Frank Hagan | KISS Mask Webzine

KISS will perform on The Late Show with David Letterman (CBS Network) on Wednesday, October 10 (show airs at 11:35PM) to promote MONSTER which will release on October 9 in North America.

Peter Hodgson | Gibson

KISS and Mötley Crüe will bring their imaginatively titled ‘The Tour’ tour to Australia in early 2013, according to Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee.

Over the weekend Tommy posted on Facebook [edited for clarity]:

“Wow! How time flies! Last night of the U.S. part of the tour. One show in Mexico in a few days but it’s a rap for 2012, kids! A little break ’til January 2013 then off to Australia with KISS and Motley. Been going like [expletive] since February in Vegas! Nine months! [Expletive] Whooped…”

The just-wrapping-up The Tour tour encompasses 40 dates across the USA, Canada and Mexico, with both bands playing 90-minute sets. KISS are of course about to release their new album Monster, while the Crüe are still running on the heat generated from “Sex,” the new song they released to coincide with their Las Vegas run earlier this year.

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Carlos Ramirez | Noisecreep

Jim Dyson

“I don’t know what’s more embarrassing, these musicians and actors talking about politics in interviews or the media actually giving them credibility about it,” KISS legendPaul Stanley tells Noisecreep during a recent chat. The singer/guitarist was on the line to discuss Monster, KISS’ upcoming 20th studio album, when we asked him why he’s always been so guarded about his political views in the press.

The subject came up because Gene Simmons (his KISS bandmate) has been very vocal as of late, when it comes to his Republican views. “It’s absurd that a celebrity could speak out on the economy or politics with no more justification than a hit album or a movie. Not to deride Gene, but I just think he’s part of a symptom of absurdity where you’ll see somebody on television whose only criteria for being there is success in a field far away from what they’re being asked about. I really don’t know who is more ridiculous, the celebrity answering these political questions or the person asking them,” said the 60-year-old New York native.

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Gabe Ginsberg | Examiner

Are you smarter than a Rockstar? That was what the invite to KISS by Monster Mini Golfhad said. The winner would get a chance to attend Rock n Roll Fantasy Camp.

After eight weeks of competition, the audience was going to see who was smarter than a Rockstar. Each week contestants battled it out with Rockstars to see who will go to Rock n Roll Fantasy Camp. The competition was hard as the contestants went up against Rockstar legends like Bruce Kulick from KISS, Paul Shortino from Quiet Riot, Oz Fox from Stryper and even Slaughter’s Blas Elias.

For the finals the contestants had to beatSebastian Bach formerly of the band Skid Row. The event started off with a meet and greet with the legendary singer. Sebastian Bach was very personable as he joked and posed with his fans.

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Gus Griesinger | Backstage Axxess

Kiss’ career has spanned almost 39 years and this year they are about to release their 20th studio album titled “Monster” on Universal Music Enterprises. As with their last effort “Sonic Boom,” the band invited no co-writers and founder and rhythm guitarist Paul Stanley co-produced the CD along with Greg Collins. Stanley, along with co-founder and bassist Gene Simmons have continued to sport the same lineup for the last 8 years with drummer Eric Singer and lead guitarist Tommy Thayer rounding out the quartet.

The band’s first single “Hell or Hallelujah” was released to the airwaves on July 2, 2012. It is an up-tempo, ass kicking song that showcases Thayer’s strong and consistent licks delivered with that traditional Stanley vocal that Kiss fans have come to love. I believe it can already be put in the category of a “Kiss classic!”

Simmons has cited his favorite track on this release as the 2nd track, “Wall of Sound.” For some reason, the song takes me back to an 80’s or earlier version of Kiss, perhaps something that could have been on either “Crazy Nights” or Hot in the Shade.” It’s a cool track but not my favorite Simmons song on the CD as you will see below.

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Simon & Schuster

Peter Criss has several scheduled book signings to coincide with the release of Makeup to Breakup. Visit the Simon & Schuster website for a complete list. Image below is now hanging in front of the Barnes & Noble in Eatontown NJ. Great opportunity to meet Peter and get your book signed!

Leonard Carl | Shalom Life

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It appears that you can’t always judge a book by its television show, especially in the case of Kiss front man, and Israeli native Chaim Weitz, who some of you may know better as Gene Simmons.

Simmons, who hails from Tirah HaCarmel, Israel, recently recorded a personal message for students at the World ORT-affiliated Shifman School, in his hometown.

In the video, broadcast on YouTube, the 62-year-old Simmons, who stars in the eponymous reality show, Gene Simmons’ Family Jewels, spoke in both English and Hebrew, and told the teens of his old stomping ground to “work hard, use the tools World ORT has given you to make your own luck.”

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Tiffany Fry | The Brazil Times

Buckingham and his children got their photo taken with KISS during their backstage experience in September. From left, Gene Simmons, Justin Buckingham, Eric Singer, Jessica Buckingham, Paul Stanley, Mark Buckingham and Tommy Thayer pose for a photo.

One Brazil man now has a connection to a band he’s been a fan of for more than 35 years.

Mark Buckingham recently designed drumsticks for KISS’s drummer Eric Singer, and the drumsticks are currently being sold at the band’s concerts.

In 2011, Buckingham painted a drumstick for Singer with a picture of him in full makeup and one of his outfits.

Metropool

Universal Music presents: Official KISS – ‘Monster’ Release party

October 4th – Hengelo, The Netherlands
Venue: Metropool – www.metropool.nl
Doors open: 19.00 hrs.
Free entrance: sign up by e-mailing kiss@umusic.com

– Be the first in the world to own the new KISS album ‘Monster’
– All formats of Monster will be available, including the limited edition 3-D cover, the highly anticipated picture disc (the only 100 picture discs available in The Netherlands will be sold here exclusively)
– KISS merchandise dealers from all over Europe
– Classic Kiss show by Kiss on the Rocks

Spiro Papadatos | KISSonline

Check out this amazing version of “Rock And Roll All Nite” by Spiro Papadatos. The track appears on the upcoming KISS tribute album, KISSIN’ TIME: CANADA’S TRIBUTE TO KISS. The cd will be released in October and features 12 Klassic KISS songs recorded by some of the best Indie artists from Canada. All proceeds after expenses will be donated to SICK KIDS FOUNDATION (Toronto Sick Kids Hospital).

More info at https://www.facebook.com/KissinTimeCanadasTributeToKiss

Creatures of the Net

Josh Mcauliffe | Times-Tribune

Kiss and Motley Crüe, sharing the same stage.

Can you say sensory overload?

The glam metal icons brought their co-headlining tour to a rain-drenched Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain on Tuesday night, putting a bombastic exclamation point on the 2012 summer concert season.

The weather no doubt kept some people at home, but the thousands who turned out were treated to a double bill of nonstop bells and whistles – with some pretty decent music thrown in for good measure.

The Crüe was first, arriving at 7:45 p.m. to a stage adorned with huge video monitors, pyromania, a menagerie of scantily clad dancing women and a mini roller coaster (more on that later).

They opened their 80-minute set with “The Saints of Los Angeles,” which might be one of the most ironically titled songs in rock history, considering the band’s debauchery-laden past.

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Tim McPhate | KissFAQ

Imagine being a fly on the wall at Bell Sound Studios in 1973 while KISS were recording their debut album. Imagine listening to playbacks of takes for songs such as “Strutter,” “Deuce,” “100,000 Years,” “Nothin’ To Lose,” and “Black Diamond.” Imagine the decibels of raw, primal KISS power reverberating throughout the studio.

Now, imagine being a musician and having an opportunity to get in on the fun and literally play on the album.

Grammy-nominated musician Bruce Stephen Foster enjoyed the latter privilege. A “hot-shot young piano player” at the time, Foster has the distinction of being the first outside musician to play on a KISS studio album. Co-producer Richie Wise felt a musical element was missing in Gene Simmons’ ode to back-door lovin’, “Nothin’ To Lose,” and he knew just the guy to call. Enter Foster, who ended up contributing a complementary old-time rock and roll-flavored piano track, adding the perfect layer to what would become KISS’ debut single. The part did come with a price, however.

“I wound up with my fingers bleeding,” jokes Foster.

Foster would be properly acknowledged for his work in the album’s credits, perhaps due to KISS being a new entity at that point. Interestingly, this particular credit stands as an anomaly in the KISS catalog given the several ghost musicians who would appear on later works.

KissFAQ caught up with Foster to ask him about his recollections of the “Nothin’ To Lose” session and working with KISS. The New Jersey-based musician also shared some fun stories and briefed us on his longstanding career in the music industry, which continues to this day. But before we get to the interview, read below a personal introduction from Foster:

It always amazes me how time is such a relative entity. Listening a moment ago to “Nothin’ To Lose'” felt like a fresh memory…not one from way over 30 years ago! I remember honing my piano part down to the measures of music that would make it count artistically. A creative pool of talent gathered in the studio that day helped me massage it into
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Peter Arquette | KISS Asylum

Bruce and Bob Kulick signed autographs and posed for photos all day – Ken Kelly, the artist for Destroyer and Love Gun and Len Delessio, the early ’70s photographer both had magnificent booths full of KISS photos and KISS artwork much of which has never been seen before! And Peter Criss was up until 1 am in the morning individually meeting with his fans! Originally promising 3 – 4 minutes, Peter, he actually doubled the private time alone with him to 7 – 8 minutes with each and every fan who was lucky enough to have the special One-on-One With the Catman meet and greet package. But most of all, it was a time to reconnect with past KISS friends as well as make new ones. Just a total blast – we can’t wait for 2013!

Dave Striecher

Andy Mars Photography

theelder13

A>D. Amrosi | The Inquirer

The first thing to do when speaking to Kiss’ Gene Simmons is to get to the truth of the matter. After nearly 40 years of being in the dressy demonic ensemble, the bassist, entrepreneur, and reality television star wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

Ask him what he thinks of partner Paul Stanley’s 2009 statement to this writer that “democracy is overrated” in relation to the Starchild’s production of that year’s Sonic Boom, and Simmons chuckles. “Yes,” he says. “Everybody can’t have equal say. The good thing about Paul is that he was able to commit the time and the mental fatigue that it takes to stay in the studio for three months. I didn’t have that. I’m way past that.”

With Simmons pretending he’s past that, Stanley produced Kiss’ metal-marauding 20th studio album,Monster. “We’re in the same car,” Simmons says. “Paul just happens to be steering, and I’m happy he is.”

Simmons should be: Monster is a beast, a richly melodic yet gut-punching work that rivals Kiss classics such as Dressed to Kill and Destroyer, the latter currently getting a polish with a recently remastered rerelease.

“There’s always going to be a 15-year-old who hasn’t heard the classics,” says Simmons. “Seeing the kids dressed in our makeup on his father’s shoulder – also wearing makeup, by the way – is the most emotional thing of a Kiss concert for me. That those same kids can Continue reading →