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
In the never ending soap opera that is the battle of the original four Kiss members, there are always times when I can agree with different points of both sides (sides meaning Ace & Peter vs. Paul & Gene). However, the contradictions involved in some of the members statements are astounding – especially from the Paul & Gene camp. It’s ridiculous to argue that at the end of the day, the music is the most important thing, and the theatrics and makeup are icing on the cake, then say all members can be replaced and the band continues. When Paul says that Kiss can continue with interchangeable parts filling in, basically says, anyone can hide under the makeup, blow up a lot of stuff and play an E chord. This ideology basically supports Kiss’s critics of the past who said they were just a show. Still, of the original four members, neither were really wrong, just different ideas of what the band should be – Gene and Paul wanted a brand, Ace and Peter wanted a band. After the Reunion Tour, history did repeat itself, but not just on one side. Ace and Peter’s destructive behaviour returned but so did Paul and Gene’s insistence to have control, dominate, and deviate from making music to simply making money. Both camps need to quit the cheap shots and just agree that Peter and Ace prefer to be musicians that had a good time, and Paul and Gene preferred to be moguls that turned a profit. Kiss is a brand whose objective is to make money through over saturation and volume. Ask Paul and Gene whose burgers are better – Rock and Brew’s or McDonald’s. They’ll tell you theirs, and rightfully so. Ask them who makes more money on an annual basis – Rock and Brews or McDonalds, the correct answer is McDonalds. Sales and financial success have never directly equated to product quality.
“critics of the past who said they were just a show” – exactly, I was trying to convince my friends that they were more than just the show, and now the same band, of all times, at the end of their career gives ample proof that in fact they are and were rather a show and a cloud of hot steam than a serious music act.
You mean a paradox right? This is pretty deep analysis ‘slinger. You say it’s not the makeup or the characters or the show itself, but that it’s because the musicians who portray the characters are interchangeable. This is what contradicts the music being more important than the show. If the music was really more important, the musicians would be more important than the characters. I will counterargue: the music is still more important because the guys they have now portraying those characters are better players. I don’t agree with my counterargument, but it shows that your argument is refutable. So, it’s not really a paradox. However, your setting out what a paradox is, is correct, whether or not that was your intention.
I’m starting to think Shannon and Guitarslinger are the same person.
No, it’s not. But I do play guitar too. In fact, DR if you click on my name in red there, it links to my music page. So, have at it folks, I can take it.
That is a severe insult, man!
Shannon, did I say paradox in this post? Sorry, but you did not undertand my thought at all. How can I explain to you who seem to be so focused on explaining to yourself? There is nothing meant as self-contradictory, it is just strange and unexpected that Kiss ends its career to themselves give proof that the show is all they have to offer because the musicanship of the two remaining founders has been on the decline for years. This must be grist to the milll for those who alays claimed they were only a show but not a serious musical enterprise. Tsts, must I explain everything to you? You are way to keen to show yourself as brilliant again and being able to think around corners when in fact your talk, especially in this post, is just slipslop. Or is meant to be ironic? Oh …. Then maybe we should form a band called the Antiparadoxical Paradox if you write the lyrics about the benefits of talking trash?
Are you sure you’re not the same person?
As sure as i know I am not like you dear doctor. And gladly so.
guiarslinger, I was just following the adjudication from Chandler, and your response. This point you make here uses different inductive evidence than what was first introduced by Chandler as the determinative factor in Kiss’s “show being more important than the music.” If you read his post again that should be easy to understand. . Great post, as always ‘slinger, love the personal remarks as well. It just bolsters how you have your own, unique way of looking at things.
……that wasn’t meant in any way to be mean, I was just messing with you a little bit. I know, what a complete jerk, huh? calling me on my stuff, nitpicking my posts, ‘slinger, I apologize, man…but your posts are really funny to me, and they do have some good points in there sometimes…that’s all I’m sayiin’.
I am 15 years old. I was convinced or better yet told that Tommy and Eric were the original guys in KISS when they wore makeup. So all along buying into this I thought Tommy was really Ace and Eric was really Peter. Now the last few weeks it has become a full blown lie. Tommy is not Ace and Eric is not Peter. Nor is KISS the real KISS. So it has just become a major let down for me. I was almost going to buy the new Love Gun album but come on, I can’t do that knowing there are two guys in this band that never played on that. I know im a young person but KISS is basically trying to pretend that they are the band back in those days today to us younger generation. It is a lie. i’m a singer in a chorus band and Mr. Stanley’s vocal chords are really bad. I’m not being rude but that is not entertaining at all. All this band is doing is trying to re write and re capture the history that it once had. I’m kinda bummed out.
hang in there kid, Christmas is coming
Get Love Gun, Anthony. Get it all from the first album up to Alive 2. That’s all you’d ever need, trust me…
“Let’s here Tommy’s solo CD, oh bet he won’t be a loud to do one”. Christ, with spelling like that I can see what Paul has to answer to. Ace and Peter imploded years ago. Ace is so broke he couldn’t pay his house or town tax bill a few years ago. You read what Paul says: Thayer and Singer are far better than Ace & Peter.
Yes I read what Mr. Stanley says but history tells me a whole other story. And I am totally not happy being lied to by Mr. Stanley and Mr. Simmons. This current KISS band isn’t the KISS band that I have been seeing in old concert videos. Sorry but not even in the same ballpark. KISS is imploding now. And i’m 15 years old and I know what is truth.
I tell ya what . Let paul run his mouth with all this nonsense. Let the other imposters join these imposters or any others for that paul. Remember paul won’t have the final say . It will be the ppl who says this will work or it won’t. Im guessing it wont have a chance..kiss lost a huge part of its base when ace n peter left there’s no denying that . Those ate facts huge base. What u think they stand to lose and gain. When paul n gene leave . And new ones come in. This will be where eric and tommy the imposters will be with the other imposters playing where they should be playing and thats little ole clubs.. where those idiots belong
Joseph I’m not buying their stuff anymore. It is just lies. Mr. Stanley has just been lying. I would love to have someone tell me, a 15 year old kid why I should buy KISS anymore? Tommy is Space Ace and Eric is the Catman when all along they weren’t even the real guys? And I look at old videos and watch these two guys imitate the other two guys down to a science? That is just phony stuff. They just want my money. And they won’t see my money anymore
WOW… it’s really pathetic when a 15yr old kid figured this out. Ace & Peter are still just as important to KISS today as they were then. Probably why Paul & Gene still continue their relentless criticisms of Ace & Peter. Paul & Gene just can’t achieve their goal of permanently deleting Ace & Peter & their history from the band. They are still trying to sell this version of KISS as the real “KISS” from the past. Hey Anthony don’t feel bad pal…..my 13 year old saw the reality when I showed who was who & what was what, he goes to youtube to get “KISS”….
Wow. Plenty of comments, with most of them trying to say the same thing: Paul should stick a sock in his mouth and stick a fork in the band. Its beyond done. It’s starting to stink like week old fish.
Meanwhile, Alive 1 will be the memory I will keep.
RIP
And that is a great memory
These memories stick because of a special “glue” that was created when a teenager discovers a band, is surprised, comes to like it, love it and finally defend it as part of his childhood or adolescence. This “glue” cannot be destroyed by whatever sh** Gene or Paul might serve the fans as real Kisstory to serve whatever needs they might have today.