Tag: KISS Army
Everyone's already chimed in or are fixin' to, so here's this KISStorian's 10 cents and a Taoist proverb for Bob Kulick that might have helped, and a semi-wack prediction end of article, cheers y'all!
So ….had Bob bit his tongue, perhaps KISS do exactly what he issued as a demand and record something with him in the way of a 'End Of The Road' song to accompany the bands pre-orchestrated 'swan song" (even if I already did!)? I don't want to pile on but, as I see it, anything can, or could have happened when it comes to KISS but Bob may have just let horse out of the barn, for good, and it's truly spooked. For lack of greater clarity, and in search of wisdom, I submit this Taoist proverb I came across randomly earlier in the week; please forgive my paraphrasing it here:
A Farmer's horse runs away — the next day everyone the village comes to see the Farmer, offering their condolences — "What a stroke of bad luck your only horse ran away" — the Farmer replied simply "Maybe".
The next day, the Farmers' horse returns with 6 other horses and the same villagers come to him to say "What a stroke of luck your only horse, who ran away, returned with all these horses for you!" — the Farmer replied simply 'Maybe".
The next day, the Farmer's son tried to ride one of the new horses but was felled and broke his leg — The villagers all came through again offering "what a stroke of bad luck your son broke his leg trying to ride one of your new (gift) horses!" — the Farmer simply replied "Maybe".
The next day, a government official comes to the Farmers door to Conscript his son into the Army but could not he because he now has a broken leg and so cannot serve. The villagers all came bye to the visit the Farmer again, now exclaiming "what an incredible stroke of luck your son broke his leg and so cannot be Conscripted into the Army after all!?! — The Farmer simply replied "Maybe".
Had Bob held off, who knows, 'maybe' Gene Simmons & Stanley would have made it up to him in some way? In a different scenario, 'maybe' cooler heads prevail and Bruce Kulick just tells KISS that his brother Bob, ousted from a band he helped put together for the KISS Kruise, "is really bummed out"?!? 'Maybe' it stays in house, and Gene & Paul right the apparent wrong before too long?
Wishful thinking? Maybe ….but I do think there may be some key info missing from the story here: primarily what Bob actually said to Bruce, and perhaps what else is going on behind the KISS end-game scenes?
Here's my guess, at 50,000 feet: Singer/bassist Todd Kerns, from this same semi-ill-fated KISS/Kulick Kruise band, ends up actually replacing Paul Stanley on the the very end of the 'End of The Road Tour' and Paul, ever living to win, gets the last laugh by looking the most magnanimous and honest of KISS's off-the-richter-scale egos?
Wonder who is gonna get the Demon's boots? – KISStorian.com
November 24, 2019 November 24, 2019 CHICAGO 'N BEYOND80's KISS, bad blood, Bob Kulick, Bruce Kulick, Dashdown, Dave Ashdown, defectors, horse left the barn, Kiss, KISS Army, KISS Kruise, Kissasylum, Kissonline, kisstory, Paul Stanley, prediction, rock history, Taoist proverb, the music business, Todd HernsLeave a comment
How did your relationship with KISS begin? It all started when in was a kid digging through my older brothers record collection. I found Kiss Alive II and then knew my life would never be the same.
Can you explain why being a KISS fan is typically a life-long affliction? I have no idea why being a fan has lasted all my life. It would be impossible to pin down just one reason. But if I had to narrow it down I would say It's their raw energy.
PHAT KISS return to LIVEWIRE on HALLOWEEN, do you have anything special planned for the KISS Army? Definitely have a few tricks up our sleeves for the LiveWire show!!
How did you show in Berwyn at Cigars & Stripes BBQ Lounge come about? A friend of ours works at a BBQ place and found out there was this Halloween BBQ fest in Berwyn on the Saturday the 28th there …We love BBQ and Berwyn's the home of the Son of Svengoolie. How could we refuse?!
Who is in PHAT KISS? Our current line up is Stan Pauley guitar / vocals, Beans Simmons bass / vocals, A.C. Crisps drums / vocals.
You have a dual role in the band — you're the 'Starchild' but you also play all the leads. Is there room in PHAT KISS for a 'Spaceman' at some point? We are definitely open to finding an 'Ace', It's very important to us to find someone that will fit with our chemistry.
What's your live set up in terms of amps & guitars? Marshall stack, Gibson guitars, though I do use a Iceman here and there.
What are the staples of your set and which cuts seem to go over best consistently? We try to do a mix of the hits and deep cuts As far as shows are concerned …"Love Gun", "Strutter", "Detroit Rock City" and "I Was Made For Loving You" always get a great crowd reaction!
Are there any songs you tried live that were soon to get nixed? We've done some 80's stuff like "I love It Loud" and "Tears Are Falling" but they never seem to stay in the set. We are still exploring some of that, I think we're probably gonna throw in "War Machine" here soon.
What's your favorite KISS album? Kiss Alive II will always hold the top spot. That open guitar riff on "I Stole Your Love" just rips!
What is the best KISS concert you ever attended? I've seen them maybe 10 times but I would have to say the last one at Chicago Open Air festival this summer rocked. They have so much material it went on for over 2 hours and their stage show always gets progressively better. Absolutely nothing beats when Gene flies during "God Of Thunder".
Do you have a KISS 'happy space' you would share with fellow KISStorians? I don't know what you mean by 'happy space' but for some reason KISS always sounds best to me cranked up while driving.
Did Vinnie Vincent save KISS? There is a case to be made for Vinnie, but ultimately it's Paul and Gene who are the driving force of KISS.
If you were mod your Harley Davidson KISS style, what would you do to it in a perfect KISS world? Such a weird question …The only way to go there if I had to would be some sort of demon bike with glowing eyes and so its fire from the tail pipe like some tricked out 70's chopper.
What's your favorite track by each original KISS member?
Paul – "Love Gun" ….Man it's "Love Gun"!!!
Gene – "Cold Gin" …Just a nasty riff and all the hoopla that goes with it.
Ace – "Rocket Ride" …Just a driving song that keeps pushing the limits and some really clever guitar work. Also, it's about getting a blow job.
Peter – "Black Diamond".
Do you believe KISS will continue without Gene or Paul as stated for years by both original founders? Epic. KISS will live forever, if not the original band In some way shape or form but in bands like us willing to carry the torch of The KISS Army.
Do you think they ever deputize / co-brand KISS cover bands worldwide? I'd like to think there is some kid out there right now learning the solo for "Detroit Rock City". Man …I have no idea what they would do.
This is your chance for a shout out to the boys because they are reading this — what say yee? All I know is we'll keep doing it as long as the crowd is into it. Take us on THE KISS KRUISE!!
October 27, 2017 CHICAGO 'N BEYONDAce Frehley, Berwyn, Chicago, Cigars & Stripes BBQ Lounge, classic KISS, Detroit Rock City City, Gene Simmons, Gibson Guitars, God Of Thunder, I Was Made For Loving You, Ibanez Iceman, Interview, KISS Army, KISS cover band, Live Wire, Love Gun, Marshall Amps, Paul Stanley, Peter Criss, Phat KISS, PHAT KISS ARMY, StrutterLeave a comment
I ain't superstitious ….but a black cat crossed my path and, guess what, turns out 'SHE" (also known world-wide in cat circles as 'Shanehneh') is a KISS fan all the way! In fact, the first thing she learned was how to rock ….and then roll over. Right now she is studying early KISStory as a summer course to round out her already stellar education in all things magic.
July 7, 2014 July 7, 2014 CHICAGO 'N BEYONDblack cat, cat, cats, Kiss, KISS Army, KISStorian, superstitiousLeave a comment
KISStorian takes a 70's deep dive with renown rock & roll radio dj & musician BOB RICE: >>>> How did you end up going to the KISS show in Spokane in May of '74? I'm glad you asked this question as I love telling the story. I was 14 years of age and playing bass in my first rock band, Angel Painted Lady. Boasting two guitarists, with one of them doubling on trombone, we also had a trumpet player and a flutist. Our drummer doubled on vibraphone, and I doubled on percussion. This was my first dream band. We performed a mixture of rock, fusion, funk, and jazz, covering the music of David Bowie, Jethro Tull, Alice Cooper, The James Gang, Chicago Transit Authority, Maynard Ferguson, and Chase, as well as playing our own original music. Our lead guitarist/vocalist often wore make up, when we performed. We always played to packed rooms, which I thought was odd at the time, not that I complained. I am pinching myself, as I write this, as all of the members of Angel Painted Lady went on to create professional, if not satisfying musical careers. It was the lead guitarist, the one who wore the make up, that told me that I NEEDED to see this band, KISS, because he believed that they were going to be "the next big thing".
What are your most enduring impressions from the night? I arrived at the concert early, which was normal for me, as I always liked to scope out all of the gear on the stage and possibly catch the eye of one of the musicians who might still be on or near the stage. There were very few people in the venue, with the majority being employees and stage and sound crew, and hardly any concert goers. While I was eyeballing how the venue was set up, one of the crew struck up a conversation with me. After inviting me to check out the house mix, we made our way to the stage … talk about an instant high!
Did you have any pre-show expectations? Yes, it was their first appearance in Spokane and their first official tour. Going into the concert I knew very little about the band aside for the fact that they wore make up and dressed in costume portraying individual characters. In fact I have to admit that I had not heard any of their music before seeing them. In respect to their show, I did have very high expectations based on my guitarist's adamant recommendation that I see them. They did not disappoint me … they fucking blew me away! When they hit the stage it was like a bomb dropping. I looked around me and everyone was wide eyed and picking their jaws up from off of the floor. Within 20 min. of their set I realized that Ace was the true glue in the band. His ability to create bedrock guitar riffs while seamlessly lacing his lead lines around the other player's parts, and his riffs, found me standing stupefied, laughing and shaking my head in awe.
Was there already a KISS Army to speak or did the band have to win the crowd over? There was not a KISS Army, in fact it was very apparent that most of those who were there had come to see Manfred Mann's Earth Band. By the end of KISS's set they had won over everyone who was in The Kennedy Pavilion. I heard later that The Earth Band was a little reluctant to take the stage after KISS's set. The last time this had happened was when Led Zepplin opened for The Vanilla Fudge 4-1/2 years earlier in the same venue. I feel as though I personally witnessed history being made in Spokane that night.
As you re-listen to the show today anything that strikes you in terms of the tunes? There are two things that struck me, about that night's performance: The first was that the songs were very fresh, with a beautiful raw and spontaneous feel to them. There was true interplay happening between all four members. If you are a musician you'll be able to relate to what I am about to say. There were many times, as an example, when Gene would emphasize a certain bass note, or series of notes, with Peter being lock step with him, punching his drum beats just a little bit harder, and with more authority. Or Ace suddenly ripping into a lead to counter point a particular vocal flourish that Paul is laying out. It is these moments and intuitive exchanges which allow the music to breath. There was a lot of naturally, spontaneous breathing going on that night. The second was that their stage show was loosely choreographed, compared to what it has become. Since their first tour I have seen the band more than a few times. Their stage show has become a major component to their overall concert presentation but not without consequences, being, having that space for spontaneous musical interplay considerably narrowed. When I saw them in 1974 they were playing together with pure joy, as a unit, but also with individual freedom.
Did any of the four seem to be the band leader ….or did KISS come off more as a unit? Paul did most of the talking, with Gene close on his heels, when announcing in-between songs. Ace was generally tuning his guitar between songs (no surprise with 70's era Gibson guitars). When they were performing they were united as a band, as I said previously. At the same time they displayed their individual personal made up character persona. In direct answer to your question, they performed like a band of brothers, although the under pinning of Paul and Gene's ultimate leadership roles were well in place.
Do you think that may be part of their early fan appeal, someone to root for like with a favorite sports team? Absolutely! If you were not a fan going in, you were one when you came out. They embraced the audience and drew them into their rock n' roll party, with them being the host.
I was in the front row pressed against the stage. There were moments during the show when you could feel the pressure of the bodies behind you building, sometimes near crushing. Spokane had no idea what this band was about but Spokane's first KISS Army was born that night. I auditioned a guitarist 6 years after that concert who had KISS tattooed across the knuckles of his right hand, upside down and backwards, and KISS tattooed across the knuckles of his left hand in normal orientation. Hence, if you are a right handed guitarist, your picking hand, (right), clearly shows KISS, and your fretting hand, (left), does as well, to an audience in front of you. During our conversations I asked him what his connection to KISS was, with his first answer being … I saw them at The Kennedy Pavilion in 1974 … he was one of Spokane's first to enlist and support The KISS Army!
Did you think they would make it big after seeing them live? Absolutely, and without a doubt … my guitarist was dead on!
You've seen perhaps more shows in Spokane than any other single human: who else did you see of note in the 70's and how does KISS in '74 rank on your 70's 'Best Of Live Spokane' menu? This is a very tough question… wow! In reflection there were many shows, some which I played a role in presenting in Spokane in the 70's. One of my most memorable series of shows was watching the band Heart develop, beginning in 1975. My best friend, at that time, was related to the Wilson family. His older brother, Ray, was the editor of the newspaper at what was then Eastern Washington State College, now Eastern Washington University. He was also a huge music fan who possessed, what I thought was, the largest record collection in the city. In fact he turned me on to Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention as well as introduce me to the world of record retail a few years later. Late fall of 1975 Heart released what would become their ground breaking debut album "Dreamboat Annie", originally released in Canada. The band was living in Vancouver, British Columbia at the time but had roots in the Seattle area. One day Ray received a phone call from his aunt, Ann and Nancy's mother, asking him if he thought that he could arrange a concert for his cousins at the college. He coordinated two shows for the band beginning with an afternoon show followed by an evening show. During the coarse of the day he also created an interview, which he shared with the Spokane newspapers. He needed a couple of gophers for the day with his brother and I raising our hands without hesitation. On February 14, 1976 "Dreamboat Annie" was released in the US and the band soon skyrocketed. Following the success of that first album the band routinely made Spokane a necessary part of their tours with me being treated as family when ever they were in Spokane.
I mentioned earlier that Ray introduced me to record retail. Working from the ground up I positioned myself in management with a chain of stores called Eucalyptus Records & Tapes, which was originally based out of Fairfield, CA. Part of the companies expansion was into Spokane, and at it's peak having 4 locations in the city. We would often host touring bands with in-store appearances prior to their show which found me working directly with concert promoters and media entity's. There were a number of band's which we routed through Spokane on an annual basis with Heart, Styx, REO Speedwagon, Blue Oyster Cult, Kansas, The Pat Travers Band, Cheap Trick, Ted Nugent, Sammy Hagar and Van Halen being core bands. I have fond memories of shooting hoops with the REO boys, talking with Robin Zander about working with George Martin on the bands album "The Dream Police", getting drunk with David Lee Roth, jamming with Pat Thrall prior to a Pat Travers Band sound check, playing poker with Emmylou Harris and losing $100, leading Ted Nugent through the cities underground stream tunnels for seven blocks, the only way to get him into the store as the fans had circled the entire city block and were stopping traffic … and yes, seeing KISS for the first time in 1974. That concert was, and continues to be a memorable rock n' roll highlight for me.
April 2, 2014 April 2, 2014 CHICAGO 'N BEYOND1974, 70's rock, Ace Frehley, Bob Rice, BOC, Cheap Trick, Crossroads, David Bowie, Gene Simmons, Heart, Jethro Tull, Kiss, KISS Army, KYRS, Led Zepplin, Pat Travers, Paul Stanley, Peter Criss, REO Speedwagon, Sammy Hagar, Spokane, Styx, Ted Nugent, Van Halen4 Comments
KISS's published letter to Rolling Stone regarding the passing of Eric Carr from the personal vault…. For us KISS fans it's like, "Where were you when you heard Eric Carr died?" can't brush it under the rug: the feud between the Kiss camp and the rock media's aristocracy got even more personal here. Kudos to Gene & Paul for crafting a tight indictment of the mags hubris.
December 1, 2013 December 2, 2013 CHICAGO 'N BEYONDEric Carr, Kiss, KISS Army, magazine, Rolling Stone, snub, the passing ofLeave a comment