From: blabbermouth.net
KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons has defended his band against criticism that the group's current lineup — featuring Simmons and frontman Paul Stanley as the sole remaining original members — is nothing more than a glorified cover band masquerading as the real thing.
"We're still KISS. If you want to talk about original members, you can't talk about THE BEATLES," Simmons told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, pointing out that Ringo Starr was not an original member of the Fab Four. "You can't talk about the STONES, because they only have three of their original members. You can't talk about AC/DC. They've had different singers. You can't talk about VAN HALEN. You can go right down the line.
"I used to think the rule was you had to have original members to make the band, but now I think the opposite is true. The only ones that survive are the ones that don't have original members."
Simmons says he doesn't even think fans care about the changes.
"I don't see signs held up (for original members Peter Criss or Ace Frehley)," he says. "I don't see anything but people."
According to Simmons, Criss frequently complained about being on tour. During the band's trek with AEROSMITH last year, "The entire tour he kept saying, 'I've had enough of this, I have enough money and I want to go home.' And I respected that."
Simmons was thus surprised at Criss' alleged shock at not being invited back to tour.
"I'm not going to play that game," Simmons said. "You better be careful what you wish for. The truth is, Peter and Ace are sweethearts who helped make the band what it is. But not everybody should be on the road. The road is not kind to everybody.
"The band [right now] is what it always should have been," he said. "I can't say the original lineup always delivered."
"With Ace and Peter, we never did 'Unholy', 'War Machine', 'God Gave Rock and Roll to You', a lot of stuff, because they didn't have the musical muscle to do it," he said.
Sportsology Wants you to be an Asshole!
From: sportsology.com
Glassboro, NJ (June 24 2004) – Hot on the heels of the release of KISS bassist Gene Simmons’ new solo effort, Sportsology is offering 10 copies of his CD Asshole in a brand new contest!
The “Be An Asshole” contest contains 20 Gene Simmons-related questions. Answer them all correctly to be entered into a drawing for one of 10 prize packages.
One Grand Prize winner will acquire an Asshole CD, a KISS Symphony CD, a limited edition 4-card set of KISS cards, an autographed KISS Symphony poster signed by Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Peter Criss and Tommy Thayer and other prizes.
Hints to the answers to these questions can be found in our review of the CD and in our streaming MP3 audio interview with the biggest Asshole of them all, Gene Simmons.
The contest will run from June 25, 2004 until July 24, 2004. Full details can be read onlinehere. Visit the contest page today to enter.
Report: Former KISS Manager Busted After Ten Years On The Run
From: nypost.com
Andy Geller of The New York Post reports that former KISS manager Jesse Hilsen was exposed Wednesday (June 23) as a $2 million deadbeat dad — New York City's worst.
Hilsen, 64, once a top East Side shrink, was busted in the Catskills Saturday night after 10 years on the run, the feds said.
Hilsen, who used 10 aliases while hiding out in three countries, was arraigned in White Plains Monday on charges of violating a new federal law against evading court-ordered child support. He was held without bail.
Hilsen raked in $300,000 to $500,000 annually in the four years he managed KISS, but has filed for bankruptcy and refused to pay alimony of $950 a month to his ex-wife, Rita, 62, the mother of his three children.
Rita lost her East Side apartment in the bankruptcy proceeding and has lived in an 8-by-12-foot room in a shelter for the last eight years.
"He complied with nothing. He laughed in the judges' faces," the angry ex told The Post. "His own children were on welfare and food stamps. We didn't have food. We had to go to food pantries." Read more.
KISS leaders Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley were served subpoenas by a private investigator last September before their performance at Chicago's Tweeter Center in connection with the case.
The purpose of the subpoenas was to determine what, if any, financial ties exist between Hilsen and the band, as well as whether any band members have been in touch with him since he became a fugitive. Hilsen had been guitarist Stanley's psychiatrist for several years before becoming the band's business manager. He and the band split in 1992.
Five New Shows Added
From: kissonline.com
The Rock The Nation 2004 US tour is underway and the response to the new show and new setlist has been amazing! Because to demand KISS have added five new shows to the tour! The presale through KISSONLINE for the show August 1, 2004 in Pennsacola, FL will begin on Wednesday, June 23rd at 3pmPT/5pmCT/6pmET. Click here to see all of the tourdates.
KISSed by luck
From: oregonlive.com
By Marty Hughley
Did you know? Although Ace Frehley is credited on the 1998 Kiss album "Psycho Circus," much of the guitar work actually is by Tommy Thayer. "That's basically true," Thayer acknowledges. "Though it's never been said officially, I did come in and record most of the guitars on that."
From the very beginning, the members of Kiss wanted to be more than just four guys playing rock 'n' roll.
They wanted to be mythic.
They weren't just Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss. They were the Starchild, the Demon, the Spaceman and the Cat -- fantastic characters from some luridly imagined world where comic books, Kabuki and rock dreams collide and explode.
They wanted to be larger than life, and to make their fans feel that way, too.
So perhaps it's fitting that when Kiss plays the Amphitheater at Clark County on Tuesday night, one of their biggest fans will be there -- no longer in the audience but in the band.
Portland native Tommy Thayer is living large these days as lead guitarist for Kiss, taking over for original member Frehley, even donning the famous Spaceman makeup and costume. It's a career peak for a self-described "geeky kid from Beaverton" who fell under the Kiss spell when he was 13.
That first Kiss sighting was in a rock magazine Thayer bought at the grocery store, he recalls, talking by phone from a recent tour stop. "There were live photos, and it immediately appealed to me -- the theatricality, the uniqueness. For Christmas of '74, I asked for the first Kiss record and I got it."
He remembers seeing some of the group's earliest concerts in Portland . . . at the old Paramount Theater, opening for Savoy Brown and soon after headlining a bill with Rush. Thayer liked the band so much that he wore Kiss makeup for Halloween when he was 14. A budding guitarist, naturally he chose Frehley's silver-and-white Spaceman look. "I've literally been playing Kiss songs for 30 years," he says.
"He's very much like we are," says Stanley, Kiss singer-guitarist, in a separate phone interview. "We started Kiss because we love rock 'n' roll and we weren't seeing the kind of band we really wanted. So, I'm not only in the band, but I'm a fan of the band. And so's Tommy."
Rock 'n' roll resume
Thayer's elevation to rock titan might seem unlikely from the outside. But it's quite different from, for instance, the story of Tim "Ripper" Owens, the fledgling singer plucked from a Judas Priest cover band in Akron to join the real Judas Priest. Thayer already had an arena-rock resume from Black 'N Blue, the '80s metal band he founded with a bunch of Portland-area pals, whose four albums for Geffen Records sold more than a million copies combined. But he hardly took a direct route to his current job.
He first met Kiss in 1984, around the time Black 'N Blue's first album came out. Thayer's band then opened for Kiss on a 1985-86 tour. ("They were just a lot of skinny guys in spandex, with huge hair," Stanley recalls of Black 'N Blue. "Like pretty much everyone then.")
Black 'N Blue asked Simmons to work with them in the studio as producer, which he did for two albums. As Thayer recalls, "He said, 'I've got a big mouth. I'll tell you what I think.' In turn, he asked if I wanted to come and write with Kiss. So I've had a few songs on their albums over the years."
When Black 'N Blue called it quits, Simmons and Stanley offered Thayer part-time work. "Bottom of the ladder," he says, "whether it was running errands or whatever."
Over the years, his duties grew: photo-editing the band's mammoth biography "KISStory," developing and managing the touring Kiss convention of the mid-1990s, producing and directing the "Second Coming" DVD, creating the opening montage for the Kiss-themed movie "Detroit Rock City."
When the four original members reunited in 1996, Thayer became a de facto coach and musical director, charged with bringing the musically out-of-shape Frehley and Criss up to speed on their own back catalog.
The reunion tour, and the return to the famous costumed characters, reinvigorated Kiss's popularity. But Simmons and Stanley -- who'd founded the band, crafted its image and kept it running successfully -- didn't bring Frehley and Criss back as full partners. Both have since left.
"Ace seems like he's only really happy when he's doing his own thing," Thayer says. "He's not that into taking direction and being on a team."
In early 2002, Frehley opted out of a couple of performances, so Thayer subbed. When the band was preparing to record a live album in Australia with the Melbourne Symphony, as Thayer puts it, "it became clear that Ace wasn't around . . . so they just said, 'You're in.'
Some fans get cranky
Thayer feels his transition has been a success. But it hasn't been without controversy.
Check the message threads at the Kiss Web site (www.kissonline.com) and you'll find enthusiastic Thayer support. "From what you hear, he is a great guy, never forgets his fans, a very talented guitarist and gorgeous to boot! How could I not be a fan! TOMMY ROCKS!" writes an Australian woman who goes by the online handle "thayer."
But a debate rages over the propriety of Thayer's adopting the Spaceman costume (and of current drummer Eric Singer's wearing Criss' Cat get-up). "Most (fans) simply aren't happy when the band puts two guys up there who are fakes, pretending to be the originals," posts a New Jersey fan. "If they bothered to create new personas for Tommy and Eric, MOST fans wouldn't say a word."
In the early '80s, the first replacements for Criss and Frehley, Eric Carr and Vinnie Vincent, did have their own costumes/identities; Carr was the Fox; Vincent had an ankh painted over his nose and forehead. But since then, the bandleaders have become more adamant about brand identity.
"There's no way we're gonna dilute the image by putting Chicken Man, or whatever, onstage," Stanley scoffs. "By this point, you can go almost anywhere in the world and show someone a picture of Kiss and they'll know who it is. But you'd be hard-pressed to find all that many people who know the individuals. Kiss is a philosophy, a way of looking at the fans as well as the band."
The Jersey fan jokes online about creating a character for Thayer called the Gopher, a dig at his humble first job with Kiss. But it's clear that he's earned the respect of his bosses.
"He's proved himself to be solid," Stanley says. "Not just as a musician, but in many respects, as a person. Hot players are a dime a dozen. There are a whole lot of slimebags and drug addicts who can play guitar really well. That's not what it takes to get up there.
"You gotta remember that the first major show he played with Kiss was in a huge stadium with a 70-piece orchestra. If you can handle that, you can handle anything. It was his turn to get off the bench and start hitting home runs."
Review: Kiss in LA
From: reuters.com
By John Lappen
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - In many ways, Kiss has become the Who. Both bands have achieved legendary status during their decades of existence, both continue to sell out shows wherever they go, both are down to two original core members, and both have been on farewell tours for years.
In the case of Kiss, they also seem to want badly to be included among the pantheon of legendary rock artists, including the Who, whose musical and artistic ambitions far outreach their own. That seemed evident when, during the final song of the not-quite-two-hour evening -- as Kiss performed the Russ Ballard-penned "God Gave Rock and Roll to You" -- the band's video screen backdrop showed concert footage of the short-list hard-rock and pop bands that always will matter.
Mixed in with snippets of Led Zeppelin, the Doors, the Rolling Stones, the Beatles and the Who were nearly self-conscious clips of live Kiss through the years. Although the band has sold millions of records, made millions of dollars and played before millions of people the world over -- and despite the fact that it would be a charter member of any rock and roll hall of fame devoted to marketing -- Kiss' always-limited musical skills and by-the-numbers songwriting that was never better than mediocre do not allow the group access to the privileged club of rock legends that flashed before the eyes of a sold-out Orange County crowd.
Maybe it's a self-esteem thing, or maybe Kiss really does think that such bar-band-level songs as "Love Gun" and "100,000 Years" belong on a list with the Doors' "The End" and Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven." They don't, but it's amazing what some face paint, fake blood, lots of pyrotechnics and lowest-common-denominator songs will do for a band's career.
Still going strong 31 years into an admittedly amazing career, Kiss' cartoon-characters-come-to-life persona appeals not only to old fans but also to a new generation that was out in full force on this night. Perhaps proclaiming allegiance to Kiss has become a birthright for people to pass down to younger generations, much as fans keep season tickets to sporting events within their families.
Loyalists will howl in protest, but sitting through a two-hour Kiss set is a mind-numbing experience. The songs are, overall, weak; though some have their catchy, sing-along moments, they ultimately sound like carbon copies of one another. The playing is nothing special -- nothing that countless musicians the world over couldn't replicate -- and the theatrics seem a bit tired these days.
Gene Simmons in particular seemed to be going through the motions -- but really, how can spewing a bit of fake blood and snacking on fire keep one motivated through the years, especially as both bits are as toned down as ever? Paul Stanley was the most energetic of the bunch -- but dude, come on, put on the full costume. Who wants to look at a 52-year-old man's hairy chest all night?
Stanley's between-song screeching also became a bit intolerable, taking away whatever momentum Kiss generated. Even the pyro seemed dated, tired and, worst of all, predictable. The audience ate it up nonetheless, but amid the band's relentless quest to become an unstoppable marketing machine, Kiss itself has become a faceless, corporate entity, akin to the McDonald's of rock 'n' roll: You pay your money, you get your product, and you know exactly what to expect. The casual fan probably doesn't even know that drummer Peter Criss and guitarist Ace Frehley no longer are in the band because their exactly costumed replacements -- Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer, respectively -- make those original members replaceable parts and keep things business as usual for Kiss Inc.
Kiss deliver memorable show
From: azcentral.com
by Theresa Cano
Armed with a catalog that spans more than thirty years of hard rock anthems, a kabuki-faced Kiss brought their "Rock The Nation" tour to Phoenix and delivered a rock spectacle to a packed Cricket Pavilion that was second to none.
Kiss seems to thrive on pleasing their devoted following and they did so Friday night by giving fans a night they wouldn't soon forget.
Roaring out of the gate with "Love Gun," the quartet, which included original members Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, and replacement guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer, dazzled fans with an arsenal of eye candy that is rarely seen on the road these days. Of course, the band was geared up in their outlandish costumes, platform shoes and face paint, but it's what's behind the band that really sets their show apart from any other on the tour circuit. Pyrotechnics burst into the air so hot that whenever it went off the first 20 to 30 rows felt like they were blasted with a hand-dryer. An array of amps, screens and lights filled the stage as the band churned through a set list that included fan favorites like "Detroit Rock City," "Shout It Out Loud" and "Lick It Up" and rare gems like "Parasite" and "Unholy," which featured a blood spewing Simmons ripping through a metal-horn pumping bass solo, all the while wagging that famous tongue of his.
Stanley is the consummate showman. He is the perfect mix of show-off, shaking his booty to the delight of the numerous female fans and gracious host, thanking the band's adoring fans time and time again.
The Kiss Army, the affectionate name coined for the band's legions of fans, was well represented at the show, which lasted just over one hour and forty minutes. Kiss tattoos, vintage concert tees and yes, folks in full costume could be seen throughout the pavilion.
Though still on their loosely named "reunion tour," the band showed no signs of slowing down. Simmons and Stanley, who are both in their mid-fifties, rocked with more gusto than some acts that are half their ages and expected the crowd to reciprocate their enthusiasm throughout the show as well.
Stanley repeatedly asked the crowd to get louder and they didn't disappoint as they offered the singer mind-numbing screams each time he asked.
Sure, the band proved it has one of the best stage shows around, but did they have the musical chops to back it up? They did indeed. Though original drummer Peter Criss and guitarist Ace Frehley are no longer with the band, Singer and Thayer along with Simmons and Stanley sounded just as amazing as they looked.
The quartet closed out their encore with their biggest hits, "God Gave Rock And Roll To You II," which featured a montage of Kiss' live shows throughout the years and "Rock And Roll All Night" much to the rabid crowd's approval.
Kiss' live show is just as over-the-top, epic and loud as it was in their heyday and that's exactly why hundreds of thousands of Kiss soldiers still pack into arenas around the globe, including here in Phoenix, to revel in all the decadence.
Peter on 'Fatherhood'
From: Russ
Original KISS drummer Peter Criss will be guest-starring on the new animated show called "Fatherhood", based on Bill Cosby's best selling book of the same name. Peter's episode will air in July on Nick at Nite.
GENE SIMMONS INTERVIEW ON VIDEO
From: blabbermouth.net
KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons was recently interviewed by the Australian weekly TV program "So Fresh" airing on Network Nine. Watch the interview online at this location (Real Media).
As previously reported, Simmons' long-awaited sophomore solo album, "Asshole", sold 12,913 copies in its first week of release to land at position No. 86 on next week's The Billboard 200 chart.
First KISS? No, but they're still lip-smackin' good
From: Rocky Mountain News
By Jay Dedrick, Rocky Mountain News
Kiss has been a brand almost as long as it's been a band. For nearly 30 years, the unmistakable logo has screamed from merchandise that is age-appropriate for the core fans - comic books and lunchboxes in the '70s, condoms and caskets now. Hey, band mastermind Gene Simmons is known for business acumen, not tasteful marketing. What do you expect from a guy in bat makeup and leather wings who breathes fire and spits blood?
At Coors Amphitheatre on Tuesday night, loyal fans gathered for a performance by the Kiss brand band - which just isn't the same as Kiss. The Kiss Army had real cause for celebration when Simmons and group co-founder Paul Stanley reteamed with original members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss eight years ago. Now, the makeup remains but the faces underneath have changed, with Tommy Thayer subbing for Freh-ley and Eric Singer for Criss. The attrition brings with it a huge drop in nostalgia and a slight drop in the senses of fun and camaraderie that helped make Kiss so exciting for rock kids who came of age in the '70s.
Still, in concert, this off-brand version of the band remains a platform- heeled kick in the pants. On Tuesday, there were flames and fireworks, smashing guitars, flying rock stars, string-busting solos and sing-along choruses. Simmons and Stanley seem emboldened by their hired hands - technically better musicians than their predecessors - and chose songs that haven't been played onstage in years.
From Got to Choose, with an impressive four-part harmony, to the relentless Makin' Love and a lascivious, tongue-wagging take by Simmons on Christine Sixteen, Kiss plucked tunes that audiences hadn't heard live since Jimmy Carter was in office. Simmons even dared to abandon the staple Firehouse in favor of 1982's War Machine for his centerpiece fire-breathing act.
Singer's drumming was strong, and Thayer revisited Frehley's solos, while adding just a touch of his own flair.
With Simmons just having released a decidedly un-Kisslike solo album and Stanley readying his own, the band's founders already have their eyes on distant horizons. Their home base is now a band called Kiss, not the band Kiss.
LESSON WITH KISS PAUL STANLEY + SIGNED GUITAR
From: Ebay
How much are you willing to spend to meet KISS superstar Paul Stanley? This auction lot will tell because the winner will receive a personal and private guitar lesson and signed guitar from the rock music legend. Formed in 1973, it didn't take long for Kiss to become one of the most successful (and later, influential) groups of the decade. With their grease painted faces, costumes, over-the-top stage show, and hard rock anthems struck a chord with teenagers worldwide, Stanley is considered by many to be the force behind the band's success, penning classics as "Rock and Roll All Nite," "Firehouse," "Detroit Rock City," "Love Gun," and even a song that would eventually become Simmons' trademark, "God of Thunder."
Citing Eddie Cochran as inspiration, Stanley had taken enough guitar lessons to master three chords and set out to change the world of music. Along with his longtime companion, Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley has kept Kiss rocking and rolling along since the early '70s. This is your chance to meet and practice some chords with rock's quintessential frontmen.
To place a bid on this item, click here.
KISS Rock Dallas
From: Dallas Star-Telegram
DALLAS - Kiss is all about the live show -- always has been, always will be. They play loud and give their diehard fans what they came to hear.
The 30-year-old band made the 13,134 Kiss Army members shout it out loud Friday night at Smirnoff Music Centre.
The stage was filled with monitors and speakers, and the pyrotechnics were as plentiful as they were in the band's '70s heyday. Original members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley -- the CEOs, if you will, of the Kiss empire -- seem to be unwilling or unable to let the Kiss party end.
And why should they? The fans were as eager as ever for the bombastic theatrics. This tour, which started Thursday in San Antonio, will take the band all over the nation this summer. Big crowds will surely greet them everywhere.
The band played mostly hits from the '70s, including the show opener, Love Gun. The pyrotechnics were fired up instantly and felt like a blow-dryer in the face as far as 30 rows back. Simmons, swaggering in his vintage black-studded, bondage-leather costume, spat blood, breathed fire and, yes, wagged his tongue. Stanley, shirtless in black tights, with his Starchild logo on his fanny -- which he shamelessly shook all night -- constantly begged the crowd to make noise.
A few surprises on the set lists were Parasite and Got to Choose, two songs from the band's second album, Hotter Than Hell, from 1974. Of course, they played Shout It Out Loud and Detroit Rock City, and they ended with Rock and Roll All Night.
During their rendition of God Gave Rock 'n Roll to You, a montage of clips featuring bands from the Beatles to Bruce Springsteen played on the big screen at the back of the stage. Spliced in were moments from Kiss concerts past. It was sort of a nod to the artists that inspire Kiss.
KISS and Nascar join forces
blabbermouth.net
KISS and NASCAR will team up for the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series at Richmond International Speedway on September 11, 2004. To celebrate the "hottest band in the world," the following drivers will be sporting KISS-themed rides:
- Kevin Harvick in his #29 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet (pictured) in the Nextel Cup series.
- Matt Crafton in the Craftsman Truck series in his #6 GM Goodwrench Chevy.
- Ron Hornaday in his #2 A/C Delco Chevy in the Busch series.
Legendary Producer EDDIE KRAMER To Auction Off KISS, ZEPPELIN, HENDRIX Memorabilia
From: KISSKollector.com
Legendary producer Eddie Kramer will be auctioning off personal items from KISS, JIMI HENDRIX and LED ZEPPELIN during the 2004 Classic Rock Auction starting July 18 via Backstage Auctions, Inc.
Throughout his 30-year career, Eddie Kramer has been behind the boards for the biggest names in music. But he is probably best known for his three long-term associations in which he created some of the most important music in rock history: JIMI HENDRIX, LED ZEPPELIN and KISS.
The entire Classic Rock collection up for auction includes a mind-blowing 2,200 pieces. Highlights include: recording reels (mostly from the legendary Electric Lady Studios), acetates & test pressings, vintage t-shirts, documents, set lists, artwork and backstage passes. Most represented are the classic rock bands from the '70s but there will also be an impressive range of jazz, heavy metal, rhythm & blues, pop and classical.
Earlier on, Backstage Auctions hosted the successful Sean Delaney Auction. Sean Delaney, of course, was KISS' first road manager and of the very first true believers in the band. Sadly, Delaney passed away in April of last year.
For more information on the 2004 Classic Rock Auction, visit the Backstage Auctions, Inc. web site at http://www.backstageauctions.com.
Paul Stanley Interview
From: WRIF via blabbermouth.net
KISS guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley did a phone interview several days ago with Doug Podell of Detroit's WRIF 101.1 FM. Listen to the audio of the eight-and-a-half-minute conversation in Windows Media format at this location. A couple of excerpts follow:
On how POISON was selected to open the summer tour: "We wanted a fun band for the summer. And honestly there's not that many bands around who are entertaining and can deliver something other than getting up on stage and signing about how unhappy they are. I just have no patience for guys who are making millions of bucks by making albums where they sing about how miserable they are. If you're so damn miserable, give me your number, I'll give you a call, give me your money."
On his upcoming solo album: "My album's about half done and it should be out around January. I'll work it around KISS and when the time is right, it'll be out. It's pretty awesome.
"The difference [between doing a solo album and writing a KISS record] is… I mean, it's very easy for me to do a one-man KISS album, 'cause in the past, there's been a lot of times where I've come in with finished demos and we would just wind up copying them. But in doing a solo album, instead of writing songs with a band in mind, you put together a band with your songs in mind — you do it backwards. So it's a lot more fun, because you just take people in the studio that you want for a particular song as opposed to writing a song because you have certain people."
San Antonio set list
KISS kicked off their "Rock The Nation Tour" with POISON last night (June 10) at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in San Antonio, Texas. The group's complete set list for the show was as follows:
01. Love Gun
02. Deuce
03. Makin' Love
04. Dr. Love
05. C'mon On And Love Me
06. Cold Gin
07. Got To Choose
08. War Machine (Gene breathes fire)
09. Lick It Up
10. Parasite
11. She (Tommy guitar solo)
12. I Want You
13. I Love It Loud
14. 100,000 Years
15. Unholy (bass solo, blood, Gene flies)
16. Shout It Out Loud
17. I Was Made For Lovin' You (Paul flies)
18. Detroit Rock City
Encore:
19. God Gave Rock And Roll To You II
20. Rock And Roll All Night
TOMMY THAYER: I Am Wearing ACE's Makeup With A High Level Of Integrity
From: TommyThayer.com
KISS guitarist Tommy Thayer has posted the following "Question-and-Answer" session with his fans at his official web site:
Question: Do you sometimes forget where you are when you are onstage? Like in the middle of a solo, your eyes are shut, you open then and, WHAM! you think to yourself, "Whoah! I am in KISS!"
Tommy Thayer: "Yeah that's actually happened! It was last year and we were playing in New York. I had to pinch my ass for a second I was thinking, 'OH MAN, I'm onstage in makeup and costume at the historic Madison Square Garden! I am flailing through 'Black Diamond' with KISS!"
Question: I am sure you are tired of being asked about wearing Spaceman makeup but was there any consideration to create anything new? Even for a minute?
Tommy Thayer: "No not at all. It's fair for people to ask the question but if you really think about it, why change something about KISS that is so traditionally classic? I consider it an honor to wear the space makeup and I'll always do so with a high level of integrity."
Question: What is the next album going to be like? I loved your work as a ghost on 'Psycho Circus'!
Tommy Thayer: "Presently there are no plans to record a new KISS record, but if and when we did, it will be a killer, I assure you that. 'Psycho Circus' was a great record that had its moments in the classic KISS sense, but it could be bettered."
Audio of Peter Criss Inverview online
From: EddieTrunk.com
The interview that Kiss fans across the world have been talking about is now online! Eddie talked to Peter Criss live on the air on May 4, 2004 about everything going on with him and the band. Click here to listen to the first 2 of 4 parts.
ASSHOLE - Gene Simmons He truly is
From: Loudside.com
by Darryl Sterdan We couldn't say whether Gene Simmons lives up to the title of his new CD.
But we know this: He's no dummy.
For 30-plus years, the fire-breathing bassist has been the brains behind KISS; a shrewd huckster and master manipulator who seldom misses a chance to bag a buck.
But like a lot of rich artists, Simmons sometimes seems to confuse the size of his wallet with the breadth of his talent.
And we end up with high-aiming misfires like Music From the Elder, the first KISS solo albums and Asshole, Gene's first non-band recordings in more than 25 years.
Unfocused and misguided, this 13-song vanity project finds the God of Plunder vainly trying yet again to escape his arena-rock straitjacket by pinballing between styles with a determination bordering on desperation.One minute he's belting out sophomoric metal and Sabbathy thrash; the next, he's sincerely crooning shimmery Beatle-pop and syrupy love ballads.
And that's just a start — Gene takes a stab at everything from thrash to electronica and hip-pop during these 45 minutes.
Despite (or perhaps because of) the amount of stuff tossed at the wall, little sticks.
His revamp of Prodigy's Firestarter is kinda neat, but far too slight; the breezy folk-hop of Whatever Turns You On falls flat; and the superstar collaborations (a wishy-washy soul-pop ditty co-penned by some hack named Dylan and a boogie-rocker using Frank Zappa samples) seem more geared to establishing Simmons' musical credibility than his creativity.
Anyone old enough to recall the '70s might find it all familiar — from the calculated eclecticism to the VIP guest list, it's the same approach Simmons took on his KISS solo album in '78. Back then it worked mainly because most of his bandmates' offerings were even worse.
If Gene wants history to repeat, he better pray Peter Criss and Paul Stanley return to the studio pronto.
KISS Gold (1974-1982)
From: Universal Music
On August 10th, Universal Music will be releasing two disc set called KISS Gold (1974–1982)
DISC ONE
1. STRUTTER 3.10
2. NOTHIN’ TO LOSE 3.27
3. FIREHOUSE 3.18
4. DEUCE 3.06
5. BLACK DIAMOND 5.11
6. GOT TO CHOOSE 3.54
7. PARASITE 3.01
8. HOTTER THAN HELL 3.31
9. C’MON AND LOVE ME 2.57
10. SHE 4.09
11. ANYTHING FOR MY BABY 2.35
12. ROCK BOTTOM live 3.40
13. COLD GIN live 6.55
14. ROCK AND ROLL ALL NITE live 4.23
15. LET ME GO, ROCK ‘N ROLL live 5.20
16. DETROIT ROCK CITY 5.17
17. KING OF THE NIGHT TIME WORLD 3.21
18. SHOUT IT OUT LOUD 2.49
19. BETH 2.45
20. DO YOU LOVE ME? 4.57
DISC TWO
1. I WANT YOU 3.04
2. CALLING DR. LOVE 3.44
3. HARD LUCK WOMAN 3.34
4. I STOLE YOUR LOVE 3.04
5. LOVE GUN 3.18
6. CHRISTINE SIXTEEN 3.14
7. SHOCK ME 3.48
8. MAKIN’ LOVE live 3.13
9. GOD OF THUNDER live 5.16
10. TONIGHT YOU BELONG TO ME 4.40
11. NEW YORK GROOVE 3.03
12. RADIOACTIVE 2.46
13. DON’T YOU LET ME DOWN 3.43
14. I WAS MADE FOR LOVING YOU 4.30
15. SURE KNOW SOMETHING 4.01
16. SHANDI 3.36
17. TALK TO ME 4.02
18. A WORLD WITHOUT HEROES 2.40
19. NOWHERE TO RUN 4.33
20. I’M A LEGEND TONIGHT 4.00
KISS continues on
From: Associated Press
By Eric Talmadge
Kiss bassist Gene Simmons still has all the old gimmicks — the bat wings, the leather everything, the fire breathing, the blood spitting. And, yes, his tongue is still usually found dangling somewhere down around the end of his chin.
Simmons and the boys of Kiss — the poster band of 1970s glam rock — are back.
OK. Stop. That's not completely true.
Simmons is back. So is front-man Paul Stanley . But if you look closely, very closely, it's possible to notice that the cat guy playing the drums and the silvery spaceman guitarist aren't Kiss originals Peter Criss and Ace Frehley.
So, technically, Kiss is only kind of back. But never mind, says Stanley. Kiss is greater than the sum of its individual parts.
"What we have built over the past 30 years are four icons. They're bigger than any one of us," he told The Associated Press backstage before playing a not-quite sold-out performance at Tokyo's Budokan arena.
Led by Simmons and Stanley, and joined by guitarist Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer on drums, the revamped band is on a tour that has already taken them through Australia and Japan. Next up is San Antonio, Texas on June 10, where they will begin the "Rock the Nation" tour, an ambitious series of dates at arenas across the United States.
For those who remember the band circa 1978, it's a familiar show.
The pyrotechnics are as flashy as ever, and the set list is heavily laden with such Kiss classics as "Rock And Roll All Night," "Love Gun" and "I Was Made For Loving You." Stanley bares his chest, preens and sometimes flies. And Simmons, wrapped in his trademark bat wings, is still stuck in the oral stage of development.
To keep the vintage Kiss image intact, the two newcomers have been carefully coifed and grease-painted to fill the cat and spaceman roles of their predecessors. Completing the Kiss menagerie, Stanley is a starchild and Simmons a bat-demon.
"Kiss is these four images," Stanley said. "This is what we built. We're not going to change."
"We've never considered a change," agreed Singer.
Change, however, is what has kept Kiss going.
Two years ago, Stanley said, the band was sputtering. Ready to call it quits, they embarked on a farewell tour.
"We thought that we had done it," he said. "We thought that we were finished. But then we went home, and after 2 million people said, `Don't go,' we decided that maybe what we needed to do was change some of what was going on inside the band."
Meaning replace Frehley and Criss — a decision that hasn't sat well with the two ousted musicians and many of their devoted fans.
But Simmons, 54, and Stanley, 52, don't entertain any second guessing.
"You start your band, and you can call the shots," Simmons said. "We've got it figured out. We've got 30 years of history."
"With Kiss we have a bench, like a sports team," Stanley added, noting that Thayer and Singer had been associated with the band for years. "We go, `You, you're in.'"
Thanks largely to Simmons' business savvy and outlandish antics, and Stanley's expertise as a spokesman-promoter, the band has compiled some pretty impressive stats over the past three decades.
According to their Web site, Kiss has played 3,500 concerts to a combined audience of 78 million. In the process, they've smashed 3,400 guitars, used up 4,362 gallons of fake blood and worn "enough platform boots stacked end to end to circle the globe."
In Tokyo, fans ranged from small children to near-retirement die-hards, dozens of whom came in full Kiss makeup and regalia.
"This is our world," Simmons said. "These are our people."
Gene Simmons: 'I Don't Like Handlers'
From: Billboard/Reuters
By Carla Hay
NEW YORK (Billboard) - There is not much to write about Gene Simmons that has not been written before. But the man himself can find plenty to say about his extraordinary life.
As co-founder, bassist and co-vocalist of rock group Kiss, Simmons belongs to one of the most commercially successful acts in history. Kiss' 24 gold-certified albums place it at the top among American bands, according to the Recording Industry Assn. of America.
Amid his Kiss career, Simmons has kept busy as an entrepreneur. Last year he reactivated Simmons Records, which, along with the Kiss Records imprint, has teamed with Sanctuary Records Group for new releases.
Simmons says he is developing a premium-cable entertainment channel, although he could not reveal details. He also has an A&E TV documentary in the works.
On the literary front, he has formed Simmons Books in a joint venture with New Millennium. One title due under the deal is "Kiss & Tell," an autobiography from Simmons' longtime romantic partner, Shannon Tweed. (The publication date is yet to be determined.)
Simmons also is reviving his long-dormant career as a solo artist. On June 8, Simmons/Sanctuary releases "Asshole," Simmons' first solo album since his 1978 self-titled solo debut. "Asshole" features collaborations with Bob Dylan and Dave Navarro. Simmons says he also wants to release a 100-song boxed set of solo material he has recorded through the years.
Q: Why did you wait all these years to do a new solo album? And why do you want to put out a 100-song boxed set of your solo material?
A: It's finally time. Over the years, when we'd do a Kiss record, I would write 15 to 30 songs per album to get the four or five that might be used. Most of those songs were sitting around, and a lot of them didn't make sense in the context of Kiss. I want to put out a boxed set because I owe it to the songs. It's not fair that they're just sitting around.
Q: What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?
A: On a corporate level, having more gold albums in America than any other American band. On a personal level, I have to give the cornball answer and say getting up onstage with people going out of their minds and seeing different generations of people in Kiss makeup. It does put a lump in your throat, and it's heartwarming.
Q: How do you respond to people who say the band isn't really Kiss unless it consists of the original members: you, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss?
A: I used to believe that.
Any rules we have for the band are rules we decide for ourselves. There are lots of bands that have lost members who people might have thought were irreplaceable, but the bands got replacements and the bands got bigger: AC/DC, Van Halen, the Rolling Stones, the Who.
I love Ace, Peter and Paul. They helped me get to where I am. I hate myself for not standing up to Ace and Peter sooner when they were destroying themselves.
Q: Last year, Ace Frehley told billboard.com that it was deceptive of you and Paul Stanley to tour as Kiss without him. He asserted at the time that he was "into a health kick" and fit to play. What would you say to Ace right now?
A: I hope you're happy, but you're not allowed to be in the band. There's no way we'd let you onstage and subject people to your erratic behavior. It doesn't matter if you're an original member. If you mess up, you're an ex-member. And that goes for me, too.
Q: There's a perception that you are the business brains behind Kiss. What are your thoughts on that?
A: Artists always forget the meaning of the word "business" in the music business. It means you sign your own checks. It means the record company works for you, not you for the record company. Once you delegate authority, it means you're diluting who you are; someone else makes business decisions for you. I don't like handlers, assistants and bodyguards, because they can't do things as well as I can.
Q: Why didn't you assume the management of Kiss?
A: Paul has a lot to do with Kiss' ideas. He's one of the best frontmen ever. There's a friendly, brotherly rivalry with us. If one of us goes a little too far, the other one wants to pull him back. So if I'm managing the band, where does that leave Paul? The thing that keeps this band going is the continuing and abiding respect that Paul and I have for each other.
Q: If Paul Stanley wrote his autobiography, what do you think he would say about you?
A: He would say that I'm a workaholic and that I've got the biggest ego of anyone he's ever met. And I think he'd say, and rightfully so, that I get a lot of credit for ideas he came up with.
Q: Can you give some examples?
A:. I didn't think of the name of the band. Paul did. I didn't design the Kiss logo. Ace did, and then Paul actually drew the original version, which is used today.
Q: You did some reality-show segments with your family on "Extra" in 2002 that were similar to "The Osbournes." Would you still want to do a reality series now, considering the problems that Kelly and Jack Osbourne have experienced?
A: The main problems with the Osbournes had to do with drugs. I'd still want to do a reality show about me, but not with my kids involved. Doing a reality show with them wouldn't be fair to them, because they wouldn't get a chance to be kids.
Q: Can you explain why Kiss keeps touring even after your so-called final tours? Why call it a farewell tour when most people know Kiss will probably keep touring?
A: We did a farewell tour when it was clear that Ace couldn't continue. But after the tour was over, it became fairly obvious from fans that they wanted us to continue. Rock bands are a lot like football teams: If a guy is on drugs and messes up, get someone else who's proud to wear the uniform and be part of the team.
Q: What are the biggest mistakes artists make in their careers?
A: Drugs, this time and every time. I wish more journalists would confront stars with drug problems and ask them, "Don't your fans think you're an asshole for getting high?"
Q: What's your response to people who say there's too much Kiss merchandise?
A: Actually, we haven't put out enough, because a lot of it sells out. So whoever says there's too much Kiss merchandise is not a marketing expert.
Q: How would you describe yourself in one sentence?
A: I love money, I love women, I like to work hard and I don't use drugs.
Gene Simmons: Career Highlights
- 2002: Three Rivers Press publishes Simmons' autobiography, "Kiss and Make-Up"; his financial advice book, "Sex Money Kiss," appears the following year.
- 1996: Kiss' original lineup reunites for a tour and returns to wearing its famous makeup and costumes in concert.
- 1988: Launches Simmons Records.
- 1984: Makes his theatrical film debut in "Runaway."
- 1983: Kiss begins performing without its trademark makeup and costumes.
- 1976: "Destroyer" becomes Kiss' first U.S. platinum album. "Beth" becomes the band's first top 10 song on The Billboard Hot 100. Simmons discovers Van Halen and produces the band's demo.
- 1975: "Alive!" becomes the first Kiss album to reach the top 10 of the Billboard pop albums chart.
- 1974: Casablanca releases Kiss' self-titled debut album.
- 1972: Kiss forms with a lineup of Simmons, co-vocalist/guitarist Paul Stanley, guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss.
KISS to be on Rockline
From: Rocklineradio.com
KISS will be featured theguests on Rockline's nationally syndicated radio show airing June 9th.The live show begins at 8:30pm PT / 11:30pm ET - and fans are encouraged to call in with questions during the program at (800) 344-ROCK (7625).
To find a station near you check out www.rocklineradio.com
Listen to Gene Simmons 'Firestarter' single NOW
From: Sanctuary Records
Santuary Records has posted an mp3 of 'Firestarter,' the first single off of Gene Simmons' upcoming solo album "Asshole", on their website. To listen to it, click here, or visit http://www.sanctuaryrecords.com.
Paul Stanley on KISS' "Rock The Nation" tour
From: San Antonio Express-News
KISS frontman Paul Stanley has spoken to the San Antonio Express-News about the group's upcoming "Rock The Nation" North American tour with POISON, which kicks off June 10 in Selma, Texas.
"People know when they pay to see KISS they're going to get something to see," said Stanley. "When KISS first came on the scene, I think we were a wake-up call to audiences that they were getting cheated. The idea of us coming out and sitting on stools on a Persian carpet or something isn't gonna happen. KISS remains KISS. It's walls of amplifiers, video screens built into the amps. New KISS is about as necessary as new Coke. It's still KISS, but the blade's been sharpened."
According to Stanley, KISS are digging deep into their vast catalog to unearth long-hidden gems to perform on the upcoming trek.
"Not only did we shake up the set list, but we also did two small shows (in Australia recently) in theaters where we virtually played a slew of songs that either never have been played or haven't been played in 25 years," Stanley said. "We did a two-hour set without the benefit of special effects or pyro that consisted of 'C'mon and Love Me', 'Goin' Blind', 'Makin' Love', 'All the Way', 'Got to Choose', 'Hotter than Hell', you name it. We're really fired up, because at this point on any given night we can throw in whatever we feel like playing."
With regards to the absence of drummer Peter Criss from the current tour, Paul said, "We created some great things together and I'd rather think about the positive things we did than start airing dirty laundry. The fact is, it's easy for somebody to portray themselves as a victim when they don't want to take responsibility for their position. For all the good we accomplished, I will always wish Peter well. It wasn't working anymore for a lot of reasons and it was best for the band and the audience to bring Eric [Singer] back."
As for Frehley, Stanley said, "Ace, for years, had an ambivalence, to put it mildly, about being in the band because he felt it was keeping him from his solo project. Ultimately, Ace opted out. The door doesn't swing both ways. At some point, you can only walk through that door so many times and then the lock gets changed. This is hallowed ground and you're expected to give a hundred percent. If you don't, I have a problem with that."
Kanazawa, Japan Setlist
From: Masami
King of the nighttime world
Deuce
Makin love
I love it loud
Got to choose
Love her all I can
War machine
Lick it up
Parasite
She
I want you
Goin blind
100,000 years
Unholy
Shout it out loud
Love gun
I was made for lovin you
Detroit rock city
God gave R & R to you 2
Rockn roll all night
KISS: VH1 Classic's 'Headline Act' To Premiere Next Week
From: VH1
VH1 Classic "Headline Act" presents KISS premiering on Monday, June 7 at 11:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. The half-hour block features an interview with KISS frontmen Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley from the VH1 Classic studio as well as classic KISS videos from their history-making career.
Simmons and Stanley also discuss the goals the band had when they first started and how they arrived ... "There was innocence and a naivete about us when we started. We were innocent in the same way a baby piranha is. It's gonna get the job done. But it does it with a smile," said Stanley.
Stanley and Simmons also talk about how their love for the music held them together all these years despite many changes. "It's interesting that off-stage the differences popped out," said Simmons. "The more years there were between us and the beginning, the more the differences were ... usually heightened by drugs and alcohol. That affected some of us and sent some of us into the twilight zone. So far I haven't succumbed. But at least two of the members have gone there and back many times."
The second half of "Headline Act" will feature KISS videos including "Rock n' Roll All Nite", "Forever", "Heaven's On Fire", "I Love It Loud", "Tears Are Falling", "Lick It Up" and "Shout It Out Loud". The episode will re-air on Tuesday, June 8 at 3:00 a.m. and Friday, June 11 at 8:00 a.m., 4:00 p.m. and midnight.
Branding is essential for the little guys, too
From: USA Today
Q: We hear so much about branding these days, but it really seems like a big business concept. Do you think branding is something that applies equally to small businesses? Hugh, Manitoba, Canada
A: I most certainly do. First, let's be clear about the concept. Gene Simmons, lead man of the rock band Kiss once remarked that while he liked being in a rock and roll band, he loved being in a rock and roll brand. What did he mean by that? Think about Kiss for a moment. What images and feelings come to mind? Probably that distinctive Kiss logo, the white makeup, the outrageous shows, the wild stories. Kiss carefully cultivated that billion dollar bad boy image and it's worth a fortune to them. That is what Simmons meant; having a band is great, but it's the brand that pays the bills.
What do you think of when you think about Rolls Royce, or Nike, or Apple Computer? Each business evokes very clear thoughts, feelings, and images. They all have a strong corporate identity, or brand, associated with their name, and it is no accident. These companies have spent a lot of money getting you to conjure up specific images and feelings when you think about their business.
So the idea of creating a brand for your business is really quite important. While it might seem that creating a brand is beyond your reach, that branding is a concept for the "Big Boys," think again. Branding is something you can, and must, do too.
Here's why: Boiled down to its basics, a brand is the essence of what makes your business unique. It combines your name, logo, and purpose into an identifiable whole. Are you the friendly lawyer, the holistic market, the geeky computer consultant, or what? Without a brand, you may find that instead of being all things to all people, you are nothing to no one. A brand is a hook to hang your hat on, so that people remember you, which is probably more important to a small business than anyone else.
You begin to create a brand by carefully thinking about what your business is, what makes it unique, who your customers are, and what it is they want. Deciding upon a brand is vital because many other decisions will hinge on this one. Your name, logo, slogan, even the location you choose and your pricing structure depend on the brand you are trying to create. A discount motorcycle warehouse will put things together far differently than a Harley showroom.
You want to create a consistent theme through your ads, pricing, logo, etc. which reinforces the image you intend to create.
But branding goes even beyond that. Since your brand is based both on how you want to be perceived, and how you are in fact perceived, it follows that the other half of brand building is creating positive perceptions based on substance as well as style. How?
1. Discover what you do best and do it, again, and again, and again: A brand is a promise which essentially boils down to: 'If you buy from us, and you know what you will be getting' e.g., Volvos® are safe or Atkins® helps you lose weight. The key is consistency.
2. Offer superior customer service: All your hard work creating that cool brand will be a waste of time and money if it isn't reinforced by happy customers. Customers should find it easy to work with you or buy from you.
3. Be a mench: Mench is a Yiddish word that basically means "a good person." If your business practices mench ethics, your brand grows. While good looks may get you a date, being a mench will get you a mate. Pay invoices on time. Do more than asked of you. Do things when not asked. Help out in the community. That also builds your brand. Remember, the two keys to establishing a strong brand are developing a specific identity, and then communicating that identity consistently. Do that, and your small business will have a hook that is memorable.
Today's tip: Warning! You cannot get by on brand alone. That is the lesson of the dotcom fallout. Take Pets.com for example. That high-flying startup burned through multiples of millions of dollars, mostly because it focused far more on branding than it did on business. Its once-famous sock puppet was interviewed by People magazine and was on Good Morning America, but the company soon learned that creating an identifiable brand is not the same as creating a valuable business.
Osaka Set List
From: Masami / Jim / Russ
Osaka Setlist Monday, May 31
Love Gun
Deuce
Makin' Love
Dr. LoveC'mon On And Love Me
Cold Gin
Got To Choose
War Machine
Lick It Up
Parasite
She -Tommy Solo
I Want You
I Love It Loud
100,000 Years
Unholy - Gene - Blood / Fire
Shout It Out Loud
I Was Made For Lovin' You - Paul Flys
Detroit Rock City
God Gave Rock And Roll To You 2
Rock And Roll All Night
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