Kiss News

By Ed Masley - The Arizona Republic
Photo by: Emmanuel Lozano

Thirty-five years after taking the gospel of rocking and rolling all nite (and then partying every day) to the masses with "Alive!," Paul Stanley swears this latest Kiss tour is the best they've ever done. And they're touring an album, "Sonic Boom," that's been proclaimed the costumed rockers' strongest effort since "Destroyer," the platinum classic that followed "Alive!" and gave the world "Beth."

But chances are Paul Stanley would be feeling pretty good about himself regardless. That's just how he is.

Here's Stanley on what makes this tour the Hottest Show on Earth.

Question: When you say this is the Kiss tour to see, why is that?

Answer: For the last few years, the crowds have just been getting bigger, but beyond that, what's been cool is that not only are the people at the concert saying it's the best show ever, the reviews look like I wrote 'em.By Ed Masley - The Arizona Republic
Photo by: Emmanuel Lozano

Thirty-five years after taking the gospel of rocking and rolling all nite (and then partying every day) to the masses with "Alive!," Paul Stanley swears this latest Kiss tour is the best they've ever done. And they're touring an album, "Sonic Boom," that's been proclaimed the costumed rockers' strongest effort since "Destroyer," the platinum classic that followed "Alive!" and gave the world "Beth."

But chances are Paul Stanley would be feeling pretty good about himself regardless. That's just how he is.

Here's Stanley on what makes this tour the Hottest Show on Earth.

Question: When you say this is the Kiss tour to see, why is that?

Answer: For the last few years, the crowds have just been getting bigger, but beyond that, what's been cool is that not only are the people at the concert saying it's the best show ever, the reviews look like I wrote 'em.

Q: Will this show be markedly different than the show you did here in October?

A: Well, you know, we're not suddenly wearing red hats and rubber noses or anything (laughs). What this band is built on is predictability, in the sense that when you pay your hard-earned money, you know you're gonna get your money's worth. So the only surprise would be that it's a bigger, better show. At this point, any band with money can buy lasers. Anybody can buy smoke bombs. Anybody can buy explosive devices and everything else. But you can't be Kiss.

Q: Are there any other artists whose stage shows you admire?

A: Not really.

Q: Were there artists whose stage shows or approaches inspired you?

A: Of course. None of us would be here without the Beatles and Led Zeppelin. I love all the bands that came out of England when I was a kid. Most of the bands here looked like they just rolled out of bed. You had to put a screen behind them with lights because watching the band was so boring. At the same time, your English bands were delivering a great show where everyone looked like they cared. That's what Kiss was born out of. We wanted to be the ultimate band that gave the audience everything they deserved. Basically, we got out of the audience, stepped onstage and said, "Lemme show you how it should be done."

Q: At what point do you think you got to that level, of being the ultimate band?

A: I think from the very beginning, we were miles ahead of anybody else in terms of what we were doing onstage. But since then, the victory lap has been 35 years.

Q: I read that you'll be playing hits on this tour that you haven't done in a while.

A: The problem with a Kiss show at this point is there's only so much time and too many songs.

Q: Do you ever slip in songs that weren't as big?

A: There's a reason that songs aren't as big. It's because they're not as good. The audience, by the vast majority, wants to hear the songs that it knows best. Who are you playing unpopular songs for? Certainly not the people who paid for the tickets.

Q: Right. I guess I didn't know if there were hardcore fans who . . .

A: Well, sure, there are hardcore fans. And the hardest of hardcore fans have to realize that there's an audience there of 15,000 to 100,000 people and most of them have an overview that may not consist of the same requirements.

Q: Will you be doing anything from "Sonic Boom"?

A: You betcha. "Sonic Boom" is us not only being proud of our past, it's putting our boot in the present and mapping out where we'll be going in the future. It's not the last Kiss album. It's the first Kiss album of the next stage.

Q: Some reviews have called that your best album since the "Destroyer" days. Do you feel that way?

A: Totally. A great band can make a great album. When people lose sight of how grateful they should be to be in this lofty position of being in Kiss, not only does the band suffer, but ultimately the fans suffer. We're in a position now where the band has a great time on and offstage and that makes for something that's undeniable and can't be faked.

Q: When you talk about people losing sight of how grateful they should be to be in this lofty position, are you referring to (drummer) Peter (Criss) and (guitarist) Ace (Frehley)?

A: Sure. In this case. Others have come and gone, too.

Q: Is there anything you miss about having them around?

A: Honestly? No. And I'm not saying that begrudgingly. Truthfully, it's never been more fun than it is now. And I give them their due, which they are owed in volumes. The band never could have existed without Peter and Ace. But the band could never be around today with Peter and Ace.

Q: Is the makeup on for good now?

A: For good. With every passing year, those personalities are more iconic. Those characters are way bigger than any of us. So it would be a discredit to both the band and the fans to change anything.

Q: It seems as though the critics came around on Kiss around the time you put the makeup back on. What did you think when you started seeing that kind of reaction?

A: Do I court great reviews? No. Do I accept them graciously? Absolutely. The fans have always loved what we do. And it's a bonus to have great reviews from the critics. We certainly made it this far without them, but it's nice to have them on board.

Q: I hear you may be heading back into the studio by early next year. Is that true?

A: I would say we'll be back in the studio by February and that should mean that an album should be done fairly soon after that.

Q: Is it going to be in a similar vein to "Sonic Boom"?

A: Well, none of us have learned how to play violins or trumpets in the meanwhile, so I think it'll be pretty much on track.

Q: How do you feel about not being inducted to the Hall of Fame yet?

A: Oh, who cares? If it matters to fans, and they champion the idea, then of course we would accept it if we were inducted. But we don't need a group of 10 or 15 guys who sit in a back room deciding who their favorite band is, especially when you start looking at some of the people who are getting inducted. It's a joke. C'mon. Patti Smith? Interesting, but how far are you from Peter, Paul and Mary?

Q: Do you have a favorite Kiss album?

A: No. There are so many great ones. I'm really at the moment jazzed with "Sonic Boom," but we've got a collection of albums that is pretty heady stuff.

Q: Do you think people can get the Kiss experience from listening to a record?

A: Well, I'd have to say that probably 80 million have gotten it through buying albums. But we are undoubtedly a live animal, and we're best seen in our natural habitat.

Q: What's your favorite part of any Kiss show?

A: The beginning, the middle and the end, I guess.

Q: That's such a Paul Stanley answer.

A: Hey. What can I tell you? I am me.

The Iconic Band Truly Put on the Hottest Show on Earth!

By Eric Shirey

Photos by Roger Caldwell

Every KISS show is special for their fans. They can play their same songs over and over again in the same order and most would still not complain. After seeing KISS five times they never do the exact same thing on their different tours, but I've grown accustomed to hearing most of the same songs with just a couple of switch-ups on each one. So when a buddy of mine asked me what to expect while heading to the KISS concert in Frisco, TX at Pizza Hut Park, I told him "You'll hear all their hits. They put on the best rock show ever." He basically replied, "Well, they can't play my favorite song because the guys not even in the band anymore." Obviously, he was talking about "Beth." I quickly replied, "Yeah, that won't happen." THAT was my first big mistake of the night writing this "Hottest Show On The Earth" tour-stop off as just another KISS concert. These veterans of rock had most definitely done what they've always been known to do. Put in 110% for their fans and make the night as memorable as they can.

As their token black KISS curtain fell and the stage came to life, you could see drummer Eric Singer (The Catman) pounding away on his drums and you could hear guitars playing the opening lines of "Modern Day Delilah" from the band's new album Sonic Boom. However, Gene Simmons (The Demon), Paul Stanley (The Starchild), and Tommy Thayer (The Spaceman) were nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, from behind the drumset the three appear being lifted over the banging Catman and to the front of the stage where they took their token spots on the stage. This was my first hint that things were not going to be the same this evening.
The Iconic Band Truly Put on the Hottest Show on Earth!

By Eric Shirey

Photos by Roger Caldwell

Every KISS show is special for their fans. They can play their same songs over and over again in the same order and most would still not complain. After seeing KISS five times they never do the exact same thing on their different tours, but I've grown accustomed to hearing most of the same songs with just a couple of switch-ups on each one. So when a buddy of mine asked me what to expect while heading to the KISS concert in Frisco, TX at Pizza Hut Park, I told him "You'll hear all their hits. They put on the best rock show ever." He basically replied, "Well, they can't play my favorite song because the guys not even in the band anymore." Obviously, he was talking about "Beth." I quickly replied, "Yeah, that won't happen." THAT was my first big mistake of the night writing this "Hottest Show On The Earth" tour-stop off as just another KISS concert. These veterans of rock had most definitely done what they've always been known to do. Put in 110% for their fans and make the night as memorable as they can.

As their token black KISS curtain fell and the stage came to life, you could see drummer Eric Singer (The Catman) pounding away on his drums and you could hear guitars playing the opening lines of "Modern Day Delilah" from the band's new album Sonic Boom. However, Gene Simmons (The Demon), Paul Stanley (The Starchild), and Tommy Thayer (The Spaceman) were nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, from behind the drumset the three appear being lifted over the banging Catman and to the front of the stage where they took their token spots on the stage. This was my first hint that things were not going to be the same this evening.

After the first blistering song, the band settled into three classics which included "Cold Gin" and "Let Me Go Rock 'N Roll." Then came the first treat of the night. The band wrapped up "Firehouse" and as the sirens were wailing, Gene Simmons did his token fire-blowing. No matter how many times you see this, it never gets old and is still thrilling. After that, they broke into another new track called "Say Yeah" and encouraged the crowd to sing along loudly. Next, they played another cut off their first album, "Deuce," following that up with a song that I'm pretty sure had every legitimate KISS fan in the house salivating over entitled "Crazy Nights." I don't think they've played this late 80's hit since maybe 1993. What a major surprise to hear that pulled out of the archives.

The next song played was "Calling Dr. Love" to which Gene began the song saying "Dr. Pepper." The band did a great job of pushing their two partners in commerce - Wal-mart and Dr. Pepper. Stanley said many times during the set "This song is off our new album that you can get exclusively at Wal-mart." It was funny. Then came the next surprise of the evening.

Tommy Thayer wass introduced and they announce he is going to be singing "Shock Me." Now any KISS fan out there knows that Thayer replaced the original Spaceman, Ace Frehley, who wrote and sang "Shock Me" in the classic days of KISS in the 70s. It was Frehley's token spotlight song of the band's set. This sends most fans into a rage, but not me. I completely understand personnel changes in a band and have no problem with someone playing another person's song. It almost seems like Thayer is paying homage to Frehley and The Spaceman character when doing the song. Needless to say, he pulled it off completely, even vocally sounding pretty right on with the original. At the end, Thayer broke into a solo and jammed with drummer Singer for a good five minutes. He played his guitar over his head, with the mirror back reflecting a sort of spotlight into the crowd before having it ascend into the sky and grabbing another one off-stage.

Thayer then did the "2001:A Space Odyssey" solo and fired off his guitar bombs into the sky. Instead of the usual two, he walked to the middle of the stage and both he and the drum riser rose up in the air. Next, Thayer fired off another rocket. Out of nowhere, drummer Singer stands up and says "Check this out" and pulls out a bazooka from behind the drums. He holds it over his shoulder and fires off his own rocket that explodes loudly to the cheers of the audience.

The spotlight shifted to Gene Simmons again for the next song, "I'm An Animal." This is the token Demon track off of Sonic Boom and he delivered it in full force. This was very special for me, as it is my favorite Sonic Boom. After one more classic off their first self-titled album, Gene took the spotlight again for his solo. He plucked his bass guitar chaotically while church bells rang and a bright light shined on him like the sun. He put his hand and winged cape over his face to block the shine in his best Bela Lugosi pose. Then, he started slowly spewing blood until it was running all down his chest-plate and onto the guitar. This triggered his ascent to a platform at lest 30 feet above the stage. Simmons then broke into "I Love It Loud" off the band's Creatures of the Night album. After ascending from the sky, the band headed into "Love Gun", "Black Diamond", and seemingly ending the set with "Detroit Rock City" in a posed freeze frame like they did on their last tour. The posed freeze frame is so eerie. It's like you're stuck in a historic photo or caught in time. The band came back to life, said good night, and left the stage. There was no way, however, that they were going to get away that easy.

After a few minutes of chants of "KISS, KISS, KISS!" from the crowd, the band retook the show and announced that we would be getting the longest encore in history. I kept waiting for drummer Eric Singer to walk back up to the drumset, but instead he grabbed a microphone while Stanley and Thayer began strumming the opening chords of "Beth" on acoustic guitars. I literally could not believe what I was seeing. I looked over at my buddy, who just smiled as I ate my words. I can only imagine that any crazed diehard KISS fan in the stadium that night was reeling. I personally thought that Singer pulled it off without a hitch. This was the first of six songs the band played for their encore.

The band broke into "Lick It Up" and crowd favorite "Shout It Out Loud" next. Paul then announced that he wanted to come visit the crowd. After being invited, he flew across the heads of the crowd and landed on a platform in the middle of the audience. The band moved into their disco hit, "I Was Made For Loving You," which was one of the songs played at my wedding reception and holds special meaning to me. I love that song. Heck, I love the whole album Dynasty.

Upon arriving back on stage, the band broke into another rarely-played-live track entitled "God Gave Rock "N Roll To You II" while pictures and video of the band's history was displayed on the middle screen of the stage. Especially sentimental and emotional was the long section of flashing pictures of drummer Eric Carr, who lost his battle with cancer during the period that the band first did this song. I thought it was a very cool tribute to the late drummer.

The band finally called it a night and ended the set with "Rock 'N Roll All Nite." Almost the entire time they played the song, confetti was being blown out into the air and descended on the crowd and band. At one point, you couldn't even see the band. I think their was more pyrotechnics blowing up and licking the night sky than I've ever seen before. As the band said good night, fireworks blew up over the stage and continued for probably about five minutes.

Needless to say, KISS did what they do best. They left the crowd somehow still wanting more after almost a two and a half hour concert and contemplating when they would get to see them again. It's hard to believe that Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, both either right at 60 years old or getting there, can still get up in front of a crowd every night and pull off the acrobatics and emulate the pure energy that they do. The band truly does put on "The Hottest Show On Earth!"

By Matthew Keever

KISS
Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
September 17, 2010

There are those who say that KISS is dying. Fans have heard this before.

​Even before WWII, fathers sternly told their children that comic-book superheroes were not real, that the storylines were just fluff and that young boys' imaginations would eventually mature and merge someday with real life, that our comic books and our oh-so-perfect heroes would become a distant memory, just an adolescent phase like our love of popular music. And then everyone saw their imaginary superheroes walking across the stage, playing guitars and singing lyrics that were real and meant just for those of us who wanted to believe.

Our fathers were wrong.

KISS is either like going to church or going to the circus. Friday night the lights dimmed, the band was shown backstage walking toward the curtain via a giant screen, and when all went black, the entirety of the Woodlands heard (and chanted along to) KISS' signature entrance: "You wanted the best, you got the best. The hottest band in the world... KISS!"By Matthew Keever

KISS
Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
September 17, 2010

There are those who say that KISS is dying. Fans have heard this before.

​Even before WWII, fathers sternly told their children that comic-book superheroes were not real, that the storylines were just fluff and that young boys' imaginations would eventually mature and merge someday with real life, that our comic books and our oh-so-perfect heroes would become a distant memory, just an adolescent phase like our love of popular music. And then everyone saw their imaginary superheroes walking across the stage, playing guitars and singing lyrics that were real and meant just for those of us who wanted to believe.

Our fathers were wrong.

KISS is either like going to church or going to the circus. Friday night the lights dimmed, the band was shown backstage walking toward the curtain via a giant screen, and when all went black, the entirety of the Woodlands heard (and chanted along to) KISS' signature entrance: "You wanted the best, you got the best. The hottest band in the world... KISS!"

And Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer took the stage as the crowd cheered. Simmons and Stanley, the only two remaining original members, were the stars for most of the evening, but Singer and Thayer got their chances to shine later on in the set.

They began with a song off their new album, Sonic Boom, and followed it with a song off their first. The rest of the night was mostly older material, with the band playing a total of about seven songs off their new album. KISS performed for close to three hours, beginning a little after 8:30 and finishing up just before 11:30 p.m.

About halfway through the show, Aftermath began to wonder if Stanley dyes his chest hair. Then we realized, "Of course not. KISS keeps him young."

Every couple of songs, three of the members would slip backstage - we assume to reapply makeup) as one of the four entertained the crowd with fireworks - dialogue or high-flying stunts like when Simmons was lifted above the rafters as bells rang ominously.

​The crowd was riled up by Stanley, who reminded them that KISS would be visiting Dallas the next night, when he challenged Houstonians to be a better, louder crowd, to prove to him that we were a rock and roll city.

Their encore, which lasted for about 45 minutes, began with Singer performing "Beth," originally written and sung by Peter Criss. While the vocals weren't quite as raspy as the original recording, Singer's interpretation was strong, and the crowd was receptive.

Near the end of the encore, three Marines joined KISS onstage, and Stanely began to wave an American flag. "These are the heroes of the 21st century, the heroes of modern America," Stanley said as the crowd roared. "Now Houston, Texas, you are about to send a message to all these brave men and women... they may not hear the message, but they will hear about the message."

Led by Stanley onstage, the entire crowd then recited the Pledge of Allegiance, and the guitarist then presented the Marines with a check for $405,308 made out to the Wounded Warriors Care Project, which provides services to severely injured veterans. (KISS is donating one dollar from every ticket sold on its current tour to the project.)

The moment was heartwarming, and the Pavilion shook beneath our feet. Then one Marine, who had stood still and kept a stoic face throughout the cheering, fist-bumped Gene Simmons.

Aftermath has now seen everything.

Last week, Rocks Off ran an article in which we discussed KISS merchandise the band hasn't thought of (yet), and we mentioned KISS churches. We were wrong.

KISS is now and has always been a church, with a Bible to boot: The Bible of fire-breathing music. And for those of you who weren't there, Simmons did perform his signature spitting through a fiery sword handle. Did you ever doubt that he would?

​The concert was full of music, but KISS has never been solely about the music. KISS has always been about their live performances - the flames, the lights, the stunts, the makeup and the armor - and they didn't fail to deliver on Friday. In fact, they went above and beyond.

Simmons and Stanley both flew high above the stage and the crowd a few times during the show, and fireworks and flames were the backdrop for the entire performance, but beyond that the band has come together as greater than the sum of its parts.

Now the band serves as a reminder that rock and roll can still be fun, that it doesn't have to be just a job, and that concerts can still be an escape from life rather than a reminder of everything wrong with the world.

The big finale was, of course, "Rock and Roll All Nite," which was expected but still warmly welcomed, coupled with loads of confetti poured over the screaming fans. (Think the Flaming Lips' finale at Summer Fest but with an older crowd.) It was far from original, but it did the trick to get a few of the fans who had become tired during the long evening to rise from their seats.

As Aftermath walked out of the show, we were handed a Cherry Dr. Pepper. At any other concert, we would have been pissed, but after a KISS show, we just laughed, opened it and drank up.

It doesn't matter how many Farewell Tours they have, because they'll always bring a crowd. You can't trust the Internet, the newspapers, television or tomorrow. But you can trust that KISS can never die.