News Archive / August 1-31, 2001
KISS NEWS IN AUGUST 2001 2001
Disclaimer: Not necessarily all of the news as it appears on these pages is confirmed by or coming from official sources. As much as possible we try to avoid unsubstantial rumors, but KISS Kollector can not be held responsible for the validity of any of the information, nor do we accept responsibility for views expressed here by other people.
AUGUST 29, 2001 Up Down
Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy author talks about KISS
- From KISS Kollector, JvP -
Susan Masino, author of the e-book Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy - My Life And Time With AC/DC, Van Halen, KISS... was interviewed recently on the Electric Basement web site. The interview obviously deals with her e-book, and includes some background info on the chapter dedicated to KISS. 'If Van Halen thought they were gonna be big, KISS had no problem acknowledging how huge they were. Following a concert in the late 70s, Susan was asked to cover the band, as she was invited to their hotel party. Spanning more than one floor and packed with barnacles and leeches, each KISS member was observed with their very own bodyguard. Susan believes it was because they were still in their "no photos without makeup on" mode. Indeed, she saw every one of them without their face paint. Of special note was the band's seemingly two camps. While guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley and bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons mingled mostly sober and business like, she observed guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss almost reluctant participants in the buzz. The two spent the evening on a plethora of substances. Peter, she says, was morose and often in a corner on his own. Ace, on the other hand, was talkative and amused by Susan's lack of awe.' Read the rest at http://www.electricbasement.com/interview_susan_masino_august2001_2.htm

AUGUST 24, 2001 Up Down
Finally you can subscribe to our mailing list again
- From KISS Kollector, JvP -
For months the KISS Kollector mailing list had been full as it reached its maximum capacity a while ago. Many fans have tried in vain to subscribe over the last few months, but as of today we have finally managed to add more 'space' to the mailing list's capacity. So, if you have tried to subscribe over the last few months but didn't have any luck, please try again. If you subscribed in the past, you obviously don't have to do anything unless you changed your e-mail address, which unfortunately happens quite often. Please remove old, incorrect e-mail addresses and subscribe all over again using your new, current e-mail address.

AUGUST 22, 2001 Up Down
KISS Kasket mentioned in Aloha's September issue
- From KISS Kollector, JvP -
Issue 6 of Holland's music magazine Aloha includes a short piece on the KISS Kasket, including a 1979 photo of Gene sticking out his tongue. The photo caption reads: "...and well, those caskets have been painted by tongue". The same issue also includes the full page advert including the new KISS DVD Konfidential & X-treme Close up as seen in our July 5 update. Aloha, by the way, still is interested in running a big article on KISS as they had originally planned just before Alive IV was supposed to be released. They interviewed Bruce Kulick back then, were invited by the record company to go see a concert in the States and were setting up interviews with KISS, but with Alive IV and a European Tour not happening things were never finalized. Now with the Box Set coming out soon, interviews with the band might be arranged after all which will could finally lead to a extensive KISS article.

No KISS Countdown in new issue Metal Heart
- From KISS Kollector, JvP -
The September issue of Germany's Metal Heart magazine doesn't include the monthly KISS Countdown in which they count down until the very last KISS show. With the KISS Farewell Tour no longer on the road (as Ace hasn't signed a new contract after his previous one ran out once the Australian leg of the Farewell Tour ended) and hardly any interesting news to report about KISS, Metal Heart decided to stop running the count down.

However, the readers of the rock/metal magazine seem to really miss the KISS Countdown and complained about it, so the editorial team has decided to continue the KISS Countdown from the next issue onwards and are considering to even turn it into something bigger. KISS fans should keep an eye out for upcoming issues of Metal Heart to find out what they have in store for KISS and the KISS Army.

AUGUST 21, 2001 Up Down
KISS on upcoming Rock Star soundtrack
- From KISS Kollector, JvP -
The soundtrack to the upcoming Rock Star movie, starring Mark Wahlberg and Friends's Jennifer Aniston and featuring actual rock stars such as Zakk Wylde, Jason Bonham and Blas Elias, is to feature tracks from KISS (Lick It Up), Everclear, Ted Nugent, Bon Jovi, INXS and Verve Pipe. Eric Carr's last girlfriend Carrie Stevens also has a role in the movie. Rock Star is about the lead singer of a tribute band who becomes the lead singer of the real band he idolizes. For more info, please check out: http://us.imdb.com/Title?0202470 and http://rockstarmovie.warnerbros.com/
Benefit concert for Kira a big success
- From Juern Schulze -
The Benefit Party for Eric Carr's ex girlfriend Kira on August 2, at Tank-Stelle in Dormagen, Germany was a big success for everyone. Around 200 KISS fans found their way to Dormagen to see The Torpedo Girls and Masked Kids, and to enjoy a big and very hot party on a fantastic summer night! No less than 1.000,-- DM (aprox 545 Euro / $ 490) was collected with the help of all the attending KISS fans for the forthcoming operation of Kira, who's suffering from cancer.
KISS Halloween Party in Germany in October
- From Juern Schulze -
On October 31, a KISS "Halloween" Party is to take place at Stroetmanns Frabrik in Emsdetten, Germany. It will be a KISS event extraordinaire! Besides The Torpedo Girls, the following acts will contribute their finest KISS stuff: KISS Foreverband, Kissin' Time and Masked Kids. Kissin' Time from Kassel, Germany, will be presenting their great and famous unplugged set. KISS Foreverband from Hungary are there to show all you KISS fans a full KISS-blow-your-mind-show, including everything from make-up to costumes to pyro's to whatever! Especially for this show, The Torpedo Girls have decided to come up with something exclusive. Playing their set including All American Man, Speedin' Back To My Baby, Flaming Youth and Is That You, there will be a very special gimmick for the fan's eyes to see!
In other KISS related news...
- From KISS Kollector, JvP -
The current issue of England's Record Collector magazine features another positive review of KISS Kollector Magazine (our May issue). The new, August, issue of KISS Kollector Magazine came out over a week ago, including a special discount offer for the double feature special edition DVD Konfidential & X-treme Close up which was released in Holland on August 16.

And lastly, Columbia Records artists Anna Vissi from Greece covered KISS' biggest international hit I Was Made For Lovin' You on her new album Everything I Am (her first album outside Greece), while Rod Gonzales from German punk rock band Die Arzte covered KISS' 1987 song I'll Fight Hell To Hold You.

AUGUST 20, 2001 Up Down
Long awaited KISS Box Set out on November 6
- From KISS Kollector, JvP -
On November 6, KISS' longtime record label Mercury Records will release the much talked about KISS Box Set. It will be a four disc set featuring 80 tracks spanning the band's entire career. Unfortunately, it has been reported that no less than 60 tracks will be wellknown KISS songs (although some might end up in different outtakes), so that leaves only space for 20 more or less rare songs. However, those "rare" songs include demo versions of Strutter and Deuce plus some tracks from Paul and Gene's pre-KISS band Wicked Lester - which might all be the widely available versions from either official or bootleg releases. There will also be live recordings of Firehouse and the never released song Acrobat from 1973. It seems however that the track list is still being firmed up, so hopefully the Box Set will also include the orginal God Of Thunder demo with Paul on lead vocals, Gene's Love Gun sessions with Alex and Eddie Van Halen and the unknown songs Mad Dog and Don't Ya Hesitate. Although it's known the Box Set will come along with a 96-page booklet, it's unknown how the four discs will be laid out.
No Beyond The Makeup KISS special on VH1 Europe
- From KISS Kollector, JvP -
Last week VH1 UK informed KISS Kollector Online that the recent two hour KISS special from VH1 USA, Beyond The Makeup isn't likely to air on VH1 in Europe (UK) anytime soon. A spokesperson for VH1 UK said: "Unfortunately this show was a US based production and we need to have clearance from the US in order to air this show. If we do get the clearance for it then we will air it. It could take anything up to six months if we do decide to take the show. Sorry for the dissapointment."

AUGUST 3, 2001 Up Down
New issue of KISS Kollector Magazine out soon
- From KISS Kollector, JvP -
The August issue of KISS Kollector Magazine is being printed right now and will be out mid-August. The glossy, 40 page magazine is jampacked as per usual. Issue 37 includes reviews of the final installment of KAOL's tribute trilogy, an e-book on KISS and other rock bands titled Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy - My Life And Times With AC/DC, Van Halen, KISS... plus all the latest KISS DVD releases, backstage reports on the tours of Japan and Australia including an interview with Gene and Paul, part 5 in our series on KISS tribute albums and cover songs, and much more.
Don't forget our special offer for the new KISS DVD
- From KISS Kollector, JvP -
As we already mentioned in our June 25 update, KISS Kollector Fanclub in cooperation with vanLeest record stores and Universal Pictures Benelux is offering a special discount when purchasing the double feature DVD Konfidential & X-treme Close up at any of the 45 vanLeest stores. The DVD will be out in Holland on August 16, so cut out (or photocopy) the coupon in issue 37 of KISS Kollector Magazine once it's out or print out the coupon on the vanLeest web site to get a 10 guilder (approx 4,54 Euro) discount on the DVD.
Magazine and Membership sections updated once again
- From KISS Kollector, JvP -
Today the Membership section has been updated, just like the Magazine section where all issues of KISS Kollector Magazine are now available to be viewed. In this section you will find covers and backcovers of all issues so far, plus the table of contents for each and every issue. You can even check out the promotional No.0 issue which came out late '91. The only thing missing in the Magazine section is the KISS Alive/Worldwide '96-97 Photospecial as put out by KISS Kollector Fanclub in 1997, but don't worry as that one will be added once the site's webmaster comes back from a welldeserved vacation.

AUGUST 2, 2001 Up Down
Gene sends another message to KISS Kollector
- From KISS Kollector, JvP -
Earlier this week Gene answered KISS Kollector Fanclub's question about a possible European tour (see update from July 30), and the other day he sent another message to the fanclub - in fact, this time it's a message to all the KISS fans in Holland: "To all our friends in Holland - the best is yet to come." Click here to check out the original message.