Music is just one part of the experience—it always has been and always will be. A band’s sound is crucial, but so is the way they present themselves. Take Kiss, for example. When you listen to them, you hear heavy, electrifying, guitar-driven rock. But when you see them, it’s a whole different story—they look almost possessed, covered in makeup, surrounded by flames, and commanding every inch of the stage.
When Gene Simmons discussed the decision to wear makeup as they did, he said The Beatles initially inspired them because of their look and sound. He liked the idea that no matter what music they made or where in the world they went, there would be no doubt that Kiss was a musical collective, borderline joined at the hip.
We also took pride in having the same freedom The Beatles had,” said Gene Simmons. “ Their philosophy was, ‘No matter what kind of music we do, it’s still The Beatles’. That’s what was amazing about them… The Beatles were not trapped in that way. They could do music hall, psychedelia – anything – and they did. Yet somehow, it always sounded like The Beatles.”
While Simmons might be adamant that The Beatles were one of the biggest influences on Kiss, Ace Frehley would probably disagree. Like so many guitarists at the time, Frehley found himself in awe at Jimi Hendrix the first time he heard his music, blown away by his guitar-playing ability and the poetic nature of his lyrics. The first album that he listened to by Jimi Hendrix was Are You Experienced?, which completely took over his life.
“I was about 16 when I first heard it. I remember walking around with it all the time. I brought it to school with me and showed it to everyone,” he recalled. “I brought it to band rehearsals. I lived with that album until someone ripped it off at a party. Of course, I went right out and bought another one. My guitar style was modelled after a lot of musicians, and Hendrix was definitely one of them.”
Of course, Frehley was drawn to more than just Hendrix’s sound; it was his whole performance. Jimi Hendrix wasn’t just renowned for playing the guitar, but he was well respected as one of the most flamboyant and entertaining performers out there. He would play the guitar behind the back of his head with his teeth and set it on fire. A lot of the pyrotechnics and stage presence that Frehley went on to champion in his career can be directly linked to Hendrix. As a fan, it wasn’t long before Frehley went to see Hendrix live, but he became more integral to the gig than he originally thought.
“I got a chance to meet him when I was 18. I snuck backstage at his last New York appearance at Randall’s Island, and they ended up putting me to work with the road crew,” he remembered. “Back then, they didn’t have laminates or heads of security, and if you looked like you belonged with the band, they let you go backstage. I had hair down to my waist, lemon-yellow hot pants and a black T-shirt with a snakeskin star on it, so they let me in.”
He concluded, “But after a while, they were like, ‘Who is this fuckin’ guy?’ But before they kicked me out, they said, ‘Can you do anything?’ And they put me to work setting up Mitch Mitchell’s drums and working on the stage when Jimi was playing. It was bizarre.”
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