Kiss News

The Aquarian

CAMDEN, NJ�KISS, newly inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame this past April, played the Susquehanna Bank Center in Camden on Aug. 3. This was the third of three dates in New Jersey over two weeks and the second of a South Jersey back-to-back double-shot, having played a rare appearance in Atlantic City�s Boardwalk Hall the previous night. As part of a joint summer tour with Def Leppard, this is also the 40th anniversary tour for KISS celebrating the history of the band. From the makeup days of the �70s, to the unmasked days of the �80s and early �90s, to when they put the makeup back on in 1996 on their reunion with original members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, few in the music industry can match the kind of ride co-founders Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley have had over the last 40 years. Going on with Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer in Ace�s and Peter�s respective make-ups may be controversial to some, but Tommy and Eric prove they put their all into a true KISS show.

The show actually starts in the parking lot, however. As I parked my car, I saw the people tailgating as if they were at the Super Bowl, and children were painting their faces in the guises of the Demon, the Starchild, the Spaceman, and the Cat. Adult, so-called, cosplayers were already in makeup and costumes. One of the most creative was a Gene Simmons in a medical lab coat with Dr. Love on the nametag.

The Dead Daisies from Sydney, Australia, opened up the night, walking out fittingly to AC/DC�s �Rock �N� Roll Damnation.� This was only their second night on the tour with KISS and Def Leppard, the first being the previous night in Atlantic City. Their sound was a polished hard rock with songs like �Lock �N� Load� and their new single �The Face I Love.� They ended their set with a cover, a truly heavy version of the Beatles� �Helter Skelter.�

Def Leppard sounded as perfect as ever, having learned to layer their vocals many years ago with John �Mutt� Lange. The Who�s �Won�t Get Fooled Again� introduced them and the band finished the song live starting with the scream recently famous from CSI Miami as the Def Leppard curtain dropped. Joe Elliott took a lesson from Steven Tyler of Aerosmith and performed with a scarf tied to his mic stand. From there it was a collection of DL classics, starting with �Let It Go� to the likes of �Foolin�,� �Hysteria� and more. Def Leppard made a good use of the video screens that they shared with KISS, especially for songs like �Love Bites.� Dio and Whitesnake alum and recent cancer survivor, Vivian Campbell, was paid tribute to as Joe Elliott introduced him as �the boy who put the �fast� in Belfast.� Campbell then started off �Armageddon It.� A nice touch was Joe speaking about the shared support of KISS and Def Leppard for the Wounded Warrior Project at the start of their encore. He then called upon their own so-called wounded warrior, Rick Allen, for the famous start of �Rock Of Ages,� followed by �Photograph� to end their set.

The KISS show itself was a mixture of new and old. Missing was the classic giant lighted KISS logo sign, but the huge video screen behind the band made up for it, mimicking the said logo whenever the occasion called for it. The new addition of the gigantic lighted spider that hung overhead and also served as a lighting network and a platform for the band at times is truly amazing.

�Psycho Circus,� title-track from the 1998 album, started off the show, followed up by the classic �Deuce,� after which Paul Stanley spoke about being in the Hall Of Fame now and saying it was because of the fans. He sounded a lot happier about it now, putting behind all of the controversy and conflict that led to them being inducted. Other classics followed such as �Shout It Out Loud� and �War Machine,� among others. Gene came out and breathed fire after the return of �Hotter Than Hell� to the set instead of the usual �Firehouse.� He also spat blood just before the classic �God Of Thunder,� as usual, but did not fly up into the air as he has for the past several tours, presumably because they had to leave room for the giant spider overhead. Paul still did his own flying routine, however, traveling out to a mini stage in the audience for �Love Gun� after making sure he is invited by the crowd. Another surprise addition to the set was �Hide Your Heart� from the Hot In The Shade album, which has not been played on a full tour in years. Curiously, they did not play any songs from their newest album, Monster, which they did play the first single from on their last American tour before the album came out.

Probably the biggest surprise change in the show was near the end after �Black Diamond,� where, instead of going backstage and coming out for the official encore, Paul explained that if they went backstage, it would mean they were not playing for them, the fans, and then went into the double finale of �Detroit Rock City� and, of course, the �rock �n� roll national anthem,� �Rock And Roll All Nite,� complete with confetti flying everywhere. Admittedly, there were some who were still wondering what happened to the encore, but the stage time still matched up with Def Leppard�s, who still took a few minutes out for the encore illusion.

KISS gave a good representation of their 40 years despite the time constraints of sharing the stage in a double-billed show, and it was great for the old and new fans alike.

�by Matthew Unversaw, October 22, 2014

Met some really spectacular fans ...of all ages in NJ yesterday. See for yourself.

Gene Simmons ME, INC. is in stores everywhere now!

http://www.harpercollins.ca/books/Me-Inc-Mr-Gene-Simmons/?isbn=9780062322616

 Me, Inc. features a black simulated-leather cover with gold foil stamping and a black ribbon bookmark.

The fact that KISS is one of the most successful rock bands in the world is no accident. From the beginning Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley had a clear-cut vision of what they wanted to do and how they wanted to operate KISS as a business well before they ever first took the stage. Since deciding with Paul to manage the band themselves, Simmons has proved himself to be a formidable businessman, having sold over 100 million CDs and DVDs worldwide, overseen over 3,000 licensed merchandise items, and starred in the longest running celebrity reality show to date. More impressive is that he handles all of his business ventures on his own�no personal assistant, few handlers, and as little red tape as possible.

In Me, Inc., Simmons shares a lifetime of field-tested and hard-won business advice that will provide readers with the tools needed to build a solid business strategy, harness the countless tools available in the digital age, network like hell, and be the architect for the business entity that is you. Inspired by The Art of War, the book dispenses Simmons� in-depth insights via thirteen specific principles for success based on his own experience, triumphs, and instructional failures in business�from finding the confidence within yourself that�s necessary to get started, to surrounding yourself with the right people to partner with and learn from, to knowing when to pull the plug and when to double-down. These thirteen principles are a skeleton key into a world of success, freedom, peace of mind and, most importantly, financial success.

Book Description

The quintessential self-made man, master of brand identity, New York Times bestselling author, and award-winning executive�KISS's Gene Simmons�shares his manifesto for business success.

KISS did not become one of the most successful rock bands in history by accident. Long before he first took the stage, Gene Simmons had a clear-cut operating plan for the business. Over the past forty years, KISS has sold more than 100 million CDs and DVDs worldwide and manages 5,000 licensed merchandise items�from comic books and coffins to action figures and video games. The band received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and in 2014 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In addition to KISS, Simmons's lucrative ventures include two hit reality shows, a professional sports team, a restaurant chain, and a record label. A recipient of the Forbes Lifetime Achievement Award, this brilliant executive runs all of his businesses on his own�no personal assistant, few handlers, and as little red tape as possible.

In Me, Inc., Simmons gives aspiring entrepreneurs the critical tools they need to succeed. He discusses how to build a solid business strategy, harness the countless tools available in the digital age, educate yourself, and be the architect for the business entity that is you. Inspired by The Art of War, Me, Inc. is organized around thirteen specific, easy-to-understand principles for success�"The Art of More"�drawn from Simmons's own triumphs and failures. From finding the confidence necessary to get started, to surrounding yourself with the right people, to knowing when to pull the plug and when to double-down, these principles can help you attain the freedom and wealth of your dreams.

CNN

Editor's note: Below is an extract from Gene Simmons' book "Me Inc: Build an Army of One, Unleash Your Inner Rock God, Win in Life and Business". Gene Simmons co-founded the rock supergroup KISS in the early 1970s. Since then, KISS has sold more than 80 million albums and performed more than 2,000 shows around the world.

(CNN) -- On February 21, 1974, the first KISS album was released. That's forty years from this writing! What a crazy trip it's been.

By the summer of 1972, it looked like Wicked Lester wasn't going to work, even though we had a recording contract with Epic Records.

So Paul Stanley and I regrouped and started again. This time, we would put together the band we never saw onstage, the band that we wanted to be. This time, we would make sure we had the right lineup. This time, we would make sure we had the right songs.

We did it the right way.

We self-funded the band. We had no other partners. There were no investors. There was only us. Mostly, there was only Paul and myself.

This time we were going to do it for real.

Go big, or go home.

But we had no manager. We had no record label for our new band. We had no lawyers. We had no one to advise us or guide us.

So I began religiously reading the music industry trade publications Billboard, Cashbox, and Record World.

Every week, I would see what the charts reported on what was selling and what was not. Every week, I learned which band was playing at which concert venue and how they did financially. Every week, I would learn about different music industry figures, who they were, what they did, and how they did it.

It was another type of education you were not going to get in school. And it's worth noting that what I was doing, although I probably wasn't familiar with the phrase at the time, was my own "due diligence," meaning that I educated myself.

As I've discussed, I always had a job or two, and was always saving money. So by mid-1972, when I was twenty-two years old, I had been able to save $23,000, which was a hefty sum in those days (still is for most twenty-two-year-olds).

Paul sometimes drove a cab to get some pocket change. This is also part of due diligence�to educate oneself, and feed oneself, is one's own responsibility.

Paul owned a beat-up old Mustang, but more often than not, we both used the subway and buses for transportation. We ate hot dogs at the corner of Twenty-Third Street and Broadway. We never went shopping for clothes. We hardly spent any money at all.

But when it was time to get a loft to serve as our band's rehearsal space and base of operations, we didn't hesitate. The rent was $200 a month. In 1972, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss both joined our new band, which we were still calling Wicked Lester.

Peter was married and didn't work beyond pursing life as a professional musician. He was fortunate to have a wife who supported them both and was devoted to his quest to become a successful drummer in a band. That left rent monies for Paul and myself to cover. Sometimes Paul couldn't come up with his end, so it was up to me to make sure the rent was paid every month.

The band needed amplifiers. Paul and I bought them.

We needed a sound system. Paul and I bought a Peavey 27-input soundboard and sound speakers, and had friends build the sound system cabinets. It was cheaper. Paul and I paid for all of it. We didn't have roadies, so friends of Ace and Peter would usually help out.

Again, a good move. Invest in yourself. If you can afford it, don't borrow. Pay for it yourself.

By Christmas 1972, we rechristened ourselves KISS. Paul thought of the name. It was Ace who drew the band's first logo. Paul would later refine the logo, and that's the version we use on everything to this day.

Paul had to go out and rent some milk trucks so we could haul the equipment to and from our shows.

Despite some early omens from our latter bandmates, we were young and thought of it all as a great adventure.

This brings us back to what I've been telling you about the importance of finding the right partners. You can't do it all yourself, and neither could either of us. Each of us on our own could only go so far.

Together, we would go all the way.

Simmons: Rock is dead

by Eduardo Rivadavia / http://ultimateclassicrock.com/kiss-hotter-than-hell/

Halloween came early for Kiss fans in 1974  on October 22nd, to be precise, in the form of Hotter than Hell, the sophomore album from New Yorks outrageously costumed and face-painted hard rockers.

Still a relatively unknown proposition at the time, Kiss had unveiled their eponymous first album only six months earlier, and though it turned some heads and arched some brows, its modest sales in no way suggested the decades of successes that lay ahead.

Instead, Kiss members Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss still had to convince both consumers, and the rock and roll establishment in general, that their striking image and powerful heavy rock sound was more than a passing novelty  and Hotter than Hell would be their vehicle.

Or would it?

Right from the start, the albums recording was marked by difficulties  most of them centering on the bands relocation to Los Angeles, where the production team of Kenny Kerner and Richie Wise (also responsible for Kiss first album) was then based. It would seem the duo were still coming to grips with the equipment at Village Recorders, if Hotter than Hells famously lacking production was any indication.

We hoped to remedy the sonic deficiencies we found in the first album, Stanley explains in Kiss: Behind the Mask. We were never as rock-n'-rolly or good-timey as we sounded on that album. We were much heavier live. So [for 'Hotter than Hell'] we tried to capture sonically how we sounded live. Unfortunately, the people that we were working with might not have been the right people to be doing it with.

To make matters worse, Stanleys guitar was stolen on their first day in town and Kiss record label, Casablanca, were too busy trying to stay in business to offer much hand-holding. Plus, the pastrami on rye at Canters Deli simply didnt taste like the one back home in New York.

Yet not even all of these problems could deter the recording of numerous bona fide future Kiss classics like Got to Choose, Let Me Go, Rock n Roll and the title cut, which went on to enjoy years of fan acclaim in concert.

Other Hotter than Hell notables included Simmons lecherous love song, Goin Blind, Watchin You, the Criss-sung Mainline, and no less than three songwriting contributions from Ace (Parasite, Strange Ways and, with Stanley, Comin Home), though Kiss lead guitarist still lacked the confidence to sing on any of them (all in due time). I wasnt ready for it at the time, Frehley explained to us recently. I was insecure about my singing voice. When I recorded my first lead vocal (years later), I recorded it singing on my back, with the lights down in the studio.

And completing the big picture (literally), Hotter than Hells cover art would go down as among the most iconic of Kiss career (no mean feat in such a large and visually arresting catalog!), thanks to its comic book-style design inspired by Japanese manga and the evocative (and provocative) rear sleeve glamor shots snapped by noted photographer Norman Seeff.

But as Kiss headed back out on the concert trail, the aforementioned Casablanca was all but paralyzed after cutting ties with their distributor Warner Bros., and thus hard-pressed to offer the band significant marketing support (just shipping albums to record stores was a major challenge), beyond a token radio promotion campaign and this now vintage television ad.

Not surprisingly, this unfortunate state of business affairs was largely to blame for the new albums positively paltry sales throughout the winter of 74-75, and eventually the decision was made to cut short the Hotter than Hell tour so that Kiss could quickly cut a third LP, Dressed to Kill, which would be properly distributed by Casablanca's new partners, Polygram.

This, as we now know, proved to be yet another baby step on Kiss patient road to well-deserved commercial breakthrough via the seminal Alive! double concert triumph, released in September of 1975. By then, and with the help of many songs discussed here, Kiss truly had become Hotter than Hell.

By Richard Feloni / Business Insider Australia

KISS bassist Gene Simmons and frontman Paul Stanley have worked together for 40 years, developing a hard rock empire that Simmons thinks is worth somewhere between $US1 billion to $US5 billion.

In Simmons� new book on his business approach, �ME, Inc.,� he says that Stanley is �the brother I never had,� and uses him as the model for an ideal business partner.

Like real brothers, the two have had plenty of disagreements and arguments, but they have remained the band�s only two original members because they share the same vision and what Simmons tells Business Insider is a �blue collar work ethic.�

�Don�t sweat the small stuff. Just find a partner who brings something to the table and an expertise that you don�t have,� Simmons says.

He tells us that problems between cofounders inevitably arise, but they can only be overcome if there are shared values.

Simmons and Stanley met in New York City in 1970 when Simmons� band Wicked Lester recruited Stanley as a rhythm guitarist. The two decided that the band lacked focus but that the two of them were on the same page. They brought on Ace Frehley as lead guitarist and Peter Criss as drummer and reinvented themselves as KISS by the end of �72.

As the band exploded in popularity over the next decade, Simmons and Stanley took the lead in approving contractual decisions and songwriting responsibilities.

The differences in effort and personalities between the two halves became too much for the ambitious Simmons and Stanley to deal with, especially when substance abuse became an issue. Criss was kicked out in 1980 and Frehley booted in �82.

�Life is a football game. You don�t want to pass the ball to somebody who�s going to fall on their face because they�re drunk or high or don�t want to work that day because guess what, then the whole team loses,� Simmons tells us.

Because Simmons and Stanley have worked together for so long, they certainly have butted heads, but they both believe that business partners need to be honest with each other, even when it�s not pretty.

In his recent autobiography, �Face the Music: A Life Exposed,� Stanley says he thinks that Simmons� ego has gotten in the way of their work at times, and that it�s a huge overstatement to consider Simmons the sole brains behind KISS.

Simmons admits that he tends to be arrogant, but it�s only because he�s completely sure of himself.

It�s telling that the two are comfortable both criticising and praising each other.

In his book �Zero to One,� billionaire investor and entrepreneur Peter Thiel likens founding a company with a business partner to getting married. It�s important for cofounders to have complementary skill sets, he explains, but they need to share a vision and actually like each other so that they can overcome problems that arise.

The two have certainly complemented each other in their development of KISS. Simmons had a drive to take every business opportunity that came his way, while Stanley took the lead on writing songs that topped the charts.

In addition to their own businesses, Simmons, now 65, and Stanley, 62, still play with KISS, alongside band members Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer.

�And with Paul, as the brother I never had, there is nothing we can�t do. It�s almost 2015! Watch us burn rubber,� Simmons writes.

By Michelle Crechiolo

It truly was no contest � the four Penguins players dressed as KISS won best costume at the team�s annual Halloween party this past weekend.

�I think the best one I saw was definitely Pauly Martin, Robert Bortuzzo, Beau Bennett and Nick Spaling dressed up as KISS,� Brandon Sutter said. �They had the boots and the makeup and everything. It was unbelievable. That�s definitely the best I�ve ever seen, so that was above and beyond.�

Winning the competition was definitely the goal, said Martin.

�Beau and �Borts� won the year before,� he said. �So they let me and Spaling be on their team (this year). So it was nice of them to do that.�

Martin�s favorite part of dressing up wasn�t rocking and rolling all night � it was actually the ride to the party.

�The best part was we had to drive to the spot, so we were all in a car blasting KISS music with the windows down and we got a couple weird looks,� Martin said. �So that was a lot of fun.�

Each player adopted a different band member�s onstage persona. Bennett was KISS frontman Gene Simmons (The Demon), Spaling was Catman, Bortuzzo was Starchild and Martin was Spaceman.

�I think we just each grabbed a costume,� Martin said when asked how they decided who was whom. �I�m not really sure exactly how it went down, but I think we made Beau be Gene (laughs). I don�t think that was his choice. But it worked out.�

The four of them were walking around a costume shop looking for ideas when they saw the getups and Martin urged them into going with it.

�He�s a big music guy and were kind of just walking around and saw it,� Bortuzzo said. �We figured if we were going to do it, we�d do it right. It was fun.�

Doing it right meant wearing full stage makeup, which Bortuzzo said took about 25 minutes each.

�It was my first time wearing makeup, hopefully it�s the last as well,� he joked.

The makeup, however, was nowhere near as bad as the sky-high platform boots they wore � at least in the beginning of the night.

�It wasn�t fun,� the 6-foot-4 Bortuzzo admitted. �I found a new respect for women in high heels and whatnot. I think I was around 7 feet tall when I had them on.�

Their teammates certainly enjoyed watching them try to walk around.

�It took them about 20 minutes to get up the steps,� Sutter laughed.

Evgeni Malkin, who dressed as the vampire Dracula, posted a photo of him with the KISS guys on his personal Instagram account.

�I just have fun. I go to the store and buy a simple one, nothing crazy,� Malkin said of his costume. �I don�t want crazy like Beau Bennett and Bortuzzo. They do one-hour makeup; it�s too long for me. I buy a simple one and we have fun.�

Malkin posted another photo with him and captain Sidney Crosby, who went as beloved Philadelphia cultural icon Rocky Balboa, a fictional boxing character played by Sylvester Stallone in the film franchise.

Crosby said he tends to draw inspiration from his favorite movies when thinking of ideas for costumes.

�I was Maverick last year from Top Gun. I like the movie (Rocky) too,� Crosby said. �Maybe (Philadelphia fans) will soften up on me because I picked that. It was all in good fun. I like the Rocky movies. There was nothing else behind it.�

Also in that picture was Kris Letang, who dressed as the Mad Hatter from Tim Burton�s version of Alice in Wonderland.

�I just love that movie,� Letang said. �Johnny Depp is one of my favorite actors, so I kind of tried to pull that off. It didn�t take much time (to get into costume). The makeup was the biggest. First we didn�t find an orange wig, so we had to take a yellow one and paint it orange. Then they added orange eyebrows and all that stuff.�

Other honorable mentions for best costume included Rob Scuderi, who went as one of the Ghostbusters, Chris Kunitz, who dressed as Ron Burgundy while his wife went as Veronica Corningstone, and Christian Ehrhoff, who went as a disco singer.

�A lot of the guys are pretty creative,� Crosby smiled. �It�s fun to do.�

Thanks KISS ARMY for sharing your photos with KISS! We love seeing them!

Gene Simmons will be promoting his new book, ME, INC. on the Today Show this morning.