Paul Stanley Interview with NY POST
As KISS says farewell, Paul Stanley reveals why the band is taking the makeup off
By Chuck Arnold / NY Post
KISS is giving a goodbye smooch to their fans with their End of the Road farewell tour, which hits Nassau Coliseum on Friday and Madison Square Garden on Wednesday. (The trek returns to the area in August.) New York native Paul Stanley — the 67-year-old co-founder and co-lead singer of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band — dishes on his KISS alter ego, his makeup secrets and being “Dressed To Kill” in Chelsea.
So why did you guys decide to hang up the makeup after all these years?
We take tremendous pride in what we do, and we have a tremendous responsibility, not only to the fans but to our legacy. If we were a band wearing T-shirts and jeans, we could do this into our 90s, but . . . we’re carrying 30 to 40 pounds of gear and running around and making it look easy. Our idea was to make sure that, before we reach a point of diminishing returns, we go out and, in essence, take a victory lap. We don’t wanna go out with a whimper; we wanna go out with a bang.
Will you miss wearing the makeup?
It’s so much a part of me that whether it’s on my face or in my blood, it’s always there . . . So whether I ever put it on again or not, it’s part of me. The tattoo is on the inside, also.
What separates Paul Stanley from your Kiss alter ego, the Starchild?
You behave differently in different situations. When I’m at dinner, I don’t stand on the table and yell for people to pass the salt. When I’m in an arena, it’s a different situation . . . But I’m never wearing a disguise. This is never a masquerade.
What’s the fastest you can get ready into hair, makeup and costume?
The fastest I could do it is probably an hour. But that would be a difficult task. Getting ready for the show is almost like a ritual of getting ready for battle. It’s prep time to put on the war paint.
