KISS Expo Tokyo 2016: How the Band’s First Official Exhibition Came About Read More: Kiss Expo Tokyo 2016: How the Band’s First Official Exhibition Came About

Posted on by

Annie Zaleski | Ultimate Classic Rock

screen-shot-2016-11-03-at-11-50-11-amFrom Oct. 13-31, the first-ever band-sanctioned Kiss Expo took over the top floor of Laforet, a boutique-filled shopping mall in the Harajuku neighborhood of Tokyo.

The Expo was arranged like a museum exhibit, with memorabilia, artifacts and interactive elements, as well as a gift shop stuffed with exclusive merch — from a toilet paper holder featuring Gene Simmons‘ visage (the unfurling roll mimics his tongue) to T-shirts and prints reflecting a Kiss collaboration with the beloved cartoon character Astro Boy.

During the expo’s opening weekend, Ultimate Classic Rock received a guided tour of the exhibit from Hanako Tabata, an executive producer in the strategic marketing division of Sony Music Entertainment Japan. After walking by a gigantic Kiss logo — and mannequins dressed in familiar Kiss outfits — visitors were greeted with a trio of gems from band lore: Kiss’ 1976 formation contract, the legal documents which served as trademark registration for the band member’s distinctive faces and Simmons’ concert-used fire sword.

Lucky for fans, however, the members of Kiss were meticulous about keeping everything that might be of interest in the future. The Expo’s offerings included early show posters hand-drawn by Simmons and Paul Stanley; Kiss fan-club flyers; scrapbooks and photos; call sheets for TV appearances; and an impressive, colorful array of backstage passes from across the years. One glass case even contained a bunch of cassette demos and recordings — including one featuring Simmons’ collaboration with Bob Dylan.

Elsewhere, the Expo highlighted the costumes, clothing and tour ephemera that made Kiss so one-of-a-kind — from a Peter Criss satin jacket (compete with vintage dirt and a rip) and Simmons’ Spector “Love Gun” bass to an entire wall highlighting Kiss’ history of broken guitars, from 1976 through 2015. And, of course, there were no shortage of awards: a gold 8-track, Simmons’ gold discs and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction trophy and a wheel of platinum discs signifying 30 million albums sold.

Continue reading →

Podcast Rock City KISS Kruise Special

Posted on by

Podcast Rock City

**CANT MAKE THIS YEARS KISS KRUISE?**

Good news!! PODCAST ROCK CITY KISS KRUISE SPECIAL on KGFROCKS.com

Starting on November 3rd at 8:30 pm est! 4 days of KISS KRUISE UPDATES and tons of ROCK AND ROLL from the HOTTEST BAND IN THE WORLD–KISS!! Bookmark the website and check out PODCAST ROCK CITY AND KGFROCKS FACEBOOK PAGE FOR TONS OF UPDATES!! Everything GETS STARTED Thursday night live from The Gathering in Miami! Getting excited in 3-2-1 PEACE!!

http://player.streamlicensing.com/2532?l&stream_id=4302

img_6513

KISS frontman donates $100,000 to Langley-based children’s foundation

Posted on by

Dan Ferguson | Langley Times

Rick Cahpman

Rick Cahpman

Gene Simmons of KISS gave a $100,000 boost to the Gala of Hope fundraiser for The Centre for Child Development and Sophie’s Place Child and Youth Advocacy Centre held at the Newlands Golf and Country Club in Langley on Saturday night.

In addition to the donation, Simmons also auctioned off a ‘blade’ guitar.

A total of $280,000 was raised by the gala, the centre said.

Simmons was there with his wife, Canadian model and actress Shannon Tweed, to show support for their daughter, Sophie Tweed-Simmons, who lent her name to the Surrey facility.

Since 2012, Sophie’s Place has assisted abused children up to the age of 18 by providing a safe space where they can talk about their experience of physical, mental or sexual abuse with trained staff and law enforcement professionals.

In a statement issued by the centre, Tweed-Simmons said the team at Sophie’s Place conducted more than 200 interviews with abused children over the past year.

Continue reading →