Rock and roll, credit cards and pinball machines - Gene Simmons gives Rachael Clegg a glimpse behind the scenes of the Kiss Empire.

"LOOK at this," says Gene Simmons, frontman in rock and roll's most eccentric, outrageous rock band, Kiss.

He takes a card from his black leather wallet and puts it on the table.

Gene's plastic doesn't bear the name of his bank. It's a Kiss credit card, embossed with the famous logo that represents America's fire-breathing, face-paint-wearing rockers.

The credit card is just one fragment of the Kiss Empire, a riff-driven industry powered by Simmons' ever-savvy brain.

There are Kiss dolls, Kiss pinball machines, Kiss masks, Kiss condoms and even Kiss caskets. And, the band have just announced, live recordings on USB sticks of the band's concerts throughout their UK tour.

1. What's the latest news on the Hottest Band In The World?

TOMMY THAYER: We're leaving for Europe next week. We've been rehearsing for several weeks now and we're very, very excited about the new 2010 Sonic Boom tour.

2. On SONIC BOOM? How did you generally approach writing your solos?

TT: Some solos I worked out on my own, on others Paul helped me with direction. I usually had an idea where I was going to go with each solo before we recorded them.

3. How would you compare writing with Gene to writing with Paul?

TT: There are no rules to writing songs, particularly where you start from. Paul and Gene have different styles and approach to writing songs. Gene usually has a backlog of song ideas that he pulls from. Paul usually has newer ideas. I think they are both best when they're spontaneous.

4. How did it feel to do the lead vocal on "When Lightning Strikes?" & was this written specifically with your voice in mind?

TT: Yes it was. I wrote the song with some help from Paul. We wanted a straight ahead rocker and I think it came out great.

iW Collector Interview Eric Singer
by Michael Thompson

As KISS drummer since 2004, when for the third time he replaced Peter Criss, Eric Singer's long career as a rock and roll drummer began when he toured with Lita Ford in 1984. Since then the Cleveland, Ohio, native has played and recorded with Black Sabbath, Brian May, Badlands, The Cult and Alice Cooper, among many others. In 2009, Singer, along with lead guitarist Tommy Thayer, played and sang on "Sonic Boom," the first KISS studio album to feature the new line-up.

When not on the road (KISS is currently touring Europe), Singer resides in California, where he keeps a collection of more than 100 timepieces.

International Watch: Do you recall your first watch?

Eric Singer: Yes, it was a German brand on a Speidel Twist-O-Flex band. My father was the band leader on the S.S. United States & S.S. America Ocean Liners in the 50's-60's out of New York, crossing the Atlantic roundtrip forty-eight times. He would bring toys and such back for my sister and brothers and that is when I got my first watch-when I was five or six years old. I still have the watch today although it does not run.

CONTEST ENDS FRIDAY NIGHT

Crossrunner and KISSOnline bring you the KISS SCOOTER WRITEAWAY. We're giving KISS fans the opportunity to show-off their creative writing skills to WIN AN OFFICIAL KISS CROSSRUNNER SCOOTER!

Write a story, any story you can imagine in 100 words or less, and use all six of these words: KISS, scooter, face, paint, rock, and guitar. Then, submit a photo that helps visualize your story. Be creative! Write a story, any story you can imagine in 100 words or less, and use all six of these words: KISS, scooter, face, paint, rock, and guitar. Then, submit a photo that helps visualize your story. Be creative!

CLICK HERE TO ENTER THE KISS CROSSRUNNER SCOOTER GIVEAWAY NOW

KISS IS EVERYWHERE!

Here's Paul Stanley on the latest cover of the Spanish Metal Hammer magazine. The issue features a four page interview with the Starchild!

Thanks to Javier Rueda for sending KISSonline the image.

Pictured are the merchandise items being sold at concerts on the KISS Sonic Boom Over Europe Tour.

KISSonline will be selling several of these items beginning this weekend.

By Arwa Haider

The legendary rockers talk about their latest kick-ass European tour and fulfilling their moral duty in giving the Kiss faithful exactly what they want.

'You wanna bite?' Kiss's legendary bassist Gene Simmons, leathery-faced without his iconic make-up, strides into a London hotel room with a takeaway baguette. When I decline, Simmons doesn't skip a beat: 'OK, how about the sandwich?'

It's like being chatted up by Krusty The Clown. But 37 years after they originally formed in New York, Kiss haven't lost their touch - and they've returned for their Sonic Boom Over Europe arena tour, named after their undeniably kick-ass 19th LP. Simmons veers intriguingly between outrageous flirt, entrepreneur and Rock School lecturer.

'You have a moral duty as a rock star,' he insists. 'All these audiences work at jobs they dislike and spend their pay cheques on something they love: they wanna see Kiss. How f***ing dare any of us ruin that trust? So we introduce ourselves with: "You wanted the best, you got the best." There's a sense of pride.'

Hi KISS ARMY!

Here is my amazing Sonic Boom posters, flyers and playbills collection from the forthcoming European tour 2010.

If somebody can help me to find both Swtzerland concert posters and the one from Budapest, can contact me at vampirebite@libero.it.

Thanks,
Roberto Ariberti

LETTERS

As heavy-rock veterans Kiss launch their latest assault on Britain's arenas, they explain why they're one of the world's biggest brands.

By Andrew Perry

On Saturday, heavy rock's most dazzlingly pyrotechnic roadshow thunders in for its umpteenth sold-out blitz on Britain's arenas. Love them or loathe them, Kiss are icons of post-war American culture. The band's no-holds-barred live show is a worldwide institution, featuring fireworks, smoke, ridiculous costumes and make-up, eruptions of fake blood, winches, elevating platforms, sufficient illumination to cause a power cut for miles around, and, of course, two hours' worth of over-amplified, bone-crunching riffage.

"Everyone loves Kiss," Gene Simmons, their lascivious, tongue-waggling bass-player, tells me. "Wherever we go, people stop in their tracks when they see us in make-up."

With just five days to go before we experience the Sonic Boom Over Europe tour in all of it's pyro-fuelled glory we've got the second part of our exclusive chat with genial Gene Simmons.

Still going strong after all these years and boasting thigh muscles men half his age would kill for, The Demon talks Donald Trump, William Shakespeare and Family Jewels - and that's just for starters.

We can't wait to see the man himself on action in Newcastle on Sunday and we'll have a review of that show right here within hours of the final curtain falling.

For now sit back and enjoy a few more words of wisdom from an individual who has truly brightened up these pages during the past fortnight.

rushonrock: Do you ever relax?

GS: If I'm loping about then I'm not as good in Kiss. I'm like an athlete who, when he's not competing, is working out all the time. If you don't work out you lose your edge when it comes to competition and for me it's the activity that gets the heart pumping. I am a 60-year-old with the thigh muscles of a man half my age. Use it or lose it - that's my philosophy. Your lungs, your brain, whatever.

CATCHING UP WITH KISS: PAUL & TOMMY PREVIEW UK SHOWS

The clock is fast counting down to the return of the mighty KISS to our shores, and we took the opportunity recently to sit down discuss the tour with the guitar-playing half of the greatest band in the world - that is to say, Paul Stanley and Tommy Thayer.

You can see what the guys had to say by scrolling down to the player below. The tour - featuring support from fast-rising labelmates Taking Dawn - runs as follows:

Sat 1st May - SHEFFIELD Arena
Sun 2nd May - NEWCASTLE Metro Radio Arena
Tue 4th May - LIVERPOOL Arena
Wed 5th May - BIRMINGHAM LG Arena
Fri 7th May - DUBLIN O2 Arena
Sun 9th May - GLASGOW SECC
Mon 10th May - MANCHESTER MEN Arena
Wed 12th May - LONDON Wembley Arena
Thu 13th May - LONDON Wembley Arena

Check out these four great KISS Paintings by KISS Army member Jamie Sapp!

KISS IS EVERYWHERE!

Check out these great KISS themed ads for KISS FM Radio in Brazil.

Only a few days until KISS rocks England with the kickoff of the Sonic Boom Over Europe Tour! To get you pumped up, here's another great clip of KISS in Milan from 2008!

KISS IS EVERYWHERE!

Check out this KISS themed clip from the One Tree Hill TV show that airs on CW Television.