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DEVIL'S advocate ... Paul Stanley says KISS is bigger than him.
PAUL Stanley may be made for loving you. Just not forever. As the 56-year-old singer/guitarist prepares to once again bring his band's glam-rock party to these shores, Stanley has some news which will leave KISS Army troopers shell-shocked.
The pouty-lipped, make-up clad Starchild confesses his touring days with KISS may soon be numbered.
"I really, firmly believe there will come a time when the band will continue without me," Stanley says. Shock. And yes, horror.
While this might have some fans shedding silvery-red tears over their vinyl editions of KISS's iconic Dynasty album, Stanley insists that his departure would not necessarily spell the end for the band. He believes he is entirely replaceable.
"Some people can't imagine it without me, but I'm here to tell you, I can. There is somebody out there with the same amount of passion and the same amount of drive," he says. "Which is not to say I wouldn't want to have creative control."
Certainly, KISS has changed its line-up over the years. Original members Peter Criss and Ace Frehley have been replaced, variously, by Eric Carr, Vinnie Vincent, Mark St. John and Bruce Kulick.
Currently, the band consists of Stanley, Gene Simmons, Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer.
But Stanley and Simmons, who formed the band in 1973, in New York, have always been the constants. Admittedly, Stanley's health has deteriorated over the years. He has had hip surgery and prior to a show in July last year was hospitalised with a rapid heartbeat. It was the first time KISS had ever performed as a three-piece.
In Stanley's eyes, at least, KISS is bigger than any one member of the band. Bigger than just a band, KISS is a philosophy.
"I think KISS is more about a point of view, about a respect for fans and about a loyalty and a direction much more than it is the people in the band," he explains.
"We don't follow the same rules as other bands. I can't live within the boundaries people set for me. I believe KISS is founded on something so solid that it will continue to live on, the way a football team continues.
"There have been great players, but there will always be other players."
But for the moment, Stanley is staying put. This definitely isn't any sort of farewell tour, if such a thing really exists.
He is excited to be coming back to Australia only a year after he was here as part of a solo tour for his album, Live To Win.
"At this point in my life I wouldn't do anything that wouldn't excite me," he says.
Stanley first toured with the band here in 1980. And he has had a love affair with the country ever since, an affection extending to KISS performing with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in Melbourne in 2004.
"There have always been amazing women and friendships and amazing food and some of the best wines in the world," he says.
"Over the years people's expectations have just got higher. So when I go out there I want to make sure we are every bit living up to the legend of KISS.
"I think our fans understand how important it is for us to live up to what we have done in the past and making sure that nobody is disappointed. But they know we wouldn't be there unless we were going to deliver the goods."
The goods, in this case, happen to be a catalogue of hits including Rock and Roll All Nite, I Was Made For Loving You and Detroit Rock City, which have helped the band sell 90 million records worldwide.
There's no new stuff to speak of, apart from the KISSology DVD. But hey, as with most bands which trade heavily on nostalgia, who needs new material when you have the hits? Of course, the two calling the shots on stage are Stanley and Simmons. The pair have had their differences over the years and, at least from what is presented to the public, seem diametrically opposed personality types.
Stanley prefers the private life away from Kiss and has taken to painting.
Simmons has a burgeoning career outside the band as a reality TV star, having been the mentor on Rock School and the star of his own show, Family Jewels.
"I think we think of ourselves as brothers. Brothers means you can never get rid of each other, even when you want to," Stanley says. "We go about ourselves very differently. What we choose to put at the forefront or publicise is very different.
"Certainly, one of us spends quite a bit of time telling the world that he's the genius behind the band. This didn't happen because of a single person. It is the combustibility and the chemistry of people who don't necessarily view things from the same perspective which makes KISS."
Stanley says the common ground is definitely the group itself.
"We tend to put our egos aside when it comes to making decisions for the band.".
PAUL Stanley may be made for loving you. Just not forever. As the 56-year-old singer/guitarist prepares to once again bring his band's glam-rock party to these shores, Stanley has some news which will leave KISS Army troopers shell-shocked.
The pouty-lipped, make-up clad Starchild confesses his touring days with KISS may soon be numbered.
"I really, firmly believe there will come a time when the band will continue without me," Stanley says. Shock. And yes, horror.
While this might have some fans shedding silvery-red tears over their vinyl editions of KISS's iconic Dynasty album, Stanley insists that his departure would not necessarily spell the end for the band. He believes he is entirely replaceable.
"Some people can't imagine it without me, but I'm here to tell you, I can. There is somebody out there with the same amount of passion and the same amount of drive," he says. "Which is not to say I wouldn't want to have creative control."
Certainly, KISS has changed its line-up over the years. Original members Peter Criss and Ace Frehley have been replaced, variously, by Eric Carr, Vinnie Vincent, Mark St. John and Bruce Kulick.
Currently, the band consists of Stanley, Gene Simmons, Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer.
But Stanley and Simmons, who formed the band in 1973, in New York, have always been the constants. Admittedly, Stanley's health has deteriorated over the years. He has had hip surgery and prior to a show in July last year was hospitalised with a rapid heartbeat. It was the first time KISS had ever performed as a three-piece.
In Stanley's eyes, at least, KISS is bigger than any one member of the band. Bigger than just a band, KISS is a philosophy.
"I think KISS is more about a point of view, about a respect for fans and about a loyalty and a direction much more than it is the people in the band," he explains.
"We don't follow the same rules as other bands. I can't live within the boundaries people set for me. I believe KISS is founded on something so solid that it will continue to live on, the way a football team continues.
"There have been great players, but there will always be other players."
But for the moment, Stanley is staying put. This definitely isn't any sort of farewell tour, if such a thing really exists.
He is excited to be coming back to Australia only a year after he was here as part of a solo tour for his album, Live To Win.
"At this point in my life I wouldn't do anything that wouldn't excite me," he says.
Stanley first toured with the band here in 1980. And he has had a love affair with the country ever since, an affection extending to KISS performing with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in Melbourne in 2004.
"There have always been amazing women and friendships and amazing food and some of the best wines in the world," he says.
"Over the years people's expectations have just got higher. So when I go out there I want to make sure we are every bit living up to the legend of KISS.
"I think our fans understand how important it is for us to live up to what we have done in the past and making sure that nobody is disappointed. But they know we wouldn't be there unless we were going to deliver the goods."
The goods, in this case, happen to be a catalogue of hits including Rock and Roll All Nite, I Was Made For Loving You and Detroit Rock City, which have helped the band sell 90 million records worldwide.
There's no new stuff to speak of, apart from the KISSology DVD. But hey, as with most bands which trade heavily on nostalgia, who needs new material when you have the hits? Of course, the two calling the shots on stage are Stanley and Simmons. The pair have had their differences over the years and, at least from what is presented to the public, seem diametrically opposed personality types.
Stanley prefers the private life away from Kiss and has taken to painting.
Simmons has a burgeoning career outside the band as a reality TV star, having been the mentor on Rock School and the star of his own show, Family Jewels.
"I think we think of ourselves as brothers. Brothers means you can never get rid of each other, even when you want to," Stanley says. "We go about ourselves very differently. What we choose to put at the forefront or publicise is very different.
"Certainly, one of us spends quite a bit of time telling the world that he's the genius behind the band. This didn't happen because of a single person. It is the combustibility and the chemistry of people who don't necessarily view things from the same perspective which makes KISS."
Stanley says the common ground is definitely the group itself.
"We tend to put our egos aside when it comes to making decisions for the band.".
