Rev.Speats'Blog Cabin

Back with a KISS!

Nearly thirty years ago and barely out of pre-school I was all about KISS, I had the lunchbox, the dolls, and of course the music. Long after the collectibles went the way of my hairline, the music remained. It’s never been easy to be a KISS fan – we’re the Rodney Dangerfields, we (like the band) get no respect….but KISS never were about respect or approval from the Lester Bangs and David Frickes of the world. Contrary to long-held Rock Snobbery Beliefs, their songbook runs circles around period contemporaries The New York Dolls. They were our Superheroes. They played guitars, breathed fire, and were (are) larger than life. They looked cool. They wore their British Invasion influences proudly…Gene. Paul. Ace. Peter. For millions of us they were our John, Paul, George, and Ringo. The fans always came first (and still do). Yes they are overly-marketed and Gene Simmons will put KISS’s name on anything that doesn’t move these days, but as I said before, the music remains. Their live show (often imitated but never topped) remains the standard-bearer for Heavy Metal spectacle.

Nearly thirty years later after I first lept off my bed and air-guitared my way thru “Detroit Rock City”, I stood proudly last night amongst my fellow KISS army members and watched Paul Stanley rock the House of Blues in Hollywood and couldn’t stop thinking how fucking cool it is to be a fan of this band and marveled at the journey thus far. I guess in this particular army, you could call me a lifer. And you gotta respect that.