From KISSArmyNorway.com

KISS Army Norway and Voices Music Entertainment will release a tribute album next year that will bring tribute CD's to a new level both musically and visually.

- Chart topping and award winning bands from Norway to perform their favourite KISS-songs.

- Ken Kelly who did the legendary painting for the Destroyer and Love Gun album has painted his third KISS cover for this tribute CD.

- KISS-guitarist Bruce Kulick salutes his Norwegian fans by joining glam heroes Wig Wam for the hottest version of "I Was Made For Loving You" ever recorded.

- The release will introduce you to "KISSettes", a Norwegian all-female KISS tribute act that will blow your mind.

Norwegian celebrities honor KISS - KAN & VME have signed chart topping and award winning artists from Norway to cover their favourite KISS classics. Some names who also has a strong international following. Most of the artists will be kept secret until early next year, but KAN & VME are now proud to tell you that such big artist as STAGE DOLLS, SURFEROSA,TNT's front-men Ronni & Tony, ULVER and KISS-guitarist BRUCE KULICK will be on the record. KISS Army plan to reveal more names during an event for unveiling the historical cover painting by Ken Kelly in January.

Historic CD cover - Voices Music Entertainment and KISS Army Norway have managed to come up with a historic album cover by hiring the man who painted the most classic KISS album covers. VME have invested more money into the album cover than on any other releases in their 16 year history. Executive producer Stig Karlsen says that the music and the musicians obviously are most important, but that the package alone will be so special and historic that it will put all previous KISS tributes aside. Posters and promotional sheets will be made of the album cover. The album might also be released on vinyl in a limited edition.

In Norway these bands needs NO introduction, but here’s a short introduction for the international rock-fans:

STAGE DOLLS: Platinum selling and #1 chart topping rock band from Norway who also climbed to #43 on the Billboard singles chart in 1989 with “Love Cries”. Stage Dolls ironically worked with KISS-producer Ron Nevison on their hit singel “Love Don’t Bother Me” in 1991. They have also toured the world with bands such as Faster Pussycat, Warrant and Mr. Big.

TNT’s Ronni Le Tekro and Tony Harnell: TNT are yet another platinum selling and #1 chart topping band from Norway. They are also one of the few Norwegian bands to have entered the US billboard chart. Believe it or not KISS manager Doc McGhee were once their manager as well. TNT are the most sucsessful hardrock band in Norway and hardrock fans from the whole world should remember their album Tell No Tales and their hit singel “10.000 lovers in one”. The band have done headlining tours in USA, Japan and Europe and have also toured with Twisted Sisters and Great White. The two most important members of the group Tony Harnell (vocal) and Ronni Le Tekro (lead guitar) will record a song for this KISS tribute album.

SURFEROSA: Surferosa is a synth-punk band with two top ten hits on the Norwegian charts; “Saturday Night” and Neon Commando. The band has a strong fan base and the band always deliver energetic live shows. Surferosa has recently toured USA and Japan.

ULVER: Nominated at the Norwegian Grammy Award twice (Spellemannsprisen 2002/2003). Strangly enough Ulver are more popular outside Norway than in it’s own country. Ulver were originally a Black Metal band that has gone more into the direction of dark and mysterious electronica. They are also known to have done the sountrack for huge Scandinavian motion pictures as “UNO”, “Svidd neger” and Lyckantropen.

More artist and bands to be announced in January.

[Read All About It]

From GetOutAz.com

The Rock Star Gallery of Music, Collectibles & Celebrity Fine Art — a 2,000-square-foot venue that’s the brainchild of Valley rock memorabilia collector Michael Dunn — opens its doors this weekend.

Dunn is making plans to bring in exhibits of artwork by Rolling Stones guitarist Ron Wood and Kiss frontman Paul Stanley. He also is negotiating to bring a John Lennon collection next February or March.

[Find Out More]

From Harald

KISS EXPO with Bruce Kulick in Germany
On Saturday 20.November 2004 will be the only KISS Expo with Bruce Kulick in Germany!
It will take place in Witten (Werk Stadt) and starts at 16.00 hour!
Tickets are 9 Euro in Advance or 12 Euro at the door!
You order Tickets in advance by clicking here

Bruce Kulick Live
Bruce Kulick Question/Answer Session
Bruce Kulick Foto Session
Bruce Sign Session
KISS Cover Band Live (ROCKET RIDE)
Look alike Contest
Live Musik
KISS Videoscreen
KISS Merchandise

The first 400 Fans will get the KISS Photo Tourbook "Europe Revisited 76" for free! So it is better to order the Tickets in Advance! Everbody who buy the Ticket in Advance will defentiv get this book for free! Also everybody who buy the Ticket in Advance can get in the KISS Expo at 15.00 hour!

Also there will be a Bruce Kulick Work Shop for people who are interested in Guitar Licks and Tricks!

[Check It Out]

From Night Watchman of TLChicken.com

GENE SIMMONS HAS IT BETTER THAN YOU. HE HAS MORE MONEY. HIS BAND, KISS, HAS SOLD MORE RECORDS AND MERCHANDISE THAN ANY OTHER BAND EVER. HE HAS SLEPT WITH MORE WOMEN THAN YOU HAVE TALKED TO IN YOUR WHOLE LIFE. AND NOW HE'S RELEASED HIS SECOND SOLO ALBUM, ASSHOLE, WHERE HE CO-WROTE SONGS WITH BOB DYLAN AND FRANK ZAPPA. DOES THAT MAKE HIM AN ASSHOLE? NIGHT WATCHMAN GOT TO FIND OUT FOR HIMSELF.

Night Watchman: Glad to hear you got your voice back.

Gene Simmons: Barely.

NW: It’s got to be rough to lose it, and have to do a concert right after.

GS: And you know what? Nobody cares about excuses. I’m sure you can hear my voice is still a little--

NW: It’s still a little raspy.

GS: Yeah.

NW: So, you’ve been doing interviews for years and years--

GS: Probably longer than you’ve been alive.

NW: Well, I got my first KISS album, Hotter Than Hell, when I was seven, so, yeah, that’s pretty safe to say. I’m sure you get the same three or four questions asked over and over again.

GS: Don’t worry about it.

NW: I wanted to ask something different, because you must get asked the same things all the time. So is there a question you want to answer, but no one ever asks?

GS: No, not really. If somebody asks me, "What time is it?" I just say, "I’m glad you asked me that. When I was a child, I forgot to clip my toenails...." You know, I just say what I want to say. I don’t wait for the question. A question is just a button that gets pushed, and I start saying what I want to say.

NW: What do you think about the perception of Gene Simmons as a person, versus Gene Simmons as the character you portray in KISS?

GS: Well, to some people, I’m an asshole, because I win every time.

NW: (laughs)

GS: Because I’m too rich and have too many chicks, or I have too much this or too much that, and people like that are big targets. There are some guys who do very well in life, and, to other people that don’t do as well in life, they are real assholes, you know? Donald Trump and Hugh Hefner, they’re both friends of mine; I like them as human beings, and I know who they really are. But to anyone on the street: "Man, that guy’s got a billion dollars... he’s an asshole." What it really means is that people are jealous. The word "asshole"-- that’s also the name of my solo record-- is a fun word. There’s this sense about being an asshole, which really means that you speak your mind. If your girl comes down the stairs and says, "What do you think of my dress?" and she actually looks like Bozo the Clown and you tell her the truth, she’ll call you an asshole. But if you lie to her, you’re a nice guy.

NW: (laughs) It’s a strange double standard.

GS: It’s not a double standard. I speak my mind. Remember, I am an asshole.

[Read More Here]

From BackStage Auctions.com

The word is out and yes its true.....Backstage Auctions, Inc. is proud to be the auctioneer of "KISS: THE VINTAGE YEARS" auction, featuring the private collection of Lydia Criss.

The auction starts November 7, 2004 at 3:00 PM EST and end on November 14, 2004 at 3:00 PM EST.

From the humble beginnings as the only daughter of struggling Italian immigrants to her teenage years, where she met the man who would end up wearing more make-up than her for a living (legendry drummer Peter Criss of KISS), Lydia ended up earning 'rock celebrity' status in her own right as the inspiration for the KISS hit single "Beth" for which she accepted the "People's Choice Award" in 1977.

After a 12-year relationship with Peter Criss that ended in 1978, Lydia continued her involvement in the music industry, mainly as a photographer. She currently works with famed photographer Bob Gruen and is also in the final stages of completing her first work as an author.

Lydia's private collection includes countless historic items from KISS' early days such as handbills from the 1973 New York club days, artwork, hand-written lyrics (incl. "Beth") and vintage tour and promotional memorabilia.

Also included in the auction will be vintage collectibles from Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Ian Hunter, Van Halen, Rod Stewart, Queen, Studio 54, CBGB and many others.

We are honored to host this auction for Lydia Criss. Not only will this become one the most interesting auctions for KISS collectors and fans but also for anybody who appreciates classic rock mementos. This auction will be a string of 'wow' factors. Whether you see the first-ever 1973 KISS logo stamp or a 1969 Filmore East handbill announcing the first-ever US concert of Led Zeppelin, it will be an early holiday gift season for collectors. We could not have asked for a better auction to end 2004.

Available now in the Backstage Auctions Gallery is just a sneak preview of some of the items offered in the auction. We will be posting the online catalog list early next week for those eager to see the list of amazing items.

Also available in the Gallery, are highlights from the "Motley Crue: The Early Days" Auction. We had tremendous success with this auction, selling most of the collection at the auction block, so a big thanks to all of you that participated. If Allan Coffman were alive today, he would be proud to know that so many of his items made it into the hands of true Motley Crue fans and not sitting in a warehouse somewhere lost forever.

As always, if you have any questions please do not hesitate to drop us a line or give us a ring. We are always happy to hear from you.

Rock On!
The Backstage Auctions Crew

In 1966, a young hippie named Sean Delaney arrived in New York City and checked into the YMCA with only $2.98 in his pocket. Sean became one of the top ten record producers in the music industry, and was in part responsible for signing a little known band to their first six-month contract along the way. The band was KISS, and the rest became history that has forgotten his presence.

After years of exile, Sean Delaney, the self-proclaimed creator of theatrical KISS, comes forth thirty years after KISS first exploded onto the music scene and changed the face of rock & roll forever, to share his version of the story. HELLBOX is Sean Delaney’s journey; a journey versed in the trials of lucid mayhem that epitomized a radical lifestyle, and spanned over a broad spectrum of events that led to the creation of KISS. Through revelations of a fractured upbringing, gut wrenching hardships, and big dreams fulfilled, then lost in the irony of success; he survived it all and became the man that nurtured an uncontrollable rock & roll monster.

HELLBOX tells of formidable betrayals and gives unique insight into a secret alliance that was quite possibly a conspiracy that corrupted the partnerships of the powers that originally guided KISS to superstardom. This is a story that dares to defy the myths that have been passed off as popularized truths in the history of the legendary band. Silenced no longer, the first Director of Rock & Roll delivers previously untold tales from behind the mystical veil that shrouds KISS, painting a fascinating and candid portrait that depicts the band’s creation while it follows the life of Sean Delaney, one of the most enigmatic, and best forgotten legendary songwriters and record producers ever to work in the music industry.

Littered with intimate trysts, explicit scenes from his unabashed lifestyle and destructive relationships, Sean’s story is an exposition for KISS fans and connoisseurs of biographies alike. HELLBOX chronicles the soul of a rebellious young man with a career filled with achievements.

He spent the better part of his life searching for a sense of home, and an ideal relationship.

The story of Sean Delaney mends damaging and apocryphal untruths that he claims have been published over the years for the consumption of devoted KISS fans. It finally gives voice to a collection of facts that have never been accounted for, and rewrites an erased volume of missing history, which was the void responsible for sending Sean into his self-imposed exile from the music industry for nearly fifteen years. Sean exposes his roller coaster ride through life, a life that traveled through a band called KISS. Sean’s riveting account of a tragedy, marred by deception, proposes a theory that conspiracy may have rocked the behind the scenes business behind the business that became the most lucrative rock & roll dynasty in the history of music. Sean gives an uncustomary keen look into his past, and delves into the history of KISS, a history that has forgotten his presence. Now let history reflect that Sean Delaney was there. This is Sean Delaney’s HELLBOX.

Order Here

KISS Freaks Note: I had a long phone conversation with Sean Delaney a few years before he died that was used in the KISS Freaks Special Delivery fanzine. Although he did always seem a little out there in terms of his thoughts, I found him to be very pleasant and entertaining and very informative about what happened in KISS early years. If content of my conversation with him is any tidbit of information contained in the book, its probably a pretty good book. - Steve