kiss: Last News

Gene Simmons has said he’s fine with being called an “asshole”, even suggesting he’s “reclaimed” the word.The KISS vocalist attempted to compare it in an interview to “black people taking possession of the ‘n’ word”.“I would say there are some, could be a large number, could not, who think I’m an asshole. In fact, I named my second solo album ‘Asshole’, which, I thought, was akin to black people taking possession of the ‘n’ word,” he claimed on Really Famous With Kara Mayer Robinson.“And fat people, overweight people, obese people, taking possession of that, so that you lessen the impact of that.”He continued: “I’m okay with being labeled or thought of as an asshole, because I know who I am. And there are other people who think, ‘You only do this for money.’ And my response is ‘Of course’.“Why am I not salt of the earth when almost all the jobs on the face of the planet are performed by people who don’t like the job they have, and the only reason they’re doing that is to be able to earn money to feed their families and put a roof over their head? Only for money.“Nobody wants to dig ditches on a highway.

Gene Simmons has offered his views on Linkin Park’s new singer, Emily Armstrong, and the Scientology controversy surrounding the band’s announcement.The nu-metal band announced Armstrong as their lead singer on September 5, following the death of longtime vocalist Chester Bennington in July 2017.The former KISS frontman told Forbes that he was on board with Armstrong getting the role, saying: “It’s great. I listened. I saw some videos.

KISS’ Gene Simmons has weighed in his thoughts on the Oasis reunion ticket scandal, and said that fans unhappy with dynamic pricing are “entitled to fuck off”.The debate arose as news broke that Oasis’ Liam and Noel Gallagher had reconciled, and would be getting back together for their first shows in 16 years.Tickets went on sale at the end of last month and officially sold out within a few hours. However, the entire process was far from smooth, with millions flocking to try to grab tickets and many – including Louis Tomlinson – being left disappointed after several issues cropped up. Another sore point came as dynamic pricing was used; a process which sees prices hiked up due to high demand.Now, following the whole debacle, various other figures from the music industry have weighed in on the situation, and shared whether or not they support the idea of ‘dynamic pricing’ being used for live music events.The latest one is KISS icon Gene Simmons, who took part in a new interview with Forbes and was asked about the “ethics” of the Oasis ticket sale.“They’re entitled to fuck off.

KISS‘s Gene Simmons has had his say on the prospect of a reunion of The Smiths.Morrissey recently revealed late last month that Johnny Marr had “ignored” a lucrative offer from AEG Entertainment Group to reunite the band. Morrissey claimed at the time that he had agreed to the offer, which would’ve seen The Smiths tour “throughout 2025”.The update continued: “Morrissey undertakes a largely sold out tour of the USA in November. Marr continues to tour as a special guest to New Order.” The statement came after Marr had responded to a fan’s call for The Smiths to return amid the huge Oasis reunion news.Morrissey also said in a new post on his website that Marr had blocked a ‘Greatest Hits’ album by The Smiths.

KISS avatar show, saying that it will be “beyond anything that anyone else has contemplated.”In an interview with Billboard on podcast Behind The Setlist, published last Thursday (September 12), Stanley spoke at length about the show following the acquisition of the band’s catalogue, brand name and IP by Pophouse Entertainment, the company behind ABBA‘s ‘Voyage’ show.“People just are thrilled with [‘Voyage’]. I took my wife last month, and I had seen it last year,” Stanley says, as transcribed by Blabbermouth.net.

KISS audition for being “too short” – see what the former Megadeth guitarist had to say below.Friedman, best known for serving as Megadeth’s lead guitarist between 1990 and 2000, recently spoke to Sam Ash Music for an interview, where he revealed he once had to opportunity to audition for KISS, but wasn’t able to able to make the cut.Friedman recalled when asked if there was any KISS song he would’ve liked to play guitar on: “I would’ve wanted to be on any KISS song. I’ll give you a quick story about that – when they were changing guitar players a long time ago, I got a call from KISS’ people.”“They say like ‘Do you think you’d be interested in auditioning for KISS?’ I’m like ‘Tell me when and were’.

KISS legend Gene Simmons has been honoured with the keys to Niagara Falls city and North Tonawanda in New York – find out more below.In a special ceremony held in front of City Hall in New York on Sunday, August 18, Mayor Robert Restaino of Niagara Falls and Mayor Austin Tylec of North Tonawanda presented Simmons with a “Key To The City” for both precincts.That’s not all however, as Mayor Restaino revealed that a downtown street in Niagara Falls — running between a section of Main Street between Pine and Cedar avenues — has also been temporarily renamed to Gene Simmons Boulevard as an act of acknowledgement toward Simmons’ significant investments in the Niagara Falls-based beverage business Rock Steady Sodas.Simmons said in a portion of his speech: “The business community in Upstate New York is alive and thriving, and I am honoured to be a part of it. This is the ideal picture of a homegrown family business exemplifying strong values and commitment to quality.

NBC Washington News 4 that the dispute started inside. He had gone to the Shake Shack at the corner of 18th and Jefferson Streets NW with his partner and a few friends. They had ordered food but grew impatient as their wait time began to exceed 45 minutes.When he asked where their food was, an employee responded in an “aggressive” way.

Bryan Adams has confirmed the launch of his own record label, and is celebrating the announcement by sharing a new double A-side single.Called Bad Records, the new independent record label was announced today (August 2), and the two songs shared as part of the new release will be the first to be shared as part of the brand.Titled ‘War Machine’ and ‘Rock And Roll Hell’, both songs were originally written by Adams alongside Jim Vallance, and Gene Simmons for KISS‘ 1982 album ‘Creatures of the Night’. The latter has also been shared digitally, and comes accompanied by a video filmed on the rooftop of London’s Royal Albert Hall during Adams’ recent residency there.On the tracks, Adams shared a statement, reflecting on how the songs arose early in his career – long before he went on to top charts in over 40 countries, received a Grammy, was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.“To commemorate the first single on Bad Records, here are two songs I co-wrote when I was a 22-year-old struggling songwriter,” he said.

Ryan Gosling plays a veteran stuntman opposite Emily Blunt in action comedy The Fall Guy.Directed by David Leitch (Bullet Train), the film follows a stuntman who is working on his ex-girlfriend’s directorial debut, only to find himself involved in a conspiracy connected to the film’s leading man.Other cast members include Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Hannah Waddingham, Teresa Palmer, Stephanie Hsu and Winston Duke.The film’s score is composed by Dominic Lewis, who previously collaborated with director David Leitch on Bullet Train.His other past credits include animated films Peter Rabbit and Free Birds, along with Amazon series The Man In The High Castle and Christmas action comedy Violent Night.A key track throughout the film is ‘I Was Made For Lovin’ You’ by KISS, which is also covered by Yungblud for the soundtrack.

Pearl Jam drummer Matt Cameron has recalled receiving a cease-and-desist letter from KISS when he was a teenager.Speaking on the Howard Stern Show to promote Pearl Jam’s latest album ‘Dark Matter’, Cameron – who was also in Soundgarden – told the story about meeting KISS when he was young and how that resulted in him getting a cease-and-desist a few months later.Cameron revealed that he had been in a KISS cover band growing up: “We played local high schools, keggers, whatnot. And my dad was friends with the head of the stagehand union in San Diego, so when KISS was playing there… during the ‘Alive’ tour, that was ’75, we got to go see KISS do a soundcheck at the San Diego Sports Arena.”Cameron continued: “So I brought the two guys I was in the KISS band with, Tim and Dave Mahoney and we brought our photo album from our stupid KISS cover band to meet Paul Stanley, and we got a photo with him.

Gene Simmons has claimed that the sale of KISS‘s catalogue was not about the money, saying that it felt like the “natural thing to do.”Yesterday (April 4), the global entertainment and music investment firm Pophouse announced that it had concluded an agreement with the rock veterans – acquiring their music catalogue, brand name, trademarks and likeness, which includes their signature face paint designs.In an interview with PEOPLE, the bassist and co-founder of KISS explained that the sale of the band’s catalogue was the “natural thing” to do, insisting that they “weren’t looking for it” initially.He continued: “Life happens while you’re busy making important plans. We were planning our respectful, proud walking off into the sunset, because we’ve been touring, we had been touring for half a century.” Simmons added that he didn’t want to continue touring until they couldn’t anymore, joking “I don’t want to go out there with my walker.”The deal and partnership agreement have been done to help further develop and expand KISS’ legacy globally, as well as preserve their image and music for generations to come.Pophouse is an investment firm known for its development of brand-building activities across the music and entertainment sphere, including the groundbreaking ABBA Voyage show in London.Reflecting on the end of the legendary band with the outlet, Simmons called it a proud moment and added that now under Pophouse, “the beginning of KISS is going to be something that will blow your socks off, like nothing you’ve ever not seen.”He added that the financial gain is “not what [the sale is] about.

final night of their farewell tour in December at New York City’s famed Madison Square Garden, they ended by revealing digitized avatars of themselves.The cutting-edge technology was created by George Lucas’ special-effects company, Industrial Light & Magic, in partnership with Pophouse. The two companies recently teamed up for the “ABBA Voyage” show in London, in which fans could attend a full concert by the Swedish band in their heyday, as performed by their own digital avatars.The ways in which Kiss’ avatars will be utilized has yet to be announced, but Pophouse CEO Per Sundin says fans can expect a biopic, a documentary and a Kiss experience on the horizon.An avatar show is scheduled to launch in the second half of 2027 — but don’t expect it to look anything like “ABBA Voyage,” Sundin told the AP.

KISS’ catalogue, brand name and IP have been acquired by the Swedish entertainment and music investment firm, Pophouse.Announced today (April 4), the global entertainment and music investment firm has announced that it has concluded an agreement with the rock veterans – acquiring their music catalogue, brand name, trademarks and likeness, which includes their signature face paint designs.The deal and partnership agreement have been done to help further develop and expand KISS’ legacy globally, as well as preserve their image and music for generations to come.Pophouse is an investment firm known for its development of brand-building activities across the music and entertainment sphere, including the groundbreaking ABBA Voyage show in London.Financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed, and the band members will continue to play an active role in the development of upcoming projects.Plans for a biopic, an avatar show, and a KISS-themed experience are already in the works.“We have always been breaking new ground in popular culture, and this partnership will ensure that we continue to do so for years to come,” said bassist and KISS co-founder Gene Simmons of the deal. “Because what Pophouse is doing, is breaking rules.

KISS‘ Gene Simmons has retold the story of the one and only time in his life that he got high.The US rock musician, who has previously claimed to have never been drunk or high in his life, opened up about the time he accidentally ingested cannabis brownies after a KISS gig in the ’70s.The musician reflected on the eventful experience during the latest episode of Your Mom’s House with Christina P. and Tom Segura along with his son Nick Simmons.“I’ve never been drunk or high in my life,” he reasserted on the podcast (per Loudwire), before his son brought up the “one accidental story”.Nick explained that his dad was “so removed from drug culture that he didn’t know that you can bake cannabis into baked goods”, and had no hesitation accidentally eating six brownies.“So, please describe then what you hallucinated,” he said to his dad.

Gene Simmons and Boy George are among the famous faces who have signed an open letter, urging organisers of the Eurovision Song Contest to allow Israel to compete in 2024.Despite not being a part of the continent, Israel made its debut in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1973 as the first non-European country granted permission to participate in the event. However, there have been widespread calls for the country to be banned from taking part in the contest this year given the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.Last month, an open letter was issued to the European Broadcast, signed by over 1,000 Swedish artists including Robyn, Fever Ray, and First Aid Kit – calling for Israel to be withdrawn from competing at the finale in Malmö, Sweden on May 11.“The fact that countries that place themselves above humanitarian law are welcomed to participate in international cultural events trivialises violations of international law and makes the suffering of the victims invisible,” it read.

Gene Simmons has announced his first solo concert after KISS’ retirement in December 2023.Yesterday (January 18), Brazilian rock festival Summer Breeze released its 2024 line-up on Instagram, revealing the Gene Simmons Band as a headliner on April 26, the first of its three days, alongside Mr. Big and Sebastian Bach.

KISS bandmates “look like imbeciles”.Drama between Frehley and his former bandmates began last year, after KISS’s Paul Stanley explained why the band didn’t perform when they were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame back in 2014.Among the reasons was the “demanding” nature of the Rock Hall, which wanted KISS to take to the stage with its original members – Frehley and Peter Criss. Stanley said the move would be “demeaning” to the band, adding: “‘Cause if you saw people onstage who looked like KISS but sounded like that, maybe we should be called PISS.”Frehley subsequently threatened to release “dirt” on KISS if Stanley didn’t apologise, later sharing that he didn’t apologise, but called to say “fuck you”.Speaking to Guitar World about his solo album ‘10,000 Volts’ which is set for release on February 4, Frehely shared that he’s getting back at Stanley and KISS frontman Gene Simmons for attempting to ruin his reputation by releasing his best music yet.A post shared by Ace Frehley (@acefrehleyofficial)“Paul and Gene have tried to destroy my reputation over the years – we know that.

KISS have confirmed that their first shows using avatars will take place in 2027. The band played their final show as humans at Madison Square Garden on December 2, bringing their ‘End Of The Road’ world tour to its conclusion.

KISS‘ Gene Simmons has said that the band’s virtual avatars will “get better”, revealing that “about 200 million” dollars is being invested in the technology.Earlier this month, the US glam rock band unveiled their new era as a virtual band at the last show of their farewell tour.The band seemingly bowed out of live performing at their Madison Square Garden show on December 2 as part of the ‘End of the Road’ tour, where they revealed the new digital avatars.“Today, A New Era Begins. #KISSARMY, the end is only the beginning!” the band wrote on social media.

Kiss have unveiled their ‘new era’ as a virtual band at the last show of their farewell tour.The band have seemingly bowed out of live performing at their huge Madison Square Garden show last night (December 2). They will reportedly be the first US band to become virtual.In the encore, the band’s remaining members – founders Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, along with guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer – left the stage, revealing their new digital avatars.