimportant but annoying squeak" and directing him to "please shut up, find another way to be in the news and get off your self inflated pedestal."
"It's just silly stuff, honestly," Stanley tells Billboard. "It's one thing to call somebody out and to have a point of view on somebody's quotes, but then to just harp on it...You have to be suspect of the motives. Whatever questions I have about things that Gene has said is one thing, but to beat him into the ground becomes self-serving. It just gets annoying. For other people to harp on it and beat it into the ground is not something I want to sit by and listen to. When somebody starts to denigrate or take potshots at your contributions or your band or anything else, when you consider the source it gets to be ludicrous."
Stanley and Simmons have no need to, er, Kiss and make up ("We've been together for 40 years -- that says it all," Stanley notes) while Sixx responded to Stanley's Facebook post, writing, "I will give him a standing ovation for calling out Gene himself publicly, then trying to hold my feet to the same fire. But you can't save him (Simmons)."
And Prince, as it turns out, has been near and dear to Stanley's heart since the Starchild saw Prince play at the Bottom Line in New York in support of his second album, 1979's eponymously titled Prince.
"I grabbed a bunch of people and brought them down to see him, and he was amazing," Stanley recalls. "He was electrifying and (backstage) he was very, very nice although incredibly shy, very polite. You couldn't help but follow his trajectory over the years. I think that as great as we saw him we didn't realize the true scope of his genius until he was gone. That's always a tragedy."
With their own Prince-gate behind them, Kiss is read to rev up the machine for 2016, starting with Kiss Rocks Vegas, a Fathom Events one-night-only showing filmed during the group's nine-show November 2014 residency at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. (Theater and ticket details can be found at FathomEvents.com and kissmycinema.com.) "This is one show," Stanley says, "so if it seems cohesive and there's nothing jarring in terms of continuity, it's because it was one night. You can't help but be aware that in essence it's now or never; It's like stepping into the ring and you're hoping that you're in top form, and if not you draw on your well of determination to pull out all the stops. I think it was a great show. There's a great connection and intensity between us and the audience that's palpable. To do a show in a venue that small and yet do a show that's that large only made us that much more colossal as figures.”
It likely won't be the last residency for Kiss, either. "We'd love to come back. Perhaps we would do it in a different venue, and that's something that we're looking into," he says. "But the concept of doing a residency is appealing. It's easily one of my favorite stage shows that we've had. I totally enjoyed it and the reviews were ecstatic and raves, and I would love to do it again."
Kiss is incorporating some of the visual technology of the Vegas show into the Freedom To Rock Tour, which kicks off July 7 in Boise, Idaho, and will play mostly the smaller markets where the band built its Kiss Army during the first years of its career. "We built our following by going to the heartland and going to middle America, so for us (the tour) is basically a return to that," says Stanley, who's featured on a rendition of Free's "Fire and Water" from former Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley's new covers album, Origins, Vol. 1.
"When we first broke through, when Kiss Alive! was just simmering, we were playing the Toledos and the Daytons and the Des Moines. It was at the arena in Dayton when I peeked through the curtain and I really got the full scope of what was happening. The place was packed and this had been going on for a few nights with no end in sight. So those places mean a lot to us, and it'll be great to go back to them."
He continued: "To be quite honest, I wish celebrities would shut up: I don't like the idea of celebrities announcing who they're for and not for, because a number of their fans will be voting just because their favourite band said to do so. That takes away the honesty of the democratic process. I'm totally against advertising who I want to vote for, and I haven't made up my mind, quite honestly. Celebrities should shut up and keep it private."
Asked if he thinks there's a place for artists to speak up over issues such as North Carolina's discrimination law, Gene said: "I do — but that's not a political issue, that's a human rights issue. Discrimination of any kind ... Well, I don't agree with Donald Trump on his views on, say, Mexico – I would certainly speak up over the border."
Simmons, a former contestant on Trump's "The Celebrity Apprentice" show, recently told People magazine that he likes how the real estate mogul is shaking up the current presidential race.
"The important thing about Trump, and I'm not saying whether I'm voting for him, or Hilary [Clinton], or anybody else, is that he has changed the game," he said. "He doesn't want your money. This guy funds his own campaign, and he is going to say things that tens of millions of people actually say quietly because politically it's 'incorrect.'"
This past week, Simmons received backlash from friends, family and fans after insinuating that Prince died from a drug overdose. The MÖTLEY CRÜE and SIXX:A.M. bassist also ripped Simmons on Twitter, saying his "recent heartless and uneducated remarks about Prince's death shows why he's not my hero anymore or anybody's."
Sixx took to the airwaves and said on his nationally syndicated radio show "Sixx Sense" to elaborate on his criticism of Simmons. He said (hear audio below): "Nothing that Gene Simmons says resonates with me. When you're in Gene's position, you should have a little bit more than a narrow-minded, bullying sense of what's happening on the earth. And he said that if you're depressed, kill yourself. He is pro Trump, he is pro a lot of things that I think are negative."
He continued: "I think that [Gene] is [an] overrated, lucky guy that dresses like a clown. [He] wrote some good songs, [but] hasn't in a long time, and loves to brag about himself.
"I like my heroes to be humble. I like my heroes to have compassion. And I like my heroes to be open to change. I don't like my heroes to be egotistical assholes.
"Gene Simmons, you're no longer my hero."
Simmons on Wednesday took to Twitter to clarify his remarks about Prince. He explained: "I apologize — I have a long history of getting very angry at what drugs do to the families/friends of the addicts. I get angry at drug users because of my experience being around them coming up in the rock scene."
Prince died on April 21 at his home in Minnesota, but no cause of death has been identified just yet. A law enforcement official told the Associated Press that his death was being investigated as a possible drug overdose.
MÖTLEY CRÜE and KISS co-headlined a North American tour in the summer of 2012.
Earlier this week, Simmons received backlash from friends, family and fans after insinuating that Prince died from a drug overdose. Sixx also ripped Simmons on Twitter, saying his "recent heartless and uneducated remarks about Prince's death shows why he's not my hero anymore or anybody's."
During an interview with the WNOR FM99 radio station this past Wednesday (May 11), Sixx was asked about Gene's comments and the impact that Prince had on the world of music. He said: "Gene Simmons taking swipes at Prince without actually having the information is what I said #FromHeroToZero. We have no respect for Gene Simmons anymore; nobody in rock does. And I'm not gonna sit back quietly as a person [and] allow a bully to go out there and put down people he doesn't know anything about. The last thing that me and Gene got into is he said that if people are depressed, they should kill themselves."
He continued: "I think that Gene should call it a day, and that we should look at this beautiful catalogue of music that Prince has given us. And if you wanna compare Prince to KISS, I mean… okay, c'mon. There's no comparison. Prince has been an amazing artist. He's kept his standard high over the years and was never just about money and ego; it was about music."
Simmons on Wednesday took to Twitter to clarify his remarks about Prince. He explained: "I apologize — I have a long history of getting very angry at what drugs do to the families/friends of the addicts. I get angry at drug users because of my experience being around them coming up in the rock scene."
Prince died on April 21 at his home in Minnesota, but no cause of death has been identified just yet. A law enforcement official told the Associated Press that his death was being investigated as a possible drug overdose.
Over the years, Simmons has never hidden his feelings about drug use, even when his bandmates were involved. He told The Pulse Of Radio that drugs are the number one reason for bands failing to live up to their potential. "I have no sympathy at all for anybody that doesn't have enough self-respect for themselves and for their bandmates, because when one guy decides that his dalliances with crazy things is more important that the welfare of his band, that guy doesn't deserve any success," he said. "Because a team is a team, and every guy's gotta carry the weight. You're only as good as your teammates."
KISS kicks off its 37-date summer tour on July 7 at Boise, Idaho's Taco Bell Arena.
MÖTLEY CRÜE and KISS co-headlined a North American tour in the summer of 2012.
Three-day general admission and reserved seat weekend packages for this year's Rock Carnival go on sale Friday, May 13 at 12:00 p.m. Eastern time. Three-day "Early Bird" general admission passes start at $95.90 and weekend reserved seat tickets start at $119.99. Get your tickets via TicketFly.
Skyboxes, reserved seats, daily general admission and VIP experiences (presented by SoundRink) will be available on June 7.
The first wave of Rock Carnival live music entertainment to be announced is topped by single-day headliners TWISTED SISTER, whose performance will mark their official farewell show for the U.S. northeast.
TWISTED SISTER guitarist Jay Jay French states: "As 2016 marks the end of our live performing career, TWISTED SISTER is looking forward to returning to the Tri-State NYC area for the final time to the Rock Carnival at First Energy Park in Lakewood, New Jersey on October 1, 2016. In celebrating our 40th anniversary and our farewell to live performing, we are bringing our '40 & F*ck It' worldwide farewell tour one last time to the area that created us!"
Also scheduled to appear:
OVERKILL
ACE FREHLEY
MONSTER MAGNET
FUEL
TOM KEIFER
DOKKEN
TEXAS HIPPIE COALITION
DORO
FOUR BY FATE
KILLCODE
JESTER
AMERICAN ANGEL
taking place on multiple stages including two main festival stages, side by side, on the field. Fans will have general admission access to the stadium field. The event will feature the Birch Hill stage, a very popular performance area and craft beer section.
Rock Carnival producer John D'Esposito says: "This year's lineup far exceeds our expectations." He adds, "The incredible new layout, amenities and resources are sure to enhance the Carnival experience for our fans and their families."
For more information, visit therockcarnival.com.
Earlier this week, Simmons received backlash from friends, family and fans after calling Prince's death "pathetic" and insinuating that the iconic artist died from a drug overdose. Stanley denounced his bandmate's "cold, clueless" statement on Twitter, saying that he was "embarrassed" by Simmons's comments and offering his apologies.
But Gene's wife Shannon Tweed last night told Stanley via Twitter: "We all have our failings, but true friends don't point at them and throw you under the bus. Especially partners of 40 years!"
Stanley replied: "‘Partners of 40 years says it all. Don't confuse walking under the bus with being thrown under. My apology was right."
Tweed then fired back: "You can't apologize for someone else. It's not up to you. He feels the way he feels. He would never do that to you — never."
She also posted a picture of her with Simmons on her Facebook page, commenting: "Because, no matter others' opinions, I love my huzby!"
Simmons yesterday took to Twitter to clarify his remarks about Prince. He explained: "I apologize — I have a long history of getting very angry at what drugs do to the families/friends of the addicts. I get angry at drug users because of my experience being around them coming up in the rock scene."
Simmons came under fire Tuesday when he called Prince's death "pathetic" in an interview with Newsweek. Late that night, he apologized in a note posted to Twitter.
In response to Simmons's remarks, Sixx shared his own disheartened opinion on Twitter. He wrote: "[Gene Simmons's] recent heartless and uneducated remarks about Prince's death shows why he's not my hero anymore or anybody's." He added the hashtag "#FromHeroToZero".
Prince died on April 21 at his home in Minnesota, but no cause of death has been identified just yet. A law enforcement official told the Associated Press that his death was being investigated as a possible drug overdose.
Over the years, Simmons has never hidden his feelings about drug use, even when his bandmates were involved. He told The Pulse Of Radio that drugs are the number one reason for bands failing to live up to their potential. "I have no sympathy at all for anybody that doesn't have enough self-respect for themselves and for their bandmates, because when one guy decides that his dalliances with crazy things is more important that the welfare of his band, that guy doesn't deserve any success," he said. "Because a team is a team, and every guy's gotta carry the weight. You're only as good as your teammates."
KISS kicks off its 37-date summer tour on July 7 at Boise, Idaho's Taco Bell Arena.
MÖTLEY CRÜE and KISS co-headlined a North American tour in the summer of 2012.
“Bowie was the most tragic of all because it was real sickness,” Simmons said. “All the other ones were a choice.”
Prince died on April 21 at the age of 57 in his Chanhassen, Minnesota estate. The cause of his death has yet to be determined, and is being investigated as a possible drug overdose, a law enforcment official told The Associated Press.
“I think Prince was heads, hands and feet above all the rest of them,” Simmons continued. “I thought he left [Michael] Jackson in the dust. Prince was way beyond that. But how pathetic that he killed himself. Don’t kid yourself, that’s what he did. Slowly, I’ll grant you… but that’s what drugs and alcohol is: a slow death.”
Simmons also said he has “never been high or drunk” in his life and questioned the “insane gene” in people that makes them succumb to “the cliché of the clichés: drugs and alcohol.”
Paul Stanley, Kiss’s co-lead singer, apologized Tuesday for Simmons’s comments, calling them “embarrassing,” “cold,” and “clueless.”
Simmons is not one to shy away from controversial statements. Earlier this year, Simmons sparked ire by telling Rolling Stone, “I am looking forward to the death of rap,” and subsequently feuding on Twitter with Ice Cube over the matter.
All ticket funds will go to Rocking4peace, a 100% volunteer nonprofit whose ultimate mission is to provide peace tolerance equality nonviolence education for children in their schools, challenging their bigoted thinking, as to question their own bigoted thinking, and changing some minds for the better for all mankind.
He continues: "The nature of money is that people tend to abuse it and when there the chance to make hideous sums on somebody who really wants something, people will take advantage of people."
In 2008, Simmons appeared to support the resale of the band's tickets, telling Ticketnews: "There is no secondary market — there's only the market. That's the reality, and everything else is political jumbling. If somebody wants a ticket, they'll buy it or they won't."
The office of the attorney general of New York released a report in January that that found abuses preventing consumers from buying tickets at affordable prices or sometimes not at all. The report was harshly critical of the practices of ticket brokers, which, it claimed, drive up the cost of live entertainment by controlling most of the tickets released to the public. These brokers have come under increasing scrutiny for snapping up many of the tickets through a variety of means, including the use of "bots," which are computer programs used to purchase concert and sporting event tickets online at rapid speed. Ticketmaster reportedly estimated 60% of the most desirable tickets for some shows on the secondary market are bought by bots.
The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week based on multi-metric consumption, which includes traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA).
In terms of pure album sales, "Origins Vol. 1" opened with just under 15,824 copies.
Ace has also confirmed that his music video for the FREE cover "Fire And Water" will feature his former bandmate and KISS's co-founding frontman Paul Stanley. The clip will be released Wednesday, April 27, coincidentally Frehley's 65th birthday. A teaser for the video can be seen here. http://www.justinreich.com/9742/teaserOUTNOW.mp4
The "Fire And Water" video holds its place in rock and roll history as the first time in 14 years that Frehley and Stanley have shared a stage since KISS's appearance at the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City. It's also the first time Frehley has released a music video since 1989, which was Frehley's cover of "Do Ya" by ELO and THE MOVE.
Fan Expo favorite Tommy Thayer is returning to the INDY event in a big way! He will spend all day Sunday with fans at the Expo and also make an appearance at the INDY premiere KISS ROCKS VEGAS movie screenings the night before. In addition to being a guitarist extraordinaire, Tommy is the film's producer!
Tribute band KISS Resurrection will perform at Expo!
Each of the first 300 tickets purchased for the 2016 INDY KISS Fan Expo will include one free admission to one of the exclusive May 21st Indianapolis premiere screenings of the KISS ROCKS VEGAS movie! Tickets will not be sold for these movie showings.
CLICK HERE for full 2016 Indianapolis KISS Fan Expo.
The Indianapolis KISS Fan Expo is run by the fans, for the fans.
“I'm really delighted that Samsung has asked me to speak at the event, says Thayer, Ernest Hummingbird is a beautiful story that comes to life in the storybook app. I really enjoyed creating and producing the music for this project as well. It will start off as a children’s storybook app, but will eventually be an animated TV series and much more."
Thayer asked his friend and country music star Darius Rucker to narrate the story. "Having Darius's deep and familiar voice telling Ernest's story is wonderful, Thayer says. “We're proud to have Darius involved.”
Ernest Hummingbird is a partnership between Thayer and Mechem Media, led by the former CEO of the company that owned Hanna Barbera for 25 years, Charles Mechem. Ernest Hummingbird was conceived initially by Hanna Barbera alum and current Sony director David Feiss, who is best known for his hit Cartoon Network series “Cow and Chicken”. Feiss is also a partner on the project.
The Samsung Developer Conference (SDC 2016 is designed for developers, for creators and for builders. Together with their tech partners, Samsung will share the latest technologies and future innovations in IoT, Smart Home, VR and more.
TOMMY THAYER is the lead guitarist of the legendary rock band KISS. Regarded as one of the most influential rock and roll bands of all-time, KISS's career milestones are staggering including sales of over 100 million albums worldwide. In 2014, Tommy partnered with Mechem Media creating new intellectual properties for TV, film, new media and mobile. Ernest Hummingbird, a beautiful new children's storybook app will be released in summer 2016.
Join Alice and his wife Sheryl as they raise the dead at Alice Cooper's Rock & Roll Vampire Bash on Sunday, April 24 from 4:30 p.m. until 10:00 pm. The nocturnal fun includes a cocktail reception where you can chill in the Pro Em VIP Lounge, silent auction, dinner, live auction and live entertainment on the PCS Stage with Alice Cooper and friends, including Alex Lifeson (RUSH), Danny Seraphine (CHICAGO), Tommy Thayer (KISS), Frank Sidoris (SLASH), and Neal Smith (ALICE COOPER), and the comic genius of John O'Hurley and Jeff Allen.
Tickets are $250 per person and are on sale now by calling Joy Covell at the Solid Rock office at 602-522-9200.
For more information, go to this location: http://alicecoopersolidrock.com/events/7
TMZ has learned Frehley is back home resting after being rushed to the hospital Friday night for exhaustion and dehydration. He was released Sunday night with one warning: slow down.
Docs told the 64-year-old he's in great shape for his age, but needs to stop running around like he's still 18. He was advised to arrange a less exhausting tour schedule.
We're told Frehley already clocked in a dozen shows this month -- and was shooting a music video in L.A. at the same time ... flying back and forth to play his East Coast dates. Fortunately, the Saturday gig he had to cancel was his last tour date.
He plans to follow doctor's orders and stay off the road for a while.
"The important thing about Trump, and I'm not saying whether I'm voting for him, or Hilary [Clinton], or anybody else, is that he has changed the game," the rocker tells PEOPLE while attending the John Varvatos 13th Annual Stuart House Benefit Presented by Chrysler in West Hollywood, California, on Sunday. "He doesn't want your money. This guy funds his own campaign, and he is going to say things that tens of millions of people actually say quietly because politically it's 'incorrect.' "
Simmons is no stranger to making headlines when he speaks his mind. He recently kicked up controversy when he criticized the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for inducting N.W.A. earlier this month, arguing that rappers and hip hop artists should not be included. (Which N.W.A. member Ice Cube said was "just wrong.")
The two have a history as Simmons competed in The Celebrity Apprentice in 2007 (he was fired in week 3 after he bungled a deal with Kodak). But the 66-year-old rocker clearly holds no hard feelings about being fired by Trump.
"I think people are sick and tired of politicians who have words that are written by other people," he says. "And they are trying to cater and make everybody happy."
"He doesn't care."
And, if Trump manages to land the Republican nomination, is there a chance that he could tap Simmons for a post as Vice President?
"Honestly, it doesn't pay enough," the singer says with a laugh. "Even God passes the hat around."
Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss donned their classic stage makeup and costumes to play a four-song set Friday to benefit multiple sclerosis research. KISS was the headlining act at the 23rd annual Race to Erase MS fundraising gala held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
Former "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson introduced the band and explained Stanley's absence. Jackson said the lead singer would be recovered in time to tour with KISS this summer.
Other performers at the fundraising dinner included Eric Benet, David Foster and "The Voice" winner Jordan Smith. The event raised more than $250,000 toward finding a cure for the nervous system disorder.
A post on his website and Facebook page says he was admitted to a hospital after Friday's show at the F.M. Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre (WILKS'-ba-ree), Pennsylvania. The post says his symptoms are due to "exhaustion and dehydration."
Frehley's website says he "reluctantly" agreed to cancel Saturday night's sold-out show at The Chance in Poughkeepsie (poh-KIHP'-see).
The site says he had to cancel a show April 9 in New Hope, Pennsylvania, after a band member was sick.
The 64-year-old Frehley has been touring all month.
KISS was introduced at the event by former "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson, who explained Stanley's absence and added that the KISS frontman would be well enough to tour with the band this summer. Special hosts for the evening included Ozzy Osbourne's wife and son, Sharon Osbourne and Jack Osbourne, the latter of whom was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2012.
KISS played four songs at the at the fundraiser that supports Nancy Davis's Center Without Walls program. The event, which also featured appearances by Eric Benet, David Foster and Jordan Smith, the winner of "The Voice", included a one-of-a-kind live auction featuring fabulous vacation getaways and experiential packages.
Stanley broke the news of his injury yesterday on Twitter. "Tore my bicep tendon," he wrote. "Surgery reattached it with a screw and stitches to anchor in place. Not much I can do now!" Several hours later, he added in a separate tweet: "Thanks to my AMAZING doctor I WILL be great & ready to rock WAAAAYYYY before the tour! CAN’T WAIT! #?FreedomToRock?"
Video of KISS performing the songs "Cold Gin" and "Rock And Roll All Nite" at Race To Erase MS can be seen below.
Race To Erase MS has been instrumental in funding many pilot studies that have contributed to drugs now on the market and other very important therapies that are improving the lives of people suffering from MS.
The Center Without Walls program is a unique collaboration of the world's leading MS research scientists currently representing Harvard, Yale, Cedars Sinai, University of Southern California, Oregon Health Science University, UC San Francisco and Johns Hopkins.
KISS previously performed as a three-piece in 2007, when a heart issue forced Stanley to sit out the band's concert at the Soboba Casino in San Jacinto, California.
KISS's "Freedom To Rock Tour" is scheduled to begin July 7 at the Taco Bell Arena in Boise, Idaho. The two-month run will see the band playing cities that they haven't visited in more than ten years. (Video)
In consultation with his doctors, Ace, who aside from the exhaustion and dehydration has been given a clean bill of health, has reluctantly agreed to cancel tonight's sold-out show at the Chance in Poughkeepsie, New York. The venue is working to reschedule the date in late September and expects to announce an exact date later this week.
In the meantime, ticket buyers for tonight's show can use their tickets for the rescheduled date in September or return them at the point of purchase for a full refund. AceFrehley.com VIP Experience and Guitar Signature packages purchasers will be contacted by AceFrehley.com and can either obtain a full refund or use their packages on the rescheduled date.
Once released from the hospital, Ace will be heading home to Southern California to recuperate.
Fan-filmed video footage of the Wilkes-Barre concert can be seen below.
Ace has just released "Origins Vol. 1", a collection of twelve newly recorded classics from his formative years featuring some of the biggest names in rock and roll. Most notably, KISS frontman Paul Stanley joins Ace on FREE's hit "Fire And Water". This collaboration marks the first time that Ace and Paul appear on the same studio recording since KISS's 1998 reunion album "Psycho Circus". (Video1, Video2)
Stanley revealed his injury via Twitter earlier today. He wrote: "Tore my bicep tendon. Surgery reattached it with a screw and stitches to anchor in place. Not much I can do now!"
In a 2013 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Stanley talked about how his stage performances have damaged his body. He said: "My boots weigh 30 pounds. I'm running around and kicking with 15 pounds on each leg. We do at least four shows a week, and the days off are recuperation time."
He continued: "What I do has taken its toll. I've had both my rotator cuffs surgically repaired. They're all similar to sport injuries. I've torn my meniscus in both knees and had a hip replacement. This is all from onstage performances. It's like doing a triathlon with a guitar around my neck. You have to jump, sing, swing your arm and play the right chord. With that combination, anything can go wrong. I used to jump up in the air and land on my knees. It didn't hurt then, but it does now."
Stanley reiterated those sentiments in a 2014 interview with The New York Times. He said: "Things that didn't hurt me 40 years ago hurt me today. From 40 years ago. I've had both my rotator cups repaired, my knees. I've had a hip replacement. But I'm doing splits and everything on stage. I'm blessed. Every time I go out on stage, it is exhilarating."
Stanley, who had his first hip replacement at age 52, told U.K.'s Independent that he had no regrets about the nightly strutting in his eight-inch heels. "Every scar on my body was proudly earned," he said. "There's nothing worse than looking back and wishing you had done things, but I did 'em all. That's how life is supposed to be lived."
Stanley, who grew up half-deaf and scarred with a deformed right ear, eventually had reconstructive surgery in 1982 to create an ear using a piece of his rib cage.
America’s # 1 Gold Record Award Winning Group of all time KISS, has announced its 2016 Summer American “Freedom To Rock” Tour and will visit 36+ cities nationwide with more markets being announced soon. The long-awaited & highly anticipated “Freedom To Rock” Tour will kick off on July 7th in Boise, Idaho and will travel the country throughout July and August and will close September 10th in Huntington, West Virginia. Tickets will go on sale beginning Friday April 15th for all concert dates (The Grand Rapids, MI and Youngstown, OH shows go on sale Monday April 18th). A KISS ARMY Fan Club Exclusive Presale will begin April 12th.
The KISS “Freedom To Rock” Tour will bring epic rock to 25+ cities it hasn’t been to in over 10+ years and four brand new cities as well. KISS specifically wanted to take the “Freedom To Rock” Tour to its fans in markets that haven’t had the chance to see them in some time or ever at all. This 36+ city tour will rock those markets and allow fans across the country to see America’s favorite rock band of all time, KISS.
Opening for KISS will be Recording Artist Caleb Johnson (American Idol Season 13 winner) for shows July 7 – August 10 while the All-Star rock band THE DEAD DAISIES will open for KISS for shows August 10 – September 10. The “Freedom To Rock” Tour is produced by: National Shows 2 (nationalshows2.com), Frank Productions (frankproductions.com), and CMoore Live (cmoorelive.com).
Date City Venue
7/7/2016 Boise, ID Taco Bell Arena
7/9/2016 Eugene, OR Matthew Knight Arena
7/10/2016 Kennewick, WA Toyota Center
7/15/2016 Spokane, WA Spokane Arena
7/16/2016 Bozeman, MT Breeden Fieldhouse
7/18/2016 Colorado Springs, CO World Arena
7/20/2016 Independence, MO Silverstein Eye Centers Arena
7/22/2016 Lincoln, NE Pinnacle Bank Arena
7/23/2016 Springfield, MO JQH Arena
7/25/2016 Wichita, KS Intrust Bank Arena;
7/27/2016 Sioux City, IA Tyson Events Center
7/29/2016 Cheyenne, WY Cheyenne Frontier Days
7/30/2016 Minot, ND North Dakota State Fair
8/1/2016 Mankato, MN Verizon Wireless Center
8/3/2016 Duluth, MN Amsoil Arena
8/5/2016 Moline, IL iWireless Arena
8/6/2016 La Crosse, WI La Crosse Center
8/8/2016 Milwaukee, WI BMO Harris Bradley Center
8/10/2016 Green Bay, WI Resch Center
8/12/2016 Fort Wayne, IN Allen County Memorial Coliseum
8/13/2016 Grand Rapids, MI Van Andel Arena
8/15/2016 Saginaw, MI Dow Event Center
8/17/2016 Springfield, IL Illinois State Fair
8/20/2016 Rockford, IL BMO Harris Bank Center
8/22/2016 Dayton, OH Nutter Center
8/24/2016 Toledo, OH Huntington Center
8/26/2016 Youngstown, OH Covelli Centre
8/27/2016 Erie, PA Erie Insurance Arena
8/29/2016 Rochester, NY Blue Cross Arena
8/30/2016 State College, PA Bryce Jordan Center
9/1/2016 Allentown, PA The Great Allentown Fair
9/3/2016 Worcester, MA DCU Center
9/4/2016 Portland, ME Cross Insurance Arena
9/7/2016 Bridgeport, CT Webster Bank Arena
9/9/2016 Richmond, VA Richmond Coliseum
9/10/2016 Huntington, WV Big Sandy Arena
** Additional markets to be announced soon
"Why wouldn't we use the classic makeup?" he says. "We own it."
The subject came up during an interview regarding the 40th anniversary of Kiss' Destroyer album, when Simmons bemoaned founding guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss' acrimonious departures from the group within its first decade.
"The saddest thing of all is here we are, top of Mt. Olympus with all this cool stuff happening, really enjoying ourselves, the fans are thrilled, and nobody ever holds up a sign, 'Where's Ace and Peter?'" he says. "Anybody that's in a band goes, 'Oh, they can't exist without me.' They are sadly mistaken. Whether you're AC/DC or Van Halen or anybody, they can actually not only exist without you. Even if you're the lead singer, they can actually get twice as big.
"Even if you're in Genesis: 'Oh, they can never do it without Peter Gabriel.' Oh, sure they can," he continues. "In fact, we'll get a guy who doesn't have any personality and doesn't put on masks or anything and just sings songs, and they'll play stadiums. And Peter Gabriel, with all of the great masks and the things, never played that."
The band had previously encouraged band members who joined in the early Eighties to create new personas – guitarist Vinnie Vincent became the Ankh Warrior and drummer Eric Carr was the Fox – but after the band decided to "unmask" Simmons, the musician says the band decided new personas were not valid. So when Frehley and Criss departed the band's reunion tour in 2002 and 2004, respectively, the group – which owns rights to the makeup – bequeathed it unto Thayer and Singer.
"In retrospect, it was the right decision," Simmons says. "There's always going to be five percent or 10 percent of people who were there at the beginning who will complain about anything. And listen, I think that's valid from their point of view. But people get onto a train at different times.
"If you go to see the Stones live today and poke the guy next to you and say, 'Ron Wood, he's not Brian Jones,' the guy says, 'Who the fuck is that?' He wouldn't have a clue what you were talking about. He came into the Stones 10, 20, 30 years after you did."
Rolling Stone reported in 2014 that Peter Criss relinquished the rights to his character when he left the band. "I'm pissed at myself that my makeup slipped through my hands," he said. "That's my cross that I bear." Frehley said he licensed his and would get it back, though singer-guitarist Paul Stanley called that notion a "fantasy."
Kiss have announced three live dates so far this year. On July 29th, they will play Cheyenne Frontier Days in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and on the following day they play the North Dakota State Fair in Minot, North Dakota. On November 4th, they will headline their own Kiss Kruise VI, which travels from Miami to Cozumel and the Grand Caymans.
Additionally, Ace Frehley's upcoming covers record Origins Vol. 1 sees the guitarist playing alongside Stanley for the first time in nearly two decades. They tackled Free's "Fire and Water" together on the record. "We've always been friends," Frehley told Rolling Stone in February. "The press seems to amplify negativity. I guess it makes good copy."
The rocker told us he’s already six months into the new book, and that it will dish on more tales from the road with the original Kiss members Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons and Peter Criss.
Frehley was in the band from 1973 till 1982.
There will also be “tons of stories” of growing up in The Bronx before he joined Kiss, he told us while on tour for his new solo album, “Origins, Vol. 1.” Stanley appears on the album.
The Who, "My Generation"
It's the first Who song that really grabbed me. I can't think of another rock song where the bassist takes the solo.
Led Zeppelin, "Stairway to Heaven"
This is Jimmy Page at his best. I don't even know how to categorize it. It might be in its own category.
Kiss, "Deuce"
This is the first song that Gene, Paul and Peter played when I walked into the audition. It just grabs your attention right away.
Cream, "White Room"
Cream had a huge influence on my playing. This is a classic wah-wah song. I'd play it on my upcoming tour, but I don't use pedals because I might trip over them.
Thin Lizzy, "Emerald"
This is a real heavy song that just barrels through and has a cool breakdown with dual guitar leads playing the harmony part. It just has an awesome ambience.
Simmons is quick to point out that he's not saying he's supporting Trump. "He has said some very vile, unkind things," he says. "But don't kid yourself. He speaks off the cuff, and what you see is what you get. And he'll double down. If you ask him about building a wall [between the U.S. and Mexico] he'll say, 'Fuck you, I'm going to make it 10 feet higher, just because you asked me.' He's not there to be your friend."
What fascinates Simmons is Trump's ability to root out people's feelings. "He's good for the political system," he says. "The middle, the centrists, they can say, 'What do you think of this?' because everybody is sick and tired of being politically correct. Secretly, tens of millions, perhaps 100 million people may actually have some positive feelings about a wall.
"Macedonia is building a wall between Greece and Macedonia," he continues. "There's a wall between Israel and a neighboring country. There was a Berlin Wall. There was the Great Wall of China. So whether they're good or bad for people, walls actually work. It's unkind, but in terms of pragmatics, it actually works ... The Pope has said the wall is unkind, but it's interesting that at the Vatican there's a wall. They don't want people on the outside coming into the Vatican."
Ultimately, Simmons feels it will be up to Americans as individuals to make a private decision about Trump's wall and his ability to be president. One thing he feels he knows for sure, however, is that "this guy has changed politics forever in America." Showbiz has become politics, the singer says, referencing the way Marco Rubio felt a need to reference the size of Trump's penis – and Trump replied.
"What you can say about politicians is that they're politicians," says Simmons, who previously voted for Barack Obama and "in a lot of ways" felt dissatisfied with his decision. "Trump is not a politician. He does not need your money, and he will speak his mind, God damn it, whether you like it or not. And he has no problem saying 'Fuck off.'
"I like that," Simmons continues. "Even if I disagree."
"That's the most ridiculous statement I've ever heard [Stanley and KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons] make," Ace said (hear audio below). "I think the only reason they make those statements at this juncture is to try to validate the fact that they have two other guys in the band that aren't the original members. So they're trying to rationalize to the fans, 'Well, you know, we replaced Peter [Criss, original KISS drummer] and we replaced Ace, and eventually we're gonna replace ourselves. That's like [THE ROLLING STONES singer] Mick Jagger saying, 'Yeah, after me and Keith [Richards, THE ROLLINGS STONES guitarist] die, THE STONES will continue on with two other guys.' I mean, it's a joke."
It was back in 2005 that KISS manager manager Doc McGhee first told the New York Times that the group had "been toying with the idea of recruiting an entire band to... don the band's famous makeup." McGhee said, "KISS is more like Doritos or Pepsi, as far as a brand name is concerned. They're more characters than the individual person. I think (new members) have a legitimate chance to carry the franchise."
Simmons didn't necessarily disagree with that idea. He told Launch that the concept of original members isn't widely held by fans, and it isn't really accurate anyway. "There's no question that there's a core of fans — five-10 percent, my sense is — who believe in original members," he said. "And yet, when you look at original members, THE BEATLES are not original members — Ringo is not an original member; THE [ROLLING] STONES — barely. You know, they've had so many members come and go, but it's the STONES; and AC/DC's aren't original members; and VAN HALEN; and JOURNEY...you go down the list of every — almost every band you can think of."
In a 2012 interview with The San Diego Union-Tribute, Stanley reaffirmed KISS' intention to continue after he and Gene Simmons depart.
"The band is bigger than its members," said Stanley. "And it only takes, in this case, four like-minded people with a similar outlook and talent to further the cause and continue KISS. It makes perfect sense to me. It may not make sense to other bands, but we're not other bands. We don't live by those rules. We never have.”
Famed for their iconic face paint and stage attire, KISS was formed in New York City in 1973 by Paul Stanley (vocals, rhythm guitar) and Gene Simmons (vocals, bass guitar). Their sensational live performances feature fire breathing, blood-spitting, smoking guitars, shooting rockets, levitating drum kits, and pyrotechnics to spare. Tommy Thayer (lead guitar, vocals) and Eric Singer (drums, percussion, vocals) round out the band's powerful lineup. Tommy is also producer of the film "Kiss Rocks Vegas".
Said Stanley: "See us on the big screen with the awesome power of Surround Sound. Feel like you are in Vegas and don't be shy to 'shout it out loud!'"
Added Simmons: "Jin us for a 'crazy crazy night' in your cinema!”
Stated Thayer: "We are all tremendously proud of this production; it captures a truly unique performance. You need to see it in a cinema to get the full on experience."
Said Singer: "We rocked The Joint at Hard Rock in Las Vegas. You get up close and personal with KISS. You're going to love it."
A select number of cinemas worldwide will also be screening the concert in Dolby Atmos, providing a powerfully immersive and moving audio experience for the cinema audience.
For more information and to book tickets for the cinema event please visit www.kissmycinema.com.
Speaking to Las Vegas Weekly, Stanley stated about how the idea for the KISS residency came about: "To spend as much time as we do in Vegas and to live as close as we do, the idea of doing a residency and leaving our stage setup, as opposed to breaking it down nightly, was really appealing."
He continued: "We just finished 42 cities and played for 600,000 people, but that meant that every night the show got disassembled and moved. There’s something appealing and challenging about building a set that doesn’t have to be moved. You don't have to take into account the practicality of it, being able to be broken down constantly and reassembled. So this was something that we had wanted to do for quite a while; it was just a matter of making sure we found people who were in agreement on how to do it. The Joint was the natural place to do it."
As headliners at Rock And Roll Fantasy Camp, attendees will jam and perform with Paul Stanley and members of JUDAS PRIEST at the Rock And Roll Fantasy Camp facility, as well as at the legendary Whisky A Go Go on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood. They will also jam with Don Felder and Mark Farner at the Rock And Roll Fantasy Camp facility on some of the biggest rock and roll songs in history.
Said JUDAS PRIEST in a statement: "We had such a blast last time with the fantasy camp, it's time for an encore! Four of JUDAS PRIEST are primed to bang out some more metal adventures at this one of a kind experience!"
Over the course of four days, attendees will be placed into bands led by rock star counselors including Rudy Sarzo (QUIET RIOT, WHITESNAKE), Vinny Appice (DIO, BLACK SABBATH) and many more. Musicians will hone their stage presence, learn to play some of music's greatest songs, get tips and hear stories of life on the road from their rock star counselors, attend master classes and jams rooms with these renowned musicians and then perform live with their band in front of a packed house at the infamous Whisky A Go Go on the Sunset Strip.
"To be part of Rock And Roll Fantasy Camp isn't just a fantasy for the people who are here, it's my fantasy too, it's really a gift to me as much as anybody else," said Paul Stanley.
For more than 30 years, Paul Stanley has reigned supreme as one of the single-most recognizable front men in the history of rock and roll. He continues to be the chief songwriter, driving force and unwavering voice of KISS.
Don Felder is renowned as a former lead guitarist of THE EAGLES, one of the most popular and influential rock groups of our time. A member of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame since 1998, Felder served as a member of THE EAGLES for 27 years. Felder originated the music and co-wrote THE EAGLES' biggest hit — the iconic, Grammy-winning smash "Hotel California".
Also participating in the amazing experience will be former lead vocalist of the blues rock band GRAND FUNK RAILROAD, Mark Farner. With hits such as "American Band", "Some Kind of Wonderful" and "I'm Your Captain". GRAND FUNK RAILROAD has sold millions of records throughout their career.
JUDAS PRIEST has sold over 45 million albums to date. MTV ranked them the second greatest metal band of all time. This hard and heavy camp features four members of JUDAS PRIEST, including vocalist Rob Halford, bassist Ian Hill, guitarist Richie Faulkner and drummer Scott Travis.
"Rock And Roll Fantasy Camp is where adults come to live their rock and roll dreams and jam with their musical heroes, and where our Jr. rockers come to begin their rock and roll dreams," said David Fishof, owner of Rock And Roll Fantasy Camp. "The camp is open to all levels of musicians, vocalists, from beginners to expert. There is a spot in a band for everyone."
Rock And Roll Fantasy Camp is a non-competitive atmosphere designed for all levels of musicians and music enthusiasts. Participants are placed in bands with like-minded people and skill level to make for an off-the-charts experience.
For additional information, go to www.rockcamp.com or call 888-762-BAND.
Guests will enjoy a seat at an exclusive live interview, a limited-edition autographed poster, a meet-and-greet with Frehley, plus complimentary beverages.
The interview will be conducted by Brad Tolinski. Best known as the editor in chief of Guitar World magazine for 25 years, Tolinski is a respected journalist and the author of "Light And Shade: Conversations With Jimmy Page".
For more information, go to this location.
"I'm really thrilled with the whole thing," Frehley tells Rolling Stone. "I'm excited about it, and probably somewhere down the road there'll be a second volume."
"White Room" holds a special place in the guitarist's heart, since he attended Cream's New York City concert debut when he was about 15 – one of Frehley's first concerts. "Eric Clapton has always been a big influence on me," the guitarist says. "They were opening up for Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels. The Who was on the bill, too. Clapton had a big afro then and that painted guitar. It was pretty cool and different. I always liked 'White Room.'" Frehley's drummer, Scott Coogan, joins him on vocals for the song.
Frehley shrugs off any residual tension between himself and Stanley. "We've always been friends," he says. "The press seems to amplify negativity. I guess it makes good copy."
Both founding Kiss members were fans of Free and the song "Fire and Water," the title cut of the "All Right Now" group's 1970 LP. Frehley had wanted to do a version of it since the Seventies, so he recorded the backing tracks with his band and sent them to Stanley about a month ago, with the Kiss singer sending his recorded parts right back.
"I thought Paul did a fabulous vocal on it," the guitarist says. "He jumped at the chance to do this because it's something that's outside of Kiss and his character in Kiss, and it gave him a chance to, you know, sing. With Paul, you usually think of him singing in a slightly higher register and on 'Fire and Water,' he's singing deep from his diaphragm, and it's a real cool vocal. Everyone's who heard it was just thinks it's the shit."
Frehley also enjoyed lining up his other guests on the album. McCready plays on Kiss' "Cold Gin," a tune Frehley wrote, but Gene Simmons sang originally. "I've been a big influence on Mike, at least that's what he tells me," the former Kiss guitarist says. Slash plays on Thin Lizzy's "Emerald," and he contributed to the recording by suggesting both he and Frehley play live at the same time, something they did 15 times. "It took me three days to pick the best takes," Frehley says, "and I think it came out great."
Lita Ford joined him on the Troggs' "Wild Thing." "It has almost a garage-band flare to it," the guitarist says. And finally, John 5 wowed Frehley with his playing on Hendrix's "Spanish Castle Music" and Kiss' "Parasite," another Frehley-penned song he's singing for the first time on Origins. "John 5 was amazing to watch," he says. "He inspired me and obviously I inspire him. It was a lot of fun."
Frehley will be supporting the new record with a North American tour. See the dates below the track list.
Origins Vol. 1 Track List
1. "White Room" (Cream)
2. "Street Fighting Man" (Rolling Stones)
3. "Spanish Castle Magic," feat. John 5 (Jimi Hendrix)
4. "Fire and Water," feat. Paul Stanley (Free)
5. "Emerald," Slash (Thin Lizzy)
6. "Bring It on Home" (Led Zeppelin)
7. "Wild Thing," feat. Lita Ford (The Troggs)
8. "Parasite," feat. John 5 (Kiss)
9. "Magic Carpet Ride" (Steppenwolf)
10. "Cold Gin," feat. Mike McCready (Kiss)
11. "Till the End of the Day" (Kinks)
12. "Rock and Roll Hell" (Kiss).
Morrison Hotel Gallery salutes the Grammys and the legacy of the seminal rock band with an exhibition that will feature iconic and revealing images of the group along its journey from fiery upstarts to megastars. The exhibit will also include the debut of the KISS + UKIYO-E Project which showcases a unique selection of stun-ning multi-colored wood block prints, representative of one of Japan's most revered traditional genre of art. The KISS Ukiyo-e are first edition prints, limited to only 200, and are signed by the band. The 'KISS Ukiyo-e' project started in fall of 2014 as the first of its kind collaboration with a team of Japanese master artisans, and has culminated in these wonderful pieces of fine art being displayed here in their first comprehensive international feature exhibit. Widely popularized during the 1600s in Edo era Japan, Ukiyo-e famously depicted current events and often illustrious entertainment industry figures and scenes, and thus this contemporary collaboration with KISS is the perfect modern day continuation of the Ukiyo-e tradi-tion.
The photographers that are a part of this exhibit have shaped the careers of many artists, and have become pop culture legends in their own right. They include Bob Gruen, Danny Clinch, Lynn Goldsmith, Neal Preston, Norman Seeff, Patrick Harbron and Travis Shinn. The images display the group dominating the stage, captured by Patrick Harbron's anthemic perspective, Norman Seeff's snapshots of the blood-thirsty young band, and Neal Preston's playful holiday shots. Also included are se-lect images from Lynn Goldsmith's catalog, which span the glory years of 1977 thru 1980. Danny Clinch and Travis Shinn contribute more recent images, showcasing KISS in a victorious elegance as international ambassadors of rock n' roll. Repre-senting KISS's worldwide adulation is a series of Japanese prints that marry the traditional art of Ukiyo-e with KISS iconography for a dazzling cross-cultural ex-change.
The slogan "You wanted the best, you got the best!" has become synonymous with the rock band KISS right before they hit the stage. For 43 years, the band has de-livered on the promise of defying trends and weathering lineup shifts to consistent-ly provide anthemic rock n' roll, performed and packaged with majestic brilliance.
Grammy week is a time to reflect back on achievements in music, and to celebrate the artists that have made those achievements. No band around today has a histo-ry, or rather, a KISS-tory, like KISS. They were nominated for a Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance in 1999 for Psycho Circus.
In addition to playing drums in the band, Peter also provided lead vocals for a number KISS's most popular and memorable songs, including "Beth", "Black Diamond" and "Hard Luck Woman". Peter's "Catman" persona is an instantly recognizable icon in pop culture.
"After hosting an appearance by Ace Frehley at our 2014 event, we've been flooded with requests to bring in Peter Criss," says Texas Frightmare Weekend founder Loyd Cryer. "Our event has always been about fulfilling fans' requests and we are honored that Peter has agreed to attend."
Peter Criss will attend the event on all three days, giving his fans plenty of opportunities for autographs, photos and meet and greets.
Tickets for the event are available for purchase now at this location: texasfrightmareweekend.com.
Texas Frightmare Weekend is presented in association with Fangoria magazine. 2016 marks the event's now entry into its second decade as the Southwest's premier horror convention and film festival. The annual event hosts celebrity appearances, autograph signings, screenings, exclusive parties and horror memorabilia vendors from all over the country.
Criss first left KISS in 1980. Since then he's worked with other bands and released solo albums. He teamed up with KISS again for a few gigs in the 1990s and most recently in 2004. He was replaced by Eric Singer.
Criss, who was known as "Catman," released his last solo CD, titled "One for All", in 2007. Peter produced the album himself for the first time, and was joined by guest musicians that included keyboardist Paul Shaffer and bassist Will Lee of "Late Night with David Letterman". The album featured a range of styles, from rock and jazz to blues and Broadway, and included covers of "What a Difference a Day Makes" and "Send in the Clowns".
The four original members of KISS were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in April 2014 by RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello.
KISS did not perform — the Hall Of Fame wanted the original quartet only to play, while Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley insisted on the current lineup — which also includes guitarist Tommy Thayer — performing as well. In the end nobody won that battle.
Created and directed by Robert Radler ("Best Of The Best 1 & 2", "SS United States: Lady In Waiting", "The Substitute"), "Turn It Up!" is an emotional exploration of the electric guitar and the people who fall under its spell. Narrated by actor/musician Kevin Bacon, the film features interviews with an array of guitar royalty: the late Les Paul and B.B. King (in one of his final interviews), Slash, Robby Krieger, Paul Stanley, Steve Lukather, Nancy Wilson, Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, Albert Lee, Ana Popovic, Jerry Cantrell, Steve Howe, John 5 and many others.
The "Turn It Up!" DVD and Blu-ray sets not only include the full documentary film, but the "Conversations And Extras" bonus disc, which boasts extended interviews; scenes with the Burst Brothers; mini-documentaries on RKS Guitars and Seymour Duncan; Robby Krieger noodling on his guitar; and a performance of Jeff "Skunk" Baxter from the film "S.S. United States: Lady In Waiting".
"Turn It Up!" simultaneously honors the beloved electrified six-string and recognizes the rich bond between musician and instrument, and the pilgrimage to find the ultimate guitar and perfect tone. From the mouths of those who invent them, build them, sell them, collect them, and those who make them sing, the film reveals the deep cultural love affair of the world’s most popular instrument, and explores its past, present, and future.
It's the sound of rebellion, heartbreak, joy, fear, madness, pain, and all-out exuberance — the electric guitar has been a beacon of self-expression for generations, and "Turn It Up!" details exactly why.
The DVD, Blu-ray, and digital download will be available online and at physical retailers (through Sony RED Distribution).
Ratt, the Romantics, Warrant, Cinderella's Tom Keifer and Geoff Tate are some of the other acts to be part of the nostalgic lineup. Firehouse, John Waite, Lynch Mob, Autograph and Slaughter will also perform. More acts to be announced in 2016. The bands will be playing more of their classic hits for fans over the two-day show.
"Rockfest 80's is a project over a year in the making," the festival's producer Larry Offsey said in a statement. "We are excited to launch our brand and create a true South Florida rock festival event."
Tickets for Rockfest 80's will go on sale December 21st. More information can be found at the festival's official site.
Last year, Ace Frehley released his first solo album in five years, Space Invader. He was also inducted alongside Kiss into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in early 2014. Paul Rodgers released a new solo LP, The Royal Sessions, last year, when he sang soul and R&B hits by Isaac Hayes, Otis Redding and others. As for Night Ranger, the hard rock band released their 11th album, High Road, in 2014. They were also referenced during an episode of Parks and Recreation last year, with Yo La Tengo playing a Night Ranger cover band called Bobby Knight Ranger.
An auction to win the KISS drum kit is running now through next Saturday, Dec. 19th. 100% of the money raised goes directly to help Karl with his medical bills.
Bidding will start at $7,500, and any interested parties should e-mail to contact@rocknrecovery.net.
Here is the list of the drums the winning bidder will receive:
PEARL drums (Black Gloss Finish)
6"-8"-10"-12"13" Concert Toms
14 x14 Floor Tom (double headed)
16x16 " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " "
18x16 " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " "
13" x 7" Chrome over Steel snare drum (Limited Edition)
ALL Pearl Hardware (for all drums and 6 cymbals)
PEARL Double Pedal
PEARL Drum Throne
LP Chrome Cowbell
ZILDJIAN Cymbals
(1)20" ride
(4) 19" Crash
(1) 17" China Type
KISS "logo" front Bass Drum Head (autographed by the band) included along with 6 pairs of Eric Singer "KISS" Signature drum sticks!
Shipping cost at "Buyer's" expense - shipped directly to you from KISS (or local pick-up in Los Angeles area).
Please bid now to help Karl. You can also make a tax-deductible donation at http://rocknrecovery.net/news/.
Paul Stanley, the Starchild of the legendary rock act Kiss, will be at center court before the Spurs play the Los Angeles Lakers. He’ll be in town for the grand opening of Rock & Brews, the new classic rock-themed restaurant and craft beer pub at the renovated arena. Stanley and bandmate Gene Simmons are among the cofounders of the venture launched in 2012.
This is the first Rock & Brews at a sports arena, and the Spurs want that fact shouted out loud.
Rick Pych, Spurs Sports & Entertainment president of business operations, said the organization is honored to have the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer in the house.
“Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley have utilized the same passion and enthusiasm that made Kiss a rock legend to create a fantastic restaurant experience,” Pych said.
Bill Summersett, a San Antonio native and Kiss memorabilia collector who for decades was a diehard member of the Kiss Army, said the family restaurant will be a hit.
“I’m sure it’s gonna draw a ton of people,” said Summersett, who has been to more than 30 Kiss concerts. He has caught guitars Stanley broke and threw off stage, and he has owned items such as a Kiss pinball machine, Kiss condoms and Kiss comic books printed with red ink that included the group members’ blood.
“Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons are marketing geniuses. There’s nothing they haven’t made,” Summersett said.
Rock & Brews combines Stanley’s love of cooking, local produce and classic rock. Away from Kiss, he plays with the soul and R&B revue Soul Station.
Stanley recently talked by phone about craft beer, culinary possibilities and being grateful for rock ’n’ roll.
Did you ever imagine the rise of craft beer culture?
Beer has become the new wine. Beer is crafted, at this point, by people who understand notes and where it hits you on the palate. The care that’s put into it has been a long time coming. It’s very interesting to see beer go beyond something that you guzzle at a sports event or that you drink for a buzz.
Which is trendier, rock ’n’ roll or food?
One doesn’t rule the other. Rock ’n’ roll is essential. The foundation of Rock & Brews certainly is a love of classic rock. But then that foundation is used to build something very unique, almost a lifestyle, where people can enjoy great beer, great food, and I don’t mean franchise slop. (It’s) a food experience where if you want to bring your children out for the day, you don’t have to eat cardboard pizza served by somebody dressed as a rat.
What’s your favorite Rock & Brews craft beer?
I love a rich, dark lager. But we have samplers where there are multiple glasses and it’s great to sample in the same way you might sample different wines.
How about the food?
I think the fish tacos are awesome. The burgers are off the charts. We have pretzels. Everybody is used to soft pretzels. But our pretzel dough comes in from Germany. We have a beer cheese that’s awesome to dip in.
No orange cheese nachos?
There’s nothing wrong with that. We’ve all sat at games and had that cheese food product. God only knows what it is. Why not enjoy something that’s really, really good? Once you elevate your taste buds a bit there’s no going back.
Why are you so active in the promotion?
I don’t believe in putting my name on anything I don’t believe in.
What about the national anthem?
I did it at Dodger games. I starred in “Phantom of the Opera.” So I consider myself a singer that sings rock as opposed to a rock singer. “The Star-Spangled Banner” is a real interesting one in that people tend to obliterate it when they do it and turn it into a showcase for vocal gymnastics instead of singing it as it was written. If you’re looking for showboating, you’re not going to hear it. The anthem should be sung with respect.
The team has added a theme night centered around the legendary band. The Rivermen will skate in special KISS jerseys and auction them after the game.
Rivermen players participated in choosing from several jersey design options for the event. You can see the jerseys online with this story at pjstar.com.
“We are excited to be working with OT Sports, and KISS, on this special jersey night,” Rivermen co-owner Bart Rogers said. “There’s not much that hasn’t been tried in the specialty jersey/theme night industry. I think we are producing some fun nights this season with our special jersey themes, and this is just icing on the cake for us.
“OT Sports created three KISS styles to choose from, and we let our entire organization vote on which one to use. We’ll have some other related things happening at the game that night, and will announce them soon.”
The KISS frontman, 66, co-hosted a party on Saturday night at pal Rohan Oza’s sprawling LA mansion to raise money for a children’s charity.
Forgoing black-and-white stage makeup, the rocker surprised the crowd — including Randy Jackson and Maria Menounos – with a private concert until uniformed Beverly Hills police showed up to shut down the raucous sounds.
“The sound from Gene’s performance travelled all over Beverly Hills,” a source told Page Six. “The cops showed up because of the noise.”
Known for throwing exclusive parties in Tinseltown and NYC, venture capitalist Oza didn’t let a visit from the 5-0 end the glittering night — which benefitted the Children Matter Foundation, an organization focused on improving the lives of kids around the globe.
“Gene put down the guitar, but the party continued with a DJ,” added the source.
This wasn’t the first time Simmons has rocked a charity event benefiting kids. Earlier this year, the bassist joined Johnny Depp for an impromptu number at a MendingKids.org party in LA.
The movie was Never Too Young to Die, a low-budget campfest that Stamos — then 22 and still a year away from being cast in ABC's Full House — mistakenly thought would be his ticket to movie stardom.
In it, the Kiss bassist plays “evil hermaphrodite” Velvet Von Ragner, who kills Stamos’ secret-agent father (George Lazenby, spoofing his one-off role as James Bond). Stamos’ character, prep-school senior Lance Stargrove, avenges his dad’s death with the help of secret agent Danja Deering, played by Vanity (of Prince fame).
"I had to shave and wax my chest, wear a prosthetic set of boobs and all sorts of other indignities — respectfully, to those that enjoy that sort of thing,” says Simmons, who drew “whistles and catcalls from the Teamsters” whenever he emerged from his trailer.
Simmons, 66, cites a song by the transgender punk rocker Jayne County — upon whom Hedwig and the Angry Inch was based — as his Velvet Von Ragner inspiration: "It Takes a Man Like Me, to Be a Woman Like Me."
"It was scary," says Stamos, 52, of Simmons' transformation. "I guess it was supposed to be like a Rocky Horror 'Sweet Transvestite' thing. I think I had nightmares about it, because it was Gene's big face with all that makeup and stuff. It was a trip."
Simmons for his part has a good sense of humor about the gender-bending turn. "Ah, the folly of youth," he muses. "I was offered two parts in Never Too Young to Die: the role of Marine commander and a hermaphrodite. ... That'll teach me to read scripts before accepting roles."
When Never Too Young came along, it had been two years since Stamos had walked away from a regular gig on General Hospital — and the young heartthrob had big dreams for his career.
"I just thought, 'This is my shot! A young James Bond!' I thought it was going to be the biggest breakthrough. 'I’m done with TV — I’m going to be a movie star!' And then I did that piece of shit," he says.
The actor threw himself into the role, taking gymnastics lessons and breaking his ankle in the process: "I worked so hard to make it great."
Stamos' first memory of Vanity, who played his onscreen love interest (she douses herself with a garden hose while he munches on an apple in one seduction scene) is a vivid one.
At the cast meet-and-greet — a dinner held at the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood — the “Nasty Girl” singer “put her hand down my pants before the appetizers started coming out,” he recalls. “She completely seduced the shit out of me.”
"I thought, 'Wow, this is going to be a great movie,'" he says.
Vanity, who fronted the group Vanity 6, has turned to born-again Christian evangelism since 1994, when she nearly died from a crack-cocaine overdose. But back in 1986, there was little holding her back.
"I don’t want to say anything bad about her because I know she’s straightened out her act, but she was pretty wild," Stamos recalls, adding that the singer gravitated to any prop weaponry she found around the set. (“She was like Al Pacino in Scarface, blasting these f—ing machine guns all over the place,” he says. “We weren’t even rolling!”)
The two never ended up dating ("I was overwhelmed by it all — she was kind of a big star, I guess"), and as filming went on, some friction developed between them.
"Her real name was Denise," says Stamos of Vanity, who now goes by her given name, Denise Matthews. "I remember thinking I couldn’t put up with her anymore: 'Vanity! Call me Vanity!' I remember telling her off: 'Lighten up, Denise!'” But, he adds, "we did have fun — she was really nice to me." (Matthews did not respond to several emails requesting comment.)
The movie found a buyer at the 1985 American Film Market, but bombed upon release. “It was hard to find in theaters but was playing at a nearby drive-in. I brought a chick,” Stamos says. “Didn’t do me any good.”
The B-movie embarrassment came and went without notice, but, with a little time and distance, Stamos developed a certain fondness for the material.
"I’m at the point in my career where I can look back at things that were really fucking stupid and go, 'Oh my God, I’m so glad I did that!,'" he tells The Hollywood Reporter. "I can really have a laugh about it, and this is certainly one of the biggest. I would love more people to see it."
At the urging of Simmons, Stamos has made several attempts to buy the rights to the film over the years, with an eye toward building a cult audience. That hasn't happened yet — but Stamos is still seriously thinking about it.
"It's the perfect midnight-movie, where people can come and dress up. It’s — what’s the term I’m looking for? — the best worst thing you will ever see," he says.
But you don't have to wait for a midnight screening. A complete print of Never Too Young to Die has been uploaded to YouTube.
Encore
Makin' Love
All Hell's Breakin' Loose (snippet)
Hide Your Heart
Shout It Out Loud
And here’s something you probably didn’t know: That 1976 track, a tribute to Kiss’s favorite concert town, seems to have been inspired in part by a tragedy far outside Michigan, for years shrouded in mystery.
Nailing down that vexing detail has become an obsessive, ongoing quest for author James Campion, whose just-published book, “Shout It Out Loud,” chronicles the making of the band’s iconic “Destroyer” album.
At 380 pages, Campion’s book digs in deep, exploring the backstory of an album that many regard as Kiss’s best, with plenty of info about “Detroit Rock City,” the album’s epic lead-off track. (One anecdote from producer Bob Ezrin: The band sang about driving "down 95," inadvertently substituting the East Coast highway for Detroit's I-75. Kiss tried to divert attention from the screw-up by changing the printed lyrics to "doin' 95.")
As the veteran New York journalist readied his final manuscript earlier this year, he realized there was one crucial factoid he’d not yet tracked down:
What was Paul Stanley referring to when he said that “Detroit Rock City” was based on a fatal fan wreck after a Kiss show in the Carolinas?
The obscure tidbit had been mentioned by Stanley in a handful of old interviews, usually with a uncertain reference to a show in Charlotte. The band had gotten word of this fatal wreck, Stanley would say, and wove it into the story line of “Detroit Rock City.”
There’s no doubt that Stanley, the song’s co-writer and vocalist, had set out to salute Detroit from the start. Early demo tapes reveal a raw but purposeful composition that hammers on the “Ya gotta lose your mind in / Detroit rock city” refrain and its celebration of concert partying.
"It truly is the rock city," says Campion. "It's where rock 'n' roll became rock. It's that heavy MC5 sound. It's where Alice Cooper went. It's where Kiss had to go when other people were booing them off stages."
Still, the demo versions were far from the Ezrin-polished track that wound up on “Destroyer.” At some point, Stanley fleshed out the tragic final twist: the song’s young, revved-up narrator is killed in a car accident on his way to a Saturday night concert. The album version is bookended with a grim news report and the jarring noise of a crash.
“It’s a great rock song,” Campion says, “but it’s also a beautiful, melancholy tribute to (the idea) that no matter how young and invincible you feel because of rock music, there’s mortality involved.”
But who was this fallen Kiss fan? Aside from bits of speculation among diehard fans online, there were few details to be found. No date, no locale, no name.
With his book’s deadline looming, Campion began an intensive search. He tracked down Kiss’s 1975 tour schedule, zeroing in on dates in and around Charlotte. He plowed through public death records, solicited help from bemused police departments and dug into old newspaper archives, looking for key details in accident reports: What time did it happen? Did the vehicle include a group of teens?
"I became a macabre detective,” he says.
Coming up short, Campion began to have doubts about Stanley's story. This was a band, after all, that had invented mythology for decades.
But then, why would Stanley bring up Charlotte at all? Why not just say Detroit? “If you are going to lie, lie big,” as Campion writes in his book.
“It must have happened, or at least he really did think it happened,” he says.
Campion kept digging, moving his focus to 1974 thanks to word from a former Kiss roadie. And that's when a handful of candidate names emerged, several of them with ties to Fayetteville, N.C., where Kiss performed on Nov. 30, 1974 — two days after Charlotte. He lists them in his book.
"Fayetteville is the ground zero of this story," he says now with confidence. "I'd be shocked if it was not."
Campion's detective tale doesn't have a satisfying ending — at least not yet. He's hoping that his new book, and articles like this one, will spur a lead that brings a conclusive answer: Which Kiss fan's death inspired one of the band's best-known songs?
"I want to get to the bottom of this," he says. "If for no other reason than it's haunting me."
'Shout it Out Loud: The Story of Kiss’s "Destroyer" and the Making of an American Icon'
By James Campion - Backbeat Books, $24.99
Now residents in Cadillac are giving something back to the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers known for wearing makeup that masks its members' faces: a black granite monument celebrating the 40th anniversary of the visit.
The Cadillac News and WWTV reported that the monument was unveiled Saturday, although members of the band weren't able to attend. A tribute band performed some Kiss hits as part of the event.
The monument reads in part: "The renowned bond between Cadillac and Kiss endures to this day."
It also says the event on Oct. 9, 1975, "attained worldwide acclaim as one of the most iconic stories in rock and roll lore."
"On that day, Kiss came to Cadillac, and a legend was created," the monument says.
Kiss rode in the homecoming parade and performed in the school gym. The group ultimately departed Cadillac from the football field in a helicopter, showering fans with hundreds of "Kiss Loves You" cards.
"I think we were stunned," Lucy Best told WWTV. Best was a student at Cadillac High at the time.
"I think we didn't believe it at first ... and as it got closer and people started making plans to paint faces and it started to become real and then they showed up and it really was real," Best said.
Then-assistant football coach Jim Neff spearheaded efforts in 1975 to get Kiss to town. In 1974, the football team played Kiss songs before games. It had a seven-game winning streak and became conference co-champions, according to the monument.
Neff and former head football coach Milo Brines pulled away the tarp from the monument Saturday at the school's football stadium.
Criss first left KISS in 1980. Since then he's worked with other bands and released solo albums. He teamed up with KISS again for a few gigs in the 1990s and most recently in 2004. He was replaced by Eric Singer.
Criss, who was known as "Catman," released his last solo CD, titled "One for All", in 2007. Peter produced the album himself for the first time, and was joined by guest musicians that included keyboardist Paul Shaffer and bassist Will Lee of "Late Night with David Letterman". The album featured a range of styles, from rock and jazz to blues and Broadway, and included covers of "What a Difference a Day Makes" and "Send in the Clowns".
The four original members of KISS were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in April 2014 by RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello.
KISS did not perform — the Hall Of Fame wanted the original quartet only to play, while Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley insisted on the current lineup — which also includes guitarist Tommy Thayer — performing as well. In the end nobody won that battle.
Epic Rights has secured a number of new licensing partnerships for the Hall of Fame glam rockers, KISS.
The firm has also renewed a slate of existing licensees for product lines across a number of categories, citing the growing legion of KISS Army fans across the globe.
New partnerships will see the KISS brand launch into footwear from Charlotte Olympia, t-shirts, electronics and collectables in the US from Four Seasons Designs and accessories and home décor in the US, Canada, UK, Europe, Australia and New Zealand from Bradford Exchange.
Furthermore, Iconic Concepts will launch a range of mini-replica guitars, scarves, collectables and barware, Legends Socks will develop men’s and women’s socks and Silver Buffalo will deliver drinkware, blankets, wall art and more.
Rounding out the list of new licensing partners, Yusef will develop KISS lip balm and lip gloss in the US, Distribuidora de Ropa Viva will deliver t-shorts, tank tops and sweatshirts in Mexico and Winning Moves International will launch a KISS-themed Monopoly board game worldwide.
Meanwhile, existing licensees renewing their KISS brand agreement include ACCO with decorative wall calendars, Kurt S Adler with Christmas décor and Funko with vinyl toys and collector edition t-shirts worldwide.
FIPO will continue to roll out apparel, accessories, bedding and towels in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Finland and expanding to include Germany, Austria and Switzerland, while CID will deliver t-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, leggings, dressings and baseballs across Europe.
Completing the list and Angotti Designs will continue to produce children’s apparel in the US, Canada, France, Ireland, Japan, Mexico and Spain.
The slate of new deals and renewal of existing partnerships arrives off the back of a sell out KISS world tour, visiting stadiums in Europe as well as Australia and New Zealand.
“The KISS brand continues to exceed our expectations for appeal as well as performance round the globe, a true testament to the brand’s music and continued fan engagement,” said Epic Rights executive VP of global licensing, Lisa Streff.
“The KISS multigenerational fan base is passionate and loyal and continues to drive demand for a broad range of products and services, which is truly a rarity in today’s licensing environment.
“This level of consumer support attracts a consistent stream of new and current licensees that continue to fuel the brand’s growth and visibility around the world.”
KISS are keen to continue this very valuable work whilst in Australia and today, are pleased to announce they will be doing so on their national tour – courtesy of Legacy Australia.
In the US, KISS are active supporters of the Wounded Warrior Project, which is a non-profit organisation assisting men & women who have incurred service connected injuries, and the Hiring Our Heroes program, a US initiative to help veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses find meaningful employment.
KISS has raised awareness for both programs by regularly visiting recovering wounded veterans, raising money through donating proceeds from concert ticket sales and by giving returned veterans the opportunity to work as “KISS Roadies” on their tours. To date KISS has raised upwards of two million dollars in funds and millions more in awareness from media for their support of military veterans causes.
Most recently KISS hired three servicemen to be roadies during their three week residency at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas, and prior, servicemen were hired to be “KISS Roadies” on the entire KISS/Def Leppard US summer tour, 2013 the KISS/Motley Crue tour and band’s UK tour.
In Australia, the band’s initiative will take on a slightly different feel! As Legacy’s main priority is the welfare of the widows and families of servicemen and women, it is widows around the country who will be given the unique opportunity to become a “KISS Roadie For A Day”.
When made aware of the incredible work Legacy does in Australia for war widows and their families, the band felt very passionately about recognising their strength and courage.
At each of the band’s seven Australian concerts starting in Perth on Saturday (October 3), Legacy Australia has selected a woman for this once-in-a-lifetime experience. The ladies will work with the KISS team in the VIP Packages area. They will prep and build the area at each venue, meet and host the VIP fans who attend a special afternoon acoustic session, and help manage the VIP band photo opportunities. And of course, after all that hard work, sit back and enjoy the show!
The women are of various ages and have lost husbands or partners in different conflicts, including Shelley Kovco who lost her husband Jake in Iraq in 2006. She was left with two very young children on her own after his death and Legacy has assisted her with school fees, uniforms, books as well as much-needed emotional support for the whole family.
Shelley and Melbourne Legacy CEO, Mikaela Stafrace, met KISS in Melbourne last night. Shelley will be the KISS Roadie working at the Rod Laver Arena show next Thursday October 8.
Legacy Australia Chairman, Mr David Gray said it is a fantastic opportunity to be supported by one of the most famous rock bands in the world, helping raise not only awareness but give some of our very special ladies a “money can’t buy experience”.
“It really is such a tremendous opportunity, and we can’t thank KISS enough for the support they are giving our organisation while touring in Australia and helping raise awareness around the world,” he said. “KISS have a very close affiliation with service men and women in the US and we are very happy they have decided to support our vital work here in Australia. These ladies have made such a huge sacrifice and it is fabulous we are offering them something very, very, special in return.”
The first KISS Roadie will be ex-soldier Naomi Nary, who lost her Special Air Service Regiment husband David in a motor vehicle accident in Iraq. Naomi has two kids and has received significant support from Legacy.
Legacy is liaising with ladies from other states now, with the complete list being finalised over the weekend.
Dressed to Kill (1975): "Dressed To Kill was an interesting album because at that point we were still trying to break nationally, and with each album that didn't do it we quickly went into the studio to do another album. And Dressed To Kill was done under duress in terms of needing to get another album out, and we actually went into the studio without all the songs completed or written. Gene [Simmons, bass/vocals] and I would go in the morning sometimes and write songs and when Peter [Criss, drums] and Ace [Frehley, guitar] would come in we'd tell them today's song is called "Two Timer", and we would teach them the song. I think the songs are better than the sound. I have an issue with a lot of the early albums because they didn't sonically represent what the band was. If you ever saw the band live early on we were bombastic, and those albums don't sound it."
Unmasked (1980): "Unmasked I know was very popular in some countries including Australia, but it was an album for me where the band was in turmoil. Peter didn't play on the album, he didn't play on [1979's] Dynasty either, not because of personality problems but because the producer deemed that his ability was in question. So we were at that point where I think we had lost sight of why we started this in the first place, and that was because we loved rock & roll. At that point we had lost our teeth and were gumming the music instead of biting it."
Lick It Up (1983): "Lick It Up was an interesting album because I had wanted to take off the make-up on [1982's] Creatures Of the Night because I thought that people at that time were listening with their eyes and didn't like seeing the band as it was anymore, and didn't perhaps believe in the band visually anymore, and it affected how they listened to the band. And as good an album as Creatures was, it was kind of overlooked, so I knew that when we took the make-up off that the next album would be better received. It sold multiple times what Creatures had sold. People wanted Kiss but they didn't want Kiss looking as they did."
Hot in the Shade (1989): "Hot in the Shade was more than a little disjointed because by that point Gene and I were very much in our own camps so to speak and writing separately, and I think he may have been bringing in songs he had very little to do with because he was involved in other outside interests. I think that there are some good songs on there but overall it's a scattered album with no real focus to it."
Revenge (1992): "Revenge was a great album, in that we got back together with [producer] Bob Ezrin at a time when he was in great shape again. We tried working together earlier and it was a disaster, but Revenge was a time when the band was focused and Bob was focused and we turned out a great album."
Stanley is a long-time friend of Badlands founder and CEO Chuck Brennan. The Badlands family of companies also includes Badlands Entertainment, Guns, Gold & Rock N Roll Radio Network and Badlands Motor Speedway. Brennan is a philanthropist and businessman who founded several businesses including Dollar Loan Center and the non-profit Brennan Rock & Roll Academy in Sioux Falls, SD.
Stanley said Badlands Pawn, Gold & Jewelry is an entertainment destination unlike any other in South Dakota. “Sioux Falls has never seen anything like this,” said Stanley. “The country has never seen anything like this. The first one is in Sioux Falls and it is a template for more to come. It’s very exciting to see and be a part of.”
Stanley became an owner in Badlands following his most recent trip to perform with the Badlands House Band at their world premiere concert. “The concert almost didn’t happen because the city was completely flooded that night,” said Brennan. “Paul and Jack Blades from Night Ranger were guest performers and really showed their commitment to music and our success by waiting more than two hours until the power was restored and they could go onstage. Paul’s friendship over the years and support of the Brennan Rock & Roll Academy and now Badlands, really means the world to me. If Paul Stanley says what we are creating is outstanding, consider it outstanding.”
Following his performance with the Badlands House Band, Stanley toured Badlands Pawn and the Badlands Motor Speedway before deciding to invest in Brennan’s vision for Sioux Falls. “He opened up his checkbook and bought all the remaining shares of the original offering,” said Brennan. “I couldn’t be prouder to work with Paul, and our incredible team of entertainers and professionals, to bring my vision for Badlands to fruition.”
“I admire Chuck,” said Stanley. “He grew up here and wants to give back here…with the Brennan Rock and Roll academy and now Badlands. This will become a nationally-known tourist attraction. It will be a destination that will boost the local economy with jobs and commerce, and a tourist destination that people will come from all over the world to visit.”
Stanley said he was especially impressed with community-minded efforts that were planned as a part of Badlands Pawn, Gold & Jewelry. “For me, a place that comes into a community has to justify itself by being a member of that community, giving back and being a good neighbor,” he said. “The state-of-the-art shooting range will give members of law enforcement a chance to practice free of charge and provide firearm lessons to citizens.”
Stanley said every part of Badlands is being designed with the most important element in mind—fun. “If it’s not fun, it might not be worth doing,” he said. “Everything about Badlands is fun. It’s revolutionary. It’s terrific!”
Badlands Pawn, Gold & Jewelry, opening Thanksgiving Day, will become one of the state’s largest tourist destinations in the heart of the newly coined ‘Sioux Falls Sports & Entertainment District.’ Badlands Motor Speedway, formerly Huset’s Speedway in Brandon, SD, is set to become a premiere sprint car facility and home of the prestigious $250,000 Rock & Roll Gold Cup, an annual 3-day racing event. It will officially open at the start of the 2016 racing season.
For more information, visit www.badlandspawn.com and www.badlandsmotorspeedway.com.
Space Invader, Frehley’s latest solo album, continues the successful comeback story for the 64-year old veteran guitarist who scored a Top 10 debut on the Billboard charts when the album was released last year in August. The chart debut added another milestone to Frehley’s career, as he became the first KISS member to have an album debut in the Top 10 as a solo artist. Anomaly, his previous solo album, released in 2009, peaked at #26 on the album charts.
The artwork for Space Invader came from Ken Kelly — well-known in the KISS universe for creating the cover art for the classic Love Gun and Destroyer albums. Frehley had been keen to have Kelly work on art for one of his projects and he finally got his wish with the new album and he says that the space theme that populates some of the material on the record began to take shape as he was in the midst of discussing album art ideas with Kelly.
“It kind of started up with the cover idea,” he says. “I wanted to get Ken Kelly to paint something and then we figured that [it should have] me coming out of the spaceship and it just snowballed from there.”
Frehley assembled the bulk of the album in less than a year, writing 11 songs in the process, something that demonstrated that he still had creative mojo that he thought he might have lost.
“You get to a certain age and you just think that sometimes you can’t recapture some of the things that you had in your youth,” he says. “One of the comments that I got a lot on this last record was that my voice still sounds like it did in my twenties, which is kind of funny, you know? Sobriety,” he adds, “has really helped me focus and be more creative. It was kind of fun towards the end as the songs started falling into place and we got really hot on the space theme. ‘Space Invader’ was the last song that I wrote for the record and it just kind of came together during the mixing process [which] was a big surprise and a nice surprise.”
Guitarist Richie Scarlet, a longtime former associate, is back in the fold, touring with Frehley for the first time since the ‘90s, one of several changes that Frehley made to retool his touring band. “I gave Richie a call last year when we went out in November, because I decided to replace my old guitar player, Todd [Youth] and it was the same thing with my old bass player, Anthony [Esposito], who I replaced with Chris Wyse, who used to play bass for the Cult,” he says. “So we had two [new] people and I also got back my old drummer, Scot Coogan, so it was nice and the chemistry is really good onstage. I think by far, this is probably the best live band I’ve ever assembled. I’ve known Richie forever, so we just trade off licks at the end of a couple of songs and nothing’s rehearsed. It’s all impromptu. It’s nice to be able to do that, you know? You can play outside of the box a little bit.
The Rocksino show will feature a diverse setlist featuring material from Space Invader, plus a good number of tracks spanning his entire solo career and a healthy selection of KISS favorites. Frehley admits that it’s tough putting the set lists together.
“It really comes down to that you only have so many minutes to perform and you know, you want to perform the songs that are going to be the most well-received,” he says. “I get a lot of requests for songs that I’ve never done live or songs that are a little more obscure, but you know, the bottom line is that some fans, sure they’d love to hear them, but they’re not going to be as well-received as some songs that are more well-known. So I try to do the songs that I think are going to please most of the people most of the time.”
Frehley has a few projects on deck, including an upcoming covers album that will trace his early influences, tentatively featuring his version of songs from Led Zeppelin, the Who, the Rolling Stones and others.
“We’ve got most of the songs tracked already,” he says. “I’m just finishing up some overdubs and doing some rough mixes and then I think they’re planning to release it in the spring, so we’re on schedule with that. The most exciting thing with that record has been getting Slash in the studio and trading off on a Thin Lizzy song. We did ‘Emerald’ [from Thin Lizzy’s 1976 Jailbreak album] and we did an extended solo section that gave us a lot of leeway to just kind of go off and get crazy and we did.”
He’s working to finish the material and then he says he’ll look at potentially inviting some additional guests to play on the album. One name that has been mentioned is Gene Simmons, and Frehley says it’s still something that he’d like to pursue.
“If I can coordinate my schedule with his schedule,” he adds. “You know, he’s always running around doing this, that and the other thing.”
Looking back on the band’s 2014 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Frehley calls it a “great night.”
“I had a lot of fun and giving the acceptance speech was a gas and doing all of the press backstage,” he says. “You know, my only regret was that we didn’t perform and it’s unfortunate, because me and Peter [Criss] really wanted to perform and as you probably know, Paul [Stanley] and Gene decided not to perform with us.”
But he still retains lots of fond memories of his glory years with the band, including the experience of recording the group’s landmark Alive live album, which remains a fan favorite to this day and one which Rolling Stone recently placed high on their list of the Top 50 Classic Live Albums.
“You know, when I think about KISS Alive, I think about the live performances, but I also think about [being in the] studio with Eddie Kramer, doing overdubs to try to clean it up a little,” Frehley says with a hearty laugh. “He had these crazy mic stands with long tape loops, you know, it was before digital equipment, so everything was on tape and we’d have these long tape loops with different audience sounds, so on and so forth. It was pretty wacky. But we had a lot of fun doing it. It was one of the highlights of my career, working with Eddie and doing something that crazy. You know, the packaging was right, the timing was right and it’s still one of our biggest records to date, if not our biggest. KISS is known for our live show and our theatrics and the Alive record captured that. It captured the explosions and the crowd response and all of the other mayhem that went along with the rock and roll circus that we presented in the ‘70s. I think that’s why it was so well-received.”
After the current tour and working to complete the upcoming covers album, Frehley has no shortage of things on his plate.
“I’m still writing original material and you know, I was just offered another studio album deal so I’m probably going to pick up that option and I’m always planning ahead,” he says. “I’d like to do a soundtrack for a film. I just got offered a tour in South America, which I’m probably going to fine tune and do next year. We’ve got a cruise happening in mid-January of 2016, the Rock Legends Cruise. That’s going to happen January 15th. It’s good to be busy and stay active. I don’t know many years I’m going to have at this, but you know, so far, so good.”
“Congratulations to KISS – the new Gold standard for albums by American bands,” said Cary Sherman, Chairman & CEO, RIAA. “What an extraordinary achievement for an enduring band. Forty years later and the band is still rocking. Congratulations to KISS on their Gold album milestone and continued success."
KISS remains one of the most influential bands in the history of rock and roll. Decades of record-breaking tours around the globe have included high-profile appearances at Super Bowl XXXIII, the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, the Rockin' The Corps concert dedicated to our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, special guest appearance on the 2009 American Idol finale that boasted 30 million viewers and a 2010 Dr. Pepper Super Bowl commercial and advertising campaign in support of their Hottest Show On Earth tour.
Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, with longtime members guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer, are stronger than ever with a legacy that continues to grow, generation after generation. Their last album, Monster, proved that they are still at the top of their game with impressive sales and topping the charts worldwide debuting at No. 3 in the U.S. on the Billboard 200 best-selling albums chart and Top 10 in twenty other countries. The unparalleled devotion and loyalty of the KISS Army to the "Hottest Band in the World" is a striking testament to the band's unbreakable bond with its fans.
KISS is currently celebrating two other major milestones, their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April of 2014, as well as the band’s 40th Anniversary. KISS 40, an album celebrating 40 years of Rock ‘N Roll is available now.
"Gene, Ace, Peter & Paul: A Detailed Exploration of the 1978 KISS Solo Albums" puts the four KISS solo albums under the microscope like never before. More than 30 brand-new interviews were conducted with various individuals who either worked directly on the solo albums or have a strong connection with the projects. These interviews offer readers fresh first-hand perspectives straight from studio musicians, producers, engineers, and songwriters, and the creative professionals working in the KISS camp at the time.
A supporting series of topical features further illuminates KISS'activities in 1978 while dissecting the albums and offering in-depth analysis and biographical information on the albums' participants.
Visit www.kiss78soloalbums.com for more information.
The songs were ancient hits by Smokey Robinson, the Temptations, Al Green and the Isley Brothers, and the performances painstakingly re-created the original arrangements, with only occasional nods to Stanley's other gig. "We're paying respect, with reverence, to some of the great songs," Stanley said early in his 75-minute set, dressed in shades and a tuxedo jacket, swaying in cowboy boots of fire-engine red.
"There was a time not that long ago when you would turn on the radio and you'd hear songs written by real songwriters, songs sung by real singers, played by real musicians," he explained to the whistling, cheering crowd at the 500-capacity club on the Sunset Strip. "These songs mean a lot to us. They're beautiful songs. You could sway and touch the person next to you — you could also get punched in the face. I think you're going to like this."
He began with the Temptations' "Get Ready," singing in falsetto, as he would the entire set, reaching for high notes and subtlety that would be a challenge for almost anyone not named Smokey. His vocals could have been louder in the mix here, but Stanley found his own power and confidence as the set rolled on, blending elegantly with a trio of gifted backup singers: Nelson Beato, Ayana Layli and Crystal Starr.
Stanley and his singers went full a cappella to begin Robinson's sweet, tearful "Ooo Baby Baby," singing into retro chrome-plated microphones. "We got great, great singers. I would be nothing without these singers," Stanley said admiringly. Behind them was a six-man band that included Kiss drummer Eric Singer, and they obviously had been rehearsing hard for this moment, reviving the warm bass lines and glancing guitar riffs of the Temptations' "Just My Imagination."
That song's chorus also prompted the first of many spontaneous sing-alongs from the crowd, many dressed in Kiss shirts and hats, but no one shouting for any tunes from Stanley's other band. In a corner booth of the club's VIP section were two fans cheering as loudly as anyone: Kiss fanatic Tom Morello (of Rage Against the Machine) and Stanley's musical life partner, Gene Simmons.
"He's great because he loves that music and he understands it," Simmons said, grinning from behind his sunglasses. "Great songwriting is great songwriting."
Stanley introduced the Smokey Robinson and the Miracles hit "Tracks of My Tears" by speaking in awe of the distinctive opening melody: "I'm going to be transported as soon as I hear it." He tapped into the Hi Records sound of Memphis soul on Green's "Let's Stay Together," as the crowd clapped to the beat, followed by the Temptations' "The Way You Do the Things You Do" and the slippery funk guitar on the Isley Brothers' "Who's That Lady?"
These were love songs performed at human scale, with emotions that soared, no special effects necessary. Pulling off his tuxedo jacket, Stanley joked with the crowd, "You don't have to be shy. We know each other."
For the Jackson 5's "I Want You Back," Stanley picked up a tambourine and handed lead vocals to Crystal Starr, who nailed the tune with searing passion and skill.
Before the Roxy show, Soul Station had played just twice before at benefit events for the school attended by one of Stanley's children. Now he plans to tour the band between his ongoing dates with Kiss. At the end of the night, he summed up the sound and tradition he hoped to share with his fans: "Real musicians, real music, really cool."
Set List:
"Get Ready"
"La-La (Means I Love You)"
"Just My Imagination"
"Ooo Baby Baby"
"Sideshow"
"You Are Everything"
"Tracks of My Tears"
"Let’s Stay Together"
"Betcha by Golly, Wow"
"The Way You Do the Things You Do"
"I Want You Back"
"Who’s That Lady?"
Encore:
"O-o-h Child"
"This Old Heart of Mine"
"Could It Be I’m Falling in Love"
The All Things That Rock Fest also features celebrity guest appearances by the likes of original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley; former GUNS N' ROSES drummer Steven Adler; Carl Palmer, drummer for the supergroups EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER and ASIA; Lita Ford, original guitarist for the influential band THE RUNAWAYS as well as acclaimed solo artist; and Frankie Banali from QUIET RIOT. These artists and others will be meeting fans, signing autographs, and posing for photo opportunities.
Lee Wysocki, personal friend of Les Paul, will display and give people an opportunity to play a collection of Les Paul's personal guitars, including Les's 1935 L7, the Jimmy Page prototype and more! Attendees can also tour the Gibson Guitar Bus plus the Rock Girls Bikini Bod Squad will also be there to entertain the guys.
Without question, the All Things That Rock Fest is a true music lifestyle fair, bringing the most comprehensive collection of pop and rock music items ever assembled under one roof — new and used, rare, collectible, and common records, CDs, DVDs, tapes, 45s, 12-inch singles, posters, t-shirts, books and memorabilia in all types of music, including rock, metal, jazz, R&B, alternative, classical, new age, blues, soul, show, soundtracks, folk, comedy, disco, new releases, imports, out of print, and much more.
Artist schedules, newly added guests and advanced tickets are available at www.AllThingsThatRockFestival.com.
On the track, REBEL ignites a different spark within Sixpence None The Richer’s 1998 smash of the same name. It’s a special moment for Casablanca Records as well since Sophie’s father, KISS founder and front man Gene Simmons, was the label’s very first signing in 1973. It brings everything full circle for the modern era of the brand.
The singer, actress, model, designer, and writer comments, “I am honored that Casablanca, REBEL, and the whole team over there thought of me for this project. Of course, I jumped at the chance. This song was my childhood. When I was little, I would sing it imagining what my first kiss would be like. It’s rare to hear a song about romance these days. I hope I did Sixpence None the Richer proud!”
Republic Records Senior Vice President of A&R and General Manager of Casablanca Records, Brett Alperowitz adds, “We love Sophie as a singer and an artist, and the fact that she is Gene Simmons’s daughter is an added bonus. It’s really important to us to bridge Casablanca’s storied past with its exciting future. Her presence at the label enables us to solidify that link in the best way possible—through the music.”
Buzzing worldwide, REBEL continues to turn heads. His remix of James Newton Howard’s “The Hanging Tree” [feat.Jennifer Lawrence] drummed up impressive airplay in early 2015.
The LAPD's Internet Crime Against Chidren's Task Force executed a search warrant at 8 AM, and we're told cops seized computers and other evidence.
Law enforcement sources tell us, someone downloaded child porn either on one of their computers or using their internet access. We're told neither Simmons nor anyone in his family are considered suspects or persons of interest. Gene was away on tour when the downloads occurred.
It's unclear who, if anyone is considered a suspect. We're told the family is fully cooperative.
One of these iconic guitars can be yours!
You’ll get:
– A staged-played Gibson Flying V guitar autographed to you, in person, by the Starchild!
– Your Flying V will be played for multiple songs during the show you attend aboard the KISS Kruise! (Paul will play your guitar for a minimum of four songs)
– You’ll also get to attend Paul’s intimate acoustic performance aboard the KISS Kruise V! Paul will perform a relaxed, acoustic set sharing memories about his music and the stories behind the songs spanning his incredible career.
– You and up to three guests will enjoy a private meet-and-greet with Paul Stanley aboard the Kruise. Bring your camera for photos of you and your guitar! After the show, you will pick up your guitar and take it home with you.
– Paul will also sign five collectibles of your choice (NO GUITARS or pick guards.)
CLICK HERE to buy one of these special guitars now!
Matt Bassuener went down with a broken hand during a loss in May and says the Kiss showed no mercy. According to a new lawsuit, the team's doctor cleared him to play in July -- but Bassuener insisted on a 2nd opinion from his own doc, who put the kibosh on him suiting up again.
That's when the trouble started. Matt and his wife live in corporate housing ... an apartment subsidized by the team. But in his suit, Matt says the team forcibly entered the apartment in August -- and went through their stuff, changed the locks ... and even stole stuff.
He says the missing items included his wife's passport, immigration papers, and her epilepsy medication ... which she needs to take twice a day.
Bassuener says she missed 3 doses before the team allowed them to pick up the meds and some belongings, but other items are still in the apartment.
Matt's suing to get back in their crib, but he's persona non grata with the team ... which insists he's been cut.
One song later, Gene Simmons joined in.
The superstar pairing capped off a fundraising concert Sunday for MendingKids.org, an organization that provides hundreds of free corrective surgeries each year for children around the world. Besides Depp and Simmons, the event also featured a surprise reunion of rock group Extreme for a performance of their 1991 classic "More Than Words."
After appearances by various musicians, Depp quietly joined the house band to play Alice Cooper's "School's Out." (The 52-year-old actor announced last week that he is forming a band with Cooper and guitarist Joe Perry called Hollywood Vampires that will release a self-titled album next month and donate proceeds to charity.)
His hair slicked back, Depp wore jeans and an oxford shirt topped with a gray vest. He played a white electric guitar.
Simmons was the last to take the stage. A supporter of MendingKids.org for several years, the 65-year-old entertainer invited anyone with $1,000 to donate to the organization to come up and sing with the band. About 10 donors took him up on the offer, including his son and daughter, and they shared the stage with Depp, Simmons and the rest of the band during the closing number, the Kiss hit "Rock and Roll All Nite."
After the show, Depp waved to fans and disappeared out a side door.
First he was slurring "Captain Jack Sparrow" swaggering around Disneyland in eyeliner and dreads on Saturday. Then he slicked back his hair, donned a buttoned-down shirt and gray vest and strapped on a white electric guitar to join Gene Simmons for a charity gig in a Los Angeles bowling alley Sunday night.
According to the Associated Press, Depp didn't say a word as he stepped onto a small stage inside the Lucky Strike bowling alley, where he and Simmons and other musicians played a fundraising concert Sunday for MendingKids.org, an organization that provides hundreds of free corrective surgeries each year for children around the world.
The event also featured a surprise reunion of rock group Extreme for a performance of their 1991 classic More Than Words.
Depp quietly took the stage to play Alice Cooper's School's Out. Depp, Cooper and guitarist Joe Perry are now part of a superband, the Hollywood Vampires, scheduled to play two charity gigs next month and release a self-titled album, with proceeds earmarked for charity.
A supporter of MendingKids.org for several years, Simmons invited anyone with $1,000 to donate to the organization to come up and sing with the band. About 10 donors took him up on the offer, including his son and daughter, and they shared the stage with Depp, Simmons and the rest of the band during the closing number, the Kiss hit Rock and Roll All Nite.
After the show, Depp waved to fans and disappeared out a side door.
On Saturday it was a dramatically different story: He dressed up as his Captain Jack Sparrow character, from his latest, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, to take part in a promotion presentation at Disney's D23 Expo in Anaheim, Calif.
You know the look: tri-corner hat, lots of makeup and rings, long hair, puffy shirt under a long vest, knee-high suede boots, big wide belt.
"Where are we?" he mumbled. "Disneyland," replied the Disney exec Sean Bailey. "Never heard of it," Depp snapped.
One song later, Gene Simmons joined in.
The superstar pairing capped off a fundraising concert Sunday in LA for MendingKids.org, an organization that provides hundreds of free corrective surgeries each year for children around the world. Besides Depp and Simmons, the event also featured a surprise reunion of rock group Extreme for a performance of their 1991 classic “More Than Words.”
After appearances by various musicians, Depp quietly joined the house band to play Alice Cooper’s “School’s Out.” (The 52-year-old actor announced last week that he is forming a band with Cooper and guitarist Joe Perry called Hollywood Vampires that will release a self-titled album next month and donate proceeds to charity.)
His hair slicked back, Depp wore jeans and an oxford shirt topped with a gray vest. He played a white electric guitar.
Simmons was the last to take the stage. A supporter of MendingKids.org for several years, the 65-year-old entertainer invited anyone with $1,000 to donate to the organization to come up and sing with the band. About 10 donors took him up on the offer, including his son and daughter, and they shared the stage with Depp, Simmons and the rest of the band during the closing number, the Kiss hit “Rock and Roll All Nite.”
After the show, Depp waved to fans and disappeared out a side door.
Riki Rachtman created the original rock dance club that dominated the Hollywood scene from 1986 until 1993. Now, along with Live Nation and Synergy Global Entertainment (SGE), he brought Cathouse Live to a much larger audience with this decadent music and lifestyle festival.
Said Rachtman: "I recently started a Cathouse Hollywood Facebook page and everyone was asking, 'Why don't you do another Cathouse?' I loved the idea and mentioned it on Twitter. So many bands told me that they wanted to be a part of it that I knew that I had to bring it back on a much larger scale. It was too big for a club, so we decided to do a festival."
The original Hollywood Cathouse was known for its edgy, underground, dirty rock 'n' roll vibe that was rooted in punk. It reeked of raunch and pure decadence. Patrons would freely indulge. The DJ played rock 'n' roll between unannounced performances from bands like GUNS N' ROSES (Cathouse regulars who performed live at the club in 1986 just before their debut record was released), Sebastian Bach, Stephen Pearcy, L.A. GUNS, FASTER PUSSYCAT, JUNKYARD, JETBOY, BANG TANGO, SAIGON KICK, BLACK 'N BLUE, LITTLE CAESAR, and many more. GUNS N' ROSES' video for "It's So Easy" was shot at the Cathouse, and Alice Cooper played the club one Halloween.
When Ice-T was banned from every Los Angeles club, Riki invited the rapper's band BODY COUNT to play Cathouse.
"It wouldn't be uncommon to see GUNS N' ROSES one week and ALICE IN CHAINS the next — so many bands played before they were huge," said Rachtman. "It was also the kind of place where you'd find Robert Downey Jr. rubbing elbows with AEROSMITH's Steven Tyler.
But Simmons has a softer side as he talks about his many philanthropic endeavors. He’ll be participating in two charity events. The first is Aug. 16 at Lucky Strike in Hollywood, where he and Johnny Depp will bowl and lead an all-star jam that also includes Gilby Clarke, Nuno Bettencourt and more to raise funds for Mending Kids, an organization that raises money to send doctors around the world to perform operations on kids in need. The second event will take place Aug. 18, where Simmons will be interviewed at the Grammy Museum following stand-up sets by the likes of Bill Burr and Jim Jefferies as part of Comedy Rocks. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Sophie’s Place, a charity set up by his daughter Sophie Simmons, which also benefits children.
Simmons spoke to Billboard about the importance of giving back, as well as his plans for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Tell us about the event Sunday.
Mending Kids does great work. All the funding comes in from contributions, and MendingKids.org sends doctors, on their dime, around the world to provide free operations to children with physical deformities, facial, spinal, anything, where otherwise they would have a life of pain and suffering and perhaps death. So Johnny Depp and I are gonna bowl August 16 at Lucky Strike in Hollywood, so people should go get their tickets. Space is limited, it’s not one of those huge events, so there’ll be high-end people and a rock band, everybody’s gonna jump up and jam. Johnny will play a few songs, I’ll play a few songs, a few other knuckleheads will jump up, and all the proceeds go to MendingKids.org to provide children with operations that they would normally never have.
Have you ever jammed with Johnny before?
No. We’ve met and chatted some, but never been onstage with him.
Are there covers you’d be particularly excited to do with him?
We have no idea. We’re just gonna do it loosey-goosey -- which is not a bad name for a band, not a good name come to think of it. But you get up there and just let it roll. There’ll be a good bunch of musicians; it’s gonna be a good night. But anything you do too slick doesn’t come off heartfelt. It’s less about the show and the celebrities and more about the good and what we’re all trying to do for kids.
How did you first ever get involved with the organization?
A few years ago, I was introduced to Mending Kids by a friend. It started off as business, and then the more I looked into it, the more I saw these are legitimate doctors who contribute their time and effort and they try to raise funds.
You did a benefit for them at House of Blues with Kiss and Tom Jones as well.
I put the deal together, negotiated with the House of Blues to give us the space for free, I booked Arsenio Hall and Tom Jones and the guys in Kiss contributed their time. I called Penn Jillette, who hosted the evening, and I called Mark Cuban to broadcast the event on AXS. It was a big night, raised a lot of money, and then as we all do, we get busy with the rest of our lives. Then Mending Kids called me about a month back and said, “Look, we’re having this event, can you please promote it?” They said they have Johnny Depp. I said, “That’s all you need, but I’ll be happy to step up and I’ll bowl and you can auction me off and we’ll jam and do all that.”
What do you look for in charities you work with?
The most important thing is that most of the money goes to help make a difference. There are large organizations that cost a lot of money for offices and staff, I tend not to get involved with those because enough of the money goes to buy people cars and pay office rent and stuff like that. They’re well-meaning, but they’re expensive. The lean, mean organizations that don’t have a high overhead means that more of the money gets to help people. Children are my soft spot, actually.
Has that always been the case for you, or became more of an issue for you as you got older and became a parent?
I’m not from America [Simmons was born in Israel], and when I was a kid, we had nothing. We had an outhouse out in the woods that was a hole in the ground and that’s where you went. We didn’t even have toilet paper; we had rags and you’d wash them and reuse them. That’s where I came from. I never saw a toilet or a toothbrush until I was about 9. And I’m not tugging on anybody’s shirt sleeves to get any kind of sympathy. Six months after the country became independent, I was born. And so in the beginning, there was very little infrastructure. And one day a care package showed up and there were cans of peaches and a Bugs Bunny book; not a comic book. I still remember it: Bugs Bunny is going over the hill and he’s being hunted by Elmer Fudd and all that. Of course I couldn’t read English at the time and there was a torn sweater. And when that care package came in, all of a sudden I had the sense that somebody cared, and it started there.
Are there moments you’ve gotten to see the effects of what you do?
We’ve worked with Wounded Warriors for years, and a tour or two ago, a buck out of every ticket was given directly to Wounded Warriors. And the last tour in America we found a vet who had nothing when he came back home. He had three kids and a wife and they were trying to figure out where they were gonna live, so we pooled all the money and brought him up onstage during a show. We talked onstage about how we all think Superman and Spider-Man are cool, but the real superheroes actually volunteer and risk life and limb for an idea, which gives us the freedom we have. I don’t want to get too cornball about it, but there’s nothing like our armed forces. So onstage we surprised our vet with a brand-new house all paid for. To watch the joy and the tears of the family and the vet was something. The entire audience was cheering and happy and crying, it was a thing to behold.
And you have another charity event next week, correct?
Two days later at the Grammy Museum. I was asked by Bill Burr and a few of the other very funny guys to come up there and either be made fun of or joke back and forth and some of the proceeds are going to Sophie’s Place. That’s SophieTSimmons.com for anybody that wants to contribute and save some lives.
Who have been the comedians you really admire and enjoy over the years?
The guys I liked were dangerous and they weren’t politically correct, some of them were racist, some had anger issues and drugs and all that stuff. But because they were dangerous they were really funny. Sam Kinison I thought was just a killer. I knew Andy Kaufman, and he got a bad rap. But at his height, no matter how politically incorrect and how insensitive he was, Andrew Dice Clay -- I’d never seen anything or heard anything like him. In his own way, George Carlin must have pissed off lots of people. There are a lot of guys. But basically I’m not a fan of comedians who talk about why did the chicken cross the road. I don’t want humor my mom would get off on. I like humor that you can’t believe what comes out of the guy’s mouth.
Like many comedians, Kiss has always been very outspoken and it took so long for you guys to get in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Never cared about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Do I care that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame decided to bring Madonna and LL Cool J into it before us? No. I have no idea what those artists have to do with rock and roll. When is Led Zeppelin going to be in the Hip-Hop Hall of Fame? But stranger things have happened, and I’m the last guy in the world to complain about anything. In fact, I was thinking of buying the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
“When I was a boy, before I ever saw the Who or Led Zeppelin, I saw Solomon Burke and Otis Redding. I saw the Temptations. It’s tragic to think that so many people are missing out on experiencing the power of so many great bands, artists and that incredible music,” said Stanley. “That music is part of the foundation of all the music I’ve made and Soul Station is my chance to celebrate it for a night that’s real and live.”
To clarify further he adds, “I don’t play guitar in the band and we don’t do a single KISS song. That's not what this is about,” Stanley continues. “It’s magical to hear those songs played right and we’re making magic.”
“We’re living in a time of being fed canned pre-programmed backing tracks and lip syncing in place of the electricity and passion of real live R&B,” says Stanley. “When I was a boy, before I ever saw the Who or Led Zeppelin, I saw Solomon Burke and Otis Redding. I saw the Temptations and all that music is part of the foundation of the music I’ve made. Soul Station is my chance to celebrate it for a night that’s real, live and faithfully recreates the sound with the respect it deserves. Whether it’s the Stylistics, the Dramatics, the Temptations, Smokey and the Miracles, Blue Magic and on, these songs, arrangements and sound just blow you away.” To clarify further he adds, “I don’t play guitar in the band and we don’t do a single KISS song. That's not what this is about,” Stanley continues. “It’s magical to hear those songs played right and we’re making magic.”
September 11, Soul Station debut at Los Angeles’ legendary Roxy Theatre.
Tickets for the show will go on sale beginning 3pm ET/2pm CT/noon PT today, August 4th, at www.ticketfly.com.
Stanley's legendary band members will include: Rafael "Hoffa" Moreira (guitar, backing vocals), Sean Hurley (bass), Alex Alessandroni (keyboards), Ely Rise (keyboards), Eric Singer (drums, backing vocals), Ramon Yslas (percussion), Nelson Beato (backing vocals), Crystal Starr (backing vocals) and Ayana Layli (backing vocals).
A photo of Slash in the studio with Ace's drummer Matt Starr and their engineer can be seen below.
Slash wrote on Twitter: "Had a really fun, live session with @Ace_Frehley last night jamming on a #ThinLizzy tune for his new covers album. Good times!"
This year’s homecoming coincides with the 120th Anniversary of Cadillac Viking football, so special festivities are being planned. The weekend will include: The homecoming football game, KISS-themed additions to the homecoming parade, a re-creation of the concert in the gym (featuring the World’s Best KISS Tribute Band – Mr. Speed), the unveiling of a permanent KISS monument, walking tours of KISStorical markers at significant spots around town, promotions by local businesses, and much more.
Joy Vandrie, Director of the Cadillac Area Visitors Bureau, expects the weekend will have great appeal to KISS fans. “This event will garner world wide attention and not only attract many visitors to Cadillac for this unique weekend, but also establish Cadillac as a permanent KISS tourism destination.”
The KISS Cadillac Homecoming is a collaborative event with Cadillac Area Festival & Events, Cadillac Area Public Schools, the Cadillac Sports Boosters, and the Cadillac Band Boosters. All NET proceeds from the event will benefit the two booster clubs.
A committee of local citizens and many volunteers are working hard to make this event a success. Committee member Jim Neff, the person responsible for bringing KISS to Cadillac in 1975, adds: “We have the total backing of KISS and their management at McGhee Entertainment. The goal for everyone involved is to do something positive for the City of Cadillac and the students at Cadillac High School.”
A schedule of events, ticket information for the KISS tribute concert featuring Mr. Speed, sponsorship opportunities, and ways for KISS fans to donate to the monument fund will be forthcoming.
Continuing information updates will be on the event website at kisscadillac.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/KISSCadillac, on Twitter at twitter.com/KISSCadillac, in the Cadillac News in print and on cadillacnews.com. Event details and information about visiting Cadillac will be on the Cadillac Area Visitors Bureau website at cadillacmichigan.com.
In addition to tapping new dimensions of his percussive abilities, Figments showcases Anton Fig’s talents as a songwriter and producer, with 13 adventurous self-penned tunes that reveal his considerable melodic gifts and distinctive rhythmic sensibility. He’s joined by an impressive cast of musicians and vocalists that demonstrates the breadth of Fig’s musical vision as well as the esteem in which he’s held by his peers.
Figments’ stellar cast includes Beach Boys mastermind Brian Wilson, whose heavenly multi-tracked harmonies are featured on the hauntingly bittersweet “Hand on My Shoulder,” which also features a persuasive lead vocal by former Beach Boy Blondie Chaplin; Ivan Neville, who adds his soulful vocals and keyboards on the funky “Inside Out”; the late Richie Havens, whose one-of-a-kind voice drives the heartfelt “More Than Friends”; and KISS guitar hero Ace Frehley, longtime Frehley cohort Richie Scarlet and Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach, who lend their presence to the epic, soaring “Know Where You Go.”
Also on board are such notable figures as keyboard legend Al Kooper, Booker T and the MGs bassist Donald “Duck” Dunn, English guitar icon Chris Spedding, veteran singer-songwriter Chip Taylor, acclaimed R&B vocalist Catherine Russell, noted jazz guitarist Oz Noy, renowned bassists Richard Bona, Tony Garnier and Bakhiti Kumalo, distinguished horn men Chris Botti, Randy Brecker, Ronnie Cuber and Lew Soloff, Fig’s longstanding Letterman bandmates Paul Shaffer, Felicia Collins, Will Lee and Sid McGinniss, and former late-night rival Jimmy Vivino on guitar.
Figments’ material was drawn from a healthy backlog of songs that Fig had written or co-written over the years. “At a certain point, I looked back and realized that I had accumulated all these songs,” he explains. “So I decided that it was time to realize them by matching each song with the right musicians and singers, with my drumming and production as the through-line.”
Originally issued in a limited-edition pressing in 2002, Figments came to life through a homespun birth cycle that was appropriate to the project’s personal nature, with most of the recording done in Fig’s digital home studio.
“About 80 per cent of the record,” he says, “was done in my apartment in Manhattan. People just came over and sang and played. It was beautiful to have Richie Havens singing in the bedroom. The danger of working that way is that it’s easy to fix everything and take the life out of the performances, so I worked hard to keep it sounding spontaneous and organic. I was interested in making it sound good, not making it sound perfect.”
For Anton, one of the project’s highlights was a field trip to California to record Brian Wilson’s vocals. “That was just incredible,” he says of the experience. “Brian asked me to sing the top line or him, and then he asked, ‘Do you want four-part harmony or five-part harmony?’ I didn’t want to be greedy, so I said four. He brought a whole wall of harmony from the top down, and gave the vocals that little twist so that it sounds just like him. He did this all in a very short time; the harmonies were there in his head, and he just laid them down.” An additional audio memento of Fig’s collaboration with Wilson is the additional section of his unaccompanied harmonies that’s included as an unlisted bonus at the end of the album.
In many ways, Figments is a summation of the myriad musical experiences that Anton Fig has amassed during his long and colorful career. Growing up in a musically inclined family in his native South Africa, he began drumming at the age of four. Early in life, he became acutely aware of the injustice of his homeland’s apartheid system of racial segregation.
“As a white person growing up in South Africa, you knew that something was very wrong,” he recalls. “The country felt very isolated, and the government purposefully cut people off because they didn’t want people to see how the rest of the world was living. So there was no television. But people would go overseas and bring back records, and we’d pick up the BBC on shortwave radio, so things would get through and give you a glimpse of what it was like in other places.
“Another thing was that it was illegal in South Africa for blacks and whites to play music together in public,” he adds. “But when I was very young, my parents would have lots of parties and have tons of musicians of color come and play, and they’d wake me up and I’d come down in my pajamas and I’d get to sit in with them.”
His early experiences inspired Anton to look to America as a beacon of musical freedom, and he jumped at the opportunity to attend the prestigious New England Conservatory of Music. After graduating with honors, he headed for New York, where he soon became one of the city’s busiest drummers, achieving some early notoriety playing with urban troubadour Garland Jeffreys and guitar pioneer Link Wray. He also recorded two albums and toured widely as a member (and frequent songwriter) of the early-’80s new-wave band Spider, which also launched the career of hit tunesmith Holly Knight, and which was managed by legendary KISS impresario Bill Aucoin.
His work with Spider led to Anton drumming on Ace Frehley’s first solo release and on KISS’ albums Dynasty and Unmasked, as well as serving a subsequent three-year stint as a member of Frehley’s post-KISS combo Frehley’s Comet. Over the next few years, he racked up an impressive session resume, playing on albums by the likes of Joan Armatrading, Rosanne Cash, Joe Cocker, Rodney Crowell, Bob Dylan, Robert Gordon, Mick Jagger, Cyndi Lauper and Ronnie Spector.
In 1986, Anton accepted an offer to join Late Night With David Letterman’s house band, a gig that would last for nearly three decades and approximately 5,400 shows, continuing when Letterman moved from NBC to CBS with The Late Show With David Letterman. In addition to being seen nightly by millions of viewers (and occasionally acting in comic sketches), the show also gave him the opportunity to back a wide array of musical icons, while allowing him time to continue his studio career.
During his Letterman years, Fig recorded and/or performed live with such legends as Tony Bennett, Booker T and the MGs, James Brown, Eric Clapton, Ray Davies, Miles Davis, Marianne Faithfull, Al Green, Buddy Guy, B.B. King, Madonna, Bonnie Raitt, Joe Satriani, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, Steve Winwood, Stevie Wonder and Warren Zevon. He played in the house band for Bob Dylan’s historic 30th Anniversary concert celebration, and joined with his Letterman cohorts in the house band for multiple Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremonies, as well as the landmark Concert for New York City benefit. He also published In the Groove, his own instructional drum video/book set.
The diverse strands of Anton Fig’s stellar musical adventures come together memorably on Figments, whose reemergence in 2015 coincides with Letterman’s retirement and the swan song The Late Show, and the drummer’s return to touring for the first time in decades, playing with blues guitar phenom Joe Bonamassa, with whom he’s been recording since 2007.
“It’s gonna be different going out there again,” Anton says of his return to the road, adding, “David Garibaldi, the drummer from Tower of Power, recently told me, ‘Everything you’ve done in your life is just to prepare you for what you’re about to do next.’ So that’s how I’m approaching it. I don’t know what to expect, but I’m looking at it as an exciting adventure.”
Where: San Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino, 777 San Manuel Blvd., Highland
Admission: $65-$75, plus fees, 21 and older only
Information: 800-359-2464; sanmanuel.com
Setlist of songs at the Kiss San Manuel show in 2014: "Comin' Home," "Calling Dr. Love," "Hard Luck Woman," "Christine Sixteen," "Hide Your Heart," "Goin' Blind," "Cold Gin," "Do You Love Me," "Nothin' to Lose," "Love Her All I Can," "A World Without Heroes," "Plaster Caster," "Take Me," "See You Tonite" (Gene Simmons song), "Rock Bottom," "You Shook Me" (Led Zeppelin cover), Led Zeppelin Medley, "Mississippi Queen" (Mountain cover), "Got to Choose," "Shout It Out Loud" and "Rock and Roll All Nite."
With or without makeup, Kiss is still Kiss.
The same can be said for the group’s ability to rock plugged in or unplugged. Following up a successful acoustic performance at San Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino in 2014, the legendary rock group will be returning to the Highland casino for a repeat performance Thursday, July 23.
Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons and the guys will perform a stripped-down set of some of their classics without all the pop and pizazz of a regular Kiss show. Simmons talked about the group’s show, music and more in a recent telephone interview.
Q: When you did the acoustic and storytelling-style show at San Manuel last year, Paul remarked a few times that you didn’t know if you’d ever do it again. What made you decide to bring it back?
A: We enjoyed it. Like all things that we do, we do it only if we want to. Sometimes it takes a lot of work. Sometimes it’s just seamless. Like when we do the Kiss cruises, it’s a lot of work. You’re talking, making sure every person gets personalized signed stuff, pose for photos with every person and do a few shows. Playing at your place (San Manuel) is seamless. You sort of get up and it feels like somebody’s in your living room, compared to the stadiums we play in. It’s easy and we get a chance to not worry about the pyrotechnics and technical stuff. It feels informal.
Q: In an intimate way?
A: Yeah. It’s not so much showbiz. It’s a chance to peel off the outer layer and let the fans see more of the real people.
Q: Does that help you make a deeper connection with the fans?
A: The result is probably that, but it’s not intentional. There doesn’t seem to be a big master plan; there never has been. Although people give us a lot more credit for. We do what we like and, often, what we like works. Big time.
Q: Are there songs that work best for an acoustic set?
A: We’re rehearsing in a couple of days and will dust off some nuggets that we haven’t played. We’re probably going to play some stuff we’ve never played live. We may do a balled we’ve never played live. That’s a kick for us, too.
Q: Does that keep things fresh and interesting, not just for you, but the fans as well?
A: We take our lead from the fans. We’re very much connected to our bosses and despite the fact that we’re the ones on stage getting the accolades, ultimately we understand that if the fans weren’t there I’d probably be asking the next person in line ‘would you like some fries with that?’”
Q: What is it about the music and what you guys have done that has created this deep connection with fans? People are still painting their faces to this day and now even getting new generations involved.
A: You got it. The coolest thing of all is when a five year old discovers Kiss for the first time. That is something that is more than just band and fan. It’s a beginning of a relationship. Our songs are used in weddings. Our fans tattoo our faces on their bodies. They have Kiss conventions and tribute bands.
Q: Any chance that Kiss will be working on new material soon?
A: Paul may think there’s not going to be another record; I suspect there will be. We never force the issue. There is no one to answer to except our own gut. I recently wrote a song called ‘Your Wish is My Command’ and it feels like Kiss. It came out pretty easy. When there’s enough material, we’ll look at each other and say ‘you wanna?’
AVAILABLE ON DIGITAL JULY 10. ON DVD AND BLU-RAY™ JULY 21
Executive producer Nicholas Wootton? announced the news at Comic-Con, noting Simmons -- who is currently at the Con, too -- will cameo in the second season opener.
And that wasn't the only big news of the hour -- Scorpion will have a super-sized 90-min installment after the Supergirl series? premiere on Monday, October 26. (Supergirl airs 8:30-9:30 p.m. that night, while Scorpion will close out the night from 9:30-11 p.m.)
As the show looks towards its second season, expect Walter (Elyes Gabel) and Paige (Katharine McPhee), as well as Happy (Jadyn Wong) and Toby (Eddie Kaye Thomas), to continue to awkwardly dance around their feelings.
"I love the fact that these guys have no idea how to navigate their love lives," Thomas said, noting it was one of his favorite parts of the show. "It's something we can all relate to."
"You're seeing a lot of our real-life relationship with how we mess with each other," Thomas added, noting in the beginning, he was a bit afraid of co-star Robert Patrick, but now he they like to goof around with each other.
Rock-star cool features include a brick barrel ceiling in the gallery, two sets of 10-foot tall doors in the living room and a bedroom that was designed as an apartment.
The custom-built Mediterranean, constructed a decade ago, was remodeled and upgraded by the couple in 2009. They bought the property in 2008 for $1.815 million.
KISS lead guitarist and songwriter Tommy Thayer has listed his Lake Sherwood home for sale.
A formal entry, a breakfast area, a loft, four bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms are within the 4,492 square feet of interior space.
Six patios, one with an outdoor fireplace, extend the living areas out of doors. Expansive views from the third-acre lot take in the lake and the mountains.
Thayer, 54, was first with the glam metal group Black ‘n Blue and in 2002 joined the hard-rock band KISS, known for their stage makeup, big hair and pyrotechnic-laden performances. He co-wrote 10 songs for the band’s 2012 album “Monster.”
Jerry Adams of Land Marketing Inc. is the listing agent.
The particular KISS brand – and the merchandise that so often accompanies it – has long been a site of either fascination or derision, depending on who you ask. The band’s aggressive marketing schemes and gimmicks – from their pyrotechnic stage show to their extensive line of licensed goods that includes action-figure dolls, comic books printed with traces of blood, branded condoms, a line of ladies’ perfumes, and, perhaps the granddaddy of them all, the KISS Kasket – seem proof enough that the band is nothing more than a “sell-out,” an artless grab for commercial profit that, to some, desecrates the good name of rock’n’roll. But this doesn’t seem to trouble the band members’ consciences at all: “Yeah, we sell out,” bassist Gene Simmons says in their VH1 Behind the Music special; “we sell out [our concerts] every night.”
Working and thriving under such auspicious, blatant commercial aims, unabashedly proud – sometimes even arrogant – of their successes, KISS is typically cast as everything authentic rock music ought to be against; the genre’s critical tastemakers and gatekeepers tend to view them only as laughable, unrefined, and unworthy of serious consideration. For example, KISS was only just inducted into Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in 2014, more than 15 years after their initial eligibility (even Swedish pop group ABBA got in before them) – and, until that very same year, they had not once graced the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. “Here we are tonight, inducted basically for the things we were left out for,” frontman Paul Stanley said at the Hall of Fame ceremony honoring them, referring to the alleged 100 million records KISS has sold worldwide. “The people buy albums. The people who nominate do not.”
To their fans, who are notoriously loyal, devoted, and even militant – the “KISS Army” began in earnest when fans in Indiana surrounded their local radio station and demanded they play more KISS records – the band is obviously more than just four overgrown men in black leather spandex, platform boots, and full-faced makeup – though that’s clearly a huge part of their appeal. The four original “characters” – Gene Simmons’ “Demon,” Paul Stanley’s “Starchild,” Peter Criss’ “Catman,” and Ace Frehley’s “Spaceman” – are some of the most instantly recognizable faces in the history of popular music. In fact, they even overshadow their own creators: no one knew what the actual faces of the band members looked like until a dramatically staged “unveiling” on MTV in 1983.
This is exactly what made the group so immediately powerful, and what no doubt has contributed greatly to their enormous longevity. Essentially, it’s not Simmons, Stanley, Criss, or Frehley who are the true members of KISS; it’s the characters who make up the band. And unlike their flesh-and-blood counterparts, these characters never age, never get tired; they don’t have drug problems, day jobs, spouses, or joint pain. They exist entirely within one dimensionality, and with one sole purpose: to rock your face off.
KISS is not so much a band as it is a brand – a brilliantly capitalistic take on rock music that has proved to be both a blessing and a curse for its progenitors. The logics of branding and the rock-star character creations allowed KISS easy extension into the world of merchandising in unprecedented ways, building a nest egg of brand recognition and free advertising through the sheer extent of their line of goods. It’s hard to imagine, for example, a series of Bob Dylan action figures – not only because such capitalistic schemes inherently go against deep-seated romantic notions of rock music’s “authenticity” and the artist’s selfless pursuit of truth and beauty, but also because Dylan is a full, three-dimensional person that cannot be so easily contained within molded plastic. But the Catman exists only as the drummer for KISS – and when you buy his toy likeness, you can put him in any pose you want.
While branding, marketing, and merchandising helped the band accrue their massive crop of fans in the 1970s, it also served as a point of tension within the group. Drummer Peter Criss and guitarist Ace Frehley were dismissed from the band or resigned, respectively, by the early 1980s, Frehley later telling Behind the Music that it was “too much merchandising and not enough focus on the music for me… I consider myself an entertainer second and a musician first.”
Remaining members Simmons and Stanley’s attempts to create new characters with new band members, however – including Eric Carr’s Fox and Vinnie Vincent’s Wiz – coincided with a gradual waning of the group’s popularity. Their “non-makeup years,” from 1983 to 1996, earned for the band relatively steady commercial success, but still diminished compared to their initial prominence. In many ways, non-makeup KISS was simply not the same band as KISS; today, few songs from that era are even performed at KISS concerts.
Simmons claims he was motivated in the mid-‘90s to reunite the original four members – with full makeup – because he noticed the growing popularity of KISS tribute bands and KISS conventions, where people dressed and made themselves up in the old ‘70s look. “We just shrugged our shoulders and said, ‘this is probably what the fans want,” he told VH1.
But KISStory, like history, has a habit of repeating itself. When the four original characters got back together, so did their same problems. Criss was again dismissed from the group in 2001 over contract disputes and Frehley left in 2002, again citing artistic frustration. This time around, however, Simmons and Stanley found a new way to keep the ball rolling: in a move they both apparently now regret, Criss and Frehley sold (or licensed – there appear to be some conflicting views) the creative rights of their character makeup to Stanley and Simmons. Now, anyone can be a Cat or a Spaceman – or, indeed, a Demon or Starchild. Stanley and Simmons, both now in their 60s, told Rolling Stone a few years ago that they planned to eventually replace their own characters with new actors, effectively allowing KISS to go on forever.
This makes good business sense, on one hand. There’s clearly money to be made in franchising out KISS; Simmons estimates the brand’s value in terms of multiple billions of dollars. And in many ways, a revolving door of rock band members should not seem so strange; after all, this is how we routinely experience staged plays, musicals, ballets, and even orchestras. Yet there is something about rock music that seems to recoil from the idea that a rock star could be replaceable – indeed, willingly want to replace himself.
When the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame sought to induct KISS, they only intended to honor the four original members – a symbolic gesture Simmons and Stanley adamantly argued against. Because where the institution of Rock – embodied within the Hall of Fame – likes to think of its artists as unique, original, irreducible representatives of genius, KISS steps in to declare just the opposite. On Planet KISS, it doesn’t matter so much who’s behind the mask of makeup or wearing the platform boots, so long as the audience is having a good time. In fact, even as Stanley and Simmons tour with their fellow current band members, there are hundreds of officially-sanctioned KISS tribute bands performing across the world. Like a food franchise – Starbucks, or McDonald’s, for example – all these KISS bands deliver the same menu of rock’n’roll in a way that is comforting in its instant recognition. Above all, it’s what the people want.
KISS has always put their fans first – and for that, they’ve been accused of lacking integrity, artistic merit, and authenticity. And in fact, these are precisely the ideas about rock music KISS seeks to undermine. Even from their humble beginnings, KISS sought to spread their particular vision for the ultimate rock’n’roll group as far as possible. “What we were doing was undeniable,” Stanley told VH1 about their early days in New York; “we knew that we would take over the world.”
The GPHG is now entering its fourth year and has quickly become the most prestigious award ceremony in watchmaking, covering categories from grande complications to high jewelry on down to watches for less than $5,000. Brands must opt in to participate, and few well-known brands abstain (Rolex being the notable exception). Smaller brands, such as Ressence, use the GPHG as a way to earn some name recognition.
While Singer is a new addition, this year's jury is composed of many returning members, including jury president Aurel Bacs, of the new Phillips watch department. They're joined by such industry notables as René Beyer of Zurich's Beyer watch shop, Lebanese jeweler Claude Sfeir (who was the underbidder on the $24 million sale of the Patek Philippe Supercomplication), super collectors such as John Goldberger, as well as such journalists and writers as Elizabeth Doerr and Nick Foulkes. Singer's spot has previously been occupied by musician John Mayer and designer Philippe Starck, other famous watch lovers.
Breguet took last year's top prize, so per tradition, Breguet Vice President Jean-Charles Zufferey will also be joining the jury and Breguet will be ineligible for the Aiguille d'Or, or Golden Hand, award. This year's shortlist of competing watches will be announced July 15.
Spotted during the festivities, which included a black-tie dinner for 1,200 and a Cartier luncheon, were: Apple design guru Jony Ive, artist/designer Marc Newson, Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason, Princess Margaret’s son David Armstrong-Jones, gallerist Adam Lindemann, Prince Michael of Kent, William and Annabel Astor, Anthony Bamford and Stirling Moss.
Gene Simmons played during the weekend of racing and a classic car auction. A 1935 Aston-Martin sold for an eye-popping $4.6 million.
KISS may often seem more like a brand than a band, but founders Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley tell Forbes that all the licensing (around 3,000 items, by the way) would mean nothing if the music wasn’t there.
“There’s no way that a band or an artist can last for 40 years unless that foundation is built on great music,” Stanley says. The group, which has sold more than 100 million albums and continues to sell out stadiums around the world, was presented the Founders Award by ASCAP recently in recognition of its contributions to the world of music.
“People keep pointing to the sizzle and it’s OK with us,” Simmons adds, “but when we started 41 years ago, we didn’t even have a name for the band. We started writing songs. There wasn’t a sit-down session with marketers or radio programmers [on] how do you write a hit single and stuff. We just never played the game.”
What KISS did do is play it smart. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers surrounded themselves with a team who looked out for their business interests while they were taking care of the creative side.
“What we did in the beginning we did right. We happened to fall into this make-up thing. There was no grand design, we just said, ‘hey, wouldn’t it be cool if we did this,’ and the make-up that we put on then and continue to put on on every night with our own two hands, we created,” Simmons says. “The logo, originally thought of by [former band member] Ace [Frehley], but Paul actually sat down with a ruler, and, it’s not perfect, drew the actual logo that we still use today. The smartest thing that our manager did at the beginning was trademark everything right at the outset.”
Simmons’ best advice to acts coming up today is to be “duly diligent” and trademark everything. “Figure it out in the beginning, you can’t come back years later and say, ‘In retrospect…’.”
Stanley seconds that and adds have a great team from the start. “Did we come up with the idea to trademark or copyright the makeup? No. But we’ve had a keen eye to surround ourselves with people who enable us and help us achieve the goals that we want.”
When it comes to signing off on the licensing deals, by the time the item gets to Simmons and Stanley, their team has already vetted it. “What do we say yes to? Things that appeal to us. When you try to second guess the public, you’re going to lose,” Stanley says. “Sooner or later you’re going to bet on knowing what the public wants, you’re going to fail and kick yourself for not doing it your way, so I always figure that if we do something we love, someone else will love it. I think that’s the bottom line, do what you love, embrace things that mean something to you and they’ll mean something to someone else.”
The pair credit their ardent fans, collectively known as the KISS Army, with keeping them honest. “They will not give us an inch,” Simmons says. “They demand the best and that’s what you want. You want someone who loves you so much that they’ll tell you your breath sticks. They take the time to say, ‘I don’t like that song on the set list. That thing you dod on the last show’.”
“I think is’s great to have an audience that’s not full of blind adulation,” Stanley says. “They love us when they love us and they also tell us when they don’t like what we’re doing, but we’ll take the lumps."
They swear they’re having just as much fun now as they always have and who wouldn’t be? MusicRadar’s readers just voted them the best live act in the world. “There have been generations of fans that have grown up with our stuff. Kids are named after our songs, there are KISS conventions, we have the KISS cruise, for God’s sake,” Simmons says. “We just came back from playing a stadium full of people. Try to get that rush.”
The event will feature a sampling of Rock & Brews’ quality American comfort food and 10 of Maui Brewing Co.’s finest beers. Tickets are $25 per person, and 100% of the proceeds will benefit the Maui Food Bank.
For more information about Rock & Brews Paia’s Rockin’ Food & Beer Festival and to purchase tickets visit www.RockandBrewsPaia.Eventbrite.com or call 808-579-9011. Rock & Brews Paia is located at 120 Hana Hwy.
All signings at the booth are free, but require a ticket. Check out the Entertainment Earth booth for details on how to obtain a randomly distributed ticket as well as all the KISS product convention exclusives. Among which is the new KISS Classic Tin Tote Gift Set.
Pre-Order all the KISS exclusives online at EntertainmentEarth.com: http://eearth.us/?l=1cbm4t.
Tickets for this special Concert are available now and only to Badge Holders for attendance to the Anime Expo. Tickets can be purchased at www.anime-expo.org/momoiro-clover-z-ticket-sales-opening-up/ under “Latest Updates.”
In addition, KISS will receive the prestigious 2015 “Special Commissioner’s Award” from Japan’s International Short Shorts Asian Film Festival, one of Asia’s largest and most popular international short film festivals. KISS is receiving this award for the music video they produced in 2014, entitled “Samurai Son,” in which they appear together with MCZ. The award will be presented to Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley on July 2nd at the Nokia Theatre, prior to the start of the MCZ concert that evening.
This “EAST MEETS WEST” cross-promotional campaign is the direct result of KISS’ decades-long affection for Japan and the Japanese culture, along with an unprecedented recent collaboration between KISS and MCZ. In early 2015, MCZ’s release of the Paul Stanley written song "Yume no Ukiyo Ni Saitemina,” (“Samurai Son,”) along with MCZ’s cover of the KISS classic “Rock N’ Roll All Night,” were both included on MCZ’s # 1 EP in Japan. This # 1 EP concurrently marked KISS’ first # 1 record in the band’s 40-year history. The # 1 EP was listed on Japan’s Oricon Chart and Japan’s Amazon Pop Chart. MCZ appears on King Records.
Between February 23 and March 3, 2015, KISS performed to over 1.3 million fans during the band’s five-date tour of Japan (at venues in Nagoya, Osaka, Hiroshima and Sendai.) On March 3rd, KISS performed at the Tokyo Dome to over 30,000 fans. To mark the end of that show, KISS welcomed MCZ on-stage to perform two encores: MCZ performed their smash hits “Yume no Ukiyo Ni Saitemina” and “Rock N’ Roll All Night.” The Video of this Performance will make its World Premiere during the MCZ Concert on July 2 at Nokia Theatre.
During their performance at the Nokia Theater on July 2, MCZ will also perform songs from the upcoming feature films Dragon Ball Z: Ressurection F, produced by FUNimation, coming to U.S. theaters in August, 2015, and Sailor Moon, which will be released in the U.S. later in 2015.
From its very start in the 1970s, KISS paid tribute to the Japanese influence of Kabuki as evidenced by the famous makeup worn by the four members of the band: Starchild, Demon, Catman and Spaceman. KISS has adopted Japanese iconography into its DNA, and has now become Uykiyo-e, a 400-year old art form whose master woodcarvers total only nine living artists! Ukiyo-e, the world renowned Japanese traditional woodblock printing culture, is struggling to survive in the modern world. Through KISS’ involvement, the “UKIYO-E PROJECT” has created brand new Ukiyo-e artwork prints inspired by the four KISS characters. The hopes of this Project are to resurrect this amazing art form and to help pass these techniques to the next generation. So far, there have been two KISS Ukiyo-e designs released. KISS and MCZ collaborative Ukiyo-e artworks will be revealed at the Anime Expo.
“Ukiyo-e, that’s Nippon, that’s tradition, that’s history, that’s Kabuki, that’s deep, deep culture,” says Gene Simmons. “We respect it.”
KISS and Momoiro Clover Z postage stamps, recently issued through the Japanese Postal service, will also be on display backstage prior to the MCZ Concert on July 2nd.
Now, while exploring other ways to profit from its huge following, the band is also standing up for new, unknown talent struggling to win financial backing from music companies.
“It doesn’t hurt us, it only hurts new bands, and that’s the sad part,” said Gene Simmons, the 65-year-old bass guitarist and co-lead singer, his face streaked with demon-like paint.
“Where’s the next Beatles? Where’s the next Stones? Where’s the next Elvis? Where’s Prince? Where’s anybody?” he asked.
Eric Singer, KISS’ 57-year-old drummer, whose makeup was done in his trademark cat face, said: “The mentality of young kids, they just think it’s OK, it’s common to go ‘Oh, I’ll just go online and get the music.’ They don’t realize you’re supposed to pay for it.”
He added that “rock ’n’ roll’s not dying because of the bands or fans not buying it -- it’s because there’s not a business to support it.”
Singer boasted that KISS had pioneered the exploitation of its brand, blazing a path that many other top artists now follow in a bid to prop up sagging record sales.
“There’s no doubt almost everything you see in a live rock or pop setting performance stagewise and all that, merchandise and everything… at the forefront was KISS.”
“If you’re in Las Vegas, go and play golf at our golf course... If you want to hop into a limo, hop into our limo service: KISS Limos… (and) we’re doing the KISS Kruise,” Simmons said.
The cruise sails from Miami to Jamaica later this year on board the Norwegian Pearl, “the central hub for all KISS maniacs worldwide,” according to the KISS Kruise Web site.
“What’s more rock ’n’ roll than mini-golf?” the Web site for the band’s Las Vegas branded mini-golf course observes blithely.
Singer added that a lunch with “Lord Simmons” was also available, for a price.
‘UTTER IDOLS’
The pair spoke to AFP just before performing at a Paris concert midway through a worldwide tour.
The tour is celebrating the band’s 40 years of performing, but the songs that drew the biggest welcome at the Paris concert were standards from its early years.
People in the venue, the 6,000-place Zenith in northeast Paris, cheered loudly when “I was Made for Lovin’ You” and “Rock and Roll All Nite” wrapped up a show that featured the band’s signature stage pyrotechnics and over-the-top posing.
One of their revenue-spinning activities could be seen backstage before the concert: around 100 people lining up to get individual photos with the band as part of a VIP package costing €1,000 ($1,100) each.
“They are our utter idols. This is a boyhood dream,” said one French fan, an 18-year-old student named Lucas Chaplin.
You designed the band’s costumes. Why did you decide to start a commercial fashion collection?
I have always been excited by finding new ways to express myself creatively, and my successes point to a general affirmation of those outlets. My individual Look, whether more formal or casual, has always been based on a combination of elements rather than mirroring fashion. Fashion makes creating a style possible using various pieces, looks and eras, but on it’s own, fashion is better served on a printed page as art rather than something that looks organic to the individual who might wear it. My hope is to take some of the work out for the consumer by creating pieces that are compatible.
Do you see yourself as a part of your design?
I have no desire to endorse anything that isn’t conceptually mine. The idea is to develop my point of view in a broad range of areas starting with men’s apparel.
What will be the look and the feel of the collection? What’s the heart of it?
Style over fashion. Fashion is momentary. Style is timeless.
You’ll start with men’s fashion. Can you imagine to design women’s wear as well? Women have always loved and commented on what I wear and I have always had a great eye for helping women find ways to project a comfortable look that is sexy without looking contrived or obvious so my answer is a confident “YES."
Kiss is well known for their extraordinary costumes and performances. How important is fashion for you personally?
Clothes don’t make the man but done properly they perhaps allow you to put forward a first impression that is indicative of who you are or in other cases, how you would like to perceived.
What pieces in your wardrobe do you like best and why?
A pair of black Levi’s 511 Jeans fit great and work with almost anything. I love the timeless tailoring of a two button Brioni Suit. I love the shoulders and drape of their Jackets and whether you wear the suit or just the jacket it exudes confidence. I love a lot of what John Varvatos does. His point of view and touchstones are clothes. I wear a lot of his white wing color shirts. It’s one of my "go to’s" and work with anything. Everyone is now making great men’s shoes. I like to wear something a bit colorful and wild with blue jeans but you can’t go wrong with a great black shoe. I also need a pair of trainers or running shoes but for me they have to have black soles and trim to work with everything.
What’s your favorite designer?
Varvatos, Brioni, Christian Lacroix do some nice pieces. Actually there’s loads of great stuff out there. It’s all a matter of what you mix.
The spider - which can be motioned up and down like a giant puppet - weighs 43,500kg, with 220 automated lights and 100 multi-coloured LED lights. If that wasn't enough, the show uses 900 pieces of pyrotechnics, 20 flame machines and 300kg of dry ice. It is the ultimate, epic rock show.
"Yeah, well, that's what we're known for," KISS lead guitarist Tommy Thayer says with a laugh.
"There's no such thing as less is more and we take pride in the fact we probably shoot off more pyro than any other act out there. And it should be noted that KISS was actually pioneering in all that stage effects stuff, like pyro, that everybody uses now. It all started with KISS and so we are the originators."
Thayer had spent the morning rehearsing with KISS - Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons and Eric Singer - when he spoke to Weekender last month from Los Angeles. The band was preparing for the European/UK leg of the band's world tour, which kicked off in the US last year, taking in Canada, Japan and South America before heading to Europe (they perform in Vienna tonight) and, finally, Australia.
Like everything associated with KISS, the European/UK tour is huge - arena venues and a headline spot on the bill at British heavy rock festival Download that draws 120,000 through the gates over three days.
It is an incredible position for a band to be in 42 years after it played its first show to an audience that, according to Simmons, had less than 10 people in attendance.
Thayer, a life-long fan who joined the band officially in 2003, says KISS are "bigger than a band."
"It's a phenomenon. It's iconic. Those characters, the make-up, the outfits, the show, I think it's something that is legendary in a way," Thayer says.
"When you get to that level in a band people just come in droves, they want to keep coming to see it. KISS is one of those rare bands that is at that point where it's become iconic and it just keeps going.
"Of course we need to do a great job, we need to play really well and put on great shows and we work hard at that, but with that in mind, people keep wanting to come and see KISS and see the show and hear the music and see the spectacle."
It was during the band's 2003 tour of Australia that Thayer played his first concert as an official member of KISS.
The band performed with the 70-piece Melbourne Symphony Orchestra for a concert at the Telstra Dome (now Etihad Stadium) which was recorded and released as a live album, Kiss Symphony: Alive IV.
Thayer said moments like that make him pinch himself. "That was a big introduction to me into the band - it's not bad being in arguably one of the biggest, most legendary groups ever," Thayer says.
"KISS is a band that I've had my eyes on ever since they first came out in 1973 when I was younger. I was always a fan and I've always felt KISS is one of the most outrageous, over-the-top, dynamic bands that ever existed.
"So being in the band is a complete honour and sometimes I have to pinch myself to remind myself that I'm actually in it.
"It's every guitar player's dream come true to be in a band like this."
KISS are among the big rock acts of the '70s that inspired Thayer to pick up a guitar as a 13-year-old kid growing up in Portland, Oregon.
He is what you could describe as the ultimate fan and his journey into the world of KISS is the perfect rock'n'roll fairytale.
In his early 20s, Thayer formed hard rock band Black 'n Blue who played around Portland before relocating to California, where they built a following around clubs on LA's Sunset Strip and landed a recording deal with Geffen Records.
The band released its debut album in 1984 and scored a spot opening for KISS on a two-month tour the following year.
Thayer developed a friendship with Stanley and Simmons, the latter of whom produced Black 'n Blue's next two albums.
The band split in 1989, however Thayer remained close with Stanley and Simmons, co-writing songs for the band's album, Hot In The Shade.
At one point, Thayer even played in a KISS cover band but he downplays it as not being a serious job, simply as "a bit of a goof".
By 1994, Thayer had been hired by Stanley and Simmons to work for them, doing everything from making coffee to odd jobs.
"I kind of needed a job so they offered me a part-time job to come work in the KISS organisation and I just did odd jobs and then I ended up working full-time by the mid-90s," Thayer recalls.
"When they started the reunion tour [in 1996] I was the road manager, so I was just more focused on getting into the music business at that point because you don't get many more chances as a musician.
"When you get a record deal and that record deal runs its course, you don't usually get too many more shots at it and so I was looking at more of a business approach or management approach to my career.
"Things just came full circle and after a few more years I became the lead guitar player."
Thayer, 54, says the notion that he orchestrated his move into the band is simply not true.
"It's funny because people have always said 'Oh Tommy, you had a grand design' or 'You planned this out perfectly and you're so smart' and all this sort of thing.
"But it really didn't work out that way."
Thayer first performed with the band in 2002 when he was on stand-by to fill in for original guitarist Ace Frehley who had returned to the band after first splitting in 1982 and rejoined for the reunion tour in 1996.
Frehley would often turn up late to go on stage - or not turn up at all.
His unreliability had become so common that Thayer had his own "Spaceman" outfit - the one worn by Frehley - ready to go backstage in the event that the guitarist would fail to show up.
In 2002, KISS was booked to play a private show in Jamaica.
Frehley refused to play, so Thayer got the call that he was needed.
"Doc McGhee, the band's manager, had called me and said 'The other guy's not gonna show up for this gig, we know that now for sure, so we want you to make sure to be ready to play and come down and don the make-up, put the Spaceman outfit on and do this gig'," Thayer recalls.
"So the first gig was really as a fill-in. We didn't know where everything was going at that point but then, by the time we got to the beginning of 2003, I was officially in the band.
"They said 'We want you to do this' and so it was as simple as that."
That's not to say his introduction into the band as the Spaceman has gone without controversy.
Last year, Frehley spoke out against Thayer in an interview, describing him as "just a guy up there copying me and trying to move like me and trying to sing like me and trying to play like me".
Thayer is aware of Frehley's comments.
"I don't want to get into a back and forth but I'm sure you can kind of assess what you think when you hear all that," Thayer says.
"I think he had every opportunity in the world to continue in KISS and be in KISS as long as he did the right thing, but it worked out better for me and he has to lead his life.
"As far as the jabs and all that, he can say that stuff and I'm not going to say anything bad about him.
"I just wish all the best to everybody in whatever they're doing."
KISS emerged in the '70s to become one of the biggest-selling acts of the decade.
It was as much about the theatrics of the band as it was the music that earned them a fanatical base of followers, who became christened as the KISS Army, with thousands of members all over the globe.
The tongue-wagging Simmons formed the band in New York with frontman Stanley in 1973, drummer Peter Criss finalising the original line-up alongside Frehley on guitar, with each adopting their own cartoon-style character, complete with signature make-up.
The band has released 20 studio albums, with sales topping the 100 million mark, and boasts a back catalogue of classic rock anthems: Rock and Roll All Nite, I Was Made For Loving You, Love Gun, God Gave Rock'n'Roll To You, Shout It Out Loud, Detroit Rock City.
In 2014, KISS finally had their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
If the band has it their way, KISS could go on forever.
Stanley was recently quoted as saying he would like to see KISS become "immortal" and continue on after he is finished.
Thayer says there is every chance it could happen.
"It's possible, I mean, it's already kind of happened with half the band, to be truthful," Thayer says.
"But it's hard to imagine KISS without Paul or Gene. But at the same time, who's to say somebody won't come along that blows everybody away and they could take over and continue on.
"Anything's possible, you never say never and I think part of the KISS philosophy is there are no rules and anything could happen."
The band’s last gig at the casino was in April last year, billed as a no makeup, stripped down kind of show to feature “stories and songs.” This year’s show is simply being touted as a makeup-free “acoustic evening with Kiss.”
Showtime is 7:30 p.m. July 23 at the Highland casino. Attendees must be 21 or older.
Tickets are available for purchase starting at 11 a.m. Friday via Ticketmaster.
The current lineup features original members Paul Stanley (guitarist, singer) and Gene Simmons (bassist, vocalist) as well as drummer Eric Singer and guitarist Tommy Thayer.
Last year, attendees were given free hats of the Arena Football League team L.A. Kiss, which is sponsored by the casino. The team is co-owned by Stanley and Simmons and the show was used to publicize the team’s inaugural season.
Kiss is known for songs like “Rock and Roll All Nite” and “I Was Made for Lovin’ You.”
For more information, head to www.sanmanuel.com.
The band’s co-founder and front man is Paul Stanley, who also is an accomplished artist whose original paintings can demand six figures and whose prints sell for $2,000 and more.
Which brings us to today’s subject: A 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray created in a joint effort by Stanley and the Chevrolet design staff. Like KISS and its music, you’re likely to have a love-it or hate-it reaction to the graphic revisions made to the sports car.
But don’t judge too quickly. My initial reaction was to hate it when I saw the car at the most recent Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show. But over the course of five days I walked by the car over and over again and it’s bold graphic started to grow on me and now, as I review my photos from the show, I actually think the car looks pretty terrific.
So what did the musician-artist want in his Paul Stanley Concept Corvette? Well, a rather shocking — but what else would you expect — two-tone paint scheme, though not in black and white as are the dominant colors in KISS’ makeup. For his Corvette, Stanley chose an almost shockingly deep and dark P.S. Candy Red exterior color. But that was just the start: He also had the roof, rear hatch panel, spoiler, rearview mirrors and grille covered in Midnight Glaze Silver.
To further set his car apart, it rides on 19-inch front and 20-inch rear Chevrolet Accessories wheels painted in a dark Carbon Flash Metallic color and wrapped with all-out, high-performance summer-season tires.
While the exterior may be sinister in appearance, the interior is the standard 3LT trim setup in Jet Black, well, except for the carbon-fiber gauge cluster surround, the carbon-fiber steering wheel spoke cover, and with unique quilted Parchment leather seating surfaces with dark red accent stitching and Parchment leather accents in the door panels, passenger dash board and center console.
The car also has the optional Z51 performance package — dry-sump oiling, electronic limited-slip differential, larger front brakes, and differential and transmission coolers — as well as a Performance Data Recorder to track lap times on track days.
So, do you love it or hate it?
Or to put it another way, does it make you want to rock ’n’ roll all night and drive every day?
At San Diego Comic-Con next month (July 8-12), the online pop-collectible retailer will have available for attendees a box set of Kiss action figures by Bif Bang Pow complete with a stage inspired by the iconic rock band's 1977 live album Alive II. Priced at $160, the Comic-Con exclusive is limited to 1,500 units and is also available for preorder at EntertainmentEarth.com for those who can't make it to the convention.
The toy for each of the band members has nine points of articulation for concert-ready poses that rock and roll all night and party every day, plus they all have character-specific outfits such as Simmons' fabric "Demon" cape. He, Paul Stanley and Ace Frehley all come with guitars, and drummer Peter Criss has sticks and a paper-craft drum set.
Packaged in a box with album artwork, the set also includes Kiss temporary tattoos similar to the ones that came with the Alive II record plus a stage with manually rising platform and a mini wireless speaker you can hook up to a device to stream hits like God of Thunder, Detroit Rock City and Shout It Out Loud. And for the true over-the-top experience, the colorful backdrop includes an animated light-up Kiss logo.
Other Entertainment Earth exclusives at Comic-Con include a Saturday Night Live Weekend Update set of Tina Fey and Amy Poehler action figures, Star Trek IV whales with Mr. Spock bobblehead, and an Adventure Time tin tote.
Kulick was a huge fan of the British rock invasion of America in the '60s, with bands like THE BEATLES, CREAM, LED ZEPPELIN and THE WHO leading the charge. These bands inspired him to play guitar, and to seek out other players in the Jackson Heights area of Queens, New York, hoping to make some original music that could satisfy his creative appetite. Enter neighbor Mike Katz, who lived on the same street as Kulick. Katz, who was also heavily influenced by the bands of that era, was a consummate bassist, who sang and wrote music in a style that was easily interpreted for Kulick's lead playing. A local drummer named Guy Bois rounded out the trio in proper fashion with his powerful drumming, and his parents' basement was the breeding ground for all the rehearsal and creation of music to follow.
Although the band had no name, Kulick, Katz and Bois created a unique blend of power trio rock, with progressive stylings and melodic hooks. After many rehearsals, the three young players booked a New York studio to properly record their musical concoction. The end result, in September 1974, was music that felt urgent, intense and compelling. Sadly, with no clear direction for the group to follow this recorded music, the band never played together live and the trio all went their separate ways.
The reel-to-reel tape of those sessions sat gathering dust in Kulick's home, until a garage sale discovery of a Teac tape recorder gave new life to the hidden musical treasure. Friends with whom Kulick shared the recording all agreed: "You must release this music for people to hear." The tape was transferred and, after some cleaning up of the tracks, Kulick released "KKB 1974" in 2008. The limited-run CD sold out quickly.
An unexpected new chapter for KKB happened in 2013, when Katz found the original tapes from Sudden Rush Studios. By using the actual tracks recorded, Kulick had the opportunity to remix, remaster and get creative with this music once again. But the discovery sparked something substantially more interesting than simply polishing up "old" music — the desire for Katz and Kulick to create a new song for KKB, 40 years after its genesis.
"Got To Get Back", the result of KKB's rekindled fire, is a total throwback to the '70s. Each band member recorded their parts in a local studio — Bois in Paris, Katz in New York City, and Kulick in Los Angeles — completing their tracks for the brand new tune. The result was sublime. Further adding to KKB's renaissance, a string quartet scored by Jeremy Rubolino, Kulick's longtime collaborator, was added to the ballad "Someday", giving the song a shine that couldn't have been imagined in 1974.
"This music represents a time in my career that I feel helped define the potential of my guitar playing," Kulick says. "It gives me chills to hear it. The interplay with Mike on bass and Guy on drums was expertly executed, filled with passion that defined our age. To think that so long ago I was involved in something this powerful that sat in my closet unheard for nearly 35 years made me furious. My intense desire to share this music that is relevant now, more than ever, is a huge accomplishment. Play it loud and imagine three young men pouring their hearts out making music, never concerned about anything but the music. That was the intention. It was pure, it was real. And now it's available for all to enjoy."
For more information, visit Kulick.net.
From Stanley’s signature designs of musical instruments to his fine art paintings, both of which have generated millions in sales, the brand Paul Stanley: Royals & Rebels is synonymous with fashion forward, cutting-edge style and an independent spirit. Epic Rights has been charged with building the Paul Stanley: Royals & Rebels brand into a new licensing program, including men’s fashion apparel and accessories, footwear, food, spirits, home decor, cookware and more. Epic Rights anticipates debuting the Paul Stanley: Royals & Rebels brand at retail in fall 2016.
“Paul is the definitive Rock Renaissance man with a sense of style in arts, fashion, design and food that is unrivaled in the music industry. His creativity, marketing savvy and personal style truly sets him apart,” said Furano.
“Over the years, Dell and I have worked closely on the strategic developments and partnerships on the KISS brand, as well as more recently with Rock & Brews and my paintings,” said Stanley. “I am excited to watch Dell and Epic Rights’ great team of branding professionals seek out and find opportunities and outlets that will reflect a lifestyle and point of view that I am passionate about and do it imaginatively and creatively in the years to come.”
Stanley, one of rock’s most acknowledged and respected front men as lead singer and guitarist for KISS, is a driving force and unwavering voice for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-inducted band. Ensconced in the media as both an unequivocally sophisticated fashion trendsetter and creative visionary, Stanley has designed KISS costumes, album covers and stages in addition to its iconic KISS logo, instantly recognizable around the world for the past 40 years!
As an author, Stanley’s autobiography Face The Music, soared to #2 on the New York Times Best Seller List. His concept for Rock & Brews, an energized dining and entertainment venue continues to expand with new locations being launched around the country. Recently, both Stanley and Gene Simmons were recipients of the ASCAP Founders Award, a prestigious honor given to songwriters and composers who have made pioneering contributions to music by inspiring and influencing their fellow music creators. Each recipient is a musical innovator who possesses a unique style of creative genius, which will enrich generations to come. Additionally, Stanley was honored at the Open Hearts Foundation Gala for his direct involvement in both raising funds to pay for needed surgeries for children afflicted with various birth defects and giving support to the parents of those children.
About Epic Rights: Epic Rights is a full service global branding, licensing and social media marketing company dedicated to building celebrity and entertainment brands via its broad global network of retailers, licensees and agents. Working with a roster of top clients and brands, Epic Rights’ services includes licensing/branding, music merchandising, social media management, VIP ticketing and fan clubs. Epic Rights also oversees sponsorships and endorsements, digital archiving of all creative/photo/media assets and manages worldwide e-commerce for its clients in addition to providing in-house legal resources for trademark registration and audit management. Epic Rights is headquartered in Los Angeles, California.
He believes they had good reasons to make 2009’s Sonic Boom and 2012’s Monster – but that their tally of studio outings might stop at 20.
Stanley tells Classic Rock’s Paul Brannigan: “There has to be a purpose to us doing an album. There was a time when we did albums because the contracts said so. But I only want to work now when it’s justified.
“Sonic Boom was an album that very much needed to be done, and Monster just felt like, ‘Well, we did Sonic Boom – let’s see where we go from here.’”
He adds: “Having accomplished that, I feel we can move forward without new music. There are enough things going on in Kiss that right now it doesn’t feel utterly necessary to make a new album.”
That doesn’t mean the position won’t change. “Anything is possible,” says Stanley. “But at the moment I don’t see it on the horizon. I’m not one to ever say ‘never.’”
Kiss close this year’s Download festival at Donington next month – and the frontman insists they’ll deliver. “If we have the honour, you better believe that we need to bring it, and need to justify being the last band everyone’s going to see. As a band that’s never been known for subtlety, believe me, we’ll be pulling out all the stops.”
Asked whether he’d consider following other bands down the route of creating their own festival, Stanley says: “I really have no desire to do anything of that magnitude. I’d be dealing with too many idiots.”
Momoiro Clover Z and KISS collaborated on "Yume no Ukiyo ni Saitemina," the single Momoiro Clover released on January 28.
Momoiro Clover Z previously sang theme songs for Sailor Moon Crystal, Bodacious Space Pirates, Joshiraku, and Pokémon: Black and White. (When the group had six members instead of five, they sang themes for In Solitude Where We Are Least Alone and Dragon Crisis! under their original name Momoiro Clover.) The idols not only sang the theme song for this year's Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F' film, but also recorded the song in English and voiced characters in the film.
Momoiro Clover Z has held other overseas events, including Japan Media Arts Festival in Dortmund, Germany in 2011, and Japan Expo in France in 2012.
Tickets are $29.50-$42.50 and go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday through the UBCFA box office and Tickets.com.
PAUL STANLEY – Mending Kids
For more than 30 years, Paul Stanley has reigned supreme as one of the single-most recognizable front men in the history of rock and roll. Although preferring to live his off stage life out of the media spotlight he continues to be the chief songwriter, driving force and unwavering voice of KISS.
Off the stage, Paul has shared his personal experience with the birth defect known as microtia. Microtia is a deformity of the outer ear and for Paul it resulted in additional loss of hearing on his right side.
Now aligned with Mending Kids, Paul is directly involved in both raising funds to pay for needed surgeries for children afflicted with various birth defects including microtia and giving support to the parents of those children. Mending Kids deploys teams of volunteer surgeons and recovery staff to developing countries to perform free life-saving or life-changing surgeries and teach locals to build sustainable programs. American children receive free surgeries from volunteer doctors in California, and children from outside the country are flown here for more complex procedures. www.mendingkids.com
Taking a light, reflective and personal approach, Grohl delivered a solid homage that began from his own childhood days as a proud cadet in the KISS army. The sentiment of the speech was clearly appreciated, as Simmons later declared, "Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters are carrying the flag that we hope will inspire the next generation of young kids."
Read Grohl's tribute in its entirety below.
Picture this: Springfield, Virginia, 1976. A skinny young boy with shaggy brown hair on a yellow yard sale bicycle brings home a copy of the album Destroyer, his first KISS record. Everybody remembers their first KISS record, and this is how I remember mine.
Up until that point, it had been mainly Beatles and Carly Simon, maybe a little Phoebe Snow, f---in’ 10cc. But the album cover alone was enough to make me break my old piggy bank into a thousand pieces and scrape up enough lawn-mowing money to give it straight to Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons.
With nuclear anticipation, I let the needle drop on that legendary intro to "Detroit Rock City," perhaps the greatest introduction to any rock 'n' roll album ever recorded. It filled my speakers and my imagination. Thirty-four minutes later and 27 seconds later, KISS had filled my soul. I was now a member of the infamous KISS army.
Before long, my room had become a f---ing shrine. Posters of these four musical monsters lined my walls action figures filled my shelves and KISS albums overtook my once A.M,-friendly record collection. I was converted…
Every morning, I would wake up in my tiny bedroom and take a good look at my superheroes before walking to school. They got me through those years and ultimately inspired me to follow this unreasonable dream of becoming a professional rock 'n' roll musician.
One hundred million albums. One hundred million f---ing albums. Countless hit singles, record-breaking concert attendance. They even made fuckin’ disco look cool with “I Was Made For Lovin You.” Raise your hand if you can say the same thing.
I remember the KISS radio, which they just showed on screen -- I'm so happy that they actually have remnants of this f---ing masterpiece of technology. I remember the KISS radios advertised on TV -- "Hear all of your favorite KISS songs on your official KISS radio!" I imagined it was futuristic piece of technology and my direct link to my musical gods, so I ordered one... C.O.D., without even asking for permission from my struggling schoolteacher mother.
I'll never forget the day it arrived. The mailman knocked on the door, my mother took one look at this thing and said, I didn't f---ing order that. Then she sent it away.
Forty years later, my love of KISS is still strong. And these days I still spend every morning before school with Paul Stanley… in the parking lot of our kids’ f---in’ elementary school, chatting about Zeppelin and Electric Lady and touring and school fundraisers. So I'd say that my unreasonable dream definitely came true. And I finally got my KISS radio -- it's the cheapest f---ing A.M. radio I have eve seen in my life! With the KISS logo on it. Nice one, Gene.
So without further adieu, it is my great honor to say: you wanted the best, and you got the best. The hottest band in the world -- KISS!
The occasion? The ASCAP Pop Music Awards, where Simmons and Stanley accepted the ASCAP Founders Award, an annual honor given to a music pioneer. Though Kiss will continue to tour throughout the year, with treks that are about to take them into Germany, the Czech Republic and Australia, “it was always about the songs,” Stanley said in his acceptance speech. “For bands that last 40 years, it’s not about the smoke, it’s not about the makeup, it’s about the songs."
Stanley, 62, and Simmons, 65, are the only founding members who still tour as Kiss, though they did reunite with Ace Frehley and Peter Criss for the band’s 2014 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. But in an interview with Billboard, the seemingly ageless rockers didn’t spend much time dwelling on the importance of certain trophies. Instead, they seemed genuinely grateful to be in the position of being a still-vital draw on the road that, Stanley says, can crank out some solid new tunes when the inspiration strikes.
Billboard: Congrats on receiving the ASCAP Founders Award. Given all the attention paid to your live show, what does winning a songwriting-based award mean to you?
Paul Stanley: I believe we come from a philosophy that really covets and looks up the source, whether it was the Brill Building and Goffin and King or Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, or the Gershwin Brothers or Lennon-McCartney, it really comes down to a great song. For us to be feted this way, join the company that have come before, it doesn’t suck.
How did Dave Grohl come to be selected for your introduction tonight?
Stanley: I’m friends with Dave, and really when I said would you come and do this he jumped at it. Look Dave is arguably the last major rock star of the last three decades. He’s filling stadiums worldwide because he understands his roots and that’s what we’re about. Some people have forgotten where we started and who inspired us.
It’s been just over a year since you received another distinct honor, being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. A year out, what does that recognition mean to you now?
Gene Simmons: I’m not sure. When you’re busy doing your own stuff it’s like running a race. You try not to look over your shoulder to see who else is in the race, you do the best you can. I think there’s a decided difference between the pop songwriters who are magnificent in their own way. I could never do what they do, which is to sit down and write a song and figure out which artist is gonna sing the song. I can’t do that. I think what we’re best at is writing songs for who we are. It’s an individual sort of approach, it’s defined, it’s for the fans. I don’t know that you can be all things to everybody, which is why there are different kinds of music. There are balladeers and guitar slingers and so forth. If your songs connect with the fans and they pump their fists in the air and go, “Yeah!!” that’s when a song really works. That’s the electric church of it. The glory hallelujah of it.
How much time do you still spend these days writing new music? And has that process changed from when you first started out?
Stanley: I think at this point I write when there’s a reason to write. To sit down, there are so many outlets to be creative and certainly the recording industry or what’s left of it is really in shambles. The only reason to record at this point or write songs is to make a statement about the current band, and that we don’t only rely on our old catalog. I think we’re very fortunate to have come out when we did, and to not be relying upon an industry that has basically committed suicide.
Simmons: We’ve been around for 41 years, but you know what Paul just said is actually true. Don’t misunderstand, we’re not complaining. We have very good lives, the arenas and stadiums fill up, we can go anywhere in the world and we have a ball. It is really -- maybe profoundly is the right word -- but it’s really sad for the new artists. Where’s the next Elvis, where’s the next Beatles, where's the Zeppelin? They’re out there but they don’t have a chance. They don’t have a chance because once upon a time we had record companies, and they would support you and have point of purchase material and they would give you advances. In other words, they gave you the air to breathe to find yourself and spend the time to learn how to run.
Stanley: Well they championed you and nurtured you.
Simmons: And that’s what’s missing. So the next big band, the next Zeppelin, what are they gonna do? Give away their music for free? They’re gonna be living in their mom’s basement, unfortunately, and they’re never gonna get the chance that we did which is the saddest part of all for the new bands because there should always be a new generation of bands.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of KISS as a band. Will you be celebrating that milestone?
Stanley: It’s interesting because for us, everyday is a celebration, everyday is a milestone. The idea that 40 years is more significant than 39 was? It doesn’t affect us. We literally got off a plane yesterday morning from Sao Paolo, 70,000 people were at the show. And all the other shows were comparable to that. So the idea of going out and making some sort of extra celebration? Every night we hit the stage is a celebration. It’s a victory dance, it’s a victory lap. Against all the people who said it would never work, against all the people who said it was ridiculous. We won.
In addition to honoring the three artists, the invitation-only event awarded top songwriters Max Martin and Toby Gad and publishers Sony/ATV and Prescription Songs LLC.
Legendary musician Dave Grohl presented the Founders Award to KISS, putting the band in the company of previous recipients including Elvis Costello, Sir Paul McCartney and Joni Mitchell. Patrick Simmons and Michael McDonald of The Doobie Brothers accepted the Voice of Music Award given to members whose music gives voice to the spirit of a generation. ASCAP also recognized indie pop-rocker St. Vincent with the Vanguard Award, previously awarded to Arcade Fire, Björk and Diplo among others.
For the fifth consecutive year and eighth time in his career, Martin was named songwriter of the year for his work on some of the year’s top hits including “Bang Bang” by Ariana Grande, Jessie J and Nicki Minaj, “Break Free” by Ariana Grande ft. Zedd, “Dark Horse” and “Roar” by Katy Perry, “Problem” by Ariana Grande ft. Iggy Azalea and “Shake It Off” by Taylor Swift. Smash hit single “All of Me” recorded by John Legend earned Gad the song of the year award.
Sony/ATV was named publisher of the year for having a hand in 25 hit pop songs in 2014. Sony/ATV CEO Martin Bandier accepted the award with the Sony/ATV creative team. Beka Tischker, Senior VP of publishing for Prescription Songs LLC accepted the independent publisher of the year award on behalf of the organization.
Musical performances during the festivities included Sebu Simonian of Capital Cities performing the band’s song “Safe and Sound,” Maureen “MoZella” McDonald performing her Miley Cyrus hit, “Wrecking Ball,” Richie Sambora and Australian guitarist Orianthi performing the Doobie Brothers’ “Black Water” and “What a Fool Believes” and singer-actor Constantine Maroulis performing a medley of KISS’s “Detroit Rock City,” “Love Gun,” “Shout it Out Loud” and “Rock and Roll All Nite.”
And that despite being worth more than $300m (£202m), he will never stop wanting to make more.
The bassist and co-vocalist of stadium-filling, costume-wearing and face-painted US band Kiss, says: "Life is business, and I approach life the way sharks approach life - they must keep moving or else they will drown.
"I'll never stop hunting more money, I'll never have enough."
With Kiss now in South America on the latest stage of a two-year sell-out world tour, Simmons, 65, took time out to speak to the BBC about his long career in the music industry, and his host of other business interests.
Although famous for sticking out his very long tongue, and past womanising - he claims to have slept with 4,800 women - what is much less well known is that Simmons has always been the financial brains of the band. He is its de facto chief executive.
Ever since the four-piece band formed in New York in 1973, it has been Simmons who has kept his eyes on the finances. And it was his incredibly lucrative idea for the band to sell as much merchandise as possible.
For while Kiss have sold 100 million records around the world, the band has actually made more money from selling licensed products.
Over the group's 42 year history, it has authorised more than 5,000 different items of merchandise, everything from rock band staples such as T-shirts and hats, to comic books, pinball machines, credit cards, and even condoms and coffins.
Not forgetting jewellery, ashtrays, lunchboxes, Halloween costumes, baseballs and beach towels. And a golf course and coffee shop.
It is a business empire which under Simmons' stewardship just keeps on growing.
This has led to the band's critics - and there have been many over the years - accusing the group of being too commercially-focused, of cheapening itself at the expense of its music.
The calm and quietly spoken Simmons says he has no respect for such people.
He says (after a liberal amount of swear words have been edited out): "All our lives Kiss has been hounded by people who haven't achieved anything. And we buried them long ago.
"I call selling merchandise 'the Kiss business', and every band sells T-shirts, every band sells merchandise. They just don't do as good a job of it as us."
Lifetime teetotaller
The son of a mother who survived the Holocaust, Simmons was born in the Israeli city of Haifa in 1949. His birth name was Chaim Witz.
Describing his family as "dirt poor", he first showed his entrepreneurial spirit as a seven year old, when he and a friend started to pick wild fruit which they then sold on roadsides.
He says it was his first lesson in the importance of working hard and making money.
The family then emigrated to the US a year later, and growing up in New York, Simmons was inspired to start a band after watching the Beatles on television.
In 1973 Kiss was formed, with Simmons on bass, Paul Stanley and Ace Frehley on guitars, and Peter Criss on drums.
With Simmons and Stanley sharing the vocals, each band member painted his face with a different design, and took on a stage name.
Simmons' name was "The Demon", and on a white background he drew black flames around his eyes. Not forgetting putting on platform boots and body armour.
Fuelled by catchy hard rock songs, and the outlandish make-up and outfits giving the band a major promotional push, within a few years Kiss was enjoying soaring sales and sell-out tours.
The music critics were often hostile, with many accusing the group of being all image over substance, but Kiss built up a massive fan base around the world.
Yet despite living a multi-million dollar lifestyle for four decades, Simmons says he has never drunk alcohol, taken drugs, or even smoked a cigarette.
"As a young man at parties, I'd look around and see all the other men completely drunk, behaving like idiots, and unable to talk to the beautiful girls," he says.
"What a complete waste of humanity... booze or drugs have never done anything for me, but I fully uphold people's right to have a completely loser life."
Workaholic
Although original members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss are no longer in the group, Kiss continues to tour the world with Stanley as the musical leader and Simmons as the businessman.
He describes his stewardship of the current world tour as like "driving a truck".
"I'm driving and I keep an eye on everything," says Simmons. "But open the hood and I don't have a clue what is going on with the engine.
"Thankfully I hire people who can do all that for me. Paul and I always have a great team with us... and every night we put on one hell of a show. We are deadly series when up on stage."
In addition to looking after Kiss, Simmons' other business interests now include everything from a restaurant chain, to an American football team, reality TV shows, a new horror movie production company, book and magazine publishing, public speaking, and language translation services.
He says he is able to find the time for everything because he loves working, and is never hungover.
"Think about how much time most people waste doing nothing - weekends, nothing, holidays, nothing, Christmas, nothing. That all adds up.
"Me I'm always working. When I'm on tour, I'm constantly on my computer working."
When at home, Simmons lives in Los Angeles with his long-term partner Shannon Tweed, an actress and former Playboy playmate, which whom he has two children.
He says: "I'm like [billionaire investor] Warren Buffet - he gets up every day and goes to work even though he doesn't need the money.
"I live to make more money. People who say that money is the root of all evil are morons, a lack of money is the root of all evil."
The super-sleuthing canine and "the hottest band in the world" are teaming up in the animated film Scooby-Doo! and Kiss: Rock and Roll Mystery, available July 10 on digital HD platforms and July 21 on Blu-ray/DVD from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.
Kiss members Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer voice their own characters in the movie, which centers on a Halloween concert at the group's amusement park Kiss World. Scooby, Shaggy and the rest of the Mystery Inc. gang drop by to hear some tunes but wind up partnering with the musicians to take on the Crimson Witch, a spooky lady with a nefarious plan to summon the evil and powerful Destroyer from the alternate dimension of Kissteria.
The cartoon Mystery features six classic Kiss numbers plus a new song by the band just for the film, which features guest voice stars Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes, Darius Rucker, Garry Marshall, Penny Marshall, Jennifer Carpenter and Pauley Perrette.
This isn't the first time Kiss and Scooby have shared screen time: The band also appeared on a 2003 Halloween episode of What's New, Scooby-Doo?
Although Simmons is a fan of A Nightmare on Elm Street, he thinks making "blood and guts" films is too easy. "Horror just means you get the bejesus scared out of you, and I think there are some good modern examples," he says. "Insidious was a great film."
The first movie to be made by Erebus Pictures, Simmons' new company with WWE Studios, is Temple. It centers around a commando team investigating a futuristic supercomputer that has begun behaving strangely. "It feels like Three Days of the Condor meets H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythos," Simmons says. "'Temple' is what they call this kind of supercomputer that can do all kinds of things that we never thought of, except there are things that are happening there that no one can understand. Slowly find out, layer by layer, what the hell is going on."
The production company has two other scripts ready to be produced, though Simmons won't tease them ("You don't want to find out what you're getting for Christmas in July, right?"), and he has two he's specifically picked that are waiting in line. Currently, the singer-bassist has no plans to appear in Temple, but he's leaving the door open for cameos in the future movies.
Here are Simmons' five favorite "elevated" horror films.
1. Psycho (1960): "Psycho is a wonderful, elevated horror film, and it doesn't necessarily have monsters or ghosts," Simmons says. "You ever see Psycho? I'm embarrassed to say that there are people out there who don't have a clue what I'm talking about. Shame on them. It's interesting to note Psycho had murders and all this kind of wacky stuff but you never saw a knife go into a body. You never saw a body actually bleed. I think that made it even more horrific. Sometimes the scariest things are what human beings are capable of."
2. M (1931): "It's German expressionist film directed by Fritz Lang that broached pedophilia. Peter Lorre played a crazed madman who killed and molested children and all kinds of other stuff, and there was a child playing with a ball in one scene when she meets Lorre's character. Even more horrific than anything else after she disappears, the camera shows the ball rolling down a hill until it finally stops moving. Your mind takes over, and does much more horrific things then the screen can. I think being obvious and throwing blood and guts at the screen is stupid."
3. Village of the Damned (1960): "It has all these blue-eyed, blonde little children who aren't really from here. George Sanders plays the father who eventually has to lead the children to try to save society, after a meteor passes, and all of a sudden every female in the town is pregnant. I think that's an amazing opening for a movie, and it's smart."
4. The Exorcist (1973): "The step-by-step horrific setup of the film is just great filmmaking. The movie starts, and you're on a movie set, and this actress is bringing her daughter along with her to Boston, because she has broken up with her husband. So while she's busy working, [actress] Linda Blair is at home, doing whatever, except the home is haunted, and eventually the evil spirit, a demon takes over her, and her mom doesn't believe in it. Sure, you get the punch in the gut and the kick in the nuts when her head spins around and she spits out pea soup and everybody just flips out, but leading up to that is a very well-written script. It's easy to do the action sequences. You sit down, and say, 'OK, we're gonna have a head pop off here, and then I'm gonna have a ghost dive off somebody's ass, and use them like a hand puppet.' OK, I get it. Those are all gonna be good hand-puppet scary moves, but what's the script? You have to care about the characters, and stuff. That's what we mean by elevated."
5. The Omen (1976): "It stars Gregory Peck and Lee Remick as a couple who gives birth to the Bad Guy's son. And how do you know? Well, he's got 666 somewhere on his skull, and you got to move the hairs apart. I mean, it's just very scary stuff, but when you really think about it, not a lot of blood and gore. There's a scene where a guy is walking with the intent of hurting [the son, Damien], and then all of a sudden the truck rolls down a hill and decapitates the guy. You're kind going, 'What the Hell?' And layer after layer of the story peel away until finally, later on, you understand."
Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, announced Wednesday that Albom's "The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto" will come out Nov. 10. The title character is a world-famous guitar player whose life takes readers through a mini-history of modern music, from Duke Ellington and Hank Williams to Carole King and KISS.
Harper is calling the book a "'Forrest Gump'-like romp."
Albom is known for such best-sellers as the novel "The First Phone Call from Heaven" and the memoir "Tuesdays With Morrie."
KISS is one of the most influential rock and roll bands of all-time, selling over 100 million albums worldwide in their 40-year career. Formed in the early 1970s, KISS has achieved staggering career milestones, boasting decades of record-breaking tours around the globe. Today, the KISS "brand" has infiltrated pop culture with its unforgettable personas Starchild, Demon, Spaceman and Cat. With hits like "Strutter", "Shout it Out Loud", "Detroit Rock City", "Rock And Roll All Nite", "Christine Sixteen", "I Was Made for Lovin' You" and "Beth", KISS has 28 gold albums, the most of any American rock band, and in 2014 they were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. As the band continues their 40th Anniversary World Tour with 2015 tours in Japan, South America and Australia — founding band members Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons also celebrate 40 years as members of ASCAP.
The 32nd ASCAP Pop Music Awards precede the 10th annual ASCAP "I Create Music" EXPO, the only national conference dedicated to the craft and business of songwriting and composing. The EXPO takes place April 30 - May 2 at the Loews Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles, California. Many of the biggest names in music have shared their wisdom and music at the EXPO, including Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, Jackson Browne, Lindsey Buckingham interviewed by Sara Bareilles, Dr. Luke, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Quincy Jones, Randy Newman, Katy Perry, Tom Petty, Carly Simon, Justin Timberlake in conversation with Bill Withers and Ann and Nancy Wilson (HEART).
In April, Ace Frehley will make the very long flight to Australia to play there and New Zealand for his Invading Down Under tour. He’ll follow up with June dates in Europe, including a June 13 Download Festival appearance. He’s looking forward to both jaunts since he didn’t play New Zealand the last time he was Down Under in 2010. “I’m really excited about going back to England and doing Download. I haven’t done it since 2008 or ’09,” he adds. “Europe’s gonna be a gas.”
Being a veteran traveler, the Space Ace is prepared for the rigors of flying: He passes the time with books, his laptop and sleeping. When he winds down at his hotel, room service is crucial: “Room service is really important. You want it the way you order it,” he says. “A lot of times it doesn’t come out that way. I’m prepared for that. I always order one extra meal if my order isn’t right. At least I have a spare.”
Meanwhile, Frehley is in the early stages of recording his next album, which is a covers project. The set follows up 2014’s Space Invader. The critically lauded album debuted in the top 10 of the Billboard 200, surpassing the No. 26 peak of his 1978 self-titled solo debut. “The album’s going to be about my influences,” says Frehley. “I’m probably going to do a Rolling Stones song, a Who song, possibly a Led Zeppelin song, maybe a Beatles song. Stuff from bands that I grew up on and greatly influenced me. Those are the songs I’d redo, besides vintage Kiss stuff and a Frehley’s Comet track.”
Frehley hasn’t thought to ask former Beatle Paul McCartney to join him in the studio if he does cover the Fab Four — Frehley chuckles at the idea — but he has put the ask out to guitarists Lita Ford, Slash and Mike McCready of Pearl Jam. “I was actually going to ask [former Kiss bandmate] Gene Simmons to play bass on a track and sing with me. I haven’t gotten to that stage yet,” he says.
Frehley says he has done some overdubs and intends to track another six to eight songs, then pick the best 12 to focus on. The album’s track list isn’t solidified, but he says he’s “probably going to redo both ‘Cold Gin’ and ‘Parasite.’ On Kiss records, I’m not singing lead. So I’m going to sing lead on them like I do live so there’s [studio tracks] out there with me.”
He doesn’t have a set idea about how he wants the updated versions of the songs to sound, either. “That’s something I don’t plan. I just go in and do it. Try a couple different ways. It’s obviously going to be a lot heavier than the original, and the production is going to be far superior because technology has advanced so much [to a] higher state since we tracked a long time a go in the ’70s. Those are going to be the major differences. Obviously, Peter Criss isn’t going to be playing drums on it. I’m going to be using my touring drummer, Scot Coogan.”
Since he enjoys working in the studio, in the future, Frehley would like to produce music for other artists besides himself. “I have a wealth of knowledge. I’ve worked with some of the greatest producers and engineers over the years, and it’s knowledge I want to share with a younger band,” he says. “I’ve learned so much from guys like Eddie Kramer and Bob Ezrin and miking techniques, the way to put together a song, layering harmonies. Even working with [former Kiss bandmate] Paul [Stanley] and Gene, I learned a lot about harmonies, because those guys are good at layering harmonies. It’s a lot of knowledge I’d like to pass on to another band.”
“The horror genre continues to fascinate me as it proves to be endlessly thrilling and engaging for audiences,” rocker and reality star Simmons said. “I am so thrilled to be working with the masterminds from WWE Studios in launching Erebus Pictures.” Said WWE Studios President Michael Luisi: “Horror films fall into a genre that thrives on genuine passion, and I believe this partnership truly capitalizes on that sentiment and supports our vision.”
Temple follows a team of highly trained operatives who find themselves trapped inside an isolated military compound after its artificial intelligence is suddenly shut down. They begin to experience strange and horrific phenomena as they attempt to uncover who or what killed the team previously stationed at the compound. A director will be named soon, the parties said. Erebus’ second features will start production later this year.
Simmons claimed some of the world’s biggest performers are relying on prerecorded music or vocals in concerts.
“I have a problem when you charge $100 to see a live show and the artist uses backing tracks,” Simmons said. “It’s like the ingredients in food, if the first ingredient on the label is sugar that’s at least honest. It should be on every ticket — you’re paying $100, 30 to 50 per cent of the show is (on) backing tracks and they’ll sing sometimes, sometimes they’ll lip synch. At least be honest. It’s not about backing tracks, it’s about dishonesty.
“There’s nobody with a synthesiser on our stage, there’s no samples on the drums, there’s nothing. There’s very few bands who do that now — AC/DC, Metallica, us. I can’t even say that about U2 or the Stones. There’s very few bands who don’t use (backing) tracks.”
Simmons also has little time for most of today’s pop acts.
“I liked the new song Rihanna did with Kanye West and Paul McCartney (FourFiveSeconds) — she sounded better singing a real song. Umbrella-ella-ella? I don’t get it. Lots of people do, that’s great.
“Lady Gaga I like, she’s the real deal. She’s come to our shows, what she’s done with Tony Bennett show that above the backing tracks and dancers from Las Vegas on poles she can really sing. I’d like to see Gaga come out with a real rock band and do a rock record. She is the real deal, unlike all the others. She can do what Madonna can’t — she can sing.”
But Simmons did have sympathy for Madonna’s recent fall at the Brit Awards.
“That was unfortunate, but she got up, on with the show. It’ll happen. That’s not embarrassing, it’s embarrassing when the backing track dies.”
Meanwhile Australian Kiss fans have snapped up almost all of the $1250 packages to meet the band on their October tour.
Kiss sell 60 of the VIP meet and greet packages at each show, most of which were available through their fan club and sold out within minutes.
A handful of the packages still left for each show but expected to sell out immediately when they go on sale on Thursday.
The $1250 package provides access to an intimate acoustic set, performed without make-up, in front of just 60 fans. It also comes with one platinum ticket to the concert, early entry to the venue, a photograph with the band in full make-up, autograph and VIP merchandise including T-shirt, poster and guitar picks.
Kiss play Perth Arena October 3, Adelaide Entertainment Centre October 6, Rod Laver Arena October 8, Allphones Arena October 10, Newcastle Entertainment Centre October 12 and Brisbane Entertainment Centre October 13.
Tickets on sale at 2pm on Thursday, March 26 from Ticketek.
"The Decline Of Western Civilization" box set features a new 2K high-definition scan of each film, supervised by Spheeris. In keeping with the spirit of the rebellious times in which they were shot, the vintage aspects have been respected, and the films retain their original feel.
Spheeris, who also directed "Suburbia", "Black Sheep" and "Wayne's World", regards the "Decline" films as her most personally rewarding work.
"I am so grateful to the fans of these films, and the bands that appeared in them, for their loyalty and patience," she said. "This is my life's work, and I like to think that when I go to my grave, 'The Decline' is what I'll be remembered for."
In 1981 Spheeris was able to book only one midnight screening for the Los Angeles premiere of "The Decline Of Western Civilization". Even though mainstream Hollywood didn't get it, thousands of fans showed up, spilling onto Hollywood Boulevard, and over 300 policemen arrived on scene. "This was a 1,200-seat theater," she remembered, "and they had to add another show at 2:00 a.m. to avoid a riot. Both shows sold out." Police chief Darryl Gates wrote the filmmakers a letter banning further screenings in the city. However, times change, and in 2014 the three "Decline" films were restored by The Academy Film Archive, and screened at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
Part of the appeal of "The Decline Of Western Civilization" was its appearance in the midst of a backlash against disco, and slick, mainstream music films. The film garnered rave reviews from press, becoming one of the most written about movies of 1980. Perceived as shocking and outrageous, the film captured the essence of the punk scene, and provided a front row seat to the mosh pits, violence, humor and anti-establishment view of the world, as well as unparalleled access to some of the most influential and innovative musicians and groups of all time, including X, CIRCLE JERKS, BLACK FLAG, FEAR and GERMS. Largely unknown to the mainstream world at the time, many of the punk bands first seen here have become legendary.
The second in Penelope Spheeris' music documentary trilogy, "The Decline Of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years" (1988) takes a fast-paced look at the outrageous heavy metal scene of the late '80s. Set in Los Angeles, the film explores fascinating portraits of struggling musicians, fans and star-struck groupies. Featuring Alice Cooper, Ozzy Osbourne, POISON, members of AEROSMITH, KISS, MOTÖRHEAD, and perfomances by MEGADETH, FASTER PUSSYCAT, LIZZY BORDEN, LONDON, ODIN and SEDUCE, this raucous and uproarious chapter also chronicles the lonely naiveté of the striving bands, and the endless flow of alcohol and drugs.
Legendary moments from the film include Ozzy Osbourne's straight talk about the pitfalls of the industry while he struggles to pour orange juice into a glass, an outspoken Chris Holmes of W.A.S.P. lounges in a pool and pours bottles of vodka on his head, a comparison of outlandish groupie stories, and LONDON setting a soviet flag on fire, all contrasted by a down-to-earth Lemmy offering some sage insight into the decadent rock lifestyle.
Vogue crowned Spheeris the Margaret Mead of headbangers, adding that the film works best "when these purveyors of white noise are dragged offstage and separated from their codpieces." She was able to get to the heart of the musicians themselves, exposing what drives them with uncensored honesty.
In 1998, the last in the series, "The Decline Of Western Civilization Part III", hit select theaters but was never released in any home video format. A disturbing social commentary on homeless youth who have often left home due to abuse or neglect, the film has themes of alienation and alcoholism.
Spheeris personally financed the film, bringing to the screen the real-life squatter lifestyle and angry rejection of mainstream society two decades after she wrote and directed the cult classic "Suburbia". Sadly, there are plenty of tragic endings in this story, overdoses, a squat fire, and the murder of a kid named Squid, who was thrilled to be included in the film because he thought it might turn his life around.
A fitting last chapter in the "Decline" trilogy, this film includes performances by FINAL CONFLICT, LITMUS GREEN, NAKED AGGRESSION and THE RESISTANCE and won the Freedom Of Expression award at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival. In 1999 Spheeris went on to direct "We Sold Our Souls For Rock 'N' Roll", which premiered at Sundance.
Capturing the zeitgeist of a movement or a time is an all-but-impossible task. And though the three movies in this collection are very different and reflect different times, one of the things they have in common is how adroitly they do exactly that. Compelling, revealing and ultimately moving, "The Decline Of Western Civilization", taken as a whole, is an arresting look at who we were and who we are.
The experience of interfacing with homeless kids for "Decline III" instilled in Spheeris a desire to become a foster parent, and she now has her California state license.
For years the fans have asked why it has taken so long for the three "Decline" films to be available as a collection. Spheeris says there are two major reasons and for both, she apologizes. "First, I was not able (until now) to get 'Decline III' released, without giving up the rights to the first two movies," she said. "Second, I always like to look forward in life, not back."
Spheeris credits her daughter, Anna Fox, for not only encouraging her to get the movies out there for the fans, but also for doing most of the incredibly complex expanse of work that was required. For this, she is eternally grateful to Anna.
Special features:
* New 2K scan of each film supervised by director Penelope Spheeris
* Commentary by Dave Grohl
* Tawn Mastrey of KNAC interviews Penelope Spheeris
* Never-before-seen original footage, performances and interviews
* Mark Toscano of the Academy Film Archive interviews Penelope Spheeris
* Theatrical trailers
* 40-page booklet featuring rare stills and text by Domenic Priore
Peter Criss, a founding member of Kiss, and other celebs came to town to fight cancer in the Beauty Foundation for Cancer Care's 9th annual Beauty Ball, held Saturday, March 14 at the Robert J. Collins Arena on the campus of Brookdale Community College in Lincroft.
Criss, a male breast cancer survivor, presented the Peter Criss Man of Courage Award to Connor Phelps, a 21-year-old Arizona college student who is currently battling Leukemia.
"I try to get the awareness to men that we get it," Criss said. "Men don't know. What annoys me is that it's called breast cancer. Bingo, right off the bat, it's breast cancer. Why isn't it called pec cancer?"
Criss was diagnosed in 2007. He's since become an advocate to raise awareness about the disease.
"Every year I meet 20 18-year-old boys (who have breast cancer) and they don't know what to do," said Criss, who lives in Wall. "They're embarrassed. It's a chick's disease. Only girls get it."
"My battle is I just want guys to know they can get it, and if they can detect it immediately (they can be cured,)'' Criss said. Early detection "saved my life and I've now become very involved. These lovely girls (of the Beauty Foundation) invite me every year to give out the Peter Criss Man of Courage Award and it's a legacy. I started Kiss, but this is really cool; this is important."
Criss, a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, was the award's first recipient in 2013.
"We wanted to spread the word about male breast cancer because 1 percent of the breast cancer cases are men -- that's a lot," said event co-chair Krista-Olsen Dibsie. "That's 100,000 cases each year in this country."
The Tinton Falls-based Beauty Foundation seeks to ease the financial strains associated with battling cancer, and to allow patients and their families to focus on beating the disease. More than $300,000 was raised at the black-tie event, which also featured appearances by Bo Dietl, a Fox News contributor, his fiancee Margo Urban of the Cover Girls singing group, celebrity photographer Mark Weiss and GiGi Criss, Peter Criss' wife.
"A lot more people are coming down with cancer and it's certain it's caused by environmental stuff,'' Dietl said. "I'm no environmental freak, but there are certain things we have to watch because otherwise future generations will not exist."
Visit www.beautyfoundationnj.com for more information.
Simmons will be visiting Calgary to excite the Rockers of Canada and bring awareness to this life-changing experience. The Rock Legend has been involved with previous Rock Camps, and is excited to pass on his knowledge and Rock out with Canadian Rockers like you!
"Mentoring adult and young rockers at the fantasy camp has always been an amazingly rewarding experience for me," says Simmons. "I enjoy teaching and handing over lessons I've learned from the business to musicians and upcoming talent".
CLICK HERE for full details on Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp Calgary.
Oh yeah! The God of Thunder meets the Pod of Thunder for an in-depth discussion on fire breathing, bass playing, big words like gymnasium, songwriting, The Beatles, rock is dead, drugs & alcohol, KISS break-ups & reunions, 5,000 pieces of merch, dying wishes, and tombstone epitaphs. And then there's a fascinating look inside Gene Simmons' KISS museum aka Los Angeles home!
Check it out NOW on PodcastOne!
Bilateral microtia is the technical name for the condition of being born without external ears.
Arabella's surgery took place March 6, according to a posting on the Facebook page Ears for Arabella.
"Arabella is out of surgery," the post said, adding the four-year-old was recovering "safely in our arms."
The next day, Kiss band member Paul Stanley was at the child's bedside providing well wishes for Arabella.
Stanley was also born with microtia and waited over 30 years for his ear to be constructed. He is now closely associated with non-profit group Mending Kids, which raises funds to help children around the world access reconstructive surgery.
The musician said the cause is very close to him and in interviews he has spoken about the teasing he endured as a youngster who was different.
Ready for one of THE greatest bands in rock’n’roll history with one of THE most spectacular shows Australia will see this year?
Ready for a stage production called ‘The Spider’, moved by 38 computer controlled winches, featuring 220 automated lights, weighing in at 43,000 kgs, incorporating 900 pieces of pyrotechnics and powered by 400,000 watts of sound?
Add in showmanship that continues to thrill audiences around the world, some of the best damn rock anthems in music history and there’s only ONE band we can be talking about....... KISS!
Get your face paint ready Australia because Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer are on their way Down Under in October as part of their 40th Anniversary world tour. Kicking off at the Perth Arena on Saturday October 3, then to Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and for the first time ever Newcastle, it’s the news the rabid KISS army fans have been waiting for!
AUSTRALIAN TOUR DATES
Saturday October 3 PERTH Arena
Tuesday October 6- ADELAIDE Entertainment Centre
Thursday October 8- MELBOURNE Rod Laver Arena
Saturday October 10- SYDNEY AllPhones Arena
Monday October 12- NEWCASTLE Entertainment Centre
Tuesday October 13- BRISBANE Entertainment Centre
KISS fan club members presale - Monday 16th March 2.00pm - Wednesday 18th March 10.00pm.
Tickets on sale - Thursday March 26 at 2.00pm from www.ticketek.com.au & 132 84
KISS are heading to New Zealand too! All the details will be announced next week.
If those weren’t surprising enough, now KISS has collaborated with shodo calligrapher Ryugen Sobukawa for a limited collection of KISS-themed works each autographed by a member of the band.
Oh, and they cost a small fortune…
In total there are only 80 of these works made, but they are divided into four types based on each member of the band. First the canvas has a stylish writing of “KISS” in English next to a kanji interpretation of a character’s name.
Each of the 20 originally made works for each member was also autographed by them. Gene Simmons even did it in full make-up and costume. You know the feeling of being the only person to a “costume party” who actually wore a costume. Something tells me that’s a constant nightmare for KISS.
Each piece of art is very beautiful and blend the edginess of the rock group with the elegance of classical Japanese calligraphy perfectly. In an interesting twist, although rock is considered a new art compared to shodo, each of the artists are transposed in age. The 35-year-old Sobukawa (pictured above next to Simmons) wasn’t even alive when KISS first appeared on stage in Japan.
Okay! So I’m sure all you KISS fans are champing at the bit to get some of these limited-edition writings. The good news is they’re all ready to be ordered from Sobukawa’s website linked below!
The bad news is they cost 432,000 yen (US$3,570) a piece. Now of course the true KISS fan will need to get all four which if my abacus is correct will run you about 1,728,000 yen ($14,280). Come on, what are you waiting for? It’s not like you’re going to be buried in your KISS coffin with all your money. Might as well enjoy it.
Ryugen Sobukawa & KISS website (Japanese) Includes links to purchase the works.
01. Comin' Home
02. Christine Sixteen
03. Hard Luck Woman
04. If I Fell (THE BEATLES)
05. You've Got to Hide Your Love Away (THE BEATLES)
06. Calling Dr Love
07. Sukiyaki (KYU SAKAMOTO)
08. Got to Choose
09. You Shook Me (Muddy Waters / LED ZEPPELIN)
10. Beth
Said Ian: "I was already way into AC/DC [by the time KISS released 'Dynasty' in 1979] and my taste had kind of changed. I went to see [KISS] at Nassau Coliseum [in Uniondale, New York], I think, on [the 'Dynasty'] tour, with [JUDAS] PRIEST opening, and me and my friend left after PRIEST. I mean, I was 15, and my taste had kind of changed already at that point. Don't get me wrong: from the first album to 'Alive II', that period, to me, still means as much in 2015 as it did, to me, in 1977. Like, that's what an imprint it made on me. That still means everything to me."
Ian last year defended KISS leaders Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons for their refusal to perform with only the band's original lineup at KISS's April 2014 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony in Brooklyn. Scott said: "I'm a [KISS] fan, just like everyone else, so would I wanna see the four original dudes back in makeup one more time? Of course I would, as a fan. But bands don't do things dictated by what the audience wants. A band would last about a year if that's how you worked. You have to do things the way you wanna do them."
He continued: "KISS has been around for 40 years and are bigger now than they were in 1977 because Gene and Paul make smart decisions — that's why. So, as a fan, and if you love them, you have to abide by the decisions that Gene and Paul are making for their brand and their band. So, why people get so upset over these things, I really don't undertand. Like, if they decided they were playing with [current KISS members] Tommy [Thayer, guitar] and Eric [Singer, drums], so fine. That's what they're doing. This is their band. This has been the lineup for a long time now."
Said KISS in a tweet: "Recorded 'Samurai Son' for Japan. To reproduce production here, we play live with extra tracks. Nothing to hide."
While announcing KISS's 2012 tour with MÖTLEY CRÜE, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons was particularly critical about pop artists who use pre-recorded backing tracks in their live shows. He said: "We're sick and tired of girls getting up there with dancers and karaoke tapes in back of them. The guys you see on stage are playing their instruments. No fake bullshit. Leave that to the Rihanna, Shmianna and anyone who ends their name with an 'A.'"
KISS's first collaboration with MOMORIO CLOVER Z was released on January 28. The track "Yume No Ukiyo Ni Saitemina" was composed by KISS guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley and Greg Collins, with lyrics written by Yuho Iwasato. MOMOIRO CLOVER Z performs the song, with KISS providing background vocals and instruments. It was released in two versions — "Momoclo Edition" and "KISS Edition" — via iTunes in 120 countries. A music video for the track, featuring both bands, was shot in Las Vegas.
Both the "Momoclo Edition" and "KISS Edition" of "Yume No Ukiyo Ni Saitemina" feature the title track and one same coupling song, but the "KISS Edition" includes the track titled "Samurai Son", which was made using "Yume No Ukiyo Ni Saitemina" as its base. It is sung by KISS while MOMORIO CLOVER Z members participate on vocals. The "Momoclo Edition" comes with a Blu-ray disc which contains the music video for the title track instead.
"Samurai Son" is also available on KISS's Japanese compilation "Best Of KISS 40", alongside 19 tracks spanning the band's four-decade career and a DVD featuring three exclusive live performances.
MOMORIO CLOVER Z will open for KISS on March 3 at the Tokyo Dome.
@KISSOnline: Recorded Samurai Son for Japan. To reproduce production here we play live with extra tracks. Nothing to hide.
On January 20, Sauk recorded the voice of the role of Father Iwanicki in a new song for "Dreams In The Witch House: A Lovecraftian Rock Opera", a hard rock concept album, jointly produced by Swedish and American music producers, based on HP Lovecraft's 1933 horror tale of the same name.
A CD with the same title, "A Lovecraftian Rock Opera", also featuring Kulick, was released in October 2013 and was lauded as a "dark, evocative musical journey" by American horror publication Fangoria and "a masterpiece" by XXL-ROCK. Sauk joins the production as the concept album is now being developed into a motion picture in Hollywood.
The new song is composed by Swedish music composer Anders Ringman. Titled "The Refuge of Penitence", it covers a plot point not present in the current rock opera adaptation of the source story. Sauk, portraying a Polish catholic priest, sings a cautionary tale of mankind's temptation with technological advancement, rejection of faith, and their negative consequences leading to an impending doom; thematic subject matter quite familiar to heavy metal. Kulick and Blair provide lead guitar work which mutates from a faith-based acoustic lead-line (Kulick), into something much more sinister and trans-dimensional (Blair on electric). Rounding out the L.A. session was Tina Guo, with over 40 Hollywood film score credits, as well as performances with the FOO FIGHTERS, SLAYER and Carlos Santana. A separate track from the rock opera, titled "Signum Crucis", already featuring Bruce Kulick on lead guitar, will include Mikkey Dee on drums.
For more information on the rock opera, go to WitchhouseRocks.com.
Known for having the best musicians in music perform each week on "That Metal Show", Season 14 will continue the trend, with Petrucci making his first-ever appearance on the debut episode. Other confirmed performers are Alex Skolnick of TESTAMENT, John 5, Joel Hoekstra of WHITESNAKE, and Frank Hannon of TESLA. Making their "That Metal Show" musical debuts will be Mike Orlando of ADRENALINE MOB, and "That Metal Show" favorite Zakk Wylde. "That Metal Show" first-timers will be double-neck shred-master Michael Angelo Batio, Rich Ward of FOZZY and STUCK MOJO, Damon Johnson of THIN LIZZY and BLACK STAR RIDERS, and Nita Strauss of ALICE COOPER and THE IRON MAIDENS.
Kicking off what's guaranteed to be the best season of "That Metal Show" yet, Lee has been confirmed for the debut episode. He will be making his second appearance on the acclaimed hard rock/heavy metal talk show, hosted by Eddie Trunk, Don Jamieson and Jim Florentine. The episode will premiere on Saturday, February 21 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT, repeating at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT the same evening.
The new season of "That Metal Show" will consist of 12 all-new episodes and will be shot at Metropolis Studios in New York City on Tuesday nights for broadcast that Saturday. Audience tickets for upcoming tapings are now available via Gotham Casting at this location. Upcoming guests will be announced in the near future.
If previous seasons are any indication, season 14 will be the biggest season of "That Metal Show" to date. Last season marked some monumental changes for the show as it returned to New York City. Previously the show was taped over several days in a course of a week at Sony Studios in Los Angeles. But Season 13 was shot at Metropolis Studios on Tuesday nights, for broadcast the following Saturday, which will be the same for this new season.
Fans can watch previous episodes and other exclusive bonus clips at ThatMetalShow.VH1.com and on the new VH1 app.
In a raft of new partnerships secured by Epic Rights, the new line-up will launch across the US this year.
Within adults clothing and accessories, The Factor.e is developing KISS activewear for men and women, while H3 sportgear is fashioning KISS headwear.
Elsewhere, Hypnotic Hats is developing KISS novelty socks, backpacks, tote bags and luggage.
Airwaves will manufacture a line of KISS infant onesies and Stepping Stones will create newborn, infant and toddler KISS footwear and infant KISS gift sets.
Just Funky will produce a line of KISS housewares, including throws, blankets and more, while across music accessories, Perri’s Leather will launch a line of KISS guitar straps, guitar picks and guitar bags.
“KISS has an incredibly passionate core group of fans numbering in the millions and their popularity continues to rise, especially here in the US,” said Lisa Streff, SVP, licensing, Epic Rights.
In addition to the new products, Epic Rights will also be launching a social media campaign to introduce new products and promotions to target the 13 million plus KISS Army Fans this year.
Daily Driver: 2015 Corvette Stingray (Stanley's rating: 9 on a scale of 1 to 10)
Other cars: See below
Favorite road trip: Interstate 95 from New York to New England
Car he learned to drive in: 1963 Ford Galaxie
First car bought: 1961 Rambler American
Kiss front man Paul Stanley is a bit of a Renaissance man as a singer-songwriter, painter, New York Times best-selling author, star of "Phantom of the Opera," and, in a former life, a New York City cab driver.
He can add styling a Corvette for General Motors to the list after working with the automaker on a 2015 Stingray for the SEMA show in a car that would also become his daily driver.
"I've yearned to be driving an American car without apology," he says. "I like driving a car that says 'Corvette' on it. I like driving an American car because we've always had capabilities to turn out great cars, and for reasons that are lost to me, we chose not to. But as the competition became stiffer and as the car industry seemed to be folding, I guess the message was resounding, and lo and behold, here were some great cars."
"Beck should've kicked Kanye right in the nuts and said, ‘Get the fuck off MY stage!'" Stanley wrote on his Facebook page.
According to The Pulse Of Radio, Beck told Us Weekly, "I was just so excited he was coming up. He deserves to be on stage as much as anybody. How many great records has he put out in the last five years, right?" As for beating out Beyonce for the award, Beck added, "I thought she was going to win. Come on, she's Beyonce!"
Beck was nominated for "Album Of The Year" twice before, in 1997 for "Odelay" and 2001 for "Midnite Vultures", and lost both times.
West said after the ceremony, "I just know that the Grammys, if they want real artists to keep coming back, they need to stop playing with us. We ain't gonna play with them no more… and Beck needs to respect artistry and he should've given his award to Beyonce."
West didn't back down, saying on Monday morning (February 9), "Beck knows Beyonce should have won… I love Beck. But he ain't have album of the year."
According to The Pulse Of Radio, GARBAGE singer Shirley Manson weighed in on the issue with an open letter to Kanye on Monday, in which she wrote, "It is YOU who is so busy disrespecting artistry. You disrespect your own remarkable talents and more importantly you disrespect the talent, hard work and tenacity of all artists when you go so rudely and savagely after such an accomplished and humble artist like Beck."
Manson continued, "You make yourself look small and petty and spoilt. In attempting to reduce the importance of one great talent over another, you make a mockery of all musicians and music from every genre, including your own. Grow up and stop throwing your toys around."
Paul Stanley composed "YUMENO UKIYONI SAITEMINA" and KISS performed the music on the single. KISS and Momoiro Clover Z both sang lead vocals on two versions of the song. Japanese cultural essences, such as Kabuki, Ukiyo-e art, and samurai armor are themes throughout the song. The "Samurai Son" music video also contains unique Japanese anime.
The "Samurai Son" project was broadcasted on NHK, the sole public broadcaster in Japan. In addition, a huge advertisement was placed at the world's largest Shibuya Scramble intersection. Momoiro Clover Z performed on the popular Japanese program "Music Station," and this project continues to be a hot topic in Japanese media.
The collaboration single by the Japanese popular group Momoiro Clover Z an KISS titled “YUMENO IKIYONI SAITEMINA” was released on January 28th worldwide.
The title song and the other included tracks in the "Samurai Son" package have been digitally distributed throughout 120 countries via iTunes music store. The song has ranked 1st on the world chart in US, Canada, Sweden and other countries and continues to create a worldwide buzz.
It is also the first top 3 single in 17 and half years for a collaboration song between Japanese and foreign artists. The last top 3 song was "Forever," performed by Japanese actor Takashi Sorimachi and Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora in July 1997.
The Epiphone Ltd. Ed. Tommy Thayer 2015 Signature Les Paul Outfit features a solid Mahogany body and a plain Maple Veneer Top finished in beautiful Metallic White with a chrome colored pickguard, all chosen by Tommy. The body also has 7-ply (pure white and black) binding on the top and single-ply pure white binding on the fingerboard.
The 2015 Signature Model comes with Seymour Duncan® JB™ humbuckers especially chosen by Tommy along with a custom hard case, an "Inspired by" Custom Studded Leather Strap just like Tommy's original, a Hand Signed Certificate of Authenticity, a binder with certificate and official photograph, and Epiphone's customary accessories including a user’s manual, Epiphone poster, Epiphone bumper sticker, and more.
"My new 2015 signature model is the pinnacle of looks, style and flash," says Tommy. "I'm proud to put my name on a serious guitar that can be enjoyed at home or rock the biggest stages in the world."
Why KISS entered the world of football ...
Well, opportunity knocks probably only once and you don't get another chance. You don't have to be a genius to look around in perhaps the second-largest market in America, Los Angeles, and see it doesn't have a professional football team of any kind. Arena football is cool. For one thing, you don't have to mortgage your home to buy tickets -- $99 for season tickets, what's wrong with that? It's air-conditioned, no matter rain or shine or anything else. It's comfortable. You don't have to travel a mile for the food. If you want to pee, it's right outside the door. It's all good. It's also much faster, much more in your face. It's actually more aggressive. What we do is to make sure you don't have a chance to dip your chips every time the ball goes down on the floor and people are huddling.
The goal of every LA KISS game ...
To make it the Super Bowl every game. That's exactly the idea because you have to be honest with yourself. Although there are a lot of football fans, there aren't 100 million football fans, come on. Just like when you go to the Kentucky Derby, everybody that goes there doesn't necessarily know anything about horse racing. They go there for the spectacle. It's a must-see event. And if you take away the spectacle that is the Super Bowl, the music and the fireworks, if you take away all that, what do you got? How could you have cheerleaders without music? And when the guys run out to the field, isn't that music that heralds their arrival? Don't teams -- if they are lucky -- have their own anthem? Words to those anthems mean something: This is who we are, this is what we stand for. So that's what we try to do, and we've been very successful because in one season, our very first one, we were the only team in the AFL to pull at least 10,000 people to every home game. That's unheard of. What other AFL team had a reality show on the air? You've got to try to break new ground and not do what grandpa used to do. Welcome to the 21st century. Any fireworks that you see at a KISS show should be at our LA KISS events -- it shouldn't be just a football game; it should be an event!
What to expect at an LA KISS game ...
We have full live rock bands -- nobody playing tapes. When the band sings it's real, it's live. We have extreme sports people doing full 360-degree flips on motorbikes. We have our Junior KISS Girls who are 10 to 12 years old -- cute as a button -- and they all do their dance routines to music. We have laser light shows. Our dancers are A-level athletes. Some of them are hanging in iron cages 50 feet above the ground above the goalposts. The opening day we had our guys levitating down from the ceiling, 80 feet up in the air. Basically, if you mixed up KISS and football you'd get LA KISS, which is profoundly and accurately why it's called LA KISS.
On Jon Bon Jovi's and Motley Crue's involvement with the AFL's Philadelphia Soul and Las Vegas Outlaws, respectively ...
Never heard of them. I know that one of the guys was involved in Arena football. I don't know if the other guy respectfully is going to be involved, but I keep hearing the same things you do. But look, when you're running a race you can never look over your shoulder to see who is behind you. You just run your race, look forward and be the best that you can be and good luck to anybody who wants to get into the game. But we've never lost in ventures. We're serious about it. One of the first things that I tried to do was bring concerts and music and glamour and glitz to KISS ventures. I mean what's Caesar coming back after a successful war without trumpets heralding his arrival? What is anything without music? What's church without music? What is sports without music? Think about it: When these guys train, you think there is nothing going into their ears? I mean music is really the soundtrack of your life. Anything from Mantovani all the way to Chopin. But if you're doing anything having to do with adrenaline, you're probably listening to KISS.
Simmons on the state of the NFL ...
Football has gotten bigger, and if football doesn't watch what it's doing, something else is going to come along, something more exciting. Maybe it's Arena football, maybe it's extreme fighting, whatever it is. Look, people have the attention span of gnats. Yes, there are team rivalries based on "my city is cooler than your city." I get it, it's always been about that, but you don't have to do that just in football. It can be in anything. Listen, the NFL invited me to sing the national anthem in a few stadiums, including the game at Wembley Stadium in front of 80,000 people, and I was proud to do it, so the NFL does a great job. But hockey is exciting, so is basketball, so is lots of stuff. Everything can coexist, but if the only thing you're doing is what you're doing, you've got to give more and music is a good "more." I don't mean just something for your ears, I mean the visual experience of music. And this is nothing new.
Simmons on the state of MLB ...
There is still a grandmother playing an organ of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game." I mean, really. You got to be careful, baseball used to be America's pastime, but really it's not anymore. A few years ago a consortium, including myself, tried to buy the Dodgers. And it is stuck in the muck and the mire. It's stuck in the past: the outfits, the games. The first thing I wanted to do was to bring in baseball cheerleaders and have a theme song, like all this branding stuff. You should have heard the uproar, "Well that's not how we do things!" Really? Says who? Who is the rule maker? Baseball is an exciting game, but while the pitcher is lining up and looking around to think about which ball to throw, everybody is just dipping their chips and talking to each other. I would speed it up. I would install a time limit. You've got to throw that ball whether you're ready or not in 10 seconds or less. If not, it's an automatic ball.
What to expect next season from LA KISS ...
We are certainly going to scale back on special occasions. The ceiling levitation thing cost a fortune -- 250 grand just to do the opening spectacle because there were so many fireworks. We can have people rappelling 100 feet up from the rooftop. We play at the Honda Center and some of the other arenas we play at have very high roofs, so anything is possible. Why can't you do that with music, and people coming down in parachutes or jet packs? Give them a show!
On the response he's received from the football community ...
Not a clue. I never looked around, I never asked anybody how they feel about it. It's beside the point. I'm sure there are lots of people that wish us well, and some people who don't. I mean what's Christmas without Scrooge? But you can't let the Scrooges of the world stop you from having a good old time and enjoying Christmas. As far as I'm concerned, every day is Christmas -- of course we call it KISSmas -- and I'm the guy that brings the presents. I'm coming down your chimney whether you want me to or not.
On attempting to sign Tim Tebow to the team ...
I was very vocal about it [circa September 2013]. We didn't even talk about it as a team. I was just talking about it, not as a press angle or anything, but as a matter of ethics. If any one of our guys gets caught in a bar fight or impregnates a girl without being responsible, they are out. I don't care how well you play. And remember when people, and the media, started making fun of him because he's a religious Christian? So he gets down on one knee and crosses himself. What's the problem with that? He's a good family guy, doesn't use drugs as far as we know, doesn't kill or torture dogs and is not facing a murder charge. As far as I'm concerned, football could use more Tim Tebows. Clean it up! There are kids watching.
During the Invading Down Under Tour, Frehley will play two-hour sets composed of solo material and Kiss classics, across April and May. His latest solo studio effort, Space Invader, was released in August 2014.
Frehley’s current touring band includes Richie Scarlet, who contributed rhythm guitar and vocals on Frehley’s 1989 solo album Trouble Walkin’, as well as bassist Chris Wyse, who has performed with Ozzy Osbourne and The Cult in the past, and drummer Scot Coogan, who has shared the stage with Lita Ford and Nikki Sixx.
“I can’t wait to get down to New Zealand and Australia with this new lineup,” Frehley has said. “I’ll be performing Ace classics as well as songs off my new CD Space Invader for the enjoyment of the fans. Let There Be Rock!”
Ace Frehley’s Invading Down Under Tour will kick off in Brisbane on Wednesday, 29th April, and finish up in Perth on Thursday, 7th May. Tour dates below the news section.
The program will feature the two groups' conversations in question and answer style, and the PV for their collaboration song "Yume no Ukiyo ni Saitemina" will be introduced to the world for the first time. The CD single, which also includes a cover version of KISS' 3rd single in 1975, "Rock and Roll All Nite," performed by Momoiro Clover Z, will be released on January 28.
Fowley is best known for his role behind a string of novelty and cult pop rock singles in the 1960s, and for managing THE RUNAWAYS in the 1970s. He produced the band's 1976 self-titled debut and co-wrote THE RUNAWAYS' biggest hit, "Cherry Bomb", with Joan Jett. Fowley was also a songwriter, who co-penned "Escape" for ALICE COOPER's 1975 album "Welcome To My Nightmare", and "King of the Night Time World" and "Do You Love Me" for KISS's 1976 LP "Destroyer".
Despite the fact that Fowley had been embroiled in legal battles with former THE RUNAWAYS frontwoman Cherie Currie over the years, the singer cared for Fowley during his fight with cancer and she even moved him into her Los Angeles-area home.
"I love Kim. I really do," Currie told Billboard.com last year. "After everything I went through as a kid with him, I ended up becoming a mom and realized it was difficult for a man in his 30s to deal with five teenage girls. He's a friend I admire who needed help, and I could be there for him."
Currie posted the following message on her Facebook page earlier tonight: "Just before 8 a.m. this morning, January 15, 2014, Kim Fowley passed away at his home with his wife, Kara Wright, by his side after a long battle with cancer. He was 75 years old.
"I am so blessed that I got to get to know you again, Kim, really get to know you on a personal level and that we became friends. Mostly that you spent time here at my home. It's a time I will never forget.
"The last record you made is in good hands and I am so glad that record is mine. It was a pleasure.
"Thank you for starting my career when I was a just a child. You were instrumental in so many getting started in this crazy world of music. You are a genius... you are loved. You will be so missed.
"Rest in peace, my friend."
In a 2012 statement posted on the San Diego Reader web site, Fowley said: "I am preparing for death. That includes withdrawing from all human contact except for accountants, attorneys and industry meetings
"I am working on dying. I am a bladder cancer surgery recall patient. Every six months wires, cameras and instruments of pain such as knives and scalpels go in through the penis all the way up to my stomach. They take out elements of my body and do biopsies. Bladder cancer is the fastest recurring cancer but you can't do a CAT-scan or an X-ray or any other mumbo jumbo. You have to keep repeating the procedure in order to know how your margins are.
"To deal with that kind of Auschwitz intrusion on your body in a hospital setting is horrifying.
"Death is a juicy topic. It's like nudity and drugs. It's right up there with LOL, cats and puppies. It's an American tradition, just like Disney and chocolate."
The 2010 biopic "The Runaways" was based on the book "Neon Angel" by Currie, and it presented Fowley as aggressive and domineering in relation to the band he helped form.
In the movie, Fowley was portrayed by "Revolutionary Road"'s Oscar-nominated Michael Shannon.
Due March 3, the project features new versions of 11 songs co-written by Rhoads — including many associated with his celebrated tenure alongside Ozzy Osbourne. Songs like ‘Back to the Coast’ and ‘Killer Girls’ reference Rhoads’ earlier stint in Quiet Riot. Also featured are Serj Tankian, Gus G., Doug Aldrich, Dweezil Zappa and Bernie Torme. Grammy winner Bob Kulich (Bruce’s older brother) worked as producer. The full track listing, with guest stars, is below.
An expanded version of the album will be paired with a bonus DVD that includes interviews with a number of the guests, hosted by Bob Kulick. A special feature focuses on Musonia School of Music in North Hollywood, founded by Rhoads’ mother and overseen by his brother Kelle.
Rhoads joined Quiet Riot as a teenager before soaring to fame with Osbourne on a pair of his early ’80s solo albums, ‘Blizzard of Oz‘ and ‘Diary of a Madman.’ The guitarist died in a 1982 plane crash when he was just 25. (Sarzo, Torme and Gus G. have collaborated with Osbourne, as well.) Sarzo was also in Quiet Riot, while Appice and Aldrich worked with Osbourne’s Black Sabbath successor Ronnie James Dio.
‘Immortal Randy Rhoads: The Ultimate Tribute’ Track Listing
‘Crazy Train’ (Serj Tankian, Tom Morello, Rudy Sarzo, Vinny Appice)
‘Over the Mountain’ (Tim “Ripper” Owens, Jon Donais, Rudy Sarzo, Frankie Banali)
‘Mr. Crowley’ (Chuck Billy, Alexi Laiho, Kelle Rhoads, Rudy Sarzo, Vinny Appice)
‘Believer’ (Tim “Ripper” Owens, Doug Aldrich, Rudy Sarzo, Vinny Appice)
‘Back To The Coast’ (Kelle Rhoads, Bruce Kulick, Rudy Sarzo, Frankie Banali)
‘I Don’t Know’ (Tim “Ripper” Owens, George Lynch, Rudy Sarzo, Brett Chassen)
‘S A T 0' (Tim “Ripper” Owens, Bob Kulick, Dweezil Zappa, Rudy Sarzo, Vinny Appice)
‘Killer Girls’ (Tim “Ripper” Owens, Joel Hoekstra, Rudy Sarzo, Brett Chassen)
‘Goodbye to Romance’ (Tim “Ripper” Owens, Gus G., Rudy Sarzo, Brett Chassen)
‘Suicide Solution’ (Tim “Ripper” Owens, Brad Gillis, Rudy Sarzo, Brett Chassen)
‘Flying High Again’ (Tim “Ripper” Owens, Bernie Torme, Rudy Sarzo, Brett Chassen)
"How I Met Your Mother" fans may remember way back from Season 1 that Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) had quite the knack for making playlists of all kinds. One of his most famous by far was his "get psyched mix" that lead the group into one of the craziest New Year's Eves of their lives.
When Barney introduces the playlist in the Season 1 episode "The Limo," he proclaims: "My own personal 'get psyched mix'. Now people think a good mix should rise and fall. But people are wrong. It should be all rise, baby! Now prepare yourselves for an audio journey to the white, hot center of adrenaline!" (Video.
Three different versions of Barney's mix have been released over the years. The first track list is briefly seen on the cover of the CD when it is introduced in "The Limo." The second Barney gives in a blog entry entitled "Party Alert!" The third is the track listing published in Barney's book "The Bro Code."
The best is definitely the "Bro Code" version, as it is the most lengthy and therefore the most delightful. Here is the track listing in case you want to mix and match on your own, followed by a video featuring all the "get psyched" tracks all in one continuous mix for your New Year's -- or really anytime -- enjoyment.
(Listen)
"You Give Love a Bad Name" - Bon Jovi
"I Wanna Rock" - Twisted Sister
"The Humpty Dance" - Digital Underground
"Don't Stop Believin'" - Journey
"You're the Best Around" - Joe Esposito
"Lick It Up" - KISS
"Paradise City" - Guns N' Roses
"Tom Sawyer" - Rush
"The Transformers Theme" - Vince DiCola with Optimus Prime
"Dancing with Myself" - Billy Idol
"Rock You Like a Hurricane" - Scorpions
"Come Sail Away" - Styx
"Free Bird" (second half only) - Lynyrd Skynyrd
"Panama" - Van Halen
"Jessie's Girl" - Rick Springfield
"Talk Dirty to Me" - Poison
"Thunderstruck" - AC/DC
"High Enough" - Damn Yankees
"Hip Hop Hooray" - Naughty by Nature
"Dr. Feelgood" - Motley Crue
"Round and Round" - Ratt.
They're going back to the golden age when KISS rose to prominence, taking the world by storm. What better way to celebrate the rise of these rock legends than to watch KISS perform the very live album that launched them into greatness 40 years ago? Get ready to rock out to KISS playing their first gold album, "Alive!", in its entirety. You read it right. KISS is playing "Alive!" from front to back during The Kiss Kruise V indoor show.
Year five has promised to bring new surprises and drive you wild and crazy. Book a cabin during the pre-sale and receive a limited-edition The Kiss Kruise V t-shirt mailed to your door before the boat sails.
Cruise itinerary (subject to change)
* Thursday, October 29, 2015 - Pre-Party on Ship (additional purchase; departs 8PM ET)
* Friday, October 30 - Depart Miami, Florida (approx. 4:00 p.m. ET)
* Saturday, October 31 - Day At Sea
* Sunday, November 1 - Jamaica
* Monday, November 2 - Day At Sea
* Tuesday, November 3 - Arrive Miami, Florida (approx. 8:00 a.m. ET)
KISS will be inviting some of their favorite bands to join them for this adventure at sea. You can expect artists announcements throughout the year to round out this music festival, so count on your days to be filled with numerous shows, contests and activities.
For more information, visit www.thekisskruise.com.
The title song is composed by Paul Stanley and Greg Collins with Yuho Iwasato on lyrics. It's performed by Momoclo with KISS play the instruments and backing vocal. The B side is still to be announced.
The KISS version will also include the exta song SAMURAI SON, which is also slated to be included on the January 28th release of “Best of KISS 40:
Momoclo Edition
01. Yume no Ukiyo ni Saitemina
02. undecided
03. Yume no Ukiyo ni Saitemina(off vocal ver.)
04. undecided(off vocal ver.)
Blu-ray
·Yume no Ukiyo ni Saitemina MUSIC VIDEO
KISS Edition
01. Yume no Ukiyo ni Saitemina
02. undecided
03. SAMURAI SON
04. Yume no Ukiyo ni Saitemina(off vocal ver.)
05. undecided(off vocal ver.)
06. SAMURAI SON(off vocal ver.)
Yume no Ukiyo ni Saitemina
Lyrics:Iwasato Yuho, Paul Stanley
Music:Paul Stanley, Greg Collins
Arrangement:KISS, Greg Collins
Player and Chorus: KISS
SAMURAI SON
Lyrics: Paul Stanley
Music: Paul Stanley, Greg Collins
Arrangement: KISS, Greg Collins
Player:KISS
Chorus:Momoiro Clover Z
“Best of KISS 40" tracklist
01. SAMURAI SON (US mix) KISS vs Momoiro Clover Z
02. Rock and Roll All Nite
03. Shout It Out Loud
04. Beth
05. Hard Luck Woman
06. Detroit Rock City
07. Calling Dr.Love
08. Christine Sixteen
09. Love Gun
10. I Was Made For Lovin’ You
11. Shandi
12. I’m a Legend Tonight
13. Lick It Up
14. Heaven’s On Fire
15. Tears Are Falling
16. Crazy Nights
17. God Gave Rock ‘N’ Roll to You II
18. Psycho Circus
19. Modern Day Delilah
20. Hell Or Hallelujah
Limited Edition DVD
01. Psycho Circus
02. Shout It Out Loud
03. Hell Or Hallelujah
Last month, Momoiro Clover Z also announced plans to perform at KISS’s March 3rd 40th anniversary Tokyo Dome concert, and plans to release three other singles in the first half of 2015.
"Renewing my collaboration with Ibanez feels like going home to where it all started," commented Stanley. "The guitars we created remain iconic and we will celebrate them and more as we move forward into our future together."
"We're very excited to be partnering again with Paul Stanley," said Ibanez artist relations manager Mike Taft. "It’s been an amazing year for both Paul and the band, including the release of his best-selling autobiography, the band's long-overdue induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, and the ongoing world tour to commemorate their 40th anniversary together. I couldn't think of a better time for Paul to reunite with Ibanez. Along with their distinctive styling, these historic instruments have proven themselves on albums and in concert worldwide, where their sound has made them sought after by guitarists for decades."
This highly detailed 347-page book comes directly from the collective efforts of JR Smalling, Peter Oreckinto, Rick Munroe and the late Mick Campise, who comprised the core of the band's original road crew from 1974 - 1976. In "Out on the Streets" the four share an intimate and inside look at life on the road with KISS, and detail what it took to lay the foundation for one of the most spectacular and successful rock bands in history.
"Out on the Streets" digs into the dirt, the blue-collar work ethic, and the crew's unwavering loyalty to KISS's ridiculous "biggest band in the world" pipedream. The four authors spin tales of fighting headline acts like Aerosmith just to get in and out of gigs, logging over 90,000 road miles in 1974 alone, wrestling with thieves and warding off racism. There's violent tragedy on a personal level, mind-numbing hours and days without rest, bullet-ridden vehicles, arrests, abject poverty, catalogs of carnal pursuits, broken promises and ultimately a skyrocket of success.
Rare photos, original itineraries, and detailed production schematics are just a few of the perks that litter the pages of this rich and rewarding memoir.
"Out on the Streets" is available directly from the authors themselves. The authors embellish the book with a thriving Facebook forum where they warmly connect with readers, fans, and the curious, answering questions and sharing additional memories and ephemera.
To order visit: www.theoriginalkisskrew.com (Also available on Amazon and eBay after January 1, 2015)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheOriginalKISSKREW/
The suit, filed in the Central District of California Southern Division, contends that Brett Bouchy committed fraud by profiting from tickets sold by scalpers to Orlando Predators games. The suit also said Bouchy didn’t disclose all of the Florida team’s debts when selling his majority share last year to co-owner David Pearsall.
An attorney representing Pearsall Holdings, which brought the suit, declined to elaborate beyond the court filings.
Bouchy, who lives in Orange County, said he has not been served with the lawsuit, but defended his record with the Arena Football League. He has served on the league’s executive committee for 12 years. Bouchy said that Pearsall was kicked out of the league earlier this year for failing to meet several obligations related to the Predators.
“I am confident that I will be vindicated in any suit brought by Mr. Pearsall,” Bouchy said.
After leaving the Predators, Bouchy launched the LA KISS expansion team last year with co-owners Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of the rock group KISS and the band’s manager, Doc McGhee. The team ended its inaugural season at the Honda Center with a 3-15 record.
Among other contentions in the lawsuit:
• Bouchy regularly received a split of Predators tickets sold by scalpers, draining funds from the team’s coffers. The team would regularly print an extra 3,000 tickets to Orlando games, distributed to a broker, who would then give the tickets to scalpers. Money generated from the street sales were split among the scalpers, the broker and Bouchy.
• When selling his share of the Predators for $247,583, Bouchy told Pearsall he could recoup $500,000 more through hosting both a KISS rock concert and the 2013 Arena Bowl in Orlando. The events together, however, generated about $200,000, before expenses.
• After the sale, Bouchy delivered a balance sheet to Pearsall showing $88,044 in liabilities. But it did not disclose at least $450,000 in outstanding loans and expenses related to hosting the Arena Bowl.
The lawsuit is seeking an undisclosed amount in damages.
Criss's last solo CD, titled "One for All", came out in 2007. Peter produced the album himself for the first time, and was joined by guest musicians that included keyboardist Paul Shaffer and bassist Will Lee of "Late Night with David Letterman". The album featured a range of styles, from rock and jazz to blues and Broadway, and included covers of "What a Difference a Day Makes" and "Send in the Clowns".
Speaking to an audience of fans at a question-and-answer session hosted by VH1 Classic "That Metal Show" co-host Eddie Trunk on November 28 at the "All Things That Rock" festival in Oaks, Pennsylvania, Criss stated about the progress of the recording sessions for the follow-up to "One for All" (see video below): "I've been sitting on a record … I'd done this thing, like, five years ago and I'm still messing with it. I'm not done, because I don't wanna rush it."
He continued: "The sad thing is, you put music out today, and you download it immediately.
"Rock 'n' roll's not dead — I don't wanna hear that, that rock's dead. It's far from dead. But it's just not maybe doing what it used to do. So I'm gonna release, probably, singles again. Like a 45, with two songs instead of putting out 13. Because it just isn't fair for the artist — you put out your songs, you download it and there's really nothing going on."
Criss added that he has been working with former MARILYN MANSON and current ROB ZOMBIE guitarist John 5, but offered no details about a possible release date for his next CD. "I wanna take my time with it," he said. "I'm constantly putting time into it. I want it to be heavier than I've usually done my stuff, and then I'll get, 'It's too heavy. You should go back and do light stuff.' Because fans are never happy. You guys aren't! No matter what we ever do, you're like, 'Oh, that sucks. I want this.' [Or] 'He's playing that ballad shit again.'"
After weeks of bad-mouthing each other in the press, the four original members of KISS were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in April by RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello, with all four — Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss — delivering warm, nostalgic and even sweet-natured speeches that put aside the simmering tensions for at least 12 minutes.
KISS did not perform — the Hall Of Fame wanted the original quartet only to play, while Simmons and Paul Stanley insisted on the current lineup — which also includes guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer — performing as well. In the end nobody won that battle.
Alan Stuart Graf recounts in the book “I Inhaled: Rantings, Ramblings and Ravings of a Hippie Lawyer,” how he and Gene Klein, as he was known then, were in a band together called the Long Island Sounds.
“We were about 14 at the time, and this other guitar player and I were playing Ventures [surf-rock] music with a cool cat drummer named Stan,” Graf wrote.
“But we needed a bass player. So I talked Gene into getting a bass. We went down to Manny’s Music Store in downtown Manhattan and picked him out a Paul McCartney imitation white bass. He was in love with it and kept on fantasizing that he was Paul and all the girls loved him because of his fine bass.”
Graf went off to college and lost track of the band, and never realized until 1995 that his old pal was one of the hugely successful rockers behind the KISS make-up.
When KISS finally came to Portland, Ore., where Graf was practicing law, Graf went to their hotel and found Simmons in the restaurant.
“The more we talked, the more we realized that we were on completely different trips,” Graf wrote. “Gene decided to impress me and tell me about all the girls that we both knew back in grade school that he had felt up. I thought to myself, this guy is still .?.?. 16 years old.”
The epic performance by Kiss in full costume and makeup was one of the highlights of the many theatrics of Thursday morning’s family- friendly parade, watched by nearly 23 million people.
The band pulled out the stops for the performance, broadcast live on NBC, from their float outside Macy’s Herald Square, and performed a rocking Kiss medley.
But one thing missing (apart from blood spitting and fire breathing) from the Kiss act was bassist Simmons’ overtly suggestive gymnastics with his freakishly long tongue. The NBC cameras delicately panned away when he did get the much-talked-about tongue out, and there was far less lingual wagging going on.
Simmons told us he did purposely tone things down to be family-friendly. He told Page Six on Friday, “I was proud to be a part of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. My tongue is God-given. As regards the parade, my intention was to be tongue in cheek. Mostly, I kept it in my cheek.”
Kiss bulldozed their way into the beloved parade as the band, which includes founding members Simmons and Paul Stanley plus Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer, celebrates its 40th anniversary.
Kiss has been on an anniversary world tour, while Simmons, who has built a merchandising and branding empire around Kiss, recently published, “Me, Inc: Build an Army of One, Unleash Your Inner Rock God, Win in Life and Business.”
A Macy’s rep told us, “There were no restrictions placed on the Kiss appearance. Their performance was a highlight of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade’s live national broadcast which captured the very best of this legendary group.”
The broadcast, hosted by Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie, also included performances from Sting, Idina Menzel and Nick Jonas.
“We’ve been approached,” she told us. “It’s something that we definitely need to talk about as a family, but it might be happening .?.?. I started when I was 11, so growing up you just see all of your awkward phases. That’s kind of crappy, but it’s kind of good in the sense that it gave me a thick skin.”
She added, “But .?.?. do we really want to jump back into that .?.?. where we don’t have privacy?”
The guitarist-singer will perform material from his new record “Space Invader” (Entertainment One Music), his five other solo albums and classic KISS tracks 9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa’s Music Box.
However, this hall of fame year wasn’t without its hiccups, as the April induction of the hard-rocking band known for its makeup and outrageous costumes was marred by a spat over whether KISS’ original quartet would perform together.
Both Frehley, who first exited the band in 1982 and then returned for a six-year stint that ended in 2002, and former drummer Peter Criss wanted to play with co-founders Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley. The latter two would only agree to a set that included its current replacement members.
Although the two factions didn’t get their act together, the original foursome managed to share the stage to accept the honor.
Ahead of his latest A.C. appearance, Frehley talks about his latest musical set, the Hall of Fame reunion that wasn’t to be and whether the original KISS lineup will ever share the stage again.
Q: “Space Invader” is your first solo album to crack the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 chart and the best-performing solo record of any KISS member. Why do you think it’s clicked with listeners?
A: I’m really happy with the way the new album was received. It took me 10 months to put the album together. My head was in a good place, and I was working in a really relaxed studio. I took my time. When I felt creative, I created. When I didn’t, I just put it down.
Q: How was it to get inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but not to perform?
A: I was happy to get inducted, no matter what the outcome was. I would have preferred performing. That was a moment in history that was lost forever. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame requested all four inductees get up there and perform. Peter and I were up to the task, and Gene and Paul shot it down. It was a shame that after 40 years of support, Paul and Gene couldn’t give the fans 15 minutes.
Q: The four of you managed to make nice for the podium, but there has been a lot of sniping ever since. Why is there so much lingering animosity?
A: It’s not as much animosity as the press makes out. We’re all cordial to each other. I talk to the guys from time to time for business matters. I still get checks from them quarterly for the use of my makeup. The press blows things up. They don’t want to write about happiness –– they want to write about dirt.
Q: So is there any chance of a reunion?
A: There hasn’t been any discussion about it, but I’m open to anything. I’m the type of guy who says never say never. When I’m not on tour or in my studio, I’m available.
Q: You haven’t hit the road since 2011. What’s it like to tour these days?
A: I’ve been sober for over eight years –– I don’t allow alcohol in the dressing room or around me. I just try to keep a mellow, relaxed vibe. I take it easy during the day. I take a nap, I relax, I order room service. Then I mosey on down to the venue and take care of business. My mindset is focused on the show –– everything else is secondary.
If you don’t like loud music, you better wear earphones. I’m letting people know it’s going to be loud. You can expect heavy, hard rock ’n’ roll. Contrary to Gene Simmons’ statement, rock ‘n’ roll is not dead. He’s been putting his foot in his mouth a lot lately.
Ace Frehley
WHEN: 9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22
WHERE: The Music Box, Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, Atlantic City
HOW MUCH: Tickets, priced at $29.50 and $35, are available at the Borgata box office and TheBorgata.com
WEBSITE: AceFrehley.com
There are two types; one is Momoiro Clover Z edition, the other is KISS edition and the lead track is composed and performed by KISS and Momoiro Clover Z is in charge of vocals.
Two newly recorded tracks including a lead track and each off vocal version will be included in Momoiro Clover Z edition. This edition also includes a music video of the lead track in Blu-ray Disc. On the other hand, three newly recorded tracks including a lead track and each off vocal version, in total six tracks will be included in KISS edition.
Momoiro Clover Z and KISS shot a music video and did a photo shoot for cover jacket in Las Vegas
It is also announced that Momoiro Clover Z will appear at the last show at Tokyo Dome of the KISS 40th anniversary tour.
Momoiro Clover Z is planning to release three consecutive new singles in the first half of 2015 and this collaboration single is the first one.
Product summary
Artist name: Momoiro Clover Z & KISS
Release date: January 28th, 2015
[Momoiro Clover Z edition] (CD+Blu-ray)
Product no.: KIZM-321?2
Price: JPY1,759 (excluding tax)
CD: Four tracks in total (two newly recorded tracks and each vocal version)
Blu-ray: Music video
[KISS edition (CD only)]
Product no.: KICM-1579
Price: JPY1,250 (excluding tax)
Six tracks in total (three newly recorded tracks and each vocal version)
[iTunes]
KISS Japan Tour Dates:
Feb 23 - Nippon Gaishi Hall - Nagoya
Feb 25 - Osaka Castle Hall - Osaka
Feb 26 - Hiroshima Sun Plaza - Hiroshima
Feb 28 - Sekisui Heim Super Arena - Sendai
Mar 3 - Tokyo Dome - Tokyo
Momoiro Clover Z will be special guests at the Tokyo Dome show only.
An online ticket pre-order will begin Tuesday, November 18th on e+. Visit http://udo.jp for full details.
Encore:
21. Cold Gin
In April, the 63-year-old guitarist was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a founding member of Kiss.
He released his sixth solo album, "Space Invader," in August to positive reviews from critics. "Space Invader" debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.
"It's a good feeling to work 10 months on a project and put your heart and soul into it and get the recognition you deserve," Frehley says during an October phone interview.
Frehley is on the road with a backing band made up of different players than the one he toured with for his 2009 album "Anomaly." This time out he is joined by guitarist Richie Scarlet, The Cult bassist Chris Wyse and drummer Scot Coogan. Scarlet performed on Frehley's 1989 solo effort "Trouble Walking."
Frehley performs Nov. 26 at the Keswick Theatre in Glenside, Pennsylvania.
"This maybe the best lineup I've ever assembled," Frehley says. "I got a gut feeling."
Frehley, now seven years sober, says life on the road is much tamer than in years' past. "I won't be hanging out in the bars," Frehley says. "It's a lot nicer these days. I remember what I did the night before. And I'm in great health."
Personal 'Space'
Though his greasepaint and hard partying days are behind him -- he left Kiss for the second time in 2002 -- an Ace Frehley concert would not be complete without performing a handful of songs he penned for his former band, including fan favorites "Cold Gin" and "Shock Me."
But Kiss' original lead guitarist is eager to perform and test out the new material.
"I feel like I'm still chomping at the bit to see how fans react," Frehley says.
"Space Invader" finds Frehley revisiting familiar territory, with an emphasis on rocket-powered guitar solos and high voltage rock 'n' roll reminiscent of his 1978 debut solo album.
Frehley says he used the same recording approach for "Space Invader" that he started with "Ace Frehley" more than 30 years ago. "I tracked most of the songs with me and Anton Fig and then threw a scratch bass track on it. That pretty much has been the format for all of my albums since," Frehley says. "It's the formula that works for me."
The evolution in technology is not lost on Frehley. "When I think back on that (first) record, I didn't have digital reverbs, I didn't have (digital recording software) Pro Tools," he says. "If I wanted to edit something, I had to (physically) slice the tape.
"(Now) I'm doing editing on my laptop in my hotel room."
Frehley says the title track to "Space Invader" is his favorite song on the album because of how quickly it congealed from idea to completed track. It was the last song and took one day to finish. "It blew me away how well it came out," Frehley says. "The way the solos and background vocals came together."
Frehley calls his playing is "unorthodox" and, when he comes across them, gets a kick out of watching YouTube videos of aspiring guitarists play his songs.
"Everybody's doing their own interpretation," Frehley says. "That's why they all come to see me live, to see what I can do."
Loaded deck
In August, Frehley's promotional campaign for "Space Invader" landed him on "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon." He sat in with house band The Roots and performed his hit cover of Hello's "New York Groove."
"It was really a lot of fun. Those guys are fans, they're so professional," Frehley says of his "Tonight Show" appearance. "Jimmy was so sweet to me. I gave him a guitar after the show ... I was so happy he invited me."
Frehley is also planning a follow-up to his memoir, "No Regrets." Just don't expect mud-slinging from the original Spaceman. "It's not gonna be a vendetta book," Frehley says. "I want my books to be a fun read. I have so many road stories, I can write five books. There are more stories from my childhood, bands I was in prior to Kiss."
And there is a covers album in the works, too. "Right now I'm focused on 'Space Invader'," Frehley cautions.
As for the trading of blows in interviews between Frehley and his former Kiss band-mates, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, Frehley says the supposed animosity is much ado about nothing.
Reflecting on his Hall of Fame induction, Frehley says he walked away with fond memories of that night. (Only Kiss' original lineup -- Frehley, Simmons, Stanley and former drummer Peter Criss -- were inducted. The quartet did not perform.)
"It was great. It was a lot of fun, everyone was on their best behavior," Frehley says. "The press makes it that we all hate each other, but it's not true. The only regret (I have) is that the four of us didn't perform. It's too bad after 40 years they didn't gave us 15 minutes."
For more information, go to this location.
While some men feel embarrassed because of "this macho crap," Criss told CNN surviving breast cancer was actually a blessing. He was treated before the tumor could spread and said he was speaking about male breast cancer to raise the profile of this rare disease.
Criss, who played drums for KISS and was known as "Catman," offered this advice to men who spot lumps in their breast: "Don't sit around playing Mr. Tough Guy. Don't say 'It's going to go away.' It might not and you might not see life anymore and how beautiful that is."
Criss, who has been working on a new rock album for the last few years, told Reuters his bout with cancer had affected his songwriting.
"My lyrics are not so deep and dismal," he said.
Criss quit KISS for the third time in 2004.
The special performance by KISS — which was secured by the band's brand management company, Epic Rights — will be led by more than 600 cheerleaders from around the country, paying tribute to the band with a rocking KISS medley.
The 88th edition of America's favorite holiday tradition will begin at 9:00 a.m, ready to entertain more than 3.5 million spectators lining the streets of Manhattan and more than 50 million viewers nationwide.
"Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is the most popular and visually spectacular holiday parade in America, and there is no doubt that KISS, unequalled in the world of concert performance, will deliver stunning theatrics at the Parade," said Juli Boylan-Riddles, EVP of global strategic partnerships and licensing.
KISS leaders Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley jointly stated: "2014 has been a banner year for us and participating in one of the country's most beloved events caps off what has truly been a spectacular 40th anniversary. We can't wait to rock the Big Apple with our fans on Thanksgiving."
The cast of the NBC's "Today Show" will host the broadcast, which will also feature Sting, Meghan Trainor, Idina Menzel, Nick Jonas, the cast of "Sesame Street" and actress Quevenzhane Wallis, with Philadelphia's Taney Dragons and their star pitcher, 13-year-old Mo'Ne Davis, kicking things off.
Encore:
Shout It Out Loud
The Oath
Rock and Roll All Nite (with "Just a Boy" intro)
While not a part of the KISS Army, I have to give props to Paul Stanley. As the front man for one of the most successful rock groups in history, Stanley worked with Chevrolet designers to personalize a 2015 Corvette Stingray coupe to create the perfect vehicle (pun intended) that reflects his creativity applied to America’s sports car.
Stanley selected the exterior scheme, which has a unique candy red hue offset with Midnight Glaze Silver paint on the roof, rear hatch, spoiler, outside mirrors, and front grille. He also helped select the quilted parchment leather seats and accents in the Jet Black cabin, plus the dark red accent stitching throughout.
“This car is undeniable in terms of its aesthetics,” says Stanley. “And it is also a world-class piece of machinery.”
Of course, power comes from the 6.2L V8 LT1 engine putting out 460 horsepower mated to GM’s new eight-speed paddle-shift automatic transmission, which Chevrolet claims to deliver world-class shift times that rival the best dual-clutch designs, not to mention delivering an EPA-estimated 29 mpg on the highway. Stanley’s Stingray also features the Z51 Performance Package, notable for its dry-sump oiling system, electronic limited-slip differential, larger front brakes, and a cooling package for the differential and transmission.
This Corvette rolls on Chevrolet Accessories Carbon Flash Metallic forged aluminum wheels, 19-inch front/20-inch rear, paired with Michelin P245/35ZR19 tires front and P285/30ZR20 tires rear.
“It was great working with Paul Stanley, because of his vision and passion for design and automobiles,” says the U.S. vice president of performance vehicles and motorsports, Jim Campbell.
NEW YORK – Nov. 3, 2014 – As the nation gathers to celebrate and give thanks with family and friends, the biggest spectacle of the holiday season returns to entertain millions, as the 88th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade® returns to NBC on Thursday, Nov. 27 (9a.m.-noon in all time zones.) Matt Lauer, Al Roker and Savannah Guthrie of NBC’s “Today” will anchor the broadcast.
More than 8,000 participants, some donning clown costumes, handling balloon giants or striking up the band will set down the streets of Manhattan at the sound of the time honored catchphrase Let’s Have a Parade™. With a live audience, more than 3.5 million strong and a nationwide television gathering of more than 50 million viewers, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is the nation’s most beloved holiday pageant.
The star power on Thanksgiving Day comes courtesy of performers from music, film, sports, theatre and television. As they reach their marks on 34th Street, the nation will enjoy their spectacular performances. Joining the festivities this year are the Big Apple Circus, Before You Exit, William Blake, Sabrina Carpenter, Cirque du Soleil, Hilary Duff, Renee Fleming, Becky G., Lucy Hale, Nick Jonas, KISS, Sandra Lee, The Madden Brothers, Idina Menzel, Miss USA 2014- Nia Sanchez, MKTO, the cast and Muppets of Sesame Street, NEEDTOBREATH, NHL legends John LeClair and Pat LaFontaine, Pentatonix, Romeo Santos, Cole Swindell, Meghan Trainor, The Vamps, Quvenzhané Wallis, and more.
Kicking off the march will be a special group of children who have embodied the Parade’s spirit of teamwork. Throughout their remarkable run this past season at the Little League World Series, Philadelphia’s Taney Dragons displayed an inspiring level of collaboration, spirit and camaraderie - as perfectly evidenced by the group’s embrace and support of pitcher Mo’ne Davis. In honor of that exemplary effort this year the Taney Dragons will lead the procession down the streets of Manhattan with Macy’s Parade executive producer Amy Kule.
“Like turkey dinner and gathering with family, tradition means everything on Thanksgiving and we’re thrilled to once again telecast the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade,” said Doug Vaughan, Executive Vice President, Special Programs and Late Night, NBC Entertainment. “It’s an annual heartwarming event that helps celebrate the holiday season.”
From its humble beginnings in 1924 to the breathtaking spectacular of today, the Macy’s Parade line-up unfolds each year in grand fashion. It’s not just a Parade marching down an avenue; it is a march through tradition, history and popular culture. The magic Parade’s famed line-up this year features 16 giant character balloons; 33 novelty/ornament balloons, balloonicles, balloonheads and trycaloons; 27 floats; 1,300 cheerleaders and dancers; 1000 clowns; 12 marching bands; and a host of celebrity performers.
“This is a record breaking year for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, as we debut the largest new cast of giant character balloons ever assembled, along with five amazing new floats. Tens of millions of spectators will be amazed by what we have in store,” said Amy Kule, executive producer of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. “In addition to an incredible line up of celebrity performers, America’s best high school and college marching bands, hundreds of dancers, cheerleaders, clowns, and balloon handlers, we are adding some new layers of interactivity to the Parade for the first time this year. From live cameras on a float capturing special moments along the route to incredible 360-degree panoramic photos where fans can find themselves part the action, and finally, through our Confetti Carpet, the behind the scenes look at the starting line with our celebrity performers; we are bringing the Macy’s Parade closer to audiences in New York City and in homes across the country.”
GIANTS IN THE SKY
The Parade’s signature giant balloons have for decades showcased the world’s most recognized characters. From comic strips and cartoons to films, video games and the collective pop culture psyche, these giants are a cast of wonder. Starting with a simple paper sketch and transformed via science and engineering by Macy’s “Balloonatics” into high flying art, the giants of wonder will return to inspire and amaze.
This year, Macy’s will introduce the biggest class of new balloons in its history. Six new giant characters will take to the sky including the loveable Peruvian bear Paddington™; the always electrifying Pikachu™; the warm giggling Pillsbury Doughboy®; the vanquisher of evil the Red Mighty Morphin Power Ranger; the lava spewing Skylanders® Eruptor; and the friendly locomotive Thomas the Tank Engine.
Rounding out the ballooning line-up are returning favorites including Adventure Time with Finn & Jake, Diary of A Wimpy Kid, The Elf on the Shelf, Hello Kitty, Papa Smurf, Ronald McDonald, Snoopy and Woodstock, Spider-Man, SpongeBob SquarePants and Toothless of How to Train Your Dragon. In addition, the balloon cast includes new balloonicles (a Macy’s Parade hybrid of cold-air balloon and vehicle) of the famed-spokesduck the Aflac Duck and Cloe the Holiday Clown, as well as the return of the KOOL-AID Man. In celebration of the 75th Anniversary of the film classic, balloonheads of The Wizard of OZ characters will also make a special appearance.
FLOATING SCENE MAKERS
Macy’s floating stages take to the streets bringing a collection of whimsical treats that transport spectators into worlds of fantasy. These 360-degree masterpieces are created by Macy’s Parade Studio’s team of designers, carpenters, painters, animators, metal fabricators and electricians, who work to bring the initial visions on a sketch pad to larger-than-life form. While creativity is key, the team must also factor a very big detail when designing these marvels...these sometime three stories tall and several lanes of traffic wide creations, must collapse to no more than 12 ½-feet tall and 8-feet wide in order to safely travel from the New Jersey studio to the Manhattan starting line.
This year’s five new fantasy floats include Cracker Jack® Popcorn’s At the Ball Game; Sino- American Friendship Association’s Beauty of Beijing, Dora and Friends: Aventuras Fantasticas, GoldieBlox™’s The Girl-Powered Spinning Machine, and Pirate Booty®’s Treasure Hunt.
The returning float roster includes 1-2-3 Sesame Street; Big Apple; Bridge To The Future; Daytime, Play Time, Night Time Too…; Dreamseeker by Cirque du Soleil®; Enchanting World of Lindt Chocolate; Frozen Fall Fun; Goldfish® on Parade; International Cele-bear-ation Clock Tower; It’s All Rock & Roll; Marion-Carole Showboat; Mount Rushmore’s American Pride; On The Roll Again; Pep Rally; Santa’s Sleigh; The Smurfs; Stirrin’ Up Sweet Sensations; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; Tom Turkey; Waves of Conservation; Winter Wonderland In Central Park; and A World at Sea.
DRUM ROLL, PLEASE…
At the center of the spectacle bringing the warm energy, enthusiasm and joy of performing are the nation’s best marching bands and rollicking performance groups. Together they add the musical heart and whimsical talent portion to the holiday revelry, delighting spectators along the route and providing television viewers with showstopping performances. Twelve performance ensembles will take up the call of the baton and march down the streets of Manhattan creating a wave of excitement. Joining the Thanksgiving Day revelry are American Fork High School (American Fork, UT), Bahama All Stars Marching Band (Nassau, Bahamas), Baldwinsville High School (Baldwinsville, NY), Center Grove High School (Greenwood, IN), Foothill High School (Henderson, NV), Georgia State University (Atlanta, GA), Macy’s Great American Marching Band (United States), Madison Scouts Anniversary Corps (Madison, WI), NYPD Marching Band (New York, NY), Paul Laurence Dunbar High School (Lexington, KY), Western Carolina University (Cullowhee, NC), and Winston Churchill High School (San Antonio, TX). The supply of sometimes wacky, but always fun entertainment includes the nation’s best performance groups. Taking the spotlight along the line of march are the Friendswood High School Wranglerettes (Friendswood, TX), Harlem Globetrotters, The New Orleans Baby Doll Ladies featuring Music Ambassador DJ Hektik (New Orleans, LA), Red Hot Mamas (Post Falls, ID), Spirit of America Dance (United States) and Varsity Spirit Cheer (United States).
AN INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE
The celebrity party begins early via various social media outlets when fans follow @macys to get special content from the Confetti Carpet. Pulling back the curtain to check out what happens backstage before the celebrities join the Parade, the Confetti Carpet will be the place for wacky and hilarious interactions with our celebrity cast. The revelry continues once the Parade steps off as the Cracker Jack At the Ball Game float passes by, giving spectators the opportunity to participate in the ultimate selfie, if they are caught on the baseball- themed float’s live cameras and beamed to the stadium’s jumbotron. To cap off Parade day interactive experiences, the New York Daily News’ Big Apple float will take special panoramic photos all along the route, which spectators can access via macys.com/parade post event, to see if they can spot themselves in the stunning 360-degree photos.
Fans nationwide can kick-off their own Parade experiences early by downloading the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade App. The App will give fans the chance to interact with the famed march, learn more about the elements and share content with their friends. From behind-the- scenes previews to the exclusive Elf-o-matic feature, which allows fans to transform themselves into an Elf balloon and share their high-flying debut with friends; the App is a one- stop destination for all things Macy’s Parade. The free app will be available from the iTunes® App Store or from Google Play. In addition to the interactive app experience this year, Macy’s iconic characters return to take center stage in a series of animated spots featuring Tom Turkey, Cloe the Holiday Clown, Happy Hippo, the rambunctious Elf trio and more. Catch the action on macys.com/parade and watch how Macy’s star characters prep for the big day as they re-enact scenes from classic New York based movies.
The 88th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will step-off at 77th Street and Central Park West. The procession will travel down to Columbus Circle, turn onto Central Park South and march down 6th Avenue/Avenue of the Americas to 34th Street. At 34th Street, the Parade will make its final turn west and end at 7th Avenue in front of Macy’s Herald Square. A Holiday Treat for Children Everywhere has been the guiding motto of this annual national tradition for more than eight decades and is one which continues to this day.
Please note: All talent, performances, line-up and information included are subject to change.
Well, both actually, as original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley, whose band persona was Spaceman, has released a new solo album called Space Invader with song titles like the title track, Inside the Vortex, Past the Milky Way and Starship.
“Even when I’m not wearing the makeup I’m still the same guy,” said the 63-year-old Bronx native, who left KISS for good in 2002 after first departing in 1982, and then reuniting with the group in 1996.
“I’ve always been fascinated with sci-fi films and astronomy,” he said in a Canadian newspaper exclusive with QMI Agency. “When did man walk on the moon? I think it was ‘69 and I was born in ‘51. I remember watching it on the TV in the classroom. All that stuff had a profound impact on me and when we put together KISS (in 1973) everybody just followed through with their alter-egos.”
We caught up with Frehley down the line from his San Diego home to talk about his new music, the contentious KISS 2014 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, and eight years of sobriety.
So much has been written about the friction between you and current KISS members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley in the lead up to the 2014 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction of the band. But were you at least happy you finally got in?
I was thrilled about the whole ceremony. I mean the only regret is that KISS didn’t perform. And a lot of people aren’t even aware of the fact that I was supposed to perform that night at the end of the evening. I was supposed to do Highway to Hell with Bruce Springsteen and Tom Morello and they cut it because the show just went way over time. I had my guitar with me and everything and I was getting all psyched and then all the speeches from the E Street Band added another hour.
Have you worked through any differences with Gene and Paul resulting from that occasion?
The press likes to amplify negativity. Nobody wants to hear that we get along. It only makes headlines when we say stuff about each other but you gotta remember we’re brothers in rock 'n' roll and we started something really great in the early ‘70s and that can’t be disputed, our work withstands the test of time... I’m on speaking terms with those guys. I spoke to Gene probably three or four months ago when I was driving up to L.A. while I was finishing the final touches on Space Invader. We were just reminiscing about the ‘70s when we used to drive around in station wagons. And he was talking to me about how the music business has changed so much. He basically made a statement that rock 'n' roll is dead.
Is it?
I don’t really pay much attention to what Gene says these days. He’s attacking poor people, he’s attacking depressed people, and people in recovery. He puts his foot in his mouth a lot these days and I’d rather not even comment on it.
Do you speak much to original KISS drummer Peter Criss, who's also no longer in the group?
I talk to Peter from time to time. Peter’s hanging in there. He’s in New Jersey. I’m in San Diego. We don’t get to see each other much.
Space Invader has a few notable songs where you seem to be taking stock of your life. Let’s start with Change.
For me it’s more about getting sober, that’s the way I interpreted it.
And Reckless certainly seems to about your booze-and-drugs filled past.
I (have) never hidden the fact(s) about all the crazy things I‘ve done in my life. It’s no secret that I have a past history of alcoholism and drug addiction, but Sept. 15 I celebrated eight years (of sobriety). It’s life-changing. There’s no way I would have been able to put out a record like this at age 63 still getting loaded, it just wouldn’t have happened. And only by the grace of God am I walking around today. Every day above ground is a good day as far as I’m concerned. And the hit records and touring and all the other stuff and the accolades and being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, that’s just gravy on top of everything.
Did you have an epiphany moment in terms of getting sober?
I’ve tried getting sober several times over the course of the last 35 years but the last time it just kind of stuck. I actually got a phone call from my daughter, who’s down in Florida, and she’s in recovery, and she said, ‘Dad, you gotta sober up.’ And I just looked in the mirror and said, ‘Yeah.’ Sometimes a phone call from a family member or a talk from a family member can really ring true.
Is touring hard due to temptation?
I don’t allow any alcohol or drugs around the band or in the dressing room. I try to hire all sober people if at all possible or if they do use drugs and alcohol I tell them, ‘Don’t use it around me or when there’s a show.’ I can’t be a complete policeman. I mean I don’t have anything against drinking or drugs. It’s a free country. People have a right to do whatever they want to do as long as they take care of business.
It certainly sounds like sobriety had led to better guitar playing on Space Invader.
I’m definitely more focused putting this record together... And the best is yet to come I believe. I’m talking to a couple of producers about scoring some films. I’d like to do some more acting. I’d like to produce some other bands and share my production skills. I produced my last two records plus I’ve worked with some of the greatest producers and engineers of all time in the last 40 years... Who knows what the future will bring but I want to break new ground still at this point.
Did you watch any of the Gene Simmons’ Family Jewels reality show on TV?
Gene invited me to do the show, I declined. He also invited me to be on the (Comedy Central) roast and I called up Paul, and Paul said it wasn’t in his comfort zone. I called Peter and he said he didn’t want to do it. I respectfully declined because I didn’t want to go up there without Paul and Peter if he was going to be roasted. He ended up hiring comics and stuff, kinda strange.
Space Invader also includes a cover of Steve Miller’s 1973 classic The Joker. How did that come about?
That was actually the record company’s idea... I was a little resistant because I didn’t think the song was heavy enough and would hold up with the rest of the songs. But I kind of heavied it up a little. Put in a guitar solo and gave the choruses a New York Groove-kind of swing. I kind of made it my own. I like to use the term, ‘I Ace-i-fied it.’
So KISS and Miller never met along the way?
I don’t believe we’ve ever met. But it’s a possibility. There were a lot of blackouts.
The rockers’ worldwide record sales are more than 100 million, making them one of the bestselling bands of all time. Incredibly, the group that formed in 1973 is going stronger than ever, and its Army of fans grows larger, too.
Now KISS is celebrating its 40th anniversary with its first-ever residency — at the Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel — where Gene promises: “What happens in Vegas will not stay in Vegas, not if we have anything to do with it. We intend to blow the roof off the Hard Rock.”
KISS will play nine shows Nov. 5-23 with guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer rounding out the action. Beneath that bizarre makeup beats the hearts of two astute businessmen who are marketing marvels. We actually share the same Wall Street investment banker.
I’ve known Gene and Paul for many, many years, so it’s always good to have a long chat with them. I caught up with Paul just before he left for Mexico City and his annual KISS Cruise.
You’ve just wrapped another one of those major tours?
We did 42 shows and played to 600,000 people, so right now I’m just catching my breath. Tomorrow I leave for Mexico City to headline a festival, then we have the KISS Cruise, which we do every year, and that’s sold out with 3,500 people from 33 countries. Then we come to Las Vegas, which is the icing on the cake.
Not just because it’s the first time you’re playing a residency at the Hard Rock, but why is it the icing on the cake?
Well because it’s new territory for us, and what KISS has always been about is going against the grain and really doing things in our time and when it feels right for us. There was a time where quite honestly everyone thought of Las Vegas as an elephant burial ground.
It was the more glittery branch in Missouri for some people, but it’s so unique. There was also a time where the best food you could get was a $1.99 prime rib. Now if I want a great meal, I go to Las Vegas. You can’t get a comparable meal in Los Angeles to what you can get in Las Vegas.
Everything has changed so much, and it’s always seemed like a perfect fit for us to be in Las Vegas, but for a lot of reasons, it just wasn’t meant to be. Now the planets have lined up, and everything is as it should be, and we will come in and do what we do.
We are doing a KISS show in Las Vegas, we are not doing a Las Vegas show with KISS. We are a rock and roll band, and we will do what we do — better than any band at this point.
Are you changing the tour show?
Completely different stage. At this point, our influence is so widespread that virtually any rock band you go see live is doing the KISS show. The only thing they can never be is KISS. Anybody with money can buy pyro, can buy lasers, but you can never be us. So for us to come into Las Vegas, we’ll set a different level honestly.
It’s an amazing thing for us to be able to go into a smaller venue and not downsize. Usually going into a smaller venue means doing a smaller show, but because this show isn’t portable and because this show is a permanent installation, we can do things that we couldn’t when you have to break the show down every night.
With 40 years as a group, do you ever sit and chat with Gene and try to dissect or wonder why you got this extraordinary four-decade life as a top rock group?
I think we understand why because we have a work ethic. We do something that we are passionate about and take a lot of pride in. We don’t bow to anyone else other than to our own desires. We’ve never been a band who lived within the boundaries or other people’s perceptions of who we should be or what’s credible or not credible or what’s rock and roll and what’s not rock and roll.
Winning and living on your own terms is rock and roll, and we are that and then some. Gene and I take a lot of pride in what we do. We respect the fans to the utmost. We started this band to be the band we never saw. A band that would respect an audience.
We understand that when you pay for a ticket, you deserve the best. You deserve to get something for your money in the same way as when you go to the market. If you’re going to pay, you don’t want to walk out with an empty sack.
We’ve always been very clear that we are not only a musical band, but we are entertainers. In our case, we’re in a unique position of being more than any other band in the sense that one might see us as Superman with a guitar. We’re superheroes.
We’re four iconic images who are known around the world. People know KISS no matter where you take our photo, although they might not know the individual members. We’ve always been clear on what we are and what we’re not.
It’s meant, though, 40 years of putting on this extraordinary makeup. Do you still love doing it, or do you sometimes wish you could just go on and play without it?
I’ve done both, and honestly this is the uniform to my way of thinking the only band I would ever want to be in. I wear it with incredible pride. Forty years of doing this means 40 years of being victorious. Every time I step up onstage with the makeup on, it’s a victory lap. I mean this is extraordinary. We’re not a rock band; we’re a phenomenon. Rock bands make music; phenomenons impact society.
Does it change your persona under the makeup?
It’s only appropriate that my persona is magnified in order for me to communicate to 20,000 people. If I spoke the way you and I are speaking now, it would be lost to most. So I am 20,000 times this and then some. I want everybody at our arena gigs and our stadium gigs, and now at the Joint, I want everybody to feel that I’m talking to them because I am.
Everybody to the last seat in the last row is as important as the people in the front. My personality gets magnified, amplified and taken to a different level just so that the intensity and the intimacy that you and I might have is something that everybody in the venue will experience.
Your fans today must range from hardcore fans from 40 years ago and a whole new legion of youngsters, right?
Yeah, I think we’re three or four generations into this at this point, and it’s gone beyond being a band. Coming to a KISS concert is like going to a tribal meeting. This is a tribe at this point. Most bands are very demographic specific and most bands have a select age group who come to see them.
Most rock bands, if you go to the show, you don’t want your younger brother to show up, you don’t want your parents there, you don’t want your neighbor there. It’s yours and your contemporaries. With KISS, it’s very different. It’s like the largest cult in the world, and everybody who’s there is in it together. We have parents bringing their kids. We have three generations showing up. We’ll have people holding their children up kind of like a rite of passage.
Parents want their kids to experience what they did. I take a tremendous amount of pride in that and see this as a huge responsibility. I take a lot of pride sometimes in addressing the children in the audience and saying we were there for your parents, and we’ll be there for you. This is much bigger than Gene or I or anyone else. I take great pride in believing that the band will outlive me.
In terms of rock and roll, Motley Crew is calling it quits on its current world tour. Are you saying KISS will not call it quits and go on maybe with other musicians?
Oh, totally; absolutely. We are unlike any other band. We are closer to an army. We are closer to a sports team. I’m not foolish enough to think that I’m the only person to do what I do. The Yankees continued without Babe Ruth. Time marches on, and if you’re part of a movement or part of a commitment to a cause, then when you’re time is done … look, if you fall in battle, someone picks up your gun and runs.
Somebody has to carry the flag, and that’s what KISS is about. KISS is about a lifestyle and self-empowerment and going against the odds and believing in yourself. I guess enjoying the fruits of hard work. That’s not singular to me. People who said that was not possible in terms of KISS are already 50 percent wrong. The lineup is now 40 years on, and two of the members are not the original members, but they are far better at this point than the original members.
Are you still a part-time Las Vegas resident?
I still have my place there, and I would say regardless of whether I have a residence in Las Vegas, I love Las Vegas. My wife and I go in just to see a show and have some great meals. My friend Julian Serrano is one of my favorite chefs arguably in the world. Between him and everybody else who’s there at this point, I have to go to Las Vegas to get a great meal. I can’t get it in Los Angeles.
So walking in here to Vince Neil’s hometown, and he has started the Las Vegas Outlaws, first tell me are you pleased that he’s got an Arena Football League expansion team? And are you ready for the L.A. Kiss to whip the Las Vegas Outlaws?
I have to say a long time ago I stopped looking at competition. The only person I compete with is myself. I don’t really see the idea that Las Vegas is Vince’s town; it’s also Carrot Top’s town.
I understand. The rivalry has started.
I wish Vince the best. We will see how things unfold.
You must be pleased, though, with the expansion of the Arena Football League coming to Las Vegas.
I think at this point the Arena Football League has so much to offer. It’s an experience unlike anything else. The intensity of the game and the intimacy of it that is played out so close to you that literally you can wind up with a player in your lap. There are no sidelines, and the game plays very quickly and aggressively.
I think people have a lot of misinformation about what these players are. These are not third-rate players; these are the upper 1 percent of players available. There’s only so much room in the NFL, so these are great players, and it’s a terrific sport. I’m proud to be a part of it. I won a championship in the AFL and love making it into what it should be.
How did the L.A. Kiss do this year?
Oh we did horrifically. Now mind you that was the team’s performance, but in terms of tickets, we’re the envy of everyone in the league. We had 8,000 season-ticket holders, and we’re already scheduled to have more than that for 2015. To be an expansion team and to be in the position that we were, we may have been a bit naive in believing that we could go from 0 to 60, so to speak.
We have some ground to make up, but in terms of delivering entertainment, everybody loved the games. Even with the games we lost, we had great dancers, we have live music, we have pyro. It’s just football, and what attracted us to the AFL was the potential that it could be so much more than it is.
If we’re raising the bar, so be it. Every team that’s coming in, whether it’s Vince’s or anyone else’s, it’s going to have to stand tall because we’re setting a standard that has not been seen yet in the AFL.
So who wins ultimately? The fans. And that’s true at the Hard Rock for November. We’ll deliver the win for the fans.
Known for their extensive support of service men and women, KISS has been working with active military members and veterans for years. The KISS Rocks Vegas residency will mark the band’s third time enlisting the help of America’s heroes.
“It is an honor for us to enlist these heroes of our Armed Forces into the KISS Army,” said KISS frontman and guitarist Paul Stanley. “They have already proven what they are capable of and their presence can only elevate us.”
After submitting applications, Master Sgt. Jason Borkhuis of Nellis Air Force Base, Sgt. First Class Cory DeMille of the U.S. Army Reserve and Technical Sgt. Richard Reichert of Nellis Air Force Base were chosen by the band to become a “Roadie for a Week.” The three brave men have a combined 60-plus years of service, are highly-decorated and well respected in the armed forces community.
Borkhuis, Demille and Reichert will all work closely with the KISS crew and the band’s VIP program for a total of three shows each for their designated week. Each roadie will create his or her own video and photo diary to keep as a memento from their week working with one of the greatest rock bands in the world. In addition to assisting with the show, roadies will also receive a complimentary hotel stay at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino during their volunteer week.
“I was so amped up after hearing the news,” said Borkhuis. “I didn’t get much sleep prior to going to work the night shift. Instead of sleeping when I got home, I cranked my post-divorce theme song ‘Crazy, Crazy Nights.’”
"These guys are living legends,” said Demille. “It is awesome to know underneath the makeup and the outfits, they are patriotic Americans."
“It’s a childhood dream come true and I’m still a kid at heart,” said Reichert. “I’m still in shock but I’m so excited to get this chance.”
To purchase tickets or for more information, visit the Hard Rock Hotel box office, www.axs.com or charge-by-phone at 1-888-9-AXS-TIX. VIP ticket and room and show packages are available at www.hardrockhotel.com.
Offering unique music merchandise and collectibles from hundreds of artists, Iconic Shop spans across various genres including Classic Rock, Blues, Metal, Modern Rock, Punk, and Hip Hop. KISS has been shocking fans with their intense vocals and elaborate stage shows for four decades now. Fans, both old and young, were treated this summer when the band took to touring across the Unites States to pay tribute to their 40th anniversary. Although the tour officially ended in August, KISS will be performing in Vegas at The Joint between November 5 and 23, 2014. More information and tickets available here.
To celebrate the Kiss Rocks Vegas show, Iconic Shop wanted to create original KISS gift packs with a little something for every kind of fan. Offering four unique gift packs, Iconic Shop has combined some of their top-selling KISS-branded pieces to create a gift that is sure to please even the most devoted of KISS fans. Items included among the gift sets include a 4-piece glassware set emblazoned with the band’s iconic painted faces, Zippo lighter, and other collectables.
“KISS and their legendary army of fans have helped to define American rock over the past four decades,” says Iconic CEO, Tom Spain. “We couldn’t be more excited to release our custom gift packs that will pay tribute to such an iconic music act.”
Fans can visit the Iconic Shop website today to check out the gift packs as well as other KISS merchandise sold separately.
The Kiss frontman appeared on Trending with Andrea Tantaros last week where he shared his thoughts on what women should be thinking when they're trying to succeed financially.
As it turns out, he says, ladies should be less focused on a man and more interested in earning a stable income.
"Here's the real skinny of life as we know it," he shared on Fox News while promoting his new book Me, Inc. "Let's all agree that woman should not depend on men. The statistics predominately tell us they will run out on you. Yes, infidelity, but the other problem is the economics of relationships."
Simmons later went on to explain his viewpoint that men "predominately" go out and earn a living for his family. But when trouble arises in a relationship, women are left with little options.
"Assume the man won't be there. Why not devote your time, your early years, to making your fortune?" he explained. "Get a career."
He added, "Life is not a straight line and I'm here to say women think differently than men. Men must work for a living. Women have the option of becoming the housewife, which is respectable and wonderful but what happens when the man runs away?"
And while Simmons says there are plenty of nice guys out there, the rocker assures female fans that they need to be smart when it comes to finding the one.
"Don't depend on them," he shared. "Why should you? They don't depend on you for anything. The less you depend on a man for emotional and financial support, the better off you'll be."
Simmons is no stranger to speaking his mind.
During an interview with HuffPost Live, the rocker said people moving to America should assimilate to the culture as quickly as possible.
"As an immigrant, I'm telling you: Learn to speak goddamn English," he said. "It is the key that will unlock the keys to the kingdom." He also faced backlash over comments about depression.
Encore:
Shout It Out Loud
I Was Made for Lovin' You
Rock and Roll All Nite
“Like a bad joke they played Peter Criss,” said my literary legman.
Drummer Criss, who sang “Beth” and “Hard Luck Woman,” has been fired or retired from the group three times.
Gene Simmons is not one to sugarcoat his opinions.
Precious TV singing-competition show judges who coddle pop-star wannabes, rather than be brutally honest about their lack of talent, don't score points with the Kiss star. "You can't sugarcoat shit, pardon me. You can mentor anyone you like, but it's a waste of time if they don't have the goods intrinsically," Simmons told The Hollywood Reporter at MIPCOM, where he's launching his new reality format Coliseum from Sierra/Engine Television.
The music mogul is putting his own spin on the TV competition show genre by getting tough on contestants. Why? Because the music industry, like life itself, is cutthroat.
"Your qualification for being on this show is you can sing in the shower? Is that it, without paying any dues or writing songs or any stagecraft?" he questioned. Coliseum sees Simmons, who recently entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as Rock Caesar challenging contestants to form rock bands with a winning musical voice and performance.
The reality show veteran will motivate evolving acts before they perform in front of an audience. "We want to open the trapdoors of life and get tough. There will be heartbreak, and people are going to cry and their dreams will be shattered, just like in real life," the Kiss frontman said.
Simmons understands what leads singing competition show judges to nurture talent, rather than offer harsh and honest evaluations. "TV shows are fantasy because they're selling soap suds. It's family entertainment, it's primetime, the kids are there, and they [broadcasters] don't want to get too realistic," he said.
But Coliseum will prize image over voice when judging talent. "We want to create superstars, not just singers that get record deals," Simmons said. The other twist is that Coliseum will mix and match artists that contend on the show to find the perfect musical act.
Shuffling and reshuffling talent to find the perfect musical act is the focus of another reality TV competition format from Nemo Planet, Birth of a Band, being shopped by Peace Point Rights at MIPCOM this week.
Genesis rock band legend Mike Rutherford, backed by the Internet as a casting platform, will help mentor emerging talent to select contestants from six instrumental/vocal categories. Eric Mueller, senior vp international sales and acquisitions at ?Peace Point Rights, said music lovers are increasingly going to YouTube and Vimeo to find fresh musical talent.
So Birth of a Band will wrangle talent online before the transition to TV. Each week, competing teams will perform to impress audiences, with online voting leading to the reshuffling or elimination of bandmembers.
The final two teams will compete for the top prize of becoming a supporting act for a major band. "The aim is to identify the next Genesis," Mueller said.
The camp, which has been making dreams come true in the United States for the past 18 years, will hold its first foray into Canada January 8-11, 2015 in Calgary.
Simmons, a singer-songwriter, businessman, arena football co-owner of the LA KISS and media icon, headlines the launch of the business venture north of the border.
“Mentoring adult and young rockers at the fantasy camp has always been an amazingly rewarding experience for me,” said Simmons in a statement. “I enjoy teaching and handing over lessons I’ve learned from the business to musicians and upcoming talent.”
Over four days, attendees will get to fulfill their dreams by jamming with their idols who will help them perfect their instrument skills, vocals and stage presence. The campers, with guidance from the counsellors, will write, record and rehearse an original song at Heritage Hall at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology and perform before a live audience at the downtown Calgary Fairmont Palliser Hotel.
Bryan Taylor, chief operating officer of Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp Canada, said the camp is hoping to attract 80 people. Cost is $5,500 for the song-writing portion of the camp and $8,900 for the whole package.
Taylor said the level of wealth and disposable income in Calgary made the business venture a viable proposition here.
“It’s transformational. The fun that people have at this thing and the way they come out of it, the excitement, it’s amazing what they can do,” said Taylor.
“There’s so much excitement in Calgary. It’s a young, growing, bursting at the seams active city looking to embrace more events. We thought what a great city to launch it in. The most energetic city in Canada and frankly let’s make the people in Toronto and Vancouver and all that look at us and go ‘wow, we want to get in on that too’.”
For more information on the camp visit www.rockandrollcampcanada.com.
George Lynch (Dokken, Lynch Mob, Souls of We) and Leland Sklar (who has contributed to over 2,000 albums) will also be joining Simmons as Rock Star Guests of the first Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp in Canada.
Additional Rock Star Counsellors include: Lita Ford (The Runaways), Vinny Appice (Black Sabbath, DIO, Rick Derringer, John Lennon), Rudy Sarzo (Ozzy Osbourne, Quiet Riot, Queensryche), Teddy Andreadis (Carole King, Guns N Roses, Alice Cooper, BB King, Michael Jackson), Nick Catanese (Black Label Society), and four members of the Canadian Rock group Loverboy – Paul Dean, Matt Frenette, Doug Johnson, Ken “Spider” Sinnaeve.
David Fishof is the founder and creator of the concept. He’s worked with veteran rock legends such as Roger Daltrey, Levon Helm, Joe Walsh, Roger Hodgson, Todd Rundgren, Jack Bruce, Dr. John, Randy Bachman and many others.
AMC has about 10 employees in New York and Los Angeles who focus on unscripted programming. Some of them will continue to service AMC’s two remaining series, though some will likely leave as part of the programming shift.
“Scripted originals are at the core of the AMC brand,” the network said in a statement to Deadline.”Iconic shows like Mad Men, Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead have driven AMC’s evolution into a must-have television network. We are proud of our efforts in unscripted programming and the unique worlds we have been able to introduce, but in an environment of exploding content options for viewers, we have decided to make scripted programming our priority.”
AMC kicked off its foray into unscripted in 2011 with the docu-series Inside the DHS and The Pitch. A year and a half later, AMC launched an all-unscripted Thursday night with Comic Book Men as the anchor, but retreated from the night a year later, in 2013. Originally, the idea was to use reality programming as a replacement for movies in primetime. But, with the glut of unscripted programming on cable, audiences for it started to decline across the board as it became harder and harder to find a breakout hit, and many of those who did break out have had a short lifespan. Plus, reality series do not have the repeatability of scripted shows, and multiple play is key for cable networks. Meanwhile, AMC’s movies have performed reasonably well, with the network’s year-to-date adults 18-49 primetime movie audience actually up and younger than 2013.
More importantly, as cable universe becomes more fragmented, networks have been looking to narrow their brands to distinguish themselves from the competition. In a similar move, USA Network is pulling away from half-hour comedies to focus on its core drama programming that viewers associate with its brand.
What AMC is best known for is drama programming. It established itself as an original programming player with compelling series like Mad Men, Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead. It has struggled to launch a new drama hit over the past couple of years, but with no distractions trying to maintain both a scripted and unscripted portfolios, the network’s executives can now focus again on the AMC bread and butter and work on finding that next big drama franchise. In the meanwhile, AMC has offshoots of two of its biggest scripted series in the works, the upcoming Breaking Bad prequel series Better Call Saul and the Walking Dead companion, which has received a pilot order.
The Walking Dead’s companion talk show, Talking Dead, has been a monster hit fitting for the series that spawned it — its season four averaged 5.6 million total viewers, 3.7 million adults 18-49 per episode in live+3.
Comic Book Men also has done well in its low-trafficked Sunday midnight slot, averaging 1.35 million total viewers, 969k adults 18-49 per episode in Season 3.
Maybe.
Let’s talk facts: Forty-plus-year career. Over 100 million albums sold. Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame (albeit begrudgingly) Inductees. The industry and music elitists may not take them seriously, but a few million fans beg to differ. Sure, Pearl Jam is a hell of a band, but they don’t have their own army.
KISS rose from the ashes of Wicked Lester, a Jethro Tull-tinged prog-rock band led by Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons. Realizing they were good but not great, Stanley and Simmons severed ties with Epic Records and set out with one goal in mind — create the rock band they had never seen, but wished they did. Stripping down their sound, abandoning the jazz flute and Hammond organ and bringing lead guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss into the fold, they focused on louder guitars and catchier melodies.
Deconstructing the early success of the Beatles Stanley and Simmons modeled themselves on the Fab Four formula: Four distinct personalities, twin lead singers (the rhythm guitarist and bassist) who occasionally gave the others time to shine singing songs that perfectly fit their well crafted personas. A few Wicked Lester holdovers, such as “She,” remained in the set, albeit barely recognizable as played through the new KISS locomotive.
Between February 1974 and March 1975 KISS released three albums — KISS, Hotter Than Hell, Dressed to Kill — all to mediocre sales. But their live shows were quickly becoming a thing of legend. You’ve seen the makeup and the fire and the blood. You know what I’m talking about. Alive! functions as a greatest hits of those first three albums and shows exactly how prolific the band was in their early days.
Released in September of ’75 (making it four albums in less than two years), *Alive! *was recorded at the behest of their modest but growing fan base, which complained their first three records did not come close to capturing the sound of their live shows. Recorded in Detroit, Cleveland, New Jersey and Ohio, Alive! would peak at #9, chart for a whopping 110 weeks and launch international KISSteria.
People may have come for the KISS spectacle, but they were staying for the music: “Deuce,” “Strutter,” “Hotter Than Hell,” “Cold Gin,” “Fire House,” “Rock And Roll All Nite”: They all sound as good blasting out of your car today as they did then.
This was the album that converted much of rock royalty: From Kurt Cobain, Dave Grohl, Soundgarden’s Kim Thayil and Anthrax to Garth Brooks, Taylor Swift and Lady GaGa (whose most prized possession is a pair of 8” boots given to her by Paul Stanley) — the KISS Army spans the musical horizon.
There may not be a “Stairway to Heaven” on Alive! and that’s just fine. KISS isn’t about changing the world: KISS is about enjoying it while you’re here.
Simmons recalled that, “While Engelbert and I were posing for photos, we made jokes. The usual stuff guys do. Some [were] inappropriate for younger ears, so I’m not sharing .?.?. He was curious if my tongue was as long as he had heard. And I offered that I would normally stick my tongue out, but noticed the floor wasn’t all that clean.”
Stephen Coronel, 63, of Bluffton was charged with five counts of sexual exploitation of a minor following a search of his Plantation Pointe apartment, Sgt. Robin McIntosh of the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office said.
Deputies seized a number of electronic devices and other evidence, McIntosh said. Additional details were not available Friday, McIntosh said, citing the pending forensic analysis of evidence.
The investigation began when the U.S. Department of Justice's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force determined child pornography had been uploaded from a home in Bluffton, McIntosh said.
The task force and Sheriff's Office tracked the material to Coronel's home.
In 1970 and 1971, Coronel was a member of New York-based band Wicked Lester before members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley left to form Kiss.
Wicked Lester did not release an album, though Coronel helped write several songs that later appeared on Kiss albums.
Chaunce Hayden: Recently, in Guitar World magazine, Paul [Stanley] said that you had lost a lot of your guitar skills and what a shame it was. How does that make you feel?
Ace Frehley: "I didn't read that, but I think that's hysterical. For Paul to try and say something negative against me as a guitar player? Come on! He should listen to himself playing live. He's one of the sloppiest guitar players out there. He's more worried about jumping around and pointing his finger. That's been the problem since the beginning of KISS. We all used to yell at him for making so many mistakes. I would try and cover for him. So for him to take a shot at my guitar playing…. Is he out of his mind?"
Chaunce Hayden: Vindication?
Ace Frehley: "Like I said, any of my critics now look foolish. That includes Paul and Gene and whoever else is on the bandwagon. They like to call me a drunk and a drug addict and everything else under the sun. The fact is I'm now enjoying eight years of sobriety as of yesterday. I continue to follow that road and put one foot in front of the other. One day at a time I get through it. It's really disheartening for people to continue to badger me and call me a loser just because I made some mistakes in the past. We should put that to bed. That's ancient history at this juncture. My body of work has stood the test of time and I know what I'm capable of doing. One thing Paul and Gene can never say about me is that in concert I always came through and delivered."
Chaunce Hayden: How do you feel about the new football reality show Gene and Paul are putting together for the AMC channel?
Ace Frehley: "I think they should put more time in the studio and maybe they would make better records. [Laughs]"
Chaunce Hayden: There was a rumor that you moved out of your house because you claimed it was haunted. Fact or fiction?
Ace Frehley: "That was true! I was living with my fiancée and we had to move out. She was pushed down a flight of stairs and a lot of things happened to me. I felt like I got punched in the face while up in the attic. Things were always flying around and moving. My fiancée is very psychic and she sees aberrations all the time. I don't see them, but she does. She's that sensitive."
Chaunce Hayden: We talking about ghosts?
Ace Frehley: "I don't know what they are. They could be inter-dimensional people or spirits that haven't found their way. But there's definitely something out there. I've experienced too many weird things to discount that something out there doesn't exist besides us.
In our first interview, iconic guitarist ACE FREHLEY talks to Mitch about his upcoming tour and new album, SPACE INVADER. The pair also discuss Richie Scarlet re-joining him on his upcoming tour, the recording of KISS’ Psycho Circus album, whether of not The Joker was an appropriate song to cover, his upcoming second book, his upcoming covers album, who was/is the best KISS drummer, Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, was the Frehley’s Comet CD Second Sighting really a Tod Howarth solo album, the probability of reforming with Four By Fate’s John Regan and Tod Howarth and much more.
Universal Denmark has announced plans to reissue the band’s 1977 release, adding a second disc of demos, live cuts and interviews to a newly remastered version of the original recording. The new package reportedly comes with liner notes written by Def Leppard singer Joe Elliott, who’s obviously still feeling the buzz from the two bands spending time on the road together.
“The band’s sixth studio recording, ‘Love Gun’ was the first album to feature lead vocal performances from all four original band members, and the last studio album with the original Kiss lineup,” enthuses the label’s press release. “‘Love Gun’ has since gone on to sell more than four million copies worldwide.”
The ‘Love Gun’ deluxe edition is scheduled to arrive in European stores on Oct. 28; as of this writing, it isn’t known whether that release date applies to the U.S., or even whether Universal intends to carry over the reissue to the States. Check out the track listing below, and decide whether you’ll be importing the record when it comes out.
‘Love Gun’ Deluxe Edition Track Listing
Disc One (original album)
‘I Stole Your Love’
‘Christine Sixteen’
‘Got Love for Sale’
‘Shock Me’
‘Tomorrow and Tonight’
‘Love Gun’
‘Hooligan’
‘Almost Human’
‘Plaster Caster’
‘Then She Kissed Me’
Disc Two (bonus tracks)
‘Much Too Soon’ (Demo)
‘Plaster Caster’ (Demo)
‘Reputation’ (Demo)
‘Love Gun’ (Teaching Demo)
‘Love Gun’ (Demo)
Gene Simmons Interview (1977)
‘Tomorrow and Tonight’ (Demo)
‘I Know Who You Are’ (Demo)
‘Love Gun’ (Live in Largo, MD 1977)
‘Christine Sixteen’ (Live in Largo, MD 1977)
‘Shock Me’ (Live in Largo, MD 1977)
The 2014 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee has tapped none other than Richie Scarlet, who rode shotgun performing rhythm guitar and vocal duties on Ace's "Trouble Walkin" platter in 1989, and will do so again on stage. Richie toured with Ace in 1984 and 1985 and periodically from 1989 through 1995 and was also known for touring with Sebastian Bach.
On bass and vocals will be Chris Wyse from Queens, New York. Previously recording with Ozzy Osbourne and playing on Mick Jagger's 2001 solo album, Chris is well known as the bass player from THE CULT since 2006. Chris can also be heard on Frehley's new album, "Space Invader", on select tracks. He also covers bass duties in his current band OWL.
Finally, Scot Coogan will be behind the drum kit for Frehley's upcoming tour. Coogan played with Frehley for five years until 2012 when he left Ace's band to focus on other projects. He has since toured and recorded with LYNCH MOB and sat behind the kit for Lita Ford on the 2012 "Rock Of Ages" tour with DEF LEPPARD and POISON.
"I consider Ace a friend, and I will always be his drummer," Scot said. "When he called me about doing shows, I was honored. We are both excited to have the chance to play together once again."
Coogan recently completed work on the debut album from RED ZONE RIDER, a three-piece band also featuring world-class guitar hero Vinnie Moore (UFO) and vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Kelly Keeling. RED ZONE RIDER's self-titled CD was made available on September 16 via Magna Carta.
Says Frehley: "I can't wait to hit the road again with this new lineup. I'll be performing Ace classics as well as songs off my new CD, 'Space Invader', for the enjoyment of the fans. Let there be rock!"
Matt Starr, the featured drummer on "Space Invader", will spend the next few months touring with MR. BIG as the replacement for Pat Torpey, who has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.
"Space Invader", the first new solo album from Frehley in five years, sold around 19,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 9 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD arrived in stores on August 19 via Entertainment One Music (eOne Music).
Ace's previous CD, "Anomaly", opened with around 17,000 units back in September 2009 to debut at No. 27.
"Space Invader", which was made available in Europe on August 18 (three days earlier in Germany and Scandinavia) through SPV/Steamhammer, includes 11 brand new original songs as well as a cover of Steve Miller's "The Joker".
Matt Porter is joined in THE KISS ROOM by Joey Cassata (KISSNation & Z02), Loretta Caravello (ericcarr.com), Eric Toddorocks Carr (etrcthefox.com) and Bob Grover!
On Sunday night, the answer was Lake Oswego. To raise money for the renovation of the Oregon Military Museum, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame quartet shed their makeup for a rare acoustic set, performing at a charity gala at Rick and Erika Miller’s Jantzen Island estate.
The event was the third “All Star Salute” that members of the group have been involved in — though the first that’s been graced with a Kiss performance. The $15 million museum is a project close to Kiss lead guitarist (and Oregon native) Tommy Thayer’s heart: It’s set to be named after his father, Brigadier General James B. Thayer, now 93, a World War II hero who liberated a Nazi death camp in 1945. As Mike Francis has reported, his actions may have saved Kiss bassist Gene Simmons’ mother, Flora Klein, who survived one such camp at the same time — which, exactly, has been lost to history.
Kiss and the Historical Outreach Foundation had hoped to raise $1 million at the intimate event, a number they beat on Sunday after a successful charity auction that saw Paul Stanley selling off one of his beloved guitars, played since 1989, for $20,000, among other prizes. Tickets to the evening ran $2,500 a person.
The Museum broke ground at Clackamas’ Camp Withycombe earlier this year, and is now halfway toward its $15 million fundraising goal.
Before the festivities and during the show, Kiss spoke of their commitment to the military and the “obligation” of supporting the Museum’s cause, but it was hardly a somber evening: drinks flowed and Stanley beckoned the small crowd to the front of the stage — and then onto it — in between tossing out an endless supply of guitar picks to the crowd. The band’s gone acoustic before, most famously in an MTV performance released in 1996, and Sunday’s set ran through rambunctious renditions of many of their “Unplugged” songs, including “Comin’ Home,” “Plaster Caster,” “Beth” and, of course, “Rock and Roll All Nite.”
Here’s the band’s full set list below. Look for interviews with Tommy Thayer and more shortly.
1. Comin’ Home
2. Hard Luck Woman
3. Calling Dr. Love
4. Do You Love Me?
5. Plaster Caster
6. Shout It Out Loud
7. Got to Choose
8. Christine Sixteen
9. Lick It Up
10. Goin’ Blind
11. Love Her All I Can
12. Hide Your Heart
13. Beth
14. Rock and All All Nite
She initially wrote to her MP George Freeman, and received a reply from children’s minister Edward Timpson in June, saying work was under way to develop a GCSE in British sign language (BSL), but it would be up to schools to “decide on what is right for them to teach”.
Since then, the 17-year-old Dereham Sixth Form student has collected more than 2,000 signatures on a petition which she hopes will eventually gather enough momentum to have the issue discussed in parliament.
Her campaign has already received national recognition from some famous faces, with BBC TV presenter Nick Knowles sending a personal email of support, and Matthew Wright from Channel 5 tweeting her petition link to his followers on social media.
But, as a rock music fan, Jade was “overwhelmed” to have also been retweeted by members of two stadium-filling US bands – Gene Simmons of Kiss, and Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry.
She said: “To begin with it is a bit hard to believe. I have to let it sink in and then aim even higher. I’m not sure how much higher we can get, but I will keep getting signatures. My petition has got 2,086 signatures, and I hope to get more from the new Year 12s when they come in to the college. Maybe we can get 10,000, which is enough to get it discussed in parliament.
“The support is getting there, even if there is still a way to go, I will not give up. I didn’t expect it to get this far, so I will continue with the campaign, that’s for sure.”
Jade said Nick Knowles, host of the DIY SOS show, replied after she contacted him via his web page. “I contacted quite a lot of people, but he was the only one who emailed back,” she said. “I used to watch him on TV as a kid. He said he has made deaf friends down the pub and he wishes he could communicate through sign language.”
Jade’s campaign has also seen her become a finalist in the education section of the Norfolk and Suffolk Bernard Matthews Youth Awards, and she was among the final 15 of 660 young people nominated for the national BBC Radio 1 teen awards.
She said: “It would help with general awareness if I won one of them – but it was not my aim to win awards. I just want to achieve the aim of my campaign, which is to get sign language taught in schools, and to stop the isolation which deaf people feel.”
Jade and Laura live on South Green in Dereham with their younger brother Luke, and parents Matt and Jo. Laura goes to Colman Junior School in Norwich, where they have a specialist deaf unit.
Jade’s Facebook Page is called Let Sign Shine and her online petition is at https://www.change.org/p/schools-to-teach-sign-language.
The rock bass guitarist, singer-songwriter, record producer, entrepreneur, actor, and lead vocalist of Kiss Gene Simmons, joined the 94WIP Mike & Ike Show on Friday morning to discuss a variety of topics and to promote his charity MendingKids.org, which sends doctors all over the world to perform surgeries to underprivileged kids.
Simmons, of course, addressed the Ray Rice situation.
“We’re all in the peanut gallery,” Simmons said on Friday. “None of us know the specifics expect what we saw on TV. And if the NFL knew about it, whether it is the commissioner or anybody else, they’re held accountable. But the saddest part of all is that, and look I’m not involved, we’re just watching it on TV so we really don’t know all the details, but it’s sad that [Ray] Rice’s wife or fiance isn’t copping to the fact that she was abused. More than abused, knocked out, the physical stuff. That guy needs, well my opinion is, if he was in jail for a day and became somebody’s girlfriend maybe he’d knew what abuse is life, but that’s another story. I’m against physical violence of anybody. You raise your hand to somebody you should he held accountable, not just in the legal system. It’s unsportsmanlike.”
Listen: Gene Simmons on the 94WIP Mike & Ike Show.
As a co-owner of the Arena football team the LA Kiss, Simmons was asked if he would ever want to own an NFL team.
“It’s not appealing and I’ll tell you why, because the politics there are so much and mired in nonsense,” Simmons told Michael Barkann and Ike Reese on the 94WIP Mike & Ike Show. “I think elevators should be padded, don’t you?”
Sugerman went on to inherit Kantor’s practice, and among his first wave of rock-star patients was Kiss co-frontman Paul Stanley.
"We immediately hit it off," recalls Stanley, 62. It was Stanley who first gave Sugerman a framed gold Kiss record to hang in his office.
Says Sugerman: "When other singers came in and saw it on the wall, they said, ‘Hey, what about me?'
Now his Beverly Hills medical suite could be confused with a record producer’s office, with albums from Michael Jackson, Stevie Nicks, The Rolling Stones and Madonna. ("For Joe," reads a handwritten inscription from Barbra Streisand. "Who was there in 2006 and is always there for me now.")
Sugerman says the past few years have seen the biggest change in three decades of treating super- stars as concerts have become the industry’s main revenue generators.
"People are on tour for a year at a time, singing six or seven nights a week," he says. "And they just get into trouble." Sugerman advises that patients find a vocal coach, skip the pizza before bedtime (the acid can wreak havoc) and hold off on aspirin (which can lead to hemorrhages). While he doesn’t make house calls, Sugerman does avail himself to preferred clients if they should, say, find themselves struggling to hit those high notes in "Detroit Rock City" while on the road.
"I’ve had the good fortune of waking him up," laughs Stanley, recounting a recent call he made to Sugerman in full Kiss makeup while backstage at a gig in Japan. "It’s a wonderful thing to have your doctor at your disposal. I try not to abuse it."
Frehley, in sunglasses and a striped button-down shirt, flashes back to that moment before the coordinated September 18, 1978, release of all four Kiss solo efforts. "We all had a big meeting sitting around the table prior to going our separate ways for those records, and the others were a little cynical to me, kind of hinting, 'Hey, if you need any help, we're here if you need us.' As if I did need help, you know?" remembers Frehley with a slight hint of aggro. "It kind of just put fuel on the fire for me to work twice as hard on my solo record. We all know what happened."
What happened was Frehley's nine-song LP was both the critics' favorite and best-selling of the solo discs (it went Platinum), thanks in part to a song that would become his hallmark, the Russ Ballard (Argent)-penned stomp-along anthem "New York Groove." On August 12, some 37 years after he first recorded it, Frehley sat in with the Roots to play the song on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon, the band laughingly following Frehley's orders -- "I think it's just a cunt-hair faster," he instructed between commercial breaks in his trademark nasal Noo Yawk drawl, as the tuba blatted out the tune's signature riff.
Three or four times during the course of recording Space Invader, which took 10 months, Frehley "sat down and threw on my old '78 solo album. I tried to take elements from that record and incorporate into this new record, because fans are always psyched that it's their favorite Ace record."
One of those fans is Tom Morello, the revolutionary Rage Against the Machine guitarist who inducted Kiss into the Hall of Fame in 2014 with an elegant, on-the-money speech and was the band's biggest champion in the behind-closed-doors nominating committee meetings. "I don't think anyone, even the members of Kiss, would argue that Ace's ['78 solo album] was the best one. It was fantastic," Morello says. "His core sensibility was that he just wanted to rock, he had no artistic pretense, there was no aiming for hits, and it was just a great rock 'n' roll dude making a rock record."
Frehley is inarguably the most down-to-earth and accessible of the original four. For casual rock fans, there's often confusion when Kiss comes to town with the Spaceman on guitar. Make that a Spaceman, one Tommy Thayer, formerly Kiss's tour manager. Frehley and Thayer were initially very friendly, though the time came when Frehley sensed Thayer might join the band -- which he did, in February 2003, stepping into the boots Frehley had been occupying for the Kiss reunion that lasted from 1996 to 2002.
"I could sense he always wanted to be me. He used to be in a Kiss cover band [L.A.'s Cold Gin]," Frehley says. Any lingering ill will is in perspective: "He didn't do anything; he was hired by Paul and Gene to put on my makeup and costume and play my guitar solos -- a business deal.
"Look, if he wouldn't have done it, they would have hired somebody else," reasons Frehley. "I walked out on the band; I quit. What they really should have done is, if they wanted to dress up a guy to play lead guitar, they should have come up with different makeup like they did with [other Ace replacements] Eric Carr and Vinnie Vincent. That's what the fans are upset about."
Guitarist/singer and former Runaway Lita Ford concurs, though she observes, "I always thought that anyone could hide behind Kiss's makeup. The band could grow old and no one could see through the makeup: a brilliant idea. Tommy Thayer is one hell of a nice guy but he is not Ace Frehley and shouldn't be in Ace's shoes. There is only one Ace!"
Well, technically, now there are two, and Thayer is currently pimping a guitar (created with Epiphone) called the "Space Man." "I mean, how big are the balls on this guy?" snorts Frehley. "But I don't really want to talk about Tommy Thayer," he adds, half-apologetically. "Let's talk about me."
There's plenty to talk about. Two days later Frehley is game for a tour of his old neighborhood in the Bronx, and in fact, is an eager participant in planning multiple stops. Leaving Manhattan via the Westside Highway on a light-traffic Friday, he's a bit on edge. But as the old highway exits and landmarks spark memories, his spirits lift.
First stop is the campus of the 21-acre high school where a young Paul Daniel Frehley nursed his rock 'n' roll dreams, along with many an illicit beer at the park across the street. A man in a blue minivan pulls to a stop and starts singing "New York Groove" out his passenger-side window as he spots Frehley posing for photos outside DeWitt Clinton High. Frehley's just one of dozens of notable alumni, including Ralph Lauren, comic legend Stan Lee, composer Richard Rodgers, and director Robert Altman.
As we drive around the Bedford Park section of his former Bronx 'hood, he's quick to give directions in his raspy voice, and to point out the numerous personal landmarks -- the Lebanon Hospital where he was born; the now-funeral home where he used to get his "Easter suits"; Poe Park (as in Edgar Allan), site where a teenage Ace gave his first outdoor concert; and the girls school (Academy of Mount St. Ursula) where he and his buddies hoped for a windy day to lift Catholic-school skirts. We stop at the former Grace Lutheran Church, and he gestures toward a set of windows. "I was in this classroom, writing on the blackboard, when a guy walked in and said, 'President Kennedy's been shot,' " he says. "Right there. I was also in that school when we landed on the moon."
Pulling up to his old apartment house on Marion Avenue near 201st Street, Frehley, even behind the sunglasses and cracking-wise demeanor, is clearly moved. From the sidewalk, he points up to the second floor. "I used to put my amp in that window," he recalls, as we sneak into the six-story brick building for a look-see when two kids emerge.
We stop by the Bronx Park, headquarters for the long-gone Ducky Gang Ace used to be part of in his youth. The heels of Frehley's python boots click as he walks to a circle overlooking baseball diamonds and French Charley's Playground. He stops. "This is where the Ducky Gang would hang out, smoking cigarettes, drinking beer, and as the evening got later ... if you had had a buzz on, take a little walk with a chick and a blanket into the park ... and I'll leave it up to your imagination. Or from here we'd leave to go to a rumble, end up in some sort of schoolyard fighting another gang."
If his youth was like a scene from American Graffiti or Grease, by his later teens Frehley had left his pals (one of whom "stabbed a guy and did five years up the river -- Sing Sing") for the lure of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll. But namely rock, the young Frehley meeting James Brown and Jimi Hendrix in his formative years. (Opening for the former, roadie-ing for the latter at a Randall's Island show.)
Frehley remembers the "nod" he got from Hendrix and how it put him on "cloud nine." Now he's the one giving the nod to younger players. "Yeah, I have to remember that," he says. "I have to remember the impact I have had on other guitar players. I have to sometimes pay attention a little more, because I am always running around like a maniac."
Indeed. Four busy days after his nostalgia trip, Space Invader launches. It's Frehley's second album done sober -- the last time he fell off the wagon was with Slash, in Las Vegas. "We were drinking Red Bulls and vodka at the VH1 Rock Gods [May 2006] and Kiss was getting awarded. I got the ring and Tommy [Thayer] performed, and I had to leave and ended up hooking up with four broads from Canada. There you go."
Frehley delivers a "bada bing bada boom" before continuing: "Maybe subconsciously I was looking for an excuse -- my mother had just passed away -- so people that have addiction problems look to excuses and try to blame their relapses on other people," he says. "Over the years I've come to the realization that's just a scapegoat. You relapse because you want to get high and you want to feel that feeling again. Luckily, I'm past that point now. I haven't felt that urge in many years."
Of course, band leader and tough-love enthusiast Gene Simmons has always painted Frehley as the type of fall-down drunk who couldn't get his act together long enough to do his job consistently. He's leveraged that narrative to push the guitarist out over the years to suit his own needs. Their relationship is complicated, painful, and -- perhaps most surprisingly -- ongoing.
Kiss fans take sides, and when you've got the usually politically incorrect Gene Simmons babbling on about everything from suicide to immigrants, it's an easy job to be anti-Simmons. Frehley, however, wants to lay a common misconception to rest. He doesn't hate Simmons. "The press made out that we hated each other, which wasn't true. I called Gene just a few months ago when I was mixing my record. I was driving up to L.A., and after five minutes of talking, he started bringing up stuff that happened in the '70s, when we used to drive around in station wagons. We were on the phone for almost half an hour," he recalls. "He wouldn't let me off the phone. There's all this rivalry that the press tries to draw out of us, to have a dialogue going on."
With total worldwide sales of more than 100 million records, it's small wonder that there's eternal curiosity about the band's Kiss-story. Though he's no longer a cog in the Kiss machine, the everyman aspect Ace embodies is revered by musicians and fans alike. In taking over the Kiss guitar role, but not the Spaceman character, ex-Kiss guitarist Bruce Kulick (1984–1996) joined when the band took off the makeup. Of playing songs that Frehley originated, Kulick says, "I always look for 'signature riffs' of a solo that must be there. I wasn't asked to copy Ace, but again, solo parts that define a song melodically I always respect."
Kiss toured for many years sans Ace -- 1983 to 1995, and now again since 2002 -- and Frehley has never seen a Kiss show he didn't play. But his guitar playing, with and without Kiss, remains the signature same.
Frehley, who uses a two-handed tapping technique employing his guitar pick to tap, doesn't know if he or Eddie Van Halen did it first. He does remember, though, that "Gene discovered Van Halen. He wanted to produce their first album, and we told him no. Gene was always going off half-cocked, trying to do more things ... like he still does today." Unable to resist a little dig, he adds, "If Kiss would stop fooling around with football teams and restaurants, they might put out a better record next time." Despite a few barbs, it's clear Frehley, the lovable street-smart boor, still retains a fondness for Simmons -- if akin to the true brotherly love-hate you might find in the Kinks or Oasis.
The Kiss shadow may loom large, but it's not a darkness. Frehley is amenable to glancing back at the boy he was before the man in makeup, and revisiting his 17(ish) albums with Kiss, which began with demos at the legendary Electric Lady Studios, where we stop for more reminiscing. Then it's to the corner (23rd Street and Eighth Avenue), where Frehley, amid the afternoon crush, strikes the same pose as on the 1975 Dressed to Kill album.
Frehley is handed a printout of the original Village Voice ad that brought him to the members of Kiss, then going by Wicked Lester, at a studio on 23rd Street near Madison. He studies it closely, silently. "Lead guitarist wanted with flash and ability," it reads.
"Yep, that's it," he finally says. And 41 years later, it's still him too.
On the album, due Nov. 18, Dylan sings the early Beatles song Things We Said Today, Robinson covers So Bad from 1983's Pipes of Peace and Joel plays piano man on two early solo songs Maybe I'm Amazed and Live and Let Die. Kiss will cover the Wings' medley Venus and Mars/Rock Show.
Rolling Stone premiered a version of the Beatles' 1967 hit Hello Goodbye recorded by The Cure and McCartney's son, James, on Tuesday.
The project got its start 11 years ago when producer Ralph Sall got McCartney's approval to start work on it and record several songs with the singer's backing band. Brian Wilson came on board first, choosing to sing Wanderlust from McCartney's 1982 album Tug of War. The album also features covers by artists ranging from B.B. King to Def Leppard to Owl City.
The standard version of The Art of McCartney will contain 34 tracks, but a deluxe version will boast eight additional covers, a DVD, a hardbound book and, in some cases, more. The packages are available for pre-order.
The Art Of McCartney Track List:
Maybe I'm Amazed, Billy Joel
Things We Said Today, Bob Dylan
Band on the Run, Heart
Junior's Farm, Steve Miller
The Long and Winding Road, Yusuf Islam
My Love, Harry Connick, Jr.
Wanderlust, Brian Wilson
Bluebird, Corinne Bailey Rae
Yesterday, Willie Nelson
Junk, Jeff Lynne
When I'm 64, Barry Gibb
Every Night, Jamie Cullum
Venus and Mars/Rock Show, Kiss
Let Me Roll It, Paul Rodgers
Helter Skelter, Roger Daltrey
Helen Wheels, Def Leppard
Hello Goodbye, The Cure feat. James McCartney
Live and Let Die, Billy Joel
Let It Be, Chrissie Hynde
Jet, Cheap Trick's Robin Zander and Rick Nielsen
Hi Hi Hi, Joe Elliott
Letting Go, Heart
Hey Jude, Steve Miller
Listen to What the Man Said, Owl City
Got to Get You Into My Life, Perry Farrell
Drive My Car, Dion
Lady Madonna, Allen Toussaint
Let 'Em In, Dr. John
So Bad, Smokey Robinson
No More Lonely Nights, The Airborne Toxic Event
Eleanor Rigby, Alice Cooper
Come and Get It, Toots Hibbert with Sly & Robbie
On the Way, B.B. King
Birthday, Sammy Hagard
The Art of McCartney deluxe edition bonus tracks:
C Moon, Robert Smith
Can't Buy Me Love, Booker T. Jones
P.S. I Love You, Ronnie Spector
All My Loving, Darlene Love
For No One, Ian McCulloch
Put It There, Peter, Bjorn and John
Run Devil Run, Wanda Jackson
Smile Away, Alice Cooper
One of Six Flags' most famous roller coasters ... the Colossus went up in flames Monday -- just weeks after the classic ride was shut down.
The fire engulfed a big chunk of the coaster's track ... burning completely through the wood and steel. Firefighters were called to the scene, North of Los Angeles, around 1:30 PM.
The 36-year-old roller coaster had just been shut down in August, so the park could start work on a new and improved version ... to be called Twisted Colossus.
Colossus has been featured in tons of TV shows and movies like "KISS Meets The Phantom Of The Park", "National Lampoon's Vacation" ... "Wonder Woman" ... "Step by Step" .... "Knight Rider" and the "A-Team."
The appearance was timed to promote the release of the tribute album Kiss My Ass: Classic Kiss Regrooved, which featured artists like Gin Blossoms, the Lemonheads, Anxthrax and Lenny Kravitz putting their spin on the rock monsters' best-known hits. At first glance a fish out of water, Brooks turned in one of the best tracks on the album, covering the acoustic ballad "Hard Luck Woman."
With Stanley on 12-string, Gene Simmons on bass, Bruce Kulick on guitar and Eric Singer behind the drums, the "unmasked" makeup-less Kiss performed the song live with Brooks on vocals for The Tonight Show. Written by Stanley and sung by the group's original drummer Peter Criss, the studio version of the song, released as a single in 1976, already had a country flair. Which was only amplified when Brooks wrapped his Oklahoma twang around the lyrics, both on record and on the Tonight Show stage.
An unabashed and vocal Kiss fan, the four-time CMA Entertainer of the Year drew inspiration from the band's outrageous stage show for his own performances. While not featuring fake blood and greasepaint, Brooks' Nineties concerts were nonetheless over the top. The singer swung on ropes, scaled lighting trusses and flew over the crowd on a harness — much like Stanley and Simmons perfected during their heyday.
Twenty years later, Brooks has returned, with his Kiss influences intact. During last night's tour kickoff at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois, his stage featured an illuminated pretzel-like drum set that would make Criss or Singer drool and an enormous cube that doubled as a video screen.
Meanwhile, recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Kiss are still going strong. They just completed a summer tour with Def Leppard and are gearing up for a November residency in Las Vegas. And given the band's knack for always finding the most lucrative business decisions, they'd probably be available to back Garth one more time should he call. For the right price.
A record breaking amount of donations were received and a capacity crowd packed Count’s Vamp’d, a popular Las Vegas rock bar, restaurant and venue.
During the festivities, Las Vegas based Drummer and Vocalist, Scot Coogan, announced his KISS related news: Coogan will be returning to the Ace Frehley band this fall, along with The Cult’s Chris Wyse, to support Frehley’s new album, Space Invader, which debuted at #9 on the Billboard Charts, selling over 20,000 copies in the first week of release. “I consider Ace a friend, and I will always be his drummer. When he called me last week about doing shows, I was honored. We are both excited to have the chance to play together once again.”
In 2012, Coogan took a break after 6 years from his drummer/lead vocalist duties with Frehley to focus on other projects. After touring with Lynch Mob and recording the critically acclaimed Sound Mountain Sessions, Coogan was recruited to drum for Lita Ford on the 2012 Rock of Ages tour with Def Leppard and Poison.
Coogan relocated to Las Vegas in January 2013, after being offered a position as Music Director and Rock Star Counselor at Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp. Scot instructed Rock Star for a Day sessions, Corporate Events and Fantasy Camps, most notably last November’s Modern Drummer sponsored Camp.
After an introduction in 2013 at Count’s Vamp’d, renowned Blue Man Group drummer Jeff Tortora gave Coogan the rare opportunity to drum for his avant-garde band, TINNITUS! After this performance, Coogan was recommended for an audition with Blue Man Group. As fate would have it, he landed this coveted gig and by July 2014, Coogan began performing at Blue Man Group Las Vegas, inside the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino.
Coogan has spent much of the past year establishing himself in the Las Vegas entertainment and music communities. He is now a regular on red carpets around town, performs steadily on the strip and at local venues. His reputation as a top notch session drummer proceeded him from Los Angeles and over the past year, Coogan has recorded dozens of original drum tracks for producers including seven time Grammy Award Winner Steve Thompson, Bobby Ferrari and Mike Varney.
Even with Ace Frehley tour dates on the horizon, Coogan will continue to perform with Blue Man Group and other local artists. Coogan is proud to consider Las Vegas his base of operations and home to his recording studio and production company, Break A Stick. He is securing a Las Vegas residency for his successful Led Zeppelin cover band, 6 Foot Nurse, in which he sings like Robert Plant and drums like John Bonham, concurrently.
Coogan also has a new album coming out on September 16, the self-titled release, Red Zone Rider, a three piece band, featuring guitar hero Vinnie Moore from UFO and MSG’s Kelly Keeling.
Scot Coogan’s upcoming shows and appearances are listed on his website, www.scotcoogan.com and www.facebook.com/scotcoogan.
EW: What song changed your life?
SIMMONS: So “The Twist” really impacted me, and Chubby Checker in particular, because it wasn’t just a song, it was a social phenomenon. When I asked Shirley to dance, she was this African-American girl who really knew the stuff, and I could twist. So I walked across the gym floor of P.S. 145, when all the guys were on one side and girls on the other side. Guys are going, “Oooooh,” and the girls are going, “Oooooh,” and I didn’t care. I walked over to Shirley, “Come on, let’s twist,” and we twist. And I won the Twist championship of P.S. 145. True story.
What’s your prized pop culture possession?
Myself. My, myself, and I. I am a pop culture possession. I am the guy. I get to be me everyday. I’m a hawk. I’m a hybrid. And that’s a lot of fun. That’s why it’s good to be me.
What movie moment do you wish you could rewind?
I was never really a big porn movie watcher. But if I could, I would watch my very first porn movie, but I would watch it backwards, so that it starts off with the prostitute giving the guy money instead of the other way around. [Lowers glasses] See what I did there?
What’s your favorite TV show of all time?
Ever since I was a kid, my favorite show of all time was The Twilight Zone. It continues to be the standout show of all time for me because every single episode was like watching a new TV show. When there are marathons on, once or twice a year, I make it a point of staying home. I don’t call friends or anything. I get my bag of chips and lock myself up and all day…
The rockers celebrated the end of their show at the Klipsch Music Center in Noblesville, Indiana, by spraying water and confetti all over the stage and over members of the crowd.
However, security official Timothy Funk claims the "foolish and reckless" stunt put his safety at risk after he tumbled on the "slippery, waxy, and glassy" stage floor, and now he is suing for damages.
He has filed papers in Hamilton Superior Court, near Indianapolis, seeking compensation for undisclosed injuries, loss of wages and other charges.
Simmons is named as a defendant, alongside venue bosses and officials at concert promotion firm Live Nation.
Ace's previous CD, "Anomaly", opened with around 17,000 units back in September 2009 to debut at No. 27.
Former Beatles bass player Paul McCartney tops the list with a reported worth of $1.2 billion.
In second place, Simmons is tied with Sting with $300 million, while Roger Waters sits at number four with $270 million, followed by U2 bass player Adam Clayton, who rounds out the top five with $150 million.
Top 10 Richest Bass Players (according to Richest.com):
1. Paul McCartney — $1.2 billion 2. Gene Simmons — $300 million 2. Sting — $300 million 4. Roger Waters — $270 million 5. Adam Clayton — $150 million 6. Flea — $115 million 7. John Paul Jones — $80 million 8. Geezer Butler — $65 million 9. Tony Kanal — $45 million 10. Krist Novoselic — $40 million.
Matt Porter is joined in the studio by: Eric Toddorocks Carr (etrcthefox.com), Matt Bellinger, Jim Zagiel, Rozetta Kandi, Brent Zius, Chris Giordano (KISS It & KISStory) and Chris Ann Colvin
Listen to the latest edition of THE KISS ROOM right here!
For more than 30 years as a globe-trotting private eye, Steven Rambam has led the hunt for thousands of fugitives from the law. More times than not, he’s gotten his man.
From Nazi war criminals to jewel thieves and professional con men, he’s seen them all. And he’s slapped cuffs on most of ’em. But there’s still one standout when it comes to Ramban’s most amazing gets: the search to find Jesse Hilsen — an elusive, short, chubby psychiatrist from the Upper East Side who bizarrely ended up as the manager for the glam-rock band Kiss.
“This is a case that really illustrates the importance of the investigative professional,” says Rambam, speaking by phone from an undisclosed location in Europe. He’s currently embroiled in a new manhunt.
The Hilsen case is the subject of Monday’s edition of “Nowhere to Hide” on Discovery’s ID channel at 10 p.m.
“This was a guy who was on the run for 11 or 12 years when I finally found him,” Rambam says. “The FBI had put no effort into it. He had a wife who had gone literally from being a Park Avenue doctor’s wife to living in a homeless shelter.”
Hilsen became involved with Kiss when he worked as a psychiatrist for the band’s frontman, Paul Stanley. The group, leery of music industry insiders, eventually hired him as its manager in the late 1980s and early ’90s. Around the same time, he divorced his wife Rita. Later, a judge found that he owed her nearly $1.9 million.
Hilsen was eventually found in 2003 by Rambam, who tracked the guy from Holland to Israel to South Africa and finally to his uncle’s home in Westkill, N.Y.
“It’s amazing to me, even today, how easy it is for people to disappear,” he says. Rambam adds the case was also special because in a surreal twist, he served subpoenas to two of his childhood heroes: Stanley and bassist Gene Simmons, before a 2003 Kiss performance in Chicago — on the eve of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year.
“They were incredibly gracious and they wanted to know more about the case,” he recalls. “I wished them both a Shana Tova, a happy new year. They wished me a Shana Tova back. And we ended up talking for about 45 minutes."
On this episode of the podcast Mark Strigl interviews Ace Frehley. Topics include his new album ‘Space Invader’, the lineup of his current band, the upcoming tour, Gibson guitars, his recent conversation with Gene Simmons, jamming with the Tonight Show band and Four by Fate.
The interview with Ace starts about 11 mins into the episode.
In episode 39 of One On One with Mitch Lafon. Mitch talks to former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick about the Rock For Ruben benefit taking place in Los Angeles on August 20th. Bruce also reflects on the late Eric Carr and the recent passing of guitarist Dick Wagner. Follow Bruce Kulick on Twitter: @brucekulick
The KISS rocker - who was born with a deformed right ear and suffers from deafness as a result - was subjected to years of taunts by his classmates who referred to him as a "monster."
However, the rhythm guitarist found that speaking out about his "painful" past proved to be a "liberating" experience and helped him to find inner strength.
He told German newspaper Bild, "My childhood wasn't very happy and carefree. The other kids called me monster. It was horrible, when your childhood was so painful then you are going to hide yourself. But the problem is: you can have secrets from other people, but not from yourself."
"Nothing is more liberating than to get rid of your secret and start talking about it. Strength comes when you open up yourself and show who you really are, everything else is an illusion."
The "I Was Made For Lovin' You" hitmaker also admitted that during his days in the 70s rock-band he hid behind his on-stage persona, "Starchild."
He said: "When I got older I let my hair grow to hide my ear and then I joined KISS and was hiding my face behind the figure 'Starchild'.
"Until 1990 some people knew that I was deaf on the right ear, but no one knew about my birth deformation."
While the 62-year-old rocker is known for his turbulent relationship with band co-founder Gene Simmons, he insists the bass guitarist is like a brother to him.
He explained: "It's like you would be married to someone, whom I never have to see naked - thank god! He's family, a brother but we want different things in life."
Here's the Q&A with Singer: nuvo.net.
Ace's previous CD, "Anomaly", opened with around 17,000 units back in September 2009 to debut at position No. 27 on The Billboard 200 chart.
With seven-plus years of sobriety under his belt, the original Kiss lead guitarist has recorded his best solo album since his groundbreaking self-titled album in 1978.
With walls of wailing guitars, droning feedback and snarling solos, Ace Frehley launches an old-school '70s-style hard rock jam fest. It kicks off with him talk-singing his way through the title track, about a well-intentioned extraterrestrial who comes to save the Earth, and it includes a sudden tempo change for the guitar solo just like he did on "Snowblind" and "I'm In Need of Love" on his first solo record.
"Gimme A Feelin'" is a timeless rocker, with thick guitar chords, and "I Wanna Hold You" and "What Every Girl Wants" could be melodic hits.
On "Change" and "Inside the Vortex," Frehley showcases some impressive growth as a songwriter and arranger, with complex chord progressions and melody lines.
The only weak track is a vanilla remake of Steve Miller's "The Joker" that adds nothing to the plodding original, but apparently was too much for Frehley to resist with its "Space Cowboy" intro.
His world was rocked.
"I never knew anything like this existed in America," Criss said. "You're always thinking hunger is a Third World problem. We're Americans, we're fat, every one looks pretty heavy to me."
Criss, along with Q104.3-FM radio host Shelli Sonstein, visited the FoodBank in their roles as chairpersons of the WindMill restaurant's summer-long 10,000 Hot Dogs anti-hunger campaign.
"These people are doing amazing stuff and my brain hurts from seeing so much of the good things going on and I can't believe so many people are not eating and have no food," said Criss, a long-time Wall resident who was recently inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with his Kiss fellow members. "It's ludicrous and it's sad, this is America. After today I've realized how much I've taken things for granted."
The FoodBank annually distributes more than 9 million pounds of food to more than 260 food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and more. Other roles include a culinary training program, senior food programs, and a mobile food pantry.
"People forget, they come down to the Shore on vacation and our job is to remind them that our summer of fun is a summer of hunger for children in Monmouth and Ocean counties because they're not getting the two meals a day they would normally get in school," Sonstein said. "This is not something people think of that we're trying to highlight."
The 10,000 Hot Dogs campaign kickoff featured a concert by Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes atop of the iconic WindMill restaurant in Long Branch on May 23. Customers who make a $5 donation through Labor Day via the Website 10000hotdogs.com or by texting "hotdog" to 41444 will help the FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties deliver 15 meals to those in need this summer.
"We hope to have a very big wrap up for the next 14 days that the campaign is alive," said Rena Levine Levy, co-owner of the WindMill restaurants.
Also, hot dog maker Sabrett will donate up to 10,000 hot dogs, matching each $5 donation with a goal of raising $50,000. That would mean 160,000 meals for Monmouth and Ocean counties families, according to the FoodBank.
"This kid got his head blown off today," Criss said.
This episode features an in-depth interview with The Planets, BINKY PHILIPS. BINKY talks about his friendship with Paul Stanley, being around KISS in their formative years, his book ‘My Life In The Ghost Of Planets: The Story Of A CBGB Almost-Was – A Single Notes Book’ and so much more. This is one episode that KISS fans simply CANNOT miss.
"I was thinking of asking [KISS bassist/vocalist] Gene [Simmons] to play bass on one track, and I'm not going to say which one. That'll be a surprise," Ace told VH1 Radio Network's Dave Basner.
With all the back-and-forth in the media between Ace and his former KISS bandmates over the past year, VH1 Radio Network asked Frehley if he thinks Gene would accept his invitation.
"I think he'd consider it," Ace said. "I don't know if he'd do it. Maybe [KISS guitarist/vocalist] Paul [Stanley] won't let him. Who knows?"
“It’s just two different camps now,” admits Frehley, who has since kept busy with a lucrative solo career, including his sixth album “Space Invader” which comes out Tuesday. “I just try to avoid all that negative stuff and let it roll off my back. Being sober almost eight years now I have to live my life that way.”
Although it was Frehley’s excessive drug abuse that reportedly often caused tension within the KISS camp, since cleaning up he says the effect is a more polished musician on his latest release. “I think the sound of this record, the production and the writing, shows that I am more focused these days. I think it’s one of the better records I’ve done in a long time.”
The album continues the once Space Ace’s obsession with sci-fi themes (“art and science were always my best subjects in school”) and took five years to make after a hefty tour schedule for 2009’s “Anomaly” and his 2011 memoir “No Regrets.” Its sound, led by the hard rock groove single “Gimme a Feelin,” is characteristically 1978, with elements of his debut solo album released that year on its sleeve.
“That’s the record that my fans have always cited as being one of their favorites,” he says of the eponymous title. It also remains the best-selling solo effort by any of the KISS members and remains a critical part of Frehley’s legacy. “During the recording process of ‘Space Invader’ I listened to it several times and tried to derive elements to incorporate into this new record.” As well, the guitarist attempted to tap into the sounds of the era by listening to his age-old favorites like Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix and Cream.
“They are still heavy influences on me today. I remember watching those guys and the Who and the Rolling Stones live, and there was always a little voice in my head saying you can get up there and do that, too. I decided that was what I wanted to do and nothing was going to stop me,” says Frehley, who grew up in a musical family in the Bronx and sang in the church choir but never had a formal guitar lesson.
When it comes to discussing modern rock, though, the guitarist is less flattering.
“I have to be honest, there hasn’t been a new rock group in a long time that has excited me.” He rationalizes, “A lot of the groups now maybe haven’t paid the dues that groups in the ’80s, ’80s and ’90s had to do. Today everything is so fast — a group of guys get together and, boom, they make a record with Pro Tools in a week. Maybe because of that, the depth of what they’re coming out with wasn’t what it used to be.”
Frehley hasn’t totally given up on the new industry construct though — following the release of “Space Invader,” he plans to tour in the fall and release a new memoir in the near future. He is rumored to be working on a covers album. And you never know, KISS just may come back around for him.
“It’s really up to Paul and Gene,” he admits, “but I’m the type of person to never say never.”
TV Guide Magazine: Why was buying this team the right decision for the band at this point in your career?
Simmons: Kiss has never really followed the rules, we've always been renegades. Los Angeles — No. 1 media city in North America — didn't have a football team. When we played the ArenaBowl about a year ago, the idea of a team in Los Angeles came up and we jumped at the opportunity.
TV Guide Magazine: How do you infuse the KISS brand into the games?
Simmons: We've got extreme bikers doing flips, girls in cages, fireworks, the LA KISS dancers. Why not do the Super Bowl every day? That's the idea.
TV Guide Magazine: Yet after one season, the team is underperforming with a 3-15 record.
Simmons: Some heads have rolled.
TV Guide Magazine: Has that made for better television?
Simmons: It's less about television and more about real life. You don't have to create drama because there's so much going on in the growing pains of launching a brand-new sports team. I visited one of our players who was injured — he tore his Achilles tendon — and we're not quitting on him. We're going to support him, pay all the doctor bills, and when he gets well, he's coming back in. On the other hand, if we ever catch you with a police record, you're gone.
TV Guide Magazine: Is it true you made an offer to Tim Tebow?
Simmons: Yes. He's got aspirations to be a broadcaster [on ESPN], but we would love for him to come on board because he's a family guy, a devout Christian, doesn't use drugs or booze, and he doesn't torture dogs. You want that association, as opposed to somebody who treats fans like s--t.
TV Guide Magazine: Did you ever imagine that the band would get to this level? Was it always the goal?
Simmons: It's tough to be honest and not come off as self-serving and arrogant, but yes. When I was a kid, I dreamed that I could fly. There is no downside to being delusional about your own greatness.
4th and Loud premieres Tuesday at 9/8c on AMC.
When asked whether the legendary rockers, which is in the midst of a long 40th anniversary tour (it makes its only Canadian appearance at Toronto's Molson Amphitheatre Tuesday night), will ever retire from the road, the fiery singer-bassist, as per usual, has a very pointed response.
"We've got a few more tours left in us,” he says. “We enjoy what we do, and we're all on the same page, so there's no reason to stop. Match up any band past or present up against us, and we'll whoop their asses each and every time."
Besides, their schedules and side projects give them no time to kick back and watch Matlock. The tour is being extended into 2015, with Simmons promising a full-fledged Canadian leg next year, a new album is in the works, and various other side projects including a football reality show 4th and Loud and Simmons’ brand new business know-how book, Me, Inc.: Build an Army of One, Unleash Your Inner Rock God, Win in Life and Business.
Speaking down the line from the Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, N.Y., Simmons talked to QMI Agency about the future of rock 'n roll, the group's daily setlist issues, and despite reports to the contrary, why the Canadian KISS army of fans are far from conservative. Here are excerpts from that conversation.
How would you rank this tour with ones you've done in the past?
I think it's just as good as any of our best ones or even better. No one is on drugs, there are no dark clouds and we're all getting along really well.
How does the Canadian KISS Army of fans compare to the ones in the U.S.?
The party line is that Canadians tend to be more conservative, but that's not the case. Back in the '70s, we played a smaller city and watched as a couple had sex near the front of the stage during the show.
Since it's a shared tour, do you find it difficult to strike a setlist balance between satisfying the hardcore fans and those who may just want to hear the hits?
That's an issue every night. However, you won't see the Stones dropping hits like Satisfaction out of their setlist, so why would we drop ours? The fans pay good money to come to the show to hear those songs.
Have you guys talked about a follow-up to 2012's Monster?
Yes, we have. I recently wrote a new song called Your Wish is My Command, so the process has already started.
What are your thoughts on the state of the music business in 2014? What's the future for rock 'n' roll?
There isn't one. The freckled-faced boy who decided to download all his music for free ruined the business. As far as rock 'n' roll is concerned, there is no future. It's over. Can you name me one superstar act these days? You can't.
“We have great dancers, and they're not cheerleaders,” said Paul Stanley of Kiss, who along with bandmate Gene Simmons owns the L.A. Kiss of the Arena Football League. “Cheerleaders have almost become adolescent and asexual, totally neutered. We wanted to have girls who were women. And they'd better dance.
“I don't want the girl next door, I want the girl you wish were next door.”
Stanley and Simmons certainly have taken a crash course in the differences between music and sports. Their progress and struggles in the team's inaugural season are on display in their reality series 4th and Loud, which debuts Tuesday, Aug. 12 on AMC.
“In music there isn't that overt competition, that at the end of your tour you're pegged a loser,” Stanley observed. “If you went on tour with the thought, 'Are we going to make the semi-finals?' it could very much colour your tour. You aren't declared the runner-up at the end. Nobody is watching all the tours and knocking people out of the running.”
4th and Loud begins with the earliest days of the L.A. Kiss, when things were more hopeful in terms of wins and losses. We now know that the team went 3-15 this season.
“(Losing) is very disheartening,” Stanley said. “For somebody who was not from a sports background, look, in life I don't like to lose. There are parts of this that are completely out of my hands, so you have to be able to let go. Losing is disappointing. But winning is exhilarating.
“I would love for us to win, and that will take longer than we thought.”
On-field performance aside, is 4th and Loud a winner? Well, as one might expect, the most interesting stretches are when Stanley and Simmons feature prominently.
“We are the Tiger Woods of (arena football), baby – before Tiger, you didn't care about golf,” Simmons said. Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus might disagree, but we digress.
“Every once in a while you get a sports purist because they love that thing that they love, whether it's football or anything else,” Simmons continued. “And they get into the holier-than-thou, 'I know more minutia than you do, validate for me why you belong in this thing.'
“Churches don't do that. Why not treat sports and rock 'n' roll (that way)? What we do is electric church. You don't have to know any of our songs (to enjoy a Kiss concert or an L.A. Kiss game). All are welcome. That's a much healthier idea.”
Speaking of ideas, did Simmons and Stanley ever consider having the players wear Kiss makeup?
“There are some pragmatic reasons why our great athletes should not be wearing the Kiss makeup,” Simmons said. “For one thing, you've got to earn it. Secondly, it has to be real football, not stuff going into everybody's eyes while they are running on the field and getting tackled, not a good idea.
“But you'll see lots of Kiss around it. You want the football to be legitimate, and around it, we'll give you all the bells and whistles and all the stuff that makes Kiss the most iconic band of all time.”
Stanley said the idea for the reality show occurred after he and Simmons decided to own the team, not before.
“But it clearly made a lot of sense,” Stanley said. “There were some boundaries, however. For me, reality television is an oxymoron. You either have reality or you have television. To waste my life creating a fake life, to compromise or give up reality to create a false reality, I had no interest in cameras in my kitchen. You know, a show built around little Johnny breaking his finger, when they just broke it for him before the cameras were rolling, I didn't want that.
“So this very much documents the evolution of the team from inception. The things that go on with some of the guys, your head goes batty.
So what does Kiss know about sports now that it didn't know a year ago?
Stanley paused, then said, “That ultimately you're only as good as your doctor.”
"Space Invader", the first new solo album from Frehley in five years, will be released in North America on August 19 via Entertainment One Music (eOne Music). The CD, which will be made available in Europe on August 18 (three days earlier in Germany and Scandinavia) through SPV/Steamhammer, will include 11 brand new original songs as well as a cover of Steve Miller's "The Joker".
"['Space Invader'] is heavier than [2009's 'Anomaly']," Ace tells Arena.com. "I did it by design. My fans said that my last album could have been heavier and could have had more guitar work, so I kept that in mind when I made the record.
"I think there are a couple of songs like 'Toys' and 'Inside The Vortex' that are heavier than anything on 'Anomaly', my last record. The title track is heavy, too. Hopefully, people will love it. The biggest surprise was the title track. That was instrumental until we were mixing it.
"We were mixing it in L.A. but I went to my hotel and wrote lyrics and melody and threw it together in one day. I threw on a guitar solo and it came together.
"When I cut tracks, I cut guitar and drums, then throw a bass on, and I build onto that. I start out very elementary. Some songs were in the running to be instrumental, since one of my trademarks is having an instrumental song on my albums. I wasn't sure which would be the instrumental. It ended up being 'Starship'. But 'Past The Milky Way' and the title track were instrumental up until the last few weeks. I work good under pressure."
Asked what keeps him doing this, Ace says: "Playing live is still a big rush. Producing my own records is a great rush, especially when they turn out good. There are things on the horizon. I am up for a few movie scores, and been in touch with producers. No deals are signed yet, but there are discussions. I want to produce bands, and to share the wealth of information that I have learned. I would like to put a score to animation. I work with animation. There are lot of things I want to do."
On introducing KISS with the legendary battle cry of "You wanted the best, you got the best. The hottest band in the world... KISS!!!" prior to their July 26 performance in Holmdel, New Jersey:
Elliott: "I'd been threatening to do it for the whole tour. And we got to the last night before a five-day break. And I thought, if this is one of the things that are gonna rip my throat out, I'll wait until I've got five days to recover.
"I was so aware of what 'Kiss Alive II' was.
"[I went up to KISS and told them] 'I'm gonna introduce you guys, tonight.' So I went over there knowing one of their techs was there. And he just gave me the mic.
"I heard that somebody yesterday, apparently, downloaded it off some station. They played my intro and then they played 'Detroit Rock City' straight afterwards. [laughs]"
"As you can see [in the video that was posted online], I punched the air after I did it."
On DEF LEPPARD guitarist Vivian Campbell's ongoing battle with Hodgkin's lymphoma:
Elliott: "Well, you know, it's an ongoing situation. I won't say every single day of his life he's comfortable, but what's making him mentally comfortable is being out on the road with the band doing this rather than sitting at home twiddling his thumbs, going, 'I've got cancer. I've got cancer.' He's out there working. It's as mental as it is physical for Vivian. He was having treatment yesterday. But I spoke to his wife this morning and she said he's feeling a lot better today. We don't do a gig 'till tomorrow night, so he should be in good shape. He's only had one really bad night here, and that was in L.A. following an enormous bout of chemo. And it was really hard for him, but he still got up on stage and did his job. And most nights, he's been amazing, and he gets stronger and stronger each time. And he's working his way through this specific treatment that he's got, which was all thumbs up from his doctor, so he could do this tour. So then in September, he goes in for a stem-cell surgery, which hopefully will put this thing to bed once and for all."
On whether DEF LEPPARD's current tourmates KISS have paid much attention to the online controversy surrounding their induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame:
Elliott: "I don't think they take any notice of it. I mean, look, the Internet is just a forum for negativity. People very rarely spend hours and hours writing little comments underneath an article that's positive. It's all, like, 'Oh, these guys suck,' or 'Blah blah blah,' because they're anonymous, so they can say stuff. And you tend to just ignore it, which is what I'm sure KISS are doing.
"I was asked all the questions before the tour started about my opinion on KISS and the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, and I said, 'Look, I don't have an opinion. I'm not in KISS. It's not my business.' But the fact that a band as 'mom's apple pie' as LYNYRD SKYNYRD was seven nominations before they were accepted, I find the whole Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame thing absolutely a waste of space. And I hope they never ask us to be in it, 'cause I wouldn't wanna go anyway.
"But when it comes to backstage at the KISS thing, they're all loving this, because [current KISS guitarist] Tommy Thayer is a phenomenal guitar player, and [current KISS drummer] Eric Singer is a great drummer. And the songs have never sounded as good live, as far as I'm concerned. With all due respect to [original KISS members] Peter Criss and Ace Frehley, it seems to be a happier camp [now].
"I've seen some people say that [Tommy and Eric] don't deserve to be able to wear the ['Spaceman' and 'Catman'] makeup. Well, KISS is a franchise as much as a band, or a brand and a band, and if that's what it takes to sell the band, that they wear the same makeup…
"Sometimes when in Vegas, in Cirque Du Soleil, if a certain character wears a certain mask and he gets sick, one of the chorus line comes in and takes over wearing the same makeup.
"[KISS fans who continue to complain about the current KISS lineup should] move on. If you like the songs, and you've got Gene [Simmons] and Paul [Stanley], which were always, in fairness, the two most out-front members of KISS anyway, I think it still works."
Ace Frehley might have the greatest laugh in all of rock and roll.
The original lead guitarist for Kiss and nicknamed “Space Ace” by “Kiss Army” fans, Frehley has a distinct, child-like laugh that is nearly an octave higher in pitch than his speaking voice. The late Tom Snyder, host of TV’s “The Tomorrow Show,” once told Frehley during a 1979 on-camera interview with Kiss that he should record his laugh and put it on a Kiss album.
These days, the 63-year-old Frehley seems to be laughing often. The Bronx, N.Y., native is coming up on his eighth year of sobriety; he and fellow Kiss co-founders Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley and Peter Criss recently were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; and he has a new solo album, “Space Invader,” that will drop Aug. 19.
“I’m healthy, and I’m happy to be having a new album come out,” Frehley said during a recent telephone interview. “This new record is a little heavier than the last record (‘Anamoly’).
“People had said that they wished the last album was heavier, and they wished I had played more guitar on it, so ‘Space Invader’ is heavier,” he added. “I try to listen to my fans.”
The new CD features artwork from artist Ken Kelly, who created the famous cover art for Kiss’ “Destroyer” and “Love Gun” albums. Plans for the new artwork, which has a silhouetted, guitar-slinging Frehley stepping out of a sleek, chrome-colored spaceship, have been seven years in the making, Frehley said.
“What surprised me on the album was the song, ‘Space Invader,’” he said. “That was an instrumental song right up until two weeks before the record was mixed. I came up with some lyrics and put them down, and then the song was finished.”
Currently assembling a new solo band, Frehley plans to tour behind “Space Invader.” The set list, most likely, will include many cuts off the new album, as well as songs from his tenure in Kiss and his first post-Kiss group, Frehley’s Comet.
“You know, I’m proud of everything I’ve done — what I did in Frehley’s Comet, with Kiss and the music now,” Frehley said. “There are no plans to revisit Frehley’s Comet at the moment, though.”
Frehley is more open to future work with Kiss, although Stanley and Simmons have been quoted as saying they prefer to work with current Kiss guitarist Tommy Thayer and current Kiss drummer Eric Singer; Thayer replaced Frehley in 2003, while Singer has been in Kiss off and on since late 1991.
“I’m really proud of Kiss’ Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction,” Frehley said. “I was all for the original four of us — me, Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons and Peter Criss — performing again at the induction ceremony, but I guess Paul and Gene couldn’t stand to play with Peter and I for 15 minutes or so, so we didn’t perform. That’s too bad, because I never say never.”
Frehley said he first became hooked on music at age 16, when he skipped school to see Cream and The Who open for Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels in 1967 in New York. Watching Cream guitarist Eric Clapton’s guitar solos and Who leader Pete Townshend’s “guitar theatrics” made him trade in his school studies for a Gibson Les Paul.
“I would want people to remember me for being an artist who was always sincere,” Frehley said. “I’ve always been a person who has given it his all and have appreciated the fans’ support, and I’ll always be that person.”
Simmons and Stanley are co-owners and like everything that exists in the KISS world, they’re trying to take the band’s iconic brand into uncharted territory. And while it would be easy to imagine a show that follows B-level football players running around in KISS makeup, it’s not that at all. Simmons and Stanley strut their swaggering selves around, but “4th and Loud” is more about football hopefuls trying to make it at the professional level, even if the NFL doesn’t want them.
Unlike the KISS philosophy, which seeks to brand the band as wide and far as possible (after all, they have their own line of condoms and caskets), the players aren’t in it for the money – they love the sport and are holding on to the dreams of their youth before choosing different career paths. Speakeasy recently talked with Simmons about “4th and Loud,” the ups and downs of life as a football team owner, the Washington Redskins name controversy, and Donald Sterling. An edited transcript follows.
Los Angeles hasn’t had a football team in a long time. What was game plan to survive?
Lean and mean works. The NFL means well and they have a terrific product, but it takes billions to launch something. You have to buy buildings, accoutrements and other big words. We don’t have to do squat. We can get Navy Seals and sink a destroyer all by ourselves. We bring new fans, [the league] has their fans, we can access their fans, one and one equals three in this case. But we were delusional. Of course that’s our self-imposed mandate, to be delusional and reach for the stars. You’re not gonna touch the stars, but you have to reach for them nonetheless. And we hit the ground with hiring our coach, who had never lost a single season in his entire career. Well, he just lost his first one, OK. But he didn’t have a fair pick of the players – all the best guys were picked up by the other teams. Our point of view with this show was to just show it all.
Sometimes it gets personal. Remember you’re up close. And we made sure that any of our fans … look, they threw caution into the wind, they bought tickets, they came to see a team that had never played before. That’s the loyalty based on the pop culture sugarcoating, I understand that. But it was our responsibility to give a no-holds barred experience. That meant, when the ball was on the ground, huddling for the next play – we’d give them entertainment. We had dancers hanging from the ceilings in cages, we had fireworks, we had extreme biking guys ..anything and everything that a KISS show has, we stick in there.
It’s apparent in the first episode that the KISS brand was not going to infiltrate in an over the top way.
It’s gotta be real football. Initially, there was some comments from the peanut gallery like “Oh, it’s called LA Kiss, we know exactly what it’s going to be.” No you don’t. We know what to do, when less is more. When food is in front of you and it’s plenty spicy, the last thing you want to do is add salt and pepper.
Are KISS fans sports fans?
We want new fans. Sports fans will take care of themselves. This is family entertainment. We want you to bring your kids to their first sports experience. As soon as the season ended, 40% of our season ticket holders re-upped right away. They love it. “4th and Loud” was not my take for the title of the show; I wanted to call it “L.A. Kiss.” A brand is a brand is a brand. But “4th and Loud” is the point of view that AMC had, and perhaps rightfully so, is lets skew it as football. And perhaps they’re right. When you tune in, you’re going to see real stuff. Some of it gets ugly, some of it heartwarming.
KISS sold a lot of records and played huge shows. But in a lot of ways, the band members have been underdogs and so are the players in the AFL. Can you talk about that connection?
This is the thing: They have nothing to lose and everything to win. They have a lot to prove, to themselves, to the team and the fans. The tragedy of losing that first season…guys were crying. They don’t look at this as a job. [Pauses.] That means something. I paused a bit because it affects me too. Guys are crying like they’re a 12-year-old kid. It breaks your heart. It says this means more than my salary, it means more than my branding [deal] for some shaving cream – they want to win.
When you met the other AFL owners in the pitch meeting, did they immediately take you seriously?
Yeah. We immediately got up, gave a speech, and said “Look, we never lose. We’re gonna make you proud, we’re gonna be your Tiger Woods. If you let us be a member of your family, we’re going to take AFL to heights it’s never seen before, immediately.” So the AFL is thrilled. They’re getting more attention than ever. Whenever a team plays us, boom! They get that extra lift. On their own, respectfully, they wouldn’t get the time of day.
How much does it cost to get a team up and running?
It sounds like a few hundred thousand dollars and it winds up being a few million.
Did you make back what you put into it on the first season?
Oh, I own the money bag logo – the dollar sign with the bag. Does that answer your question?
Yeah. Ultimately, the team struggled in the first season, going 3-15. What happened?
We don’t have the best players. We don’t. They’re just not the top of the pop. But they have the heart of a lion. In the middle of the season, we had to get rid of our quarterback. It’s like the Olympics – you do your best and if you don’t make it, you’re out.
What do you think of the Washington Redskins name-change controversy?
Well, look. There’s sports, there’s business and then there are people. As a Jew, I wouldn’t be thrilled as “The Kikes.” And if you’re black, you wouldn’t be thrilled with a football team called “The Blacks.” I could use a worse word. Because “Redskins” was what the white man called them. So I understand if you’re a sports fan and if you’re white, you go “Hey, what’s the problem? We have a long history.” But if you’re an Indian, think about it. White dudes don’t have to worry about that stuff because [they] were always the majority in imperialist countries of the world. “Cracker” means nothing to white people. They had all the money and the power.
If people are talking about your brand as being racist, is that bad for business?
Bad for business? I don’t know. But whether or not it’s bad for business or not, you’ve got to make the change. It was launched at a time when white people weren’t sensitive to the idea that you’re actually insulting an entire race of people.
Did you follow the Don Sterling story?
I’m on the side of Don Sterling.
You’re on the side of him?
I’m on Mel Gibson’s side, Don Sterling’s side and anybody who has a racist or an expletive rant privately. The difference between this guy, who’s heinous of course, or anybody else is that they were caught. Everybody [says] jokes that are off- color, or when they’re drunk. The difference between Sterling and everyone else is that he was caught on camera, by the way, without his approval. He was ambushed. I think he should have done penance and paid a fine. Here’s what’s going to happen. They’re going to go after Sterling and he’s going to put a few million dollars out there, because he can afford it – and he’s going to ask the paparazzi out there to find videos of all the other team members talking trash and racist rants. And then it’s open season. And if, because you say an off color joke or make a racist rant privately, that causes you to lose a job – nobody would have a job! Black people do it, Jews do it, Christians do it – everybody does it! It’s called America. Free speech. Even if free speech insults other people. Privately. Publicly, that’s different. I’m on the side of free speech in the privacy of your own home or privacy of the situation. Big brother has finally crawled in bed with us.
Social media has made people unaware of boundaries.
Well, laws have to catch up. This stuff has to catch up with technology. By the way, I don’t wait. When some of these kids shut down my site, I call my F.B.I. friends and they’re spending time, 15 years in jail. I go after them.
You have hackers hitting KISS sites?
Everybody has hackers. You may not know it, but you have it. And it’s not just hackers, people trying to get your ID numbers and your bank accounts – it’s lawless. There’s no laws about that.
But you take care of that?
Oh, yeah. Visit Langley. Make friends.
Has KISS thought about a follow-up to [2012’s] “Monster”?
Oh sure. We just need time. We have a restaurant chain called Rock & Brews, which is opening all over the world. We got the football team. We got the KISS Golf course, the KISS limo service. KISS World is around the corner – I don’t want to tell you what that is yet.
“4th and Loud” premieres on August 12 at 9 pm on AMC.
"The thing about Kiss is, it's unique. You have to take it or leave it," says bassist-vocalist Gene Simmons, who portrays the character of the Demon. "We ignore the pundits ... with regard to credibility. Who wins? We do."
When the band comes to play Long Island on Wednesday, Kiss will bring its 40th anniversary tour to Jones Beach with a stage that evokes a Transformer.
"I believe that this is the best stage we've ever had. We call it the spider stage because the lights are like legs dangling down," says vocalist-guitarist Paul Stanley, aka the Starchild. "We are out there doing a victory lap even though the race isn't over yet. It's a celebration of everything we've done."
LIVE REPUTATION
Kiss is known as much for its live concerts as for its albums and hit singles. The group established a long-standing reputation in the music industry for putting on not just a rock show but a rock spectacle.
"We perform with a take-no-prisoners point of view. I'd like to think we earned it the old-fashioned way -- we work for it every night," says Simmons, 64, who is known for stage antics like spitting blood and breathing fire. "Our goal is for our fans to have the time of their lives."
Before the band hits the stage, an announcer hypes the crowd by shouting, "You wanted the best, you got the best. The hottest band in the world ... K-I-S-S!" Immediately, the bar is set quite high.
"We started building a legacy with our very first show. It's never veered from that," says Stanley, 62, who flies over the crowd to a small stage mid-orchestra to sing "Love Gun." "The reason people still buy tickets is because they know we still deliver the goods. We don't have a bunch of dancers jumping over each other and a microphone that isn't turned on. When you come to see Kiss, you are seeing the real deal."
EARLY BEGINNINGS
Before Simmons and company were superstars, Kiss was a regular at The Daisy, formerly located at 124 Broadway in Amityville. The band's first show was held March 9, 1973, when the guys played two separate sets.
"The Daisy was really a second home for us," Stanley says. "From the first time we played there and nobody knew who we were to a few months later when people were breaking the windows trying to get in, it was all trial by fire."
"In those days, we did whatever had to be done. I started picking up the phone and making calls to clubs. Paul would design little posters," Simmons says. "I have no idea how we wound up on Long Island, but we just wanted to play our music."
By August 1975, the band moved up to the Calderone Theater in Hempstead before headlining its first Nassau Coliseum show on New Year's Eve the same year that launched the group into stardom.
ROCK HALL MIRACLE
This spring, Kiss finally made it into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame after 15 years of eligibility -- a feat some fans never thought would come to pass.
"It was vindicating for our fans. This has been very important for them," Stanley says. "No small organization with a big name can call the shots or decide what is or isn't valid."
However, nothing goes down in Kiss without controversy. Although there have been 11 members of the band, only the original four -- Stanley, Simmons, drummer Peter Criss and guitarist Ace Frehley -- were inducted. Plus, Simmons and Stanley refused to play with the two at the induction ceremony.
"We are grateful and proud of the fact that Ace, Peter, Paul and myself put together the band that we never saw on stage. But that doesn't mean we want to play with Ace and Peter today," Simmons says. "We've done the reunion thing three different times. Ace and Peter were let go, walked out or fired -- take your pick -- three separate times. That's enough. We wish everybody the best, but not everyone is designed to run a marathon. Sometimes people just fall by the wayside because they have different DNA."
In yet another controversial move, Simmons and Stanley replaced Criss and Frehley with drummer Eric Singer and guitarist Tommy Thayer using their original makeup designs instead of developing new characters.
"We tried doing another character with Eric Carr -- the Fox and we felt it was diluting Kiss. So been there, done that," Simmons says. "The four personas are bigger than anybody who is in it. How many different people have been Batman? Batman is bigger than whoever plays him."
FANATICAL FANS
On top of its music and stage show, Kiss is famous for having rabid fans affectionately called the Kiss Army. Fans religiously show their worship of the band by painting their faces in solidarity and tattooing the characters on their bodies.
"They are our tribe," Stanley says. "We have fans from 6 to 16 to 60. This tour is for them. It's just a way to restate who we are and let people know that the legend lives."
At Mr. Cheapo's record stores in Mineola and Commack, there are two customers who clamor for Kiss items -- Nassau Vinny and Suffolk Vinny.
Nassau Vinny
Vinny Iadevaio, 42, of Franklin Square got into Kiss through his older brother and his cousins. He saw his first show at Madison Square Garden in 1985 and he's been hooked ever since.
"I'm a Kiss nut," he admits. "They are my all-time favorite band because they have their own unique sound and creative look."
His love of Kiss dates back to when he used to portray Gene Simmons for Halloween as a kid. Today he dresses his 17-month-old daughter in a Kiss Army onesie.
"I go see them every time they come. It's a tradition," says Iadevaio, who will be heading to Jones Beach Wednesday night for his 24th show. "As long as the music rocks and they put on a great show, I'm in heaven."
Suffolk Vinny
Vinny Gonzales of Brentwood saw his first Kiss show at the Academy of Music in Manhattan on New Year's Eve in 1973 by accident.
"I went to see Blue Öyster Cult, but when Kiss came on they blew me away," he says. "I was shocked when I saw Gene spitting blood. Forty years ago that stuff was really hairy."
Today, Gonzales has been to more than 500 shows, became a major collector and even befriended the band.
"I had everything -- over 46 gold and platinum albums, 20 guitars, costume pieces -- you name it," Gonzales says. "The bottom of my house was like a shrine."
After grappling with some medical issues, Gonzales, 57, sold most of his collection, which became legendary in the Kiss community.
His mother, Nancy Gonzales, 79, of Brentwood even makes the band homemade cookies and cream puffs, which she brings to them backstage. She's already preparing a batch for the Jones Beach gig.
"I do everything from scratch," she says. "They would be heartbroken if I didn't bring them."
The Michigan Film Office offered in 2012 film producer Philip Steuer a "conditional" $8.2 million incentive to shoot "Cadillac High" in Cadillac, Detroit and Pontiac.
It's unclear why there's been such a delay, but Simmons sounded eager over the phone Wednesday to see what the finished product will look like.
"It's now been fully funded and it's now in pre-production," Simmons said.
When pressed on the matter, Simmons said he has "no idea" what type of role the band will play in the film, when the movie could be released, and if another visit by the band to Cadillac is possible anytime soon.
"The only date or timeline (for a release) I can give would be a guess," Simmons said.
KISS is currently on tour this summer with Def Leppard and will make an Aug. 23 stop at DTE Energy Music Theatre in Clarkston.
"Our dance card is so full," Simmons said. "We're currently in the middle of the tour — the first half of it — and then we'll take a break in September.
"Then we'll do a short stint in Las Vegas; then a KISS cruise; then we'll fly to Mexico City to play a stadium down there; plans for a South American stadium tour, and just go around the world twice for two years."
Attempts Wednesday afternoon to reach the Michigan Film Office and Steuer to get the latest details about plans for "Cadillac High" were unsuccessful.
Steuer produced the "Chronicles of Narnia" films and "Oz the Great and Powerful," that was shot in 2011 at Michigan Motion Picture Studios in Pontiac (formerly Raleigh Michigan Studios)
According to the Michigan Film Office's 2011 Annual Report, an cost/benefit analysis of "Cadillac High" said the film was expected to hire 205 Michigan residents and spend just over $27 million dollars.
The dollar figure included, based on the report, $5.5 million on equipment and material rentals, $700,000 on food and over $534,000 on lodging.
"Cadillac High" is expected to emphasize the impact KISS made on the Cadillac High School Vikings varsity football team and the town as a whole.
In 1974, the Vikings, playing KISS albums in the locker room before and after games, won seven straight games and wound up conference co-champs.
Word spread to KISS of the team's success, and the band's members decided to visit Cadillac the next year for a raucous Homecoming weekend.
For more from Simmons, check out my full interview with him on MLive.com next week.
I asked him about the impact Detroit and the rest of Michigan made on the band, the future of KISS, the band's football-related reality show, touring with Def Leppard and more.
For more on KISS' 1975 visit to Cadillac, check out the YouTube video.
The guitarist, who also played on seminal recordings by Lou Reed, Peter Gabriel and Kiss, moved to Arizona in 2004 and had been living in Fountain Hills. He was 71.
"It really is so sad," said Susan Michelson, Wagner's manager and business partner in a company called Desert Dreams Productions.
"He survived so many things and we hoped he would do it again. He had asthma and he'd been complaining about his chest bothering him. But he went in to have a coronary procedure done that turned out to be more complex than they thought. He seemed fine for a couple of days and then his lungs just started to freak out.
"Then, he got much better and then worse again. It kind of went up and down a couple times. And then, the last five days, he was declining. It's still a complete shock because I'm used to him turning around."
Born in Iowa, Wagner was raised in the Saginaw, Mich., area. His early band, the Frost, released three albums on the Vanguard label — 1969's "Frost Music" and "Rock and Roll Music," as well as the following year's "Through the Eyes of Love."
In 1973, he and fellow guitarist Steve Hunter were recruited by famed Alice Cooper producer Bob Ezrin for Lou Reed's touring band. Wagner and Hunter were featured guitarists on Reed's acclaimed "Berlin" (1973) and joined Reed on the Rock 'n' Roll Animal Tour, as captured on "Rock 'n' Roll Animal."
His first appearance on an Alice Cooper album was "School's Out," which featured a classic Wagner solo on "My Stars." He also appeared on "Billion Dollar Babies" and "Muscle of Love" alongside Cooper's original bandmates. Wagner stepped in as a songwriting partner on "Welcome to My Nightmare," Cooper's first release without the original lineup, earning a co-writing credit on such classics as the title track and "Only Women Bleed."
Subsequent Cooper releases to feature Wagner included "Goes To Hell," "The Alice Cooper Show," "Lace and Whiskey," "From the Inside" " Zipper Catches Skin," "DaDa" and "Hey Stoopid." He also co-wrote a string of Top 20 ballads for Cooper — "I Never Cry," "You And Me" and "How You Gonna See Me Now."
In a statement posted on his Facebook page, Cooper wrote: "Even though we know it's inevitable, we never expect to suddenly lose close friends and collaborators. Dick Wagner and I shared as many laughs as we did hit records. He was one of a kind. He is irreplaceable. His brand of playing and writing is not seen anymore, and there are very few people that I enjoyed working with as much as I enjoyed working with Dick Wagner.
"A lot of my radio success in my solo career had to do with my relationship with Dick Wagner. Not just on stage, but in the studio and writing. Some of my biggest singles were ballads what I wrote with Dick Wagner. Most of 'Welcome To My Nightmare' was written with Dick. There was just a magic in the way we wrote together. He was always able to find exactly the right chord to match perfectly with what I was doing.
"I think that we always think our friends will be around as long as we are, so to hear of Dick's passing comes as a sudden shock and an enormous loss for me, Rock N Roll and to his family."
The guitarist's association with Ezrin also led to Wagner playing on KISS' "Destroyer" and "Revenge," Peter Gabriel's self-titled solo debut Hall & Oates' "Along the Red Ledge" and Burton Cummings' "Dream of a Child."
Gene Simmons issued a statement, printed in Billboard, which read: "Dick Wagner was the consummate gentleman axeman. (He) will be missed," while Paul Stanley was quoted as saying, "Dick was a stellar player and his work with Steve Hunter on Lou Reed's "Rock & Roll Animal" is legendary. He also did great work with Alice Cooper and uncredited ghosting on "Destroyer" and albums by some of our contemporaries. A huge talent with a huge tone and huge heart. A great unsung hero."
In 2012, Wagner's published an autobiography, Not Only Women Bleed, Vignettes from the Heart of a Rock Musician, which spent two weeks at No. 1 on Amazon.com's Hot New Releases in Biographies & Memoirs of Entertainers section.
Michelson says, "There's a reason that Dick Wagner's fans and friends call him 'The Maestro of Rock.' Dick's guitar playing was both wild and fluid. His songwriting, guitar playing and musical arrangements were uniquely rockin', majestic and orchestral. Listen back to his monumental arrangements on Lou Reed's 'Rock N Roll Animal' live album. He took Reed's Velvet Underground songs and turned them into ravishing arena rock."
The guitarist was still very active in music, playing lead guitar on "The Underture," on Alice Cooper's "Nightmare" sequel, "Welcome 2 My Nightmare."
"He was so on top of his game," Michelson said. "He played all these shows and book signing in Michigan in June, just played his ass off for cheering crowds, earning standing ovations. He would sing and play for two-and-a-half, three hours at a time.
"And then he would sign autographs for hours. He was just a hub of creativity and joy. Recording sessions. New sessions. He produced artists while we were in Detroit. He was extremely active and productive. He would write four, five, six new songs a month. Great songs. The same quality he'd always written, just monumental.
"And he was playing great guitar again. He had had a paralyzed arm for a couple of years, but he was the comeback kid so many times."
In addition to being an in-demand guitarist, Wagner was the kind of player people liked to have around.
"Dick has this huge heart," Michelson said. "He loved everybody, no matter who they were. He was just a very loving, giving guy with a brilliant, incisive mind."
Wagner, who was also part of the groups The Frost and Ursa Major, had been hospitalized after contracting a lung infection following heart surgery in early July. Though he had posted a Facebook message on July 21 saying "I can't wait to play for you all again one day soon" -- signed "Dick'N THE ICU" -- Wagner was in a medically induced coma at the time of his death from respiratory failure.
"Dick Wagner was the consummate gentleman axeman. (He) will be missed," Kiss' Gene Simmons said in a statement on Wednesday, noting that Wagner played the "blistering" guitar solo on the Destroyer track "Sweet Pain." Kiss frontman Paul Stanley had this to say: "Dick was a stellar player and his work with Steve Hunter on Lou Reed's Rock&Roll Animal is legendary. He also did great work with Alice Cooper and uncredited ghosting on Destroyer and albums by some of our contemporaries. A huge talent with a huge tone and huge heart. A great unsung hero."
Ray Goodman of the SRC and Detroit Wheels, who's known Wagner since the late '60s and has been his de facto band leader since 2011, told Billboard that "he was such a unique talent. I consider him the best and brightest of my generation. He could write a song about anything. He had the gift, something he was innately born with -- along with his very quick, droll sense of humor, another thing I'm going to miss dearly."
Wagner was born in Iowa and grew up in Saginaw, Mich., where his first band, the Bossmen, garnered some national radio play for its single "Baby Boy." Its successor, The Frost, released three albums for Vanguard Records and had a minor hit with "Rock and Roll Music" and was part of a robust Michigan music scene that included the MC5, the Stooges, the Bob Seger System, the Rationals and others. Wagner relocated to New York City in 1972 to start the band Ursa Major, whose original lineup included Billy Joel on keyboards.
Wagner's national breakthrough, came when he joined Reed's band for 1973's Berlin and the acclaimed subsequent live album Rock N Roll Animal, forming a stunning guitar tandem with Steve Hunter. On Wednesday, Hunter posted a Facebook note saying, "We had a thing when we played together like none other I've ever experienced. … We hardly ever had to work anything out. We just did it and it was always right. It was truly a phenomenon. ... The stuff we did together back in the '70s was really and truly magical."
Berlin producer Bob Ezrin brought Wagner (and Hunter) into the Alice Cooper fold for the School's Out album in 1972 and subsequently recruited Wagner to be part of Cooper's Welcome to My Nightmare band, both for the album and the tour. Wagner co-wrote six of that album's 11 tracks -- including the hit "Only Women Bleed" -- and remained a collaborator throughout the '70s and into the early '80s, reuniting for 2011's Welcome 2 My Nightmare.
"Being a sideman was a definite choice I made," Wagner said in a recent interview. "I was going to pursue a solo career after The Frost. I always wanted to kind of be out front, but at heart I'm kind of shy. Being a star is not a big thing to me. I wouldn't want to be Alice Cooper and go through life like he does." Wagner released his first, self-titled solo album in 1978 and was also a hired gun for Aerosmith (the studio version), Peter Gabriel, Daryl Hall & John Oates, Burton Cummings, Grand Funk Railroad's Mark Farner and others. He also co-wrote songs for Nils Lofgren and Air Supply.
"He sang and played very well, which is obvious, but his songwriting ability was really good, and it was probably underestimated," said Scott Morgan of the Rationals, another friend of Wagner's since the mid-'60s.
Wagner was felled by a near-fatal heart attack in 2007, spending two weeks in a coma and awakening with a paralyzed left arm. He battled other health issues but managed to recover both physically and creatively, releasing a new album, Full Meltdown, in 2009 and publishing his memoir, Not Only Women Bleed: Vignettes From the Heart of a Rock Musician, in 2012. He also wrote three songs for the documentary Louder Than Love: The Grande Ballroom Story and was in the process of writing a concept album about a serial killer for Danish shock rocker Maryann Cotton. He was active in charitable concerns and was named the first Artist Ambassador for Guitars for Vets, as well as national spokesman for Hydrocephalus.org. He and his Desert Dreams Productions company created a video for a new, gospel-flavored version of "Only Women Bleed" to promote awareness of violence against women and children.
Wagner played his final show on June 29 in Owosso, Mich., and Ray Goodman noted that, "He was playing the best he ever has since (returning in 2011). We were really looking forward to picking this up in the fall."
Wagner is survived by his sons, Robert Wagner and Mark Schukmecht, and daughter Jasmine Dreame Wagner. A memorial will be held in Michigan, according to his personal manager and Desert Dreams business partner Susan Michelson, but details have not yet been determined.
CSQ What was the impetus for not only putting your energy behind an Arena Football League team in Los Angeles but branding it LA KISS?
Gene Simmons It happened quite naturally. We were asked to play the AFL Arena Bowl. And then we became enamored with the AFL and found that there was no football team of any kind in Los Angeles. Opportunity knocked. We answered.
CSQ What will people see at an LA KISS game that they can’t see at any other sporting event?
Paul Stanley We try to fill the evening with a variety of entertainment so that you’re not waiting for half time that consists of somebody running around the field dressed like a hamster. We’ve got great dancers and I don’t mean cheer ones. We’ve got BMX stunt bike riders. We’ve got a live band. We’ve got dancers suspended from the ceiling. And we’ve got a football team that looks like Marvel superheroes. And all at a price that won’t make you mortgage your house.
CSQ How involved are you in decisions related to the team (i.e., uniforms, personnel, in-game entertainment)?
Gene We are involved in all the facets, without crossing the lines into certain managerial and coaching areas, which is best left to the professionals. Having said that, Paul designed the helmets and LA KISS Girls outfits.
CSQ How would you compare the lifestyle of professional athletes and professional musicians? Did either of you ever have aspirations to pursue sports?
Paul Most musicians are wimps. To do what I do takes discipline, hard work, and constant training. My injuries, including torn rotator cuffs, torn knees, and a hip that had to be replaced with titanium, says it all. I am a warrior, not a wimp.
CSQ Who were your sports idols growing up?
Gene I come from the dinosaur era. Mickey Mantle. Joe Namath. I always wanted sports figures that were stars on and off the field.
CSQ What initially attracted you to each other musically?
Gene I was immediately taken by Paul’s talent. He was not necessarily taken by mine, at least initially. But when we started the band 40 years ago, once we marched forward, we marched forward as one.
CSQ What is particularly special about still being able to perform these songs after 40 years?
Gene The astonishing thing is how generation after generation of new fans keeps coming to our shows. From five years old to 55.
CSQ What do you feel has been the band’s biggest contribution to the music industry?
Gene We raised the bar and expectations of anyone attending any kind of live music event. Country, rap, and especially rock. When you see any band, from Garth Brooks to Paul McCartney, using pyrotechnics live, where do you think they got that from? Air Supply?
CSQ Paul mentioned in a recent interview that the KISS brand supersedes any individual members of the band. How do you think you’ll be celebrating the band’s 50-year anniversary?
Gene Hopefully, onstage somewhere in the world, knocking the pants off of our fans.
Unified by their distinctive face paint, “The Demon” (Simmons) and “Starchild” (Stanley), prowled arenas around the globe throughout the ’70s and early ’80s before washing off the makeup for good in 1985. The band went through various iterations and reunions with original members “Space” Ace Frehley and Peter “The Cat” Criss. Yet plenty of other opportunities beckoned: In 1999, Stanley proved his considerable range by playing the lead in a Toronto production of The Phantom of the Opera; Simmons expanded his pop culture cult of personality on reality TV.
In May, CSQ crossed paths with Simmons in a unique circumstance: The 64-year-old rocker was officiating a wedding at the El Segundo location of Rock & Brews, the craft-brewery and dining chain that he and Stanley launched in 2010 with Michael Zislis and Dave and Dell Furano. His face wrapped in dark shades and his body cloaked in a sable robe with the restaurant’s logo embroidered on the back, Simmons performed his first legal union ceremony, after which he admitted he was “nervous as hell.”
CSQ What caused you to re-evaluate your feelings about marriage?
Gene I have always been confident – some would call it arrogant – with a delusional sense of belief in myself. Over time, and I’m talking 30 years on, I learned that the mother of our children is a spectacular woman. And I need to be with her.
CSQ Gene Simmons’ Family Jewels ran for 7 seasons and 167 episodes. Why do you think the show was so successful?
Gene Well, if you could list the 10 reasons why our show outlasted I Love Lucy, then everyone would do those 10 steps and succeed. Either viewers like who they are watching, or they don’t. I guess they liked us. In 84 countries.
CSQ Paul, you wrote your book, “Face the Music: A Life Exposed,” to, in your words, ‘give an honest account of your life experience.’ What would you like people to take away from your story?
Paul We are never given the choice of the cards we are dealt. We only choose how we play with them. In life you can either be a victim and use the past as an excuse for the present and future or you can roll up your sleeves and make the life that hard work will give you. It’s up to you.
CSQ Who do you consider your mentors?
Paul There’s a difference between mentors and someone who serves as an inspiration. A mentor is a hands-on teacher. I have been inspired by many, but mentored by none.
Gene My mother is the most inspirational person I have ever met. Not the most educated person, not the world traveled, but the wisest by far.
CSQ Gene, you have multiple interests and facets of business that demand your attention. What’s the next step for you in terms of your entrepreneurial goals?
Gene The Gene Simmons Company has just entered into a partnership to enable it to finance motion pictures. [We plan] to start the first movie [this] summer and within 12 months have five or six movies under our belts.
CSQ What career would you have pursued if music hadn’t worked out?
Gene I would have succeeded – and continue to – in any area I choose. Invariably, it always comes down to hard work and perseverance. I never quit.
Paul I’ve found that staying committed and steadfast leaves little room for compromise or failure. I succeeded because I had to.
They were something of an unknown musical quantity in February 1974 when they kick-started their first North American tour in Edmonton — they didn’t even merit a review — playing for hundreds of fans in a cafeteria at the Lister Hall at the University of Alberta.
“We were a brand new band then, right out of New York and man we were ... well, green just isn’t the word for it,” lead singer Paul Stanley told Journal critic Joe Sornberger.
“I remember it was in a school lunchroom. There were signs up advertising ‘The Kiss’ with misspellings of our names.
“We were a brand new band out of New York and we had to start somewhere. They put us on a plane and said, ‘You’re going to Canada.’ We did places a lot of Canadians have never heard of. I’ll bet we played Grizzly Adams’s hometown.”
The Journal’s current music critic Sandra Sperounes recently blogged about bass player Gene Simmons, saying he shagged his first of 4,000 groupies after the Edmonton show.
Three years later, Kiss performed before 12,000 fans at the Coliseum, then played a second gig two days later at the same venue.
Members of the self-described “hottest rock and roll band in the land” were resplendent in chains, skin-tight leather outfits and painted faces as they wobbled around on their seven-inch platform shoes to “dazzle 11,494 of Edmonton’s finest 15-year-olds ... with a performance that was a large serving of gimmickry with a side order of primitively basic rock,” Sornberger, obviously not a fan, wrote in his review.
“Kiss, you see, is a group whose members figured out long ago that as only average players, they would never get noticed by doing what everybody else was doing. That by pounding at their guitars and drums like every other rock band in North America they’d get nowhere, slowly.
“They stunned the crowd, putting on a show that required nothing of the audience but the slack-jawed response they got. They dazzled these television babies with entertainment that required barely more than a 20-second attention span.
“They killed ’em with pizzazz.”
Musically, the band has but one message, he wrote, which is outlined in one of their songs: “Rock and roll all night. Party all day.”
“That’s all,” wrote Sornberger. “Just painfully loud, basic music — and I’m using the word music here loosely — draped across a bizarre stage. That’s all it takes. And the crowd, shielding its eyes from the smoke and the glitter and its ears from the noise, is impressed.”
Kiss, which continues to perform today, went on to sell more than 100 million records, making them one of the world’s bestselling bands of all time.
Just one week prior to Christmas 2013, the former Kiss lead guitarist learned that he and his comrades in the original Kiss lineup—Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley and Peter Criss—were finally being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame after 15 years of eligibility (and 15 years of outcry from the Kiss Army).
A cause for celebration, no doubt—and a golden opportunity for the four founding members of the legendary rock band to perform onstage together again for the first time since October 7, 2000, the final North American date of their Farewell Tour.
And then, somehow, it all imploded. In the weeks preceding the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony on April 10 in Brooklyn, New York, Kiss became the primary focus of every public and private discussion surrounding the event after they announced that there would be no Kiss performance—let alone a Kiss reunion—that night.
To make matters worse, the band members seized every opportunity to lambast one another in the press on a seemingly daily basis, effectively rendering what was supposed to be a triumphant reunion performance loaded with all the blood-spitting, fire-breathing, makeup-running pageantry that fans had been clamoring for all these years into a pitiful non-event.
“I was like, Jesus Christ, after 40 years of support you can’t give the fans 10 minutes?” says a still worked-up Frehley over a cup of black tea at Guitar World headquarters in New York. “The fans wanted it, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame wanted it. But Gene and Paul didn’t. It’s sad. They definitely lost some fans because of this decision.
“I think the reason they didn’t want to get together with the original members was because they’re afraid of history repeating itself. When we did Unplugged in 1995, you saw what happened: because the fans were so excited about me and Peter playing with those guys, they had to scrap their last record [with then-current members Bruce Kulick and Eric Singer] and do a reunion tour [with Frehley and Criss in 1996]. Although at this point I don’t think Peter could do a two-hour show and a full tour. But I still got the chops. I definitely blow [current Kiss guitarist] Tommy Thayer off the stage.”
It’s obvious that Frehley is fired up, and with good reason. With the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame fiasco behind him, the clean-and-sober Spaceman is able to focus on the things in life that make him happy, like living in San Diego with his pretty, blond 47-year-old fiancé Rachael Gordon, writing books, working with Gibson on various signature guitars and recording new music. Space Invader, his first record since 2009’s top-notch Anomaly, is due out in a few weeks, and Ace couldn’t be more excited.
“I haven’t had a drink in more than seven and a half years, and I feel great now,” says the 63-year-old guitarist. “I’m writing great songs and I’m singing great, and I’m super excited about this new album. It’s gonna be even better than Anomaly. I played some tracks for a couple of guys I was considering using for mixing, and the first thing out of their mouths was, ‘God, your voice sounds like it did on your 1978 solo record.’ Unlike some other people, whose voices aren’t maybe what they used to be. Not to name names, or anything.”
Your love affair with alcohol during Kiss’ heyday—and, well, all through the Eighties and Nineties—is well documented. Do you miss it? Are there days when you want a drink?
No. I haven’t had the urge to drink in a long time. And I don’t miss the hangovers, I don’t miss the smells, the late nights at the bars, or the people. I was hanging out with some pretty shady people in my heavy-drinking-and-coke years. I was in some situations that really could have gone sideways. I was just lucky. And you have to realize that my fans used to emulate my behavior when I was a crazy man—“Ace is a party animal, let’s go get loaded!” Then they’d go crash their car, and I’d feel terrible.
Now it’s turned around. And when someone comes up to me and says that they haven’t had a drink in six months and that they’re doing well because I am, that makes my day. Maybe that’s one reason why God has kept me alive. By all rights I should have died a half dozen times already, so every day above ground I’m thrilled.
Did you think Kiss would ever be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
I knew that [the Hall] had to buckle to popular opinion. It was only a matter of time. We were first eligible 15 years ago, so I knew it would happen eventually. I mean, how can you exclude Kiss, one of the biggest American rock groups in history? Even though we didn’t perform, I’m still thrilled to be in it.
Where were you when you found out that you were being inducted?
I was at home in San Diego and got a call from my manager. Then, about a week later, I got the “congratulatory” call from Paul and Gene. And I could tell that there was some hesitancy on their part about the whole thing. I was asking them if we were gonna play, and Gene avoided the question by saying, “Well, we’re just looking forward to getting the four of us up there together and celebrating…whatever.” It was a noncommittal congratulatory call.
Then, about a week later, I was told that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame absolutely wants the four original members to reunite, and I said, “Great, I’ll do it.” And there was silence from Gene and Paul. And finally it was shot down. The next thing I heard is that Paul and Gene wanted to perform with the current Kiss lineup [with Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer]. And I said, Well, that’s kind of a slap in the face. I mean, they’re not even being inducted. I have to sit through a Kiss cover band when I’m receiving an award? I don’t think so.
I also heard at one point that they wanted me to perform in makeup with Tommy at the same time. I really didn’t want to be onstage with Tommy, but I said I would do it, as long as I got to play the bulk of the songs and that I could wear the Destroyer costume. Then a few days later [it was], “No, we’re not gonna play at all.” It was almost like they were trying to bait me, so that if I said no to anything they would just blame me for there being no performance. I was almost going to boycott the whole thing.
The weeks leading up to the induction ceremony were filled with all sorts of public drama. A lot of negative comments were hurled back and forth in the press between the four original members of Kiss. Why do you think Gene and Paul are always so quick to disparage you publicly?
I don’t know. I think they’re just cranky. For years, when I was fucked up, Gene used to say that I was a drunk and a drug addict and that I was unemployable. Kick a guy when he’s down, right? But they can’t do that anymore, so it’s like they’re scratching their heads trying to come up with new ways to insult me. The most recent thing was that I’m anti-Semitic, that I’m a fucking Nazi. That’s just below the belt. Next I’ll be a member of the Ku Klux Klan. And my fiancé is Jewish! My whole life I’ve worked with Jewish people in all different capacities—my accountants, my attorneys, people on the road. Jesus Christ, I can’t believe the stuff that comes out of their mouths. But the truth is that I don’t want to be negative. I just want to keep everything light and be happy.
Paul has been so goddamn cranky lately. I mean, what’s wrong, Paul, aren’t you happy? I know they must be frustrated because people are always writing about how Ace was the real guy or Ace was the real deal. It’s gotta rub them the wrong way. They would like nothing more than for me to start drinking again, start taking drugs again and end up as a bum on skid row. But that’s not gonna happen.
Anybody who says anything bad about me is foolish, because a lot of people like me. You’re gonna make enemies when you put down Ace Frehley. And that’s because I’m a straight shooter—I tell it like it is. Gene is that way too. He’ll sit across from you in a room and say this or that and tell it like it is. Whether you like it or not, he lays it out, right to your face. Paul will tell you one thing, then walk out the door and stab you in the fucking back. That’s Paul Stanley. And now he’s trying to take credit for the fucking Kiss logo? Unbelievable. I designed the logo—all he did was draw straighter lines.
And you know, I told Paul to wear the star on his eye. Do you know what his makeup was before he put the star on his eye? It was a round circle. He looked like the dog from the Little Rascals [Pete the Pup, a.k.a. Petey]. It told him it looked kinda silly and that he should put one star on his eye. But do I go around taking credit for that? No. I let him say he designed it. Who cares, you know? Let’s not be petty.
You would think that if Gene and Paul had half a brain, they would realize what’s going on and start saying good things about Ace. I mean, keep bad-mouthing me. No one’s gonna show up at your fucking tour this summer.
Let’s talk about your upcoming solo album, Space Invader. It’s been five years since Anomaly. Why the delay?
I don’t know. [laughs] I’m not disciplined, and I can only create when I’m in the zone. I get preoccupied with other things—moving, family stuff, whatever—and then years go by. I had two record labels courting me, and I decided to go with E1 Music because of their reputation in the business and because they offered me more money. And when someone writes you a check, you gotta make the record! [laughs] The truth is, I work better when there’s a deadline. And I usually have to extend the deadline. But the end result is usually quality.
Do you enjoy the whole process of writing and recording?
Yes. I’m actually enjoying writing and recording more than ever, because I’ve become a lot more comfortable with Pro Tools, which means I can edit my own solos now. And that’s just fun. I prefer having an engineer there, but if there’s not one around, I can do my own editing and not have to depend on anyone else. Vocals too. I can do it all myself.
Which is quite different from recording with Kiss in the early Seventies.
With Kiss we used to do a slave reel. We’d mix down on two-inch tape, 24 tracks. [Producer] Eddie Kramer would mix down a stereo track of drums, and he’d give me a whole reel just to do solos. And Eddie was great at editing tape. But the flexibility you get nowadays with Pro Tools is just night and day compared to those days. Digital editing is a dream.
What was the songwriting process like for Space Invader?
You know, all my life I’ve never had a formula for writing songs. Sometimes it starts with a guitar riff, sometimes it’s a lyrical idea or just a melody. Sometimes I wake up with an idea. There’s no rhyme or reason. Sometimes I write on an acoustic, sometimes on a bass. There’s a song on the new album called “Into the Vortex.” It’s a riff song, but I wrote it on a bass guitar. Why? Because I write differently with a bass guitar in my hand than an acoustic guitar or an electric guitar. When I feel creative, I just sit down and start playing.
Did you write differently in the early days of Kiss?
Yes. I wasn’t as structured as I am now. Even though I’m not really structured—I’m at least cognizant of what’s going on. [laughs] Back then it was more hit or miss—and when I hit, I hit big. You know, I go back and listen to my 1978 solo record, and it still holds up. My whole body of work that I’ve created over the years has withstood the test of time. I know that I still have the goods. And when this record gets released, everybody’s gonna say, “Well, Ace did it again.”
Were there things about Anomaly that you wanted to change with Space Invader?
I know that everyone is hoping that this album is heavier than the last one, and it is. I’m also doing an instrumental this time, called “Starship,” that isn’t slow. It’s a departure from the “Fractured Mirror” style. It’s more fast paced and has a lot of transitions in it.
You cover the Steve Miller song “The Joker” on the new album. How did that come about?
It was the record company’s idea, to be honest. And I was a little resistant when it first came up. But then I thought back to my 1978 solo record, when Eddie Kramer’s assistant said to me, “Why don’t you try this song?” And it was “New York Groove.” At first I said, “I don't want to do that,” and it turned out to be my biggest hit. So maybe history can repeat itself.
Where was Space Invader recorded?
I did most of the recording at my friend’s studio in Turlock, California, called the Creation Lab. Turlock is in the middle of nowhere—it’s like a farming community—and that’s why I loved it. I have Attention Deficit Disorder, and there are absolutely no distractions when working at this place. You record for eight or 10 or 12 hours, then you go back to the hotel and go to sleep. You wake up and go back to the studio.
There’s nothing else to do there, which means it’s the perfect place for me to record. Plus, I like working with the least amount of people, and this studio is great because it’s quiet and there aren’t all kinds of people walking through. I did most of this record with just me and a drummer, Matt Starr. For a couple of songs I brought in Chris Wyse from the Cult to play bass.
What guitars and amps are you using on the album?
I’m using a big variety of guitars. I have 35 or 40 different guitars hanging on the wall, and I just grab different ones. There’s a seven-string on one song, a Dobro, some 12-string acoustics… Sometimes I get the urge to use the double-neck. I like flexibility. The more variety, to me, the better. As for amps, it’s basically the same stuff I used on Anomaly: Marshalls and Voxes and Fenders.
The “Budokan” Les Paul replica guitar you did with Gibson in 2012 was a huge success. Are you planning another signature model?
I remember when I first did that deal and I went to the Gibson office to sign a bunch of the guitars, I said to [Gibson senior VP] Rick Gembar, “How are they selling?” And he said, “What do you mean, ‘How are they selling?’ They’re already sold. They were already sold before we put them out. Ace, anything you do turns to gold.”
That was a good feeling. I’m trying to figure out what to do next. I keep asking people what they think, and some say to do the three-pickup black Les Paul; some say to do the first one I had, the sunburst Standard. But I don’t have to make that decision today, so I’m not worrying about it. But Gibson does an amazing job with these guitars. I don’t know how they make guitars that look 30 or 40 years old, right down to the screws and scratches and little details.
I’m working on a design for a new amp right now that I think is just going to be too cool. I can’t talk about it yet because I haven’t finished the prototype. I also have a prototype guitar in the works that’s gonna be revolutionary. But that deal’s not done, so I can’t talk about that either. Amp and guitar—both completely different from anything else on the market. I’m always coming up with new ideas. I invented an electric guitar, like, 20 years ago. [laughs] My father was an inventor. It’s in my blood. I also have an idea for a really cool clock. But I can’t even talk about it because it’s so brilliant.
We discuss “Dressed to Kill” Side: 2!
Bill Starkey (Commander & Chief of the KISS Army!) joins us.
Then Ken, Gary, Matt Porter, Chris Karem, Craig Cohen & BJ Kramp as we discuss this long requested album!
This week Aaron and Chris open up a KISS Grab Bag of topics to discuss. Listeners of the show submitted KISS-related subjects and your hosts give their take on those topics this week. Everything from discussion of KISS' merchandising reaching into things like Hello Kitty and arena football to favorite/least favorite albums, stages, costumes, songs, and much much more is covered in this free-form discussion. We also give an update on Vinnie Vincent, plans for more KISS-related shows later in the year and a track by track discussion of the Ace Frehley album 'Space Invader.'
A whole lot to cover to round out KISSMAS in JULY so take it all in and enjoy our talk on the Hottest Band in the Land!
Stanley and Simmons pulled the plug on a performance at the big bash in April (14) after Hall of Fame bosses refused to honour their current bandmates alongside Frehley and drummer Peter Criss, so the live spectacular fans had hoped for was nixed - and now the group's original guitarist tells Wenn the Kiss army will never forgive his old bandmates.
He explains, "After 40 years, you think they could have given the fans 15 minutes that night. Peter and I wanted to perform, the Hall of Fame wanted us to do it, but Paul and Gene shot it down. It was a moment in history that was lost and some of the fans will never forgive them for that.
"But I'll tell you why Paul and Gene didn't wanna perform with me and Peter - they were afraid of history repeating itself. When me and Peter performed with them on the MTV Unplugged sessions in 1995, the place went completely crazy and they had to scrap their album that they had just recorded with Bruce Kulick and Eric Singer and they had to do a reunion tour.
"They're on tour right now with Tommy (Thayer) and Eric (Singer) and they didn't want anything to overshadow that. They were afraid that everyone was gonna demand a reunion again if we played."
And Frehley has used his new Wenn interview to respond to fresh criticism from Stanley, who recently stated his former lead guitarist was not fit "to wear the uniform" of Kiss, explaining, "If you no longer can uphold your end or live up to the stature that we set for ourselves in the beginning, if you are compromised by drugs or alcohol, if you've lost sight of how lucky we are to be in this position, then you no longer deserve to wear the uniform."
Frehley insists he was never as bad as his former bandmates paint him - and he hopes his new album Space Invader, his first in five years, will prove he's still got what it takes.
He adds, "It's a joke. In concert, I always delivered, and 95 per cent of the time I delivered on record. It's there, it's history. All they're trying to do is discredit me, so it validates the new line-up. They'll look foolish when my new album comes out.
"I think they're just cranky that every time they go on the Internet they have to read fans saying, 'Get Ace back'."
“FASHION ROCKS has all the makings of live event television,” said Jack Sussman, CBS Entertainment Executive Vice President of Music, Specials & Live Events. “Fashion and music are the perfect combination – great clothes and hit songs, along with music and fashion’s biggest stars, will come together for an amazing night, hosted by one of the best in the business.”
“FASHION ROCKS is the only show that celebrates the inextricable link between fashion and music, a relationship that is more relevant today than ever before,” said Richard Beckman, CEO of Three Lions Entertainment, which is producing the special with Don Mischer Productions. “For the first time we’ll air the event live during Fashion Week from Barclays Center. It will be a spectacular affair, featuring some of the world’s most talented musicians as well as today’s hottest fashions.”
“I’m always excited to be a part of live events, and FASHION ROCKS combines three of my favorite things – music, fashion and New York City,” said Ryan Seacrest. “I’m looking forward to working with CBS, Three Lions Entertainment and Don Mischer to make it an amazing and memorable night.”
Ryan Seacrest is the Emmy Award-nominated host of the primetime talent showcase “American Idol.” Also, he serves as host and executive producer of the annual New Year’s Eve program “Dick Clark’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest.” On radio, Seacrest is host of “On Air with Ryan Seacrest,” his #1 nationally syndicated LA morning drive-time show, as well as a nationally syndicated Top 40 radio show.
Seacrest launched Ryan Seacrest Productions (RSP) in 2006, which has since become an Emmy-winning entertainment production company creating unscripted, scripted and digital programming. Currently, RSP produces the hit series “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” and spin-off “Kourtney and Khloe Take the Hamptons,” “Shahs of Sunset,” “How I Rock It,” “Webheads,” “The Speegle Life” and the upcoming drama series “Shades of Blue,” starring Jennifer Lopez. The company also produced the Emmy Award-winning reality series “Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution.”
Seacrest will launch a tailored men’s clothing and accessories collection, Ryan Seacrest Distinction, at Macy’s this fall.
Seacrest’s philanthropic efforts are focused on youth-oriented initiatives, including serving as Chairman of the Ryan Seacrest Foundation and Honorary Chair of the Grammy Foundation. The Ryan Seacrest Foundation has opened seven broadcast media centers – Seacrest Studios – in pediatric hospitals in cities across the country, including Atlanta, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Dallas, Denver, Orange County, Calif., and Philadelphia, with more on the way in 2014. He is also on the board of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA).
Tickets will go on sale beginning Friday, August 1, at 10:00 AM, ET and can be purchased online via Ticketmaster by visiting www.barclayscenter.com or www.ticketmaster.com, or by calling 800-745-3000. Tickets can also be purchased at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center beginning Saturday, August 2 at noon (if tickets are still available). For information on individual suites, please call 718-BK-SUITE.
American Express® Card Members can purchase tickets before the general public beginning on Monday, July 28 at 10:00 AM through Thursday, July 31 at 10:00 PM.
FASHION ROCKS is a production of Three Lions Entertainment in association with Don Mischer Productions. Richard Beckman, CEO of Three Lions Entertainment, Don Mischer and Ryan Seacrest are the executive producers.
The special previously aired on CBS in 2008.
Audio samples of all the tracks that are set to appear on "Space Invader" can be streamed at Amazon.co.uk.
This week Aaron and Chris dissect and spin their Top 10 favorite KISS guitar solos. Aaron takes the Ace Frehley route for his list and Chris pulls his 10 favorite from the combined tenure of Vinnie Vincent, Mark St. John, Bruce Kulick, and Tommy Thayer. There's some very interesting and unexpected picks.
But Simmons, who will co-headline Wednesday at the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheater with Def Leppard, is more than willing to talk about refusing to play the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction concert, why Run-D.M.C. doesn't belong in the Hall, and he offers advice for the last true rock star.
Q: You act as if all of the media is against you. That's not so. In fact, I had the same experience Tom Morello, who eloquently inducted you into the Rock Hall, had. KISS was my first concert and initial visceral music experience.
A: Now look at you; you're a big journalist.
Q: I don't know about big, although I had a huge breakfast. A generation ago it was all about rock and Creem magazine.
A: Journalism was in a healthier state then. The Internet has made journalism more cold.
Q: You could say the same thing about music.
A: You could. I agree.
Q: Morello nailed it while inducting you. It was as if he was 12 years old again.
A: It was a tour de force. I was blown away.
Q: How was Morello selected?
A: He was not selected. Tom is connected with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame board and he kept pulling on (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame co-founder) Jann Wenner's tie, and we were inducted. But how can you have Madonna, Run-D.M.C. and Blondie in the hall. KISS is one of the most influential bands ever. Jann Wenner is just not a fan. Not everybody likes Jesus, either. We have no reason to complain. We're the luckiest sons of bitches to walk the face of the Earth. If the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame added us or didn't, it didn't matter to us. We only did the induction with Ace and Peter because the fans wanted it. But it was a slap in the face that they didn't acknowledge (guitarist) Tommy Thayer and (drummer) Eric (Singer). They've been in the band longer than Ace (Frehley) and Peter (Criss). If the Grateful Dead can have 10 members in and out of the band and a lyricist, who was never in the band in the Hall, how can you explain that? Or how can the E Street Band get inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? The E Street Band? Well, then why not the Silver Bullet Band or the Heartbreakers. I don't get it.
Q: What do you think about all of the hip-hop artists in the Hall?
A: The idea of Run-D.M.C. and other rap acts inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is the height of ridiculousness. If KISS was inducted into the Rap Hall of Fame people would say, 'Man, that's crazy.' Exactly. KISS ain't hip-hop, and Run-D.M.C. ain't rock. They don't belong in the Rock Hall.
Q: KISS was the only band that refused to perform at the April Induction. If they let you play with Tommy and Eric, as well as Ace and Peter, would you have taken the stage?
A: I suggested it, but they turned me down.
Q: How can you beat the system?
A: Well, I was thinking of buying the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Q: If anyone in rock could afford it, it would be you. How much is the Hall worth to you?
A: It almost doesn't matter (laughs). Almost.
Q: How would you change it?
A: The first thing I would do is move the bodies buried in the wrong place. I would bury them in the right place. I would put Run-D.M.C., who I believe are very good, and the rest of hip-hop into the Hip-Hop Hall of Fame. I would take Madonna and Donna Summer, who was a dear friend, and put them in the Disco or Dance Hall of Fame. I would put Deep Purple in the Hall. The fact that Blondie got in before Humble Pie is crazy.
Q: Why wouldn't you field any questions after being inducted?
A: There was nothing to say (to the media) after we made our speeches.
Q: How did you feel about Ace speaking to the media after you posed for photos as a group?
A: I wasn't there. We left early. ... His demons are his own. He leads a Jekyll and Hyde sort of existence. He has a new album coming out, and I wish him well. I wish Peter (Criss) well, too.
Q: If they ever cleaned up their act would you …
A: Not a chance. We've already danced that dance three different times. No way will we reunite. It wouldn't be fair to Tommy and Eric. It wouldn't be right.
Q: KISS was slammed back in the day for turning rock into a circus, but pyro is part of so many big shows.
A: Absolutely. If you see Garth (Brooks), Paul McCartney and the Rolling Stones, you get pyro. Where do you think that came from, Air Supply? We started doing that stuff, and they (the arbiters of taste) hated it. We didn't care. We wanted to combine all the thrills and put them on stage. Rock is renegade music. They all caught up with us though. The Dead came out with the cherry vanilla ice cream (Cherry Garcia). So the hippies even came around.
Q: Whatever happened to the rock star?
A: It disappeared like the dinosaur. I would love it if (Lady) Gaga, who was the only real rock star two-years ago, would rock out. It would take King Kong size balls if she came out with her next album and made a stripped down rock record with no tapes, no Vegas dancers and just go and kick disco in the nuts. Get the tapes and the male strippers off the stage. They're not musicians.
Q: Gaga's shows have no momentum. She pontificates between every other song.
A: That's why I think a rock show would be the best thing for her. Go up there on a roller coaster and you don't get a chance to catch your breath until the end. Less is more.
Q: Less is more is the most unlikely phrase to ever leave your lips. What has ever been less than more at a KISS show?
A: We wanted to do a show with much more pyro this tour, so I guess less is more for us in that manner.
Q: How long can KISS exist as a touring band?
A: We can't do what the Stones do. They're in their 70s. Charlie (Watts) is 73 and sits on a chair. They perform in sneakers and T-shirts. I have 50 pounds of gear on. We have a few tours in us, though but we won't be doing this in our 70s.
Q: You stand out in an era when you sport gargoyle gear and other bands dress like they're hanging at the corner bar.
A: We do, but I guess what we do isn't for everyone. I love U2 but I don't think the Edge would look right in a cape. It wouldn't look good on him.
Back in 2007, Wagner suffered a serious heart attack but made a full recovery and returned to the stage five years later.
Dick was most notably the guitarist and co-writer of many of Alice Cooper's biggest hits but was also featured on KISS' "Destroyer" and AEROSMITH's "Get Your Wings".
Wagner was Alice Cooper's right-hand man on the albums "Welcome To My Nightmare", "Goes To Hell", "Lace And Whiskey", "From The Inside" and "DaDa", helping in songwriting, composing, production and playing lead guitar. He also contributed to the making of "School's Out", "Billion Dollar Babies", "Muscle Of Love", "Hey Stoopid", and Alice Cooper's latest album, "Welcome 2 My Nightmare".
Kiss, which has used a variant of that line in its introductions for more than 35 years, will play a nine-show Sin City residency this fall. Kiss Rocks Vegas brings the self-proclaimed "hottest band in the land" to The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino beginning Nov. 5.
"Whatever you're used to with Kiss, this will pump it up that much more," says guitarist Paul Stanley. "If Kiss is on steroids, this is a double dose."
Tickets for Kiss Rocks Vegas will start at $49.50 and go on sale Friday at AXS.com.
Vegas Hard Rock spent more than a year trying to book a Kiss residency, says Chas Smith, vice president of entertainment. The Joint previously has hosted extended stays by Santana, Motley Crue, Guns N' Roses, Def Leppard and Tiësto.
He's preparing the Hard Rock for a full-scale Kiss Army invasion. "The activation will encompass the entire property for the month they're out here — from the performances onstage to wrapping the hotel with Kiss stuff to having team members wearing Kiss shirts," Smith says.
Under the Kiss Rocks Vegas configuration, The Joint will seat about 3,200.
"Usually, going into a smaller venue means eliminating things," Stanley says. "The great thing about going into The Joint, it gives us the opportunity to add. Much in the same way as a Broadway show, when you have a permanent installation, you're not breaking down every night to travel. So we can do things we wouldn't normally do."
For the Vegas shows, Kiss will have a stage production "that's different from what they're touring with and make it one of a kind," says Smith, who is in discussions with members of the Kiss production team. "That's really exciting, considering what Kiss has done in the past. They've got some crazy ideas for what they want to do in this venue. In a smaller environment, doing some of those elements will almost make it like a 3-D atmosphere."
The set for the residency will incorporate elements of the "spider stage" the group is using on its current co-headlining tour with Def Leppard. "That being said, it's not going to be that show," Stanley says. "Here, we're in the enviable position of being able to do a Kiss show that we haven't been able to do. We will pack 10 pounds of gunpowder into a 5-pound bag."
Since 2000, Kiss, which consists of founding members Stanley and bassist Gene Simmons, along with guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer, has sold more than 3 million tickets, and its tours have grossed roughly $200 million, according to Billboard Boxscores.
The band released its first album in 1974 and has been celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. In addition to being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April, it released a two-disc anthology, Kiss 40, in May. The North American tour with Def Leppard ends Aug. 31. The residency at The Joint begins the day after the end of Kiss Kruise IV, a five-day Bahamian cruise.
"We're used to riding the Kiss beast," Stanley says. "Sometimes, we just hold on, and it takes us where we're going.
"Anybody who sees the band sees four guys reveling in the smoke and fire. Every time we hit the stage, it's a victory lap. It's a race that's never over, but it's a race that we continue to win."
'KISS ROCKS VEGAS' DATES:
Nov. 5
Nov. 7
Nov. 8
Nov. 12
Nov. 14
Nov. 15
Nov. 19
Nov. 22
Nov. 23
“Why did you dump your best friend who became a crack addict and a loser?” Simmons replied. “We love and respect those guys, [but] they succumbed to the cliché of clichés: drugs and alcohol.” Yanking out a sports metaphor, he added, “If you pass the ball … and they can’t see the goal, they’ve got to leave.”
Stanley added that being a band member “is not a birthright. If you are compromised by drugs and alcohol, you don’t deserve to be on the team.”
There was another metaphor from Simmons about changing a flat tire, but time to move on to the rationale behind 4th And Loud, which the AMC announced will premiere at 9 p.m. Tuesday, August 12. The series will follow team owners Stanley and Simmons, along with additional owners — longtime Kiss manager Doc McGhee, managing partner/owner Brett Bouchy, and president-owner Schuyler Hoversten,– as they and the players and coaches work to turn LA’s first professional football team in years into a winning franchise.
“What we’ve brought to rock ’n’ roll we want to bring to sport,” said Stanley. The pair said their plan is to elevate arena football with spectacle, affordable ticket prices and an opportunity for family fun. “ We want to envelop you and pummel you.”
For example: Cheerleaders. In traditional sports, Simmons thinks cheerleaders “have become rather sexless. “We wanted to have girls who are not the girl next door but the girl you wish was next door,” he said.
Of course there are T-shirts and eventually there will be bobbleheads and all sorts of ancillary stuff, the pair said. But ultimately they are all about developing the sport of arena football in pro football-less Los Angeles.
The band members drew the line at having the players wear Kiss makeup. “Integrity isn’t just a big word like gymnasium,” said Simmons, already a veteran of the reality TV game. “These are semantics, but I’m not anti-semantic,” he added by way of a joke. Makeup would get in the way of playing legitimate football, he said. But Simmons added that the show will be football with “all the bells and whistles than make Kiss the iconic band of all time.”
"We're the Tiger Woods of golf. Before Tiger Woods, nobody cared about golf," Simmons tells the 2014 TCA press tour audience. He adds that what the show is not is an ESPN docu-series, however.
"The idea of being on AMC is a grand, whole new audience who may not be interested in the thing but we hope that they're going to be interested in the people and then fall in love with the L.A. KISS and that will benefit them and the AFL," says Simmons.
In bringing the show to TV, the goal is to combine football with what makes KISS so recognizable.
"We want the football to be legitimate and around it, we'll give you all the bells and whistles that makes KISS the most iconic band of all time," says Simmons. Stanley adds, "It's no secret that going to a sporting event nowadays means you have to either mortgage your home or sell your car ... we wanted to bring it down to where there's a $99 season ticket, where it hearkens back to a time where you went to a game and experienced something that was wholesome."
But not too wholesome, because Simmons says they want to get away from the "sexless" cheerleaders you often see nowadays at sporting events. The L.A. KISS cheerleaders are "not the girl-next-door, the girl you wish was next door."
Likewise, the team itself is much more rock 'n roll than a regular football team. "The uniforms hearken more to Marvel superheroes than athleticism," says Stanley. "This is arena football, this is much more in-your-face. Fans have a real chance for a player to land in their laps. There are no sidelines, it's a high-scoring game."
"4th and Loud" premieres Tuesday, Aug. 12 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on AMC.
Her style and everything she represents was pretty much the polar opposite of Gene Simmons, the misogynistic bass player for Kiss who was always as short on sweet grooves as he was long on tongue. So it’s pretty funny to see her giving Gene a bass lesson in this outtake from the 2012 documentary “Sample This.”
She’s clearly the superior player. After watching Carol noodle Gene eagerly asks her to teach him how to play a particular lick. He’s not exactly an ace student, but it’s fun seeing a rock star with that much unbridled enthusiasm on his instrument. (Video)
Yahoo and Live Nation Entertainment today announced the initial artist lineup for the new Live Nation Channel on Yahoo Screen -- providing fans with a free, all-access front row seat to a new live concert every day, all year long.
In additon to KISS, the Live Nation channel will also feature special performances including:
•A Very Special Evening with Dave Matthews Band at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena.
• John Legend performing Marvin Gaye's classic album, "What's Going On" in its entirety, with Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings and the Los Angeles Philharmonic live from the Hollywood Bowl; and
• Justin Timberlake and the Tennessee Kids performing their first ever concert in Reykjavik, Iceland.
The Live Nation Channel on Yahoo Screen is part of the Yahoo Live experience, which also features instant sports highlights, stats and analysis, as well as live coverage of the hottest red carpet moments and blockbuster premieres. For more information and to view the calendar of upcoming live performances, visit yahoo.com/live.
"Space Invader" European track listings:
Limited digipack CD including 2 bonus tracks and poster
01. Space Invader
02. Gimme A Feelin' (radio edit)
03. I Wanna Hold You
04. Change
05. Toys
06. Immortal Pleasures
07. Inside The Vortex
08. What Every Girl Wants
09. Past The Milky Way
10. Reckless
11. The Joker
12. Starship
Bonus tracks:
13. The Joker (extended version)
14. Reckless (different remix version)
Standard Version
01. Space Invader
02. Gimme A Feelin' (radio edit)
03. I Wanna Hold You
04. Change
05. Toys
06. Immortal Pleasures
07. Inside The Vortex
08. What Every Girl Wants
09. Past The Milky Way
10. Reckless
11. The Joker
12. Starship
2 LP gatefold version including 4 bonus tracks, coloured vinyl, printed innersleeves
Side 1
01. Space Invader
02. Gimme A Feelin' (radio edit)
03. I Wanna Hold You
04. Change
Side 2
01. Toys
02. Immortal Pleasures
03. Inside The Vortex
04. What Every Girl Wants
Side 3
01. Past The Milky Way
02. Reckless
03. The Joker
04. Starship
Side 4 (bonus tracks)
01. The Joker (extended version)
02. Reckless (different remix version)
03. Space Invader (radio edit)
04. Gimme A Feelin' (explicit version)
Their painted faces mesmerized me, and I devoured their TV movie Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park. Starchild, Space Ace, Catman and, my personal favorite, the Demon battling evil robot doppelgängers: they were my superheroes.
They were a lot people's superheroes. "There are more people than I can count that have KISS tattoos," said Paul Stanley in a recent press conference with journalists from across the country and Canada. "That's like being a lifer in the Army. Anybody can put on a uniform and take it off, but when you tattoo yourself, you're in it for the long haul. So that's an incredible sign of dedication."
These "lifers" are part of the "KISS Army." Legend has it that a mob of fans once surrounded a radio station, demanding to hear KISS. Today, their legion is innumerable. "Knights in Satan's Service" is one of their more notorious monikers. But with soldiers from four generations of fans, it's not hard to imagine why people outside of the tribe would not look fondly on a bunch of people celebrating a fire-breathing demon onstage singing about the god of thunder.
"I think you can't have the dedication we have from our fans unless they sense the same dedication to them," said Stanley. "We may not always do what fans are happy with, but we stick to our guns and do what we believe in, and it's ultimately what we think is best for the fans."
It must be working. For 40 years, grandfathers and grandmothers, fathers and mothers, sons and grandsons have been descending upon arenas and amphitheaters like a tribe to watch what some would call, "The greatest music show on earth."
And now they're bringing the greatest music show on earth to Gexa Energy Pavilion in Dallas on Saturday, July 13, as part of their 40th anniversary celebration, which also includes the release of a Paul Stanley memoir, Face the Music: A Life Exposed, and a vinyl box set, KISSTERIA, a compilation of 40 tracks, one from every major album, live selections and an unreleased demo from 1977.
"Look, the band is firing on all cylinders," Stanley said. "We're out there to do a victory lap, although the race is not over yet. There will be more races. But this is a celebration of everything we've done to date."
It will also be a celebration of the band being inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame since their newest members, guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer, weren't allowed to perform with their legendary band.
"The Rock Hall was really nothing more than a mosquito buzzing around my ear," Stanley said. "It will always be about the band, the music and our fans, and no small organization with a big name can call the shots or decide what is or what isn't valid or does or doesn't belong in the [Rock 'n' Roll] Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame, no matter who may own the name, is ultimately what the people decide is in the Hall of Fame."
This year, the band is bringing what Stanley believes is their best stage design ever. They call it "The Spider Stage" because the lights are shaped like a spider with legs that dangle toward the stage. They wanted a setup where the lights and the stage were one.
The band is also celebrating outliving the critics, proving they're not just a fly-by-night disco band. "Time tells all," Stanley said. "What's happened over time is those critics and naysayers and people who were clueless to what we were doing... We were a pure rock 'n' roll band who didn't add anything to hide what wasn't there but only added to enhance what was there. The people on the street became the critics."
This takeover includes 28 gold albums, more than 40 million of them sold in the United States alone, making them one of the world's best-selling bands of all time, a list that also showcases such legendary acts as the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley.
They are more than just a legendary band. They're iconic.
"What I remember of the first gig was that the commitment and conviction that the band had to itself in delivering what it believed was missing in music," Stanley said. "The focus, the sense of what we are and what we represent has never changed. It didn't matter whether we were playing for 20, 20,000 or 200,000 people. We are KISS. We started building a legacy at that very first show and it's never veered from that.
"Going out on our 40th anniversary tour," he continued, "is just a way to re-state who we are, put our eight-inch heels firmly back on the ground and let people know that the legend lives. Everything they heard remains true. This is a band unlike any other band and you only have to come see us to know it. When we started there were no shows like ours. Then it reached a point where many bands had 'KISS shows.' Any band with money can do a 'KISS show,' but no band can be KISS."
What will we see on this tour that we haven't seen before?
I believe that this is the best stage we've ever had. We call it the Spider Stage, because the lights are actually in the shape of a spider and dangling down onto the stage, and they move. I wanted a stage where the lights and the stage were one. So the lighting and the stage are by far the best things we've done. The band is firing on all cylinders. So between that and celebrating our 40th year, it's the victory lap. But we'll be doing more races. It's the celebration of everything we've done to this day.
What makes Def Leppard a suitable touring partner?
We've always tried to have good bands on tour with us. We want to make sure people get their money's worth, and we more than do that. So to have a night of great music, songs that you know, songs that connect with you emotionally and serve as snapshots of times in your life -- it doesn't get better than that. Anybody can set off bombs and fireworks and all the rest. That just takes money. But nobody can be Kiss. That's why we go on tour. It's a huge vindication for us and celebration for our fans. Def Leppard is a great band, and it's a great way to spend an evening over the summer.
You've been playing certain songs for decades now. Do any of them take on a different meaning now than when you first wrote them?
All of these songs are songs of victory. They're all songs of celebration that we are here 40 years later, so singing these songs is a source of incredible pride and accomplishment. Each one of those songs is a celebration of going against all odds, going against the critics, going against the people who didn't like us, and winning. These are the songs of a battle won.
What makes this Kiss tour stand out from the many other summer tours?
There are countless acts nowadays who sing on a song that was put together on a coffee table on somebody's computer, and then auto-tuned, and you know damn well that those people are not going to be able to put on a show. So many artists that have downloads in huge numbers are not those that you want to see live, because they haven't learned the craft. Those with the money put on shows with a bunch of dancers jumping over each other and a microphone that isn't turned on. And I certainly don't want this nonsense that it's impossible to dance around and sing. Tell that to the Temptations, Ike and Tina, and James Brown. It's not, "I lip-sync because you can't sing and dance around." It's "I lip-sync because I can't sing." When you come to see Kiss, you know you're seeing the real deal and something that's proven time and time again.
You were finally inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year. What was that experience like?
It was not more than a mosquito buzzing around my ear. Ultimately, it was, is, and always will be about the band, our music, and our fans. No small organization with a big name can call the shots or decide what is or isn't valid or does or doesn't belong in the Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame is ultimately about the people, so that was an interesting divergence from the heart and soul of what we do, in providing great shows and a great relationship with our fans that are more of a tribe because of how multigenerational it is. This is an organization that wanted our memorabilia so they could charge people to see it, but they didn't want us in their club.
What do you say to people who think you're all stage show and no real music?
It's unanimous and resounding: Be it rock, country, or rap, countless artists were influenced by us musically. I think people like Jan Wenner, who long ago lost any passion they once had for rock 'n' roll may miss the boat, but we are a rock band and have always been a rock band. We enhanced our music with a great show, but nobody will buy for decades music that isn't good. There were no smoke bombs or lasers inside of our albums. Those songs have stood the test of time. Anybody who fails to see that or denigrates us when they're introducing us, like Wenner did, "with their tight pants and makeup," or whatever he said, "here's Kiss" -- he's just embarrassing himself. He may have a few burnouts that share his view and snicker with him, but the joke's on him.
What was the actual evening like for the band?
It was vindicating in that it was vindicating for the fans. It's been important to them, so I wanted to share that moment, raise my statue up in the air, and say, "Yeah, we did it in spite of the people who didn't want us in, because of the people who wanted us in." For every clueless music executive, there's a list that is a who's who of music, and those are the people who want us in, and they couldn't be stopped by those who wanted us out. And those who wanted us out will also be out at some point.
How do you explain the longstanding dedication of the Kiss Army?
You can't have the kind of dedication that we've had from our fans unless they sense the same dedication coming from us to them. The only way you can be in Kiss is if you have the ultimate respect not just for the band but also for the fans, because they're intertwined. If you don't have that, then you have no place in Kiss. I think we've shown that over the years. We don't always do what makes each fan happy, but we stick to our guns and do what we believe in, and ultimately it's what's best for the fans.
Nothing compares to the Kiss Army. There are more people than I can count that have Kiss tattoos. That's like being a lifer in the army. When you tattoo yourself, you're in it for the long haul, so that's an incredible sign of dedication. And there's no army like a volunteer army.
How has the whole backstage experienced changed for the band over the years?
Clearly there was a time when backstage was hedonism at its finest. When you're given the keys to the candy store, you tend to eat a lot of candy, and I certainly had a sugar high. Over the years that obviously changed. But hopefully what floats your boat and what gets you off, the core of it stays the same. The reason the band got together was to make music. So to be able to have the privilege to go out on stage and do this 40 years later has been the constant.
I now look over to the side of the stage on certain nights and see my little ones in their pajamas, waiting for the show to be over so they can go to bed. And family, which at one point had no place in my life, or rock 'n' roll in general, has become commonplace. We've gone into a different realm of our lives. I've got a family, and the bacchanalia that was backstage at one point is not there anymore. But the celebration of life and the freedom to be who you are has never changed.
Which mobile apps do you celebrate?
1. Vivino is great when you're going to a wine store or in a restaurant. You take a quick photo of the label, and it tells you how much you should be paying and the ratings.
2. I am always trying to get better photos, so Camera+ is one of my go-to's.
3. It's all for me just practical. There's a MagnaLight, and I use that.
4. There's a FourTrack recorder for the phone that I use for the writing.
Stanley's book completes the cycle of every original member of KISS penning his own take of what happened during the iconic outfit's formative years, which at this point, is Rashomon-esque. But Stanley's book traces his personal ups-and-downs even as the chaos that encompassed KISS swirled around him and the band hit peaks and valleys along the way. We caught up with the Arena Football team owning rock star shortly before his induction in the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame to hear about his book, his insight on the band's history and what it feels like to finally be accepted by the rock elite.
You didn't waste any time jumping right into things and setting to the tone with a dark, revealing intro. Why did you decide to start the book off that way?
Because there was no other way to write it. Autobiographies, especially in the entertainment field, notoriously have a tendency to go towards self-congratulatory filler, imaginary accomplishment and stories of dubious factual basis. I had no time to waste to do that. So for years, I had no intention of writing a book. But then I started thinking that my life could possibly inspire somebody else, and could give someone else some hope or reinforcement and I'd like to write a book that my kids could read as they get older to understand what it took for me to become successful. That was the redeeming goal that made me want to write a book. It was the idea of being able to reach out and do something for other people including giving my children a better sense of who I am.
You're the last of the original KISS members to pen his own autobiography. Did that, in any way, have anything to do with the timing of the writing?
I think those other books, from what I've seen, veer from complete fantasy to distortion of reality. In two of those cases, it has to do with the reality that defense lawyers don't like to put drug addicts or alcoholics on the witness stand. Now when I say drug addict or alcoholic, it doesn't mean they currently are, but in any 12-step program, they'll tell you it goes on forever and it's a permanent illness. At its worst, it certainly distorts your thinking and perception of reality. So two of those books you have to take off right away. I think Gene's book was a bit focused more on a different area. I'm not looking to commend myself for what I've done, or what I've supposedly have done. All I was looking to do is document my life how I see it. It's not a book about KISS, though KISS is a part of it. The feedback I've had so far, and I've had some very reputable people read it, could give a rat's ass about KISS. But it's the inspirational and human element of the book that is more gripping and inspiring than anything else.
When you went into your childhood, it was deep and vivid, especially about the insecurities and emotional abuse you went through. Was it hard to rehash those memories and relive those moments?
I've been told that the book is brave and I've heard people say when I started writing it that it was going to be difficult and emotionally taxing. The fact of the matter is that I don't find it brave because it has a happy ending. I couldn't have written the book if I was still stuck there. For me, I found the book enjoyable to write. It wrapped up all of the loose ends for me and I'm acutely aware of my life and what's gone on so with no revelations it was a way of telling the story in a way that I thought people might be able to identify with. I think it's interesting for people to see somebody who they might hold in high esteem or look up to or idolize or pick whatever term you want, that is just as human as they are. The problems are the same and ultimately the solutions are the same.
What is it like driving down Sunset Blvd. and seeing the congratulatory billboard commemorating KISS selling one million copies of Alive!? Considering all you had been through to that point, between skipping school and hanging out by the guitar shops, was it the proverbial "Holy Shit!" moment or was it "okay, let's keep this thing moving?"
Of course it's holy shit how far have I come, not where I want to go yet. I've always maintained the drive to achieve and by 1975-1976, I hadn't felt like I scaled a mountain.
Fans may be surprised to learn of the amount of internal strife that was occurring during those years as well. You outline a number of incidents where you were fed up with different members of the band at various times, like Peter Criss going on a racist rant at a Chinese restaurant and quitting the band for a few days and crawl back as an example. Did you feel the need to take the firm ground with everyone early to keep your eyes focused on building a better band?
He didn't crawl back. He swallowed his pride and pseudo machismo and came back. But part of the dynamic of the band was to have to pragmatically deal with the fact that two of the guys were often times more interested in sabotaging the band, sabotaging Gene and I, than doing the right thing. And they (Criss and guitarist Ace Frehley) also wanted equal say when they didn't do equal work. Part of what we gave the public was the myth that the four of us did everything together and contributed equally. That was something we wanted to maintain in the spirit of the bands that we loved and pictured doing that. The problem was that the guys in the band began to believe it themselves!
And that's where the cracks began to form?
The cracks began when we met. (laughs) The chemistry and combustibility in the band is what makes it exciting and is also the cause of its demise.
Yet you and Gene have endured from your early days to now. What's it about you guys, considering you're opposite personalities, that keeps you guys together and allows you to maintain that friendship and brotherhood over 40 years later?
It's hard to define and distinguish between friendship and brotherhood. I certainly see him as a brother, although we don't always agree on how to treat your brother. At the end of the day, I know he will be there for me and me for him. My issues have always been more rooted in participating evenly and equally and still ending up with a equal share of money. I didn't want it with Peter and Ace, why would I want it with Gene? He wasn't doing his job and he was off doing other things and being paid for those things. I felt like if he's wasn't going to do his job and gonna go elsewhere. It was like he took less here or he gave me some of what he was doing elsewhere. That was an ongoing problem. But look, at this point we made the life for each other that each of us could only have dreamed of, and those lives have very little in common. I'm sure Gene would no more want to live my life than I live his. But there's a bond there because we made it possible for each of us.
What does it mean for you to get inducted into the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame after waiting 15 years for that call? Does the Hall's exerting over which members get inducted put a dark cloud, especially with the former band members putting up a stink, of the importance and significance of this crowning achievement?
Dark cloud? I see this whole thing as sunshine, and that's the key to success. There's no dark cloud here. We're inducted into the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame, an organization that clearly seems to despise us and yet it's reached a point where it's so ludicrous that they had to induct us. Who they choose or don't choose is an injustice, but the fact remains we're inducted and whatever strife or ongoing spats we have with former members doesn't matter. We're here 40 years later and if you look at any pictures from the last tour, we're playing to 15-50-75-100,000 people a night. Our victory lap is years on and we've won.
He continued: "I think [Tommy and Eric] should be able to do whatever they want. I don't fault them at all for it.
"It's bullshit music, no one cares. It's not overly important. No music is.
"Music is an extra. It's an extra thing you do in your life. It's not really important. So I take stuff like that with a grain of salt."
Back in April, former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach told Ultimate Classic Rock that he understood why Simmons and Stanley refused to only perform with Frehley and Criss at KISS' induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
"As a fan, I understand why people would want to see that," Bach said. "But as a 46-year old man that has worked with Gene Simmons and Ace Frehley, I understand why Gene Simmons doesn't work with Ace Frehley."
Bach added cryptically: "Ace has sides to him that maybe the fans don't see. That's all I can say." Sebastian also revealed that he is currently working on an autobiography that will contain stories in it which "will explain more of that topic." He concluded by saying, "I understand why Gene doesn't play with [Ace]."
Bach and Frehley worked together on the track "Know Where You Go" for drummer Anton Fig's solo album "Figments", which came out in 2002. At the time, Bach said that recording with Ace and Anton was "a dream come true and an honor."
During a February 2014 interview on Cleveland's WMMS-FM radio station, ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian also weighed in on KISS' Rock Hall controversy, saying "I'm a fan, just like everyone else, and would I wanna see, if I was going … the four original dudes back in makeup one more time? Of course I would, as a fan," he said. "But bands don't do things dictated by what the audience wants. A band would last about a year if that's how you worked. You have to do things the way you wanna do them."
Ian continued: "KISS has been around for 40 years and are bigger now than they were in 1977 because Gene and Paul make smart decisions — that's why. So, as a fan, and if you love them, you have to abide by the decisions that Gene and Paul are making for their brand and their band. So, why people get so upset over these things, I really don't understand.
"I think they made the right decision by saying, 'We're just not gonna play. You can't please everybody. We're just gonna shut it down and just not do it.' I get it. I understand."
"4th and Loud" is produced by Thinkfactory Media (Gene Simmons Family Jewels, Hatfields & McCoys), with Adam Freeman, Adam Reed, Chris Gillen, Erin Kelly and Leslie Greif serving as executive producers.
Peter Criss, the former drummer for Kiss, has signed on to be an honorary chairman of 10,000 Hot Dogs, a summer-long benefit for the FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean counties.
"Summer time is fun on a bun," said Criss, a resident of Wall, in a statement. "Help us feed our community and feed the hungry."
The 10,000 Hot Dogs kickoff featured a concert by Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes atop of the iconic WindMill restaurant in Long Branch on May 23. Johnny and the Jukes performed for a half-hour and crammed in hits like "I Don't Want to Go Home," "The Fever," "Havin' a Party" and more.
Customers who make a $5 donation at the WindMill through Labor Day via the Website 10000hotdogs.com or by texting "hotdog" to 41444 will help the FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties deliver 15 meals to those in need this summer. Also, hot dog maker Sabrett will donate up to 10,000 hot dogs, matching each $5 donation with a goal of raising $50,000. That would mean 160,000 meals for Monmouth and Ocean counties families.
Other honorary chairpersons include Shelli Sonstein, co-host of the Q104.3-FM "Rock and Roll Morning Show;" Rich Russo, host of the "Anything, Anything" radio show heard Sunday nights on WRAT 75.9-FM; Joe Klecko, former New York Jets great; and Southside Johnny Lyon.
"One of our original goals was to bring together local people to help raise awareness and dollars for the FoodBank," said Rena Levine Levy, CEO of the WindMill Restaurants, in a statement.
KISS and Def Leppard launched their new Tour in a big way last night in Salt Lake City. The bands set an attendance record at the USANA Amphitheatre with a SOLD OUT crowd of over 20,000!
We release this episode on the anniversary of the passing of Mick Campese. June, 18th 2013. We dedicate this episode to you.
Find the original KISS Road crew on Face Book or online at theoriginalkisskrew.com.
You wanted the best, and you got the best! The NFL Films tradition of covering rock ‘n roll continues, this time with KISS! We’ve shot the masked quartet during their Super Bowl XXXIII performance, and again when Gene Simmons sang the National Anthem at the 2013 NFL International Series game between the Vikings and Steelers in London. But this fall we’ll present our first short film exclusively on the band.
The forthcoming feature will be part of the NFL Films Presents series, which comes to Fox Sports 1 this football season. In this film you’ll see KISS on and off stage during their 40th anniversary tour, and get an inside look at how “the hottest band in the world” brought professional football back to Los Angeles through their ownership of the expansion LA KISS Arena Football League team. Tune in to see the fire and fury of the LA KISS in their inaugural season of action, as captured in classic NFL Films style.
NFL Films Presents: LA KISS will be produced by Tom Brant and directed by Chris Weaver. Follow @NFLFilms and @WeaverNFLF on Twitter for updates, including air-dates and times, and exclusive photos and content.
Official book description: "The quintessential self-made man, master of brand identity, New York Times bestselling author, and award-winning executive — KISS' Gene Simmons —shares his manifesto for business success.
"KISS did not become one of the most successful rock bands in history by accident. Long before they first took the stage, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley had a clear-cut operating plan for their business. Over the past forty years, KISS has sold over 100 million CDs and DVDs worldwide and manages over 3,000 licensed merchandise items. In addition to KISS, Simmons' lucrative ventures include two hit reality shows, a professional sports team, a restaurant chain, and a record company. A recipient of the Forbes lifetime achievement award, this brilliant executive runs all of his businesses on his own — no personal assistant, few handlers, and as little red tape as possible.
"In 'Me, Inc.', the marketing and finance wizard gives aspiring entrepreneurs the critical tools they need to succeed. Simmons teaches you how to build a solid business strategy, harness the countless tools available in the digital age, network like hell, and be the architect for the business entity that is you. Inspired by 'The Art Of War', 'Me, Inc.' is organized around thirteen specific, easy-to-understand principles for success, drawn from Simmons' own triumphs and failures. From finding the confidence necessary to get started, to surrounding yourself with the right people, to knowing when to pull the plug and when to double-down, these principles can help you attain the freedom and wealth of your dreams."
Although Simmons has long portrayed himself as the brains behind KISS, his bandmate Paul Stanley's memoir, "Face The Music: A Life Exposed", paints a different picture, with Stanley claiming that Simmons was always more concerned with the Gene Simmons business. According to Keith Spera's review of "Face The Music" in The Times-Picayune, Paul writes in the book that he, along with his therapist at the time, realized in the 1980s that KISS' financial managers were acting in bad faith. Other managers — not Simmons — encouraged diversification into a wide and lucrative range of merchandising opportunities.
"I saw the term 'marketing genius' used in reference to Gene quite frequently .?.?. [and] it turned my stomach," Stanley wrote of Simmons. "Neither Gene nor I has had an active hand in any significant deals.
"He was no marketing genius. He just took credit for things. It was unwarranted, selfish, and hurtful, and there was no way to excuse it. Calculated strategist? Sure. Genius? No."
Despite the barbs directed at Simmons, Stanley said in a recent interview that his longtime bandmate and business partner "had no arguments with" the comments Paul made in "Face The Music". "We've always been very honest with each other," insisted Stanley.
The guy selling the car is not Paul Stanley, but he does have an epic mop of long blond hair and a kickass Kiss T-shirt. He also throws in a couple rock-out/devil-horn hands for good measure. We’re going to guess he was in a local hair metal band at one time.
This car will set you back $34,900, which might or might not be a good deal, depending on how many miles are on the car. We found some high mileage examples on eBay Motors for well below that asking price. Of course, none of those was owned by the Starchild or featured in the video for “Reason to Live.”
The 1988 928 began life with 316 hp from its 5.0-liter engine. Now, at 26 years old, it’s probably less than that. Hagerty has its average value listed at $15,434.
After a few minutes of Kiss’s “Reason to Live” in the sales video, the seller displays the title, the receipt from the paint job and some other papers noting the car’s rock ‘n’ roll provenance. He then fires up the car and revs it a bit.
You can email the seller at kbmasonry@gmail.com. Please, somebody buy this, and then sell it again with a video that’s even better.
In this week's new episode of Metalhead to Head, former KISS guitarist and current solo artist Ace Frehley meets up with Savatage and Trans-Siberian Orchestra guitarist Chris Caffery! Watch Part 1 of the new episode above and Part 2 below.
Caffery, who also began a solo career and has released three albums on his own since 2004, admits early on that the first record he ever purchased was KISS's breakthrough 1975 record, Alive! Frehley notes that it was "the record that made KISS" and notes Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin as influential artists in his early years of playing.
"I get it all the time: 'I play guitar because of you!'" Frehley says. "But I play guitar because of Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page."
It’s rare to see anyone break the endless cycle of launches that end in immediate obscurity. That’s why the hard rock band Kiss’ 40th anniversary is so impressive.
Yes, there are important business lessons to be learned everywhere, even when they involve levitating drum sets and strapped leather outfits. Kiss . . . has something special.
Their success defies logic. Most rock bands from the 70s are long gone, but Kiss just keeps getting stronger. They’ve sold more than 100 million records and have the most gold albums of any American rock band—ever.
So what’s their secret? And more importantly, how can we apply that secret to keep our businesses and brands from getting run over by the next fresh crop of entrepreneurs?
The answer: it’s all about identity.
I stumbled across the secret in an interview that Kiss bassist/vocalist did for The Toronto Sun. “A long time ago we decided not to try to be everything to everybody,” Simmons is quoted as saying, in response to a question about the band’s incredible longevity. “What we are is what we are . . . We’re a showy band that plays non-showy music.”
Kiss found their identity early on in the band’s life and decided to nurture it. They’re a “. . . showy band that plays non-showy music,” and they’re okay with that. If they weren’t, there’s no way Gene Simmons would still be running around in high heels—gimmicks don’t last that long.
Their identity is strong because it is built on what the band is, not where they sit in relation to other musicians. They know that the only thing that they can control is their contribution to the market, not the entirety of the market itself. Instead of trying to beat the competition, they devote all of their energy to putting on a show and producing the best musical product that they can.
Whether the members of Kiss knew this when they were getting started is unclear. But what is clear is that while the bands defined by their place in the market have come and gone, Kiss has always persevered. They’ve become one of the landmarks of the music world, a band by which other musicians can measure themselves. They’re like Ford or Microsoft MSFT +0.51%, shaping the market instead of being shaped by it.
It’s working for them. Here’s how that applies to you:
When you define your brand in terms of the market that it’s in, you doom it to eventual obsolescence. Markets change, after all! Are you the cheapest? Someone will figure out how to do it cheaper. The fastest? Someone will become faster. The most luxurious? Someone will find a way to squeeze even more caviar into that private amphibious rocket ship. The branding rat race is a losing game.
However, when you define your brand by the things that make it unique instead of focusing on where it sits in the market, you’re laying the groundwork for something real and long-lasting. As people get to know you, and what makes your brand stand apart, they start to care about what you do. You start to attract the kind of customers that you want—the kind that will still be coming to your shows in 40 years, the kind that will eventually be buying those Kiss-themed caskets for their grandparents.
And if your brand’s identity can stand on its own, no one will ever be able to beat you at it. There’s never going to be a band that can say, “We’re more like Kiss than Kiss is!” They might be louder, faster, flashier, younger, sexier, etc., but it doesn’t matter—they’ll never beat Kiss at being themselves.
Don’t get me wrong—speed, price point, value, quality, etc., are all important. You can’t just ignore the marketplace, set out what you have to offer, and experience instant success. Pay attention to all of those things when you’re designing your offer.
But a price point is not a brand. If you want to build a success story the way that Kiss has, then you’ll need to have something more. Your brand needs to have a unique, compelling identity at its core, something that can sustain it for the years ahead. You need something both timeless and compelling, like “. . . a showy band that plays non-showy music.”
Find that, and your brand will still be strutting around on stage in 40 years with wild makeup and four-inch heels.
Simmons learned that lesson at 13. Today, at 64, he and his band mates have proven just how far that nugget of wisdom can be taken. Simmons might be famous for his fire-spitting, serpent-tongued stage persona, but a big part of his $300 million fortune has come not from playing but licensing.
To date, Kiss has stamped its name and likenesses on an estimated 3,000 products—not just the predictable concert swag like T-shirts and belt buckles, but also beer, condoms, slot machines, a miniature golf course, a restaurant chain, a Hello Kitty franchise and even a branded coffin (the “Kiss Kasket”). As guitarist Paul Stanley unabashedly put it, “We will put our brand on anything.”
But as the ads here suggest, there’s more going on behind Kiss’ branding than the mere printing of money. Licensing 101 teaches that even the most inveterate name slappers observe some limits. Martha Stewart might endorse scores of home products but probably not a brand of motor oil. So how can a bunch of rockers who usually hawk clutter like $7 Johnny Lightning die-cast cars (shown in this 1998 ad) also manage to strike a pose for designer John Varvatos, whose suits (shown in this 2014 ad) sell for $895 at Nordstrom?
“Kiss is sliding up the scale, and it’s interesting that they’ve been able to do that,” noted Chris Raih, founder and managing director of Los Angeles-based marketing firm Zambezi. Raih attributes the veteran rock band’s plasticity—its rare ability to endorse lowbrow and high—to several factors. One is the seven-year run of A&E’s Gene Simmons Family Jewels, which revealed the oversexed rocker to be an articulate family man whose kids attended private schools. “The show mellowed his image,” Raih said.
There’s also a burnishing that happens with the passage of time, especially when it comes to rock bands. Acts that were the stuff of parental nightmares 30 years ago have today become familiar, whimsical tokens of lost adolescence. Finally, Raih points out, Kiss has always “embraced the fact that they’re caricatures of themselves,” as willing to poke fun of their makeup and platform boots as their critics. That understanding gives this otherwise sleek Varvatos ad its dusting of humor.
In fact, for all the Kiss fans who grumble over the band’s commercialism, even the grousing has a hint of admiration in it. After all, the band is still making money and still playing rock—and what’s more American than that, damn it?
“Behind all the makeup and the shenanigans,” Raih said, “these guys know what they’re doing.”
When this 1998 ad appeared, Kiss had already been stamping its name on merchandise for over 20 years. That most of the merch had basically nothing to do with music wasn’t an impediment. Raih said the band understood that they were more about image than anything else and used that fact as an opportunity. “It allowed them to enter into deals less selectively,” he said, “and play all along the spectrum.”
(Photo) 1. Grayscale and gritty, this Brooklyn backdrop is an aesthetic nod to Kiss’ 1975 album, Dressed to Kill, which also featured the band in suits and was shot in New York. Only older viewers will get the reference, but the ad works without it, too.
2. Paul Stanley’s signature, sex-filled stare gives Varvatos’ suits a decided edge. Or, as Raih put it: “Kiss gives him rock ‘n’ roll authenticity.” Such a thing isn’t easy to buy, but if any band has it for sale, it’s Kiss.
3. Growing up in 1970s Detroit, Varvatos was “obsessed by the whole music thing” and has since dressed several rock gods, including Iggy Pop. But landing “super heroes” Gene, Paul, Ace and Peter was, Varvatos said, the high point of his career.
Changes for this tour: "I believe this is the greatest and the best stage that we’ve ever had... We call it the spider stage, because the light are in shape of a spider and legs dangle down to the floor."
Residency in Vegas?: "Time tells all."
On Def Leppard: "Always tried to have great bands on tour with us. We want to make sure people get their money’s worth. A night of great music, songs that you know, that you connect with personally. Huge catalog of hits that all mean something."
Refreshing to be back to that after drama with Rock Hall?: “[Hall of Fame] was not much more than a mosquito buzzing around my ear... no small organization with a big name can call the shots ... Hall of fame is ultimately what the people decide is in the Hall of Fame. It was an interesting divergence of what we do.”
New book - Were you happy about how it turned out: “I would have to be happy about the way it turned out, because I wrote it ... It was great to document something that I believed could inspire other people.”
Loyalty of fans: “You can’t have the kind of dedication we have from fans unless they sense the same dedication [from the band]... We may not always do what makes every fan happy, but we stick to our guns. ... More people than I can count that have Kiss tattoos. That’s like being a lifer in the army... Kiss Army started on the street. No army like a Kiss army.”
Nashville: "I love what Nashville has grown into, which is an embrace of all music."
On the Information Age: "I think that certainly in all walks of life, there’s a certain mystique that is gone ... Not sure kiss could have accomplished what we did in this time ... We could make sure that photos weren't available ,,, we could create this mystique which was not unlike the mystique of Hollywood."
Tom Morello: "Saw him about 10 days ago. It was his 50th birthday. Tom was Moses in terms of having us inducted, or indicted. Tom did a stellar job."
Visit Hall of Fame?: "Up until now, I wanted little to do with it. " He said "it was an annex that wanted our memorabilia to [make money]. At this point, I would love to see it."
Fans and band: "We have outlived [the critics] and in essence have taken over."
Military: "Can't say enough about the people who served on our behalf... There's nothing corny about patriotism... You only see people going under the borders to get into this country."
Age ranges: "Source of pride for us that we can have a 6-year-old, a 16-year-old and a 60-year-old."
On loss of anonymity: "You don't complain about taxes if you win the lottery. It never was a source of stress or point of contention, but we in some ways are so much bigger now. Now we are Superman and don't have hide behind Clark Kent."
Kiss songs: "All of these songs as songs of victory, songs that celebrate our winning. That we are are here 40 years later is a source of incredible pride... These are the songs of a battle won."
Arenas vs. Sheds: "We try to be observant of low-flying planes ... It doesn't change anything because what we do comes from the heart. ... Being outside during the summer is a terrific dichotomy/contrast to what we do. We've been doing this for 40 years, the reason why people still buy tickets to see the classic acts is you know we will deliver the goods."
On autotune acts: "You know damn well they will not be able to put on a show.... Don't want to hear this nonsense that it's impossible to dance around and sing. It didn't stop the Temptations, Tina Turner, James Brown."
How big a factor was the spectacle in Hall of Fame induction: "I'm not here to defend what we've done or what we've accomplished, but it is unanimous and resounding ... countless artists were influenced by us, musically, not in terms of a stage show.... [mention Jann Wenner losing his passion for music and sarcastic intro -- "he's embarrassing himself, the joke's on him"] ... Nobody will ultimately buy for decades music that isn't good."
Hall of Fame: "It was vindicating for us, and vindicating for the fans. .. for every clueless music exec there are musicians, be it Tom Morello or Joe Perry or a list that literally is a who's who of music, those are the people who got us in.... It was the pencil pushers who wanted us out."
The "Great Kiss Off" was both a promotion for fans to come and meet the world's most theatrical rock 'n' roll band, as well as a kissing contest that took an epic 114 hours and 1 minute to settle.
The couple that outlasted 10 others from across the nation were Louise Heath and Vinnie Toro of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, where the coast-to-coast radio promotions leading up to the Schaumburg finale began.
The band KISS was there in full makeup, to meet with fans and sign autographs.
Jane Rozek, local history librarian at the Schaumburg Township District Library, has thoroughly researched the event but found no evidence the band actually performed.
Her longtime colleague at the library, Jane Davey of Hoffman Estates, was there with her 4-year-old son, Patrick, and a neighbor boy wearing a KISS belt buckle.
Davey is amused that two such young children were drawn to the event when her three teenagers were not. "I had no idea what the draw was -- I guess it was the costumes," Davey said.
Rozek's research found that the event began at noon on Saturday, June 8, with a big kickoff by WCFL radio and "Superjock" Larry Lujack.
Even at the start, some contestants fully anticipated the event would last more than 100 hours. The kissers got only a five-minute break every hour.
Over the course of days, couples began to drop out from a combination of exhaustion and feeling physically ill.
Even falling asleep wasn't necessarily a disqualifier, though, as long as couples could find a way to do so without their lips parting. Jeff and Sherry Moore of Charlotte, North Carolina, strapped their heads together with a pink plastic belt while they slept, according to the Daily Herald article of Monday, June 10.
The contest continued to draw an audience of thousands as the days went by, states a Daily Herald article dated Wednesday, June 12, 1974.
"I feel like I'm watching a bad film," said one woman with a mock look of guilt on her face.
"They ought to hold another contest, to see how long someone can watch it," said then 21-year-old Keith Steinleil of Schaumburg.
The runner-up couple of Duane and Doris Boudreaux of Houston, Texas, finally conceded to Heath and Toro at 6:01 a.m. on Thursday, June 13.
The winning couple had victory in their sights from the start, believing their yoga discipline, determination and a diet of shrimp, oranges and an occasional french fry or two would see them through.
"We'll be here as long as it takes," Heath told the Daily Herald on the second day.
The promised prize was a trip to Acapulco.
But Heath and Toro instead took the cash equivalent of $1,000.
When WCFL learned that Heath and Toro were donating their winnings to friends who'd just lost their New Jersey home in a fire, the radio station donated another Acapulco trip, Rozek said.
The nationwide contest began as a fundraiser for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.
Rozek said that according to the book, "And Party Every Day: The Inside Story of Casablanca Records" by Larry Harris, record company officials encouraged the crowd to donate money for the kids and spectators began throwing paper money from the upper level overlooking the center court of the mall.
People on the ground floor picked up the money, crumpled it up and threw it toward the stage.
In the end, about $5,000 was raised for the hospital.
Whatever happened to the relationship between Louise Heath and Vinnie Toro? Alas, we do not know. Neither could be reached for this story.
Several signs hinting at the run of shows have been spotted around Vegas, including the one seen in the tweet below.
KISS frontman Paul Stanley confirmed late last year that the band was considering a Las Vegas residency.
DEF LEPPARD, MÖTLEY CRÜE and GUNS N' ROSES have all completed successful Las Vegas rock residencies, with the latter two acts having already undertaken their second stints at the Joint.
Residencies enable venues to say they have established relationships with certain performers, who have often tailored shows specifically for the residency period.
DEF LEPPARD's 2013 three-week "Viva! Hysteria" run in Sin City included a performance of the band's greatest hits, plus their 1987 album "Hysteria" in its entirety.
GUNS N' ROSES' fall 2012 "Appetite For Democracy" shows celebrated twenty-five years of "Appetite For Destruction" and four years of "Chinese Democracy".
Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below: Video1, Video2.
Last week, Radio.com posted our interview with Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation CEO/President Joel Peresman. In it, we discussed this year’s ceremony, which included KISS frontman Paul Stanley‘s acceptance speech, including his criticism or the organization for being somewhat elitist. “The people, I believe we’re speaking to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and what they’re saying is, ‘We want more,’” Stanley said from the stage. “They want to be a part of the induction. They want to be a part of the nomination. They don’t want to be spoon-fed by a handful of people.”
Peresman told us, “That speech was the best advertisement for [pointing out that] what we did was right. He’s been almost borderline racist, not in that speech, but in other interviews talking about how hip-hop artists shouldn’t be inducted because they don’t play instruments. It’s like, ‘What are you, kidding?’”
Paul Stanley contacted us and asked to respond to Peresman’s quote earlier today (June 2). Soon, we were on the phone with him discussing his thoughts about the institution.
He rightfully felt that Peresman was attributing Gene Simmons‘s comments about hip-hop and disco artists not belonging in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to him. (Simmons told us in March, “You’ve got Grandmaster Flash in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Run-D.M.C. in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? You’re killing me! That doesn’t mean those aren’t good artists. But they don’t play guitar. They sample and they talk. Not even sing!”)
Stanley says, “Why not look at Joel Peresman’s credentials? What has he done to qualify him to run the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? What did he do? He worked at Madison Square Garden as a Vice President. Well, as far as I’m concerned, delivering newspapers doesn’t qualify you as an expert on literature.”
In our interview, Stanley did parallel Simmons’ sentiments about the kinds of acts that should be inducted into the Rock Hall, saying, “I’m the hugest Laura Nyro fan, but does Laura Nyro belong in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? I’m not so sure. I would have to say no.”
He added, of punk icon Patti Smith, “What has Patti Smith ever done besides singing a song that Bruce Springsteen wrote most of?"
Stanley also had some choice words for Rolling Stone co-founder and publisher and Rock Hall co-founder Jann Wenner. “This guy forgot years ago why he loved rock and roll in the first place. Perhaps if he spent less time in the Hamptons and jet-setting, he could re-find his passion.”
In between barbs, Stanley made salient points about the members of the Grateful Dead being inducted (and other acts that had “courtesies that were not afforded to [KISS]“), and said that there’s hope for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s “potential.” He will certainly vote for the artists that he feels are deserving in the future: Deep Purple, Yes, and Humble Pie.
Read the entire interview below:
Radio.com: So I understand you read our interview with Joel Peresman. What was your reaction to his critique of your speech?
Paul Stanley: I was smiling. Because look, the guy is clearly reeling from my exposing the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for what it is. He’s doing damage control. But he’s obviously never had an adversary who could articulate a point of view like I could. And, in desperation, he’s attributing Gene’s quotes to me.
I never said anything that could be accused of racism. If [Peresman] wants to point a finger, those quotes were all Gene’s. It doesn’t change the basic truth of what I said. It’s interesting: instead of looking at my credentials, I would think, why not look at Joel Peresman’s credentials? What has he done to qualify him to run the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? What did he do? He worked at Madison Square Garden as a Vice President. Well, as far as I’m concerned, delivering newspapers doesn’t qualify you as an expert on literature.
Had you guys ever encountered him in the past when KISS played Madison Square Garden?
We probably also encountered the guy selling peanuts! But what relevance does that have to qualify you to be in a position to pass judgement on anything remotely associated with rock and roll?
Aside from the well-publicized issues, did you have a good time the night of the induction?
I wasn’t there to denigrate, I was there to give constructive criticism and to make use of a platform, to really voice the opinion of the masses, of the general population. Look: I’ve spoken first hand with other inductees, and former inductees, and the process leading up to their induction was filled with really appropriate courtesies that were not afforded to us. The rules that [the Rock Hall] hold to only seem to apply to people they don’t like. As far as the issue of what members and former members get in, it’s just nonsense. I don’t think anybody’s ever called Peresman on it with any articulate argument. Clearly, the guy is trying to punch his way off of the ropes. He’s stuck!
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame went to the Grateful Dead and other bands and asked them [which members] they wanted to have inducted. They didn’t ask us! Hence, you get, what is it, fourteen members of the Grateful Dead, including their lyricist [Robert Hunter], inducted? Because the Grateful Dead’s people said, “It’s all or nothing.” Well, that’s a courtesy that wasn’t extended to us. And it’s easy to hide behind some alibi and rationale, like “It isn’t a science.” Well, being biased isn’t a science either. But it’s blatant and consistent. It had nothing to do with whether or not we wanted [current guitarist] Tommy Thayer or [current drummer] Eric [Singer], necessarily, inducted. But certainly this thin argument of “They’re wearing someone else’s makeup” can’t be used for [their late drummer] Eric Carr, or [former guitarist] Bruce Kuilick, who played on multi-platinum albums, and played to millions of people over a decade. Let’s call this for what it is. It’s clear to most people and obviously Peresman wants to use his platform to take some of the steam out of my argument. But I don’t go away.
It was a nice touch to have Bruce Kuilick sitting at the table at the induction ceremony, with you and Gene, along with Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer.
The Hall of Fame chose to make it a celebration of the first four members. As far as I was concerned, it was a celebration of the history of this band. I wasn’t going to ignore the contributions of other people who have been in this band.
You guys weren’t the only one with ex-member drama this year. I spoke with Chad Channing from Nirvana, who originally thought he would be inducted.
How about John Rutsey, the original drummer from Rush, who played on their first classic album? I’m not pointing fingers at anybody, or questioning their getting in, but [bassist] Robert Trujillo never played on any of the Metallica albums when he was inducted. And he was only in the band six years, so where do you draw the line? Clearly, where you choose to draw it. [Note: Trujillo had played on one album at the time of Metallica's 2009 induction: 2008's Death Magentic]
Gene has mentioned his issues with disco and hip-hop being included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and it seems he was accused of racism based on that. But what do you say to someone who says “Paul Stanley is a racist?”
It’s ridiculous. It’s an act of desperation and I understand it. And Joel Peresman is, quite honestly, a pencil pusher, and he’s in a position of being able to voice the point of view of an organization which is questionable at best.
In your acceptance speech, you mentioned going to see acts like Solomon Burke, Otis Redding, Jimi Hendrix and Sly and the Family Stone as well as the Yardbirds and Led Zeppelin.
It’s just silly, look, I’m not here to defend myself, I’m just here to shed light on the person doing the accusing. I have nothing to justify or clarify, my record speaks for itself. It’s ridiculous.What rock singer, whether they know it or not, hasn’t been influenced by David Ruffin [of the Temptations] or Sam Cooke? Without them, we wouldn’t have most of the great vocalists.
So, was your main point more about the members being and not being inducted, or about that fans should have more of a say in who gets in, or both?
Both, to some degree. the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in an effort to dupe the people, have allowed the people to vote, but their entire vote counts for just one vote. That’s a shell game. That’s deception.
Because some people were clever enough to trademark a name, gives it some sort of credibility that isn’t due. The fact that the masses scratch their heads every year about the majority of inductees speaks volumes. They’re clearly running out of their critics’ darlings, and now, unhappily, they’re having to look elsewhere. How many times can they nominate Connie Francis? The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is an opportunity to celebrate everything that is rock and roll, instead of a few people’s point of view, which, clearly, doesn’t reflect the public. I’m the hugest Laura Nyro fan, but does Laura Nyro belong in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? I’m not so sure. I would have to say no. Patti Smith? Give me a break! What has Patti Smith ever done besides singing a song that Bruce Springsteen wrote most of? [He's referring to her 1978 hit "Because The Night," co-written by Springsteen]
Regarding your issue of the voting body being a small group that doesn’t necessarily represent the public, couldn’t you say the same for the Oscars, the GRAMMYs or any other pop culture awards?
I don’t think so. The ignoring of some of the cornerstones of rock and roll for now more than 14 years is so blatant, it can only be called what it is, and that’s personal bias. You’re gonna tell me that Deep Purple should be overlooked for this long? The list goes on. And the fact that all of these people that now must be considered have been preempted by disco acts? Or rap acts? I thought it was the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. You may be able to broaden it, but let’s build it on a foundation that’s solidly and undeniably rock.
When someone disparages hip-hop and disco, it can be misinterpreted as being racist. A lot of people get caught up on that.
In the case of Joel Peresman, he’s clearly grasping at straws. The truth of the matter is, I believe that before you consider the peripheral acts, you must consider the cornerstones and the foundation.
So, are you going to vote in the future?
I’ll vote, but unfortunately, I only have one vote! I will be a big mouth and I will champion who I think belongs in there. It’s a tough battle when you have bureaucracy, and a bunch of people [in the organization] who clearly aren’t enamored with me. To have Jann Wenner introduce us [at the induction ceremony] as “Tight pants and platform boots”… this guy forgot years ago why he loved rock and roll in the first place. Perhaps if he spent less time in the Hamptons and jet setting, he could re-find his passion. But to be one of his darlings would be an insult to me.
So, who will you vote for to be inducted in 2015?
Certainly Deep Purple belongs in there. Whether or not I’m a huge progressive rock fan, Yes has spanned and bridged progressive rock into radio rock, I think they belong in there. I would like to see Humble Pie inducted. It’s great that the Faces and Small Faces got in, the fact is that [Small Faces and Humble Pie frontman] Steve Marriott has been a major influence not only on me, but also…
Robert Plant!
Yeah, you only have to listen to the Small Faces “You Need Loving” to hear the connection. I saw Humble Pie at the Fillmore East. I was at the Fillmore East every weekend, that was church to me. There were people there that really embodied rock and roll and many of them have been forgotten, and criminally so.
The Hall of Fame added Tom Morello and Questlove to the nominating committee last year. Maybe a positive thing that could come out of this situation is that they’d offer you a seat on that committee as well.
If they invited me, I would be there in a heartbeat, because I believe that much in rock and roll, and I also believe in the potential of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. So, absolutely. You put me on the committee, and I’m there! I would love to join forces to make this what it has the potential to be. Instead of what it has been, which is a stiff and stilted deception, or a fraud.
It’s no secret that it was Little Steven’s influence that got a number of acts in, the Dave Clark Five, the Hollies and the Rascals.
Not to tout my own background, but I grew up listening to everything from James Brown and Otis Redding and Solomon Burke and the Temptations and Stax/Volt to the British invasion to Muddy Waters and Bo Diddley and there’s so much wonderful music that was inspired by that music. We need more people on the committee to shine a light on that, instead of looking elsewhere when there’s an abundance of musicians and acts that should be celebrated.
Have you ever visited the museum itself?
I haven’t been there. I had mixed feelings about it, and I also had mixed feelings about an institution that would like us to donate memorabilia, would charge people to see it, and yet didn’t want us in the Hall of Fame. You can’t talk out of both sides of your mouth. You want to make money off of our memorabilia and at the same time you don’t want us in your boy’s club.
Going back to the night of the induction itself, was interesting to see you guys sitting near Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band guys. For one thing, Tom Morello who did your speech was, at that time, touring as an extra member of the E Street Band. For another, a lot of people thought that Bruce’s song “Outlaw Pete” (from 2009's Working on a Dream) sounded a lot like “I Was Made For Loving You.”
When I heard it I quite honestly was amused and pleased. I went “Gee, that sounds a whole lot like ‘I Was Made For Loving You.’” I didn’t invent the wheel. “I Was Made For Loving You” isn’t that different from “Standing in the Shadows Of Love” by the Four Tops. “Call Me” isn’t that different from “I Was Made For Loving You” either. Originality: it’s few and far between.
I’d read that your song “Shandi” was based on the Hollies’ cover of Bruce’s “4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy.)”
I knew it was a Bruce song. If you’re gonna borrow or steal, steal from the best!
I saw you tweet a photo of yourself from the night of the induction with Glenn Frey, it looked like you were having fun.
I must say that I had a sense of vindication from the bleachers [laughs], I had a sense of ambivalence from some of the people on the floor. But Glenn was terrific, and the Eagles, you can’t deny that these guys have written the American songbook. So to spend some time with him was cool. Carrie Underwood [was there] — the reach and the breadth of the music [that night] was just terrific.
Last week, Radio.com posted an interview with Peresman in which he discussed this year's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony, including Stanley's acceptance speech, which contained Paul's criticism or the organization for being somewhat elitist. "The people, I believe we're speaking to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and what they're saying is, 'We want more,'" Stanley said from the stage. "They want to be a part of the induction. They want to be a part of the nomination. They don't want to be spoon-fed by a handful of people."
Peresman told Radio.com, "That speech was the best advertisement for [pointing out that] what we did was right. He's been almost borderline racist, not in that speech, but in other interviews talking about how hip-hop artists shouldn't be inducted because they don't play instruments. It's like, 'What are you, kidding?'"
Asked in a brand new interview with Radio.com what his reaction was to Peresman's critique of his speech, Stanley said: "I was smiling. Because, look, the guy is clearly reeling from my exposing the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame for what it is. He's doing damage control. But he's obviously never had an adversary who could articulate a point of view like I could. And, in desperation, he's attributing Gene's [Simmons, KISS bassist/vocalist] quotes to me. [Simmons told Radio.com in March: 'You've got Grandmaster Flash in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame? RUN-D.M.C. in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame? You're killing me! That doesn't mean those aren't good artists. But they don't play guitar. They sample and they talk. Not even sing!"] I never said anything that could be accused of racism. If [Peresman] wants to point a finger, those quotes were all Gene's. It doesn't change the basic truth of what I said."
Regarding whether he had a good time at the the night of the induction — aside from the well-publicized issues — Stanley said: "I wasn't there to denigrate, I was there to give constructive criticism and to make use of a platform, to really voice the opinion of the masses, of the general population.
"Look: I've spoken first hand with other inductees, and former inductees, and the process leading up to their induction was filled with really appropriate courtesies that were not afforded to us. The rules that [the Rock Hall] hold to only seem to apply to people they don't like. As far as the issue of what members and former members get in, it's just nonsense. I don't think anybody's ever called Peresman on it with any articulate argument. Clearly, the guy is trying to punch his way off of the ropes. He's stuck!
"The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame went to THE GRATEFUL DEAD and other bands and asked them [which members] they wanted to have inducted. They didn't ask us! Hence, you get, what is it, fourteen members of THE GRATEFUL DEAD, including their lyricist [Robert Hunter], inducted? Because THE GRATEFUL DEAD's people said, 'It's all or nothing.' Well, that's a courtesy that wasn't extended to us. And it's easy to hide behind some alibi and rationale, like 'It isn't a science.' Well, being biased isn't a science either. But it's blatant and consistent. It had nothing to do with whether or not we wanted [current guitarist] Tommy Thayer or [current drummer] Eric [Singer], necessarily, inducted. But certainly this thin argument of 'They're wearing someone else's makeup' can't be used for [their late drummer] Eric Carr, or [former guitarist] Bruce Kulick, who played on multi-platinum albums, and played to millions of people over a decade.
"Let's call this for what it is. It's clear to most people and obviously Peresman wants to use his platform to take some of the steam out of my argument. But I don't go away."
When it was pointed out to Stanley that KISS wasn't the only band with an ex-member drama at this year's Rock Hall induction (former NIRVANA drummer Chad Channing originally thought he would be inducted), Paul said: "How about John Rutsey, the original drummer from RUSH, who played on their first classic album? I'm not pointing fingers at anybody, or questioning their getting in, but [bassist] Robert Trujillo never played on any of the METALLICA albums when he was inducted. And he was only in the band six years, so where do you draw the line? Clearly, where you choose to draw it." [Note: Trujillo had actually played on one album at the time of METALLICA's 2009 induction: 2008's "Death Magentic"]
Stanley last month called Hall Of Fame co-founder Jann Wenner a "spineless weasel" and said he and the rest of KISS were treated like "uninvited guests" during the band's Rock Hall induction ceremony.
"Our treatment at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame confirmed my worst suspicions," Stanley tweeted. "Wenner and the rest are spineless weasels." He went on to briefly explain that the band wasn't given passes or a schedule for the evening, but he didn't specify what kind of passes or schedules he was talking about.
Stanley told The Pulse Of Radio that ultimately what the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and what KISS choose to celebrate are two very different things. "I certainly want to celebrate what we continue to do and what we have developed. What the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame decides they want to celebrate is purely up to them. But it doesn't dictate how I picture this, 'cause as far as I'm concerned, we've always been in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Not a private club, not a place with a self-appointed board, we've been in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame because of the millions of fans who believe that's where we belong."
Tommy Thayer
When Eric Carr and Vinnie Vincent wore makeup in Kiss, they had new characters. Did you have any discomfort about simply wearing Ace's makeup?
No, first of all, I didn't have any input on that. That was a decision that those guys made. There was not even a conversation about it, because I think it was so obvious, that they weren't going to introduce new characters 30 years into the band. I never thought that there should be some new designs or something. I thought that would have been ridiculous. And the only thing is, you've got a lot of push-back from some of the diehards. And that's understandable. Hey, you know, if you lived in the Seventies and Kiss was your favorite band, and that's what you grew up with, and suddenly there's another guy wearing that makeup, I can understand how some people, it might not have appealed to them as much. But as time as gone by, a lot of people have changed their mind.
You can imagine what Ace has to say.
He probably wouldn't agree with that, would he?
He told me, "A supergroup has one of the most dynamic, greatest lead guitarists in the world leave the band, and who did they hire to play lead guitar? Their road manager, who used to be in a Kiss cover band. How insane is that? You can't make this shit up."
[Laughs] You know, that's one way to… that's one way to put it, I guess, even though that's not really accurate. These guys like to say that, oh, he was the road manager. He never paid his dues. Well, you know, if you look back, I've been in music professionally for over 30 years now, and I've made just as many records as they have, probably. And it's not to detract from what he's saying as far as, he was iconic in the Seventies, you know? And he did influence a lot of guitar players, and he did record and write some great stuff. Specifically, the first three or four Kiss albums, up to Kiss Alive!
He feels that it's almost like trying to trick people that he's still in the band.
Yeah. Well, you know, I can understand him saying that, too, but I don't think that's really accurate. I don't think there's anybody going to a Kiss concert thinking that it's Ace Frehley on stage. I really don't. And if it is, then they're really not paying much attention at all. But the vast, 99.99 percent of people that are there, they know what's going on.
Your Eighties band, Black and Blue, opened for Kiss. What was that band like?
I started to play guitar about 40 years ago. I grew up in Portland, actually, Beaverton, Oregon, which is a suburb of Portland. And I had all the garage bands and played school dances and did all the typical stuff and played clubs in Portland. But by the time I was probably 22, 23, I had put together this band called Black and Blue. And we were kind of an Eighties hard rock band, on Geffen Records. We were the opening act on the Kiss Asylum Tour in 1985, and we did probably 25, 30 dates in all of 1985 and that's actually when I met Gene and Paul. Towards the end of that we were working on some demos for our third album, and we asked Gene if he would be interested in producing it. And as it turned out, he ended up producing our third and fourth album. So that's kind of where the main association with Gene started. And it just evolved from there and grew a lot.
Did you ever play in a Kiss cover band?
[Laughs] Yeah, I did, I actually did. One of the guys from Black and Blue, and a couple other friends, we were all Kiss fans, obviously, growing up, so back then when Black an Blue had kind of run its course, we said, let's get onstage at a club in Hollywood and play Kiss songs. And this is kind of before tribute bands became kind of common. People went crazy, because nobody had kind of done that thing. And then it was Halloween and for a goof we put makeup on, just for a laugh. And we did that for a while, but it was never like a serious career move or something.
People kind of use this fact against you.
It can be kind of misleading, because it was just for goofs. But then Gene and Paul and the guys came to a few of the club shows we were doing and they got a kick out of it. But I always tell people, it was like the minor leagues or something. It was my segue into Kiss, because I think once they finally decided they wanted a new lead guitarist around 2002, they knew I could do it. Because they had known me for a long time, they knew I was quite capable on the guitar, but they also knew I could put Kiss makeup on and get onstage and do a great job. So I think, in the back of their minds, I think that might have stuck a little bit.
You went to work for Gene and Paul, and in the Nineties you did everything and anything for them, right?
You read internet blogs, "Tommy, he got the coffee" and all these things, and people have a laugh about that, but it's true. I did whatever needed to be done at the time, and I'm proud of it. It's just my personality. When I jump into something, I don't have any limitations in my mind in terms of ego or something like that.
And where did you think this was all leading at the time?
You know, it's funny. I've heard people say, "Well, Tommy had this grand plan and he knew what he was doing all along," and that's really not true either. When I started working for those guys behind the scenes, I was completely committed to working as hard as I could to do that and be successful in the music business. And actually when [manager] Doc McGhee came on board, Doc kind of took me under his arm, and I think he had designs for me as well, possibly in management and being part of his company. I never was thinking, "This is all a means to an end to be the lead guitarist of Kiss."
You worked with Ace and Peter to help them prepare for the reunion tour.
They were off track and they weren't playing the stuff in the classic, signature way. So we had to help get those guys back into shape and it took a long time. It wasn't like it took a week. We spent a month or two working on that, before the actual four of them started rehearsing together as a unit. Ace was a little more on track, and his attitude at the time was a lot more easygoing that Peter's was, to be honest with you. Peter on the other hand would get more uptight and actually, he would get upset sometimes, with me giving him direction. At least, initially he was, and then he got more comfortable with it once we got going. But I couldn't believe how upset he got, because he basically said, "Don't you fucking tell me what to do."
You did eventually become the road manager. How did you get along with Ace and Peter in that role?
I started having to spend a lot of time and energy, extra time and energy, on things I would consider to be almost like dysfunctional. Not showing up, and being late, and suddenly we'd be sitting in the hotel lobby waiting for Ace for an hour just to come down so we could go to the gig, and everybody would just be sitting there. And it just became very difficult just to tour. And Peter's attitude was not great after a while either.
There was that one show where they had you in makeup ready to go because Ace was so late?
After a while, I did have an outfit, I did have boots, and stuff made and ready, just in case, as an insurance policy really. Because you can't go on tour, and start canceling shows potentially when there's millions of dollars on the line. I remember one gig in Irvine, California. I think it was the summer of 2000, and I was completely made up and ready to go because we didn't think Ace was going to be there. He was in another city still. So twenty minutes before we're going onstage, we're all standing there in makeup, and here comes Ace walking in. It was the weirdest thing. He just looked at me, and he goes, "Hey Tommy, how are you doing?'" Like any other day! It was really weird.
How did it start to become clear that Ace might be leaving and you might be taking over?
Well, there were a few more gigs where there were close calls. Finally, the band was scheduled to do this private concert down in Jamaica. Doc called me. He said, "Tommy, you gotta come to Jamaica. You're going to be on stage, you're gonna be on." He goes, "Ace is not coming." And I was just basically filling in, because I don't think they knew exactly what they were going to do long-term. But we all knew I was going to go down and do that gig, and step up, and do my first whole, real gig with Kiss. And that was really interesting.
And how did that feel for you?
Well, you know, in one way it felt very comfortable and normal, almost, because I'd been around these guys at that point for years, sitting in the dressing room when they're putting makeup on. And to be honest with you, I put makeup on as a kid also, you know, for fun, for Halloween. And then we did that tribute band. So it wasn't like it was totally foreign. But then there was a surreal aspect to it too, thinking, "I'm going on stage as the guitarist of Kiss in an hour." And that's kind of a mind-boggling feeling, because I grew up loving Kiss. I was a fan ever since I started getting into rock & roll music and playing guitar when I was 11, 12 years old, you know? It's like, "Wow." I was sitting there thinking, "Man, things have really come full circle, and this is almost unbelievable."
Eric Singer
You played with Kiss for a few years, and then they went off to do the reunion tour. How did you handle that?
I never burned the bridges with Gene and Paul. I never slammed them in the press. But I was mad. I was unhappy about the whole situation, but I've always told people, you know, you can't blame Gene and Paul for doing the reunion. It's like if I gave you the winning lottery ticket but I said, "You're going to get the money, but you have to do all this work first." That's what it was like for them. You have to do the touring, and I'd have done the same thing. I don't always agree with the way Gene and Paul do things at times, but I don't have to agree with them, it's their band. You hear people say, "Well if you want to do it differently, you have your own band." That is a true statement.
And then around 2000 you started to come back in the picture. How did that all come to happen?
I started hearing that there were some issues with Peter, but I was busy doing my own thing playing with Alice Cooper. Then one day my lawyer calls me up, I was in Japan, and he says, "Hey, I just got a call from Kiss's lawyer and they want you to come back and play in the band." And I remember I asked him, "So what am I going to do about the makeup? Are they going to have me come up with a new design?" He goes, "They haven't decided that yet." And this was the beginning of the week. That Saturday I got home, and he said, "Okay, here's the deal. The show's on, they're just going to have you keep wearing the cat makeup."
And how did you feel about that?
I didn't really give it much thought. I was like, "OK, whatever." I mean, honestly, I never looked at it emotionally like some people do. I don't look at it like it's sacrilegious. It's just a band. It's just music. No offense. And some people say, "You don't understand, though!" No, I do understand! Because I was a big fan of, not just KISS, but a lot of bands, myself, when I was younger. But then I became a musician, and I have a different perspective. I know what it's like to be a huge fan, really love a band, and then also know what it's like to be in that band. And that's a unique perspective. This is just music. It's not solving the problems of the world. You know, the most important thing is – I tell everyone – "Look around you. If you have a kid, look at your kid. Look at her smiling. Look at your family." That's life. That's what's really important. Not what some band does.
So you think people get too upset about this stuff.
I'm sorry, but I just cannot put so much value and importance on what a fucking band does. I'm sorry! And I don't mean that out of disrespect. If somebody loves a band, and has a passion for it? Great. It's because of fans having passion that bands have a career. But at the same time, you've gotta take a step back and look at the reality, and the reality is, it's just a band.
Some people see what you and Tommy Thayer do in Kiss now as almost an impersonation.
I know, but here's the thing that's ridiculous. I love when people say that, because the reality is, I'm not impersonating. Because I wear the makeup that he wore? Did they come up with their designs? Yes. Of course. But it's not an extension of their personality. Peter wasn't a cat. Peter Criss was a cat? They had to create a character. You know something? I don't know if he even had a pet cat. Come on, it's ridiculous.
Do you try to play like Peter onstage?
I've always played the way I play. I play like Eric Singer. I don't play like Peter Criss. I don't try to play like Peter Criss. I don't mimic him on stage. Bottom line is, though, am I playing KISS songs? Yes. Am I playing songs that were originally played by Peter, and learning parts that Peter played or originally wrote? Yes, of course. But guess what? I did the same thing when I played in Black Sabbath or played with Brian May or played with Alice Cooper.
When you were singing "Beth" in his makeup – how about that? That seemed to freak some people out.
But the thing is, I didn't go out there and do the same thing he did. I didn't bring out a drum stool and sit out there with a dozen roses. We did it in a different way. The point is, it's a Kiss song. I love when people try to say, "That's Peter's song!" or "This is an Ace song!" No, they're Kiss songs.
At the same time, your favorite version of Kiss is the band's early years.
I still have a fondness for Gene, Paul, Peter and Ace, those first tours that I saw. I saw them on the first album tour and on Hotter Than Hell, which was kind of going into Dressed to Kill because they put out two records, even, in a year at that point. There was something about them that reminded me of English bands like T-Rex, Bowie, Sweet, Slade. But they had this Black Sabbath, darker side to them as well. Some of the songs were heavy and just darker, and the imagery was real dark. Back then it was more black leather. My three favorite bands were Queen, Mott the Hoople and Kiss. So I saw them those first two years, in the very, very beginning, formative years, when they were this hungry, young band. Most people never got to experience that Kiss.
You've argued that there's a certain hypocrisy to Ace and Peter's criticisms of other people wearing their make-up, right?
This is something that I notice that nobody seems to point out. When I came in to play with the makeup, Ace was in the band, and had no problem with me playing with Peter's makeup while he went onstage and made that Kiss money. In fact, he loved it, and he didn't want Peter back in the band. And then go forward the next year, when Ace decided to leave. When we fast forward, all of a sudden they bring Peter back, and you got Tommy Thayer playing guitar wearing the Ace makeup, and all of a sudden, no one minded it was Ace's makeup design. Peter had no problem, did he?
How do you feel about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's decision to induct only the original line-up?
We know that was the one that created it all and was the most impactful. No one's gonna deny that. I'm not gonna deny that. I acknowledge it all the way. But the reality is Kiss wouldn't be here 40 years later if they would've stayed with them. The value and the importance that other people have contributed to Kiss should not go unrecognized and should be acknowledged as well. Just because it's not as important to some people as the original version, that's fine. That's okay. But to try to diminish or devalue it completely and act like, oh, people are just hired guns and they mean nothing? That's so completely unfair and ludicrous too. We wouldn't have Kiss today in 2014 if everybody didn't mean something.
Bruce Kulick
You joined Kiss in 1984, but you actually recorded with them before that, right?
I wound up doing some ghost guitar work before I joined the band, on Animalize, because they had Mark St. John, who was an overreaction to Vinnie Vincent. They had to move on from Vinnie because he wouldn't sign contracts or however that story goes, and that was the end of him. But Mark St. John was the wrong guy for the band. To play in Kiss, you should worship Jimmy Page. You shouldn't be worshipping a shredder, you know? No way. By December of '84, Paul and Gene sent Mark home, and asked me to join.
How did they want you to play?
I remember the conversation. Paul was very specific – "I want you to be competitive with all of the current guitar players and also be familiar with where we started." So I was the right guy, because I was definitely hip to what Eddie Van Halen did, yet my love of rock guitar came from Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, Pete Townshend, etc.
There was some conflict between Paul and Gene during your tenure in the band – Paul felt like he was carrying too much of the Kiss burden while Gene was off doing other things.
I was very happy that Paul was there to steer the ship. Because Gene's plate is always full. He'll do 50 things, and he'll throw everything against the wall. Paul's not that way. Paul is much more meticulous about what he wants to spend his energy on. Fortunately, he wasn't distracted with lofty, "I want to be a movie star, TV star, screenplay" – whatever it was that was so kind of fascinating for Gene. I mean, if you think about it, Gene really got his inspiration from movie people, movie horror people, Lon Chaney and all of that, right? I guess in Gene's mind, it was, "Well, I've conquered rock & roll, so now it's time to make a name as an actor." It's kind of ironic, even with all of the aggressive behavior in Hollywood, the only time he's had real success in that medium was the family TV show. And that's Gene the way most people don't see him, but it's much closer to the real him. And even though Paul resented when Gene was busy carrying on, I never felt like Gene didn't care.
How did you feel about the band's look in your era?
I don't like to make excuses for the Asylum era. That's what everybody was wearing! It was ridiculous. Paul, he's flamboyant with his clothes in any era, okay? So of course he went wild with it, and I fit in the best I could. Gene was lost, completely lost. You know, he buys a sequined, red top from a crazy woman's shop in Vegas and cuts it up and wears it. I'm like "Come on." He went through a period there he didn't know what to do.
Were you bummed that you never got to wear makeup?
When I joined the band they already took it off, the year before. Because they'd kind of reached the point where it was not even that interesting. I was kind of relieved that my whole era I didn't need to. In the reunion era, I was kind of in panic at times when I was hearing through the grapevine that Ace was potentially going to be exiting. I wondered if they would they ask me, and I was nervous, because what if I left Grand Funk, and then Ace wants back the next year? Who knows? It was stressful, for me. I wasn't looking forward to becoming the Spaceman if they offered it to me, I'll be quite honest.
Eric Singer did make that transition – he returned to the band and wears the Catman makeup.
Let's do the analogy. Eric only had five years. He's behind the drum kit, too, so it's not as critical. He did have to adjust his playing, but only slightly, because Eric could play any style. I never was served up, like, "Learn this note for note. If you're going to do ‘Cold Gin,' you've got to learn every riff that Ace did." Tommy Thayer was a perfect guy. Like an understudy.So I know when they went to Tommy, it was more like, the understudy can drop in here and nobody would know the difference. It would have been more of an adjustment for me. That all being said, do I miss being in Kiss? Yes. Because I fit really well with them, and I think my talent is very complementary to their style and what they represent and all. But I don't miss being the Spaceman. And then the bonus for me, as much as I'm not in Kiss, which I do feel sad about in that way, but if it was at the cost of that, I realize I enjoy being able to wave the flag for my era, when there were probably ten million records sold and countless successful tours.
The late Eric Carr was the drummer in Kiss when you first joined. How well did he fit in?
He was just, like, not real happy. Usually there were two limos for the gigs, and it was usually Gene and Paul in one and Eric and me in the other, and Eric would just be complaining about various things. And I'd be like, you know, you gotta shut up. You're killing me. You know how many people would want your gig right now? Every band needs a pecking order – Gene and Paul are kind of like the two presidents, and you're not gonna get the same power. And I think Eric didn't know how to fit in with that, just let it kind of bother him, and I just wanted to slap him around. But we became very close. He was the best with the fans, I gotta say. But it drove me crazy that he was that miserable. Now, in time, I got to see what some of the faults are of being part of the band. Things don't always go down the way you think they might go down. But in general, Gene and Paul run a very, very hard-working, focused kind of band. They're very dedicated to what they do and how they're perceived, and how to make it go from A to Z. That might mean your feelings might be hurt to make it happen. So be it.
Then Eric got sick, which must have been awful to deal with.
It was awful. I mean, I was definitely close to him. He really had a valiant fight against a very aggressive, difficult cancer. And it was a really hard time for everyone. It really was. I mean, I was really happy to see him do his last video with us, for "God Gave Rock 'n' Roll to You" with us. And he had more energy than me in that video, even though he was going through the chemo, and he was wearing a wig that really looked like an Eric Carr wig. His hair was always so hair-sprayed and crazy to begin with. The bigger the hair spray, the better. The bigger the hair, you know? "More hairspray! Bring it in." Eric's always been a part of my life, just emotionally, but also in some dreams, and some other things that have happened to me. I always feel like he's been watching over and he's a part of my life. So I feel very honored that I had that relationship with him.
After Unplugged, how did they break it to you that they were reuniting the original band and that you were out?
We literally just went to Gene's guesthouse. He just said, "Hey, since Unplugged, this is what's happened. And we're gonna do this. We're probably just gonna do it for a year, but it's now or never, and we realize we gotta do it." And I accepted that. But, you know, Eric [Singer] was in denial. He was like, "There's no way. No way Peter Criss could do this. No way!" I was like, "Uh, dude, they're gonna do it. They'll figure it out." And they did. And they did it well. Obviously, the cracks started to show after some time. And then the machine keeps going. And it's a big machine, what can you do?
One property near the outskirts of town, though, sticks out amongst all the idyllic sameness. Behind a forbidding eight-foot-tall picket fence and a padlocked gate stand two houses. Paint cans, a television set and stuffed black garbage bags litter the driveways. This is where guitarist Vinnie Vincent — who gave life back into Kiss in the early Eighties, when the bandmembers had removed their makeup but seemed musically ready for embalming, and then became a hair-metal solo star in his own right — has lived in seclusion for the last 15 years. Or, more accurately, had lived. It's hard to know where Vincent is these days.
From the looks of it, the houses have been abandoned for some time. Knocks on the front door go unanswered, and multiple calls in to Vincent's lawyer inquiring about his client's whereabouts yielded nothing. It's not as if Vincent, 61, was ever a man about Smyrna. Up the road, a clerk at the gas station can't recall ever seeing the musician who once played for 137,000 fans in Brazil — Kiss' biggest concert. A next-door neighbor, Paul Sachtjen, says he'd never met Vincent face-to-face. He had, though, endured a battle over some pruned pear trees hanging across property lines, receiving angry letters and police visits, but never at the expense of Vincent's closely-guarded privacy. Years later, Sachtjen's son vandalized a convertible belonging to Vincent's wife, Diane. Soon after, surveillance cameras and mounted outdoor spotlights were installed on Vincent's property.
"I feel bad for him," Sachtjen says now. "He wants to be a recluse and left the hell alone."
But Kiss fans being Kiss fans, that is, somewhere between Deadheads and Trekkies on the obsessiveness scale, means that interest in Vincent is still strong. As the original replacement for founding member guitarist Ace Frehley, Vincent garnered a reputation as one of the band's most talented, influential, and divisive members in its 40-year history. From 1982 to 1984, Vincent's knack for cocky melodies and virtuosic guitar shredding revived an outfit that had limped into the Eighties with the release of the high concept, low quality Music From "The Elder." 1983's Lick It Up was the Kiss first album on which Vincent was credited as a member (uncredited, he'd subbed for Frehley on the previous year's Creatures of the Night). It was also the first time the band appeared without makeup, and as the writer of the title track and the musician responsible for the re-born Kiss' most jaw-dropping moments, Vincent helped frontmen Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons establish a post-grease paint identity, pushing the music in the chart-topping direction of Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard.
Despite his contributions, on April 10th, when Kiss receives their long overdue induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Vincent is about as likely to attend the ceremony as Syd Barrett would've been to fly on an inflatable pig over a Pink Floyd show.
"He's such a mysterious figure," says Bruce Kulick, who held down the lead guitar spot in Kiss for 12 years following Vincent's departure and who will attend the Rock Hall event. "In some ways, he's the Howard Hughes of Kiss. Vinnie has laid low for so long that it adds to his legend."
From his home in Smyrna, Vincent did send out occasional ripples into the world. He filed multiple lawsuits against his former bandmates, alleging unpaid songwriting royalties. There have been run-ins with the cops. And scorned soldiers in the Kiss Army have charged Vincent with intentionally ripping them off by offering products for sale that he then never delivered. It's because of those head-scratching moves, and the lingering echo of his jaw-dropping musical talent, that Vinnie Vincent still inspires others' curiosity. He just isn't interested in satisfying any of it.
Vincent John Cusano was born in 1952 to Alfonso and Terri, who worked as country musicians throughout his youth. Growing up in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Vinnie's parents exposed him to the guitar, and by the time he was 10 years old, the boy, already fascinated with the Beatles, became enraptured with the instrument.
"I slept with my guitar as a kid and I didn't even know how to play it." Vincent said in a 1987 Guitar Player interview. "I loved the guitar more than anything and it's all I ever wanted to play."
Harboring dreams of a career in music, Vinnie paid the rent with a series of odd jobs, doing everything from selling vintage guitars to working in the incinerator room of a department store burning boxes. After scuffling through the early Seventies playing tiny solo gigs, Vinnie's his first professional break came when he met Connecticut-based former Rascals' singer Felix Cavaliere at a local session for an album by Blood, Sweat and Tears horn player Fred Lipsius.
"He was an incredible talent," says Cavaliere. "He used to do a lot of solo dates in Connecticut. He'd go up to these bars and little restaurants. He could play as subtle as you wanted. He could play acoustically where he doesn't drive a crowd out because they need to hear to eat. He could play anything."
Cavaliere subsequently befriended the guitarist, who he remembers as strangely guarded, and asked him to join his new rock band, Treasure, which in 1977 released a self-titled smooth-rock album on Epic that, except for a handful of majestic Vincent guitar solos, deservedly came and went. In 1980, Vincent, by this time married to his first wife AnnMarie Peters and the father of twin girls, headed to Los Angeles hoping to further his career. He landed at Paramount, where he worked on music for Happy Days and Joanie Loves Chachi, among other TV shows. Not satisfied scoring the exploits of Fonzie and Ralph Malph, Vincent collaborated on rock material with eventual Paul Stanley co-songwriter Adam Mitchell and Robert Fleischman, lead singer for Journey before Steve Perry.
During these early L.A. days, Vincent exhibited little of his future eccentricity. "The first time I opened up the door [to meet him]," says Fleischman with a laugh, "he was standing there with a t-shirt, tennis shoes, and jeans and no makeup. He was very nice, very charming. Obviously, his ego got quite inflated [with Kiss], but he was never that way with me."
By 1982, Ace Frehley was well on his way out of Kiss, and Vincent was called in for a try-out. "The first time Vinnie came to the studio," recounted Paul Stanley in his recently released memoir, Face The Music, "he started doing a solo and got down on his knees. I thought it was one of the goofiest things I'd ever seen." Evidently, goofy was good. Vincent played all over 1982's Creatures of the Night and joined the band for its subsequent tour, where he appeared with his face painted in an "Ankh Warrior" ancient Egyptian motif — the design courtesy of Stanley.
The follow-up, to Creatures, the confidently swaggering Lick It Up, was the first Kiss album to go gold since 1980's Unmasked. Vincent was rightly proud of his role in rejuvenating the iconic band. "My chemistry with the band helped put them back on top and gave them a musical credibility that they'd never had before," he told Kerrang! magazine. But resentment, largely over songwriting royalties, was already festering. In the same interview, Vincent said, "I couldn't get the recognition I needed."
In concert, the guitarist was determined to get the attention he desired. A portion of the band's shows during its 1983 and 1984 tours was given over to a Vincent solo spot. Often dressed in a sleeveless, tattered shirt, tight black leather pants and high-heeled boots, Vincent would play impossibly fast flurries of notes, fall down to his knees, wring whammy bar dives and wails from his instrument and bust out finger-tapped triplets and power-chord riffs. He preened and pranced and drew screaming ovations. He wasn't Eddie Van Halen, but he wasn't far off.
The hotdogging did not go over well with the other members of Kiss, especially not when Vincent began ignoring the other bandmembers' cues to end his solos. Things came to a head in the Spring of 1984, when Vincent's solos spun well beyond the few minutes they were supposed fill.
"Onstage, Vinnie was hell-bent on using every solo as an opportunity to showcase himself," Stanley remembered. "We used to call it the high point of the show — because everybody in the audience left to go get high."
Once his unsanctioned bravado become too irksome to Stanley and Gene Simmons, Vincent's time in the band was short-lived. "It was torture working with him," Simmons wrote in his 2002 autobiography, Kiss and Make-Up. "He didn't like to be told what or how to play." The way Simmons and Stanley tell it, they had reservations about Vincent from the beginning. Stanley felt Vincent was "shifty" and told Simmons, "I just want to go on record saying that [working with Vincent] is a bad move." With each passing show, they came to loathe his self-indulgent mindset and standoffish attitude. "He had no sense of what to play or when," Stanley wrote, "and he had no ability to self-edit." Vincent's playing, felt Stanley, "was like puking — it just came splattering out."
Vincent, naturally, felt differently about his virtuosic displays. "I'm an over the top kind of guy," he said in a 1987 radio interview. "I like it. It's extreme and excessive. I think as spectacular as Kiss was with its live show, they were conservative musically. I think they were looking for more a generic, old school kind of guitar player. I think that's what they wanted me to do. But that wasn't in my blood."
Vincent and Kiss parted ways once the "Lick It Up" tour ended in March 1984. Simmons said the band fired him for "unethical behavior" — understood to mean he wouldn't sign the employment contract being offered. There were other issues. Speaking at 1995's Worldwide Kiss Konvention in Nashville, Stanley said that "Vinnie sold a fan a guitar he had never played and said it was his favorite guitar, a guitar he always played, and he sold it to a fan for more than it would cost in a store." For a band that above all valued its relationship — business and otherwise — with its fans, the ethical lapse, said Stanley said, "was totally unacceptable."
As the hotshot who'd given Kiss a kick in the ass, Vincent was in high demand after exiting the group. Chrysalis Records quickly offered his new band, Vinnie Vincent Invasion, a reported eight-album, $4 million contract. He recruited drummer Bobby Rock, bassist Dana Strum and, for touring, vocalist Mark Slaughter.
Things did not go smoothly.
An obsessive taskmaster, Vincent, on four separate occasions, made Rock entirely re-record his parts for the group's self-titled debut. The veteran drummer still considers the drilling to be "the most difficult recording experience" of his career. Vincent held himself to his own, perhaps impossible, standards. "He kept using the whammy bar on this one solo," says Robert Fleischman, who recorded vocals before being replaced by Slaughter for shows, "and he kept doing it and doing it, and it kept getting out of tune. He was just chasing his tail and going nutty." The guitarist got pissed off — literally. "He finally just got up," says Fleischman, "and smashed the guitar and he fucking pissed on it. And he's just pissing on it on a hardwood floor. It was just nuts. We couldn't go into the studio for, like, three days."
Despite the recording craziness, Vinnie Vincent Invasion sold respectably and earned a spot on Kerrang!'s 1986 albums-of-the-year list. In the years since, the album has become something of a hair-metal connoisseur's favorite, as tracks like "Boyz Are Gonna Rock" and "Animal" are peacocking party-rock exemplars. Kerrang! included Vinnie Vincent Invasion on its list of the 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Albums of All-Time, and writer Chuck Klosterman praised it as an Eighties hair-metal classic. Vincent, wrote Klosterman, played like "a Tasmanian devil whirling toward vaginas and self-destruction." And he meant that in a good way.
After releasing the album, Vincent's band landed opening slots with Alice Cooper and Iron Maiden as well as embarked on a headlining club tour. But, in something of a pattern, conflict quickly arose. Vincent's bandmates felt the guitarist's showmanship detracted from the music. They attempted to hire a manager who could reason with Vincent. Vincent saw this as an attempted mutiny. "He took it badly," Rock says. "We handled it wrong." Despite the relationships having deteroriated, Vinnie Vincent Invasion released its sophomore effort, All Systems Go, in 1988 and embarked on a tour that was to be its last. Soon after, Slaughter and Strum broke off on their own. Performing as Slaughter, they went on to sell more than two million copies of their 1990 debut, the aptly titled Stick It to Ya. The Invasion was over.
Without a band, Vincent landed a publishing deal and tried writing adult contemporary pop songs. By chance, he ran into Simmons at a recording studio. "Vinnie Vincent came up to me and apologized for causing the band all the grief while he was a member," Simmons wrote. "He wanted to patch things up and wondered if I would consider writing some songs with him."
Vincent was brought back into the Kiss mix to co-write "Unholy," "Heart of Chrome" and "I Just Wanna" for the band's 1992 album, Revenge. Once the record hit shelves in 1992, Vincent quickly shed his penitent's skin.
"Vinnie was up to his old tricks again," fumed Simmons. "He reneged on a signed deal we had made and decided that he wanted to renegotiate. He eventually sued us and lost. As far as I was concerned, he was persona non grata forever."
He was also not proving to be musically productive on his own. A modest contract with Enigma Records gave Vincent the financial wherewithal to chip away at a third LP. He called on Robert Fleischman and drummer Andre LaBelle to help. "With recording," Labelle says, "Vinnie went extremely overboard and was never satisfied." The drummer says the meticulous guitarist had him work in six different studios over a two-year period and "blew money like crazy." He also says Vincent refused to let him take demos home and practice his parts off the clock.
After Vincent burned through his recording advance, Fleischman and LaBelle believe he tried to leverage his demos into a bigger record deal with a larger label and in the process scuttled his relationship with Enigma. Speaking at a Kiss convention in the mid-Nineties, Vincent said, "It was a small label, but they were spending quite a bit. I stopped production on the record and didn’t do anything with it. I let some time go by and I realized what I really wanted to do was launch my own record company."
With the exception of an archival 71-minute guitar solo dubbed Speedball Jamm, Vinnie Vincent has not released any new music in 18 years.
Due to waning general interest in hair-metal, Vincent left Los Angeles in the mid-Nineties, following the shifting stylistic winds to Nashville, where he hoped to land songwriting work and session gigs. At around the same time, Vincent began participating in Kiss Expo fan conventions as a way to earn some money. He'd sign autographs, pose for photographs and sell merchandise. The re-connection with the Kiss universe also paid-off personally: At a Chicago convention in 1995, Vincent met Diane Kero, a longtime fan of the band and one of Frehley's ex-girlfriends. The two married the following year.
According to veteran Kiss expo organizer Phil Elliott, he and two European promoters fronted Vincent more than $20,000 in early 1996 to headline a series of conventions in Atlanta and throughout Europe. The guitarist used that cash to re-launch his career. He readied Euphoria, a four-song EP that he self-released on his own label, Metaluna Records, that spring. The effort, he told fans, offered a preview of the impending full-length, Guitarmageddon, which he described in a fanzine as "the definitive guitar record."
Vincent began telling convention goers that Guitarmageddon would be available in late 1996. Both Elliott and multiple fan reports on message boards suggest he also started taking pre-orders — charging between $120 and $300 each — for a career-spanning cassette box set dubbed The Vinnie Vincent Archives. It appeared that Vincent's music career was getting back on track, and he worked out another deal to ride on a bus with Kiss fans to different Expos. But things went awry. Vincent told Elliott he felt increasingly unsafe about making public appearances and feared a deranged fan might shoot him. Elliott remembers him saying, "I need an armed bodyguard. Look what happened to John Lennon." The event promoters balked at the demands. In return, Vincent threatened to renege his contract and cancel his appearances. Elliott pleaded for him not. He says he told told the guitarist, "Vinnie, if you were to leave like you're threatening to, not only will you destroy your career, but nobody will ever touch you with a ten-foot pole ever again."
Vincent's reply? "It's nothing personal."
In 1997, Vincent made one of his final public appearances in Nashville. He held a press conference to announce his latest lawsuit against his former bandmates. He claimed Simmons and Stanley had pressured him to sign an "unconscionable contract" that would have cut his salary to a mere $1,000 per week and made him stay in hotels full of "addicts and prostitutes." He also demanded additional unpaid royalties. The erstwhile Aknh Warrior began to see himself as a cautionary tale, telling reporters at the press conference: "I don't want the kids out there with dreams of becoming another Vinnie Vincent, or Kiss, or any band they idolize, to fall victim to the music business." He said, "I don't want their dreams to turn into nightmares."
On the evening of May 22nd, 2011, Vinnie Vincent's wife, Diane Cusano, walked into the Rutherford County Sheriff's Department in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, 15 miles from her Smyrna home. She smelled of alcohol and was covered in blood. She told the on-duty deputy that her husband had slapped her face, grabbed her hair, dragged her through shattered glass and, as she tried to escape from their property, repeatedly hurled her to the ground. According to police, the two had been arguing over a conversation Vincent had had with another woman.
Working on an arrest warrant, a fleet of squad cars arrived at Vincent's home. As a precautionary measure, Rutherford County deputies closed off the subdivision and requested SWAT backup. After refusing to answer his door for hours, Vincent was finally led away by the police. The cops charged the one-time Kiss hero with aggravated domestic assault. He spent the night in jail and was released on $10,000 bond the following morning.
Upon entering Vincent's home, authorities found four dead dogs in sealed containers. His wife told police that some of their larger, more aggressive dogs had attacked and killed these smaller ones. Vincent told local authorities the same thing, adding that he had rescued 20 dogs from abusive situations and that bad weather had delayed their burials. No animal cruelty charges were filed.
In a statement released after the arrest, Vincent urged, "Please don't believe everything you read. I would never hurt anyone - ever. What has been reported is an absolutely inaccurate depiction of the events that occurred that evening. When it's time, the truth will be known."
Vincent agreed to attend anger management therapy and stay out of trouble, thus avoiding a potential courtroom battle and possible prison time. In return, the local judge expunged the incident from the public record.
Prior to the blowout, Cusano kept to himself and — aside from the occasional pear-tree dispute — lived in relative seclusion. One neighbor, speaking only under conditions of anonymity, said that "I thought originally it was just two women [living at Vincent's home] because of the way he dressed. It was very incognito." When the resident found out his neighbor was not, in fact, a woman but a solitude-seeking rock god, he remeberings thinking, "I was like, 'Really?!'"
Aside from the rare, futile fan pilgrimage, there were few clues that the man living beyond the tall walls and padlocked gates had a noteworthy past.
"He made a complete life change," says the Rascals' Cavaliere, a fellow Connecticut-to-Tennessee transplant. "I maybe saw him once, if at all. He just kind of disappeared."
Not quite. While Vincent aggressively avoided public contact of the flesh-and-blood variety, he still loosely maintained an online lifeline to his intensely devoted fan base, intermittently interacting with them via multiple activated, then deactivated, Facebook accounts and in the "Description" field of the videos on his YouTube account. He's also participated in conversations on Vinnie Vincent fan forums, and allegedly created fake user names and online personas to steer the discussion about him in different, more flattering directions.
"To all of the 'truly genuine' friends and fans," Vincent wrote in 2011, "who sent me their heartfelt messages of support and love during my hurting time, I will answer each of you. I ask that you give me some time. I will see u all on the board." (Vincent launched an "authorized" "Double V" fan forum. An annual membership costs $500.)
Promoter Elliott says Diane Cusano largely supported Vincent through her work for a Nashville realtor. Vincent also tried to earn money through merchandise sales on his website. He hired two different guitar luthiers to build an "Official Vinnie Vincent Model Guitar," offering them for as much as $12,000 through guitar reps at the 2011 National Association of Music Merchants show in Anaheim, California. Additionally, throughout the last decade, Vincent continued to engage in legal skirmishes with Kiss over royalties and the use of his image. His claims grew so frivolous that one judge reprimanded Vincent for pursuing them at a trial and ordered him to pay the band $81,000 in damages and legal expenses. At the 2013 Kiss Expo, Gene Simmons told Kiss fans that Vincent had recently brought forward his 15th lawsuit against him and Stanley.
"It's a shame," lamented Simmons, still being asked about Vincent all these years later. "He's talented beyond most people that you'd meet, but you get to sleep in the bed you make."
In January 2014, Diane Cusano passed away due to conditions stemming from chronic alcoholism. She was 47-years-old. Not long after, several neighbors report seeing movers pack up boxes on Vincent's property.
Standing in his driveway, Drew Waldron, a longtime neighbor, pointed to the nearby house, once surrounded by floodlights. "Those aren't on anymore," he says. Vincent is gone.
Vinnie Vincent's fans and former bandmates have different theories about his current whereabouts: He might be in Nashville, with family in Connecticut, or with some sympathetic female Kiss fan. Wherever he's gone, believes Phil Elliott, Vincent will make his presence known once the bills start to pile up.
"I don't know how he's going to stay afloat," Elliott says. "When he's desperate enough, he'll come out of the woodwork."
It's hard to imagine a situation in which Vincent would not choose to keep his connection to the music world and his fans strictly online, mostly one-way and entirely out of sight, if never truly out of mind. As Robert Fleischman — like so many alienated by Vincent long ago — puts it: "If he wants to be left alone we should leave him alone. I just don't think he really wants to be left alone."
If Vincent does resurface, digitally or otherwise, what kind of reception he'll receive when he does is anyone's guess. He drew the ire of some fans when he failed to issue refunds for pre-orders from his website. Some customers even threatened him with a lawsuit for alleged fraud for selling a product, The Vinnie Vincent Archives, which he never intended to deliver. As a sop, they received letters from Vincent's Metaluna Records, likely a one-man operation at this point, apologizing for the lengthy delay in sending out the compilation. Those apology letters came with a sales offer for a guitar pick used by Vincent on the "Creatures of the Night" tour. The asking price was $1,000.
On VVForums.com, rumors still swirl that Vincent will take part in celebrating the Kiss legacy he helped create, whether by acknowledging the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony or through some other, more idiosyncratic means. That idea that he might show up is certainly delusional, but it's also sweetly optimistic — the Kiss Army still loves the Ankh Warrior, and as anyone who knows anything about Vinnie Vincent can tell you, stranger things have happened.
Asked by Radio.com about KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons' "surprisingly gracious" acceptance speech at this past April's induction ceremony, Joel said, "It was a lovely speech. It was actually kind of classy, as opposed to Paul's. That speech was the best advertisement for [pointing out that] what we did was right.
"[Paul has] been almost borderline racist, not in that speech, but in other interviews talking about how hip-hop artists shouldn't be inducted because they don't play instruments. It's like, 'What are you, kidding?'
"And he talks about the nominating committee, and how those guys don't buy records. Those guys buy records! They're fucking fans! Those guys are writers and critics and musicians. Those are the people who buy records and got into the business because they love music."
In a March 2014 interview with Radio.com, it was Simmons — not Stanley — who criticized the Rock Hall's inclusion of rap artists, saying: "A few people decide what's in and what's not and the masses just scratch their heads. You've got Grandmaster Flash in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame? RUN DMC in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame? You're killing me! That doesn't mean those aren't good artists. But they don't play guitar. They sample and they talk — not even sing."
Peresman also spoke to Radio.com about the controversy surrounding the exclusion of later members of KISS and former NIRVANA drummer Chad Channing (who played on the band's classic debut album, "Bleach") from the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. He said: "Whether it's KISS or whether it's NIRVANA, or any other act, there's people on the nominating committee who nominate the act, and there's also people that we go to who are scholars and who know that genre of music," he explained. "And when you go to them and you say why is this band being inducted and who should be inducted [from the band's lineups] and who are the artists who made this band what it was, it was really just the three guys who were inducted for NIRVANA. And the same thing with KISS. It was the original four. Granted, they had other people play with their band, they've had big success with tours, but there's a reason they got inducted and the reason is, those four guys… This isn't an exact science. But you really have to go to the people you trust who have strong opinions, and are very deep and knowledgable on certain genres of music, whether it's NIRVANA or KISS or THE PAUL BUTTERFIELD BLUES BAND. You have to go with people who know the subject matter and you get those opinions and you make those decisions. It's not going to always please everybody all the time, but it's as 'right' as we can be."
Stanley last month called Hall Of Fame co-founder Jann Wenner a "spineless weasel" and said he and the rest of KISS were treated like "uninvited guests" during the band's Rock Hall induction ceremony.
"Our treatment at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame confirmed my worst suspicions," Stanley tweeted. "Wenner and the rest are spineless weasels." He went on to briefly explain that the band wasn't given passes or a schedule for the evening, but he didn't specify what kind of passes or schedules he was talking about.
Stanley told The Pulse Of Radio that ultimately what the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and what KISS choose to celebrate are two very different things. "I certainly want to celebrate what we continue to do and what we have developed. What the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame decides they want to celebrate is purely up to them. But it doesn't dictate how I picture this, 'cause as far as I'm concerned, we've always been in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Not a private club, not a place with a self-appointed board, we've been in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame because of the millions of fans who believe that's where we belong."
Born Kenneth Alan Kerner on July 27, 1947, in New York City, he co-produced, along with partner Richie Wise, the first two albums by KISS: the band's self-titled debut and Hotter Than Hell, both released in 1974. He also co-produced the Number One single "Brother Louie" by Stories and the Top Five records "I've Got To Use My Imagination" and "Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me" by Gladys Knight & the Pips.
Kerner also distinguished himself as a noted lecturer, author (Going Pro) and educator, teaching classes at UCLA Extension. During his lengthy tenure at music college Musicians Institute in Hollywood, California, Kerner helmed MI's Music Business Program, offering fundamental classes to aspiring artists and industry professionals.
Other career credits include stints as a publicist with PR firm Kramer-Reiss-Patricola (comedian Jay Leno and actor Michael J. Fox), management creative consultant with Aucoin Management (KISS, Billy Squire), talent mentor (indie A&R company TAXI) and as an editor/journalist for music industry magazines Cashboxand Music Connection, where he served as Senior Editor. He interviewed such luminaries as legendary music executive Clive Davis and Beatle John Lennon and shepherded early cover stories on Nirvana and Guns N' Roses.
He is survived by his son, Demian, grandsons Jacob and Zachary and his beloved dogs, Girly and Asia.
A memorial service will be held Monday June 2 at 11 a.m. at Oakwood Memorial Park, 22601 Lassen St., Chatsworth, California
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame staged its 29th annual induction ceremony at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn back in April, and HBO will air excerpts of the event on Saturday. This year's inductees spanned six decades of music, including Nirvana, KISS, Hall and Oates, Cat Stevens, Linda Ronstadt, Peter Gabriel, the E Street Band and, for the first time ever, two managers: The Beatles' Brian Epstein and The Rolling Stones' Andrew Loog Oldham.
Here are 10 highlights from the ceremony that will be shown on Saturday's special — as well as five backstage moments that viewers won't get to see:
1. Random celebrity sightings: While most of the action is obviously happening on stage, some of the best moments come from audience reaction shots as the camera scans the crowd. Some of the more head-scratching attendees? Bill Murray, Steven Spielberg, Dan Aykroyd and John McEnroe.
2. Chris Martin takes us to Sunday School: Coldplay singer Chris Martin introduces Peter Gabriel with clever remarks that put a new spin on Gabriel's time with Genesis. "I didn't know how to start my speech, so I remembered that as a kid my mom said, always turn to the Bible for guidance," Martin tells the crowd. "With that, I'd like to read to you from the Book of Genesis. It came to pass at that time that an angel of the lord descended and appeared before Phil the Collins. And Phil the Collins said to him, 'Who are you, O angel? And the angel replied, 'I am Gabriel. I bring you this good news. I am going solo.'" And so on.
3. Peter Gabriel and Youssou N'Dour's "In Your Eyes": Singer-percussionist Youssou N'Dour — "the unofficial king of Senegal" — flew in from Africa to join Gabriel for an inspired rendition of Gabriel's hit "In Your Eyes." N'Dour, who also collaborated with Gabriel on the original 1986 version of the song, translates one verse into his native language, Wolof.
4. Star-studded Linda Ronstadt tribute: Carrie Underwood, Sheryl Crow, Stevie Nicks,Bonnie Raitt and Emmylou Harris join forces to fill in for Linda Ronstadt, whose Parkinson's Disease has left her unable to travel, according to her longtime friend Glenn Frey. "Some of the great female singers that Linda inspired are here tonight to pay tribute to her," said Frey, who inducted Ronstadt. The highlight of the ladies' set? Listening to them harmonize (with Frey also taking a mic) on Ronstadt's classic "It's So Easy."
5. Tom Morello's KISS speech: In the night's most impassioned induction speech, Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello introduces KISS with remarks that make us wonder if he's ever considered a career in public speaking. Morello recalls himself and other KISS fans getting bullied "by the self-appointed arbiters of taste in middle schools and high schools across America" for worshiping the glam-rock band, and his telling of his first KISS concert experience is delivered with the gusto of slam poetry.
6. Cat Stevens has jokes!: The juxtaposition of Stevens — who abandoned fame in favor of a life of spirituality and now goes by the name Yusuf Islam — being inducted into the Hall of Fame alongside KISS and Nirvana is not lost on anyone, least of all the singer himself. Of the Hall of Fame's decision to include him, Stevens notes: "Considering that the judges have actually voted for someone who doesn't drink, doesn't smoke, doesn't throw televisions out of hotel rooms and only sleeps with his wife, I'd say it was a very brave decision. And one which was unexpected, and strangely, outrageously rock & roll. Peace!"
7. Bruce Springsteen's mea culpa: During his introduction of the E Street Band, Bruce Springsteen — who was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a solo artist in 1999 — candidly recalls a conversation he had with guitarist Steven Van Zandt at that time. Though Van Zandt was pushing for the group to be inducted together, Springsteen refused. "I was proud of my independence," he admits. "We hadn't played together in 10 years. We were somewhat estranged. We were just taking the first small steps of re-forming, and perhaps the shadow of some of the old grudges still held some sway. It was a conundrum."
8. The E Street band honors Clarence Clemons: Springsteen and the other members of the E Street Band all pay homage to saxophonist Clarence Clemons, who died in 2011. Clemons' widow, Victoria, accepts the trophy on his behalf. "He was known as the Big Man for many reasons," she tells the audience, and responds to the roaring laughter that ensued with, "You guys are so bad." (Not shown: She also played a voicemail she had saved, of the Big Man scat-singing in his car.)
9. Dave Grohl and Courtney Love make nice: Accepting for Nirvana are founding membersDave Grohl and Krist Novoselic, as well as Courtney Love and Kurt Cobain's mother and sisters on behalf of the late singer. (Absent: Love and Cobain's daughter Frances.) After Grohl and Novoselic speak, Love stepped up to the microphone, greeted by applause and a few boos. "I have a big speech, but I'm not gonna say it," she says. Though she and Grohl have had a notoriously fraught relationship since Cobain's death, they put aside their differences on this night, with Love warmly embracing Grohl on stage.
10. Nirvana's performance: The hands-down Big Moment of the night is the bittersweet reunion of Nirvana, with Grohl, Novoselic and Pat Smear playing four songs with a rotating lineup of female singers filling in for Kurt Cobain. Joan Jett kicks things off with "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (see part of that performance below), followed by Sonic Youth's Kim Gordonhandling vocals on "Aneurysm," St. Vincent taking the mic for "Lithium," and Lorde exceeding all expectations with a show-closing performance of "All Apologies," with large images of Cobain looming over the band on a backdrop.
The best backstage moments you won't see:
1. Ace Frehley addresses the KISS reunion controversy: Though it isn't brought up during their acceptance speech, the reason KISS didn't perform was because the band members (both new and original) couldn't agree on which lineup should perform. Guitarist Ace Frehleyaddressed the controversy backstage, implying it was a less-than-unanimous decision. "It wasn't my choice [not to perform]," he said. "I wanted to do it. ... We're still brothers in rock & roll."
2. The E Street Snoozefest: It's no wonder Bruce Springsteen concerts typically last upward of three hours. The E Street Band's segment at the induction brought the ceremony to a grinding halt, lasting well over an hour as each member of the ensemble took a turn at the podium after a lengthy introduction by Springsteen himself. (Thankfully, they've been edited into a montage of sorts and overlaid over the band's performance for the broadcast version.) While individual members' tributes to deceased members Clarence Clemons and Danny Federici were touching, the band's longwinded remarks overall left the crowd feeling more than a little restless.
3. Hall and Oates knock Springsteen: You'll hear John Oates say, "Lucky for you, there's only two of us," at the start of his and Daryl Hall's acceptance speech, to enthusiastic applause from the crowd. But here's the backstory: Hall & Oates were the second-to-last act to be inducted at the end night, and took the stage around 11 p.m., after the E Street Band's segment had lasted well over an hour. Then, when Hall & Oates finally plugged in their instruments, technical issues forced them to stop playing about a minute into "She's Gone." Hall complained about the sound coming through his monitors and icily quipped, "Did Bruce blow them all out?" as the crew tinkered with the equipment. (He probably also won't be pleased that the band's performance of "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)" has been edited out of the broadcast version.)
4. Michael Stipe recalls meeting Kurt Cobain: R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe fielded a few questions backstage as he was preparing to introduce Nirvana. Of the first time he met singer Kurt Cobain, Stipe said: " He and Courtney [Love] had moved into the house next door to my former guitar player, Peter Buck. They lived side by side. ... The first time I looked into his eyes, I just went, 'I get it. He is all that. He's a very special person.' He had really blue eyes."
5. Courtney Love makes an entrance: Spotted from the press room: Courtney Love careening into the backstage area like a whirling dervish, crashing into the ladies' room, emerging after a couple of minutes, and rushing out as quickly as she came in — literally running back out into the main arena moments before Nirvana was introduced.
The 2014 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony airs Saturday at 8/7c on HBO.
The social media battle between the "Modern Family" star and the makeup-clad rockers began when Stonestreet felt Stanley and Gene Simmons were rude to his mother on a flight from Los Angeles to Kansas City. Stanley and Simmons said the whole thing was a misunderstanding and Stonestreet calmed down.
This morning at LAX, Stanley reiterated that point and had nothing but nice things to say about Stonestreet and his mother ... but carefully danced around saying he was sorry about any of it.
Either way ... everybody's on the same page now. Until Eric gets on Twitter.
The Kiss rocker told our photog ... he doesn't think rappers and disco artists have any place in the Hall of Fame.
He goes through a whole thing about Nirvana being overrated ... not nearly as influential as the Foo Fighters, he says.
Tough love.
Stonestreet ripped the rockers on Instagram, claiming Simmons tried to "bully" his mom out of her seat and then mocked her by asking for her autograph -- and even threw in an old lady jab, calling her ... "Aunt Bee."
But Simmons fired back ... claiming the whole thing was made up, and he "would never be mean, especially to mothers."
Stanley also tweeted that the whole mess was just a "misunderstanding of joking."
Stonestreet accepted the sort-of-apology with a white flag tweet, "Thank u for that. She did tell me you let her go first. I will tape my glow in the dark KISS posters back together now."
Stonestreet tweeted a separate response to Simmons, throwing his mother under the bus. He wrote, "Ok @genesimmons. Take care. I assure u, I will have a stern talk with my mom about making up stories. Old people, ya know? OUR apologies:)"
Former Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley was finishing up Space Invader, his first solo album in five years, around the time he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Now, with the album's release date of July 8th a little over a month away, the Spaceman is sharing the its hard-rocking first single, "Gimme a Feelin'."
Beginning with a ferocious blues-rock solo, the tune locks into a typically Frehley-like groove when he sings about a woman who's "got what it takes to jangle my brain," the swinging guitar riff and pounding drumbeat recalling late-Seventies Kiss.
Aside from the music, Space Invader has another through-line to Frehley's days with his old band: Ken Kelly — the artist who created the sleeves for Kiss' most popular records, 1976's Destroyer and 1977's Love Gun — designed the its cover. The album also contains a rendition of the Steve Miller Band's 1973 song "The Joker," and Frehley has compared its sound overall to that of his 1978 self-titled solo album, which contained the hit "New York Groove."
"I'm really excited about this record, because everybody that's heard the tracks just says they think some of the tracks are even better than [Frehley's 2009 LP] Anomaly, and even showing another side of me," Frehley told Rolling Stone in March.
He also said at the time that he was planning an album of cover songs similar to his take on "The Joker," and although he wouldn't name the songs he wanted to include, he offered up a list of musicians he hoped would contribute to the album. "[I want to] get some celebrity guests to play on it, some of the covers and stuff, get Slash, Mike McCready, my buddy from Pearl Jam. The list is endless," he said. "I might even get Gene [Simmons] to play bass on a track."
Get the new Ace Single Gimme A Feelin' now on iTunes - Listen here.
Kerner’s son seems to have confirmed the news of his death, which was lamented in a Facebook post from the band that reads, “We are shocked to hear of Kenny Kerner’s passing. He was an early supporter of the band and co-produced our first two albums. He additionally did some terrific work that produced numerous hits including ‘Midnight Train to Georgia‘ for Gladys Knight and the Pips and ‘Brother Louie‘ for Stories. He remained a friend till the end and we will never forget his contributions to our early years.”
Kerner first rose to prominence as the producer, manager, and lyricist for Dust, a proto-American metal trio whose two early ’70s releases brought him to the attention of Kama Sutra Records boss Neil Bogart, who brought him on as a staff producer — a gig that ultimately led to Kerner making the discovery of a career. “Neil would leave demo tapes for me outside of his office. And I would come by once a week, pick them up, take them home, listen to them and bring them back,” he told KissMonster.com during a 2010 interview. “One trip found me taking the Kiss demo tape out of the box … I listened to it and it just blew me away.”
Signed to Bogart’s new venture Casablanca Records, the band got off to a relatively slow commercial start with its first few albums, and tensions between the group’s team and the label came to a head after the release of 1974's ‘Hotter Than Hell’ LP. When the dust settled, Kerner and Wise had lost Kiss — but as he later claimed in the above interview, he always knew it was strictly a business decision on Bogart’s part.
“He took us away because he wanted to push a wedge in between us and the band. We continued to work for him for years after that. We continued to give him hit records. He just wanted Kiss. And he figured if he got in between us … at least that’s one thing out of the way. So he went in and did the ‘Dressed To Kill’ album, which didn’t really do much. Shows to go you, as they say, that all he was concerned about was getting his two feet in the door there.”
Looking back, mused Kerner, “I think Kiss was one of those bands of destiny that was supposed to happen because they had everything that the teenage rock audience wanted to hear. Mainly the amazing show … You know, I used to see that they would audition pyrotechnics guys and magicians, ‘How do I do this? How do we do that? We want the drums to fly.’ One person after another until they got exactly what they wanted … They are the greatest live performing band ever in the history of popular music.”
VIP packages are available at this location.
"Bonzo Bash" is the "celebration show" that John Bonham freak/worshipper/drum lifer Brian Thomas Tichy (WHITESNAKE, FOREIGNER, OZZY OSBOURNE, BILLY IDOL) put together to pay tribute to the one and only drummer he has never stopped listening to and being inspired by since he was 10 years old.
Those statements sum up Michael Chabon’s novel “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay,” but they also provide a thumbnail sketch of freshly minted Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Kiss. Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons co-founded the band in 1972 and, two years later, the classic version of the group — with drummer Peter Criss and guitarist Ace Frehley — released its debut album.
Since then, critics have found Kiss as cartoonish as anything Kavalier and Clay conjured in their comic-book universe, while the band has sold more than 100 million albums and endless piles of merchandise. From condoms to coffins, and with plenty of T-shirts, posters and, yes, Halloween costumes thrown in for good measure, there is almost nothing Kiss hasn’t (or won’t) sell its legions of fans, known as the Kiss Army.
Despite numerous missteps, Kiss’s influence is hard to overstate. Garth Brooks, Nirvana and Pearl Jam have loudly proclaimed their admiration for Kiss while, for better or worse (okay, often worse), the MTV hair-metal generation led by Motley Crue borrowed liberally from Kiss concert theatrics such as extensive explosions and fireworks and elaborate staging.
Of the band’s early experiments with explosives, Stanley writes, “Pyro had not yet become a science. We just ‘auditioned’ a few maniacs who liked to blow [stuff] up.”
The band shows little inclination to slow down any time soon. On June 23, Kiss kicks off a summer-long US tour with Def Leppard. After plunging in popularity and relevance through much of the 1980s, the original quartet reunited in 1996, bringing back its signature makeup and stage show for several sellout tours.
Old tensions flared and the co-founders once again replaced Criss and Frehley. They’ve kept touring since, still a reliable draw at arenas and amphitheaters.
On April 10, they became Hall of Famers after 15 years of snubs. (The 2014 class also included Hall and Oates, Peter Gabriel, Linda Ronstadt, the E Street Band, Cat Stevens, and Nirvana; the ceremony at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center premieres May 31 on HBO.)
At the induction, the band opted against performing, the result of lingering feuds over who would be on stage: the original members only, newer members or a combination. No one could agree, including the hall itself, so Kiss, the ultimate arena act, didn’t perform at an induction ceremony staged in an arena and held, in part, to honor the band’s raucous concerts. They did manage to make acceptance speeches together in civil fashion.
Stanley, the rhythm guitarist, and Simmons, who plays bass, have shared lead vocals on most of the band’s songs and wrote or co-wrote the majority. They also preside over the lucrative business of Kiss.
While the tongue-wagging, demon-faced Simmons long ago became the band’s focal point, Stanley’s Starchild, Criss’ Catman and Frehley’s Spaceman are familiar to at least a couple of generations of rock fans. This spring, Stanley became the last of the original band members to share the story behind the makeup, the theatrics, and the inevitable excesses and missteps of sudden wealth and fame in an autobiography.
Titled “Face the Music: A Life Exposed,” Stanley’s account delves more into what he battled: deformity (he was born with a stump for a right ear and is deaf on his right side), indifferent parents, learning disability, and ample doses of depression and doubt. This being a celebrity memoir, there are bouts of narcissism, too. In one instance, Stanley complains of his first wife scoffing at a Mercedes he gave her (she preferred a different model) within pages of Stanley himself passing on bandmate Simmons’ offer of a Jaguar in favor of a Porsche. Oh, the angst of rock stardom.
Mostly, though, Stanley proves to be self-aware and blunt. He strips away any notion that any members of Kiss knew what they were doing financially and reveals that his therapist, of all people, alerted him to the reckless and irresponsible management being provided by the band’s lawyers and other advisers. And he makes it clear Simmons is more of a business partner than anything else, acknowledging frustration over Simmons’ forays into producing and acting during the 1980s while Stanley was left to hold the band and its rotating cast of lead guitarists and drummers together.
Stanley excluded Simmons from his 2005 wedding. Unlike Frehley and Criss, Simmons shares Stanley’s disdain for drugs and avoided the traps of addiction. They also share a strong work ethic, a trait that has helped Kiss weather storms of infighting, irrelevance, and incompetence (the last two seen in a disco song, a concept album, and a comically awful made-for-TV movie).
Again and again, the 62-year-old Stanley, now happily married with four children between the ages of 2 to 19, writes of his failure to find a sense of security despite the trappings of what seemed an enviable life: money, clothes, houses, world tours and trips to the Playboy mansion. In “Face the Music,” the man born Stanley Bert Eisen writes, “I needed the crowd to love me. Nobody else did. Not even me.”
He spoke to me about the Hall of Fame, his book, and what’s next during a recent interview.
Following are excerpts from our conversation:
On why he waited to write an autobiography: "I was vehement in my refusal to do a book or anything of that sort because you just have to look at the shelves of a bookstore to see how much crap there is. Autobiographies tend to be incredibly self-congratulatory and very often about things of dubious achievement, if they actually even happened. It wasn’t until I realized I could write a book for my kids, for my children, so they would understand what I went through to achieve what I did.
The best thing we can do as parents is lead by example. So I wanted them to have a document of what I had done and I also realized that my life could be inspirational to other people, which is exactly how it’s turned out. To grow up as I did and to go through some of the things I went through and to find a spectacular life when I didn’t really know one existed – well, that’s a great reason to write a book. I couldn’t have written it if it didn’t have a happy ending."
On his approach: "It took close to a year. I got together with a guy named Tim Mohr [his collaborator on “Face the Music”]. Tim and I would just talk and I would just reminisce and he would record everything, we’d transcribe it and then piece it together. Every word in the book is mine. I loved it when my son, who’s 19, read the book. He had this big smile. Other than saying he loved the book, he said, 'It’s you. It’s your words, it’s your humor.' I think the reason it resonates with so many people is because the truth sounds like it’s the truth because it’s the truth. When you read something that is clearly so, it’s pretty indisputable. There is a resonance and a gravitas to it that lets you know it’s real."
On the Hall of Fame induction: "It was everything I expected it to be. It’s a very elitist club, it dupes the public into believing that there is some credibility to it and that somehow the public has a voice in it, which they don’t. It’s a small group of elitist publishers and writers and record company people who reflect their own prejudices and preferences. So it was exactly as I expected and from the very beginning of their announcing our induction, they were arrogant and treated us dismissively."
On why he attended: "I went because there are many fans who see it as validation and vindication of their championing us and I wouldn’t miss it for the world because it was a celebration of them and for them."
On Steve Nicks of Fleetwood Mac saying Kiss should have performed at the induction: "I saw Stevie backstage, I love Stevie. Obviously, one can’t know the inner workings of one band just because you’re in another.
All I found myself saying when I was sitting with Gene [Simmons], I leaned over and said, ‘Thank God we didn’t play.’"
On reaction to his book from band members: I really, again, I’m not in contact with Ace and Peter. We certainly have achieved and started something that has gone on 40 years and that’s undeniable, but I don’t have ongoing relationship or communication with them.
Gene lives down the road. I certainly see him and we have a great relationship. Oh, of course, he read the book and he was very proud of it."
On fame: "There was a lot of pain and a lot of turmoil in my life. And I don’t forget that. That’s perhaps part of the reason I could move forward. When I was younger, I thought that becoming famous would be the antidote to my doubts, my unhappiness and my feelings of insecurity, my ear deformity, my hearing loss.
And I found once I became famous, nothing changed. We still keep the same secrets. We live with them. That was when I had to decide, what do I do now? People blow their brains out, some people put needles in their arms, and other people roll up their sleeves and get to work. I’m not a victim, don’t want to be a victim. I’m here to tell you that with a lot of hard work and a lot of exploration, you can have an amazing life.
I have a life I didn’t even know existed."
On not telling band members about his deformity and deafness: "I was very, very closed, kept a distance even when I was at my closest [with the band in its early days], kept a good arm’s length.
I grew up impacted by stares and ridicule and a home life, although it wasn’t intentional, wasn’t very supportive. [Stanley grew his hair, in part, to cover his deformity.] So magically having an ear wouldn’t change anything [in the 1980s he had several surgeries to construct an ear]."
On life on the road: "There’s not much downtime, to be honest. I try to time my tours to my children’s school vacations so I can take my family with me. That’s part of integrating your life. I know people who never want to go home. I’d rather bring my home with me."
On recent comments by Simmons in Rolling Stone that he has two or three tours left: "I don’t know that he was really saying two or three more tours for him. Could be, but I don’t really think so. I think it was a more a sense of him realizing you can’t do this forever."
On forays into art and starring in a Toronto production of "The Phantom of the Opera": "My vision is not very narrow. I don’t have tunnel vision. It’s a big world and the opportunities we all have are only limited by us. So to pick up a paintbrush or do theater, those are opportunities that don’t necessarily lead to success, but they certainly are opportunities I’d like to explore. And very gratifyingly, most of what I’ve explored I’ve done exceedingly well at."
On his own health struggles from years of touring, including serious injuries to his shoulders, hips and knees: "I feel great. I guess it’s like going into the auto body shop, I’m good for another 60,000 miles. I found that when I was fit, the better I felt (onstage and off).
But genetically, I’m pretty blessed. My dad’s 94. My dad will be outside throwing baseballs for my (7-year-old) son to hit."
On writing the book and re-living highs and lows: "I have to say it was tremendous fun. When people talk about, was it cathartic to write the book, I go, ‘No, it was cathartic to live the life.’
If an autobiography doesn’t have some sort of redemption, coming to grips with things, if it’s just a rambling travelogue, I’m not interested."
On what he’s reading: "I’ve been rereading books that I read during the '60s. And I’ve been sharing them with my [19-year-old] son, which has been very interesting. To go back and read sort of counterculture books, Richard Brautigan, 'Illusions' and 'Jonathan Livingston Seagull' [by Richard Bach]."
We play some cool tunes with some cool KISS talk!
"I was, like, Jesus Christ, after 40 years of support you can't give the fans 10 minutes?" Frehley says. "The fans wanted it, The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame wanted it. But Gene and Paul didn't. It's sad. They definitely lost some fans because of this decision.
"I think the reason they didn't want to get together with the original members was because they're afraid of history repeating itself," he continued. "When we did 'Unplugged' in 1995, you saw what happened: because the fans were so excited about me and Peter [Criss, drums] playing with those guys, they had to scrap their last record [with then-current members Bruce Kulick and Eric Singer] and do a reunion tour [with Frehley and Criss in 1996]. Although at this point I don't think Peter could do a two-hour show and a full tour. But I still got the chops. I definitely blow [current KISS guitarist] Tommy Thayer off the stage."
Asked where he was when he found out that KISS was being inducted, Frehley said: "I was at home in San Diego and got a call from my manager. Then, about a week later, I got the 'congratulatory' call from Paul and Gene. And I could tell that there was some hesitancy on their part about the whole thing. I was asking them if we were gonna play, and Gene avoided the question by saying, 'Well, we're just looking forward to getting the four of us up there together and celebrating…' Whatever. It was a noncommittal congratulatory call. Then, about a week later, I was told that the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame absolutely wants the four original members to reunite, and I said, 'Great, I'll do it.' And there was silence from Gene and Paul. And finally it was shot down. The next thing I heard is that Paul and Gene wanted to perform with the current KISS lineup. And I said, Well, that's kind of a slap in the face. I mean, they're not even being inducted. I have to sit through a KISS cover band when I'm receiving an award? I don't think so. I also heard at one point that they wanted me to perform in makeup with Tommy at the same time. I really didn't want to be onstage with Tommy, but I said I would do it, as long as I got to play the bulk of the songs and that I could wear the 'Destroyer' costume. Then a few days later [it was], 'No, we're not gonna play at all.' It was almost like they were trying to bait me, so that if I said no to anything they would just blame me for there being no performance. I was almost going to boycott the whole thing."
To purchase a copy of the July 2014 issue of Guitar World, go to this location.
Largely because of his physical appearance he was bullied and ostracized, and survived by withdrawing and living much of his life inside his head, all of which he documents in vivid detail in his new memoir, Face the Music: A Life Exposed.
"Many people in the same position will end up with either a shotgun in their mouth or a needle in their arm," Stanley told Yahoo Music. "Really, it comes down a simple choice. Do you live as a victim, or roll up your sleeves and make a life for yourself?"
Even those who can't name the original members of KISS know the answer to the rhetorical question. Paul Stanley is one of the biggest success stories in rock music. As the band's main songwriter and vocalist for more than 40 years — not counting the time he, Simmons, ex-guitarist Ace Frehley, and former drummer Peter Criss spent in KISS predecessors Wicked Lester — Stanley helped pioneer the evolution of arena rock and, along with his bandmates, became icons of pop culture.
KISS has sold more than 100 million albums worldwide, and along the way Stanley has indulged in every whim and rock 'n' roll fantasy — which for him, has not included drugs and alcohol, something he has spoken a great deal about in the past.
Incredibly, Stanley rose to the top and crafted some of the greatest rock anthems and ballads while half-deaf. In 1982 he underwent reconstructive surgery and had a piece of his rib cage molded into a makeshift ear. Even so, he still can’t hear normally. "As far as the music went, I never missed anything because you don’t miss what you've never had," he insisted. "I hear music the way I hear it. It's normal to me, but it's not the way you hear music. And one of the key issues is if there’s a lot of noise I can’t hear people talking in front of me because only one ear is taking all the sound in. And I also can’t tell direction of sound. So if I’m driving and a fire engine is coming I could just as easily drive into the path of it as away from it because I don’t know where it is. But that hasn't hurt me at all when it's come to writing songs for KISS."
At age 62, a time when many people's hearing is on the wane anyway, Stanley is still going strong. KISS were recently nominated into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and will tour with Def Leppard from June 23 in Salt Lake City, Utah through August 31 in The Woodlands, Texas. Pretty much everything Stanley has strived for in his career has come to fruition. Interestingly, one thing he never wanted until recently was authorship of a book.
"I was adamant about not writing a book for decades," he said. "The world doesn't need another one of those 'look at me, I'm the coolest guy' nonsense that most autobiographies of entertainers tend to be. They tend to be overinflated, self-promoting, and, a lot of times, glaringly not accurate."
Stanley finally decided to sit down with co-writer Tim Mohr to discuss Face the Music because he's in a great place in his life, and wanted a document he could hand his four kids so they would understand where he came from and what it took for him to overcome the obstacles he has faced.
"Once I decided what kind of book I could write, it was very easy," Stanley said. "I don’t want to say it was cathartic because the catharsis came before I wrote the book. Some people say it's such a great book because it’s so intimate. I couldn't write a book if I was still in the midst of what was going on in the book. The book has a happy ending, and that’s why it was worth writing. After I was done with it, my son read it, and he said, 'It’s you. It's your voice, it’s your humor. It's you talking.'"
As Stanley continues to celebrate the success of his first book, he’s also looking forward to the release of KISS 40, a double-disc set consisting of 40 songs — one from every KISS release and four previously unreleased tracks (the 1977 demo “Reputation,” “Deuce” live from 2004, “Cold Gin” live from 2009, and “Crazy Crazy Nights” live from 2010. Elsewhere, there’s a career-spanning collection of songs, including the explosive 1975 live version of "Rock and Roll All Nite" from Alive, which took KISS to a new level of stardom,and the controversial disco song "I Was Made For Lovin' You from the 1979 album Dynasty.
"I can’t be anything but proud of ['I was Made For Lovin’ You,'] a song that was a top five hit around the world," Stanley said. "I can't be anything but proud of a song that, in spite of people having ambivalent feelings, is still probably the biggest crowd raiser in Europe when we play it."
Having said that, Stanley admits "I Was Made for Lovin' You" came during a turbulent point in the band's career. "Towards the end of the seventies, we were in the midst of being lost and not quite knowing who we were anymore and losing sight of what we loved and why we got into this in the first place," he said. "We had problems within the band. Peter was basically a non-functioning member who didn't play on albums at that point — Ace being in all kinds of trouble with drugs and drinking and Gene being distracted by Hollywood and me looking for the same validation from the wrong people — we started looking for credibility from people who didn't matter. We already had the credibility of the people who did. 'I Was Made For Lovin' You' was a result of a lot of things going on and it was an experiment on my part that turned out very well even though some people didn't like the result."
While Stanley has a fonder place in his heart for some KISS albums than others, he said that together they tell a story of a band that followed its path, made mistakes along the way, but ultimately enjoyed far more triumphs than failures. "My sense was always that KISS was about having no rules and although I hold the fans in the highest of esteem, I also expect them to understand that everything we do may not be to their liking, and the way they can show us is by not buying it. And they've spoken loudly and clearly when they didn't like what we've done. But we couldn't have done Creatures of the Night if we didn't do Music From The Elder. I don’t begrudge anything we’ve done because everything we do leads us to where we ultimately get."
Some KISS fans will always long for the reformation of the band's original lineup, which after the Hall of Fame debacle seems less likely than ever to happen. But Stanley insists his favorite lineup ever is the current one, which includes guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer: "It embodies everything I've always wanted this band to be — a four-wheel drive car where everyone feels blessed to be there and works for the benefit of the band and also realistically works within what they are capable of doing and doesn't try to be anything more than that," he said. "It's been great and it's a lineup where we socialize and have a great time together and play fantastically onstage. It’s really the band I've always wanted it to be. The original lineup was combustible, and combustibility is terrific until it implodes and that's unfortunate. The concept of combustibility is fine as long as it is harnessed. In the case of KISS it clearly led to the demise of the original lineup. That’s life."
The 23-year-old Johnson beat out 17-year-old Irene, who is from the Detroit area, to be named "American Idol" and win a record contract.
Johnson swapped lines with KISS frontman Paul Stanley on "Love Gun" and then sang backup on "Shout It Out Loud". Afterwards, host Ryan Seacrest brought Johnson's brother, Houston — sporting Paul Stanley "Starchild" makeup — to the stage to the meet the band.
In addition to performing with KISS, Johnson sang "Dream On" by AEROSMITH, "Maybe I'm Amazed" by PAUL MCCARTNEY and his single "As Long As You Love Me".
"I would just look so, so stupid," he tells reporters backstage after the final "Idol" performance show.
What won't look stupid? The pricey pyrotechnics planned for his performance with the band. "I heard that they spent $25,000 on pyro for the show tomorrow," he says. "We rehearsed it and it was literally like Fourth of July just boom, boom, boom. Like, it's insane and we're going to have a blast and it's going to be the best."
Meeting some of his rock heroes was better than Johnson imagined. "They were just some of the nicest, funniest people I've ever met. They were so welcoming," he says. "They were so insightful and just gave me a lot of good feedback. Gene Simmons was like, 'Hey man, I'm not going to sugar coat this, but man you've got the goods.' And I was like, 'Wow.' That's an icon, like an icon of rock and roll. It was just crazy and I am so, so excited to get to perform with them."
First, though, Johnson is going to do a favor for his little brother. KISS is the younger Johnson's favorite band, so Caleb has something special planned. "I'm going to let my brother meet them and hang out with them."
Here are five things to look forward to during the final episode of season 13:
1. The three judges will finally perform together.
"It was a blast," Harry Connick Jr. told PEOPLE on Tuesday of pre-taping his performance of Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors" and Fleetwood Mac's "Go Your Own Way" with his fellow judges, Jennifer Lopez and Keith Urban, as well as mentor Randy Jackson. "Jen chose 'True Colors' but I don't know who chose Fleetwood Mac. Being up there with them performing after talking about it for so many months was just great."
2. Caleb Johnson will perform with Kiss.
"I rehearsed with Kiss last night and they were absolutely amazing. They are some of the nicest, funniest people I've ever met. They were so insightful and gave me a lot of good feedback," Johnson told reporters. "I heard that they spent $25,000 on pyro for the show tomorrow and we rehearsed it and it was literally like Fourth of July, just [boom, boom, boom]."
3. Jena Irene will perform with Paramore.
"I haven’t rehearsed with them yet, but it should be good," Ascuitto said. "I hope I get [lead singer Hayley Williams's] number so we can text all the time. I’m a fangirl a little bit. I’ve loved that band since I was 12 years old, so there’s going to be a lot of things that I would like to talk to her about, but so little time."
4. The Top 13's girls will perform with Demi Lovato – but without MK Nobilette.
"Hey everyone I won't be in the finale this year due to illness but don't worry! I will still be on tour," Nobilette (the FOX reality singing competition's first openly gay contestant) Tweeted on May 19.
But the rest of the girls are excited to perform with the "Neon Lights" singer.
"Demi is extremely hardworking. She came right into the rehearsal, said 'hi' to everyone and learned all of our names, which was really nice," Asciutto said. "You can tell that she wants to put on the best performance she possibly can."
5. The 13th winner of American Idol will be crowned!
"It is going to be close, I would imagine," Connick said of it coming down to Asciutto and Johnson. "It is like a boxer versus a puncher and it is so cool. I think it is a matter of preference, really. It is not a matter of who did better. It is who you like more and who is going to vote for their favorite."
The American Idol finale airs Wednesday (8 p.m. ET) on Fox.
Paul Stanley: Good, give me one minute to sneeze. [sneezes] You got the brunt of that one. Wipe yourself off and then we'll get to work.
MR: [laughs] Dude, your book released at number two best selling on The New York TImes list. How does something like that feel?
PS: I'm not easily found speechless, but as much as I'd be able to articulate it, it's humbling and incredibly rewarding. I just found out that right now it's an international best seller as well. Clearly I wrote the book with a purpose and I wrote the book with a vision far beyond the idea of a KISS book. This is a book about my life story, being born deaf on one side without an ear, the scrutiny I went through, and coming from a family that--not intentionally--was minimally supportive or less and the quest for fame as a means of going in the hole and the sense of self-doubt and what came of that. I was lucky enough to become successful and at that point I realized although success was an incredible gift it didn't change anything in my life. Your secrets remain your secrets, other people may not know them, but then at that point you'll either be a victim in life and complain or you'll put a shotgun in your mouth or a needle in your arm or you'll roll up your sleeves and start excavating, you'll start demolition, tear things down and build a life that can be amazing. I think that's universal, and that's what I'm getting from people, it's not a book purely for musicians and it's not a book purely for Kiss fans, it's a book that resonates with a lot of people.
MR: Yeah, and what's nice is that you really humanized Paul Stanley. Fans may know so much about you, but they still don't know how much certain things affected your life, like that car accident. You talked about getting to realize the important things; that one was a big one for you, wasn't it?
PS: There have been so many moments in my life that you could call revelations and epiphanies, but that's because I'm fairly aware of the goings-on in my life and how they affect me, whether it's almost drowning in Hawaii and realizing that I'm struggling to stay above the water but life is going on on the beach and will continue whether I die or not, facing my own mortality and facing our own issues is something that everybody does at some point. I think one of the services, if you will, that I've done for people is to not only humanize me, but to let them know that they're not alone. People read the book and say, "That's me in the book." One thing we all struggle with when we have issues that we keep quiet is the idea that we're all alone. Once we see that we're not, and even better yet the people that we look up to are no different than we are, it's a huge win-win. It's a terrific, terrific gift to me to have that acknowledgement and it seems to be a gift to other people.
MR: With your second wife and your children, you've really been exploring and getting more out of life. That's been an important thing to you beyond the theatrics of KISS, right?
PS: Well I have to say, without naming names, that I know many performers and people in other bands who don't ever want to go home, who don't ever want to leave the stage because they have no lfe and because who they are is based purely upon how they are perceived by the public. I've never wanted that. Once I saw that that wasn't an answer, I decided to find out what was. There's a lot of people out there who just don't want to do that work, and they become slaves to their professions instead of basking in them.
MR: And you've seen it on both sides. You now embrace the more human side of Paul Stanley, but you also talk a lot in the book about who you are in KISS. KISS served a purpose for you, didn't it, in your life? It was cathartic for you, wasn't it?
PS: Well things came about interestingly. I've always been very driven to succeed. Success is something that does not come without committment and sacrifice. Those were all made in the name of acheiving what I wanted. Kiss has been the vehicle that allowed me to go the extra mile. It's a huge, huge milestone to reach the success level that I have had with the band, but it availed me the opportunity to go much farther. By acheiving what I did with the band it allowed me to see that it wasn't the ultimate answer to being happy. Contentment and ultimate happiness has to come from within, and it will be mirrored in what goes on around you. I'm a big believer that the best way to charge your condition is to look at your relationships. If the relationships around you are dysfunctional, it's a direct reflection on you. It's interesting how people can sometimes say, "I'm unlucky in relationships," but until they realize that relationships are based on their choosing, then once again they're victims instead of owning up to their responsibility.
MR: The name of the book is Face The Music: A Life Exposed. From your perspective, what was the biggest thing that you exposed?
PS: Hmm. I think it's a general term, because the book is just full of truth, raw truth. I was not uncomfortable telling any of it because it all led to a happy life. I could never have told this story if I was still in the midst of that quagmire or whatever you want to call it. It really is my story because I wanted my children to be able to read it and understand who their dad is and what I went through and perhaps it would serve them and other people with some life lessons.
MR: And I'm imagining it also exposed that life to yourself as you were going through the process.
PS: Well it's really beautiful when you let go of your secrets, but to let go of your secrets you have to feel secure enough within yourself. You can't get let go of secrets if you're worried about the impact or how they can be used against you. I'm totally comfortable in my life. It's the secrets that can harm you the most because they don't allow you to get on with your life.
MR: Paul, what is it that KISS supplied to American culture, something that totally resonated?
PS: What continues to resonate forty years later is a band that stands its ground, that bows to no one, that sings about self-empowerment and about following your own path, and celebrating life. It's interesting how when we first came on the scene it was seen as trite and trivial compared to what other people were singing about. The real fact of the matter is that we're here forty years later because what we sing about is timeless. You can't save the planet, you can't fix the ozone layer, you can't take on global warming unless you believe in yourself and have self empowerment. It all starts with you. The simplicity made the truth seem trivial, but it never has been. On top of that, the makeup and the iconic imagery resonates with children who don't even understand music yet. I think the experience that people over the years have had at our shows has made it into almost a tribal event. You bring your children to experience what you experienced and to share it with them. It's unlike other bands. Other bands have audiences that don't want their younger brother there, don't want their father there, don't want their neighbor there, they want to own something on their own. We are the largest cult in the world and people come with their chilrden, with their grandchilrden, with their neighbors, this is the secret society that everybody is welcome to.
MR: There's a huge connection between KISS and its audience. What do you feel when you look at them? What do you think they're feeling?
PS: I think they're feeling an incredible exhiliration, but that's what I'm feeling. We're both feeling an incredible sense of gratitude. I couldn't be more grateful for our following and their dedication to us and the fact that when we do something they don't like they let us know by not showing up and not buying it. It's not blind adulation. I think it's a relationship of reciprocity, I think it's a relationship that's healthy in that, let's face it, we love each other.
MR: What advice do you have for new artists?
PS: Particularly at this point, I would say if you're pursuing music because of the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, find another occupation. The pot of gold has been made significantly smaller by music conglomerates that now will own a piece of everything you do from merchandise to touring, and the chances of you succeeding are infinitesimally smaller at this point because there's no nurturing of artists, which was something that happened in the times of Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, Janis Joplin, you were signed to a label that first of all loved what you were doing musically and believed in you enough to wait through a few albums to see what happened. Now you're lucky to get a single out without getting thrown off the company plank. So if you are not compelled to do it, don't do it. If you have to ask, "Should I do it?" then the answer is no, because you don't pursue music because you want to, you pursue music because you have to.
MR: It seems to me like you're the type of guy who would've been just as happy driving that taxi all this time as you are being part of the biggest group of all time, KISS. Is that true?
PS: It's hard for me to say because I've been a member of this band for so long. I will say that I wouldn't have been happy doing either if I didn't find happiness within and happiness within my private life. The lesson here is that the external is never the answer.
MR: So when should we expect Face The Music: A Life Re-exposed?
PS: I'm in this incredible position to have this best seller internationally at this point and to have the luxury of having my publishing company saying, "What do you want to do next?" which is something that I never had to consider before. I've been bitten by the bug and I have every intention to keep writing.
MR: So keep our eyes peeled.
PS: Yeah. Obviously there's always more life to write about, whether it's mine or just my view of life in general. In terms of Face The Music: A Life Exposed it had to end at some point because otherwise you'd be stopping the presses weekly to add something new to the book. But in the long run, what I'm doing is a point of view, and that can transcend and exist outside of an autobiography.
The "Space Invader" cover artwork was created by Frehley's longtime friend, artist Ken Kelly, who designed the iconic cover art for two of KISS' best-selling LPs "Destroyer" (1976) and "Love Gun" (1977). Ken says: "It was very exciting when I was approached with the idea of doing an album cover for Ace."
Kelly, who is also widely known for his paintings in the sword and sorcery and heroic fantasy subgenres, most notably for the Conan The Barbarian novels, continues: "I had spoken to Ace on a few occasions about the possibility, so I was delighted when it actually happened.
"I am very pleased with the results and proud to play a part of Ace's continuing successful career!"
Frehley adds: "I've been talking with Ken Kelly since 2007 about painting a CD cover for me and it has finally happened! I couldn't be more excited about the new 'Space Invader' cover, and the music behind it is also going to rock your world!"
Instead, says Paul Stanley, founding Kiss singer-guitarist, it felt, at times, like an insult.
“If it takes somebody 14 years to invite you to a party, they obviously don’t want you at it,” says Stanley, on the phone from his home in Beverly Hills, Calif., not long after the induction ceremony in Brooklyn last month. “We were treated absolutely horribly, as unwanted guests.”
Stanley had nothing but praise, however, for former Rage Against the Machine guitarist and current E Street Band touring member Tom Morello, who inducted Kiss with a fiery speech defending the band’s legacy. (The ceremony will air in edited form on HBO on May 31.)
“Tom was great and really championed this whole movement” of getting the madcap, makeup adorned, multiplatinum original quartet inducted, says Stanley.
Backstage at the Barclays Center that night Morello said of Kiss, “They were our generation’s Beatles, our generation’s Elvis, our generation’s Rolling Stones. They made everyone who loved that band want to pick up an instrument. Also, it was a conscious act of rebellion to be a fan of Kiss. You immediately put yourself not only in opposition to authority figures, to parents, but to other kids in your school who wanted to beat your ass when you wore a Kiss T-shirt to school. So you had to stand up for yourself and what you believed in at a very young age and that made an impression on me later in my career.”
The band is celebrating its 40th year of rocking and rolling all night and partying every day and on the phone Stanley is brimming with excitement about everything from Kiss’s upcoming summer tour to his recipe for Brussels sprouts. (“Use really good balsamic,” he counsels of making the dish.) At 62, Stanley says he is “one happy man.”
One source of that joy is his best-selling new memoir, “Face the Music: A Life Exposed,” which he will sign copies of at Barnes and Noble on Boylston Street on Sunday.
In the candid autobiography Stanley writes extensively about the challenges of growing up deaf in his right ear, with only a stump where the ear itself should be, exposing him to endless ridicule. (He later had reconstructive surgery.) Troubles in school and with his peers and parents left him riddled with insecurity that could not be healed by hit songs and groupies.
“I couldn’t have written the book if it didn’t have a happy ending,” says the New York native of seeking help and settling into family life with his second wife, Erin, and his four children. “The point really is, we can hide our secrets but we can never hide them from ourselves, and the only way to find happiness is to let go of those secrets.”
“I was lucky enough to become famous because I thought fame was the answer,” he says. “And then once you come to the realization that you’re still miserable, you either put a shotgun in your mouth or you put a needle in your arm, or you roll up your sleeves and decide you’re not going to be a victim.”
Stanley is the last member of Kiss to release an autobiography, and he says he did not read those of his former drummer Peter Criss and guitarist Ace Frehley or remaining cofounding bassist Gene Simmons.
“It’s very hard for somebody to recall their past and their lives, when they are steeped in alcohol and drugs,” says Stanley of Criss and Frehley, who battled substance abuse during their tenures with Kiss and are now in recovery. “The idea of somebody writing a memoir when they can’t remember what happened yesterday is a little ridiculous. So no, I didn’t read them.”
But what of the famously sober Simmons, who has written several books?
“Yes, delusional, but sober,” he says with a laugh. “He sees life his own way and that’s very different.”
Although Stanley is joking, to a degree, and often calls Simmons a brother, he makes clear in the book that from the moment he met him, Simmons got under his skin.
“I think one of the great things in a band is combustibility,” he says. “If there’s too much that you have in common you don’t bring that much to the party. So I’m all for combustibility, we just have to be working toward a common cause. The combustibility in the original lineup was bearable until everybody wanted something different.”
Stanley believes “Face the Music” will appeal to more than fans of Kiss and his “Starchild” band persona.
“It’s really a book about struggling, finding yourself, and coming to a place of contentment against all odds and obstacles and that resonates with people far beyond whether or not they like Kiss,” says Stanley.
He’s also looking forward to Kiss’s summer tour with Def Leppard, hitting the Xfinity Center Aug. 1.
“In the most pragmatic sense, money becomes harder and harder for people to come by and the idea of being able to give them a night of great music from two bands benefits all of us.”
After learning on this week's show that he was going to be performing with KISS, which is said to be one of his biggest musical influences, Caleb got so excited he jumped into the arms of his "little" brother, who's got several inches on him, according to USA Today.
The two-part Season 13 finale of "American Idol" will air on Tuesday, May 20 and Wednesday, May 21, starting at 8 p.m. on Fox.
KISS' upcoming appearance on "American Idol" will not be the first time the band has played on the annual reality show and singing competition. KISS previously performed its classic songs "Detroit Rock City" and "Rock And Roll All Nite" on the 2009 season finale of "American Idol". They were introduced by finalist Adam Lambert, who sang the KISS classic "Beth" prior to the band taking the stage (with Adam joining in).
I’ll have to use other people’s word’s: Inspirational [long pause]. ... How about four more words?
Four more?
How about “not a KISS book”?
That actually makes a lot of sense, that’s great. I think there’s definitely a lot of information out there already, and my next question is, as a longtime fan of the band, I remember how controlled the press and information about KISS was for the first 25 or 30 years. We really had to dig, and there were only a couple books out there. With the magazines, it seemed the management gave what information they wanted. But at some point the doors blew open, and now it’s all out there. How do you feel about that?
I think it’s terrific, but the creating of an image and keeping it consistent was I think imperative to creating the KISS legacy, certainly for the first few decades if not more. KISS can continue because the foundation was so clearly defined. At this point, it’s much more important to, just in this present day, to identify more the individuals and who they are. There was a time where it would only muddy the four personas, whereas now I think it enhances them.
My story, the story of the music, is one of struggle and transcendence and overcoming obstacles. KISS has always been about self-empowerment and self-belief, and I think it enhances that whole point of view to see that I, for one, have lived it. You know, to be born deaf on one side without a right ear and to grow up under the circumstances and family life that I did, and then to fight for success only to find it an incredible gift but hollow in terms of making my feelings of self-worth or my questions of inadequacy, it did nothing for them, so at that point it became a challenge of either being a victim and compromising my life and using other things as an excuse, or deciding to fight back and make a great life, and that’s what I did. And in some ways that mirrors KISS.
I would agree. And that leads perfectly into my next question. I love your mantra of, “Anything is possible with hard work.” That’s a recurring theme I’ve noticed in interviews with you. But aren’t there other factors at play? There are a lot of other bands that worked hard and never achieved KISS-like success. Does that necessarily make them failures? How do you see that?
That’s tough. I would have to say that because as far as I know, we don’t get a second chance, and this is our only trip through this world; we all need to do a brutal self-assessment, and it’s never only about hard work. If I were delusional, I would have said I’m going to work real hard and become a rocket scientist, but I didn’t have the capacity for that. No matter how hard you work, you can’t achieve what you’re not capable of. So hard work is what stands between you and success once you identify what you’re capable of doing, and if you’re fooling yourself, you’re the only one who pays the price.
This is true. I heard you address that a little bit in the interview at the San Francisco Jewish Community Center. But I was just curious if there might be other factors, like a great management team or label, or other things that fell into place and worked in your favor.
But that’s all part of hard work. Those things didn’t fall into our laps. We fought them out.
Right.
People who are foolish enough to believe that talent is the sole end-all-be-all are the ones who are in for the shock of their lives when somebody who they think isn’t as talented as they are surpasses them. Really, ultimately, all the situations around us were because we were taking control of situations and steering them. People like to talk about luck — I think luck is seeing an opportunity where somebody else doesn’t. There’s opportunities all around everybody. When you grab one, or see something that somebody doesn’t see in the same room, they say you were lucky, I just say you were blind.
That’s a good way of putting it. My next question is about another band from the era who definitely did not achieve any level of success like you, but I was always curious about your knowledge of them. Did you know about the all-girl band The Runaways back in the '70s?
Absolutely. I was close with Lita during that early time. I knew The Runaways way back then, in the '77 time.
Once they were legal.
Yes [laughs].
I was surprised that KISS never had them open a show or a tour. It seemed like it would have made so much sense.
Well we knew them, and I don’t know that that would have served us well … offstage. In any case, we knew them, and they were terrific. I will measure my words, but they were terrific.
One of the most interesting things I came across doing some online research was about your love of cooking. And more specifically, you had a recipe for Brussels sprouts à la Stanley, which I’m definitely looking to try soon, as I love dried cherries. Do you use fresh or dried cherries? It’s dried cherries right?
Dried.
So is there any chance of a Paul Stanley cookbook at some point?
Everything is possible. What life is supposed to do is open doors, not close them. So did I think I would have a No. 2 New York Times bestseller? It wasn’t on my list — it’s now an international bestseller. Did I think I would star in Phantom of the Opera? It was something that I thought about. We either create opportunities for ourselves or avail ourselves of opportunities, and it’s a matter of what we do with them. Painting, theater, best-selling books — it’s all terrific, and I can’t imagine not pursuing every avenue of interest. I don’t want to live by anybody else’s limitations.
That’s a good philosophy. One last question, from a friend of mine who has read the book. Why was there no mention in your book of Live to Win and that period where you did a second solo album?
Well, because if I wrote about everything, then the book would have been 10 times as long. It wasn’t pivotal, although it was a great experience. You have to draw the line somewhere, because writing an autobiography is very much like turning a book into a movie. You have to paint the picture without telling every page.
I guess we’ll have to wait for the next volume. And I saw on the JCC interview that there’s a possibility of another Paul Stanley solo album. Is that true?
Sure, absolutely. I’m not done, so sure. The next one I guarantee will be much more guitar-driven. Live to Win was really me wanting to push the envelope of what people wouldn’t expect from me. But my next one would hearken back way more to the first, I’m sure.
Simmons told Classic Rock magazine, that he learned from his family in Israel that their father also had an infamous desire for sex. "My siblings are younger than I am, so they came through the four or five other marriages he had, not counting the girlfriends," he said. "When they found my father when he passed away, there was a 35-year-old Russian woman with him. I was afraid I'd turn into my father, and in some ways I did. There wasn't a female alive or dead that he wouldn't try to mount, and the same went for me. It may be a story that's common for the species and I'm no different, but I did not abandon my family and I never will."
In a 2011 episode of his reality-TV show "Gene Simmons Family Jewels", Simmons said he realized how much his anger at his father's abandonment had colored his workaholic ambition and need to be perceived as successful. "I've been arrogant about a lot of things, especially my father," he said. "I wanted to prove to myself and to everyone else and to my father that I didn't need him. So once I proved it and became successful, I wanted to stand stubbornly on my pride and not move. Unfortunately, I never saw my father again until I stood over his grave."
Simmons told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that the roles that men and woman play are genetically predisposed. "Until the age of 12, the female of the species far outperforms the male of the species in science, in math, and everything else — I mean, by a few grades," he said. "As soon as puberty hits, she stops with science and math and everything else, and completely becomes dedicated to making herself attractive to the opposite sex. She takes up a new profession. The profession is? To make herself as valuable in her looks as possible, because — my assessment — that's her meal ticket."
Paul Brannigan, author of the Dave Grohl biography This Is a Call: The Life and Times of Dave Grohl, announced the news on Classic Rock magazine, noting that the series will find Grohl visiting and recording music at various studios around the world. The Foo Fighters frontman and Hall of Fame inductee will also interview select artists at each studio, including Kiss' Paul Stanley, Heart's Nancy Wilson, the Eagles' Joe Walsh and Fugazi's Ian MacKaye.
Brannigan didn't reveal the full list of studios documented in the as-yet-untitled series, but noted that Steve Albini's Electrical Audio, Don Zientara’s Inner Ear studios in Washington, D.C. and Rancho De La Luna — the California studio frequented by Queens Of The Stone Age and Arctic Monkeys — will all appear.
The show builds on Sound City, the 2013 documentary directed and produced by Grohl that focused on the famed Los Angeles recording studio of the same name. Asked last year if it was hard to teach himself to be a director, Grohl told Rolling Stone, "No. This movie was not hard to make. Apocalypse Now – probably. The Sound City movie was really getting together with friends and digging deep into what music means to each one of us, telling the story of a studio that's very close to me, and trying to give the viewer something that will inspire them to fall in love with music like I did.
"Sound City is about having kids see this film and be inspired to go to a yard sale and buy a guitar and start a band and play in the garage and then take over the world. Because that can still happen. It happens all the time. To me, personally, it's the most important thing I've done because it's not for me."
"I remember once we were on tour, and I woke up in Canada," Ace recalled. "I had dinner in Texas, and then we ended up in Mexico City, because we had a stadium show the next [day] It was, like, three different countries in one day — breakfast in Canada, lunch in the U.S. and having dinner… And then I get to my hotel, and in my lobby was this really cute Mexican model, and she had blonde hair. Very rare in Mexico; most women have dark hair. So I invited her up to my room, and within an hour, we were having sex. And I look on the TV, and she's on the TV in a commercial, like, for some car or something. I just thought that was so bizarre. I was with this girl having sex with her and she's on the television doing a car commercial. Go figure."
Frehley will release "Space Invader", his first new solo album in five years, via Entertainment One Music (eOne Music) on June 24. The CD, which will be released in Europe on July 7 through SPV/Steamhammer, will include at least nine brand new original songs as well as a cover of Steve Miller's "The Joker". This album is the first release under Frehley's new universal deal on eOne Music. Joining Frehley in the studio for some of the "Space Invader" sessions were drummer Matt Starr (BURNING RAIN) and bassist Chris Wyse (THE CULT, OWL).
After exchanging a hug with Criss, Zombie joked, "This might be a little awkward. I'm gonna sing [the KISS ballad] 'Beth' for everybody. Rob and his band kicked into "God Of Thunder", with Criss and ZOMBIE drummer Ginger Fish — who donned a Catman mask — both playing drums on the song.
Fan-filmed video footage of Criss' performance with ROB ZOMBIE can be seen here.
KOBRA AND THE LOTUS takes to the road in support of its new album, "High Priestess", due out in North America on June 24 via Titan Music. Produced by the Grammy-nominated Johnny K (MEGADETH, DISTURBED, THREE DOORS DOWN), the CD delivers a blend of fiery vocals, heavy riff-laden melodies and ferocious musicianship.
After their show at Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles that night, Kiss planned to decamp to the Sunset Marquis in Hollywood. They wanted to remove the make-up and outlandish stage outfits that had taken each of them the best part of two hours to put on. When their vehicle encountered the crowds forming the Hollywood Halloween parade, however, gridlock ensued.
“We were about seven blocks away when it dawned on me we could get out and walk,” recalls Stanley of the night the simple backdrop of Halloween enabled Kiss to stroll with the masses incognito. “Wow, man, great costumes!” commented one reveller at the time. “You really look like them!”
Stanley’s 462-page memoir is an eminently readable book. Jimmy Page and Dave Grohl big him up in the accompanying blurb, while, inside, a photograph of Lady Gaga wearing Stanley’s 7-inch, silver star-encrusted heels reminds us that the daft majesty of Kiss still has resonance for younger A-listers.
Face the Music is both funny and highly entertaining. More surprising, perhaps, is learning just how much Kiss’s ascendancy depended on shrewdness and courage. There’s a telling moment where Stanley recalls deciding that “success wouldn’t happen by chance; it would happen by design”, and he doesn’t set much store by kismet. “In my experience, people who dismissed the success of others as luck were people who had failed,” he writes. “It was a way to absolve themselves of accountability.”
At root, Stanley’s book is a classic triumph-over-adversity story to rival that of Def Leppard’s one-armed drummer Rick Allen. When he was born Stanley Bert Eisen in 1952, Paul had microtia, a congenital deformity which meant he was deaf in his noticeably underdeveloped right ear. He details the trauma of other kids calling him “Stanley the one-eared monster”; home-life with his dysfunctional, decidedly non-touchy-feely family in Manhattan, then Queens, New York, does little to ease the pain. Unsurprisingly, he soon grows his hair long, this a way of disguising his ear and a badge of identification with Led Zeppelin and the Jimi Hendrix Experience, bands he’s greatly inspired by when he sees them perform in the US in the late 1960s.
It’s when Stanley meets Gene Simmons that the seeds of Kiss are sown, but Face the Music’s two-parts-disdain-to-one-part-respect take on the famously bumptious Gene is sustained throughout its pages. “He seemed arrogant and condescending, he could sing well and play bass well,” says Stanley of encountering Simmons for the first time in 1971, but he also teases-out the telling complexities of his and Simmons’s relationship. Writing about Gene’s adoring, Holocaust-survivor mother Flora, Stanley reports: “If I happened to call when he was in the bathroom, she would say: ‘The king is on the throne.’ I, on the other hand, couldn’t get a compliment out of my parents if my life depended on it.”
The book’s account of Kiss’s carefully calibrated rise is fascinating. No matter that Stanley and Simmons are chalk and cheese; their shared work ethic and unshakeable belief in Kiss is all the common ground they need.
Stanley says that one of the master strokes of the band’s first manager Bill Aucoin, a former cinematographer, was to insist that Kiss were never interviewed in civvies. Live, the group’s superior grasp of theatricality owed something to Aucoin suggesting that they videotape their rehearsals. We also learn that the endearing slogan “You wanted the best, you got the best!” which still booms from PA systems whenever Kiss perform was coined by the band’s road manager, J?R Smalling.
Apropos Kiss’s extensive and groundbreaking use of pyrotechnics, meanwhile, Stanley affirms that, in the early days, health and safety didn’t come into it. “We just ‘auditioned’ a few maniacs who liked to blow [stuff] up,” he says. “We probably saved lives and property by hiring these guys and keeping [them] off the streets.”
He’s also very honest about Kiss’s limitations, acknowledging that they just “didn’t have the musical vocabulary” to stretch out arrangements à la Led Zeppelin. Thus, when Kiss employ the studio whizz Bob Ezrin (Alice Cooper, Lou Reed) to produce their classic 1976 album Destroyer, Ezrin must take the bull by the horns. “He wore a whistle around his neck and called us ‘campers’,” recalls Stanley of the sessions which yielded such Kiss classics as Shout It Out Loud and Do You Love Me? “He told us we didn’t know anything – which was true.”
While we best draw a curtain of discretion around the hotel room dubbed “The Chicken Coop” that Kiss rented to entertain female admirers, Stanley largely avoids the kind of graphic details found in books such as The Dirt, the collective autobiography of Mötley Crüe, a band greatly influenced by Kiss. He’s also honest about how, in the 1970s, the “bubble” of touring was particularly hard on long-term relationships. “Wives and girlfriends quickly became abstract realities because there were no cellphones and hotel phones were expensive,” he writes.
All through the book, Stanley’s frank and grounded account of where he is at, personally, runs parallel with the fantasy writ-large that is Kiss. “In truth, I [was] the Wizard of Oz: the awkward little man behind the curtain operating this huge persona,” he writes. Accordingly, he undergoes therapy to try to unpick the childhood traumas that have rendered him “remote and inaccessible”, and ponders the gulf between his onstage surety and offstage emptiness.
Pricey acquisitions such as vintage guitars and Tiffany lamps (!) don’t scratch the itch. Neither do fame or “hot and cold running women”. But in the early 1980s, advances in medical science grant Stanley a life-changing experience. When he undergoes reconstructive surgery on his ear at a hospital in New Hampshire, even Simmons grasps the event’s import for his bandmate. “[Gene] was going through a period of being very afraid to fly,” writes Stanley, “so I gave him a lot of credit for visiting.”
Kiss fans will be intrigued to see how Stanley’s memoir treats Criss and Frehley, fellow founding-members that Stanley and Simmons came to see as a liability and let go (Criss was sacked in 1980; Frehley’s departure was “negotiated” in 1982). There are at least four sides to the story, of course, but Stanley makes a sound case for ousting Peter and Ace, painting the former as someone prone to quixotic and outrageous demands and the latter as “the laziest person I ever met”. Stanley also argues that, while he himself was moderate in his use of stimulants and Simmons was teetotal, the well-documented drug and alcohol problems of Criss and Frehley soon atrophied their gifts.
Be that as it may, nobody can resist the bucks on the table for a reunion tour beginning in 1996 (it grosses US$43.6 million [Dh160m]), even if subsequent tensions are inevitable. “These guys are just terrible,” says Kiss’s second manager Doc McGee when Criss and Frehley prove unreformed characters. “I run a management company, not the Red Cross.”
Kiss soon reboot themselves without Criss and Frehley, but the sense of peace that has long eluded Stanley only comes to him fairly late in life. In 1999, aged 47, he wins the lead role in a Toronto production of The Phantom of the Opera and has an epiphany: “Was it possible that the Phantom was – in a way – me?”
When Stanley subsequently receives a letter from AboutFace, a charity helping children with facial differences, he knows he must get involved. “Here, perhaps, was a way to heal my soul,” he writes, and so it proves.
Face the Music is a unique and inspiring rock memoir. There’s plenty of substance beneath the greasepaint, and Stanley shows that there’s a lot more to him than lyrics laced in double entendres. At the book’s close he’s 62, happily married to his second wife Erin and pondering a future incarnation of Kiss that has none of its original members. “We’ve never subscribed to the limitations other bands impose on themselves,” he writes. “Kiss could – and should – go on without me.”
"Luckily, everybody was on their best behavior, and the vibe was pretty cool," Ace said.
Asked for his opinion on KISS guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley's claim that Frehley and fellow former KISS member Peter Criss (drums) were anti-Semites who felt that the band was being "unfairly manipulated by money-grubbing Jews," Frehley said: "Paul's trying to make headlines, he's trying to sell [his recently released memoir, 'Face The Music: A Life Exposed'.]"
He continued: "I don't take anything Paul says — or Gene [Simmons, KISS bassist/vocalist] — personal." Video.
Rock star, producer, publisher, actor, reality TV star, family man, professional sports team owner, entrepreneur and all-round marketing genius: what kind of steroids must one take to master so many ventures with dynamic energy and youthful enthusiasm for over 40 years? To find out, I drove to Gene Simmons’ Beverly Hills mansion. Meeting Gene Simmons was an educational experience from the get-go. Parking on the edge of the large circular driveway to this huge mansion - the kind you only see on a reality TV show - I looked up to see the towering KISS star on top of the staircase, yelling pinpoint directions to me about where to park. Before the interview; before I’d even parked the car, I knew this was a man who was in control. I couldn’t help but feel intimidated, but as I entered his palatial estate Simmons greeted me with a kind smile and, knowing that I had lived in Japan for many years, introduced himself in perfect Japanese using all the politest forms of the language. He offered me a cup of coffee and asked me to wait in his office, which doubles as a KISS museum. It includes literally thousands of unique KISS and Gene Simmons branded memorabilia – everything from motor scooters to pachinko machines!
TJ: I’ve lived in Japan for 20 years and I was surprised to hear how well you speak Japanese. Your pronunciation is spot-on!
SIMMONS: Well, I know enough to say to a girl, “Anata wa utsukushii. Anata wa saiko desu! Mina san hakushu!” and all that stuff. Just a few phrases. Let’s put it this way: if I landed in Japan, I could find the bathroom, get a good night sleep and tell a girl she’s beautiful, which is, after all, all you need!
TJ: It’s a sign of respect for someone’s culture when you make an effort to learn the language, isn’t it?
SIMMONS: Well, that’s exactly right. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. When you go to another culture, it’s time to buckle your knees, bow and give respect because the people, the language, and the culture have been around forever.
TJ: So, Gene, you’re originally from Israel, right?
SIMMONS: Yeah, I don’t look Swiss, do I?
TJ: Why did you change your name from Chaim Witz to Gene Simmons? I think Witz sounded pretty cool.
SIMMONS: It doesn’t work.
TJ: No?
SIMMONS: Your name doesn’t either.
TJ: What?
SIMMONS: It doesn’t work!
TJ: So should I just use my first name as my last name – Anthony?
SIMMONS: What’s your middle name?
TJ: Mark.
SIMMONS: Well, there you go. Mark Anthony. You know what? It sounds pretty darn good and no one is going to ask you how to spell it. People have preconceived notions. So, when you go to a funeral, put on something dark. People judge you by the first impression, which is what you look like, your name, how you dress, how you walk, how you talk, people skills. You’re allowed to mix it up and get any reaction you want, but if you want to slide through and take the express... check out my next book. It is all about that: “ME, Inc.” Certain things [we] can’t change - our racial type, our height, etc. Those things that we can change, I decided to take control of. Dress British. Think Yiddish. The ones who survive in the animal kingdom are the chameleons who blend in, and nature does that - your skin pelt, your color, changes with the environment. There are no bright red or bright yellow animals who are landlocked. They might fly through the air but even that’s not a good idea because they can be seen by the hawks.
TJ: Did you just plug your book?
SIMMONS: This message was brought to you by Gene Simmons.
TJ: So, on with the interview. When was the first time that you visited Japan?
SIMMONS: KISS first went to Japan in 1977, and it was like Beatlemania. In Tokyo, the big arena was Budokan. The Beatles had played there, and sold it out three con- secutive nights. We played it five nights and broke the Beatles record. When we landed at the airport, there were literally thousands of fans. We came off of our 747 jet and it was a Pan Am, which at the time was a world leader. Pan Am was so excited by it that they put KISS on the side of the jet, so it was the KISS Clipper 747. The entire plane was filled with journalists and people from all over the world that we brought over on our dime. We stepped off the jet in full KISS makeup, because we knew the media was going to be there, and when we got to the Japanese officials, they were very gracious, but said, “You don’t look like the photos in your passports. You have to take the makeup off.” Here we are - we had spent two hours putting the makeup on, we had to take the makeup off, and then an official looked at the photos and our faces and said, “Yes, it’s you. OK, you can pass.” Then we had to go back to another room and put the makeup back on, because we knew the fans were out there. We then got into limousines and there was another set of limousines that drove off with imitators so that the fans would jump on them like locusts and start to shake the cars. Some figured out we were there when we came in with our makeup. It was an amazing time. We always go back to Japan. It’s an amazing place.
The complete article can be found in Issue #274 of the Tokyo Journal.
The statement isn’t too surprising given that KISS is increasingly known for their internal strife. The conflict over KISS’s legacy – and the people who go down in history as the architects of its success – has come to head over KISS’s recent induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Stanley’s refusal, along with co-founder Gene Simmons, to perform at the ceremony with the band’s original lineup.
The details of their beefs are available elsewhere. My conversation with Stanley focused on how he avoided the career suicide that led to the ousting of original drummer Peter Criss and the ungraceful exit of original lead guitarist Ace Frehley.
First was the realization that the flip side of success is the inevitable precipice you reach. Here is how Stanley describes it in his book: “I was being pulled up the big hill, knowing we were going to reach the top at any moment and then plunge down the other side, falling, screaming, with no control whatsoever. I could feel the momentum, the process of being pulled up the hill. I could tell we had reached a point of no return. All I could do was hold on real tight.”
But the inevitable fall wasn’t Stanley’s real problem. The real problem was that he had nothing to hold on to, no loved ones to ground him. The relationships he did have were, for the most part, toxic.
“Success breeds sycophantic relationships,” he said. “Success breeds leeches. Success breeds people who tell you what you want to hear. And success breeds people who will cripple you either through chemicals or through alcohol or through deceit.” At the peak of KISS’s success, Stanley was surrounded by yes-men and casualties of drugs and, worse, ego.
He realized that these people were not giving him the kind of love and attention he really needed.
Looking back now, Stanley’s advice for people coping with success is to surround themselves with people who have their best interests at heart. “Anyone who is pursuing success knows how lonely it can be and that having a support team or people who are blazing the path with you is very reassuring and gives you a shoulder to cry on and a team to celebrate with,” he said. “No victories are won by individuals. The key to success is always teamwork.”
Perhaps the most important lesson offered in Stanley’s book is that the trappings of fame and stardom will never replace the love of a family. For many years, all Stanley would think when he left the stage was, Now what? At home, he felt a hunger for what success could not give him: love.
“The most sobering thing can be for somebody who is unhappy that seeks success as a way to fulfill their insecurities is to find out that it changes nothing,” he told me. “What do you do then? You either medicate yourself or you decide to find out what you really need. My story is about finding out what I really needed.”
Ironically, what Stanley found was that his needs are the same as the rest of us: being loved for who he is, fathering children, and finding a place to call home.
Has finding love killed the spirit of his music? He doesn’t think so. “There is a commonality between people. If you do something that you deeply feel fulfills the need in you, it will fulfill a need in somebody else,” he said. “I have the same passion for life and the same passion for creating. What’s missing is the turmoil.”
Joel Gausten: SLAUGHTER still maintains a very prolific performance schedule. I can still remember watching "Headbangers Ball" in 1990 when they focused on the KISS "Hot In The Shade" tour, which was your first time on the road with SLAUGHTER. It's been about 25 years since then. How has touring evolved for an artist like SLAUGHTER, who clearly still has a market you can serve on the road?
Mark Slaughter: We've never been an ego-based band; we never had three buses. We always did things very conservatively, and that's how we're doing it now...We fly in, do the show and fly back home, so it's not like this giant expense of doing things, and it makes it so there's less wear and tear on the band and it's a lot easier for a better performance because you're not spent... Flying in and flying out is not that difficult unless there are shows in a row. To me, I've always looked at [the performance] as we play for free and we get paid to travel. The travel is what's the pain in the rear. We always love performing; we love to make music. If I wasn't doing this for a career, I'd still be making music on the weekends. You have to have a love for it, first and foremost.
Joel Gausten: We're here talking about your new single, SLAUGHTER's very busy and KISS just went into the Rock Hall. This extended family of musicians is obviously still very active, but we're still waiting for Vinnie [Vincent, former KISS guitarist] to do whatever he's going to do next musically, if ever. Because you worked with him and gained some insight into his character, what do you think it might be about him — either in his personality or creative process — that has led to the fact that for basically 20 years now, we're still waiting for him to come out with his next thing?
Mark Slaughter: Vinnie is a very talented individual. I have not seen him since 1988. We walked off the stage in Anaheim, California, and I never saw the guy ever again. What's funny is that you're saying "neither has anybody else." He's done a couple of KISS conventions and things like that… I think that Vinnie's absolutely brilliant to the point where he's a perfectionist who will not let art be abandoned. Art is never finished; it's just abandoned. You get to a point to where you just have to walk away from your art and go, "That's good enough." I think that he's just re-painting and re-painting and re-painting, and that's what he gets in. I hope he does do some music; it's long overdue. He's an incredibly talented musician, writer, guitar player. I think a lot of the stuff I've seen him do hasn't even been recorded properly. In fact, [guitar maker] Grover Jackson and I were talking about this the other day. People don't know how talented he really is, but it is what it is. For some reason, he just hasn't put something out. I don't know anybody who knows him; I'm not at all in his circles. He's just in his own world, so who knows?
Joel Gausten: One creative relationship that seems to have worked very well for just shy of 30 years now is the one you have with [SLAUGHTER basist] Dana Strum. The music industry isn't really known for stability in personnel, but you guys have worked together for decades. What it is about your relationship that has enabled both of two to weather this industry for as long as you have and still continue to work together?
Mark Slaughter: Obviously, you start with friendship, first and foremost. The other thing is respect. I respect who Dana is as a musician and as a person, and likewise. I know where I stand with him, and he knows where he stands with me. The fact and he has been working with Vince Neil, and that the rest of my band's been doing all that stuff, is great. What's a better example of how talented these guys are then to be able to go and do that? That's when I got into my [solo] recording process; I thought, "Well, they're doing that. I'll just stay home and write some songs and record," and that's what I've been doing. SLAUGHTER still plays about 50 shows a year, which is quite a few. As far as us having this relationship for such a long time, I think it's because you get to point where basically we remember the things that people want us to forget. Both Dana and I have very good recall with people, places and things. We were able to do the [first] SLAUGHTER record ["Stick It To Ya"] without having anybody else tell us what to do. We had complete creative control. Everything that we did was from us. When you have music that wasn't written by an outside writer and it's something that comes from your heart, I think it's a little bit different than something [where] you're going through the motions and doing somebody else's songs.
Read the entire interview at JoelGausten.com.
Frehley has released an official statement surrounding the exciting news: "Life on Earth has been very good to me, and the body of work I've created over the years has withstood the test of time. Today I see no obstacles before me and my creativity has never been more fine tuned. Growing up in an Alien world has enhanced my senses and allowed me to succeed where others would have failed. The best is yet to come!"
The band’s frontmen, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, have announced plans to expand their Rock & Brews restaurant brand with a new Albuquerque franchise.
Work already has started on the restaurant, a nearly $3 million project that will take over the old Coronado Crossing spot on Montgomery, just west of San Mateo. It should open in August, joining just a handful of other locations around the world.
Simmons and Stanley are expected to attend an official grand opening party in September, according to the company.
“Rock & Brews is a concept that excites rockers of all ages in a family-oriented, rock-inspired atmosphere that invokes a celebratory sense of community gathering,” Simmons and Stanley said in a joint statement.
Franchisee Rock & Brews Southwest LLC is bringing the chain to the Duke City through an agreement to open locations in New Mexico, Arizona and Texas. Partners in the venture include Matt McMahon, who brought Outback Steakhouse into New Mexico in the mid-1990s, and Tim Tracy, former general manager of the Outback at Interstate 25 and Jefferson. Brett Anz and Perry Mann are principal owners.
“I think we’re going to fill a niche for the people of Albuquerque that is not currently being filled,” McMahon told the Journal.
While the thought of KISS may conjure images of guitars, bare chests, leather and Simmons’ tongue, Rock & Brews touts itself as family-friendly. The food — sandwiches, pizzas, salads and burgers — is made fresh and runs about $7-$15 per plate, McMahon said.
The restaurant has a full liquor license but its emphasis is beer, particularly craft brews. McMahon said craft selections, including some local varieties, will fill about 40 of the restaurant’s 52 taps.
Naturally, everything is served against a backdrop of rock-and-roll music and imagery.
“The design is very interesting and the food and execution are truly impressive. We plan to have the best patio in Albuquerque and the interior is like an art gallery of rock,” Anz said via email.
Hart Construction already has begun transforming Coronado Crossing into a 6,000-square-foot Rock & Brews with a patio. Owners estimate the complete overhaul will run close to $3 million. There are no plans for additional Albuquerque locations.
“I don’t see this concept being (replicated throughout the city),” he said. “I think it’s special, and I want to keep it this way.”
Rock & Brews remains a relatively young brand. The first opened in the Los Angeles area in 2012, and there are six open today — three in Southern California, and one each in Hawaii, Los Cabos, Mexico, and Kansas.
In addition to Simmons and Stanley, Rock & Brews’ founders include Michael Zislis and Dave and Dell Furano.
On Saturday, May 24th Ace will be jammin’, meetn’& greetn’, autographn’ photographn’ and debuting the CarnegieROCKS! exhibit with the best of NorCal . Night Ranger and George Lynch are confirmed to attend, rub elbows and perform as well… and 107.7 The Bone's Nikki Blakk will be emceeing. This will be an exclusive, up close affair with only 200 tickets available. Yea, we got a show.
Carnegie ROCKS! exhibit highlights include Ace’s Cherry Sunburst played during the Love Gun album and legendary Budokan Hall concert in 1977…. Original John Elder Robison Light-Up guitar from KISS’ Dynasty Tour….and “Space Ace” costume from the KISS Farewell Tour. Peter Criss’ KISS Reunion Tour drum kit is just one of the highlights…amongst dozens more one of a kind items…
Event tickets are limited and selling out fast, get yours at carnegierocks.eventbrite.com before it’s too late!
Can’t make it to Turlock on May 24th, but want to support Art + Rock ‘n Roll? The Carnegie Arts Center has established a “Carnegie Music Fund” to raise money to offer musical education in the community. Take a moment, please check out and donate to the Carnegie Music Fund here: http://bit.ly/PLM9Ms
Also, don’t forget to check out Ace’s new solo album SPACE INVADER that is scheduled to release June 24, 2014 Click here to learn more: acefrehley.com
How would you say your diet and fitness routine today differs from your lifestyle in the 70s and 80s?
My routine then was: Eat whatever’s in front of you. Youth is incredible because you really do feel invincible. I had no real routine as far as diet; I ate what I wanted to. Back then I tended to eat a lot of sugars. I ate a lot of cookies, a lot of ice cream; I didn’t eat a lot of proper food. I started working out, doing a formal workout right around 1980. That’s when I really decided I needed to get in shape and it may have been because you just start to see a decrease—a change in your body. The workout I was doing then would kill me today.
What is your routine? Do you do it with a trainer?
It really depends. There’s certainly a time before a tour where you start to count days until you’re leaving and that’s crunch time—no pun intended. My workout is always with a trainer because, quite honestly, I don’t think most people are motivated enough to do what they need to on their own. You either need a spotter or you need a trainer. You need somebody there to push you to get that extra five.
Your performances often seem like workouts in themselves.
You can’t do that unless you train for it. You can’t enter the Olympics unless you do your routine to get in shape for it. The idea of going out on stage on a tour without having prepped for it would be suicide, literally.
How did you avoid alcohol and drugs in a culture that is surrounded by it—and it’s almost expected of you?
Common sense. You just have to look around you, and you have two choices. You either go “Gee, I want to be just like him!” or not. In the music business, I always go back to, if all those vices and excesses were so great, you’d probably be doing this interview with Jim Morrison or Jimi Hendrix or John Belushi—but you’re not. If someone were to come over to me and say, “Hey, I’ve got something really cool for you to ingest. It’s going to make your teeth rot. It’s going to make you impotent. It’s going to make you lazy. It’s going to wreak havoc with your body and there’s a good chance that you’ll come down with hepatitis.” Well, gee, sign me up!
Between KISS’ debut and now, a lot has changed. How have you managed to balance a rock lifestyle and integrating to family life, more traditional life?
The whole idea of rock and roll lifestyle is a cartoon. It’s a caricature. And at times, it’s made up of people emulating others; a few who actually live that lifestyle and many who claim to live that lifestyle. Don’t kid yourself; the guy who’s onstage in ripped-up jeans is wearing as much a costume as I am. Sex, drugs and rock and roll...for a long time I said, “That’s great, you keep the drugs, I’ll take the sex and the rock and roll.” I want to remember tomorrow what I did tonight if it’s that good. I’d rather be alive and enjoy the rewards. And it applies to everyone in every life. It’s discipline, it’s understanding that passion for something is the key to success because passion will not only get you to success, but passion also gets you through failure. Those are the defining focuses of who I am and ultimately nothing’s more important than family.
Does it get more difficult when you’re on tour?
I try to integrate the two. I don’t go away for any length of time where I don’t get to be with my wife and kids. They either come out or I take a break and go home. I used to think it was important for them, I realize now it’s important for me too. Why was I late to call you? I was out with my 16-month-old daughter. Where was I this morning? I was driving my other one to school. At the end of the day, sooner or later, it comes down to family.
Any advice for budding musicians or artists to stay healthy and not fall into a life of drugs or alcohol?
You should always remember that the person who wants you take that extra drink or toke or share drugs with them isn’t doing it for you. They’re doing it because misery loves company.
The session, which took place on April 8 in New York City with photographer Jayme Thornton, saw Ace wearing something from the first KISS album photo session to make the occasion extra special.
Reads a posting on Ace's Facebook page: "Don't worry if you can't spot it, just yet... numerous cool photos from this session will reveal it soon!"
Ace Frehley will release "Space Invader", his first new solo album in five years, via Entertainment One Music (eOne Music) on June 24. The album will include at least nine brand new original songs as well as a cover of Steve Miller's "The Joker". This album is the first release under Frehley's new universal deal on eOne Music. (Photo)
In his halftime speech during yesterday's (Saturday, April 26) LA KISS Arena Football League game against the San Jose SaberCats at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, Stanley — who brought out his Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame award and was holding it in his left hand — said (see video below): "I want you to know something, in case you didn't know already. The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame hates us. You've gotta know that when it takes 14 years to get invited to a party, they don't want you at the party, but you insisted, you demanded, and they had no choice. This is your award. Nobody sitting behind a desk with a suit and tie is gonna tell you what rock and roll is. You are the ones who decide, and we honor you. And it is my pleasure and my privilege to say thank you for this award."
Friday, May 2 – Beaverton, OR - 6:00 PM
Powell’s Books
3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd.
Beaverton, OR 97005
503- 228-4651
Monday, May 5 – Denver, Colorado - 7:00 PM
Tattered Cover
2526 E. Colfax Avenue
Denver, CO 80206
303-322-1965
Tuesday, May 6 – Tempe, Arizona - 6:00 pm
Changing Hands Bookstore
6428 S. McClintock Dr.
Tempe, AZ 85283
480-730-0205
Fans are encouraged to show up early to receive the unique opportunity to take a picture with KISS’ Rock and Roll Hall of Fame trophy.
Fans who bring a copy of Paul Stanley’s book “Face The Music” will receive the opportunity to get it signed by Paul.
The LA KISS will try to accommodate as many fans as possible for pictures and book signings until 6:45pm. Paul will only be signing copies of Face The Music.
The celebration will continue at Half Time with a special presentation on the field.
Tickets for the game are available at ticketmaster.com.
The Rock & Brews restaurants offer craft beers, premium wines and a full bar. The menu includes “opening acts” like chipotle chili cheese fries, Mexican street corn and Bavarian pretzels; “VIP” salads including Tuscan Kale and Tequila Sunrise steak; hand-crafted burgers and “Headliner” sandwiches like pulled pork or sesame-seed crusted seared Ahi; “frontrow” specialty pizzas; and other items like fish and chips, Memphis-style baby back ribs, chocolate-filled French doughnuts with raspberry sauce, and “real” beer floats.
On May 29, Simmons and Stanley also will host a private luncheon for more than 100 “wounded warriors, veterans and active military,” as well as an evening gala that will benefit the Kansas City VA Hospital and will be open to the public.
The gala will feature a live performance by the Kansas City-based tribute band Almost Kiss, along with a “few surprises.”
Tickets for the gala are $100 per person and include a red-carpet arrival, two adult beverages per person or soft drinks, a sampling of Rock & Brews cuisine, a chance to mingle with Simmons and Stanley, and a “rockin’ good time.”
All the gala proceeds will benefit the adaptive sports programs at the Kansas City VA Medical Center. The adaptive sports programs help disabled veterans participate in highly specialized sporting events across the nation by providing necessary transportation and housing.
To buy tickets, visit eventbrite.com
Kirk Williams is the local partner in the new Rock & Brews. He recently signed the first multi-unit franchising agreement with Rock & Brews, and plans to open five of the rock-themed restaurants in Kansas and Oklahoma over the next five years. He also has an option for an additional five restaurants in Missouri and Nebraska.
Prairiefire, a 58-acre, mixed-use development at 135th Street and Nall Avenue, will feature casual and fine dining venues, retail, entertainments, luxury residences, office space, a luxury boutique hotel, and outdoor recreational space. Prairiefire will also be home to The Museum of Prairiefire, featuring renowned exhibitions and authentic artifacts from the American Museum of Natural History of New York.
So brace yourselves, KISS Army; it’s looking like 2014 is gonna be a wild ride, and we hope to celebrate it with you right here on PodKISSt… the KISS fanzine for your ears!
"Here's somebody who has a disfigurement that they're covering and they're trying to reach out to a woman and, as much as they want to do it, they don't know how. Well, that pretty much summed up my life, you know. Only I wasn't living in a dungeon under an opera house," Stanley said.
That's because the 62-year old musician was born with a congenital deformity that left him deaf in one ear, making it hard for him to communicate or do well in school.
The recently inducted Rock and Roll Hall of Famer describes his long, and sometime painful, journey from his "less than optimal childhood" in New York City to the mega-success of rocking all night and partying every day with Kiss in his autobiography, "Face the Music: A Life Exposed" (Harper One).
"This isn't a Kiss book. This is really a book about my life. I was steadfastly against the idea of doing it for decades, because the great George Orwell once said that the autobiography is the most outrageous form of fiction," Stanley said. "But I realized it could be inspiring to people."
Stanley wants to show people that despite having the deck stacked against them, it's possible to overcome adversity. But it took him a long time to do so.
"I was an angry, dysfunctional kid with a real image problem and a hearing problem that put me under constant scrutiny," Stanley said. "Growing my hair was the start of covering it up."
Stanley says stardom and wealth only masked the problem, and it wasn't until realized that the key to his own happiness was through family and friends.
Along the way, he also found a calling in a different type of stage performance when he appeared in the Toronto production of "The Phantom of the Opera" in 1999.
Despite his long career in one of music's hardest rocking bands, Stanley said his musical appreciation always covered a lot of ground, including being an ardent fan of musical theatre.
"I grew up with a greater appreciation of Rodgers and Hammerstein, Lerner and Loewe, Stephen Sondheim," Stanley said. But he regards the composer of "Phantom of the Opera" above them all.
"Andrew Lloyd Webber is actually more than rock. He's much closer to, I believe, Puccini and Verdi. Some music snobs would take issue with that, but that's why we're not on the same wavelength," Stanley said.
Stanley regards his stint as the Phantom as a turning point in his career. After seeing the London company perform the show in 1988, he said it changed his life.
"I had this momentary revelation, an epiphany where I went, 'Wow, I can do that,'" he said. "And it was the same thing I did when I saw the Beatles. I was a fat little kid who couldn't play an instrument but I looked at them and said, 'I can do that.'"
Eleven years later, Stanley got a call from his agent asking if he'd be interested in auditioning for the part of the Phantom and got to play him with the Toronto company, what he calls "the hardest work I've ever done." When that ended, he went back to concentrating on his highly successful band, but gained an even greater appreciation for the art form.
After the experience of performing eight shows a week, Stanley had this to say: "Anybody in rock 'n' roll who actually complains about the discipline and the workload should actually be flipping burgers because we have a lucky, lucky life."
The Carnegie Arts Center exhibit features more 40 one-of-a-kind guitars played by some of biggest names in rock ‘n’ roll history, from a private collection owned by Turlocker Matt Swanson.
Frehley, Night Ranger, and Lynch will be in attendance for the opening night of the exhibit. Tickets are required to be part of the one-night VIP opening.
Tickets for the VIP opening night are currently on sale here, beginning at $250. Admission includes a private Night Ranger concert at the Carnegie Arts Center, an exhibit tour and Q & A with Swanson, as well as food, drinks, and a commemorative Pilsner glass.
There are also sponsor packages ranging from $1,000 to $5,000, which also feature meet-and-greets with Frehley, members of Night Ranger, and Lynch.
All funds raised by the VIP opening night will benefit the Carnegie Arts Center.
The collection on display features electric and acoustic guitars and amps, spanning from the 1930’s to the present, including:
- A 1974 Cherry Sunburst Les Paul guitar played by Frehley in KISS during the mid-late ‘70s.
- A Marshall stack used by Steve Vai on David Lee Roth’s “Eat ‘Em and Smile” tour.
- A 1959 Telefunken microphone used by Les Paul.
- A Red Fender Stratocaster used by Brad Gillis on the Ozzy Osbourne and Night Ranger tours.
- The last costume worn by Frehley in performance with the original members of KISS.
- A Monteleone guitar.
- A vintage sign saying “The Iridium Proudly Presents Les Paul” from the Iridium Jazz Club in New York.
The exhibit will also have several video stations where visitors can see the items on display being used in performances.
The exhibit will be on view at the Carnegie Arts Center, located at 250 N. Broadway, from May 25 through Aug. 17.
But as a reader, I’ll still take an autobiography over a biography any day. The best source to tell your story is you, and with “Face The Music: A Life Exposed,” KISS frontman Paul Stanley truly unmasks for the very first time. It’s a remarkable and inspiring story, and offers much more than simply further projecting the bold mage of “The Starchild,” who can still have 20,000 people in a sold-out arena responding to the snap of his fingers. Sure, we’ve all known what Paul Stanley looks like since 1983, when KISS officially unmasked from its trademark makeup. But the perceived image of Paul Stanley as the gallivant rock star and the true life of the man himself were, for most of his life, about as different as KISS “Alive!” and “Music From The Elder.”
Perception was not reality.
Stanley, his text reveals, was born with a condition known as microtia, which left him with only one ear and deaf on one side. And though, by the late ‘60s, as he grew older and it was fashionably acceptable, he was able to hide the deformity by growing his hair, that was not the case when he was a child. And that made life very difficult. There was relentless teasing from other children, which shockingly, was met with little support from his parents, who were bogged down in a cold marriage and also had a mentally ill daughter to deal with. This left him feeling isolated - a feeling that would stay with him until much later in life.
Of course, there are also plenty of interesting stories about KISS, the band he helped found and that went on to become one of the most successful rock groups of all-time. Stanley is the last of the original members of KISS to pen an autobiography, and like Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, he doesn’t hold anything back in sharing his perception of his bandmates. And though the disconnect he feels with Frehley and Criss was well known prior to the publication of the book, the text reveals, for the first time, some keen insight into his relationship with Simmons. Though they’ve remained musical and business partners for more than 40 years and Stanley sees Simmons as a brother, they too have had their ups and downs, which Stanley - again for the first time - describes in some detail.
With any book dealing with KISS – especially one written by the band’s greatest sex symbol - you’d also expect some stories about sex, and though Stanley talks about a few ex-lovers and groupies, he’s too much the gentleman and probably too respectful to his family today to take you between the sheets. One interesting tidbit he does share is that his first sexual experiences came when he was about 17 and were with much older women from his Queens neighborhood. The Starchild, we learn, had himself a “Mrs. Robinson” and a “Maggie May.” Actresses Donna Dixon and Lisa Hartman are noted as significant others who had stepped into his life, and it was on a date with British pop star and pinup girl Samantha Fox that he first saw the theatrical production of “Phantom of The Opera.” This would later have a tremendous impact on his life.
Stanley also talks about the frustrations of his first marriage, which he admits he rushed into as he approached the age of 40, and he shares the joys of his second marriage to his wife, Erin. She, and his four children, are the centerpiece of his life.
Throughout the book’s 456 pages, Stanley weaves effortlessly between tales of his personal and professional life. The stories about KISS are plentiful, and it’s fascinating to read his accounts of some of the most memorable moments in the band’s career. In doing so, he gives plenty of praise to those who helped launch that career, and when he feels necessary, properly deflects credit that he and Simmons sometimes get and that he feels is undeserved. He admits the band made some mistakes in handling the illness of drummer Eric Carr, who died of cancer in 1991, and he shares his frustrations with the band’s record label, particularly in the ‘80s. (Seriously, how could “Reason To Live,” from 1987, not have been a Top-40 hit? That’s me asking. Not Stanley.) Fans here in Northeastern Pennsylvania will find humor in a story he shares about a 1974 show at The Paramount Theater in Wilkes-Barre (now the F.M. Kirby Center) and he talks candidly about how it didn’t take long after the band’s triumphant 1996 reunion tour with its original members for things to become unglued.
But again, it’s the unmasking of the playboy rock star image and his telling of how the scars of a tormented childhood stayed with him for decades that is most interesting. He tells the story of KISS playing a concert at Madison Square Garden in 1977, but rather than taking home some groupie after the show or partying with his bandmates, he went to a deli on 36th street and had some soup. Alone.
Stanley’s search for inner happiness, he reveals, didn’t really end until he was in fifties.
It was in 1999 during his starring role in the Toronto production of “Phantom of The Opera” that things began to change. Though he’d had plastic surgery in the ‘80s to help correct his ear deformity, he still felt a strong connection to the play’s maimed central character. A woman who’d seen his performance and knew nothing about his own prior condition wrote to him, saying she “had the impression I identified with the character in a way she hadn’t seen with other actors.” She then asked him to get involved with AboutFace, an organization that helps children with facial differences cope with their situations. Stunned by her astute observation about him, he reached out to her, got involved with AboutFace, and in many ways, helped transform his life. Helping others helped him heal. That, and the love for his wife, his children that he adores, and the strength of a revamped KISS, has brought Stanley to where he is today: a happy man, comfortable in his own skin.
In 1978, KISS’ original members all released solo albums on the same day. It was an unprecedented move in the record business. In the case of their respective autobiographies, they spread the releases out over a 12 year period, with Stanley’s coming last. And though he’s admitted he was always the most reluctant to do so, with “Face The Music: A Life Exposed” it is he that probably revealed the most.
Meet KISS with 2 VIP Passes & More to a 2014 Summer Concert of Your Choice Plus Gene Simmons Signed Guitar & Paul Stanley Signed Guitar
Are you a KISS fan? Bid now to meet the band with 2 VIP passes to the KISS/Def Leppard Summer 2014 Tour! You will also take home a Gene Simmons signed guitar & Paul Stanley signed guitar!
The ultimate KISS package includes:
2 Tickets to the show of your choice (located in the first 10 Rows and pending availability)
Exclusive Private Meet & Greet with KISS
Gene Simmons signed guitar
Paul Stanley signed guitar
Personal Photograph with KISS in makeup
Autograph Session with KISS
KISS Pre-Show Soundcheck Acoustic Set
Specially designed Tour Shirt
Collectable Silk-Screen Tour Poster (numbered, limited edition)
Official set of KISS Guitar Picks (with case)
Official Meet & Greet Laminate
On-Site VIP Host
Pair of KISS Pajamas
Exclusive KISS merchandise Donated By: KISS
AXS TV's hit series "The World's Greatest Tribute Bands" Season 3 finale will feature MR.SPEED in full 1977 KISS regalia. Hit after bombastic hit will explode from your TV like never before as MR.SPEED straps you in on a roller coaster ride through Kisstory.
Over their 20 year career MR.SPEED have performed with various members of KISS past and present such as Ace Frehley, Eric Singer and Bruce Kulick. Collectively the members of MR.SPEED have seen KISS in concert no less than 125 times.
In 2012 MR.SPEED competed against over 200 KISS Tribute Bands from around the world. In spite of what seemed like insurmountable odds MR.SPEED took home the title of "The World's Best KISS Tribute Band" at the competition held at the Hard Rock Casino in Las Vegas. Tommy Thayer of KISS judged the competition that saw MR.SPEED stand platform to platform against tribute acts from Dallas, Texas, Budapest, Hungary and Sydney, Australia.
MR.SPEED have continued to forge ahead writing their own back story, one that is vibrant and alive. Currently about to begin their 20th Anniversary Tour MR.SPEED is coming off of their most successful year to date. Along with a revamped stage set, brand new costumes and a renewed sense of pride in themselves MR.SPEED have risen to the top with sheer determination, sweat, tears and a belief that they did it their way.
AXS TV is the premier destination for live events and as-they-happen trends in music and pop culture. The network’s AXS TV Concerts brand is the #1 source on television for 100% live music. From multi-day festivals to stadium tours to club acts, AXS TV delivers an unparalleled experience for fans of all genres, from rock and hip hop to country, jazz, and metal. Now in over 40 million homes, network partners include Mark Cuban, AEG, Ryan Seacrest Media, Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and CBS.
Band members : Rich Kosak as The Starchild; Joe Hess as The Spaceman; Andrew Sgambati as The Catman; Danny Ayala as The Demon.
2014 is shaping up to be a big year for the most divisive band in the world. After 15 long years of eligibility, the four original members—Peter Criss, Ace Frehley, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley—are finally being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The band is reissuing its entire catalog (complete with cardboard Love Guns and posters) on vinyl. And Stanley—the Starchild and the glue who has held things together all these years—finally penned an autobiography, making him the final of the four originals to do so.
While there are plenty of nuggets about KISS’s early daze, Stanley doesn’t belabor the sex, drugs and minutiae that most KISS fans probably know anyway (although there are points early in the book, where it feels like Stanley whizzes through rock and roll’s impact on him). Instead the Starchild digs deep into the human condition, starting with his upbringing, where his parents were going through the motions themselves and found little time for young Stanley Eisen, who was dealing with his own insecurities (he was born with only one ear, and to this day is deaf on one side).
Things get particularly interesting at the low points in KISS’s career, which force Stanley to explore his relationships—personal and intra-band—and discover what he’s truly lacking in his life. And the later years, once Stanley starts a family, deal with divorce and the beginning of a new chapter with his current wife, Erin Sutton, all while keeping the KISS machine afloat.
For Stanley and the devoted members of the KISS Army, the band’s longevity perhaps offers some validation for decades of being the underdogs. At this point KISS has been part of my life so long, it’s hard for me to even explain what it all means. All I know is, I finally got to talk to Paul-goddamn-Stanley who, ever the rock-and-roll politician, was forthcoming, articulate and funny.
Paste: So, I rifled through the book. There’s a lot to chew on.
Paul Stanley: Well, you know, good meals should be savored and enjoyed.
Paste: So how did you decide what to include in the book, especially which details to include about yourself and your bandmates?
Stanley: Well, anything that’s in the book could have been expounded on ad infinitum. I wanted to give a clear picture of both my circumstance and my situation, without becoming redundant. So my goal was to write a book that could inspire other people, that could let other people know that even the people who you hold in esteem or aspire to be like may have stories that are more like yours than you know. I came from a dysfunctional background. I had a birth defect that brought me under a lot of scrutiny and ridicule. I’m deaf on one side. And yet over the years I found ways, or ultimately found the way, out of it. I [believed] that success and fame and wealth would be the answer to my problems. I was fortunate enough to succeed and attain those so I could see starkly that that wasn’t the answer. I’ve always been a survivor. And I wanted to document my life in a way that my children could read at some point and understand what I had gone through and what it takes to find happiness.
Paste: One of the themes in the book is that you say you overcame being judgmental toward people. Has it made you more sensitive to things like addiction, which your sister Julia, and obviously Peter and Ace, have dealt with?
Stanley: I think that addiction is a horrible end to, perhaps, a predisposed condition, disease or set of circumstances. The best way for people to deal with potential addiction is to get to the bottom of the issues that are fanning the flames. I’m a big believer in therapy. I’m a big believer in not sweeping anything under the rug, and confronting your issues, confronting your life and building a support group to make that possible. One of the issues and problems with addiction is that by the time people go to get help, it’s too late.
But just in general, it’s very easy to be judgmental because it makes us feel safe, and it makes us feel better than, and it makes us feel secure, when we’re really not. If we were, we wouldn’t be judgmental. Who are we to judge the person on the street who is begging, regardless of why they’re there? The disdain of looking at somebody and saying “Why don’t you get a job?”—we’ve never walked in their shoes. We don’t know what these people have been through. And, whether or not we can help them by giving them food, or a dollar, or whatever you want to give them, what’s wrong with a momentary reprieve from what they’re going through? Now, all that may sound very new age-Kahlil Gibran, but it’s true.
Paste: The book also touches on the fact that for a good portion of your life you were kind of a lonely guy…
Stanley: [laughing] I wasn’t kind of lonely—I was lonely!
Paste: [laughs] I was trying to be delicate with it. But as someone who’s listened to KISS most of their life, I could sort of sense that in some of your songs. You always seemed like a romantic in search of love. Do you think the book sort of solidifies what many KISS fans already knew?
Stanley: I think what it does, perhaps, is explain what some of them may think they know, and explain the reasons I am the way I am.
Paste: You take Gene to task in the book. There are even parallels to his attitude in the early-’80s and Ace and Peter’s—that, in your words, they were delusional as far as their contributions to the band. Why do you think yours and Gene’s relationship survived that?
Stanley: That’s really interesting. I mean, I just left him 20 minutes ago. There is a respect for each other. I don’t necessarily approve of everything he does, but how something affects you has nothing to do with the other person. It’s all about how you take it in. There are things about Gene that over the years may have annoyed me, and that’s OK. There are other times certainly where he did things that I felt a betrayal, and that he was taking advantage of me. But at the end of the day, Gene and I are brothers. We’ve been together 40-plus years. I know I can count on him in any situation, and we’ve only grown closer. Certainly we’ve had our—I don’t even want to say moments—we haven’t had moments, we’ve had weeks and months. Years. At the end of the day, both of us have always been about trying to do what’s best for the band. But, look, you know, a strong relationship gets tested from time to time.
Paste: Yeah, it’s like a marriage.
Stanley: Yeah, and perhaps the things that have tested our relationship have made us stronger. We are both blessed to have made possible the lives we both wanted, by each other. The life Gene has now is not a life I would want, and I’m sure it’s vice versa. But how fortunate we are, that we’ve come to this point, and have a future to look at. It’s phenomenal. We both started out living at home with our parents, and here we are with grown children, at a very fulfilling part of our lives. Although very different from each other.
Paste: Both you and Gene have said that Ace and Peter are both important to the foundation of KISS. But where do you think the band would be today if they hadn’t agreed to do the reunion back in 1996? I mean, obviously, they had a lot to gain as well.
Stanley: I would have to say not where we are now. By putting it back on it allowed us to reclaim those four iconic characters and move on from there. So the reunion tour was very important. Absolutely. It was the ground on which we reclaimed our legacy.
Paste: Do you think KISS would be still be here if it didn’t happen?
Stanley: KISS would always be around, because if it ever comes down to it, I am KISS. I don’t mean that with disregard to Gene. It ultimately means that no matter what anyone does, I covet this band and will keep it going.
Paste: I think a lot of KISS fans understand that with no Paul Stanley, there’s no KISS. Does Gene recognize that? [Laughs] I mean, does he thank you for that?
Stanley: Oh yeah, he acknowledges it now probably more than before, because I think he’s more comfortable in his own skin. I do believe that getting married and looking at his past, seeing why he is the way he is, has made him more open to acknowledging that, which is great.
Paste: You refer to KISS as your “life raft” in the book. Do you think if you’d found something like acting or theater during those tough times that you would have fought as hard for KISS?
Stanley: I had opportunities to pursue things, or explore things, but I always did it with deference to KISS. I always deferred to what was going on with the band. I’d never put the band on hold for what I wanted to do. I did The Phantom [of the Opera, in which Stanley took lead in the Toronto production in 1999] because we were on a break.
Paste: On to something lighter, is there a certain KISS record that has grown on you that maybe you didn’t care for back in the day?
Stanley: No. [long pause] No, nothing has grown on me. I can only go back and go, “nope!” [laughs]
Paste: Which leads to my next question. Has your opinion of Music From “The Elder” changed at all in 30 years?
Stanley: Not at all. I think that in some ways it was symptomatic of a bunch of guys who were clueless, who were fat—if not physically, mentally—with success, and became concerned with outside elements that shouldn’t have had any bearing. And the result was something that I believe is shallow, superficial—no matter how it purports to be conceptual or deep, I just find it lacks depth because there’s no truth in it.
Paste: Why do you think KISS fans still gravitate toward that record?
Stanley: [laughs] Let’s be honest, not all KISS fans gravitate toward it.
Paste: Not all, but there is a good segment out there—including myself—who like that record. I guess for me it’s well-produced, I think there are some really good songs on there, and it’s good to hear KISS doing something outside their wheelhouse.
Stanley: Well, then you answered your own question. You know, you answered it better than I could. You can do the rest of the interview. [laughs]
Paste: [laughing] Anything you wanna ask me?
Stanley: What’s for dinner…I don’t know. I think that some people may like the Elder because they feel that it validates us as something more than just a typical rock band. Perhaps that’s part of it. And some fans may like it because it surprises them in its content. I, unfortunately, was there. And it wasn’t a pretty time. So I know it, warts and all.
Paste: There’s more baggage for you, obviously.
Stanley: Well, sure. It’s not an album that I just put on blindly. It’s an album that I was there from its inception.
Paste: I guess we should talk about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I know it was your intention to include everybody, and obviously the Hall did not want that. How do you think it would have logistically gone down? It gets a little tricky. I mean, you can’t expect Ace and Peter to want to perform with Tommy and Eric in their makeup.
Stanley: Well, let’s start right there. That makeup meant nothing to those guys. Those guys thought we were idiots to buy it from them. They sold it as bargaining chips. So to suddenly covet that makeup because someone else is not only wearing it, but making other people forget the other people who wore it, that’s gotta be strong medicine. So, how would it have gone down? Look, we were asking them to consider some of the members—including Eric Carr, who played on multi-platinum albums and toured with the band, and Bruce Kulick, who did the same. We were asking for something to be considered that we were told was a non-starter. Now when pencil-pushers—for lack of a better description—are telling me—who played the guitar and has been successful for 40 years—what a non-starter is, I find it more than arrogant. At least give me the consideration to talk it over. Clearly KISS is such a bitter pill for them to swallow in the first place, they wanted that pill as small as possible.
And then on top of it, they tried to strong-arm us—which is a joke—into playing with Peter and Ace in makeup and KISS gear. And that wasn’t going to happen. I never quit the band once; I never quit the band twice. When I put that gear on, I do it with confidence and pride in everything that I’ve done. And to stand the chance of jeopardizing that for the sake of this organization’s nostalgia—it wasn’t gonna happen. The best thing to do is to go there and accept the award for the fans, who—despite their ambivalence and feelings—want us to be in the Hall of Fame.
Paste: My take on it is that I was used to the fact that KISS wasn’t in there, and that it was more a sense of pride not being in the Hall of Fame. At the same time, if there’s something called a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, then KISS has to be in there.
Stanley: One would think so! So, all that being said, we should all be there to accept, and I am united with the other three guys on that night. But the differences we have, we have and will continue to have. And if the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame chooses to make it a night, as they have, of celebrating the original four members, that’s their choice. As far as I’m concerned, we’re celebrating 40 years of the band.
Paste: Well, I’ll be there, too. So does it sound like the four originals will be there to accept and call it good?
Stanley: Yeah! I know two of us are going to be there, and I imagine all of us will be there. We deserve to accept the award together.
Paste: You mention in the book that you hid behind the makeup and the personality for years. What does the Starchild mean to you in 2014?
Stanley: He’s more integrated into who I am. It’s not the Starchild, and then there’s me—he is an aspect and a part of who I am. It’s a much nicer relationship than turning into the Wolfman.
Paste: You’ve mentioned that you see KISS going on without you and Gene. My question to you is, do you think fans will buy it?
Stanley: Of course. They may not know that they’ll buy it now, but they’ll accept it if it’s great. Look, I was included originally saying that the four original guys are the band, until people started leaving the band. Then it’s, well we’re going to continue anyway. The fans who thought it had to be the four of us are now 50 percent wrong. Well, they’ll be 75 percent or 100 percent. The truth of the matter is that the band is bigger than its individual members, and there are other people out there who can do what I do, although they’re probably not known right now. And somebody will come along who’s terrific.
Paste: But I mean, it’s like when I see Queen performing without Freddie Mercury, I’m like “ehhh, you just can’t replace a guy like that.”
Stanley: Obviously, they haven’t found the right person that gelled with the band. So it wasn’t a band. It was somebody fronting Roger and Brian. The difference is when we go on stage now—and I just saw pictures of us playing on the last tour for 30-50-75,000 people—nobody’s holding up signs asking for former members. No disrespect to them, but the reality is that most of the audience that’s there today doesn’t miss Ace and Peter any more than somebody going to a Yankees game misses Babe Ruth.
Paste: I guess we’ll see how it goes.
Stanley: Hey! It always goes on.
Paste: By the way, I’m going to try out your Brussels sprouts recipe [mentioned in the book]. I’m a big Brussels fan, and it sounds delicious.
Stanley: Oh, it’s awesome. Get a good balsamic. Don’t get that shit that they’re selling at the supermarkets. You need something that’s thicker, you need something that’s more of a reduction. All right? But it’s awesome.
"Our treatment at the [Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame] confirmed my worst suspicions," Stanley fumed via Twitter. "Wenner and the rest are spineless weasels." He went on to say that the people behind the Rock Hall gave the members of KISS "no passes" or "schedule" for the evening, but didn't elaborate on what exactly he was referring to. He concluded: "We were great and [Wenner] remains a small man."
Stanley's bandmate, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons, also took a couple of shots at Rolling Stone on Twitter, mocking the magazine's original critical review of LED ZEPPELIN's first album, writing "Rolling Stone. Idiots then. Idiots now." He then posted a link to a video from the early 1970s band CHRISTOPHER MILK, which featured John Mendelsohn, the writer who penned the negative reviews that appeared in Rolling Stone of each of the first two LED ZEPPELIN LPs.
Stanley ended his Hall Of Fame speech on Thursday by calling the evening "vindication" for the fans. He also took a dig at the Hall Of Fame by saying, "The people, I believe, are speaking to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, and what they're saying is, 'We want more.' They deserve more. They want to be a part of the induction. They want to be a part of the nomination. They don't want to be spoon-fed by a handful of people. Choices. The people pay for tickets. The people buy albums. The people who nominate do not. Let's not forget that these are the people that make it all possible. We just benefit from it."
KISS did not perform at the ceremony — the Hall Of Fame wanted the original quartet only to play, while Simmons and Stanley insisted on the current lineup performing as well. In the end nobody won that battle.
The 29th annual Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony was taped and will air on May 31 on HBO.
With Kiss' surprisingly drama-free Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction now in the rear-view mirror, former Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley visited Billboard for a video interview to reflect on the Rock Hall experience, reveal his least favorite Kiss album, discuss his new album "Space Invader," due in June, and more.
Rather than the drama that surrounded the lead-up to Kiss' overdue induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Peter Criss and Ace Frehley finally entered the Hall at the April 10 gala, preceded by mega-fan Tom Morello's take-no-prisoners speech and wild fan cheers. It was a rock'n'roll moment 40 years in the making, one where the foursome reunited to praise each other for what they contributed to the band. Simmons said of Frehley, "This iconic guitar player has been imitated but never equaled by generations of guitar players around the world."
What did Frehley think of Simmons' kind words?
"I couldn't hear anything," he says. "I can't wait to go back to the hotel [after this interview] and hear the speeches because where I was standing, the PA's in front of me, there was no monitors, so I don't know what any of then said. I've been getting bits and pieces. I heard Gene said something really sweet about me."
Leading up to the induction, much was said about who should be included, who should play afterward and who did what to whom during the past four decades of Kisstory. But Frehley says that before appearing onstage, his former bandmates "were all very gracious and we got along famously. It's like we had never been apart and we're brothers in rock'n'roll. The press builds this enigma that we hate each other and all that kind of insanity but it's really not true."
Now that the evening is behind him, Frehley can more fully concentrate on the upcoming release of his new solo album, "Space Invader," which is due June 24 on eOne Music. While the final track listing hasn't been publicly confirmed yet, a post on Frehley's website from March stated the album will contain a cover of "The Joker" by The Steve Miller Band.
"There's going to be a real interesting instrumental, there's gonna be some catchy riff songs, there's gonna be some straight-ahead rockers and everything in between. The only real guests I have [are] Chris Wyse from The Cult and my drummer Matt Starr, who I used on my last U.S. tour. And pretty much I'm playing all the instruments and doing all the lead vocals. I'm a one-man show," he says with a chuckle.
Like everyone, the Roots drummer and bandleader was expecting a different scene than the original Kiss members' peaceful onstage reunion. He watches for a bit and takes a minute to reflect on how Kiss got there from his perspective, beginning with an impassioned speech by Tom Morello at a Hall of Fame boardroom meeting. "He sold all of us on why they deserve to be in it," Questlove says, citing Morello's call to arms for a changing of the guard within the Rock Hall and the fact that most Gen-X bands would cite Kiss as the reason they started their band. "I thought about it, because even with me being connected to hip-hop, my greatest story in my book Mo' Meta Blues is how I met these guys at the age of 7. I was obsessed with them."
How did you meet Kiss when you were 7?
I was at a hotel in Buffalo, and my mom and dad [musicians Lee and Jacqui Andrews] were on the stage doing their last set. I go on the dresser to get 50 cents to get a soda, and I go up to the soda machine. Suddenly, the doors open – beep – out walk Ace and Peter and all their guards, sans makeup and they have all their Kiss memorabilia on, but still it's Ace and Peter. And I look I went, 'Aaaaaaah!' And then I ran so fast. I kept circling, screaming my ass off. And then, my dad did the most logical thing ever. He took me into the game room. Paul Stanley was playing a sit-down pinball game. Was there a group called Boston?
Yeah.
Did they have a big fat guy? Anyway, I was 7 years old. So it's Boston, Kiss and Kansas. And Paul was playing pinball and said, "I heard about this guy. This guy was scared and screaming and woke up the neighbors." And I got his autograph and I got Ace's autograph. I didn't get Gene's autograph. I didn't see Peter Criss after that. But it was the first time I saw that Almost Famous hedonistic debauchery atmosphere, all the women there. They basically took over the whole game room. And I got their autograph. That was my story all fourth grade. "I met them! I met them!" So to see them finally get this, they even affected me. So I'm so happy.
So you're happy to have contributed to getting them in the Rock Hall.
Yeah, and that's the first thing I asked about when they asked me to join. "Well, what if I vote for Kiss?" It was like the "funny idea." But once Tom gave that speech, I gave up all my choices. I'll fight for Sonic Youth next year.
Being a big Kiss fan, how do you feel about Gene Simmons' comments about rap music in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
There's a checks-and-balance system. The world would be so boring if everyone got along. It's supposed to piss your parents off. Now they're the parents. So I feel like I see the art in the Bomb Squad for Public Enemy. I see the art in 2 Chainz. And sometimes you just have to be in a certain mindstate to want to be open to new ideas. Some people in music are open; some people aren't. But we're not finished. It's not like, "Let's pack our bags and go home, guys. We're not allowed here." Nah. I'm here to make changes, and hopefully I can pull a Morello next year.
You mentioned Sonic Youth. Who do you want to get in?
I would like to see LL Cool J get in. After reading Rick James' autobiography, he was probably more rock, more arrogant, more brash. . . Rick James, I feel is worthy of it. Link Wray. Once I got the list [of nominees this year], then I was like, 'Jesus Christ.' Even one of the guys on the committee, was like, 'Yo, how come you're not championing your father?' Six is so hard to choose. If they would do 10, it would be so much easier. Because now that we're entering the Nineties, it's gonna get even crazier. Who knows?
Video footage of Morello's entire speech can be seen here.. A transcript follows.
"Good evening, I'm Tom Morello.
"They are four of the most recognizable faces on the planet, and one of the most iconic and badass bands of all time. Tonight is the night that KISS enters the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
"Growing up, KISS was my favorite band — and it was not easy being a KISS fan. Just as KISS were relentlessly persecuted by critics, their fans were relentlessly persecuted by the self-appointed arbiters of taste in middle schools and high schools across America. Arguments and even fistfights were not uncommon. I recall as a 15-year-old telling one bully, 'You can kiss my KISS-loving ass!' because KISS was never a critics' band, KISS was a people's band.
"And so I waited in a long line on a bitter cold Chicago morning to buy a ticket for my first concert, a KISS concert. I was especially thrilled because imprinted on the ticket were words that hinted that it was going to be a special event. The ticket said 'A partial view of KISS.' I was certain this meant the band were going to reveal some new secret corner of their artistic souls. In reality, it meant that my seat was behind a pole. Still, that concert was the most exciting, cathartic, loudest and most thrilling two hours of live music I've seen to this day.
"While there is a often debate about who should and shouldn't be in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, I think the criteria are actually quite simple: impact, influence and awesomeness. KISS have all three in spades.
"Impact? KISS have sold over 100 million albums worldwide. They have 28 gold albums in the United States alone. That's more than any other American rock band in history. Their theatrics were indisputably groundbreaking, but it was KISS' music that had an impact on me. All four guys wrote great songs. All four guys were great lead singers. They practically invented the live album with 'Kiss Alive!' Then came 'Destroyer', 'Rock And Roll Over', 'Love Gun', 'Alive II', 'Dynasty', all exploding with killer riffs, anthemic choruses and screaming solos that for 40 years have been filling arenas and stadiums around the world.
"Influence? Simply put, KISS is the band that made me and millions of others love rock and roll. What Elvis and THE BEATLES were to previous generations, KISS were to us. They propelled millions of young people to pick up instruments. Their influence is everywhere. From METALLICA to Lady Gaga, KISS have inspired thousands of artists of diverse genres, some of whom may be on a Hall Of Fame trajectory themselves. They've been a formative influence on members of TOOL, PEARL JAM, ALICE IN CHAINS, SLIPKNOT, Garth Brooks, PANTERA, FOO FIGHTERS, MÖTLEY CRÜE, Lenny Kravitz, WHITE ZOMBIE, SOUNDGARDEN, NINE INCH NAILS… and RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, to name just a few.
"OK. Impact? Check. Influence? Check. And the final criteria? Awesomeness. There's a simple test for that. What if you had never seen or heard KISS before? What if you had never heard a note of their music, never viewed a YouTube clip, never seen a reality show featuring any of the members? And what if you wandered into a divey club in your hometown and saw KISS in all their glory thrashing the place to the ground? One guy belching fire and spraying blood past his gargantuan tongue. A drum riser bursting through the roof. A guitar player so incredible his axe billowed smoke and shot rockets. A frontman flying back and forth across the joint like a superhero Tarzan. All of them in frightening horror movie/comic book superstar, sexifying kabuki make up. All of them in black and silver warrior bondage gear and seven-inch platform heels. The place blowing up with explosions, screeching with sirens, raining confetti, all to the pounding soundtrack of bareknuckle badass heavy duty liberating rock and roll. What would you say if you saw that? You'd say, 'That band's fucking awesome and deserves to be in the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame!!' That's what you'd say.
"Eric Carr, Vinnie Vincent, Mark St. John, Bruce Kulick, Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer have all been important in extending and expanding KISS' impressive legacy and they deserve a round of applause. But tonight we honor the fearsome foursome; the four original, founding members of KISS. The Demon, Gene Simmons — he's the God Of Thunder, he's Dr. Love. He's BEATLES-like bass on the bottom, a bat lizard Bela Lugosi on the top. The Starchild, Paul Stanley — the heart throb ringmaster of KISS' Psycho Circus. His vision, talent and dedication over four decades have made KISS the band it is today. The Space Man, Ace Frehley — my first guitar hero. He designed the band's iconic logo and blazed unforgettable, timeless licks across their greatest records. And The Cat, Peter Criss — jungle rhythms, jazz fills, and the writer and singer of the band's biggest hit, the world's first power ballad, 'Beth'. Tonight we also honor the fifth member of the band without whom this night could never have happened. Tonight we honor the Kiss Army, generations of fiercely loyal fans who are celebrating this long overdue induction all over the planet tonight.
"Tonight proves, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that the high school bullies and the critics were mistaken. We, KISS fans, were right. So let's celebrate.
"I misspoke earlier when I said that tonight KISS enters the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. That's almost right. Because tonight…it's not the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Tonight it's the Rock And Roll All Night And Party Every Day Hall Of Fame. And so without further ado… Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley, Peter Criss.
"You wanted the best and you got the best, the hottest band in the world… KISS."
All four members of the original lineup of KISS — Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss — delivered warm, nostalgic and even sweet-natured speeches that put aside the simmering tensions for at least 12 minutes.
Gene Simmons spoke first, saying, "We are humbled — all of us — to stand up on this stage and do what we love doing. This is a profound moment for all of us." Simmons then spoke kindly about each of his original bandmates, while also mentioning former and current members as well as late drummer Eric Carr and late guitarist Mark St. John.
Peter Criss said, "I'd like to thank the Hall Of Fame for this honor; I never thought this could happen in my life. Thank you." He also went through a list of people he wanted to thank, while also revealing that he has been free of male breast cancer for seven years. Criss concluded by saying, "I want to say that, even out of makeup, I'll always be the Catman. God bless each and every one of you — I will remember this the rest of my life. Thank you so much."
Frehley joked that he couldn't read his speech because his sunglasses weren't prescription, then ran through his own list of thanks and revealed that he has been sober for seven and a half years. Like Peter Criss, he thanked the band's original manager, the late Bill Aucoin, as well as the late Neil Bogart, who signed them to Casablanca Records in 1973. Frehley ended by saying, "Only by the grace of God I'm here… Life's been good to me; hopefully I've got 10 or 20 more years to go."
Paul Stanley ended the speeches by thanking Morello, "who's championed us shamelessly and unapologetically," and by calling the evening "vindication" for the fans. He also took a dig at the Hall Of Fame by saying, "The people, I believe, are speaking to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, and what they're saying is, 'We want more.' They deserve more. They want to be a part of the induction. They want to be a part of the nomination. They don't want to be spoon-fed by a handful of people. Choices. The people pay for tickets. The people buy albums. The people who nominate do not. Let's not forget that these are the people that make it all possible. We just benefit from it."
KISS did not perform — the Hall Of Fame wanted the original quartet only to play, while Simmons and Stanley insisted on the current lineup performing as well. In the end nobody won that battle.
The 29th annual Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony was taped and will air on May 31 on HBO.
Given the dichotomy between Morello's left-leaning worldview and Gene Simmons' take-no-prisoners brand of capitalism, it was ostensibly an unlikely pairing. But Morello cast aside his political views to praise his "first guitar hero," Ace Frehley, though, perhaps because he couldn't help himself, he did manage to work in one "power to the people" plug.
"Tonight, we honor the fifth memeber of the band: the Kiss Army," he said of the band's loyal fanbase. "This night proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that the bullies and critics were mistaken. Tonight this is the 'Rock and Roll all night, and Party Every Day' Hall of Fame."
As the guitarist told Rolling Stone before the ceremony, he first saw Kiss play when he was 12 and attended their shows religiously during his formative years. "I've known Gene and Paul for some time and I'm a huge fan of the band and have been an advocate — a noisy, fist-pounding advocate for years for Kiss to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame," said Morello. "One of the all-time great bands is being rightly enshrined.
"When those records were released, focus was shifted because it was a band in makeup or because it was band with explosions," added Morello. "But those are great anthemic songs with badass riffs. There's a reason why Kiss sold 100 million records around the world. There was no one spitting blood in your living room when you were listening to them. I was rocking out hard to them."
In 1994, the guitarist teamed up with Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan, RATM/Audioslave drummer Brad Wilk and Faith No More bassist Billy Gould as Shandi's Addiction to cover the group's 1976 song "Calling Dr. Love" for the compilation Kiss My Ass: Classic Kiss Regrooved.
Thursday capped off months of discussion and speculation surrounding every aspect of Kiss' induction. Simmons and Stanley have frequently expressed their displeasure with the Rock Hall's decision to only induct the band's four original members. (Simmons told Rolling Stone that he invited current members Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer alongside guitarist Bruce Kulick to sit at his table at the ceremony).
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Hall of Fame CEO Joel Peresman countered Simmons. "I totally understand his point of view," said Peresman. "What he's failing to understand is that there are certain acts that are nominated and brought in on their entire body of work, up until the day before the nominating committee meets. With Kiss, there wasn't a single person we spoke to that didn't feel the reason these guys were being inducted was because of the four original members."
"It was really vindication because the fans have wanted this for so long,'' lead singer Paul Stanley told Matt Lauer, as the band joined TODAY on the plaza decked out in their costumes and iconic facepaint. "It may not have meant as much to us, but it meant a lot to them. We were very happy to be there. We have 40 years of legacy, and it's a proud time for us."
Stanley was joined by guitarists Gene Simmons and Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer. The lead-up to the Hall of Fame induction was not without controversy, as original drummer Peter Criss and original guitarist Ace Frehley, who both split from the band in the early 1980s, traded shots at Simmons and Stanley in the media. While there was no reunion performance on Thursday, the members were courteous to one another in their acceptance speeches.
"Yesterday is yesterday,'' Simmons said. "We've never won a race looking over our shoulders in the past. Winners always look straightforward. There are no solutions, there's only we get to decide who and what KISS is. We love Ace and Peter, and they were very gracious yesterday in accepting the award to be part of the beginning, but we move on. This is a 40-year proud history, and Eric and Tommy make every day on that stage a wonderful, wonderful experience, not just for us. We like being together and bonding onstage, but it's an experience for the fans."
KISS announced their 42-city North American tour in honor of their 40th anniversary, where they will be joined by Def Leppard. They also are looking to hire two military veterans as roadies to work their 2014 Heroes Tour as part of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and Capital One’s Hiring 500,000 Heroes campaign.
"People have to realize that the freedoms and the liberties that we enjoy here, we take for granted,'' Stanley said. "The people that make it possible are part of the world's greatest volunteer army. These people risk limbs, they risk their lives for us. We owe them everything, so if we can hire a few of them, just to bring attention to the fact that we owe them everything. They are the ones whose uniforms are even more important than ours."
Another group in uniform who got to meet up with KISS on Friday was a group of four high school seniors from Montgomery, N.Y., who were sent home from school by administrators last month for dressing up as the members of KISS.
Derek Chomyn, Tyler Fisher, Dylan Schoonmaker and Mike Carmody wore the famous KISS greasepaint as the Demon, Space Ace, Starchild and Catman and were dismissed from Valley Central High School's "Senior Celebrity Day,'' prompting one of their moms to tweet about it to Simmons, who retweeted it.
The group went to the Hall of Fame induction on Thursday and were speechlees when they met their idols in person on Rockefeller Plaza on Friday.
Due to microtia, a rare congenital deformity, Stanley was born without a right ear.
This is the most startling disclosure he makes in his no-holds-barred memoir, “Face the Music: A Life Exposed” (HarperOne). It will be published Tuesday, just two days before Kiss, the band he co-founded in 1973, is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. On April 17, he will sign copies of his memoir at Warwick's in La Jolla.
Paul Stanley book signing:
When: 7 p.m. April 17
Where: Warwick’s, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla
Admission: Free, in a manner. You must purchase a copy of Stanley’s memoir from Warwick’s in advance to be admitted and get it signed by him. In order to do so, you must buy a ticket in advance, for $31.31, for which you will receive a copy of the book and admission for two adults.
Phone: (858) 454-0347
Online: warwicks.com
“Face the Music: A Life Exposed” was co-written with Tim Mohr. It offers a classic, if often sobering, rags-to-riches chronicle of Stanley's life. A New York native, he is the son of Jewish immigrant parents who were emotionally distant at best and cruel at worst. His childhood and teen years were full of anguish because of his microtia and the relentless teasing and bullying from other kids that resulted. His highly dysfunctional family, which included his deeply troubled sister and unhappily married parents, further compounded matters and fueled their troubled son's desire for an escape to something better.
"I believed that my ticket out of my unhappiness, or issues with my growing up, or my birth defect, or my hearing loss, was becoming famous and successful," Stanley told U-T San Diego in a recent interview from his Beverly Hills home. " I was fortunate enough to become famous and successful, so I could see that wasn't the answer. At that point, you have to decide: 'What do you do?' "
There has been considerable controversy over Kiss' pending induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which will be televised in May on HBO. Stanley and fellow Kiss mastermind Gene Simmons have refused to perform at the induction ceremony with Kiss’ other two original members, drummer Peter Criss and San Diego-based guitarist Ace Frehley, unless the band’s current lineup also can perform.
The Rock Hall rejected that proposal, which means that Kiss won't perform in any form at the ceremony. Moreover, the Rock Hall will only induct Kiss’ original four members. This has angered Stanley and Simmons, who is described in “Face the Music” as Stanley’s brother-in-arms, as well as a cheater, goofy, dishonest, unhappy, selfish, hurtful and worse.
Stanley, 62, will perform here with Kiss on July 6 at Sleep Train Amphitheatre. A married father of four, he spoke to us at length about his book, Kiss, the band’s pending induction, its former and current members, and more. Here are excerpts from that conversation:
Q: It’s hard to imagine the pain and taunting you endured growing up without a right ear, an experience you vividly detail in your book. Given the reconstructive surgery you had in the early 1980s and recent advances in medical technology, can you now at least partially hear on your right side?
A: I can’t. There have been technical breakthroughs, in terms of stimulating the auditory nerve, and surgeries to create ear canals. But my brain is wired this way at this point. And anything that goes against it just confuses it. I can’t imagine hearing like you hear (with both ears), because what I have is my idea of normal. I can’t tell direction of sound, never could, and that has a lot of impact on you as a child. You always have a sense of vulnerability, because you can’t triangulate (sound) if you can’t see somebody. Or, if you hear a firetruck, you could walk into its path, because you don’t know where it’s coming from.
Q: I don't mean to be indelicate. But since you have three young kids, if they want to get away with something, do they plot together while standing to your right, so that you can't hear them?
A: (laughing) No! I'm not totally deaf. I can hear with my left side. My kids are spectacular, stellar, little people. And my oldest son is in the Tisch School of the Arts program at New York University, which accepts 40 only students a year. So I'm a big proponent of hands-on parenting and building self-esteem, setting boundaries and expectations. And the results speak for themselves. It may be oversimplifying things, but children start out as blank slates.
Q: Your childhood, as your book makes very clear, was filled with anguish.
A: It was not a good one. It was lonely and scary. My parents loved me, but they didn’t know the right way to love. The idea of toughening a kid up by not complimenting them, by not acknowledging their achievements, by telling them everything is OK when it’s not, doesn’t produce a tough kid. It produces the opposite. ... My parents certainly loved me, but didn’t know how to do it in a constructive way.
Q: The book feels, to the reader, like a cathartic journey. Does it feel that way to you?
A: More the process of living it was cathartic. Writing about it was more a feeling that, by opening up my life, I might help somebody else. The word that keeps coming back from people who read the book, and who are not necessarily Kiss fans, is "inspirational." The only reason I wrote the book is because I thought that perhaps people could find a little inspiration or strength in seeing that they are not that different than I am. I think people tend to look up to their idols, or the people who they emulate, and think: "Those people are perfect."
The truth is, we're all pretty much the same. I believed that my ticket out of my unhappiness, or issues with my growing up, or my birth defect, or my hearing loss, was becoming famous and successful. I was fortunate enough to become famous and successful, so I could see that wasn't the answer. At that point, you have to decide: "What do you do?" Some people self-medicate, and we know where that leads. Or, you live life as a victim, or you roll up your sleeves and move forward. I'm a great believer in self-improvement and self-survival. The book felt great, because my revelation was that the less judgmental you are of others, and the less controlling and more giving you are, the more you get, and -- ultimately -- happiness comes from within you and your family. No matter how many people admire you, you have to go home with yourself.
Q: And what would you have said if someone told you that when when you were 25 or 35?
A: I would have said: "Yeah? Who's the cute blonde?" In other words, I don't believe we learn from other people telling us things. we learn from experiencing things. So I'm telling my story, but I'm not implying I have the key for anybody else...
Q: Your book is very detailed, but you make no mention in it of Lou Reed's participation in (the 1981 Kiss album) "Music from the Elder." Why not?
A: Lou’s participation was, I don't want to say peripheral, because he came in and (album producer) Bob Ezrin had a very long relationship with Lou, having done (the 1973 album) "Berlin," and they were every close. Lou came to pre-production rehearsals, and Bob asked if he had any ideas. And he came in with a lyric for “A World Without Heroes" and part of a lyric for "Mr. Blackwell," or at least the shape, the direction of those lyrics. And there are other (Kiss song) co-writers, and other people who are not a part of the book.
But writing a book about your life is somewhat (like) making a film of it. You can't tell the entire story. You have to give enough instances to flesh out and tell the story, but -- as in making a book into a movie -- you have to omit some things. The idea is not to omit anything of great value.
Q: You are extremely candid in the book and don’t seem to pull any punches, about yourself or anyone else. Was there anything simply too personal that you left out?
A: No. There wouldn’t be any point in the book if that were the case. There’s nothing vindictive or said to be hurtful.
Q: But, at one point, you describe Peter and Ace as “barely sentient beings.”
A: I’m sure that will ruffle feathers, but that is secondary. How somebody accepts, or is affected, by my assessment is not as important as telling the story. And that was: “Look, neither one of those guys really had much at heart, in terms of priorities, other than themselves.” So I’m not losing any sleep over my characterizations or assessments.
Q: What reaction have you had from other band members?
A: Gene read it. And, from everything I’ve heard from other people, he loved the book and acknowledged, certainly, the accuracy of what I said and my assessment of him. Again, nothing was said to hurt or denigrate. It was just my point of view. And, in my book, I must be honest. He thought it was great. And for a few people who read it, I think it’s probably painful for (them) to read it, and I understand that.
Q: Is a rock band, by definition, dysfunctional?
A: I think there is something that comes from combustibility in a band. And the problem with combustibility is, unless it can be harnessed for the common good, it causes (the need) for change. The band, as it is today -- and has been for over a decade -- is four individuals who are very much motivated to further the band and the cause; four people who say: "How can I make the band greater?" And that's how you become greater. But when you have people whose main objective is to make themselves greater, then everybody suffers. I think combustibility is a great thing. Look, Gene and I have been together 44 years at this point, and we're very different (people). But, at the end of the day, generally speaking, we have always been motivated by trying to do as best as we can for the band.
Q: Kiss will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Thursday. Do you have mixed feelings about it?
A: We will all be there, together, and will accept the award together. I believe, for many reasons, the Rock Hall is a disgrace. And to grudgingly induct us 14 or 15 years (after Kiss was first eligible), because they look ridiculous otherwise, I don’t get any great honor or pride from that ...
I don’t know that they’ve ever dealt with people like us, who not only have a different point of view but can actually articulate it. You have people on that (Rock Hall of Fame) board who have vocally and vehemently stated that they would fight our induction. You have a burn-out like (music critic and author) Dave Marsh, whose recollections and romanticizing of New York bands is pure fantasy. The bands he seems to champion from the period of our inception (in the 1970s) are bands that sucked. They failed. The reason nobody knows about them is they weren’t any good.
So to have somebody like that making one of his quests to keep us out of the Hall of Fame — anybody who has the perception the Hall of Fame is a reflection of the people in the street is sadly mistaken.
How did it feel to finally get up there?
It felt great, you know? Look at the company I'm with. The room is full of celebrities and rock stars. It's like another milestone in my career. But the body of work that I've created over the years has stood the test of time. It's a very special time for me.
After all the controversies leading up to the induction, how did it feel to be onstage with everybody again?
It felt like I just saw those guys yesterday. We're brothers in rock & roll. The press seems to amplify the fact that we hate each other, and we really don't. We've had our differences over the years, but every rock & roll band does. Tonight, it felt like I had just left those guys the other day, and they were very gracious considering what we've been creating over the last 40 years.
When you look back at those 40 years, what are you proudest of?
I think we're probably gonna go down in history as the greatest theatrical rock group in the world. I think that's probably gonna be an undisputable fact. And now that we're part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, that just cements our place in history even better. And the cover on the Rolling Stone [Laughs]!
How long have you wanted this?
We could have been inducted 15 years ago. We were eligible. So they took a while. They made us sweat. But tonight's the night. I'm the kind of person, I'm very optimistic. I don't want to think about negativity. The past is the past. We're in. We're here. We're gonna have a great time.
You mentioned that you have been sober seven years in your speech and that you think people should be educated on addiction. What should happen?
It needs to be decriminalized. People who are addicts and alcoholics shouldn't be thrown in jail for a year because they were born with a disease that they can't help. Governor [Peter] Shumlin in Vermont is doing a great job. In fact there’s an article in the new Rolling Stone about it. Everybody should follow in his steps decriminalizing addiction.
I'm an addict. I've been an alcoholic my whole life. But I've been sober seven and half years. Only by the grace of God am I sitting here today. I just spoke to Ron Delsener, New York's biggest [concert] promoter and he's going, "Hey, so I thought you would be dead!" I said, "Nope, I'm here, I'm alive and I'm kicking." And I have a beautiful fiancée, Rachael Gordon. She cowrote two songs with me on the new record, and life couldn't be better. So one day at a time, I'm getting through.
What have you not done yet that you want to?
I'd like to score a sci-fi film. That would be fun. Or maybe make another movie. God, what's his name? John Belushi, God rest his soul, a dear friend of mine, before he passed away, he told me he was putting me in his next movie because I was one of the few people that could make him crack up. And unfortunately we know what happened.
You started doing press right after you got offstage. How did you leave off with Gene and Paul?
They were congratulating me on the stage. But I had gotten calls from them a couple months ago when this first went down. We created something that no one can take away from any of us, and it withstood the test of time.
Following Nationwide Search, Two Veterans will Join Bands for 2014 Summer Tour
Rock bands KISS and Def Leppard today announced their commitment to hire two veterans as roadies for their 2014 summer tour as part of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and Capital One’s Hiring 500,000 Heroes campaign. The bands made their hiring announcement live on the NBC Today Show in New York after deciding jointly to dedicate their upcoming summer tour to the military community. Following a nationwide search, two veterans will be chosen to support the bands’ production team on the 42-city North American tour.
This will be the second time KISS has carried out a nationwide search for a veteran roadie. Two years ago, Army veteran and longtime KISS fan Paul Jordan was chosen to join a summer tour after a review of 1,900 applications sent in from coast to coast. He went on to tour 44 cities with the band, helping with the set up and breakdown at each stop. Looking back after the tour closed, Jordan said, “I know now that life exists after military service. You just have to find something you’re passionate about and go get it. There is a world of opportunity out there.”
"It is our privilege to draw attention to the obligation we all have to the brave men and women who volunteer to risk their own lives to protect the liberties and freedom that we all take for granted. We should all jump at any opportunity to provide any assistance needed by our warriors. Heroes deserve jobs!" said Paul Stanley, lead vocalist/guitarist of KISS.
“Having our own wounded warrior in Rick Allen, we’ve always had a close tie with the military,” said Joe Elliott, lead vocalist of Def Leppard. “To carry on and further our contribution by giving a little back, and hopefully helping fulfill a dream or two, we’re more than happy to show our support.”
KISS and Def Leppard announced the 2014 summer tour last month during a press conference at the House of Blues in Los Angeles. Both groups have agreed to donate $2 of every ticket sold to various military nonprofits, including Hiring Our Heroes, the USO, Project Resiliency/The Raven Drum Foundation, Augusta Warrior Project, and Wounded Warrior Project.
“We are thrilled to work with KISS, Def Leppard, and all of the great partners teaming up to find two veterans for this amazing opportunity,” said Eric Eversole, executive director of Hiring Our Heroes. “Our team saw firsthand how much Paul Jordan’s life changed when he toured with KISS. We applaud both bands for their continued dedication to the military community, and we hope others are inspired to follow their lead and hire military members and their spouses.”
Veterans who wish to apply for the positions can go to Military.com/Heroes for more information. All applications must be received by Friday, May 9th at 11:59 p.m. Military.com will work with KISS and Def Leppard to select the final two veterans.
Hiring Our Heroes launched in March 2011 as a nationwide initiative to help veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses find meaningful employment. Working with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s vast network of state and local chambers and other strategic partners from the public, private and nonprofit sectors, Hiring Our Heroes has helped hundreds of thousands of veterans and military spouses find meaningful employment. The goal of the Hiring 500,000 Heroes campaign with Capital One is to engage the business community in committing to hire half a million veterans and military spouses by the end of 2014.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation (USCCF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce dedicated to strengthening America’s long-term competitiveness by addressing developments that affect our nation, our economy and the global business environment.
After that, the four members of the original KISS lineup took turns in addressing the crowd.
Gene Simmons: "We are humbled — all of us — to stand up on this stage and do what we love doing.
"This is a profound moment for all of us.
"We are humbled that the fans gave us the chance to do what we love doing. And so I'm here just to say a few kind words about the four knuckleheads who, 40 years ago, got together and decided to put together the band that you see on stage, critics be damned.
"To Ace Frehley: his iconic guitar playing has been imitated, but never duplicated, by generations of guitar players around the world.
"To Peter Criss, whose drumming and singing... Well, there's not a guy out there who beats the sticks who sounds just like Peter. Nobody's got that swing and that style.
"Something happened, 40 years ago: I met the partner and the brother I never knew I had — Paul Stanley. You couldn't ask for someone more awesome to be on the same team. I am humbled.
"I was going to say a few kind words about Eric Carr, rest in peace. Mark St. John, rest in peace. Vinnie Vincent, the great Bruce Kulick, and of course, here we are 40 years later with the great Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer, and we continue on.
"However, we wouldn't be here today without the initial Fantastic Four.
"God bless you all.
"May I introduce the powerful and attractive — Peter Criss!"
Peter Criss: "I want to say it's great to be home in Brooklyn.
"I'd like to thank the Hall Of Fame for this honor; I never thought this could happen in my life. Thank you.
"I'd like to thank everybody that had to do something with my career and the band's career. For 50 years, I've been doing it; 40 years, we've been doing it. Jesus — from the grips, to the truck drivers, to the great producers, to the great managers, to the great people who were just all there for us through all the years and the hard times. God bless you and thank you so much.
"I definitely want to thank our first manager, Bill Aucoin. We would not be here if it wasn't for Bill. Sean Delaney, the great Joyce Bogart, and the great Neil Bogart — who with Casablanca Records... Those were the great days, and I thank them all.
"I'd like to congratulate the band, of course — Mr. Stanley, Mr. Simmons, and the one and only Spaceman, Ace Frehley.
"I'd also like to say I'm now seven years male breast cancer-free. Thank you — I'm very proud that I have... [I would like to thank] my doctor, who saved my life in the first place. Thank you so much.
"I would like to thank my family — my sister Donna who I know is out there. All my friends who have come...and God, I'd be here all night. I'd like to thank my lovely wife Gigi, who makes my life really, really a lot easier. Lemme tell ya: walking through life with her is a blessing. I love you, baby.
"I got my first lesson from my best friend, Jerry Nolan of the NEW YORK DOLLS. And boy, that's what started it all off.
"I want to say that, even out of makeup, I'll always be the Catman.
"God bless each and every one of you — I will remember this the rest of my life. Thank you so much.
Ace Frehley: "I have a speech here, but these [glasses] aren't prescription, so I can't work it out. [laughs]
"It's so great to be here with all these celebrities and other musicians.
"I want to thank Paul, Gene and Peter.
"Thank you so much, Tom, for that beautiful introduction.
"I want to thank the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame for inducting us; thank you very much.
"When I was 13 years old, I picked up my first guitar, and I always sensed that I was going to be in for something big. Little did I know, a few years later, there it was. I experienced the Summer of Love. [Laughs] Alright. That was before I met these clowns. Several years later, we got together — you know the story, it's all KISS-tory.
"A few quick names — Bill Aucoin, Joyce Biawitz — who used to manage us in conjunction with Bill, then ended up marrying Neil Bogart. We wouldn't be here without Neil Bogart and Casablanca Records. Everyone at Casablanca Records, everyone at ATI, Jeff, and Wally. Everyone at the press office; Carol and Al Ross; Carol Kaye; just to name a few. If I named everyone who helped us through our career, I'd be here for another half an hour. It's great to be here.
"I wanted to touch on the fact that I've been sober now for seven and a half years. We still need to educate the people in this country about sobriety because some people think it has to do with willpower. But unfortunately, most addicts are born that way and people need to be educated about that.
"My sponsor, he used to have a good saying, to try and explain what it's like to be an addict: when people would say to use willpower, he'd say, 'Try using willpower when you're having diarrhea.'
"So, only by the grace of God I'm here. I want to thank my first wife Jeanette, my daughter, my current fiancée Rachael Gordon.
"Life's been good to me; hopefully I've got 10 or 20 more years to go. Thank you very much."
Paul Stanley: "I can make this short and sweet because everybody said everything and has been much funnier than I'll ever be.
"So, I got to thank Tom, who's championed us shamelessly and unapologetically. Took a lot of balls, and God bless you.
"For us, this is a special night, but it's really a special night for all of our fans — this is vindication. We couldn't have done this without you.
"To Peter, Ace, Gene — we are the original four, so we could not have done this if we didn't start this together.
"Everything we've done is built on the past.
"We've got a great, great legacy. We've got Bruce here, we've got Tommy, we've got Eric...
"When I first started listening to music, I was lucky: I saw a lot of people I loved. When I was a kid, I saw Solomon Burke, I saw Otis Redding, I got to see THE YARDBIRDS. I got to see LED ZEPPELIN; Jimi Hendrix; SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE; the list goes on and on. What I loved about all these musicians is that they had the spirit of rock and roll.
"I believe that the spirit of rock and roll means you follow your own path regardless of critics, and regardless of your peers. I think we've done that for forty years.
"Here we are tonight, basically inducted for the same things that we were kept out for.
"The people, I believe, are speaking to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, and what they're saying is, 'We want more.' They deserve more. They want to be a part of the induction. They want to be a part of the nomination. They don't want to be spoon-fed by a handful of people. Choices. The people pay for tickets. The people buy albums. The people who nominate do not. Let's not forget that these are the people that make it all possible. We just benefit from it
"So, I look out here and I see all these people. I see faces that over the years inspired me. People who made me what I am. So I am here tonight because of the people who inspired me, but I'm also here because of the people I inspired. So God bless you all; it's been a wonderful night."
Morello told Rolling Stone before the ceremony that he first saw KISS play when he was 12 and attended their shows religiously during his formative years. "I've known Gene and Paul for some time and I'm a huge fan of the band and have been an advocate — a noisy, fist-pounding advocate for years for KISS to be in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame," he said. "One of the all-time great bands is being rightly enshrined.
"When those records were released, focus was shifted because it was a band in makeup or because it was band with explosions," he added. "But those are great anthemic songs with badass riffs. There's a reason why KISS sold 100 million records around the world. There was no one spitting blood in your living room when you were listening to them. I was rocking out hard to them."
The 29th annual Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony was taped and will air on May 31 on HBO.
The original four Kiss members —— Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss — who had been eligible for induction for nearly 15 years before the hall finally opened its arms, accepted their honor from guitarist Tom Morello, then laid down a populist manifesto.
"Kiss was never a critics' band. Kiss was a people's band,'' Morello said, a sentiment echoed by the four musicians — dressed in suits and tuxes and sans their trademark makeup — as they embraced and made their remarks at the Barclays Center.
Simmons described his bandmates as "four knuckleheads who got together" and pointedly mentioned other members from the group's 40-year history who were not inducted by the hall.
Ex-drummer Criss, referring to no longer being allowed to don his costume, said, "In or out of makeup, I'll always be the Catman. You've got to forgive to live."
"This is vindication," said co-founder Stanley. "People want and deserve more. They want to be part of the nominations and the inductions. They don't want to be spoon-fed the choices. The people buy albums. The people buy tickets. The people who nominate do not.''
Then, without playing a note, they were off, as clips played of Cat Stevens, the next inductee.
Earlier, Peter Gabriel, inducted for the second time (he was welcomed in 2010 as a member of Genesis), kicked off the performances with Digging in the Dirt.
Coldplay's Chris Martin, who joined him on Washing of the Water, did the honors, with a funny riff on the Book of Genesis, quoting "Phil the Collins."
"And lo, the angel Gabriel ascended up Solsbury Hill to the Hall of Fame," Martin said.
Bruce Springsteen ushered in his E Street Band, leading them in a gritty take on The River and a long, blazing blast from their past, Kitty's Back.
Inductees Daryl Hall & John Oates, though plagued by sound problems, rebounded for punchy, funky versions of She's Gone and You Make My Dreams.
Other highlights included a spectacular selection of inductee Linda Ronstadt's hits (she did not attend) by Carrie Underwood, Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt, Sheryl Crow and Stevie Nicks, who blended voices on When Will I Be Loved and It's So Easy.
R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe inducted Nirvana, saying of its late leader: "That voice, that voice ... Kurt (Cobain), we miss you.'' Bandmates Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic accepted their statuettes with Grohl acknowledging the four drummers who came before him. Cobain's widow, Courtney Love, accepted on his behalf. "I just want to give this to Frances, our daughter, who's not here tonight because she's ill," Love said.
A parade of edgy female vocalists joined Novoselic, Grohl and Foo Fighters guitarist Pat Smear for Smells Like Teen Spirit (Joan Jett), Aneurysm (Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth), Lithium (St. Vincent, aka Annie Clark) and All Apologies (Lorde).
The show airs May 31 on HBO.
Kiss fans may not be getting the reunion performance they hoped for at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, but the four founding members of the band did stand together at the podium to give their acceptance speeches, marking their first public appearance together since the conclusion of the American leg of their "Farewell Tour" in October of 2000.
Despite taking endless nasty shots at each other in the press during the past few months, the group — Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Peter Criss and Ace Frehley — was remarkably courteous to each other. Peter Criss spoke first, thanking everyone from "the grips to the truck drivers" to the "doctor that saved me from breast cancer." The former drummer also commemorated his iconic makeup. "In and out of make-up, I will always be the catman," said Criss.
Guitarist Ace Frehley spoke next, recalling, "When I was 13 years old and picked up my first guitar, I always figured I'd be into something big. Life's been good to me. Hopefully, I got another 10 or 20 years to go."
Even Stanley - who recently accused his former bandmates of anti-semitism - took the high road, focusing on the band's fans. "Here we are tonight, inducted basically for the things we were left out for," said Stanley. "The people buy albums. The people who nominate do not."
Current Kiss members Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer sat in the crowd near former Kiss guitarist Bruce Kulick. The Hall of Fame's refusal to let them in, along with other former members of Kiss, incensed Stanley to no end. "I don't need the Hall of Fame," he recently told Rolling Stone. "And if there's not reciprocity, I'm not interested. The Red Hot Chili Peppers, practically every member was inducted, and virtually all 175 members of the Grateful Dead. Rules need to apply to everybody."
The group initially wanted to perform with their current lineup, but they were told that wasn't an option. "We heard, 'We would like Ace and Peter in makeup,'" said Stanley. "And we said, 'That's not going to happen.' That band is long gone. I question what Ace and Peter would look like in those outfits. We've spent 40 years building something, and to dissipate what we've done, or confuse it by sending mixed messages? What we offered was to play with Tommy and Eric and then bring out Ace and Peter to play with us."
Criss and Frehley made it very clear they would have boycotted the ceremony had other musicians played in their signature makeup. "I won't be disrespected," Criss told Rolling Stone. "How can you put me in the Hall of Fame and then tell me to sit over there in the corner while another guy puts on my makeup and plays? That's an injustice. To the fans, too."
The mere fact that all four of them stood together at the podium was a small miracle, and, in all likelihood, it'll be the final time anyone sees the four of them together again.
The original four members of Kiss didn't perform at Brooklyn's Barclays Center due to a dispute between active original members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley and retired members Peter Criss and Ace Frehley. But the original four made peace and saluted each other in their induction speeches.
"Critics be damned," Simmons said.
The theatrical quartet put on makeup, belched blood, shot fireworks out of Frehley's guitar and sang about wanting to "Rock and Roll All Nite." They weren't trendy, but Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello said that Kiss inspired him and their concert was the first he attended. He even fought high school bullies who ridiculed him for liking Kiss.
"Tonight proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that the high school bullies and critics were wrong," he said. "Kiss fans were right."
Stanley, to the cheers of the Barclays crowd, called for fans to be involved in the Rock Hall induction process.
Gabriel was inducted by Coldplay's Chris Martin, who later sang with him on Gabriel's "Washing of the Water."
Martin said he turned to the Bible for inspiration in his speech, "the book of Genesis," referring to the band with which Gabriel started and with which he was inducted into the Hall in 2010.
"An angel of the Lord descended and appeared to Phil the Collins," Martin said, telling Genesis' drummer that Gabriel was starting a solo career.
He credited Gabriel with creating a cathedral of sound and "he helped John Cusack get back his girlfriend in the movie 'Say Anything.'"
That movie's climactic moment featured Gabriel's song "In Your Eyes," and Gabriel performed a soaring version Thursday to celebrate his induction.
Gabriel said aspiring musicians should surround themselves with brilliance and, noting his early failures as a drummer, shouldn't be afraid to try different things.
"Dream big, and let your imagination guide you," Gabriel said. "Even if you end up dressing as a flower or a sexually transmitted disease."
Cat Stevens, the 1970s era singer of "Morning Has Broken" and "Wild World," was inducted by Art Garfunkel, who said his breakup with Paul Simon helped pave the way for Stevens' entry into the charts.
"Thanks so much to my fans for believing," said Stevens, who gave up music and converted to Islam, going by the name Yusuf. "I can still see some skeptical faces, but my fans believed."
Nirvana is being inducted in its first year of eligibility. The trio's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" hit like a thunderclap upon its 1991 release, briefly making the Pacific Northwest rock's hottest scene before the band ended abruptly with singer Kurt Cobain's suicide in 1994.
The Philadelphia-bred duo of Daryl Hall and John Oates is known for a string of blue-eyed soul hits including "Sara Smile," ''Rich Girl," ''Private Eyes" and "Maneater." Another Philly musician, Questlove of the Roots, was to offer the induction speech.
Linda Ronstadt, the sexy siren of the Los Angeles rock scene in the 1970s, was not expected at her induction because her Parkinson's disease makes travel difficult. Glenn Frey, who performed in her backup band with Don Henley before they formed the Eagles, was due to induct her.
Springsteen's 1999 entrance into the Rock Hall without the E Street Band was a sore point for some of its members. Thursday they were to get their due in the sidemen category, although it will be a posthumous honor for saxman Clarence Clemons and keyboard player Danny Federici. Springsteen was set to perform with the band.
The 29th annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony was being taped by HBO to air in May.
The first two artist managers were inducted into the Hall: the late Brian Epstein, of the Beatles, and Andrew Loog Oldham, of the Rolling Stones.
Ronstadt, who revealed last year that she is battling Parkinson's disease, will not attend, while neither KISS nor the surviving members of Nirvana -- founder Kurt Cobain committed suicide in 1994 aged 27 -- is expected to perform.
That leaves only British singer-songwriters Peter Gabriel and Cat Stevens, and duo Hall and Oates as performing inductees, although Chris Martin, Glenn Frey, Michael Stipe, Questlove, Bruce Springsteen, Peter Asher and Tom Morello are set to appear -- though not necessarily perform.
Stevens, who goes by the name Yusuf Islam, was confirmed just days ago after the folk singer had trouble securing a visa to travel from London. His induction, he wrote in the current issue of Rolling Stone, "will no doubt do much to heal the scars that many years of separation have caused and help to reconnect people to my legacy, which still speaks loud and clear in my music."
And it could signal a return to the spotlight for the "Wild World," "Peace Train" and "Moon Shadow" singer after decades of not performing.
Stevie Nicks, Bonnie Raitt, Carrie Underwood, Emmylou Harris and Sheryl Crow will appear in a musical tribute to Ronstadt, who is being inducted by Frey at the 29th annual ceremony, to be aired on HBO on May 31.
Stipe will induct Nirvana, which was chosen in its first year of eligibility, 20 years after founder Cobain's death.
Gabriel, 63, lead vocalist for the progressive rock band Genesis, itself a 2010 inductee, went on to a solo career that included hits such as "Sledgehammer," and is set to perform.
The E Street Band, the group behind Springsteen, will be inducted by the rocker through the Award for Musical Excellence, and will perform, but the Hall of Fame has not formally announced whether The Boss himself would sing.
As for KISS, the 1970s shock-rockers known for their outrageous costumes and makeup and hits such as "Rock and Roll All Nite," founding members Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons have said they won't perform at the gala because the Hall of Fame opted to include only the original members, eschewing current bandmembers Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer.
In past years the Hall of Fame has included varying mixes of past and present members of bands like The Grateful Dead and Metallica which have had evolving rosters.
The fray recalled the 2007 ceremony when original Blondie members Frank Infante and Nigel Harrison made an on-stage entreaty to lead singer Debbie Harry to perform with the band, and were flatly, and awkwardly, turned down by the star.
Brian Epstein, the music entrepreneur who managed The Beatles before he died in 1967, and Andrew Loog Oldham who managed The Rolling Stones, will both be inducted with the Ahmet Ertegun Awards for lifetime achievement.
But Oldham said on Twitter last week that he would not attend. "Like Brian Epstein, I was not consulted as regards this matter," he said, "& like dear Brian I will not be going."
The inductees, who will join the Hall of Fame's 719 other musicians and executives as members, were chosen by more than 700 voters from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation.
Fans were allowed to cast votes online for the artists they believe were the most deserving of induction, with three of their top five choices making the cut this year.
It's taken 14 years, but pyro-glam rockers Kiss are finally being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. After being passed over for so long, it was already a major story that the New York quartet (born of equal parts ambition, determination and desperation) had finally made the cut.
But since the four original members -- singer-guitarist Paul Stanley, singer-bassist Gene Simmons, guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss -- haven't been shy about expressing how they think the induction and celebratory performance should be handled, Kiss' Hall of Fame entrance has become one of the most talked-about rock stories this spring.
Stanley, who co-founded the band 40 years ago with Simmons, sat down with Billboard to discuss the buzz surrounding the induction, which he believes is the Rock Hall's "worst nightmare."
(Video) "The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is not the hall of fame of the people, or of other bands," he said. "It's a small group of people who decide who they want in their little club and who they don't. The fact that they would only induct the four original members -- and when I asked about that it they said it was a non-starter -- is interesting. Because they're pencil pushers and I play a guitar. So for them to tell me what is a non-starter is arrogance."
He added, "I don't know if I was inducted or indicted. But I really don't care. I'm going because there are fans who it means something to."
He also opened up about his new autobiography, "Face the Music: A Life Exposed," where he discusses the history of Kiss and his own formative years. Born deaf in his right ear, which was deformed, the resulting social ostracism he experienced as a child burdened him with feelings of inadequacy for decades before he finally faced his demons. The book about Stanley's life is just as candid as his interview here.
Amidst this maelstrom of exciting happenings, PodKISSt is taking a look back at the past 10 years of KISStory. Ken and Gary are joined by Andrew Sgambati (drummer for renowned tribute band Mr. Speed) for an in-depth discussion of an era that represents one quarter of KISS’ career, and a KISS lineup that’s stayed together longer than any other.
So brace yourselves, KISS Army; it’s looking like 2014 is gonna be a wild ride, and we hope to celebrate it with you right here on PodKISSt… the KISS fanzine for your ears!
Kiss, being inducted at this week’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony at Barclays Center along with Nirvana, Hall and Oates, and others, falls in the latter category, somehow deemed worthy of inclusion after 14 consecutive snubs. But what might have been a celebratory moment for the band has turned into another PR issue for the museum’s gatekeepers. First, the Hall insisted that the original quartet — front man Paul Stanley, bassist Gene Simmons, guitarist Ace Frehley, and drummer Peter Criss — be the only four inducted, with no love given to the six other musicians who have been official members of Kiss over the years. Making matters worse, they were told that only the estranged original lineup could perform at the ceremony, when Kiss leaders Stanley and Simmons had hoped to be accompanied by the stronger musicianship of Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer, Kiss members for the past decade. Besieged on one side by an institution bestowing recognition grudgingly and on another by disgruntled Criss and Frehley partisans, Stanley and Simmons resolved that Kiss will not play at the ceremony at all. On the eve of the induction ceremony and publication of his autobiography, Face the Music, Kiss front man Paul Stanley spoke to Vulture about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame fracas and the fraught relations with Peter and Ace.
What’s the main issue with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
Well, the Hall of Fame can barely stomach us, so their way of letting us know who’s boss is only inducting the four original members of Kiss, and not giving consideration to other members of the band performing on platinum records and world tours. This organization went to the Grateful Dead and asked them which minor members should be inducted, like their lyricist (Robert Hunter). And the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ current guitarist (Josh Klinghoffer) had been in the band for two years before he was inducted. Clearly the rules apply only when the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame feels like it.
Why isn’t Kiss playing the induction ceremony?
Kiss isn’t like other bands; we don’t perform in blue jeans and T-shirts. When most people see those iconic character designs, they don’t think “that’s Ace and Peter,” they think “that’s Kiss.” I’m not going to roll the dice on a lineup where the musicianship could be substandard, or to dress Ace and Peter up in outfits they haven’t worn in over a decade at the whim of an organization that doesn’t want us there. Gene and I wanted to play with the two guys who we depend on and have done so as the guitarist and drummer in Kiss for a decade, as well as Ace and Peter.
Won’t it be uncomfortable standing up at the podium with them?
In spite of differences that will never be resolved, there is no denying what the four of us created together. I can pick up the phone and call Peter and say, ”We continue to disagree about almost everything, but let’s make the most of this.”
It seems like your fans, as well as people who do not dismiss hard rock and heavy metal out of hand, care more that Kiss will be in the Hall than you do.
I’m going to the ceremony on behalf of the fans who have stood by my side for 40 years. They do care more than we do, and that’s good enough for me. But you know what? Kiss is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, more than any organization of old hippies and record executives could ever be. Look at the inducted artists, and past a handful, you have to scratch your head. It’s clearly a matter of trying to fill slots, because they don’t want to acknowledge artists, bands, and genres they don’t like. I don’t care if you like rap or disco, but this is not the rap or disco Hall of Fame.
Well, disco and hip-hop are a lot more rock and roll than your fellow 2014 inductees Cat Stevens and Linda Ronstadt.
Okay, I respect your opinion, but if a band like us or Deep Purple are not in, there’s something wrong.
And right before the induction ceremony comes the first-ever Kiss cover story in Rolling Stone. The magazine has always held you at arm’s length, but now they come calling.
Not coincidentally, the same people are behind both Rolling Stone and the Hall of Fame. We agreed to cooperate with the story to make a buck, but let’s be clear, we’re dealing with the same people who recognize Kiss only grudgingly. Rolling Stone did not mention the death of Eric Carr, our drummer for 11 years, in 1991.
It could be argued that the Hall’s gatekeepers and people who came of age in the 1960s downgraded Kiss’s importance owing to Gene Simmons’s unapologetic, crass capitalism. But it’s clear that your own priority has always been making the best rock and roll music you can.
I understand someone not accepting the merchandising and other aspects outside of the music itself. But I will stand by the fact that Kiss is rooted in bands I saw at the Fillmore East, like the Who and Led Zeppelin. Although we had more visual appeal, than, say, the Doobie Brothers, it was never to compensate for a lack of musical power.
You were always considered, out of the classic lineup, the one who would never write a book. Offstage, you are much more introverted than the other three, all of whom have written autobiographies. What changed now that you’ve written Face the Music?
Writing a book was completely off the table for me: Autobiographies tend to be love letters to the self. I changed my mind when I realized that I could offer people a road map to get through their tough times. I had been hiding my birth defect for most of my life, but I realized that success isn’t the answer, and you can hide anything you want from the public or people around you, but you can’t hide from yourself. So the idea that my story could be of assistance made the writing the book compelling And I wanted my kids to know who their dad is and what it took for me to succeed.
Your birth defect is microtia, a deformity wherein the afflicted are born without an external ear. You were mocked mercilessly as a child as “Stanley the Monster,” and you grew your hair so that the stump where your ear would have been would be hidden.
I had five surgeries to craft an ear out of my rib in the early ’80s. Beyond the pain and constant recovering, the result was terrific, but the things we think are solutions are oftentimes not. It took me another 15 years to truly come to terms with it, and move on.
When you were in bed with someone you would never see again, wouldn’t that shit-ton of hair flip up so that she could see that you had no ear?
[Laughs.] I made sure when I was with girls that I had enough hair to not only cover my head, but could cover a baboon’s entire body.
In his 2001 book Kiss and Makeup, Gene claimed that you are more image conscious, and that he is more concerned with the end result. In your book, you say the opposite.
Well, that’s what it may seem like, but anyone who’s been around us knows that Gene is always about a given impression, and I am always about content. He wants great sizzle and I want great steak.
He had a great line in his book: “The Italian mother says to her kids, ‘If you don’t do what I say, I’ll kill you.’ The Jewish mother says, ‘If you don’t do as I say, I’ll kill myself.’”
[Chuckling.] Well, he poached that from me.
You’ve said that Kiss as a live band should and will outlast your own and Gene’s active participation. Have you seen anyone from the many Kiss tribute acts who could inhabit the StarChild character?
I haven’t seen anyone yet, but I know somebody — probably more than one — will come forward. I am the product of all my influences, and it would be no different for anyone who takes my place as the front man of Kiss.
It’s great to talk with you.
Well, Cleveland Scene is a paper that I’ve known well for quite a long time.
What are some of your earliest memories of playing Cleveland?
Musically, I always remember the Agora, which was one of those great stepping stones to playing your theaters. It was a great concert club and attracted a lot of great bands and we had a lot of fun there. The fun usually continued at Swingo’s, which fortunately or unfortunately is long gone. That was a hotel that was in a way a monument to everything rock and roll. You know, Cleveland, whether it was ‘MMS….there was definitely a Cleveland mindset that was very, very appreciative and very tuned into what we were doing, from very early on.
I remember seeing a picture around the time of the reunion tour with you guys and the Belkin brothers who were also wearing the makeup. KISS definitely came up at a time where relationships with the right promoters were a make or break thing so key to a band’s career.
Well, there was a time where each region had a promoter or choice of promoters and some of those guys were terrific and the cream always rises to the top. Jules Belkin and his whole family, they were our Cleveland family. I still love seeing any of them, Mike or Jules [Belkin] or any of them.
A quote that stuck with me from the book was “we weren’t Simon & Garfunkel, we weren’t the Everly Brothers — our songs were built to rock.” Did you have a pretty clear direction when you first got going with the band as far as where you wanted things to go?
Totally. It was never about the makeup. It was always about the kind of band we wanted to be. I was fortunate enough as a teen to have seen Humble Pie, Led Zeppelin — and I’m not talking about in arenas and stadiums, I’m talking about small places. So Humble Pie, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix Experience, the Who — the list goes on and on. Those were the bands that inspired me. So how we chose to dress it up came secondly. It was always part of the big picture, but it was never “Let’s wear makeup and play music.” It was “Let’s play music and wear makeup.” So the priority was always how much horsepower is our engine going to have and then what color are we going to paint the car?
As far as the makeup, do you feel like that cost the band critically and do you regret that piece of the plan?
Not in the least. Present company excluded, critics are a lucky bunch. They didn’t go to school to get a degree in being critics — in a sense, they’re entertainers and they’re given a lot of credence by some people and ignored by others. I don’t need somebody to tell me what good food is. Good food is what I swallow and bad food is what I spit out. Likewise, I don’t need to be educated about art or music, because it’s totally subjective. The people that count are the people who pay hard-earned money for tickets, hard-earned money for CDs, hard-earned money for T-shirts, belt buckles or whatever. So why would I chase the approval of people who really haven’t taken the test? So no, not at all. You’d have to ask the millions of people who are happy that we’ve done it. To this day, I still have issues with critics and with politics of critics and I am proud of what I’ve done and proud to continue doing it.
We’re in the age where in rock and roll, everybody and their brother is writing a book. What I liked about yours is that it’s very real in comparison to a lot of them that you read.
Thank God! [Laughs] I think that most books written by entertainers should be written on rolls of soft toilet paper, so that they would have a better use. I don’t see any purpose in writing a self-congratulatory love letter about supposed accomplishments and remembrances that may or may not have happened. What’s the point? The only reason I wrote a book was because I began to think that my life and where I started and where I ended up could inspire other people to find their own path. Also, for my children to better understand what it took for me to succeed. Unless there’s a purpose like that that serves other people, what’s the point of writing a book?
You’re a guy where as it is, everything you say and do is sliced and diced into soundbites and quotes on the internet. How much did you think about that as you were diving into this project?
I’m somebody who knows how to make a statement or thought concise and that would constitute what is commonly known as a soundbite. But my book needed to go deeper than that. My book had to expose my life so that other people might be able to identify with it. The concept of your heroes or the people who inspire you as [being] perfect really undermines you as a fan. I wanted to draw more of a sense of commonality and perhaps it would make some people realize that we all have similar issues and then it just comes down to [figuring out] how do we deal with them?
In the book, you tell the story of the opportunity that you had to write songs with Jon Bon Jovi for the album that would become Slippery When Wet. That’s a heck of an opportunity to pass on, to Desmond Child in this case, but certainly you can’t do everything. You have to pick and choose the things that you do based on what makes sense at any given time. Are there things and opportunities that you regret passing on?
I don’t regret that at all. The best thing that happened to Jon was Desmond. It wouldn’t have been me. Interestingly, we always tend to believe that things would be the same if we had been involved and been just as successful and that somehow we missed the boat or we missed an opportunity. The truth is, things would be drastically different if we were involved. They might have flopped or they might have not succeeded. So I don’t regret that. Desmond was the perfect person to do that and I couldn’t have done that.
Are there other things that you regret?
No, I can’t think of any. I make my choices and most of them may be pragmatic, but that’s a good way to deal with things. Once I make a decision, I’m at peace with it. All choices are mine. So once I choose to pass, it’s over.
You’ve said a lot of things recently about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Would you feel differently about it all if it had been handled better?
Well, unfortunately all of my worst suspicions about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame were all confirmed by the way things were handled. I mean, you can’t separate the methodology from the Hall itself. I’ve not been in a position where I have to put up with crap from anybody and people who hide behind an organization when they’re actually pulling the strings and people virtually have no vote and where rules are made to be broken and manipulated to suit the [purposes of the] people behind the scenes. I had heard stories and thought that all to be true and now I can confirm it absolutely is. We should go forward, but their answers or comebacks have been weak at best. I think everything has been handled poorly and without any respect and a lot of arrogance.
With the 40th Anniversary tour on tap for KISS, what do you, Paul Stanley, still want to do as an artist and creative type?
Tour. Be a great dad. Watch my kids grow up and watch my oldest finish NYU and if he chooses to pursue music. There’s a lot that has to do with the people around me. It’s a different life when you see yourself as the most important person. It’s a much more fun life when you allow someone else to be the center. So my family, where they go and how they develop and how I participate — that’s important to me. Where I go as a father and as a husband and also where the band goes. The band has never been better. The band has never sounded better and the band has never gotten along better. We are proud and steeped in our past, but we don’t live exclusively there. I’m very happy to get up every night and play with those guys. I just saw them yesterday at the press conference and we just have a lot of fun. We laugh a lot and there’s a work ethic, which is something that I’m proud of, where everybody wants to make the and as great as it can be. That’s how you become more well-known and respected. When you’re in it saying “How can I use the band to make me more famous,” well you’ve put the cart before the horse. I’m very happy in the band and I want to continue that and continue things that are going on with my family and also perhaps go back and do more musical theater.
During an appearance on yesterday's (Tuesday, April 8) edition of a "The Artie Lange Show" on DIRECTV's Audience Network and SiriusXM satellite radio (see below), Frehley stated about how his participation in the jam came about: "I was taking my fiancée to the doctor and I was waiting in the waiting room and I get a call from [RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist] Tom [Morello]. He goes, 'Hi, Ace'. He goes, 'You wanna jam at the end?' I said, 'Sure.' So I'm gonna jam. I don't know if anybody else [from KISS] is. I haven't heard. I don't care."
He added: "I really wanted to perform [the classic Russ Ballard song] 'New York Groove' [which appeared on Frehley's 1978 solo album]. Here we are in New York, it was my big hit, and the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame said, 'No, you can't do 'New York Groove'."
Because of this, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions have sometimes brought out the worst in its inductees, whether continuing once-private feuds in public or launching criticism at the hall itself. This year it's Kiss that's angry, its members upset over the organization's decision only to induct original members Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Peter Criss and Ace Frehley while excluding members who joined later.
As a result, the makeup-wearing rockers won't be wearing makeup or rocking at Thursday's ceremony at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn when they're inducted with Nirvana, Peter Gabriel, Linda Ronstadt, Hall and Oates, Cat Stevens, The E Street Band, late Beatles manager Brian Epstein and former Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham, who also is boycotting this year's show over dissatisfaction with his role.
Here's a quick look at seven other acts who chose to make the ceremony uncomfortable for everyone else or just skipped it altogether:
— The guys in Guns N' Roses are at a point now where they can sometimes play nice together, but that was not the case when the Los Angeles rockers were inducted in 2012. Frontman Axl Rose decided to skip the ceremony because it didn't "appear to be somewhere I'm actually wanted or respected." Guitarist Slash, bassist Duff McKagan and drummer Steve Adler, however, did take the stage, performing together for the first time in nearly two decades. Myles Kennedy served as the stand-in for Rose.
— There was nary a Van Halen during the towering rock band's induction. Guitarist Eddie Van Halen chose to enter rehab the week before the 2007 ceremony — a pretty rock-solid excuse. But his drummer brother Alex also chose not to attend. And original lead singer David Lee Roth pulled a very Roth-like maneuver and pulled out at the last minute in a huff over what song he'd perform at the event. That left bassist Michael Anthony and second singer Sammy Hagar as the only official attendees. They were reduced to performing with Paul Shaffer's house band.
— John Fogerty also faced the prospects of a put-together band when he refused to play with surviving Creedence Clearwater Revival members, bassist Stu Cook and drummer Doug Clifford. He rallied with a couple of all-stars — Bruce Springsteen and The Band's Robbie Robertson — to back him onstage, but the rift became oh-so-public when Cook and Clifford left the room while Fogerty played. The band split in 1972 and Fogerty was still holding grudges at the 1993 induction, telling Cook and Clifford he wouldn't play with them ever again when they showed up for rehearsal earlier in the day. Cook and Clifford returned when the lights came back up, with a forlorn Cook holding the bass he'd hoped to play.
— The Sex Pistols were among the first and most notorious punk rock bands and fittingly extended a metaphorical middle finger to the hall when finally inducted in 2006 — five years after it was first eligible. The British band, which featured lead singer Johnny Rotten and late bassist Sid Vicious, said in a hand-written and ungrammatical note posted on its website that the hall was like "urine in wine" selling "old famous": "Were not coming. Were not your monkeys and so what?" Rolling Stone magazine founder Jann Wenner read the letter in its entirety, and invited the band to pick up their trophies anyway: "If they want to smash them into bits, they can do that, too."
— The middle finger was not metaphorical at all when Elvis Costello briefly appeared on stage as his backing band The Attractions during the same 2007 ceremony the Sex Pistols didn't attend. The British singer had been touring with two members of the band, but was in a long-running feud with bassist Bruce Thomas that spilled over onstage. Thomas took his trophy from a presenter, said, "Thanks for the memories, that's it," and then walked off the stage and out the door. Costello marked his exit with his middle finger.
— Members of Blondie added even more bad blood to the 2007 ceremony as a division between founding members Debbie Harry and Chris Stein, and Frank Infante and Nigel Harrison spilled onto the stage. Harry and Stein had begun performing together in 1999 without the band's other three members and Infante and Harrison sued unsuccessfully to rejoin the band. Infante continued to lobby Harry onstage at the ceremony: "Debbie, are we allowed?" She declined and the band went on to play its three biggest hits with stand-ins. "They wrote themselves out of the band history, as far as I'm concerned," Stein said backstage. "They should have a little bit of honor. This is supposed to be rock 'n' roll. This is supposed to be friendly. This is like going through the trenches together."
— Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr recently reunited to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Beatles' first trip to the U.S. But things weren't always so copacetic, as McCartney showed when he failed to show up to the group's induction in 1988. He explained the decision through a publicist: "After 20 years, the Beatles still have some business differences. I would feel like a complete hypocrite waving and smiling with them at a fake reunion."
"It'll be fun to see Ace and Peter and it doesn't change all my beliefs or theirs," Stanley tells VH1 Radio Network's Dave Basner. "Any resentments or feelings they have about me aren't going to magically disappear, but we have something to look at and be proud. We created something amazing together."
Stanley, who has called the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame "tainted, corrupted and distorted" on the eve of KISS' induction, does not think that he will feel uncomfortable at tomorrow night's event.
"No, I honestly don't know what to expect, especially when you're invited to a party that they don't want you at," he tells VH1 Radio Network. "When you get invited to a party after 14 years, it's not because you're being met with open arms. So we're going, of course, because, for some of the fans, it's validation. Fans feel that they have championed the band, and out of respect to them, I'm absolutely going. It's just not what people believe it to be. It's such a wonderful title, Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, but in fact, it's a small boys club."
KISS leaders Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley have refused to perform with fellow co-founding members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss at the induction ceremony, unless the current members of KISS can also perform.
Current KISS members Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer will not be inducted along with the band's original lineup, a decision by the Rock Hall which has angered Simmons and Stanley.
All four members of the current lineup of KISS will attend the band's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony. They will be accompanied at their table by guitarist Bruce Kulick, who played in KISS during from 1984 to 1996.
Meanwhile, Stanley is making the morning talk-show rounds, promoting his new autobiography and shit-talking his former bandmates (and Simmons) at every opportunity. “At this point, it’s becoming petty,” Frehley says from his hotel room in New York two days before the Hall Of Fame ceremony. “Those guys just come off so cranky. I mean, you’ve got millions and millions of dollars, you live in a big house, you’re a huge rock star, people all around the world think you’re great. What do you have to put people down for? Paul and Gene are way too uptight, and it’s making them look bad.”
Noisey: This whole Hall of Fame thing has turned into a real fucking soap opera, hasn’t it?
Ace Frehley: [Laughs] That’s a good word for it. I haven’t been paying too much attention to what people are saying on the internet, no matter who it is. I’m trying to finish my new record, so I can’t let that rent a lot of space in my head.
It seems like every day Paul Stanley has a new disparaging comment to make about you and Peter Criss.
Well, I’m appalled at Paul. [Laughs] I’m appalled at the whole thing.
One thing he’s been saying that makes a lot of sense is that the Hall of Fame has basically been shamed into inducting Kiss. They don’t really want to do it, but the demand from fans has been overwhelming for the past 15 years. Do you agree with that assessment?
There’s been a lot of pressure on them to induct us over the years, and they resisted. We could’ve been inducted 15 years ago. You’re eligible after 25 years as a band, but they waited 40. Sooner or later, it doesn’t matter to me. As far as I’m concerned, it’s a big honor and I plan to have a good time. Paul’s been getting involved with the politics of who’s being inducted—who should be, who shouldn’t be, as far as the people who joined the band after me and Peter left—but I try to stay away from all that stuff because it’s politics. I’ve always tried to keep music and politics separate.
Do you think the guys who came after you and Peter—Eric Carr, Vinnie Vincent, Eric Singer, Tommy Thayer, Bruce Kulick—deserve to be inducted as well?
I don’t know what the rules are. Supposedly there are certain guidelines that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has, and obviously they didn’t meet those criteria. I know for a fact—the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame told me—that the reason they refused to induct Tommy and Eric [Singer] is because they’re not contributing anything original to the band. They’re just copying stuff that Peter and me did during the first ten years of the group. So they’re just actors, basically.
Do you have any sort of relationship with Tommy and Eric?
I’m friends with those guys. I really like Eric—on the last Kiss tour I did, I’d hang out with Eric and have a few laughs when we were in Australia. At the time Tommy was our road manager, which is kinda bizarre. I mean, you can’t make this stuff up. What rock supergroup has a dynamic lead guitarist who leaves the band, and they replace him with the tour manager? You can’t make this shit up. If somebody wrote that as a script for a rock 'n’ roll film, nobody would believe it. But Tommy’s not a bad guitar player. He’s got his chops. Not very original, but it is what it is.
There’s been a huge pissing match over which members of Kiss should play at the ceremony. The Hall of Fame wanted you and Peter to play, but Paul and Gene said they’d only play with Tommy and Eric, because they’re the current members. Some folks are saying that all of you should play. As it stands now, there will be no Kiss performance. What do you think about the whole debacle?
I don’t have a problem with Tommy and Eric playing. The problem I have is that Paul and Gene shot down the idea of playing with Peter and me and wanted to perform with just Tommy and Eric—in makeup, too. That’s makeup I designed. I’m supposed to sit there while I’m being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and I gotta watch some other guy playing in my costume and makeup? That didn’t sit very well with me because the Hall of Fame requested that just the four original guys perform.
You recently said that the reason Paul and Gene don’t wanna do that is because the fans will want a full-blown reunion tour afterwards.
Well, that’s what a lot of people say. They’re afraid of history repeating itself. When we did Unplugged in 1995, Peter and me came out and did two songs and the place went crazy. Paul and Gene had to buckle to public opinion, and the fans wanted a reunion. They had just done an album with Bruce and Eric that they had to put on the back burner. But it was the most successful tour that year. We grossed over 250 million dollars. It was insane. So they don’t wanna open a can of worms. Outside looking in, as an unbiased person, I don’t blame them. But it’s been 40 years. I was in the band, I left the band; I rejoined in ’96 for five years, left in 2001 and the fans have always been there for me. They really want the reunion. Ever since the announcement that we were being inducted, that’s all I hear from fans. All they want is for me and Peter to perform two or three songs and that’d be the end of it. But Paul and Gene shot it down. They can’t give the fans ten minutes for supporting us for 40 goddamn years?
Do you think it would be unfair to Tommy and Eric if you and Peter performed at the ceremony?
What do you mean unfair? They’re not even being inducted!
What I mean is that Tommy and Eric are current members of Kiss. It’d be kinda shitty of Paul and Gene to ask them to sit out a performance so they could play with you and Peter.
A lot of people are being honored at the ceremony. Some people are getting up to do a few songs, and some people aren’t. We’re only talking about a couple of songs. It’s not a concert. If I was in charge of the whole thing, we could just get up there in Italian-cut suits or something—we wouldn’t even have to wear the makeup.
Paul’s book recently came out. Have you read any of it?
I haven’t read it, but I’m sure he threw me under the bus in one way or another. [Laughs] Although I heard he threw Gene under the bus more than anyone.
Apparently he thinks you and Peter are anti-Semitic.
That’s absurd. I’m engaged to a Jewish lady! I’ve been with her for five years. Her name is Rachael Gordon and she’s a singer-songwriter. I met her in San Diego on my 2008 tour. And my whole life I’ve been in the music business. You know the music business is controlled by Jewish people: My attorney, my accountant—everybody’s Jewish. [Laughs] I’m anti-Semitic? Are you out of your mind? You know what the problem is? Paul’s cranky because he can’t call me a drunk or a drug addict anymore. He can’t say I’m unemployable. He can’t say I don’t show up, because I do these days. So now he’s grasping at straws just to grab headlines for his goddamn book.
After 40 years, Kiss made the cover of Rolling Stone for the first time this month. Did you see the article?
Yeah.
At one point, both Paul and Gene acknowledge that they think about you and Peter every day.
I don’t believe that for a second. [Laughs] They try to avoid us. We’re like a bad rash that won’t go away. [Laughs] But it has to be irritating when all they hear from the fans is, “Yeah, Tommy’s OK, but there’s nothing like the real thing.” That’s gotta be frustrating for them. Their fallback position years ago was, “Yeah, Ace was great, he contributed a lot to the group, but he’s a drunk and a drug addict so we can’t use him.” But I’ve been sober for seven and a half years, so what’s their fucking excuse now? And now Paul’s calling me a Nazi? It’s ridiculous.
Is that why you didn’t participate in the new Kiss documentary that’s coming out?
I wasn’t actually contacted by Kiss about that. Their bodyguard contacted my bodyguard and offered me a small amount of money to do it. They tried to come in through the back door because, you know, they don’t wanna pay me any money. But if they don’t pay me now, they’re gonna pay me a lot more later. That’s just the way it works. My attorney is on top of it. If they would’ve been up front, that’s different. But they go through my bodyguard and say it’s some guy from England who’s producing it when really it’s Paul and Gene that are producing it. They’re the money behind it, and they’re trying to get me cheap. But I’m in the middle of a record. I don’t have time for nonsense. Supposedly they’re using some old interviews I did. I probably come off like a knucklehead, but who knows?
Later this month, you’re gonna present an award named in honor of fallen Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell, who was actually buried in a “Kiss Kasket.” Don’t you think that’s a little weird?
Yeah, it is a little weird. But Kiss fans are weird—everybody knows it. These days I have to be transparent, you know? [Laughs] There’s nothing I’m gonna say that’s gonna shock anybody. So, yeah, a lot of Kiss fans are kinda strange. But that’s okay because we’re strange.
I can’t believe the Kiss Kasket is a thing that exists.
If it was my decision, I wouldn’t have gone there. There’s a lot of things that Gene has done with the merchandising that are just over the top. He’s got everything from prophylactics to toilet paper—anything to make a buck. It’s embarrassing.
That’s one of the reasons I left the group. Towards the end, I’d go out and see kids in the front row with Kiss dolls and lunchboxes and my manager is going, “Hey, Ace—watch the cursing tonight. We’ve got kids in the front row.” I mean, we started out as this heavy, mean, nasty rock 'n’ roll group wearing leather and it turned into a goddamn circus.
It took years but his autobiography, Face the Music: A Life Exposed, came out just a few weeks before KISS gets inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Thursday night and prior to the band’s summer tour with Def Leppard that hits Toronto’s Molson Canadian Amphitheatre on Aug. 12 for its only Canadian date.
“For decades I staunchly refused to write an autobiography because Orwell said, ‘Autobiography is the most outrageous form of fiction,’” the 62-year-singer-songwriter-rhythm guitarist tells QMI Agency in a Canadian newspaper exclusive.
“It wasn’t until I realized that my story could serve a purpose, that it could inspire, and could reach far beyond KISS fans. It’s really more about facing adversity in life and facing issues and how you choose to deal with them, and hopefully, overcome them.”
To that end, Stanley’s book begins with a strong Canadian connection.
He had a personal epiphany during his late ‘90s Toronto run in the lead role of The Phantom Of The Opera, a character he so connected with because he was born without his right ear and is deaf on that side.
It was during that experience when Stanley was approached by the agency AboutFace to be an ambassador that he started to feel “calm and centred,” for the first time in his life.
He had been bullied as a child, felt unloved at home by a domineering mother and resentful father dealing with his mentally unstable, sometimes violent sister, and signed himself up for therapy as a teenager after avoiding social situations and having recurring nightmares.
As an adult he also found himself feeling friendless and later was a divorced father of one until he met his second wife with whom he had three more children and remains happily married.
“Toronto was pivotal in so many ways and it makes that city mean that much more to me,” said Stanley.
We caught up with him down the line from L.A. recently to talk about the band’s upcoming Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction and to find out if there’s an end in sight for life on the road.
Are you still in therapy?
I think that therapy is the best conversation in town. It’s life school. It’s such a life perspective. There’s no Svengali pulling strings and telling you how to live. It’s a great conversation where you speak with somebody who’s got no vested interest. It’s terrific.
You write in the book that “sex was my alcohol and touring was an open bar.” Any regrets?
The book isn`t not tawdry. It’s not gratuitous and I’m not ashamed of anything I’ve done. And quite honestly the end result of my indulgence versus some others (alcohol, drugs) speaks volumes in itself. I’m here lucid, clearheaded and successful for four decades.
Your KISS bandmates don’t always come off great in the book. You write “teamwork wasn’t (bassist Gene Simmons) strong suit,” drummer Peter Criss was a troublemaker “who could barely read or spell,” and guitarist Ace Frehley “was the laziest person” you ever met, not to mention an alcoholic. What has their reaction been to the book?
Some acknowledge it as accurate and some, although it is accurate, it is understandably painful, and I totally understand that. And nothing was said vindictively or to hurt anybody but it is my story. It had to be told honestly.
Was it just coincidence that the book would come out mere weeks before the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame induction with your original bandmates?
Totally. First of all, it’s a surprise that grudgingly the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame seems to have had no choice but to induct us. They don’t like us. It’s a privately owned boys club. And this Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has nothing to do with the public’s point of view and the people behind it are not fans of ours. Once they decided to induct us it doesn’t suddenly become a lovefest.
Was there talk of a KISS performance at the induction at one point but it disappeared?
Upon being told that we were going to be inducted they wanted the original lineup to play in makeup and before that we (he and Gene) had said, ‘What about the induction of some of our other members (drummer Eric Singer and guitarist Tommy Thayer in the current lineup)? Some of whom have played on multi-platinum albums, did world tours for ten years?’ And we were told ‘That’s a non-starter,’ which I think is arrogant considering that the people who decided (we are being inducted) are pencil pushers. ... So that was a bad place to start.
And thus no performance?
So when we were asked to play with the original lineup, honestly I spent 40 years doing this. I never quit the band once let alone twice. And to roll the dice with nostalgia when people are going to see a lineup that doesn’t exist anymore wasn’t a crap shoot I was going to play.
So there has been no resumption of any kind of friendship with Peter or Ace since they left KISS?
No but ... we are connected for life. We created something in the beginning that all four of us were part of. And had some amazing years as a band, so not to negate that, we couldn’t have done it without Ace and Peter, and we couldn’t be here with Ace and Peter.
The biggest shocker to me was the way the book ends with you saying you look forward to the day you’re replaced in KISS?
I would be foolish to believe that there’s not somebody else out there or certainly more than one person who could bring something equally meaningful to the band. It would be a tremendous honour for me to know that I was right.
Do you see an end in sight for yourself on the road?
Many years ago I wanted to try to have some sort of finite guess of when it would end. Look, I’m 62 years old and having the time of my life. So for me all bets are off.
Any plans for another KISS studio album?
We have two albums that I would like to consider new in the last five or six years and we have a vast catalogue at this point so we have no plans at the moment to go into the studio, but I wouldn’t rule it out.
How did Stanley transcend this situation to become the front man of one of the world’s longest lasting and most successful bands, KISS? “We turn it around by incrementally succeeding,” he recently told me. “You don’t take giant steps. You initially take baby steps appropriately. As you have small successes and small wins, it encourages you to go the next step.”
In his new book, Face the Music: A Life Exposed, released on April 8 by HarperOne, Stanley goes through each of those baby steps, breaking down what appears to be an impossible achievement to its component parts.
His first small win was to get a spot in the choir for the glee club at his elementary school. Next was growing his hair over his ears, letting it frizz Hendrix-style. From then on, no one had to know he was any different. In fact, his looks became a selling point. In his first high-school band, he got a photographer to take pictures of the band. The pictures were so convincing that when an executive at CBS Records saw them, he called Stanley and said, “If you guys can play as good as you look, you’ll be great.” That was another small win for Stanley, even if no deal materialized from CBS.
Stanley’s intuition that overcoming his circumstances would be best achieved through small wins echoes the management wisdom expressed by University of Michigan psychologist Karl Weick in his classic paper, “Small wins.” Weick’s insight was that by emphasizing the severity of problems, we “disable the very resources of thought and action necessary to change them.” When you tackle problems in their full complexity, you end up feeling frustrated and overwhelmed. By recasting a seemingly insurmountable problem into smaller, more manageable ones, you gradually chip away at it by identifying opportunities to produce visible results.
Take the gay rights movement. In 1972, the Task Force on Gay Liberation succeeded in removing books on homosexuality from the Library of Congress’s “abnormal sex” classification, which also included books on sex crimes. That was a very small win, but an important step in the path toward expanding gay civil rights.
Harvard Business School professor Teresa Amabile and psychologist Steven Kramer, authors of The Progress Principle: Using Small Wins to Ignite Joy, Engagement, and Creativity at Work, empirically identified the power of small wins in people’s everyday work lives. They had 238 people who work on creative teams send them electronic “diaries” at the end of each workday. They were asked to describe events that stood out and fill out various questionnaires about their day. Based on almost 12,000 diary entries, Amabile and Kramer found that making small progress on meaningful work had the biggest impact on people’s inner work life experience.
Paul Stanley’s problems were big: deafness, deformity, bullying, unsupportive parents, unsympathetic teachers, a mentally ill sister, and no money. He tackled these through numerous small triumphs. It may seem counter-intuitive, but calling a problem small when you’re tempted to see it as insurmountable makes it easier to solve, especially if you don’t know what you’re doing.
When Stanley met band mate Gene Simmons, he knew it was a good idea to team up with him, despite their different personalities, because they shared the same work ethic, focus, and ambition. Finally he had a partner on his quest for stardom. They both understood, as Stanley writes on the book, that “Success wouldn’t happen by chance; it would happen by design.” And so they set about conquering the world, one small win at a time. They booked their own shows, at first playing to bewildered audiences of 35 people and gradually attracting bigger crowds. Ultimately KISS became one of the highest selling rock n’ roll acts of all time, with more than 100 million records sold worldwide.
In many ways, KISS’s career was a succession of small wins. They built up an enormous following show by show, fan by fan, not by making a killing on the sales charts or by getting extensive play on the radio. Though there were setbacks along the way, including albums that flopped, by focusing on the small wins KISS stayed resilient and kept moving forward.
“It’s certainly a lonely road when you plot your path and it goes against the grain or goes against the norm,” Stanley told me. “You have to rely on faith and passion. Passion will help you succeed. But passion will also help you deal with failure. I think that small victories keep us going forward and also near-victories keep us motivated to go forward.”
Original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley says that the band's lead singer, Paul Stanley, is "grasping at straws" by accusing Frehley and fellow KISS co-founder Peter Criss (drums) of anti-Semitism.
Stanley — who, like fellow KISS co-founder Gene Simmons, is Jewish — writes in his new book, "Face The Music: A Life Exposed": "Ace and particularly Peter felt powerless and impotent when faced with the tireless focus, drive and ambition of me and Gene. As a result, the two of them tried to sabotage the band — which, as they saw it, was unfairly manipulated by money-grubbing Jews." Stanley further confirmed that he believes Frehley and Criss are anti-Semitic, telling the New York Post: "Yes, I do [believe they are]. It's based on years and years of interactions. It's not pulled out of thin air."
During an appearance on this past Monday's (April 7) edition of Eddie Trunk's show "Trunk Nation" on SiriusXM's Hair Nation, Frehley responded directly to Stanley's claims, saying (hear audio below): "They can't call me a drunk or a drug addict anymore, so they're grasping at straws. I mean, Jesus Christ! My fiancée is Jewish. How can I be anti-Semitic? Is he out of his mind. [Laughs] [I've spent] 40 years in the music business [and] I've worked alongside Jewish people my whole life. And I'm anti-Semitic? It's ridiculous. I think he's trying to sell his book, and it's a pretty sad commentary if he has to resort to verbal slurs and innuendo. It's ridiculous."
But lost in that dispute is someone who played a bigger role in elevating Kiss to stardom than some of the musicians who cycled through the band's lineup over the last 41 years: Kiss Army co-founder and Speedway resident Bill Starkey.
"For me, Kiss is all about the music," said Starkey, a 57-year-old Indianapolis Public Schools teacher. "It was never about the costumes. The whole idea behind the Kiss Army was to get them on the radio, because we liked the songs."
It may be hard to believe now that Rock and Roll All Nite and Kiss lunch boxes (and action figures and comic books) have entered the pop culture canon, but America wasn't necessarily buying what the band was selling in the mid-1970s. Super fans Starkey and Jay Evans, classmates at North Vigo High School in Terre Haute, Ind., helped change that when they founded rock and roll's original guerrilla marketing team.
Starkey's father, the late William Starkey, took Bill to his first Kiss show, Dec. 8, 1974, in Evansville, Ind. His mother, the late Jane Starkey, accompanied Bill to his second Kiss show, Dec. 28, 1974, at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis.
The Starkey family was open-minded about rock 'n' roll. William worked as a warehouse "expeditor" for Columbia Records in Terre Haute, where millions of vinyl records were pressed and distributed during the last half of the 20th century. He gave Bill his first Kiss record, a self-titled release from February 1974.
William enjoyed the eye-popping show in Evansville, but he eventually teased Bill about the band's underwhelming career.
"He would say, 'Your band isn't doing it,' " Bill recalls. " 'They're playing shows, but the sales are bad. We're not shipping anything.' "
The band's first three albums — Kiss, Hotter Than Hell and Dressed to Kill — failed to race up the charts.
During Starkey and Evans' senior year, the duo won over a small group of converts during a three-car road trip to Indianapolis for an April 22, 1975, Kiss show. It was Evans' first time to see the band, and Starkey said the Kiss Army concept took hold that night.
Evans made bootleg copies of Kiss albums, which in those days meant dubbing to 8-track cartridges, and shared the music with prospective fans.
Starkey said the duo worked in Wayne's World fashion, convening in a basement and conferring honorary titles. Starkey became commander-in-chief of the Kiss Army, while Evans became field marshal.
Why the Kiss Army?
" 'Kiss Fan Club' sounded too wimpy," Evans said.
"We all showed up at school in our Kiss T-shirts and got taunted. Still, it didn't really dampen our enthusiasm. Usually, in high school, anything you get taunted for, you want to shy away from. But we just didn't."
Starkey recalls what his classmates said: "Kiss? Kiss my a--. Starkey, if they're so good, why aren't they on the radio?"
He had no good answer to the question. "That hurt," Starkey said.
So the Kiss Army took its battle to radio station WVTS, which operated out of a ranch-style house in West Terre Haute.
Starkey and Evans recognized their enemy as program director Rich Dickerson, who labeled Kiss as a "mediocre Bachman Turner Overdrive." In modern parlance, this is as insulting as saying your favorite band is worse than Nickelback.
Members of the Kiss Army made phone calls and wrote letters to Dickerson and disc jockey R.J. Cortrecht.
Following high school graduation and as the summer of '75 turned to fall, Starkey and Evans gained ground. A breakthrough arrived with Alive, a Kiss live album released in September 1975. Kiss made headlines in October by playing a high school homecoming concert in Cadillac, Mich., and the band was scheduled to make its Terre Haute debut on Nov. 21.
When WVTS decided to add Kiss to its airplay rotation, DJs asked Starkey to bring his records in for duplication. Dickerson apparently discarded the station's initial stash of Strutter and Rock and Roll All Nite singles.
"It was a slow process," Starkey recalls, "but we got our way eventually."
The Kiss Army vs. WVTS clash then became an orchestrated stunt to promote the Hulman Center show.
At Dickerson's request, Starkey penned over-the-top letters in support of Kiss that were read on-air for two weeks. Dickerson delivered a shock-jock rebuttal for each one, and every seat for the show sold — marking the venue's second-ever concert sell-out, following a July 1975 performance by Elvis Presley.
The Kiss Army caught the attention of Kiss management, who made the band's visit to Terre Haute an unforgettable experience for Starkey.
Starkey met the band at the airport, he appeared with Kiss during a visit to WVTS and he accepted a "Kiss Honorary Member" plaque onstage during the show. A gathering at a Chinese restaurant followed the show, and he ate breakfast with the band at its hotel the next morning.
Starkey had an idea that he would run the national Kiss Army fan club from its home base of Terre Haute. Actually, a Nov. 10, 1975, letter from Rock Steady Management — the company representing Kiss at the time — to Starkey notes that the band looks forward to the organization of "national Kiss Army headquarters in Terre Haute."
But Starkey's leadership of the Kiss Army was short-lived. In 1976, Starkey received a letter from Boutwell Enterprises of Woodland Hills, Calif., informing him that they would be running the Kiss Army. This for-profit version of the Kiss Army dissolved around 1980, but in the late 70s, Kiss Army was as dedicated and influential a fanbase as the Grateful Dead's Deadheads and Jimmy Buffett's Parrotheads.
Original Kiss Army commander-in-chief Bill Starkey holds his "Kiss Honorary Member" plaque onstage at Hulman Center in Terre Haute during the band's performance on Nov. 21, 1975. Gene Simmons is seen in the background.
In 2003 book Kiss: Behind the Mask, Ron Boutwell is quoted as saying the Kiss Army grew to nearly 100,000 members after the release of 1976 album Destroyer and the club collected $5,000 daily in membership dues.
Starkey received no financial compensation. He's been the band's guest at some concerts in Indiana, and at other times he's fallen off the Kiss radar.
"I appreciate everything that Bill did," band member Stanley said during a 1996 interview with The Star, "and, of course, I appreciate the spirit in which it was done."
For Keith Leroux, days like Starkey's Terre Haute experience happen all the time.
Leroux stands onstage during concerts to make photographs for KissOnline.com, and he sometimes fills the role of substitute tour manager at special events or even promoter, in the case of a 2012 free show for 2,000 members of the military in Bristow, Va.
In the 1980s, after the members of Kiss ditched their makeup and costumes to focus on straightforward pop-metal, the then-teenage Leroux helped establish a fan club known as Kiss Force while living in Massachusetts. Today, Leroux lives in Indianapolis and works for the band as its social and digital media guru.
Leroux said he agrees with Simmons and Stanley that members from all eras of Kiss deserve Rock Hall recognition.
The band's bio at RockHall.com mentions only Simmons, Stanley, guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss. Frehley and Criss played in the band in the 1970s and then again during a reunion phase (1996-2001 for Frehley; 1996-2003 for Criss).
Leroux notes that Kiss lineups featuring guitarists Bruce Kulick, Mark St. John and Vinnie Vincent and late drummer Eric Carr recorded platinum-selling albums. Current members Tommy Thayer (guitar) and Eric Singer (drums) have toured the world with Kiss, and made multiple studio albums with the band.
"I went to see Kiss in the '80s, and the arena was pretty full," said Leroux, 46. "They weren't playing clubs."
Simmons — who was a paid promotional partner of the IndyCars series in the mid-2000s — along with Stanley, Thayer and Singer will hit the road this summer for a 40th-anniversary tour that also features Def Leppard on the bill.
Leroux straddles official and non-official status in the Kiss universe. Outside of his employment with the band since 2005, he's the co-owner of Indianapolis-based memorabilia company Kiss Army Warehouse. And Leroux has presented Kiss fan conventions since 1998.
His business partner in Kiss Army Warehouse and the conventions, Steve Stierwalt, is a fan who abides by the announcement that precedes every Kiss concert: It's "the hottest band in the world."
"Who else puts it together? The stage, the music, the whole thing? Nobody does it," Stierwalt said. "And the fans are the greatest."
The next Indianapolis Kiss Expo is scheduled for May 17. Simmons attended last year's event, and guitarist Thayer will be this year's guest of honor.
Kiss Army co-founder Evans won't be among those in attendance. He has seen Kiss perform live just four times: twice in Terre Haute, once in Indianapolis and once in Jacksonville, Fla., where he's lived since 2000.
"When I walk through a mall and see some greasy-haired kid wearing a Kiss Army T-shirt, I think, 'Gosh, I conceived that, and this is what's happened to it since then,' " Evans said. "It's a really weird feeling."
Stanley — who, like fellow KISS co-founder Gene Simmons, is Jewish — has accused his former bandmates of hating Jews.
"Ace and particularly Peter felt powerless and impotent when faced with the tireless focus, drive and ambition of me and Gene," Stanley writes in his new book, "Face The Music: A Life Exposed". "As a result, the two of them tried to sabotage the band — which, as they saw it, was unfairly manipulated by money-grubbing Jews."
Asked by Artisan News if his words in the book were taken out of context by news outlets in reference to Frehley and Criss being anti-Semites, Stanley replied Watch.
And Kiss goes into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame this week. So we had to get his opinions on finally getting inducted after being snubbed by the hall for so many years
Stanley unloaded on Criss and another ex-band mate Ace Frehley in his new book "Face the Music: A Life Exposed," accusing the two of chronic anti-Semitic behavior back in the day. Stanley also accuses Criss of being a racist who enjoyed mocking waiters at Chinese restaurants.
But Criss tells TMZ, all of Stanley's claims are bogus.
Criss says he's always been a loving supporter of all religions, including the Jewish faith -- in fact, Criss tells us his favorite aunt was Jewish. He also denies being a racist in any way.
Although Criss says he's spoken to a lawyer, he says he has no plans to pursue legal action against Stanley.
I sit down and look in the mirror, staring for a moment into the eyes peering out at me. The mirror is surrounded by high-watt theater-style bulbs, and on the table in front of the brightly lit mirror is a small black makeup case. We hit the stage in about three hours, which means it’s time for the ritual that has defined my professional life for forty years.
First, I wipe my face with an astringent, to close the pores. Then I grab a container of “clown white,” a thick, cream-based makeup. I dip my fingers into the tub of white goo and start applying it all over my face, leaving some space open around my right eye, where the rough outline of the star will be.
Once the white is on, I take the pointed end of a beautician’s comb, one with a metal point, and sketch the outline of the star, freehand, around my right eye. It leaves a line through the white makeup. Then with a Q-tip I clean up the inside of the star. I also clean up the shape of my lips.
I collect my thoughts and look into the mirror again. There, staring back at me, is the familiar white face and black star. All that’s left to do is empty a bottle or two of hairspray into my hair and vault it up to the ceiling. And put on the red lipstick, of course. These days, it’s hard to stop smiling when I wear this face. I find myself beaming from ear to ear, content to celebrate together with the Starchild, who has now become a dear old friend rather than an alter ego to cower behind.
Outside, forty-five thousand people wait. I picture taking the stage. You wanted the best, you got the best, the hottest band in the world… I count in “Detroit Rock City” and off we go—me, Gene Simmons, and Tommy Thayer, descending onto the stage from a pod suspended forty feet above as the huge black curtain drops and Eric Singer beats the drums below us. Fireworks! Flames! The initial gasp of the crowd hits you like a physical force. Kaboom! It’s the greatest rush imaginable. When I get out there on stage, I love to look out and see people jumping, screaming, dancing, kissing, celebrating, all in a state of ecstasy. I bask in it. It’s like a tribal gathering. KISS has become a tradition, a ritual passed down from generation to generation. It’s an amazing gift to be able to communicate with people on that level and have so many of them out there, all of them, all of us, together, decades after we started. The smile will not leave my face through the entire set.
Best of all, that smile will remain on my face as I walk off the stage to return to the totality of my life.
"Rage Against the Machine's guitarist, Tom, he called me up last weekend and asked if I'd be involved with the jam," Frehley tells us. "I said, 'Yeah, sure, I'd be more than happy to do it. Hand me a guitar, I'll play.' I've been doing it for long enough, right?"
As for current KISS members Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer not being inducted—which Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley are not remotely happy about—Frehley isn't shedding any tears.
"It's not just Tommy and Eric [not getting inducted]," he points out. "There was also [former members] Eric Carr, Vinnie Vincent, Mark St. John and Bruce Kulick. All good musicians and nice guys and I'm friends with most of them. But I think there's a rule—25 years. They may have bent the rules for some people, but they're holding true for them when it comes to KISS.
"Which isn't a bad thing—the four original members and our body of work is what made KISS happen. They're pretty much a parody of what we used to be. Whattaya gonna do?"
In addition to playing the All-Star Jam, Frehley says he's bringing his new fiancée Rachael Gordon—who "co-wrote a couple songs with me on my new record"—to the ceremony. Frehley's new solo album, Space Invader, drops June 24 and includes a cover of Steve Miller Band's "The Joker."
Watch Frehley sit down with Trans-Siberian Orchestra's Chris Caffery to chat riffs, feedback, influences and jam together in an upcoming episode of Fuse's original digital series Metalhead to Head.
When Simmons told USA TODAY, "This organization decided to honor only a part of our history," he raised a question about how the hall decides which individuals to include when it ushers in a group.
Kiss will have its most famous faces inducted — Simmons, Stanley, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss — when the band joins the hall's ranks April 10 in a ceremony at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. But two who now wear the signature makeup (Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer), plus four other former members (drummer Eric Carr and guitarists Bruce Kulick, Vinnie Vincent and Mark St. John), won't get in.
Nirvana's former drummer Chad Channing, who played on 1988 single Love Buzz, the recording that made the group eligible for Rock Hall induction this year, will be left out, too.
Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, on the other hand, will be welcomed in with a roster that encompasses early drummer Vini Lopez and keyboardist David Sancious, as well as its eight better-known members.
Groups get picked for induction for different reasons, says Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation president and CEO Joel Peresman, which means the hall's nominating committee will use different standards when deciding which bandmates to include. "Sometimes, it's the overall body of work; sometimes, it's a specific period in time and the people who comprised the band that put them on the map and gave them that influence and created that legacy," he says.
Historically, the Rock Hall has tended to choose a band's "classic" lineup for induction. For groups like The Beatles or U2, the choice is fairly simple. For others, it's more complicated. Practically everyone who ever played with the Grateful Dead was included when the group went into the hall in 1994. Metallica and the Red Hot Chili Peppers also have relatively inclusive hall memberships. Other induction lineups — like those for Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Temptations and Kiss — left out members who sang or played with the group for many years.
"The only rule they have is that they make their own rule with each band," Stanley says.
On Sept. 22, 1998, Kiss released 'Psycho Circus,' the first album with new material from all four original members since 1979. Clockwise from top left: Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss.(Photo: Glenn LaFerman)
Peresman acknowledges that the Rock Hall's nominating committee, which consists of about 40 music industry executives, musicians and journalists, handles each decision about group membership on a case-by-case basis, in consultation with outside scholars.
"It's a little bit of opinion, but you have to go with the opinion of people who know these genres of music and can form a truly educated opinion," he says.
"The inconsistencies are there, and the hall has to live with them," says Neil Walls, who runs the Future Rock Legends website, which tracks artists' eligibility for the Rock Hall and determines their chances of induction."This is only going to come up again in the future," he says, pointing to Pearl Jam, which will be eligible for 2017 induction and is on its fifth, and longest-tenured, drummer. "They've got exceptions they've already put in, like the Chili Peppers, which will come back to haunt them."
The hall plans to change the way it announces group nominations as a result of the uproar over the Kiss exclusions, which led to the group refusing to play at the induction ceremony, and the confusion over Channing's, which Peresman says he learned of from a secondhand text message from Nirvana's management.
"Going forward, we'll be more clear-cut from the beginning and more public about who's being inducted," Peresman says. "(The next time) we announce the nominees, we'll make sure to say, 'Here are the people being nominated.' "
"As a fan, I understand why people would want to see that," Bach he told Ultimate Classic Rock. "But as a 46-year old man that has worked with Gene Simmons and Ace Frehley, I understand why Gene Simmons doesn't work with Ace Frehley."
Bach added cryptically: "Ace has sides to him that maybe the fans don't see. That's all I can say." Sebastian also revealed that he is currently working on an autobiography that will contain stories in it which "will explain more of that topic." He concluded by saying, "I understand why Gene doesn't play with [Ace]."
Bach and Frehley worked together on the track "Know Where You Go" for drummer Anton Fig's solo album "Figments", which came out in 2002. At the time, Bach said that recording with Ace and Anton was "a dream come true and an honor."
Simmons last year said he had no interest in playing with Frehley and Peter Criss again. Simmons explained that both co-founders have repeatedly blown their shot to share the stage with him and Paul Stanley, telling Radio.com: "How many chances in life do you get? When you stick your hand in the fire, you get burned the first time. Fire and nature doesn't care if you're a good guy or a bad guy. Both of these guys had three chances to be in the band and three times they fucked it up. They were every bit as important as we were at the formation of the band and they would have been the ruin of the band had they continued in it… When you have a cancer in your system, it's best to cut it out as fast as you can. It used to be a part of your body, then it turned into cancer, so you gotta cut it out."
Simmons went on to say: "I believe that both Ace and Peter are happier now. They are healthier, they look fine. When they were in the band, they were both on junk, or crack, or alcohol. Clearly not a healthy place for them. They belong doing autograph shows in clubs — they're happier."
This past December, Simmons told Rolling Stone: "KISS is Tommy Thayer, Eric Singer, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons. It's like, if you introduced me to your wife and I go, 'Wait, where are all the other wives?' It's like, 'Yeah, I was married to them and now I'm here.'"
Frehley left KISS after the band's 2002 "Farewell" dates, saying afterwards that he took the word "farewell" seriously.
The 29th annual Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony will take place on Thursday, April 10 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
The television broadcast will premiere on HBO on May 31.
VH1 Radio Network's Dave Basner caught up with Frehley earlier today (Monday, April 7) and asked him for a comment on Stanley's latest claims.
"We say good things about each other and we say bad things about each other [in our memoirs], but it is what it is," Frehley said. "It's rock and roll. I mean, if all we did was pat each other on the back for every book, people would say, 'That's a boring book.' They want to hear the dirt. I've got plenty of dirt."
Frehley, who himself released an autobiography called "No Regrets" in 2011, is working on a follow-up book and spoke to VH1 Radio Network about whether he plans on responding in it to all the latest claims by Gene Simmons and Paul.
"I've been working on my second book since once I finished 'No Regrets'; I already started writing stories for the next one," he said. "I mean, I could write five books on my life, it's that interesting."
He continued: "I don't want to go tit for tat, because that's not what I'm about. I like to lay it out and just tell it like it is, you know. If my memory isn't as good as somebody else's, so be it."
With all the back-and-forth in the media, it will likely be pretty awkward when the guys are all together in one room, at one table, at Thursday's (April 10) Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony.
Asked if he thinks it will be uncomfortable seeing his former bandmates later this week, Frehley said: "No. You know why? Because, believe it or not, every time the four of us get together, even though it's been a long span of time, we're still brothers in rock and roll. At least that's the way I feel. If it's not going to be that way, I'd be surprised."
All four members of the current lineup of KISS will attend the band's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony. They will be accompanied at their table by guitarist Bruce Kulick, who played in KISS during from 1984 to 1996.
Simmons and Stanley have chosen to have current KISS members Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer dress up as Peter Criss' and Ace Frehley's respective "Spaceman" and "Catman" personas (designs owned by Simmons and Stanley).
Frehley left KISS after the band's 2002 "Farewell" dates, saying afterwards that he took the word "farewell" seriously.
Criss claimed that his contract with KISS wasn't renewed in March 2004.
Both charges have been disputed by Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley.
The 29th annual Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony will take place on Thursday, April 10 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
The television broadcast will premiere on HBO on May 31.
* Paul_Stanley: I am Paul Stanley – author of the the book Face The Music, musician, author, cook, painter. Oh and I almost forgot…KISS. AMA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
toborknip: Unlike many other bands, KISS seems to be passed on from parents their children, what would you tell the little ones that freak out and get excited watching your performances, and the ones that you inspire to follow the path of music / rock ? How do you feel about being able to reach out to new generations with your art?
* Paul_Stanley: KISS at this point is almost more a tribe. We're much more than a band. The idea that there is a right of passage from one generation to the other is humbling & rewarding. That parents want their children to share something that is and was important to them is profound. I'm humbled.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
finnlizzy: I want to rock and roll all night, but have other commitments during the day.
How do you do it?
* Paul_Stanley: Don't do it every night.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
kenp2: I have read that you have gotten a cochlear implant in your right ear and can hear sounds on that side thru bone conduction. does this mean that you experience music in a stereo sense? or is it still different? BTW huge fan! I met you at the KISS/Aerosmith meet and greet and was too nervous to say anything other than to shake your hand twice! You signed an ID sheet I bought at the KISS auction.
* Paul_Stanley: Great question! I did have a bone conduction implant done. But honestly at this point in my life, it's very difficult for your brain to adjust and rewire in a sense - in other words, I've spent my life hearing the way I think of as "normal" and to hear any other way is very confusing. I took the implant out.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
jerry1013: Hey Paul, What's a good "hidden gem" in the KISS catalog for you? As someone who loves all of your albums, it'd be interesting to find out what song(s) you feel deserve some praise they don't usually get. (Nowhere To Run would be my pick)
* Paul_Stanley: I'm with you.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
eskebaeb: Hey Paul!! I've been a fan of Kiss for 30 years and I actually helped put together the first online Kiss F.A.Q back in 1993 :) You were always my favorite member of the band (for songwriting, voice, and on-stage persona) Can you give us a quick story of a funny prank you (or one of the other guys) pulled on someone else in the band back in the day?
* Paul_Stanley: Gene hates any kind of shellfish among other things. One night i had lobster for dinner before the show, and saved the body with the tentacles on it. During a blackout between songs, I snapped it on his microphone, and when he went to sing, it was staring him in the face. He freaked out!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
mikescherrer: Hey Paul big fan of Kiss, I don't have much to ask but thank you for the music you have given the world, But what is your favorite pizza topping.
* Paul_Stanley: Oh boy. Grilled prosciutto, grilled onions, and grilled mushrooms. PLUS CHEESE!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
blackdiamond19: How different do you think KISS would have been if the late and very talented Eric Carr were still alive? Did he bring something different to the band that other members have not? Would the makeup for Tommy be different and do you think there would be less controversy about Ace and Peter if the band never went back to using their makeup? Thank you for all the great music and shows, can't wait to see you again in Sacramento!
* Paul_Stanley: Eric, in a sense, was a wakeup call for us. And a reminder of what we had lost. He was a devoted member of the band, and reminded us of who we were when we started. It's a nonstarter as far as different makeup for Tommy. We have nurtured our image for 40 years without ever abandoning the band. And in fact, are proud to continue those 4 iconic images without any regard to any past members including Ace and Peter. After all, if it meant so much to them, they wouldn't have sold them. CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU in Sacramento!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IRipShirts: I noticed your voice significantly changed over the course of the 80's. What exactly happened during that period to cause that?
Also, can't wait to see you guys perform this summer!
* Paul_Stanley: In the 80s, I discovered a upper range that I hadn't been able to access and in fact, didn't know was there! It really came down to self-taught technique through trial, error, and accident.
Can't wait to see you too!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
]areolyd:
How important is Desmond Child in your career? Has your songwriting changed since you met him?
* Paul_Stanley: Desmond was a terrific writing partner and his successes afterwards speak volumes for his talent. Everyone's songwriting changes with time. He is creative and a consummate songwriter.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OhShitItsSeth: Hey Paul, thanks for the AMA! My question is: What Def Leppard song are you most looking forward to hear this summer on your co-headlining tour?
* Paul_Stanley: Photograph.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kknowsbest: What is the best advice ever given to you?
* Paul_Stanley: Don't listen to advice. Follow your passion.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
hesouryou: What's your favorite snack food when touring?
* Paul_Stanley: That's tough because my favorite snack foods aren't the ones that are best for me, but they taste great. I've got a serious sweet tooth and love chocolate chip cookies and red velvet cake for starters. How can anyone say a carrot tastes better than those?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
operation_hennessey: Tell us something about yourself that we may find surprising.
* Paul_Stanley: At this point, you know a lot!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
kevinb2k6: Did you ever want to punch Gene Simmons in the face?
* Paul_Stanley: I'm really not a violent guy. But like all great relationships, we have had some moments where I was very angry or frustrated. Punching someone is never the solution.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TiltDogg: Hi, Paul! Thanks so much for doing this! As much as I would love to ask you something about one of your many other talents and endeavors, there is a KISS related question that has burned in my mind a million times over. So there you are, on the stage in front of 45,000 screaming fans, blasting out an energetic classic like Detroit Rock City, and the rush has got to be AMAZING... But, there is so much energy and preparing and shit-to-do... Are there some show mornings when you wake up and just don't feel like f**king with it? Do you have to MAKE yourself get into that mood to project that vibe to not disappoint the fans, or does it just happen? I would suspect that, at SOME point, you have to be like, "Man, f**k this s**t... I just wanna eat pizza and watch Leave It To Beaver."
* Paul_Stanley: HA! The truth is, there are days when it may look like a big mountain to climb but by the time I get to the show, I can't wait. When I'm sick, when I'm not well, at those times, it's a testament to the fans and the adrenaline you produce in me that turns me into superman.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
seajellie: Have you seen the movie Role Models? Any thoughts on their LARPing with your band's likeness? Thanks!!!
* Paul_Stanley: I thought Role Models was very funny, and when you are a part of the consciousness of society, and find yourself in films and TV shows, you probably have done something right.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dongsauce: I remember seeing a picture in Rolling Stone one time of you just doing your grocery shopping. I know you've probably had your picture taken everywhere you went since the '70s but that just seems like it would have pissed me off. What everyday activities do you wish that you could just go about without someone having to take a picture of you?
* Paul_Stanley: That is a small price to pay for everything I get.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
nutwrinkles: Hey Paul - KISS was my first concert - '77 at the Garden. Any place you haven't played yet that you still like to?
* Paul_Stanley: Gee that's a tough one. We've played the arena in Verona where the gladiators used to fight. And that is pretty awesome. As far as places we haven't played, I'm sure I could come up with a list. But not now.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
riguitargod: Hi Paul! Looking forward to meeting you in TriBeCa tonight! Are there any aspects of a stage show that you've wanted to incorporate, but for technical reasons, haven't been able to? I loved the spider stage on the monster tour!
* Paul_Stanley: We are always trying to push the envelope and still retain our edge. I think the Monster stage is the best stage we have ever had, and incorporates technology without being overwhelmed by it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
vh7884: What is your favorite KISS guitar solo?
* Paul_Stanley: I guess the most signature solo would be Detroit Rock City
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
toborknip: Hey Paul, will your tour include Argentina? say yess! =) xoxo
* Paul_Stanley: I will do my best and you know we always try to come see you and most of the time, we do.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Birks1: Hey Paul Is Gene really the Marketing genius they portray him on Television as? If so, was that a big part in the success of kiss?
*Paul_Stanley: Gene is my brother. And he is most adept at marketing himself. We have done great things together.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
operation_hennessey: Do you remember the first time you were recognized in public as a celebrity?
* Paul_Stanley: On the first tour someone asked us for an autograph, and I honestly thought they were kidding. That's a long, long time ago.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
chiromanni: Hey Paul, in the 70's, when was the first sign you noticed in your gut that Peter and Ace were not the right fit for KISS in the long run
* Paul_Stanley: I never knew what the long run meant because bands didn't last more than 5 or 6 years. I was hoping we would make it that long.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
pgarzon: Big fan from Ecuador here! Any chance of a Latam tour soon? There is a HUGE fanbase of Kiss in my country. Hope to see the power and passion of Kiss soon.
* Paul_Stanley: I can feel the passion from here! We will do our best to come see you.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HirstyUK: Hi Paul, doesn't today's music just piss you off?
* Paul_Stanley: No. It makes me a bit sad because of the human element that is missing from so much of it. People should make music, not machines.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TReilly24: Starting a new pro sports team can be a risky undertaking. Were you ever hesitant about getting involved? Thanks for always making tour stops in Scranton, PA.
* Paul_Stanley: No guts, no glory! Why hold yourself back? The gains can be so much bigger than the possible downside. The football team was too enticing to not do. We are delivering great sport and spectacle at a price that everyone can afford. What's bad about that? So far, it's been a huge success and I couldn't be prouder.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VIParadigm: The name. How did it come aboot?
* Paul_Stanley: I thought of KISS as a name that would seem familiar worldwide. It's a word everyone seems to know, with many meanings. It's also in my book, Face The Music.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DerianDomitruk: If you were stuck on a deserted island, what three items would you bring?
* Paul_Stanley: Erin. And my four kids. I'd sneak them under my jacket or in a suitcase but they're coming!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BRAman22: What is your favorite Kiss song to play live?
* Paul_Stanley: I love Detroit Rock City!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4orced4door: My parents "accidentally" named me Paul Stanley, so I'd just like to say thanks for having middle aged people ask me if I've ever heard of KISS twice a month. I think my Mom may have secretly been a fan. Once I had some repairmen march into my house singing "I Wanna Rock and Roll all Night" because of my name on the work order, so that's a plus.
* Paul_Stanley: Your mom has great taste! And by the way, I love your book, Face The Music.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
smelltheglove81: How did you feel about punk rock when it started getting big back in the late seventies?
* Paul_Stanley: I thought it was fine. I just think that a message, no matter what it is, doesn't validate poor playing. It can't be a substitute.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pennstater22: Hey Paul! I will be at your book signing in NYC tonight! If I give you an "everybody said she's looking good, and the lady knows it's understood," will you finish it for me???
* Paul_Stanley: Strutter!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Virez: Are u a gear geek/freak ?...or do u just play whatever is around.
*Paul_Stanley: I'm not a gear geek.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
coolbeansbrah: Do you Live to Win?
* Paul_Stanley: Yes. Living to Win doesn't mean that you always succeed, but you are a winner just by following your own path.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BroadBandBeatnik: Hey Paul Stanley, will we ever see a sequel to Detroit Rock City?
* Paul_Stanley: I have no idea.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
brandonhsttlr: Hey Paul! Big KISS fan. What did you think about the portrayals of KISS in the few Family Guy episodes? I'm sure you guys had to sign off of them. Are you a fan of the show?
* Paul_Stanley: I'm a fan of the show. And if you take yourself too seriously, you miss out on a few laughs.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vollmerhausen: Paul, one of my first memories as a child was hanging out with my dad in our basement listening to a song while playing with Legos. It wasn't until I was much older and after I saw you guys in D.C. in 2009 and becoming the hugest KISS fanatic in my town did I realize it was the song Psycho Circus. Is it possible for you guys to play that song in Bristow, VA on July 25th when I see you guys again? Thank you so much for giving my short life a soundtrack and for the many memories I'll always cherish.
*Paul_Stanley: I will do my best. I love that song too.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
kenp2: I have read that you do not have a "shrine" to the band in your home. However, do you have a favorite piece of band memorabilia?
* Paul_Stanley: My first gold album is what probably still means the most to me. Everything that came after couldn't have happened without that first gold album
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GoProDad: I lost a girlfriend in Canada to a guy who was in a Kiss Look A Like band called Alive. His name was Spearo and he dressed as Gene Simmons. From this day forward, I hated the band. Do you know Spearo? Tell him I am still going to kick his ass.
* Paul_Stanley: I know Spearo. And he's a great guy. He just dressed as the wrong member!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ptanaka: Hey Paul - I saw you on CBS this morning. Were those your paintings in the background? If So... HELLO?!??! <3! You be talented. And if not... YOU COLLECT WELL. Either way, a win for Paul!
* Paul_Stanley: Yes they are mine. And thanks!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SkeevyRay: Hiya Paul! What's some of your favorite music of all time? What do you pop in the system to actually sit back and listen to?
* Paul_Stanley: There are only two kinds of music: good and bad. So there's great rock, like Zeppelin, The Who, The Beatles, and on and on. And there's great jazz, like Coltrane, and Miles Davis, and there is amazing classical music like Beethoven. The list is endless. Go find it!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
mad_men_enthusiast: Is there any band you guys would love to bring out on tour but haven't gotten the chance to yet?
* Paul_Stanley: Many.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
blackdiamond19: How has social media changed KISS? Do you think it helped push The RHOF to finally put KISS in? Have the fans changed the way you do things for concerts or influenced what the band plans for the future?
* Paul_Stanley: Wow. Social media hasn't really changed KISS. KISS is trying to use social media as a tool to connect with fans. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ultimately and grudgingly had to induct us at some point. The absurdity of ignoring us was beginning to make them look ridiculous. Unfortunately, I don't know that inducting us changes anyone's perception of them.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
opiate46: Hey Paul! Glad to see you guys still kicking so much ass on stage after all these years.
You guys are playing with another of my favorite bands this year - Def Leppard. My friend is a huge Def Leppard fan, but she says she doesn't like KISS. Can you tell me anything to help change her mind?
* Paul_Stanley: Not that I need to…But seeing is believing. Come to the show.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kknowsbest: Who was your role model growing up?
* Paul_Stanley: I didn't really have a role model. But was fascinated and driven by anyone involved in music or art.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
lpyankee2 What was your first concert?
* Paul_Stanley: My first rock concert was the Yardbirds, a british band that at different times, had Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page as lead guitar players. I saw them with Jimmy.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
thunderbuns2: In all your years of touring, What is the craziest thing you have ever seen?
* Paul_Stanley: Idiots calling us "satan worshippers."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WillHorton9: What's your favourite vocal performance on a track, whether live or studio? Also, just know you're my hero and I finally get to meet you in New York on the next tour, flying from England!
* Paul_Stanley: Honestly, there's a lot of great KISS stuff, including I Still Love You. Also, doing Phantom of the Opera was an incredible challenge and terrifically rewarding. Unfortunately, the few recordings I've heard are not great. It's almost like someone posting you on YouTube falling down the stairs. It doesn't mean you did it every time!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
rothee82: Hey Paul, just wanted to share with you--I was able to see you perform in Phantom back in '99 when I was 18, and seeing your performance was a huge turning point in my life. I am now a professional classical musician, and following your example has been a big part of my success. Thank you for being such a positive influence in my life! Any plans to do more musical theater?
* Paul_Stanley: Thank you for letting me know of your success. If time allows, I would love to do more musical theater. It is such a different and demanding discipline, but that's how you find out what you're made of.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Langenbrunner15: What producer do you think got the best sound out of Kiss? I'm only familiar with Ezrin, Kramer, and Poncia, and they all gave you guys a different feel.
* Paul_Stanley: Ezrin, at his best, is a consummate producer.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
gl77: What are your thoughts on the RHOF allowing Chad Channing, the original drummer for Nirvana, to be inducted and then reversing their decision? I hear it was mainly caused by an uproar among KISS fans.
* Paul_Stanley: The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is finally being exposed for what it is. A private club of a few people misrepresenting themselves as the public.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Frajer: Were you surprised by how devoted the Kiss Army is?
* Paul_Stanley: The best relationships are reciprocal. Like a great two way street. It's nice to know that the KISS Army is as devoted to me as I am to them.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BeltofOrion: Hi! I have two questions: 1) Who or what has influenced you most to become a musician? 2) If you have or were to have words to live by, what would they be?
* Paul_Stanley: I can't say anyone or anything other than music itself. It's always been deeply inspiring to me. Words to live by are simple… find your passion and follow it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Captainboner: After living an almost perfect life, is there anything you've yet to achieve?
* Paul_Stanley: I didn't live an almost perfect life. But that is what I have achieved.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
kenp2: I have seen photos of you clay pigeon target shooting. Have you ever tried international/Olympic trapshooting?
* Paul_Stanley: No. But we'll get to it!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
elcapitanfiscal: Besides music, what is another type of art that you enjoy?
* Paul_Stanley: I love painting, and I love cooking. Hopefully next year, I'll have added more to the list. Isn't that what life's about?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vinchenzo1: Welcome to Reddit, Paul. What was your first guitar, and did you believe it was the beginning of something special?
*Paul_Stanley: My first guitar was just the next step in my travels through music. It was my transportation to the top!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FrozenDaggerOfPiss: Hey Paul, What is one thing you want to do before you die?
* Paul_Stanley: Live forever!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Officer_Meathead: Hey Paul, thanks for the AMA! I've been a fan of KISS for a number of years and finally got to see you last year. My question is when are you coming back to Canada and is there a new album in the works?
* Paul_Stanley: We will be back in Canada on the 40th anniversary tour, and couldn't imagine touring without visiting
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Axlmaho: when will you come to Japan?? Gene said "we will play in Japan this year" in Twitter,is this really?? I wanna see you again in Japan!
* Paul_Stanley: We are planning to come back to Japan, hopefully this year.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
subin666: what is the one moment where you had to stop and think "this has to be a dream"?
*Paul_Stanley: There's nothing more profound than the birth of your children. Every one of those moments is beyond belief.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
kbedell: Huge long-time fan. I saw you first time at the Jackson Sports Arena in Jackson, MI not long after the first Kiss Alive album came out. My first concert -- and still one of my favorites! Question: What was it like first selling out those shows at Cobo Hall in Detroit back when you were first taking off? Did you guys have any idea then what the ride was going to be like? Thanks for all the music!
*Paul_Stanley: It was unbelievable! Overwhelming and somewhat scary to see things taking off. We had no idea what the ride would be like, but we knew we had to hang on for the ride of our lives! And it has been.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
operation_hennessey: What is the strangest thing a fan has ever said or request?
* Paul_Stanley: Nothing I'm going to share!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
chiromannj: Paul, I see that you like to cook. Being the world traveler you are. what is your favorite restaurant in the world and favorite dish?
* Paul_Stanley: That's a wide question! I love going to the Weiner Circle in Chicago for a hot dog. And I'm also crazy about Picasso in Las Vegas, and Per Se in New York.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
tidja: when was the first time you saw gene?
* Paul_Stanley: I met Gene at a friend's house when I was 17. It is a day that changed my life. 44 years together says it all.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MathiasSzczyrbak: Hey Paul if you could have been in either Zeppelin or the WHO which band would it have been ? sincerely mathias
* Paul_Stanley: Zeppelin. But those are BIG shoes to fill.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Adammcdonald: Has there ever been conflict in which you wanted to solo on a song, but the rest of the band wouldn't allow you to? Do you ever feel like your guitar talents are underrated, because of the spotlight set on the other guitarists such as ace or tommy? I love kiss by the way, saw you in 2012 and I'm seeing you when you come back to hartford this year!
* Paul_Stanley: Never the case. I get to do pretty much what I choose. But am not blind enough to make the most of everyone else's talents, and not stupid enough to make too much of mine.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
rrfreitas85: Are you proud of your vocal performance on Unplugged MTV? Was your goal to show people what you can do with your voice without having to jump and move all around a stage?
* Paul_Stanley: I was very proud of Unplugged. I've always considered myself a singer who sings rock, as opposed to a rock singer.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
bigfattentacles: Hi Paul, what's your favorite kiss merchandise?
* Paul_Stanley: Wow! There are some great motorcycle jackets. My kids love the plush fuzzy blankets.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
karmanaut: What's your favorite thing (or maybe the most interesting thing) about Reddit so far?
* Paul_Stanley: Anytime I get to connect in real time to you and everyone else, it's a gift.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TheDude77: Did you guys choose your own facepaint designs? If so, did Peter ever regret his choice?
* Paul_Stanley: We all came up with our designs. As far as Peter, you'd have to ask him!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DethStarchild: There's so many great KISS songs that haven't seen an official release. I think "It's My Life" could've been a huge hit for you guys. Why didn't you release it on an album or as a single?
* Paul_Stanley: That's a good question. And it was a long time ago. I can't give you an answer.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
tjbythelake: Were you ever good at any sports? What's the worst injury you ever had to play (on stage) through?
* Paul_Stanley: I never had much interest in sports. Particularly after once getting tackled and having the wind knocked out of me. I decided then that the guitar was safer. I have toured with cracked ribs, stitches… you name it. The show must go on.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mortikhi: Do you ever plan to go on a book signing tour that isn't in NY or CA? I hear FL is nice this time of year.
* Paul_Stanley: I'll bring my swimsuit.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Giosi: How long did it take for the final draft of the book? BTW got book on the 25 March; a MUST read for everyone!
* Paul_Stanley: Thanks! The publishers were actually surprised that what they thought would be the first draft of the book was actually pretty close to the final, with a few small changes, we were done. It took less than a year, I believe.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
dren_drawkcab: Hey Paul, huge fan! Thanks for doing the AMA! What was the writing process like for Face the Music? Was it easy, fun, quick, intimidating, etc to put all your thoughts and memories down into words? Did you set aside a time each day or so specifically for writing or did you just jot down your ideas as they came to you?
* Paul_Stanley: Once I opened the floodgates, it all just came out. With every story and memory, I thought of something else. I wanted the book to connect me with readers, old fans, and non-fans. I wanted everyone to see that we are all challenged by our doubts, and imperfections, and the key is how to overcome them.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mixloop: Hi Paul, thanks for doing this AMA! Were you ever hesitant about writing a book as explicit and honest as this one? During the writing process, did you ever think the idea of exposing deep persona details about yourself was too much?
* Paul_Stanley: Once I commit to something, I give it 100%. Face the Music is a book I wrote for my children and in the hopes that people could find some inspiration in their lives from mine. You can't expose until you're comfortable with them or they are no longer an issue. Mine are the past
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VicRattlehead20: Hey Paul, how many more KISS tours can we expect before a final farewell tour?
* Paul_Stanley: I would think at this point that I won't know until the end of the tour before!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
blackdiamond19: When can we expect another solo album?! The songs you write for KISS are amazing, but I love how personal and real the songs on both your solos have been. Live to Win is always playing in the car and One Live Kiss is my go to concert DVD!
* Paul_Stanley: That's great! It's hard to juggle everything that I would like to do, so I can't do everything! I'd love to do another solo album at some point, that would be closer to my first. Live to Win was a conscious attempt to get away from the sound that I was most noted for with the band. But there's nothing like a great loud guitar and a great loud song.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Paul_Stanley: I'm told I've gotta go now. I hope you've enjoyed this half as much as I have, if not more! I'll be looking for all of you on tour and also if I'm doing a book signing in your town, come see me.
On whether he thinks Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons should just suck it up and perform with fellow KISS co-founding members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss at this week's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony:
Kramer: "You have to recognize the fact that there's two other guys that have been in the band for the last 12 or 15 years. I mean, can you just ignore them? Is that fair? From my point of view, I think, basically, they should all play. And yeah, it's only the original four that are getting inducted into the Hall Of Fame, but I think they should all play.
"I think that what I'm about to say applies to a lot of things in today's world, in today's society. I think people need to lighten up a little bit and not take things so goddamned seriously and make everything so important. It's, like, hey, it's life. Shit happens. You've gotta roll with it and let's just make the best of it and have fun. Problems and issues will always be there and they'll never leave our side, so the object is to have a good time and make fun out of whatever we do. And those guys have had a very fruitful career. They've got nothing to complain about."
On whether he thinks the classic lineup of GUNS N' ROSES should work out its differences and reunite for the sake of the fans:
Kramer: "The bottom line is this: it's whether or not they really care about their fans and the people that made them and got them to where they were. Because that's really what it's all about.
"I can say for my guys, and for my band, the reason I think, and I believe, that we're still together all these years later is because the common denominator for us has always been the same. And the common denominator has always been the music — not money, not women, not drugs, albeit I'll be the first to admit that those were all great parts of it all along the way. But our common denominator has always been the music. And when it comes to the music, the fans are the most important thing, because they get you and put you where you are. And so often — too often — that whole idea gets cast aside. [The bandmembers start thinking] 'Now we are who we are and we can do whatever the hell we please.' That's not true; it's just not the way that it is, and it's not right for those guys to act that way. So, basically, because they have personal grievances with one another, everybody else is being held hostage and can't hear the music that they love to play and they love to hear. So, you know, it's not really fair.
"You know, you can get to a point where you just deal with one another — you go on stage and do what you've gotta do and do your job. And then, you know, you don't have to hang out, you don't have to be buddies, you don't have to have dinner together, you don't have to, you know, be brothers. I mean, that's nice — it makes it a whole lot better and easier. But I think it's kind of unfair that they indulged their egos to the extent that they do."
Notably absent from the ceremony: Stanley’s longtime musical partner, KISS bassist Gene Simmons. He wasn’t invited.
“Your views on marriage are your own,” Stanley told Simmons, who publicly denounced the concept of marriage until his own nups in 2011. “But when you insult and demean people who get married and ridicule or dismiss the idea of marriage, you have no place at a wedding.”
The incident is replayed in Stanley’s memoir, “Face the Music: A Life Exposed,” written with journalist Tim Mohr and out Tuesday. Given the band’s history of party-every-day ethos, Stanley’s willingness to reveal his deepest insecurities and resentments is stunning.
The greatest revelations come from Stanley’s candor about his decades of disappointment with original KISS members Ace Frehley (lead guitar) and Peter Criss (drums) — and, yes, Simmons.
Stanley, born Stanley Eisen in Manhattan, met Simmons — né Chaim Witz from Israel — in 1970. Back then, Stanley writes, the bassist was “very overweight .?.?. wearing overalls and sandals and looked like something from ‘Hee Haw.’?” Still, their goals were compatible, and the two quickly evolved into a solid creative team, forming the band that would, in 1973, become KISS.
Known for their outlandish alter egos — for years, they were never seen without identity-disguising face paint— KISS hit it big with albums like “Alive” and “Destroyer.” (Over the next four decades they would ditch the makeup, then re-embrace it, with various members leaving and returning. The only original members currently in the band are Stanley and Simmons.)
As success came, Stanley noticed in interviews that Simmons “sure used the word ‘I’ a lot.” Stanley accuses him of abandoning the band in the early ’80s, distracted by attempts to become an actor, but then taking credit for Stanley’s work; and also of using the KISS logo and persona for personal projects without contractual permission.
During this time, Stanley writes, Simmons’ duplicity left him feeling there was “a traitor in the midst.”
Most damning, though, are Stanley’s statements throughout the book about the business acumen of Simmons, who has cultivated a reputation as a marketing and business maverick over the years. Stanley charges that Simmons has had little to do with KISS’s infamous torrent of branded endeavors, from caskets to condoms.
“I saw the term ‘marketing genius’ used in reference to Gene quite frequently .?.?. [and] it turned my stomach,” Stanley writes. “Neither Gene nor I has had an active hand in any significant deals. He was no marketing genius. He just took credit for things.
“We’ve always been very honest with each other,” says Stanley, who tells The Post that Simmons has read the book and “had no arguments with it.” Simmons did not respond to a request for comment.
As harsh as Stanley is with Simmons, he saves his real venom for former band mates Frehley and Criss. After it was announced back in December that KISS will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at Barclays Center on Thursday, a public war erupted over which band members would play at the upcoming ceremony.
Frehley, Criss and the Hall wanted a reunion of the original lineup in full makeup; Simmons and Stanley refused, since KISS now has two other long-standing members in drummer, singer and guitarist Thayer. As of now, all four original members will attend the ceremony, but there will be no performance of the band’s music.
Stanley’s book sheds greater light on why he wouldn’t want a full-on reunion, recalling countless past times that Frehley and Criss, who have both had substance-abuse issues, were belligerent and even unable to play.
Stanley also accuses Frehley of stashing drugs “in the bags or pockets of crew members — without their knowledge — so he wasn’t on the hook if they were found.”
Even more shocking are his accusations of anti-Semitism against the pair. Noting that Frehley owned a collection of Nazi memorabilia, and that some of his earliest experiences with Criss involved the drummer racially mocking waiters at Chinese restaurants, Stanley writes that Frehley and Criss resented him and Simmons for controlling the band’s creative output — which Stanley says occurred because Frehley and Criss’ songwriting contributions “just didn’t amount to much.”
“Ace and particularly Peter felt powerless and impotent when faced with the tireless focus, drive and ambition of me and Gene,” Stanley writes. “As a result, the two of them tried to sabotage the band — which, as they saw it, was unfairly manipulated by [us] money-grubbing Jews.”
Stanley reiterated to The Post that yes, he does believe that Frehley and Criss are anti-Semitic.
“Yes, I do,” he says. “It’s based on years and years of interactions. It’s not pulled out of thin air.” Frehley and Criss did not respond to requests for comment.
For Stanley, though, navigating rough waters was nothing new.
He was born with microtia, a deformity of the outer ear that also left him deaf in his left ear. His outer right ear was surgically repaired in the early ’80s. He received no support from his parents, who had his mentally ill, drug-addicted, violent older sister Julia to contend with.
In the book, Stanley recalls a harrowing afternoon when he was left alone with Julia just after she received electroshock therapy, and spent the day evading her as she tried to attack him with a hammer.
Stanley says it took him decades into adulthood and plenty of therapy to help conquer his lack of self-esteem. He admits that painting his face for the band was part of that.
“For many years when I first put this makeup on, I had a sense of another person coming out. The insecure, incomplete kid .?.?. suddenly got painted away, and that other guy came out.”
Now 62, Stanley is finally secure enough to reveal himself to the world through his book.
“People have their beliefs [about us], and most, quite honestly, are based on conjecture,” he says. “I wrote the book about me, my life and my observations. I didn’t write the book to have the last word on KISS.”
It’s usually a tough ticket. As of press time, and days after announcing special guests including Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Nicks, Michael Stipe and more, almost a quarter of the approximately 11,000 available tickets can be bought on the resale site StubHub for as little as $29, with hundreds available for less than $100.
Blame the apathy on the fact that several of the inductees aren’t performing: KISS are feuding; Linda Ronstadt can no longer sing because of complications related to Parkinson’s disesase; and there’s no partial Nirvana reunion or tribute scheduled.
“I heard from people all over the world who were willing to pay any price to see Gene, Paul, Peter and Ace, even if it was for one song,” says Eddie Trunk, co-host of VH1’s “That Metal Show” of the desire to see KISS unite.
Adds Neil Walls, creator of Future Rock Legends, a Web site devoted to the Hall, “Without something . . . like a partial Nirvana reunion, there’s nothing for people to get excited about.”
Behind four touchdowns from wide receiver Donovan Morgan and a league-record six sacks in one game for Beau Bell, the KISS won its first game at its home venue in Anaheim, 44-34, in front of 12,045 fans. The victory improved the KISS' record to 2-1 while setting a league record of 11 team sacks in one game. The night was a complete rock and roll event. From the national anthem played on an electric guitar, to the bikini-clad dancers suspended in midair throughout the game to fans walking around in KISS makeup and flame orange Mohawk wigs.
Before the first down was played fans had already seen indoor fireworks, a laser show and a performance by heavy metal band Steel Panther.
"We wanted a football team, but this is a different type of football," said John Richards, 47, of Menifee, who for more than 30 years has been a fan of the rock band that inspired the arena football team's name. "This is KISS football."
There was even a special appearance by Motorhead lead singer, Lemmy, who performed the pregame coin toss.
"We're expecting craziness. Total craziness," said George Warner, 48, of Brea, who along with his wife, Yolanda, was one of the first people in line outside of Honda Center before the doors opened. "That's the KISS way."
With tickets to a KISS concert included in the season-ticket deal, the rock band name was a big draw for many of the fans in attendance.
"I think 95% are KISS fans and 5% know something about arena football," said Richards, who received season tickets from his wife as an early birthday gift. "If it would have been L.A. anything else, I wouldn't have been here. I wouldn't have known anything was going on."
But other fans were simply happy to have a pro football team back in the Los Angeles area. Some fans even wore jerseys commemorating the Avengers — the previous L.A.-based AFL team.
"There's no football here," said Luz Adriana Rodriguez, 37, of Brea, who sported the team's black and flame home jersey with Paul Stanley's name on the back. "To have arena basically in our backyard. It was a win-win."
Joan Ash, 68, of Stanton said she was happy she didn't have to go without football for much of the year after the NFL season ends.
"I'm an avid football fan," she said. "I'd have to go into withdrawals from February to August when the preseason starts. That's way too long."
Ash, who rushed into the venue early to get commemorative team rally towels, said she was looking forward to the game experience that the team's rocker co-owners, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, had promised.
"I like that KISS is fan-based," she said. "Why sit and twiddle our thumbs during breaks? We're here to be entertained."
By early in the second quarter, Ash had seen several dance troupes perform between stops in play and BMX bikers performing stunts on the field. Later in the game, the KISS Girls — the team's dance troupe — rode into the field on a Fiat.
Lisa and Jerry Zaharias of Redlands wanted to make sure they were doing their part to bring excitement to the game. Along with their matching team jerseys, the husband and wife wore face paint and L.A. KISS-themed headgear that included a black hat with flame orange decorations to match the team's uniform.
"We want to get them [fans] excited and be part of the energy," said Lisa Zaharias, who along with her husband was featured on the game's dance cam.
Some fans did have a minor quibble with the team name.
"The only thing that is a little off-kilter is 'L.A' KISS," said Greg Gerstung, 49, of Brea as he proudly wore a Gene Simmons jersey. "It should have been O.C. KISS. That would have better represented Orange County."
But the excitement of having a football team in the area overshadowed his minor issue with the name, Gerstung said.
Halfway through the fourth quarter fans started "the wave" around the arena and by the end of the night the KISS had gained some loyal fans.
"As long as they exist, we'll be fans," Richards said.
"I don't like all the sniping back and forth, though mostly it's been forth," Peresman told Rolling Stone. "And I totally understand his point of view. What he's failing to understand is that there are certain acts that are nominated and brought in on their entire body of work, up until the day before the nominating committee meets. They are still evolving bands that are breaking new ground. With KISS, there wasn't a single person we spoke to that didn't feel the reason these guys were being inducted was because of the four original members. It's an incredibly unique situation. I can't think of another band, outside of GWAR, that has members that are dressed up in costumes. You basically have these new members that are replicating exactly and playing the music that was created by the two other members that are being inducted."
Peresman continued: "I appreciate how [current KISS members] Tommy [Thayer, guitar] and Eric [Singer, drums] have filled in and the way they do things. They are fine musicians and I'm sure they're lovely guys, but they are basically replicating the two members that are getting inducted.
"How could we have asked [original KISS members] Ace [Frehley, guitar] and Peter [Criss, drums] to accept the award and then have other people in their guise playing their music? They probably wouldn't have even come. They were very clear about that.
"Frankly, I'm really, really happy that KISS are being inducted. It should have happened a while ago. The four of them will get up, accept their award, say what they want to say and then we'll move on."
Stanley recently posted an open message on KissOnline.com to counter Peresman's explanation to Billboard, as to why the Rock Hall is inducting KISS' classic ‘70s lineup — and only that lineup.
Paul Stanley's response to Peresman's statement as posted on KissOnline.com:
"The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame continues to attempt to restore its questionable credibility and glimpses behind the facade with nonsense and half truths.
"The truth is Joel Peresman and the rest of the decision makers refused to consider the induction of ANY former KISS members and specifically the late Eric Carr and Bruce Kulick who were both in the band through multi-platinum albums and worldwide tours and DIDN'T wear makeup.
"There is no getting around the reality that the Hall Of Fame's favoritism and preferential treatment towards artists they like goes as far as ASKING the GRATEFUL DEAD how many members THEY wanted the hall to induct and following their directive while also including a songwriter who was never in the actual band.
"Let's just accept the truth as it is and move on."
Paul Stanley told The Pulse Of Radio that for the April 10 induction ceremonies in Brooklyn, the Rock Hall was unbending in its decision to ignore the other members of KISS that joined following Peter Criss and Ace Frehley's respective departures.
"Bringing up the idea of inducting other members other than the original four, which is a very valid argument considering that there are people that played on multi-platinum albums and played for millions of people and were very important to the continuation of this band," he said. "The fact that when this was brought up, it was shut down as a non-starter. I don't appreciate that as somebody who is a self-appointed expert."
I sit down and look in the mirror, staring for a moment into the eyes peering out at me. The mirror is surrounded by high-watt theater-style bulbs, and on the table in front of the brightly lit mirror is a small black makeup case. We hit the stage in about three hours, which means it’s time for the ritual that has defined my professional life for forty years.
First, I wipe my face with an astringent, to close the pores. Then I grab a container of “clown white,” a thick, cream-based makeup. I dip my fingers into the tub of white goo and start applying it all over my face, leaving some space open around my right eye, where the rough outline of the star will be.
There was a time when this makeup was a mask—hiding the face of a kid whose life up to then had been lonely and miserable. I was born with no right ear—I’m deaf on that side, too—and the most searing early memories I have are of other kids calling me “Stanley the one-eared monster.” It was often kids I didn’t even know. But they knew me: the kid with a stump for an ear.
When I was out among people I felt naked. I was painfully aware of being constantly scrutinized. And when I came home, my family was too dysfunctional to provide any kind of support.
Once the white is on, I take the pointed end of a beautician’s comb, one with a metal point, and sketch the outline of the star, freehand, around my right eye. It leaves a line through the white makeup. Then with a Q-tip I clean up the inside of the star. I also clean up the shape of my lips.
The character taking shape on my face originally came about as a defense mechanism to cover up who I really was. For many years when I first put this makeup on, I had a sense of another person coming out. The insecure, incomplete kid with all the doubts and all the internal conflicts suddenly got painted away, and that other guy came out, the guy I had created to show everybody that they should have been nicer to me, that they should have been my friend, that I was someone special. I created a guy who would get the girl.
People I’d known earlier in life were astonished by my success with KISS. And I understand why. They never knew what was going on inside me. They never knew why I was the way I was, what my aspirations were. They never knew any of that. To them I was just a f***-up or a freak. Or a monster.
The more I came to terms with myself, the more I was able to give to others. And the more I gave of myself to others, the more I found I had to give.
It was a quest, an unending push for what I thought I should have—not only materially, but in terms of who I should be—that enabled me to reach that point. It was a quest that began with the aim of becoming a rock star, but that ended with something else entirely.
And that’s really what this book is about. It’s also why I want my four kids to read this book someday, despite the fact that the path I took was long and arduous and meandered through some pretty wild places and times. I want them to understand what my life was like, warts and all. I want them to understand that it really is up to each one of us, that anyone can make a wonderful life for himself or herself. It may not be easy. It may take longer than you think. But it is possible. For anyone.
I collect my thoughts and look into the mirror again. There, staring back at me, is the familiar white face and black star. All that’s left to do is empty a bottle or two of hairspray into my hair and vault it up to the ceiling. And put on the red lipstick, of course. These days, it’s hard to stop smiling when I wear this face. I find myself beaming from ear to ear, content to celebrate together with the Starchild, who has now become a dear old friend rather than an alter ego to cower behind.
Outside, forty-five thousand people wait. I picture taking the stage. You wanted the best, you got the best, the hottest band in the world . . . I count in “Detroit Rock City” and off we go—me, Gene Simmons, and Tommy Thayer, descending onto the stage from a pod suspended forty feet above as the huge black curtain drops and Eric Singer beats the drums below us.
Fireworks! Flames! The initial gasp of the crowd hits you like a physical force. Kaboom! It’s the greatest rush imaginable. When I get out there on stage, I love to look out and see people jumping, screaming, dancing, kissing, celebrating, all in a state of ecstasy. I bask in it. It’s like a tribal gathering. KISS has become a tradition, a ritual passed down from generation to generation. It’s an amazing gift to be able to communicate with people on that level and have so many of them out there, all of them, all of us, together, decades after we started. The smile will not leave my face through the entire set.
Best of all, that smile will remain on my face as I walk off the stage to return to the totality of my life.
There are people who don’t want to go home—who never want to go home. And once upon a time, I didn’t, either. But these days, I love going home. Because somewhere along this long road, I finally figured out how to create a home, a real home, the kind of home where your heart is.
The face-painting metal pioneers are enjoying a recent wave of popularity. They’re poster boys for designer John Varvatos’ new campaign, and singer Paul Stanley has cooked up a new book of recipes. And oh yeah, the four original members are being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Thursday.
But in true Kiss fashion, the band won’t be playing at the hall’s Thursday Barclays Center induction ceremony because it’s not happening on their own terms.
“The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame doesn’t like us,” Kiss co-founder Stanley told The News. “It’s not a coincidence that it took us 14 years to get in while some rap artists have been there quite a while.”
The hall opened in 1995, but didn’t get around to nominating — and soon rejecting — Kiss until 2009. This year the group finally will be inducted, along with Nirvana, the E Street Band, Peter Gabriel — and no rappers.
Paul Stanley Original Kiss member Paul Stanley last year with his young children.
While Kiss members may be frustrated at being passed over for more than a decade, they won’t perform at the induction because the Hall is only recognizing the group’s four original members, ignoring another half dozen who have been with the band over the years.
“We are a bitter pill for them to swallow and they decided to make that pill as small as possible by having the four original members, and negating the fact that there are members today and past members who have played on multiplatinum albums and world tours,” Stanley said.
Stanley also suggests that originals Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, neither of whom have played with the band for a decade, might not be up to snuff anymore, and he’s not going to let the Hall of Fame shame him again.
“Sorry — doesn’t work that way,” he said.
Steppin' Out: What is the main message you want people to take from your [long-awaited autobiography, "Face The Music: A Life Exposed"]?
Paul Stanley: I wanted to be able to write a book that shows how you can go through unsettling times and turmoil and come out on top. There's no substitute for determination and drive. My life has a happy ending. I thought my story was something people could benefit from. My 19-year-old read the book and I got the response I hoped for. He thought it was fabulous and very inspiring.
Steppin' Out: From the very beginning, you were faced with obstacles. You were born with microtia, a birth defect in which part of your right ear is missing, and you're also deaf in that ear. How did that affect your musical ambitions?
Paul Stanley: It never affected my music. It affected my social interactions, how I was seen and sometimes ridiculed. Music became my refuge. Although I may not hear music the same way that someone who has hearing in both ears hears it, I never missed anything because I don't know what things would have sounded like otherwise.
Steppin' Out: You're the last of the original members of KISS to write a book. Have you read the other guys' books?
Paul Stanley: Gene's [Simmons] book is understandably written from him being in the center of everything, because that's what he's like. The other two [by guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss] go from being questionable to absurd. When people's recollections are tainted by substance abuse, they're not usually people an attorney wants to put on a witness stand. The few bits I read were so ridiculous that it was frightening to think that either of them believe it. For a lot of reasons, I feel I'm more objective.
Steppin' Out: You're being inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, and you're furious with the Hall. Why is that?
Paul Stanley: They are only inducting the original members. It's disrespectful. We never could have started without [original guitarist and drummer] Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, but this band has a 40-year history that should not be ignored. The Hall Of Fame people said that inducting other members who were in the band for decades and played on multi-platinum albums like [guitarist] Bruce Kulick and [late drummer] Eric Carr was a non-starter. That's not how it has worked with other bands. There's a commune of GRATEFUL DEAD members in there including a writer who never played an instrument and a bass player in METALLICA who had only been in the band for 7 years when they were inducted. We are in the Hall Of Fame not because those people want us there but because it began to look absurd not having us there. To have a band that many pop bands cite as an influence and to be ignored year after year takes a lot of effort. They also wanted to strong-arm us into playing with the original guys only in gear and makeup and that was a non-starter. I've been doing this 40 years with total pride and confidence and it would be rolling the dice. Whether it's official or not, I will be there to celebrate 40 years of this band.
When Paul Stanley was pressed about who has slept with more women Simmons or himself, Stanley joked, "I think I had more that would qualify as women. With him, you were also throwing in cattle. But we both did very well. Gene likes to stand up and say: 'Look at me, and look at what I've done.' And that's okay. But who had more? I don't know. He certainly had ones that I didn't want."
Stanley also took time out in Mojo to take another swipe at the Rock Hall, who won't allow any other members other than Simmons, Stanley, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss to be inducted on April 10 at Brooklyn's Barclays Center. When asked if the nod after being passed over so many times feels irrelevant or like vindication, Stanley explained, "It means a lot to the fans and that's very important to me. They want us to have that credibility and recognition.
"I still have big issues with the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
"The spirit of rock 'n' roll has always been not only to find your path but to ignore those critics and also ignore your peers, and I think we've pretty much stuck to that. For someone else to decide what rock 'n' roll is, to me, is ludicrous."
Stanley told The Pulse Of Radio that over the decades, KISS has lived out its career in public and that come what may, the fans have always seen the very human side of KISS throughout the years. "I've made mistakes," he said. "The band has made mistakes, but that's great. A) If you survive your mistakes, that's great, and B) if you learn from them, all the better. We've lived a very open and very public life, and anything that we've done has been on the record. We've been seen blemishes and all, and I think it's awesome."
They were larger than life, with this intangible thing that I basically think about all the time. I was Peter Criss for Halloween in 1976 (pictured, left). I loved Alive!. "Black Diamond" blew my mind. Ace Frehley came onstage and did it with us at Madison Square Garden a few years ago, which was a total high watermark in my life. When I was 13, I never thought in a million years that I would even talk to him; I’d probably pass out. And here I am playing with him!
Pearl Jam sit down and have conversations about Kiss all the time on tour. My band used to do "C'Mon and Love Me." Matt Cameron played in a Kiss tribute band when he was 14. They got so big around San Diego that they got a cease and desist order from Casablanca Records. Jeff Ament used to play "She" in his band Deranged Diction. There’s a Kiss through-line to a lot of the music that came out of Seattle, and it hasn’t been talked about a lot.
Pearl Jam Play "Black Diamond" With Ace Frehley: video.
I got mocked for it a lot. When you’re really young, dating girls and trying to explain Kiss, they just look at you like you’re kind of crazy. I think they got so big in the Seventies and were such a phenomenon – they did the Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park movie, the solo records – some people only know the merchandising stuff. But if you listen to the music, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley were really into the Beatles and you can hear weird Beatles harmonies going on. I’ve talked to Paul a few times, which is always a trip, and he talks about how he likes Humble Pie and Steve Marriott. So they’re drawing from pretty cool influences. And there is a power pop thing to some of their stuff that’s immediately catchy.
Ace was their firecracker, their dynamite. He’s what took them over the top with the feel he put into his leads. I really gravitated towards his vibrato. My lead for "Alive" is based on "She," and that’s based on "Five to One" by the Doors. I remember we were in Surrey, England. I thought about it like, "I’m going to approach this like Ace did on 'She.'" And I remember the chord pattern that Stone [Gossard] wrote lent it to that kind of a descending pattern. So I kind for went with it. And then I improvised from there.
I’ve been watching the Hall of Fame situation play out. My thoughts are: I saw Heart play with their original lineup, and I went and jammed with them when they got inducted in the Hall of Fame. And then they got up with their new lineup, and everybody loved it. And it can be done, and I wish they would do it. It just makes the fans happy. And that's the point, in my mind.
Gene Simmons is looking for help celebrating the 40th anniversary of Kiss.
The rocker announced Wednesday night that Kiss is launching a campaign on Tongal -- a company that pairs creatives and brands to crowdsource the pitch-and-development process -- asking content creators and fans to submit their best ideas for "how Kiss should celebrate their 40th anniversary in the most epic way possible."
Typically, Tongal's brand campaigns involve ideation and pitch processes before moving on to an execution stage where a commercial or campaign is produced. Past projects have included a Star Wars-inspired commercial for Pringles and a Speed Stick ad that aired during the 2013 Super Bowl.
But the Kiss project is part of a new service called Left Field, which allows brands to reach out to creators and fans through a 140-character social media call-to-action to help brainstorm ideas.
"We've always been about the fans," Simmons tells THR. "Tongal allows our fans to throw out ideas, and you know you're going to make something authentic."
He adds that the crowdsourcing process at Tongal is not that different from the collaboration within a band. "One person doesn't play every instrument. You contribute where you're skilled."
Simmons announced the campaign as part of his appearance at Tongal's inaugural award show the Tongies, which was held April 2 at the El Rey Theatre. He handed out the award for best Best Original Song used in a campaign. Other awards included Best Broadcast Spot, Best Comedy, Best Idea and Video of the Year.
Creatives who participate in Tongal's projects get paid if they submit winning ideas. This year, Tongal expects to pay more than $15 million to its community.
Tongal co-founder and president James DeJulio says the Kiss campaign represents an opportunity for brands to use the platform to engage fans.
"Like any great brand, Kiss' fans have supported them and been a part of their lives forever," he adds. "This campaign creates another deep connection with the band."
Apply KISS effects, KISS band members, KISS frames and more.
Share your KISSIFIED photos with friends via Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Send KISS emoticons to rock out your text messages.
KISS PHOTO BOMB brought to you by KISS, Live Nation and Bare Tree Media.
ACE FREHLEY
GENE SIMMONS As a musician, you have to hand it to him. He knew his stuff. And when he cared—the first three records, I would say—he was great. You can sing those solos. It was like opera. And the integrity of his style was instantly recognizable. As soon as he played, you knew it was him. That’s probably the highest compliment you can give to a guitar player.
PAUL STANLEY In the beginning, we just gelled as guitarists. And even today, I talk about Ace a lot. I’ll tell people, “He really had the goods.” He can argue all he wants that he still does, or say whatever he wants to say the reasons are that he didn’t ascend to more. Everyone’s entitled to their opinion. But I saw somebody throw away a gift.
SIMMONS Before the drugs and the booze and everything, he was basically Ace, a lovable, loving guy. We all cared for him. I loved him. I love the straight Ace. But I fucking hate any drug addict. Because they’re possessed.
VINNIE VINCENT
STANLEY Vinnie had an incredible touch and an incredible knowledge of the guitar. But left to his own devices he’d hang himself. For somebody who could play so brilliantly and so tastefully, it became more about how much he could play rather than what he played. And, ultimately, I couldn’t understand what he chose to play. And that’s not taking into account all the other stuff about him, which I think has been well documented.
SIMMONS He was a much more accomplished musician [than Frehley]. Understood some jazz. Could play faster. He was a big fan of all that sort of hurricane machine-gun stuff. But he was not as pure in his personality. We wrote “I Love It Loud” together, although he hated me for telling him what to play in the solo. But the guy could write songs.
The guy could sing. He could play rings around most anybody. But with all due respect to Vinnie, it was a fucking nightmare. And it continues to be. That guy sued us 14 times and lost 14 times. But I wouldn’t wish his life on anybody. He’s had a lot of grief. A lot of trouble. And I feel sad that he didn’t understand the gift and the opportunity he was given.
MARK ST. JOHN
STANLEY My classic story with Mark is that during the making of Animalize I sent him home one night to come up with a solo to one of the songs. And the next day he came back and played me something that was at least a start. Then I said, “Play it again.” And he said, “I can’t.” The guy could never play the same thing twice, because he was just puking notes. There was no structure to any of it. So I told him, “Go home and listen to Eric Clapton. Listen to Paul Kossoff. Listen to Jimmy Page.” And he looked at me and said, “I can play faster than them.” So that about sums it up. Check, please!
SIMMONS Mark’s guitar playing was like an angry bee flying around your head. The most irritating sound. And he would show you that his fingers could stretch 11 frets. He could play very fast, but he was all technique. He did not have a style or soul.
STANLEY Obviously health issues derailed his being in the band [soon after recording Animalize, St. John developed Reiter’s Syndrome, an arthritic condition that left him unable to play], but I don’t know how long he could have been in the band. He was the poster child for, as far as I was concerned, not understanding what great guitar playing was about.
BRUCE KULICK
STANLEY For some people, Kiss started in the Eighties, and for them Bruce is the guy. He was a great team player and somebody who always wanted to do his best. He was also essential to Kiss becoming a Platinum-selling band again. His importance should not be minimized.
SIMMONS Bruce was the perfect guy for us at that time. And the irony is that he became the guitar player in Kiss after [his brother] Bob Kulick auditioned for the band. But Bob was more of a Neal Schon–type player, while Bruce was more flexible in his style. He could adopt and adapt.
He could play fast, but he could also play with melody. And he was a nice guy. Not a great singer, but his strong points were his fingers, not performing. It would be like pulling teeth to get Bruce to open up onstage—to raise his arm up or do a Jesus Christ pose, that “I’m so important thing.” That wasn’t his style. His strength was the guitar.
TOMMY THAYER
SIMMONS I met Tommy when I produced two records for Black ’N Blue [Thayer’s Eighties-era glam band]. He was always organized and a solid, professional guy. What I didn’t know back then is that he was also in a Kiss tribute band, Cold Gin. So he knew Ace’s solos forward and backward. Tommy started off with us by helping to put together the Kisstory books. Then he helped with Kiss conventions. After that he was our road manager. When Ace left again, he became the guy. And he’s the best of all possible worlds.
STANLEY Tommy’s a terrific musician—a great lead player and a very even rhythm player. The fact that he already had the Kiss stuff down, the fact that he worked with Ace on the reunion tour, that’s all moot. That just says that he technically knows the material. Tommy is much more than that. I love his playing. I love his work ethic. I wouldn’t want to play with anybody else.
However, in his upcoming autobiography, Face the Music: A Life Exposed (HarperOne), the guitarist discusses two other roles he has played that have affected his life as much if not more: the Phantom of the Opera and family man.
The market for rock autobiographies has been fertile lately, and many tend to follow the same formula of addiction, conflict, conquests on the road and business deals gone bad.
Stanley’s book takes a more unique path as he opens up about nagging feelings of emptiness, even as the band was at the height of their Seventies mega-stardom. He also is candid about his relationship with Kiss co-founder Gene Simmons.
We recently had the opportunity to talk to Stanley about Face The Music.
GUITAR WORLD: All of the other original members of Kiss have written books. What made this the right time for you?
I never saw writing a book. I think, just by nature of what they are, autobiographies are fatally flawed. Most of the time they tend to be grandiose in their perspective because someone is writing about themselves. I had no desire to do that. Honestly, I’ve looked at most autobiographies and thought they should have been on soft tissue paper on a roll and they would serve a better purpose. Just to write about real or imagined victories or successes or achievements isn’t what I wanted to do.
When I finally realized I could write a book that could be inspirational, that could show that everyone has obstacles and even the people we might look up to and aspire to be have been through their own trials and tribulations and can succeed, that was intriguing. The idea of writing a book my children could read to understand what I've been through to be where I am was what really made me do a 180-degree turn.
I didn’t want to write a book about Kiss. I wanted to write about my life. I wanted to write about somebody who faced a lot of adversity and obstacles and thought they knew how to resolve them and found out I wrong. I was fortunate enough to achieve the success I thought was the answer, and then I was fortunate enough to roll up my sleeves and figure out what it really took to find contentment and happiness.
The book has a happy ending. Otherwise, I couldn’t have written it. People have told me it’s a great book. If I were still stuck in the middle of it, I wouldn’t have written it.
Everyone has written the book about their rock star life. Yours takes the reader on a journey. You had a goal, you had obstacles as a young man. What I found most interesting was that even when achieving success, there was discontentment and isolation.
I think that’s the beauty that can be passed along to other people. How other people perceive you doesn't affect how you perceive yourself. No matter what you achieve and what you hide from others, you can never hide it from yourself. True happiness and true contentment in life have to come internally. That may be a cliche, but it was certainly never more glaring than in my life. Once you realize you're still unhappy, you either start medicating yourself or start figuring out what’s next.
In the book, you can see how the arrival of your first child, Evan, brought about a change in your outlook. It seems your family brought you a real sense of contentment.
I think it is eye opening that if we choose to be great parents it’s because we move ourselves from the center of the universe and give it to the people we love around us. Having children can be incredibly healing, and it also can make us better people because we are supposed to lead by example. If we set a good example, we live better lives. I found a lot peace and a lot of joy in being a parent.
Whether or not you're a fan of Kiss, the father angle makes it an interesting read.
I would think somebody is going to do themselves a disservice if they don't read the book just because they don’t like the band. It is not a book about the band. It’s a book about a person who, although on the surface might seem very much unlike the reader, I’m very much the reader.
One of the things you discuss is your role in The Phantom of the Opera. Can you talk about throwing yourself into that challenge? Obviously everyone knew you as the Starchild and the voice of Kiss.
I think you have to remember I stepped outside of character to be in a rock band. I was a shy, insecure, unpopular kid. Innately when I saw the Beatles and even before that with Elvis Presley, I had this epiphany that that's what I wanted to do. I didn’t play guitar. I hadn’t written a song before in my life, but I think so often we lose sight of our potential because as kids we believe we are capable of everything and that gets beaten out of us by people who fail.
The same thing happened to me with Phantom of the Opera. I had seen it in London in 1988, and while I was watching it I had that same thought. I had never done musical theater. I had no idea what went into it. Ten years later I found myself auditioning for the part and getting it. So at that point I got thrown into the deep end of the pool. Don’t wish for something unless you are ready to get it. At that point my determination was to be great. Not to denigrate something, but to do it justice.
The stakes were high and interestingly when I watched Phantom in London. I never connected the dots and never saw how much of it was me, somebody hiding behind a mask and incapable of really giving. I only learned and connected those dots as I was doing the show. It was eye opening for me and also very freeing.
Anyone who is familiar with the story and looks at the first half of your book can see there's a parallel with his character and your character.
Absolutely.
In the book, you mention your guitar playing and realizing your strengths and limitations. Was your pursuit songwriting because you felt that was your strength?
I always saw myself as a very solid guitar player, but we should never fool ourselves because we lose time and we can’t bring that back. If we do a hard assessment of ourselves we can better plot our course. I didn’t feel I could be the gunslinger guitar player I loved, but I also knew I could be a pretty consummate rhythm player, which is an art in itself. Some people see rhythm guitar as what a lead player does before he’s good enough to play lead. And there are others that are great lead players that are not able to play rhythm. They learned to run before they could walk.
As I played, I found myself more to the rhythmic elements like Pete Townshend or Keith Richards or even Jimmy Page, who is a brilliant rhythm player. I had no aspirations to go beyond that. My guitar playing worked as a vehicle and a foundation for my songs. I became a better guitar player as time went on and I also became a better songwriter.
It was interesting to read how you came full circle in your relationship with Bill Aucoin [original Kiss manager]. Was that closure something that helped you in your road to where you are now?
It was incredible. It was something so special to reconnect with Bill in a way where we could resolve old tensions but also revel in our lives now. It was so fulfilling and perhaps in many ways that was what I was looking for with the band reunion, but that wasn’t to be.
With Bill I was blessed to become very close to him, and he was somebody in the formative years of the band was pivotal. We could have never made it without him. He is somebody whose importance can’t be overstated. The bitter sweetness of becoming good friends and having him come to art shows and concerts, even when he was very sick, was more than poignant. It was an incredible addition to my life.
Face The Music: A Life Exposed will be available in hardback and e-book April 8 from HarperOne Publishing. Stanley and Kiss will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame April 10 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. They've also announced their 40th anniversary tour with Def Leppard. You can find more about Stanley at PaulStanley.com.
Paul Stanley Book Signings:
Monday, April 7 Barnes & Noble, Tribeca, NYC 6:00 PM
Tuesday, April 8 Barnes & Noble, Staten Island, NY 7:00 PM
Wednesday, April 9 Bookends, Ridgewood, NJ 6:00 PM
Wednesday, April 16 Barnes & Noble, The Grove, CA 7:00 PM
Thursday, April 17 Warwick's, San Diego (La Jolla), CA 7:00 PM
Friday, April 25 JCC, San Francisco, CA 7:00 PM
Gene Simmons confirmed to Rolling Stone via e-mail that he and Paul Stanley have invited Singer and Thayer to sit at their table during the April 10th ceremony, along with guitarist Bruce Kulick, who played in Kiss during its make-up-free period, from 1984 to 1996. "The fact that they want me at their table means the world," says Kulick.
With founding members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss also on hand, that means all surviving Kiss members will be at Brooklyn, New York's Barclays Center, except for hard-to-track-down guitarist Vinnie Vincent. "He's kind of the Howard Hughes of Kiss," says Kulick.
Simmons and Stanley are upset with the Hall of Fame's decision to induct only the four original members. "Tommy has been in the band 10 years," Stanley told Rolling Stone in interviews for our current Kiss cover story. "Eric's been in the band 20 years." (Minus a five-year interlude when the original band reunited.) "The idea of no one being even a candidate for induction into the Hall of Fame other than the four original guys is hogwash."
Not surprisingly, Kulick, Thayer and Singer all endorse that sentiment. "Even if I was an outsider," says Thayer, "I would say that all of the guys that have been in Kiss over 40 years, all of the members, should be inducted into the Hall of Fame."
As of last month, Singer was somewhat reluctant to attend. "If the choice is up to me, do I want to attend or not, then I don't wanna go," he told Rolling Stone before Simmons and Stanley invited him. "I personally don't care about attending, but if Gene and Paul say, 'No, we want you there,' no problem. I'm there for you guys. I'm there for Gene and Paul and Tommy. For Kiss, the way it stands now, no problem. Or if they just want me to be there to celebrate Kiss in general, and that means everybody, fine, great, because I'm part of the whole story."
There is no Kiss performance slated for the ceremony. As reported in our cover story, Stanley and Simmons offered to allow the former members to jam with Kiss' current lineup, featuring Thayer and Singer, who wear Frehley and Criss' makeup, respectively. Frehley and Criss found that proposition deeply insulting. "I won't be disrespected," Criss says. "How can you put me in the Hall of Fame and then tell me to go sit over there in the corner while another guy puts on my makeup and plays? That's an injustice. To the fans, too."
Peter posted a sign every day counting down the number of days left on the Farewell Tour. He started painting a teardrop below his eye. I thought it made him look like Emmett Kelly's famous Weary Willie character, the tragic clown who toured with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. And as for the rest of his makeup, it was as if he had forgotten how to do it. He started to look like a panda bear, with big rectangles around his eyes.
The tour was horrible. Constant drudgery and misery. We spent all of our energy trying to coax Peter and Ace out of their hotel rooms. Ace sucker-punched Tommy at one of the shows. Peter had his usual handbook detailing how hotel staff had to treat him and which windows had to be covered with tinfoil and all that. There was no reasoning with either of them. We never knew if we'd make it to a show on time, and once we got onstage we never knew whether we'd get through the show. I mean, if a guy has trouble putting on his makeup, how is he going to play? Not surprisingly, the shows could be pretty awful.
I was angry at Peter and Ace for being disrespectful toward everything we had accomplished and everything the fans were giving us. I bought into the idea that this really was it. The end of Kiss. There was no place to go. it was unbearable.
We were stuck in a rut musically as well – basically playing the same 17 songs we'd taught them for the initial reunion. This was the third tour with the same set list. Peter and Ace just couldn't master any more. The needle was already into the red. I had to come up with nonsensical interview responses to questions about why we were playing the same songs. I couldn't just say, "because Peter and Ace can't learn any others."
One night during a show Doc McGhee tried to get my attention from the side of the stage, gesturing up at me and holding his nose.
Huh?
"You stink!" he yelled. I walked over to him during a break between songs. "What did you say?"
"You stink!" he repeated. "Fucking Peter is playing too slow," I told him. Doc ran around behind the drum riser and started making the same gesture at Peter. "Peter, you're playing too slow!" "Well, so are they!" Peter shouted back. "What are you talking about?" Doc screamed. "You're the fucking drummer!" Another night Peter had a new problem. He stopped playing in the middle of a song and just held his sticks up and looked at me like a deer in the headlights. I yelled, "Play!" and started tapping my foot so at least he would start hitting the drums again. That happened on more than one occasion.
A well-known musician – who had seen the band many times – approached me one night and said, "I can't come to any more shows. It's just too painful to listen to."
The worst feeling was reading reviews trashing the shows and thinking, "That's spot on." It was such a shame because the band could have been great and wasn't. The drama offstage and the hostility and resentment and backstabbing was taking a heavy musical toll. And then there were the drugs. When Ace had an off night and made a lot of mistakes, we would joke that his mixture was off.
It would have been great to go out in a blaze of musical glory; instead, we were dragging our asses. At one point we put aside a few days to brush up on songs and tighten things up. Ace didn't show for one of the rehearsals. He said he wasn't feeling well because he had Lyme disease – an illness brought on by the bite of a deer tick. Peter, brainiac that he is, said, "That's bullshit! He was never bitten by a deer!"
Am I living in an insane asylum?
On August 11, 2000, we had a show in Irvine, California, after a week off. Ace had spent the week in New York. We had a rule that if anyone was going to fly cross-country on a commercial flight to get to a gig, he had to get there a day in advance – just to be safe, in case there was a storm or a mechanical issue or whatever. We didn't want to have to cancel shows.
The day before the Irvine show, Tommy had arranged for a limo to pick Ace up and take him to his flight. He always had the limo show up hours early because it was the same chore to get Ace out of his house as it was to get him out of a hotel. Then all of us sat around waiting for updates on Ace's progress. Ace's pickup was schedule for noon East Coast time.
At 1:30 P.M. Tommy called the limo. "Mr. Frehley needs to get going."
"Um, sir, he hasn't come out of the house yet."
Another half an hour passed. Tommy and Doc tried to get Ace on the phone, calling his house. No answer. After calling his house five more times, they finally got him on the line.
"Ace, you have to get in the car – you're going to miss your flight."
"There's a problem . . . uh . . . and i'm sick . . ." Millions of excuses. They kept rescheduling Ace on later and later flights. The limo went back each time. it got to be 7 and then 8 P.M. "Passenger has not left his house, sir," reported the limo driver each time.
Tommy managed to get Ace on the phone again. "There's one more flight out tonight, last one."
"Okay," said Ace. "I promise."
But again at the appointed time, nothing happened. "Passenger still not out of house, sir."
Flight missed.
The next day was the show. Ace started the day on the other side of the country. By some minor miracle, however, he made it to the airport in the morning, was met by the on-site rep, and was escorted onto his plane.
Traffic from LAX airport to the venue was going to present a serious problem. So we arranged for a helicopter to sit at Terminal 4, where Ace was arriving, and shuttle him to the venue by air. That way he could probably make it in time for the concert.
Then we got a call. "Well, there's good news and bad news."
Okay.
"The good news is that Ace really is on the plane. The bad news is that the plane has a mechanical problem and is delayed." At that point Doc told Tommy to drop what he was doing and get to the venue. He was going to have to play the show.
We traveled with a Spaceman outfit custom-fitted to Tommy – as an insurance policy. A brand new outfit, boots and all, tailored to Tommy always came along in one of the wardrobe crates. We knew Tommy could do it, but he had never actually done it.
"You guys are like superheroes," said Doc. "So Tommy Thayer is playing Batman today? It's still Batman."
Tommy got made up and dressed. And meanwhile we were geting updates on Ace's location as the start time of the show approached. He's landed . . . passenger is in helicopter . . . 50 miles away. . .
Ace walked into the dressing room about 20 minutes before the show was scheduled to start. He looked at Tommy – fully dressed and made up, with his guitar on, ready to go – and just said, "Oh, hey Tommy, how you doin'?"
We delayed the show an hour, Ace got into his makeup, and we played the concert.
The fact that we traveled with a costume for Tommy didn't seem to faze Ace. He thought it was a ploy – something between a joke and an empty threat. But we were 100 percent ready to go on with Tommy. We didn't have him suit up to teach Ace a lesson; we did it because we had a concert to play. The same reckless behavior that had led to a decades-long downward spiral was threatening to sink the ship. Here was a life preserver.
Still, Ace continued to think and act like he was irreplaceable. He continued to show total disregard for everyone else, continued to act as if we were blessed to have him. He congratulated himself on making it to the show.
"This will not do," Doc said to me and Gene. "These guys are just terrible. I run a management company, not the Red Cross. They don't send me into destroyed countries to rebuild things. I don't save people. You have to make changes."?
From the forthcoming book Face the Music: A Life Exposed by Paul Stanley.
Thomas is known for his DJ-MC services for weddings throughout Southern California but 2013 would see "DJ Peace" crossover from playing recordings to recording artist.
In September 2013, Mark ran into one of his hard rock heroes and former guitarist for KISS, Bruce Kulick, at Sportsmen's Lodge in Studio City, California. This lead to Mark approaching Bruce about playing on a "DJ Peace" cover of "Do You Love Me?" Bruce agreed and liked the contemporary EDM-infused version of the song.
"Bruce adds that classic KISS sound to the track which is very contemporary sounding," stated producer Jeff McCullough. He added: "DJ Peace has arranged the song with a ZEP-style guitar riff and added a solo that was never there which really makes the song rock!"
DJ Peace is treating his new recording as a tribute to KISS with a release date of April 10, which is the day the founding members of KISS (Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley, Gene Simmons and Peter Criss) will be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
Other presenters at the ceremony at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center will include Questlove, who will give Hall and Oates their honor, and Michael Stipe, who’ll induct Nirvana.
The Eagles’ Glenn Frey will induct Linda Ronstadt, who will receive a musical tribute from Stevie Nicks, Carrie Underwood, Emmylou Harris and Sheryl Crow.
Guitar guru Tom Morello will induct KISS and Bruce Springsteen will hail his E Street Band. Gabriel was also named to the Hall of Fame in 2010 as part of the band Genesis.
Kulick, who married his girlfriend, Lisa Lane, on January 4, was asked about the fact that KISS leaders Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley both attended his wedding. "That was exciting," he said. "And I'm gonna back them and I'm gonna be at the [Rock And Roll] Hall Of Fame [induction] with them. As much as it's only the original band being inducted, they're flying me out there to sit at the table with them. I'm excited about that."
He added: "They have good reason [to treat me with respect]. I think I've handled my post-KISS years very respectfully, and flourished on my own too. So it's no gripes from me."
In 1984, Bruce joined KISS, where he remained as their lead guitarist for twelve years, accompanying the band on the "Animalize" tour and continuing with the band until the 1996 reunion tour. Bruce is heavily featured on "Kissology – Vol. 2" and "Vol. 3", the band's DVDs spanning their historic 35-year career.
Kulick's third solo album, "BK3", was released in Europe in January 2010 via Frontiers Records and in North America in February 2010 through Twenty 4 Records/Rocket Science Ventures. The first single from the album, "Hand Of The King", featuring Nick Simmons (son of KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons), was a digital-only release available at all online music stores, including iTunes.
In its finishing stages, the Rock Against MS Foundation will provide services from a three (3) grant resource system, which will provide daily care, quality of life needs and emergency funding, while assisting people with multiple sclerosis (MS) to live independent and full lives. Additionally, a brick-and-mortar facility called The Rock House is in the planning stages, and will provide free of charge, multiple programs and opportunities designed to heal the mind, body and spirit of all those whose lives have been affected by MS.
For more information, go to this location.
Since releasing its self-titled debut and Hotter Than Hell in 1974, Kiss has sold an estimated 100 million albums worldwide and built a formidable Kiss Army that continues to fill arenas and stadiums around the globe. Declared America's most popular band by a 1977 Gallup poll, Kiss refuses to relinquish the title, opening every concert with the declaration, "You wanted the best! You got the best! The hottest band in the world!"
Pundits remain hostile (music author Dave Marsh, a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominating committee member, recently posted on his blog that Kiss "added not the slightest musical value to rock" and does not deserve its upcoming induction). Kiss Army vets loyally defend and exalt their heroes, as does the band itself.
"I look across the stage and see the best funk band in rock 'n' roll," says bassist Gene Simmons, 64. "We put on a two-hour show that knocks your socks off. There is that sense of electric church. And there's no corner on Earth where we're not gods to people who name their kids after our songs and tattoo our faces on their bodies."
Guitarist Paul Stanley, 62, chimes in, "Rock bands make music. A phenomenon impacts society. We're the biggest secret society on Earth. Every show is a tribal gathering that goes beyond rock 'n' roll and any demographic. We're in Kiss, but we're also fans of Kiss. We started this to be the band we never saw."
For its 40th anniversary, the band has readied a big fat Kiss blowout. Today brings the reissue of 10 remastered Kiss albums on vinyl. Another 18 titles are due by mid-2014. Kiss 40, a 40-track, two-CD set with such classics as Rock and Roll All Nite, Love Gun and Detroit Rock City, arrives in May. The just-released vinyl mother lode, Kissteria – The Ultimate Road Case, holds 34 discs and loads of extras. A 42-city tour with Def Leppard starts June 23.
When Kiss launched, "I hoped for five years," says Stanley, seated opposite Simmons at an office conference table. "Nobody could foresee this. Would I be in my 60s jumping around in a pair of tights playing to 100,000 people? That's absurd. But here we are. We have stood the test of time."
When Simmons heard Kiss' debut single Nothin' to Lose on the radio, "It went from zero to 60," he says. "Unlike Paul, who is pragmatic and humble, I'm delusional. Because I have an inflated ego, I thought there's nowhere we can't go and nothing we can't do. And sure enough, Kiss has become bigger than a band. It's a culture and a way of life."
Simmons, the "Demon," and Stanley, the "Starchild," founded Kiss with Peter "Catman" Criss and Ace "Spaceman" Frehley, both gone by 1982. The pair returned for MTV Unplugged in 1995, and the reunion lasted through 1998's Psycho Circus and a world tour, then dissolved a few years later.
A vocal minority considers their replacements, guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer, imposters.
"We couldn't have started without Ace and Peter, and we couldn't have continued without Tommy and Eric," Stanley says.
Citing the substance abuse and friction that derailed the original quartet, "this is the lineup that should have always been Kiss, without drugs, alcohol, dysfunction, dark clouds," says Simmons. "The 'all-for-one, one-for-all' thing about Kiss is stronger than ever."
Even Kiss naysayers can't deny the band's massive impact. Besides shaping a slew of hair bands, Kiss also inspired such grunge greats as Nirvana and Soundgarden and far-flung acts including Garth Brooks and Daft Punk.
Formerly derided, the band's trademark glam camp, big-top theatrics and mercenary zeal have been widely embraced by superstars ranging from Bruce Springsteen to Katy Perry.
The fire-breathing, blood-spewing, fog-shrouded metal demigods also gave rise to the concept of branding, essential now but taboo in rock's early era.
"Once we blazed the trail and others saw there was money to be made, they followed suit," Stanley says. "When we started, the connotation of a fan club was teeny-bopper, not credible. We're not marketing geniuses. The only thing we've done is listen well. If someone wants a Kiss pencil, Kiss blanket, Kiss skis, we give it to them. We're not brilliant, but our hearing is fairly acute."
The band has reaped a fortune peddling such collectibles as belt buckles, pinball machines and, for diehards, $6,000 caskets. Forbes places the combined net worth of Simmons and Stanley at $450 million. Since 2000, Kiss tours have sold more than 3 million tickets and grossed roughly $200 million, according to Billboard Boxscores.
"Very early in their career, Kiss emphasized brand-building and explosive live performances, and this has served them extremely well over the decades," says Ray Waddell, Billboard senior editor/touring. "Out of the gate, they were very serious about not taking themselves too seriously, so fans have embraced the over-the-top merchandising, the multiple 'farewell' tours, the overt capitalism. From the beginning, fans have been in on the joke. The makeup, and wide array of merch opportunities it spawned, was a masterstroke and played out in ways I'm sure even Kiss couldn't imagine.
"They always give fans their money's worth in explosions and blood, and they can tour successfully as long as they want to," he says. "That said, it has to be Gene and Paul out there to continue. Ultimately, arena rock, and the power of live music overall, is about fans breathing the same air as their heroes. The history needs to be in the room. Otherwise, it's just a rock 'n' roll circus."
Kiss without its twin towers? In Face the Music: A Life Exposed, his autobiography out April 8, Stanley insists Kiss can last indefinitely with a series of dedicated replacements.
"The band is more important than the individuals," he says. "We are a movement. We may have started it, but if the movement is sound, it can carry on without me or Gene. The fans are there for Kiss, the ideal. It has nothing to do with who's in the band."
Simmons concurs, though less enthusiastically. "There are no rules," he says. "Can Kiss continue without us? Sure."
Neither is eyeing retirement and both can envision a 50th anniversary carousal. They credit much of the band's durability to their own sturdy partnership.
"We share a strong work ethic," Stanley says. "It starts with that. Being bright doesn't hurt. We come from similar backgrounds: European Jews who left their homelands to avoid being gassed."
Their bond has been tested over the decades, most seriously in the 1980s, "when I sold my soul to Hollywood," Simmons says. "Self-aggrandizement? I'm often guilty of that. Do I think I'm better-looking than I am? Oh, yeah. It's tough for me to walk by a mirror without paying homage to me. Paul's the brother that I never had, but that doesn't mean we agree on everything. He has funny-looking shoes that even Liberace wouldn't wear."
When Stanley wed longtime girlfriend Erin Sutton in 2005, Simmons was barred from the ceremony.
"My wedding was important to me," Stanley says. "I had no qualms about calling Gene up and saying, 'You're not invited.' I couldn't have someone there who insults the tenets of marriage. I don't care how close we are, Gene had no place at my wedding."
Stanley and Erin live in Beverly Hills with their three children, ages 2, 5 and 7, and he has a son, Evan, 19, from an earlier marriage.
Minutes away are Simmons and actress/model Shannon Tweed, who wed in 2011 after 28 years together. The couple and kids Nick, 25, and Sophie, 21, starred in A&E's reality series Gene Simmons Family Jewels.
"I was very bad for decades," says Simmons, notorious for his licentious lifestyle. "I was immature all my life. When you come from nothing and all of a sudden you have the keys to the kingdom, it's like living inside a bakery. And I'm a glutton.
"Shannon is wiser than I am, a better person than I'll ever be. She said, 'It's time to make a choice.' I would compartmentalize the sexual escapades. I was arrogant."
Slipping out of his wisecracking persona, Simmons shares an emotional story about Tweed tricking him into visiting his father's grave, then pulls out his phone to display photos of his kids.
"They are bright and respectful," he beams, then cracks, "They tell me when my breath stinks and when I'm full of hot air."
Stanley marvels at how family values crept into the Kiss crypt.
"During the '80s, I saw Mike and the Mechanics checking into the Sunset Marquis Hotel with strollers and nannies, and I thought it was so uncool," he says. "There's nothing cooler nowadays than having my little kids run up and down the aisle of our private jet or seeing them on the side of the stage in their pajamas."
Kiss is a demanding mistress, and soon will yank the Demon and Starchild from their domestic havens.
"In hindsight, it might have been smarter to be in a band like U2 or the Rolling Stones," Simmons says. "You wear sneakers, a T-shirt, stand still and strum your guitar, thank you very much. There's a workout regimen before we go on tour. You wear eight-inch platform heels for hours, take two hours to put on makeup. On stage, you fly through the air, sometimes 50 feet high, spit fire and walk out drenched in sweat.
"We show up on time. There's no Axl Rose disease, no excuses. We want you to leave and say, 'There is a Santa Claus.' Kiss is real."
Kiss feels dissed.
"Yes, it's going to be a great night, because we will pay respect to how the band started," says guitarist Paul Stanley. "But our issues with the Rock Hall have not subsided."
He and bassist Gene Simmons, the band's founders, will be inducted April 10 alongside original members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss. Four guitarists, including Tommy Thayer (on board since 2002), and two drummers, the late Eric Carr and current player Eric Singer (on his third stint since 1991), will not be anointed.
Simmons and Stanley wanted that fuller Kisstory acknowledged.
"When we broached the subject, they told us it was a non-starter," Stanley says. "That's arrogance coming from pencil-pushers. We're the people wearing the guitars. The arrogance went further when they tried to strong-arm us into having the original lineup play in makeup."
Also a non-starter. Simmons and Stanley refused.
"Not surprisingly, that ruffled their feathers because the Rock Hall seems to think the tail wags the dog," Stanley says. "This dog doesn't roll over for anybody."
He feels the long-split original foursome would not perform to Kiss' standards. Criss was fired in 1980, Frehley quit in 1982, and while both returned for a reunion tour and album in 1996, Frehley left and Criss was ejected a few years later. Bad blood precludes any cozy homecoming.
"We can only wear those uniforms with pride," Stanley says, "We're not going to risk tarnishing what we've built for 40 years just to satisfy someone's penchant for nostalgia."
The Rock Hall rejected a compromise.
"Ace and Peter were important in the formation of the band," Simmons says. "We said, 'Let's have everybody come out and play.' They said no."
He's mystified by the hall's refusal to induct Thayer and Singer, considering exceptions made for Metallica (latecomer Rob Trujillo), the Red Hot Chili Peppers (early members on marginal records) and the Grateful Dead (of 12 inducted, only five were founding players).
Rock Hall president/CEO Joel Peresman told Billboard the induction process "is not an exact science" and that Kiss had been selected specifically for its pivotal '70s phase.
That pick took 14 years. Kiss was first eligible in 1999, for the 2000 class, 25 years after its self-titled debut. Fans, including guitarist Tom Morello, have long championed the band's nomination.
"Kiss has always been anti-establishment, and that goes for the rock 'n' roll establishment," says Ray Waddell, Billboard senior editor/touring. "Gene in particular almost seemed to revel in being shunned by the Rock Hall, so his and the band's reaction to Kiss finally being voted in is no surprise at all. I believe their fans enjoyed Kiss' outsider status. It falls right along with the 'us against them' mentality that is so much a part of being a Kiss fan."
The Rock Hall "dodged this bullet for a long time," Stanley says. "We're the bitter pill they finally had to swallow. They bowed to public pressure as the years went on and it became absurd to ignore the big elephant in the room."
The band never lobbied for admission. "Our happiness and self-esteem don't depend on the Rock Hall or any entity," Simmons says. "The fans empower us. We've been in the hall of fame since we began. Our fans put us there."
So why attend the ceremony?
"It means a lot to the fans," Stanley says. "There's a validation they craved for the band. Our gratification comes from knowing the audience is thrilled that we're getting in."
Dawn and Josh are fans Rock n' Roll legend Paul Stanley. Paul is best known as the rhythm guitarist and co-lead vocalist/front man for the rock band Kiss. He is also an artist and Dawn wanted to acquire a piece of his art to incorporate into the plan. Wanda was able to connect with Paul and purchase a piece of his art that Dawn loved. She surprised the couple not only by acquiring the perfect piece of Paul Stanley art – but she also was able to have Paul personally deliver the piece surprising the couple.
"We hired Wanda to decorate our new home. After our initial consultation, Wanda's ideas were right on the money - from my husband's office to my "rock n roll" room, everything turned out fantastic. She really listened to what we wanted and did a great job keeping us in the loop on selections and budget.
Wanda definitely went above and beyond our expectations. She arranged delivery of a painting done from one of my rock icons Paul Stanley!!! The piece is amazing and was so thrilled that Paul was kind enough to make my day. It just doesn't get ANY better than that-I was completely shocked. Style My Space rocks!" stated Dawn Pillion.
Dawn and Josh hired Wanda to do a complete re-do on their Hollywood Hills home. Wanda was responsible for selecting all new furnishings for their entire home. New lighting and paint colors throughout the house. Wanda was also entrusted with building Dawn a 'Rock N Roll' room to display all her memorabilia and the Paul Stanley original painting. The exterior was redone by a landscaper Wanda brought to the job. In total this was a $225,000 project awarded to Style My Space.
Style my Space offers a multitude of services, from Staging Consults (where owners do the work themselves), to Redesign (using the owners own furniture and accessories) to vacant staging. Kim does quite a lot of vacant staging's for contractors and flippers. The business has grown to where about 80% of her business is vacant staging. As this part of the business grew so rapidly Kim now owns a warehouse of her own furniture, rugs, artwork and accessories.
For more information please call Kim Kapellusch at– 818-726-6429 or visit the website at facebook.com
A description of Texas Frightmare Weekend: "Texas Frightmare Weekend is presented in association with Rue Morgue magazine. Conceived by Loyd and Sue Cryer in 2005 as a three-day horror convention, the event takes place annually in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. True to its motto, 'The Southwest's Premier Horror Convention,' our goal is to provide fans with an unrivaled experience by celebrating all aspects of genre films. Texas Frightmare Weekend hosts celebrity appearances, autograph signings, screenings, exclusive parties and horror memorabilia vendors from all over the country. The event is also extremely proud to have featured the rising talents of many Texas 'Frightmakers' in screenings, panel discussions and Q&As."
Like many KISS fans, Taylor was looking forward to seeing the band perform at the prestigious event next month (Apr14), but founders Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons have decided not to play live after learning museum bosses had no plans to honour their current bandmates.
Instead, only ex-band members Peter Criss and Ace Frehley will be inducted alongside the longtime KISS stars, and Stanley and Simmons have refused to perform with them.
Taylor has now weighed in on the controversy, insisting the bandmates should put the fans first.
He says, "It’s like, 'Can you guys just put aside your petty issues and realise that without one another you wouldn’t have been able to do this? Can you just set stuff aside and do one show for the fans as the original line-up again? And then you never have to see each other again!
"That’s just me laying it straight. I might not ever get a kind word from anybody in that band anymore, but I think it’s petty and I think it’s ridiculous! Figure it out! Show respect, because sometimes it’s not about you, it’s about the fans."
The rock legend -- who happens to be both Jewish and the owner of a football team -- was leaving The Ivy in L.A. when he explained why there seem to be more Hebrews up in the owner's boxes than on the field.
Simmons also talked about the gynecology-meets-football ad campaign for his Arena League football team, The L.A. Kiss -- and said they had to SCALE BACK on the original concept because it was too edgy for TV.
Check out the clip.
"I'm really excited about this record, because everybody that's heard the tracks just says they think some of the tracks are even better than [Frehley's 2009 LP] Anomaly, and even showing another side of me," Frehley told Rolling Stone in an interview for the magazine's current cover story. "There's two songs I'm going to re-track, but I'm doing mostly overdubs," he said at the time of the interview. "Most of the hard work is over."
Frehley said that the album would feature collaborations with his girlfriend Rachael Gordon and told Rolling Stone that an album of covers and remakes would follow Space Invader. "That one will be a real treat for the fans, too," Frehley said. "[I want to] get some celebrity guests to play on it, some of the covers and stuff, get Slash, Mike McCready, my buddy from Pearl Jam. You know. The list is endless." Then, with a laugh, he added, "I might even get Gene [Simmons] to play bass on a track."
Next month, Frehley will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, along with the other original members of Kiss. Due to contention between Frehley, original drummer Peter Criss and founders Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, the quartet will not play together.
Frehley will also be making an appearance at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards next month as a co-presenter of the Dimebag Darrell Best Guitarist Award, named after the late guitarist from Pantera. "It's exciting to finally be part of the Golden Gods Awards and an honor to be part of any Dimebag memorial award," Frehley said in a statement. "He was a friend, and I know everyone misses him, as do I."
Frehley has released an official statement surrounding the exciting news: "Life on Earth has been very good to me, and the body of work I've created over the years has withstood the test of time. Today I see no obstacles before me and my creativity has never been more fine tuned. Growing up in an Alien world has enhanced my senses and allowed me to succeed where others would have failed. The best is yet to come!"
Ace Frehley will participate in the 2014 Revolver Golden Gods awards show by presenting the Dimebag Darrell "Best Guitarist" award alongside labelmate Zakk Wylde. The awards show will take place on April 23 at the Club Nokia Theater in Los Angeles.
Says Frehley: "It's exciting to finally be part of the Golden Gods, awards and an honor to be part of any Dimebag memorial award. He was a friend, and I know everyone misses him, as do I."
Frehley recently spent time in the studio with drummer Matt Starr (BURNING RAIN) and bassist Chris Wyse (THE CULT, OWL) working on Ace's new CD.
Frehley's last album, "Anomaly", was made available as a 2-LP vinyl set featuring two new limited-edition colors on October 1 via Brookvale Records. Only 750 units of each color were manufactured.
Frehley told Billboard.com in a 2009 interview that he intended "Anomaly" to "kind of pick up where I left off with my first solo album" — 1978's "Ace Frehley".
"Prior to going into the studio, I listened to that first album, which everybody cites as their favorite Ace record," Frehley said. "I dissected it and tried to get into the same mind set this time around. I think I recaptured some of the musical textures and attitude and vibe that I had on that first record."
"Anomaly" was recorded at Schoolhouse Studios in New York and at Ace's home studio in Westchester, New York.
On one wall is a plaque commemorating 100 million Kiss albums sold worldwide. "This room," says Simmons, adding extra portentousness to his baritone, "didn't happen by accident." At the far end is a Kiss motorcycle, a brightly airbrushed Kiss Kasket (the late Dimebag Darrell, of Pantera, is buried in one), a Kiss pinball machine and a Kiss throne emblazoned with a cute Hello Kitty version of Simmons' demon makeup – Kitty-Kiss hybrids are hot right now. Just outside the office, in a place of honor, is a Kiss video slot machine. "This box makes more money than most bands that tour," Simmons says, stroking it with a huge hand.
Kiss still tour. But the only original members left are Simmons and the band's frontman, Paul Stanley, two New York Jewish kids who shared a cleareyed ambition and zero self-destructive tendencies – smart guys who managed to write some of the most gloriously brain-dead lyrics ever ("Get the firehouse/'Cause she sets my soul afire!"). Drummer Peter Criss and lead guitarist Ace Frehley, the ones who took the whole party-every-day thing to heart, who crashed sports cars and threw furniture out of hotel windows, are long gone. You can sometimes catch Simmons and Stanley talking about their old bandmates with distant fondness, as if they were parked in their very own Kiss Kaskets, rather than living quiet lives in New Jersey and San Diego.
Circa 1980, Kiss fired the tenderhearted, insecure Criss, who lost control of his drug use soon after singing the band's biggest hit, "Beth." The gifted but underachieving Frehley quit soon afterward, intending to pursue a solo career – which he did, though with less verve than he pursued the consumption of massive quantities of cocaine, tranquilizers and booze.
Kiss recorded a disco hit and a ludicrous concept album. They stuck two new guys in weird new makeup, before finally unmasking themselves in 1983, beginning a long run as midlevel hair-metal hitmakers (Stanley looked pretty without his makeup; Simmons, not so much).
They had already started work on an inevitable grunge album when, in 1995, Stanley and Simmons reunited with Frehley and Criss for an MTV Unplugged episode. They brought them back, this time as salaried employees, for six years of wildly successful but strife-filled tours – with the makeup back on. These days, Simmons and Stanley use two reliable hired guns instead, replacements who dress up as the old guys' characters, to Frehley's and Criss' considerable distress.
In the land of merch, though, Kiss is always just Kiss. It's the white-faced likenesses of the band's signature characters – Simmons' Demon, Stanley's Starchild, Frehley's Spaceman and Criss' Catman – that matter, not the men behind them. So what if the actual founders of Kiss have written wildly contradictory memoirs insulting one another? Their dolls get along just fine. In here, as Simmons likes to say, Kiss is a brand, not a band. "Kiss is like a cockroach that will outlive you all," he says. "It's bigger, even, than the guys who were in the band." He means himself, too.
On this cloudy afternoon, Simmons, 64, is wearing a tailored black blazer with a bright-red pocket square over a finely made black T-shirt, paired with black leather trousers and cowboy boots. Business on top, rock star on bottom. He's six feet two, with a build that doomed the band's early attempts at performing in drag ("I looked like Phyllis Diller with glitter," he says). As always, his poodle-textured black hair hangs to his shoulders, in a style one comedian suggested was inspired by Planet of the Apes. "This is all me – a lot of spray," he says, fondling the inert fur. "You're welcome to play around with it."
He's sitting in a leather office chair behind his desk, which is stacked with copies of his autobiography and DVDs of his reality show, Gene Simmons Family Jewels ("More episodes than I Love Lucy!"). Behind him is a giant blowup of his appearance on the cover of a magazine called Private Wealth. "I have a life-equity strategy entity called Cool Springs," says Simmons (it helps rich people obtain mammoth life-insurance policies). "It's difficult for people to understand, because they've been poisoned by the idea that rock stars are stupid. Jagger's pretty smart. Very few others are. If it wasn't for their guitars, they'd be asking, 'Would you like some fries with that, sir?'"
When he's not slinging button-pushing, right-wing lectures (he claims that the Vietnam War was a great idea), Simmons can slip into boastful defensiveness, but there's something puppyish beneath it all, as if he's daring you to like him. "All the credible bands can kiss my ass, with all due respect," he says, apropos of not much, within three minutes of my arrival. "The original forefathers who are now in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame – and I don't mean the disco or the hip-hop artists, what the fuck are they thinking? – couldn't spell the word 'credibility' and never thought about it. It was an antithesis of the self-imposed mandate, which is, 'Do what you want to do.' In other words, no rules."
In April, Kiss themselves will finally be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 15 years after they first became eligible. The band members share a distrust of the institution, which represents a rock establishment that long dismissed Kiss as lowbrow purveyors of gimmickry – presumably in contrast to the dignity and reserve of a berouged Little Richard screaming nonsense syllables. "The most important thing," says Simmons, "is that it's validation for fans who were picked on for liking Kiss as opposed to, I don't know, Air Supply."
As Simmons sees it, his band's values have triumphed. Arena concerts of every stripe, from country to hip-hop, have long since embraced Kiss' once-derided stage tricks: pyro, stage elevators, flying musicians. No one knows what "selling out" means anymore: The Grateful Dead have an entire division at Rhino Records devoted to licensing their brand; Bruce Springsteen's online store sells Bruce mugs and tote bags. And to Simmons' delight, Bob Dylan (a hero who once helped Simmons write a song that he released on a solo album called Asshole) just did a Super Bowl ad. "They all come around to our way of doing it," Simmons says. "Cherry Garcia, baby. The hippies lost. They really did."
The Hall of Fame ceremony could have included a heartwarming reunion of the original lineup, but maybe that kind of thing is for hippies. Instead, Simmons and Stanley insisted on playing as the current Kiss, with guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer. "We heard, 'We would like Ace and Peter in makeup,'" says Stanley. "And we said, 'That's not going to happen.' That band is long gone. I question what Ace and Peter would look like in those outfits. We've spent 40 years building something, and to dissipate what we've done, or confuse it by sending mixed messages? What we offered was to play with Tommy and Eric and then bring out Ace and Peter to play with us."
Criss and Frehley were so insulted by that proposition that they threatened to boycott the ceremony. "I won't be disrespected," Criss says, sitting in his New Jersey home. "How can you put me in the Hall of Fame and then tell me to sit over there in the corner while another guy puts on my makeup and plays? That's an injustice. To the fans, too."
Stanley was affronted by the Hall's refusal to induct any of the musicians who played with Kiss after the original guys (several lead guitarists, plus two drummers: Singer and Criss' original replacement, the late Eric Carr). "I don't need the Hall of Fame," says Stanley. "And if there's not reciprocity, I'm not interested. The Red Hot Chili Peppers, practically every member was inducted, and virtually all 175 members of the Grateful Dead. Rules need to apply to everybody."
Simmons, meanwhile, says that Frehley and Criss "no longer deserve to wear the paint." "The makeup is earned," he adds. "Just being there at the beginning is not enough. You know, quite honestly, my hand to God? I would have preferred the same lineup all these years. But if I fuck up, I should be tossed out. And if you blow it for yourself, it's your fault. You can't blame your band members. 'Oh, look what happened to me. Oh, poor me.' Look at my little violin. I have no sympathy."
Hanging out in his San Diego condo, Frehley says that the resistance to a reunion is all business: After all, the current lineup has a summer tour planned. "The reason they don't want to perform with me and Peter," he says, "is because the last time they did, they had to do a reunion tour. We play three songs, the fans go crazy. They don't want to open up a can of worms."
Frehley and Criss may not get the performance they want, but it looks like they won't have to see anyone else in their makeup. Outmaneuvered, for once, Stanley and Simmons announced in late February that they wouldn't perform at all.
There is no Kiss memorabilia on display in Paul Stanley's house. "I know what I've accomplished," says Stanley, "so I don't need to see it. My friends don't need to see it. And it can also be misleading, because the impression it might give is that you're responsible for more than you actually were." Stanley lives in Beverly Hills just five minutes from Simmons, with three young kids and his wife of eight years, Erin, a former attorney (he also has a 19-year-old son from a previous marriage). But they don't get over to each others' places much. Stanley's house is a tastefully proportioned Mediterranean-style structure, with a guesthouse in back; he owns enough acres around the property that he's considering starting a vineyard.
He's sitting in his immaculate, fussily decorated living room, wearing black jeans and a V-neck tee that exposes impressively muscled biceps, along with a very familiar thatch of chest hair. Even with his makeup off, even at age 62, he looks like the Starchild – you half-expect to blink and find him transformed, ready to rock. On the wall opposite him is a painting of a textured orb, which turns out to be his work. "I've done multiple-seven-figures in sales of art," he says. Sadly, his sedate speaking voice bears no resemblance to his jive-y, throat-shredding aw yeah stage-banter shout, which began as an imitation of Steve Marriott's preacher-man shtick.
Kiss' only enduring relationship is between Simmons and Stanley. "We've always seen each other as brothers," Stanley says. "What we seem to be at odds at is how you treat your brother. Gene's priority, by far, has always been himself. And he's not one to let anyone else's feelings or contributions get in the way."
Stanley comes off as friendly and warm, though he can be chillingly blunt in assessing his old bandmates. But if you believe Criss and Frehley, he is a Dick Cheney-like figure in Kiss, the real power behind a flashier figurehead. "Pauly's the one you've got to watch for," says Criss. "He'll leave this building, and then you'll go, 'Holy fucking shit, he cut my throat.' He really is the leader of Kiss. He's the guy who pulls the strings – trust me."
Stanley doesn't show any evil mastermind tendencies during our day together, as he lifts his daughters in the air ("I love you, little people," he says); closes his eyes while grooving on old Zeppelin tracks blasting from the spectacular stereo he's set up in a guesthouse man cave; shows off a photo where he's flipping pizza dough with impressive professionalism; and tools around Beverly Hills in an SUV filled with kids' DVDs. Each night, he says, he thanks his wife for their life together before they go to sleep. "I know two people who demonize me," he says. "It's funny, because I don't know anyone else who does. I can't possibly be responsible for those guys' situations or failures. Any more than I can make someone else responsible for mine."
Stanley does agree that Simmons' prominence as a band spokesman is misleading. "Gene's makeup is the face of Kiss," he says. "It's the strongest. But the idea that he's the motivating force in the band – that's only believed by people who don't know the band."
Once Frehley was out of Kiss, it was up to Simmons and Stanley to keep the band alive – and Simmons was busy pursuing an acting career and other projects, including managing Liza Minnelli's career. Stanley felt abandoned. "And it wasn't like he was making Gone With the Wind," he says. "Some of it was more like passing wind! But what I resented was just being informed and then working to his plan. It didn't seem fair." He considers Kiss' 1984 album, Animalize, close to a Paul Stanley solo album. "I could deal with that. What I couldn't deal with was that somebody wanted to be paid for not doing their job. If it applied to Ace and Peter, it applies to Gene, too."
He laughs when he hears that Simmons played me some of the very un-Kiss-like ballads he writes for fun. "Gene loves the sound of his own voice," he says. In all those episodes of Simmons' reality show – 167 of them – Stanley never appeared, despite many requests. "Because it wasn't reality," he says, laughing again. "To create a life that isn't accurate and for me to be a part of it, or to help you promote something that I think is questionable?.?.?.?and, quite honestly, waste my time? You're missing out on living a real life if you're filming a fake one."
Presented with a list of Stanley's beefs with him, Simmons simply pleads guilty. "The luckiest break I ever got was meeting Paul Stanley," he says. "Who hated me when he first met me – thought I was arrogant. True! Self-absorbed. True! Guilty as charged. Thinks that he's better than he actually is. Guilty as charged. And yet something in that mixture between us – you know they say that purebred dogs are retarded. It is the differences in things that make something stronger."
When I ask Stanley if the two men have ever sat down to work out their differences, he's genuinely confused. "I'm curious?.?.?.?what's there to work out?" he says. "The fact that we have 40-plus years between us means we worked it out."
Grappling with Simmons' ego was a modest challenge compared to what Stanley faced in his early life. Born Stanley Eisen, he grew up in Queens with distant parents stuck in an unhappy marriage, and a mentally ill sister. He had a congenital deformity called microtia, which left him deaf on his right side, with "nothing more than a stump" where that ear should have been. As he writes in his new memoir, a kindergarten bully called him "Stanley the One-Eared Monster." "The physical manifestations of it were horrendous," he says. "If you wore a shirt that was ridiculous, once people start staring at you, you go and change your shirt. But people with birth defects don't get to change it. So you live with it, and you live with constant scrutiny." He struggled with depression, and at the age of 15, with no assistance from his parents, found himself a psychiatrist who helped him move forward. In the early Eighties, he underwent reconstructive surgeries, with doctors constructing an ear with tissue taken from his rib cage.
As much as for anyone in the band, Kiss' makeup suited Stanley's psychological needs. "Paul invented himself," says Simmons. "He was a pudgy little Jewish kid and had the ear thing going on, so his self-esteem issues were whatever they were. He invented Paul Stanley, the name, his look, patterned after the English version of what a rock star is."
It took Stanley years for his real life to catch up with the illusion he created onstage. For a long while, he'd come home from tours and find himself alone on a couch, a rock star without any place to go. "In the beginning, the Starchild was the Wizard of Oz," he says. "It was a little guy behind the curtain moving the controls. But over time, the two kind of melded together and came to terms with living as one."
Kiss began as a shaggier, far duller band called Wicked Lester, also led by Simmons and Stanley. They had met through a mutual friend, guitarist Stephen Coronel, and soon had written enough strong songs to win a deal with Epic Records. They spent months making a generic, over-produced album ("We sounded like a cross between Three Dog Night and the Doobie Brothers," says Simmons) that everyone hated. The pair quit the band, but not their partnership.
They wanted to do something different. "We knew what we liked," says Simmons. "The English version of American rock & roll. They were better-looking, they played better. It was far cooler than the San Francisco stuff, where the guys onstage looked worse than the people in the audience."
They began writing new songs, liberally borrowing bits of all the rock they loved. Until egos pulled them apart, Stanley and Simmons were a true writing team: King and Goffin in greasepaint, Bizarro-world Becker and Fagen. The sound they were leaning toward was tight and hooky – the first demo version of "Strutter" is pure power pop, not that different from Big Star's "In the Street." "We've always been about verses, choruses, bridges," says Stanley. "It's called a hook for a reason, because it grabs you. And that's my mentality. Give me the Raspberries. Give me Small Faces. Give me Big Star."
Seeking a drummer, they responded to an ad in Rolling Stone's classifieds: "Expd. Rock & roll drummer looking for orig. grp." It was placed by one Peter Criscuola, a 26-year-old Italian-American kid, schooled on jazz and Motown, who was convinced he was running out of time to make it as a rock star. Simmons asked if he would wear a dress onstage. Absolutely, said Criss, who was playing in a cover band at a Mafia-run club in Brooklyn.
Simmons and Stanley had wanted a heavy, Zeppelin-y feel to the rhythm section, but Criss' swinging, behind-the-beat feel kept them lighter on their feet – even if he was so instinctual that he rarely played songs the same way twice.
There were immediate signs of personality differences: Over a slice of pizza at their first meeting, Criss blurted out that he had a nine-inch penis, a piece of information that his colleagues didn't know how to process. "He was a Sopranos guy, a Godfather guy," says Simmons. "You know the Italian alphabet? Fuckin' A, Fuckin' B?"
"They had fired their whole band," Criss says. "That should've let me know something then and there, the first time I met them! But I remember comin' home to my mom, sayin', 'Ma, it ain't my kind of music, but we could become a really great rock & roll band.'"
As with the New York Dolls, there was something prescient in the flayed-to-the-bone style they were developing, its rawness a rejoinder to prog-hippie excess. A teenager named Jeffrey Hyman attended Kiss' first gig, in Queens, and he'd later dub them "the loudest band I'd ever heard." He was soon calling himself Joey Ramone.
They auditioned tons of lead guitarists, including a weird dude whose mom dropped him off at the band's rehearsal space on East 23rd Street: He was wearing one red and one orange sneaker, and had to chug a beer to take the edge off before sitting in with the band. He proceeded to blaze through every lick he knew in the course of one song. His name was Paul Frehley, but they couldn't have two Pauls in the band: He went with Ace, a nickname bestowed by friends impressed with his prowess with women.
Kiss rehearsed for months before playing live, and an impatient Criss threatened to quit. They soon had their sound – and then came up with an image so powerful that it threatened to drown out their music. "I can't take credit for it, and Paul can't," says Simmons. "Nobody can. Certainly not Ace or Peter, who never thought of anything." (This is unfair: For one, it was Frehley who designed the band's logo.)
"We found ourselves going downstairs to the Woolworths," Simmons recalls. "And we buy these tall mirrors. And we bought some clown makeup – and I don't remember thinking anything of it. 'Let's go get mirrors, and let's go get makeup, and let's put makeup on and see what happens.' Just like that. And over the next hour or two, whatever happened, happened. And it wasn't too dissimilar to what you see today."
During my second visit to Simmons' house, Billy Ray Cyrus suddenly shows up. Simmons never met Miley's dad before, but he's always happy to show off his trophy room; the day before, an executive from Bain Capital stopped over. These visits are very rarely social. "Always business," Simmons says. "I hardly have any friends. Friendship is overrated."
Cyrus is jittery, outrageously friendly, all leather, denim and hair, with a thick Southern accent. He is star-struck by Simmons, though the feeling doesn't seem to be mutual. "This is the most overwhelming contribution to society," he says, gazing in awe at the knickknacks. "I stood in line in Huntington, West Virginia, to see you!"
Back by the Kaskets, Cyrus is talking about getting older, and mentions a former hard-partying lifestyle that put "heavy mileage" on him.
"But that was your choice," Simmons says. "You chose to do that, yes?"
"Well," Cyrus says, gearing up to unleash some tragic tales, "I had a rough time growing up."
Simmons cuts him off. "So did I," he says. "My mother was in a Nazi concentration camp. I came to America when I was eight years old, and I didn't speak a word of English."
Cyrus is momentarily struck dumb. "That just adds to how impressive this man's accomplishments are," he says, shaking his head, gazing at a case full of Kiss dolls. "I didn't overcome nothing compared to what you came from."
In any case, Cyrus says, Simmons really has to come and hang out at his house someday.
"Do you have any matzo?" Simmons asks, deadpan. Cyrus smiles uncertainly.
Simmons' mother – who is perfectly lucid at age 87 – saw her mother and grandmother die at a concentration camp, where she was imprisoned from the age of 14. She immigrated to Israel from Hungary when she was 22, marrying a tall, handsome man named Feri Witz, and had Gene soon after. Chaim, they named him, and his mother's love for her only son was a fierce and amazing thing. As he tells it, a neighbor lady once spanked him, and his mother beat her bloody; police took her in, but found her maternal outrage so impressive that they simply let her go.
She had a tumultuous relationship with Simmons' father, who had trouble earning a living and left the family when Gene was only seven years old. Soon afterward, they immigrated to America, and Gene never saw his father again. In America, Simmons was often alone, while his mother worked long hours in a Williamsburg, Brooklyn, factory. He endured long hours at the yeshiva where she sent him, and until he learned to speak English, was viciously mocked by other children, even after he renamed himself Gene Klein. He desperately loved American pop culture, escaping into hours of TV, monster movies and endless piles of superhero comic books. After the Beatles played The Ed Sullivan Show, he added rock & roll to that list, where it quickly shot to the top.
Simmons shut down his emotions. "I remember the feeling of the little boy, rage-crying, being afraid," he says. "No mother, no father. She's working. Nobody around. Nobody to depend on. Nobody's going to keep me safe or feed me. It's dark, and I'm afraid, and all of that. And from that day on, I don't need anybody." As soon as he was successful, he began having checks sent to his father in Israel, but refused to speak with him or respond to his letters. He wouldn't even see the old man on his deathbed. "Why didn't I let a dying man go in peace? Arrogance. 'I'll show him.' It's a failing.
"You get hurt," he says. "The scars heal, but you can still see them." Sometimes, I say, they look like that – pointing at a picture of the Demon, in full armor. "I created Gene Simmons, because the other me didn't work," he says.
He would use the license afforded him by his Kiss success to have what seems to have been compulsive sex with nearly 5,000 women ("not all of them had two legs"). But he had no serious relationship until 1978, when he started dating his first real girlfriend, who happened to be Cher, fresh from her marriage to Gregg Allman. (Simmons' second girlfriend, immediately afterward, was Cher's then-close friend Diana Ross.) In 1984, Simmons met a blond model named Shannon Tweed at the Playboy Mansion, and finally seemed to grasp the "love" concept other humans spoke of: They've been together ever since, finally marrying in 2011. They have two kids: Nick, 25, and Sophie, 21, who are both pursuing showbiz careers.
The same night, another visitor pops by: Paul Stanley, who's bringing by a copy of his book – he hadn't let Simmons read it, but heard I was asking about it, and figured it was time. Simmons is delighted to see him; it's clearly been a while since he came over. "Do you want a drink?" Simmons asks.
"I gotta go home and give my kids a bath," says Stanley, handing over the book.
Simmons flips to the pictures at the centerfold. "Oh, my God," he says, "look at this photo of Ace and Peter. Where was that?"
"The one satisfaction those two guys should get in life is knowing that every day, we talk about them," says Stanley. "A day can't go by that you don't remember something that is astonishing."
"Or makes no sense!" Simmons adds. "And is completely baffling, or so self-destructive." (There was, for instance, the time Ace gulped a bottle of perfume in a limo, after hearing it contained alcohol. And the time Criss shot the big-screen TV in Simmons' house with a .38 revolver after learning his girlfriend had slept with an actor shown on the screen.)
Catching me alone for a moment on his way out, Stanley shakes his head and gestures toward the office. "This is the world that Gene lives in," he says. "It's unbelievable. And it makes him happy."
Simmons comes over. "Do you want to take some toys for the kids?"
"No, thanks. We have so much of that stuff!"
"Do you want to see the upstairs?" Simmons asks.
"No," Stanley says, smiling.
It seems clear that there's at least one person Simmons wants as a friend. They've been together so long, and even Simmons isn't egotistical enough to think they can tour forever. "Physically, I won't be able to do this into my seventies," he says. He has me lift a spiked leather stage jacket from a nearby chair – it must weigh 25 pounds. "I'm 64 now. Three more tours. Two, if I have a life change of some kind." He and Stanley do, however, talk about replacing themselves with new members and having Kiss continue to the end of time.
As Stanley drives off to his family, Simmons stands for a moment on his porch in the cool of the evening, staring at his yard, where man-made waterfalls flow in the darkness. It's peaceful here, though somewhere inside are a bunch of guns in case he has to shoot intruders. ("If you threaten me, I will take you out," says Simmons. "I welcome anybody who dares go over those gates.")
He takes a breath, and is, for a moment, unusually pensive. "Sometimes," he says, "when I come out and sit out there, just relax between meetings and stuff, Paul's right: I keep thinking about Ace and Peter. 'What are they doing now? Where are they?' It's gotta be close to the end. How do you make any money? How do you pay your bills? I mean, it's gotta be?.?.?. you're in your sixties. Peter's gotta be 67, 68. I think he's 68 now. That's it. You're done."
Ace Frehley, 62, lives with his much-younger fiancee, a singer-songwriter named Rachael Gordon, in an upscale condominium near the airport in San Diego. The elevator opens up directly into his apartment, where the first thing you see is a life-size statue of Ace Frehley in full Spaceman regalia. When the real Frehley emerges, on a rainy afternoon in late February, he's a bit less slender than the statue, with a Vandyke beard he'd have to shave to get the makeup on. Like all of his bandmates, he's still got long hair, and he's wearing aviator shades, a striped button-front shirt open over a black T-shirt, jeans and lizard boots. A sparkly crucifix and a square ace of hearts card hang from his neck; he's got on the usual rocker's skull ring.
Ace is in good spirits. "I'm happier than a pig in shit," he says. "I'm healthy, I'm working, I have a beautiful woman." He takes me into his office, where electric guitars hang on the walls and an enormous monitor sits on his desk, hooked to a Mac he uses to experiment with computer animation and record music. He's working on two new albums, follow-ups to 2009's solid Anomaly, which had been his first in 20 years. "I'm thinking about putting out an animation and scoring it, like a space animation," he says. "But there's not that many hours in the day, and I'm lazy. I'm still lazy, ladies and gentlemen! My problem is that God gave me too many gifts. And from all the drugs and alcohol, I have attention-deficit disorder, so sometimes I just stare at the computer. But that's OK. You know why? Because I'm alive."
Frehley is just back from Las Vegas, where he spent a couple of days recording and gambling. "I lost five grand," he says. "No big deal! Peanuts. I can't drink; I can't take drugs anymore. There's other vices." He's quite a character, Ace Frehley, with a one-of-a-kind squeaky voice and squalling cackle that everyone who's ever met him can imitate. He used to claim to be from another planet. "I was always fascinated with science-fiction stuff," he says. "Who knows? Sometimes I think I'm not from here."
Frehley has been sober for seven years, after a long battle that left his memory a little shaky. He has spoken of falling down a flight of stairs around 2002, further damaging his memory and leaving him briefly worried he wouldn't be able to play guitar again. "Did I?" he says, unleashing the cackle. Forty minutes later, he has a sudden revelation: "Oh, you're right, thank you very much. I did fall down a flight of stairs! It was the scariest thing."
Frehley grew up in a stable middle-class household in the Bronx. His dad was an electrical engineer, and his siblings were all bright, college-bound achievers, trained musicians. He was obsessed with guitar but never took a single lesson. "And maybe that's one of the reasons I approached music differently," he says. "Page, Clapton, Hendrix, Townshend, Beck – all I did was copy their solos and kind of twist them around, and you've got a guitar style."
Of all of Kiss' members, Frehley may have had the most impact on other musicians: He was the first guitar hero for many players of the next generation. "Ace was their firecracker, their dynamite," says Pearl Jam's Mike McCready, who modeled the solo on his band's "Alive" on Frehley's "She" lead (which, in turn, bit from Robby Krieger on the Doors' "Five to One"). Frehley's guitar-hero status quickly created delusions of grandeur, Stanley argues: "Just because you're voted number-one guitar player in Circus magazine over Jimmy Page doesn't mean you really are. Those guys just ate up that kind of nonsense, and believed it."
In any case, Frehley started to self-destruct very early in the band's career. Kiss became superstars with the Alive! double album, the first of the Seventies' blockbuster live albums (though they heavily doctored it in the studio). Afterward, they sought to make their first fully produced studio album – their previous LPs could be thin-sounding and demolike. They brought on Bob Ezrin, the formidable taskmaster behind Alice Cooper's hits. Frehley clashed with Ezrin, and had trouble coping with a certain readily available substance. "There was so much cocaine in the studio with Bob Ezrin, it was insane," Frehley recalls. "And I hadn't even done coke before that. I liked to drink. But once I started doing coke, I really liked to drink more, and longer, without passing out. So I was really off to the races. I made my life difficult because there were so many times I'd walk in with a hangover, or sometimes I wouldn't even show up."
Frehley had moved out to Connecticut by that point, and simply making it to the Manhattan studio was a major hassle. "Musically, he was much more about freestyle," says Ezrin. "He was much less organized and structured than I was asking him to be. And he was feeling pressure and resentment from the other guys. In their eyes he wasn't holding up his end of the bargain, whereas he wasn't sure he'd actually even made the bargain." In an ominous omen for Kiss' future, they ended up bringing in session guitarist Dick Wagner to play a couple of solos.
Not long afterward, the band filmed Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park, a campy semi-horror movie that was like an Ed Wood version of A Hard Day's Night. Frehley's attendance was once again intermittent: A stuntman wears Frehley's makeup in one scene, which is all the more obvious because the guy happened to be black. That was the least of the problems. "None of us read the script," says Stanley. "They threw us our lines from off-camera. It was a farce."
Soon, Frehley was threatening to leave the band for a solo career. "We were this heavy rock group," he says, "and now we had little kids with lunchboxes and dolls in the front row, and I had to worry about cursing in the microphone. It became a circus." Their manager, Bill Aucoin, came up with a genius solution: They'd all record solo albums, and release them on the same day. Frehley, whose songwriting had been pent up, George Harrison-style, made the best record, all sleek hard rock. It also had the biggest hit, "New York Groove." (Simmons claims his solo LP – which included a cover of "When You Wish Upon a Star" – outsold Frehley's. "Fuckin' Gene," says Frehley, laughing. "Those fuckin' guys are trying to rewrite history.")
Soon afterward, Frehley voted, "reluctantly," with the rest of the band to remove Criss, whose playing had deteriorated under the influence of pills and coke. Criss took revenge in his book, going into great detail about Frehley's bisexual experimentation in the Seventies, in an apparent effort to freak out the band's less-open-minded fans. Frehley shrugs it off. "When you're high, you'll do anything. So what? It means nothing. I've always been heterosexual. I've lived 10 times as much as people live in one lifetime.?.?.?.?I've done every drug, I've done the ménage à trois and everything else in between. I've tried being bisexual. It's stupid! It's not for me!"
Frehley quit the band in slow motion, as his bandmates tried to persuade him to stay. "I was mixed up," he says. "I believed that if I stayed in that group I would have committed suicide. I'd be driving home from the studio, and I'd want to drive my car into a tree. I mean, I walked out on a $15 million contract. That would be like $100 million today. And my attorney was looking at me like, 'What are you, crazy?'"
Each member of Kiss had designed his own makeup. Criss relinquished the rights to his character when he left (although he's confused about the circumstances), and Frehley maintains that he licensed his. He says he's due to get the rights back soon, a claim Stanley called a "fantasy": "We own it. He sold it." In the meantime, Thayer, who once worked as the band's road manager, wears Frehley's makeup. Says Frehley: "I mean, a supergroup has one of the most dynamic, greatest lead guitarists in the world leave the band, and who did they hire to play lead guitar? Their road manager, who used to be in a Kiss cover band. How insane is that? You can't make this shit up." He is, in general, unimpressed with the band's current state: "Paul's voice is shot." (Thayer, whose Kiss cover band was just a goofy side project while he was in a major-label metal band, responds, "These guys like to say, 'Oh, he was the road manager.' I've been in music for over 30 years.")
The band's current drummer, Eric Singer, points out that Frehley never complained during the portion of the reunion era that had him playing with Singer – in full Catman makeup – instead of Criss. "Well, Peter sold his makeup," Frehley says with a shrug.
Frehley called his autobiography No Regrets, and he needed to interview old friends to recover enough memories to write it. He has since remembered more, and is working on a sequel. "The working title," he jokes, "is Some Regrets." He throws his head back and laughs.
Peter Criss is at home when I ring the doorbell of his big house in Monmouth County, New Jersey, which sits at the edge of a snowy, unshoveled walkway. But he doesn't answer the door. (There's a small sign next to it that reads IN CASE OF FIRE, PLEASE RESCUE CAT) I have to wait a couple of minutes before his wife of 16 years, Gigi, a former model, comes home to let me in.
Criss, who's cozy in his finished basement, wearing tinted glasses, a pale-blue T-shirt, black jeans and white athletic socks, has a policy of not coming to the door. He last did so a few years ago, and he didn't like the results.
"I opened up, and there's these six, like, skinheads from Norway," he recalls, in his thick, old-timey Brooklyn accent. "And they've got tattoos on their heads and black T-shirts. They look right from white supremacy. And they're like, 'We want your autograph! We flew all the way here from Finland.' They could've killed me. We're livin' in a crazy world. After John Lennon got it, and George Harrison gets stabbed in his own house?"
Criss has already died and been revived, at least twice. "I am a cat, and my lives are going out. I'm losing 'em," he says. He died for the first time after his Porsche crashed into a pole (his friend Fritz was driving, though Simmons blames Criss for the accident). And the other? "Oh, God, I can't even remember. Somethin' else stupid." He also survived breast cancer not long ago, and has become an advocate for other men with the disease.
Criss' basement could pass for the rec room of a prosperous New Jersey dentist who loves Kiss and dabbles in drums: There's a gleaming kit in the corner, along with guitars and amps for visiting players, plus a relatively modest collection of Kiss memorabilia. "I've been to those guys' houses," says Criss, settling in his easy chair, "and I get a feeling where I don't even know what to touch or where to sit. I don't like to live in a showplace."
Somewhere upstairs is Criss' most prized showbiz achievement, a People's Choice Award for "Beth." Criss co-wrote the song with an old bandmate, the late Stan Penridge, and Ezrin then heavily tweaked and arranged it for the Destroyer sessions. Criss is desperately proud of the song, but Stanley claims the drummer had little to do with its creation. "Peter can't write a song, because Peter doesn't play an instrument," Stanley argues. "Penridge came up with [sings], 'Beth, I hear you calling.?.?.?.' Peter had nothing to do with it. Because if you write one hit song, you should be able to write two. That's the reality. Devastating? It's the truth. It was a lifeline that Peter hung on to validate himself, but it wasn't based on reality."
"I don't think that I can break this tie," says Ezrin, who was originally presented with a song called "Beck" that was less sympathetic to the woman in the lyrics. "I wasn't there when he was working with that co-writer."
"God forbid you get that credit," says Gigi, who sits by Criss' side during the interview, occasionally amplifying or correcting his answers. ("You said that already!") "Paul is so full of fucking shit," says Criss, "'cause as a lead singer of the band he never got to write the hit. That's his problem. They hated the fact that I wrote a hit record and won a People's Choice."
Criss grew up in tough parts of Brooklyn, where his drumming – first inspired by Gene Krupa's playing on "Sing Sing Sing" – was the only thing that saved him from a life of crime: He had joined a gang called the Young Lords, and his book is full of Mean Streets-worthy adventures. "I think I'm the first drummer, next to Mitch Mitchell and Charlie Watts, that incorporated jazz fills in rock & roll. There's not many of us."
Criss was intimidated by Simmons and Stanley's drive and book smarts, and they didn't go out of their way to make him feel comfortable. "If you're going to treat me like I'm a piece of dirt, then I'm going to be mean," he says. "And I would have to pull that out of my bag of tricks 'cause I didn't go to college. I didn't have the knowledge they had. And they would use that constantly, use words I didn't understand. I'm a kid from Brooklyn. I was not the smartest bulb in the band. They would literally embarrass me in front of people. You can only take so much of that after a while."
He doesn't deny that his playing was slipping under the influence of drugs, but he feels the band could have given him more chances. But like Frehley, what really kills him is that someone else is bringing the Catman to life. "I'm not upset that they got the bigger barrel of the monies and the bigger homes and the bigger cars and the bigger watches," he says. "But I'm pissed at myself that my makeup slipped through my hands. That's my cross that I bear."
On some tours, Singer has even sung a version of "Beth," which breaks Criss' heart. "How much more can you slap me?" he says. "How hard do you want to hit me? It's my baby – no one sings it like me. And I said to Gigi, 'You know what, it's like the Lone Ranger: You can take his mask off and put it on another guy, but it'll never be Clayton Moore.'"
Unlike Frehley, Criss remained relatively sober for the reunion years. "I wanted to prove to the fans that I was cool, I was better, I wasn't on drugs anymore, I was a new man." But they both bristled at their salaried status, and Criss was horrified when Frehley drunkenly confessed that the guitarist was making $10,000 more per night. Criss took to drawing a single tear on his cat makeup as the tours wound down.
Stanley and Simmons point out that Criss made millions of dollars, but he says that's not the point. "Come on, simple as this: Look at their houses; look at my house. I was being treated like a freakin' slob. They treated my wife like a whore."
Despite it all, he dearly wishes they could all get it together for one more performance. "I just wish there wasn't so much bad blood," he says. "I said to the Hall of Fame, 'Look, I don't own the makeup anymore, but if they would lend it to me, I would be happy to put it on.'"
On my way out, Criss shows off his collection of Kiss stuff. There's an amazing photo of the band in full makeup backstage with all of their parents in the 1970s; there are long rows of gold and platinum records, plus a plaque commemorating 500,000 8-tracks sold of Alive! He picks up a small, framed black-and-white promo shot of the band, just four young rock & roll superheroes snarling companionably together for the camera. "That's a great shot of us," he says, and sighs. "What can I say? I still love my band."
This story is from the April 10th, 2014 issue of Rolling Stone.
DESIGNING THE KISS LOGO
Ace: "Being excited about my new band, I roughed out a sketch of the original Kiss logo in no time at all. It wasn't a whole lot different than the logo as it appears today. My original concept featured the twin S's in jagged detail, like lightning bolts, and a small dot in the shape of a diamond over the letter 'i.' I then transferred the logo to a button using a felt-tip pen and presented it to the group . . . Everyone loved it. Paul was a trained artist, so when things got really serious he polished my design, making everything nice and neat."
Paul: "[Ace] was a pretty decent artist. I took his sketch and used it as the basis for a series of Kiss logos I designed, ultimately arriving at the one that has adorned all things Kiss for the past forty years. I vividly remember sitting on my parents' sofa while they were out of town and drawing up the final version on thick white stock using a straightedge and a drafting pen . . . Ace's concept was closer to the Nazi SS. I certainly suspected that was his inspiration, and the fact that a few years later he bought Nazi memorabilia on our first tour confirmed this in my mind."
Gene: "I remember very clearly when our picture went up on the outside of the club [the band was playing], Ace took a marker and wrote our new name right on the picture. The way he drew it was pretty crude, but it resembled our logo, with the two S's like lightning bolts at the end of the word."
Peter: "Ace is a great artist, and his Kiss rendition, with the last two letters as lightning bolts, was totally bitching. And contrary to some people's opinions (and later the opinion of the government of Germany), the Ss didn't symbolize the Nazi SS . . . Then Paul refined the logo, made the K a little straighter, and we had a name and a logo."
RECORDING ALIVE!
Gene: "There have always been rumors that the Alive! record was substantially reworked in the studio. It's not true. We did touch up the vocal parts and fix some of the guitar solos, but we didn't have the time or money to completely rework the recordings."
Ace: "We all went into Electric Lady, and for the better part of three weeks we tinkered and tweaked . . . and sometimes completely overdubbed songs. None of us got off the hook completely. There were times when [producer] Eddie [Kramer] was unhappy with Paul's singing or Gene's singing . . . As the studio sessions went on we became increasingly flexible in terms of what we considered to be acceptable doctoring."
Peter: "In the end we wound up keeping only my drum tracks, my vocals, and Paul's between-song raps. Everything else was re-created in the studio."
Paul: "Yes, we enhanced it. Not to hide anything, not to fool anyone. But who wanted to hear a mistake repeated endlessly? Who wanted to hear an out-of-tune guitar? For what? Authenticity?"
KISS GOES DISCO
Paul: "When I heard 'I Was Made for Lovin' You' being played back in the studio, I was blown away. Yeah, it wasn’t 'Detroit Rock City' or 'Love Gun,' but it was undeniable . . . It was universal, something that grabbed you the first time you heard it."
Gene: "'I Was Made for Lovin' You' had a certain driving force and a catchy melody. I didn't really see it."
Peter: "The cruelest blow of all was Paul’s attempt to write a contemporary hit for Dynasty. He came up with 'I Was Made for Lovin' You,' Kiss's first out-and-out disco track. What little credibility we had left was flushed down the toilet when we did that."
Ace: "Yeah, it became a hit single and I could appreciate the polish behind it, but I never liked the song and frankly hated playing it live — hammering out that chucka-chucka-chucka chord for five minutes straight was not only monotonous, but often gave me a cramp in my wrist."
PETER CRISS LEAVES THE BAND
Gene: "We started playing, and [Criss] was worse than ever. So we had a meeting afterward, and we said, 'Peter is unhealthy. He's going to kill himself. He's got to leave the band and get some help.' So, after much deliberation, everybody, including Ace, voted him out of the band."
Ace: "I wanted to give [Criss] another chance, but my hands were tied. I was outvoted, and the decision was made to move forward without him, so I accepted the decision reluctantly."
Paul: "Ace can say whatever he wants now, but he voted to fire Peter without any prodding or strong-arming. It's a tribute to Ace that he did."
Peter: "I was about to eat crow and ask to come back to the band. 'Yup,' they said. 'Well, I fucking quit!' I yelled. Now I was really hurt. I looked over at Ace, and he couldn't look me in the face. Paul and Gene actually looked like they were gloating. I was furious. They got up to leave, and Ace was the last to exit. 'Hey, Cat, I'm not happy about this, man, but you were out of control,' Ace said."
Epic Rights is joining forces with Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons to build the KISS global franchise in a highly integrated manner through a combination of touring, music sales, merchandise, licensing, social media and promotional partnerships.
"Epic Rights Founder and CEO Dell Furano has worked with us for over 25 years, and he is the best in the business," said Stanley and Simmons in a joint statement. "We are confident that Dell and his Epic Rights team will lead us to the Promised Land."
"Paul and Gene are definitely the dream team, and it's very exciting to continue to work with them," added Furano. "The bottom line is that we are looking to grow the KISS brand and generate substantially increased revenue. Loyal KISS fans are now beginning to introduce their teens to the band, spawning an entire new generation of ardent KISS lovers."
Doc McGhee, KISS' longtime manager commented, "KISS is entering the most prolific period of their career with their induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame; the release of Paul Stanley's autobiography by HarperCollins; the L.A. KISS Arena Football team's inaugural season; the Jon Varvatos 'Dressed To Kill' ad campaign; the rapidly growing Rock & Brews restaurant chain and the recently announced three-month summer tour with DEF LEPPARD."
KISS' attorney for more than two decades, William Randolph, commented, "KISS long ago evolved from a band to a brand, and Dell Furano is the right man at the right time to move KISS to new heights." Randolph added, "Paul's book, 'Face The Music', is not a typical autobiography. It is a page turner that will grab your attention and keep you up late at night."
In addition to CEO Dell Furano, long known as an innovative leader in the music and entertainment merchandising and licensing industry, Epic Rights' executive team is also comprised of President and COO Phil Cussen, a highly accomplished senior financial and operations executive with over 30 years of experience in the music industry; EVP of Brand Development Brad Auerbach, an expert in global rights acquisition and brand extension marketing.
In addition to full branding, marketing and licensing services, Epic Rights will provide full-service music merchandising, including concert merchandise, retail/licensing, VIP ticketing, fan experiences as well as managing music artists' official websites, online shops and social media.
You wanted the best? It took a while, but you got the best: Forty years after the release of their debut album, Kiss have finally made the cover of Rolling Stone. Marking the band's upcoming induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the cover image is a classic 1975 photo of the band's original lineup: Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, plus Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, who were both gone from the band by the early Eighties.
The cover story, by Rolling Stone senior writer Brian Hiatt, tells the sad, hilarious and triumphant story of one of the biggest rock bands ever, taking an in-depth look at the founding members' lives and careers. Hiatt hung out with all four original members in their homes (in San Diego, Beverly Hills and Monmouth County, New Jersey) where they shared fond memories and, inevitably, some intense backbiting. "I keep thinking about Ace and Peter," Simmons admits. “"What are they doing now? Where are they?’ It’s gotta be close to the end. How do you make any money? How do you pay your bills?"
Even Stanley and Simmons have had their differences. "We've always seen each other as brothers," says Stanley. "What we seem to be at odds at is how you treat your brother. Gene’s priority, by far, has always been himself. And he’s not one to let anyone else’s feelings or contributions get in the way."
They also explain precisely why they won't be reuniting for a performance at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Stanley and Simmons offered to allow the former members to jam with Kiss' current lineup, featuring guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer, but Ace and Peter found that proposition deeply insulting. "I won’t be disrespected," Criss says. "How can you put me in the Hall of Fame and then tell me to go sit over there in the corner while another guy puts on my makeup and plays? That’s an injustice. To the fans, too."
Simmons counters that Frehley and Criss "no longer deserve to wear the paint." "The makeup is earned," he adds."Just being there at the beginning is not enough… And if you blow it for yourself, it's your fault. You can’t blame your band members. 'Oh, look what happened to me. Oh, poor me.' Look at my little violin. I have no sympathy."
Frehley suggests another reason for the current members' reluctance: "The reason they don’t want to perform with me and Peter is because the last time they did, they had to do a reunion tour. We play three songs, the fans go crazy. They don't want to open up a can of worms." Frehley, meanwhile, says he licensed – rather than sold – the rights to his Spaceman makeup to the band, and suggests that he’s due to get the rights back sometime soon.
Also in the story, Simmons says his touring days are almost done. "I’m 64 now," he says. "Three more tours. Two, if I have a life change of some kind."
For much more on Kiss, check out the cover story, on sale Friday, March 28th — and online tomorrow, March 26th.
MATT PORTER is joined by:
• The starchild CHRIS GIORDANO from KISS IT and KISStory!
• ANTHONY PORTER from CLASHING PLAID!
• ANDREW SGAMBATI from MR SPEED!
• ALANA MAUGER from The Grunge Garage
• ERIC TODDOROCKS CARR etrcthefox.com
• PAULETTE TYRELL
• KISS talk, KISS tunes and MORE!
The next LIVE show is Friday, April 18 Streamed live via montcoradio.com.
The interview took place at AUCOIN management in New York City (June 1980) and Gene was NOT wearing make-up. Interestingly, Peter had left the band, but Eric Carr had not been publicly named as his replacement yet. Also, the July 25th 1980 'Palladium' show in NYC was more than a month away. In this video, I have included a picture of the signed PROMO vinyl album that Gene handed my mom (and signed to her) as well as my ticket to the July 25th 1980 PALLADIUM show.
PETER CRISS TO KISS: “What’s wrong with giving ten minutes of your time, for the forty years that you’ve given us?”
Charred Walls of the Damned drummer Richard Christy drops by the show to take on the coveted guest musician job. Christy showcases his drumming skills while performing in front of his childhood hero, Criss. At one point Richard thanks Peter saying that if it wasn’t for Peter and Kiss, Richard would not be playing drums today. Christy also lets us know that he is currently in the studio working on the new Charred Walls of the Damned album, which will be out some time next year.
Episode ten also features the usual fan-favorite segments: The “TMS Top 5” tackles the Top 5 Kiss Songs with all 3 hosts only agreeing on one song, the epic “Black Diamond.” Peter then adds a few of his own that were missed. This week’s “Throwdown” pits the Kiss classic live albums Alive against Alive II. The decision is unanimous as the original Alive wins the title. This week’s “Stump The Trunk” finds Eddie battling to regain his dominance over the audience questions with the end result being lots of camera time for everyone’s favorite Miss Box of Junk, Jennifer.
Since the January 18th premiere of Season 13, “That Metal Show” continues to bring their audience the biggest names in hard rock and heavy metal. With only two original episodes left in Season 13, the upcoming episodes include super-group The Winery Dogs (Billy Sheehan, Mike Portnoy, Richie Kotzen), past great TMS guest Vinnie Paul (formerly of Pantera), and guitar genius Joe Satriani. The guest musician for the final two episodes of the season will be guitar virtuoso, Yngwie Malmsteen.
This season marks some monumental changes for the show as it has returned to New York City for Season 13. Previously the show was taped over several days over a course of a week at Sony Studios in Los Angeles. The new season is shot at Metropolis Studios on Tuesday nights for broadcast that Saturday. Season 13 also consists of 12 new episodes making it the longest season in the series history. Fans can also catch the complete season 12 and brand new exclusive bonus clips at ThatMetalShow.VH1.com and on the new VH1 app. New episodes of season 13 launch on the web and in the app every Sunday morning following the show’s on-air premiere.
Carr's sister issued a public letter to KISS frontman Paul Stanley thanking him for coming forward and denouncing the lawsuit and Stanley immediately tweeted a response calling the people behind the suit incredulous and vowing to get to the bottom of it.
Asked who the guys are that are suing KISS, Simmons told Radio.com: "We don't know, we have no idea, our lawyers are trying to find out who these people are. The Caravello family — Eric Carr's family — released a statement along with us, saying we have no idea who these people are, these are lies and we intend to find out who they are, and why they're saying these things. For one thing, it's slanderous. They're saying that Eric hated being in the band. What? He was the sweetest guy in the world. Eric and the family and the fans have been slapped in the face by these people and we intend to make sure that there's justice."
Carr — best known to fans as "The Fox" — replaced Peter Criss behind the drums on the road in 1980, and was first heard on the band's 1981 concept album, "Music From 'The Elder'". Illness forced Carr to step down from the band in 1990, and he died at age 41 from complications from a rare form of heart cancer on November 24, 1991 — the same day as Freddie Mercury.
"It's one of those things where, having been in that sort of Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame situation, where original members and not original members, and this and that and the other… They're gonna do what they wanna do and it's none of my business to have a real public opinion about it," Slash said (see video). "I mean, I'd like to see the original [KISS] guys there."
KISS frontman Paul Stanley told The Pulse Of Radio that for the April 10 induction ceremonies in Brooklyn, the Rock Hall was unbending in its decision to ignore the other members of KISS that joined following Peter Criss and Ace Frehley's respective departures.
"Bringing up the idea of inducting other members other than the original four, which is a very valid argument considering that there are people that played on multi-platinum albums and played for millions of people and were very important to the continuation of this band," he said. "The fact that when this was brought up, it was shut down as a non-starter. I don't appreciate that as somebody who is a self-appointed expert."
Simmons and Stanley have chosen to have Thayer and Singer dress up as Criss' and Frehley's respective "Spaceman" and "Catman" personas (designs owned by Simmons and Stanley).
Frehley left KISS after the band's 2002 "Farewell" dates, saying afterwards that he took the word "farewell" seriously.
Criss claimed that his contract with KISS wasn't renewed in March 2004.
Both charges have been disputed by Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley.
The 29th annual Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony will take place on Thursday, April 10 at Barclays Center.
The television broadcast will premiere on HBO on May 31.
Rock legends KISS were the first signing to Neil Bogart's newly formed Casablanca Records label after he saw and recognized their talent and showmanship during their spectacular performance at a showcase concert at New York City's Le Tang's Ballet Studio in 1973, offering them a contract on the spot. Four decades after releasing their self-titled, major label debut, KISS will be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in April, proof of the unparalleled devotion and loyalty of the KISS Army to the "Hottest Band in the World" as they rallied together to have the band included in this year's induction ceremony.
Having earned 28 U.S. gold albums along with 40 million U.S. and 100 million in world sales, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, with longtime members guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer, are stronger than ever with a legacy that continues to grow, generation after generation. Their last album, "Monster", proved that they are still at the top of their game with impressive sales and topping the charts worldwide debuting at No. 3 in the U.S. on the Billboard 200 best-selling albums chart and Top 10 in twenty other countries.
To celebrate their incredible 40-year recording career and their upcoming, long-overdue induction to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) will kick off the celebration on April 1, 2014 with the first batch of 10 individual KISS remastered albums on 180-gram heavyweight vinyl with 18 more vinyl titles coming through the first half of 2014. In May, fans can look forward to a 2-CD "Kiss 40" compilation with one track from every major album release, live selections and an unreleased demo from 1977. And finally, starting today, the definitive KISS vinyl box set, "Kissteria - The Ultimate Vinyl Road Case", featuring 34 KISS LPs — including titles never before issued on vinyl, six exclusive albums to the box set and a plethora of collectibles only available in "Kissteria" will be available exclusively for D2C pre-order at Go to www.kissteria.kissonline.com.
Millions of people around the world originally discovered KISS when they brought home an album and put it on their turntable for the first time. Now, those original KISS albums will be available remastered and on 180 gram heavyweight vinyl prior to KISS' induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
A new compilation, "Kiss 40", a 2-CD set featuring forty tracks spanning KISS' incredible forty-year recording career. This set includes one track from every major album release (studio, "Alive" and hits collections) plus three live selections from the 2000 era and features the band's biggest songs including rock and roll anthems such as "Detroit Rock City", "Love Gun", "Beth", "Rock And Roll All Nite", "Psycho Circus", "Forever", "I Was Made For Lovin' You", "Lick It Up", "Heaven's On Fire" and "Hell Or Hallelujah". First time commercial CD release live recordings of "Deuce" (from 2004 tour), "Cold Gin" (from 2009 "Alive 35" tour), "Crazy Crazy Nights" (from 2010 "Sonic Boom Over Europe" tour) and the previously unreleased 1977 demo of "Reputation" round out the set for the KISS Army.
And for a ultimate KISS collector, with only 1000 copies being produced worldwide, "Kissteria - The Ultimate Vinyl Road Case" is a highly-collectible vinyl road case box set featuring 34 KISS LPs including nineteen studio albums, all five of the "Alive" releases, the four original KISS solo albums, each with exact replicas of the original inserts, plus six exclusive vinyl titles that will not be made available individually. All albums are pressed onto audiophile 180-gram vinyl and are newly remastered from the ultra-high definition Direct Stream Digital transfers from original analog tapes to bring out maximum fidelity of these iconic albums.
Exclusive "Kissteria" extras include eleven 11"x17" archival posters, including the band's very first promo poster; a KISS vinyl cleaning cloth; a KISS turntable mat; a set of KISS dominoes; four band lithographs highlighting four decades of the band; and a certificate of authenticity displaying the limited edition number for each of the individual box sets.
Forty years ago KISS released their eponymous debut album, which would propel the band to the top of the rock and roll hierarchy where they have reigned for the past four decades making the KISS legacy a global brand with more than 3,000 licensed merchandise products, including a recent partnership with the Arena Football League as owners of the Anaheim-based expansion team LA KISS.
KISS Vinyl
Release date: April 1, 2014
* Alive!
* Animalize
* Destroyer
* Dressed To Kill
* Dynasty
* Hotter Than Hell
* KISS
* Lick It Up
* Revenge
* Unmasked
Release date: May 6, 2014
* Asylum
* Creatures Of The Night
* Love Gun
* MTV Unplugged
* Psycho Circus *
Release date: May 27, 2014
* Rock And Roll Over
* Alive III
* Music From The Elder (first vinyl release in concept album sequence)
* Crazy Nights
* Hot In The Shade
* Alive: The Millennium Concert *
* Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions *
Release date: June 24, 2014
* Alive II
* Ace Frehley
* Gene Simmons
* Peter Criss
* Paul Stanley
* First Time on Vinyl
"Kiss 40"
Unless indicated, all selections are album versions
CD 1
01. Nothin To Lose
02. Let Me Go, Rock 'N' Roll
03. C'mon and Love Me
04. Rock And Roll All Nite (Live)
05. God Of Thunder (Demo)
06. Beth
07. Hard Luck Woman
08. Reputation (Demo) (previously unreleased)
09. Christine Sixteen
10. Shout It Out Loud (Live)
11. Strutter '78
12. You Matter To Me (Peter Criss)
13. Radioactive (Gene Simmons)
14. New York Groove (Ace Frehley)
15. Hold Me, Touch Me (Paul Stanley)
16. I Was Made For Lovin' You (Single Edit)
17. Shandi
18. A World Without Heroes
19. I Love It Loud
20. Down On Your Knees
21. Lick It Up
22. Heaven's On Fire
CD 2
01. Tears Are Falling
02. Reason To Live
03. Let's Put The X In Sex
04. Forever (Remix)
05. God Gave Rock 'N' Roll To You II
06. Unholy (Live)
07. Do You Love Me? (MTV Unplugged)
08. Room Service (Live)
09. Jungle (Radio Edit)
10. Psycho Circus
11. Nothing Can Keep Me From You
12. Detroit Rock City (Live)
13. Deuce (Live 2004) (previously unreleased commercially)
14. Firehouse (Live - 1999/2000)
15. Modern Day Delilah
16. Cold Gin (Live 2009) (previously unreleased commercially)
17. Crazy Crazy Nights (Live 2010) (previously unreleased commercially)
18. Hell Or Hallelujah
"Kissteria - The Vinyl Road Case"
Custom ANVIL Road Case to house 34 KISS LPs and a plethora of extras.
* KISS
* Hotter Than Hell
* Dressed To Kill - Includes Embossed Front & Back Jacket Covers
* Alive! - Includes 8 Page Color Booklet
* Destroyer
* Rock And Roll Over - Includes Sticker Sheet
* Love Gun - Includes Paper Gun with "Bang" Sheet
* Alive II - Includes Tattoo Sheet & 8 Page Color Booklet
* Ace Frehley (Solo Album) - Includes "Ace" Interlocking Poster
* Gene Simmons (Solo Album) - Includes "Gene" Interlocking Poster
* Peter Criss (Solo Album) - Includes "Peter" Interlocking Poster
* Paul Stanley (Solo Album) - Includes "Paul" Interlocking Poster
* Dynasty - 22" x 33" Poster
* Unmasked - 22" x 33" Poster
* Music From The Elder - First Vinyl Release in Concept Album Sequence
* Creatures Of The Night
* Lick It Up
* Animalize
* Asylum
* Crazy Nights
* Hot In The Shade
* Revenge
* Alive III
* MTV Unplugged - Includes 24" x 24" Poster
* Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions - First Vinyl Pressing Ever
* Psycho Circus - First Vinyl Pressing Ever will include a 12"x12" Lenticular Cover
* Alive: The Millennium Collection - First Vinyl Pressing Ever
* Monster
Exclusive vinyl titles for the Road Case:
* Double Platinum - Includes Embossed front & back jacket covers + Embossed platinum award insert
* Greatest Kiss - Includes First Vinyl Pressing Ever. Will combine all exclusive tracks used worldwide into one package
* Killers - Includes First U.S. Release Ever. Will combine both Japan and Australia track lists into one package
* You Wanted The Best, You Got The Best
* Smashes, Thrashes & Hits
* Kiss Symphony: Alive IV
Exclusive Bonus Items for Vinyl Box:
* Eleven 11"x17" Archival Posters in a poster tube:
* First Band Promo Poster
* Hotel Diplomat Concert Poster
* "Asylum" Promo Poster
* "Lick It Up" Promo Poster
* KISS 1984 Promo Poster
* "Alive III" Promo Poster
* "You Wanted The Best, You Got The Best" Promo Poster
* "Smashes, Thrashes & Hits" Promo Poster
* "MTV Unplugged" Promo Poster
* Live 1996 Tour Poster
* "Psycho Circus" Promo Poster
* KISS Vinyl Cleaning Cloth
* KISS Turntable Mat
* KISS Dominoes
* Four Band Photo Lithographs
* Certificate of Authenticity with Exclusive Box Number
REVOLVER What happened, from your perspective, in regards to a possible KISS reunion performance at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction?
ACE FREHLEY Originally, the Hall of Fame asked all four of us to do a reunion and that was presented to each original member who is being inducted. Then some time went by, and I heard a couple weeks back that Paul and Gene decided to perform with Tommy [Thayer] and Eric [Singer]. And I had gone on the Eddie Trunk show earlier, about a month prior to the last time I went on, and I was saying, “Yeah, it would be great if we did a reunion.” It was shot down, but I think I led the fans to believe there was going to be a reunion. With tickets going on sale the following Monday, I decided to go on Ed Trunk’s show a couple weeks back when I was in Las Vegas recording. I just wanted to let the fans know that last I heard, Paul and Gene decided not to perform with me and Peter [Criss] and opted to perform with Tommy and Eric. It got a lot of people pissed off, but I had to lay it out because I didn’t want fans buying tickets for an event they weren’t going to see. Last I heard, there’s going to be no performance. There has been a lot of negotiating behind closed doors and I’m sworn to secrecy. But last I heard, there’s just going to be no performance. I don’t know what the reason is. And at this point, I don’t care because it was renting so much space in my head, it was affecting my creativity and finishing up my record.
You got onstage with Peter at Eddie Trunk’s birthday party. That was the first time you had played with him in 13 years. Did you see that as a litmus test for future performances together?
Since me and Peter have gone our own ways, we haven’t made any plans to tour together in the future. But it was just a special event for Ed, and both myself and Peter are good friends with Eddie Trunk. He has always supported our careers with KISS and without KISS. So it was something I wanted to do for Ed and it was a lot of fun. I’ve been reading stuff on the Internet and Paul and Gene have been insinuating that maybe Peter and myself don’t have it anymore, which is a load of crap. We proved otherwise at Eddie’s party, but aside from that, it’s very misleading. I think somehow they wanted to validate the current lineup. I don’t have a problem with the current lineup. It is what it is–it’s half a KISS cover band.
But the event at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is about the four original members. Nobody else is being inducted except the four. If Tommy and Eric were being inducted as well, along with Bruce [Kulick] and Eric Carr and Vinnie Vincent–yeah, why not.
Why didn’t the Hall of Fame nominate everyone who has been in the band? Paul had some complaints about that earlier, saying everyone who has ever played on a Red Hot Chili Peppers record has been nominated, why not everyone who has ever played with KISS?
I don’t want to take any potshots at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It’s a cool organization. But it is what it is. Obviously, Paul brought out the inconsistencies. They bend their own rules. I don’t want to get political though because I hate politics. I’ve always said to keep politics and music separate.
The truth is Joel Peresman and the rest of the decision makers refused to consider the induction of ANY former KISS members and specifically the late Eric Carr and Bruce Kulick who were both in the band through multi platinum albums and worldwide tours and DIDN'T wear makeup.
There is no getting around the reality that the Hall of Fame's favoritism and preferential treatment towards artists they like goes as far as ASKING the Grateful Dead how many members THEY wanted the hall to induct and following their directive while also including a songwriter who was never in the actual band.
Let's just accept the truth as it is and move on. - Paul Stanley
Kiss, according to frontman Paul Stanley, is upset that the Rock Hall plans to induct only the group's founding lineup and tells Billboard that discussions about subsequent members "was shut down as a non-starter."
Nevertheless, Stanley says Kiss feels that honoring the other six musicians who have played in the band is "a very valid argument considering that there are people who played on multi-platinum albums and played for millions of people and were very important for the continuation of the band. And clearly when you've got a busload of Grateful Dead (members) who have been inducted and guys in the Chili Peppers who nobody knows who they are because they played on the very earliest albums are inducted...The list goes on and on of the inconsistencies. Now, I'm not pointing fingers at any of those people, but I'm certainly pointing a finger at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The only consistencies are inconsistencies and the rules clearly are there are no rules because the criteria for how and who gets in is purely based upon a personal like or dislike. And when I feel we're being treated unfairly, I have issues with that."
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation CEO Joel Peresman says that the decision about who to induct from any band is made by the Rock Hall's nominating committee as well as an adjunct group of "scholars and historians" familiar with specific inductees and genres. "This isn't chemistry or physics; it's not an exact science," Peresman acknowledges. "Sometimes there's an entire body of work up until (the artists) are inducted, other times it's a specific period of time that established the band as who they are. With Kiss there wasn't one person here who didn't agree that the reason Kiss was nominated and is being inducted was because of what was established in the 70s with Ace (Frehley), with Peter (Criss), with Paul and Gene (Simmons). That's what put them on that map."
Peresman adds that Kiss "is a unique situation where you have artists who wear makeup as part of what the band's about," but the Rock Hall felt that the later members -- including current guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer, who are wearing Frehley and Criss' makeup, respectively -- "are fine musicians who...basically have the same makeup and are the same characters that Ace and Peter started. It's not like they created these other characters with different makeup and playing different songs. They took the persona of characters that were created by Ace and Peter." Persman notes that last year Heart was in a similar position, where the Rock Hall chose to induct the original 70s sextet and not later musicians that played in the band.
But Stanley feels the situation with Kiss is a bit more personal. "That it's 14 years on (of eligibility) and we're getting into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a clear indication that the people who hide behind that moniker don't like us, but it reached a point where it was so absurd and ludicrous (to exclude Kiss) that they caved," he says. "It's like them swallowing a teaspoon of medicine they don't want. It's a bitter pill for them to swallow, so they're making it as small as possible."
Stanley says that the Rock Hall asked Kiss to perform as the original quartet, in make-up, but he and Simmons -- who have been playing with three-time Kiss member Singer again since 2002 and Thayer since 2004 -- were not confident the performance would be up to standard. "Honestly, I don't want to roll the dice and possibly negatively impact on what I personally have been involved in building for 40 years," he explains. "I have too much invested at this point. It really is a can of worms that I feel is better off left closed." Peresman, meanwhile, says the Rock Hall has no plans for a performance stand-in for Kiss at the ceremony. "We have other artists, other inductees showing up and performing when they can," Peresman says. "We're very hopeful that Ace and Peter and Paul and Gene come and accept their award. We're obviously honored to have them inducted."
And Stanley expects that to be the case.
"There's been a lot of issues, and perhaps the best way to deal with them is to celebrate the four original guys and go there and get our award and to look past the differences that will always be there," he says. "It doesn't change the big picture; we have differences and we will continue to have differences. It doesn't change who I want to play with and who represents Kiss. There are a lot of people who are great inspirations to me, and still are, who are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and for that reason and the fact that fans want us in there, I graciously and vigorously will be there to accept the award. We should salute and enjoy an evening that celebrates what the four of us started. But just because I'm getting inducted doesn't mean it's turned into a love fest."
This week, Kiss announced a co-headlining tour with Def Leppard. Stanley, meanwhile, publishes his autobiography "Face The Music: A Life Exposed" on April 8, with book signings being put together throughout the month.
*The most insane KISS offering for MEGA FANS
*Limited Edition Vinyl Box Set: 1,000 units worldwide
*Authentic Anvil ™ Road Case
*Thirty-Four LPs with EXCLUSIVE Merch and Vinyl included
CLICK HERE for pre-order information.
The bass player and his band will be added to the Hall of Fame in April after a series of near misses in recent years, but the rockers aren't exactly thrilled about the honour.
Simmons and bandmate Paul Stanley feel they should have been inducted years ago - and they're annoyed that rap acts like Run-DMC, Grandmaster Flash and Public Enemy got in before them.
Speaking to Radio.com, Simmons says, "A long time ago it was diluted. It's really backroom politics... A few people decide what's in and what's not. And the masses just scratch their heads. You've got Grandmaster Flash in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame? Run-DMC in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame? You're killing me! That doesn't mean those aren't good artists. But they don't play guitar. They sample and they talk. Not even sing!
"If you asked Madonna, 'What kind of artist are you?' do you think she would say, 'Oh, rock!' So what they hell are they doing in the Hall of Fame? They can run their organisation any way they'd like, but it ain't rock! It just isn't! If you don't play guitar and you don't write your own songs, you don't belong there."
Earlier this month, singer Stanley revealed KISS would not be performing at the induction ceremony.
Kiss, which released its self-titled debut and Hotter Than Hell in 1974, will kick off a year of anniversary festivities with the April 1 arrival of 10 remastered Kiss albums on vinyl. Another 18 titles will be unleashed by mid-2014.
In May, the band delivers the two-CD Kiss 40 compilation containing one track from every major album, plus live cuts and an unreleased demo from 1977. The set includes such Kiss classics as Detroit Rock City, Love Gun, Beth, Rock And Roll All Nite, Psycho Circus, I Was Made For Lovin' You and Lick It Up.
And today, the foursome serves up Kissteria — The Ultimate Vinyl Road Case, a vinyl box set holding 34 Kiss LPs including titles never previously issued on vinyl. The limited-edition mother lode of Kiss music boasts 19 studio albums, all five Alive releases, the four original Kiss solo albums and six exclusive vinyl discs that will not be sold individually. Among the extras are 11 posters (including the band's first promo poster), a Kiss vinyl cleaning cloth, a Kiss turntable mat, Kiss dominos and four band lithographs. The box can be pre-ordered here. Visit KissOnline.com for details on all things Kiss.
The band will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame April 10. The group is announcing a tour with Def Leppard today.
The tour begins June 23 in West Valley City, Utah, and wraps up Aug. 31 in Woodlands, Texas. Tickets go on sale starting Friday.
The groups announced the tour Monday at the House of Blues in Los Angeles.The press conference was streamed live via the Live Nation website.
Def Leppard singer Joe Elliott says he and Gene Simmons first discussed the idea of the two bands touring together when he and the Kiss bassist played some South American dates two years ago as part of a rock-and-roll all-stars tour. "It's finally happened, which is fantastic," Elliott says.
It'll be the first time the two bands have shared a bill, though Stanley says, "We've run into each other at festivals. It just seemed to be a natural fit." Stanley also noted that one of guitarist Phil Collen's pre-Def Leppard bands, Girl, opened for Kiss in the U.K. during the early '80s.
Kiss did a similar co-headlining tour with Motley Crue in 2012.
Kiss released its first album, Hotter Than Hell, 40 years ago, and the band will commemorate the anniversary with a slew of archival releases, including a 34-LP vinyl box set and a two-CD compilation called Kiss 40. The group will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame April 10.
Def Leppard has been writing music for the group's next album. "We all camped out at my house last month and wrote songs, which you will hear none of this summer," Elliott says. Collen says he expects that album to come out in 2015.
Simmons says a dollar from each ticket sold on the tour will go to to the Wounded Warrior Project and other military non-profits. Those charitable partners include the USO, Hire a Hero, Project Resiliency/The Raven Drum Foundatio, and The Augusta Warrior Project. "Politicians fart through their mouth," Simmons says. "Only the military makes freedom possible."
Stanley adds that the group also plans to hire vets for its crew. "We try to find a couple of vets who want to go out and be part of the team," he says. "This is a chance for somebody to travel and be part of the Kiss Army."
Elliot says he doesn't see any rivalry developing between the groups while they're on tour. "It's two great bands that are going to be playing for the same amount of time," he says. "It's joint forces. I don't see it as competitive at all."
The legendary bands will embark on a U.S. tour June 23 in West Valley City, Utah. They will play more than 40 dates, including Los Angeles; Austin, Texas; Nashville, Tenn.; Atlanta; and Tampa, Fla. The tour wraps Aug. 31 in Woodlands, Texas.
Tickets go on sale Friday.
"You have two bands who to one degree or another have stood the test of time and put them together and you'll have a great night of music," said Paul Stanley of Kiss in an interview. "We're living in a time now where everyone wants more for their money, and that's understandable. So, when you can get two bands to collaborate together, we couldn't pick a better band for this tour than Def Leppard to go out with us."
Def Leppard's Joe Elliott said it's not likely the two bands will perform together.
"We're not jam bands either of us," Elliott said in an interview from Dublin. "It's very theatrical what Kiss does to a lesser extent obviously 'cause we don't do the makeup thing, our show runs like a military operation for sure. It's not like the Grateful Dead and Phish touring or something."
Kiss and Def Leppard are partnering with various military companies for the tour to support U.S. troops, including the United Service Organizations Inc. and Hiring Our Heroes.
Kiss will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame next month. This year marks Kiss' 40th anniversary.
Elliott will release a new album with his band Down 'N' Outz called "The Further Adventures Of..." on April 21. He said Def Leppard recently went into the studio to write new music.
Tickets On Sale Starting Friday, March 21 Through Live Nation Mobile App and at LiveNation.com
LOS ANGELES – March 17, 2014 – This summer two of the world's greatest rock bands, KISS and DEF LEPPARD, are set to deliver a massive tour dedicated to fans who wanna rock and roll all night! These two legendary rock bands spanning two continents announced today that they will launch the tour as KISS celebrates their 40th year in music. The summer's biggest hit-fueled rock tour, promoted exclusively by Live Nation, will storm through 40-plus cities throughout North America kicking-off on Monday, June 23 in West Valley City, UT at the USANA Amphitheater. Tickets go on sale starting on Friday, March 21 through the Live Nation mobile app and at www.livenation.com.
With combined album sales of over 200 million, KISS and Def Leppard are more than just iconic; they remain TODAY'S dominant powerhouses of rock tallying 30+ chart-topping hits, countless sold out MEGA tours and awards and accolades from around the globe. Known for their elaborate and spectacular stage shows, each band plans to give fans the ultimate summer concert experience with the most impressive lighting and sound production ever along with KISS' signature over-the-top pyrotechnics.
KISS consists of vocalist/bassist Gene Simmons, vocalist/guitarist Paul Stanley, lead guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer. Def Leppard consists of vocalist Joe Elliott, guitarist Vivian Campbell, guitarist Phil Collen, bassist Rick “Sav” Savage and drummer Rick Allen.
Kiss is scheduled to be inducted into the Rock Hall on April 10 in New York City. But Stanley said in an interview Friday with The Associated Press that he doesn't think the Rock Hall is being fair and that the organization has altered their rules for other acts.
"We have continuing issues with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, starting with the fact that they chose to only induct the original lineup when that's hardly the case with other bands," he said from Los Angeles.
"In the Grateful Dead's case, (they) also inducted a writer who never played an instrument," said Stanley, referring to Robert Hunter's inclusion when the band was inducted in 1994. "Or they've inducted rap artists, or they've inducted people who have been in the band for seven years as opposed to ... 25 years or 20 years — whatever their criteria of this week is."
A representative for the Rock Hall didn't immediately return an email seeking comment. Acts become eligible for induction 25 years after the release of their first record.
Kiss wrote on its website last month that it would not perform at the Rock Hall induction.
The original members from 1973 — Stanley, Gene Simmons, Peter Criss and Ace Frehley — are scheduled for induction. Criss left the band in 1980 and Frehley left in 1982. Other members joined during the 1980s, but the current lineup includes Singer, who joined in 1992, and Thayer, who came on board in 2003.
Stanley, 62, said the Rock Hall "tried to strong-arm us into playing in original lineup," but the band wouldn't do so.
"Their craving of nostalgia or for wanting to have us play by their rules in many ways jeopardizes what we have spent 40 years building," he said. "I've been there since the beginning, and when I put on my Kiss gear, I do it with great pride, and anything that may jeopardize that by going out with a lineup that I might question is a nonstarter for me."
Thayer and Singer should be inducted, he said, because they "have been in the band for decades and played on multiplatinum albums and toured the world."
He ended with this: "So, in this case, very clearly the tail doesn't wag the dog, and Kiss is a big dog, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a small tail."
Nirvana, Peter Gabriel, Hall and Oates, Linda Ronstadt and Cat Stevens will also be inducted at the 29th-annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Barclays Center. Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham and the late Beatles manager Brian Epstein will receive Ahmet Ertegun awards, a nonperforming honor. And Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band will get an award for musical excellence.
The event will air in May on HBO.
On Monday, March 17 at the House of Blues in Los Angeles, KISS and DEF LEPPARD will announce the "2014 Heroes Tour" — and the U.S. Chamber Of Commerce Foundation's Hiring Our Heroes wants you to be a part of it.
The "2014 Heroes Tour" will help change the lives of veterans and military families across America. That's why KISS and DEF LEPPARD are teaming up with the U.S. Chamber Of Commerce Foundation's Hiring Our Heroes program to make this special announcement in front of an exclusive audience of the men and women who have proudly served our country.
Guests will be able to take photos with the bands and participate in a question-and-answder session with the bands and giveaways for KISS items (subject to availability).
RSVP as soon as possible to hohspecialevents@gmail.com (let them know if you can come in uniform).
KISS and DEF LEPPARD's joint summer U.S. tour is set to kick off in late June and run through the end of August. The trek will see KISS closing all dates.
With their signature makeup, explosive stage show and anthems like "Rock And Roll All Nite" and "Detroit Rock City", KISS is the very personification of rock stars. In 2014, the band celebrates the 40th anniversary of the release of their first album, "Kiss". After four decades of scoring countless hit singles, sold-out tours and appearing everywhere from comic books to lunch boxes to their very own TV movie, the iconic band remains one of the most influential artists in the history of rock and roll. At the top of American bands with the most gold albums, KISS has sold more than 100 million albums worldwide — including their chart-topping 20th studio album, "Monster", produced by Paul Stanley and released in 2012. In support of that album, the band performed their worldwide "Monster" tour with sold-out-out shows in Australia, Europe, South America, North America and Japan as once again KISS, and their loyal followers in the KISS Army, rocked the globe.
DEF LEPPARD's influential career includes numerous hit singles and ground-breaking multi-platinum albums — including two of the best-selling albums of all time, "Pyromania" and "Hysteria". Most recently, the band released their first live album, "Mirror Ball: Live & More", which rose to the Top 20 on The Billboard 200 chart. The album captures the group's legendary concert experience, bringing together live versions of classic LEPPARD hits such as "Rock Of Ages", "Pour Some Sugar on Me" and "Foolin'".
With 100 million records sold worldwide and two prestigious Diamond Awards to their credit, DEF LEPPARD — Joe Elliott (vocals), Vivian Campbell (guitar), Phil Collen (guitar), Rick "Sav" Savage (bass) and Rick Allen (drums) — continues to be one of the most important forces in rock music. Over the course of their career, the band has produced a series of classic groundbreaking albums that set the sound for generations of music fans and artists alike. The group's spectacular live shows, filled with powerful melodic rock anthems, have become synonymous with their name. For the past thirty years the band's concerts have become must-see events and have quickly made them an institution in the touring industry, as they continue to sell out arenas worldwide.
If you are looking for something in the "Holy Grail" range, Peter Criss' personal drum kit that he used from 1973 to 1974 while on tour with KISS should definitely be on at the top of your list of items to procure. As far as epic, historic and downright mind-blowing KISS collectibles go, it is hard to imagine something more prestigious than his complete Ludwig drum kit, which was his very first official KISS kit.
Criss premiered the kit in December of 1973 and played it all the way through 1974, before it was replaced by a stretch of Pearl kits. In addition to the super-cool, 24-inch glitter logo bass drum, it also contains the snare, various tom-toms, cymbals, cowbell, drum stool and even some of the original road cases.
But wait… there is more, so much more. The auction will also feature an original Kiss Army jacket given to Peter by Paul Stanley when he and his daughter Jenilee made a surprise appearance at the 1995 KISS convention in Burbank, California. During that appearance, Criss joined KISS for two songs and the jacket he received is one of the most valuable KISS collectibles from the past 20 years. Add in the provenance of this particular jacket, collectors are sure to aggressively go after this piece for their personal collections. It has been said that this single event, helped lay the foundation for the "MTV Unplugged" session later that year which then propelled into a full-blown five-year KISS reunion tour.
For the curators exclusive pop culture artwork, the original Eraldo Carugati painting used for Peter Criss' solo album should be given serious consideration. In 1978, Bill Aucoin commissioned the artist to paint the images of all four band members to be used for the solo albums. To this day, the four solo face images are used on everything from posters to t-shirts and everything in between.
This is the first time in history that one of the original paintings will be publicly made available to the collectors market.
"So often we think we have hit the peak of rare Kiss memorabilia and then another collection comes along, and collectively the pieces featured in this auction have moved us to a new summit with the private collections of Debra Svensk-Jenson (previously married to Peter Criss), Linda West and the late Ken Anderson, both of Aucoin Management, and rock photographer Chip Rock," says Backstage Auctions founder Jacques van Gool.
The auction will feature a wide range of KISS memorabilia appealing to everyone's taste and budget, including gold and platinum RIAA awards, rare t-shirts, jackets and crew attire, artist signed items, rare ephemera and personal notes, hand-written lyrics, sticks, picks and passes, rare vinyl and more. "There is enough historical KISS memorabilia in this auction that it would be worthy of a Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame exhibit," says van Gool.
The Rock Gods And Metal Monsters Auction will also include hundreds of rare hard rock and heavy metal memorabilia from the private collections of David Ellefson (MEGADETH), Frank Bello (ANTHRAX), Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX), Scott Ian (ANTHRAX), John Tempesta (THE CULT, EXODUS, TESTAMENT), Page Hamilton (HELMET), Sean Yseult (WHITE ZOMBIE) and several industry professionals.
The online auction starts March 30 and will run through April 6. A special VIP All Access preview of the entire auction catalog will be available beginning March 23.
For more information and to get your VIP All Access Pass for the event, visit www.backstageauctions.com.
“Paul and I got on the phone and called Ace and Peter,” Simmons explained of what happened right when they found out about the induction. “‘Hey, congratulations. It was an honor to stand alongside you then and we’ll be proud to stand alongside of you at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to accept the award.’ And they were gracious and happy and God bless, and all of that, and we went off our separate ways. And then we found out the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will only be honoring the original lineup with Ace, Peter, Paul and myself, and we said, ‘Oh okay, then we won’t be playing there. We’ll just accept the award. Thank you very much.’ And they go, ‘What are you talking about?’ and I said, ‘Well, you have a group like the Eagles who continue to be our contemporaries…and every member that has even been in the Eagles has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. But you’re only gonna honor the first lineup that was together for seven years? We’ve been around forty years. Tommy and Eric have been in the band 20 years — two and a half times longer than Ace and Peter. You’re going to slap them in the face and we’re supposed to get you a sandwich and make sure you burp at 9 o’clock at night and get up on stage and do it? No, that’s not going to happen.’”
Simmons then went on to draw a comparison to fully illustrate his point. “So imagine you’re being invited to be inducted at an award ceremony and you get to bring only the first person you ever went out with in your life. The one, your beloved right now? She can’t come, or he can’t come. They get to stay home, They don’t get honored. ‘And while you’re there, can you get me a sandwich?’ Really? That’s not going to fly.”
Okay, first off, I’m not sure what the sandwich thing is about. Maybe he was just hungry. Yes, Simmons has a point that it would kind of be a bummer for longtime members to be excluded. But he also has to know that the band is being honored for what they did when they ruled the rock world back in the 1970s, a time when the band included Criss and Frehley. Those are the four people everyone wants to see on stage together, just like when the original lineup reunited back in 1996. In any event, you can listen to the full audio below, in which Simmons drops another bombshell. Apparently, he’s been offered a role in the new Entourage movie!
A developing royalty dispute concerning the rock band KISS has become a tad strange.
On Monday, The Kiss Company, Gene Simmons Worldwide and Universal-Polygram were taken to New York Supreme Court by the claimed estate of Eric Carr, the KISS drummer who died in 1991. The action was reported in the media as a lawsuit, although technically what was filed was a petition for pre-action disclosure. In advance of a legal claim, the estate was seeking discovery. The filing regarded alleged missing royalty payments from representatives of Kiss and UMPG and the copyright re-registration of the composition "Little Caesar" without Carr's name.
Then on Wednesday, KISS' official website published a "statement from Eric Carr family," which quoted attorney Mark Abbattista, said to represent the Carr family.
"It came to our attention through a variety of different media outlets that a legal proceeding was filed against the band KISS purporting to be on behalf of the ‘The Estate of Eric Carr’ and the ‘late KISS drummer’s heirs,’" said Abbattista. "This proceeding was filed by a non-related third party without any knowledge, authorization or consent of anyone in the Carr family.”
Abbatista added that a cease and desist was sent out to stop further actions from the claimed Carr estate.
We spoke to Robert Garson, the attorney representing the petitioner. He calls the demand "complete rubbish" and maintains he was "validly instructed by executors of the estate." He adds that "this chap" Abbattista "represents Eric Carr's sister, Loretta Caravello," but that she's not in control.
Abbattista, the same entertainment lawyer who was featured in the 21st season of CBS' reality show The Amazing Race, declined to say anything more than the statement already given.
Although it's nearly impossible to verify the legitimacy of the petition filed in New York court, the petition does include fairly detailed notes about contract agreements and communications with Kiss parties. In addition, the petitioner has lodged exhibits including a pay statement, portions of the songwriter agreement, and emails from Universal Music Publishing Group and a Kiss representative.
With their signature makeup, explosive stage show and anthems like "Rock And Roll All Nite" and "Detroit Rock City", KISS is the very personification of rock stars. In 2014, the band celebrates the 40th anniversary of the release of their first album, "Kiss". After four decades of scoring countless hit singles, sold-out tours and appearing everywhere from comic books to lunch boxes to their very own TV movie, the iconic band remains one of the most influential artists in the history of rock and roll. At the top of American bands with the most gold albums, KISS has sold more than 100 million albums worldwide — including their chart-topping 20th studio album, "Monster", produced by Paul Stanley and released in 2012. In support of that album, the band performed their worldwide "Monster" tour with sold-out-out shows in Australia, Europe, South America, North America and Japan as once again KISS, and their loyal followers in the KISS Army, rocked the globe.
DEF LEPPARD's influential career includes numerous hit singles and ground-breaking multi-platinum albums — including two of the best-selling albums of all time, "Pyromania" and "Hysteria". Most recently, the band released their first live album, "Mirror Ball: Live & More", which rose to the Top 20 on The Billboard 200 chart. The album captures the group's legendary concert experience, bringing together live versions of classic LEPPARD hits such as "Rock Of Ages", "Pour Some Sugar on Me" and "Foolin'".
With 100 million records sold worldwide and two prestigious Diamond Awards to their credit, DEF LEPPARD — Joe Elliott (vocals), Vivian Campbell (guitar), Phil Collen (guitar), Rick "Sav" Savage (bass) and Rick Allen (drums) — continues to be one of the most important forces in rock music. Over the course of their career, the band has produced a series of classic groundbreaking albums that set the sound for generations of music fans and artists alike. The group's spectacular live shows, filled with powerful melodic rock anthems, have become synonymous with their name. For the past thirty years the band's concerts have become must-see events and have quickly made them an institution in the touring industry, as they continue to sell out arenas worldwide.
A month earlier, Mark ran into one of his hard rock heroes and former guitarist for KISS: Bruce Kulick at Sportsmen’s Lodge in Studio City, CA. This lead to Mark approaching Bruce about playing on a “DJ Peace” cover of “Do You Love Me?”. Bruce agreed and liked the contemporary EDM-infused version of the song. "Bruce adds that classic KISS sound to the track which is very contemporary sounding," stated producer Jeff McCullough. He added "DJ Peace has arranged the song with a Zep-style guitar riff and added a solo that was never there which really makes the song rock!" DJ Peace is treating his new recording as a tribute to KISS with a release date of April 10, 2014, which is the day the founding members of KISS (Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley, Gene Simmons and Peter Criss) will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Bruce recorded and toured with Kiss for over twelve years. Gene Simmons has already stated that the band will be accepting the honor on behalf of all former members. Fans can continue to rock and roll all nite with two new DJ Peace tunes to celebrate Bruce's legacy with KISS. Coming to exclusively to CD Baby.
DJ Peace official website is dj-peace.com.
"It came to our attention through a variety of different media outlets that a legal proceeding was filed against the band KISS purporting to be on behalf of the 'The Estate of Eric Carr' and the 'late KISS drummer's heirs.' This proceeding was filed by a non-related third party without any knowledge, authorization or consent of anyone in the Carr family. The filing party's attorney has been contacted and ordered to cease and desist from any further statements, actions or allusions purporting to be on behalf of, or in any way relating, directly or indirectly, to Eric Carr and/or the Carr family."
Abbattista continued: "[KISS leaders] Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons know that Eric's family is not involved in this matter. However, due to the litigious society in which we live and the unfiltered proliferation of inaccurate online discussion, it is imperative to address the matter publicly, set the record straight and let the fans know that we are unified in our response to preserve and protect the honorable and beloved legacy of Eric Carr."
Added an Eric Carr family member: "We've known each other for almost 35 years and we have the highest respect for KISS and keeping Eric's memory in a positive light."
Meanwhile, KISS guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley tweeted the following message after the news of the lawsuit broke yesterday: "Eric Carr's family is shocked by a lawsuit filed without their knowledge or support. We will deal with this attempted scam appropriately."
A copy of the complaint, filed on March 10 by attorney Robert Garson in New York County Supreme Court, can be downloaded as a PDF file for a $35 fee from the Courthouse News Service.
Carr joined KISS in 1980 after the departure of the band's original drummer Peter Criss. He recorded eight albums with the group, starting with "Music From 'The Elder'" in 1981. His last recorded appearance with KISS was "Hot In The Shade", released in 1989.
This is Eric's sister Loretta, my family and I would like to thank you for coming out so quickly in my families defense.
We were just as shocked as you, When we saw that nonsense article in the paper. I was at a loss, we knew nothing about this.
So thank you for helping to put out the fire and hopefully stopping the negative comments online about my family.
My brother loved KISS and would have never done anything that would hurt the band . We have respected that and will continue to keep his memory with KISS in a positive light.
Congratulations on the Hall of Fame! We know you are trying, to include all, but no matter what may happens, We know Eric is smiling and proud to have been in such a great band)
Sincerely, The Caravello Family
Few bands know how to celebrate better than Kiss; it coined the concept "rock and roll all night and party every day," after all. And this is a time of celebration for the group, with this year marking the 40th anniversary of its first two albums, the launch of the Arena Football League's L.A. Kiss and its upcoming Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (though not without drama; read on) on April 10 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Best of all for frontman Paul Stanley is the April 8 publication of his autobiography "Face the Music: A Life Exposed," a revealing memoir in which he writes frankly about the travails of his youth and the triumphs and tribulations of both Kiss and his personal life.
Stanley lights out on a six-city book tour that begins April 7 at the Tribeca Barnes & Noble in New York with subsequent stops at the Barnes & Noble in Staten Island (April 8); Bookends in Ridgewood, N.J. (April 9); Barnes & Noble at The Grove in Los Angeles (April 16); Warwick's in La Jolla, Calif. (April 17); and the San Francisco Jewish Community Center on April 25.
With all that going on, it's not surprising our conversation with the Starman was wide-ranging and characteristically forthright.
You're the last of the original Kiss members with a book of your own. Just a slacker?
It really had nothing to do with the band as far as being first, last, middle. It wasn't with any of that in mind. The truth of the matter is I had sworn for, literally, decades not to write an autobiography. I always go back to George Orwell, who said the autobiography is the most outrageous form of fiction. And I would say 90-plus, 95 percent of the autobiographies by any of my contemporaries would be better suited on a roll of soft paper, so at least you could use it for something, 'cause they're nothing more than self-serving fantasies or delusions or love letters to themselves. They serve no purpose. What I finally came to grips with was the idea that my life could be inspiring to other people... and almost more importantly I wanted something that my children could read when they got older to understand what it took for me to succeed and a better understanding of who I am and perhaps what they need in their lives to move forward. So there was a real purpose to this as opposed to just some sort of bragging rights.
That purpose being...?
I guess my book is about never quitting and about never losing sight of where you're going. Truly, obstacles are what you see when you lose sight of your goals. I've always been driven and, at my core, I've always been about my own survival and, for lack of a better word, how I can make it better. And certainly I couldn't have written this book if it didn't have a happy ending! (laughs)
There is a lot more struggle in your book, especially in your youth, than many would expect -- family dysfunction and especially the misshapen right ear and being deaf on that side. That's something you kept quite for decades. Why?
It was too painful. You can only reveal things and you can only deal with things when you're ready to. My experiences as a child were so debilitating and destructive that the best way for me to deal with my ear was to cover it and to, at least on the surface, ignore what was going on -- although that really wasn't an answer. Luckily, as an adult I found different ways to resolve some of those issues and also to find some surgical relief and modifications.
You go into depth about a lot of relationships, especially within the Kiss camp, but maybe the most fascinating is what you have to say about Gene. It seems very much like brothers -- obviously bonded, but not always happy with each other.
Oh, sure. Over the years that's been an ongoing theme in our relationship. There have been times where I've been very angry and resentful -- and I'm not saying momentarily. I'm saying for long periods of time. But time is the ultimate judge, and the fact that we've been together at this point for, my gosh, 44 years almost says volumes. We ARE brothers, and I know that in a pinch I can count on him and he knows the same, and that doesn't take away from the fact I think he's done some pretty crummy things. But that is because of who he is and his issues.
Did you read Gene's book, and the others'?
No. I read parts of Gene's book and I thought it was told from his point of view, but Gene puts himself in the epicenter of everything, and that might be because he's an only child. But that doesn't mean it's accurate. I want credit where credit is due, but I don't want credit for things I didn't do and I want to share the accolades with the people who make things possible, and I don't think (Simmons') book did that. So after reading some of it and having been present at much of what went on in that book, it just wasn't accurate so I didn't read it. In the case of Peter or Ace, there is a reason that defense attorneys don't put alcoholics or drug addicts on the witness stand; now, I'm not saying that they presently are, but that is a condition that lasts a lifetime. My point is that memories and recollections and the accuracy of people who were in altered states during much of what they purport happened is subject to question. And the small bits that a few people pointed out to me were absolutely outrageous to the point that I wondered if (Frehley and Criss) actually believed them.
So what actually went down with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and your decision not to play at the ceremony?
Oh, it starts decades go. That it's 14 years on (of eligibility) and we're getting into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a clear indication that the people who hide behind that moniker don't like us, but it reached a point where it was so absurd and ludicrous (to exclude Kiss) that they caved. But they're only going to induct the original four (members), and bringing up the idea of inducting members other than the original four...was shut down as a non-starter. It's a very valid argument considering that there are people who played on multi-platinum albums and played for millions of people and were very important for the continuation of the band. And clearly when you've got a busload of Gratefful Dead (members) who have been inducted and guys in the Chili Peppers who nobody knows who they are because they played on the very earliest albums are inducted, and when the original drummer of Rush, John Rutsey, who played on a classic album, isn't inducted. The list goes on and on of the inconsistencies. Now, I'm not pointing fingers at any of those people, but I'm certainly pointing a finger at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The only consistencies are inconsistencies and the rules clearly are there are no rules because the criteria for how and who gets in is purely based upon a personal like or dislike. And when I feel we're being treated unfairly, I have issues with that.
Any idea of why they're drawing such a hard line with Kiss?
Well, it's like them swallowing a teaspoon of medicine they don't want. It's a bitter pill for them to swallow, so they're making it as small as possible. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is kind of like a distortion of a bar mitzvah. Just 'cause I'm getting inducted doesn't mean this has turned into a love fest.
You could just play with the original four of you, of course.
They wanted the original four guys to play, in makeup. But, honestly, I don't want to roll the dice and possibly negatively impact on what I personally have been involved in building for 40 years. I have too much invested at this point. It really is a can of worms that I feel is better off left closed. So there's been a lot of issues, and perhaps the best way to deal with them is to celebrate the four original guys and go there and get our award and to look past the differences that will always be there. It doesn't change the big picture; we have differences and we will continue to have differences. It doesn't change who i want to play with and who represents Kiss. There are a lot of people who are great inspirations to me, and still are, who are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and for that reason and the fact that fans want us in there, I graciously and vigorously will be there to accept the award. We should salute and enjoy an evening that celebrates what the four of us started. But there's always a lot of cloak and dagger stuff and a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes.
After that, we'll see Kiss on the road this year?
Yes, in June. We'll go on tour and do what we do, and that is do great shows. Arguably this is the best stage show we've ever done; the Spider stage just takes everything to another level. So we're just gonna get out there and do what we do.
Do you see another album on the horizon?
Not at the moment. I can't rule it out. The other ones came about very naturally and seemed like the right time. I certainly thought that we needed to claim our ground and put our stamp on the present and the future with our feet still planted in the past. They felt great to do because the band has been that great. Where we go from here as far as recording, I don't know. There are no plans at the moment -- and that could change tomorrow.
You end "Face The Music" with the notion that Kiss can continue without you, and Gene. Do you really mean that?
One hundred percent! Why wouldn't I? It's absurd for me to think that this incredible band, brand, point of view, lifestyle, philosophy shouldn't exist without me. I'm not essential to it. I've laid the groundwork and written the bible, so to speak, but I'm not big-headed or delusional enough to believe that there isn't somebody out there, and more than one person, who could do this every bit as well and better than I do and bring something else to it, based on what I've done. The people who believed the band can't exist or continue without me or Gene, well, a lot of those people in the late 70s believed the band couldn't continue without the original four -- at this point they're 50 percent wrong.
This is not something the Beatles could have spoken about doing, though, or the Rolling Stones.
Of course they couldn't -- because they're not Kiss! We've broken the rules from day one. We were never supposed to succeed in a lot of people's eyes. We've never been defined by the limitations of other people's bands, so why would we lower the bar based on what other bands can or can't do. We've moved forward and not only survived but thrived based on a philosophy and point of view and a certain music. It's really about that way more than it is about the individuals. I mean, I'm a big fan of mine, but I didn't invent the wheel.
(nypost.com) The heirs of the late KISS drummer Eric Carr — who replaced founding band member Peter Criss — have slapped the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-bound band with a lawsuit over unpaid royalties.
Carr’s heirs say the group, including founding frontmen Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, has stiffed them on untold payments stretching back to the Brooklyn-born musician’s death from cancer in 1991.
The suit says the estate is entitled to between a 5 and 50 percent cut on four lesser-known songs that Carr wrote — “Breakout,” “Carr Jam 1981” “Car Jam 1991” and “Little Caesar.”
Carr joined the band — known for its Kabuki makeup and pyrotechnic stagecraft — in 1980 and recorded eight albums.
For years the heirs believed they were only due royalties from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP).
“They thought they were getting it all from one source,” the estate’s attorney, Robert Garson, told The Post.
The heirs — a friend and a relative of Carr’s whom Garson declined to name — realized that they should have been receiving payments from Kiss entities including the current group, two publishing firms and Gene Simmons Worldwide Inc.
Reps for KISS stonewalled his attempts for information—blaming the delays on the band’s touring schedule and overworked accountants, records show.
Included in the Manhattan Supreme Court suit is a 1989 receipt Garson unearthed from KISS Co. to Carr for over $4,000 in payments from foreign use.
Garson wants to know where those funds went following Carr’s early death.
Carr, who took the stage wearing the facial makeup of “The Fox,” joined the band in 1980 and recorded eight albums with the group.
The “Rock and Roll All Night” band has recently enjoyed a resurgence with Stanley releasing a biography “Face the Music: A Life Exposed” this month and menswear designer John Varvatos hiring the band for his spring ad campaign.
But it’s also dealing with a rift among the original quartet over a reunion performance at the sold-out ceremony for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction at Barclay’s arena on April 10.
Hall of Fame organizers wanted the founding members to play—but Simmons and Stanley balked, claiming the performance would amount to an awkward KISS-and-make-up session with an ex-wife.
Fans are still hoping the foursome will get together for a jam session at the end of the night– ticket prices on the secondary market are up to over $2,000 each.
The band did not immediately return requests seeking comment.
Seated outside the Honda Center arena in Anaheim, California, the two sixty-somethings stayed true to their trademark self assurance and bravado in their plan to turn an indoor version of American football played on a smaller field with a heavy emphasis on high scores into a top entertainment draw in Southern California.
"We don't compete with anybody else. We set our own trail," Stanley told media assembled outside the arena, which is home to hockey's Anaheim Ducks and only a few miles down the road from Walt Disney Co's Disneyland theme park.
They aim to go where others have failed in a place with no shortage of entertainment and recreation alternatives.
The LA Kiss will be the fourth attempt to establish a franchise in either Los Angeles or nearby Anaheim since the league began in 1987. The team begins their season on Saturday in San Antonio, Texas.
Games will have a carnival-like atmosphere with elephants, fire-breathers, stilt walkers, little people and go-go dancers.
"We are trailblazers, whether it's in rock and roll or now football," added Stanley, who along with Simmons purchased the franchise with two other investors last year. "There's no rivalry because no one can rival us. We're going to stake our claims and mark our territory."
LA Kiss will give the 14-team Arena Football League another shot at making the sport stick in Southern California, the country's second-largest sports market, which has not had an NFL franchise in 20 years.
Arena football depends on players whose professional prospects in the NFL, the country's most popular sports league, never came to fruition.
Simmons, 64, and Stanley, 62, form half of Kiss, one of the top-selling rock groups of the past 40 years best known for their white-and-black face paint, garish costumes, and songs like party anthem "Rock and Roll All Nite" and ballad "Beth."
"ENTERTAINMENT" NOT SPORT
They are not the first rock and roll owners in arena football. Jon Bon Jovi of Bon Jovi is a former owner of the Philadelphia Soul franchise.
The league has made concerted efforts to court consumers in small and mid-markets such as Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Spokane, Washington, so far passing on renewing its past bets in competitive places like New York and Boston.
"There's no reason that we won't deliver exactly what we said we would," Simmons said. "Anyone else who has failed in the past may have tried valiantly, but trying isn't good enough."
The last franchise in the region, Los Angeles Avengers, folded in 2008 after nine seasons when the financially struggling league canceled its 2009 season.
"It's a fair way down the sports or economic food chain," Allen Sanderson, an economist at the University of Chicago, said about the league. "I think one should probably look at it as more of a hobby than an investment."
But franchise co-owner Brett Bouchy is steadfast that the LA Kiss should be viewed as an entertainment brand rather than a sports franchise like the NFL.
"We're going the other way. ... We are trying to differentiate ourselves from everything else out there in sports," he said.
LA Kiss will be able to seat about 15,000 people at the Honda Center, and Bouchy said the team has already been able to sell more than 7,000 season ticket packages with a goal of reaching 10,000 before the team's first home game on April 5.
But the franchise's marketing plan has its own inherent risks as well, said Keith Willoughby, a business professor at the University of Saskatchewan, drawing a comparison with the failed XFL football league that attempted to fuse the sport together with the over-the-top sensibility of pro wrestling.
"The challenge the XFL ran into was that it wasn't football enough for the football fan and it wasn't entertainment enough for the wrestling fan," he said. "You're trying to straddle two different cultural markets, and the inability to do both is a recipe for disaster."
Episode 66, March 11, 2014. This show was recorded three days before Mitch Lafon announced he had quit Three Sides of the Coin. We start this show with a statement as to what happened, why Mitch left, what will Three Sides do to replace Mitch. During the show Mitch did announce he would no longer do KISS Shockers from Mitch's Locker. The topic of the last show is our memories of the albums KISS, Alive!, Lick It Up and Hot In The Shade. We are also joined by fan Scott Lawrence who won or Sensers Treasure Hunt.
The Mexico state government says the March 15-16 "Hell and Heaven Metal Fest" concert planned for a fairground just east of Mexico City did not have adequate safety plans, posing a risk to concert-goers. The Web pages of all three of the metal bands still showed the concert on their tour schedules.
The state sent about 300 riot police to surround the fairgrounds Friday in the township of Texcoco. The state civil defense office, and its federal counterpart, said in a statement that it had cancelled the organizers' plans "for 70,000 to 80,000 people and 50 musical groups, because safety conditions for potential concert-goers were not ensured." It cited a lack of fire safety and evacuation plans, and inadequate planning for fireworks.
But concert organizers noted that the same fairgrounds are used each year for the Texcoco International Horse Fair, which is essentially a big concert drawing crowds nearly as large, with groups that perform songs directly related to violence, like narco corridos, which celebrate the exploits of drug cartel leaders.
For decades in the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s, the Mexican government effectively blocked most outdoor rock concerts, apparently fearful of gatherings of rebellious youth. But in Mexico, it is drug cartel violence that has cost tens of thousands of lives in recent years.
The town of Texcoco is governed by the leftist Citizens' Movement party and it still supports the Metal Fest. Town spokesman Francisco Vazquez said he believes the state government, which is in the hands of the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party, may have cancelled the concert for political reasons.
"I can't rule that out," said Vazquez. "This is discrimination against Texcoco."
But lingering suspicion of heavy metal in socially conservative Mexico may have played a role.
Texcoco market vendor Juan Portugues told the Milenio television network that local residents were leery of the festival. "We think that this event, this metal event, will be attended by a certain type of people, gangs will come," he said.
Juan Carlos Guerrero, the spokesman for the concert organizers, said, "I don't know if this is discrimination against the metal community, I couldn't prove that's the case, but there are some things that make you wonder, and one is that massive 'grupero' (another northern Mexico genre) concerts have been held in Texcoco, with as many as 200,000 people."
Another of the concert's organizers, Javier Castaneda, vowed the show would go on. "This is not a question of discrimination against heavy metal, it is more about political and financial interests," said Castaneda.
Joining the Rock & Brews family as the first multi-unit franchisee is Kansas native, Kirk Williams, president of Legacy Restaurant Group, an established restaurant operator who currently owns 21 Wendy's restaurants in Kansas and Missouri. Williams has formed Kanbrews, LLC to develop, open and operate the five Rock & Brews in Kansas and Oklahoma over the next five years, and has the option for an additional five in Missouri and Nebraska.
"Rock & Brews is unlike any full-service restaurant company I have experienced," said Williams. "The concept is very family and neighborhood friendly, offering superior classic American cuisine at affordable prices, an unparalleled selection of international and craft beers and an atmosphere that is energized and welcoming. After one hour at the company's flagship location near Los Angeles International Airport in California, I knew that we needed to bring this dynamic brand to the Midwest."
The new Rock & Brews in Overland Park will be part of the highly anticipated Prairiefire development, a 58-acre, mixed-use, "city-within-a-city" that will feature luxury residences, office space, a luxury boutique hotel, casual and fine dining, retail and entertainment facilities, and vast outdoor recreational space. Prairiefire will also be home to The Museum of Prairiefire, featuring renowned exhibitions and authentic artifacts from the American Museum of Natural History of New York, one of the world's most celebrated museums.
"Prairiefire, like Rock & Brews, is a truly unique destination experience and a perfect location for us," said Stanley. "Our goal is to provide a sensory experience for rockers of all ages with incredible food, a broad selection of craft beers and an exciting rock-themed environment."
Stanley and Simmons, along with their co-founding partners, restaurateur and hotelier Michael Zislis and concert industry veterans Dave and Dell Furano, are thoughtfully planning for worldwide expansion of the brand. The franchise agreement with Williams is the first of a handful of select regional, multi-unit franchise partners that Rock & Brews will engage for the expansion.
"We have opportunities around the world, and are carefully reviewing each and every one of them and interviewing appropriate partners," said Simmons. "While the demand is high, we will expand the brand cautiously because, like every one of our concerts, each restaurant is special."
Rock & Brews Overland Park will join the brand's growing roster that includes three Los Angeles-area locations, including its flagship location in El Segundo, one in Redondo Beach, and one at LAX Terminal 5; its first international location in Los Cabos, Mexico, and its newest location in Paia on Maui. In addition to Overland Park, several Rock & Brews restaurants are in development in Arizona, New Mexico, Florida and Texas.
The more-than-6,000-square-foot Rock & Brews Overland Park will feature the brand's signature casual American cuisine, a full bar that includes a broad selection of premium wines and international and craft beers, and an atmosphere reminiscent of a family-friendly concert environment, featuring concert lighting, multiple televisions and concert-style rock music. Guests can dine indoors or al fresco on heated patios. And, with something for everyone, Rock & Brews Overland Park will be dog-friendly and offer a lively play area for children.
Rock & Brews Overland Park will introduce 75 new full- and part-time jobs for restaurant employees and dozens of construction jobs.
While the restaurant is expected to open by May 1, grand opening activities hosted by Simmons and Stanley and their co-founding partners are set for May 29 and will include a luncheon for wounded warriors, veterans and active military and an evening gala.
For information, visit www.rockandbrews.com.
The premise couldn’t be simpler: Stars put personal belongings up for sale, with proceeds going to the charity of their choosing. Here’s the twist: While the host, Kit Hoover from "Access Hollywood," gets the celebrities to put a dollar value on their memorabilia, Julien’s co-owners Darren Julien and Martin Nolan roam through the residence looking for goodies.
“Closets and the drawers in the bedroom furniture are always interesting,” said Julien, who found a gold record behind a sofa and "Baywatch" dolls in the cupboards of David Hasselhoff’s Malibu rental. (That episode airs March 13.) “If a celebrity has Stickley furniture, we will sell it, but the iconic and personal items bring the highest bids. And seeing the celebrity on TV with the item that’s going to auction is the best form of authenticity.”
At the end of each show, one of the Julien’s co-owners determines the auction estimates for the items. "Martin and I can be the bad guys that give them the reality check,” Julien said. “Some of the celebrities are not happy with the evaluations, and it shows.”
"Darren is a cool guy,” said Hasselhoff, with a laugh. “It gave me a chance to tell all the amazing stories, but he undercut me on my 'Baywatch' pinball machine.” The actor also donated items from "Knight Rider" and his appearance in the "Spongebob Squarepants" movie.
“They built a 12-foot replica of me,” he added. “I was either going to turn it into a mailbox or a headstone, but I kept it in my screening room to scare people.” Bidding for the "Hoff" effigy will begin at $500 during the April 11-12 Hollywood Legends auction in Beverly Hills, which features items from Hasselhoff and "Celebrity Home Raiders" guest stars Fran Drescher and Ice-T and Coco.
Julien got a serious fright at Gene Simmons' Beverly Hills mega-mansion, which is featured in the series premiere. While scouring the house for collectibles, he opened a door, only to come face to face with the tongue-wagging Kiss bassist. "Gene wasn’t too happy that his personal space was invaded,” Julien said. “That look on my face was not acting.”
Simmons’ memorabilia — including items from his wife, actress Shannon Tweed — will be auctioned alongside items from the series’ other pop star participants: Debbie Gibson, David Cassidy and 'N Sync’s Lance Bass at the May 17 Music Icons auction at the Hard Rock in Times Square.
"Once we commit to doing something, it becomes 'How do we make this succeed?'" Paul Stanley says. "We've always gone against the grain and played by our own rules."
Around 9 a.m. on a clear, chilly morning, hulking figures methodically make their way onto a soccer pitch transformed into a 200-foot-by-85-foot, arena-football-regulation field—about half the size of a standard gridiron. As players wearing team-issued orange shirts and black shorts head onto the field, multiple camera operators stand by the entrance, capturing their every move. They graciously smile and acknowledge the non-team personnel while stretching and preparing for morning practice.
What they don't know is that on this day, the men who sign their checks—and will draw more attention to them than the average AFL player can ever hope to experience—plan to address them.
Suddenly, the players' attention shifts to a gentleman sauntering onto the field. He has long, flowing black hair and is wearing a leather jacket and jeans. After exchanging handshakes with several execs, he looks at his watch.
"Where's Gene?" KISS founding guitarist/singer Paul Stanley asks his manager/co-owner Doc McGhee.
"Soon," McGhee responds.
"That's right—he drives like an old lady," Stanley adds before the two share a laugh.
Finally, Gene Simmons, the legendary KISS bassist/singer, arrives. He parks his black Lincoln Navigator at the adjacent lot and hustles—clad entirely in black—onto the field so that practice and filming can finally commence. There's chatter, but some of the players don't recognize the rock icon without his trademark Kabuki makeup and rock-god stage attire.
After Simmons is mic'd, he joins Stanley, McGhee, co-owner Brett Bouchy and team president Schuyler Hoversten as they casually stroll toward the team huddle, where head coach Bob McMillen is outlining his plans for practice. The morning's action is being captured as part of an upcoming reality show that will chronicle the team's first season; it's scheduled to air on AMC in July.
Since their emergence in the early 1970s, KISS have been known as much for their genius commercialization and branding as for their music and devoted fan base. Over the years, the 2014 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees have licensed the band's name to a wide range of products, including mini-golf courses, Hello Kitty dolls and even caskets for fans who want to represent the KISS army in the afterlife. But their latest venture might be the most ambitious of all: bringing a football franchise to Orange County, an area that produces some of the best high school talent in the country. It is a far different beast than opening up another Rock & Brews restaurant.
The stakes are high for Simmons and Stanley. If the LA KISS can succeed, both by winning on the field and providing an exciting entertainment experience, their pockets and that of the AFL will benefit. Having recently signed a national television contract, the league could become a fixture on the spring sports calendar and achieve the lofty goals that seemed far-fetched when it re-formed in 2010.
And if they fail?
"Once we commit to doing something, it becomes 'How do we make this succeed?'" Stanley says, unapologetically. "We've always gone against the grain and played by our own rules. If winning is the worst we've ever done, well, that's what we've always aspired to."
* * *
After the initial made-for-TV speeches the owners give to the squad, the players shake hands with their bosses.
"Winning comes from teamwork," Stanley tells the team off-camera. "Nobody wins on their own, and if we can instill a sense of band of brothers, which is what it took with KISS, with them, they will be successful."
When talking with Bouchy and McGhee, the players shake hands with stoic expressions. Meeting and greeting Simmons and Stanley is different. The players gravitate toward them wearing smiles; some of them shake like teenagers backstage at a mid-1970s KISS concert. They continue talking to their rock-icon bosses even after the cameras stop rolling, but then McMillen's loud whistle signals them that it's time to get to business.
The LA KISS split into offensive and defensive practices, while the owners, with camera crew in tow, head for a set of bleachers 30 feet away.
Early on, practice is crisp and fluid, appearing as if the team has taken Stanley's message to heart. McMillen claps loudly and barks at the players to keep up the strong showing. As a Hall of Fame AFL player, the coach knows how to get his message across to players, who respond to his upbeat personality. Grueling agility drills are completed multiple times without complaint. After each player finishes a set, the coach shouts encouraging words. Early in the practice, he's focused on the defense. On the other side of the field, passes are mostly on target, with few dropped balls.
At this point, Simmons and Stanley can be excused for checking out early, managing their empire from afar and leaving the dirty work to underlings. Instead, Simmons' eyes are locked on several massive defensive linemen seamlessly weaving around the small orange cones during footwork drills.
"Wow! Did you see him move?" Simmons asks, his eyes lighting up. "I never knew humans could be that big, that fast and that quick on their feet. I'm out of wind just watching them!"
Yet, had it not been for an exploratory phone call from then-Orlando Predators owner Bouchy to McGhee, Simmons says, KISS wouldn't have expanded its brand into the AFL.
"Brett Bouchy is a champion," Simmons remarks. "All four of us—it's the unholy quartet."
Knowing the veteran music manager through a mutual friend, Bouchy originally wanted to chat with McGhee about the possibility of having KISS play a show during the 2013 Arena Bowl festivities in Orlando. "I wanted to create a Super Bowl-type atmosphere," Bouchy elaborates during a phone call a few weeks after the practice. "I wanted to turn it into a weekend event with a concert, and KISS were the obvious choice for it."
However, Bouchy had other ideas, too. He wanted to gauge whether McGhee would consider joining an ownership group for an expansion team in Nashville. For kicks, Bouchy also asked McGhee if he'd ask Simmons and Stanley if they wanted in; when they surprisingly said yes, Bouchy decided to ditch Nashville, shoot for Los Angeles and name the team after the band. With no football team presently in Los Angeles and no serious prospects on the horizon, Bouchy's idea made sense to the rock veterans from a financial perspective as well; during his tenure with the Predators, the team was always one of the league's most profitable.
In the four months after Bouchy's first call, what seemed as far-fetched as a successfully executed fumblerooski began taking shape. First, they needed to find an arena to house the team. After considering several locations, the foursome struck a deal with the Honda Center thanks to KISS' relationship with the venue.
"[It's] a world-class arena," Stanley says. "We've seen enough arenas to know what the top tier is. Quite honestly, they not only welcomed us with open arms, but they made it very clear to us that they wanted us there."
Even though the team is headquartered in Anaheim, the team was given the LA moniker to represent the football-starved region. Nevertheless, Stanley vows to not ignore Anaheim. "We're very much about community," he explains. "Whether it's outreach to hospitals or community service, we are committed to Anaheim. Historically, where a team plays isn't necessarily its identification for that team. If that idea of where you play is the name of your team, you would have the Bronx Yankees. We are of this neighborhood and have shown that to be the case."
What Simmons and Stanley lack in knowing how to run a successful sports team is gained in Bouchy and Hoversten's (recently of the Los Angeles Dodgers) experience. "[The band members] know what we know, and we know what we don't know," Simmons says in his New York accent. "That's why we brought the best people onboard."
As for their individual responsibilities, Stanley designs the team's uniform ("It's what you'd expect from a KISS team," he says) and selects the cheerleading squad. Simmons is involved with what he does best: promotions and branding. Simmons and Stanley regularly make the hour-long drive from their Los Angeles homes to attend meetings. The duo speaks daily with Bouchy and Hoversten about the team's operations. They are even involved in the tough choices when it comes to making critical player personnel decisions.
"When we're reviewing with Coach Bob the team, with the players' names on a big board," Simmons remembers, "we came down to one of the names who was a little slow in returning our calls and wasn't available. On the spot, we erased his name. This is legitimate, and you've gotta commit to it."
In order to carry through with ownership's proclamations of an in-your-face brand of football, the LA KISS went out and acquired the best available talent. Leading the squad as quarterback will be Colt Brennan, the former Mater Dei High quarterback who went on to become NCAA's single-season leader in touchdown passes. He acknowledges the LA KISS is unlike any other team he's played for, but he's upbeat and excited about the team's prospects on and off the field.
"The reality-show aspect has been a little bit different, but it hasn't been anything crazy," Brennan say. "We've been in a football mentality since we showed up."
After being seriously injured in a car accident, the Laguna Beach native wants another crack at the NFL. Initially apprehensive about joining an AFL team, he was sold about playing for the LA KISS after speaking with ownership. "This is an adult league, and we're treated like professionals," the quarterback says. "This is definitely going to be another pathway to get back to the NFL, and the level of talent in the Arena League is top-notch and will hopefully show someone in the NFL to give me a shot again."
* * *
Seeing the rock stars in person has brought out the best in the team. The wide receivers run precise patterns and drop only a handful of passes after being thrown hundreds of reps that morning. Running backs bob and weave past tackling dummies, treating each carry as though it will clinch the Arena Bowl.
As they head toward the team's locker room, located in the college's P.E. center, Stanley and Simmons gush over the team's performance. Simmons continues spouting superlatives about the defensive linemen's agility, while Stanley is impressed with the zip and accuracy of quarterback J.J. Raterink's passes.
"Even when the games aren't on, [when] practice isn't happening, the amount [the players] need to do to keep up with their athleticism is back-breaking stuff," Simmons says as he shakes his head. He removes his sunglasses and wipes his forehead. "I'm out of wind just watching them, and we're"—he points at Stanley and himself—"in pretty good shape!"
Unlike other professional sports leagues, in which owners treat newcomers with caution and distrust, afraid that any new ownership will attempt to uproot a league's existing order, the AFL welcomed the LA KISS with open arms. "We've been embraced immediately," Simmons says, referring to the league's owners and front office. "We understand that part of it is about celebrity, and that's fine. But just being famous doesn't mean anything because some people are turned off to it. We're very lucky our reputation precedes itself and we handle everything professionally."
Stanley praises the team's fellow owners, saying they understand what the LA KISS brings to the sport and how the franchise is an asset to the league. So far, he has been right. Since the team began operations in August, the AFL's profile has increased. It has secured an additional national television contract with ESPN on top of its existing deal with CBS Sports Network, inked before the 2013 season. It's coming back from the ashes of 2008, a year that saw the season canceled, two teams fold (including the Los Angeles Avengers, which was averaging more than 12,000 people per game at Staples Center), two commissioners resign, its collective bargaining agreement with players expire, and almost $14 million in debt.
Simmons and Stanley are well aware of the AFL's checkered past. Saying the league has learned from its mistakes, Simmons vows it is focused on doing "only AFL things" and becoming an entity that's an alternative to the game that dominates America's fall calendar. The AFL's popularity is predicated on its video-game-type scores, with teams racking up numbers in the 40s, 50s and even 60s. "You can't get those scores in NFL football," Stanley laments. "And we want to give them more."
LA KISS games will come with all the spectacle of a KISS concert, Simmons says. Instead of the traditional running onto the field out of a tunnel, the team might be lowered onto the field from the ceiling using a device KISS had created for their live show but never used.
"We're looking to have a Cirque du Soleil type of halftime show, in which we're lowering people on cables from the roof, which is as nontraditional as any halftime experience in professional sports," Stanley says. "If you don't have people rappelling down from the ceiling during halftime, I'll do it."
Will Simmons and Stanley join in the theatrics? Simmons shakes his head quickly, giving the "No thanks" signal with his arms.
"Oh, c'mon, Gene," Stanley interjects. "You know if there's a spotlight on you, you'd definitely do it!"
"Well, that's different," Simmons says wryly as his tone of voice changes. "If there's a spotlight? Then absolutely."
Brennan says the players are aware of the owners' ambitions and will do what it takes on the field to ensure a winning atmosphere. "Man, thinking about what they're going to do to the Honda Center on game [nights] with musical acts, it sounds like a really fun thing," he gushes. "This will be an environment not only where we'd have a great time playing the game, but seeing live music after a game, who wouldn't want to go? It's going to be really fun."
This isn't the legendary band's first foray into sports entertainment. In the late 1990s, KISS sponsored a WCW wrestler based on Simmons' Demon stage persona. While the Demon ultimately wasn't a wrestling success, it piqued the interest of a younger audience who may not have heard of KISS outside of the stories their parents may have shared about rock music. "People who aren't familiar with football should be able to go to see the LA KISS and have the time of their life," Simmons says. "Even if they don't know the specifics of what the rules are, the experience should still kick your ass. We want it to be about the team, but also the spectacle of it."
"To put the KISS name and logo on something, we have to be very, very comfortable that it will reflect well upon us," Stanley adds. "We don't put our name on something and say good luck. Make no mistake: This is football and not rock & roll, and we want to bring something to the sport that it may be missing."
Season-ticket prices start as low as $99 each, which includes nine regular-season games, plus one playoff game. So far, according to Bouchy, the signs have been encouraging. "We've surpassed 5,000 season tickets, and the trends are only looking up," he says. "The biggest problem we've encountered is hiring enough ticket salespeople to keep up with the demand."
"If there's one thing we know, it's how to give people bang for buck," Simmons says. "Football has become prohibitive in the sense that you have to mortgage your house or sell your car to go to Super Bowls. What we're trying to do is make this successful and, at the same time, available for families."
As an additional carrot to lure fans to the arena, there will be Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley bobblehead nights. Season-ticket holders will get a free KISS concert at the end of the season. And after each game—win, lose or draw—the players will stick around for a meet-and-greet session with fans. But Simmons and Stanley know that, despite all their celebrity and showmanship, luring fans to the Honda Center ultimately boils down to winning. By hiring the reigning Coach of the Year, McMillen, formerly with the Chicago Rush, and signing Brennan, Simmons and Stanley believe the two men accurately depict what the LA KISS will stand for.
"Hearing our coach wax poetic about the nature of character is refreshing," Simmons says. "The first thing he started with is that 'You're the representative of our team. When you meet the people who kindly gave us this facility, you're our emissary. Be nice to people.'"
"The AFL is misunderstood," Stanley adds. "Some people don't even know the Arena Football League exists. Other people think it's a bunch of second-rate players. They're not. We want people to see this as a springboard. If they want to get to the NFL, bless 'em. If they want to wear the crown in the AFL, so be it. It's a pretty good place to warm up, and it's definitely not the bullpen."
* * *
As Simmons walks across the Santa Ana College campus, he sees two students gazing his way, so he waves and says hello. They seem confused and look at each other with a sense of disbelief. After an awkward pause, they continue on their way without responding.
"If I had the makeup on, they'd know who I was," he says with a chuckle, pointing to his face.
But something else seems to be on Simmons' mind as he excitedly divulges details about the reality show. He can't find his car keys. He stops talking about the LA KISS and pats himself in an attempt to find them. He thinks he left his keys on the field, but he isn't sure.
We approach the field, and Simmons realizes he's made a rookie mistake. In his mad dash to make the call time, Simmons left his keys dangling from the ignition of his Navigator; the engine is still running. He looks down and shakes his head, seemingly disbelieving his own actions.
"This is what happens when you have too many exciting things going on," he says as he motions a fake gun to his head. "It's funny: I can remember our roster, but I can't remember my car keys. Go figure."
Lena Headey is clearly not a big Kiss fan. At Tuesday night's premiere for 300: Rise of an Empire, rocker Gene Simmons found that out the hard way after Headey snubbed his aggressive social advances.
It was a scene that would have fit in perfectly on the rocker's canceled reality show.
Simmons tried in vain to pull Headey, one of the 300 stars, away from an ongoing black carpet interview . He wanted to introduce her to his son Nick Simmons, 25, who was waiting with a pained expression a few feet away.
At first Headey smiled politely as Simmons assured her that she would much rather meet his son than continue an interview.
Then Simmons joked lamely about the AP microphone in front of him. ("I have an app on my phone," he said.) No one laughed.
Then he found out that Headey was not going to move despite being guided by his left hand on her back. Headey, who plays Cersei Lannister in Game of Thrones and Spartan Queen Gorgo in 300: Rise of an Empire, stood her ground and continued her interview.
Simmons eventually moved away as Nick Simmons offered an apology of sorts before the family continued into the premiere.
The interlude did bring up the question: What was Gene Simmons doing on the 300: Rise of an Empire black carpet anyway?
Turns out both father and son are big fans of the 300 franchise, giving the rocker a chance to continue railing about critics. But this time it wasn't critics who don't like Kiss; it was those who didn't like the 2007 original 300.
"That was my favorite movie that year," said Simmons. "All the Vincent Canbys and The New York Times critics mean nothing. Because the people always rule. I think the rule of thumb here is ignore critics."
The Heritage Classic, in which the Ottawa Senators used an impressive comeback to beat the Vancouver Canucks 4-2, was the final of a six-game slate of special-event games which begin with the 2014 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Michigan Stadium on Jan. 1. The 2014 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series was crammed in the middle. Featuring a game at Dodger Stadium, a pair of contests at Yankee Stadium and an unforgettable night at Soldier Field, the four-game series was a hit in every possible way.
The two-month extravaganza of gala regular-season games entertained more 375,000 fans in person and countless others watching on television, providing a variety of memorable moments and an experience fans and players alike will cherish.
Here's a look at a dozen moments, in no particular order, from the six special-event games this season:
1. Sea of (red and) blue: Ever wondered what an NHL game would like with 105,000 friends? Michigan Stadium proved to be an incredible setting for the Winter Classic, with quality sightlines and an amazingly intimate atmosphere despite easily the most patrons ever to watch an NHL game. The fan bases of the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs did their part, packing the stadium and proudly displaying their favorite team's colors, which made for incredible visuals.
2. California, here we come: Playing a game at Dodger Stadium always was considered the biggest experiment among these outdoor games, and Chavez Ravine provided an amazing backdrop for a wonderfully Southern California experience. The area on the field inside the stadium that wasn't covered by ice had beach volleyball, street hockey, yoga, Frisbees and the kings of spectacle, KISS. Legendary broadcasters Vin Scully of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Bob Miller of the Los Angeles Kings welcomed the players to the field, and Scully narrated a spine-tingling segment at the start of the television broadcast. This game didn't need snow to provide stunning aerial images and a poignant party atmosphere.
3. Hall of Fame connection?: On a day where New Jersey Devils forward Jaromir Jagr passed former teammate Mario Lemieux on the League's all-time assist leaderboard, he provided the engine for one of the prettiest goals scored in any of the NHL's outdoor games. Jagr collected a pass on the left wing and swooped past four New York Rangers defenders before splitting them with a perfect pass to a trailing Patrik Elias for a goal at the edge of the crease to give the Devils a 2-1 lead.
4. Big day for JVR: James van Riemsdyk had a New Year's Day he won't soon forget when the Maple Leafs defeated the Red Wings on Jan. 1. Not only did van Riemsdyk learn he will represent the United States at the Winter Olympics for the first time during a postgame announcement on the ice at Michigan Stadium, but he also scored the goal of the game. Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard denied his first two attempts but van Riemsdyk swatted the second rebound out of the air and into the net.
5. Bravest and Finest: The walk from the dressing rooms to the ice has become a staple of the outdoor-game pageantry, and it will be tough to top how the Rangers and Devils were welcomed to the playing surface at Yankee Stadium. Members of the FDNY Emerald Society Pipes and Drums and the NYPD Pipes and Drums played as the players walked past en route to the ice and a crowd of more than 50,000 serenaded both clubs with a mixture of cheers and boos befitting a passionate, New York-based rivalry.
6. Hiller stones Kopitar … twice: The most memorable part of Jonas Hiller's night at Dodger Stadium might be the bright orange pads he wore to match his team's uniform, but the Anaheim Ducks goalie also wowed with his performance. Hiller stopped all 36 shots by the Kings, and the two most impressive were 1-on-1 saves against Anze Kopitar. The Slovenian star had a penalty shot and a clear breakaway, but Hiller turned aside both to further frustrate the struggling Kings offense.
7. Fight on and palm trees: Speaking of player entrances, it was another part of the pregame spectacle at Dodger Stadium that was perfect. The Ducks and Kings walked from center field through two rows of palm trees before splitting off to their respective ends of the ice. The instructions were something like, "turn when you reach the band," because the University of Southern California marching band was playing as the players walked toward the ice.
8. Winter wonderland: The first NHL Winter Classic in Buffalo provided indelible images because of the snowfall during the game. "Snow globe effect" became an accepted phrase when discussing hockey games played outdoors after that day at Ralph Wilson Stadium. A steady snow fell during the 2014 NHL Winter Classic at Michigan Stadium and kept members of the NHL's ice crew busy during stoppages of play. It was even snowier at Soldier Field for the Stadium Series game between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Pittsburgh Penguins, forcing the ice crew to perform a Herculean job with the snow removal.
9. Rangers hit a "grand slam": The first period between the Devils and Rangers at Yankee Stadium was wide open and saw the teams combine for five goals. It was all Rangers in the second as New York put four goals past New Jersey's Martin Brodeur to take control of the contest en route to a 7-3 victory. The Rangers scored the most goals by any team in an NHL outdoor game.
10. Signature move: Outdoor games aren't remembered too often for highlight-reel goals, but that all changed during a raging snowstorm on March 1 at Soldier Field. Despite a coating of snow on the ice, Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews collected a pass in the neutral zone and stickhandled his way into the attacking zone before deking Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik with a dazzling inside-out move. Toews finished the play by tucking the puck through the legs of goalie Marc-Andre Fleury for the first of his two goals on the night.
11. Rock and Roll All Night: "You drive us wild, we'll drive you crazy!" the members of KISS screamed into their microphones during a performance at the Stadium Series game at Dodger Stadium, issuing a challenge the fans on hand were only too happy to meet. Walking the red carpet before the start of the game, band member Gene Simmons was asked what could be expected from KISS during their appearances before the game and during the first intermission. "Look up more in the dictionary and there will be a picture of KISS next to it," he growled. "That is who we are and what we do." The rock and roll legends, who go into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year, delivered on Simmons' bombastic promise.
12. Target practice: After falling into a two-goal hole against the Canucks at the Heritage Classic, the Senators found their range with some serious sharp-shooting from their biggest stars. Defenseman Erik Karlsson used a fake slap shot, followed by a perfectly placed shot along the ice to catch the inside of the far post to beat Eddie Lack for the tying goal. Later, Jason Spezza finished off a transition rush by snapping a wrister off the far post and in for the winning goal.
Rock and Roll Hall Nite: In celebration of their upcoming Hall of Fame induction, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons take off the makeup for a pair of revealing interviews about their 40 years in Kiss.
Maybe it’s the makeup. Maybe it’s the merchandising. Maybe, at the end of the day, it’s just the music itself. Whatever the source, it is safe to say that few bands have inspired as much fervent devotion—and also rabid derision—as the self-proclaimed “Hottest Band in the World,” Kiss.
But love them or hate them (and really, is there any area in between?), Kiss—and in particular its stalwart co-founders, visionaries and greatest proponents and protectors, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons—continue to not only exist but also scale greater heights.
Here we are in 2014, and the band, now roughly 10 lineups in with current guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer, are experiencing yet another renaissance. Their most recent (and 20th) studio album, Monster, was an unusually strong effort, more energetic and enjoyable than should reasonably be expected from any band at this stage of its career.
Meanwhile, on the live front, Kiss continue to push the limits of just how much of an over-the-top spectacle a rock and roll show can truly be (for evidence, check out videos of recent performances that feature their newly designed Spider stage).
But 2014 is also offering up another nice pair of victories for the band. This year marks Kiss’ 40th anniversary (their self-titled debut was released in February 1974), and in April, Stanley and Simmons, along with former, and now estranged, original members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. To celebrate these dual milestones, Guitar World met separately with Stanley and Simmons at their Los Angeles homes to discuss just a few of the many triumphs and tribulations that led the band here.
Below is an excerpt from our interview with Paul Stanley. In the new issue, the guitarist opens up about firing Ace and Peter and why Kiss took off the makeup—and put it back on.
Congratulations on your long-awaited Hall of Fame induction. Along with Rush, who were inducted last year, there is possibly no other band that has been both as successful in music and as ignored by the Hall as Kiss.
But to ignore somebody with the kind of fervor that we’ve been ignored, that’s clearly a conscious decision. For better or worse, that’s not being ignored at all. When it happens year after year, that’s a choice. But on the other side of it, to me rock and roll has always been about doing what you want to do and ignoring not only your critics but also your peers. For 40 years, we’ve rarely wavered from that. So I would have to say that the same criteria that has kept us out of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is the same criteria that now has gotten us inducted into it.
The debate over whether or not Kiss deserved to be in the Hall of Fame was in a way a microcosm of a larger and much longer-running argument about Kiss’ artistic merits in general. The classic “Kiss Army vs. the Critics” battle, if you will.
But ultimately, who gives a shit about the critics? To pontificate or pass judgment on what’s good or bad, I leave that to the audience. And let me say this: the makeup and the stage show have never been there to cover anything up; it’s there to embellish and enhance what we do. I’ve seen us onstage without any makeup, I’ve seen us play in a club setting. We’ve got the goods. If some people are turned off by the way we look, that’s their prerogative.
How did you and Ace work together as guitarists in the early days?
What we had at the beginning was magical. Not because we were virtuosos. Magic in rock and roll isn’t dependent on virtuosity. Ace and I played great together. But in my mind it’s a crime what Ace did. He threw away incredible potential and talent. The Ace I played with when the band first started out was a comet. And not [Frehley’s late-Eighties band] Frehley’s Comet! But he was burning bright and really had the ability—and this would rub him the wrong way—to be a real contender. But he stopped practicing. He got involved with a whole lot of things that really diluted and diminished his craft. I saw that comet grow dim.
By the turn of the Eighties, Ace and Peter were on their way out, and Gene was off trying to make a name for himself in Hollywood. Did you feel like you were on your own in Kiss?
Totally. Absolutely. I didn’t feel it. I was. There wouldn’t have been a band without me. Because when your partner is off doing all kinds of questionable side projects and not only taking time but also involvement away from the band, sure. For me it ultimately came down to, I love what I do; I don’t want this to end. So I decided to bail water, for my own survival.
How did that make you feel?
It certainly was more lonely and more stressful to know that the only person who was going to get us through the icebergs was me. But I didn’t mind that. I only minded the fact that I was still splitting the income and royalties as though I had a partner. That bothered me. The fact that I was running things? Honestly, that’s probably what got us through that decade.
As far as navigating the icebergs, as Kiss’ popularity declined, it was your idea, in 1983, to take off the makeup in order to reinvigorate interest in the band.
I didn’t see any other choice at that point. And I take my hat off to Gene that, although he was uncertain about it and maybe less comfortable with it, he came to realize that it was the right move. Or at least he saw that I was very committed to the idea. I felt that we had diluted everything the band was to the point where it was becoming a farce. What happened was, we kicked Peter out of the band—“we” meaning Ace, Gene and myself.
But rather than saying, “We’ve built these iconic figures together and we’re going to continue on with what we built,” we bought into the idea of, “We have to have a new character.” That watered it down. Some people may argue with me, but I feel that Batman is Batman whether he’s played by George Clooney, Christian Bale, Val Kilmer and on and on.
For the rest of this story, plus an interview with Gene Simmons and much more Kiss (not to mention the Scorpions, three kings of acoustic shred, the hottest gear from the 2014 NAMM Show and more), check out the April 2014 issue at the Guitar World Online Store.
"Arriba!" yells one fan, and Stanley reaches over to shake hands, as dozens of cellphones take snapshots. "Let me see your shoes!" shouts another, and Stanley half-climbs the fence to swing a tasseled silver-and-black platform boot over the top. "Thanks, Paul!"
In less than an hour, Stanley and his musical partner of four decades, Gene Simmons, will lead KISS through two short sets of hooks and hard rock riffs as halftime entertainment for an ice hockey game between the Kings and the Ducks. It's another strange gig in the ongoing saga of KISS, which long ago evolved from band to lucrative brand, ready for high-profile special events, reality TV and cradle-to-grave business ventures in the form of KISS Hello Kitty Dolls, KISS comics, books, T-shirts, action figures and restaurants as well as KISS caskets and KISS urns.
Designer John Varvatos recruited KISS for his Spring 2014 advertising campaign, putting the band in sharp suits to echo the 1975 album cover for "Dressed to Kill." And next month is the unlikely debut of an arena football team called the L.A. KISS, co-owned by Simmons and Stanley (with band manager Doc McGhee and sports exec Brett Bouchy). This is not standard rock 'n' roll behavior.
"This is what I do for a living," jokes Stanley, 62, greeting a friend backstage. "Got to put the kids through school."
In one more way, 2014 could be the band's most surprising year since its initial 1970s pop culture explosion, beginning with KISS' induction April 10 into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It welcomes the hard-rock quartet into the critical pantheon that has at times violently rejected KISS and acknowledges the band's huge impact on rock spectacle.
The band's stagecraft has grown only bigger and louder, with eruptions of fire and smoke, and members standing like comic book heroes in two-tone makeup and "uniforms" of armor and shades of silver and black, singing anthems of rocking out and getting the girl — and then getting another. The band's hard-charging, catchy guitar rock took the genre to new theatrical heights while helping set the stage for the glam-informed look and sound of the Sunset Strip in the '80s and beyond.
"I still believe the heart and soul of this is a band. The music is imperative," says Stanley, who has produced the last two KISS albums and next month releases an autobiography, "Face the Music: A Life Exposed." "Maybe our horizons are broader because we have an opportunity to go other places. Why not? Whether it's a football team or restaurants, people say that's not rock 'n' roll. Let me tell you what's rock 'n' roll: Winning is rock 'n' roll."
Being voted into the Hall of Fame is a victory that comes 15 years after the band's initial eligibility and annual outrage from fans. But next month's ceremony at Barclays Center in Brooklyn also means dealing with old wounds and complications that began with the final exit of founding guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss more than a dozen years ago. In their place ever since are lead guitarist Tommy Thayer, 53, and drummer Eric Singer, 55, who both wear the makeup designs of their predecessors (designs owned by Simmons and Stanley).
"The naysayers, and some of them are loud, talk about Tommy or Eric being impostors. I think an impostor is a guy up there doing it for a paycheck," says Stanley, back in his trailer and now dressed in his full stage regalia, with black feathers on his shoulders and medallions over his chest of a guitar pick, a feather, a star. "We've never been happier."
Any hopes for a reunion in makeup of the four founding members at the Hall of Fame ceremony ended last week with a band decision to not perform in any capacity. A statement on the KISS website read: "This is understandably an emotional situation where there is no way to please everyone."
Negotiations with the Hall of Fame stalled, say Simmons and Stanley, who wanted to include Singer and Thayer, while the Rock Hall wanted a reunion of the original quartet in makeup.
"Imagine getting onstage and playing with a lineup that does not exist," says Simmons, 64, comparing the situation to a forced reunion with an ex-spouse. Both have bad memories of years of substance abuse by their former partners but say they are happy and proud to accept the award with the former members. Putting the original quartet in makeup was "a nonstarter," says Stanley.
Simmons and Stanley questioned whether the former members were up to performing. Reached via email, both Criss and Frehley are working on solo albums and say their problems with drinks and drugs are behind them. Frehley has been sober for seven years.
"We should of been able to work it out as grown men; it's a shame we couldn't," writes Criss, who also survived a 2007 breast cancer scare.
"My guitar playing, singing, writing, performing and producing skills are as good or better than the past," Frehley writes. "For years, Gene and Paul have been trying to minimize my contributions to the band, even though I designed the famous KISS logo … and designed the trademarked makeup for the Spaceman character."
All four said they were open to joining the night's traditional jam session at the end of the night. "That's what the celebration is all about," Frehley writes.
Long before being voted into the Rock Hall as a band, Simmons and Stanley were outspoken critics of the rock institution and its rules. "We had issues before this happened. It doesn't turn into a love fest now," says Stanley, but acknowledged, "There are some people who are angry or hurt by this, and I don't want to see that."
In the canyon mansion made through seven seasons of "Gene Simmons Family Jewels" on the A&E network (the show was canceled in 2012), Simmons sits behind a desk stacked high with evidence of his place in the universe. There are KISS comics and rolls of KISS Hello Kitty toilet paper, DVDs and an array of magazine covers declaring him a financial wizard.
But at the moment, Simmons is somewhere else. His eyes are closed, and he gingerly taps a beat on imaginary drums, then riffs on air guitar and sings along to an old recording of his: "This time I'll get it right / Just give me one more chance tonight."
These aren't lightning bolts from the God of Thunder but melodic rock tunes that could have shared the late '60s Top 40 of the Beach Boys or the Animals. The songs are demos from 1977.
The controversies over the Hall of Fame and newer members wearing classic makeup are issues mainly for older fans with an emotional attachment to the original band. Simmons calls up a photo on his computer from a stadium show in Stockholm, then another from Lima, Peru. Both show ecstatic young fans in the front rows.
"Can you see the faces? That's about 90,000," he says of the crowd. "You see a bald head in there? You think they … about Ace and Peter? They're going, 'Who?' We've been around 40 years, and only two members stayed there the whole time, never quit, no drugs, no booze.
"KISS is bigger than anybody in the band."
The crowds didn't always come. After KISS' initial round of fame as pop culture figures in the '70s, the band's popularity began to fade. Criss and then Frehley soon left.
"What people don't realize is that you don't get any warnings," Stanley recalls of that time. "Nobody says, 'Hey, tomorrow you're not going to fill the arena. Tomorrow your album isn't going to sell.' You fall off the cliff. That is a stunning and stark realization. I don't think anything can prepare you for it."
KISS took off the makeup and became MTV stars in the hair-metal era with "Lick It Up" in 1983 and were platinum once again. "The idea was, if we can't exist as a band without makeup, then we don't deserve to exist. Let's take it off and see what we can do."
The makeup returned in 1996. In 2009, KISS began recording "Sonic Boom," this time with Singer and Thayer as full members. "Monster" followed in 2012, peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard album chart, though it hasn't reached the gold or platinum status typical of their first decades.
"It's very different out there," says Stanley. "If somebody's putting out an album thinking they're going to sell millions, they're going to be disappointed. We didn't do it for that. We did it to reclaim our territory and to see if we could contribute to the KISS legacy. Instead of just living and celebrating our past, being creative and moving forward but still firmly committed into what we've always done."
Family matters
KISS has a history at Dodger Stadium. The band launched its 1998 "Psycho Circus" reunion tour there on Halloween night. At the end of the show, the quartet slipped away in a van while fans were cheering but got stuck in traffic on the way to their hotel.
Stanley remembers KISS getting out of the van to walk the rest of the way on Sunset Boulevard, still in makeup. "People were going, 'Great costumes!'"
This time, the band exits before the main event is over. Thayer steps out of the trailer without makeup looking refreshed. Stanley walks hand-in-hand with his youngest children — ages 2, 4 and 7 — and proudly notes the blues-guitar skills of his 19-year-old, Evan Shane Stanley.
"Sooner or later, you'll realize that nothing is more important than family," says Stanley, who no longer hangs a single gold or platinum album award on his walls at home. "If you fight it, you're an idiot."
Simmons steps out with all his armor and makeup removed, looking pleased in his socks and a robe, a towel draped over his head. Mission accomplished, he waves goodbye and slowly walks toward the gate and a waiting car with his family to take him back home into the canyons.
"I figured this'll be my 80th album, and I've never done a duets album, so it was kind of a change for me," Humperdinck, who releases "Engelbert Calling" on March 17 in the U.K. and later this spring in the U.S., tells Billboard. "It was a big change and a great honor to work with all these legendary people. All of (the songs) are pretty personal; I wouldn't have chosen them if I didn't particularly like them. They all have a certain significance attached to them that relates to my life and to (the other singers)."
Humperdinck credits John, with whom he sings "The Way You Look Tonight," with the "Engelbert Calling" concept -- and title.
"He said on one of his live CDs that in the early days, when he was a struggling writer in London, 'I used to live in a little flat with my partner Bernie Taupin, writing songs and hoping and wishing that one day an Engelbert Humperdinck would call and take one of my songs.' So we finally called, and that's why we called the album 'Engelbert Calling,' and Elton John was the first to answer, and it was a delight to work in the studio with him."
Humperdinck says "quite a few" of the tracks were recorded with both singers in the room, wrapping up with Judd and Johnny Mathis -- "Two of my favorite people. And Mathis is out of this world; I've been a big fan of his since the beginning of time."
Judd, meanwhile, had the honor of cutting a new version of Humperdinck's signature hit "Release Me," which the two "re-did in a modern fashion." And he's well aware that Simmons in particular sticks out on his list of collaborators.
"Not only do I like his band -- I like him," Humperdinck says of Simmons, who joins him for "Spinning Wheel." "He was just an amazing person. He's got a great personality, a lot of pizzazz to it and a great sense of humor. And he helped me a little bit by telling me, 'Why don't you do this? Why don't you do that?' and I'd think, 'yeah, that's a great suggestion.' Coming from him, I would take it."
Robinson, meanwhile, was perfectly happy to let Humperdinck have his way with "You've Really Got a Hold On Me." "I said to him, 'I Know this was a super big hit, but can we do it this way?' And he said, 'It's your time, it's your song, you go ahead and do it the way you want to do it, man,' " Humperdinck recalls with a laugh.
Humperdinck, who continues to tour regularly, says he'd like to recreate "Engelbert Calling" in a live setting at some point.
"A lot of them have said, 'Any time you ever need us to do anything, we'll be happy to oblige," he says. "The first one, of course, was Elton John, and Gene Simmons said he would do that, too. So therefore we've got those two people to start with. And of course Willie Nelson for sure, and Kenny Rogers -- quite a few of them." And Humperdinck says his next recording project "will probably be another duet album I think. And we'll probably call it 'Re-Dialed.' "
The full track list for "Engelbert Calling" includes:
Disc 1
"Something About The Way You Look Tonight" with Elton John
"Since I Lost My Baby" with Cliff Richard
"Never Never Never" with Olivia Newton-John
"Spanish Eyes" with Il Divo
"Make You Feel My Love" with Willie Nelson
"Spinning Wheel" with Gene Simmons
"I Need You Now" with Lulu
"You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me" with Smokey Robinson
"Real Love" with Shelby Lynne
"She Believes In Me" with Kenny Rogers
"Better" with Louise Dorsey
Disc 2
"Ain’t That Peculiar" with Andrea Corr
"A Certain Smile" with Johnny Mathis
"After The Lovin’" with Beverley Knight
"The Hungry Years" with Neil Sedaka
"It Matters To Me" with Dionne Warwick
"She" with Charles Aznavour
"Kiss Me Honey" with Tini
"It’s Impossible/Somos Novios" with Armando Manzanero
"Quien Te Dijo Eso" with Luis Fonsi
"Release Me" with Wynonna Judd
"Something To Hold On To" with Ron Sexsmith
"Father And Son" with Bradley Dorsey
Speaking to "Rover's Morning Glory", a syndicated hot-talk/comedy radio show airing weekday mornings on Cleveland rock station WMMS (100.7 FM), Ian joked: "Look, I've got Gene Simmons tattooed on my leg, so whatever Gene says is what goes."
He continued: "I'm a [KISS] fan, just like everyone else, and would I wanna see, if I was going… I'm not going to the Hall Of Fame thing, so would I wanna see the four original dudes back in makeup one more time? Of course I would, as a fan. But bands don't do things dictated by what the audience wants. A band would last about a year if that's how you worked. You have to do things the way you wanna do them.
"KISS has been around for 40 years and are bigger now than they were in 1977 because Gene and Paul make smart decisions — that's why. So, as a fan, and if you love them, you have to abide by the decisions that Gene and Paul are making for their brand and their band. So, why people get so upset over these things, I really don't undertand. Like, if they decided they were playing with [current KISS members] Tommy [Thayer, guitar] and Eric [Singer, drums], so fine. That's what they're doing. This is their band. This has been the lineup for a long time now.
"I get it — those two guys [Tommy and Eric] aren't the guys who are getting into the Hall Of Fame [with Paul and Gene], it's Ace and Peter… you know, I get it.
"So I think they made the right decision now by saying, 'We're just not gonna play. You can't please everybody. We're just gonna shut it down and just not do it.' I get it. I understand."
Simmons and Stanley have chosen to have the rest of the current KISS lineup —Thayer and Singer — dress up as Criss' and Frehley's respective "spaceman" and "catman" personas.
Frehley left KISS after the band's 2002 "Farewell" dates, saying afterwards that he took the word "farewell" seriously.
Criss claimed that his contract with KISS wasn't renewed in March 2004.
Both charges have been disputed by Simmons and Stanley.
In part two, Peter talks about KISS' album "Destroyer", released in March of 1976, and helmed by legendary producer Bob Ezrin. The LP became the band's most commercially successful studio effort due to Criss' ballad "Beth", the B-side of "Detroit Rock City". The hit single became the band's first Top Ten hit, won a People's Choice award, and went triple platinum. On February 18, 1977, the New York-based band made its Madison Square Garden debut — a dream come true for Peter, as he explains in part three.
KISS fans are up in arms over Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley's announcement that no members of KISS will be playing at the April 10 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony in Brooklyn. The statement came on the heels of Ace Frehley explaining to fans that neither he nor Peter Criss are invited to play with Simmons and Stanley.
Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley have chosen to have the rest of the current KISS lineup — guitarist Tommy Thayer and longtime drummer Eric Singer — dress up as Criss' and Frehley's respective "spaceman" and "catman" personas. The Pulse Of Radio asked Simmons what it feels like to turn around and see the spitting image of his former bandmates — yet it's someone else. "Y'know, we still have a tug of the heart," he said. "It's like your drunken dysfunctional father who was a bum and you finally had to get rid of him — but you still remember the beginning when he was a good dad. Ace and Peter are beloved, as they should be, for the beginning. For helping launch the band — if you don't mind me saying so — that changed the face of rock 'n roll, literally and figuratively speaking. But equally as important part of the beginning of KISS, it's also important to know that with them in the band today, KISS wouldn't be around."
Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons have pulled the plug on a KISS performance at the band’s April 10th induction following news that they would not reunite and perform with original members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss at the event.
Eddie Trunk reports Aucoin’s former partner, Roman Fernandez, has released the following statement regarding the situation:
“I’m going on record.
I normally stand by the sidelines quietly watching the scrimmage in silence, but now, I feel I have to speak up.
My late partner, Bill Aucoin, bothered enough in 1973 to wager his entire career as a successful television producer and bet all the money he had, as well as money he didn’t have, on 4 kids from the streets of New York. He unfortunately can no longer speak for himself on the subject of KISS and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Bill Aucoin gave KISS their start, as well as some of the best years of his life. KISS would, in fact, despite all his other successes, come to define Bill in the eyes of millions of fans and in the eyes of the industry. An industry that to a great degree didn’t give KISS the time of day when it mattered the most. No one did except for Bill, Sean Delaney and Neil (and Joyce) Bogart. All no longer with us except for Joyce. But, Bill and I spoke about this subject on several occasions before he passed. Bill Aucoin was not the type to reflect in regret, and he harbored no animosity. But he was convinced that due to politics within the board of the Hall of Fame, the day would never come that saw KISS inducted. I’m pretty certain he was OK with that.
But had Bill been alive to see the day it was announced that the group would indeed, despite every notion to the contrary, be inducted, might have been a nice parting gift for him. But it’s done. He’s gone. It could have just as easily been Paul, Gene, Peter or Ace. But they’re still here. And I’m pretty sure this is what Bill might have said in light of all this nonsense: ‘(….unintelligible noises) Look it, find a compromise, put everything aside for one night, be the larger than life rock stars you know you are, and then…. Onward and upward!’
I don’t believe Bill would begrudge any reasoning for the band members feeling however they may about one another. But, I also believe he would have recognized this as one singular night to put unresolved issues aside. Bill is no longer with us. If Paul, Gene, Peter or Ace were not here, this conversation would not even be possible. Life is too short to waste such a precious opportunity. If for no other reason, do it for Bill Aucoin. And for Sean. And for Neil. Love to all members of Kiss past and present. Onward and Upward guys.”
Billed as "Kiss: An Acoustic Evening And Stories With Kiss", the concert will feature the band performing stripped-down versions of its classic songs without makeup and telling stories, a setup that is said to be "not unlike" the "MTV Unplugged" episode the band filmed nearly 20 years ago.
Tickets are $65-$75 and go on sale Friday, February 28 at 11 a.m. via Ticketmaster or at the box office at San Manuel. You must be 21 or older to attend the show.
Starts at 11am Till....Outside and Inside At KISS by Monster Mini Golf Featuring:
Our 4th Rock And Roll Swap Meet, the Finals of "Rock or Dare"The Ultimate Music Trivia challenge and live music by: LUST OF KISS And....Count's 77 Rockin' Band featuring Danny Count Koker of History’s Hit Show Counting Cars with Special Guest Bruce Kulick of KISS and Grand Funk Railroad!
The 40-year-old group is unable to agree on which lineup should perform during the April 10 ceremony in New York City, and has decided not to plug in at all.
The dispute concerns whether original members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss would join Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley in a live performance, or whether the current lineup of Stanley, Simmons, Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer would play instead.
In a message on its website, Kiss said it won't perform with any lineup, calling it "an emotional situation where there is no way to please everyone."
"Our intention was to celebrate the entire history of Kiss and give credit to all members, including longtime present members Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer, and additionally Bruce Kulick and Eric Carr all who have made this band what it is, regardless of the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame's point of view," the band wrote on its web site. "Although Kiss has moved forward far longer without them, Ace and Peter are at the very foundation of what we have built and this would all be impossible had they not been a part of it in the beginning."
The band made no mention of former guitarists Vinnie Vincent, who helped kick off the band's unmasked era, or Mark St. John, who was with the band briefly in 1984 and who died in 2007.
"It is over 13 years since the original lineup has played together in makeup and we believe the memory of those times would not be enhanced," Kiss wrote on its site. "To bring this to a quick end, we have decided not to play in any line-up, and we will focus our attention on celebrating our induction into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame."
The festering dispute was brought to a boil when Frehley called into Eddie Trunk's syndicated radio show Friday night to say that Simmons and Stanley had rejected a reunion with the original four members for the induction.
"They just shot down any type of reunion with us," Frehley said during the broadcast. "It's very frustrating. It's what the fans wanted, it's what the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame wanted, and it's not gonna happen. You don't want to do something for the fans after 40 years of them supporting you?"
The band's statement said it has never refused to play with Frehley and Criss.
Criss, who lives in Wall Township, N.J., said he wanted to let fans know there would be no reunion before they bought tickets for the induction ceremony, which range from $120 to nearly $600.
"This is disgraceful, and I feel bad for the fans who were looking forward to the four of us being inducted together," he said.
Criss did not indicate whether he would attend the induction; Frehley said he is unsure whether he'll be there.
Kiss began in 1973, and the original lineup played together until 1980. They reunited from 1996 to 2000, but the band has continued with replacement members wearing the Frehley and Criss makeup and costumes.
Out of respect, Ace and Peter's recent statements demand a quick response to you, our fans.
Our intention was to celebrate the entire history of KISS and give credit to all members including long time present members Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer, and additionally Bruce Kulick and Eric Carr all who have made this band what it is, regardless of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame's point of view.
Although KISS has moved forward far longer without them, Ace and Peter are at the very foundation of what we have built and this would all be impossible had they not been a part of it in the beginning.
It is over 13 years since the original lineup has played together in make-up and we believe the memory of those times would not be enhanced. Contrary to claims made through the media we have never refused to play with Ace and Peter.
We have spent 40 years dedicated to building KISS without quitting or wavering as the band has moved forward with huge tours and platinum albums through different important lineups for forty years, to this day.
KISS has always been a band unlike any other. That is why we started KISS. That is why we continue KISS. Being unlike other bands also means making choices and decisions unlike other bands.
This is understandably an emotional situation where there is no way to please everyone.
To bring this to a quick end, we have decided not to play in any line-up and we will focus our attention on celebrating our induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
We are excited and are looking forward to seeing you all on the KISS 40th Anniversary worldwide tour.
"To KISS fans,
"It's disappointing to have to say to you, the fans, that as of today, [original KISS guitarist] Ace [Frehley] and I have been denied a performance with [fellow KISS founding members] Gene [Simmons] and Paul [Stanley] for our Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction. Tickets go on sale on Monday, February 24, and I wanted to make sure that fans understood that no original performance, in or out of makeup, has been offered to us before they purchased their tickets. This is disgraceful, and I feel bad for the fans who were looking forward to the four of us being inducted together.
"God bless, Peter Criss – The Catman"
The news of the legendary group's non-reunion at the event was broken by former KISS guitarist Ace Frehley during an appearance on last night's edition of "Eddie Trunk Rocks" (formerly "Friday Night Rocks") radio show on New York's Q104.3 FM.
"I don't think KISS fans are gonna be too excited and happy about the news, 'cause at this juncture, [KISS leaders] Paul [Stanley] and Gene [Simmons] have decided to perform with [current KISS members] Tommy [Thayer, guitar] and Eric [Singer, drums], and it looks like the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame is going along with it," Frehley said.
Ace, who said that he was informed "in the last 24 to 48 hours" of Stanley's and Simmons' decision to perform with the current incarnation of KISS rather than the original lineup, continued: "The last time I was on [this radio show], it was a very exciting and happy call. And the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame was very excited about having the four original members who are being inducted to perform at the ceremony. And that was shot down by Paul and Gene. And now it's kind of, like, if I'm not gonna put on the makeup and do a three-song reunion for the fans, then what am I gonna do? And right now I'm not even sure if I'm gonna show up for that, you know?!"
According to Frehley, Stanley and Simmons "shot down doing any type of reunion with [original KISS drummer Peter Criss and me] — with makeup, without makeup," while Frehley himself ruled out performing alongside KISS' current lineup, saying, "I'm not gonna get on the stage with Tommy wearing my makeup. That's absurd."
He added: "It's a shame. I know [the original lineup reunion is] what the fans wanted. I know it's what the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame wanted. [But] it's not gonna happen."
Asked if he had any idea why Stanley and Simmons are so opposed to the idea of performing with the original KISS lineup at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, Frehley said: "I don't know, and at this point, I really don't give a shit. [Laughs] I really don't care. It's, like, enough already.
"You don't wanna do something for the fans after 40 years of them supporting you?
"It's something the fans wanted, it's something the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame asked of all four of us. They shot it down.
"It is what it is. I don't completely understand it, but those guys do a lot of things that don't make sense to me. It's unfortunate for the fans.
"We're being inducted because of the fans. And I feel like the fans are being let down. And I'm upset about it; I've gotta be honest with you. But I'm trying not to let it get to me because, like I said, I've gotta finish [my new solo] record and I've gotta think positive. And I wanna move forward. But it's upsetting.
"I'm working on my second book. I've got [my] new [solo] record [coming out]. What will be in the future will be. No matter what happens, I'm fine. And I'm having fun. And I'm creating great music. My life's great. And I can't let any negativity… I've gotta just let it roll off my back and continue doing what I've been doing — making great music.
"I'm at the tail end of [making my new solo] record… and this has just been a thorn in my side, because every day there's a different story: 'Yeah, maybe you can come and get up and do 'New York Groove'. And if you don't do it with KISS, you can do it with a celebrity lineup.' And that was shot down. It's very frustrating. It's also distracting my attention from the most important thing right now that I'm doing, [which] is working on music and creating. So it's very frustrating and a little disheartening."
Frehley also revealed the main reason he wanted to spread the message that he wasn't going to perform at the Rock Hall induction.
"It was very important that I let the fans know that because the tickets are going on sale on Monday, and I didn't want people buying tickets thinking that they were gonna see a KISS reunion, and then be disappointed," he explained.
[Note: American Express card members can purchase tickets to this year's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony before the general public beginning Monday, February 24 at 9 a.m. EST through Friday, February 28 at 10 p.m. EST. Tickets will be available to the public at Ticketmaster.com beginning Saturday, March 1 at 10:00 a.m. EST.]
Simmons last year said he had no interest in playing with Frehley and Criss again. Simmons explained that both co-founders have repeatedly blown their shot to share the stage with him and Paul Stanley, telling Radio.com: "How many chances in life do you get? When you stick your hand in the fire, you get burned the first time. Fire and nature doesn't care if you're a good guy or a bad guy. Both of these guys had three chances to be in the band and three times they fucked it up. They were every bit as important as we were at the formation of the band and they would have been the ruin of the band had they continued in it… When you have a cancer in your system, it's best to cut it out as fast as you can. It used to be a part of your body, then it turned into cancer, so you gotta cut it out."
Simmons went on to say: "I believe that both Ace and Peter are happier now. They are healthier, they look fine. When they were in the band, they were both on junk, or crack, or alcohol. Clearly not a healthy place for them. They belong doing autograph shows in clubs — they're happier."
This past December, Simmons told Rolling Stone: "KISS is Tommy Thayer, Eric Singer, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons. It's like, if you introduced me to your wife and I go, 'Wait, where are all the other wives?' It's like, 'Yeah, I was married to them and now I'm here.'"
He went on to say that he was open to performing with Criss and Frehley at the Rock Hall ceremony, stating, "They were equally important in the formation of the band. When you have kids with your first wife, you give kudos. The fact you got remarried doesn't delete or minimize the important. Hey, 'You have gave birth to this thing, KISS, with Ace, Peter, Paul and Gene.'"
Frehley left KISS after the band's 2002 "Farewell" dates, saying afterwards that he took the word "farewell" seriously.
Criss claimed that his contract with KISS wasn't renewed in March 2004.
Both charges have been disputed by Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley.
Frehley and Criss have opted out of appearing in what's being billed as the definitive KISS documentary, "You Wanted The Best You Got The Best". Classic Rock magazine spoke to director Alan G. Parker, who's behind the officially sanctioned film, and he shed light on why the two co-founders are staying away from anything having to do with Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, explaining, "Gene and Paul were shocked at first, but now they don't seem to be. There's been so much bitchiness down the years, and so much said about and done to Ace and Peter that they interpreted the request to be in the movie as a favor to Gene and Paul. Because of that they won't go anywhere near it. The negotiations were interesting, to say the least."
KISS, which has been passed over by the Hall since 1998, is taking its long-overdue induction with a grain of salt, with Stanley telling Classic Rock magazine that it feels like a case of a little too little and a little too late to mean anything for him, explaining, "It was done begrudgingly and because it had become absolutely ludicrous that they were choosing to ignore us. At the end of the day most people don't realize that the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame was a privately created establishment and that it has a self-appointed board. It's a perfect case of perception becoming reality. People heard 'Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame' and gave it credibility."
Stanley added: "So whether it deserves the title has to be weighed against who it inducts.
"So was it an honor to be nominated? No. It means a lot to the fans, and I understand it, because it's validation for them. So for that reason, I accept graciously and accept on their behalf."
The 29th annual Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony will take place on Thursday, April 10 at Barclays Center.
The television broadcast will premiere on HBO on May 31.
Forty years later Kiss's debut is ensconced firmly in the rock canon, and after years of being passed over for acts with more critical respect the band will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this April. Some of the credit goes to the music itself, which blended bits of glam and heavy metal with unexpected pop hooks. But mostly the album, and the group that made it, were a success because of some of the most brilliant and successful marketing the music industry's ever seen. From makeup to caskets, here's a look back at Kiss's marketing strategy.
Makeup: Alice Cooper had been wearing outlandish makeup for years by the time Kiss came around, and David Bowie had already popularized glittery spaceman costumes, but there was something about the way Kiss pulled them together that transcended their influences. Never allowing themselves to be seen by the public outside of their sci-fi kabuki getups, the members seemed somehow more than human, and helped add a bit of mythical heft to their unpretentious musical arrangements and frequently juvenile lyrics. Without the makeup Kiss could have been successful, but they never would have been as big as Kiss.
Comic Books: Along with their distinctive costumes and makeup, each member of Kiss came up with his own supernatural alter ego: Gen Simmons was the Demon, Paul Stanley was Starchild, Ace Frehley was the Spaceman, and Peter Criss was the Catman. While the stage personas were only vaguely sketched out, they were more than enough for the creative staff at Marvel Comics to develop them into full-on comic book superheroes in 1977, complete with superpowers and interactions with the X-Men and Dr. Doom. Twenty years later, Kiss collaborated with Image Comics on a series tied into their Psycho Circus album that ran for an impressive 31 issues.
Action Figures: Kiss's many critics liked to dismiss the band as kids' stuff compared to, say, Lou Reed and Todd Rundgren, who also released records the same week as Kiss.
A band more concerned with their critical reputation wouldn't have signed on to release action figures through the Mego company in 1978, but Kiss was strictly focused on the commercial end and embraced the segment of their audience that happened to overlap with Saturday morning cartoons. Reed and Rundgren may have made more important music, but they never had their own lines of toys.
Pinball: In 1978 pinball still had a juvenile-delinquent edge, so it was perfectly synergistic to give the band that confused and outraged parental types more than any other of the era its own machine. From a strictly pinball perspective it wasn't anything special, but the fact that it had the faces of Kiss plastered all over it has meant there are still a remarkable number of them that fanatic owners have kept in playable condition.
Live Albums: The live album had been around for ages by the time Kiss released Alive! in 1975, but few acts before or after exploited the format as effectively as they did. Although the rumors about tapes being tinkered with extensively in the studio afterward call into question whether or not it technically qualifies as a live recording, Alive! managed to finally capture the band's on-stage energy that the previous three studio albums couldn't, and finally got them a break with a mainstream pop audience. Considering its massive success, it's not surprising that they've released six more live albums since.
Solo Albums: Musicians in popular acts release solo albums all the time, but only an act as willing to push the limits of their audience's budgets as Kiss would contrive to release one solo album per member (complete with coordinating sleeve art) on the same day. That there was only about one LP's worth of good material spread over four of them seriously tested their fan base's limits, but the sheer hubris of the act has made it a legendary moment in music business history.
KISS Army: Pop culture fan clubs are mostly aimed at teenage girls and sci-fi geeks, but when the Kiss marketing machine was at the peak of its powers it transformed a two-man fan club in Terre Haute, Ind., called the Kiss Army into an organization with an estimated 100,000 members that allegedly brought in $5,000 a day, whose emblem hardcore rock fans proudly displayed on their jean jackets.
KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park: Kiss was a multimedia entertainment company before "multimedia" even existed. It only made sense that at some point they'd try their hand at filmmaking. Produced by Hanna-Barbera (the studio best known for making Scooby-Doo and The Flintstones) and aired on NBC, 1978's Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park was a complete mess that would eventually become legendary among pop culture aficionados for its all-encompassing badness, but even in its massive failure it's a tribute to the band's willingness to think big.
Removing the Makeup: When your brand identity is so intrinsically tied to one element, like only appearing in public wearing full-face makeup, when the gimmick's novelty runs out the smart move is to make a big deal out of getting rid of it. That's what Kiss did in 1983 when they released Lick It Up, appearing on the album cover and in public au natural (or as close as 1980s rock got to it) for the first time in the band's existence and causing a brief but massive media explosion. Although it only gave a temporary boost to a band that was faltering (Frehley and Criss had left by then), the spectacle the act generated is an excellent lesson in PR judo.
KISS Kaskets: From the start Kiss' commercial ambition was considered unseemly, even by the crass standards of the 1970s music industry, and that reputation has remained one of the only constants in its existence. In 2001 they stirred up a fair amount of popular outrage by unveiling the Kiss Kasket, a Kiss-themed coffin retailing for nearly $5,000 that wasn't intended strictly as a novelty item but as a legitimate option for devoted Kiss fans to be buried in. It's proven so popular that the band now sells two different designs, and for those who'd prefer to be cremated there's also a Kiss urn.
Hendrickson is an innovative marketing professional who provides a deep entertainment background. Outside the sports world, he is the brainchild of the Monsters Of Rock brand, a nationally syndicated radio show which airs in over 60 markets across the country.
"LA KISS will pioneer the fusion of entertainment and pro sports and there is nobody better in the business to bring our vision to life than Harlan," said LA KISS President Schuyler Hoversten. "His creativity and risk taking approach to sports entertainment is a perfect fit for the organization as we design an experience never before seen by sports fans."
Hendrickson is well known for his ability to integrate entertainment and sports across varying media platforms. He developed best practices in several leading sports leagues, including Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League, Major League Soccer, the Arena Football League and the National Lacrosse League. He also directed four ArenaBowls for the AFL.
"Collaborating with Gene, Paul and Doc is truly an honor," said Hendrickson. "They will bring a perspective and vision for our games that will truly set a new bar for pro sports entertainment. KISS has become synonymous with spectacle and I'm thrilled to be part of ensuring our games deliver this."
Hendrickson currently serves as Palace Sports & Entertainment's Vice President of Marketing, overseeing the Palace of Auburn Hills, DTE Energy Music Theatre and Meadow Brook Music Theater in "Detroit Rock City".
In Not Fade Away, we take a look at the legacy of some of the greatest albums of the past few decades – some iconic, some lesser known – as they celebrate significant anniversaries. Here, we look back at KISS‘ 1974 debut album which turns 40 this week.
About two years ago, Bruce Springsteen started his epic keynote speech at South By Southwest by discussing some of the most divisive artists in rock music. He mentioned Phish, he mentioned himself, and he mentioned KISS. He said there are two ways you can look at the self-proclaimed “hottest band in the world.” He said, “You can say, ‘Early theater rock proponents, expressing the true raging hormones of youth,’ or ‘They suck!’” And that’s pretty much how it is with KISS: you can love them, or hate them, but they’re very hard to ignore. However, that wasn’t always the case.
Although the band’s principles, Gene Simmons (bass/vocals) and Paul Stanley (guitar/vocals) are from New York City, there’s a reason that one of their biggest hits is written not about any of the five boroughs, but about Motor City, U.S.A. “We didn’t make it in New York,” Simmons told Radio.com in a recent interview. “We made it in Detroit. New York is a little too high-falutin, too full of itself.”
“It bears noting,” he says, “That New York City, perhaps the most important city on the face of the planet, never gave the world a worldwide musical phenomenon that could play stadiums and arenas around the world, other than KISS. Not one,” perhaps forgetting about Jay Z and Alicia Keys, to name two. “There’s the (New York) Dolls, the Ramones and other club bands. Blue Oyster Cult was from Long Island, and even they never played stadiums. New York City gave the world nothing. Detroit – not a major city – gave the world Grand Funk Railroad, which played Shea Stadium. Not a New York band ever played there,” although, Long Island’s Billy Joel had, in fact, headlined the former home of the New York Mets.
“Ted Nugent, Bob Seger, there were a ton of bands out of Detroit,” he said, although to again play devil’s advocate, Nugent hasn’t been an arena headliner in a few decades. “England gave the world thousands of bands: the Beatles and the Stones. Even Jimi Hendrix, an American, came out of England. New York City gave the world nothing. New York City gave the world KISS: one band and we didn’t make it in NY, we made it in Detroit. New York is like going to a restaurant and seeing 100 things to order, you can’t wrap your mind around what you want. You go to a restaurant with a half a page (menu), ‘I’ll take that one!’ It’s more focused! Even with black music: Detroit gave us Motown! Stax/Volt came out of Memphis! Didn’t come out of New York, there’s not a musical scene that came out of New York, not disco, not rock, nothing! Liverpool – Liverpool! – gave us the Beatles.” Of course, there are some that might argue his point about disco not coming out of New York, but we digress.
This leads to another of Simmons’ usual targets: music critics. “KISS is a heartland band, we completely ignored critics, they meant nothing to us. I buried them in my backyard, they’re fertilizer for my greenery! They’re the guys who never got laid in school who have pus-filled pimples who still live in their mother’s basement. They’re not even journalists! It’s a completely unnecessary lifeform. If critics cease to be, nothing changes.”
And with that business out of the way, we were able to discuss the band’s classic debut album. “Nothing To Lose, our new book, goes into how in the early days, we didn’t know anything, we were just four kids off the street,” referring to himself, Stanley, drummer/singer Peter Criss and lead guitarist Ace Frehley. “We started making $75 a week salary, which to me was a king’s ransom, because I could quit my job. Even though I was making three times that much at my former job, I didn’t have to wake up early in the morning, and on $75 a week you could be in a band.” Despite the fact that the man now sits atop an empire which includes a veritable cornucopia of KISS-themed items, and even a football team, he still describes that time with genuine wonder.
KISS was the first band signed to Casablanca Records, a label that would end up being more well-known for disco. The label provided them with the producers for their first album, Kenny Kerner and Richie Wise. ”When we met Kerner and Wise, they were assigned to us by a brand new label called Casablanca, we were the first act on Casablanca, and nobody was particularly awed by the talent or the direction. We just tried to be who we are. I think the first two records were ok, sonically they’re not great, but the one thing we were able to maintain was our soul. This is who we are. Not as ‘fidelic’ as it could have been, because live, the band sounded much better. In the studio we sounded smaller and less ambient and less ‘live.’ So, in a way, it sort of helped , the ‘fidelics’ weren’t high level, so when people saw us live, we were better than we were on record. Often, the bands that spent a lot of time in the studio sounded better in the studio than they did live.”
Simmons is a lot happier with the “fidelics” of later albums, but he says some of the more well-known producers that they worked with later on would not have been the right choice for their debut. “[Eddie] Kramer would have given those records a much more ‘English’ sound, and English records were just better. And even Bob Ezrin would have been the wrong producer in the beginning, because they would have gotten too arranged. We had to get those early, innocent, straight out rock and roll songs out of our system. And they were not written to be better arranged. It wasn’t until ‘Detroit Rock City’ and some of the other songs that it had the size and the width and the breath to be arranged with solos and harmonies and things like that.”
Four decades later, it may be difficult for some to separate the music from everything else — the marketing, the reality shows, Simmons’ larger than life personality — to be able to enjoy the music. And as Simmons is quick to remind anyone who will listen, KISS isn’t just a band, it’s a brand. That b[r]and is finally getting into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year, after fifteen years of eligibility. They are one of the most influential rock bands to emerge from the ’70s, so what took so long for them to get voted in? It seems that, as Springsteen said, for every huge fan, there’s a detractor who says “They suck!” As for Gene and Paul: they don’t care what you think. And really, they never did.
Did you feel honoured at being inducted in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame?
No, it was done begrudgingly and because it had become absolutely ludicrous that they were choosing to ignore us. At the end of the day most people don’t realise that the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame was a privately created establishment and that it has a self-appointed board. It’s a perfect case of perception becoming reality. People heard ‘Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame’ and gave it credibility. So whether it deserves the title has to be weighed against who it inducts. So was it an honour to be nominated? No. It means a lot to the fans and I understand it because it’s validation for them. So for that reason I accept graciously and accept on their behalf.
My feelings and my ambivalence about the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame hasn’t changed any. Their attitude is elitist and it doesn’t reflect the public. It reflects a small group who dictate who meets the criteria that they set up as ‘rock and roll’. I’ve always felt the spirit of rock and roll meant not only ignoring your critics, but ignoring your peers and going your own way. I think we’ve done that pretty much with few exceptions for forty years. So that same criteria that kept us out has not gotten us in. I scratch my head a little and I also take issue with a certain arrogance within that group.
Nonetheless I look at some of the inductees and any club that has Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton and The Who and the Beatles and the Stones is company I don’t mind being in and my feelings have nothing to do with any of them, it purely has to do with a system which I think is tainted, corrupted and distorted.
Are you looking forward to playing it?
Honestly, I have no plans at the moment to do anything, and that includes playing with Ace and Peter or anyone else. My plan at the moment is to go and accept the award. Anything else, we’ll see how it unfolds or unravels. It was interesting to me, or offensive to me, that when the question was broached with the hierarchy about inducting additional members it was shut down immediately as ‘a non starter,’ which to me is arrogant. People who sit behind desks need to respect the people who are actually either inductees or possible inductees into this so-called hallowed organization. So the fact that there are 30 or 40 or 50 or some absurd number of Grateful Dead members all inducted, the fact that all of the Chili Peppers, including people who played on early albums that never amounted to very much are not inducted, the fact that John Rutsey, the drummer on the first Rush album is not inducted, the fact that Rob Trujillo, who’s a great guy but didn’t play on any of the classic Metallica albums, was inducted after being in the band six years makes me wonder exactly what are the rules? If the rules don’t apply to everybody then they’re not rules.
Do you plan to bring Ace and Peter up on stage with you?
Of course it goes without saying that Ace and Peter deserve this moment in the spotlight. We wouldn’t be here without them. We couldn’t have built what we did without them at the foundation. That being said, we couldn’t have built what we built without a lot of people who followed them. We couldn’t have been here without them and we couldn’t be here today with them. So absolutely, of course they deserve and belong up there.
Ace and Peter jammed together at recent party for That Metal Show presenter Eddie Trunk. How did you feel about that?
I didn’t feel one way or the other. I don’t own those songs, I only wrote ‘em. There’s nothing to guard or lock away. Those songs are public domain and they played on those songs so why wouldn’t they play them? For that matter, why wouldn’t anybody play them?
Songs included in this pack are "Detroit Rock City", "Heaven's On Fire" and "I Was Made For Loving You".
Individual songs are available for $2.99 or the complete 3-song pack for $7.99.
New music packs continue to be released on a regular basis so please continue to watch for updated information.
Rocksmith 2014 Edition is the sequel to 2011's immensely popular Rocksmith, which taught over 1.5 million players how to play the guitar by enabling players to plug any real guitar or bass with a standard ¼" jack directly into their Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the Sony PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system, PC or Mac. Rocksmith 2014 Edition includes new features, new modes, optimized tracking and responsiveness, and completely redesigned interface, new techniques and tunings, and much more. Aspiring guitarists can now learn to play guitar in just 60 days with Rocksmith 2014 Edition.
AXS TV will broadcast the “MendingKids.org! All-Star Concert for Children Worldwide” from the Hollywood House of Blues on Valentine’s Day.
The event — and now TV special — will be headlined by 2014 Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame inductees, KISS, and hosted by illusionist and “Celebrity Apprentice” contestant Penn Jillette.
Pop crooner Tom Jones and singer/songwriter Natasha Bedingfield are also scheduled to perform, among others. Arsenio Hall is set to appear before the Sunset Strip rock n’ roll club’s invitation-only audience as well.
Over the past eight years, MendingKids.org! has provided more than 1,500 children from 54 countries with life-changing surgical care to correct serious medical issues such as congenital heart defects, orthopedic abnormalities, severe scoliosis, and significant cranial facial deformities. Additionally, MendingKids.org offers training and research to assist surgeons in developing countries to create self-sustaining surgical programs providing access so that more children enjoy longer, healthier and happier lives.
“‘MendingKids.org! All-Star Concert for Children Worldwide’ is an incredible event that will bring some much-needed awareness to a truly worthwhile organization,” said Mark Cuban, AXS TV founder. “MendingKids.org! does unbelievable work for children all around the globe, and it’s inspiring to see these larger-than-life personalities gather together to lend their support to this cause.”
The AXS TV broadcast of the benefit concert will kick-off with live coverage on Friday, Feb. 14 at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT.
“H.I.T.S.” celebrates 25 years! Join Gary & Ken along with Matt Porter, BJ Kramp, Chris Karem and Joey Hayne as we go round on H.I.T.S.
Listen here.
Stanley tweeted a photo from the session earlier today (Friday, February 5), writing, "Recording spoken word version of my autobiography 'Face The Music'. 180 pages done and 230 left to go!"
"Face The Music: A Life Exposed" will be released on April 8 via HarperOne The 432-page hardcover will feature rare photographs of the legendary rocker and detail his hard-partying lifestyle as one of the co-founders of the heavy rock band who has sold over eighty million albums and performed more than two thousand shows around the world.
The cable network, which continues to make inroads into reality, has ordered 10 episodes of a new unscripted series following the inaugural season of arena football team the Los Angeles KISS. The show will include team owners and namesakes, KISS frontmen Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons.
Simmons, of course, is no stranger to a camera crew. The bass guitarist starred on his own reality show, A&E's ?Gene Simmons Family Jewels?, for seven seasons.
“We are thrilled to partner with AMC in bringing our show to the viewing public,” said bandmate and business partner Stanley. “Anyone who knows Gene and I knows we have never played by the rules. This opportunity to see the making of our team of rebels, the LA KISS, from behind the scenes will once again show everyone that we play to win.”
In addition to the duo and other members of the team, the show will also feature longtime KISS manager Doc McGhee.
“We look forward to capturing all the trials and tribulations of launching a sports franchise in a great sports city like Los Angeles,” AMC senior vp unscripted programming Eliot Goldberg. “These are incredibly dedicated athletes, coaches and management who want to win, and the fact that the team has rock and roll royalty in the owners box just adds another great dimension to the series.”
Still untitled, the one-hour series is produced by Thinkfactory Media (Gene Simmons Family Jewels, Hatfields & McCoys) and will launch summer 2014. Executive producers include Adam Freeman, Adam Reed and Leslie Greif. Goldberg, Marco Bresaz and Andrea Beckerman will oversee for AMC.
February sees the launch of AMC's latest reality foray, Game of Arms. Small Town Security, Comic Book Men, Freakshow and The Pitch are among its other unscripted offerings -- though the network remains best known for its dramas.
It’s the 79th installment of PodKISSt… the KISS fanzine for your ears!
Listen: http://podkisst.com.
Monday, April 7 – New York - 6:00 pm
Barnes & Noble Tribeca
97 Warren Street
New York, NY 10007
Tuesday, April 8 – New York - 7:00 pm
Barnes & Noble
2245 Richmond Avenue
Staten Island, NY
Wednesday, April 9 – New York/New Jersey - 6:00 pm
Bookends
211 E. Ridgewood Avenue
Ridgewood, NJ
Wednesday, April 16 – Los Angeles - 7:00 pm
Barnes & Noble
The Grove
189 The Grove Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Thursday, April 17 – San Diego - 7:00 pm
Warwick’s
7812 Girard Avenue
La Jolla, CA 92037
Friday, April 25 – San Francisco - 7:00 pm
Q & A and Signing
Jewish Community Center
3200 California Street
San Francisco, CA 94118
KISS frontman Gene Simmons is heading to CBS' long-running procedural during the 14th season in a cameo, The Hollywood Reporter has learned exclusively.
“We're really excited to have Gene Simmons guest-starring on CSI, playing himself in a rock-and-roll-themed murder mystery," said executive producers Don McGill and Carol Mendelsohn in a joint statement to THR.
Simmons will appear in the 17th episode tentatively scheduled for March 12.
Simmons is repped by CAA. He starred in the A&E reality series Gene Simmons: Family Jewels, and has appeared as himself on Castle and Ugly Betty.
The multi-million dollar ad campaign includes airings on FOX, NBC, CBS, TBS, AMC, Discover, USA, History, Comedy Central, Fuse, VH1 and TNT.
Augusta Warrior Project, a cause that we are very passionate about. Check it out here.
Chideo lets you get up close and personal with us by asking questions about our life, our current projects...anything! Vote and be sure to share your favorite suggestions with your friends. The more votes, the better chance we’ll make it into an exclusive video on Chideo! Follow our page and we’ll let you know when we release new videos on Chideo. Donate to watch and help us raise money for a great cause.
We are in incredible company with many of your favorite actors, athletes, musicians, and tastemakers and we are grateful to be able to help support the holistic approach to veteran care.
Join us on Chideo and together we’ll WATCH THINGS CHANGE.
The cover for "Face The Music: A Life Exposed" can now be seen here.
Pre-order here: Hardcover or Kindle.
“Paul Stanley proves himself as an artist in music and on canvas and now with a great book.” — Jimmy Page
“Both honest and inspirational. Amazing tales from one of rock’s great frontmen.” — Sir Elton John
“Paul is a great man who has achieved great things. From the Popcorn Club all the way to the Hall of Fame, his story is inspiring and motivating for anyone who dreams big.” — Dave Grohl
“An entertaining yet piercingly honest journey from self–conscious child to the world’s most visually famous rock band, to, finally—with the makeup wiped away—a place of peace as a father and a man. Paul Stanley’s story is both ordinary and extraordinary, which makes it inspiring.” — Mitch Albom, author of The First Phone Call From Heaven and Tuesdays With Morrie
There was KISS in full costume and makeup, Alyssa Milano talking about her love of sports, particularly hockey, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Brian Wilson sporting his long beard, and Wayne Gretzky photobombing actor and entertainer Tom Arnold.
"This is a wonderful night, a spectacular event, only a positive for hockey and a positive for sports in California," Gretzky said. "It's an opportunity, too, to show people how great a hockey city this is."
Before the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks took the ice to play the first game in the 2014 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series, hockey and Hollywood meshed in the Lexus Dugout Club underneath the stands behind home plate at Dodger Stadium.
Actor Jon Hamm was wearing his St. Louis Blues hat with his wife, Jennifer Westfeldt, beside him. Gold-medal winning beach volleyball player Kerri Walsh Jennings was there with her husband and kids.
Former ballplayer Nomar Garciaparra, who played parts of three seasons with the Dodgers, talked about his appreciation for the fitness that goes into hockey and the science that goes into ice-making. Legendary Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda was there talking about how Dodger Stadium has played host to the pope, The Beatles and now outdoor hockey.
"Let's not forget one thing, L.A. is the sports capital of the world," Lasorda said. "Right here in Los Angeles and don't ever forget it."
"Wheel of Fortune" host Pat Sajak was there. A veteran of the first five NHL Winter Classic games, Sajak didn't attend the game earlier this month at the Big House in Ann Arbor, Mich., because he knew he'd be able to come here to see his beloved Kings play the Ducks.
"You're either a hockey fan or you're not; (there are) those who are rabid about it, and those who aren't I think are missing out on a terrific sport," Sajak said. "This kind of gets the message out about this game to the casual fan, and it's hard to do that."
Grammy Award-nominated singer Jordin Sparks, who performed "The Star-Spangled Banner," posed for photos. Actor Colin Hanks, in his Kings hat and jacket, talked about how he used to like the shootout but now he wouldn't mind seeing it out of the game.
Oh, and did we mention Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer of KISS were there in full makeup and costume talking about hockey and signing commemorative Stadium Series goalie masks.
There were multiple sightings of Simmons' famous tongue.
"We're as excited about it as you are to see us," Simmons said of the opportunity to play Dodger Stadium before the game and during the first intermission.
Asked what he thought about the NHL, the Kings and the Ducks making hockey cool in Southern California, Simmons said it should happen and it is happening.
"The mountain is not going to come to you Mohammed, you're going to have to go to it," he said. "The same old, same old is gone. A woman playing an organ at a baseball game, 'Take me out to the ballgame,' that's yesterday. You're either going to attract new fans or you're going to be grandma's sport. That includes everybody. You've gotta reach it out, make it hip, make it cool."
Taking part in the festivities of this anticipated outdoor game is recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees KISS, who will give a mini-concert during the first intermission of the game. This morning the one and only Gene Simmons joined us live on air to talk about performing at LA’s first outdoor hockey game, plus share his abundance of music knowledge, sentiments about being inducted to the Rock Hall and much more.
KISS is just one of the big-name talents performing at the Stadium Series game this weekend along with Jordin Sparks and Five For Fighting. The band will rock the stadium after the first period of the game, and Gene assures it will be a show to remember.
“How exciting is that going to be?” said Gene. “Dodger Stadium. Outdoors. Southern California right here in Los Angeles, you’re going to see great champions going at each other on blades on ice, but…we’ll be able to shake the heavens. KISS in full bombast, we’ll have more firepower than most third world countries.”
Not only does KISS have the honor of being the first band to play at LA’s outdoor hockey game, but the band also holds another title at Dodger Stadium of being the first band to put on a 3D concert on the field in 2000.
It’s these kind of record-breaking achievements that had made KISS one of the most celebrated rock bands in history. Now, Gene and his bandmates will forever be immortalized in music history after being named one of this year’s inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
“We have nothing to complain about. We respectfully didn’t wait around to find out when and where and how. We are the most blessed guys in the world,” said Gene on being inducted to the Rock Hall. “It’s a nice kind of thing, so we’ll be celebrating with a 40th anniversary world KISS tour…it’s very exciting.”
It’s hard to believe KISS has been around for 40 years now, and we had to wonder if Gene and the rest of the band gets tired of putting on shows in full costume and makeup after all these years.
“We actually love it,” he said. “It’s a source of pride. It’s war paint more than makeup, because there’s a ritual, it takes about two hours. I wear more makeup and high heels than Lisa does.”
Over the years, there’s one other question that the members of KISS get asked over and over again, and that is, does KISS stand for anything?
“No, no. It stands for the same thing you do quietly when nobody’s looking with Lisa every morning,” he cracked.
Not only is Gene a talented musician, but he’s an incredibly resourceful businessman (and “very good-looking” in his words) in his spare time. Gene co-owns several companies including a restaurant chain Rock And Brews, Cool Springs Life loans, and his newest venture the LA KISS arena football league, which kicks off its season in March.
On the charitable side, Gene has a very big heart when it comes to deserving causes. Gene recently auctioned off his beefed-up Ford F100 truck for $450,000 to raise money to build a children’s hospital in Saskatchewan, Canada.
“It is worth reminding ourselves…that America is most charitable country that has ever existed,” said Gene. “This is proved positive when there’s a cause, in this case it was making sure that children in Saskatchewan – that’s a city of about a million people, did not have a children’s hospital. That’s inexcusable, so Ford donated a wonderful truck…and a kind-hearted person understood that there was a bigger idea besides just owning a car that the money was going to do some children good.”
You can catch Gene perform live with KISS at the Kings-Ducks Stadium Series game at Dodger Stadium this Saturday, Jan. 25th at 7pm.
"Charity and giving back is everyone's obligation. Here's a great way to give and get something great in the process. Everybody wins!" said Paul Stanley, KISS co-founder.
"KISS has always been committed to giving back, and these T-shirts are a fun way to do that," said Gene Simmons, KISS co-founder.
True to Hard Rock's "Love All-Serve All" mantra, a portion of the retail price from sales of the KISS Signature Series: Edition 32 products will benefit City of Hope in their worldwide effort to conquer cancer, diabetes, HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening illnesses. City of Hope touches lives around the globe, providing patients with the best medical care possible in an atmosphere of kindness and compassion. With Hard Rock's Signature Series: Edition 32 limited-edition merchandise, KISS fans can support City of Hope's mission to shorten the time from bold influential research ideas to powerful medical treatments.
"We are proud to support City of Hope by raising awareness and bringing encouragement to individuals and their families struggling with cancer through the Signature Series program," said John Galloway, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Hard Rock International. "Hard Rock is honored to have KISS, legendary musicians and dedicated activists, join with us to raise funds and awareness for such an important organization."
The new Signature Series T-shirt ($26) features an image of the current members of KISS with signatures of each KISS member on the front. The KISS Signature Series Pin ($12) features a cutout of the KISS members with the Hard Rock logo. The limited-edition KISS Signature Series T-shirt and collectable pin will be available online at hardrock.com, at Rock Shops at Hard Rock Cafes, Hotels and Casinos worldwide beginning in January 2014.
"City of Hope is delighted to have KISS and Hard Rock Cafe support our groundbreaking research with the sale of these exclusive items," said Steven Martin, vice president of marketing for City of Hope. "Through the generosity of KISS and Hard Rock Café, our scientists are better able to accelerate the discovery of new treatments and cures and, in doing so, improve the lives of patients and families everywhere."
As part of Hard Rock's partnership with KISS and the launch of Hard Rock's KISS Signature Series: Edition 32 T-shirt and pin, KISS is taking over all Hard Rock Cafes, Hotels and Casinos. Guests can enjoy special live music events, KISS makeovers, KISSing booths and more, as Hard Rock gets KISS-ed at participating cafes throughout the month of January.
In addition, Hard Rock is encouraging guests and fans to share their KISS experience on social media. Whether posting photos of Hard Rock's KISS Signature Series: Edition 32 products, or showing off their KISS makeover, Hard Rock wants everyone to use the hashtag #HardRockgetsKISSed and share how they got KISS-ed this January.
Hard Rock's Signature Series Lineup Hard Rock developed the concept of partnering with world-renowned musicians and bands to create and donate imaginative designs more than 20 years ago. These unique designs are reproduced onto T-shirts and sold at Hard Rock properties worldwide, with a portion of the retail price benefitting the artist's preferred charity. KISS joins a legendary roster of music icons – from U2, The Who, Bruce Springsteen and Eric Clapton, to Jon Bon Jovi, Linkin Park, Shakira, Ringo Starr and John Lennon – who have become part of Hard Rock's Signature Series program, which has helped to raise millions of dollars for charitable causes worldwide.
CLICK HERE to purchase yours today online.
Each week, "That Metal Show" will continue to bring their audience the biggest names in hard rock and heavy metal. A slew of guests have already been confirmed for the upcoming episodes, including Myles Kennedy and Mark Tremonti of ALTER BRIDGE, Randy Blythe and Chris Adler of LAMB OF GOD, Corey Glover and Vernon Reid of LIVING COLOUR and THE WINERY DOGS. Also confirmed to appear during Season 13 are Mick Mars (MÖTLEY CRÜE), Ted Nugent, Ace Frehley (KISS), Peter Criss (KISS), Joe Satriani (CHICKENFOOT), Al Jourgensen (MINISTRY), Morgan Rose (SEVENDUST), Frank Bello (ANTHRAX) and David Ellefson (MEGADETH). Other guests are still being confirmed at this time with more to be named at a later date.
Known for having the best musicians in music perform each week on "That Metal Show", Season 13 will continue the trend with the likes of NIGHT RANGER guitarist Joel Hoekstra, surf guitar maestro Gary Hoey and metal master ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante. Other blazing musical performances by CHARRED WALLS OF THE DAMNED drummer Richard Christy and female guitar legend Lita Ford are also confirmed to make the new season the most musically diverse collection of shows in "That Metal Show" history.
This season will mark some monumental changes for the show as it returns to New York City for Season 13. Previously, the show was taped over several days of one week out at Sony Studios in Los Angeles. The new season will be shot at Metropolis Studios on Tuesday nights for broadcast that Saturday. Season 13 will also consist of 12 new episodes making it the longest season in the show's history. Fans can also catch the complete season 12 and brand new exclusive bonus clips at ThatMetalShow.VH1.com and in the new VH1 app. New episodes of season 13 will launch on the web and in the app every Sunday morning following the show's on-air premiere.
"That Metal Show" premiered on VH1 Classic in November 2008 and since then has become the only place for all things hard rock/heavy metal on cable television. The show has been visited by some of the biggest names in music, including members of BLACK SABBATH, AEROSMITH, PANTERA, ANTHRAX, KISS, IRON MAIDEN, METALLICA, PEARL JAM, QUEENSRŸCHE and HEART, to name just a few.
"That Metal Show" is a production of VH1 Classic. Lee Rolontz, Jeff Baumgardner and Keshia Williams serve as executive producers for VH1.
Mr. Varvatos usually has a musical artist hook-up. He recently featured Willie Nelson in his advertising; next it will be Kiss. But what was even stranger than seeing the rock stars at the show was encountering them beforehand, during an interview at the Westin hotel. They were dressed, Cash-style, in black; Mr. Simmons had on a vintage pair of cowboy boots. Their hair was relatively normal. Before Mr. Simmons joined the conversation, Mr. Stanley proudly showed off snaps of his outdoor pizza oven in California, where both men live, and some examples of his pie baking.
They just came across as two polite, charming and forthright middle-aged businessmen. And, no, they insisted, they were not selling out.
Mr. Simmons: This started as a mutual admiration society, and nobody had a master marketing plan. If John wasn’t designing clothing, he’d be in a rock band. I mean, he’s here in Milan, but I don’t think he cares what any other designer is doing. He’s being John Varvatos. And we have our own fashion sense, and I think that goes hand in hand with John’s philosophy about fashion.
Mr. Stanley: We have always been considered, by a certain element, as sellouts. Because we don’t play the game. I’ve always believed that rock and roll means not only ignoring your critics but also your peers. The only rule with Kiss is that there are no rules. If we felt comfortable endorsing toothpaste — well, that’s what makes Kiss different than other bands.
[Mr. Simmons pulled up a pant leg and fished out a worn black book buried in his boot. He produced a Kiss Visa card.]
Mr. Stanley: When we first started doing merchandise, we were just scorned by everybody. We did T-shirts and belt buckles. Other bands just looked down their noses at us when we started the Kiss Army Fan Club. Fan clubs weren’t cool — until people saw that they started to bring in sizable revenue. All of sudden other bands began having fan clubs and putting out T shirts.
How much revenue does the band get from merchandise and endorsements?
Mr. Simmons: People are always interested in the figures, and that is sort of beside the point. Let’s just all assume we do well. And we’ve been around for 40 years. We literally have thousands of licensed products, everything from condoms to caskets. I won’t do the joke about that. I’m sure you can figure it out.
Mr. Stanley: If you see the Varvatos campaign, there’s nothing “sellout” about it. I think we’re being very true to who we are. We look like us.
After 40 years of putting on the makeup and wigs, and wearing platforms and heavy stage garments, there must be a physical toll. And performing is hard on the body, besides.
Mr. Stanley: Absolutely. Things that didn’t hurt me 40 years ago hurt me today. From 40 years ago. I’ve had both my rotator cups repaired, my knees. I’ve had a hip replacement. But I’m doing splits and everything on stage. I’m blessed. Every time I go out on stage it is exhilarating.
People ask if it’s a drag to put on the makeup, and I say, “Do you complain about taxes if you win the lottery?” It’s a small price to pay. It’s really our uniform and war paint. It’s part of the ritual more than the routine. I probably train harder and longer now to stay in shape. Your cardio becomes so important.
And your hair, Gene? What do you do —
Mr. Simmons: Well, this is perfect hair. You can’t duplicate this. In hindsight, I bet you the makeup may have been good for us. I don’t use any regimen or anything, and I’m 64. Look how good I look! The makeup must have some kind greasy quality. Stein’s makeup is what we use.
Mr. Stanley: I didn’t think we used Stein’s anymore …
Mr. Simmons: The bucket that I use says Stein’s. It seems to have an oily base, and afterward you’ve got to wash it off with lots of soap and water. So you wind up scrubbing that sort of derma blah blah more than you normally would.
Do you guys smoke?
Mr. Simmons: No. I’ve never been high or drunk except in a dentist’s chair.
You didn’t do drugs?
Mr. Simmons: No. It’s fair to say we’re the hardest-working band in show business. Period. I’ll put you in a pair of seven-inch platform heals and weigh you down with 30 to 50 pounds of armor. The guitar will weigh another 10 to 15 pounds. And you’re surrounded on stage with things that blow up occasionally. You have to fly through the air. You’re on stage for two hours plus. And you will walk off that stage exhausted, whatever your age, and barely be able to catch your breath. And we do it well.
Mr. Stanley: This whole idea of drugs and rock and roll — that’s the whole cartoon idea of rock that’s deadly. What we used to do was have sex with a lot of women.
Yes, I read somewhere, Gene, that you claimed to have slept with 4,600 women.
[Mr. Simmons pointed to his wedding ring and then imitated a key turning at his lips. A couple of years ago he and Shannon Tweed were married after being together more than 30 years ago. They have two children.]
Mr. Simmons: And I was bad, until we got married. I continued with the lifestyle — forever. Here’s what being in a band is like. If you’ve scaled the heights, and you’re blessed to be at the right place at the right time, then you can easily become seduced and delusional about what you’re entitled to. If you have the DNA for the self-abuse thing, you will swim in a pool of heroin and cocaine. It takes all kinds of restraint to survive it, one way or the other.
I was a 14-year-old horny kid all my life. Looked like a man, acted like an irresponsible little kid — forever. And it takes a better person — Shannon, my wife. She stuck with me for 30 years, raised two great kids. And it seems to me that the closer you get to the last breath you’re going to take, the easier it is to grow up.
Where do you get your platform boots made?
Mr. Stanley: A place called Andre #1. He’s been around forever in Hollywood. We have them made with steel reinforcements. They weigh a good 30 pounds.
And where do your regular clothes come from?
Mr. Stanley: I love Brioni. Once you put on Brioni, nothing else quite looks as good.
Mr. Simmons: I have no idea. I’m a fashion retard. I literally walk into my closet and there will be a shirt …
Mr. Stanley: But you have clothes made?
Mr. Simmons: When and what?
Mr. Stanley: I know for a fact that most of your clothes are made for you …
Mr. Simmons: They are?
Mr. Stanley: Shannon just goes shopping?
Mr. Simmons: Yes, pretty much as long as we’ve lived together. I hate shopping. I don’t even like going into a Starbucks. As soon as someone says, “Can I help you?” I start to sweat and I want to leave. I just don’t have the temperament.
The band that brought glam to rock decades ago gave a burst of energy to the Varvatos' rock-inspired menswear preview for next winter Saturday, bringing the normally restrained fashion crowd to its feet to "Rock and Roll All Nite."
Simmons said fashion for him is "to be an individual and not to be a lemming."
Varvato's designs have that "rock persona," Simmons said, adding "if he wasn't designing clothes, he'd have a guitar around his neck."
"The idea is to have a fiery heart and an insatiable appetite for any pair of beautiful eyes, male or female, looking at you. And what you wear is an extension of your sexuality," said Simmons, the band's bassist.
Singer and guitarist Paul Stanley said the band met Varvatos during Milan Fashion Week last year when they were performing in the city. The band has since signed on to do an ad campaign for Varvatos.
"I knew John's clothes for years because they have all those elements that I love in clothes, which are timeless," Stanley said. "There is a style that goes back to some of the great rock 'n' roll bands of the 60s."
The looks that preceded Kiss's show-stopping appearance had a rock 'n' roll edge, with many stage-ready touches like gold- and silver-tone leather jackets, leopard top hats and a dramatic black jacket with pointy felt cutouts on the shoulders that gave the look a raptor-like quality.
Kiss celebrates the 40th anniversary of the release of its first album this year, and will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The designer has turned to the legendary rock band KISS — who will be inducted into the Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame in April — to be the face of his spring advertising campaign. The ads, which were shot in black-and-white by rock photographer Danny Clinch in the DUMBO area of Brooklyn, were inspired by the group’s Dressed to Kill album. The performers were photographed in full makeup wearing Varvatos suits.
Although it’s no surprise that Varvatos would use rock stars in his advertising — for 19 seasons he has turned to entertainers ranging from Jimmy Page and The Roots to Green Day, Iggy Pop, Cheap Trick and Alice Cooper. But Varvatos took it one step further this time, bringing the band onstage for a surprise performance at an after-party following his fall fashion show in Milan on Saturday to reveal the collaboration.
Stephen Niedzwiecki, founder and chief creative officer of Yard, Varvatos’ agency, said: “Throughout the years, John and I have always tried to work with musicians who are iconic, but not necessarily on the tip of your tongue or someone you would expect in a men’s fashion campaign. KISS was known for a specific style as a band. Not only were they innovative and break through with their music at the time, they were also style icons. KISS’s sense of style not only inspired future musicians, but John and creative people of all types. And its been important that every person we’ve shot over the years represents both a breakthrough figure in the music industry and, style-wise, has created a point of view for themselves. KISS’s look wasn’t something you could wear to a Bar Mitzvah, but if you asked people what the band looked like, they would certainly be able to tell you. They created this spectacle in music and had an overpowering sound and sense of showmanship, but at the same time were really well-educated, smart men with successes outside of music.”
A documentary-style short film that was conceived by Yard and directed by Clinch is also premiering on JohnVarvatos.com Saturday. The three-minute film highlights another surprise KISS concert at the John Varvatos Bowery Store, once the home of the famed CBGB’s nightclub, last fall.
Simmons and his band mates certainly lapped up the attention after they came out for a bow, surprising the usually staid fashion crowd, who rose to their feet and sang along to the 1975 anthem “Rock and Roll All Nite.”
Special KISS Rock & Roll VIP Package Available at The Fairmont Kea Lani, Maui for the Opening
Today, Rock & Brews® announced that KISS rock legends Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, co-founding partners in Rock & Brews family-friendly, rock-themed restaurants, plan to open a Rock & Brews restaurant in the beach-side, historic community of Pa’ia on Maui in January. The opening of Rock & Brews Pa’ia represents the rock-icons’ first in the Hawaiian Islands. An opening celebration is scheduled for Sunday, January 26, with a special KISS Rock & Roll VIP Package available at The Fairmont Kea Lani, Maui, the official resort sponsor of the event.
Stanley and Simmons, along with their Rock & Brews co-founding partners restaurateur-hotelier Michael Zislis and concert and merchandising veterans Dave and Dell Furano, have teamed up with longtime Maui residents Mark and Chrystie Blietz for the opening. The Blietz’s will own and operate the Pa’ia location.
Rock & Brews Pa’ia was designed by Maui architect Jim Niess of Maui Architectural Group, along with teacher, spiritual leader and artist A. C. Kahekiliui'la Lagunero of Maui, serving as a consultant on Hawaiian culture and art. The ‘ohana restaurant will pay tribute to the familial warmth and character that is synonymous with Pa’ia, while respecting the vibrant Rock & Brews brand look and feel. It will feature Rock & Brews’ popular casual American comfort food, as well as local favorites, and a full bar, including Pa’ia’s largest selection of craft beers.
“It is our goal to always offer local favorites on our menus,” said Stanley. “In Pa’ia, we will offer a number of popular Hawaiian dishes, local craft beers and signature tropical cocktails.”
Guests will be able to enjoy al fresco or indoor dining in a family-friendly rock concert-like environment complete with concert lighting, multiple screens presenting concert videos, hand-painted murals of rock artists, album and tour art, as well as art by local artists and art that salutes Hawaiian history and culture. The restaurant is designed to welcome local families and visitors alike. Ample parking is available.
“We are delighted to introduce Rock & Brews Pa’ia and welcome families in our friendly, energized environment,” said Mark Blietz. “Our goal is to become a popular gathering spot for residents of Pa’ia and surrounding communities, and a welcoming respite for visitors enjoying the beautiful Hana Highway scenic drive.”
The grand opening of Rock & Brews Pa’ia, hosted by Simmons and Stanley, will take place from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on January 26 and will benefit the Pa’ia Youth & Cultural Center and pay tribute to returning veterans, Wounded Warriors and active military. The luncheon will welcome local VIPs, members of the military, KISS fans from around the world, and music industry notables.
The Fairmont Kea Lani, located in nearby Wailea, will be offering a KISS Rock & Roll VIP Package, available to guests attending the opening. The package includes a one-bedroom suite at The Fairmont Kea Lani, two tickets to the Rock & Brews Pa’ia opening, access to the resort’s Willow Stream Spa VIP grand opening party from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. also on January 26, (with meet and greet and photo opportunities with Simmons and Stanley,) as well as a black & white manicure station, a rock & roll red lipstick station, hot rock neck massages, rock & roll sushi rolls from the resort’s award-winning Ko restaurant, and more), and two Rock & Brews Pa’ia t-shirts. It is valid January 24-27 (three nights) and priced at $349 per night, plus tax and resort fees. For more information or to make reservations, please visit www.fairmont.com/kea/kiss-rock-roll/.
“Shannon and I just renewed our wedding vows on Maui, and we are very excited and privileged to bring our family-friendly restaurant to Pa’ia,” said Simmons. “Maui has long been a favorite vacation spot for both my family and Paul’s family, and this opening is particularly exciting for us.”
Rock & Brews Pa’ia is located at 120 Hana Highway in Pa’ia. For more information, please visit www.fairmont.com/kea/kiss-rock-roll/.
Rock & Brews Paia is located at 120 Hana Highway in Paia. For more information, please visit www.rockandbrews.com.
Bruce, 60, proposed to Lisa on Christmas Eve in 2012 in London, England.
A photo of the happy couple couple can be seen above.
In 1984, Bruce joined KISS, where he remained as their lead guitarist for twelve years, accompanying the band on the "Animalize" tour and continuing with the band until the 1996 reunion tour. Bruce is heavily featured on "Kissology – Vol. 2" and "Vol. 3", the band's DVDs spanning their historic 35-year career.
Kulick's third solo album, "BK3", was released in Europe in January 2010 via Frontiers Records and in North America in February 2010 through Twenty 4 Records/Rocket Science Ventures. The first single from the album, "Hand Of The King", featuring Nick Simmons (son of KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons), was a digital-only release available at all online music stores, including iTunes.
The Facts: Two-bedroom, two-bath 1,500-square-foot co-op.
Asking Price: $2.795 million.
Maintenance: $2,332 per month.
Agent: Greg Kammerer, the Corcoran Group.
You have to wonder, looking at this straightforwardly decorated apartment, where the smoke machine and mirrored ceilings used to be. Not one but two rock-and-roll eminences have lived here. KISS front man Gene Simmons moved in just as the makeup-loving foursome broke through in the early seventies. A decade later, Simmons sold to Jim Steinman—the songwriter behind Meat Loaf’s multiplatinum Bat Out of Hell and Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” (Science-fiction master Isaac Asimov lived in the building, although there’s no evidence he had a hand in lyrics like “Once upon a time there was light in my life?/?But now there’s only love in the dark.”) In 2006, Steinman sold the apartment to Columbus Avenue Business Improvement District executive Barbara Adler, who’s removed all evidence of black leather.
Answering a question from a fan on Twitter about whether there are any plans yet on wearing makeup with former KISS members Ace Frehley (guitar) and Peter Criss (drums) at the Rock Hall induction, Stanley said: "No way."
Stanley was also asked if he, bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons, Frehley and Criss were going to perform together at the Rock Hall. "Seems unlikely," he replied.
The Rock Hall producers are leaning on the original members to perform in full costume. During a recent radio interview, Frehley joked about needing to lose weight and shave his goatee for the performance — but remained adamant that current guitarist Tommy Thayer, who performs using Frehley's "Spaceman," persona cannot be in costume that night.
Frehley explained: "You can't have me and Tommy both in makeup... I don’t have a problem with Tommy and [current drummer] Eric [Singer] being there out of makeup if I'm in makeup, because they're a big part of KISS today. [But] they had nothing to do with the beginning of KISS, or the designs or the costumes or the makeup... This is about the celebration of KISS and how it all began and started, and it should be honoring the four original members."
He went on to say: "If those guys wanna come up and do 'Rock And Roll All Nite' with the whole cast of the show, y'know, that would be a great thing. They deserve a little."
The Pulse Of Radio asked Stanley to give some sort of hint as to what shape KISS' induction performance will look like come April 10 in Brooklyn. "What will happen at the Barclays Center? I couldn't tell you," he said. "But I will tell you, without hesitation, that it will be unapologetically and proudly KISS."
"Los Angeles is the premier hub for sports and entertainment in this country and we are honored to be part of an event that fuses both by rocking the first-ever outdoor NHL game in LA," said Gene Simmons. "Fans can expect a spectacle at Dodger Stadium, similar to the one we will be creating at the Honda Center this season with our new Arena Football team, LA KISS."
"Our goal with the NHL Stadium Series games is to give our fans an unforgettable experience," said NHL Executive VP and Chief Marketing Officer Brian Jennings. "Having KISS headline our entertainment lineup is the perfect way to make our celebration of hockey in Southern California even bigger and more memorable."
With their signature makeup, explosive stage show and anthems like "Rock And Roll All Nite" and "Detroit Rock City," KISS is the very personification of rock stars. In 2014, the band celebrates the 40th anniversary of the release of their first album, KISS. After four decades of scoring countless hit singles, sold-out tours and appearing everywhere from comic books to lunch boxes to their very own TV movie, the iconic band remains one of the most influential artists in the history of rock and roll. At the top of American bands with the most gold albums, KISS has sold more than 100 million albums worldwide -- including their chart topping 20th studio album, Monster, produced by Paul Stanley and released in 2012. In support of that album, the band performed their Worldwide Monster Tour with sold-out-out shows in Australia, Europe, South America, North America and Japan as once again KISS, and their loyal followers in the KISS Army, rocked the globe.
A limited number of tickets to the Kings vs. Ducks match-up at Dodger Stadium are available for purchase via Ticketmaster.com and Ticketmaster.ca, the official ticket marketplace of the NHL.
A full line-up of performers and game day festivities at Dodger Stadium will be announced in the coming weeks.
The entertainment for the 2014 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series™ is being produced by RK Productions in association with Big Monkey Entertainment.
Timed to capitalize on the hype around their April induction into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, the band will re-release 9 albums and issue 1998’s “Psycho Circus” on the format for the first on March 18.
Included in the random set are the band’s first two albums, 1974’s “KISS” and “Hotter Than Hell”, the breakthrough “KISS Alive!”, 1976’s “Destroyer” and more – see the full list below.
The albums are all available now for pre-order via Amazon.
KISS Vinyl releases – March 18, 2014
* KISS
* Hotter Than Hell
* Alive!
* Destroyer
* Dynasty
* Unmasked
* Lick It Up
* Animalize
* Revenge
* Psycho Circus
Stanley explained to The Pulse Of Radio that if his book was going to follow the pattern of some of the other books he's read, he would've passed on writing it all together. "I think I took a tact different than a lot of these books," he said. "Y'know, rock n' roll autobiographies tend to be a love letter — to the author. And they tend to be about how smart and creative and how this person was responsible for the creation of the world. And if that were the tact for the book, I never would've written the book."
In "Face The Music", Stanley talks frankly about his early struggles with hearing — he was born with Level 3 Microtia and is deaf in his right ear. Microtia is a congenital deformity of the cartilage of the outer ear that can affect normal hearing.
Stanley, who grew up half-deaf and scarred with a deformed right ear, explained to The Pulse Of Radio that by touching upon the more difficult episodes in his life, he's not seeking sympathy from the reader, but simply highlighting the path into who he became. "Y'know, my book is about my life starting from the very beginning and certainly a certain amount of adversity and having a birth defect and being deaf on one side and the family that I came from," he said. "Certainly people have had more adversity in their lives — and some less — but I, I would think some people would get a certain amount of inspiration and a sense that positivity and belief in yourself will ultimately lead you to a great place."
Microtia is a congenital deformity of the cartilage of the outer ear that can affect normal hearing.
There are four grades of Microtia, ranging from a small ear, to a complete absence of the external ear and ear canal.
The lack of ear canal leads to conductive hearing loss. Microtia occurs in every one out of 8,000 to 10,000 births.
It usually occurs on only one side (more commonly on the right side) and this can lead to single-sided deafness.
Original KISS drummer Peter Criss' memoir, "Makeup To Breakup: My Life In And Out Of Kiss", landed at position No. 7 on the New York Times "Hardcover Nonfiction" best-sellers list. The book arrived in October 2012 via the Simon & Schuster imprint Scribner.
Former KISS guitarist Ace Frehley's book, "No Regrets: A Rock 'N' Roll Memoir", debuted on the New York Times "Hardcover Nonfiction" best sellers list at No. 10. The book, which was described as a look back at Ace's "life of sex, drugs, and rock and roll," arrived on November 1, 2011 via Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster.
On possibly performing with his fellow original KISS members when they are inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame next April:
"I always try to take the high road and be optimistic and hope that everybody's gonna come to the bargaining table and do the right thing. Sometimes I get the support. But I have a feeling everything's gonna work out. I mean, I spoke with Paul [Stanley, KISS guitarist/vocalist] and Gene [Simmons, KISS bassist/vocalist]. I know they wanna perform with me and Peter [Criss, original KISS drummer]. I'm just not sure how much they want [current KISS members] Tommy [Thayer, guitar] and Eric [Singer, drums] to be involved. But since [Tommy and Eric] not getting inducted, I'm just gonna let that play out with the Hall and management and attorneys and all that stuff. I'm just excited about getting back with them and doing a great three or four songs. And I think it's gonna be great. I'm hoping that everybody's just gonna do the right thing."
"I know for a fact that the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame wants the four of us to perform in makeup. That's what they want, and we'll see how it plays out. I'm hoping that everybody's just gonna do the right thing and celebrate the four original members who started it all."
On his conversations with Paul and Gene after it was announced that KISS was being inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame:
"They actually called me today. We had a very nice conversation. They congratulated me. They actually have been trying to get hold of me since the announcement, but I've been in the studio working on my new record, so I wasn't available. But they tracked me down today through [KISS manager] Doc McGhee's office. And we had a nice conversation; it was very up and very positive."
On how the current lineup of KISS should be included, if at all, in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame ceremony:
"Where KISS is now, that's fine and that's the way it is now, but what we're celebrating is what Paul, Peter, Gene and Ace started back in 1972. '73…
"I don't have a problem with Tommy and Eric being there out of makeup, if I'm in makeup, because they're a big part of KISS today. They had nothing to do with the beginning of KISS or had nothing to do with the designs or the costumes or the makeup, but they're a part of KISS today and it is what it is; I don't control that. But this is about the celebration of KISS and how it all began and started and it should be honoring the four original members.
"If those guys [Tommy and Eric] wanna come up out of makeup and do 'Rock And Roll All Nite' with the whole cast of the show, that would be a great thing. They deserve a little. [But] I can only hope that [Paul and Gene are] gonna do the right thing.
"You can't have me and Tommy both in makeup. You can't have Eric and Peter both in makeup. That's gonna be a farce. So hopefully the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame will talk some sense into those guys [Paul and Gene] as far as that aspect of the show. Believe it or not, I have faith in those guys."
On whether he is open to doing more things with KISS in the future beyond the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction:
"Like I said to Rolling Stone [magazine], never say never. Anything could happen after that night. And I don't wanna speculate at this point, but who knows? We're gonna make rock and roll history one way or the other."
"Look, if something was presented to me in the right way, anything is possible. That's as far as I wanna go on that. I'm working on my new album. It's gonna be released next spring. I've got a single coming out probably right around the time the ceremony is gonna be happening. And [my new record label] eOne is really excited about the new record. So who knows what's gonna happen? But I'm not gonna scrap my record [to reunite with KISS], I can tell you that right now. [laughs]"
Seeing as how Simmons thanked former members Vinnie Vincent and Bruce Kulick, many fans are already bracing themselves for a possible performance of all living members of KISS at the Rock Hall. Drummer Eric Carr died in 1991 at age 41 of heart cancer and guitarist Mark St. John died in 2007 at age 51 of a cerebral hemorrhage.
Gene Simmons told Rolling Stone: "KISS is Tommy Thayer, Eric Singer, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons. It's like, if you introduced me to your wife and I go, 'Wait, where are all the other wives?' It's like, 'Yeah, I was married to them and now I'm here.'"
He went on to say that he was open to performing with Criss and Frehley at the ceremony, stating: "They were equally important in the formation of the band. When you have kids with your first wife, you give kudos. The fact you got remarried doesn't delete or minimize the important. Hey, 'You have gave birth to this thing, KISS, with Ace, Peter, Paul and Gene.'"
The Pulse Of Radio asked Paul Stanley whom we could expect to be onstage on April 10 performing at the Rock Hall induction ceremony. "It's way too early to get into that," he said. "Y'know, today is really, for us, a day to celebrate everything KISS has been and is. There's no getting around, or nobody would want to get around, the fact that Peter, Ace, Gene, and I, built a foundation, which has stood the test of time and allowed us to build a monument for 40 years. So today is a day I wholeheartedly embrace and, y'know, acknowledge Peter and Ace — and likewise, a lot of people who have been in the band and also standing by the band — and that includes the fans."
The Pulse Of Radio asked Stanley who, if any, of the past and present members of KISS he's spoken to since hearing the news. "I've only spoken to Gene and that will get remedied and rectified today. 'Cause this is a day to celebrate and a day where I want to make sure that everybody who's due a congratulations and a little time remembering what we've done and what we're doing, will be contacted."
Paul Stanley went on to tweet that his memoir, "Face The Music: A Life Exposed" is set for publication April 22, also posted about reaching out to Peter Criss. "We just spoke with Peter. Whatever ongoing issues, no way to not share in celebrating what we started 40 years ago."
“This is absolutely the best Christmas and birthday present I could get,” Criss, who turns 68 on Friday, told The Associated Press. “This is amazing, that something like this could happen to a kid from Brooklyn.”
Criss said the band always tried to give fans more for their money by adding makeup, costumes, explosives and stage props to the live concert experience. His drum kit, for example, rose 50 feet into the air during his drum solos, which were often filtered through a phase shifter to produce a surreal sound effect.
The big productions KISS pioneered have been widely embraced by other rock and pop acts, he said.
“When you set someone a strong example and you see it happening with other bands, you know you’ve opened some sort of door,” he said. “We always wanted more, more, more, bigger, bigger, bigger.”
In a band where all four members had iconic characters, Criss was the Catman. He is best known for singing the orchestral ballad “Beth” in 1976, one of the band’s biggest hit singles. Criss last toured with KISS in 2003, and has since released a solo album and an autobiography, “Makeup To Breakup: My Life In and Out Of KISS.”
He hopes to be asked to perform at the induction ceremony with co-founders Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons and Ace Frehley at New York’s Barclays Center in April.
“I want to congratulate my other three guys – Ace, Gene and Paul. We were the four guys who dumped the blood into the ink for the stupid comic books and came up with all those other crazy schemes so the fans would love us,” Criss said, referring to a 1970s stunt to promote sales of the first KISS comic book. “We deserve this, all four of us.”
Hours later, Stanley wrote on Twitter that he and Simmons had spoken with Criss and appeared to clear the way for him to appear at the ceremony, though whether that meant performing or just appearing onstage was not clear.
“We just spoke with Peter,” Stanley wrote. “Whatever ongoing issues, no way to not share in celebrating what we started 40 years ago. “
After years of some charged rhetoric from the band members over Kiss' exclusion, Paul Stanley tells Billboard that news the group will be inducted as part of the class of 2014 is "terrific" and indicates "a changing of the guard and a different point of view" in the institution.
"The same criteria that kept us out has now gotten us in, and that's terrific," Stanley says. "It's great to know that we didn't change or apologize for who we are, and we're being inducted for what made us what we are. For whatever got us bent out of shape before, it's clearly not the case now. Certainly from the fact that fans get to vote to the fact that some of the past inductees are vehement and rabid Kiss fans, things have worked out just fine. My issues over the years didn't change; what changed was the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. So it's a victory for everybody. It's very, very gratifying, and I don't take it lightly. There are a lot of people today who are very happy that Kiss will be inducted, and I'm certainly one of them."
Stanley says it's "way too early" to know how Kiss will handle the induction ceremony on April 10 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, but he promises that "it will be unapologetically and proudly Kiss."
Co-founder Gene Simmons recently commented that he would not be willing to perform that night with founding members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, which Stanley says "I'm sure was heartfelt and off the cuff, and I can't take it beyond that. We'll see where we go from here. Peter and Ace are undeniably at the beginning of the band, and we built a foundation which has stood the test of time and has allowed us to build a monument for 40 years, so today I wholeheartedly embrace and acknowledge Peter and Ace and, likewise, a lot of people who have been in the band and also standing by the band -- and that includes the fans. But the idea of misleading or giving anybody a sense that we would ever go back to that (original lineup) situation is totally off the table. We've done that and, with all respect, it crashed for very similar reasons both times and things have moved on. I say without any animosity and with all respect that we wouldn't be here without what Peter and Ace contributed, and we wouldn't be here with them today."
As for the rest of the class of 2014, Stanley noted that, "I'm more than well aware and have the utmost respect for all of the inductees. It's a diverse group, but nobody who I really scratch my head about and say, 'How did that person get in?' There's no disco people or rap people, and with nothing negative to say about any of them, that's not my idea of rock or rock 'n' roll."
The new year will also bring a celebration of the 40th anniversary of Kiss' first two albums, and Stanley says the group will be up to "more of the same" -- which includes touring as well as the publication of his autobiography (listed as "Face The Music: A Life Exposed" with an April 22 publication date, according to Amazon.com) and the launch of the L.A. Kiss Arena Football League team. A Las Vegas residency is also being considered, according to Stanley. However, he adds, "It hasn't changed for 40 years. This is what we do. This is in my blood. This is what I breathe. So the idea of a special celebration for 40 years, I celebrate every day as an anniversary of getting this far."
How are you doing, Ace?
I'm great. I'm in San Diego.
I imagine your phone has been ringing off the hook today.
It's been a crazy three days. My recording studio in New York burned down on Saturday.
What happened?
A tree fell down in the backyard and shorted out the wires going into the studio. That in turn shorted out the fuse box which heated up the wires in the wall and set the place on fire.
Was anybody hurt?
No. Thank God. My friend that was house-sitting was at work. Luckily, it's pretty much just a storage place. I got all my high-end equipment out of there a year ago when I moved to San Diego.
Do you have insurance?
Of course. . .Unfortunately, it was a total loss. The building is shot.
Tell me your first reaction to the news that Kiss made it into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
It's such an honor. I'm so excited. I learned about it last night when my assistant called me. I didn't sleep very well afterwards.
Did the news surprise you?
It surprised me, but when I saw all the people we were up against I had a feeling we were going to make it in…It should be a great evening. I'm really excited and looking forward to the night.
You've never been a real critics' band. Did you worry you'd never get in?
I had a sense that someday we'd have to get recognized, and that someday has come to pass.
Are you at all miffed it took so many years?
It's not something that occupied a lot of space in my head. I had more important issues to deal with. It's just a nice sentiment that finally we've been recognized. I'm looking forward to meeting everyone else and enjoying the celebration.
I spoke with Gene a couple of hours ago. He said he's willing to play with you and Peter Criss that night.
Okay. That sounds like a great idea.
Are you open to that too?
Absolutely. Are you gonna want us to put makeup on?
Sure. It's been a while for me.
It's been over a decade, right?
The last shows I did with Kiss was in Australia around 2002.
You have no hesitation about walking back onstage with Paul and Gene?
Not at all. I think it will be great. I think it will be great for the fans to witness and a lot of fun. I recently performed with Peter at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York for Eddie Trunk's 30 years in broadcasting celebration. That was a lot of fun. I hadn't performed with Peter in 12 years. We all still have it.
Gene mentioned that next year is the band's 40th anniversary. He said he didn't want a reunion tour, but I got the sense it was somewhere in his mind. Would you want a Kiss reunion tour?
It's something I haven't even entertained or even thought about. I hadn't even realized that next year is the 40-year anniversary. Right now, I'm focusing on my solo career. I recently signed a two-album deal. I've been in the music for the past three months.
If a tour was offered to you, would you think about it?
It's something I would consider if it was presented in the proper way.
Gene was praising you when we spoke, but in other interviews he will call you a "cancer" or a "loser."
I've always had a pretty good relationship with Paul and Gene. We parted company on more than one occasion, but there's always been mutual respect and admiration. I think somehow the press plays it up that there's a lot of hate between the members. It's really completely blown out of proportion.
But he called you a "cancer" recently.
A cancer? I wasn't aware of that. What does it mean?
I guess that you're somehow a poison.
[Huge laugh] I think he gets frustrated that even though they have a replacement for me in the band, fans are continually bombarding him and saying, "Hey, you should get the original guitar player back. Ace is still number one." He gets that constantly. It has to be frustrating to him and Paul.
Are you insulted that somebody else is in your makeup?
Well, it's a choice that Paul and Gene have made. I know the fans aren't happy with it. I read the comments on the Internet. Paul and Gene have lost a lot of fans because of the move they made. It is what it is.
I'm not happy about it. Most of the comments I read by fans say that, "If you're going to replace Ace, you should have created a different character." That's what they did with Vinnie Vincent when I originally left the group in 1982.
They have Eric Singer in the Catman makeup and he's singing "Beth."
I didn't know he was singing "Beth." [Laughs] You know, a lot of the fans I talk to just tell me they aren't going to go to the shows anymore. I know concert attendance hasn't been what they've wanted this past year. It is what it is. I'm busy doing my own thing. I'm real excited about the celebration in April. I'm real excited about my second book.
What's this one about?
It's going to be pretty much a continuation of the first one. That book really opened up the floodgates in me. The last three or four weeks of finishing up that book I spoke to so many people that reminded me of so many stories I had forgotten. I didn't really get a chance to put them in the first book. I jotted a lot of them down. I have a couple of chapters already written for the second book and a lot more to follow.
It's pretty much going to be a continuation of the first book. A lot of new stories too. There's tons and tons of new stories. All I have to do is sit down with one of my old bodyguards or road crew and I get two or three stories off the bat.
Gene told me you guys had a meal at the Beverly Hills Hotel before your first book come out. Clearly you guys aren't feuding like many fans believe.
Yeah. Me and Gene, we don't have a problem. We correspond via e-mail several times every year. I haven't spoke to Paul [Stanley] recently except over some business maters, but we've kept in contact over the years. There really isn't any bad blood. They've decided to make a decision and go in one direction. I decided to go in another. I think the fans are more upset about it than anybody.
Gene has implied he doesn't believe you are sober.
That's kind of juvenile. Does he have blinders on? I know he's spoken to several people that I know that he knows that have seen me and done business with me over the past several years. I don't believe they are telling him that I'm not sober. It's been over seven years for me and I can't see myself going back. But all I have is today. One day at a time.
It must be flattering the fans are so invested in you and many don't accept it as Kiss without you there.
It is flattering. It's heartwarming. I have a lot of diehard fans. Ace Frehley fans and Kiss fans are the greatest fans in the world. They've always been there for me through ups and downs. My life has been a roller coaster ride, but somehow I've always been able to land on my feet and still play the guitar.
I imagine it's going to be emotional to stand at the podium with the three other guys in the band.
It's going to be intense, but it's going to be great. I don't foresee any negative vibes. I don't foresee any bad blood. I think that myself, Peter, Paul and Gene, we're the four guys that started the group and brought it into international success. I think that sometime in the late 1970s we were listed as the number one group in the world by some polls. We achieved what most people only dream about. I'll never forget it. And that's something nobody can take away from me.
It's also amazing to think about how many guitarists were first inspired to play by watching you.
I get that constantly from guitar plays. They say, "Ace, if it wasn't for you I would have never picked up the guitar." I've had two highly successful Gibson signature series Les Paul's released. I know my first one was the best selling Signature Series of anyone in the history of Gibson. I continue to come up with new things. Not only did I come out with some successful Signature Series guitars, but I was such an innovator from the very beginning with special effects on the guitar. First my smoking guitar and then my light guitar and then my rocket guitar. Nobody has ever done that in the history of rock and roll.
I think the fans will really love seeing the four of you play one final time at the Hall of Fame. It's a pretty nice way to end the story.
Well, it's a nice way to end the story — or a nice way to re-begin the story. [Laughs] Who knows? I'm always one of those people that say never say never.
We spoke to a surprisingly gracious Gene Simmons about the big honor, and the possibility of him burying the hatchet with Peter and Ace.
Tell me your first reaction to the big news.
Pride. For me, it's another tug of the shirt sleeve to remind me that the American dream is alive and well. I'm living proof of it. I came here as an immigrant, a legal one — that's a distinction — and getting the Hollywood Walk of Fame and getting the keys to the cities of God knows how many cities and the wax museums and the thousands of licensed products we have and on and on. . .Still, no matter how much much noise we make about how only the fans matter, and it's true they are the ones that put us here and without them we are nothing, there is something in the back of our collective consciousnesses that makes us want to be recognized by our peers.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame started out as a wonderful idea and ideal, and it's a pride and privilege. Now, we've had ten different lineups. It's important to list that the honor is not just ours. It's Gene, Paul, Ace, Peter, Eric Carr, Mark St. John, Bruce Kulick, Eric Singer, Vinnie Vincent, Tommy Thayer. . .There's been a lot of guys, and we continue to tour and fill up stadiums and it is a testament to the idea of Kiss.
A long time ago, four knuckleheads off the streets of New York decided to put together the band they never saw onstage. We were ballsy enough to throw down our own gauntlet. "You wanted the best? You got the best! The hottest band in the world. Kiss." You're God damn right.
Did you start to think you'd never be inducted?.
Yeah. I think its political. As soon as the fans had their say, I'm told, we slaughtered everybody else. I think it's a crime that Deep Purple is not in and Patti Smith is. What the fuck? There are disco artists and all kind of credible and important kinds of music that have nothing to do with rock & roll. But, hey, it's not my thing. I think the best thing they did was to open it up to the fans. There is an American ideal: "By the people, for the people, of the people." Hey, that's a good idea.
You're definitely coming to the ceremony, right?
Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. We need to stand up there proudly for the fans.
It's nice to do it in Brooklyn since you guys started in New York.
Yeah. It's the coolest of the cool.
It's you guys, Nirvana, Peter Gabriel, Hall & Oates, Linda Ronstadt, Cat Stevens. Are you fans of these people?
I respect all musicians who get up onstage, whether that qualifies it as rock & roll is another issue. I'm of the opinion it's about guitars and drums. That's our meat and potatoes. For the record, no backing tracks, no pre-recorded anything. When you see us live and it says Kiss, that's it. We're live. When we play TV and there's a backing track, we'll say so.
People are very curious about what lineup of the band is going to play that night.
Well, Kiss is Tommy Thayer, Eric Singer, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons. It's like, if you introduced me to your wife and I go, "Wait, where are all the other wives?" It's like, "Yeah, I was married to them and now I'm here." You can argue that point and we'll figure everything out as time goes on. This one is for the fans. If the fans didn't care, we wouldn't be here. If it meant nothing to them, we wouldn't be here.
Bands often play with old members at the Hall of Fame. Are you open to the idea of playing with Peter Criss and Ace Frehley that night?
Sure, why not?
I've heard you say in the past you never wanted to play with them again.
That was for a tour. But they were equally important in the formation of the band. When you have kids with your first wife, you give kudos. The fact you got remarried doesn't delete or minimize the important. Hey, "You have gave birth to this thing, Kiss, with Ace, Peter, Paul and Gene."
But there's been some very public feuding and bad blood in the past few years.
There's never been bad blood. I love them as people. I just hate drugs and alcohol. I don't care if you are Mötley [Crüe] or Springsteen. If you don't have the balls to get on the stage straight, it's an insult to the fans and the band members
They say they are clean now though.
I have no comment.
They usually end the night with a big all-star finale where all the inductees do a song together. I've heard it suggested this time it might be "Rock and Roll All Nite." Are you open to that?
Sure. What other song ends the night?
It would be a riot to watch you sing that song with Bruce Springsteen.
He's great. He doesn't use backing tapes, either. That's a good thing. What he does is unbelievable. You have to tip your hat.
Do you mind at all that the critics often ripped on you guys back in the day?
No. I'm too rich to care. I'm such a privileged bastard, are you kidding? I get paid more money than some third world countries. What do I have to complain about? The fans love us. We love them. Not everyone loves Jesus, either. I remember when Rolling Stone called the first Led Zeppelin album a "limp blimp."
We also said they were a knock-off of the Jeff Beck Group.
Well, you can't say anything bad about about the Jeff Beck Group. Those first two records were fantastic. And Jimmy Page played on that stuff as well. I know Beck, Page, and those guys. It's interesting how gracious the really big guys are about new talent. We've always gone out of our way to make every band we've ever taken out on their first tour feel like headliners. The list of bands we took out when they meant nothing is pretty remarkable just because we liked them as fans: AC/DC, Rush, Bon Jovi, Mötley Crüe, Cheap Trick, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden. It just goes on and on.
The guys in Rush give you a lot of credit for bringing them to a big audience.
Well, to take a Canadian band on their first tour in America was like, "Who?" But as soon as I heard "Working Man" and heard Geddy [Lee] sing. I was like, "What the hell? This is like a Canadian Led Zeppelin!"
Back to the thing with the critics, it's like you're asking Godzilla why the people hate him while he's destroying Tokyo. "Sorry, he's 50 stories tall. He can't hear you."
People are curious to know why you don't get on VH1 Classic's That Metal Show with Eddie Trunk.
Respectfully, I'm not very interested.
Why?
[Chuckles] Before there was metal, there was Kiss. We don't really consider ourselves metal. It's just rock and roll and all the hand gestures that everybody does on that show, I invented that. Oh, and let me add the word "bitch."
So, it's nothing personal against Eddie Trunk or anything?
Oh, I don't care. I wish everybody well. Everyone should have a happy life and succeed and stuff. Just because we don't want to do a show doesn't mean anything. I'm not really interested in Jon Stewart's show either. That doesn't mean we don't wish him well. It's just not my cup of tea. I don't want to be a pinata while he's going to throw jokes. But if he wants to play mano a mano, you gotta take it as well as give it.
How are you going to dress on Hall of Fame night? Are you gonna wear the full make-up and the costumes?
I was thinking of wearing a polka dot dress. . .No, we really haven't thought about i
If they tell you they just want the original four guys to play, will you be cool with that?
As long as they are willing to only bring their first girlfriend and their first wife. . .There's no rules. I really haven't thought about it.
To just totally clarify once again, you're willing to play with Ace and Peter that night?
Oh, sure.
That could be the last time ever then. When else could that happen?
In January we are celebrating our 40th anniversary, and boy do I look good! And every time I say, "I'm never going to do this, I'm never going to do that. . ." For God's sake, Ace and Peter were in the band three separate times. And they were let go three separate times. Every time it was about the same thing. How many times are you going to hear, "No, I'm healthy now. I'm fine." It's like the old, "I promise I'll pull out."
The only consideration has always been the military ideal: sound mind, sound body, respect for the fans. They are our bosses. We buckle our knees to the people who make our lives possible, and rightfully so. You and me and everyone else, we just work here. Everyone else that disrespects that maybe shouldn't have the opportunities it provides. The stage is holy ground. It is electric church. Not everyone belongs there.
So you think it's possible there might be a 40th anniversary tour that involves Ace and Peter?
I don't want to do that. Nah. I've been through it before. Too many scars and too much, "I promise, I promise, I promise." It's like the Boy Who Cried Wolf. How many times can you cry the same thing? After a while, sorry Charley.
They both wrote books and didn't say very nice things about you. Did that bother you?
I stand by everything they said! [Big laugh]. I'll tell you a wonderful story. Ace, God bless him. . .You know, when he's straight he's a wonderful guy. He took me to the Beverly Hills Hotel and he told me a story. He said, "Look, I just want to show you a chapter I wrote in the book and just check with you and make sure it's okay."
I said, "Look, write whatever you want. I'm a happy guy." He said, "I just want to check the accuracy of it." I said, "Okay, what is it?" He goes, "Well, 19-seventy whatever it is. There's a swimming pool and we're all out there. There are girls and we're lounging around and I get up on the diving board in my swimsuit and I've got champagne in my hand and I'm drunk and I've got a scarf on. You then say to me, 'Ace, get off the diving board. You're drunk you're going to drown.' I then say, 'Fuck you. Don't tell me what to do!'"
Then he jumps off the diving board and jumps in. Of course, he starts to drown. He says, "Of course, you dive in because you used to be a lifeguard. You fish me out, pump the water out of me, save my life." And at breakfast at the Beverly Hills Hotel he says to me, "I want to thank you for saving my life. But how accurate was it?"
I say to him, "It was 95 percent accurate. Yes, there was a diving board. Yes, champagne in hand. Yes, laughing in my face. Yes, drowning in the pool. Yes, I dove in and rescued someone. But it wasn't you. It was Peter Criss. You were flat out unconscious, surprise, on the side of the pool.
He just shrugged his shoulder. You can catch him in a lie or a figment of his imagination and he'll just shrug his shoulders and go, "Oh well, what the fuck?" He's a happy-go-lucky, I'm sorry. . .when we first got together it was magic. We loved those guys, all for one and one for all. Look, not all marriages stay together. What can I tell you? Cain and Abel didn't get along very well either.
British singers and songwriters Peter Gabriel and Cat Stevens, folk-pop singer Linda Ronstadt and rock and soul duo Hall and Oates completed the list of performer inductees to the prestigious Hall of Fame, chosen from 16 nominees.
The induction ceremony will take place in New York City on April 10, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation said in a statement.
Nirvana, formed by singer and guitarist Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in the late 1980s, brought grunge music to the mainstream and was considered the flagship band of Generation X with songs like "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and "Come As You Are."
Cobain committed suicide in 1994 at the age of 27 and the band broke up after just three full-length studio albums in a seven-year career, during which Nirvana sold 75 million records worldwide, making it one of the best-selling acts in music history.
Nirvana was chosen as an inductee in its first year of eligibility. The Cleveland-based Hall of Fame establishes that an artist or group must have released their debut album or single at least 25 years earlier to be eligible.
KISS shocked the music world in the mid-1970s with its outlandish black-and-white makeup, racy costumes, hard-pounding tunes and elaborate shows. Songs such as the trademark "Rock and Roll All Nite" helped define a hard rock-and-shock style that continues to thrive today.
Peter Gabriel, 63, was lead vocalist and flautist for the progressive rock band Genesis, a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2010 inductee, before pursuing a solo career that produced hits including "Sledgehammer."
Cat Stevens, the former stage name for Yusuf Islam, shook up 1970s rock with his distinctive voice and compositions such as "Wild World" and "Moon Shadow." He later converted to Islam and today at 65 years of age combines music with philanthropy and humanitarian causes.
Linda Ronstadt, known as the "First Lady of Rock," was a mainstay of the 1970s rock scene with hits including "You're No Good" in 1975. The 67-year-old revealed this year that she could no longer sing due to Parkinson's disease.
Daryl Hall and John Oates broke out in 1976 with the hit "Rich Girl" and ruled the charts in the 1980s with bouncy melodies "Kiss on My List" and "Private Eyes."
The inductees were chosen by more than 700 voters from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, but fans were also allowed to cast votes online for the artists they believe were the most deserving of induction. Three of the top five artists from the fan ballot will be inducted in 2014.
"This year's Hall of Fame Inductees really capture the passion of the fans," said Joel Peresman, President and CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation.
The E Street Band, the group behind singer Bruce Springsteen, will be inducted through the Award for Musical Excellence, the foundation said.
The late music entrepreneur who managed The Beatles, Brian Epstein, and Andrew Loog Oldham who managed The Rolling Stones will be inducted with the Ahmet Ertegun Awards for lifetime achievement, named after the late founder of Atlantic Records.
Not only are Stanley and fellow band members being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, he has a memoir scheduled to come out less than two weeks after the ceremony.
HarperOne announced Tuesday that Stanley's "Face the Music: A Life Exposed" is coming out April 22.
The publisher says the book will feature rare photographs and candid memories about his wild life with the mega-selling band.
Earlier Tuesday the Rock Hall announced that Kiss, Linda Ronstadt and Peter Gabriel were among the performers voted in. The ceremony is scheduled for April 10.
To the KISS Army, Ace, Peter, Eric Carr, Vinnie, Mark, Bruce, Tommy and Eric Singer, Bill Aucoin, Doc McGhee and to my partner of 40 years, the ever youthful Paul Stanley...and all the members of the KISS Family. This honor is for you. 40 years of Rockin' and still going strong. ~~ Gene Simmons
The 29th annual induction ceremony will take place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on April 10, and will be open to the public (as it has for recent ceremonies in Los Angeles and Cleveland). The event will air as an HBO special in May.
"We know that engaging the fans is a huge opportunity," says Joel Peresman, president/CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation. "It gives them a chance to be a part of the ceremony, but it also adds a palpable energy to the event. Once we decided to open the ceremony to the public in New York, that had a huge impact on the decision to have it at Barclays Center."
Chosen by more than 700 voters (artists, historians and music industry professionals) of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, the 2014 honorees will also receive an exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland in conjunction with the ceremony. Artists become eligible for induction 25 years after the release of their first recording.
For a second year, the Rock Hall implemented fan voting in choosing this year's inductees, which was available on its official site, Rolling Stone and USA TODAY, and generated nearly 1.4 million votes this year. The five artists with the highest number of votes (three of whom will be inducted) made up a fans' ballot, which counted as a single vote in choosing this year's honorees.
Among fans, Kiss (239,000 votes) and Nirvana (218,000) enjoyed easy victories. Two artists that failed to receive induction despite swells of public support were Yes (151,000) and Deep Purple (166,000), beaten out in the overall balloting by Hall & Oates (113,000), Peter Gabriel (111,000), Linda Ronstadt (85,000) and Cat Stevens (75,000).
Aside from Kiss and Stevens — who received Rock Hall nominations in 2010 and 2006, respectively — the Class of 2014 is made up of first-time nominees. And although fans may believe that many of the 16 artists put to the vote are long overdue for induction, Peresman assures that no artist is ever considered a "natural," shoo-in choice.
"All of the 2014 inductees introduced us to something new," Peresman says. "They might have drawn from their predecessors or built on what came before them, but they all took something from their roots, transformed it, made it their own and brought it to the world at the right time."
Additional honors will be given to late Beatles manager Brian Epstein and former Rolling Stones manager/producer Andrew Loog Oldham, who picked up Ahmet Ertegun lifetime achievement awards for their work behind the scenes in the music industry. The award for musical excellence (formerly known as the sidemen category) was given to Bruce Springsteen's longtime backing group, the E Street Band.
Tickets go on sale in January, with an exact date to be announced. More information will be available at www.rockhall.com.
This year's inductees:
Peter Gabriel. The former Genesis frontman brought funky, synth-infused flavor to hits such as Sledgehammer and Shock the Monkey, but arguably made his biggest impact with the powerful anti-apartheid anthem Biko.
Hall & Oates. With smooth vocal harmonies soaring over rich, pop-rock melodies, Daryl Hall and John Oates brought rhythm & blues to the top of the charts, scoring smash singles such as I Can't Go for That (No Can Do), Private Eyes and You Make My Dreams.
Kiss. Instantly recognized for their flashy attire and black-and-white face paint, these iconic heavy-metal rockers are best known for their Alive!, Love Gun and Destroyer albums, as well as their reputation for putting on dazzling, pyrotechnic-laden performances.
Nirvana. Led by late singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain, this grunge-rock trio cemented its place in rock history with early '90s hits such as Lithium, Heart-Shaped Box and Smells Like Teen Spirit.
Linda Ronstadt. At the forefront of the folk- and country-rock movements, this full-voiced beauty made her name with covers of Blue Bayou and You're No Good.
Cat Stevens. One of the biggest-selling artists of the early '70s, the mellow British songsmith crafted introspective, tranquil tunes such as Peace Train, Wild World and The First Cut Is the Deepest.
The Rock Hall announced Tuesday that Hall and Oates, Linda Ronstadt and Cat Stevens also will be inducted April 10 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Artists are eligible for induction 25 years after their first release. Nirvana won a nomination in its first year of eligibility and next year the band will celebrate the 25th anniversary of its debut, "Bleach." The induction comes 20 years after frontman Kurt Cobain committed suicide at age 27.
This year also marked first-time nominations for Hall and Oates, Gabriel and Ronstadt. Kiss and Stevens, who have been nominated in the past, made the cut after being absent from the list for several years.
The Rolling Stones managers, Andrew Loog Oldham and Brian Epstein, will earn Ahmet Ertegun awards, a non-performing honor. Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band will earn the award for musical excellence.
N.W.A., one of the 16 nominees announced in October, did not make the list. The iconic rap group includes Dr. Dre, who has launched successful solo albums and is the producer behind Eminem, 50 Cent and Kendrick Lamar.
More than 700 Rock Hall voters determined the 2014 class.
The 29th annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be open to the public. Tickets go on sale next month.
The event will air on HBO in May.
Listen: thekissroom.com.
"The official statement from the fire inspector was as follows: An electrical fire was caused by a tree falling on the wires in the backyard and shorting out the fuse box which in turn heated up the internal wiring in the walls and started the fire.
I'm very thankful that no one was hurt!
The fire department and police did a great job, and I'm very grateful to them for all of their help and courage in this matter...job well done!" -- Ace Frehley
Multiple fire companies were called to the stone house at 1347 Spring Valley Road about 11 a.m. after smoke was reported coming from the building, officials said.
“We got to the scene and found heavy smoke showing from the roof line of the building,” Yorktown Heights Fire Chief Chet Swirski said.
The building once served as a recording studio and later was converted into a residence. It has few windows, making it difficult for firefighters to battle the blaze, which primarily was found on the second floor, Swirski said. Tankers, a Yorktown volunteer ambulance crew and firefighters from Ossining, Buchanan, Somers, Millwood, Croton-on-Hudson, Pocantico Hills, Katonah and others assisted on scene well into the evening.
No one was in the house when the fire broke out, though a man living in the home returned as firefighters were fighting the blaze, Swirski said. The fire’s cause remains under investigation.
Frehley does not appear to live in the house, though Yorktown’s assessment rolls still list him as the owner. The single-family home has a full market value of $541,516, though Frehley took out a $735,000 mortgage in 2006 to buy it, assessment records show.
Lenders initiated a foreclosure on the house in Westchester County Court this year, and it appears to be ongoing. Frehley also is listed as the owner of nearby 1363 Spring Valley Road.
The Red Cross was called to help with emergency lodging, said spokeswoman Carolyn Sherwin, who did not identify the resident.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and shock rocker has enlisted four members of KISS — Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer — to co-headline his annual holiday music and comedy benefit gala.
They’ll be joined by many of rock and metal’s biggest stars, including Joan Jett, Rob Zombie, Vince Neil of Motely Crue, Stephen Pearcy of RATT, Tom Keifer of Cinderella, Kip Winger of Winger, and several more guests soon to be announced.
The concert takes place at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, at Comerica Theatre. Proceeds from the event directly benefit Alice Cooper’s Solid Rock Teen Center.
Former “Seinfeld” and “Family Feud” star John O’Hurley will serve as guest host for the festivities. Blue Collar Comedy Tour’s Bill Engvall will be this year’s comedian.
“Although I have played more than 100 shows this year, Pudding is the one I look forward to the most,” Cooper says. “We love bringing people together for Christmas, for the sake of music and dance, and the mission of Solid Rock.”
The Solid Rock Teen Center, located at the southeast corner of Thunderbird Road and 32nd Street in Phoenix, was the dream child of Alice and Sheryl Cooper and took almost a dozen years from concept to realization. It offers teens an outlet for their creativity and gets them off the street.
The 22,000-square-foot facility includes an auditorium, dance studio, and music rooms full of guitars and amps. The center has plans to expand to 60,000 square feet with the proposed addition of a gym and indoor skate park.
Currently, teens can take free classes to learn to play bass, drums, guitar and even vocals and sign up for a variety of dance classes, from ballet to hip-hop to jazz. The center plans to add vocational training in sound, lighting, and staging to provide valuable career training in the music and entertainment industry.
“It really is amazing,” Cooper says. “There are 100 kids in here every day. They come in and after school and do their homework here. They hang with their friends and meet new ones. They cannot wait to get down here and learn more guitar, drums, bass, and all types of dance. We are fulfilling a vision we’ve had for several years…to provide teens with a central place to learn, have fun, and explore their creativity in a supportive and save environment.”
IF YOU GO
What: Alice Cooper’s 13th annual Christmas Pudding
When: 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, 2013
Where: Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix
Cost: $38–$253
Information: (602) 379-280
According to KissOnline.com, KISS — sans makeup — performed "Shout It Out Loud", "Deuce", "Lick It Up", "Dr. Love" and "Detroit Rock City". For the grand finale, KISS was joined on stage by Alice Cooper, Vince Neil (MÖTLEY CRÜE), Kip Winger (WINGER), Tom Keifer (CINDERELLA), Stephen Pearcy (RATT), Joey Tempest (EUROPE) and Jack Blades (NIGHT RANGER) for a rousing version of "Rock And Roll All Nite".
The Brennan Rock & Roll Academy gives children the opportunity to grow by offering free music lessons to those that may not be able to get them. They help keep children off the streets, away from drugs, and offer a positive environment that will benefit them for the rest of their lives. Video1, Video2, Video3, Video4.
Together alongside SIMMONS, the four day camp -- MARCH 27th-30th, 2014 -- will help musicians of all levels form bands, learn or perfect their knowledge of an instrument, write and record a song.The camp will culminate with a live performance at HOUSE OF BLUES at the MANDALAY BAY RESORT AND CASINO in LAS VEGAS.
"Mentoring adult and young rockers at the fantasy camp has always been an amazingly rewarding experience for me," said SIMMONS. "I enjoy teaching and handing over lessons I've learned from the business to musicians and upcoming talent."
Space for ROCK 'N' ROLL FANTASY CAMPis extremely limited. To sign-up or for more information, please visit www.rockcamp.com, or call (888) 762-2263.
That's right – on his solo album. He also got me a record deal. I met him while I was working at a restaurant where you had to sing.
You were a singing waitress?
It was a place called the Great American Food & Beverage Company. It was this happening scene. Danny Elfman worked there. Patti Davis, Ronald Reagan's daughter – she was one of the hostesses. You didn't need any restaurant qualification to work there. You just had to have some special talent.
Any kind of talent? It didn't have to be singing?
You could play music or juggle or whatever. You just had to do something interesting. I was a for-shit waitress. I was terrible. But I made really good money because I could sing.
Did you sing the specials to them?
It wasn't as corny as that. You'd sing whatever you wanted. We'd sing original songs. We had a piano in the middle of the restaurant and sometimes five people would get up and do background singing, just to keep everybody entertained. It was really fun.
And one night KISS sat in your section.
That's right. It was their first tour and nobody knew who they were yet.
They weren't in makeup?
No.
I thought they were super-secretive about their identities in the Seventies.
Well, this was. . . Are you sure they wore makeup at the very, very beginning?
I'm almost positive they did.
Well they weren't wearing makeup that night. And they'd just come from a gig. Nobody knew who they were.
What did you sing to them? Did they make any requests?
They asked for a Beatles song, but I can't remember which one. They talked about being big Beatles fans – we had that in common. I almost got arrested once for being too much into the Beatles.
We heard about that. You were 12 and apparently suffering from severe Beatlemania.
I don't know what happened. The police had to escort me home because I was so hysterical. There's some video of me out there on the Internet, where I'm at a Beatles concert and just losing my mind, screaming and crying.
For any Beatle in particular?
George Harrison. I was screaming because they were holding us back and I wanted to be closer to them. We were in the middle of a suburban neighborhood.
What was it about George? Why did you love him more than the others?
He seemed more accessible to me. Everybody loved Paul McCartney. And John Lennon seemed too cool. George felt to me like, "Oh, I could get him. He's like me." [Laughs.] Which of course is ridiculous.
Did you meet Harrison before he died?
No. I met Ringo. He's the only Beatle I ever spent time with. I've been to parties at his house. But I never got a chance to meet George.
Sorry, we got off topic. We were talking about your singing waitress job and Gene Simmons.
Yeah. [Laughs.] It sounds ridiculous, but that's how I introduced myself to him. I took his food order and sang him a Beatles song, and I guess I did okay because Gene was hugely helpful to me and my career. He came to one of my band practices that week and took us to Neil Bogart at Casablanca Records and they signed us. Without him I don't know how long I'd have waited for a break.
Let's talk about the Group With No Name.
That was such a lame name. Nobody could come up with something good and somebody mentioned the 'No Name' idea to Bogart and he thought it was great. I thought it was ridiculous. But it was a good band.
He found the perfect tester for his anti-shock system: Eric Singer, the drummer of the band Kiss.
Singer already has two Ball watches and is a member of the “Friends of Ball”.
He wore the first prototype on stage in Milan in June 18 and the results found that the watch only had a difference of a few seconds after being “mistreated” during the whole first set of the concert.
On being asked how hard he was hitting the sticks, Singer explained, “It’s wood on steel. It may sound like a contradiction, but I try and be relaxed, but also as forceful as possible. If I tried to drum the way I do onstage now, without the adrenaline, it would hurt too much and I couldn’t do it. Aside from the fact that (a watch) doesn’t really go with my costume, I was always afraid that I’d destroy a movement if I wore it on stage.”
The SpringLOCK® works as a “cage” around the balance-spring and absorbs the energy created when the watch is subjected to external impacts.
These impacts can cause standard mechanical movements to vary by up to 60 seconds a day.
Singer went on to test the finalised product a few months later in Tokyo. He wore the brand new Engineer Hydrocarbon Airborne featured with the SpringLOCK®.
As a start, Ball Watch will endow a few models with the SpringLOCK® System; The Engineer Hydrocarbon Black, The Engineer Hydrocarbon Airborne and the Trainmaster Cannonball.
PERSONA CAMERA APP: 2 modes of fun with KISS. You can take a picture with KISS Band or an individual member right next to you. Ten patterns of frames are available. With Make Up Camera, you can move and scale KISS make up avatars to give yourself with full KISS make ups!
LIVE WALLPAPER APP: Screen saver for your phone. Two versions are available - an individual and group shots, and rare live photos. You can adjust the transition speed of photos as well as set an animation effect to either fade-out or zoom mode.
PUZZLE APP: Gene Simmons will start off this puzzle and congratulate you once you complete the puzzle. Gene recorded voices messages specifically for this apps. There are 3 patterns of puzzles - 15 pieces to complete. The sound clip by Gene can only be heard in this app.
LIVE BID: Become a Member of the KISS Entourage on Their 40th Anniversary Tour on 2 Back to Back Shows - https://www.charitybuzz.com/catalog_items/437109
Any time in the next year, you and a guest can become members of the KISS Entourage on their 40th Anniversary Tour.
Includes:
- You and a guest will fly to meet up with KISS on tour anywhere in the US. (Valid for continental US flights only).
- You will see the KISS show as all access members of the group, stay in the same hotel as the band and fly from 2 back to back shows on the KISS jet with the band!
- Receive autographs and photos with the Band in Full Makeup during meet and greets
- Hang out at sound check and kick it with the crew-- this is your pass to be "With the Band" for these 2 shows!!
- We will then fly you back to your origination spot after the second KISS show.
This package also includes 2 coveted seats to THE Fundraiser- an epic event being held on December 5, 2013 at The Orleans Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Those attending the event will meet all of the members of KISS backstage at the event and get a photo with the whole band without makeup on.
LIVE BID: Join Paul Stanley Jan. 5 - Jan 7 in LA for the Ultimate Sports Experience - https://www.charitybuzz.com/catalog_items/437107
Perfect for sports and rock and roll fans alike, bid now on this Paul Stanley experience!
Includes:
- Sunday, January 5th: You and a guest will join Paul in courtside seats at the LA Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets game in Los Angeles at Staples Center.
- Monday, January 6th: You and a guest will get to attend the BCS Championship Game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA.
- Tuesday, January 7th: You and a guest will have the best seats in the house for the sold out Anaheim Ducks vs. Boston Bruins Hockey game at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. Winner will have the chance to watch the warm ups from the Penalty Box along with a customized Ducks Jersey for you and your guest.
- Includes breakfast or lunch with Paul one day during your trip.
- If traveling from Las Vegas, fly to Los Angeles and back on a Private Jet for this experience.
- Deluxe accommodations will also be covered while in LA.
- Winner receives an autographed Washburn Signature Model Guitar that will be played by Paul Stanley at THE Fundraiser event
This package also includes 2 coveted seats to THE Fundraiser- an epic event being held on December 5, 2013 at The Orleans Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Those attending the event will also meet Paul Stanley at the event where he will present you with your guitar and take a photo with you.
LIVE BID: Private Gene Simmons Expereince in LA Including a Visit to His Home and Tour of His KISS Collection - https://www.charitybuzz.com/catalog_items/437108
This is a once in a lifetime opportunity with Gene Simmons!
Includes:
- On a mutually agreed upon date, you and a guest will fly to Los Angeles and stat at the Beverly Hills Hotel with the flights and hotel stay paid for.
- You will be transported, blindfolded and via Private Security to the Home of Gene Simmons and Shannon Tweed-Simmons. You will get at tour of his famous office from his hit television show which is a literal KISS Museum.
- Take photos with Gene while he shows you the coolest KISS collection on the planet.
- After your tour, Gene will join you for dinner in Beverly Hills at a restaurant of Gene's choosing.
- Winner receives an autographed BASS guitar that will be played by Gene.
This package also includes 2 coveted seats to THE Fundraiser- an epic event being held on December 5, 2013 at The Orleans Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Those attending the event will meet Gene Simmons at the event where he will present you with your autographed BASS and get a photo with Gene.
These lots will close at 12 noon EDT December 5 to be part of a live auction that evening. Please be sure to utilize the Max Bid feature so a Charitybuzz representative may continue to bid on your behalf at the live auction. Should no Max Bid be in place, we will bid your current bid at the live auction. Please contact info@charitybuzz.com or 212-243-3900 for more details or with any questions.
The authors — Johan Falk and Roney Lundell — have one thing in common: their passionate interest in the rock group KISS, and they hope and trust that fans will feel this passion and feel their heart rate increase when they have the book in their hands and open it for the first time.
Comment the authors: "Our story begins when KISS lands at Torslanda Airport just outside of Gothenburg around 4 p.m. on the 25th of May 1976. They arrive by plane unmasked and a Swedish photographer takes a few shots as KISS are about to embark on their first tour in Sweden, a tour which has generated scandalous headlines in the media long before the plane even landed. KISS will come back to visit Sweden again in 1980, 1983, 1984, 1988, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2008, 2010 and 2013 and the band or parts thereof have made promotional visits here in 1982, 1985, 1987, 1992 and 1994. The story of KISS in Sweden ends as Gene [Simmons] and Paul [Stanley] board an aircraft taking off from Kristianstad Airport in Everöd at 4 p.m. on the 8th of June 2013, bound for Norway.
"The goal with the book has from the very start been to document all of KISS' visits to our country as thoroughly as possible. We searched far and wide for all the cool pictures that were forgotten or ended up gathering dust in an attic somewhere. We talked to those who met the band, privately or professionally, and we spared no dime uncovering the facts and unknown stories which has until now remained undocumented. We set out to do a book that we ourselves would like to read and we think we have succeeded. We are sure that all KISS fans will enjoy our book!
"The book has 336 pages and weighs in at 1.7 kg. It is filled with almost 1000 pictures (over 600 photos and most of them have never been published before)."
Not as much chatting as a typical episode of THE KISS ROOM, just a little extra treat for Halloween.
Halloween candy tastes just as good during the rest of the year.
Listen to it right here: thekissroom.com.
Join Matt Porter in the studio with
• Chris Giordano from KISStory
• Bob Brodsky
• John Barbieri
• Chris Ann Colvin
for a KISS Kruise wrap-up, round table and MORE!
Listen here: thekissroom.com.
Musician’s Friend: Tell us about your longstanding relationship with Washburn, and how the line of Paul Stanley Signature guitars came to be.
Paul Stanley: The idea of being able to create my own guitar has always been a dream. I think it’s everybody’s dream, especially when you’re growing up and you draw the ultimate guitar. Unfortunately, when you’re a kid and you draw a guitar, it looks like a ray gun. Given the opportunity to really design something, I found myself leaning on the past. The past is what got us here. Tradition is at the core of everything I try to design. I went through a couple of different companies, but ultimately I found my way to Washburn. The thing I love there is that they’re really great craftsmen, but you don’t have the red tape of a company where someone has to call someone else who has to clear what you did, and five months later you get a prototype that’s completely wrong. I went through that. When I started working with Washburn, I sketched something out and within six weeks I had a finished guitar to look at. We’ve had a great relationship.
I’m really proud of the guitars we do because they hearken back to the golden age. There’s a reason why people have always wanted vintage guitars. They were well crafted, the combination of woods and pickups was right, and that’s at the core of what I try to do. I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel, just put my own spin on it.
MF: You’re a visual artist as well as a musician. How does your sense of visual style find its way into your guitar designs?
PS: The idea with this guitar was to create something classic, something that echoes things that were here before, but improves on them. Whatever guitars this may remind you of, quite honestly, this kills ‘em. It’s better balanced, the tone is tremendous, the neck, the radius, the action, the playability, everything about it. It’s great because you can have it around your neck and let go, and it stays horizontal, whereas other guitars, because of heavy tuning pegs and other things, just dip and hit the ground. The abalone and mother-of-pearl inlays are something that I’ve done over the years. Classic big frets. This is the guitar I always wanted, that never was.
MF: Some of the models in the series are equipped with mini humbuckers. What is it about the tone of the minis that earned them a spot on these guitars?
PS: Mini humbuckers are something tried-and-true, and I try to keep that in the equation when I’m designing a guitar. Something that’s been around for a while has been around because it works. The great thing about my relationship with Washburn is that they pretty much give me the freedom to run amok, and I hold their hand to the fire to make sure that we stay true to tradition. I’m a big believer that the greatest guitars were made already, and all we can do now is emulate them. There’s no secret to making a great guitar; anyone can do it. All you need is great components and great woods, and the rest is just about craftsmanship.
MF: Does that philosophy also extend to other pieces of gear, like amps and effects?
PS: When we were recording Sonic Boom and when we did Monster, our last album, the idea was to remain true to the roots of all the stuff we loved most. A lot of times in the studio, you can go for perfection, but what you give up is passion. You can get something perfect, but what you get is sterile. All the music that we grew up loving, whether it was Motown or James Brown or Zeppelin or the Beatles or Elvis Presley, was made by live people and there were all kinds of imperfections. That’s part of what gave it that excitement, that feeling that every once in a while it’s going to go off the rails. Listen to that first Zeppelin album—what made it so great was that these guys were careening together. The beauty of a great band is that it moves and breathes as one beast. So we recorded analog, because all the greatest albums were recorded on tape. You can’t change something that works that well and expect the same results. So it was recorded on tape and we used a lot of vintage gear: Fender Bassman amps, Marshall Plexis… anything we could get our hands on.
MF: What advancements in music gear technology have enhanced KISS performances most over the years?
PS: One of the strangest things to happen to us was that we were the first band to go wireless. When we first started using them, they were tremendous for us because we no longer had to dance around each other to untangle wires. But the other side of it was that people thought we weren’t really playing. But that was a great step forward, to go wireless. PA systems obviously get better and better, which is a great thing. But in terms of gear, in all my years, I took a good guitar and plugged it into a great Marshall or some other kind of tube amp. Maybe there was some compression, or a power boost, but outside of that, it didn’t take a pedalboard on the floor that looks like it makes cappuccino. I don’t understand that kind of stuff because my heroes didn’t use that kind of stuff. Most times, that stuff sounds pretty fake. What they’re trying to emulate can be had just by plugging your guitar into a good amp and figuring out the settings. If technology becomes a barrier between the guitar and the amplifier, then what’s the point?
MF: KISS has thrived for the past 40 years by rolling with radical shifts in the musical landscape. Do you have a favorite era of the band in particular?
PS: There is no denying that when you’re first starting out, you have this incredible passion and hunger. You’re aspiring to be recognized. Whether you know it or not, you’re aspiring to make some money, whether it’s just to pay the rent or buy a Rolls Royce—it’s all the same thing. You want recognition and validation. So those days were very special for four guys who were told that something wasn’t possible, and went against the grain and said, if you stand in front of us, we’ll walk all over you. So those early years were magical. But I sure wouldn’t want to go back there! It’s like a picture of an old girlfriend you look at. If you were to get back with her for one day, you’d remember why you broke up in the first place.
MF: What are the fundamentals you’ve adhered to in order to succeed and have such a long career?
PS: The basic tenet for longevity is passion. You have to love what you’re doing. If you’re doing it for any other reason, you’ll ultimately fail. You do something not because you want to, you do something because you have to, because there’s an obsession within you. If someone comes to me and says, “I’m thinking about staying in music or…” I say, “Stop. Do the other thing.” If you have to ask yourself if you should be doing this, the answer is no. You have to find something you totally believe in. That’s what will get you through the tough times. Passion will not only help you succeed, it will get you through the failures.
Frehley has spent the past few days in the studio with drummer Matt Starr (BURNING RAIN) and bassist Chris Wyse (THE CULT, OWL) working on Ace's new CD. An early 2014 release is expected.
Frehley's last album, "Anomaly", was made available as a 2-LP vinyl set featuring two new limited-edition colors on October 1 via Brookvale Records. Only 750 units of each color were manufactured.
Frehley told Billboard.com in a 2009 interview that he intended "Anomaly" to "kind of pick up where I left off with my first solo album" — 1978's "Ace Frehley".
"Prior to going into the studio, I listened to that first album, which everybody cites as their favorite Ace record," Frehley said. "I dissected it and tried to get into the same mind set this time around. I think I recaptured some of the musical textures and attitude and vibe that I had on that first record."
"Anomaly" was recorded at Schoolhouse Studios in New York and at Ace's home studio in Westchester, New York.
KISS Kruise IV's theme is DRESSED TO KILL! You'll be able to take a formal band photo with KISS dressed in their finest attire!
Here's a special message from Eric: Video.
The pre-party is a place for you to connect with other Kruise guests the night before the Kruise. We’re going to give you a hotel and pre-party that rocks…and floats!
You’ll be able to check into your room on the Pearl throughout the day on October 30th, and the Pearl will set sail in the evening. Party out on the ocean with live music by supporting bands, and enjoy the casino and bars. The Pearl will return to the port to pick up any additional guests the next morning.
As an added bonus, you’ll already be unpacked and settled, have FREE food, and you’ll get to sleep in while others are boarding! You can reserve your cabin for the pre-party night for a flat rate based on room category and number of guests at the same time you make your cabin reservation.
Here's a special message about the pre-party from Tommy Thayer: Video.
The eight-episode, half-hour series from Force Four Entertainment will start shooting in Los Angeles, Vancouver and Whistler, B.C. in December, with a 2014 debut.
As Shannon is a former playmate and her daughter is a straight-A student running a children’s charity in Vancouver, the series will play up the mother and daughter's differences as they remain best friends. And Gene Simmons, who starred along with his family for seven seasons in A&E Gene Simmons' Family Jewels, will make cameo appearances on the Canadian reality show.
"Soph and I have a great relationship and filming together is always such fun, I’m thrilled we’ll now have our own show," said Tweed-Simmons in a statement Tuesday.
"It’s amazing, the friendship my mom and I have. She’s my rock, my best friend and even though we are very different, ultimately we agree on the important things in life. I’m excited to start shooting and give viewers a glimpse into our world," daughter Sophie added in her statement.
Here's a special message from Gene Simmons: Video.
Mark your calendars: You are celebrating Halloween again with KISS in 2014! The KISS Kruise IV sets sail October 31 - November 4, 2014!
Here's a special message from Paul Stanley: Video.
“Thank you, Michael Cohl for offering me the role of the Green Goblin on the Broadway production of #spiderman,” the KISS bassist posted to his 573,719 followers.
If the 64-year-old rock icon does indeed swap his white and black demon facepaint for the stage villain’s green body makeup, he’ll be replacing Broadway veteran Robert Cuccioli. A rep for the production could not be reached for comment.
Simmons may have an opening in his schedule soon: Kiss' 2013 Monster Tour wraps up Nov. 8 in Calgary.
For the Queens-raised Simmons, born Chaim Witz, a Broadway run would be a homecoming.
“We were just four kids off the streets of New York that dreamed big,” Simmons told the News in March of KISS's humble beginnings.
“Four Regrettings” saw four characters — Homer and Marge Simpson, Mr. Burns and news anchor Kent Brockman — look back on their lives and consider the questionable choices they’ve made. Mr. Burns let the love of his life slip away because he couldn’t take her advice to think about others for five minutes a day. Homer sold all of his Apple stock to buy a bowling ball. Kent Brockman didn’t follow his former co-anchor Rachel Maddow (appearing as herself) in trading local news for the big time. And Marge Simpson wonders if perhaps she is responsible for son Bart’s rebellious streak, due to — of all things — an unexplained hankering for the music and imagery of KISS during her pregnancy.
This last one was such a bizarre twist, that Radio.com reached out to Simpsons Executive Producer Al Jean to ask about its origins. While Jean didn’t come up with the idea, he felt compelled to go along with it: “As a corporal in the KISS Army, I could only obey.”
“[Director] Jim Brooks suggested that Marge was hooked on KISS music when she was pregnant, and that she worried it had made Bart what he was,” Jean said.
Two songs from the KISS catalog made the episode, both of which had significance to Jean: “We used ‘Detroit Rock City’ and ‘Christine Sixteen,’ two songs that have special meaning for me (I am from Detroit, and left there for college at 16). As Marge said, ‘Anything from Love Gun’ would be great.”
While KISS has very liberally licensed their image to cartoons before — they currently have partnerships with Hello Kitty and Family Guy — the band’s representatives still needed to approve of the script before granting the rights to use their music. “Their [music] publisher was sent all the script pages referring to the music when we cleared it,” Jean said. “Sometimes people raise issues with content, but KISS were great sports.”
And they had to be great sports. Marge and Homer dress up like Gene, for crying outloud! As Homer wags his tongue Simmons-style, Marge asks him to “do that thing Gene Simmons does.” Homer’s immortal response: “What, overstay my welcome for 40 years?”
“As a show that’s been around for 25 years,” Jean says, “we have the utmost sympathy.”
The Smithsonian Museum's statement reads, in part: "The bass will now be cared for in our permanent collections... We are happy to include the Axe bass as it relates to the impact Mr. Simmons and his band KISS have had on American culture, especially in the creation of a unique and iconic brand that has been embraced by fans worldwide."
"The story of Mr. Simmons' American experience deserves to be preserved. An immigrant and son of a holocaust survivor, he used creative vision and entrepreneurial acumen to make a significant impact for our nation's popular culture, becoming an iconic figure in American music and entertainment."
Multi-unit restaurant owners have numerous opportunities to mix and mingle with investors or lenders who can help them buy, grow or sell their businesses. In addition, the conference offers numerous education sessions run by some of the most highly regarded financial minds in the industry. The 2013 sessions will cover the financing outlook for restaurant businesses and examine the climate for buying or selling restaurants. Also, the conference sessions will provide expert accounting, tax and business strategy guidance. Emerging restaurant concepts will have opportunities to put themselves in front of investors during the conference's unique "Pitch Session."
Simmons, best known as the makeup-clad cofounder and bassist for the legendary band KISS, is a highly accomplished businessman. KISS is a merchandising juggernaut, with more than 2,500 licenses. Now Simmons is in the restaurant business. Along with partners Michael Zislic and Dave Furano, Simmons started Rock & Brews, a combination of original iconic Rock & Roll Art, artisan beers, great pizza, rockin' good music and food.
Winkler is a highly accomplished actor, author, producer and director whose work satisfies multiple generations, from his highly regarded portrayal of "The Fonz" for 10 seasons on Happy Days (1974-1984), to his more recent portrayal of the Bluth family attorney Barry Zuckerkorn on Arrested Development. Winkler has won two Golden Globe awards and was a multi-year Emmy Award nominee. He has also produced more than 20 TV series and specials, including MacGyver.
For more information on the Restaurant Finance & Development Conference, or to register, go to: www.restfinance.com or call 1-800-528-3296.
With help from Gene Simmons and Shannon Tweed, the Snakebit F-100 will be auctioned off next year to support the Children's Hospital Foundation.
Foster bought a 1956 Ford F-100 to refurbish it for a fundraiser as part of the 55th anniversary of the family business, Industrial Machine & Manufacturing, in 2011. Several months later, his newborn daughter Sophia spent 14 days in hospital getting tested for a potentially life-threatening disease.
"It was very traumatic," Foster said on Wednesday during the launch of the Wheels of Dreams project.
The tests revealed Sophia had an easily treated infection, but during the hospital stay Forster learned from health care workers and his own experience that Saskatchewan needs a children's hospital.
He decided to find people to help turn his company's promotional fundraiser into something bigger. The Ford Dealers of Saskatchewan got involved, and the project is now bigger than he imagined.
"It's a way to give back to the people who took care of my daughter," Foster said.
Over the next several years, with lots of help, the truck Foster bought on Ebay.com was redesigned and refurbished. Snakebit F-100 is a melding of two classics: The body of the 1956 truck and the guts of a Shelby Cobra Mustang. It's set to be offered for sale at the prestigious Barrett-Jackson classic car auction in Scottsdale, AZ in January.
Gene Simmons, of KISS fame, and his wife Shannon Tweed, a former Saskatoon resident, will be at the trade show next week and in Arizona to help promote the car, said Vaughn Wyant, president and CEO of Vaughn Wyant Automotive Group, which includes Jubilee Ford.
Organizers asked media to refrain from publishing pictures of the vehicle until its official unveiling next week in Las Vegas.
"Ford is telling us it's the first one like it they've seen," said Bruce Williams, a freelance illustrator and car designer who helped develop the concept. "We used as many Ford racing components as possible. Everything on the truck is handmade."
Foster started with the goal of raising $55,000, but now he hopes to raise more than $500,000.
What was your fav KISS Magazine of all time?
It’s the 77th installment of PodKISSt… the KISS fanzine for your ears!
Listen here: podkisst.com.
Set List:
Anything For My Baby
Shout It Out Loud
Do You Love Me
Almost Human
Hell Or Hallelujah
War Machine
The Oath
Say Yeah
Mainline
Lick It Up
Love Gun
Let Me Know
Black Diamond
Detroit Rock City
Rock And Roll All nite
The band's setlist was as follow:
01. Psycho Circus
02. Shout It Out Loud
03. Do You Love Me?
04. I Love It Loud
05. Hell Or Hallelujah
06. War Machine
07. Sukiyaki
08. Heavens On Fire
09. Calling Dr. Love
10. Say Yeah
11. Shock Me
12. Outta This World
13. Tommy Thayer And Eric Singer Jam
14. Gene Simmons Solo
15. God Of Thunder
16. Lick It Up
17. Love Gun
18. Paul Solo
19. Black Diamond
Encore
20. Detroit Rock City
21. I Was Made For Lovin' You
22. Rock And Roll All Nite
KISS unveiled its brand new stage show this on June 1 at the opening concert the European leg of their "Monster" world tour in Stockholm, Sweden.
"Monster", the 20th studio album from KISS, sold 56,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 3 on The Billboard 200 chart.
KISS' previous CD, "Sonic Boom", opened with 108,000 units back in October 2009 to enter the chart at No. 2. This marked the band's highest-charting LP ever.
KISS has notched nine Top 10 albums, according to Billboard.com. Its previous highest-charting set was 1998's "Psycho Circus", which debuted and peaked at No. 3 with 110,000 copies in its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The group's other high-charting sets include 1975's "Alive!" (No. 9), 1977's "Love Gun" (No. 4) and 1992's "Revenge" (No. 6).
Born Lewis Allan Reed in Brooklyn, Reed received electroconvulsive therapy as a teenager to cure his bisexuality, and later wrote the song "Kill Your Sons" about the experience.
Reed studied at Syracuse University and went on to form The Velvet Underground in the 1960s. The band, which often collaborated with artist Andy Warhol, is widely hailed as one of if not the most influential American band of all time. The group was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.
After The Velvet Underground disbanded, Reed moved to England and embarked on a successful solo career in the early 1970s, with hits including "Walk on the Wild Side."
Reed's most recent effort was 2011's Lulu, a collaboration with Metallica. He posted a photo to his Facebook page Sunday morning showing a poster of himself taped to a door.
Reed is survived by his wife, performance artist Laurie Anderson, whom he married in 2008.
"Working with Tommy has been a highlight of our anniversary year," said Epiphone president Jim Rosenberg. "We're delighted that Tommy's signature Les Paul took off so quickly with fans. And the recent news that KISS has been nominated for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame makes this 'sellout' all the better. We hope to work with Tommy again in the very near future on another signature guitar run."
The "Spaceman" features world-famous Gibson 498T Humbuckers with a covered 498T in the neck position and an open coil, double black bobbin Gibson 498T Humbucker in the lead position to create the unmistakable Les Paul sound. The hand-set neck delivers outstanding string-to-body resonance while the medium-jumbo frets add to the smooth and sustained tone. The top features a beautiful Silver Flake color finish and a black gloss finish on the back, sides and neck. The classic clipped dovewing headstock features a '60s style "Epiphone" in silver, "Tommy Thayer" on the bell-shaped truss rod cover and "Les Paul Spaceman" in silver lettering underneath Les Paul's iconic signature. A sleek black pick guard completes the modern look.
"Having my own signature Epiphone Les Paul guitar is something I've dreamed about for a long time," remarked Thayer. "It's important for me to put my name on a professional guitar for serious musicians that sounds great, looks amazing and is affordable."
Thayer worked closely with Rosenberg on every detail of the design.
"Tommy has been a longtime fan of Epiphone guitars and wanted to be sure that his signature Les Paul was totally original and totally first class," said Rosenberg. "Tommy oversaw every last detail. We couldn't be happier with his Les Paul and we're thrilled that we'll be seeing it on stage with Tommy for many years to come."
Full Throttle Rock: You have had a long outstanding career playing with some of the biggest names in the music industry. Could you have imagined your career would take the shape it has?
Bruce Kulick: Well, you know, the more I go back and look at all the things I have done, the more I realize, while I was doing them, of course, I was excited and as professional as possible, but I did not realize the impact that all the things, especially the KISS years, would ultimately have. Even prior to that, the dual lead guitars for MEAT LOAF and touring the world for the "Bat Out Of Hell" tour, you know, when it first came out, I mean, that album is still huge and the version of that record you buy now has a couple of live tracks on it featuring Bob [Kulick] and I. So I am very blessed to be a working musician all these years. Could I have imagined it? Not completely. Definitely not.
Full Throttle Rock: In terms of the KISS albums you were on, which one do you think was your best guitar performance or your favourite to play on?
Bruce Kulick: You know, it is a great question. Obviously, fans have different favorites of their own. There is highlights on all the albums, I always felt. I am going to give you the answer. Really, if I had to stick with one record, it would be "Revenge", because I just felt between Bob Ezrin's production and the commitment of the band at the time, I really felt it was one of our most cohesive, strong, hard rock melodic efforts. The lead guitar was in your face, take no prisoners, you know, balls to the wall, but I have to say I am very fond of the acoustic solo on "Forever" and, I think, the melodic guitar playing on "Tears Are Falling" are important moments in my KISS years. Some people think "Carnival Of Souls" is the best record the band put out, you know, but for me, as much as I am proud of a lot of stuff through those years, that record really held it together for me in, I felt, like a big showcase for me.
Full Throttle Rock: Having experienced this first hand, tell me about the KISS fan and what makes them so different from other rock fans?
Bruce Kulick: Well, I have got to admit they really do attract… I think being a fan, you could be a "Star Wars" fan, I do not think there is fundamentally a huge difference between fans of different genres, meaning a sci-fi fan could be pretty similar to a KISS fan, actually, in my mind. But just being specific with KISS, they are very loyal, yet many of them, not the majority, but many of them will also criticize but still be there for the band, many will support all eras, many will be a snob and just like say, only the original four, only the makeup, you get what I mean? So they kind of split off into opinions and passions of the band, you know. I remember for a while, I am a huge BEATLES fan, that I was like, "No, I do not want to listen to anything from the first couple of records; that is primitive BEATLES. No, I want to listen to 'Magical Mystery Tour', trippy complex music," you know, and of course, now it could be a rough demo from '62 and I am happy to hear it because it is THE BEATLES, okay. So I kind of change with that as well, but honestly, the KISS fans are a unique, wonderful breed that I am very blessed to have been exposed to, of course, because they have created a career for me, you know. It is as if I am still in the band, but I have not been with the guys since '96, and it is incredible to still be such a part of the family and everything. So I am really quite blessed about the fact that they are the way they are and that they are so passionate about the band and they really just want to celebrate the group and boy, you know, one thing about them they do not ever seem to hang it up, which is great.
Full Throttle Rock: Your last solo record, "BK3", was in 2010. Are there any plans to release another one soon and if so, will it be like "BK3", with vocals from guest singers as well as yourself or will it be more in the style of the previous album, "Transformer"?
Bruce Kulick: Right. Great question. I really do not completely have an answer. I am always writing, okay, and regarding my "BK4", we will call it, I just do not have a firm plan to how I would do it. The important thing is that I am staying creative, archiving good ideas, more and more serious about trying to write stuff and I, obviously… It cost a lot of money to do a record the way I want to do a record, because I am not going to do it in my bedroom, I am going to use a professional studios and the real gear and everything and I might go the route of a Pledge Music thing, but I would not do that until the songs were ready. And then, in essence, I am pre-selling it, you know what I mean? And who would be involved? And what? You know, I just befriended Joe Satriani at a Rock And Roll Fantasy Camp up in Napa Valley, the wine country, and he invited me, you know. He bought my CD. I could not believe it. I get the email order, "Joe Satriani." I am, like… "What?" But what a great guy and what a brilliantly talented guitar player. He did a great job at this quick three-day camp up at Louis M. Martini winery; it was like a hybrid kind of camp, not just a regular Fantasy Camp, it was involved with wine making and it was fascinating, but Joe was, like, what a guy. So obviously when something like that happens and I create a "You are great" and him saying to me, "I want to get your record. I really dig you," I am, like, "Wow." That makes me think: "Can I ask him to guest on a song?" You see what I mean? I start thinking about that, which takes me back to "BK3", where I was able to ask guests to help me out. But I do not have a firm plan yet. All I know is I have been very driven, especially since I am done with the summer crazy GRAND FUNK RAILROAD schedule, that I want to archive songs and move forward with staying creative. There are a lot of projects for next year I need to accomplish. I have also been writing with my brother. We have talked about doing an EP. We do not want to get crazy with a full-blown record, but I think the fans would love a nice appetizer, like an EP, from the two of us. And I do not know who would sing that yet; we have not even figured that out. But the important thing is we have a couple of really cool rock tunes that I think the fans would really like and that has taken us… God, we have been talking about that since the beginning of this year, so it takes time.
Read the entire interview at Full Throttle Rock.
Listen to Matt Porter in the studio with:
• Starchild CHRIS GIORDANO from KISSTORY!
• KISS fan CHRIS ANN COLVIN!
• SuperFan ANDY with a KISS Kruise Kommentary!
We're talking Halloween, Hall of Fame, KISS Kruise, giving away some cool prizes and MORE!
Listen here: thekissroom.com.
What better way for the hard rocking and hard merchandising titans of Kiss to commemorate their Japan tour in the latter half of this month than with the Kiss Super-Spicy Chili Tomatoman? But can a steamed dumpling capture the rock and roll spirit of Kiss? Mr. Sato went on the day of their release to find out.
On 15 October Mr. Sato woke up and put the final “X” on his calendar. Today was the day Circle K Sunkus convenience stores would begin selling the Kiss Super-Spicy Chili Tomatoman. He fastened his Love Gun belt buckle and headed out to get one on the way to work.
However, upon arriving at the Sunkus the nikuman showcase was empty. Mr. Sato had arrived too early. The dumplings were delivered but still needed two hours to be thawed out and then they still needed to be adequately warmed in the steamer. The store clerk told him that they’d be ready early in the afternoon. “Dammit! I waited so long.” shouted Mr. Sato, stomping his studded platform boot into the sidewalk.
Mr. Sato returned to the Sunkus at around 3:00 in the afternoon, but saw only a single Kiss Super-Spicy Chili Tomatoman sitting in the showcase. He was surprised that the demand was so big. The clerk confirmed that indeed people have been buying them up all day except for the one sitting before them.
Mr. Sato purchased the lone dumpling for 100 yen (US$1), and dashed back to the office. When he peeled back the wrapping he was in awe of the stylish Kiss logo branded on the top of the bun. It looked nice enough to display next to his Paul Stanley Wacky Wobbler, but realizing it would smell bad after a while he decided to eat it.
When he broke the black bun in two a glowing red tomato paste could be seen inside. It was so red Mr. Sato’s eyes stung a little. It certainly looked hot, but how does it taste? The display case had said that it contained the habanero chili pepper which once held the Guinness World Record for hottest chili.
After biting into it, tears began to roll down Mr. Sato’s face which he wiped off with his Destroyer T-shirt. It was every bit as hot as the lava like substance it looked like. Probably it was too hot, but anything less just wouldn’t be rock and roll so he accepted the spicy intensity with pleasure.
As an added bonus, the wrapper had the Peter Criss/Eric Singer Catman logo printed on it. There are five wrappers to collect; one for each member and one with all of them and the Kiss logo. Mr. Sato was hoping for a Gene Simmons Demon wrapper but it would have to wait for next time.
n conclusion, Mr. Sato says that people who like their rock hard and their buns spicy should try a Kiss Super-Spicy Chili Tomatoman. It’s really hot!
It's the first year that the influential grunge rockers have been eligible for consideration, joining the ranks of other first-time nominees such as Linda Ronstadt, Peter Gabriel, Hall & Oates and Yes.
Also on the ballot are returning favorites from last year such as Chic, Deep Purple and The Meters, along with hip-hop luminaries N.W.A. and LL Cool J.
It's a diverse field, one that will likely see fan support swell behind beloved acts such as Kiss and Nirvana, and spark debates over the inclusion of Chic and Hall & Oates, who may not seem like textbook examples of rock artists. "This year's nominees represent the broad definition of 'rock 'n' roll' and include an array of artists whose fans are deeply passionate about the possibility of induction," says Joel Peresman, president and CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation.
For a second year, the public will be given a chance to participate in the selection process, and can cast votes through Dec. 10 at USA TODAY, Rolling Stone, and the official Rock Hall site.The top five artists, as selected by the masses, will make up a fans' ballot, a single vote in choosing the 2014 inductees.
An artist or band becomes eligible for a nomination 25 years after releasing a debut single or album, meaning that the 2014 nominees released their first recording no later than 1988.
Inductees will be determined by the hall's voting body of roughly 600 artists, historians and music industry professionals. The performers who receive the highest number of votes will be inducted April 10 in New York. The ceremony will be broadcast on HBO at a later date.
This year's hopefuls:
The Paul Butterfield Blues Band. The Chicago band, powered by Butterfield on harmonica and Mike Bloomfield on guitar, led '60s rock lovers to the wellspring of Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf.
Chic. With dance-floor classics like Le Freak and Good Times, Nile Rodgers and company gave disco a brilliant, soulful upgrade and influenced generations of pop and rap artists.
Deep Purple. The British quintet, which helped define the heavy metal genre with its organ-driven thick sound and early covers of Hush and Kentucky Woman, hijacked the charts with Smoke On the Water and Woman From Tokyo.
Peter Gabriel. The former Genesis frontman brought funky, synth-infused flavor to hits such as Sledgehammer and Shock the Monkey, but arguably made his biggest impact with the powerful, anti-apartheid anthem Biko.
Hall & Oates. With smooth vocal harmonies soaring over rich, pop-rock melodies, Daryl Hall and John Oates brought rhythm & blues to the top of the charts, scoring smash singles such as I Can't Go for That (No Can Do), Private Eyes and You Make My Dreams.
Kiss. Instantly recognized for their flashy attire and black-and-white face paint, these iconic heavy-metal rockers are best known for their Alive!, Love Gun and Destroyer albums, as well as their reputation for putting on dazzling, pyrotechnic-laden performances.
LL Cool J. Before he appeared on Brad Paisley's Accidental Racist, this New York-bred rapper climbed the charts with his sentimental ballad I Need Love, and went on to influence Michael Jackson.
Nirvana. Led by late singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain, this grunge-rock trio cemented its place in rock history with early '90s hits such as Lithium, Heart-Shaped Box and Smells Like Teen Spirit.
N.W.A. Dr. Dre's ambitious, angry rap group, dubbed The Beatles of hip-hop, electrified fans, stunned city fathers and attracted the FBI's attention with gangsta rap classic F--- Tha Police and aggressive albums Straight Outta Compton and N-----4Life.
Link Wray. Inspiring Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix and Bruce Springsteen, the late rocker's 1958 hit Rumble introduced the power chord to future generations of guitarists and musicians.
The Meters.The iconic New Orleans funk ensemble and house band for Allen Toussaint's Sansu label recorded Cissy Strut, Look-Ka Py Py and many tunes with Dr. John.
The Replacements. This Minnesota-bred band never scored a hit single, but they are considered alternative-rock pioneers by many, notably influencing popular punk-rock outfits such as Green Day and the Goo Goo Dolls.
Linda Ronstadt. At the forefront of the folk- and country-rock movements, this full-voiced beauty made a name for herself covering Roy Orbison's Blue Bayou and Betty Everett's You're No Good.
Cat Stevens. One of the biggest-selling artists of the early '70s, the mellow British songsmith crafted introspective, tranquil tunes such as Peace Train, Wild World and The First Cut Is the Deepest.
Yes. Largely responsible for bringing progressive rock to the mainstream, these symphonic, experimental Englishmen are often seen as the forefathers to other beloved, synth-heavy bands such as Rush and Dream Theater.
The Zombies. Famed for hazy vocals accompanied by psychedelic guitar riffs and jazz-inflected electric piano, their Odessey and Oracle album was ranked one of the 100 all-time greatest by Rolling Stone.
Former “Seinfeld” and “Family Feud” star John O'Hurley will serve as a guest host for the festivities.
More special guests will be announced as we get closer to the date.
All proceeds benefit Alice Cooper’s Solid Rock Teen Center.
“Although I have played more than 100 shows this year, Pudding is the one I look forward to most,” Cooper says. “We love bringing people together for Christmas, for the sake of music and dance and the mission of Solid Rock.”
Tickets are $38 to $253, with all proceeds benefiting Alice’s Cooper’s Solid Rock Teen Center, which reaches out to teens through free music, dance, and voice lessons and more.
Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 18, through Ticketmaster, the Comerica Theatre box office or by phone at 602-379-2888.
Moccasin Creek have taken the rock underground by storm, releasing three full length albums in less than two years. The band has close ties to the heavy metal world, with previous albums having guest appearances from Chris Poland (Megadeth), Glen Alvelais (Testament / Forbidden), and Tom Klimchuck (Pro-Pain).
Moccasin Creek guitarist Charlie Bonnet III spent many years as part of the Tennessee based metal band Disarray, and now serves as co-manager for the career of metal legend Steve ‘Zetro’ Souza (Exodus / Hatriot). The Big Dawgs will be available on iTunes October 15th.
AXS TV Teams with Award-Winning Rock Group KISS as it Presents 12 Hours of Continuous Concerts Featuring KISS, Alice Cooper, AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Papa Roach
Marathon Includes Interstitial Wraps with KISS Band Members – Filmed on Location Aboard the One-of-a-Kind KISS KRUISE
AXS TV is teaming up with the legendary and award-winning rock group KISS for Halloween, Thursday, Oct. 31, when the Channel programs six concerts wrapped around fresh interstitial content featuring KISS. The KISS wraps are being taped aboard the band’s signature cruise, the KISS KRUISE, a four-day excursion traveling from Miami to Key West and the Great Stirrup Cay from Oct. 28 to Nov. 1.
The cornerstone of the night is the network premiere of KISS’s Zurich, Switzerland concert, featuring their hit songs and music from their KISS MONSTER album. AXS TV CONCERTS recorded that event live last May and it has been edited, but not censored when it debuts at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT).
AXS TV kicks off its hard-rock starting at 3:30 p.m. ET (12:30 p.m. PT),and runs throughout Halloween to past the witching hour of midnight until 3:35 a.m. ET (12:35 a.m. PT). In addition to KISS, the concert schedule includes Judas Priest, AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Papa Roach and Alice Cooper.
The schedule for AXS TV’s KISS MONSTER MARATHON includes:
Thursday, October 31 (All Times Eastern)
3:30 p.m. JUDAS PRIEST LIVE: BRITISH STEEL 30TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL – Judas Priest celebrates the 30th anniversary of "British Steel" from the Hard Rock Arena in Hollywood, Florida.
4:45 p.m. PAPA ROACH LIVE FROM CLUB NOKIA – Papa Roach presents one of the best rock shows this year live from Club Nokia in Los Angeles.
5:55 p.m. IRON MAIDEN EN VIVO! – En Vivo! captures the always exciting atmosphere that fans have come to expect from Iron Maiden. Filmed in Chile, the concert features favorites such as "The Trooper," "The Number of the Beast" and "Fear of the Dark" as well as hits from the No.1 studio album "The Final Frontier."
7:30 p.m. AT HELL’S DOOR: BEHIND THE SCENES AT HELLFEST - Jacoby Shaddix of Papa Roach takes over Hellfest in Clisson, France to give viewers an inside look at what goes on backstage, onstage and more at one of Europe's biggest and craziest rock festivals. (Repeats at 1:00 a.m. ET)
8:00 p.m. THE KISS MONSTER WORLD TOUR: LIVE FROM EUROPE CONCERT – NETWORK PREMIERE - AXS TV was on hand to tape KISS’ Zurich, Switzerland concert live last May, making this edited version a network premiere. The concert featured new staging, lighting and pyrotechnics that had never been seen before on TV. (Repeats at 1:30 a.m. ET).
10:05 p.m. AC/DC LIVE AT RIVER PLATE – AC/DC Live At River Plate documents the band's triumphant return to Buenos Aires. (Repeats at 3:35 a.m. ET)
11:15 p.m. ALICE COOPER LIVE AT MONTREUX – Alice Cooper’s live shows are legendary for their sense of Rock Theater and sheer visual spectacle. Underpinning the visual assault has always been a collection of some of the best rock songs around delivered by one of the all-time great front men. This show includes tracks from across his career including all the classics you would expect.
The Brennan Rock & Roll Academy gives children the opportunity to grow by offering free music lessons to those that may not be able to get them. They help keep children off the streets, away from drugs, and offer a positive environment that will benefit them for the rest of their lives.
Confirmed performers:
* Gene Simmons (KISS)
* Paul Stanley (KISS)
* Eric Singer (KISS)
* Tommy Thayer (KISS)
* Alice Cooper
* Vince Neil (MÖTLEY CRÜE)
* Rob Zombie
* Dee Snider (TWISTED SISTER)
* Tom Keifer (CINDERELLA)
* Stephen Pearcy (RATT)
* Joey Tempest (EUROPE)
* John Norum (EUROPE)
* Jack Blades (NIGHT RANGER)
* Kip Winger (WINGER)
Face front, KISS Army! This is our celebration of a magic number in KISStory: 75! 1975 was an explosive year for the hottest band in the land, and what better time to celebrate it than now, on our 75th installment of PodKISSt!
Join us for this 2-part rock and roll party as we bring you rare live audio from 1975, an in-depth analysis of the “Dressed to Kill” and “Alive!” records!
- Starchild CHRIS GIORDANO from KISS IT!
- KISS fan DOTTI JONES!
- KISS fan MICHELLE BREEN!
- SuperFan ANDY with a KISS Kruise Kommentary!
- and BILLY McGUFFY from EXTREME CREATIONZ!
- we’ll announce a new contest!
- talk KISS, crank up some KISS, and give you all of the fun and rock and roll that you expect every month in THE KISS ROOM! Listen here: thekissroom.com.
There were three guys at the High School of Music & Art in New York City who owned a Gibson guitar, the true no-argument Rolls Royce of guitar companies.
There was me. I had a 1962 SG - style Les Paul.
There was Murray Dabby, the best player of this trio, who owned a 1965 SG Standard, almost the same guitar as mine, just a few years newer.
The third guy had a 1960 Les Paul Special, the model just below mine.
This Gibson connection was a bond.
I grew up to be... what? I don't even know. A guitarist? A writer? A music biz sleaze ball? All of the above?
Murray grew up to be a full-fledged
GSFJ production house Thinkfactory Media was acquired by Britain’s ITV in June and, this month, promoted GSFJ co-creator/EP Adam Reed to exec vice president.
The new book Nothin’ To Lose: The Making of Kiss (1972 – 1975) chronicles the band’s embryonic days as rock n’roll fanatics from New York City’s outer boroughs with a relentless will to succeed. The book is an oral history and includes interviews with the band, their friends, and crew, as well as opening acts and other musicians who were there first hand to witness the group’s hard scrabble ascent to worldwide fame. Co-authors and for nearly 40 years the band’s leading lights, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons sat down to talk about the band’s past and future.
VH1 TUNER: How did this book come about?
Paul Stanley: Ken Sharpe put the book together. He’s a long time fan. We’ve known him since he was literally about 8 years old. He’s an avid fan of the band and an avid fan of rock n’ roll. He’s been conducting and compiling interviews over the years and it seemed a natural thing for us to do at this point. We’ve always told the story from our point of view but it’s really interesting to hear what managers, promoters, roadies, all kinds of people who were there recall because quite honestly there’s things in the book that I don’t remember. I don’t know that they’re true but if they make me look good then they’re true (laughter).
VH1: What was it about those years that you wanted to focus on that you felt was special and was an untold side of the Kiss story?
Gene Simmons: When you’re at the front of a train all you’re seeing is what’s coming at you. We have a very unique advantage because we get that adrenaline rush but you don’t get a chance to figure out what it all means. What the side scenery is like. Do I have my mother’s hips? You know, all that stuff which everyone else in the train gets and then the very last person sees it all go by. So they’re all different perspectives of an interesting, astonishing train ride that we’ve had which is now approaching 40 years and boy, do we look good (laughter).
VH1: When you see live footage of Kiss from the years covered in the book you’re killing it and you clearly have that hunger to succeed. What do you miss the most about those early days?
Paul Stanley: Nothing, honestly. It’s great to look back, when I see early footage (of Kiss), I couldn’t be more proud of it. We were totally committed to what we were doing. We believed in it against all odds. People said it would never work. We were four guys and we were a nation. Nothing was going to get in our way and when you watch early footage it’s absolutely undeniable the band was going to succeed in spite of what everybody said about it. Most of the people who were the naysayers feared what we were doing. Rock n’ roll in its purest form is always feared. Whether it was Elvis Presley, The Beatles or The Stones. You’re doing something right when people say “This is crap,” or “It has no redeeming value.” It’s rock n’ roll. And we were the essence of that and delivered the goods. We were the guys in the audience who went up on stage and said “Let us show you how it’s supposed to be done.”
VH1: I was watching an old interview with you from your first time playing England and the interviewer asks what you care more about, the music or the spectacle and Gene you say “The audience.”
Gene Simmons: Well, sure. If you ever lose sight of the fact that your bosses are standing on their seats then you become delusional and think it’s all about you. At the end of the day we just work here and it’s our job like court jesters to make the kings all around us proud. We need to earn the crown that’s being bestowed upon us by those who have the power because, let’s call it for what it is, if our bosses, our fans don’t like what we’re doing or any band, that’s why the word “Next” is in the dictionary. So we’ve been around 40 years and proud by the way to have given a chance to lots of new bands on their first tour – AC/DC, Rush, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Bon Jovi, Motley Crue – you name a big band, we gave them their first start because we’re also fans but at the end of the day, we can’t crown anybody, we all bow to everybody’s bosses, the fans.
VH1: It’s funny you mention that because I think helping younger bands such as Rush, who you took on tour, and Van Halen, whose demos you (Gene) produced, are one of the many things you don’t get credit for. What are other things you think people got wrong about Kiss in the press?
Paul Stanley: I don’t think that the press matters. The press never made a band. If you look at most critics’ Top 10 lists, it’s usually a contest of who knows the most obscure artists. In terms of the people that matter to us, we have no problem. Those people think the songwriting is great, think the shows are amazing and come see us time and time again. How can you listen to somebody who gets free tickets? If they’re not paying for tickets how good is their opinion of anything? The beauty of being a critic is you don’t need a diploma, you don’t need to go to school for it, you just one day say “Hey, I’m either a comedian or I’m a critic.” And if somebody listens to you, you become a critic. Whether they get us or don’t get us, the people who matter, get us. It’s 40 years and untold millions, 90 million, 100 million, you pick your number, who’s counting at that point?
Gene Simmons: I’m going to quote you the critics. Rolling Stone reviews Led Zeppelin, and this is a quote, “the Limp Blimp.” This is from a guy that never got laid in school, clearly has too many pimples on his face to count and continues to live in his mother’s basement. Sour human beings who’ve accomplished nothing and have been nobody and their only chance to be anybody is to just whack it. If you’ve got a point to say, show me what you’ve got. Otherwise, shut the f**k up.
Paul Stanley: Clearly, look, critics aren’t in their teens, and whether or not they continue to live at home, the fact remains these are bitter people. They pontificate and have made no real contribution to music or to the field. They’re not journalists. They’re clowns. They’re entertainers only they take themselves seriously. I don’t.
VH1: The book covers your early days in New York City. Another thing I think is important that people tend to overlook is that Kiss is a quintessential New York band. Could Kiss have happened in any other city?
Paul Stanley: No. We were clearly a product of New York and the streets. We came up during a time where British music was looked upon as the music of the gods. There was a glitter scene in New York. A lot of bands who really were better looking and better dressed than they were at playing music were our contemporaries at the time. I don’t think we ever wanted to be a New York band. We wanted to be a world band. Perhaps that’s why we became a bit disassociated with New York because we’re bigger than New York. We are of the world.
Gene Simmons: It is interesting to note that while Detroit and Liverpool and London and lots of cities have given the world bands that have played stadiums and arenas around the world, other than Kiss, New York has never given the world a stadium sized rock band. Not one. There’s Kiss and there’s nobody else. You can talk about Ramones and everybody else; you’re talking about club bands. So if New York is such a great rock town, it was on a certain level, but to get to the top you’ve got to appeal to the world.
VH1: You also had a work ethic that many of those other bands didn’t have. Your closest contemporaries were The New York Dolls but they didn’t tour like you did. How many months straight were you on tour in those first three years?
Paul Stanley: It was one long tour. We would see a day or two off on a calendar but for the most part we were always gone. We would sometimes be doing two shows in a night because a show would sell out so quickly. You know, the bands you spoke of from New York City, most of those bands were more concerned with hanging out than actually rehearsing. That’ll get you so far. At the end of the day you’re going to have to play a song and do it well. For a lot of those bands the music became the soundtrack for their fashion show. They looked great. There’s no arguing. When Gene and I saw The Dolls you just looked at them and said “These guys kill us at looking androgynous.” We looked like football players. We went “We can’t beat The Dolls at being The Dolls but we sure as hell play better than them. Now let’s find out who we are.” And that was really the start of us finding the Kiss look.
Gene Simmons: It’s worth going back for a second because I remember it like it was yesterday. We went to the Diplomat Hotel. We wanted to check out The Dolls because they were a few months ahead of us. We looked at each other going “Wow, they look great.” As soon as they started playing we put our fingers in our ears and went to each other “We’ll kill them. We’ll s**t on their pretty clothes.” Critics always loved the band and we loved their style but I don’t know anybody that does Dolls songs.
VH1: There’s a new documentary in the works. Will that again be about the early days?
Paul Stanley: Hopefully it will be the definitive documentary about the band. Others have done great pieces like The Clash documentary. Alan Parker, who’s doing ours, did that. We’ve amassed an incredible amount of footage. A lot of it, nobody’s seen yet. There are things in there that will be a real surprise and a real joy for all of us to see. What we’re really trying to do is really the definitive Kiss documentary. Not selling Kiss. Not an advertisement which is what a lot of times things come off as but really something that will tell the tale.
VH1: You also have a new AFL football team, the L.A. Kiss.
Gene Simmons: We have four partners; we have Brett Bouchy, who has been in the Arena Football League for awhile, (famed music manager) Doc McGhee and Paul and myself. Those are the only partners in it. Instead of being passive celebrity guys who lend their name, we’re actively involved. Paul worked with designers on the team outfits. We’re doing the media and we’re involved right at the ground level talking with the corporate guys and making sure it’s legitimate. We’re involved from beginning to end. We don’t intend on being these celebrity guys that lend their names and then go back to Beverly Hills. It’s real football. To our season ticket holders to show you how grateful we are we’re going to give you a special free Kiss concert. All the bells and whistles. We have more firepower than most Third World countries and we’ll bring the full thing as a thank you.
Paul Stanley: AFL sometimes gets maligned as being second rate football. The fact is that all the players are of the first order, the top 1% of football. The rules are different but every seat at the game is a great seat. When you go to an NFL game you may have to mortgage your house to get tickets at this point. We have tickets that are $99 for a season plus other tickets. These are great, great athletes. We’re putting together a team that’s really is based on quality from the coach up. AFL is faceless in the sense that you really don’t know the players. That’s going to change. We will become the model for what every AFL team is going to want to be. We’re bringing football back. Anaheim is the second largest media market in California and Los Angeles is dying for a team and we’re bringing it.
VH1: What would a world without Kiss be like?
Gene Simmons: We can be self-serving and say “Boring,” but it’s pretty accurate (laughter). Somebody made an assessment that without Kiss wrestling would just be wrestling, McCartney would sing the great Beatles songs, Garth Brooks would sing the great country songs, political parties would talk the way the usually do, but they wouldn’t have fireworks and bombast. Where did they get all that stuff? Air Supply?
Paul Stanley: I think we serve a great service in that we have been the wake up call to Kiss fans and rock fans of what can be done. What is possible. A lot of fans I think were taking less than they deserved. A lot of bands were giving less than they should. We were a wake up call to America and the world of what you should expect from a band. If we weren’t here? It would be more boring. Life would continue. Somebody at some point would come along and be Kiss but we’re it, and we’re the real deal.
That's about to change, according to Paul Stanley.
"We're known for being bombastic and bringing a lot of artillery and firepower," Stanley says. "Now let's see if we can bring that to a football game. And we will."
The name Paul Stanley not ringing a bell? How about Gene Simmons?
How about Starchild and The Demon?
Stanley is Starchild and Simmons The Demon in the iconic rock group KISS -- known for their costumes and showmanship -- and they are among the co-owners of the new Arena Football League team that will start play in Los Angeles in 2014.
The name of the team?
"Well, let's see, we have built a brand that for 40 years has been synonymous with spectacle," Stanley says. "What shall we call ourselves, the L.A. Hamburgers?"
No, they will be known as the L.A. KISS, and it's a team that will be, according to Stanley and Simmons, fan-friendly, pocketbook-friendly and always entertaining.
"Write this down," says Simmons, speaking at a small news conference Tuesday afternoon at the hip restaurant/nightclub House of Blues on the Sunset Strip. "You can see the whole season of the KISS for 99 bucks."
Stanley and Simmons, along with fellow co-owners Doc McGhee and Brett Bouchy, have hired a veteran Arena Football League player and coach, Bob McMillen, to be in charge of winning games, and they will trust him on football matters.
"I stopped playing football," Stanley says, "when I got hit and flew through the air and landed on my stomach. That's when I picked up a guitar."
The KISS guys were approached about doing a concert to promote the Arena league about eight months ago. One thing led to another, and pretty soon they were talking about owning a new team in Los Angeles.
Now the bandmates known for fire breathing, smoking guitars and various other pyrotechnics, will try to bring that same energy to the KISS games that will be played in the Honda Center in Anaheim.
"We want to make it an event," Stanley says. "During halftime and other breaks, you're owed more than a guy dressed up like a hamster running around the field. We're going to make sure there's entertainment that keeps you dazzled. This is about football, but why not embellish it?"
And why not in L.A., where both NFL teams -- the Rams and Raiders -- left almost 20 years ago?
"This is good for Los Angeles," Simmons says. "Los Angeles needs football. We're here to give Los Angeles the kind of football it's never had. You want football, L.A.? You got it."
KISS is one of America’s top gold-record champions who recorded 37 albums over 36 years and sold more than 100 million albums worldwide. The KISS legacy continues to grow, generation after generation. By combining the legendary KISS with the award-winning K’NEX building system, the KISS building set line appeals to music and building fans of all ages. KISS building sets bring the fun of the stage show to the child and cement the band’s appeal through a rewarding, age-appropriate K’NEX building experience.
KISS Rock Stage Big Rig Building Set
Take the show on the road with this awesome KISS building set. This set, which includes over 250 pieces, allows you to build your own KISS rig. Big enough to haul all the band’s instruments and gear, this set also doubles as a concert stage, includes all four KISS band members in their latest Monster outfits, and 2 buildable roadie figures for an authentic rock show experience! Suggested retail price $29.99. Ages 7+.
FOX411: Ace Frehley and Peter Criss both have memoirs out that paint pretty harsh portraits of both of you. Was that upsetting?
Simmons: Ace took me to lunch before his book came out and he read me a chapter about how he almost drowned in a pool and I saved him by diving in and pulling him out. He asked if it was accurate. I said, '95 percent of it was accurate, except it wasn't you; it was Peter Criss who was drowning. You've been a f**king drug addict all of your life. Both Peter and Ace were at one point pure, innocent, believed all for one, one for all, and then they succumbed to the clichés of rock. So neither Ace nor Peter were fully conscious when any of those things happened. It's up to you if you want to believe them. We wish them the best, but those books, to my estimation, they're closer to fiction.
Stanley: The fact remains from what I've seen of those books, they clearly still see themselves as victims, and when you can't take responsibility for your situation, you blame others. The proof is what they have done outside of the band and it amounts to a big zero. I would say nothing if they had not said something first. I certainly wish them well and you can't help but believe that they're incredibly envious of the success we've had without them, which was part of the problem in the first place. If somebody thinks they're irreplaceable they're either completely deluded, stupid, or intoxicated. In their case they abused their position in the band under the assumption that they were then only people who could do what they do, and here we are 40 years later playing arenas and venturing into areas most other bands would find impossible, like having an AFL football team, the first new football team in L.A. in decades, LAKISS, which will play in Anaheim.
FOX411: It's kind of amazing that both of you never got caught up in drugs or drinking.
Stanley: I've never had any aversion to a good bottle of wine, but certainly moderation and common sense tells you what to stay away from. If somebody said to me, 'Hey, here's something that will make you impotent, lose your teeth and get hepatitis,' you'd have to be an idiot to say, 'Sign me up.' People who get involved in drugs have problems that are so deep seated that fame will not cure it. If anything, it will only take it to another level. It'll exacerbate everything that's bad.
Simmons: The real idea is, if you're serious about life and consider every 24 hours as if they're the only 24 hours of any day that you'll have, you'll get up and you'll work hard no matter how much money you have, you'll respect yourself, your other band mates and your fans. If you're remiss in doing any of that stuff, you get to get exactly what you want out of life. You get to sleep in the bed you make, there's just no other way to think about that.
FOX411: You're doing great now, but the band lost money for quite a while.
Stanley: It goes back to victories are not necessarily won by individuals. It's a team, or an army. In this case KISS Army started early, people believing in us perhaps as much as we did, who were willing to make any sacrifice to keep the band going. We had a manager that was willing to put a quarter of a million dollars on a credit card to keep the band going, and he didn't have a quarter of a million dollars to pay it off. It all goes back to the idea of surrounding yourself with people who believe like you do.
FOX411: You guys had a lot of groupies.
Stanley: It was exhilarating. It certainly took some getting used to, but I'm a quick study. To go from being an unpopular, chubby little kid who was chasing girls and couldn't seem to catch them, to being chased after and making sure I ran slow enough that I did get caught, it was 180 degree turn. It was being given the keys to the candy store.
Simmons: Let's just say that the male of the species should feel blessed if the female of the species allows him to come near enough to her. Just one would be heaven, everything else is cream.
FOX411: Can we say you've had a whole lot of cream?
Simmons: Yes ma'am.
FOX411: Is there any licensing idea you've said no to?
Simmons: Long ago we decided not to listen to people who weren't qualified to make any rules. The people who write for a living aren't even journalists, they still live in their mother's basement, their faces are still pockmarked and girls still won't pay them attention. We decided to make our own rules. One of them was, we're going to have a great time and be spectacular and do all kinds of things that have no precedent. Toys and games, we love them! From our perspective, it's a KISS world, you're just living in it.
Stanley: In terms of merchandise you can't force anyone to buy something. All we've done is given the fans what they want. The only thing we can take credit for is acute hearing. We also don't put out anything we have moral issues with. We've had opportunities to be sponsored by cigarette companies and have always turned that down no matter how much money was involved. shrink, doing the good work, in Atlanta.
The third guy was Stan Eisen. He grew up to be Paul Stanley, Starchild, Global Icon.
All three of us still play guitar.
While Murray and I were tight, very much a bro, oddly, it was Stan who I stayed in touch with after graduation. He left the year before me. I'm 374 days younger.
One day, Stan called to tell me he'd just legally changed his name to Paul and it would mean a lot to him if I started calling him by that name.
I said, "Sure, Stan."
"Ummm, well, you just called me Stan, Binky."
"Oh, wow, sorry, PAUL."
For the record, my headline is pure nonsense. I met Gene a year after graduation.
A few years later, July 13, 1973, Paul, Gene, and I were sharing the stage at the now-gone Hotel Diplomat on West 43rd St, just off Times Square. I was the lead guitarist of The Planets. We opened for KISS that night.
Paul and I have never really lost touch. Watching a goofy pal go from struggling guitar dope to Rock Royalty has been a trip, I can assure you.
Which is where I'm gonna segue into a review of the latest, and possibly tastiest, of all the various KISS 'n' tell books out there on the decades-thriving spectacle that is KISS, Nothin' To Lose - The Making of KISS - 1972 - 1975 by Ken Sharp with Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, out now on !T Books.
Comprised of over three years' worth of interviews with well over 200 individuals who, in one way or another, interacted with KISS as a band or as individuals. Managers, knucklehead band guys from New York City, famous rock stars, record label peeps, roadies, promoters, writers, studio rats, anyone who had anything of worth to contribute, Detective Ken Sharp tracked down, and grilled. Yes, I'm one of them.
Ooops, yes... Sorry. FULL DISCLOSURE: I'm all over this freakin' outstanding book.
Way back when, Paul and Gene had (to my surprise and gratification) a great deal of respect for my opinion. That's why they invited me down to just their third rehearsal with Ace... to see what I thought of the 'new' guy's playing. It kinda felt like he was still on 'probation,' frankly.
So... Yes, I saw them perform "Strutter," "Deuce" and "Firehouse" in their dingy hole of a room on the 4th floor of a truly decrepit building... 10 East 23rd Street... soon torn down, actually.
First, they did the three songs as a trio... ummmmmm, new boy, Ace, was late! Nice. Then, when he finally showed up, acting surly as if everyone else was early (WTF?), I heard them do those same three tunes as The Quartet. Man, they sounded so much better with Ace. Yes, this story, in great detail, and dozens and dozens of others, like my visit to Electric Ladyland when they were recording the "Dressed To Kill" album, are in this fine, fine oral history of those exciting and risk-filled early days of a band that was destined to become, quite literally, the biggest band in the world.
Ken Sharp has a gift, it would seem. I know firsthand how skillful and relentless he is in wringing out as many details from you as he can... but, here, much, much more importantly than minutia/trivia, Ken has gotten four guys, drenched in decades' worth of animosity and ill will, to go back and relive... The Hungry All For One, One For All days.
In almost every quote from Paul, Gene, Ace, Peter, the air of wistful and still-dazzled-by-it-all reminiscence is palpable.
That almost pathological confidence of Gene's is almost nowhere to be found. Mr. Simmons, throughout, lets some light shine on the real him. In fact, it seems like in the earliest days, it was Paul who was the rally-er, the faithful one. And I do vividly recall feeling just a wee bit baffled by Paul's slightly 'strutty' attitude back in high school. It wasn't arrogance, just his general comportment had a very strong sense-of-self... maybe a little cocky, not off-putting, but, honestly, at the time, it seemed a little misplaced.
"Nothin' To Lose" offers a richly detailed day-to-day accounting of all the myths in their legend, and the mundanity of a band's early life, as they really happened...
You are in the room, the afternoon Paul and Gene meet for the first time, with Paul wondering, "Who the fuck does THIS guy think he is!?" HA! Guess we all found out, huh, Paulie! Although, truth be told, Gene has always treated me like an equal... an equal he's kinda disappointed in. I don't blame him.
You are in Electric Ladyland as Paul and Gene try to go from being coffee-getters to recording artists... hint: they stay coffeemakers for quite a while.
You are in the cab that Paul's driving all day before he practices all night.
You are in Bill Aucoin's office when he promises them a record deal in 60 days or they can walk away.
You are in the studio as they cut their first album, having no clue real clue, one that now sounds barely passable as a demo.
You are in the station wagon with Peter, Paul, Ace, and Gene, as a roadie drives them over 600 miles from Lansing, Michigan to Macon, Georgia, for a show the next day. And then you are back in that station wagon as they drive back up north to Fort Wayne, Indiana, 500 miles, the next day.
You are there, when for the first and maybe only time in his life, Paul Stanley gets roaringly blazingly drunk at the photo session for the cover of the "Hotter Than Hell" album [I remember him telling me that when he was looking at contact sheets of the shoot, there were hours he just simply could not remember].
You are in the motel when KISS and Rush, both struggling opening acts being thrown off bills by headliners, are being very naughty Keith Moon wannabes,
You are backstage when Paul peeks through the curtain at the sold out Cobo Hall show and realizes, "Holy fuck! This is really happening!"
You are right there, center section, front row through every twist and turn, every victory and all the myriad setbacks and (temporary) defeats.
You come to realize that while KISS got signed to a major label very, very quickly in their career, they did NOT escape Paying Their Dues. Not by a long shot.
KISS was an enterprise teetering on the brink of doom for more than two straight years. The desperation at certain points comes off these pages like an odor!
Yet, for the most part, you get all that sorta 'bad vibe' reality stuff from all the other professionals featured in the book. The four KISS-ers were all so 'pinch me' excited about having gotten 'this far' that they never realized, for just one instance, that being asked to cut another album less than four months after they'd done their 2nd was an act of frantic panic on Casablanca's part. Paul and Gene just sat down and started writing more songs.
Songs.
Folks, listen to me carefully...
IF PAUL AND GENE WERE NOT WORLD-CLASS SONGWRITERS... their visual gimmickry would've given them an 18 month run... at best. KISS is perhaps the most glaring proof that beyond anything else, songwriting is the heart, the soul, the lungs, of a band's success.
EVERY TIME!
KISS-haters, legion though they be, are missing some of the most fun, most well thought out, rock music ever recorded. KISS's template was a combination of Humble Pie - Live at the Fillmore East and the hits of Slade, a huge band in the UK and Europe at the time. If you love guitar rock, why would you not want to hear that blend?!
Wanna finally investigate that which you loath only general principle? Here's what I consider KISS's Top 20... in rough chronological order...
"Strutter"
"Deuce"
"Black Diamond"
"Gotta Choose"
"Rock Bottom"
"Come On And Love Me"
"Love Her All I Can"
"Detroit Rock City"
"Do You Love Me"
"King Of The Nighttime World"
"Shout It Out Loud"
"I Want You"
"Calling Dr. Love"
"Makin' Love"
"I Stole Your Love"
"Love Gun"
"Christine Sixteen"
"Shock Me"
"I Love It Loud"
"Tears Are Falling"
A bonus: Three quick stories that are not in the book... only because I somehow forgot them when Ken was giving me the 3rd degree...
Sorry, Ken... Sorry, !T Books...
All three are my personal favorite little moments in my long friendship with Starchild and Monster...
My Gene story...
Gene was in town [they really were on the road forever]. He knew I'd finished my demo for Warner Bros. Records at the Record Plant, because my band, The Planets, had used KISS's main engineer, Corky Stasiak, a great, great man.
My phone rang...
"Hey, Binky, it's Gene. I'm back in New York for a few days. I really want to hear your Warner Bros demo. When can we get together?"
I made it over to his place later that day. It was an apartment in Manhattan in the West 70s. He was renting the spare bedroom from a woman I did not meet. He was on the road so much, it was all he needed.
Gene peppered me with technical and aesthetic questions throughout our listening to the demo tape. While he was listening to a track called "Lexington Avenue", basically an exercise in writing with diminished chords, he looked at me with astonishment, "You wrote this?!" Yep. 30 seconds later, "YOU WROTE THIS?!?" I took the compliment.
Then, after gracious praise for the whole five song tape, Gene asked, "Wanna hear my favorite song of all time?" Sure.
He got out Mountain's album, "Climbing" and put on "Never In My Life", a fantastic piece of riff-ery. Within 60 seconds, I was no longer there, the world was no longer there. Gene was air-drumming along with Corky Laing, back in his childhood bedroom, just flat out grooving, as blissfully lost as a teenager. A moment, a peek, I treasure.
My Paul story...
Late one night, well after midnight, my phone rang. I was channel-surfing...
"Hey, Binky, it's Paul. You up?"
"Yes, and I just smoked some reefer, too."
"Ha! Good! I wanna play something for you. I just came up with this riff. I want you to hear this."
"Oh, fuck, yeah. Hey, where are you calling from?"
"I don't know. What day is it?"
"Thursday. Jeeez, Paul!"
"I think that means I'm in Oklahoma City.",P>"You really don't know where you are! That's fabulous."
"Okay, let me turn on my Pignose [a tiny guitar amp very popular at the end of the 1970s]..."
And then, Paul played me the central riff for "I Want You", the opener on one of the best KISS albums, "Rock 'N' Roll Over".
I was the first person to ever hear that riff other than its creator...
"Paul, I think that might be the coolest riff you've ever written, man."
"You know, I think you're right. I knew you'd dig it. But, I have no idea what to do with it."
"Oh, you'll figure it out... Play it again, man!"
My ego-trip story...
One morning, my phone rang... It was engineer, Corky. I'd seen him a few nights before when Paul and I briefly stopped by a Gene-vocals session at the Record Plant for the album that would become "Rock 'n' Roll Over"...
"Binky, I had to call you. You are gonna love this. Last night, Ace was cutting solos on two of Gene's songs. He's got one called "Calling Dr. Love". It's one of the best on the album, I think. Just before we had Ace try the solo on that song, Gene gave him this one instruction... 'Give me a Binky solo.' Ace immediately understood and put down a totally wild solo... emulating you, man. It's the keeper! Ya gotta love it, Bink."
And I did and do.
Coda: I went to a book signing for "Nothin' To Lose" out at the Barnes & Noble on Staten Island this week. Paul and I had reconnected about 18 months ago. But, I hadn't seen him or Gene in the flesh in, well, decades. I want to thank both Paul and Gene for making a genuine fuss over my showing up. "Holy Crap! Binky!" And no, of course, I didn't get my copy of the book signed or have a picture taken with my two old guitar bozo pals. Why would I do that?!
Anyway, it warmed the heart of this old still-guitar-obsessed fanboy. Ya done good.
“They had made them for Great Danes to wear,” says Stanley, on the phone from a Staten Island bookstore, where he’s preparing to sign copies of Nothin’ to Lose: The Making of KISS.
Stanley says he wanted the band to be “intensely performance-oriented, without turning it into musical theatre. So we needed a flamboyant visual look, but what?
“We were too big to do the androgynous thing. It’s one thing when you have a guy who’s as skinny as my wrist wearing his sister’s clothes. It’s something else when you’re a linebacker trying to squeeze into it.”
The book, newly published by HarperCollins, is by Stanley and Simmons with music historian Ken Sharp.
It’s made up of first-person remembrances of the band, both from its creators and the people on the other side of the footlights.
“History is always interesting if you view it from a bunch of perspectives,” says Stanley. “You get lots of varied views from people watching the same car accident from different corners.
“I’m happy that the book doesn’t just have our memories, but those of the people who were looking at us from the outside. You remember what they always say about the forest and the trees.”
Stanley and Simmons were kicking around in 1971 as a not-quite-making-it group called Wicked Lester when Stanley decided it was time to define what he wanted out of his career.
“I was fortunate enough to grow up in a household with all kinds of music, classical as well as rock, which helped me appreciate all kinds of performance,” says the New York-born Stanley.
“I also was able to go the Fillmore East in those days when $3 got you a ticket to see Led Zeppelin, Woody Herman and Blue Cheer all on the same night. (Promoter) Bill Graham believed in eclectic programming and so do I."
KISS was struggling to define itself in the early years.
“I believe people come to hear the music, but they come back if the whole experience knocked them out,” Stanley says.
“I wanted to be in the band I never saw. I was an evangelical rock performer, like Steve Marriott or Humble Pie. You went onto the stage to testify and you wanted to bring back believers.”
Part of that was the band’s look.
“What did we want? Black leather and studs. Where did you find those things? Well, there was a gay S&M clothing store called The Eagle’s Nest and they made a lot for us,” Stanley says.
And then there was the face-painting. “We liked the concept of being able to immerse yourself into your own fantasies and come out a completely different person. Makeup helped us do that.”
(Another time Stanley performed in makeup was in the title role of The Phantom of the Opera during the final months of its Toronto run in 1999. “I always wanted to do that show. I love the dichotomy of playing someone who’s a murderer and an artist, someone who yearns for acceptance but can’t believe it when it happens. An emotionally crippled person. I enjoyed playing that,” he says.)
After spreading their wings at a tawdry club in Queens called Coventry, KISS went on the road. First stop, the Northern Jubilee Auditorium in Edmonton.
“They needed a last minute replacement for Mike Quatro, Suzi Quatro’s brother. Three shows, three cities. The first night in Edmonton was OK, but then we were booked into high school cafeterias. Our road crew took the lunchroom tables and gaffer-taped them together. That was our stage.”
The KISS phenomenon spread rapidly and is still going strong after more than 40 years. Stanley attributes part of the band’s longevity to what the music was about.
“People said we were shallow, but we were singing about self-empowerment, singing about celebrating life, singing about going against the status quo and reaching for what you believe.
“Man, that’s got a lot longer legs on it than ‘Save the Whales.’ ”
The game is part of the NFL International Series and will be played at London's Wembley Stadium.
This will be the seventh NFL regular-season game to be played in the United Kingdom.
Simmons also performed at the Oakland Raiders' home game against the San Diego Chargers in 2012.
According to NFL UK, Simmons said he is looking forward to singing the anthem at the London game.
"I always love playing a role in these types of high-action, fast-paced games, not to mention returning to the UK and performing in front of some the best fans in the world!''
Simmons was also recently announced as the co-owner of the Los Angeles Kiss, a football team scheduled to begin playing in the Arena Football League in 2014.
The Steelers-Vikings game will kick off at 12 p.m. CST (6 p.m. London time).
It's been a busy few years for the KISS franchise. But then again, it's always a busy year for the KISS franchise. Simmons and his KISS bandmates still churn out original music, like last year's Monster, and go on pyrotechnic-heavy tours - they have five upcoming live shows planned in Japan. But Simmons is most newsworthy these days for his increasingly weird side projects. Like recording a song with Engelbert Humperdinck for the crooner's upcoming Duets album. Or executive-producing an animated TV show about Hello Kitty characters based on KISS. Or that Arena Football League team he co-owns, the Los Angeles KISS, which offered quarterback Tim Tebow a three-year contract which nobody, even Simmons, seemed to take seriously. "It doesn't matter," he said about the Tebow offer. "As long as the media takes notice."
Rolling Stone spoke with Simmons earlier this week about his new book, Miley Cyrus' tongue, working with Lou Reed, and more.
Why write another book? Are there any KISS stories we haven't heard yet?
Imagine yourself on a boat and we're always on top. We're on stage, so we can see it all. I can see the iceberg miles away. But I only see 10% of it, cause I can only see the top. Everyone else sees 90% of it because they're on the bottom. You really don't want to just talk about 10% of the iceberg. You want to see how big it actually is.
This metaphor is getting a little confusing.
This book doesn't just have our stories. There are stories and anecdotes from other rock stars and journalists, talking about their experiences with KISS. They write about what they saw, what they heard, and what it was like.
Ace Frehley and Peter Criss recently published memoirs, and they both made you out to be the bad guy. Do you feel like the bad guy?
I am the bad guy. I won't stand for drunks and alcoholics, who get up on stage and consider it their birthright. I consider it a privilege to get up there and arrive on time and be sober, and I'll be an asshole to anybody who thinks otherwise. You know who else is an asshole? Your teacher was an asshole. Your parents are assholes. Your drill sergeant was an asshole. Because they wouldn't let you get away with shit. Ace and Peter have had a lifetime of being losers. And not just with drugs and alcohol. They're losers because of wrong decisions. You sleep in the bed you make. How many chances in life do you get? They were in and out of the band three different times. Why should they get another chance?
They also both claimed in their books that you never shower.
Okay, so what? What's your point?
Were they telling the truth?
What does showering have to do with being a responsible human being? What else? That's what makes you an asshole, because you don't shower? Okay. You win. You win.
Did you see Miley Cyrus perform at the VMAs?
Oh sure, of course.
She got widely criticized for sticking out her tongue, among other things. Are you surprised by the backlash?
I don't understand why people got so upset. Whether you stick out your tongue or shake your tushy, all the other girls are doing the same thing. Any girl whose name ends with an A—Madonna, Shakira, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, all these girls who sing pop songs through backing tracks like it's karaoke and gyrate all over the stage—if they can do it, why can't Miley? Either condemn the whole lot of them or leave her alone.
As somebody who built a career around sticking out his tongue, how would you rate her tongue-wagging performance?
It was okay. But that's a girl's version. It's like girls basketball. It's as good as girls can get at basketball. But you can't play with the guys.
You've collaborated with Lou Reed, right? On the Music from "The Elder" album?
That's right. He helped out on "World Without Heroes" and "Mr. Blackwell."
You're both artists with a reputation for strong egos, and you've both been accused of being pricks.
That's right.
When two famous pricks are in the same recording studio, trying to collaborate, does it cancel out their individual prickishness?
When you have a shared passion about something, and it's something you both care about deeply, egos don't get in the way. It's sort of a meeting of the minds.
You really don't care if people think you're a prick?
It's like screaming up at Godzilla who's 50 stories tall. I don't think it will care. "What's that you say? You think I'm arrogant? Sorry, don't have time to discuss it, I'm busy destroying Tokyo. See ya!"
Does any criticism bother you?
Anybody who's got something to say to you, the response shouldn't be "I agree, I disagree." It should be "And what have you done with your life?" Everybody's got an opinion, but there's such a thing as qualified opinion. If Richard Branson's got something to say to me, I'm going to listen. He's accomplished something. If somebody farts through their mouth, you have to consider the source.
When you were coming up with your Demon character, did you have a plan B? Was there a second choice?
I reject the word "character," because that implies acting. There's a Jekyll and Hyde personality switch that happens. I wear more makeup and high heels than your mommy, but she's in control of who she is. When I get up on stage, it's a different headspace.
Are there ever moments when you're not in the mood? When you're a sad Demon, or an introspective Demon, or a middle-aged Demon who just wants to stay in his boxers all day?
Sure. Before a show, you might have aches or pains, or it's a bad rainy day, or it's too humid. We all complain about stuff. But ... how do I put this poetically? Once it's the roar of the crowd and the smell of the greasepaint, forget it. Once the adrenaline kicks in and your chest expands, you forget about all that. You just go onstage and kick some royal ass. That's our job description
How much longer can you keep doing this?
This interview?
KISS.
As long as it takes. I have miles to go before we sleep. We're approaching our 40th year. We've completely ignored the critics, and in fact we've buried them in our back yard. We are the kings of the nighttime world. We outsell the Beatles and Elvis. We have literally 5000 licensed and merchandized products. We have a co-brand with Hello Kitty, which has resulted in 1500 new licenses. I don't care that some of my favorite bands, U2 or Radiohead or whatever, wouldn't do that. The truth is, they couldn't do that. We will do anything we damn well please, whether it makes sense to somebody or not. In essence, that's the real rock n' roll spirit.
Doesn't it get exhausting to always be selling some new product with your face on it?
Never. We want to be our own culture. KISS Kulture, spelled with a K. We're taking over football next. Go to lakissfootball.com and learn about the only football team in Los Angeles of any kind. You can buy season tickets for $99, and you get a free KISS concert. What's wrong with that? Your choices are mortgaging your home to get a ticket for the NFL, or you can come to our air-conditioned arena facilities and you'll have the time of your life.
You're like one of those salesman from Glengarry Glen Ross. You always have to be closing.
Well, I think Shakespeare said it first, and then I guess Alec Baldwin. "The world's a stage. Either close or go home." Anybody who gets angry at us are just small people with small dreams who never achieved anything and will always be angry. But they're mostly angry with themselves for being losers.
Have you ever turned down a merchandizing idea?
Not all ideas work. KISS crack is probably not a good idea. But we'll try anything else.
How much KISS merchandize do you personally own? Is there a KISS condom in your wallet right now?
No, no, no. I don't have any of it. What chef eats everything that's on his menu?
Will you be buried in a KISS Kaskat?
I might. But I would rather do it KISS style and go up in a pyre.
Buy your copy on Nothin' To Lose here: Hardcover, Kindle.
Pressed at the prestigious Gotta Groove Records, "Anomaly" in opaque blue or green/black swirl is available now for pre-order: $27.99 each or $50.00 for both colors.
Last year, Brookvale's limited-edition "Anomaly" 2-LP in silver marble sold out very quickly, and the label expects these new colors to do the same.
Frehley told Billboard.com in a 2009 interview that he intended "Anomaly" to "kind of pick up where I left off with my first solo album" — 1978's "Ace Frehley".
"Prior to going into the studio, I listened to that first album, which everybody cites as their favorite Ace record," Frehley said. "I dissected it and tried to get into the same mind set this time around. I think I recaptured some of the musical textures and attitude and vibe that I had on that first record."
"Anomaly" was recorded at Schoolhouse Studios in New York and at Ace's home studio in Westchester, New York.
Pacific University Legends, hosted by Beaverton native Tommy Thayer — guitarist for the legendary rock band KISS — was an evening of fabulous food, rollicking fun and a rocking concert.
The light drizzle that started the day came to a stop in plenty of time for guests to enjoy the elegance of Waverley Country Club, on the banks of the Willamette River, where they enjoyed a gourmet meal, sponsored by Pac/West.
Guests enthusiastically raised their paddles throughout the evening’s auction, making it the most successful Legends auctions ever. Bidders took home everything from a unique guitar signed by the members of KISS to vacation packages for Bali, Costa Rica and South Africa.
Proceeds of the auction and matching gift will help build a roof over the seating area in Lincoln Park Stadium, where the Pacific University Boxers compete in football, soccer, lacrosse, and track and field.
At the end of the night, Thayer took to the stage, in a concert sponsored by Lease Crutcher Lewis. He was joined by such musical greats as Bill Champlin, former singer and keyboardist for Chicago; Danny Seraphine, original drummer of Chicago; Bobby Kimball, former lead singer of Toto; and Patrick Lamb, Oregon’s own jazz phenom.(Video)
BOOKENDS (Ridgewood, NJ) - 9/10/13 @ 1pm
BARNES & NOBLE (Staten Island, NY) - 9/10/13 @ 7pm
BARNES & NOBLE The Grove (Los Angeles, CA) - 9/12/13 @ 7pm
Order your copy here: Harcover, Kindle.
Engelbert is nearing completion of the album which features songs with Willie Nelson, Elton John and Smokey Robinson and now Simmons.
Engelbert exclusively announced the Simmons duet in his interview with Noise11. “There’s Elton, there’s Smokey Robinson, there’s Willie Nelson, Kenny Rogers and Neil Sedaka and it goes on and on and on. It is very exciting names on this particular album. I’m so thrilled that everyone has responded and wanted to work on the album with me and I think it has been a very exciting project,” he said.
Today Engelbert told fans via Facebook, “What an absolute pleasure to meet and record with this giant of a Rock God! A fantastic day with Gene Simmons and his gorgeous wife Shannon.”
Complete with his favorite playlists, band discographies, trivia, never-before-seen photographs as well as candid's and ephemera from Eddie's personal collection, this new book combines brief band histories with Trunk's unique personal experiences and anecdotes in a must-read for all fans of rock and roll. Featuring a diverse lineup, from Marilyn Manson and Ace Frehley to Lita Ford and WHITESNAKE, "Volume II" salutes all those who are ready to rock!
"Eddie Trunk's Essential Hard Rock And Heavy Metal Volume II" will be made available on September 24 via Abrams Image, a division of Abrams.
In a recent interview with Pop Break, Trunk stated about "Eddie Trunk's Essential Hard Rock And Heavy Metal Volume II": "It is an exact sequel of the first book. It’s the same publisher. It's the same format, same exact layout, the discography, the 'Did You Know' stuff, and, of course, the exclusive live photography.
"So many people enjoyed the layout of the first book, how easy it was to read. So we didn't mess with the formula that people really liked. The only difference is the bands are completely different. The bands are a little deeper, a little less mainstream. So it's an out-and-out sequel. It's going to make a great companion piece to the first."
Following the flood, Stampede Concerts Inc. worked hard with KISS to reschedule the show and ensure fans had an opportunity to enjoy the concert.
Tickets purchased for the original date Saturday, July 13 are valid for the November 8 show for the same seats indicated on the ticket. For ticket holders that cannot attend the November 8 date, refunds will only be available through Ticketmaster until Saturday, August 31.
At this time, approximately 2,800 tickets for the concert have been re-released and are on-sale via Ticketmaster starting at $60.00 (plus applicable fees and taxes.)
Stampede Concerts Inc. continues to work to reschedule the other concerts that were part of the Stampede Concert Series.
For more information visit calgarystampede.com.
The shop was the first and only licensed coffeehouse by the band, who backed the business owned by KISS fan Brian Galvin, through a brokered deal with the KISS exclusive merchandising company called Signatures Network, Inc. Today the coffeehouse website lists Johnny Rock as its owner.
Legendary KISS band members Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons attended the opening seven years ago, and guitarist Ace Frehley came to Myrtle Beach for the one-year anniversary.
But in the end, there weren’t enough sales to keep it open.
“We just found out this week we’re closing,” general manager John Goldschmidt said today. “The sales just aren’t growing. It’s too seasonal, too small of a market.”
Joe Bennett of Madison, Ohio, has been a KISS fan since 1976. He was sorry to learn the coffeehouse is closing, but he took advantage of the going out of business half-price sale and spent more than $100 on magnets, T-shirts and more.
KISS Coffeehouse is at Celebrity Square at Broadway at the Beach, and the number is (843) 626-5477.
The flamboyant and (once) hard-partying band purchased the new Los Angeles-based football team, and have put their entire identity behind it: the LA KISS will even make use of the band’s logo.
There’s no word, however, if makeup will be part of the team’s uniform.
“As a fast-paced, high-action band this partnership with the AFL was an obvious fit for us,” Simmons said in a statement. “Attending an LA KISS game in 2014 will be similar to a live KISS show, with thrilling, heart-pounding action.”
The team will play next season in Anaheim’s Honda Center. Those willing to pony up for $99 season tickets—says KISS guitarist Stanley: “budget-friendly price gives a whole new meaning to bang for the buck”—will receive a ticket to attend a 2014 KISS concert in the venue. Jon Bon Jovi didn’t offer a deal like that when he was a part owner in the AFL’s Philadelphia Soul until 2010.
Those interested in a little KISS/AFL combination before next season can watch the band play the halftime show of the 2013 ArenaBowl championship this Saturday.
“This is a great business venture for KISS. It’s fantastic to have a team named after the band and it is a privilege to be able to support LA and bring the experience home,” says Don McGhee, KISS manager, who facilitated the new partnership.
- Free full-scale KISS concert for season seat holders in 2014 at Honda Center
- Guaranteed best pricing
- First right of refusal to your seat location to home playoff games
- Guaranteed same seat location for all LA KISS home games
- Invitation to exclusive Season Ticket Holder events
- “Never a Wasted Ticket” program
- Exclusive Season Ticket Member e-mails with special offers from the LA KISS, Honda Center and our Marketing Partners
hondacenter.com/lakiss_seasontickets.html
The Raiders? Not quite.
It's KISS, the heavy metal band known for performing in black, white and silver that has sold more than 100 million albums worldwide during a 40-year career.
On Thursday, the Arena Football League announced it was awarding an expansion team to a group of individuals that includes KISS band members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley. The team, called the LA KISS, will begin playing in March at the Honda Center in Anaheim.
"As a fast-paced, high-action band, this partnership with the AFL was an obvious fit for us," Simmons said in a statement. "Attending an LA KISS game in 2014 will be similar to a live KISS show, with thrilling, heart-pounding action."
Season tickets, which went on sale Thursday starting at $99, will include a free KISS concert.
While the team will use the band's logo, it is not known whether the team's uniforms will be silver and black.
Next season will mark the 27th season for the Arena Football League, which begins its games in March and culminates with the ArenaBowl in August.
The league and the music world have joined forces before. The Philadelphia Soul, who will be playing in the championship game Saturday, were partly owned by Jon Bon Jovi until 2010.
Founding members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley hope to establish a similarly broad fanbase with their newest project, a partnership with the Arena Football League as owners of an Anaheim-based expansion team known as LA KISS.
“The whole idea of an alternative to what has perhaps become a corporate sport is very intriguing, and resonates with us,” Stanley told USA TODAY Sports by phone on Wednesday. “We’ve always tried to be a band that relates to everybody, and the AFL is built on that whole premise.”
Though the band’s logo will be incorporated into the team’s uniforms, and though Stanley and Simmons hope to bring their understanding of live performance to the team’s home games at the Honda Center, the pair emphasized that they aim to create a true football experience.
“There’s been a lot of attention to detail, to nuances, so that people don’t think this is a rock band in football helmets,” Simmons said. “This is real football, and this is good for the game.”
Added Stanley: “We wouldn’t put LA KISS on a football helmet if we didn’t believe we could kick it out of the park.”
Los Angeles has not seen professional football since two previous AFL franchises folded before the league canceled its 2009 season. Both Los Angeles-based NFL teams left the city after the 1994 season. KISS will run the team in conjunction with veteran AFL executive Brett Bouchy, who recently sold his interest in the Orlando Predators.
“We don’t want to wear too many hats,” Stanley said. “When it’s appropriate, we will defer to the people who have experience with this. We’re bringing something new to the party.”
“We’re not going to be passive players in this,” Simmons added. “We’re really going to be a part of this thing.”
KISS will perform the halftime show for the league’s championship game, ArenaBowl XXVI, in Orlando, Fla. on Saturday. And though its members did not commit to playing regularly at LA KISS games, Stanley said he planned to attend home games with his family “as a point of pride.”
Asked if the new AFL owners will endorse their team’s players wearing eye-black and face paint indoors, Stanley said, “We’ll leave that to the people who are better suited to make those decisions. But I personally think a little black under the eye looks very good.”
The team will sell season-ticket packages starting at $99, and Stanley and Simmons hope that with their expertise, the club’s games will emerge as a low-cost alternative to other live sporting events in the area.
“It’s exciting beyond anything that we’ve thought about before, to be given the privilege of really starting out bringing the amount of showmanship we brought to a rock band called KISS,” Simmons said. “It’s going to be that kind of in-your-face entertainment, whether you’re a football fan or not.”
The LA KISS will begin play in the Arena Football League next season, it was announced on Thursday. They will play at the Honda Center.
"Season tickets are now on sale for what we know will be some of the most action-packed games ever played at the Honda Center," said team co-owner and KISS frontman Paul Stanley. "Arena Football is played at a fast and furious pace and making season tickets available now for the budget-friendly price of $99 gives a whole new meaning to bang for the buck."
All LA KISS season-ticket buyers will be invited to a free KISS concert to take place at Honda Center next year.
“As a fast-paced, high-action band this partnership with the AFL was an obvious fit for us,” said co-owner Gene Simmons of KISS. “With Arena Football, you are much closer to the action -- sitting in the front row is like putting a folding chair on the hash mark of an NFL game -- and it’s one of the only sports where you can experience this level of intensity. Attending an LA KISS game in 2014 will be similar to a live KISS show, with thrilling, heart-pounding action.”
The AFL will mark its 27th season in 2014. There hasn't been a team in Southern California since the Los Angeles Avengers folded in 2009.
“We could not be more thrilled to bring the league back to Los Angeles," AFL Commissioner Jerry B. Kurz said. "And partnering with such incredible rock legends as KISS is certain to give fans a sports experience unlike anything they have ever seen.”
"Season tickets are now on sale for what we know will be some of the most action-packed games ever played at the Honda Center," said Paul Stanley of KISS. "Arena Football is played at a fast and furious pace and making season tickets available now for the budget-friendly price of $99 gives a whole new meaning to bang for the buck." Additionally, all inaugural LA KISS season seat holders will be invited to a free KISS concert to take place at Honda Center in 2014! www.hondacenter.com/lakiss
"As a fast-paced, high-action band this partnership with the AFL was an obvious fit for us," said Gene Simmons of KISS. "With Arena Football, you are much closer to the action - sitting in the front row is like putting a folding chair on the hash mark of an NFL game – and it’s one of the only sports where you can experience this level of intensity. Attending an LA KISS game in 2014 will be similar to a live KISS show, with thrilling, heart pounding action."
The AFL (www.arenafootball.com), which is dedicated to playing and promoting in-arena professional football around the world, will mark its 27th season in 2014. With primetime TV broadcasts on CBS Sports Network every Saturday, and over 150,000 fan connections each week, the league is poised to expand into homes across the country like never before. This new alliance with KISS will further strengthen the league's bond within the expansive U.S. entertainment and sports industries. The ArenaBowl XXVI Championship game kicks off Saturday, August 17 at 1pm EST / 10am PST and will air nationally on the CBS Television Network. The broadcast will feature a KISS halftime show on their new "spider stage."
Honda Center has partnered alongside the band and the team to provide a home for the sport and its newest expansion team. As a world-class sports and entertainment venue, which has consistently ranked among the top in the country, this Orange County arena will serve as the hub for Arena Football fans in the greater Los Angeles area and help the league engage with the more than 22 million people who call Southern California home.
"As the most fast-paced, exciting league in professional sports, the AFL has always been about providing the best form of entertainment to fans directly in their hometowns," said AFL Commissioner Jerry B. Kurz. "We could not be more thrilled to bring the league back to Los Angeles, and partnering with such incredible rock legends as KISS is certain to give fans a sports experience unlike anything they have ever seen."
As the founding members of KISS, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons have a vested interest in bringing football back to Los Angeles, a market that has always proved fanatical for both music and football. Both Paul and Gene are fans of the AFL and are excited to lend their own unique brand of non-stop action to games in Los Angeles that will blow fans away!
"This is a great business venture for KISS. They are lending their name to a sport which is destined for big things this year. It's fantastic to have a team named after the band and it is a privilege to be able to support LA and bring the experience home," stated KISS Manager DOC McGHEE of McGhee entertainment, who worked to facilitate the partnership.
"With a global brand in KISS, an ownership group dedicated to showcasing a fast-paced and exciting sport and a world-class venue hosting the action - three great entertainment properties are converging with the overall goal of producing an unparalleled AFL experience for fans," added Tim Ryan, CEO/President of The Honda Center. "This partnership marks a new era for the unification of sports and music."
In celebration of this announcement, and ArenaBowl XXVI, a three day celebration will kick-off tonight with the annual AFL Celebrity Gala followed by a LIVE concert Friday night, featuring none-other than KISS! The ArenaBowl XXVI Championship game kicks off Saturday, August 17 at 1pm EST / 10am PT and will air nationally on the CBS Television Network. The broadcast will include highlights from KISS's Friday night performance.
For more information on LA KISS, or to purchase season tickets, please visit www.lakissfootball.com.
Saturday, September 28, 2013
NJ Convention and Exposition Center, at the Raritan Center
97 Sunfield Ave, Edison NJ 08837
For tickets and all other info, visit www.njkissexpo.com.
Join MATT PORTER and his in-studio guests: CHRIS GIORDANO from the tribute band KISS IT! DAVID SNOWDEN from David Snowden Promotions! TONY DEVILLE from DeVille Ink! and "SPEED" from Silvertung!
We're going "back to school", celebrating GENE and VINNIE's birthdays, talking KISS and having all of the fun that you expect every month in THE KISS ROOM!
Listen here: thekissroom.com.
Speaking about the deal, Paul Stanley said: “We are thrilled to have Alan onboard to help tell the definitive KISS story, a story of insanity…dedication…and a take no prisoners attitude combining to create the most spectacular beast in rock ‘n’ roll history: KISS. Alan’s knowledge of the band amazed even us! We wanted the best….we got the best!”
The movie, titled 'You Wanted The Best…You Got The Best – The Official KISS Movie' will be the most intensive KISS documentary ever and will capture their career right from the start. Expect to see it on screens at some point next year.
In this week's episode, Moose returns to share more road stories from the early days of KISS as well as some memories of his return to the band in a management capacity on the Destroyer tour.
All this – and rare tunes, too – on PodKISSt… the KISS fanzine for your ears! Listen here.
In what has become the largest event of its kind in the Pacific Northwest, Pacific University Legends, hosted by Tommy Thayer will take place Sun., Aug. 25 at the beautiful and exclusive Waverley Country Club in Portland.
This is the seventh consecutive year that Tommy Thayer, lead guitarist for the legendary rock band KISS, has hosted the event that raises money for the university’s 23-sport NCAA Division III athletics program.
The venue this year is Waverley Country Club, which will help to make the event not only elegant but more memorable than ever. The end-of-the-summer gala will feature exquisite cuisine, a live auction, professional athletes, and a one-of-a-kind concert that only happens at this Legends event. Tickets sell quickly because of the unique nature of this concert. Thayer gathers well-known musicians from various legendary bands to create, for one evening, a unique blend of music that rocks the charts.
Joining Thayer on stage this year will be two-time Grammy award winning singer-songwriter and keyboardist, Bill Champlin, formerly of Chicago, known for voicing some of the band’s top hits and writing tunes such as “Please Hold On” and “Remembering the Feeling.”
Danny Seraphine, the original drummer and founding member of Chicago and California Transit Authority (CTA), will return for another legends. Bobby Kimball, former lead singer of the six-Grammy award winning band Toto, CTA arranger, producer and keyboardist Ed Roth, and Oregon’s Grammy nominated saxophone jazz musician, Patrick Lamb, will lend their fabulous musical talent to what will be a remarkable evening.
The celebrity list also includes legendary rock manager Doc McGhee, who nurtured and discovered the careers of KISS, Bon Jovi, Motley Crue, The Scorpions, Hootie & The Blowfish, Diana Ross and James Brown.
Although several musicians from CTA will also be playing at the event, the line-up of legendary talent does not stop at rock musicians. Over the years, pro athletes and comedians have helped support the student-athletes of Pacific University. This year’s celebrity cast also includes:
Tommy Masters, who played on the Nike and Canadian tours from 1992 to 1995 and is now one of the top-rated teaching professionals in the United States. Masters has been listed as one of GOLF Magazine's Top-100 Instructors in the country for several years running. Tommy has hosted segments on Fox Sports Radio and ESPN Sports Radio and teaches PGA Tour players, as well as professional sports and entertainment stars.
Perry Swenson, who is the only female to record a hole in one at Augusta National, home of The Masters Tournament. Swenson starred on the Golf Channel’s reality series Road Trip Myrtle Beach in 2008, and spent six years as a professional golfer. Perry is deeply involved in charity work, benefiting work around families who have lost a parent in the military, muscular dystrophy, children’s cancer, autism and Alzheimer’s.
Amber Prange, who gained collegiate and amateur notoriety while at the University of Washington, also appeared on the Golf Channel's Big Break television series in 2009, and played on the LPGA Futures Tour (now the Symetra Tour). Amber is a dedicated and fierce competitor, as well as a successful businesswoman off the course.
Over the years, Legends has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for Pacific University’s athletics program. Proceeds have helped upgrade facilities, enhanced operating budgets for sports programs and helped the school bring back the football program.
The event begins Sunday evening with a reception, followed by a fabulous dinner, both silent and live auctions, and an unforgettable concert that only Legends can deliver.
To reserve a place at the Pacific University Legends 2013, or for more information including celebrity biographies and sponsorship details, please visit pacificu.edu/legends.
The wounded war veteran Roman Rivera and his wife were presented a mortgage-free home during the group's set. Paul Stanley told the crowd, "We have special guests with us tonight I'd like to bring out . . . Roman Rivera and his wife Michelle, and Ken from Military Warriors Support Foundation, please join me out here. Roman is a Wisconsin native, everybody. He is also a decorated veteran. He was severely injured during his combat tour in Iraq by an improvised bomb. He is a tried-and-true hero."
Stanley added, "We have the privilege of presenting Roman and his family with a mortgage-free, two-story, four-bedroom, three-car attached garage home in Janesville, Wisconsin. Again, completely mortgage-free. Please join me in congratulating Roman, and thank you to everyone for their service to our country!"
The crowd went crazy and after hugging and receiving high fives, Rivera walked off the stage to fists pumps and the entire crowd chanting "U.SA., U.S.A., U.S.A."
A couple of photos from the most recent studio sessions can be seen here: Pic1, Pic2.
Founder Chuck Brennan is longtime friend of the band and welcomed some of them to Sioux Falls this past spring at the Academy’s grand opening.
According to the press release, this is the first time all four members of KISS, in its current incarnation, have been to Sioux Falls together and is a rare public appearance outside of their concerts. The band was an inspiration for Brennan to pursue his dream of creating the academy. The event itself is private for Boys & Girls Clubs members.
Brennan Rock & Roll Academy provides the first free music education program for children in the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sioux Empire, focusing on Rock & Roll instruments and vocals.
“Isn’t that something. It is going to be very exciting,” Engelbert told Noise11.
Engelbert will head back to the studio when he gets home to Los Angeles to record the yet-to-be named song with Gene.
The duets album, due in October, already has an impressive line-up of stars who wanted to be part of the project. “There’s Elton, there’s Smokey Robinson, there’s Willie Nelson, Kenny Rogers and Neil Sedaka and it goes on and on and on. It is very exciting names on this particular album. I’m so thrilled that everyone has responded and wanted to work on the album with me and I think it has been a very exciting project”.
Engelbert Humperdinck will perform in Sydney tonight (July 10) at Star Casino and perform his final Australian show in Perth on July 13 at Crown Theatre. (Video)
Join Matt Porter and his in-studio guests: Chris Giordano, Eric Toddorocks Carr and Roger Segal, plus KISS 4K artist Adam Black calling in! We'll be cranking some KISS tunes, talking KISS, giving away some cool stuff and having all of the fun that you expect every month in THE KISS ROOM!
Listen here: thekissroom.com
Makeup-wearing members of the rock band were in Vancouver to hand a five-figure cheque to operators of Sophie's Place, a facility for kids who have been physically, mentally or sexually abused.
The money will help fund an expansion of the centre, which opened in February 2012 at The Centre for Child Development on 140th Street in Surrey.
The facility is named after Sophie Tweed-Simmons, daughter of KISS bassist Gene Simmons and former Playboy model Shannon Tweed.
KISS is in Vancouver to perform at Rogers Arena on Saturday, July 6.
Some of the profits made at a KISS Army-operated "pop-up" store on Granville Street this week are destined for Sophie's Place.
"It's really very generous of them and will make a huge difference in helping us serve kids who have been abused," Dr. Brian Katz, director of Sophie's Place, told the 'Now' during a noon press conference in Vancouver.
Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts was on hand to accept the donation, along with staff of the facility.
Simmons said the donation was "a beginning, a small token from us," with more coming.
"(The centre) helps thousands of abused kids every year, and it's a great place," Simmons said.
KISS singer/guitarist Paul Stanley said Sophie's Place is "a charity we know well and believe in 100 per cent. And we hope everyone here, every getting this news-media coverage, does what they can. It's never about giving until it hurts, you give until it feels good."
Tweed-Simmons said plans are to open other Sophie's Place facilities in Canada at a later date.
"We're working on getting this one absolutely perfect before we move on," she said.
In Surrey, the expanded facility will be roughly four times its current size, Katz told the 'Now'. Construction is already underway.
"It's in the works, and we're looking to raise $500,000 for the expansion, to have all of our team members under one roof," he said.
"Research has shown that it's a better outcome for kids when all professionals are working together and kids don't have to tell their story over and over again. Each time they do that, it can be traumatizing."
Tweed-Simmons said the concept for Sophie's Place was brought to attention her by Watts.
"There was a need for someone who is a kid to be a patron for the centre so we could relate more to the target audience," Tweed-Simmons said. "I was 18 at the time, and I loved it. I've worked with children my whole life and it seemed like the right thing to do, especially kind of being a B.C. native, thanks to my mom."
Katz said Tweed-Simmons has been a great partner for the centre.
"She's very much interested in the project and comes to these events and helps with fundraising, too," Katz said. "She's been able to help spread the message about what this great team is doing in Surrey, to build this child advocacy centre and make it a great resource for the community."
Autograph-seekers lined the block Thursday for the in-store appearance by KISS, which formed in the early 1970s.
"With time going on, we appreciate everything a lot more," Stanley said. "The band has never sounded better and never gotten along better. We socialize and spend time together... We're not on the first generation of KISS fans, we're on the third and fourth generation. Unlike other bands, we're a tribe. KISS is a whole different thing, where you have grandparents and five-year-olds and everything in between, and everyone is sharing that experience."
"God, in his infinite wisdom, has created night and sleep," says Kiss singer-bassist Gene Simmons. "By design, somebody - nature, God - created this idea where you get to rest and recharge. You don't need more than that. So I work hard, play hard, and live hard."
He also rocks hard. Simmons, 63, continues to tour mightily with the group he co-founded in 1973. He has dabbled in acting and found success with his highly rated reality show, Gene Simmons Family Jewels, but through it all, there has been one constant for the man born Chaim Witz: rock 'n' roll.
The tour stops Saturday night in Vancouver, one of 19 stops in Canada (it was formerly 20, but the July 13 date at Calgary's Saddledome was cancelled this week due to flood damage).
That the group is staging one of its most in-depth tours of Canada 40 years after it was formed by Simmons and singer-guitarist Paul Stanley says something about their onstage abilities.
More than that, Simmons said, it speaks directly to their survival instincts.
When the rest of the pop-music world is singing to a pre-recorded click-track, Kiss is slogging it out with real instruments.
"When you go see Rihanna, you're probably getting about 30 per cent live music," Simmons said. "It's basically a karaoke show. That doesn't mean it's not good. Just be aware they are not advertising the truth."
Simmons says the current Kiss lineup - which includes guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer, who have been on-board for more than a decade each - has too much pride to offer anything inauthentic. There's a reason why the group's official refrain - "You wanted the best? You got the best!" - has opened nearly every one of its concerts to date, he added.
It takes each member nearly two hours to apply their own iconic greasepaint makeup, and the physical toll of trudging across stages in warrior garb every two or three days takes a considerable toll. Simmons adds to that tally breathing fire, spitting blood and flying high in the rafters during his signature song, Dr. Love.
Simmons still finds time to accommodate interviews, personal appearances and business meetings, mostly for the sake of self-promotion. That's a four-letter word to most, but for Simmons (who is reportedly worth upwards of $300 million), the sound of cash registers ringing isn't something to be ashamed of.
"Either you take care of business or the business takes care of you."
That is classic Gene Simmons: Make the fans believe that it’s all for them, and they will keep coming. More importantly, they will shell out the big bucks to get the latest from their favourite rock gods.
The fans came in droves to Tom Lee Music in downtown Vancouver to meet their idols — appearing in full makeup and leather gear — and scoop up some of the merch the band had to offer at its KISS Army Depot pop-up store, one of many that have appeared across the country ahead of the band’s Canadian tour promoting 20th studio album Monster and kicking off in Victoria Friday night.
The tour hits Rogers Arena in Vancouver Saturday.
LEGO sets, action figures, posters and even sets of replica boots will be on display and up for grabs at Tom Lee until Sunday, but the band also made sure to point out its generosity at a press conference held Thursday at noon.
Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts was in attendance to receive a $10,000 cheque donated to Sophie Tweed-Simmons’ charitable endeavour Sophie’s Place, which she set up with Watts to help youth in the Surrey area.
“Sophie has always been committed to helping young people,” Simmons said, with a hint of pride, during the press conference. “Sophie’s Place is a place where kids with dysfunction — verbal abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse — can go and be among other young people with no pressure. It helps thousands of abused kids every year.”
Tweed-Simmons, Simmons and Canadian model and Playboy playmate Shannon Tweed’s daughter, was also slated to sing at the home opener of the B.C. Lions Thursday night at BC Place.
Tweed-Simmons and her brother Nick were both fixtures of Simmons’ Family Jewels reality television show, which showed the inner workings of the Simmons household.
“You would like to think your kids are a reflection of you,” Simmons told The Vancouver Sun in an interview following the press conference. “But I couldn’t hold a candle to our kids. They are phenomenal. I wanted to say I had nothing to do with the B.C. Lions game (on Thursday) or how she got herself on X Factor or when she sang with The Tenors in Dallas — a song that she wrote. I had nothing to do with that. You try to help your kids, but both of them are go-getters and I marvel at them.”
Stanley pointed out in the interview that the band will also be donating money to a charity in Toronto named About Face, which helps kids with facial deformations. Stanley has microtia, a condition where one of his ears wasn’t fully formed at birth.
Though part of the profits from the pop-up stores across the country will go to charity, Simmons did not want to get bogged down with numbers.
“What we’re really doing is raising awareness,” he said. “If we didn’t give a penny, it would still be a good thing.”
Read our complete feature interview story with KISS in Saturday’s edition of The Vancouver Sun.
“God, in his infinite wisdom, has created night and sleep,” says Kiss singer-bassist Gene Simmons. “By design, somebody — nature, God — created this idea where you get to rest and recharge. You don’t need more than that. So I work hard, play hard, and live hard.”
He also rocks hard.
Simmons, 63, continues to tour mightily with the group he co-founded in 1973. He has dabbled in acting and found success with his highly rated reality show, Gene Simmons Family Jewels, but through it all, there has been one constant for the man born Chaim Witz: rock ’n’ roll.
The band begins the Canadian leg of its Monster tour Friday night in Victoria, its first-ever local date and the kickoff for 19 stops in Canada (it was formerly 20, but the July 13 date at Calgary’s Saddledome was cancelled this week due to flood damage).
That the group is staging one of its most in-depth tours of Canada 40 years after it was formed by Simmons and singer-guitarist Paul Stanley says something about their on-stage abilities.
More than that, Simmons said, it speaks directly to their survival instincts.
When the rest of the pop-music world is singing to a pre-recorded click-track, Kiss is slogging it out with real instruments.
“When you go see Rihanna, you’re probably getting about 30 per cent live music,” Simmons said. “It’s basically a karaoke show. That doesn’t mean it’s not good. Just be aware they are not advertising the truth.”
Simmons says the current Kiss lineup — which includes guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer, who have been on-board for more than a decade each — has too much pride to offer anything inauthentic. There’s a reason why the group’s official refrain — “You wanted the best? You got the best!” — has opened nearly every one of its concerts to date, he added.
“What you see is what you get. Four guys sweating, no samples, no tapes. We blow a lot of stuff up and we change the Earth’s axis every once in a while. But what you see there is live. That’s what you’re paying a lot of money for, so you should get it live. How dare you step on that stage and not do it properly.”
Sacrifices need to be made to get the details right.
It takes each member nearly two hours to apply their own iconic greasepaint makeup, and the physical toll of trudging across stages in warrior garb every two or three days takes a considerable toll. Simmons adds to that tally breathing fire, spitting blood and flying high in the rafters during his signature song, Dr. Love.
To put it lightly, his dance card is incredibly full.
Simmons still finds time to accommodate interviews, personal appearances and business meetings, mostly for the sake of self-promotion. That’s a four-letter word to most, but for Simmons (who is reportedly worth upwards of $300 million), the sound of cash registers ringing isn’t something to be ashamed of.
“Either you take care of business or the business takes care of you. That’s why you can be Peter Frampton and be the biggest act of the world at the time, and be broke.”
Canada has been very good to Kiss over the years. Simmons says a 2011 concert by the group in Grand Falls, N.B., drew close to 50,000 people, while another appearance in Ottawa on that same trek attracted upwards of 95,000. His extensive knowledge of such matters makes him an exhausting person to come into contact with, but that is part of his charm.
People love to know how Kiss operates. Simmons isn’t telling, but he will pull back the curtain for a glimpse into the spider-like stage setup for the Monster tour.
“Paul [Stanley] came in and started scribbling and said, ‘What about this?’ We all said, ‘Wow, that’s great,’ and handed the piece of paper over to [Kiss manager] Doc McGhee and said, ‘Build this.’ ”
Simmons has made music his business, and he’s not about to let details slip away from him now that the group is on the home stretch. He is asked constantly to speak at business functions, and does so — if the price is right. What he learned along the way he learned on his own, the hard way. He didn’t blink when 2009’s Sonic Boom gave Kiss the highest chart debut of its career, nor was he surprised when its followup, 2012’s Monster, hit the top spot on the U.S. hard-rock charts.
Had the group behind Rock and Roll All Nite, Shout It Out Loud, Detroit Rock City and Beth failed to meet expectations, Simmons would have failed in his job as the caretaker of all things Kiss.
“If you approach this thing like a job, that’s good. Turn the TV off, turn the phones off, pick up your instrument and take out your notepad, and sit there. In other words, put in the time. Don’t wait for inspiration to hit you.”
When the e-mails started circling, it became apparent that they all shared the same love for KISS in the '70s. At the same time, they all were all somewhat shocked by how much Thal sounded like Paul Stanley and Rex like Gene Simmons on their tracks. Therein lay the set up leading to the formation of A.L.I.V.E.!
Says Brown: "We each got asked to play on this tribute album to benefit cancer research. Obviously, it was for a great cause and we wanted to be a part of it, but I think it also came from a place of real passion too. Each of us were hugely influenced by KISS early in our lives, so the chance to play on those tracks was a real honor. After we'd heard what we'd recorded, we thought it would be a lot of fun to do it live. As it turned out, Mark and I had just finished recording the upcoming KILL DEVIL HILL album, and had a small window of time this summer before we head out on the road again. The timing perfectly coincided with breaks in Ron and Brian's schedules as well, so we decided to put this thing together!"
A.L.I.V.E.! is a as much of of a "thank you" to KISS as it is a tribute. Brown, Thal, Tichy and Zavon won't be in costume and greasepaint, making this even more of a true tribute to the music that changed them when they first heard it.
Rex continues: "I remember I was in seventh grade and this chick had a copy of 'Alive!' I swiped it and it changed the future of rock and roll as I know it!! They were like 'gods' to this scrawny kid from Texas learning to play guitar!! They are one of the reasons I jam to this day!! I got to open up for them numerous times in stadiums and it's the attitude and the songs, not the schtick, that I go back to every time!!"
Tichy adds: "I thought KISS 'Alive!' was the loudest record ever when I first heard it! KISS was the first band I got into. Peter Criss was my first drum idol and he is where I started as a drummer! When the idea of all of us going for this together was brought up, we all reacted with unbridled excitement to how much fun and how powerful this could be! I can't wait to play with these badass musicians I am proud to call friends!"
When asked about KISS' influence on him, Thal said: "Hearing the KISS 'Alive!' album at the age of 5 is what made me want to play guitar and join a band. I'm looking forward to playing the songs that launched my life!"
Zavon said: "When I was 14 I borrowed 'Destroyer' from the public library and have never been the same since."
A.L.I.V.E.! will perform material off KISS' hugely influential "Alive!" and "Alive II" records as well as some of their personal favorites.
Rex Brown is celebrating his birthday on July 27 and the band have decided that would be a perfect time to launch A.L.I.V.E! The Rex Brown Birthday Bash featuring A.L.I.V.E.! will take place on the following dates:
July 24 - The Whiskey - Hollywood, CA
July 25 - LVCS - Las Vegas, NV
Go to this location to listen to snippets of the songs that brought this all together.
Scott Medlock & Robby Krieger's 2013 Celebrity Golf & Concert Event benefiting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital takes place on September 16th. http://medlockkriegerinvitational.com (Video)
