December 30, 2002
NEW BOOK "THE BOOK OF METAL"
A new Encyclopedia of Heavy Metal from Chris Ingham has just been published in the US. The name of the book is "The Book of Metal". You can see a live-shot from Kiss from 1975 on the front-cover. It also includes 2 pages of Kiss inside of the book. The price is US $ 29.95.

December 29, 2002
KISS NEWS NOW ALSO IN JAPANESE
KISS News is now also available in Japanese. Just click on the Japanese flag on the top right to get to the Japanese KISS News page. If you are from Japan you will now find all important news as well as interesting local news on our Japanese site.

Kiss News is now available in seven lamguages: German, English, Spanish, French, Danish, Dutch and Japanese.
We are still looking for local webmasters in other countries such as Italy, Sweden, Portugal, Norway, Finland or others. If you have HTML knowledge and if you would like to run the local KISS News site in your language, please send an e-mail to webmaster@kissnews.net. Thank you!

December 27, 2002
KISS GRUNTZ FIGURES NOW AVAILABLE
The new KISS Gruntz Figures are now available in the Fan Shop. The Figures are about 20 cm big and come in a great box. Click here for more infos.

December 23, 2002
RECAP OF EDDIE TRUNK RADIO-SHOW
(from www.eddietrunk.com )
SATURDAY 12/22 the ORIGINAL Merry KISSmass Special happened and was easily one of the biggest shows I have ever hosted in my near 20 years of radio. In the same show, we had live call ins from Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley, Bruce Kulick & Eric Singer, Then to top it all off, Peter Criss came into the studio and hung out for his birthday and took calls from the listeners. Needless to say, our lines were jammed all night, as Saturday Night Rocks became the center of the Kiss universe for four plus hours! Peter couldn't have been cooler, and signed for the fans gathered outside the building. We'll have some photos of Peter in our studio on the site very soon. To try and get into everything that was said by everybody would be far to lengthy here. As a lifelong Kiss fan and supporter this show was something I couldn't have dreamed of as a kid. Peter said it was one of the best times he's ever had, and Paul said that the importance of being a part of my annual Kissfest was not lost on him. I am still shocked at how huge this show was, and the internet is already buzzing with what took place last night. VERY IMPORTANT, if you missed this show, it can be heard worldwide in it's entirety (all the interviews, however some music missing due to time issues) this Thursday & Saturday on www.KNAC.com. You will not want to miss any of this show. On the US east coast it will air 9A-1P, please see how that translates for your time zone. Also, this show will rerun as our syndicated show next week as well, in cities where we are heard outside NYC. Nothing more can really be said, the guest list speaks for itself, and I had a blast. My sincere thanks to Paul, Ace, Peter, Bruce & Eric for making it possible. Whatever your thoughts are about all these guys and the Kiss situation, the bottom line is they took time out around the holidays to make for another historic radio show, and it wouldn't have been half as cool without them, and they did it to talk to us, the fans, and give their perspectives. Don't miss the replay, it's one for the ages! I have no idea how I can top this one next year!!! Tons of emails flooding in about this show, please just listen to the replay for all questions to be answered by the band members themselves. However it seems you guys can't wait, so here are some of the main highlights from each interview in the order they appeared on the show:

Paul: Paul simply stated that Kiss is now unretired. He's not sure what the future will bring, and rules nothing out. He said as much as everybody would like the original lineup, he's going to move forward with people that want to play and have fun. He also mentioned the old style costume he wears in the new guitar ad, is a direction the band will take for their next tour, etc. He said the band has made every attempt to get Ace back in and make a deal. As to why replacement members don't get their own makeup design, he claims that the mass audience that comes to Kiss shows just wants the Kiss experience, and in some cases don't even know every band members name. It's about putting on what people expect a Kiss show to be. Paul stated the only confirmed dates at this point are Australia and Japan.

Peter: Peter was in our studio for about an hour. He took many calls, we joked around, and he said it was one of his best ever birthdays. Peter was just thrilled to be healthy and working with the band. He to wishes Ace were in, but will play with who is there. He holds no ill will toward Eric Singer, but claims "there's only one Catman". He appeared not to be a fan of Psycho Circus, which was the source of many questions, and kind of dodged inquiries as to weather he plays drums on it, he simply said he does appear on the record. Knowing Ace was listening, he wished him well over the air. Peter was very humble, and in great spirits. For being 57 he looked to be very healthy and said his physical ailments are over. He also was unaware of some of the Kiss items that have been released, but chalked it up to Gene & Paul running the show. We really had fun, and Peter was a blast and so cool to everybody. Just very grateful about everything.

Ace: Ace was suffering from bronchitis all week, and was a last minute addition to the show. He was listening at home to both Paul & Peter. He wished Peter well over the air, and said he took notes during Paul's interview. He then proceeded to correct many of the statements Paul made, claiming Paul tends to leave big parts of the story out. In a nutshell, Ace hates the merchandising of the band and is sickened by things like a Kiss coffin. He claims the band owes him money, and also claims he is kept completely out of the loop. Simply, he is not a member of the band and has no contract. He also claims that he was contacted about a tour, but only once, and was not "wooed" as Paul put it. That contact had nothing to do with Australia or Japan, and was about US dates. He claims to learn more about what Kiss are doing through talking to me, or seeing it on TV. He said he was never told about an Australian show until AFTER the press conference to announce it, then he had a phone message from Gene saying they were doing it with or without him, if he was interested to have his lawyer call. Ace just feels this is not the way a band should operate, and is happy working on his own album. He did not rule out ever working with Kiss again, but said it would take a lot of communication and changing of policy. Ace then asked to talk about positive things, and joked around as he always does with us.

Bruce: He's working on a new solo CD and has had very little contact with Kiss. He said he would have to think very much if asked to play the role of Ace in Kiss, He said he has a tremendous amount of respect for the original lineup. Bruce proposed a tour of the non-makeup Revenge era Kiss, stating that many grew up with that version of the band.

Eric: Clearly unhappy not to be in the band again, Eric has some other stuff going and will continue to work with Alice Cooper. For him, it was a great highlight to play with Ace on the last tour, something he always wanted to do. He was up in the air if he would ever work with Kiss again, and was told with a phone call he was out.

Please listen to the replay for the actual interviews, and many cool Kiss tunes. I have no desire to debate or judge any of this. As Paul Stanley said during the interview, YOU voice your opinion on if you support what they do. Simple as that. Again, thanks to all and Merry KISSmass! The story continues....

December 23, 2002
NEW KISS CONDOMS
After the Gene Simmons condoms there are now also the KISS Love Gun and the Paul Stanley condoms available in the FAN SHOP.

December 22, 2002
KISS TO PLAY IN "ALIVE!" OUTFITS
(from Jacques van Gool)
Paul and Peter were on Eddie Trunks' radio show this evening, with Ace, Singer and Bruce calling in. I'm sure full transcripts will be available soon. Either way, highlight of the evening was Paul's announcement that KISS will play the March shows in their ALIVE outfits!
Maybe the "OZ" show will sell out after all :-)

December 21, 2002
PAUL & PETER ON ED TRUNK RADIO-SHOW
(from www.eddietrunk.com )
Saturday Dec. 21: The Original Merry Kissmass Special!
You wait all year and it's here! Trim the tree, wrap your gifts, and hear music from one of the most loved, yet underplayed bands of all time! All eras, all CDs, anything and everything from Kiss! Special Kiss giveaways, surprises, and special guests. This is the original, don't miss it! Copies of the great new Kiss The Early Years book, as well as copies of Kiss Alive Forever and Gene's book on paperback. Also The Very Best of Kiss CDs and much more. We will also have live interviews with Kiss members past and present! JUST CONFIRMED Kiss drummer Peter Criss will be making a live in the studio appearence during the show! We have had so many requests over the years to hear from Peter, and I'm very excited that he will stop by. It's also Peter's birthday, so we'll do a special set of music featuring his work with Kiss, and take some calls from the audience! Also, Paul Stanley will call in live from LA. It will be good to catch up with Paul on Kiss happenings as well. Other surprise guests ONLY on the ORIGINAL Merry Kissmass Special! Plus this will be the first year ever you can hear the show in it's entirety worldwide, replayed on www.KNAC.com  the following Thursday & Saturday!!!

December 18, 2002
NEW PAUL STANLEY GUITAR & NEW LOOK?
Silvertone are releasing a series of new Paul Stanley guitar models. The advert for these guitars shows not just the new models, but also Paul Stanley himself in a new outfit. It seems that the band has used the time off to create their new costumes and to design their new stage show. What may be the next surprise? A completely new stage and a complete new set-list? We'll just have to wait and see...

December 13, 2002
EXCLUSIVE AUSTRALIAN KISS INTERVIEW
(from www.planetrock.com.au )
Want all the behind the scenes info on the hugely anticipated, one-off KISS SYMPHONY CONCERT in Melbourne Australia in February 2003?  Well check out our exclusive interview with the guys themselves.  That's right!  Listen to Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley and Peter Criss chat about their huge plans for this spectacular concert that will see KISS perform with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra!!!
Click here to view the video!

December 12, 2002
KISS ON AUSTRIAN TV!
In "Wickie, Slime and Paiper XL" on ORF 1, a show about the '70's was a report about Kiss that lasted about 3 minutes. Live-footage from the Kiss show in Munich 1980 and interviews were shown. In the interview Kiss explained why they changed their Logo for Germany.

December 11, 2002
ACE FREHLEY NO LONGER WITH KISS
(from www.eddietrunk.com )
Flooded with people from all over the world asking about the status of Ace and Kiss. As you all know, I am friends with Ace and am a huge Kiss fan and supporter. I do not however have anything to do on any professional level with Kiss or Ace's business. That being said, I asked Ace a few days ago what the deal was with him and the upcoming Kiss tour and Australian show. Simply put, Ace is not a member of the band at this time. He asked that I let the fans know that he has no plans at this time to rejoin the band, and his contract with them ended after the Farewell Tour, which he also thought was the end at the time. Ace is upset that Kiss announces events, and holds press conferences for events, then asks him if he wants to do them after the fact. He claims he was just recently contacted by the band and even told about a tour and concert in Australia. He feels totally left out of the loop and does not believe this is the way a band should function. So as it stands now, Ace does not plan on rejoining Kiss for anything. That being said, we have all seen how things can change with the Kiss camp, but that's where it stands as of now. Ace may be on with us soon to talk about this further, but for now, he is still working on music for a new solo album for next year. I do not wish to judge or debate anything with Kiss, I am just reporting the facts as I have heard them this week from Ace.

December 11, 2002
HIDDEN DVD FEATURES
Did you know that KISS Exposed and the Detroit Rock City movie on DVD have hidden DVD features? Click on the titles to find out details. Thanks to Thomas Schopf for the info.

December 11, 2002
PHOTOGRAPHER CHAD LEE WEBSITE
(from Chad Lee)
Just wanted to mention that I finally got a website up and running. It features all of my photography of many many bands, as well as Hundreds of KISS photos. The Kiss photos featured are from 1975, 1979, 1980, 1993 and the farewell tour.
Click here: The Official Website of photographer Chad Lee

December 8, 2002
PICS FROM SIGN SESSION
Thanks to Jacques van Gool here are some pictures from the sign-session from Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley at December 3rd at Virgin Records in New York.


December 6, 2002
KISS IN THE PRESS
(from Andreas Balzer)
This week I have received the new issue (Nr. 3,Winter 2003) of Gene Simmons Tongue magazine. It includes some Kiss stuff again: 4 pages of ads for various Kiss merchandise, 1 pin-up of Gene & Cher '78 and a 4-page article on Gene interviewing himself.

December 5, 2002
KISS UNDERGROUND INTERVIEWS ERIC SINGER
The KISS Underground recently interviewed drummer Eric Singer, as we caught up with him on Alice Cooper's "Dragontown" tour.   When we spoke with Eric, we briefly discussed KISS' upcoming "Symphony"
show, and this is what he had to say-
KISS Underground:  KISS recently announced their one-off "Symphony" show, that's to take place next February in Australia.   To much surprise, they announced that Peter Criss would be playing drums for the performance.    Did they ever speak to you about the show?
Eric Singer:  No.  I don't really know what KISS is doing right now.  I just do my own thing.   We all do our own thing, just like Ace had done some solo shows recently.   They're always going to have their plans on whatever they're going to do.   If I'm included, I imagine they'll let me know.   If I'm not, I'll probably find out one way or another.   I'll probably find out from you John!   (Laughs)
K.U.:  I find it odd that they chose to utilize Peter for this show, considering Paul Stanley stated on his "Paul Speaks" column on KISSONLINE that he felt very comfortable with you being back in the band.   And when asked about Peter returning, he responded, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."  However, Gene Simmons has been pretty adamant he prefers the original lineup over any other.
E.S.:  It's kinda interesting at times the way Gene and Paul choose to answer the same question.   It's almost like two politicians.   A Republican and a Democrat.   Somehow, they will have their own perspective and their own take on the same exact scenario.   I can't speak for the way they are.    Let's face it, this is a business and these guys are like politicians.    I'm probably different in the sense that I think I'm a blunt, straight to the point, kind of person.   I try to be diplomatic, but I'm also gonna be as honest as I can be within a given situation.   I'm very to the point and straight up, and I don't always get that in return.  I don't have any say in their decision making process.   The only choice that I have is if I'm asked to work for somebody, if I want to do it or not. To read the entire interview click here. 

December 4, 2002
KISS BUDOKAN SHOWS OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED!
(from Y. Gilreath)
Details for KISS concerts in Tokyo are announced by Japanese promoter, UDO on its website at 7:30 pm on Wednesday

Tour schedule:
March 11 7:00 pm Budokan, Tokyo
March 12 7:00 pm Budokan, Tokyo
March 13 7:00 pm Bodokan, Tokyo

Tickets:
seat S: 9,500 yen
seat A: 8,500 yen

Tickets will be on sale from Dec 14, but for YOU DO CLUB members, from11:00 am on Dec 5 to 24:00 on Dec 11.

UDO's website http://www.udo.co.jp/opening.html
They didn't announce anything about members who are coming as we imagined. They announced about Eric Singer taking Peter's place after they started selling tickets last time, too. They hid that to sell more tickets.

December 4, 2002
KISS ON CBS
Gene Simmons & Paul Stanley are doing a lot of interviews to promote their new book "The Early Years". One of those interviews could be seen today on "The early show". Click here to view the video and for a report. At the end of the interview Paul mentions that Kiss will be going to Japan!

December 3, 2002
KISS TO PLAY TOKYO UPDATE
(from Y. Gilreath)
According to www.vibe-net.com concert dates are 11, 12 and 13 of March, and tickets will be on sale from December 14. S seats are Yen 9,500 and A seats are Yen 8,500.
This morning, I heard from a friend that details for the concerts in Tokyo will be announced on major newspapers on Wednesday.

December 3, 2002
NEW KISS BOOK
A new unauthorized Kiss book has just been released: Hotter than hell: The story behind every song. 148 colour pages in english.

December 3, 2002
KISS TO PLAY BUDOKAN IN MARCH 2003
According to sources in Japan Kiss will play 3 concerts in Japan in March 2003 at the Budokan in Tokyo. Tentative dates are March 10, 11 and 13, (other sources say March 11 - 13). Tickets should be on sale December 21.
Official announcement for this is scheduled for this Wednesday, Friday at the Latest... there is also talk about a European Tour in 2003!