Kiss News

08/19/2017

Canadian soldier joins KISS ARMY in Orillia!

By , Toronto Sun

Cpl. Kayla Harris got to �Rock and Roll all Nite� with Kiss at Casino Rama Friday.

The Canadian Armed Forces soldier, currently posted to CFB Borden, was nominated by her boss and ultimately chosen as Roadie for a Day while the iconic rock band performed in Orillia on their Freedom to Rock tour.

Kiss, whose fans are known as the Kiss Army, has been giving military personnel the chance to play roadie during the U.S. leg of their tour and decided to continue in Canada as a way to acknowledge those in uniform for their service.

�My main thing is I truly love working in the military and to be recognized for that is a great honour,� Harris, 30, said. �I�m very excited and nervous all at the same time.�

She was introduced to Kiss by her father, who was a fan in the band�s heyday during the 70s and 80s.

Harris joined the band at the VIP meet-and-greet and was given a few roadie duties such as being the fan girl who keeps Gene Simmons cool.

�While interacting with the VIPs, I�m sure I was blushing a red colour,� she said.

During the concert � where the band played an acoustic version of O Canada � Kiss thanked Harris and a Colour Guard for their service.

Harris joined the Canadian Armed Forces as a reservist with the military police in 2007. Since then she has served as an MP in Afghanistan and at the Edmonton Detention Facility, worked with a field medical unit in Winnipeg, and is currently a administrative assistant and facility manager at CFB Borden.

That�s a strong a pretty strong military police background.

�I haven�t seen any illegal things going on (at the concert),� Harris said, adding it was a night she will remember �Forever.�

08/17/2017

Q and A: Gene Simmons does what he wants

Dalson Chen / Windsor Star

KISS fans, remain calm: KISS is not retiring.

You have the assurance of KISS bassist and co-founder Gene Simmons, who will be playing Caesars Windsor on Aug. 25 � but not with his usual Detroit Rock City compadres.

Instead, Simmons will be performing under the billing of his solo project: Gene Simmons and His Band. A whole night of rock with Simmons front and centre.

We chatted with the 67-year-old God of Thunder about what�s going on with himself and the KISS empire.

Why a solo tour? Why now?

�I never did solo tours or performances in 44 years. KISS satisfied everything � But when we�re not playing, I like to keep busy.�

�By the way, this doesn�t mean anything in terms of KISS. KISS continues to tour the world. We have a great time together. But the band doesn�t play anywhere near as much as I like to get out there. This is just an excuse for me to play hooky.�

What can fans expect from a Gene Simmons solo show?

�For the nice people of Windsor, on the 25th of August � my birthday, as a matter of fact � I�ll be celebrating. We�re gonna shake the roof. We�re gonna do stuff that KISS has never done live. Stuff from my solo records that has never been played live.�

�We�re going to have staircases leading from the stage right into the audience. At any point in the set, I just might invite the ladies to get on stage and join me. Or if there�s a really talented kid who can play or sing, I�ll pull him up on stage and we�ll have us a real good time.�

�So whip out your cellphones, get it on video, and record it. I don�t know of any other band that does this.�

Just to clarify, you�ll be playing KISS songs, too?

�Sure. And we may do Boom Boom by John Lee Hooker. It�s no-rules. It�s a chance for me to roll up my sleeves. And you should see my arms. I�ve got very pretty arms.�

Speaking of your solo records, why did you choose to title your 2004 album Asshole?

�Well, hindsight�s 20/20 � I love the arrogance of �Asshole.� It�s often used as a term of endearment. I�ve certainly been called �asshole� more than once. Starting with my mother.�

�And I thought, �Everybody�s going to get the joke.� Apparently, they didn�t. But I don�t care. I�m too rich to care. Do what you want to do, and the world can take a hike. I�m blessed to be able to do that. You can surmise that it wasn�t a record company executive�s decision.�

Finally, there�s been some backlash over your attempt to trademark the �Metal Horns� or �Rock On� hand sign. Any regrets about that?

�I regret nothing. Wake up every morning and let your conscience be your guide.�

�Did you know I own the money bag logo? The dollar sign with the bag of money. I own all kinds of things. I own �motion pictures� as a trademark. Anyone who thinks that�s silly � the silliest thing I�ve ever done is wear more makeup and higher heels than your mommy.�

�People said, �You can�t do that.� Actually, bitch � I can. I can do anything I want to do.�

Gene Simmons and his band perform at Caesars Windsor on Aug. 25.

Concert begins 9 p.m. 19 and older only.

Ticket prices started at $30, available via caesarswindsor.com, www.ticketmaster.ca, or the casino�s box office. Call 1-800-991-7777.

08/16/2017

Concert preview and Interview - KISS, Seneca Niagara Casino, Niagara Falls

By John Jeffrey / http://rockmusicstar.com

KISS' performance this Saturday, August 19th, at the Seneca Niagara Casino will mark the first time since April 14th, 1976 (during the "Alive!" tour) that KISS has played a concert in Niagara Falls, NY.  While KISS has played the Western New York area (Buffalo, NY Darien, NY etc.) dozens of times since 1976, for the native residents of Niagara Falls, this is a big deal, as there has been a huge buzz about this show, since it was announced earlier this year.
 
Rock Music Star had the extreme honor to speak with KISS drummer Eric Singer this past week regarding this monumental show, which is part of their 2017 "KISS World" tour.  Eric was amazed by how many years it's been since KISS has played the city and responded by saying, "People say it's a 'KISS World' and we just live in it.  With the KISS Army and KISS fans, it's very true because it's an integral part of their life.  I always tell people that there are no fans quite like KISS fans, and that's for damn sure.  It's more than just the music or more than just the band.  It's an all encompassing thing, different than anything I've ever seen.  I understand how much the band means to our fans."
 
Even though Eric wasn't a member of KISS the last time they performed in Niagara Falls, NY, the longtime KISS drummer does remember the last time he played Niagara Falls, but at the time, Eric was playing drums for Alice Cooper.  On Halloween in 2003, the Alice Cooper band played an unforgettable show at the Bear's Den (also located inside of the Seneca Niagara Casino) where the seating arrangement was very unique, where the front row of each side balcony was actually located right on the stage with the band.  While Singer recalls the odd stage setup, considering the countless shows he  has performed throughout his career, the "in your face" arrangement really didn't phase him, as he put it, "I've pretty much seen about everything there is to see and every kind of situation.  Nothing seems that unique or surprising to me anymore because I've been doing it for so long, it's gonna take a lot for me to get surprised - to be honest with you."
 
With Saturday's concert being part of the third leg of the "KISS World" tour, while these North American shows are essentially just one-off dates, if you look back to 2008, KISS has toured extensively every calendar year since, looking as though KISS has been touring non-stop for the past 10 years.  Singer clarified, "It may look that way, but it's really not.  If you look at the number of shows we do in a year, if we do 60 shows in a year, there's 365 days in a year, so that's only 1/6 of the year that I've been on tour."
 
As far as what fans can expect to see on the 19th at the Seneca Niagara Casino, Eric confirms, "You will be seeing pretty much the same stage set we've been using (in Europe), but sometimes what we do in a particular venue (will be scaled down), because that's all that will fit.  You can't put 10 pounds of bologna in a 5 pound bag."
 
No matter what the stage set up will be, it will be loud, bombastic and this upcoming show at the Seneca Niagara Casino will be a concert you will never forget!  Niagara Falls...You wanted the Best...They're coming!!  Be there!!!!

Click here for more information.

08/16/2017

West Fargo 5th grader sings with Gene Simmons

By WDAY News

A West Fargo 5th grader is going to have an unbelievable summer break story to share with his friends when school starts.

Fortunately, he'll have video evidence to back it up.

Steele Bryant attends Freedom Elementary School.

He was pulled up on stage by Gene Simmons at his concert at the Shooting Star Casino last weekend.

Simmons, who co-founded the band KISS, asked Steele to help him sing the chorus of the band's biggest hit "Rock and Roll All Nite."

Steele and his dad, Anthony, are both big KISS fans, so he didn't miss a beat.

Steele even got to wear Simmons' sunglasses.

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