05/29/2015

GENE SIMMONS PLAQUE ENGRAVED ON BERLIN'S BRIDGE OF HEARTS

My thanks to the Matt Lamb German Foundation and, in particular, Sheila Lamb, who is carrying on her father�s work of using the legacy of his art as a way to enrich and inspire the lives of children around the world.

I was honored to accompany Miss Lamb and her wonderful team to Berlin, where the Matt Lamb Umbrellas For Peace was in full swing. The children were painting on the umbrellas and celebrating the message of peace and understanding.

I was caught somewhat off-guard when officials awarded me the Bridge Of Hearts Award. Certainly undeserved, but an honor nonetheless.

At the end of the day, my lasting memories were of the smiling faces of the children.

There was even a children�s KISS Tribute Band. Amazing.

My thanks to all.

05/28/2015

RESTING UP FOR BIG KISS TOUR!

 

KISS‬ Fan Robert Jeske is getting a little rest before KISS invades Europe on Saturday!

Looks like we'll see you at a bunch of shows!

‪The ‎KISS ARMY ROCKS‬!

05/27/2015

The Starchild talks us through some of the key songs in his glittering career�

As KISS prepare to close this year's Download Festival, we ask Paul Stanley about some of the band's songs, starting with...

Rock and Roll All Nite
Rock and Roll All Nite is astounding, in that every night we play it, it brings on a euphoria and a feeling of abandon in the crowd, everything that was it supposed to do. It was meant to be a rock anthem that would sum up the philosophy and common point of view between Kiss and our fans. I remember sitting with my guitar in my hotel room in what was then the Continental Hyatt House, on Sunset in LA, and trying to figure out how to encapsulate what Kiss is about and what our fans are about, and very quickly I came up with the melody, the chords, and the way the lyric and hook would repeat. Gene had a song called Drive Me Wild and I basically took his verse and put it to my chorus, and that is Rock and Roll All Nite.

 

Detroit Rock City
Once again, this was a calling card of sorts for Kiss. I always believe that albums, particularly ours, should start with a song that captures the spirit of what you�re going to get on the rest of the album, and Detroit Rock City was very much that for Destroyer. The surprise was that when radio stations got the single, they flipped it over to play Beth [the single�s B-side] and lo and behold we got a massive hit with a different song. It�s funny, because back then when you put out a single to radio and to the public you chose a B-side that was the weakest track on the album, or at least the track that was least likely to ever make it onto the radio, and yet we ended up having a massive hit with this song that we never imagined connecting. You can plot your career so carefully, but sometimes those happy accidents end up helping to determine where you�re going to go. This TV performance was huge for us: after this, we were genuine superstars.

 

Tonight You Belong To Me
I wasn�t trying to compete with anyone on this album, except with myself to write the best possible songs. Tonight You Belong To Me is a song that started out as an acoustic guitar chord pattern, kinda as a prelude to all hell breaking loose, like with I Want You or Black Diamond, which was a set up I used sometimes. It�s a song that�s about a dramatic and tumultuous relationship I was in at the time, where I knew that the next morning it was going to be over. Everyone has had that night at the end of the relationship where it�s that awkward last night, when the cards have all been laid out, but you think �Well, whatever happens tomorrow I can�t control, but tonight you belong to me.� The relationship didn�t work, but at least I got a great song out of it.

 

I Was Made For Loving You
I Was Made For Loving You came out of a time when the band was a bit lost: we�d reached a point where we had kinda forgotten why we were Kiss, and why we loved doing what we did. We were all, in some ways, drunk on success: there were sycophantic friends around, there were drugs, there was alcohol, there was every kind of vice that fame brings with it. At the time, I think we had maybe lost some of our rock edge and were a bit more concerned about getting peer acceptance, and that�s always a poisoned idea, because you should never forsake the people who love you for ones who don�t.  It was written at a time when I was hanging out at [infamous NYC nightclub] Studio 54, and I was thinking �Gee, I could write one of these songs.� All the songs at Studio 54 seemed to be about �tonight� � about having a good time in the present rather than thinking about the future � and so I went home, set the drum machine to 126 beats per minute, and got to work. Like many of the songs on Dynasty, it didn�t particularly sound the way I had hoped, but nonetheless it was great song, and a huge worldwide hit. But if it�s not to everyone�s taste, I understand.

 

Shandi
My background is as much singer-songwriters as it is hard rock, and as much Motown and Philly Soul as it is hard rock: my influences have always been quite diverse. I�ve always believed that if you only listen to one kind of music you�ll produce pretty defective songs in the sense that they�ll have no breadth. And a song like Shandi basically comes from me sitting with a 12 string acoustic guitar. Before I could plug into a Marshall amp, I used to have a harmonica around my neck and an acoustic guitar and I used to go to Greenwich Village to see singer-songwriters, and Shandi is part of that tradition. Lyrically it�s about a relationship, one of those relationships where you just keep going on even though you kinda know it should be over, where you should really be saying �Goodbye� rather than �Goodnight�, but you can�t end it.

 
CLICK HERE to read the full article at Classic Rock now!
 
05/27/2015

LA KISS Fan Dance-Off: This Sunday, May 31st at Honda Center

Don�t miss this opportunity to win a free TCL USA Roku Smart TV at this weekend�s LA KISS home game (Sunday, May 31st) at 3:00 PM at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA.

1.       Follow LA KISS Football on social media:

a.       Facebook: www.facebook.com/lakissfootball

b.      Twitter: https://twitter.com/LAKISS_AFL

c.       Instagram: @LAKISSFootball

2.       LIKE (on Facebook and Instagram) and RT (on Twitter) your favorite LA KISS Girl cheerleader picture on LA KISS Football social media � Choose 1 of 4 semifinalists

3.       Attend Sunday�s game � 5/31 at 3:00 PM at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA

4.       Two fans will be chosen during the game to compete in a dance off � Fans will be coached by two LA KISS Girl finalists voted on by you

5.       Winning fan takes home a TCL USA Roku Smart TV! Winning LA KISS Girl cheerleader coach takes home a TV too!

05/26/2015

Paul Stanley and Epic Rights to Develop and Launch New Paul Stanley: Royals & Rebels Brand

Paul Stanley, Co-Founder and singer/songwriter of legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band, KISS, has teamed up with the music industry�s leading branding and social media marketing company, Epic Rights, to develop and launch Stanley�s all new lifestyle brand, Paul Stanley: Royals & Rebels, at the Licensing Expo in Las Vegas in June. The announcement was made today by Epic Rights CEO Dell Furano and Paul Stanley.

From Stanley�s signature designs of musical instruments to his fine art paintings, both of which have generated millions in sales, the brand Paul Stanley: Royals & Rebels is synonymous with fashion forward, cutting-edge style and an independent spirit. Epic Rights has been charged with building the Paul Stanley: Royals & Rebels brand into a new licensing program, including men�s fashion apparel and accessories, footwear, food, spirits, home decor, cookware and more. Epic Rights anticipates debuting the Paul Stanley: Royals & Rebels brand at retail in fall 2016.

�Paul is the definitive Rock Renaissance man with a sense of style in arts, fashion, design and food that is unrivaled in the music industry. His creativity, marketing savvy and personal style truly sets him apart,� said Furano.

�Over the years, Dell and I have worked closely on the strategic developments and partnerships on the KISS brand, as well as more recently with Rock & Brews and my paintings,� said Stanley. �I am excited to watch Dell and Epic Rights� great team of branding professionals seek out and find opportunities and outlets that will reflect a lifestyle and point of view that I am passionate about and do it imaginatively and creatively in the years to come.�

Stanley, one of rock�s most acknowledged and respected front men as lead singer and guitarist for KISS, is a driving force and unwavering voice for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-inducted band. Ensconced in the media as both an unequivocally sophisticated fashion trendsetter and creative visionary, Stanley has designed KISS costumes, album covers and stages in addition to its iconic KISS logo, instantly recognizable around the world for the past 40 years!

As an author, Stanley�s autobiography Face The Music, soared to #2 on the New York Times Best Seller List. His concept for Rock & Brews, an energized dining and entertainment venue continues to expand with new locations being launched around the country. Recently, both Stanley and Gene Simmons were recipients of the ASCAP Founders Award, a prestigious honor given to songwriters and composers who have made pioneering contributions to music by inspiring and influencing their fellow music creators. Each recipient is a musical innovator who possesses a unique style of creative genius, which will enrich generations to come. Additionally, Stanley was honored at the Open Hearts Foundation Gala for his direct involvement in both raising funds to pay for needed surgeries for children afflicted with various birth defects and giving support to the parents of those children.

About Epic Rights:

Epic Rights is a full service global branding, licensing and social media marketing company dedicated to building celebrity and entertainment brands via its broad global network of retailers, licensees and agents. Working with a roster of top clients and brands, Epic Rights� services includes licensing/branding, music merchandising, social media management, VIP ticketing and fan clubs. Epic Rights also oversees sponsorships and endorsements, digital archiving of all creative/photo/media assets and manages worldwide e-commerce for its clients in addition to providing in-house legal resources for trademark registration and audit management. Epic Rights is headquartered in Los Angeles, California.

Collectables
Shop Official KISS Merchandise