KISS - the story so far, my way...

Once upon a time... in 4th grade, way back in 1982, I first heard a Kiss song, I think it was "I Love It Loud" from the "Creatures of the Night" album. Next to THIN LIZZY this is the band that has meant the most to me. I heard both bands about the same time, Thin Lizzy had released their last album, "Thunder & Lightning" while Kiss was on the edge of their 2nd high peak. Eric Carr was behind the drums, Vinnie Vincent was (as far as I knew then) guitarist and there was Paul ans Gene of course.

Paul would come to be the most important of them all because of his hairy chest and sucking bloodred lips, he was the center of most of my teenage fantazies :-)
Once a month a bought a new Kiss album, or occasionally another album ( I loved Helix, Yngwie Malmsteen, Saxon, Tygers Of Pan Tang and all sorts back then...). By 7th or 8th grade my Kiss-collection was complete. I lived and breathed Kiss. They were the solemn reason for my existence. Sort of, anyway. In 1985 I'd discovered Europe and in 1986 no band beside them would come close to my attention. Not even Kiss.

In 1988 "Crazy Nights" had been released and I would, finally, get to see the band live. The guitarists had changed several times which probably is a good reason to why I'd never really cared about who was on the solo-guitar. I have never been a Ace Frehley fan, other than solo, and Vinnie Vincent is a joke (really). I liked Mark St John but as it'd turn out - Bruce Kulick would be the guitarist that came to win me over. I didn't have a great experience at the KB-halle in Copenhagen on September 15, seeing them live. Paul was occupaid with some groupies on the right side of the stage and no-one else really seemed to care about the show.

I was also further away from the stage than I have ever been after that, I have to blame my inexperienced friends for that. Anyway, I really enjoyed the support band, Kings Of The Sun from Australia and I went out buying their debut-album the very next day, and I've followed them since.

As the 90s began and my musical taste changed a bit, I got more into Thin Lizzy again and I also got hooked on Gillan, the band.

"Hot In The Shade" was released as the first Kiss-album since I became a fan I didn't buy on the day it was released. As a member of Kiss Army (located in Rome, runned by sweet Nicola Ciccarone) I followed the health problems of Eric Carr. In every issue of Strike!, the fan-magazine, the fans were to know Eric was doing fine. But he wasn't, I know that now.

I heard "God Gave Rock'n'Roll To You" first on MTV, the video was shown on Headbangers Ball and Eric was behind the drums. I cried. I can't really tell why I was crying, only I knew this was the end of something. I guess I believed it was the end of Kiss.
Eric looked healthy and in good shape, I was 100% sure he had beaten the cancer and now was to get on living his life.

As every Kiss-fan now know Eric was only to have a short time after this before he went into the coma that he wouldn't wake up from.

Eric Carr died on November 24, 1991.

The very same day Freddie Mercury of Queen died and at least here in Sweden it was on the news all day, probably all week, I don't remember. I didn't know about Eric's death until the 27th. The 26th was my 19th birthday and my best friend Susanne came to see me, she knew but couldn't face telling me so I got it from the newspaper the morning after.

I learned afterwards that Eric had been in a coma for months, but no-one wrote anything about it. To me it was a shock to learn of his death. I cried. I didn't go to school... I felt so betrayed. Eric Carr, the drummer of my favorite band, died and only recieved a few lines and a dodgy picture. Sweden wasn't the only place. When I picked up the Rolling Stone later on there was a letter from Paul, Gene & Bruce telling them off for not writing anything at all about Eric. The letter summarized my own thoughts.

Today when I once again watch Kiss on the covers to all sorts magazines and papers, I think about that letter and I wonder if Paul & Gene still remember or if money talks, or more suitable in this case, buys your silence. But of course, they've choosen to stop at 1978 and at that time they didn't know Eric... Geez, talk about a serious case of denial.

"Revenge" was released in 1992, Eric Singer was, as it seemed, brought in afterwards. I later learned that he'd been in the band for a long time and he was also the one playing on "God Gave R'n'R To You". I was sad, I won't tell you anything different, but the album was phenomenal. I totally loved every tune and I felt this was certainly a revenge for the arsholes that couldn't see beyond everything else and give Eric Carr the attention he deserved.

I saw them live again, on May 21st in London at Wembley Arena. Fantastic, the best arena-show I the best Kiss show I've ever taken part of. The show was a tribute to Eric Carr and it's the most beautiful thing they ever could have done. I love Kiss for that.

Then there was nothing. More nothing and completly nothing.

So, let's take some time to reflect, after all this is my story.

1992 was, in my opinion, the best year in Kiss history. Better than the rest 9 years I'd been involved. The album was terrific and the material used on it was more solid than... well, "the rest"! Eric Singer was accepted right away, I never felt he wanted to replace anyone. Eric Singer, as well as Bruce Kulick are nothing but fine musicians. They are not only talented but also skilled and true professionals. They made Gene & Paul look less good, or actually they were better than ever as they really had to TRY HARDER. But at the same time it was all too obvious. Gene was only interested in money, Paul in his new family and then there was these two musicians. Brilliant concept .

Some people had been nagging about a third live album. They got it, in my opinion far too mixed in the studio but otherwise a great documention of a great show. A lot of fans has dreamt of Kiss with make-up. The black & white stuff, not the Animalize glossy lipstick and powder stuff. I never did. Maybe I'm really boring saying this, but with "Revenge" I felt Kiss was growing with me, that we would keep walking the same path for many years yet to come. The joke's on me, I know.

A tremendous Unplugged show was brought on by MTV. Peter Criss and Ace Frehley was special guests and the audience was listening, thrilled to the bones. I wasn't thrilled. I watched it with open eyes and missed Eric Carr, whom wasn't even mentioned. But who cares what a fan in Sweden thinks, uh?

Then came the Pressconference in the Hangar and Bruce & Eric Singer was sneaked away and the "new" studio album was given to the black market for distrubution, undermining every chance of succes it might have gained.

Make-up on, world tour on, the juke-box plugged in, calendar set back to 1978, legs spread and the myth was given first aid to catch up with it self.
In October 1996 my friend Daniela watched Kiss in Albany, US. She'd never been a Kiss fan before but was completly turned over. She was in love with Kiss (or at least Paul Stanley's cute ass). In December they came to Sweden. I saw them twice. The 2nd show was the best, absolutely amazing. I must point this out for saying all those bad things I'd said about the reunion. The show was nothing but The Show!!

In the summer of ´97 they came back again. This time I saw them twice in Stockholm and once in Copenhagen (Denmark). The 2nd night in Stockholm was the best, the rest I could have survived without. Actually I regretted seeing them the last time, in Copenhagen. The rain was pouring down and we were soaked from 2 o'clock. I for one could keep back a smile when Paul said something about the women being "wet"...
Sigh!

There's another story to this, one that I wasn't sure I'd talk about. "Meeting the band" would be a great headline if I had any.

In London, 1992, I met the band at a pressconference. They were all very nice and sweet. Signed autographs, talked and answered questions and posed for photos. My friend Ian, in Brighton, had given me a 12" vinyl single of "Reason To Live" with a fold out sleeve. Gene shouted "BOOTLEG" and believe me, I was scared. Gene's one of the most impressive people I've met, and I started to explain it wasn't a bootleg but an official release by the UK record company (EMI). With a lot of help from the EMI people the problem was solved, but Gene kept giving me the "evil eye"...

I've attended the various Kiss Conventions (when they became too popular Gene trademarket the name to use it himself and that's why the Kiss Army meetings are named Kiss Expos nowdays). Every convention has had a GUEST and first out was Peter Criss (1994) and then followed Ace Frehley ('95), Vinnie Vincent ('96), Eric Singer ('98) and Bruce Kulick ('99). I missed the first one because I had an exam the same day 1000 km's away and I missed this year's with Bruce as it was on the same day as the 2nd show in Gothenburg and I went to the 1st show only. Ace Frehley was the best, he was really nice and totally great in every way. I got the chance to speak with him for an hour and we talked about everything, specially Kiss and the Tetris-habit neither of us could break.

In 1996 my friend Jana and I were going to meet Kiss. We were at the hotel waiting, but it wasn't very giving so to speak. On the evening of the first show, in Stockholm, we met Paul Stanley - he was the only one who cared to sign autographs. The rest wasn't bothered. In the summer Kiss stayed in Stockholm for a week as they played in Scandinavia. Paul had his wife Pamela and son Evan with him and there was stories about them sightseeing and taking cruises in the archipelago. At the most there was 15 fans waiting, politely, outside the hotel. Later in the week, when they were playing in Finland we were only 3 fans in the lobby, still waiting. Still, no-one posed for photographs or signed autographs. This year I only saw one gig, in Gothenburg on March 4th. But it was the same, if you get close enough to ask for an autograph you're still miles away from getting it. Sometimes. I know fans whom been the exception to the rule. But it's not often.

So, what happend?
Larger than life all of a sudden?

Well, if you ask me... and actaully Paul keeps asking us fans all the time what we think and if they're doing wrong they wish to know. I'll tell you Paul, what's wrong from my point of view!!
I've just recently seen Kiss for the 7th time. It's called the "Pshycho Circus Tour" and parts of it is in 3D. The sound was poor this night in Gothenburg, March 4th 1999. Paul didn't look well and Gene looked a like toy store. Honestly, who ever makes the costumes these days aren't really trying to make them look autentic. Gene who looks the most "bootlegged". The uniform that's originally made to look heavy, flaps around in the wind and the dragon-boots looks like they're made of feathers glued to his spandex...

Ace is sleeping his way thru the first couple of songs, as usual, but when he wakes up he strikes me - sounds like he's been practising. The same goes for Peter Criss, whom I still think should crawl back into which rock he came from - he's beyond drum lessons, get it! Paul Stanley then, the man that used to cover my walls and make my heart beat faster... Geez, it feels like it was ages ago. Paul still looks good and is in great physic shape, and if he was to cover the Playgirl Magazine I would buy it right away, I would also definitly buy a exercise video with him just to look at him, but in Kiss we've seen it all. It's the music that matters, not the crawling, flirting and posing. Never mind, Paul's Paul and that's why we like him, even if he's pathetic.

3 new tunes. That's it. One of them is the absolutely horrible song "Within" that Gene's singing. I don't think "Psycho Circus" is a bad album, I could actually pick 5 tunes right off the top of my head to play. "Within" is not one of them... I love the old song-book, I love to know every song by heart BUT I hate the fact that they are denying the period I was involved the most, when I grew up. Who else would cut out such a big part of their history? I can understand them doing it for ONE tour, but hey 3 rounds???

Finally, I have another aspect of the show - why do Kiss think I want to put on some stupid glasses and watch a screen where the band makes funny stuff that looks great in 3D, when the band's THERE, alive & kicking (at least alive)??? It just doesn't make sense. Surely, it's cool to see the 3D-stuff but I wouldn't have mind watching it instead of the supportband before the show or even watching it at home on my TV, but it shouldn't be at the show.

I think that's all from me, for now. I used to be a Kiss fan, now I don't know what I am. Besides disapointed of course. That's not fair, if I hadn't been such a fan I wouldn't have reacted like this. Everything they do make me react. So I am still very affected by them and I probably will keep coming back and pine some more in the future. BUT I've promised myself not to watch another Kiss-show until they've changed around the musicians and decided to play "Heaven's On Fire" and "Domino" again.