Kiss News

Photo by Keith Leroux

Welcome to the family, Steev.

Tonight's #KISS hometown hero #roadiefortheday is Cpl Kimberly Stewart!

By Gary Graff, The Oakland Press

As far as Gene Simmons is concerned, Kiss is back on the road because that�s just what the band does.

�There�s no gimmick, no idea, no other thing than we miss touring,� the group�s bassist and co-founder says by phone from Los Angeles.

But there�s a bit more to this year�s Freedom To Rock Tour than that.

The trek, which began July 5 and plays nearby shows in Grand Rapids, Saginaw and Toledo during the next week and a half, is designed to play smaller markets than Kiss might usually play, and eschew big cities -- including its own beloved Detroit Rock City. The idea, according to frontman Paul Stanley, is to get back to and express appreciation for Kiss� roots and the areas that supported band before it exploded with 1975�s �Kiss Alive!� album.

�We built our following by going to the heartland and going to middle America, so for us (the tour) is basically a return to that,� Stanley, 64, says by phone, also from L.A. �When we first broke through, when �Kiss Alive� was just simmering, we were playing the Toledos and the Daytons and the Des Moines.

�In fact, it was at the arena in Dayton when I peeked through the curtain and I really got the full scope of what was happening. The place was packed and this had been going on for a few nights with no end in sight. So those places mean a lot to us, and it�ll be great to go back to them.�

The tour comes amidst the usual variety of Kiss projects. Coming Aug. 26 is the CD/homve video release of �Kiss Rocks Vegas,� the concert film from the group�s November 2014 residency at Las Vegas� Hard Rock Casino and Hotel that screened in theaters during the spring. The annual Kiss Kruise is on tap for an early November departure from Miami, while Stanley recently joined forces with former Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley to a version of Free�s �Fire & Water� on Frehley�s new covers album �Origins, Vol. 1.�

Meanwhile, it�s been four years since Kiss� last album, �Monster,� but neither Simmons or Stanley is sure when a follow-up will happen.

�I did write a song a few months back called �Your Wish Is My Command,� which sounds like it came off of �Destroyer,�� Simmons, 66, says. �And when will Paul and the rest of the guys come up with stuff? Y�know, there�s no hurry. Nowadays with downloading and file-sharing and stuff, music is so disposable there really isn�t any kind of hurry. I mean, when the Stones get up and say� here�s a new song off of their new album, isn�t that when you sit down?�

Kiss will be on the high seas during the presidential election this year, but Simmons will be watching closely -- and maybe closer than most. As a contestant on the inaugural season of NBC�s �Celebrity Apprentice� in 2008, he had a front-row seat to watch Republican candidate Donald Trump operate and became friendly. He�s not endorsing either Trump or Hillary Clinton -- �Celebrity itself is a bully pulpit. I think it�s ethically wrong and it undermines democracy,� he explains -- but Simmons is intrigued by what Trump has been able to accomplish since announcing his candidacy.

�I think it�s fair to say what you see is what you get,� Simmons says. �He�s certainly changed the political game, and everybody�s realizing that politicians by and large are full of s***; They�ll tell you what you want to hear because they want to get elected, and then it�s what happens after their in office that actually counts -- and even then they�re afraid of saying the wrong thing.

�So it�s an imperfect system. But it�s still the best system in the world.�

Kiss and the Dead Daises perform three shows in Michigan and northern Ohio. To wit...

� 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13, at Van Andel Arena, 130 Fulton St. West, Grand Rapids. Call 616-742-6610 or visit vanandelarena.com.

� 7:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 15, at the Dow Event Center 303 Johnson St., Saginaw. Call 989-759-1330 or visit doweventcenter.com.

� 7:30 p.m. Aug. 24 at Huntington Center, 500 Jefferson Ave., Toledo. Call 419-321-5007 or visithuntingtoncentertoledo.com.

By B.J. Lisko 
Repository / http://www.cantonrep.com

For better or worse, KISS has defied traditional conventions of the music business for more than 40 years. With its superhero-like appearance and bombastic over-the-top live performances, the group became a pop culture icon in the �70s, working its way to the top of the rock heap. In its four decades, numerous lineups with and without makeup have come and gone, but the iconic imagery and sound of the original band has remained a staple of musical and pop culture. So much, in fact, that band founders Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons have actually suggested that the group will continue for generations to come with new members carrying the torch.

Currently, KISS is comprised of Stanley and Simmons along with �new� members, longtime drummer Eric Singer and the band�s longest consecutive-serving lead guitarist, Tommy Thayer.

�The challenge is that this is a group that�s been around for 40 years, and people know and love KISS for as it was and as it is,� Thayer said. �There�s a lot of sentimentality to that and history. I can understand (the idea of Kiss moving on for generations) being frustrating for some people.�

For Thayer and KISS, however, the group has been an ever-evolving machine. In the late �70s, the band tried its hand in disco and concept albums. In the �80s, the group took off its makeup with great fanfare and rolled out gold and platinum albums in the vein of the glitz and glam of the decade. In the �90s when grunge and industrial music were exploding at the same rate glam metal was melting into a hot pink puddle of useless goo, Kiss stripped back its sound to a more honest brand of rock. The band re-applied the makeup while reuniting with original members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss in what was one of the highest-grossing tours of the decade. After a few reunion tours, Thayer replaced the again-departed Frehley as permanent guitarist, and Singer returned to the drum throne.

In short, the history and legacy of KISS is a complicated one, but according to Thayer, it�s the music that fans keep flocking to.

�There�s new fans coming in at a faster rate than anybody even imagined,� Thayer said. �I think that over half the people at our shows on this tour are new fans. It actually surprised us. Although some people are very sentimental about the beginnings of the band, and not that it�s not important, it�s really about looking ahead and looking forward.�

Even if that forward means a KISS without Gene or Paul?

�As strange as that sounds, I think it�s a possibility,� Thayer said. �Especially in a group like KISS. KISS has never been a band that�s played by the rules. It�s always been about finding new ground and thinking outside the box.�

�It�s already happened with 50 percent of the band already,� Thayer said with a laugh. �It�s definitely not out of the question.�

KISS is set to perform Aug. 26 at Covelli Centre in Youngstown as part of its �Freedom to Rock� tour. The jaunt is based on doing secondary markets, according to Thayer.

�It�s important to us to play these cities,� he said. �In some cases, we haven�t been there in 10 or 12 years or more, and they�re great markets. In a lot of ways, the fans and the crowds that are coming to these shows are even more excited than most regular tours, because they haven�t had the opportunity.�

 Recently, Thayer chatted briefly about his history with KISS, his unique perspective on the group, and what�s in store for the group moving forward.

Q. You first worked with Gene, who produced albums for your old band, Black �n Blue, and later helped write songs with him for the Kiss record �Hot in the Shade.� Was it intimidating when you first met him?

A. �When I first met Gene and Paul, it was 1985, and Black �n Blue was the opening act on the �Asylum� tour. We ended up doing the dates, and it was a great experience. We asked Gene to produce our next record, which was �Nasty Nasty.� He ended up producing that and the follow-up, �In Heat.� We started working in pre-production with them for our record, and it was immediately a real learning experience with Gene. He was real hands on. It actually surprised us in a lot of ways. He was on tour at the time with Kiss, but he would fly back to L.A. on days off just to get together with us to do pre-production and arrange songs. We were always impressed with how diligent he was. It was a great experience. He taught us to be open-minded and try things when sometimes when we though for sure something wouldn�t work. He was always very thorough in that way. I can�t remember what point it was, but he asked me to write with him for songs they were working on for �Hot in the Shade.� I had done a fair amount of songwriting up to that point already with Black �n Blue, and I had a lot of background in that. It was more just a thrill of working with a band suddenly on that level and writing music and songs with Kiss. To potentially have a song on a Kiss record, that was an exciting prospect at the time.�

Q. You have one of the most unique perspectives of anyone that�s ever been in Kiss, in that you�ve worked with nearly every member at one time another. How has that helped you in Kiss through the years?

A. �I am in the unique position in having had the opportunity to work with everyone but (�Animalize� guitarist) Mark St. John. I maybe met him once or twice, but he wasn�t around for a long period anyway. All the other guys I had the unique opportunity of working with all of them. I don�t know who else besides Paul and Gene have been in that position. It�s been very interesting. Every one of them are unique and interesting people. We�re all unique and quirky in our own ways. We were all talking about this as a band the other day. I don�t think you get in this kind of situation unless you�re kind of a quirky individual to begin with! (laughs) I think that holds true to everyone that has been in this band, and quite honestly most groups that are successful, there�s some interesting personalities involved to say the least.�

Q. You�re the longest consecutive serving lead guitarist in Kiss, too, which I think might surprise some people who still think you�re the new guy. What�s the biggest challenge about being in the band?

A. �You�re right, I am the new guy. They call me the Ronnie Wood of Kiss! (Laughs) It�s always a bit of a challenge being in that position, because the band established this legendary career well before I was even involved, obviously. There are big shoes to fill, and it�s a legendary group, so you have to be good and on your game, but you also have to be the kind of person that can really sit in well and work well personality-wise more than anything. Without that, it�s the downfall of most all bands. You don�t get along. You misunderstand each other. There�s friction, and it doesn�t work and becomes impossible. I think that�s what had happened in Kiss in the early days with the original guys. For whatever reason, it becomes almost impossible to be together and be a group. That�s why Kiss has evolved, and I don�t think that�s unusual. After 40-plus years, that things like that will happen. You grow and you go different directions and become different people than you were when you first started out and were 23 years old.�

Q. The band�s most recent album �Monster� garnered the group some of the most positive reviews in years, but you don�t get much of a chance to play that material in the live setting. Obviously, many of the fans want to hear the classic Kiss stuff. But does the nostalgia side of things ever become frustrating for the band in that you can�t play more newer material?

A. �Ideally we�d like to, but it�s not frustrating, because we couldn�t be more blessed than having the nostalgia or the history that people want to continue to hear those classic songs. You can�t be any luckier than to have a situation like that. Ideally we�d like to play some of the newer stuff, and we do sometimes. But really when people come to see Kiss, they want to hear those other great songs they grew up on, and I understand that. It�s the same way with the Rolling Stones or any other group that�s been around for 40 or 50 years.�

Q. Speaking of which, will there be any plans to record a new album down the line?

A. �It�s harder to make a decision to record a new record these days, because with all the time and effort and resources that go into doing it, in almost all cases, it doesn�t pay off anymore. It becomes kind of a waste of time in a sense. Creatively, it�s nice to have an outlet sometimes, but it�s almost like there are more important things to spend your precious hours of the day doing. In this day and age, there are a lot of platforms to get your music out there besides just the conventional recording business. We did this crazy Kiss and Scooby Doo thing last year, and I know it�s a kid�s thing, but in terms of attracting new, young fans, it�s astounding what things like that can do for your career. It�s more about continuing think outside of the box. It�s such a different world today.�

KISS KRUISE VI is SOLD OUT! Thanks, KISS NAVY!

Not booked? Join our waiting list at www.sixthman.net/pioneer/booking/kiss2016/start

Gene Simmons says he prefers performing before a crowd rather than recording

By James Grant / www.news-sentinel.com

KISS, who�ll be performing live Friday night at Memorial Coliseum, is not just a rock band, they�re a brand.

Fans of KISS, called the KISS Army, can buy the group�s likeness on everything from cell phone covers, T-shirts and water bottles to pinball machines, and at one time, believe it or not, a casket you could be buried in called a Kiss Kasket.

Gene Simmons, the demon-tongued bass player and co-founder of the group, is a proficient businessman and entrepreneur and the mastermind behind turning KISS from a successful hard rock band into one of the most successful brands in rock music.

Formed in the early 1970s, KISS originally consisted of Simmons along with Paul Stanley, Peter Criss and Ace Frehley.

Each group member took on a unique persona and each had elaborate face makeup and costumes that fit their specific character.

Simmons in his KISS stage attire dresses like a cross between a warrior and a serpent and represents the �Demon� persona.

Paul Stanley, the other co-founder and group mainstay, represents the �Starchild� with a giant black star painted over his right eye, while Criss became the �Catman� with cat whiskers painted on his face and Frehley represented the �Spaceman� with his space explorer-type stage suit and makeup.

Known for their theatrical stage show, which included Simmons breathing fire and spitting blood out of his mouth, KISS became one of the top concert acts of the 1970s.

From 1974-1979 the original configuration of KISS also became a wildly successful hard rock recording act that racked up multiple gold and platinum album awards for huge record sales as well as eight Top 40 hits, including their biggest hit, a ballad titled �Beth.�

Taking a cue from how Disney promoted Mickey Mouse, Simmons also marketed KISS to younger fans, making millions from the sale of merchandise such as lunchboxes, dolls and trading cards.

As the 1980s dawned, KISS record sales began to slide, and by 1983 both Criss and Frehley had left the band due to personal issues and substance abuse.

KISS carried on, and from 1983 to 1996 appeared without their trademark make-up and personas and began to rebuild their career and record sales with various new members filling the spots left vacant by Criss and Frehley.

The original four members did reunite from 1996 to 2001 to tour and record a new album, once again appearing in their classic era make-up and personas.

By 2002 both Criss and Frehley left the band once more, and the original foursome ceased performing together, yet KISS carried on with two new band members joining Simmons and Stanley, who have always been the driving force behind KISS.

The current KISS line-up includes Simmons and Stanley in their original KISS persona and makeup, as well as Tommy Thayer on guitar portraying Ace Frehley�s persona and Eric Singer on drums portraying Peter Criss�s persona.

Simmons says the show at Memorial Coliseum will be a celebration of over 40 years of KISS music and will include all the familiar KISS anthems such as �Detroit Rock City,� �Rock and Roll All Nite� and �Shout it Out Loud� and will also honor local veterans.

�It�s an overview of our 42-year history,� Simmons said of their current tour, �Freedom to Rock.�

�We are bringing the full Gigantor stage show. We are ignoring New York, L.A., you know the big cities.

�We�re going to the heartland, and we are teaming up with the U.S. Chamber of Congress and hiring local vets,� Simmons added.

�We pay them, honor them, we give them big checks and they help our road crew put on the greatest show on earth.�

Among the many songs that KISS will perform in their show, Simmons says he has a soft spot for a song called �Deuce� that reaches back to the very first KISS album from 1974.

�We move the songs around, but I guess �Deuce� has a tug of the heart for me because it�s one of the early songs that we often play. We�ll probably play it now on tour,� Simmons said of one of his favorite KISS songs to perform live.

�And a song is always more than a song, you know,� Simmons said. �There�s a favorite song that�s also part of the memories to the soundtrack of your life. And that song has lots of memories for me.�

One of the things Simmons enjoys about touring is the chance to see what songs audiences enjoy and being out among fans.

Though KISS has just recently been named America�s No. 1 gold record-winning band of all time, Simmons says for him playing live motivates him more than making records in the recording studio.

�I don�t like the recording process,� Simmons said.

�KISS has never been a studio band. We don�t have the temperament to stay in locked up for months. We�re more a live band, and so being in the studio is torture for me. I just want to get out there,� Simmons added. ��Cause you know, half the fun is seeing what the audience gets off on.�

Though Simmons has lived through rock stardom, television stardom with his family on his hit reality TV series entitled �Gene Simmons: Family Jewels� and has earned more money than some small countries, he says the most satisfying part of his entire career is just being himself.

�I get to be Gene Simmons every day,� Simmons said. �It doesn�t suck.�

To listen to a recording of Jim Grant's interview with Gene Simmons, go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HddRSJD4EM.

Tonight's KISS hometown hero #roadiefortheday is MSgt John Hovarter!