Interview With Paul Stanley And Gene Simmons As 'KISS Rocks Vegas' Hits Theaters
By Mark Hughes / Forbes
This week brings KISS Rocks Vegas to theaters for a one-night only event, delivering a stadium-style concert experience to audiences at the cineplex. And the sound mix in Dolby Atmos creates something no other concert films have achieved in their attempts to bring live music to theater audiences. I had the pleasure of seeing KISS Rocks Vegas at a special screening with the band themselves, and beforehand I spoke with singer-guitarist Paul Stanley and singer-bassist Gene Simmons. Before I get to the interviews, let me explain my history with KISS, my interest in audio for cinema, and why this movie was so special to me personally.
I�ve been listening to rock music my entire life, and I cannot even remember a time in my childhood when I wasn�t a KISS fan. My eight older siblings � particularly my sisters � all listened to KISS and other rock bands, playing 45s and filling the house with the soundtrack of my youth. How many times did I don KISS makeup for Halloween? How many of their LPs and 45s did I hear over and over on the record player? How many times did I drive home at night, windows down and Detroit Rock City blaring from the radio? And how many times did I sit down at a piano and play the opening of Beth, the only tune I could even play? Later, in my teens, I would write song lyrics and sing in a band, with the KISS song Lick It Up as a crowd-pleasing part of the set. KISS wasn�t just a band, they were an idea, and their songs were anthems declaring that idea belonged to everybody.
There�s nothing in the music world like a KISS concert. I�ve seen it in person myself, and it�s got to be experienced to be understood and believed. Previously, there wasn�t a way to truly capture and deliver that experience outside of the live concert. But that�s changed, and so today we have KISS Rocks Vegas, a concert movie that finally delivers a concert experience in a cinema setting. A one-night-only engagement, KISS Rocks Vegas benefits from the remarkable and unparalleled sound of Dolby Atmos. I screened the film at a special event with the band itself, at Dolby Laboratories in LA.
