KISS follows classic formula to please devout fans

By Stuart Derdeyn
Photograph by: Nick Procaylo

Who are the KISS fans of 2009?

Well, if you've ever seen the episode of Family Guy where Peter Griffin dresses up in full Gene Simmons regalia, you're not far from getting the picture. Fun-loving dudes willing to go out swilling with their fave KISS character's face painted on, many in improvised costumes of the Starchild, the Demon, the Spaceman and the Catman. The same ones who did it in their teens.

And some really-into-it wives, girlfriends and dancers in the front row, centre stage.

I'd love to hear back how many hangovers are out there tomorrow. Because this crowd came to party hearty!

For those inside, it was KISS' Alive! album unfolding in full pyrotechnical splendour.

The Holiday 2009 issue of Guitar Player contains over ten pages of KISS coverage! Here are some excerpts from Guitar Player's interview with KISS:

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Paul Stanley takes KISS back to its roots to unleash a ferocious bombardment of rock and roll thrills

By Michael Molenda

Defensiveness is in the air. Paul Stanley jokes with his crew about how Guitar Player readers have always hated KISS. Gene Simmons dismisses me with "Oh boy, the media is here," and walks into the main studio at Conway Studios in Los Angeles without further comment. I look at Tommy Thayer - who is projecting nothing but good vibes - and still can't help myself from wondering if he thinks I'm going to roast him for daring to be the impostor Spaceman in Ace Frehley's makeup.

I'm further thrown off my game when drummer Eric Singer appears to be the KISS member most excited to talk to Guitar Player. (He doesn't play guitar, but he collects them, and he possesses a truly impressive knowledge of vintage instruments and guitar gear.) All I'm trying to do is listen to the band's first new studio album in more than a decade, and put the guys on the cover of the magazine. Sheesh.

By Ray Paul and Suzanne Chenery

It's been 12 years since KISS released Psycho Circus, so you could say "Sonic Boom" is the band's comeback album. Gone are Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, and donning the face paint are Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer as Cat and Spaceman respectively.

The man, who in my opinion has kept the true spirit of rock n' roll alive through all the band's ups and downs is Paul Stanley. Not only has he now taken the reins by producing "Sonic Boom," but he also had very clear ideas on what he wanted this album to be as opposed to their last release "Psycho Circus" and the shortcomings he felt that album had.

I had a chance to catch up with the legendary Starchild prior to the 2nd night of the band's much publicised shows at Cobo Hall Detroit and talk about the new CD, and of all things KISS past and present.

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Well, it's big news in Europe with the imminent release of "Sonic Boom!" Now, I've gotta ask you, was it hard to persuade Gene to do this album as he has had some strong views on internet piracy?

Paul: You know, to put it all into perspective, I think that Gene at any given time will say anything to get a rise out of people, and it's certainly not much more than that, really! The reason that we didn't make an album wasn't because of piracy - the reason that we hadn't made an album was really because we didn't feel, for a long time, that it was necessary, and our last attempt was not very successful from our point of view for a lot of reasons. It really took the fans' response and the huge success of our last tour.

Friday night, November 6, was marked on my calander as "The Dream Concert." My favorite band, KISS was headlining Chicago at The United Center. One of my other favorite bands, Buckcherry was opening. This would mark the 12th time I'd see KISS, and the 9th time I see Buckcherry! Those stats alone would give one the reason why it was my dream concert.

I went to the show with my best friend, my brother, Todd. We both took half a day's vacation and left for Chicago from St. Louis around 11:00. We made it to the United Center at about 4:30 in the afternoon. With about three hours to spare, we decided to get something to eat and have a drink or two before the show. We found a bar called Crossroads on Madison Ave that had a sign that read, "97.9 The Loop welcomes KISS." We decided that looked like a good place, so we searched for a place to park, and backtracked our way to the bar. The radio station was giving away KISS tickets every 10 minutes, but being setup in 5th row, we were set.

By Ray Paul

Having to wait 12 years is a test of any fan's patience, and the criticisms aimed at the band living on past glories certainly seemed justified. So here we have the first new release from KISS since "Psycho Circus." Gone are Frehley and Criss, replaced by Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer. As a longtime KISS fan, I had all but given up on anything new, especially as Gene Simmons had been very verbal regarding his views on internet piracy and new material, so it was a surprise to hear the band were in the studio not so long ago.

Kicking off with "Modern Day Delilah," the familiar "yeah, yeah" from Paul Stanley takes us into familiar KISS territory. There is a hard edge to the guitar work, and instantly I noticed Tommy Thayer's guitar solo is right out of the Ace Frehley guitar solo book. It's nice to hear Gene and Paul's vocals up front singing together on the chorus as they used to in the early days.

A thundering start to "Russian Roulette" has Gene's gut-bucket bass high in the mix, and a very AC/DC type of riff introduces the song. Again, the song is at a mid-pace, and it's more of a lazy early '90s feel to Gene's voice with a big vocal gathering round the mic for the chorus. It's a good song. Taking us back to the kind of stuff the band were releasing in the late '80s and early '90s, "Never Enough" is a traditional Paul Stanley fanfare and reminded me of "I Just Wanna" from Revenge. There's some nice work from Gene in the bass department for anyone missing some of his more traditional work from the early days.

KISS is featured on the cover of the December issue of the Dutch magazine Aardschock.

Here's a fan-filmed clip of KISS performimg "Detroit Rock City" in Calgary.

Check out this fan-filmed video of Gene spitting blood and flying in Calgary.

Story and photos by Rob Grabowski

Halloween was extended another week this year as the unmistakeable rock group KISS brought their bombastic Alive 35 Tour with opening act Buckcherry to the United Center in Chicago last Friday night. Wearing full make-up and costumes, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley are the only two original members remaining with guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer rounding out the quartet. KISS still delivers an over-the- top stage show full of pyrotechnics, with a mass array of lights set against an enormous video screen. They thrust themselves squarely upon the capacity crowd with the frayed classics "Deuce" and "Strutter."

With a catalog spanning 35 years, they remain a greatest hits band and deliver a majority of early hits from the original make-up era. Since Ace Frehley no longer sports the spaceman outfit, Tommy Thayer does an admirable job singing "Shock Me." KISS does have a new CD, Sonic Boom, from which they played the radio friendly, "Modern Day Delilah" to a warm reception. "Black Diamond," with Singer in the catman outfit

In early September 2009, my then 7-year-old son Kian came up to me and announced that he wanted to be Gene Simmons for Halloween. As a longtime KISS fan, I was very proud of him for his excellent taste, and I immediately knew that of all the costumes that Gene has worn over the years, the 1976 Destroyer Tour costume is the most iconic look, and therefore the only choice for an awesome Halloween costume. Unfortunately, with its spiked armor, leather bat wings, studded codpiece and thigh-high scaly dragon-headed platform boots, it is also the most complicated to replicate on the shoestring budget I had at my disposal. Resolving to make as much of it as possible out of materials I had on hand or could find cheap or free, I set out to gather my materials.

CLICK HERE for step by step instructions to build a Gene Simmons Destroyer Costume

Here's KISS on the cover of the French magazine Metal Obs!

LATEST RED HOT ROCK MAGAZINE HAS FOUR DIFFERENT KISS COVERS!

The new issue of the Swedish magazine Red Hot Rock features four seperate KISS Cover and contains a huge special on KISS!

Thanks to Niklas Olsson for sending KOL the image.

Hey KISS!

Just wanted to show a picture of us four just before we left for the Winnipeg show. Thought we would go and support you guys "Dressed to Kill", not knowing however it would be a big hit for other fans as it seem we couldn't walk around the concourse for five seconds without someone wanting our pictures, we felt like rock stars.

Just goes to show what legacy you have left over the years, is still as big as ever. Thank you guys for such a great show it was awesome, me and my dad, his friend Denis and his son Joel had the time of our lives, shouting it out loud with thousands. Thank you once again for coming to Winnipeg, hope you guys can come back soon. Remember "WINNIPEG LOVES KISS"

Braden Radley

LETTERS

Hi Guys!

Just wanted to show you a pic of my daughter. She wanted to be a cat for Halloween but a special kind of cat. All she talks about is Eric!! Can't wait to see you guys in Pittsburgh. We already got our tickets. We're driving 7hrs for our once in a lifetime experience and it's ALL worth it!

xoxoxoxoxo,
Chrissy

LETTERS

Kiss performed a sold out show Thursday at Pengrowth Saddledome

By Heath McCoy

CALGARY - The "Demon" tongue of 60-year-old Gene Simmons still flickers and coils like an obscene pink snake. He still blows fire too, like a carnival attraction.

Bare-chested "Starchild" Paul Stanley, who's way too ripped to be 57, still struts like a rock star and his overblown blues rock howl still throws a kick, as it did on the appropriately titled rock anthem Strutter.

Hardcore Kiss fans, male and female, young and old, still masquerade as their idols. The bomb blasts, fireworks and bright lights, all the big budget popcorn-movie frills that hard rock legends Kiss are worshiped for, were on proud display Thursday at the Saddledome.