Robin Leach of the Las Vegas Sun spoke with KISS frontman Paul Stanley. Excerpts from the interview appear below.
Las Vegas Sun:….it’s the first time you’re playing a residency at the Hard Rock, but why is it the icing on the cake?
Stanley: Well because it’s new territory for us, and what KISS has always been about is going against the grain and really doing things in our time and when it feels right for us. There was a time where quite honestly everyone thought of Las Vegas as an elephant burial ground.
It was the more glittery branch in Missouri for some people, but it’s so unique. There was also a time where the best food you could get was a $1.99 prime rib. Now if I want a great meal, I go to Las Vegas. You can’t get a comparable meal in Los Angeles to what you can get in Las Vegas.
Everything has changed so much, and it’s always seemed like a perfect fit for us to be in Las Vegas, but for a lot of reasons, it just wasn’t meant to be. Now the planets have lined up, and everything is as it should be, and we will come in and do what we do.
We are doing a KISS show in Las Vegas, we are not doing a Las Vegas show with KISS. We are a rock and roll band, and we will do what we do — better than any band at this point.
Las Vegas Sun: Are you changing the tour show?
Stanley: Completely different stage. At this point, our influence is so widespread that virtually any rock band you go see live is doing the KISS show. The only thing they can never be is KISS. Anybody with money can buy pyro, can buy lasers, but you can never be us. So for us to come into Las Vegas, we’ll set a different level honestly.
It’s an amazing thing for us to be able to go into a smaller venue and not downsize. Usually going into a smaller venue means doing a smaller show, but because this show isn’t portable and because this show is a permanent installation, we can do things that we couldn’t when you have to break the show down every night.
Las Vegas Sun: In terms of rock and roll, Motley Crue is calling it quits on its current world tour. Are you saying KISS will not call it quits and go on maybe with other musicians?
Stanley: Oh, totally; absolutely. We are unlike any other band. We are closer to an army. We are closer to a sports team. I’m not foolish enough to think that I’m the only person to do what I do. The Yankees continued without Babe Ruth. Time marches on, and if you’re part of a movement or part of a commitment to a cause, then when you’re time is done … look, if you fall in battle, someone picks up your gun and runs.
Somebody has to carry the flag, and that’s what KISS is about. KISS is about a lifestyle and self-empowerment and going against the odds and believing in yourself. I guess enjoying the fruits of hard work. That’s not singular to me. People who said that was not possible in terms of KISS are already 50 percent wrong. The lineup is now 40 years on, and two of the members are not the original members, but they are far better at this point than the original members.
Read more at the Las Vegas Sun.
source: lvsun.com
198 Responses
People!! I said people!!! I just know!! I just know ohh ohhh!! You people have been a dynamite audience and you deserve to give yourself a round of applause let’s go!! Awww hey, before we go into rock n roll all nite and party everyday you people deserve to know that Ace is drunk, didn’t play on half our albums and took a shit one time while I was in the shower and let me tell ya, I said let me tell ya it was nasty! Peter Criss is stupid, dumb and is a drug addict. Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer are God’s greatest gift of employees and I am in control, people!
what album was this stage rap from ? r.p.s., you’re awesome! people!,never admit you’re wrong about anything.
I’m taking my name back, the extra typing is giving me Holland tunnel syn-drum.,
elliot
Mean drama queen Paul
Hilarious
Funny reading Paul say that nobody can be like us (meaning Kiss), but he has two people playing out their fantasy as Peter and Ace and eventually will have two more people going to be playing Gene and Paul. So once again Paul bullshits yet again & proves why he is rocks biggest hypocrite once again.
I must not be a true kiss fan either just couldn’t really catch on to them, I like heavy stuff like Exodus, Slayer, Overkill, Slipknot, Napalm Death, and Metallica. Supposedly every band wants to be like kiss yeah bs. If you don’t like Kiss that must make you an asshole and what fans of the kiss army will attack you. Paul must be out of touch but when your rich as he is what else would be expected.
Hate to break to ya theirs a lot of other bands than Kiss for some of you kiss is the only band out there.
Hey Ace, Tarrytown have an pull of your income? Kiss ’14 is as Paul Stanley says: the strongest line-up he’s been in. “Theirs a lot of bands…”. Welcome to another grammar Nickwit.
Strongest lineup?
Why don’t they schedule the same tour dates that they did for the Reunion Tour and use this lineup if its so strong? I mean I’m sure everyone would come out in droves. They wouldn’t even need a co-headliner.
Paul’s voice is shot. I listened to Paul singing Lick It Up and IWMFLY from their recent Mexico appearance. That was just awful. He sounded like a rooster. He should change his makeup/costume to a rooster. He could name it Pauladoodledo. Of course Ace would have to design his makeup like he did the for the Star Child.
What a joke they have become.
You are correct ,all about money.Read his book.
Absolutely. But unfortunately some here still think he is sounding all right. OK, then they might spend their hard earned money on someone who does not play by his own rules (only people in the band you are willing and able to give 100%, remember that?!) They may take the same drug of delusion as he does. What we have left is cherishing the memories of a once fantastic and unique band.
Strongest and most popular are two different things. This lineup is much stronger than the Reunion lineup.
Let’s see Tommy and Eric with their own original characters and the band primarily playing the music the four of them created together. Then we’ll see who the strongest lineup is.