Ultimate Classic Rock

Examiner

KISS’s long-tongued God of Thunder, the incomparable Gene Simmons, is going to produce a series titled “Ugly Models.” The show’s name mimics a British modeling agency that takes on “character models” of every description.

The modeling agency actually has the word “ugly” in capital letters sprawled across its home page. If you’d like to see what they call “character models,” click HERE. The site says, “We like our women fat and our men geeky, we like the extremely tall and the shockingly small. No one is too abstract for our books! We are Ugly. And we are the leaders in character modeling. With a unique outlook on modeling [sic], our philosophy is simply – ‘Any beauty can be airbrushed but we want our look to have true character.’”

Not everyone at Ugly Models is just an ordinary character. They have some folks on the roster that are also in the Guinness World Records, such as the world’s tallest man, Sultan Kosen, who is 8 feet, 1 inch tall. They also have more traditional looking models. According to the site, “If you have luscious locks and fab abs, you’re still Ugly to us!”

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Jody Havenot

Dude…It’s all about Paul!!! Episode 22 and 23 finds us joined by our PODCAST ROCK CITY bro, Joe Polo!!! We celebrate and discuss all things Paul Stanley!! The conversation was a blast, but it went a little long…So it is divided into 2 episodes..so make sure you get both parts!!! And as always, thanks for listening. and keep on rockin’!

Brian Hiatt | Rolling Stone

Rolling Stone‘s first-ever Kiss cover story mostly focused on the original lineup of the band: Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss. The Rock and Hall of Fame also chose to induct only those members – a decision Simmons and Stanley made quite clear that they opposed. They invited current Kiss guitarist Tommy Thayer, current drummer Eric Singer and former guitarist Bruce Kulick (who played in the band from 1984 to 1995) to join them at their table for the April 10th ceremony, and thanked them from the stage for their contributions. In that spirit, here are Kisstory-spanning conversations with each of those musicians, culled from the cover-story transcripts.

20 Best Moments at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2014 Induction 

Tommy Thayer

When Eric Carr and Vinnie Vincent wore makeup in Kiss, they had new characters. Did you have any discomfort about simply wearing Ace’s makeup?
No, first of all, I didn’t have any input on that. That was a decision that those guys made. There was not even a conversation about it, because I think it was so obvious, that they weren’t going to introduce new characters 30 years into the band. I never thought that there should be some new designs or something. I thought that would have been ridiculous. And the only thing is, you’ve got a lot of push-back from some of the diehards. And that’s understandable. Hey, you know, if you lived in the Seventies and Kiss was your favorite band, and that’s what you grew up with, and suddenly there’s another guy wearing that makeup, I can understand how some people, it might not have appealed to them as much. But as time as gone by, a lot of people have changed their mind.

You can imagine what Ace has to say.
He probably wouldn’t agree with that, would he?

He told me, “A supergroup has one of the most dynamic, greatest lead guitarists in the world leave the band, and who did they hire to play lead guitar? Their road manager, who used to be in a Kiss cover band. How insane is that? You can’t make this shit up.”
[Laughs] You know, that’s one way to… that’s one way to put it, I guess, even though that’s not really accurate. These guys like to say that, oh, he was the road manager. He never paid his dues. Well, you know, if you look back, I’ve been in music professionally for over 30 years now, and I’ve made just as many records as they have, probably. And it’s not to detract from what he’s saying as far as, he was iconic in the Seventies, you know? And he did influence a lot of guitar players, and he did record and write some great stuff. Specifically, the first three or four Kiss albums, up to Kiss Alive!

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Rolling Stone

Ultimate Classic Rock

Original Kiss drummer Peter Criss is set to make a special appearance at a tribute concert for the late Led Zeppelin time keeper, John Bonham. Bonzo Bash is being billed as an all-star tribute to Bonham, and will take place on May 31 at the Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood, New Jersey.

Also taking part in the tribute will be members of Overkill, Living Colour, Twisted Sister, and Kings X, as well as Corky Laing of Mountain. Billed as ‘The Ultimate Celebration For The Ultimate Drummer,’ ‘Bonzo Bash’ is being put together by Brian Thomas Tichy, who has played with Whitesnake, Foreigner, Billy Idol and Ozzy Osbourne to name a few.

Criss recently joined Rob Zombie on stage to perform the Kiss classic ‘God of Thunder’ at a May 10 concert in New Jersey. We recently published an in-depth look at the ups and downs of the Catman’s solo career following his initial 1980 departure from Kiss.

Huffington Post

Few bands short of the Beatles inspired more kids to play the guitar and drums than KISS. The entire notion of rock stardom owes an enormous debt to the group’s signature makeup, explosive stage shows and anthems including “Rock and Roll All Nite” and “Detroit Rock City.” “They are four of the most recognizable faces on the planet and one of the most iconic and badass bands of all time — tonight is the night that KISS enters the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,” proclaimed Tom Morello, inducting KISS to some of the loudest crowd cheers of the induction ceremony. Morello cited three important considerations for induction: “Impact, influence and awesomeness.” In their decades of rock and roll bombast, KISS checked all those boxes, and the sparks continued when the original members of the band took the stage to accept their Hall of Fame awards.

Gene Simmons:

We are humbled that the fans gave us the chance to do what we love doing. And so I’m here just to say a few kind words about the four knuckleheads who, 40 years ago, got together and decided to put together the band that you see on stage — critics be damned.

To Ace Frehley: his iconic guitar playing has been imitated, but never duplicated, by generations of guitar players around the world. To Peter Criss, whose drumming and singing … Well, there’s not a guy out there who beats the sticks who sounds just like Peter. Nobody’s got that swing and that style.

Something happened 40 years ago: I met the partner and the brother I never knew I had: Paul Stanley. You couldn’t ask for someone more awesome to be on the same team. I am humbled.

I was going to say a few kind words about Eric Carr, Rest in Peace. Mark St. John, Rest in Peace. Vinnie Vincent, the great Bruce Kulick, and of course, here we are 40 years later with the great Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer, and we continue on.

However, we wouldn’t be here today without the initial Fantastic Four. God bless you all.

Peter Criss:

I’d like to thank the Hall of Fame for this honor: I never thought this could happen in my life. Thank you. I’d like to thank everybody that had to do something with my career and the band’s career. For 50 years, I’ve been doing it; 40 years, we’ve been doing it.

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Joe Polo | Podcast Rock City

In this episode MATT PORTER (the KISS ROOM) and I discuss fond and not so fond memories of seeing KISS on TV. Plus we debate the American Idol Show.

Ken Kelley | The Loon

Ace Frehley has never been particularly shy about voicing his opinions on matters concerning his former band, Kiss. Now, he’s offered his thoughts on why Kiss chose not to perform at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony while also setting his sights on current Kiss guitarist Tommy Thayer.

“I think the reason they didn’t want to get together with the original members was because they’re afraid of history repeating itself,” Frehley says in the July 2014 issue of Guitar World. “When we did ‘Unplugged’ in 1995, you saw what happened: because the fans were so excited about me and Peter playing with those guys, they had to scrap their last record [with then-current members Bruce Kulick and Eric Singer] and do a reunion tour. Although at this point I don’t think Peter could do a two-hour show and a full tour. But I still got the chops. I definitely blow [current Kiss guitarist] Tommy Thayer off the stage.”

This isn’t the first time that the guitarist has criticized his former band but with the Hall of Fame fiasco behind him, Frehley is looking towards the future. The 63 year-old guitarist is engaged to be married and regularly works with Gibson guitars on a myriad of signature instruments. But perhaps most significantly, Frehley is now seven-and-a-half years sober, a monumental achievement for the once hard-living guitarist.

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Joe Polo

This week we discuss who we think was most important to the success of KISS.
Join Joe and Ken Mills (The Podkisst) as we discuss this subject.

Kory Grow | Rolling Stone

Kiss surprised the American Idol audience by accompanying contestant Caleb Johnson for a medley of the recent Rolling Stone cover stars and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees‘ “Love Gun” and “Shout It Out Loud” for the season’s finale. The band appeared in a mire of smoke-machine fog, as Johnson stood with his back to the audience, mic stand in the air. As the group’s pyrotechnics went off and frontman Paul Stanley took the first verse, two of the show’s judges, Harry Connick, Jr. and Keith Urban, looked mildly amused; Urban sang along while Connick rocked his body while texting someone. Regardless, the audience put their hands in the air and it came off mostly like a Kiss concert. At the end of the performance, which found Stanley bashing his guitar into the American Idol stage, Johnson’s brother Houston came onstage in Paul Stanley makeup.

Kiss’ Top 10 Albums Ranked

Whether it had to do with the performance or not, Johnson emerged as the winner of the singing competition’s 13th season, besting Jena Irene, who sang a few songs with Paramore. The show also included appearances by Demi Lovato, Aloe Blacc, Darius Rucker, Jason Mraz and John Legend. The judges, including Jennifer Lopez and Randy Jackson, also performed a medley including Cyndi Lauper’s “True Colors” and Fleetwood Mac’s “Go Your Own way.”

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Stef Lach | Classic Rock

Kiss icon Paul Stanley says he wants to record a third solo album – his first since 2006’s Live To Win.

And he says the project would be much more like his first – 1978’s Paul Stanley.

He tells Nashville Scene: “The next one I guarantee will be much more guitar-driven. Live To Win was really me wanting to push the envelope of what people wouldn’t expect from me. But my next one would hearken back way more to the first, I’m sure.”

It comes shortly after Stanley told member of San Francisco’s Jewish Community Centre that some of Kiss’ records were essentially solo albums anyway. He said: “My second solo album was really like a project for me to get away from what I do with Kiss, because some of the Kiss albums have been, basically, almost solo albums.

“Live To Win was me trying to really push the boundaries. But if I was to do another one, and I certainly plan on it, it would be a guitar through a Marshall amplifier.”

Stanley has been meeting fans on a promotional tour for his book Face The Music: A Life Exposed.

Mitch Lafon

Peter Arquette | KISSasylum.com

Mountainous

Entertainmentone

(New York, NY) – Founding KISS guitarist and 2014 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Ace Frehley has tapped long time friend and artist Ken Kelly to create the album cover for his upcoming LP SPACE INVADER, due out July 8th. The reveal comes exclusively through Rolling Stone today.  Kelly, who created the iconic cover art for two of KISS’s best selling LPS, Destroyer (1976) and Love Gun (1977), says,  “It was very exciting when I was approached with the idea of doing an album cover for Ace.”

Ken Kelly is also widely known for his paintings in the sword and sorcery and heroic fantasy sub genres, most notably for the Conan the Barbarian novels. He continues, “I had spoken to Ace on a few occasions about the possibility, so I was delighted when it actually happened.” 
Ace Frehley himself comments, ”I’ve been talking with Ken Kelly since 2007 about painting a CD Cover for me and it has finally happened! I couldn’t be more excited about the new Space Invader cover and the music behind it is also going to rock your world!”

With nearly 35 years between projects, KISS fans will surely be excited about this long-time duo working together again. Kelly concludes, “I am very pleased with the results and proud to play a part of Ace’s continuing successful career!”

ACE FREHLEY will release SPACE INVADER, his first new solo album in five years, via Entertainment One Music (eOne Music) on July 8th, 2014. The album will include at least nine brand new original songs as well as a cover of Steve Miller’s “The Joker.”  This album is the first release under Frehley’s new universal deal on eOne Music.

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Our man Dave in Las Vegas sent us this interesting taxi advertisement that has been put on many of the city cabs recently.  As a kid, who would have ever thought you would ever get to see something like this…

Podcast Rock City

Whats up KISS ARMY!! This week I did a show with the AMAZING Lace Frehley lead guitarist of the KISS TRIBUTE BAND PRISS! I loved doing this interview and she was a load of fun.If you get the chance check out the episode of Family Jewels her band was in…

PaulStanley.com

On Tuesday, May 13 at 12pm (PST) Paul Stanley will be hosting a special LIVE video event on Spreecast, where you, the KISS army, can ask him questions about his book, Face the Music! Purchase your copy today and get ready for what’s sure to be an exciting conversation. Visit here and click the “remind me” button to RSVP: http://bit.ly/1i3gVXW

Jim Powers