A great set of photos from yesterday’s KISS tribute band contest at the Hard Rock in Las Vegas.
Steve Sils Photography
Tim McPhate | KissFAQ
Just months after the “Asylum” tour, in summer 1986, Paul Stanley was already mulling the direction of the next KISS album.
Though the in-house produced “Asylum” crept past gold status, Stanley was taking note of bands such as Bon Jovi, Poison, Heart, and Ozzy Osbourne, who were all racing up the charts with hit singles and multi-platinum albums. He wanted KISS to get in on the action. He knew he needed a hot producer to help him toward this goal. He wanted Ron Nevison.
Nevison’s discography reads like a who’s who of classic rock royalty, including work with the Who, Led Zeppelin, Bad Company, Thin Lizzy, and the Rolling Stones, among others. By the time the calendar turned to 1987, he was fresh from resuscitating the career of Heart, who sold millions on the strength of four hit singles from their 1985 Nevison-produced self-titled album. Nevison was in such high demand throughout late 1986 and early 1987, KISS (read: Paul Stanley) chose to hold their new album until his schedule was clear.
John Katsilometes | Las Vegas Sun
Steve Marcus
At one side of the room, a guy dressed as Gene Simmons adjusted his studded codpiece. At another, a would-be Paul Stanley was plopped on a leather sofa, munching on a handful of tortilla chips.
Everywhere you turned there were guys dressed as members of Kiss, and it was no happy coincidence. A quartet of Kiss tribute bands, totaling 16 costumed musicians, competed in the first Kiss Off at Body English at the Hard Rock Hotel. The bands were the survivors of a worldwide search for the best Kiss tribute act to perform at the opening of Kiss By Monster Mini Golf, the attraction set to open March 15 on Harmon Avenue, just east of Rumor and across the street from the Hard Rock.
We just got a hold of another GREAT vintage 1970’s KISS Collection and it’s all up for sale NOW. Every item is from the vintage make-up days including some pre-KISS related material as well. Most are single items so at least take a look before they are all gone!
Vintage KISS collection for sale at KISSmuseum.com
Susan Stapleton | Haute Living
Erik Kabik
KISS Off cover band members at the Welcome to Las Vegas sign in Las Vegas.
KISS cover bands from around the globe posed for a photo at the Welcome to Las Vegas sign this morning for KISS by Monster Mini Golf.
Bands from Ohio, Texas, Hungary and Australia were selected from hundreds of entires from all over the world. They arrived in Las Vegas today to perform in the KISS OFF competition taking place today at Body English Nightclub at Hard Rock Hotel. The winner will be selected by Tommy Thayer, lead guitarist for KISS.
The winning band will get to perform at the grand opening of KISS by Monster Mini Golf on March 15, where all members of KISS will be attendance.
John Katsilometes | Las Vegas Sun
Erik Kabik
There will always be a forum for anyone blessed with a lengthy tongue, musical acumen, and a willingness to slather on layers of face paint.
KISS By Monster Mini Golf is making certain of that.
This weekend marks the “KISS Off” finale, scheduled for 2-6 p.m. Sunday at Body English at Hard Rock Hotel. The free-admission, open-to-the-public contest is to award the top KISS tribute band on the planet, or at least the top KISS band among the 200 entries submitted to company officials, who then tracked more than 29,000 votes online to determine the top four entries.
That fortuitous four, and their representative countries/states are KISS Forever (Hungary), Mr. Speed (Ohio), Rock and Roll Over (Texas) and KISSteria (Australia). Opening will be Las Vegas’ own Las Vegas KISS. The finalists will be judged on talent, performance, appearance, showmanship and, of course, evening gown competition (hashtag-sheckykats).
Take a video tour of the famous loft at 10 East 23rd street where KISS rehearsed and wrote much of their first album. Now a comic book shop, this space is now actually open to the public. You can see the stairs that one of the first and most famous photographs of KISS was ever taken. Our friends at KISS Mask ran this recently – originally posted on YouTube last May, but worth a look if you haven’t seen it before!
Barb Smith
Comic book legend Stan Lee, and Gene Simmons of KISS, made a stop in Park City Tuesday. The duo is there for a premiere of the documentary “With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story” about the Marvel creator’s life.
The two icons might seem like an unlikely pair, but Gene Simmons was the focus of two Marvel Comic books decades ago. The rocker says his relationship began with Stan Lee years before that, and long before the two met.
Simmons was an immigrant and says his early years in America were spent feeling like an outsider. “I had to empower myself and become my own superhero. I had to get my self esteem in order. By reading Stan Lee’s comic books I noticed there was a character called Peter Parker who was a pimply faced teenager that girls didn’t care about.”
Genevieve LeBlanc | Nerd Reactor
Today, Stan Lee gave a live and global webcast with host Gene Simmons from the Sundance Film Festival to promote his biographical documentary which will be screening at the festival this year. Fans could submit questions in 53 languages while also getting live subtitles in any of those languages of the conversation, and Nerd Reactor tuned in to catch the action.
Lee, who will be turning 90 this year, was in good spirits and eager to speak with fans using the Ortsbo technology, the engine which translated the interview in real-time. The live interview attracted approximately 250 watchers throughout the hour and took questions from fans in several countries around the world. Despite the mass amount of questions submitted, Nerd Reactor managed to get a few to Stan “The Man” himself. Lee not only discussed future endeavors that will be released by his company, Pow Entertainment, but also expressed his opinion of the up-and-coming Spider-Man film as well as some of his favorite creations.
Q: Our first question is from Cecily in Denmark, and she asks you in dutch, “What was the first comic book you ever read?”
Lee: I think it was probably captain America. When I was a kid. And I couldn’t believe it, how exciting it was, and well drawn it was. And it really got me interested in comics.
Q: Fatso asked you in Finnish, “If you could have a super power, what would it be and why?”
Simmons: Well, I am proud to say that having been a marvel comic book myself, thanks to Mr. Lee in 1978, I fought Dr. Doom because I was able to fly, spit fire, and had super strength, thanks to the wonderful comic book that — I am just all heart. [Laughter] And then I found out that it was just one of Dr. Doom’s robots dressed as him, drat!
Professor Epiphone highlights Ace Frehley’s new 2012 Budokan Epiphone guitar at the NAMM show booth.
The video post above didn’t actually have Ace with the guitar, so here’s the man shredding a few licks at a Duncan Donuts board meeting. We posted this video a few years ago, but it’s time to take another look at this timeless masterpiece…
11″ tall vinyl figure of Gene Simmons as the Japanese robot monster.
$39.95 at KISSmuseum.com
Mari Kasurinen | toycutter.com
The reason the internet was invented…
Tina Fradella Hidalgo
Tina sent us an unusual collection of Vinnie Vincent photos she hopes to share with other fans. Some amazing stuff Tina, thanks from all of us!
“Like every Vinnie fan I’m always looking for more on the man, as most of us know he has gone into hiding. I became a fan of KISS at 12, right around the time Eric Carr joined the band. I went to my first KISS concert on the Creatures tour, the day before Mardi Gras. Like everyone else I would say, ‘this Vinnie guy better had be good – if not I want Ace back’.”
“The pictures here are some of what Vinnie said he would unleash but never did. Personally, I think every fan should see them. From his teenage years through his time with KISS – I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!” – Tina
Great current video interview of Ace interview on the Gibson Guitars website. Ace talks about how he started his love affair with the Sunburst Gibson and his bands he played with before KISS. Ace also gives a demonstration of his new Budokan Les Paul model guitar.
You can chat live online with Gene Simmons of KISS and Stan Lee of Marvel Comics this Tuesday January 24 at 2:45 pm EST. English isn’t your first language? No problem – the Ortsbo website will translate your conversation for you in any one of 53 languages.
Visit the Ortsbo website for more details.
Matthew Wilkening | Ultimate Classic Rock
In honor of Kiss frontman Paul Stanley‘s 60th birthday today (Jan. 20), we’re taking a big look back at the band’s career by revisiting every single one of their 19 studio albums and giving you the chance to vote for your favorite song from each of them.
From their nearly unassailable first six albums, through the ups and downs of some rocky (but also rewarding) disco, progressive rock and pop-metal influenced records, all the way up to 2009′s ‘Sonic Boom,’ the history of Kiss is recounted step-by-step in the following pages, along with your chance to pick the best track from each record.
We’re very excited to see which songs you choose as your favorites from classics platters such as ‘Destroyer,’ ‘Creatures of the Night’ and ‘Revenge,’ as well as what you salvage from well, maybe-not-so-memorable albums such as ‘Crazy Nights’ or ‘Music from the Elder.’ We hope you enjoy this tour as much as we did!
The last of the originals to turn 60 does so today…Happy Birthday Paul!
