KISS ASYLUM: July 2003 News Archive

From: Billboard.com
As first tipped here last month, Kiss and Aerosmith are finalizing plans to follow their summer tour of outdoor venues with a run of arena dates this fall, Billboard Bulletin reports. The acts stand to gross up to $46 million this summer from about 35 dates beginning Aug. 2 at ctnow.com Meadows Music Theater in Hartford, Conn. The new arena leg, which will comprise about 20 shows starting Oct. 24-25 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, could add another $25 million to the year's tally. The tour could also move into international markets next year, according to Kiss manager Doc McGhee. "We're talking about Australia and Europe next summer, but we've got to do this summer first. If everybody gets along and has fun, I'm sure it could continue," he says. [More...]

From: Businesswire.com
Sanctuary Records Group is proud to announce that legendary rock icons KISS add another GOLD record to their lead as the RIAA title holder for No. 1 American group GOLD RECORD champions of all time. The debut album from KISS Records/Sanctuary Records, KISS Symphony: Alive IV has shipped GOLD, prior to the upcoming release date of July 22. Unlike anything recorded or released before by the rock icons, KISS Symphony: Alive IV, captures one of the world's greatest performing rock bands with the prestigious 60-piece Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (arranged and conducted by David Campbell), live before a sold-out crowd from Australia's Telstra Dome while on the 2003 tour. The energy packed two-disc set features twenty-two newly recorded live tracks featuring ten classic KISS tracks backed by the 60-piece Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, six never-performed-live acoustic versions of KISS classics with the Melbourne Symphony String Ensemble and six raw classic KISS tracks sans orchestra. This spectacular concert event proved to be a memorable show highlighted by the Melbourne Symphony orchestra appearing in full KISS makeup and will be released as a DVD, KISS Symphony on September 9. Over their illustrious 30-year career, KISS has sold over 80 million albums, played thousands of spectacular SRO tours and continues to garner a succession of gold and platinum awards The rock legends promise to carry on the KISS tradition with a fiery spectacle of power, pomp, and circumstance as they prepare for "THE Summer Tour of 2003" along with fellow rock comrades Aerosmith, which blasts off at the Meadows Music Theatre in Hartford, CT. on August 2.

From: KISS ASYLUM
The Vinnie Vincent Remastered CD contest is over, and four winners have been chosen at random from all entries received. The winners, who will each receive both the Vinnie Vincent albums "Vinnie Vincent Invasion" and "All Systems Go!" are: Larry Roscoe of Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin * Adrian Edgington of Nottinghamshire, England * Donald Smith of Ansonia, Connecticut * Carol Herman of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Thank you to everyone who entered and congratulations to the winners!

From: KULICK.net
Hello everyone! Hope your summer has kicked off with a July 4th bang! I saw some awesome fireworks at a Grand Funk Railroad show over the holiday in Virginia, and in Marin County, CA. Had a great long trip with the band for the past few weeks, and of course all summer long and in the early fall, the band will be coming to your town like the words from "We're An American Band" state. So please check on the GFR site at www.grandfunkrailroad.com. Now some other hot news... first off, I got a chance to play guitars on two tracks for Gene Simmons new solo disc, which I believe will come out early next year. Exciting working with the Demon, and we had fun with the songs. Eric Singer played drums and I guess a little reunion of sorts happened. Gene's solo disc, will turn some heads for sure. Also excited that Paul Stanley was in Las Vegas last week, when Grand Funk had a show, so he came backstage, said hello to the guys, and enjoyed watching us tear up the night. It gets hot in Vegas as you all know, and of course I was on fire knowing Paul was watching. Great to see him and his girl. IMPORTANT information as I get asked SO much that I need to tell the KISS world. ON the record, I was never asked to be the Spaceman (Ace) by Gene and Paul. Fans wonder why. I have theories but the point is I was never asked and I certainly don't take it like I couldn't cut the job. Tommy Thayer is a friend and is a good musician, and Gene and Paul make the decisions. So everyone should understand, I did not turn it down, or even had to consider becoming the Spaceman. [More...]

From: Reuters
NEW YORK (Billboard) - While most Kiss fans would prefer original member Ace Frehley to be at stage left when the band launches its summer trek with Aerosmith Aug. 2, the group could not have picked a more appropriate replacement than Tommy Thayer. For more than a decade, Thayer -- ex-guitarist of '80s metal act Black 'N Blue -- has been employed in various capacities by the band. Scan the Kiss albums and videos released during the past 15 years, and you'll see his credit on the jacket of nearly every title. In addition, he co-wrote a few of the songs on the 1989 set "Hot in the Shade," as well as a track on 1997's "Carnival of Souls." He played on 1998's "Psycho Circus" and was one of the producers of the VH1 "Beyond the Make-Up" special. Thayer began working as a Kiss staffer in the early '90s, spending countless hours sifting through photos for the band's $150 coffee table book, "Kisstory." When the original lineup reunited in '96, he not only served as its tour manager, but he also gave Frehley a refresher on a number of the band's licks and riffs. But his history with Kiss goes back another 20 years. Now 42, the Portland, Ore., native was in his early teens when he ran across a picture of the Kabuki makeup-clad quartet advertising its self-titled debut. "I said, 'Man, that looks like something I'd be into," he says. "I got the album for Christmas in 1974. I popped it in, 'Strutter' came on, and that was the first time I ever heard Kiss. "I listened to the whole record," he continues, "and by the time 'Black Diamond' came on, I was like, 'This is the s---!"' Black 'N Blue would later open for Kiss on the latter's Asylum tour, which led to Kiss' Gene Simmons producing a pair of the band's albums. In many ways, his ascent in the Kiss organization is something he's been preparing to do for years. After Black 'N Blue fizzled in the early '90s, he played Frehley in a short-lived Kiss tribute band. And before he actually assumed the lead guitar role in Kiss full-time -- Frehley reportedly left to pursue a solo career -- Thayer had on more than one occasion come within a heartbeat of taking the stage in Frehley's signature "Spaceman" costume and makeup when the guitarist nearly missed a few shows. Not counting a private gig in Jamaica, Thayer's first performance with the band was in February with the 60-piece Melbourne Symphony Orchestra -- a sold-out show played to 48,000, broadcast worldwide via pay-per-view and recorded for the forthcoming "Alive IV" CD and DVD. Just prior to that gig, Thayer recalls thinking, "'Holy s---, what have I gotten myself into here?' I knew I couldn't make a mistake. Think about that: If I made a mistake, everybody was gonna be like, 'Oh, he can't cut it,' or something. But, luckily, everything went great. I was confident, and I knew we could kick some ass -- and we did." [More...]

From: KISS ASYLUM
As you are all probably aware, Capital/EMI Records have completely remastered the Vinnie Vincent albums "Vinnie Vincent Invasion" and "All Systems Go!" KISS ASYLUM has several sets of these new remasters to give to KISS ASYLUM visitors. There is no signing up for anything, no questions to answer, no hoops to jump through to be eligible for the giveaway. Simply send us an email with your name and mailing address in order to be entered (one entry per person - multiple entries will be deleted). Four (4) winners will be chosen at random from all entries on July 21, 2003, and will be notified by email that they have won. Each winner will receive one copy of each CD. [This contest is now offcially closed (7-21-03)]