Tommy Thayer: This tour is about the legacy of KISS, 45 years. It’s a great legacy!
WORDS Anna Rose / PHOTOS Jen Rosenstein / Bombastic Plastic
About one year from now, KISS, who need no introduction, will be touring in Australia.
You’d expect nothing less than the blowing up of our stadiums by KISS. Performing in 2003 with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, no small feat, a few years back touring with Mötley Crüe—two of the biggest names in rock history, again, no small feat–and KISS are calling the upcoming tour, The End Of The Road. Indeed, it’s a massive three-year saga for the band–so what will they do to out-KISS themselves? Chuckling, Thayer thinks that’s a great question. “The obvious answer is, ‘Oh this is gonna be the biggest tour we’ve ever done!” but literally, I can tell it’s going to be the biggest one in terms of production and the show we do because of the amount time and focus we’ve been putting into this already!”
Starting from scratch with production and staging, KISS have been rehearsing for two months already, looking at pyrotechnic demos and fine-tuning the show with two or three months before they even start the North American stretch of this colossal live journey–so without giving it too much hype, it is going to be the biggest tour KISS have ever done. “A whole new thing for KISS,” says Thayer, “It’s just gonna be the bombastic show KISS has always been famed for!”
About one year from now, KISS, who need no introduction, will be touring in Australia.
And in the words of guitarist Tommy Thayer, they will be blowing it up. “Figuratively and literally!” The Spaceman cries.
Night Of The Living Shred
You’d expect nothing less than the blowing up of our stadiums by KISS. Performing in 2003 with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, no small feat, a few years back touring with Mötley Crüe—two of the biggest names in rock history, again, no small feat–and KISS are calling the upcoming tour, The End Of The Road. Indeed, it’s a massive three-year saga for the band–so what will they do to out-KISS themselves? Chuckling, Thayer thinks that’s a great question. “The obvious answer is, ‘Oh this is gonna be the biggest tour we’ve ever done!” but literally, I can tell it’s going to be the biggest one in terms of production and the show we do because of the amount time and focus we’ve been putting into this already!”
Starting from scratch with production and staging, KISS have been rehearsing for two months already, looking at pyrotechnic demos and fine-tuning the show with two or three months before they even start the North American stretch of this colossal live journey–so without giving it too much hype, it is going to be the biggest tour KISS have ever done. “A whole new thing for KISS,” says Thayer, “It’s just gonna be the bombastic show KISS has always been famed for!”
None of us is going to be around forever–a band like KISS is different to the [Rolling] Stones or Paul McCartney, even–KISS is a whole different animal.
[ Tommy Thayer ]
Is Thayer allowed to use the word “bombastic”? Is that what the kids are saying these days? Such is the extent of Thayer’s career, he kindly provides an education into the origin of his language. “In my old band Black ‘N Blue, we had a song called Bombastic Plastic–I’ve been using that word a long time and it really means something good and something powerful.”
You watch, that’s gonna blow up now and “bombastic” will be the next trend. Another word to hone in when you’re talking with KISS’ guitarist is “hype”. Thayer has used “hype” a few times in this conversation and there has certainly been hype, both positive and negative, in the commentary around KISS’ plans for The End Of The Road Tour. There’s been the odd critic, the odd observer, who have accused KISS of milking the cash cow or rehashing stuff etc. but for Thayer, given the longevity of the band it means an awful lot more to be a part of KISS in 2018.
“This tour is about the legacy of KISS, 45 years,” he says. “It’s a great legacy, and for Gene [Simmons] and Paul [Stanley] it’s even more important that for me and Eric [Singer], because those guys started the band. For me, I’m the new guy–17 years.”
To be the lead guitarist of KISS for that time, Thayer says is an honour and a privilege. Even now, he still says he’s living every kid’s dream. “How many kids in their parents living room, air guitaring, dreaming about being a rock star, about being in KISS–I’ve been living that dream as The Spaceman. It still boggles my mind, it blows me away. I’m happy to be a part of this celebration and I want to make it as great as it can be.”
