Kiss News

by: Chris Alexander

Last year, FANGORIA published the official KISS Monster Magazine (issue #1 is still available in our store here, while the 3D issue #2 is sold out) and it�s no secret that this writer/editor is obsessed with but two things: horror movies and yes, KISS. It was a fixation that locked in preschool, and it was seeing Gene Simmons with fangs, leather, metal and bat wings on the cover of 1977�s LOVE GUN that drew me to Dracula. After the swoon of discovering garish and bloody perversions of gothic horror ebbed, I later fell in love with KISS� patented brand of trashy 70�s rock n�roll and it�s that adoration of Paul Stanley�s scream and Simmons�s stomping, spitting persona that I�ve carried with me and will keep close to my heart until I die, whenever that may be.

And though I swear I know everything about the band�I�ve written about them extensively, and have met them all on multiple occasions�I�m really just an amateur compared to some. Compared to Ken Sharp, I�m positively Cro-Magnon. Sharp has been interviewing KISS (and many other noted classic rock figures) and putting pen to page about their ever-morphing legacy for three decades-plus and along with writer David Leaf, wrote the official authorized KISS biography BEHIND THE MASK a decade ago�a tome widely recognized as the most thorough collection of KISSstory facts yet published. This September, Harper Collins is publishing Sharp�s latest investigation into the band�s legacy with NOTHIN� TO LOSE: THE MAKING OF KISS (1972-1975), created in collusion with Simmons and Stanley. And man, is it an epic.

The book indeed charts the salad days of Simmons, Stanley, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss. From the first meetings of a hirsute, heavy and arrogant Simmons (then Gene Klein) and the scrappy teenage Stanley (then Stanley Eisen), to their session time at NYC�s Electric Lady Studios while sculpting the KISS prototype band Wicked Lester, to their first ill-attended gig at the Coventry nightclub, this is in essence a sex and fantasy soaked story of the American Dream trying desperately to turn its motor over and eventually succeeding beyond all expectation.

Sharp�s task with this book is not an easy one. Serious fans of the band have heard the narrative arc of KISS� rise before. Of Gene�s love for horror movies and comic books defining his physical presence and worship of Paul McCartney informing his evolving �walking bass� style. We know of Paul�s unfettered addiction to Led Zeppelin. Ace�s mis-matched sneaker demeanor and sci-fi tinted outlook. Peter�s �dirty livin� and love of Gene Krupa. It�s all here; their Alice Cooper influenced experiments with make-up design and shocking, cinema-stained stage antics, the flop of their first three albums even while concert arenas were selling out, the climactic release of their game changing 1975 monolith ALIVE! and all the feast, famine and post-60s excess in between.
by: Chris Alexander

Last year, FANGORIA published the official KISS Monster Magazine (issue #1 is still available in our store here, while the 3D issue #2 is sold out) and it�s no secret that this writer/editor is obsessed with but two things: horror movies and yes, KISS. It was a fixation that locked in preschool, and it was seeing Gene Simmons with fangs, leather, metal and bat wings on the cover of 1977�s LOVE GUN that drew me to Dracula. After the swoon of discovering garish and bloody perversions of gothic horror ebbed, I later fell in love with KISS� patented brand of trashy 70�s rock n�roll and it�s that adoration of Paul Stanley�s scream and Simmons�s stomping, spitting persona that I�ve carried with me and will keep close to my heart until I die, whenever that may be.

And though I swear I know everything about the band�I�ve written about them extensively, and have met them all on multiple occasions�I�m really just an amateur compared to some. Compared to Ken Sharp, I�m positively Cro-Magnon. Sharp has been interviewing KISS (and many other noted classic rock figures) and putting pen to page about their ever-morphing legacy for three decades-plus and along with writer David Leaf, wrote the official authorized KISS biography BEHIND THE MASK a decade ago�a tome widely recognized as the most thorough collection of KISSstory facts yet published. This September, Harper Collins is publishing Sharp�s latest investigation into the band�s legacy with NOTHIN� TO LOSE: THE MAKING OF KISS (1972-1975), created in collusion with Simmons and Stanley. And man, is it an epic.

The book indeed charts the salad days of Simmons, Stanley, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss. From the first meetings of a hirsute, heavy and arrogant Simmons (then Gene Klein) and the scrappy teenage Stanley (then Stanley Eisen), to their session time at NYC�s Electric Lady Studios while sculpting the KISS prototype band Wicked Lester, to their first ill-attended gig at the Coventry nightclub, this is in essence a sex and fantasy soaked story of the American Dream trying desperately to turn its motor over and eventually succeeding beyond all expectation.

Sharp�s task with this book is not an easy one. Serious fans of the band have heard the narrative arc of KISS� rise before. Of Gene�s love for horror movies and comic books defining his physical presence and worship of Paul McCartney informing his evolving �walking bass� style. We know of Paul�s unfettered addiction to Led Zeppelin. Ace�s mis-matched sneaker demeanor and sci-fi tinted outlook. Peter�s �dirty livin� and love of Gene Krupa. It�s all here; their Alice Cooper influenced experiments with make-up design and shocking, cinema-stained stage antics, the flop of their first three albums even while concert arenas were selling out, the climactic release of their game changing 1975 monolith ALIVE! and all the feast, famine and post-60s excess in between.

What the author has done here, miraculously and creatively, is tell that tale and tell it well, serving as an ideal entry point for new KISS fans looking for a peek into the past, while going deep into the vaults and offering insight from those who circled in the KISS orbit. Here we have not only living KISS family members like Sean Delaney and Neil Bogart�s widow, Joyce, supplying anecdotes, but the book is saturated with recollections by a stack of bands that KISS played with and opened for (and admittedly, almost always assassinated) like Black Sabbath, Bob Seger, Iggy and the Stooges, Ted Nugent, Blue Öyster Cult, Cooper and many, many others. He also includes comments from tech guys, FX people and fans that were there to witness the slow, steady rise of one of history�s most recognized pop culture entities. It�s all thrilling, funny, revealing and compulsively readable stuff.

But there�s another thing at play here which, for the ardent KISS fan that�s stayed with them for 40 years of triumph and tragedy, is a rare treat: a respect for the way things were. It�s no secret that Ace and Peter�s sour attitudes and endless battles with addiction, coupled with Gene and Paul�s focused and sometimes perhaps overbearing control and protection of the band/brand have lead to ample wars of words and ugly ink spilled. But here, more often than not, we simply get warm, wistful recollections from four very different men who for a brief time came together to form a brotherhood, making something incredibly special and unprecedented. Four broke kids who tempered their passions with practicality and changed history and had a blast while doing so.

And whether intentional or not, with NOTHIN� TO LOSE, Sharp has also clearly laid out the blueprint for what could be, if any savvy Hollywood schmoe is paying attention to this, the best goddamn rock and roll movie ever made. So someone make it already�

Tommy Thayer adds a KISS of community spirit to fundraiser

Written by Jason Vondersmith

Tommy Thayer never tires of putting on the makeup, donning �The Spaceman� ensemble, playing the classics nightly and touring seemingly every year with an American institution, rock band KISS.

The lead guitarist Thayer, 52, gets excited for any performance, whether it be in Winnepeg, Manitoba, or Tokyo�s Budokan arena.

�You can never forget how fortunate you are to walk up on stage before 14,000 people,� the Beaverton native and Sunset High graduate says. �With this band and its amazing history, great persona and characters and show, how can you lose sight of how great that is? We�re flying on private jets and staying at Four Seasons and Ritz Carlton. ...�

KISS celebrates its 40th year together next year, and Thayer has played alongside juggernauts Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley for the past 11. We�re talking epic longevity for one of the hardest-working groups in music.

�It�s a lethal, viable, legit rock �n� roll band, and we�re playing just as big of shows as ever,� he says. �It�s extremely rare for a group like KISS to continue for 40 years. I can count the number of bands on one hand who�ve done that. We�re playing arenas and stadiums and selling out, with an onslaught of new kids following us. It�s multigenerational. It�s like a tribe.�

But, Thayer, who lives in suburban Los Angeles with wife Amber and maintains another residence in Cannon Beach, has never forgotten his roots. The son of a successful businessman and a musician mother, Thayer serves on the board of directors of Pacific University in Forest Grove.

A rural private college and a hard-rockin� guitarist? Yeah, it�s an odd match, as Thayer has dutifully helped the Washington County school raise funds for athletics through his Legends event and golf tournament. The golfing part has been shelved for the year, as Legends leans on the musical aspect with another star-studded lineup for the dinner-auction-concert fundraiser, Sunday, Aug. 25, at Waverley Country Club in Portland.Tommy Thayer adds a KISS of community spirit to fundraiser

Written by Jason Vondersmith

Tommy Thayer never tires of putting on the makeup, donning �The Spaceman� ensemble, playing the classics nightly and touring seemingly every year with an American institution, rock band KISS.

The lead guitarist Thayer, 52, gets excited for any performance, whether it be in Winnepeg, Manitoba, or Tokyo�s Budokan arena.

�You can never forget how fortunate you are to walk up on stage before 14,000 people,� the Beaverton native and Sunset High graduate says. �With this band and its amazing history, great persona and characters and show, how can you lose sight of how great that is? We�re flying on private jets and staying at Four Seasons and Ritz Carlton. ...�

KISS celebrates its 40th year together next year, and Thayer has played alongside juggernauts Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley for the past 11. We�re talking epic longevity for one of the hardest-working groups in music.

�It�s a lethal, viable, legit rock �n� roll band, and we�re playing just as big of shows as ever,� he says. �It�s extremely rare for a group like KISS to continue for 40 years. I can count the number of bands on one hand who�ve done that. We�re playing arenas and stadiums and selling out, with an onslaught of new kids following us. It�s multigenerational. It�s like a tribe.�

But, Thayer, who lives in suburban Los Angeles with wife Amber and maintains another residence in Cannon Beach, has never forgotten his roots. The son of a successful businessman and a musician mother, Thayer serves on the board of directors of Pacific University in Forest Grove.

A rural private college and a hard-rockin� guitarist? Yeah, it�s an odd match, as Thayer has dutifully helped the Washington County school raise funds for athletics through his Legends event and golf tournament. The golfing part has been shelved for the year, as Legends leans on the musical aspect with another star-studded lineup for the dinner-auction-concert fundraiser, Sunday, Aug. 25, at Waverley Country Club in Portland.

Scheduled to appear with Thayer in a concert are: Bill Champlin, formerly of Chicago, a two-time Grammy Award winner; Danny Seraphine, Chicago�s original drummer; Billy Kimball, former lead singer of six-time Grammy winner Toto; Ed Roth, producer and keyboardist with California Transit Authority; and Patrick Lamb, Oregon�s Grammy-nominated jazz saxophone player.

Also making appearances will be rock manager Doc McGhee, who helped launch the careers of KISS, Bon Jovi, Motley Crue, The Scorpions, Hootie & The Blowfish, Diana Ross and James Brown, and several prominent athletes.

For more information, go to pacific.edu/legends.

The Tribune caught up with Thayer, co-founder of Oregon Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group Black �n Blue:

Tribune: Few bands rival KISS in longevity and appeal. Key to success?

Thayer: A lot of people are critical about over-promoting, going in many different directions with sponsorships and licensing. But, with a band like KISS, you can do that. Some groups can�t do that kind of stuff, because they�d be accused of selling out. We�re always able to get outside the box.

That�s the cool thing about it, the spirit of what made KISS unique from the very beginning, the early �70s. A lot of people thought it was a joke, but KISS always trumped the norm. You always have detractors, but KISS is about entertaining and exploring new things. It continues to baffle people, even us. You see these teenagers � how do they get turned on to KISS?

Tribune: How�d you get involved with Pacific University?

Thayer: I didn�t go to school there, even though it�s a university literally in our backyard. They approached me, and I thought about it, it set me back for a second. �What?� It�s cool that they�re thinking outside the box. I liked the idea of coming back to the area I grew up, getting involved, helping out. It�s been a real gratifying experience. What I can bring to the table is fundraising and profile.

Tribune: The university wanted your father, James, to serve on the board, and he recommended you?

Thayer: He was a community leader and military hero (former U.S. Army brigadier general). He�s 91 now, has done great service for our community. They were interested in getting somebody from the Thayer family, and he said, �How about Tommy?�

Tribune: Your family has been quite successful?

Thayer: Dad and mom (Patricia) started the J. Thayer Co. in 1955 and it became the largest office products company on the West Coast. My brothers Mike and John were involved. A large conglomerate bought it in the 1990s and, when John�s noncompete (clause) finished, he started another J. Thayer Co., a Web-based company in Lake Oswego that�s expanded into California, Washington and Denver.

Tribune: Your mother served as your inspiration?

Thayer: She was a classical musician, violinist, playing through her time in college at Washington State. She brought music and creative arts to the family. She was a great music aficionado, played all the classics at home, the great show tunes. She�s now 89, just a ball of energy.

Mom and dad live in Lake Oswego. Growing up hearing great music in the air, so to speak, makes a difference. My older brother, Jim, too � he�d play Beatles records, pop music. Then I got involved in music programs in school.

Tribune: It�s probably not a stereotypical story, a rocker coming from a great family?

Thayer: A lot of guys come from lousy families. Not that we haven�t had our problems, every family has their issues. There�s a good foundation there. Especially with my parents, they�ve always been supportive of what I or we wanted to do. Never heard, �Can�t do that; shouldn�t do that.� It was great (support), especially when it started popping for me.

They wanted me to get a college education. But I got involved with groups, and then I was on my way to California with Black �n Blue. ... I just read a book, �Talent Is Overrated.� It�s more about how much persistence you have. How hard you want to work.

Tribune: You�ve avoided the trappings of a rock star?

Thayer: With Black 'n Blue, we�d go on the road and have a good time. But, I never got into drugs; never felt compelled to do that. My tenure now with KISS � I�m not in my 20s, and you look at things differently and more responsibly. It�s a big business we�re in; you have to be a professional to make it, to get through it. It�s not like it was in the �60s � sex, drugs and rock �n� roll, where drugs are part of the culture of rock �n� roll bands. That�s long since past.

Tribune: Golf had to be dropped from the Legends event because of your schedule?

Thayer: We toured Australia, had a full European tour and North America for about six weeks (ending Aug. 18 in Hollywood). We�ll go to Japan in October. Thankfully, we carved out a weekend we could do this. We�re still doing a golf tournament, but it�s more exclusive.

Tribune: Musicians like to swing the sticks?

Thayer: They do. A lot of artists and musicians like to play golf; a lot of pro golfers like to play music. ... (The best) would probably be somebody like Alice Cooper or Justin Timberlake. I�m decent, not quite as good as the best.

Tribune: What�s Gene Simmons like?

Thayer: Like what you see on (reality show) �Family Jewels.� He�s got a persona and exterior that can be a little abrupt and abrasive. He�s a good guy with a kind heart, believe it or not. The most ambitious and tenacious person I�ve ever met. Definitely a workaholic. He goes all the way back to producing Black �n Blue records, and we toured with KISS in 1985. He�s like an older brother.

Tribune: And, Paul?

Thayer: More private, very creative, very smart. He and Gene are like yin and yang. That�s what makes it a great combination. Not to say they haven�t had disagreements, but they look beyond that.

Tribune: How about the

drummer?

Thayer: Eric Singer is one of my great friends, amazing guy. Best rock �n� roll drummer out there in my book. Perfect for KISS.

Tribune: Will KISS be playing music and touring forever?

Thayer: We basically take it one day, one month, one year at a time. People always speculate what KISS will be up to in five years. KISS will be up to something. We have a new Arena Football team (announced last week), and people are scratching their head, �What?�

New team backed by band members and Doc McGhee will play at Honda Center

by Dave Brooks

The Arena Football League is returning to Southern California and this time it�s bringing some Hollywood star power with it.

Rock group KISS has teamed up with former Orlando Predators owner Brett Bouchy, and legendary music manager Doc McGhee to form the LA KISS, an AFL expansion team that will play at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

Every aspect of the team will have a KISS tie-in, from the uniforms to the cheerleader outfits and half-time shows � and season ticket holders will even get access to a special KISS concert at Honda Center, planned for some time in 2014.

�Gene Simmons (bass-guitarist and co-lead vocalist for KISS) is a marketing genius who understands the power of licensing his brand. He currently has over 400 licenses� for everything from KISS posters and T-shirts, to collectibles, and even a bar and restaurant in Las Vegas," explained Bouchy. �But this deal for the AFL team is not a licensing agreement. They are actual investors with skin in the game."

The Thursday announcement came during a press conference following Saturday�s ArenaBowl XXVI Championship at the Amway Center in Orlando, which had the Arizona Rattlers beat the Philadelphia Soul 48-39 in front of 12,039 fans.New team backed by band members and Doc McGhee will play at Honda Center

by Dave Brooks

The Arena Football League is returning to Southern California and this time it�s bringing some Hollywood star power with it.

Rock group KISS has teamed up with former Orlando Predators owner Brett Bouchy, and legendary music manager Doc McGhee to form the LA KISS, an AFL expansion team that will play at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

Every aspect of the team will have a KISS tie-in, from the uniforms to the cheerleader outfits and half-time shows � and season ticket holders will even get access to a special KISS concert at Honda Center, planned for some time in 2014.

�Gene Simmons (bass-guitarist and co-lead vocalist for KISS) is a marketing genius who understands the power of licensing his brand. He currently has over 400 licenses� for everything from KISS posters and T-shirts, to collectibles, and even a bar and restaurant in Las Vegas," explained Bouchy. �But this deal for the AFL team is not a licensing agreement. They are actual investors with skin in the game."

The Thursday announcement came during a press conference following Saturday�s ArenaBowl XXVI Championship at the Amway Center in Orlando, which had the Arizona Rattlers beat the Philadelphia Soul 48-39 in front of 12,039 fans.

The League appears to be on the upswing just four years after the 2009 season was abruptly canceled, following a litany of bad news that included the folding of the AFL team, the New Orleans VooDoo.

�Owners recognize that, especially in light of the current unprecedented economic climate, the AFL, as a business enterprise, needs to be restructured if it is to continue to provide its unique brand of this affordable, fan-friendly sport,� wrote then Commissioner Ed Policy in a memo to the AFL�s board of directors explaining the cancelation decision.

In August of 2009, the league was forced into Chapter 7 bankruptcy by its creditors, and eventually converted to Chapter 11 bankruptcy by a judge. Through a series of complicated legal maneuvers, the AFL�s other league, af2, was first dissolved and then reconstituted as a new legal entity called Arena Football 1, with AFL former teams like the Arizona Rattlers and the Orlando Predators signing on for a second run. The former AFL�s assets were put on the auction block during the liquidation phase of its bankruptcy proceedings, and were subsequently purchased by the new league for $6.1 million. Those assets included all of the team names and logos for all the former AFL teams, except for the Dallas Desperados, which owner Jerry Jones was able to maintain control of.

In early 2010, Arena Football 1 announced it was changing its name to Arena Football League, and had inked new broadcast deals with both the NFL Network and later CBS Sports, and would launch two expansion teams � the Jacksonville (Fla.) Sharks and the Dallas Vigilantes, replacing the Desperados. The creation of the LA KISS now brings the number of teams in the league to 15.

Bouchy said he�s confident going forward that the AFL�s new labor contract with players will help keep costs from skyrocketing and will ensure a stable fiscal future. In June of last year, the League and the Arena Football League Players Union (AFLPU) signed a new five-year collective bargaining agreement, ending a public squabble that had resulted in mass firings, a player strike and the threat of a lockout.

�In professional sports there is a major flaw in that the average team pays 60 percent of its revenue to players and a super majority of teams end up losing money,� said Houchey. �The agreement we worked out is significantly lower than 60 percent and ensures we have a great economic model going forward.�

The AFL now seems poised for growth with efforts underway to develop a six-team league in China and talk of more American expansion to be announced, possibly this month.

Season tickets for the LA KISS have already gone on sale, with season tickets ranging from $2,250 to $99 per seat for the team�s 10 home games.

�At $99 a seat, that means fans will have the ability to see a two-and-a-half-hour full sensory experience for less than $10 per game,� Bouchy said, adding that his goal is to be one of the best sports/entertainment values in Southern California.

And despite his team�s Orange County origins, Bouchy is giving the squad a distinctly LA name � �that�s just marketing,� Bouchy said, adding that the use of the LA name � even in a region that prides itself on not being L.A. � invokes memories of the Los Angeles Avengers, an AFL Franchise that played their entire eight-season career (2000 to 2008) at Staples Center in LA.

�With a global brand in KISS, an ownership group dedicated to showcasing an exciting sport and a world-class venue serving as host - three great entertainment properties are converging with the overall goal of producing an unparalleled AFL experience for fans,� said Tim Ryan, President/CEO of Honda Center. �This partnership marks a new era for the unification of sports and music.�