Joe Polo

Blabbermouth

KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons recently selected GUNS N’ ROSES‘ debut album, 1987’s “Appetite For Destruction”, as one of his thirteen favorite LPs of all time. Speaking to The Quietus about the effort, Gene said: “The thing about that record is that it had an honesty that rock and roll had been missing. The ’80s were a terrible time when guitars didn’t sound like guitars and there were drum machines, but then all of a sudden here comes this group, GUNS N’ ROSES, who plug in their guitars and just didn’t mess around with any fancy stuff. And the songs were undeniable!”

He continued: “‘Welcome To The Jungle’ is an undeniable song in the same way that [THE ROLLINGS STONES‘] ‘Satisfaction’ has that great riff with the lyrics on top of it. Great lyrics, great imagery, and as soon as you heard that high-pitched voice that harkened back to a Robert Plant-ish approach to singing, which hadn’t been heard in quite a while… Well, it still works today. That’s got to be coming up to 30 years old, but you put that on today if it was a brand new band, I would say, ‘Who’s that?’ That intro is almost symphonic, and it just defined the band. You hear that song, and then the rest of the album follows through. ‘Welcome To The Jungle’ is head, hands and feet above the other material.”

Gene added: “Bands have a few songs that just stand up, you know? You think THIN LIZZY, you think ‘The Boys Are Back In Town’. You think THE STONES, you think ‘Satisfaction’. You think LED ZEPPELIN, you think ‘Stairway To Heaven’. There are just certain songs that, either because of the melody or lyric or the sound of the song, intrinsically say, ‘This is what that is.’ The only band who doesn’t have that thing, just because they have so many god damn good songs, is THE BEATLES.”

Andrew lee | Japan Times

The Kiss show at Tokyo Dome on March 3 was the third time I’ve seen the band play live.

The first time was in Sydney in 1980 — my first-ever live concert. At 13, I was a massive Kiss fan, dressed to the nines and all made up like the group’s original drummer Peter Chris, “the Cat,” much to the amusement of my father, who chaperoned.

I lost interest in Kiss around 1983 when the members took off the makeup. However, I decided to go see them for a laugh in Ottawa in 1996, when the original lineup put the costumes back on. I was living in Canada at the time, and my mates and I couldn’t help but chuckle when guitarist Paul Stanley shouted to the crowd, “We played Montreal last night, but they didn’t rock as hard as you do Ottawa!”

So, when I saw Kiss was coming to Japan I simply had to go once more, especially because the band announced it would be playing its Tokyo Dome gig with idol group Momoiro Clover Z — Momokuro to their fans. It was an appropriately kitsch move for a band of old dudes whose masked onstage personas have become so iconic that even Hello Kitty can be found wearing the masks of the Lover, the Demon, the Spaceman and (most appropriately, I guess) the Cat.

The hordes of fans that gathered to see the show were a curious blend of idol superfans and classic-rock aficionados — the multicolored outfits of those there to see Momokuro floated among the black T-shirts and denim uniforms of the Kiss Army, like oil on dark water. Those two sets of fans would have been an impossible mix had it not been for the curious fact that both groups were mostly made up of middle-aged men.

To say Momokuro fans are maniacally loyal is an understatement, so I’d been curious as to how Kiss’ management could ensure that a stadium full of them would stay to watch the aging rockers once the girls’ set had finished. However, in a stroke of sheer marketing genius, prior to the tour Kiss and Momokuro released a joint single titled “Yume no Ukiyo ni Saitemina” — which guaranteed that the two would play together on the night of the show.

As the lights in Tokyo Dome went down and the Momokuro fans lit their glow sticks, I was really surprised to see Kiss come on. I thought Momokuro was going to be the supporting act and therefore play first. It seemed the answer to getting Momokuro fans to stick around was for Kiss to open.

Kiss began with “Detroit Rock City” and pushed through a set list of both old and new songs. But when Paul Stanley asked, about seven songs in, “Do you love me Tokyo?” I’m not sure the love was there, many in the crowd were just politely waiting for the megahits and Momokuro to show up.

Kiss has toured Japan 11 times over the past 40 years and I suspect the band has stuck with the same shtick for most of those shows. Gene Simmons spat fire during “War Machine,” blood when he flew on wires above the stage during “God of Thunder.” Tommy Thayer launched rockets from his guitar and Paul Stanley charmed the locals by singing a verse, in Japanese, of the Kyu Sakamoto classic “Sukiyaki.” The antics delighted the Kiss Army, but it may not have been quite enough to convert the Momokuro fans.

Perhaps the show was too quiet? The sound didn’t seem that loud for the most part, which was especially noticeable during “I Love It Loud” and “Shout it Out Loud,” and Stanley’s interaction with the crowd seemed strained at first — perhaps because he needed to win over the Momokuro fans.

The inclusion of the idol group may have actually worked to Kiss’ disadvantage, previous shows across Japan saw the band performing by themselves and those audiences would’ve likely all been card-carrying soldiers in the Kiss Army. At Tokyo Dome there was a good chance that half the audience didn’t even know who Kiss were.

However, the highlight of the night was without a doubt the encore. Momoiro Clover Z finally came out on stage and their fans let loose with their glow sticks. Backed by taiko drummers, the two groups united to perform “Yume no Ukiyo ni Saitemina” and “Rock and Roll All Nite.” I suspect the legion of Momokuro fans were disappointed the girls only played two songs, but for the Kiss Army it was more than enough. And of course, Tokyo rocked harder than Osaka.

Dave Lifton | Ultimate Classic Rock

The Rolling Stones‘ 1967 album ‘Their Satanic Majesties Request‘ is often derided as a weak attempt to explore psychedelic music in the wake of the Beatles‘ ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.’ But in a new interview, the drug-infused record received a defense from an unlikely source, the famously drug-free Gene Simmons.

Picking his 13 favorite albums for the Quietus, the Kiss bassist says he likes it because it got the Stones to go “outside of their comfort zone. That’s what I find interesting […] it has production value and songwriting that isn’t found on any other Stones records. ’2000 Light Years From Home,’ ’2000 Man’; I mean, we covered ’2000 Man.’”

Some of Simmons’ choices are obvious. He picks albums by bands that started at the same time as Kiss (AC/DC and Montrose), his biggest influences (Beatles, Jimi Hendrix) and groups that followed in his wake (Guns N’ Roses, Def Leppard). He also surprises us by listing 90s efforts from Beck and Foo Fighters. But it’s his take on ‘Satanic Majesties’ that caught our eye; he likes it because its weirdness shows that there was more to them than simply borrowing from the blues. (It’s also one more way to explain ‘Music from the Elder.’)

“With the Stones’ music, the strings and backwards stuff, there is some very, very good material on that record,” he continues. “They happen not to like the record. I think it’s a unique record that shows that the Stones have some depth. There is some bad, out-of-key background singing because they were never the best singers, they didn’t have harmonies like the Beatles. The thing about it is that they were blues-based and they veered away from it on that record and went into almost Celtic and classical areas. It was a pastiche, a multi-coloured quilt! You can look at a band like a coin and say, ‘I see everything, I don’t need to see anything more’, but there is that other side. That other side is what I think is more interesting. The depth.”

Jeff Giles | Ultimate Classic Rock

They’ve gone from makeup to unmasked, hard rock to prog, and been one of the world’s biggest rock bands for several decades, releasing a slew of classic studio and live LPs along the way. Ranking the Kiss discography isn’t a job for the faint of heart, in other words — but in this installment of Worst to Best, we give it our best shot.

It’s been well established that the ’80s were a bumpy time for the band, so it should be no surprise that the lower reaches of our list lean heavy on the decade of synths, drum machines and MTV. But we haven’t ignored the lowlights of the ’70s and ’90s, either, or the group’s forays into disco and grunge.

Of course, as with every other Worst to Best list, we come not to bury the band, but to praise them, and with the whiffs in the discography out of the way, we tackle the tough task of organizing the group’s best albums — which means singling out some of the less-heralded entries as well as attempting to put all of the classic Kiss records in the right order.

So which Kiss album is worst, which one is first, and how does our list stack up against your personal running order? The answers to all those questions can be found by hitting “play” on the video at the top of this post, so what are you waiting for? Let’s start the countdown.

Anthony De Lucia, Jr | www.alive75.com

The drive to deliver the ultimate classic KISS Tribute experience reaches a new milestone this month, when J.R. Smalling joins Alive! ’75 for their March 28th show at the Sherman Theater in Stroudsburg, PA.

“I cannot begin to describe how excited we are to have J.R. Smalling join us at the Sherman” says Anthony De Lucia, Jr., the shows creator and producer.  “This takes our show to a whole new level and provides yet another element of excitement and opportunity for the classic KISS fan!”

We suspect J.R. Smalling needs no introduction to our readers, but for the few that may wonder what all the fuss is about, he is the voice of the Alive! album, a member of The Original KISS KREW (TOKK) and their first road manager.  J.R. and The Original KISS KREW have recently published a brand-new book titled “Out on the Streets” that chronicles their tales on the road with the hottest band in the land during the “Glory Days” of 1973 through mid-1976!

Anthony continues: “We knew right from the start when we built this production that we needed it to be something different – something more than just another KISS tribute band.  There are already plenty of KISS Tribute acts out there, and a number of them do a really great job.  Our challenge was to find a way to differentiate ourselves and bring something new and interesting to the table.  Something that KISS fans would want to see.”

“It wasn’t enough for us to simply dress-up and play KISS songs.  We wanted to do more – capture an era, focus on a theme, deliver a complete experience.  We didn’t see anyone doing anything like this so we jumped right in.  The Alive! album is iconic – arguably the most significant KISS album ever, on a whole number of levels.  Bringing the album to life has become our passion, and we work very hard on every detail to do just that.  Now having J.R. Smalling involved makes it that much more special!”.

More special indeed, and the two elements together make for a great combination.  Classic KISS fans get an exciting, period-specific live concert experience in Alive! ’75, and with “Out on the Streets”, they get an up-close and behind-the-curtain look at KISS during these very same formative years on the road.

“When the guys from Alive! ’75 reached-out to me I was immediately intrigued.” says J.R. Smalling.  “The approach they’ve taken with their KISS-tribute show is unlike any other I’ve seen – it’s very, very cool.  And the period they bring to life, well, that was my time!   I’m stoked to be part of this and I am looking forward to meeting fans at the show.”

And with J.R. on board at the Sherman, the Alive! ’75 “experience” goes to a whole new level.  Besides having copies of the recently released book “Out On the Streets” available for sale at the show, J.R. will be available to meet and greet fans and autograph copies of the book.  And as if that wasn’t enough, J.R will host an interactive Q&A discussion with the Alive! ’75 audience, telling stories, taking questions and talking about what is was like back then with the hottest Band in the land!

“This is huge for Alive! ’75 – it’s an opportunity for classic KISS fans to hear directly from a guy who was there in the trenches with KISS as they fought their way to super-star status” says Anthony.  “And there’s more where this came from.  We’ve got a bunch of conversations underway and lots of ideas being kicked around.  We are vey excited about the possibilities and will continue to bring more and more of the 1975 classic KISS experience to future shows!”

With so many KISS-tribute bands in the marketplace,  Alive! ’75 – A Tribute to KISS looks to be different by providing a complete package, including the period-specific 1975 experience.  For die-hard classic KISS fans (those who appreciate their early works), as well as general fans of rock ‘n roll nostalgia, this is definitely an experience not to be missed!

Tickets are now on sale for their Stroudsburg, PA, performance on March 28th.  Complete details on this one-of-a-kind experience may be found at www.alive75.com   Contact ‘info@alive75.com‘ for more information.  For more details and/or to order a copy of “Out on the Streets”, see The Original KISS KREW at www.theoriginalkisskrew.com.

Joe Pollo
 

Terry X

You wanted the best…You got the worst! This special episode finds your Strange Ways bros looking back on some funny moments that have happened over the course of the show, so far! This episode is NOT FOR THE INNOCENT, and please don’t listen with your kids! We really want to thank you for listening, and hope you enjoy this special episode, KISS ARMY!!!!

Jeff Giles | Ultimate Classic Rock

The classic rock contingent will be well represented during Season 14 of That Metal Show.

As previously reported, Geddy Lee will put in an appearance during the season premiere Feb. 21, but the Rush frontman is far from the only guest set to expand the show’s boundaries outside of merely metal. He’ll be joined throughout the next run of new episodes by a list of classic rockers that includes Ace Frehley, Mark Farner of Grand Funk Railroad and Marky Ramone.

Promising “the most diverse season in the show’s history,” a That Metal Show press release backs up that claim with a fairly eclectic assortment of upcoming guests that also makes room for John Petrucci of Dream Theater; members of Tesla, Thin Lizzy, Anthrax and Slayer; Zakk Wylde, Michael Schenker, Alice Cooper guitarist Nita Strauss and Quiet Riot drummer Frankie Banali — and adds “Metal Modem” appearances from Motorhead and David Coverdale ofWhitesnake.

Offering a dozen new episodes to be broadcast Saturdays at the show’s new 9PM time slot, Season 14 of That Metal Show will also include an assortment of fan favorite segments, including “TMS Top 5,” “Rank” and “Take It or Leave It,” as well as “Stump the Trunk,” in which audience members test host Eddie Trunk’s rock knowledge for a chance to win a prize. Tickets for tapings, which take place Tuesday nights at Metropolis Studios in New York City, are availablehere.

The new season of That Metal Show continues a tradition that’s been in place at VH1 Classic since 2008, and adds to a history that already boasts appearances from a long list of stars, including members of Black Sabbath, Van Halen, Metallica, Aerosmith, Pantera, Kiss, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Pearl Jam, Guns N’ Roses, Queensryche, Heart and others. To get caught up or watch past episodes all over again, visit ThatMetalShow.VH1.com or download the VH1 app.

KISSmuseum.com

A great selection of KISS items between $1.00 and $3.00!

Some are blowouts, some are discounts and some are just great items lowered to a ridiculous price to draw you to our site! Regardless of the reason, you can’t miss out on these great deals!

 WE SHIP ALL ORDERS OUT WITHIN ONE BUSINESS DAY

 KISS February Dollar Sale at KISSmuseum.com

Jeff Giles | Ultimate Classic Rock

At this point, it’s almost a bigger deal when a major band doesn’t rely to some extent on pre-recorded music during live performances, but it’s still kind of embarrassing when a group gets caught miming. Just ask the members of Kiss, who were forced to answer questions about what was actually “live” after a recent gig.

The band’s currently in Japan for a brief run of tour dates, and as you can see in the above clip, they’ve added their new single “Samurai Son” — one of two songs they recently collaborated on with Japanese pop group Momoiro Clover Z — to the set list. But as they told followers in a new tweet, some of what audiences are hearing isn’t being played by the guys onstage.

That announcement might seem like a bold admission from a band that’s earned the right to do whatever it wants without needing to make excuses, but as Kiss co-founder Gene Simmons quickly pointed out, the group might not have been moved to post the tweet if they hadn’t been caught. True to form, he even managed to mix some old-fashioned Simmons showmanship into his reply.

https://twitter.com/genesimmonsego/status/570215361141809152

Whatever their reasons for doing it, we applaud Kiss for ‘fessing up without being defensive about it — and that goes double for Simmons, who added in another tweet that the band “came clean and admitted it … albeit it was after we got caught and it was all over YouTube.”

Joe Polo

This episode we discuss Paul and Kanye. If you were a wrestler, what KISS song would you come out to and more!

Brian Ives | CBS

“Money is just an indication of how well you’re doing. It really isn’t an end, in and of itself. It ain’t what it’s about.” Shocker and spoiler: that quote came from none other than Gene Simmons in Jeffrey Hazelett’s All Business podcast, which is live now on CBS Local’s Play.It podcast network.

Of course, the KISS frontman and  mogul hasn’t lost his love for the almighty dollar. Far from it.

As he told Hazelett (his one-time sparring partner from Celebrity Apprentice), it’s not just about the amount of commas in your bank statement; it’s also about the actual quest to earn it. “The people that you meet in life who say, ‘I just want enough to get by,’ are losers! Sooner or later they’re going to be wrapping fish. It really isn’t about the wealth: the wealth is good. It buys you security, and it buys you toys and games and it buys your mom the hip operation that she needs, it does all that stuff. But what it is, is the numbers that the judges hold up when you do tumbles in front of them.”

With Simmons, even when he’s doing an interview, he’s performing. If there’s a vocal mic or a digital recorder in front of him, he’s “on.” Which isn’t to say that there’s not some substance and hard truth to what he says. “Everything in life is a business. Every step you take, every day you live is either going to push you forward on that road to becoming self-sufficient, or you’re gonna be sitting on your thumb watching reruns of I Love Lucy and losing money. If you stand still, inflation and other things are gonna kick in, and then you’re done! You have to approach life and business like a shark: it has to keep moving, otherwise it drowns.”

He told a story of his first business in Israel, selling pieces of cactus, and also how, once he immigrated (legally, as he is quick to note) to America, a game of marbles provided a young Demon with an important moment of clarity.

“What are you stupid, can’t you speak English?” he recalls some children asking him. “And it was actually a lesson learned. People here think you’re an idiot if you can’t speak English. And I’m saying this as an immigrant!”

Read more on Radio.com

Musicnews.com

Gene Simmons thinks all women secretly ‘want to be desired’.

The Kiss rocker has gained a reputation as somewhat of a lothario during his long career. As well as relationships with Cher and Diana Ross, the 65-year-old once claimed to have slept with over 4,600 women. And he’s now revealed how he managed to bed so many.

‘They call me Dr. Love blah, blah, blah,’ he told Kerrang! magazine, quoting the Kiss track Calling Dr. Love when asked which song he’d had the most sex to. ‘That and the legend of the supposed number of beddings I may have had are what brought me the most action. Secretly all women want to be desperately desired by men, while men are not at all inclined the same way ‘ we just want to conquer.’

While Gene may have been around the block a few times in his younger days, he has been in a relationship with former Playboy Playmate and actress Shannon Tweed for 28 years. The couple finally married in 2011 and together they have two children, Nick and Sophie.

During his chat with Kerrang!, Gene discussed which of his songs had proved most popular with his fans over the years, and when it came to weddings, he thinks Forever gets the top spot.

‘A great many people have had this song played at their weddings. I can’t say if having this makes for a successful marriage though,’ he mused. ‘A lot break down because of men ‘ we have the attention span of a gnat.’

However, Gene is most proud of the fact his records feature in a lot of fans’ baby-making processes; particularly Christine Sixteen.

‘I’ve heard countless stories from a great many people telling me that they were conceived to my music,’ he laughed. ‘But making sure that kids are conceived is part of my job, isn’t it?’

Anthony De Lucia, Jr. | www.alive75.com

Following their debut success this past November, Alive! ’75 has plans to take their production across the northeast this year, with their first stop being the Sherman Theater in Stroudsburg, PA on March 28th…

“We are very excited to kick-off 2015 at the Sherman” says Anthony De Lucia, Jr., the shows creator and producer.  “They were one of the first theaters to show an interest in the hosting show and they have been absolutely fantastic to work with.  This is a great big venue with a fantastic sound system and excellent sight-lines.  More importantly it’s a classic theater with a very cool vibe that will totally add to the overall Alive! ’75 experience!”

And the “experience” is what an Alive! ’75 performance is all about.  Alive! ’75 is a live, classic KISS tribute concert that brings the KISS Alive! album to life within a period-specific 1975 atmosphere. So much more than guys dressed as KISS playing KISS songs, the overall experience is completely immersive and is designed to take you back to 1975, to see, hear and FEEL what a 1975-era KISS performance was really like.

After their successful pilot-performances, the group decided this was too good a show – and way too much fun – to be just a “ once and done” production.  “The response to our initial production was phenomenal and the feedback since then has been overwhelming!  Our Facebook page was inundated with questions about where we were playing next and requests to bring the show to one city or another.  So many people were digging the concept, we just knew we were on to something and decided to take the show as far as we can.”

The group decided they would play any theaters or large rock-clubs within a days drive from their home-base of northern New Jersey.  In addition to their Stroudsburg, PA show in March they’ve already booked or are actively in the process of booking additional dates in PA, as well as NY, NJ, MD, RI, MA and CT.  “We basically threw the question out to the thousands of our Facebook Fans, asking them to recommend the venues they would like to see us in.  The response was incredible and we’ve run down every lead provided.”

“We are self managed and promoted, and it’s a lot of work to go knocking on all these doors trying to get talent buyers who have never heard of us give us the time of day. Even so, we’ve been pleasantly surprised to find a good number of the venues genuinely excited about the show and eager to have us perform.  We’re confident that as more folks become exposed to the show the demand will only continue to grow.”

Taking the show on the road meant some additional, significant investment.  Anthony continues: “We rented a large portion of the equipment for our initial performance, including the entire backline.  We weren’t thinking at that time that there would be additional shows.  Now we’re investing in all of the equipment and infrastructure necessary to easily and repeatedly deliver a great performance anywhere we can drive to!”

That investment includes the purchase of a tow-vehicle and new 14’ trailer that carries everything necessary to deliver the show, including their custom-built, elevating drum riser.  “It’s been a little intimidating, considering all that is involved to deliver a production such as ours.  It’s an incredible amount of equipment  – over 4,000 lbs. of gear, and it can be a logistical nightmare for a small production crew such as ours to organize.  We’re looking forward to the challenges and excited to put it all to the test!”

With so many KISS-tribute bands in the marketplace,  Alive! ’75 – A Tribute to KISS looks to be different by providing a complete package, including the period-specific 1975 experience.  For die-hard classic KISS fans (those who appreciate their early works), as well as general fans of rock ‘n roll niostalgia, this is definitely an experience not to be missed!

Tickets are now on sale for their Stroudsburg, PA, performance on March 28th.  Complete details on this one-of-a-kind experience may be found at www.alive75.com.  Contact ‘info@alive75.com‘ for more information.