KISS: WHY I'M A FADING FAN by Wally Wingert

What I've feared for close to ten years has occurred. It happened to Elvis. It happened to William Shatner. And now I'm sad to say that yet another of my favorite pop culture icons has sunk to the slimy depths of cheesy, self-parody and cultural insignificance. KISS, the world renowned mega-rock colossus who combined rock and roll with stunning stage theatrics and elevated the rock concert experience to lofty new heights, has now become (I'm saddened to report) an unimportant, antiquated, novelty-freak-show who provide nothing more than a sad trip down memory lane in order to satisfy their continual hunger for the almighty buck. But to some of you this may come as no surprise.

I get a lot of e-mail from fans and friends who know I'm a KISS fan, asking if I would like to buy or trade for their KISS stuff. I got tired of explaining my position to so many of them, so I'm posting an explanation here and I'll refer all inquiries to this page. It will detail clearly, unabashedly and pointedly why I AM A FADING KISS FAN.

It all started a few Thanksgivings ago when I was in a small, handpicked audience to watch Gene and Paul do a nationally syndicated radio interview. The arrogant, disrespectful behavior I saw them exhibit there popped my "KISS-is-the-greatest-band-in-the-world" balloon but quick! But first, let's go back to 1994...

To make extra money, I was doing some radio interviews with musicians for a syndication company. I had just lost my job as a radio DJ a few months previous due to downsizing, and I was at a very crucial point in my life. I was questioning who I was, what my place in life was, and how to get there. I was assigned to position myself outside the rehearsals for Dick Clark's "American Music Awards" and grab what musicians I could for the interviews. Mostly I had to endure groups like Color Me Badd, Brooks & Dunn & Tag Team. But when Gene and Paul pulled up, my world changed. Paul's persona in particular inspired me to drop all the previous artificialities I had created for myself as a Smooth Jazz DJ, and let my inner rocker out to play again. It had been tucked away for years as I became ensconced in the hell that was Smooth Jazz radio for 5 years. Paul seemed so comfortable in his skin and I thought that was really admirable. Especially considering in 1994 very few people cared about KISS. But as they worked their way to the interview table, they were cordial and polite. After the tape recorder was turned off, they chose to put their feet up and chat, as opposed to the other artists who were quick to rush away to the comfortable confines of their limos. The fact that they took time like that showed me there was truth to the rumor that KISS cared about their fans. Heck, I wasn't even really a fan yet, but they took time anyway. After they left, I decided I wanted to be Paul Stanley when I grew up. Not BE Paul per se, but be LIKE him...confident, cool and considerate. From then on, I was a fan. Which was funny considering I never even gave them a second thought during their 70's heyday. I grew my hair, changed my attitude, bought the merchandise, learned the songs, talked the talk, and walked the walk. I credit the "Afternoon with Gene and Paul" epiphany with helping me refine and reinvent my persona so I could have the confidence to conquer new aspects of my profession.

I watched with awe as interest in seeing the original KISS back in make-up again grew throughout 1996 and 1997. I was lucky enough to see them during the reunion tour of '96 at the L.A. Forum on Gene's birthday, and again at the Anaheim Pond in 2000 during one of the many "farewell" tours. But soon after that I started to realize that the successful re-emergence of KISS was turning the band into an entity I could no longer respect. Sadly for KISS, it's been a continual "Elvis-style" downward spiral ever since. In fact, watching them perform for Dick Clark's 50th Anniversary Special was a sad, sad day. I was in the audience for the taping, and the stage manager instructed us to go wild and crazy when KISS did their song. It was actually difficult for me to maintain my enthusiasm during their number. I felt as if I was seeing a poor KISS cover band, instead of two-fourths of the real KISS. Gene was completely out of character the entire time; twisting and mugging goofily to the crowd. Paul was in fine voice, but still seemed like he'd rather be elsewhere. I left feeling really, really sad.

Though Gene and Paul often berate Ace and Peter for their chemical addiction problems, they fail to acknowledge the immense magnitude of their own addiction, which is just as unsavory. Don't get me wrong; drug and alcohol use is entirely bad bad news! But the big ugly GREED monster has clearly bitten Gene and Paul, and has transformed them into a couple of junkies in their own right. Soon, their unquenchable thirst for money and their miniscule regard for quality, had compromised the very ethics and dignity I initially came to respect them for.

To me, the biggest affront by far is offering up a group they call KISS, when in fact it's really only 1/2 or 3/4 KISS. I am adamant in my stance that anything less than Paul, Peter, Gene and Ace is not KISS. We saw what happened with Coke when they tried to change their formula! Would KFC still be KFC if they made their chicken without the same delicate balance of herbs and spices that made them famous? Would the Beatles still be the Beatles with anything less than John, Paul, George and Ringo? Like the Beatles, KISS should have exhibited some class and called it a day when they could no longer offer 100% authentic KISS. If I ever want to see less than 100% of KISS, I'll go see a cover band that won't huckster me into buying their coffins or condoms (everybody knows that real rockers don't use condoms anyway!) But their greed addiction needed feeding. So in search of a fix, Gene and Paul continued on long after KISS was useful. This urge to satisfy their addiction (as well as an egocentric need to still feel socially and creatively relevant) clouded their rational decision-making process and compromised their integrity. Now the ego demon was biting them as well, making their addiction doubly bad. Couple this with the recent proliferation of poor quality and ill-conceived products bearing the KISS logo, and you have a sad, last-ditch effort to bleed the fans they have left, out of every last penny. Ahhh, the fans. But they still LOVE the fans, right?

Let's go back to that pre-Thanksgiving radio interview I witnessed a few years ago, shall we? If you're a KISS fan you no doubt know which interview I'm referring to. If you heard it, you witnessed a humble, thankful Paul and Gene tossing love back to the callers as freely as they were receiving it. But let me tell you what you couldn't see while they were receiving all the verbal accolades on the phone. What you couldn't see was one of our favorite rock stars sticking his fingers down his throat in a mock gagging gesture while the star-struck callers droned on and one about KISS' greatness. The other of our two favorite rock stars pretended to sleep and snore throughout another caller's heartfelt tale of praise. They no doubt thought it was funny. I thought it was disgusting and disrespectful to the callers. And as if that wasn't bad enough, they quickly snapped out of their rude visual mockeries and into a well-rehearsed tone of humble gratitude without missing a beat. It seemed to me an act of artificiality in its highest form that they were stroking the caller with kind pleasantries just moments after visually mocking them. But they had to play the nicey-nice game; because they had a new boxed set they wanted you to buy. Sure you can call and gush over them on a nationally syndicated radio program while they mock you behind the glass, but just keep on buying all those KISS figures and lunchboxes folks! It was then I decided that "Corporation KISS" would not be enjoying one more dime of my hard-earned money. And they haven't since. Soon thereafter, the displays of KISS toys and merchandise started to come down around my house. The few I kept were relegated to the farthest corners of my floor plan. I had been made aware that the mighty Wizard in the Land of Oz was nothing more than a sad, wizened (greedy?) little man hiding behind a curtain; a carnival charlatan.

As I had begun making my feelings known to other KISS fans, they too chimed in with their own stories of disillusionment. They ranged from rude behavior at personal appearances to disappointment in the band's emphasis on selling crap instead of making good music. I started to realize that I wasn't alone. This feeling compounded as I spoke with many fleeting fans in person, and as I began reading countless posts on message boards that touched upon this same subject. Many would be answered with a snide, childish "I know everything, you know nothing" post courtesy of a KISS band member. This also proved that the band might be suffering at the hands not only of the Greed and Ego monster, but the evil Denial monster as well. A band as out of touch as this, is surely setting themselves up for a fall (can you say "Psycho Circus"?). KISS has truly become lazy and greedy, and the result has not been kind. They are no longer relevant entities in the contemporary musical marketplace, and their new albums often stall at GOLD, instead of going on to their usual Platinum status. Heck, even Kenny G can have an album turn gold and he gives new depth to the term "sucks".

As the "farewell" tour dragged on, it took on the persona of a shady retail store announcing a "going out of business sale" every year for 5 years in order to get business. Eventually, the public gets wise to such disingenuous posturing, and soon the swag stops selling (have you noticed all the "drastically reduced" KISS merchandise at stores lately?) and tickets stop selling (KISS has now been reduced to an opening act!). A goodly portion of the "Seven Deadly Sins" is killing off KISS! As opposed to "going out on top" like Paul Stanley promised they would do in 2000, KISS continues to beat a poor, dead horse into the ground, and look shamefully embarrassing in the process. Strangely enough, Ace Frehley was the only member who showed integrity when he quit KISS after their most recent "farewell" tour, stating that farewell should really mean farewell! Amen Ace!

But in case you doubt the depths to which KISS has sunk into Lake Outtatouch, page through an issue of "Tongue" magazine. Besides being a poor "Maxim" rip-off, it's nothing more than Gene's personal photo album, with pictures of him with an array of girls and quasi-celebs on every other page. And don't forget the ads for KISS crap every 6 pages. That nauseating formula wasn't reason enough for me to continue buying it past the first issue. Sure, I have pics of myself with an array of girls and quasi-celebs on this website, but I'm not asking that you pay eight bucks to view it.

Why all the different versions of KISS songs? Can you say, "No new ideas?" Greatest hits and "best of" packages are un-needed. The boxed set was nothing more than a compilation of lousy material that wasn't good enough for any of the previous albums. I just don't need to hear "Detroit Rock City" done acoustically, or by a collection of other, less talented artists, or by a symphony, or by a polka band, or by kazoos, or by a Russian folk combo, or acapella, etc. etc. Besides, Metallica and Michael Kamen beat KISS to the symphony idea years ago.

KISS should step back, regroup, write some new, relevant songs, get back in touch with the real world, reinvent themselves, and prove to the universe that KISS is still one of the greatest, most resilient rock bands in the history of the world. Instead we now have a fire-breathing, blood spitting retro novelty-act that opens shows for other, less interesting bands. If KISS likes symphonies so much, why not compose a completely original symphony like Paul McCartney did? They should all go solo, acquaint themselves with present day recording techniques & producers. (The production on the symphony album was dreadful!) They should write music as poignant as Sheryl Crow, Matchbox 20, Springsteen, or Santana. They should swallow their pride and team up with folks like Rob Zombie and perform songs on movie soundtracks. But they should definitely leave the tired out classic rock act to the Stones. They also need a healthy dose of "McCartney-esque" humility. The recent public tirades of out-of-control egocentrism are driving us all away. Every time they mention how great they are, it sounds like they're trying to convince themselves more than us. And we're believing it less and less with each consecutive arrogant outburst. Though the dwindling KISS fan base is still relatively large, it's the same old "usual suspects." Not many new KISS fans are being created. And the arrogant, boastful comments coming out of the band members' mouths not only prevent new fans from gaining interest, but they also serve to alienate the fans they have left. Myself included.

Lest you think me bitter, let me assure you that I am not. I'm actually quite pleased that I have thousands of dollars left in my pocket each year that otherwise would have gone for KISS merchandise. I composed this diatribe because I care, and I know that KISS is better than the lazy, sad pabulum they're offering up presently. KISS in its present, declining form should definitely (as one die-hard KISS fan/buddy of mine recently said) "call it a day."

Since this article was first posted, I've learned MORE shocking and embarassing news that makes KISS out to be the misguided, classless group of miserly old cheapskates they are. When playing a sold-out concert in the L.A. area recently, (opening for Aerosmith) they had a guest list of 100 people. All of these people (including friends of mine) had been promised tickets to the concert. The day before the concert, the promoter rescinded 75 of those tickets, and whittled their guest list down to only 25. KISS informed 75 of their guests that they were no longer welcome and had been removed from the guest list. KISS' claim was that the promoter wanted to charge the band over a hundred dollars per person to accomodate the remaining 75 on their list with tickets. In some cases, the news hadn't reached the unlucky guest-listers until they were pulling into the parking lot for the concert!! The "High Road" option??? KISS should have eaten the $7500+ expense, written off the bad situation to experience, never dealt with the promoter again, and accomodated their guests. After all, they can easily afford it, right? The "Low Road" option??? Exactly what they did. No class whatsoever. Who are they getting their advice from?

A few words from former KISS fan C. McCallum...I totally agree with you on the KISS subject you posted. They have sunk to new lows. They have been on a damn farewell tour for four freaking years now. It's really pathetic too, because I was a Kiss fan from way back. I also consider myself a fading FAST Kiss fan the way!!! Wally I ask you, is that greed or what? It makes me sick!!! And that new "Tongue" magazine is nothing but a self-serving idea. Gene's idea of putting Ace's make-up on Tommy Thayer does not make it Kiss...it's just like you said Wally its KIS-!!!!! Im through now!!

A. Madison writes..."I can't agree with you more. I recently saw my heroes open, that's right I said open, for Aerosmith. I was more than disappointed and wish beyond wishing that they would hang it up and go out in style. I sadly don't think this will happen. They have become larger than life caricatures of themselves.

Another fan writes... I saw the first farewell tour once, and was happy to have seen them in their still-original form, with the ensuing news that Peter Criss would once again get ejected from the band. But then to hear that the band would continue with someone DRESSED like the Cat-Man? I could NOT believe this. Like KISS would be so stupid to think that it’s a simple COSTUME that represents what we all knew and loved about KISS? Then I heard from a friend of mine who did some contract work for Gene Simmons a couple years back, who said he walked into a room in Gene’s home to find him holding up the Ace Frehley costume in front of a blackboard filled with names under the heading: “People who can fit into Ace’s costume.” AGAIN...that is the most pompous, egotistical...selfish and disrespectful thing I think I have ever heard (along with the account you posted on your website) about a band that supposedly cares more for it’s fans than any other band in the history of music. Now, it’s not even KISS...now it’s 2 guys in costumes that were part of a band that we KNOW has 4 members, 4 equal personas. Through the eyes of Gene & Paul KISS has never been a sum of it’s parts...but rather the sum of whoever they can get. And now I feel it’s at the expense of the fan. You...me...and the other glazy eyed members of the KISS ARMY.

And this from Gil...was listening to KLSX one day when Paul was pushing the new DVD and a caller asked about charging the fans 400 bucks to meet them back stage. Paul eagerly defended this and I could hear Paul's F-you attitude and seemingly disgust for the fans. I sold my KISS figures on ebay. Just to be rid of them.

And Holly responds..."I've heard some recent Gene interviews where he seems to be deliberately giving off a "know-it-all" attitude...the sad thing is that he truly is a smart guy, but the "act" just isn't selling anymore. And he may be surprised some day when he runs into someone who actually knows more than he does, too! What KISS did to the 75 fans who were promised tickets shows their greed - to an almost unbelievable degree!

And Lee says, "I myself have become rather disenchanted over time with the Paul & Gene Show. And there should come a point in one's career where you don't need to be so greedy. Apparently, Ebeneezer Simmons isn't aware of this. I guess all our childhood heroes can't grow up with us.

And Darin writes... "Are there any real Kiss fans left????????? My neighbor and I were talking just a few weeks ago about this subject and how ridiculous they are now. I'm embarrassed for them. What's worse is that all those who knew me in the 80's and 90's still think I'm a huge Kiss fan. I get asked "Dude, are you gonna buy a coffin?" and "I bet your excited about that new Gene Simmons reality show!" I have to remind them that I haven't listened to their music in over a decade. I cherish all the childhood memories I have but man, when it ended for me .. it really ended!!! Gene would rather promote Kiss condoms and other crap. I don't know which is more sad......... the fact that they sell garbage like that or the fact that there are still some fans left who actually buy it.

And Scott says, "I was already getting pretty turned off about the reunion lasting longer than the original line up ever did. The Ace and Peter stand-ins and the lack of new musical output perpetuated my dislike for the road they were taking. But the biggest nail in the "coffin" was meeting Gene Simmons himself. No grace, manners or respect for anybody else. He was simply demonstrating his classless attitude about women and went out of his way to put down others who weren't even trying to meet him. Sadly, he was a real jerk. I removed all of the KISS memorabilia from my collection. If they were once great, I can't see it anymore. A great guy like Bruce Kulick is better off without those guys."