Kiss circa 2009 (aka the Gene and Paul Show)

I am a KISS fan. Doesn't matter if I outgrew them, or haven't listened to them in a while. It's like being an alcoholic. You will always be one. The difference is there is no 12 step program for getting over KISS. Although, the way Gene and Paul have been presenting the band lately, they are royally testing my allegiance to the KISS Army.

How's that Vlado?

Well allow me to explain...

The KISS of 2009 is a farce as far as I am concerned. It's Gene and Paul in the make up along with two other people pretty much impersonating Ace and Peter. This has now been going on for the better part of the decade.

At least in their makeup heyday, when somebody left the band they replaced them with a new character. When Peter left in 1980, Eric Carr (RIP) replaced him as the Fox. When Ace left in 1982, Vinnie Vincent replaced him as the Egyptian Ankh (ridiculous). Kiss even acknowledged this fact and ended removing the makeup the following year.

It resulted in a rejuvenation of the band that lasted until the triumphant return of the original lineup in makeup in 1996.

Granted, the non makeup KISS was never as successful as the original one. That is most likely why they boys are back in the makeup now.

My problem is the band reunited put on the makeup, rocked the world then decided to go on a Farewell Tour in 2000. Ride off into the sunset right? Not if Chiam and Stanley have anything to say about it. They reneged on the whole retirement thing and decided to soldier on with the make up and haven't looked back since.

Eric Singer replaced Peter on one of the subsequent tours. Then Ace was replaced by Tommy Thayer for another tour while Peter returned. After that, Pete was out and Eric came back for good.

In the beginning of these tours with the Kiss scrubs it was hardly advertised that Ace and Peter weren't in the band. False advertising, anyone?

To top it all off, there was no new music from the band. Just a rehash of all the old material. Note - Stanley and Simmons both put out solo albums; Kiss put out more greatest hits and live albums; the first new Kiss album in 11 years drops this fall.

I refuse to give any more money to Gene and Paul. They are milking a dead cow. Everything from '73 - '79 is gospel. Even some of the non makeup releases are really good. I'll actually go on record as saying the "Revenge" era KISS with Eric Singer and Bruce Kulick was the best from a musician standpoint. Heresy yes, buy true.

I saw KISS for the first time 20 years ago on the Dynasty tour at Madison Square Garden. My dad got the tickets, but my mom took me. It was my first concert and I still remember it to this day. It was the musical equivalent of seeing "Star Wars". Simply life altering.

I saw them several times after that with and without the makeup. The last time on the "Psycho Circus" tour in 1998. As great as it was, you could tell the act was getting old. I would have had more respect for them if they hung it up after the Farewell Tour in 2000. At least they would have kept their legacy intact.

Last week, while watching the American Idol finale, Kiss surprised the audience by showing up and singing with Adam Lambert. In the context of AE, they kicked major ass (even with Adam). In the real world (at least for me), it's the same old, same old.


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