Category Archives: KISS News

Did the makeup make Kiss better or worse?

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One of the most defining moments of Kiss was when Black Sabbath took them on their first world tour. Sabbath were a definitive band that pushed the boundaries of music and was always keen on giving listeners something new. As pioneers of the musical revolution, it only made sense that Black Sabbath would take fellow innovators on the road, and that’s what they did with Kiss.

What they got turned out to be much more than they bargained for, as Kiss proved to be much more than just a band with a big sound. They put theatre at the heart of everything they did, keen on stimulating a crowd’s senses, not just stopping at the sound but giving them something awe-inspiring to look at in the process.

“Kiss was the first to use pyro,” said Geezer Butler, looking back on when he first hit the road with the band, “You’ve never seen that. I mean, the shock of that. And they were supporting us, so they weren’t even headlining. I went out and watched them. There were all these flames coming out the stage and everything. It was like, ‘Oh my God, what’s going on here?’”

While the pyrotechnics that Kiss used were certainly a talking point, one of the most famous aspects of their live show is the makeup they wear. The inspiration behind Halloween costumes ever since, Kiss’s black and white makeup has become the stuff of legend, as they are one of the most recognisable bands on the planet.

When Paul Stanley was asked why the band opted to wear makeup, naturally, he said it was to entertain. However, there was a deeper meaning attached, as Kiss felt the idea of brand identity didn’t exist in music as much anymore.

“Those ‘60s British groups all looked like real bands. No member of The Beatles could have fit into the Stones. No member of The Who could have fit been in the Dave Clark Five,” he said, “You had unified images of those bands, and at the same time, there was an emphasis on the individual members.”

He has a point. When you think of the members of Kiss, you can name them all and the characters they performed as, and as a result, you pay more attention to the individual styles and attributes that each member brings to the band. They also have a solid sense of brand identity, as every Kiss album, aside from some where they took the makeup off because it had such a strong image fronting it, you recognised the album as Kiss even if they had gone down a different direction musically.

Gene Simmons once said that he enjoyed their music, which could be traced to them even if it varied in style. “We also took pride in having the same freedom The Beatles had,” he said, “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.”

With this freedom, the band had more freedom to write whatever they wanted, which made for exciting listening. Plus, it played into the stage show they put together. Kiss is easily one of the most famous live bands on the planet, and they owe a great deal of that to their makeup.

That being said, there is an argument for the fact that it acted as more of a hindrance to the band. Some people saw them as too theatrical and dismissed the music before they gave it a proper chance. They didn’t see the point in listening to Kiss as they didn’t take them seriously.

Overall, when you consider the success of the band and the varied sound throughout their discography, it’s hard to look at anything Kiss has done and say it was ill-advised. Every aspect of them, be it the way they sound, look or perform, has contributed towards them becoming one of the biggest bands on the planet. So with that in mind, the makeup was a fantastic idea.

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Bruce Kulick Names Piece of Gear He Abandoned After Kiss and Why It Didn’t Work for Grand Funk

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Throughout Bruce Kulick‘s career with Kiss, which ran from 1984 to 1996, he always had specific guitars on standby to fit the group’s hard-rocking needs. But when it came to his post-Kiss projects, he had to rethink the selection of his instruments.

During an interview with AM/FM Magazine, Kulick tackled this topic and discussed which welcomed piece of guitar gear in Kiss was an absolute no-no when he played in Grand Funk.

“I was kind of like one of [ESP Guitars’] earliest endorsers in rock,” Kulick explained (transcribed by Ultimate Guitar). “I played plenty of the one pickup bolt-on, y’know, ‘Super Strats,’ as I call them. But then I evolved into their other models, like Horizons and different things. And then I challenged them, ‘Make me an Explorer. Make me a Les Paul-looking guitar.'”

Kulick then explained the piece of guitar gear that was in demand during his tenure with Kiss. But, was never ever utilized in his next longest-tenured gig, with Grand Funk.

“After Kiss, I didn’t use Floyd Roses a lot. I remember the band Union that I had [with ex-Mötley Crüe singer John Corabi]. I had a Vintage Plus Strat [with] three pickups, Floyd Rose, from ESP. That was for the whammy bar stuff.”

“Then I’m in Grand Funk for 23 years. I did not need a whammy bar. It wouldn’t have been appropriate anywhere in their material because their fame came before it really became a fad and existed. So I kept true to that. Now, obviously, when I went off and did some things, I used a guitar that might have had a Floyd Rose.”

As with most hard rock guitarists of the ’80s, Kulick certainly used his Floyd Rose tremolo system, especially on Kiss tunes such as “Crazy Crazy Nights,” “Tears are Falling,” and “No No No,” among others.

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Sonic Boom Cover Print Water Color Textured Paper Signed by Artist at KISSArmyWarehouse.com!

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These were the same prints that were sold on KISS Online that were signed by the band. These aren’t signed by the band, but are signed and numbered by the artist Michael Doret! The print images are 20″ square printed on 25″ square “Museo Textured Rag” digital Watercolor paper. These are archival prints and will show no visible signs of fading for 100+ years under reasonable lighting situations. Only 250 of these were printed! All are numbered. We have a very limited supply. They look amazing! You will not be disappointed!

Order now at KISSArmyWarehouse.com!

Kiss & ‘What If…?’ Reign on December 2024’s Top TV Songs Chart

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Kiss’ “I Was Made for Lovin’ You” tops the final edition of Billboard’s Top TV Songs chart, powered by Tunefind (a Songtradr company), for 2024, appearing at No. 1 on the December 2024 survey after a synch in Disney+’s What If…?.

Rankings for the Top Movie Songs chart are based on song and film data provided by Tunefind and ranked using a formula blending that data with sales and streaming information tracked by Luminate during the corresponding period of December 2024. The ranking includes newly released films from the preceding three months.

“I Was Made for Lovin’ You” racked up 8.6 million official on-demand U.S. streams and 1,000 downloads in December 2024 after being heard in the fourth episode of the third season of What If…?, according to Luminate. The anthology series based in the Marvel Cinematic Universe premiered its third season on Dec. 22 with an eight-episode run that concluded Dec. 29.

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BRUCE KULICK – “I’m in a position where I can choose what I want to do, and I want to do it with some level of comfort”

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Bruce Kulick is a New York-born guitarist best known for his tenure with the iconic rock band KISS from 1984 to 1996. During this period, he contributed to several albums and tours in the band’s non-makeup era. Following his time with KISS, Kulick formed the band Union, released several solo albums, and joined Grand Funk Railroad in 2000, serving as their lead guitarist until his departure in December 2023. As of January 2025, Kulick remains active in the music industry. He maintains a strong presence on social media platforms, including Instagram and Facebook, where he shares updates on his musical endeavors and personal projects.

Recently, Kulick has been working on his autobiography, aiming to provide an in-depth look into his life and career. In this interview, Kulick reflects on the events of 2024 and speculates about what might happen in 2025. He also revisits 1995, when the band embarked on a successful KISS Convention -tour that ultimately led to the recording of the classic Unplugged, and recalls the studio sessions for Kulick’s last KISS album, Carnival of Souls, held before KISS reunited with the original lineup in 1996.

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Gene Simmons Kept Names And Photos Of 5,000 Sexual Partners, Then Burned The Evidence With His Wife

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Gene Simmons recently opened up about his past during an interview on Howie Mandel Does Stuff on YouTube. Simmons addressed long-standing rumors about his relationships and revealed a surprising story about how he and his wife, Shannon Tweed, decided to destroy records of his past.

When asked about claims that he had been with 5,000 women, Simmons revealed that the number might not be accurate, adding, “I didn’t sleep with them.” However, he admitted to keeping detailed records of his encounters, including names and photographs.”There was lists, books, and all that stuff, but I shamefully—or not—took photos of all of them,” he recalled. “There were books and books and books of it. And then I decided to come clean, because you know, men are a—holes.”

Simmons revealed that he and Shannon decided to get rid of the evidence. “Shannon and I took all those big portfolios. There were lots, oh yeah. And we burned them together. Yep.”

According to Simmons, the process was emotional, especially for their children. “Nick and Sophie. I think it must have been hardest for them. We got married on the 30th year, we’ve been together 41 years. But the first 29 years of us being together, if there would have been a king a—hole with a crown, it would have been yours truly.”

This comes just days after Simmons sparked controversy with remarks made during his guest appearance as a judge on Dancing With The Stars for the ‘Hair Metal Night’ episode. He praised actress Chandler Kinney, saying, ‘You’ve fogged up my glasses,’ and commented on her beauty and emotional connection to the performance. At another point, he said, “This is a brand-new experience for me, and it’s difficult to look at you and figure out which one is more hot, hot, hot”

Simmons also caused a stir when he gave Phaedra Parks and her partner Val Chmerkovskiy a score of five, while other judges gave them sevens. This decision led to boos from the audience and confusion from the contestants, as Simmons didn’t give any negative feedback about their performance.

Simmons defended himself in an interview with Daily Mail in response to the backlash, calling the criticism ‘clickbait.’ He said he stood by his words and enjoyed the experience, adding, “The contestants were great. The show was great. Watch the show. It was a lot of fun.”

Simmons also addressed his views on beauty, explaining that appearance is something people naturally judge. He linked societal standards, such as makeup and high heels, to the way people present themselves. He defended his comments with a new hashtag, #gof*ckyourself, saying it applies to everyone equally.

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GENE SIMMONS Adds More Shows To Spring 2025 Tour With His Solo Band

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KISS bassist Gene Simmons and his solo band, the GENE SIMMONS BAND, have announced more shows as part of their spring 2025 tour.

Confirmed dates so far:

April 03 – House Of Blues – Anaheim, CA
April 04 – Pechanga Resort Casino – Temecula, CA
April 05 – The Event at Graton Resort & Casino – Rohnert Park, CA
April 08 – Muckleshoot Casino Resort – Auburn, WA
April 10 – The Great Saltair – Magna, UT
April 11 – Paramount Theatre – Denver, CO
April 25 – Ruth Eckerd Hall – Clearwater, FL
April 26 – Miami Beach, FL – Fillmore
April 28 – The Moon – Tallahassee, FL
April 29 – Florida Theater – Jacksonville, FL
April 30 – Hard Rock Live – Orlando, FL
May 03 – Beaver Dam Amphitheater – Beaver Dam, KY
May 05 – Basie – Red Bank, NJ
May 06 – Wellmont – Montclair, NJ
May 08 – Wind Creek Casino – Bethlehem, PA
May 09 – The Paramount – Huntington, NY
May 11 – Mohegan Sun Arena – Uncasville, CT
May 14 – MGM – Northfield, OH
May 15 – Fallsview Casino – Niagara Falls, ON
May 17 – The Horseshoe – Hammond, IN
May 18 – Hard Rock – Rockford, IL
May 20 – Brown County Music Center – Nashville, IN
May 22 – House Of Blues – Dallas, TX
May 23 – Tobin Center – San Antonio, TX
May 24 – House Of Blues – Houston, TX

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Salem man accused of stealing Kiss memorabilia, jewelry and 80,000 baseball cards

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Salem police on Tuesday arrested a man accused of stealing 80,000 baseball cards and a guitar signed by Kiss band members from an estate and retail company in northeast Salem.

The man, Johnathan D. Korrell, 36, of Salem, is accused of stealing from four northeast Salem businesses and breaking into a fifth in less than a month, a police statement said.

Those include multiple burglaries from 4 Season Estates. On Dec. 20, a Fender Stratocaster guitar signed by all four original Kiss band members was stolen and $1,000 of Kiss memorabilia was stolen on Christmas Eve.

Salem police arrested Korrell on Tuesday for stealing from four northeast Salem businesses and breaking into a fifth in less than a month, a police statement said.

Korrell faces three charges of first degree burglary, three of second degree burglary and seven other charges including attempted burglary, theft and criminal mischief. According to the arrest affidavit, the stolen items were worth almost $150,000.

The first burglary happened on Dec. 9, when three suspects stole $60,000 to $70,000 in jewelry from M&S Sales Flea Market, located on Northeast Fairgrounds Road.

Korrell was identified as a suspect by security camera footage and the clothes he was wearing when he was later arrested.

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