KISS, The HOTTEST band in the world!

KEYNOTE AT BILLBOARD CONFERENCE

By Mitchell Peters, L.A.
Photo credit J. DeNobile

Having recently completed a 30-plus-date European tour, Kiss will "eventually when we're ready tour America," co-founder Gene Simmons said during a keynote address today (Nov. 20) at the fifth annual Billboard Touring Conference, held at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York.

Referring to Kiss as the "juggernaut of all rock'n'roll brands," Simmons said the band is currently working out future tour details. "We've been talking with [manager Doc McGhee] about Europe and then doing a year-long tour maybe this coming summer, but we'll see," Simmons said. "Kiss and Queen, ...Full Story

LATEST KISS MERCHANDISE

Here are the latest KISS merchandise items now available in KOL's KISS SHOP!

KISS Eagle & American Flag T-shirt

CLICK HERE to order the KISS Eagle Shirt.

KISS Eagle & American Flag Zipper Hoody Sweatshirt

CLICK HERE to order the KISS Eagle Sweatshirt.

KISS Logo Zippo Lighter

CLICK HERE to order the KISS Zippo Lighter.

KISS Rock 'N' Roll Over Cocktail Table (back by popular demand!)

CLICK HERE to order the KISS Cocktail Table.

KOL FAN LETTERS

Our 4 yr old daughter said she wanted to be a Rockstar for Halloween this year so we thought… Okay- no problem Hannah Montana? Britney Spears? Pretty easy costume. “No,” she told us. I want to be the guy who wears white makeup with black on his eyes and has spikes on his shoulders. So we showed her a picture of KISS and she pointed at Gene Simmons and said, “That guy, I wanna be that guy!”

Here is Mackenzie in costume...she was a crack-up!

Thanks,

Adam & Krystal

LETTERS click here

RINGS OPENING BELL!

Gene rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange today!

ONE LIVE KISS REVIEW

By Anthony Kuzminski

The overall look of the DVD is spectacular. All too often I tend to find artists taking shortcuts when they put these DVD’s out. They often go on the cheap not hiring a competent director, shooting on cheap video over film and documenting their legacy with half-talents. That is not the case here. Its clear Stanley has come to realize the importance of documenting all phases of one’s career and he didn’t cheap out here. Paul Stanley’s One Live KISS DVD features an artist whose hunger still roars when he hits the stage. From the opening thunder of “Live To Win” to the finale of “Good Bye”, One Live KISS is a document of an underrated musician whose hunger matches those of unproven artists and simultaneously reminding KISS fans why we became hypnotized by their image and music in the first place.

CLICK HERE to order ONE LIVE KISS at Amazon.

SEASON THREE DVD SET OUT TODAY

The Gene Simmons Family Jewels: Season Three DVD set was released today. The box set features 4 DVDs with a running time of 600 minutes.

CLICK HERE to buy the DVD Set at Amazon.com now.

A NEW CLASSIC KISS ALBUM???

Paul Stanley 'open to the idea' of recording a brand new KISS album…

KISS rhythm guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley has confirmed to the Clog that the band are seriously considering recording a new album. Rumours of a brand new KISS release first surfaced last week on photographer Ross Halfin’s blog. Now Geoff Barton has taken it upon himself to grab the Classic Rock poker and agitate the embers of speculation (poetic, huh?!).

Barton recently talked to Stanley and asked him:

What does the future hold for KISS?

It looks like we’ll be touring Europe as well as the States next year. You’ll be getting more of what you saw at the Download festival this past summer – the KISS Alive! vibe amped up to the max. There might even be a new KISS album at some point. I have been ambivalent to the idea in the past but I’m much more open to it now.

Why is that?

Well, I thought that I'd be content for KISS to remain a heritage act, just playing our greatest hits – Detroit Rock City and all that. But the new KISS line-up with Tommy Thayer (guitar) and Eric Singer (drums) is proving to be so good, so strong in spirit, it would interesting to see how we perform in the studio. I must stress that no recording time has been booked at this point. But it if we were to go into the studio, the intention would be to make a KISS album in the style of our 1970s recordings. A classic KISS album, unmistakably.

(Read more in the January issue of Classic Rock, on sale December 10.)

INTERVIEW ON KISS & NEW SOLO DVD

CLICK HERE to visit 'The Electric Morning Show' web site and hear Paul's interview with Jack Hammer & Andre! When you get to their website, click the 'LISTEN' link next to Paul's picture.

DECEMBER 5 & 6 IN LA JOLLA

Wentworth Gallery is pleased to present two art exhibitions by artist, rock icon, and legendary KISS frontman Paul Stanley. Paul will make two special appearances at the Wentworth Gallery in La Jolla, CA.

Wentworth Gallery - Prospect Square - 1025 Prospect Street - La Jolla, CA

Friday, December 5, 2008 -- 7-9 PM

Saturday, December 6, 2008 -- 6-9 PM

For details on the VIP Reception with Paul Stanley or to RSVP please call 858-551-7071 or 800-732-6140.

PAUL WITH NY YANKEE JOHNNY DAMON

Here are a few photos of Paul with New York Yankees outfielder Johnny Damon from yesterday's Art show at the Orlando Wentworth Gallery. Damon stopped by to visit with Paul and view his artwork in person, with his wife, Michelle, and former KISS wrestler, Dale Torborg. In the photos the Damon's are pictured with two of their new paintings!

KOL FAN LETTERS

Hello KISS!

With the Rock Band craze my 9 year old son has become a huge Kiss fan. He started listening to your songs in March and since then decided that he would be you in Kiss for Halloween. My husband came pretty close to nailing the make up on his little face. Joseph definitely had a one of a kind look this year in our neighborhood. At least in his age group. It was great.


Sincerely,

Jennifer Vaught
Las Vegas, NV


Hi KISS & Fans!

Our boys wanted to dress as their favorite KISS members for Halloween last year. We made their costumes and painted their masks (they don't like face paint). They made the pumpkins by themselves! We all had a blast and they got their pictures taken all night long. They continue to put on their costumes and have shows for us.

Sean (Paul) is 7. Ryan (Gene) is 4. Thanks for letting us post this, we hope you all enjoy!

Greg and Lori Gould

LETTERS click here

COMMENTS ON PAUL & KISS

Kiss member Paul Stanley was featured with Brightman on "I Will Be With You (Where the Lost Ones Go)," a track on her latest studio album, Symphony. She sees a similarity between Kiss' theatrical rock and her own grand approach.

"I needed somebody who had a rock voice that could actually sing the notes," she said. "Paul Stanley came to mind obviously because he actually had done a stint in Phantom of the Opera in Canada. To sing that part is very difficult, so I knew he'd have the notes there.

"Kiss does show the dramatic, which is always interesting and fun for people. It's about giving as much as you can to people."

Ms. Brightman is currently touring the US.

GENE KEYNOTE AT BILLBOARD CONFERENCE

KISS co-founder, reality TV star and entrepreneur GENE SIMMONS will be the Keynote Q&A for the 5th Annual Billboard Touring Conference, set for Nov. 19-20 at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York.

Billboard executive director of content and programming for touring and live entertainment Ray Waddell will conduct the Q&A with Simmons on Nov. 20 at the Roosevelt Ballroom. The Q&A will be filmed for an episode of his A&E reality show "GENE SIMMONS Family Jewels," currently in its third season.

"GENE SIMMONS' fingerprints are on virtually all segments of the music industry, particularly as it relates to the live music business," Waddell says. "We are thrilled to have him on board for our milestone fifth Touring Conference and we know his insight and the 'GENE SIMMONS world view' will be a compelling must-see for our attendees. Buckle up."

Born in Haifa, Israel, in 1949 and the only child of a Holocaust survivor, Simmons found global fame as the co-founder and bass player for KISS, which got its start in 1972. KISS scored eight top 40 hits in the '70s and was one of the leading hard rock acts of its day.

The band remains a touring, licensing and merchandising powerhouse, with its officially licensed ventures including the KISS Coffeehouse in Myrtle Beach, S.C., the first in a planned chain of franchises; KISS comic books, KISS condoms and Kiss-branded Visa cards.

Now in its fifth year, the Billboard Touring Conference unites today's top touring professionals to discuss the current state of the industry through potent panel topics, provocative discussions, and productive round-tables, as well as networking opportunities with touring industry power players and decision makers.

The conference is capped off by the Billboard Touring Awards on Nov. 20, which honors the concert industry's top artists and professionals based on actual data compiled through the Billboard Boxscore chart.

KISS VINYL FIGURINES

KISSONLINE EXCLUSIVE SNEAK PEEK

Check out these black and white sketches of the new KISS Vinyl Figurines from licensee - Medicom. The company is planning to release these figurines in the summer of 2009. KOL will continue to follow the products development and will post color comps in the next few months

USA CUSTOM PS5 PREACHER

Paul Stanley USA Custom PS5 Preacher Guitars!

About 6 months ago I began working with Paul and Washburn’s Rudy Schlacher, Nick Ellingsworth, Bill Abel and Terry Atkins. The project I came up with was to reach out and find a way to get more organic with the Washburn Paul Stanley Preacher. To get more ‘raw’ while still remaining a fully spec’d and classy version of the Preacher.

I also had a goal of possibly getting a USA Washburn Custom Shop Preacher with a street price of just under $2K! That would include hard-shell case and a Certificate of Authenticity signed by Paul!

And I’m here today to announce the PS5. A USA Custom Shop Paul Stanley Preacher guitar - exclusive to Boogie Street Guitars!

The guitar has true ‘organic’ feel in that it is completely - OIL FINISHED! Plus - the guitar will have an ALL MAHGAONY body back AND carved top! Plus the neck will made of MAPLE! Again - all with an OIL FINISH!

The guitar is far from a stripped down model! The body has black binding. The hardware is gold including a TonePros bridge and Grover 18-1 tuners with Keystone buttons.

The headstock on the BSG commissioned PS5 run of Preachers is with full art-deco inlay! Just like the PS9200 USA Customs!

The 22 fret fingerboard is Ebony with large Mother of Pearl blocks starting on the 1st fret…spec’d just like the PS9200.

The first group of numbered PS5 USA Custom Preachers will have Gold covered Seymour Duncan humbuckers. In the bridge will be a JB humbucker. The neck will have a Pearly Gates humbucker.

We expect these guitars to hit around Decmeber or the first of January and have a street price of UNDER $2K for everything! Now - how about that!

For more information - check out www.BoogieStreet.com or email me at eric@boogiestreet.com or call me directly at 412-716-3150.

There are additional photos at http://boogiestreet.com/?p=537 .

NEW PAUL INTERVIEW POSTED ON YOUTUBE

Click below to hear a recent interview with Paul and the Brody Blog.

ART SHOWS THIS WEEKEND

The Fine Art of Rock 'n' Roll

KISS Front Man Goes from Concert to Canvas

Wentworth Gallery is pleased to present art exhibitions by artist, rock icon, and charismatic front man of KISS, Paul Stanley. He will make three special appearances at Wentworth Gallery in Palm Beach Gardens, FL, Boca Raton, FL and Orlando, FL.

Paul Stanley's Wentworth Gallery Appearances

Friday – November 14, 2008 6-9 PM – Palm Beach Gardens

Saturday – November 15, 2008 6-9 PM – Boca Raton

Sunday - November 16, 2008 1-4 PM - Orlando


Friday November 14, 2008

Wentworth Gallery – The Gardens Mall
3101 PGA Blvd
Palm Beach Gardens, FL

*call for details on Special VIP Reception with Paul Stanley 561-624-0656 or 800-732-6140


Saturday November 15, 2008

Wentworth Gallery – Town Center Mall
6000 Glades Road
Boca Raton, FL

*call for details on Special VIP Reception with Paul Stanley 561-338-0804 or 800-732-6140

Sunday, November 16, 2008

1 – 4 p.m.

Wentworth Gallery - The Mall at Millenia K296
4200 Conroy Road
Orlando, FL

*call for details on Special VIP Reception with Paul Stanley 407-903-9055 or 800-732-6140

KOL FAN LETTER

On October 19th, we attended the Melbourne City Romp (in Australia) which is held to help raise funds for Cancer research. It's like a treasure hunt that is done throughout the streets of Melbourne. Everyone was encouraged to dress up, so we decided to wear KISS make-up for the day.

Here's a photo from the event. We had a great day and everybody wanted to take our photo (especially the Japanese tourists!). Clearly the celebrity status of KISS has not waned over the years.

http://www.melbournecityromp.com/photos/search?query=kiss+kadets&x=0&y=0 .

Nina

LETTERS click here

KISSOLOGY/KISSMAS TV COMMERCIAL

VH1 Classic Records rolled out a new KISSOLOGY/KISSMAS commercial yesterday. The commercial will run several hundred times from now through the end of the year.

Stay tuned to KOL for additional VH1 / KISSOLOGY programming news!

CLICK this link to watch the KISSOLOGY commercial: http://33andathird.com/clients/bouef7zl.html .

CONTESTANT SINGS "HEAVEN'S ON FIRE"

Check out this clip of Alice Svensson singing "Heavens On Fire" on the TV show, Swedish Idol 2008!