The KISS Thread

[Malcolm]

According to KissKollector.com, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons told the "Dudley & Bob" morning show on Austin's classic rock station KLBJ that KISS will take out QUEEN + PAUL RODGERS on the band's 2007 tour. Gene said that both bands had talked during the "VH1: Rock Honors" show and agreed to hit the road together. In typical Gene fashion, he went on to claim in the interview that "QUEEN is playing with us, we're not playing with QUEEN."

[Malcolm]

KISS guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley has shot down reports that KISS will be touring with QUEEN + PAUL RODGERS in 2007.

[Mr. Dick Purple]

ohh crap, that would've been killer 

[Malcolm]

KISS guitarist/vocalist has announced the following solo tour dates in support of his upcoming album, "Live to Win":

Oct. 21 - Atlanta, GA - Tabernacle
Oct. 23 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Revolution
Oct. 24 - Orlando, FL - Hard Rock Live
Oct. 26 - Baltimore, MD - Rams Head
Oct. 27 - Atlantic City, NJ - Houseof Blues
Oct. 28 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza
Nov. 01 - Pittsburgh, PA - Palace Theatre
Nov. 03 - Milwaukee, WI - Rave
Nov. 05 - Detroit, MI - Emerald Theatre
Nov. 06 - Chicago, IL - House Of Blues
Nov. 07 - Minneapolis, MN - Qwest
Nov. 10 - Seattle, WA - Showbox
Nov. 11 - Portland, OR - Aladdin
Nov. 13 - San Francisco, CA - Filmore
Nov. 14 - Los Angeles, CA - House Of Blues

[kupirock]

The first installment of the long-awaited, long-rumored (three-volume) DVD box set of vintage KISS live performance footage is scheduled for an October 31 release. Titled "Kissology: Volume One 1974-1977", the two-disc set will have a running time of six hours and include clips and four complete concerts. However, as the years "1974-1977" in the title indicate, it won't include the full performance from either of the last two final clubs shows the band undertook in 1973 (December 21 and 22) at The Coventry in Queens, New York.

When former KISS manager Bill Aucoin discovered a tape in his archives a few years ago consisting of footage from these two last club shows KISS did before they went out on their first actual tour, he showed the video to Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley and ever since there have been negotiations on and off to get this material officially released on DVD. One of the two shows has been said to be the complete performance, while the other one is incomplete as a rehearsal had been taped over it.

When Bill Aucoin talked about the supposed vintage box set at the June 3 KISS Expo Belgium, he also mentioned several very cool bonus features to be part of the box set ? including a full audio recording of a KISS performance at The Daisy in 1973 along with rehearsal footage from the LaTang Studios as well as a demo recorded for Casablanca Records founder Neil Bogart.

So, what will be on this six-hour DVD set then? According to the trailer, which you can view at this location, it includes "five infamous television appearances" (but ? in some sort of sad KISS tradition ? not complete as not all performed songs on "In Concert", "The Midnight Special" and "The Paul Lynde Halloween Special" are included!), four complete concerts and "never-before-seen live footage." All digitally restored video and 5.1 audio mix, and with liner notes from the band. The complete shows are: San Francisco '75 (January 31), Detroit '76 (January 26), Tokyo '77 (April 2) and Houston '77 (September 2). Other bits and pieces include the band's performance on "The Mike Douglas Show" in April of '74, the 1975 promo clips for "C'mon And Love Me" and "Rock And Roll All Nite" and the band's appearance on the English TV show "So It Goes" from August 21, 1976. This "definitive KISS video anthology" is presented by VH1 Classic, who will air the special "Hanging With... KISS" around the time of release. Distribution will be taken care of by Fontana Distribution, an independent music distribution company. And apparantly, the DVDs will also contain a couple of hidden features, being one song from one of the above mentioned final Coventry performances and KISS' one-song live performance at Ace Frehley's wedding, which took place on May 1, 1976 at The Americana in New York.

http://www.flashenhanced.com/mtv/kissology/kissology.htm

http://www.kisskollector.com/

[Malcolm]

Gary Graff of Billboard.com reports that the Kiss Army may be able to pack its gear for a tour in the near future, but not an album. The group's Paul Stanley, preparing for the Oct. 24 release of his solo album "Live To Win" and an attendant tour, tells Billboard.com he's "sure there will be a [KISS] tour at some point."

He even confirms that one of the ideas being discussed is a traveling version of the orchestral shows KISS played in 2003 in Australia, which resulted in the "Kiss Symphony" CD and DVD releases.

"It's not out of the realm of possibility," says Stanley, who welcomed his second son, Colin, with wife Erin on Sept. 6. "Anything's possible, but we're far away from conforming or committing to something like that. I'll let you know when it's true."

New KISS music is another matter, however. Stanley says as far as he's concerned, trying to make a new album in the shadow of KISS' classic repertoire is, at the very least, a challenge. "The fact is, [fans] may tolerate the new songs, but it's the old ones you want to hear," he notes. "I think Jimmy Page and Robert Plant found that out. THE [ROLLING] STONES certainly know it. THE WHO certainly know it. So unless you're willing to go into the studio accepting that how your album will be received will never match your expectations, I'm not sure it's worth the effort."

[Malcolm]

Nearly three decades after releasing his debut solo album, KISS singer/rhythm-guitarist Paul Stanley is set to deliver a follow-up, and will back the disc with a fall tour.

Stanley has lined up a three-and-a-half-week outing that launches Oct. 21 in Atlanta and is scheduled to make stops in more than a dozen cities by mid-November. Details are shown below.

Three days after kicking off his tour, Stanley will issue "Live to Win," his sophomore solo effort. The album's title track will be available exclusively via Apple's iTunes Music Store starting Sept. 26.

October 2006
21 - Atlanta, GA - Tabernacle
23 - Fort Lauderdale, FL - Revolution
24 - Orlando, FL - Hard Rock Live
26 - Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live
27 - Atlantic City, NJ - House of Blues
28 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza

November 2006
1 - Greensburg, PA - Palace Theatre
3 - Milwaukee, WI - Rave
5 - Mount Clemens, MI - Emerald Theatre
6 - Chicago, IL - House of Blues
7 - Minneapolis, MN - Qwest
10 - Seattle, WA - Showbox
11 - Portland, OR - Aladdin
13 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
14 - West Hollywood, CA - House of Blues

Ive listened to the album and personally I think it stionks

[Malcolm]

KISS guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley kicked off his "Live to Win" solo tour Saturday night (Oct. 21) at the Tabernacle in Atlanta, Georgia. His setlist was as follows:

01. Live To Win
02. Hide Your Heart
03. A Million To One
04. Got To Choose
05. Move On
06. Bulletproof
07. Tonight
08. Lick It Up
09. Wouldn't You Like To Know Me?
10. Magic Touch
11. I Still Love You
12. Strutter
13. Every Time I See You Around
14. Do You Love Me
15. I Want You
16. Love Gun
Encore:
17. Lift
18. Detroit Rock City
19. Goodbye

[Gunner80]

I can't wait to pick up Paul's new disc!

[Malcolm]

Twenty-eight years after his first solo album -- released alongside the three other Kiss solo records at the height of the band's first marketing blitzkrieg -- Paul Stanley has released his second CD, "Live to Win." Tellingly, the album cover features Stanley, 54, front and center sans makeup. Stanley, who appears Tuesday at Myth nightclub, called two weeks ago from a tour stop in Orlando, Fla.

Q How does it feel playing without makeup once again?

A It's awesome. I love being a member of Kiss. But I have to say that going out and doing these shows, it points out to people where the power of this music really is, and where the heart and soul is. It's not in makeup or pyrotechnics.

Q This album shows a serious side -- or at least there are no songs like "Let's Put the X in Sex." Was that intentional?

A I hear the word "serious," and I equate it with "not fun." That's not the case here. I think I'm having more fun in my life than I've ever had. It's just a different kind of fun.

Q Do you care if this CD competes with Kiss commercially?

A Whether it sells 500 or 5 million copies, it doesn't change my life any. There's no pressure on me that way. The bills are all paid, folks. So for me, it was more important making the album I wanted to make.

Q Do you at least hope it tops Gene Simmons' last album?

A I can't comment on that.

Q Do you watch Gene's new reality show ["Gene Simmons' Family Jewels" on A&E], or have you seen him up-close and personal enough?

A Gene was at this tour's opening night in Atlanta. He's my brother and I love him. But he still does a whole lot of things that I scratch my head about.

Q What's next: another solo album or a Kiss tour?

A Both. There will definitely be another Kiss tour. We're sorting that out. But there will be another solo album, too.

Q Any Kiss songs on this tour?

A Yeah, they're my songs. I wrote 'em. And a lot of the ones I wrote, I also arranged.

Q Any standout memories from playing the Twin Cities?

A Did you say "mammaries" or "memories"? [Laughs.] That's why they call them the Twin Cities, isn't it?

Q The Kiss Koffeehouse is the band's latest branding gimmick. Are there no limits?

A What can I say? People come to us with great ideas. The fact that you can't base a coffeehouse on any other rock band is the other rock bands' problem, not mine. You know, credibility is someone else's idea of what I should be doing. But you'd also be surprised how many ideas we have turned down over the years.

Q Speaking of merchandising, when I was 7 or 8 I sent off for a keychain from the Kiss Army, even though I didn't have any keys. It never came. Any chance you can hook me up now?

A Sure, you got it.
[His publicist sent this keychain that day.]

[Gunner80]

The new Kissology box set kicks major ass! If you're a Kiss fan go pick it up right now.

[Malcolm]

KISS guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley will embark on a tour of Australia beginning in early April. So far the following dates have been released:

Apr. 11 - Twin Towns, Coolangatta
Apr. 13 - WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong
Apr. 14 - Civic Theatre, Newcastle
Apr. 17 - Enmore Theatre, Sydney
Apr. 18 - Enmore Theatre, Sydney
Apr. 20 - Palais Theatre, Melbourne
Apr. 21 - Palais Theatre, Melbourne
Apr. 24 - Burswood Theatre, Perth
Apr. 26 - Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide

Tickets are AUD $95.00 and will go on sale approximately six weeks prior to the shows.

As was the case on Stanley's recent U.S. tour, the backing band for Paul's Australian trek will be the house band from the CBS-TV show "Rock Star". The group, comprised of Paul Mirkovich (keyboards), Jim McGorman (guitar), Rafael Moreira (lead guitar), Nate Morton (drums) and Sasha Krivstov (bass), appeared on the first season of the show, "Rock Star: INXS", as well as this year's "Rock Star: Supernova".

[GNRreunioneventually]

I LOVE KISS have since i was three years old and saw them perform "Rock'n'Roll all nite" at the Olympics in 1994 (i think i dont remember i was three(fuck)). But i wish they would do one more, balls to the wall, album instead of all this best of crap. But i got the KISSology Vol. 1 and it kicks ass i love when Gene spits blood and breaths fire its so fucking cool and it reminded me why i love KISS

Heres to lookin foward to KISSology Vol. 2

[WhiteRose]

Well, I'm not exactly a big fan of comic books, but I'm sure that some of you are... and I've always had a soft spot in my heart for KISS.?

Cheers,
W.R.


Kiss seals comics deal with Platinum Studios

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The rock group Kiss has partnered with comic-book production company Platinum Studios to create a new comic-book entertainment company called the Kiss Comics Group.

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This is not the first time there have been comics featuring the members of the band, but it will be the first time that Kiss -- under the banner of Kiss Catalog Ltd., run by original members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley -- will produce its own comic-book-based characters.

The co-venture aims to be more than a publisher; it plans to expand the comic-book characters' images onto multimedia platforms including print, mobile, online, film, television and licensed merchandise.

First up from the KCG will be "Kiss 4K," the story of Simmons, Stanley and other band members' transformation from rock stars to world-protecting warrior spirits. "4K" will be released in March as a 3-foot comic priced at $50, with an intent to make it the largest comic book ever published. It will be followed by merchandise including apparel, video games and comic strips for cell phones.

Platinum, which has projects such as "Cowboys and Aliens" set up at Sony Pictures, is counting on Kiss' multigenerational, international fan base as well as more than 4,000 fan sites from around the globe and will launch simultaneously in the U.S., France, Germany, Italy and Spain.

The band members said they will be involved in all day-to-day decisions.

"The Kiss comics that have come out were licenses; they weren't truly part of the mythology," Platinum chairman Scott Mitchell Rosenberg said. "This is all of us working together. (Simmons and Stanley) care about every panel of every comic and how an image looks on a shirt."

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

Here's the link to the article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070130/music_nm/media_kiss_dc_1

[Malcolm]

Cameron Adams of Australia's Herald Sun recently conducted an interview with KISS guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley. A few excerpts from the chat follow:

Herald Sun: You're touring your first solo album in 28 years, "Live to Win". How is it playing without wearing make-up and no special effects?

Paul Stanley: Surprisingly for some, there's arguably more power than some of the arena shows we do with KISS. There's nothing there to confuse anyone as to what the source of the power is. It's deadly good fun. This whole tour has reconnected for me why I got into music in the first place. I remember going to concerts as a kid, seeing JIMI HENDRIX or LED ZEPPELIN playing for a couple of thousand people. It wasn't about big-stage presentations, it was about big belief in music.

Herald Sun: The setlist contains a handful of solo songs and many Kiss songs.

Paul Stanley: There's so many great songs to play it'd be foolish to deny myself or the fans all the great tunes I've written that KISS does. You hear all those songs the way they were supposed to sound. I wasn't interested in changing "Love Gun" into a reggae tune.

Herald Sun: You're refreshingly honest about KISS fans not wanting to hear new material when you play. How have they reacted to hearing new Paul Stanley songs on this tour?

Paul Stanley: It's gone down tremendously. People come knowing they are going to get a night of me. I believe this is a very intimate, but very potent evening. I don't know who's smiling more, us on stage or the audience.

Herald Sun: Your solo band is the house band from the two series of "Rock Star". Is that the closest you'll ever get to doing a reality-TV show?

Paul Stanley: Oh God, I'd rather take a bullet in my head. You can either have reality or you can have TV, the two cannot co-exist. I have no desire to have my life played out to the public. I'm very happy to have my life for myself and also have my life on stage. They both make each other possible.

Herald Sun: Have you seen Gene Simmons' reality show "Family Jewels?

Paul Stanley: Honestly, I haven't. People say it's very good. He's happy. That's part of his personality and not mine.

Herald Sun: You've said you believe the number of things Gene does outside KISS lessens KISS's impact.

Paul Stanley: I think so. But he has every right to do them. I think some of his choices are questionable, but so what? God knows we've earned the right to go and do what satisfies us.

Herald Sun: What's the status of KISS?

Paul Stanley: We turned down a summer tour - for some reason it just wasn't that appealing. Truth be told I wouldn't mind going out and continuing with my solo band. But KISS absolutely will be out on tour again. It's inevitable.

Herald Sun: Gene came to your solo show. What did he think?

Paul Stanley: He was blown away. From what I heard, he posted something to that effect on his website. It's undeniable. It's as good as anything out there and better than most.

Herald Sun: What did you think of Gene's solo record "Asshole"?

Paul Stanley: It's not the album I would have made. It's not the album I would have hoped he made, but I'm only accountable for what I do.

Herald Sun: You've also had hip-replacement surgery. How's the new hip?

Paul Stanley: All I can say is I've been scoring knockouts every night.

Herald Sun: Is it true you spent the last few years of KISS tours in pain before the operation?

Paul Stanley: I'm a firm believer that when people pay for tickets they don't need a disclaimer from anyone on stage about their health or limitations. If you have to do that, you'd be better off giving everyone their money back. People don't come for excuses or to hear about your circumstances. I was in pain for years, it reached a point where it was literally difficult to get up the stairs to the stage. There was not much choice to become a little bionic.

[Malcolm]

A new Gene Simmons interview appears in the April issue of England's Classic Rock magazine. Gene discusses his reality series "Gene Simmons Family Jewels" and "Gene Simmons Rock School", (non-)marriage, Ace Frehley, Peter Criss and Paul Stanley. On the topic of Ace, Gene says, "I love him dearly, he's a sweetheart, but he's his own worst enemy. He's great with lots of people around but when he's alone he doesn't like himself. And he numbs himself. He's been numbing himself for 34 years that I know of. I don't know how often I've seen him straight, but it's almost never."

As for Paul, there happened to be a spelling mistake in the advertisement for Paul's solo album "Live to Win" in Classic Rock a few issues ago that some readers found very amusing. Instead of "Bulletproof", one of the the album tracks was misspelled "Bulletpoof". Says Gene, "That's okay. Are you saying Paul pitches for the other side? It happens not to be the case, but I don't hink there'd be any problems if he did. Some of your biggest heroes are on the other side. Halford and Freddie and Elton, for example. You English make more of that than any country in the world. In fact, the preconceived notion of the English male is gay. You know that. It's based on the public schoolboy system. Sir Richard Branson told me all about it. The bullying often turns sexual. It's rampant."

Gene also talks about the possibility of the original band getting back together again. 'I personally don't want to," he says. "I love Ace and Peter, always have, and because of my tough love thing I've never been shy about saying they've been drug addicts and alcoholics, and they've destroyed themselves."

Is KISS now more of a heritage center than an actual band? "You can ask the STONES or Elton or anybody who's been around for 30 years or more the same question," Gene replies. "It's valid to say it is; it's valid to say it isn't. You want to know when we're going to do a new KISS record? The answer is: when we feel like it. And by the way, no matter what I said earlier, I reserve the right to change my mind about Ace and Peter any time I choose. 'Never say never' is true. How much did you say you want to pay is to get back together? How many hundreds of millions? People say you can't be bought. Fucking-A right you can. Even God passes the hat around at the end of the sermon."

[guns_n_motley]

sounds like a new kiss album is possible

[Krispy Kreme]

I am a member of tapetrader.com (anyone can join, unlike some of the sites posted here like  tracker and dime). Anyway, one  day I am  searching and I see this guy with about 350 Kiss concerts  and I think to myself, what  a fucking dweeb. And  then I check out  my list and I have like 450 Guns shows on CD and DVD and I realize that it is all relative. I personally don't like Kiss, but whatever rocks  your boat. If it moves you, ok then. 

[D]

Kiss are probably the most underrated band ever.

Their stage show and personas overshadow the fact that they have AMAZING songs. Great riffs, solos and the lyrics and melodies are great also


they are never gonna be U2 or some band like that, but Kiss are amazing and Paul Stanley is the greatest frontman u never hear get mentioned in the discussion.

Not many Live vocalists as good as Paul.

[guns_n_motley]

ive been on a kiss kick lately. been listening to alot of their albums. whats your favorite?? I think Destroyer is their best...their debut is great also.