Kiss Kick Off World Tour In Australia

Kiss have promised fans a full show at the Australian Grand Prix concert on Sunday.

“There’s all this incredible horsepower, incredible noise and speed — and then there’ll also be the car race,” Paul Stanley says.

“We will bring loudness to a new level. You’re going to shiver and quiver in all the places that count. This is bigger than ever.”

“Don’t listen to your girlfriends,” Gene Simmons adds. “Size does matter.”

Launching their Kiss Alive 35 world tour in Melbourne, celebrating the band’s 35 years of performing Stanley says:

“We have no intentions of stopping,” Stanley says. “We gave up doing this for money a long time
ago. We do it because we love it. But we still like being paid for it.”

“Rock and roll’s in a pathetic state,” Simmons rants. “The reason we’re on stage is because we’re goddamn bored and sick and tired of bands getting up on stage and not giving you value for buck. A warning for all low-flying planes — Kiss are here.”

The band are filming the Australian tour for an hour-long TV special called Kissteria, and the crew for Gene Simmons’ Family Jewels are also in town.

“When we played Kiss Symphony in Melbourne (in 2003) we didn’t record the behind-the-scenes stuff,” Simmons says.

“We’re going to do it right this time.”

The new series of Family Jewels is being promoted in the US with the catchphrase “One man, 4800 women”.

“And some farm animals,” Simmons clarifies.

In other ‘Kiss” news, Paul Stanley says his touring days with Kiss may be coming to an end.

“I really, firmly believe there will come a time when the band will continue without me,” he says.

“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.”

While the lineup has changed over the years, Stanley and Simmons have always been the constants.

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.

Hopefully he can go on for a bit longer yet. There are very few stage acts like theirs today.