KISS Fan Mosaics - Printing Stage - May 30, 2012

KISS Fan Mosaics being printed and getting ready for shipment. They will begin shipping Monday, June 4.Thank you to all of the KISS fans who made this an amazing piece of KISSTORY!!

Check out this video clip of the Alive II Fan Mosaics being printed on yesterday.

By Janet Lundquist

There probably won’t be any fire-breathing or spitting of blood at the Holiday Inn on Larkin Avenue next month — then again, there could be.

The Kiss Chicago Superfan Expo will be held at the hotel, 411 S. Larkin Ave., from noon to 8 p.m. June 9, with everything a Kiss fan could want to see and hear, except for the actual band members.

The expo is organized by Joliet native Jim Frangella, a member of the band’s fan club, the Kiss Army.

“I’ve seen Kiss on almost every tour that they’ve been on through the Chicagoland area. I have met all of the (band) members, with and without makeup,” he said. “There’s no other band in the world like this because they have all the pyrotechnics, the makeup and the stage show and it’s just the most exciting band I’ve ever seen in my life.”

Frangella aims to bring that excitement to the expos he coordinates, including vendors selling Kiss memorabilia, tribute bands, raffles and contests.

The Joliet expo this year is set to include appearances by the Gene Simmons Axe Bass tour bus and its driver, Paul Heyland; Ace Frehley’s stunt double from 1978 television movie “Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park”; Joliet Kiss tribute band, “Psycho Circus”; Kissonline.com webmaster Keith Leroux; and 105.5 “The Kat” radio personality, “Freak.”

There will also be a raffle for a new Punisher 2 bass guitar signed by Gene Simmons.

Admission will cost $15 at the door, while children age 12 and younger get in free.

Tickets are available in advance. To buy tickets or for more information visit http://web.me.com/kissexpo/Site_5/Chicago_Kiss_Expo.html.

Here's a new promotional video for KISS' headlining show at the Kollen Summer Festival in Oslo, Norway on Saturday, June 30th, 2012. The clip was directed by Lasse Gretland.

Here's an excerpt from Mitch Lafon / BraveWords interview with Eric Singer discussing KISS' Monster album.

How was it working on the new KISS album, Monster?

Singer: “When we first started working, Paul wanted to get all together and flush ideas out. He wanted it to be fresh with no old riffs that somebody had worked on a previous record (that you’re just trying to re-write). Gene will write 30 or 40 ideas just to come up with four songs for the record. That’s the way he works. Gene, Tommy and I went into a demo studio a couple of times to put some ideas down and I told Gene, ‘I think you have another solo record here.’ I told him that when we have a break, we should go in and put some of these other ideas down. He’s got a couple of songs that are in the style of ‘World Without Heroes.’ They’re really good. When, Gene writes in that style it kind of reminds me of a George Harrison kind of a thing, but Paul didn’t want any slower, mellower, ballad type songs on the record. He wanted everything rock n’ roll. Understandably, he had a point of view on the style and direction of the record. So, that’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to stick to that point of view. No outside writers. No old material. All new material written by the band now. Nobody, but the band plays on the record. Nobody, but the band sings on the record. Nothing and that’s what it is.”

Click here to read the full interview, celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the release of 'Revenge.'

KISS IS EVERYWHERE!

Here's Alec Baldwin sporting a KISS T-shirt on a "Rock of Ages" movie billboard.

Take It From Me by Edward Lapple
Photo provided by Dean Snowden

Did you ever wonder what it would be like to go on the road with a big-name rock band? Lots of parties, screaming fans, babes, VIP everything? Well, not exactly. Dean Snowden has been a very good friend of mine for a long time. If that fact doesn’t entice you to read an interview with him, then perhaps the fact that he is the official photographer for KISS, plus their VIP Meet and Greet specialist, will.

He has worked with a few other groups as well: Motley Crew, Pat Benatar, Trans Siberian Orchestra and Rage Against the Machine, to name a few. I figure that there are at least 100 million people in the world who would pay to have Dean’s job, so I asked him just what it entailed.

Dean: “I take care of all the paid people who come to meet the band. My gig is to make sure that the fans have a good time and that the band has a good time. Most of the photos that I take are for KISS Online. Gene is a big proponent of the web site. It’s a great tool to get to your fans. I mean, obviously, that’s who you’re talking to. That’s who you’re preaching to. Those are your people and Gene and Paul are behind everything that goes on at the web site. There couldn’t be more hands-on people in rock that deal with their own band. These guys get in there… as everybody knows Gene does the work, Paul’s just a little more quiet about it, a little more behind the scenes. They really push that product and it’s a good product and the fans love it, it’s pretty cool.”

BFMN: How big is the operation that you take on the road?

Dean: On this last tour we had seventeen trucks. We’re moving a small city, every night. People often ask, “What is it about?” and it’s about getting up at six in the morning, and building tents, as I do, and organizing the rest of that day including going out to meet the public. You have to talk to the box office, you have to talk to the venue manager, it’s a lot of coordination to make sure the one event, for that hour, happens, without a hitch. Because the guys I work for, they don’t like hitches. And, if there are a couple of them in a row you are probably going to get replaced.

KISS IS EVERYWHERE!

Check out this big band version of "I Was Made For Lovin' You" by the Oulu All Star Big Band featuring special guest vocalist J. Ahola (Teräsbetoni, Northern Kings) from Oulu, Finland.

As Americans we need to remember that the day we see as a holiday is actually a time to pay tribute and remember all the brave members of the Armed Forces fighting on our behalf, facing the ultimate sacrifice daily.

KISS remembers and honors all our brave soldiers lost in all wars and prays for the safe return of all those fighting now.



About the photo:

For the last few years, KISSONLINE has posted this photo with the band's Memorial Day message. Last Memorial Day, we received this wonderful letter from T.L. Carter-Valrie, Sgt., USMC '98-'06, who took the photo in 2003.

A fellow former Marine emailed me this morning and told me to check out your facebook page, he said he thought you had used my photo on your page. And yes, you did. I want to say thank you for doing that. It is even more special than you can imagine. I took that photo when I was deployed to the Iraq invasion in 2003. I was a Combat Correspondent for the USMC. The Marine you see saluting the flag in that photo is actually my husband, MSgt. James Valrie. I flew into a forward operating base where his unit was in Jalibah, Iraq, and they were doing evening colors and I snapped that photo of him. James and I were married two days before our deployment to Iraq, so in a sense, our tour in Iraq was our honeymoon. James always used to say, he gave me plenty of sun and sand for a honeymoon! James retired after 21 years of service to the USMC in 2004. I lost James to cancer June 12, 2009. So you can see, there is great meaning behind this photo. Thank you so much for your continued support of the service members and veterans. Thank you so much for your honor today, it has made my Memorial Day remembrance of James even that more special. And my kids as well, the first concert I ever took my kids to was your concert at the Irvine CA amphitheater in 2000, when I first got stationed at MCAS Miramar (where James and I met).

The all-new season of A&E’s hit series “Gene Simmons Family Jewels,” premieres tonight with a special one-hour episode at 9:00 PM ET/PT. Season seven, which continues the longest running celebrity family-based series on television, begins with a shocking moment for America’s most traditional, non-traditional family. After going through their most tumultuous year of their 28-year history, Gene and Shannon finally tied the knot. However, that doesn’t mean all their troubles have magically gone away.

Here's an advertisement for KISS' appearance at the Kollen Summer Festival in Oslo, Norway.

KISS will headline the 2nd night of the Kollen Summer Festival in Oslo, Norway on Saturday, June 30th, 2012. The concert will take place at the Holmenkollen National Arena - the roof of Oslo - made world famous by its iconic ski jump that can be seen from all over the capital. This new two day festival will feature 26 artists on three stages!

”KISS Saturday on the big stage at Kollen is a dream come true. To really experience a band like KISS you need a stage that justifies the greatness of the band, and Kollen is the only festival in Norway that can provide just that. It’s flat out extremely cool to be able to give Oslo an exclusive concert with the worlds largest rock ’n’ roll circus as the grand finale on the first edition of Kollen ever.” – Pål Jakobsen, head of booking Kollen.

Visit www.kollenfest.no/ for more information on the show, or www.billettservice.no/ to purchase tickets.

by: Karen 'Gilly' Laney

When KISS shipped their 1974 debut album out to radio stations, it included a little something extra in the form of a full color poster of the band. Nearly 40 years later, that one-time freebie courtesy of Casablanca Records & Tapes has a collector’s value of at least $1500, based on the one that recently sold on eBay.

This poster goes to prove that branding has always been important to KISS. Though Gene Simmons and company have since taken that idea to extremes, KISS has always been exceptionally clever in marketing themselves. Can you imagine a disc jockey or record store owner in a remote town opening up a promo package, finding a white label promo album that included this poster with it? This poster could have very well been the first image they saw of the band, and chances are they wanted to hear what these four boys in make-up sounded like. Mission accomplished.

Due to the way it was originally shipped, the seller notes that every copy of this poster has crease marks in it — in fact, if it doesn’t, it’s likely a reproduction. This particular poster was purchased at a KISS convention in the early ‘90s and though it does have the fold lines, it’s been in a frame since that purchase date. The listing notes a few minor flaws but overall this rarity appears in very good condition. Good enough to pay $1500 for? Apparently!

KISS BLOOD ADDED TO MARVEL COMIC BOOK

On this day in KISSTORY - May 26, 1977, KISS announce their debut KISS Marvel Comic book and deposit their own blood in the comic book ink at the Marvel printing plant.

Gene recalled the event:

As the KISS comic book project moved along, someone came up with the idea of putting real blood in the ink. It wasn't me - maybe it was Bill Aucoin. We got in the DC3, one of those big prop planes, and flew up to Buffalo to Marvel's printing plant, where they pour the ink and make comic books. A notary public actually witnessed the blood being drawn.

Thanks to Bruce Kulick for sharing this photo and note a fan sent to him!

Hey Bruce,

KISS is everywhere. Last week I was on vacation in South Carolina for bike
week in Murrells Inlet. One of the nice bartenders had her back painted with
KISS Kittys. Very nice. Hope you could forward this on.

Thanks
Rick Fiaschetti

LETTERS

KISS AT ROCK HONORS

On this day in KISStory - May 25, 2006, KISS closed ROCK HONORS, which also featured Queen, Def Leppard and Judas Priest as inaugural honorees of "VH1 Rock Honors." "VH1 Rock Honors" was launched by the network to pay homage to the gods of hard rock! The event took place at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas and included live performances by each of the bands.

KISS performed "Detroit Rock City," "Deuce," "Love Gun" and an unscheduled "Makin' Love." Right before the KISS set, an ALL STAR band featuring Ace Frehley, Rob Zombie, Tommy Lee, Scott Ian, Gilby Clarke and Slash ripped through a brutal version of "God of Thunder" honoring KISS.

Here's "Love Gun" from Rock Honors.

KISS IS EVERYWHERE!

Hey guys!

I have been a huge fan of KISS since high school. I saw this wall mural in a store called "CENTRO' located in Taksim, Istanbul. I would so much appreciate if you posted it on your Facebook page, so other fans can see it as well. Hope you guys are coming to Serbia soon.

Respectfully yours,
Emina Zenovic

LETTERS