Kiss & Their Fans-Nice Guys Or Not?

Kiss & Their Fans-Nice Guys Or Not?

Kiss have long been one of the biggest acts in metaldom, their popularity going back to the early 70s when four guys came out of New York, faces painted and guitars screaming, to become a genuine rock ’n’ roll phenomenon. Although their popularity waned a bit during the earlier part of this decade, the “closet” Kiss fans— and then some—came out of hiding when the band removed their makeup and hit the big “comeback” trail. How strong the band remains is evident from the amount of mail Kiss generates—especially when someone writes in attacking these longtime heavy metal heroes. Is Gene Simmons a “nice guy”? Do the members of Kiss treat their fans well? The controversy rages!

KISS CONFUSIN’ EVERYBODY!

I recently bought the record Love Gun by Kiss. It’s an excellent record. However, the record label is screwed up! They printed the order of songs wrong, printed some songs on the wrong side, and underneath the masterpiece "Shock Me” they spelled Ace’s last name “Freeley” (instead of Frehley). I was curious if most of the Love Gun records are like this. I say “most” because everyone else I know who has the record doesn’t have that trouble.

Christeen Sixteen

Norwalk, CT

LETTER WITH DETAILED CRITICISM OF GENE SIMMONS

I’m writing to inform other readers, if a chosen few don’t already know, how arrogant, conceited, paranoid, and in general, what a prick Gene Simmons really is.

On December 30, 1984, I had the privilege of obtaining a backstage pass and a possibility of meeting Kiss at their concert at the Auditorium. It was around 8:30 p.m. and the opening band Queensryche was well into their set when Mr. Simmons appeared by the backstage gate. Some fans outside the gate were struggling to catch a glimpse, get an autograph, or take a picture of the star. Everything seemed normal. Thinking it would be an honor to have a picture taken with a hero of mine of over 10 years, I stood next to him and my girlfriend started to take the picture. Out of nowhere, he produced a giant bag of Oreo cookies and blocked his face from her camera. Myself and all of the other backstage guests were puzzled by his reaction. He was very rude and discourteous to her and said some things I’d like to forget. I couldn’t believe what a foul mouth he had. A short while later, probably seeing the hurt expression on my face that my idol had been tarnished, a member of the road crew came up to me and explained that "Gene doesn't like to have his picture taken without his makeup or wig on.” THAT’S RIGHT, GENE SIMMONS WEARS A WIG!! Some think it’s because of his haircut for that movie he was just in, but actually it’s because of his receding hairline. It’s receding so much that the only two things that the astronauts saw from the space shut tie was the Great Wall of China and Gene’s forehead!!

Now if Gene wanted his privacy, he should not have been parading around where he could be seen, but that has nothing to do with the point I’m about to make. When someone becomes a “star,” he gives up certain luxuries like privacy for the money and fame, and becomes the property of the public. The public is the stars’ livelihood. Without us fans, they would never get to be stars. We made them stars but we can also make the stars fall!! It’s the little guys that make them big!!

Mike Budisz (a disgusted fan)

Milwaukee, Wl

KISS & METAL: EQUATED!

I decided to write and get some things straightened out. First of all, METAL is the best! Thanks for letting me say what I want to. No one treats their fans better than Gene Simmons does. I have been very lucky in meeting my idol three times. Every single time I got his autograph, a photo of him and me. and a few minutes to chat with the guy I’ve worshipped for 11 years. Gene is amazing! I watched him treat hundreds of fans like this! Reader Mike Budisz is an asshole. Let me give a piece of advice to fans like him. Ask if your can have your picture taken with your idol. Don’t demand! Gene has granted my wish three times. Eric, Paul and Bruce all obliged, too. But you decided to run up to him, shove a camera in his face and say “Hey Gene, smile!!” Personally, / would have punched you in the nose, but Gene is too classy for that. He simply held a bag of Oreo cookies in front of his face. I think he handled that beautifully! WAY TO GO, GENE!! Take a look around, Budisz. Thousands of Kiss fans have been thrilled when meeting Gene and the rest!! What is your problem? You just went about it in the wrong way. I want to thank the best magazine around (METAL) for letting me say Gene, Paul, Eric and Bruce kick ass! Kiss and METAL, don’t ever stop being #1!

Kiss-Aholic

Farmington, IL

WRONG ORDER,

HOLD THE MAYO!

First, I would like to say that Kiss is the best and they always will be.

I am writing in response to three of the letters you printed in your June '85 issue. First of all, Keith Jones is an asshole. Where does he get off saying “What in God’s name is Kiss doing on the list”? If I ever meet him I’m gonna smash his teeth in! Now in response to the girl who bought the Love Gun LP. The songs on a batch of all the Love Gun LP’s are printed in the wrong order. That goes for Kiss Unmasked, Kiss’s The Elder and Kiss’s Dynasty. As far as the masterpiece “Shock Me,” they spelt Ace’s last name right on my LP. Also, they did not print some songs on the wrong side. Now for the jerk who wrote all the terrible comments about Gene Simmons. I had the honor to meet Gene backstage at the concert they did at Brendan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford, NJ on March 28, 1985. He was a real gentlemen. He let everyone take his picture and signed an autograph for everyone who wanted one. Let’s see a Kiss centerfold in an upcoming issue. Please!

Larry Pascale

Kissvile, NJ

KISS, ’RYCHE & QUEEN SLAVE

I am responding to a letter printed in the June 1985 issue of METAL. If Mike Budisz thinks Gene Simmons is a jerk, he should meet Eric Carr. My friend and I were standing outside of the auditorium talking to a guy who worked there when Kiss was here on 12/27/84. Eric walked by us and sez, “No, you can’t have my autograph.” So I sez, “Good, cuz none of us wanted it. I don’t even remember any of us saying we like Kiss.” So he sez, “Then why the hell are you here?”

So I sez, “To see Queensryche.” So he sez, “Oh, the AIDS brothers. They’re back at the hotel pullin’ trains if you want to talk to ’em.” Then he smiled and went inside.

OK, so maybe he has a right to an opinion; but to say something like that about another band is totally uncalled for, especially if it isn’t true. I’ve also heard from 21 people in 16 cities who’ve said that a member of Kiss made some uncomplimentary comments about ’Ryche. I don’t always believe everything I hear, but I also know that if you hear the same stories from 21 people who don’t know each other, it can’t all be bulls—. In addition to comments regarding sexual preferences, there is endless (not to mention childish) namecalling (i.e: “Queersryche,” “spoiled rich brats,” “mamas boys,” and a racial slur meant for a specific member of the band). A lot said coming from a band who, collectively, have an IQ lower than that of a common houseplant. Seriously, how can anyone link lyrics like “Lick it up, lick it up, yeah, yeah, yeah” with anyone who has any measurable amount of intelligence?

I have something to say to Kiss... Queensryche have a lot going for them that you don’t. They’re young, talented, smart, classy, good looking; and last but not least, they’re nice to their fans. One more thing before I end this...I, personally, am positive that Queensryche aren’t fags. But I have one question for Eric Carr, “If they are fags, how would you know?” 'Nuff said.

Signed, Queen of the Reich (Chris, Mike, Scott, Eddie & Geoff’s Slave)

Midwest, U.S.A.

KISS ARE MEAN!

Gene Simmons is a prick? That’s only half of it. A similar confrontation went on when I met Gene on the Creatures Of The Night tour. I told him I stopped by Glickman & Marks (Kiss’s main headquarter), so I could find out when the tour was coming to NYC (it wasn’t). So I was able to obtain tickets and backstage passes to go to Glens Falls, NY. I thought it was great. My friend and I hung out with Vinny all day, then Eric came in and we were having a great time, then Paul soon followed in his tracks. And they were all great guys. Then at last Gene entered (his ego came in first). I asked for an autograph. He said he was too busy (yeah, too busy eating Hostess Cakes). Then about a half-hour later, he agreed to sign my picture. He told me he liked the picture and I told him I went to Glickman & Marks to get it and he blew up. He told me it wasn’t a fan club, and asked me not to bother to go there anymore. I asked him what happened to the fan club and he just walked away.

I grew up in NYC and I know a lot of people who know the band, and I’ve met them on several occasions and heard stories of how Gene told Ace he was fired and Ace pulled a gun on him, and why Vinny was fired. Paul and Gene didn’t want to pay him for the songs he wrote on Lick It Up. If you want to hear a better version of “On The Eighth Day,” check out Vinny’s old band, Warrior. They have a song that Vinny wrote called “The Boys Are Gonna Rock.” It’ll blow you away. I have a demo tape of Lick It Up and you wouldn’t believe it. Gene singing “Fits Like A Glove.” You’ll laugh, this guy’s a joke. Does anyone know that Rick Derringer plays the guitar solo on “Exciter,” or Peter threw Gene out of his house when he tried to compare “A World Without Heroes" to "Beth”?

To end this letter, I have one question for Gene. In 1967, you did a solo song “My Ring Dong Do." What does that mean, asshole?

P.S. Gene’s real name is “Chaim Klein.”

P.P.S. One more question. I have a tape of Ki9« doing “Whole Lotta Love," "Johnny B. Goode,” “Hey Joe” and others like “Tossin And Turnin’’ and “Radio Active.” Why don’t they do them in the U.S.?

Another Disgusted Fan

New York, NY

KISS ARE GREAT

I am writing in response to a letter you printed in your August '85 issue.

I know this was a while ago, but there seems to be about five fools who call themselves the Queen of the Reich.

I still have that issue because you printed my letter in it. Anyway, these guys wrote that Kiss has an IQ lower than that of a common house plant. Well if you have any IQ at all, you know that you don’t spell says “sez”. The fools from the Queen of the Reich have no IQ, I guess, because that’s how they spelt it. You fools (I love that word) should be happy Kiss was gracious enough to let such a s— band go on tour with them. Another thing, I met Eric Carr on March 30, 1985, and he was cool as hell! Kiss will always rule and don't you forget it.

Larry Pascale

Branchburg, NJ

YOO-HOO!

I’ve just finished reading your March ’86 issue of METAL. I enjoyed the letters that people write to you. I also enjoy the obscene words that Sylvie Simmons uses in the March ’86 issue of METAL like f— and f—ing c— sucked. I also enjoyed the black & white pictures of Gene Simmons dressed in black skin-tight spandex pants with sleeveless leather jacket and knee high leather boots with his skin tight spandex pants tucked in his boots. I also enjoy seeing Gene spread his nice legs while he’s dressed in his skin tight spandex pants with knee high leather boots and sleeveless leather jacket while Gene is holding his electric guitar between his thighs way up by his c— and I also enjoy seeing Gene Simmons sticking out his long tongue. Below Gene’s picture, it says “Hot doggies, yum.” I’d like to know what Gene meant by, “Hot doggies, yum.”

Sheboygan, Wl

P.S. You will be hearing from me again and again.

“SOMETHING OUT OF A MAGAZINE”?

You say you want more details on the best New Years Eve ever? No PROBLEM!! It all started before the concert when my husband, Greg, and I had a few pictures made with Gene and Bruce, which at that time I knew it was going to be a good

evening. Months before the concert, I tried so hard to get backstage passes. So I was upset the whole evening about not getting any. Well, the concert was excellent, but when it was over, I still had no passes. There had to be some other way to just meet KISS! As we walked up the stairs of the Omni, it hit me like a bolt of lightning...the next thing I knew, we were walking through the door to the club where Paul, Gene, and Shannon were having drinks. While I was secretly following Paul and his bodyguards, Greg was upstairs talking to Gene and Shannon. Gene couldn’t decide if Greg wanted Shannon’s or his own autograph. I finally gathered enough nerve to say hello to Paul. I asked him to dance but was rejected because of a back problem. Personally, I think it had something to do with the fact that between me and all the other women in the place, if he stepped one foot on that dance floor, he would have never made it back to the hotel room! But we did carry on a little bit of a conversation, and he is really a nice guy. The reason I can’t tell you what all was said is because I don’t really remember!

Well, that’s my story. I know it may not be much, but it was really great just meeting them and talking with them. There’s always next year! We’ve got a few ideas up our sleeves! Next year! We’ve got a few ideas up our sleeves! For Mr. Brian St. John of Canada, KISS is the best, all the rest!!

Laurie Toney

Lithia Springs, GA