Joe Polo

New Jersey KISS Expo

People have been asking – “what kind of KISS merchandise will be at the NJ KISS Expo?” The short answer is – EVERYTHING! The old and the new, the mundane and the extravagant, the cheap and the expensive, the expected and the unexpected… There is no better place to start your quest to complete your KISS collection!

Most importantly, you are being connected to the largest network of KISS dealers in the world….and the largest KISS dealers will be there – KISSonline.com, KISSmuseum.com, KISSarmywarehouse.com, Gene Simmons Axe guitars, John Rubin, Ross Koondel, and many, many more. There is nowhere in the Universe you will ever see such volume and variety of KISS Collectibles in one place! Below are photos the dealers have sent us of just a small offering of the items they will be bringing. The photo of the truck is just a single collection bought recently by one of the dealers – it will all be there for sale this Saturday!

Info and directions to the 2013 New Jersey KISS Expo are at njkissexpo.com

Ben Smith | VH1

When road manager J.R. Smalling introduced KISS as “The hottest band in the land” on their breakthrough double live album Alive!, it wasn’t just hyperbole. There was no one else in the world at that moment delivering a more exciting live concert experience full of great songs, electric performances and groundbreaking theatricality. And while that 1975 album was the band’s watershed release they had already built up a large and fanatical live following from non-stop touring since the release of their self-titled debut album in 1974.

Fin Costello

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: 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.

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Vincent Bonsignore | Los Angeles Daily News

No seriously, I told my wife Tuesday morning. I really do have to go to the House of Blues on Sunset for a press conference announcing the newest football coach for L.A.’s newest professional football team.

“And Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley from KISS figure into all this how, again?”

“They own the L.A. KISS the football team I was telling you about.” I told her.

The skepticism hanging in the air was stifling at this point.

“You know I have the Daily News app, right?” my wife reminded me. “If that story doesn’t show up on your site by tonight you’re in big trouble. I got my eye on you, buddy.”

Welcome to my world, where L.A.’s various entertainment boulevards sometimes cross at the most curious intersections.

And how sometimes explaining your work day and whereabouts to your wife sounds like a precursor to the “Jerry Springer Show.”

Tuesday being a prime example, as professional football was ushered back to Los Angeles by the two front men of one of the most iconic rock bands in music history.

Sounds about right.

I mean, of course Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley would buy an Arena Football League team, name them the KISS, situate them in Los Angeles and welcome new coach Bill McMillen to town at a press conference on Sunset Boulevard where a strange brew of sports reporters, TV personalities and scantily clad beautiful women would gather at a bar at the House of Blues.

All that was missing was Tim Tebow, the banished NFL quarterback who KISS has mounted a very public pursuit of.

Here is guessing the notoriously virtuous Tebow would have been a bit uneasy in the dimly lit settings Tuesday – kind of how he looks dropping back to throw a football, come to think of it.

As for me, I loved every second of it.

It was zany and campy and a bit off the grind, but that’s the allure of the whole thing.

And while I might not rush out to see a KISS game, consider me intrigued enough by the Simmons and Stanley presentation Tuesday to be sure to check them out from time to time.

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Matthew Wilkening | 1037 The Loon

On Sept. 18, 1983, an unthinkable event in Kiss-story took place: the world’s most famous masked band removed their makeup and revealed their true faces.Granted, the news wasn’t as earth-shaking as it would have been if the group had come clean a few years earlier, say the mid-to-late ’70s, when they were undeniably the hottest band in the land. However, by this time, internal tensions and a series of questionable disco and pop-influenced albums had severely crippled their commercial standing.

Original members Peter Criss and Ace Frehley had also departed the group, and even the back-to-basics creative triumph of 1982′s ‘Creatures of the Night‘ failed to reignite their career. In his book ‘Kiss and Make-Up,’ Gene Simmons reveals how the band’s other remaining founding member, Paul Stanley, convinced him it was time for a big change while they were recording ‘Lick it Up,’ their 11th studio album:

“‘Let’s prove something to the fans,’ Paul said, ‘Let’s go and be a real band without makeup.’ I reluctantly agreed. I didn’t know if it was going to work, but I heard what Paul was saying — there was nowhere else for us to go. We did a photo session just to see what it would look like. We looked straight into the camera lens. We were defiant. I made one small concession to the fans — I stuck out my tongue, to try to keep something that connected us with the past.”(Nothing small about that concession, when you think about it!)

Speaking of the public unveiling on MTV — which you can see below — Simmons says, “We made the best of it, but I was scared stiff.” Turns out Stanley was indeed right, as the

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Chronicle Live

They were the rock stars dressed like Marvel comic book heroes who took America by storm – and a band which also made waves here in the UK.

Formed in New York City, Kiss combined a modicum of musical talent with a prodigious work ethic to become one of the biggest rock acts of the 1970s – and beyond.

Their stock in trade, of course, would be their outrageous and outlandish stage-wear and black and white painted faces, plus a stunning stage show that featured blood-spitting, fire-breathing, guitars that fired rockets, and pyrotechnics.

Albums like Destroyer and Alive were massive sellers, especially in the US, while singles like Crazy Crazy Nights and God Gave Rock And Roll To You would bring them major hits in Britain.

But on this day in 1983, with their career somewhat on the wane, Kiss appeared for the first time without their make-up on that recent innovation, MTV.

A little over a month later, the foursome were on tour and in the region at a packed Newcastle City Hall.

Our reviewer was impressed, but first up, he dealt with the band’s new look.

“Even without their make-up – or should that be especially without – these guys could never win a beauty contest, but their music is something else.

“Their banks of speakers blasted out exactly what the crowd wanted – some of the sweatiest rock around – so loud that my ears were still numb the next day.”

Despite the new image, it was clear Kiss could still put on a trademark over-the-top show.

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NJKISSexpo.com

Jim Cara, the creator of the line of Gene Simmons personal stage Axe Guitars will be giving a guitar building presentation at the New Jersey KISS Expo coming up next Saturday, September 28. Jim will do an in-depth step-by-step demonstration taking you through the process of how the Gene’s axe bass guitars are designed, constructed and produced. He will have many, many examples of Gene’s axe guitars on display at his huge booth for everyone to see. Jim Cara is one of the top designers in his field and he is adding much to this already amazing KISS Expo!

Info on the Gene Simmons Axe guitars is at GSAxe.com
Info for the New Jersey KISS Expo is at NJKISSExpo.com

Michael Brandvold

Shawn Akers | Charisma News

The media often has chastised Tim Tebow for boldly expressing his Christianity in public. Recently, Tebow surprisingly got a vote of support from a brash individual of another sort—KISS frontman Gene Simmons.

Simmons, who along with bandmate Paul Stanley is co-owner of the LA KISS—a new Arena Football League team—told Radio.com that Tebow has only been picked on because of his Christian beliefs and that it would be a different story if he were of another religion.

“He’s got religious passion, as well he should. We’re in America,” Simmons told Radio.com. “He’s proud to be a Christian. What’s wrong with that? And yet, with sports media and pop culture media, they make fun of his religion. Really? In America?

“If he was wearing a burqa [an outer garment worn by women in some Islamic countries to cover their bodies when in public], they wouldn’t dare saying anything. The guy’s got family values. I never saw the media picking on Michael Vick for torturing dogs. Or this other football player [Aaron Hernandez], who’s alleged to have killed, committed murder. That’s ‘cool.’ But a guy who’s religious and has got family values isn’t cool? He’s cool to me.”

The LA KISS will begin playing in the Arena Football League in 2014. Simmons and Stanley recently made a public offer to Tebow to come and play quarterback for them next year. The New England Patriots released Tebow, the former Heisman Trophy-winner and two-time national championship quarterback at the University of Florida, prior to the start of the NFL season.

Simmons says he hasn’t heard from Tebow following the offer but that he knows Tebow has been in Los Angeles and may be mulling over the possibility.

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Nicki Gostin | Fox News

Legendary KISS founders Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley have collaborated on the memoir ‘Nothin’ To Lose,’ an oral history of their rock band’s genesis. “It’s an overview of the band,” explained Stanley. “How it came about from its inception, almost from the time the sperm fertilized the egg really.” Indeed. FOX411 spoke to both Stanley and Simmons about the book, their football plans, and what went wrong with original KISS members Peter Criss and Ace Frehley.

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.

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NJKISSexpo.com

UD Replicas, the leader in high-end movie replicas, has moved into the world of Rock and Roll with their new line of high-end KISS motorcycle jackets and clothing. The unveiling will take place at the 2013 New Jersey KISS Expo at the Raritan Center in Edison NJ next Saturday, September 28.

Samples will be available for viewing and inspection. You will also be able to pre-order the items directly at the KISS Expo. We are unbelievably lucky to have UD Replicas as part of our solid day of non-stop KISS mayhem this year. They promise to have an incredible display booth not to be missed!

Tickets to the KISS Expo are only $10 – buy them online today HERE!

KrazyKnights1
 

Cassius Morris | COTN

Binky Philips | Huffington Post

Binky Philips will be one of the many special guests at the New Jersey KISS Expo on September 28th.

School year, 1969/1970…

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 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.

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Richard Ouzounian | The Star

Back when Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons were forming the glam rock entity known as KISS, they had to improvise for their theatrical look. For instance, their studded collars came from a pet store.

Alyssa Toomey | E online

It seems that everyone has an opinion on Miley Cyrus‘ controversial performance at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards.

But when it comes to her tongue-wagging show, no one is a more qualified to judge than rock star Gene Simmons.

“I don’t understand why people got so upset,” the KISS artist told Rolling Stone of Cyrus’ eyebrow-raising performance, which saw the 20-year-old singer twerking with teddy bears, stripping down to a flesh-covered bra and panties, making raunchy gestures with a large foam finger and grinding up against 36-year-old Robin Thicke—actions for which the FCCreceived a number of heated complaints.

“Whether you stick out your tongue or shake your tushy, all the other girls are doing the same thing,” Simmons continued. “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.”

Solid point, which, in fact, is quite similar to Miley’s previous assessment of her performance.

“I don’t pay attention to the negative because I’ve seen this play out so many times,” she said to MTV News of the VMA backlash. “How many times have we seen this play out in pop music? Madonna’s done it. Britney’s done it. Every VMA performance, that’s what you’re looking for; you’re wanting to make history.”

But while Cyrus may have successfully gotten everyone talking, Simmons is somewhat critical of the pop star’s tongue-flashing skills.

“It was okay,” he said when asked to rate Miley’s tongue-wagging show. “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.”

Any comeback, Miles?

NJ KISS Expo

“KISSNATION, the veteran NYC Kiss Tribute Show, is proud to be a part of this year’s NY/NJ Kiss Expo. Stripping away their make-up, costumes and electric guitars, the band goes unplugged for an intimate performance for the expo attendees. With several sets throughout the day, Kissnation will be performing Kiss rarities along with taking fan requests. Visit them online at KISSNATION.com.”

Tickets and info for the NJ KISS Expo 2013 are available at NJKISSExpo.com.

Tim McPhate | KissFAQ

In a KissFAQ exclusive, award-winning producer/engineer Jeff Glixman gives his first-ever in-depth interview about his involvement on Paul Stanley’s 1978 solo album. Below are excerpts from his interview with KissFAQ’s Tim McPhate:

KissFAQ: Jeff, let’s rewind to summer 1978. What are your recollections of coming onboard for Paul Stanley’s solo album

Jeff Glixman: Well, they’re pretty clear. We had some huge success with Kansas with our album in fall 1977, “Point Of Know Return.” The band had done a big tour and a lot of things had gone on and they wanted to take a break for a little bit. So we all decided, “Let’s take a little break and go to Hawaii and take a few months off.” I returned from Hawaii and my attorney called me and said, “Paul Stanley is in the midst of an album. I know you’ve got another album coming up, but there’s a little window of opportunity, would you like to work on it?” I was thinking, “Vacation or work with Paul Stanley? I’m going with Paul.”

KF: You came onboard for the album’s sessions in Los Angeles. Do you recall being at the Village Recorder?

JG: I remember working at the Village. We worked at the Record Plant too.

KF: Legend has it that Paul visited a studio in the valley and decided it wasn’t up to par. Does that ring a bell

JG: He might have taken a look at Sound City, I don’t know. I had produced out of Sound City, which was funky to look at but an awesome-sounding studio. As you know, Dave Grohl just completed a documentary film about Sound City and the history of that place. It was a funky place but a really good studio. I just remember the studios being tossed around but I didn’t handle the bookings.

KF: When you were brought onboard, was it with the understanding you were going to produce the entire album?

JG: (pauses) Originally, I didn’t have the time to produce the entire project. I had a time constraint because I had another record coming up that I had to get to that had a hard start date. As I said, I had planned to take some vacation time. It was my understanding that we’d certainly work on all the tracks — that there were certain things that either needed to be recut or worked on or that we’d recut parts of, or whatever. And I never intended to get to the mix unless we went really fast.

KF: As you alluded to, the first four tracks on the album were recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York, prior to your involvement: “Tonight You Belong To Me,” “Move On,” “Ain’t Quite Right,” and “Wouldn’t You Like To Know Me?” Paul has stated that the recordings in New York were designed to be demos and that they originally were going to be recut. Do you remember giving these tracks another go in Los Angeles?

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