Author Archives: Steve Stierwalt
That 70s KISS Show
Come Meet Dale Torborg The Demon Special Guest of KISSArmyWarehouse.com at KISS Cancer Goodbye Event in Sarasota, FL December 7th & 8th!
Come meet former Demon wrestler Dale Torborg by visiting KISSArmyWarehouse.com at KISS Cancer Goodbye Event in Sarasota, FL on December 7th and 8th!
Get tickets to the event here!
KissKids Rock&Roll Allnite
Rest In Peace ANDREW FRENCH
Andrew French performed in multiple KISS tribute bands over the years and even had a role as one of the band doubles in the Detroit Rock City movie. Every time I crossed paths with him, he was always warm and friendly. It’s heartbreaking to share that he passed away this week. Watch him in action in this video clip.
The Led Zeppelin album that changed Ace Frehley’s life
Led Zeppelin’s monumental influence on rock ‘n’ roll is undeniable. Their legendary series of albums, spanning from their 1969 debut to 1975’s Physical Graffiti, laid the groundwork for heavy metal and solidified the band’s place in rock mythology.
The blend of folk and blues infused their powerful songcraft with a grounded, mystical quality that kept them from veering entirely into the grandiose excesses of progressive rock. Embracing the album-oriented rock (AOR) movement, each record became something of a mystical artefact, acting as a portal to realms far removed from the room where the music was playing.
During an interview last year with Goldmine, Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley revealed the ten albums that changed his life. Naturally, The Bronx Spaceman’s list is peppered with guitar-focused records from his youth and during those crazy years of Kiss’ greasepaint classic era. A healthy love of the British invasion is clearly evident. There’s Meet the Beatles!, the American iteration of the Fab Four’s second LP, The Kinks’ conceptual Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One, and of course, The Rolling Stones get a shoo-in with their raw classic Out of Our Heads.
One record in particular that made Frehley bestow high praise is Led Zeppelin’s explosive self-titled debut. He elaborates: “I’ve said it before, and I think we all know that Jimmy Page is one of my favourite guitar players. This album greatly impacted me as a kid growing up in the Bronx”.
Frehley added: “I love all of Zeppelin’s records, that’s the blueprint of rock and roll right there. But the first does it for me the most. I covered ‘Good Times, Bad Times’ on my last Origins record as a sort of homage to Page and what he was able to do on that album. Amazing music, a fantastic record, and totally influential to me as a guitarist before I truly knew what I was doing!”
While Kiss never reached the critical adulation that Zeppelin enjoyed (which they never sought), you can certainly hear their influential effect on Kiss’ early records. ‘Cold Gin’, penned by Frehely, struts itself with Jimmy Page’s sense of ballsy big riff swagger, and ‘Black Diamond’ attempts to reach for Zeppelin’s folk touches on the track’s intro. Frehley sticking to his rock guns on the ill-conceived ’78 solo series, it’s his quarter of the shabby quadruple that holds up the best, doing his homework and studying rock’s “blueprint” while Gene Simmons was singing Disney songs (yes, really).
WCW Vampiro vs The Demon Dale Torborg
ERIC SINGER – DRUM SOLO ALICE COOPER
Gene Simmons SIGNED Nick Simmons House of Horrors Promo Poster at KISSArmyWarehouse.com!
Very hard to find promo poster for the first issue of Gene Simmons House of Horrors. Signed by Gene Simmons and Nick Simmons! Measures 25 x 37 inches. Looks amazing!
Paul Stanley Solo tour Live New Haven 1989
Beavis & Butthead KISS I Love It Loud MTV
KISSArmyWarehouse.com SALE for the Holidays Starting Now!
kissmas24
Family Guy | Road to Europe – Kiss Army
KISS Neon Phone On Sale at KISSArmyWarehouse.com!
KISS Neon Telephone, when the phone rings, the base of the phone lights up the band members and it plays “ROCK AND ROLL ALL NIGHT!” Phone has easel to stand freely or can be mounted on the wall. Released in 1998.
KISS – The Tom Snyder Show 10/31/1979 (Complete)
Kiss Band Member Power Rankings
Only 10 people have ever known what it’s like to be a member of Kiss, and only two have held that role throughout the band’s five decade-plus history.
When ranking the influence of each member on the band’s career, it’s important to note that we’re not judging talent; you have to assume that anybody who reached this level had plenty of that to spare. Equally important are chemistry and timing, and as they say in How I Met Your Mother, “Timing is a bitch.”
You will not be surprised to find Kiss mainstays Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons at the very top of this list, which takes into account length of service as well as contributions to the band’s 20 studio albums, with a particular emphasis on songwriting credits.
10. Mark St. John
(1984: Animalize album)
Kiss’ lead guitarist spot became a revolving door in the early ’80s, with founding member Ace Frehley departing in 1982 and his replacement Vinnie Vincent getting fired just two years later. It quickly became clear to Paul Stanley that their next recruit, Mark St. John wouldn’t last even that long. “The guy could never play the same thing twice, because he was just puking notes,” Stanley told Guitar World. “There was no structure to it.” Mitch Weissman and St. John’s soon-to-be replacement Bruce Kulick were brought in for additional unaccredited guitar work on 1984’s Animalize. When St. John developed a (possibly stress-related) arthritis condition, Kulick was brought in for the band’s next tour. St. John eventually joined the band for a few shows, but it was clear to both sides that this was not a match. “The situation was a East meets West type of thing,” St. John later told Kiss Asylum. “We didn’t hate each other, but they solved things ‘their way or hit the highway.'”
KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park (1978) Filming Locations – Horror’s Hallowed Grounds
Ace Frehley with Trixter November 16th in Iowa
WHO: ACE FREHLEY with Special Guest TRIXTER
WHEN: Saturday, November 16, 2024 – 7:30PM CT
WHERE: Val-Air Ballroom | West Des Moines, IA
“Carol Kaye taught me real hard, telling me, ‘No, no, you’re playing the notes but you’re not playing the feel’”: Gene Simmons names 6 bass players who shaped his sound
From his earliest days, Gene Simmons intended to keep it simple when it comes to bass playing. “I’ve always been a pragmatist,” he says. “Pragmatism rules.
“When I was a kid I noticed that everybody wanted to be a guitar player, and I did initially learn to play a few chords. But I picked up bass because there were fewer bass players, and it increased my chances of being in a band – which is what I really wanted.”
Set of Tattoo Masks 2016 Official Japan KISS Expo
Very cool item. These special masks sets were available at the 2016 Official Japan KISS Expo. These are shaped a lot better than the ones released by the costume company a few years ago. Limited Supply! This price gets you one full set of masks.