Category Archives: KISS News

Former KISS, QUIET RIOT, SLASH Members To Participate in Las Vegas Charity Miniature Golf Tournament

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The Musical Beginning Foundation (501c3) is a newly created organization for which Grammy Award-winning musician Micki Free and fashion designer Heather Roberts are the Founders/Directors. The foundation aims to provide musical instruments to children in underserved communities, helping them develop skills that foster creativity, social connection, and emotional well-being.

Free and Roberts have announced the foundation’s first celebrity fundraising event, “The Shirts Against The Blouses”® Mini Golf Tournament, at KISS World Mini Golf inside the Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. It’s set for February 25, from 4-9 PM.

Artists who’ve already confirmed include guitarist Bruce Kulick (KISS), guitarist Alex Grossi (Quiet Riot), and Todd Kerns, the bassist/backing vocalist for Slash’s band, with many more to be added. The event is sponsored by KISS World Mini Golf, Food & Beverage Magazine, Need Merch, Mysterium Music, The Palms Casino Resort, Guitar Center, and San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. A small number of general admission viewing tickets are available. The event will also include an auction with autographed items, concert tickets, and more.

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Gene Simmons Declined The Green Goblin Role In Spider-Man Broadway Show

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Gene Simmons could play Green Goblin in the ‘Spider-Man’ Broadway show but he declined.

“Yes. It’s true. I was offered the role of the Green Goblin in the Broadway Spider-Man show,” the KISS bassist wrote on X, reposting Hollywood Horror Museum’s tweet about the musical. “I politely declined.”

 

Simmons also shared on Twitter back in 2013 that he was offered the Green Goblin role in ‘Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.’ The role was first played by Patrick Page and performed by Robert Cuccioli at the time.

Simmons didn’t say if he would take the offer but thanked the show’s producer, Michael Cohl. He wrote, “Thank you, [producer] Michael Cohl for offering me the role of the Green Goblin on the Broadway production of ‪Spider-Man.”

Simmons is a fan of science fiction and comics and has published several science-fiction fanzines. KISS has been in comic books almost as long as they’ve made music, starting with Marvel’s ‘Howard the Duck’ in 1977.

They’ve been in comics from Image, Dark Horse, IDW, and Archie. A new series called ‘KISS’ came in 2016. Simmons said at the time, “KISS has never been just a band. I fly through the air at eight feet per second. Yes, I spit fire. And yes, I wear bat wings and dragon boots. Don’t be jealous.”

“When you think about it, superheroes are really modern-day versions of the great Greek gods of mythology: Mercury had wings and could fly. Vulcan was the god of fire,” the musician added.

“Clearly everybody wants to be a superhero, but people don’t really understand the Greek mythological nature, the depth that superheroes conceptually are,” he also previously said of his love for comics. “Even though they’re fictional and sci-fi and all that stuff, there’s a great humanism that runs rampant throughout it.”

KISS stories have been published by Marvel, Image, Dark Horse, Platinum Studios, Archie, and IDW. Unlicensed stories were also published by Revolutionary Comics and others.

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Gene Simmons Hints At His Solo Band Will Top KISS With Setlist Of Never-Played Songs

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According to Gene Simmons, his solo band will play songs KISS never did.

“Hey everybody, it’s Gene Simmons. Couldn’t wait to tell you this but we got everything lined up,” the bassist said about his upcoming solo tour in a video message on X. “We’re gonna go out there and play for you. The Gene Simmons band touring North America for thirty maybe forty cities. We’re adding them as we go along.”

He shared when they will start, saying, “We’re gonna start April 3rd in Anaheim, California. April 4th is Temecula. Never been there. We’re gonna be there. And we’re gonna be visiting your neck of the woods. We’re gonna ignore New York and LA for now, and we’re really going to bring the show to you.”

“Now, what can you expect? Well, we’re going to be doing our favorite KISS tunes, yours, but that ain’t all. Check. Are we going to do songs that KISS has never done before live? Check. You bet you. Are we going to record some songs that have actually never been recorded by KISS? Yup. We’re also going to be doing some cool covers that I’ve always wanted to do, and you never know what they’re going to be,” Gene revealed about what to expect.

The rocker also had some good news for the fans as he shared in the rest of the video, “The other thing is we want you to join the fun. Yeah, you. Over there. Can you sing a little bit? You don’t have to be Pavarotti. Can you play a little guitar? Can you beat on the drums? You don’t have to be an expert. You never know, we may pull you up on stage with us.”

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A celebration 50 years in the making

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CADILLAC — Is something in the works for October that commemorates Cadillac’s role in rock ‘n’ roll history?

The obvious answer is yes, but for now, what it is remains shrouded in mystery. On Oct. 10, Cadillac will celebrate the 50th anniversary of KISS visiting the city. The website www.kisscadillac.com currently displays only the October date and invites people to sign up for email updates.

While there are about nine months to speculate — and many will — nothing has been officially announced beyond what’s on the KISS Cadillac website. During the 40th anniversary celebration in 2015, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons released a video message for Cadillac, as they were unable to attend due to the band’s tour in Australia.

With KISS no longer touring, could Stanley and Simmons come to Cadillac? Only time will tell.

The Cadillac News reached out to Jim Neff, who played a role in the band’s visit nearly 50 years ago, but he did not immediately respond. Marci Hensley of the Cadillac Area Visitors Bureau said they are still in the early stages of planning.

She said the Oct. 10 date was shared to allow people to save the date.

She also said the visitors bureau is working with Neff and Cadillac Area Public Schools to plan the event. The best thing people can do is sign up for the newsletter at kisscadillac.com and wait for updates in the coming weeks and months, Hensley said.

For those unfamiliar with the connection between Cadillac and KISS, the band visited the northern Michigan town in 1975 after forming a friendship with Cadillac High School and its football team.

After a slow start in 1974, the team began playing KISS records in the locker room to stay loose. The band heard about it and wanted updates on the team’s progress. The Vikings then won their final seven games. In October 1975, Cadillac High School made rock ‘n’ roll history when KISS played at the school’s homecoming.