Hope you guys all enjoyed the all new That Metal Show last night. It’s been great to be able to feature such a wide variety of rock, hard rock and metal in the shows evolution. Guys like Mick Jones and Leslie West have so much history it’s hard to even scratch the surface on TV with the time we have. Was cool seeing Marty Friedman geek out over Mick Jones “Hot Blooded” solo! Huge thanks to Leslie West for the amazing guitar. Had no idea that was coming! One day I MUST learn to play! Was also cool to have Lita jam. She is a big part of our shows history as the first ever guest, and now the first ever woman to perform for us. I did talk with Leslie about the loss of his leg and I did talk with Mick about Lou Gramm and the recent performance at the songwriters HOF but it was cut for time. Some will likely end up as online extras. I’ll post links when I can or visit www.thatmetalshow.vh1.com for more. Show replays all week. Next taping is this Tuesday in NYC with Mick Mars! So cool to have the unsung hero of Motley on our show for the hour. Truly underrated player too! Mick will also be in studio with me tomorrow for a LIVE TRUNKNation 6-10P ET on SiriusXM channel 39. Don’t miss it! More soon.
Quick update on the Kiss R&R HOF drama. My sources telling me that as of now, unless Gene and Paul change their mind and decide to play with the original band, there will be no performance of any kind for the bands induction. Common thought was that perhaps an all star band would be assembled to tribute Kiss since there is no performance from them now with any version of the band. But there will be no tribute either. Likely just a video package on the screens. So where we stand now is no performance at all of any kind related to Kiss, or the original band does a song or two in or out of makeup. And we all no as of now that ain’t happening. Still time for things to change but very reliable sources telling me that’s the HOF position as of now. Also each of the four original members get 3 minutes each for their speeches during the induction and only those inducted are at the podium for those speeches.
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That sucks. Their my favorite band…I wish they would just all just come together and rock the hell out of the rrhof
Eddie….the Lou Gramm spot would be great to hear!!!….. hopefully you can post that somewhere. Big question – sort of connects to the Kiss issue….Seeing you and I are very close in geography(RI), age(49), and music interests…what is your take (take it or leave it ) on the idea of classic rock bands with new members who HAVE OUTPERFORMED THE ORIGINAL due to more time in the band..ex Kelly Hanson is closing in ,,,and Chicago..Peter Cetera’s replacement Jason Scheff has been with them for 29 years compared to Cetera’s 15…same goes for Kiss too as well as REO and Styx… So take it or leave it?? Keep in my mind you still see UFO w/ out Schenker and Way…..
Time served doesn’t change that the original guys were the ones that created it and will always be most sacred. They are the ones on the classic albums that live forever. But there are replacement members that are better because they are younger than what the original people can do now no doubt. Again for the record I have no issue at all with replacement members in bands as long as they are not impersonating the people they replaced. In Kiss Tommy & Eric are great at what they do and never had an issue with them personally at all. It is not their fault they are under instruction to impersonate the people they are replacing. Would have been fun to see them develop their own personas though.
Having Tommy and Eric use the spaceman and cat makeup is part of branding – it makes it simple for KISS to market the band without having to worry about who’s character is in/out of the band. KISS are a rock BRAND not a band. Everything they do nowadays is in the interest of serving their brand so they can keep it going long after they’ve retired. Paul and Gene’s families are set for life with the KISS brand going into the future.
Do you honestly think at this point if Tommy and Eric were their own personas less people would come? Everyone by now pretty much knows it’s not Ace and Peter who follow these things.
No, it wouldn’t affect ticket sales at all. People go to see KISS for the spectacle regardless of who’s there. However, I think from a marketing point of view it makes it much easier to sell their brand when you have consistent personas, especially going into the future when both Gene and Paul won’t be there. KISS are in their twilight years. Gene Simmons will be 65 this year! They will no doubt be wrapping things up within the next few years and the marketing machine is already in place to keep the consistency going.
I kind of respectfully disagree with both of you. I’ve been a Kiss fan since Alive II was released, and lived through all the iterations. I did NOT like the “Fox” or the “Ankh”. I thought it was stupid and an off attempt to re-create the magic of the “four”. I never got to see the original lineup in the day, but I’ve seen every lineup since Lick It Up, and while I know it isn’t Ace and Peter, I do know that Peter COULDN’T CUT IT on his last leg with the band. Maybe one or two songs in a one-off, but for a two-hour, high energy rock show, he was noticeably deficient. Everyone has their thing, but I don’t go to a Kiss show for deep introspection; I go for the spectacle, and to forget – for two hours – my job as an attorney, my troubles with my divorce, etc. etc. (real life). And in that regard, Tommy and Eric deliver the goods. I don’t ever feel they are “impersonating” anyone, or at least no more than any other band member playing music originally recorded by someone else. Kiss is just unique in that they have SUCH a definitive stage presence and iconography. I will also be taking my daughter to see the band on the 40th tour, so she can at least get a glimpse of what it is like to see the mighty Kiss in full flight. I know it won’t be 1977 all over again, but it’s still better than a lot of artists out there that can’t deliver live.
As for HOF, I think this is for the best. Obviously, there are still WOUNDS that have yet to heal for Gene and Paul. I really don’t blame them. It’s hard to know ACE and PETER’s conditions if performing was even possible. ACE might be ready, but Peter? As a longtime, diehard KISS fan, the past will always be the past. I don’t think the original member will ever perform together again. If anything, this just might bring that long needed closer.
Peter and Ace just played two songs together at my radio shows party. Plenty of video on Youtube. Of course they could do a couple songs, but would need to be rehearsed, not last minute
When it comes to Kiss these days it is all about control of the brand. Gene and Paul control the brand now. Eric and Tommy are just hired hands. By letting Ace and Peter back in, even for a HOF performance, relinquishes some of that control in the minds of Paul and Gene. Face it. Some day in the near future Kiss will be four hired hands and no original members touring.
100% true. It opens a can of worms they don’t want to deal with as I wrote in a previous earlier Trunk Report
I don’t understand why people have to be trolls!! Mountain was great and litas second lp dancing on the edge is incredible!! No knowledge or respect at all!! Keep doing what you are doing eddie, rock on!!