Three Sides Of The Coin, a KISS talk show, co-hosted by Michael Brandvold (of Michael Brandvold Marketing), Mitch Lafon (rock journalist) and Tommy Sommers recently celebrated their 50th episode with special guest, Eddie Trunk. For over two and a half hours, the four delved into Trunk’s start in the music business at Megaforce Records, the Rock N’ Roll Hall Of Fame, his love and support of influential guitar hero Ace Frehley, his thoughts about the current KISS line-up, his sometimes shaky relationship with KISS frontman Paul Stanley and much more.
“There will be, very soon, a version of KISS with no original members,” muses Trunk about the band’s near future. “Nobody went to a KISS show in the ‘70s and said ‘I hope I catch a guitar pick from Spaceman tonight’. It was ‘I can’t wait for Ace’s guitar to smoke,’ stated Trunk about the band’s current branding. ‘It didn’t say bass by the Demon on KISS – Alive! It said Gene Simmons. They were the people,” added Trunk emphatically. When speaking of his personal relationship with affable KISS icon, Paul Stanley, Trunk declared, “Paul has always been hot and cold with me.” As for Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer, Trunks says, “they are great musicians. I have no problem with Tommy and Eric. I don’t begrudge them at all for doing this.” Voicing his opinion on the different line-up changes, Trunk throws out, “I’ll never forget hearing Animalize for the first time, I was like ‘Oh, my God – KISS has a shredder in the band (Mark St. John)’ and it was exciting because it was different. That, to me, made line-up changes exciting,” and adds, “one of the beautiful things about being a KISS fan, I think, is that throughout their whole history every record was a different turn. Unmasked was a power-pop record, The Elder was a concept record, Creatures (Of The Night) was an all out metal record; whether or not you like these records is irrelevant. They took these different turns. You had all these different variations.” As for KISS’ being included on the Rock N’ Roll Hall Of Fame’s ballot this year, Trunk says clearly that, “as KISS fans we have fought the perception for years that KISS is nothing, but a manufactured joke that can’t play their instruments or write songs. What’s offensive to me is that we’re here over ten years after they first became eligible and still trying to figure out if they should get in. They should have gone in the first time they were eligible.”
Watch the full interview below.
59 Responses
Hello Eddie,
I listened to your interview on the 3 sides of the coin podcast and I could tell the general passion you have for KISS, and it was refreshing to hear your brutal honesty on your thoughts/feelings about the band; past, present and future. I have been a fan of the band since 78 and I share much of the same thoughts/feelings about the band. I had a chance to see KISS this past summer at Turning Stone Casino, but declined because the shows are not what they used to be.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving and looking forward to the new episodes of That Metal Show!
Ed, you are exactly right about Paul being the boss in Kiss. Gene is just the enforcer. It’s a 60/40 split with Paul making the most money in Kiss. Gene doesn’t mind this because he makes far more money than Paul in his outside projects. Also this is the only way to keep Kiss going.
Hey Eddie. Great interview. You should do another one some day with “Three Sides”. Those guys shoot straight, just like you. A great team up with great results. I do have a question regarding your perspective on the people who exist in this industry. Is there a code of conduct that people from managers, band members, and producers adhere to when interacting? I ask this because I have to assume you have seen some pretty colorful characters in your experience and wonder if people like Paul and Gene fit the mode in their delivery and how they go about getting things done (from record deals to marketing themselves) than others do? Or, to be more direct, are there allot of people who just try to use people like you to get what they want and then drop you when they’ve achieved all they can? I feel this fits the description of what Paul and Gene have done to you. And you appear to be just another in a long line of people used to advance their agenda when it served their interests. And they don’t strike me as people I would seek out for friendship. So I’m wondering why you would even care about them (as people, not a fan) after the way they have treated you and your experience in this business to know that approach.
Hey Ed great show, very informative. I enjoyed it thoroughly, and it spoke to what I think about the KISS situation they are kind of cheapening the memory of the everything. And Paul is doing exactly what he said he wouldn’t the whole band is. But I can see Eric and TOmy’s end of it .. Do you want the seat at the big show? But at what price?
Hello from Madrid, Spain
Man, i have watched all 50 THREE SIDES OF THE COIN chapters and yours was the best. More than 2 hours and I wanted more!!
I agreed with you 99% and enjoyed your honest, intelligent, no bullshit answers. I hope to see you again at the show any time.
Esteban. A KISS die hard fan for 30 years.