Kiss News

06/26/2016

CLASSIC ROCK REVISITED'S ERIC SINGER INTERVIEW

By Jeb Wright / www.classicrockrevisited.com

Eric Singer is the long-time current drummer for the band Kiss.  He got the gig after being chosen to play drums for Paul Stanley�s solo band in 1991. 

When then Kiss drummer Eric Carr came down with a terminal illness, Singer was brought in as his replacement.  Singer later exited Kiss on 1996 when the band brought back original Kiss drummer Peter Criss for the Alive / Worldwide tour. 

Singer moved on and played several years with Alice Cooper�s band.  When Criss was asked to leave Kiss, Singer came back� but he was asked to wear the famous Cat makeup in 2001.

In the interview that follows Singer discusses making the choice to wear that makeup, as well as the upcoming Kiss tour and their new movie Kiss Rocks Las Vegas. 

Singer likes to talk.  He has a lot to say.  Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Singer tells it like it is.  He shares early memories of being a Kiss fan, discusses rock �n� roll and even says why neither Nikki Sixx, Gene Simmons nor Paul Stanley�s opinions on Twitter matter much to him. (If you�ve seen him play, his drums do most of the talking.)

This is a real chat with a real rock star� who just happens to have remained a regular guy. 


Jeb: We are both Led Zeppelin fans, so I want to know about the first time you heard John Bonham play drums. 

Eric: I grew up in Cleveland and we had a great radio station WMMS, the home of the Buzzard.  Zeppelin was obviously played on the radio.  If a radio deejay started playing songs on the radio then people paid attention.  Radio programmers were very important to breaking bands.  They would pick up on stuff like this band that was getting played in Cleveland. David Bowie and Bruce Springsteen and many other bands were broken on that radio station in Cleveland.  Same thing with Rush.  Cleveland was the first station to play Rush.  They would play a lot of bands that others stations didn�t catch on to initially.  Zeppelin, in their formative years, got played on that radio station a lot.

I have an older sister, so her having those records made me aware of them at a young age.  When they first came out I was ten years old but my sister was fourteen and she bought those records and brought them home.   I was made aware of many bands because of my sister. 

I have a funny anecdote about Zeppelin.  In seventh grade my brother, who is a year older, took me to a party.  We used to have a lot of the same friends since we were only a year apart in school.  We were in the basement and I am sure kids were sneaking drinking wine and stuff. 

�Immigrant Song� was out and I remember hearing it really loud.  It was my first exposure to people partying and guys making out with their girlfriends.  Some of the guys were drunk and I will never forget the image I have.  The �Immigrant Song� was playing and this girl was sitting on a barstool in the basement� one guy was kissing the girl and the other guy was feeling her up while the �Immigrant Song� was playing.  I remember thinking to myself, �I guess this is what rock �n� roll is all about.�  I swear to God that is my earliest memory of Led Zeppelin.  It is always that.  I was probably 12 at the time. 

Jeb: Sex, booze and rock �n� roll. 

Eric: In reality, it was sex, drugs and rock �n� roll� I like to keep the drugs out but yeah, back then it really was that. 

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06/25/2016

Want to be a KISS roadie? Reservists are being picked to work 30-plus shows

 / Military Times

If you�re in the National Guard or Reserve, Gene Simmons wants you to turn his amp up to 11.

Rock legends KISS are gearing up to launch their �Freedom to Rock� U.S. tour. Appropriately for the pyrotechnics-fueled hard rockers, the tour kicks off July 4 in Tucson, Arizona. It ends in Huntington, West Virginia, on Sept. 10.

At each of the more than 30 stops along the way, the band is looking to hire one military part-timer as a �roadie for a day.� The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation's Hiring Our Heroes program is coordinating the effort.

�Some of the details are still being worked out, but we�ll be working with local military organizations to determine who that will be for each leg of the tour,� Hiring Our Heroes communications manager Brooke Prouty told Military Times.

And just to be clear, this is a paying gig. �They will actually be hired for the day and work as a roadie," Prouty said.

Meanwhile, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers will be giving away a limited number of free and discounted tickets to currently serving troops and veterans through the Veteran Tickets Foundation, better known as Vet Tix.

In addition to the Vet Tix offerings, military discounts will also be available at venue box offices with a valid military ID in select markets around the country.

This summer's "Freedom to Rock" tour celebrates "the same freedom that�s been upheld by our veterans and active-duty service members,� KISS co-founder Paul Stanley said in statement.

�We are proud to partner with HOH and Vet Tix to highlight the incredible commitment and sacrifices of hometown heroes serving in the National Guard and Reserve forces,� added KISS frontman and co-founder Gene Simmons. �Many of these heroes have given a lot � and some have given all � and we will honor them in every town we tour.�

 

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