Kiss

senordingdong

I'm a huge KISS fan.

They've been around a long time, but they don't seem particularly popular here.
Although,they're currently on their European tour which has seen them play stadiums in Riga and Sofia, and a small , 'Point-sized' venue in Copenhagen...but nothing in Dublin.
Everybody I have introduced them to have loved them and have quickly bought albums so there's no questioning their quality.
And their shows are amazing, I'm not sure what others peoples opinions of them are....so what do you guys think?

Mr. Presentable

I like Kiss, but they're a relic from a bygone age, and strangely, considering how huge they were in the US, never translated to the UK/Irish market.

senordingdong

I wouldn't say they're a relic.

Everything kick started again about ten years ago with what was labelled the 'reunion tour', even though they never broke up or actually stopped working.

They're plenty big in the UK and are even headlining Download festival this year...(not really sure if that's a mark of achievment) and like I was pointing out in the other thread...the cheesy love making rock n toll thing seems to have translated to the former easter block, so why the hell not here!?!?1

Oral Slang

I like them, but never got round to buying many of their albums..

Saw them in 1996 and they were great live & am gonna see them again this year at Graspop, which I'm really looking forward to!

senordingdong

Where did you see them in 1996?

big b

I first saw KISS in 1975:eek: (think it was '75 anyway, I'm very old & senile)
Still have a black boilersuit thingy with the KISS logo on the back that one of the roadies gave me.

I think KISS were much better than they got credit for on this side of the pond. Their lack of street cred was partly because of the perception that with all that make-up etc they weren't really a serious band, and more so when it was revealed that they weren't actually playing their instruments live.
But they still wrote some damn good rock songs over the years & they sure knew how to put on a show.

NIBBS

Kiss were the first band I got into, when I was 9 - so that's 29 years I've been into them, going to get to see them for the first time next week at ArrowRock in Holland and really getting pretty excited now, it should be great......

There's definitely big differences into the tastes of rock fans South and North of the border here, Kiss have played Belfast (haven't they ? around '88 if memory serves me correctly) and they were to play in Dublin but it was cancelled due to poor ticket sales. But I've seen a lot of differences between what people flock to in the North and wouldn't get out of bed for down here, for example I've seen Tyketto and Jeff Scott Soto in Belfast to a pretty full crowd and they just wouldn't put on a show down here, Dublin seems to get better crowds for heavier more aggressive bands, so I can't tell you why they never did well over here I just don't think there's a Hard Rock/Pop/Glam Metal crowd in the South.

yknaa

Kiss were scheduled to play the Point about c.10 years ago. Lack of ticket sales forced 'em to cancel. Shame

Mr. CooL ICE

Massive fan. The guys are legends. They managed to create a massive market out of their image, and happened to write a lot of catchy tunes in the process. I hate bands that sell out as much as the next guy, but Kiss deserve to be applauded for doing it in such a spectacular fashion.

Some youtube videos are called for methinks

Some live stuff:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkPOIehFS8k

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zp2ebg4XOXY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PYDbaaskek

Some videos. Most of these are sheer ridiculousness:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oESjf7xywwY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UhdDp9pPzE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYjD8jYfWBI

P.S. Paul Stanley has the most impressive chest in rock. FACT

GhostInTheRuins

I don't really know much kiss stuff, I've only got one of their albums, but they do have a few decent songs.

A few years ago I say a video with Ace Frehley in it and he was an absolute mess, it was kind of sad really.

senordingdong

big b wrote: »

so when it was revealed that they weren't actually playing their instruments live.

First I've heard about that.

But Kiss are a spectacular band, on stage and off stage.
They're just good fun above all else, they don't have to swear or stand for anything, they just play some fun clean cut rock and roll.

DenMan

Saw Gene Simmons in Ugly Betty recently. Amanda's father. Cool

senordingdong

I'm not that big a fan of Gene Simmons, he's abit tiresome for me.

Paul Stanley is where it is at.
He has all the moves.

Rockee

I like some of their stuff like Detroit Rock City, Shout It Out Loud, God Of Thunder and yes even 'Sure Know Somethin' but I cant stomach Gene Simmons. Arrogant son of a b1tch if ever there was one. I dont care how much money he has!

http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/kiss_we_have_more_money_than_some_small_countries.html

Oral Slang

senordingdong wrote: »

Where did you see them in 1996?

Donington - they were joint headliners with Ozzy.. Great gig - it was in the days before most people flew to gigs.. We got the ferry & then a coach for hours & hours to Donington. Such a laugh! Toilet on coach was always un-usable before we even got to Dun Laoghaire...

Rustar

Just simple, good fun entertainment.

Don't be so disparaging of Gene - he and Paul are a "couple of nice Jewish boys" (as Totie Fields said) that turned an idea and a modicum of talent into a multi-million dollar empire. Genius, if you ask me.

Although they regularly lip- and finger-synched when doing television and studio productions, I've never heard that they didn't play live. On the DVDs I have, they certainly look like they're playing. I think that's just a case of an extremely practiced band doing simple things, and they make it look so simple that it barely looks like they're touching their instruments.

senordingdong

Rockee wrote: »

but I cant stomach Gene Simmons. Arrogant son of a b1tch if ever there was one. I dont care how much money he has!

http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/kiss_we_have_more_money_than_some_small_countries.html

Yeah I totally know what you mean, but I think the remark about his wealth is abit tongue in cheek.

redmosquito

Not a big fan of any sort, but I do love Black Diamond!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_rpoOcgcz8

adox

The first band I was really a big fan of growing up and I still have a soft spot for them.


Simmons is a really iconic figure from the 70s and I wont have a bad word said about him.

Most of the stuff he comes out with is tongue in cheek.

The Kiss Army in the 70s was absolutely huge.Its hard to over estimate how big they were back then.


The first band to create more revenue from their merchandise than their music.:D

kwestfan08

Not the biggest fan of KISS, don't have any of their albums or anything but "Detriot Rock City" is a deadly tune.

Also heard that Gene Simmons is one of the top 5 firebreathers in the world!!!. Read it in Q I think.

NIBBS

will be seeing them this Sunday - really can't wait......should be great.....

for anyone heading to Download they are trying to break the Facepainting world record there, free facepainting of the Kiss makeup, they'll have 4 different areas for each band member type and are trying to paint 400 faces in 3 hours, then they'll be doing crowd photos etc........sounds like fun.....

senordingdong

redmosquito wrote: »

Not a big fan of any sort, but I do love Black Diamond!

Kwestfan80 wrote:

Not the biggest fan of KISS, don't have any of their albums or anything but "Detriot Rock City" is a deadly tune.

Both of you should check out the symphony versions of these tracks. Great stuff.
That said, anyone interested in seeing a great show should check out the dvd of the same name.

When I went to the gig, alot of people painted their faces but lets just say the quality of the paint they used was not as good as the quality of the paint that kiss used...by the end of the show they looked like rejects from cradle of filth.

Definatly a band whos greatest hits should be owned by everyone.

OLP

Love KISS meself, I do know alot of people think of them as a gimmick, but they're actually an amazing band, Destroyer would be one of my favourite albums and I hope to get to see them in the next few years. I understand why people hate Gene Simmons and **** but hey he makes good music, him being an arragant cnut doesn't effect me.

senordingdong

They do have a great back catalogue but one can't deny that they have equal amounts of ****e under their belt.

Some great numbers and even better live shows make them one of my favourites.
I think that even though they haven't had a 'new' album in ten years, they are still a band to be reckoned with...their reputation really does surpass them.

I mean, sometimes you can tell when a particular band comes to town, but you will always know when KISS come to town!

Catari Jaguar

KISS rule!

NIBBS

well I don't know what I can say, saw them for the first time in Nijmegen in Holland at ArrowRockFestival, and they just totally blew us all away, fantastic show, an art dead with most bands - how to put on a show and entertain the crowd, 2 hours of pyros and rock, lifelong dream came through when the curtain dropped and there they were........when I've come down from the clouds a bit I'll come back and post something, just to mention my mates with me weren't Kiss fans before the gig - they are now......

senordingdong

Yeah man.
Their shows really are un-riveled. Paul Stanleys stage presence is quite amazing.
I think it's cool that their shows don't take away from their music either.
I always had some interest in cheesy rock and roll bands with big hair, (europe etc...) and while KISS are one of these bands, their music feels like it has something more to it that sets them aside from the other bands like them.

Some of my friends who weren't fans quickly became fans after seeing my KISS symphony dvd...amazing stuff.

brown-dog

I would love to see them play in Ireland - I think it would be a really good show and alot of people would be up for seeing it!!

senordingdong

I odn't think it would ever happen.
As some lads said, they were scheduled to play the Point about ten years ago and it was cancelled because of poor ticket sales.
I mean this is a band who play capacities the likes of Croke Park as a regular thing.

I'm just chuffed I got to see them in Germany, worth every iota of effort.

brown-dog

Yeah I will see them in Graspop which is cool and going to be a brilliant experience but still would like to see them here.... but dont always get what we wish for - still waiting for AC/DC to come back lol

Ger8150

A great band with a lot of history. Not sure about Tommy Thayer in Ace's make up. Could they have brought back Bruce Kulick, or even Vinnie Vincent (at least Vinnie was a make up era member).

At least Eric Singer was a previous member before he rejoined. Tommy has absolutely no connection with KISS's music.