Kiss News

Here's KISS & ‪KISS ARMY‬ Perth tonight at Perth Arena.

Photo by Dean Snowden

www.FullThrottleRock.net

Who is the greatest rock band of all time? Depending on who you speak to this is an argument that could rage until the end of time. For some it may be The Beatles or The Rolling Stones, some might want to argue it�s AC/DC or Led Zeppelin, and for a younger generation it may be Nirvana. Personally I think you can keep all of them because there is only one clear choice as far as I�m concerned and that is KISS. For 40 years this group of superhero rock and rollers have been conquering the world with their brand of good time rock and roll and influencing generations of would-be rock stars. Their work ethic, particularly when it comes to touring, is second to none and there is no corner of the world the band won�t play; the same can�t be said for others. Once again the band has ventured to the land down under, which has always welcomed them with enthusiasm, as part of the 40th Anniversary tour. I caught up with guitarist and all round nice guy Tommy Thayer for a chat about the band�s rich history, the current tour and playing golf.

Rock Man: Firstly, welcome back to Australia. You�re here as part of the 40th Anniversary tour and Australia has played a big part in the bands success over the journey, hasn�t it?

Tommy Thayer: Well there is no question about it, and particularly in my journey with KISS. My first official show with the band was in 2003 here in Melbourne for the KISS Symphony concert. But of course KISS has been near and dear to the hearts of Australian�s for a long time. The first time the band was in Australia was in 1980 and it was akin to �Beatlemania�; when they came it was over the top and it was a huge tour. I was not here at that time, but I have heard all about it and I have seen all the photos and I have seen the newspaper headlines from that tour and it looks like it was over the top.

RM: So going back to 2003 and that KISS Symphony show in Melbourne, that is an incredible way to announce your arrival in the band.

TT: It really was because it was this full blown concert with the Melbourne Symphony at the Telstra Dome, at the time, and there was 40/50,000 people there. The entire Melbourne Symphony Orchestra was in KISS make-up and we recorded it for a live album and DVD as well, so there was a little pressure involved in that first gig I did. But once I got past that it has been smooth sailing ever since.

RM: Congratulations on all you have achieved in your career. Do you shake your head and wonder sometimes �How did I get so lucky�?

TT: [Laughs] Yeah, well I don�t know if it is, they say the harder you work the luckier you get. So I am not sure it necessarily is luck; I have been very fortunate but again, I have been fortunate to find a vocation and find my calling in life to what I love doing which is music and playing guitar and doing this sort of thing. So if you combine that with a lot of drive and perseverance like I have and a never-giving-up type of attitude, it all kind of seems to work out and I have been fortunate like I said. But it does have to do with how hard you work and how much you put into something as well, for sure.

RM: So I guess an extension of that is do you ever have moments, maybe on stage for example, where you think to yourself �Holy smoke, I�m in KISS, arguably the biggest band in the world!�?

TT: Oh, there is no question about it. I have had a lot of those kind of moments. I have had those experiences of looking around on stage or in stadiums and coming down on lifts for the first song as we were playing Detroit Rock City and looking out at 60/70,000 people and thinking �Oh my God, how great is this?� and �How Did I get here?�. But again, somehow it all works and one thing always leads to another and sometimes I have to pinch myself and think �This is amazing�, and I am so fortunate to be in this situation. But I definitely never lose sight of that and never take it for granted either.

RM: Now, in the past the band has brought some pretty big tours here however this time around you�re bringing with you the �Spider� stage. How exciting is it working with this massive stage set up?

TT: Well it is really exciting to have a stage like the �Spider� stage and we are really proud to bring it over to Australia. We used it all last year in North America and it was to great response and great reaction. The stage is big; it is massive and it moves and it really makes a big impact and I believe it is the best stage that KISS has ever used. I am just glad we have it here on this tour and I think the Australian fans and the fans in New Zealand are going to be blown away when they see it.

RM: So is there a part of the setlist each night that you look forward to the most?

TT: Hmm� that is a great question. You know, I can�t really say that there is one part that I favour over another part of the set. We build the set so it is dynamic and from start to finish, it is like a roller coaster ride. So every part of it is great and I enjoy playing every part of the show and there is never a KISS song I don�t enjoy playing either; it is a thrill to play any of them. So it is hard to say one song or one part of the show is my favourite.

RM: So further to that, how much influence do you and Eric Singer have in contributing to what the setlist will be on any given tour?

TT: You know Eric and I, believe it or not, have a lot more say in that than people probably imagine. If anything we might make more suggestions than the other guys in the band as far as that goes [laughs]. Sometimes we like to push Paul [Stanley] and Gene [Simmons] to try different songs and stuff that hasn�t been played as much, and usually we are the ones who do that. You know, just because of our backgrounds and being KISS fans growing up in a sense gives us a slightly different perception on it and perspective on it. Paul and Gene, they know it is tried and true and know better than anybody what works, but sometimes it is good to push them a little bit and pull out something that hasn�t been done as much. Some of the fans get a kick out of hearing other things sometimes; especially when we do the KISS Kruise which is a deal we do every year now for the last five years on a big cruise ship with 3,000 of the most dedicated KISS fans. We try to pull things out for that that are more obscure and unusual because that particular group of fans appreciate that more.

RM: And does that extend to the setlist for the pre-show meet and greet package you provide?

TT: Absolutely. A lot of people don�t know we do a meet and greet package and what it is, it starts out in the afternoon we get together with these particular special fans there is usually about 50 of them and they come in and we go backstage and we pick up our acoustic guitars and we do a short acoustic set almost by request. It is really cool and the whole idea is just really a personal sit down experience with the fans and we kind of goof around and shoot the shit a bit, and it is a great experience and people love it. So that is in the afternoon, and then we sign autographs and all that kind of stuff after we play the acoustic set and then in the evening before the show those same people will come backstage again and we take photos with everybody individually before we go on stage. But that acoustic deal is a great experience and we do get the opportunity to goof around like I said and play songs we normally wouldn�t play, some more obscure stuff and less heard songs.

RM: There is this mythology that when the band stated out there was this �all for one, one for all� mentality within the band. Then during the 1980s/90s the band was viewed as the �Gene and Paul Show�. Now today with yourself and Eric do you feel it has gone back to that original �all for one� philosophy?

TT: Well, I think it is kind of a combination of both. Everybody knows that Paul and Gene have had this band for over 40 years now and they started it. Now that Eric and I have been in the band for 10/15 years I think it is now a combination; ultimately they are running the band and in charge but as far as day to day stuff and making decisions about the setlist or other things, we are quite involved in a lot of that stuff too. It definitely is more that way now than it was say during the reunion tour or something, to be honest with you, but a lot of people know my involvement as well goes way beyond playing lead guitar. I do a lot of the videos and a lot of other types of things for KISS, so I am involved on a lot of different levels, probably more than other band members have been and so it is unique and a different kind of role that I play a lot of times. So like I said, it is a combination and I think we take pride in the fact that we have four guys that makes this band really rock these days, you know, it is a good combination; we have good comradery and we enjoy being around each other and it is a real band for sure.

RM: Recently there has been a lot of commentary from other well established musicians, journalists and even some sections of the fan base on whether KISS should continue recording albums or which members should or shouldn�t be in the band. I would have thought the only people qualified to know what�s best for KISS would be the four guys in KISS. How frustrating does that get for the band and what do you think is driving this need for others to comment?

TT: [Laughs] Well, first of all you are right it is ultimately and only up to the people in KISS and at the end of the day it does not matter what anybody else thinks. I think that our attitude is we hold true to that and you have got to expect this stuff; KISS is an iconic band and it has been around for more than four decades, and it is a legendary band and there is always a million people taking different points of view on this or that with the band or having opinions about everything. You know, you listen to some of the stuff but at the end of the day we make the decisions and it doesn�t matter what anybody else thinks.

RM: So can you give me your thoughts on the fan base, the KISS Army. Every band claims to have the best fans in the business but none of them come close to the passion and loyalty of the KISS Army, is that a fair assessment?

TT: It is, isn�t that true? The KISS Army, I have never seen a fan base or fans of a band like the KISS Army or the fans of KISS. It is truly amazing and they are the best fans in the world; they are the most dedicated, and many fans come to hundreds of shows and they follow the band around the world. They are so intensely dedicated it is insane [laughs]; you have got to love it and it is really what drives the band and keeps the band on the level and keeps the band alive today with great support. So they are so important and we love to embrace the many fans we know and sometimes when they travel we tty to take care of them and set them up with tickets when we can and do that sort of thing. But we have the best fans in the world and it is unlike any other band or artist out there, I mean who puts tattoos all over their body, or they wear the costumes and the make-up of the band at concerts and that sort of thing. It is uniquely KISS and you can�t ever take that away, it is so cool.

RM: It appears to be a prerequisite if you have been or are a member of KISS, you release a tell-all book. Do you have any plans to put pen to paper and write a memoir?

TT: [Laughs] A lot of people have asked me that. I really don�t have any plans to do that. I read a lot, I am actually an avid reader and I read a lot of books, I read a lot of biographies, you know, particularly musicians and artists and things like that. It is always very interesting to me but I figure doing a book would be an awful lot of work and probably not much return [laughs]. I think it would be an interesting process to go through but in a lot of ways it really does not appeal to me either because it is a little too, you know, putting your life out there in front of everybody. I am kind of more of a private person, so again, I wouldn�t say it will never happen but it is not something I am definitely planning on doing.

RM: I would imagine you would have a lot of great stories to tell though?

TT: [Laughs] You know, you are right. I am in a unique position in this band because I had the opportunity to be around every member of KISS through the years and work with them all in different capacities and different ways. Either working in the band with them or behind the scenes with them, and I do have a lot of interesting experiences and a lot of interesting stories and things like that that I am sure people would love to hear. Again, I am not one to talk too much and I usually keep that stuff to myself or just for the people that are closest to me, so we�ll see, you never know.

RM: So as it stands right now, do you think the band will record another album in the future, and if so would you like to contribute a bit more on vocals?

TT: Of course I would love to. But when you do a KISS record it has to be definitive KISS and I think that is why it makes more sense for Gene and Paul to sing more of the songs and that sort of thing because that is the way it has always kind of been. I don�t see that changing and I don�t what to see it change either. It has been great the last two records we have done, Monster and Sonic Boom; I have had the opportunity to do a lot of songwriting and co-writing with those guys and that has been a great honour and a great experience to do that kind of stuff. So if we do another record I would love to write some songs and be involved just like on the other two records we have done. But as far as singing goes, you know, I like it but I do not know if there really is a place for it; there are so many other things we need to try to do and those guys do such a good job with what they do anyway.

RM: I have to be honest with you, I think there is a real place for it. I think your vocal contribution on both of those albums is outstanding, they are killer tracks.

TT: Well I appreciate that and it was fun doing them. Particularly on something like Monster, I got the opportunity to really start playing some guitar that is more my way of doing it probably. Or I should say playing guitar and having the opportunity to branch out a little bit more, although Sonic Boom was amazing and I love the record because the intent was to make a �classic� KISS record and that is what we did from top to bottom. So again, on Monster I got the opportunity to play a little bit more and branch out a bit so that was kind of cool too. I would say doing another record is a possibility; we just have to see what happens because you never know, we don�t plan too far ahead with things but I could see it happen.

RM: So over the years the band has chalked up many milestones and awards. Recently you were awarded the honour of being named �America�s Number One Gold Record Award Winning Group of All Time�. How important is that recognition for the band, I guess particularly for Gene and Paul?

TT: Well I think being the �Number One Gold Record Award Winning Band� by the RRIA is a huge honour. I think it is very significant, of all the American groups of all time KISS has got more gold records, so that just speaks for itself. This band is legendary and iconic and has this great legacy and this rich history that really underscores that when you get that type of recognition.

RM: Now I need to try and get to the bottom of a particular topic. In 2014 you joined fellow rockers Alice Cooper and Alex Lifeson from Rush to participate in the Medlock-Krieger golf tournament. So can you explain to me what is it about golf that attracts so many hard rockers and metallers?

TT: [Laughs] You know, that is a good question. I don�t really know why that is, but there are a lot of musicians that like to play golf and it is true that a lot of the PGA golfers like to play guitar and wish they were on stage being musicians. So there is this strange kind of back and forth there. But the thing that we do there with the Robbie Krieger and Scotty Medlock�s event is it is a golf tournament, but more than anything it is a fundraiser for St. Jude�s Hospital which is the most important part. Also the evening of the event there is a big music all-star jam thing. So you have got a lot of these guys that are legendary rock and roll guitar players and singers like Alice Cooper and Alex Lifeson, and Robbie Krieger and Danny Seraphine from Chicago, and Phil Chen who played with Rod Stewart, and Jeff Beck, have the opportunity to get up and play together. It really is a lot of fun and is quite cool. I was always a big Rush fan, particularly in the early days and when I hear that Alex Lifeson was going to be there I told Robbie and Scotty, I said �I�ve got to play with Alex Lifeson� and they go �Cool�. Then I said �We have to do something like Working Man� so they told Alex that I would like to do Working Man and he thought that was cool, so we played that and Sebastian Bach came up and kicked some ass on the vocals and it was a great experience playing with Alex Lifeson. And of course Alice Cooper is a dream come true kind of thing too, I mean getting up and playing I�m Eighteen and School�s Out and that sort of thing is unbelievable to do too.

RM: Once again, welcome back to Australia and congratulations on all that you have achieved. On behalf of everyone here at Full Throttle Rock I would like to wish you and the band all the best for the remainder of the current tour and for the future.

TT: Well, I sure appreciate it and we are excited to be here and we are looking forward to a rockin� tour.

Australian 40th Anniversary Tour Dates:

Saturday, October 3 - Perth Arena

Tuesday, October 6 - Adelaide Entertainment Centre

Thursday, October 8 - Melbourne Rod Laver Arena

Friday, October 9 � Melbourne Rod Laver Arena

Saturday, October 10 - Sydney AllPhones Arena

Monday, October 12 - Newcastle Entertainment Centre

Tuesday, October 13 - Brisbane Entertainment Centre

By Robert Hutchins / www.Licensing.biz

Off the back of a sell out worldwide tour, Epic Rights is leveraging the growing legions of KISS fans with multiple new deals and renewals for the glam rockers.

Epic Rights has secured a number of new licensing partnerships for the Hall of Fame glam rockers, KISS.

The firm has also renewed a slate of existing licensees for product lines across a number of categories, citing the growing legion of KISS Army fans across the globe.

New partnerships will see the KISS brand launch into footwear from Charlotte Olympia, t-shirts, electronics and collectables in the US from Four Seasons Designs and accessories and home d�cor in the US, Canada, UK, Europe, Australia and New Zealand from Bradford Exchange.

Furthermore, Iconic Concepts will launch a range of mini-replica guitars, scarves, collectables and barware, Legends Socks will develop men�s and women�s socks and Silver Buffalo will deliver drinkware, blankets, wall art and more.

Rounding out the list of new licensing partners, Yusef will develop KISS lip balm and lip gloss in the US, Distribuidora de Ropa Viva will deliver t-shorts, tank tops and sweatshirts in Mexico and Winning Moves International will launch a KISS-themed Monopoly board game worldwide.

Meanwhile, existing licensees renewing their KISS brand agreement include ACCO with decorative wall calendars, Kurt S Adler with Christmas d�cor and Funko with vinyl toys and collector edition t-shirts worldwide.

FIPO will continue to roll out apparel, accessories, bedding and towels in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Finland and expanding to include Germany, Austria and Switzerland, while CID will deliver t-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, leggings, dressings and baseballs across Europe.

Completing the list and Angotti Designs will continue to produce children�s apparel in the US, Canada, France, Ireland, Japan, Mexico and Spain.

The slate of new deals and renewal of existing partnerships arrives off the back of a sell out KISS world tour, visiting stadiums in Europe as well as Australia and New Zealand.

�The KISS brand continues to exceed our expectations for appeal as well as performance round the globe, a true testament to the brand�s music and continued fan engagement,� said Epic Rights executive VP of global licensing, Lisa Streff.

�The KISS multigenerational fan base is passionate and loyal and continues to drive demand for a broad range of products and services, which is truly a rarity in today�s licensing environment.

�This level of consumer support attracts a consistent stream of new and current licensees that continue to fuel the brand�s growth and visibility around the world.�

The Music Network

For more than a decade, legendary rock band KISS has worked passionately with several programs in the US assisting returned servicemen and women.

KISS are keen to continue this very valuable work whilst in Australia and today, are pleased to announce they will be doing so on their national tour � courtesy of Legacy Australia.

In the US, KISS are active supporters of the Wounded Warrior Project, which is a non-profit organisation assisting men & women who have incurred service connected injuries, and the Hiring Our Heroes program, a US initiative to help veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses find meaningful employment.

KISS has raised awareness for both programs by regularly visiting recovering wounded veterans, raising money through donating proceeds from concert ticket sales and by giving returned veterans the opportunity to work as �KISS Roadies� on their tours. To date KISS has raised upwards of two million dollars in funds and millions more in awareness from media for their support of military veterans causes.

Most recently KISS hired three servicemen to be roadies during their three week residency at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas, and prior, servicemen were hired to be �KISS Roadies� on the entire KISS/Def Leppard US summer tour, 2013 the KISS/Motley Crue tour and band�s UK tour.  

In Australia, the band�s initiative will take on a slightly different feel! As Legacy�s main priority is the welfare of the widows and families of servicemen and women, it is widows around the country who will be given the unique opportunity to become a �KISS Roadie For A Day�. 

When made aware of the incredible work Legacy does in Australia for war widows and their families, the band felt very passionately about recognising their strength and courage.

At each of the band�s seven Australian concerts starting in Perth on Saturday (October 3), Legacy Australia has selected a woman for this once-in-a-lifetime experience.   The ladies will work with the KISS team in the VIP Packages area. They will prep and build the area at each venue, meet and host the VIP fans who attend a special afternoon acoustic session, and help manage the VIP band photo opportunities.  And of course, after all that hard work, sit back and enjoy the show!

The women are of various ages and have lost husbands or partners in different conflicts, including Shelley Kovco who lost her husband Jake in Iraq in 2006. She was left with two very young children on her own after his death and Legacy has assisted her with school fees, uniforms, books as well as much-needed emotional support for the whole family.

Shelley and Melbourne Legacy CEO, Mikaela Stafrace, met KISS in Melbourne last night.  Shelley will be the KISS Roadie working at the Rod Laver Arena show next Thursday October 8.

Legacy Australia Chairman, Mr David Gray said it is a fantastic opportunity to be supported by one of the most famous rock bands in the world, helping raise not only awareness but give some of our very special ladies a �money can�t buy experience�.

�It really is such a tremendous opportunity, and we can�t thank KISS enough for the support they are giving our organisation while touring in Australia and helping raise awareness around the world,� he said.  �KISS have a very close affiliation with service men and women in the US and we are very happy they have decided to support our vital work here in Australia. These ladies have made such a huge sacrifice and it is fabulous we are offering them something very, very, special in return.�

The first KISS Roadie will be ex-soldier Naomi Nary, who lost her Special Air Service Regiment husband David in a motor vehicle accident in Iraq. Naomi has two kids and has received significant support from Legacy.

Legacy is liaising with ladies from other states now, with the complete list being finalised over the weekend.      

CONCERT DATES

Saturday October 3     PERTH Arena

Tuesday October 6     ADELAIDE Entertainment Centre

Thursday October 8    MELBOURNE Rod Laver Arena

Friday October 9         MELBOURNE Rod Laver Arena

Saturday October 10  SYDNEY AllPhones Arena

Monday October 12   NEWCASTLE Entertainment Centre

Tuesday October 13   BRISBANE Entertainment Centre

by Rod Yates / Rolling Stone

Legendary rockers Kiss kick off their Australian tour in Perth this Saturday. Vocalist Paul Stanley took some time out to re-evaluate five albums from the band's back catalogue.

Dressed to Kill (1975)

"Dressed To Kill was an interesting album because at that point we were still trying to break nationally, and with each album that didn't do it we quickly went into the studio to do another album. And Dressed To Kill was done under duress in terms of needing to get another album out, and we actually went into the studio without all the songs completed or written. Gene [Simmons, bass/vocals] and I would go in the morning sometimes and write songs and when Peter [Criss, drums] and Ace [Frehley, guitar] would come in we'd tell them today's song is called "Two Timer", and we would teach them the song. I think the songs are better than the sound. I have an issue with a lot of the early albums because they didn't sonically represent what the band was. If you ever saw the band live early on we were bombastic, and those albums don't sound it."

Unmasked (1980)

"Unmasked I know was very popular in some countries including Australia, but it was an album for me where the band was in turmoil. Peter didn't play on the album, he didn't play on [1979's] Dynasty either, not because of personality problems but because the producer deemed that his ability was in question. So we were at that point where I think we had lost sight of why we started this in the first place, and that was because we loved rock & roll. At that point we had lost our teeth and were gumming the music instead of biting it."

Lick It Up (1983)

"Lick It Up was an interesting album because I had wanted to take off the make-up on [1982's] Creatures Of the Night because I thought that people at that time were listening with their eyes and didn't like seeing the band as it was anymore, and didn't perhaps believe in the band visually anymore, and it affected how they listened to the band. And as good an album as Creatures was, it was kind of overlooked, so I knew that when we took the make-up off that the next album would be better received. It sold multiple times what Creatures had sold. People wanted Kiss but they didn't want Kiss looking as they did."

Hot in the Shade (1989)

"Hot in the Shade was more than a little disjointed because by that point Gene and I were very much in our own camps so to speak and writing separately, and I think he may have been bringing in songs he had very little to do with because he was involved in other outside interests. I think that there are some good songs on there but overall it's a scattered album with no real focus to it."

Revenge (1992)

"Revenge was a great album, in that we got back together with [producer] Bob Ezrin at a time when he was in great shape again. We tried working together earlier and it was a disaster, but Revenge was a time when the band was focused and Bob was focused and we turned out a great album."

By Bob Gordon / The Music

Preparing for a special show with his R&B outfit, Soul Station, in Los Angeles, Stanley - who normally hurls guitars around with command precision - found things almost got more concussive than percussive.

"I threw the tambourine up in the air and misjudged it and it smacked me in the face," he recalls. "It was not pretty and it didn't feel very good, but to my credit I made it right back to the microphone in time and kept on singing (laughs)."

It might seem like a departure for a renowned hard rock singer, but as someone who grew upon on Philadelphia soul and Motown, for Stanley it makes a lot of sense.

"I was having lunch in London with Jimmy Page," he notes, "and we were talking about it and I said 'you know, before I ever saw Led Zeppelin I saw Otis Redding. Before I ever saw The Who, I saw The Temptations and Solomon Burke'. We're living in a time now where so much that is passed off as music is just computerised crap with auto-tuned vocals that people have either forgotten or never experienced great live R&B.   The people who do enjoy that are few and far between. There isn't that many people doing it.

"So I just gathered together with some like-minded musicians who just jumped at the idea and we just have a great time, playing that stuff faithfully and reverently. To be able to play Temptations, Stylistics, Smokey Robinson and Spinners is just great."

At the time of the original line-up's Farewell Tour in 2001, Stanley maintained that Kiss has given him the freedom to do what you wanted once it ended. Times shows that Ace Frehley and Peter Criss left and the Stanley/Simmons core was joined by Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer. The band continued and Stanley still had the freedom anyway, to pursue painting, solo work, business ventures, an autobiography... and soul music. To do what he wants, but not any old time.

"In a sense we were trying to put the band out of its misery because it was back to the old days of drudgery and people not getting along and not talking. We thought 'let's just end it' and quickly I thought I didn't want to stop. All I wanted was to get rid of the problem. Thankfully there's been a massive audience that very much agreed.

"That was a turning point certainly and you know the longer we've been around the more I've found that there is time - although it's limited - to  do other things. But you can easily compromise what you're doing by doing it at the wrong time."  

The band's ability to push boundaries or break rules has long been in place and has become the template for other mega-bands. 2015 alone has seen KISS collaborate with Japanese girl group, Momorio Clover Z, on a single, Samurai Son, and release a Scooby-Doo! and Kiss: Rock and Roll Mystery cartoon feature. By now this kind of diverse branding is what Kiss are best known for, other than their music. Yet people are still constantly surprised by their movements.

"It all depends on your attitude and philosophy," Stanley says. There are so many people who say 'why?' and I tend to say, 'why not?' (laughs). We don't live within the boundaries of other bands and the limitations that either the critics seem to impose or bands impose on themselves. We write our own rules and our #1 rule I think, is 'no rules'.     "It's funny sometimes critics see their darlings doing something similar, although perhaps less extreme, and they think these people are great showmen and somehow turn a blind eye then look at us and say it's a trick, or it's a gimmick. If that's so, it's possibly the greatest trick of all time, because it's been going for 40 years."

But it's not done without a certain amount of tongue in cheek. The Scooby Doo movie contains a lot of self-deprecating quips and many not-so-subtle digs at their own marketing machine.

"Truth be told, because you take yourself and what you do seriously, doesn't mean that you can't have a laugh," Stanley says. "You have to find the humour in situations and I certainly see the fun side and humorous side and it doesn't, in any way, detract or negate the fact that we take a huge amount of pride in what we do and have a legacy to live up to."

That said, Stanley's 2014 autobiography, Face The Music: A Life Exposed was surprisingly revealing for someone who had long fiercely protected his privacy. Many highs and lows, indifferences and crises of confidence were played out.

"I think the more you free yourself of secrets the freer you are," he says. "So to put something out that could be of help to other people and perhaps either inspire them or give them some hope, and to document something that my children can read as they get older to understand the difficulties that I may have had and understand me that much more, it was a very rewarding experience."

While a new Kiss album does not appear to be on the cards ('At the moment I don't have any desire to do another album. And that may change, but as long as I feel like that there won't be one') the band continue to loom large as a touring act. This month's tour is nigh on 35 years since Kiss first visited Australia. The significance isn't lost on The Starchild.

"It's really gratifying to look out into the audience and see a majority of fresh faces and, adding to that, some parents who want their children to experience what they experienced and bring them," Stanley says.

"So there is always this legend of Kiss that will bring in a new audience, but then we have to justify that legend. That's what it's always about - living up to the stories and this very, very fertile history." 

Originally published in X-Press Magazine

Get your face paint ready Australia because Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer are in Australia as part of their 40th Anniversary world tour. Kicking off at the Perth Arena on Saturday October 3, then to Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, for the first time ever Newcastle and with New Zealand to be announced next week, it�s the news the rabid KISS army fans have been waiting for!

Stephen spoke exclusively to KISS lead guitraist Tommy Thayer on Hunter Valley Today.