KISS’s PAUL STANLEY: ‘I Never Found Any Of The Songs We Play To Be A Chore’

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In a new interview with Forbes, KISS frontman Paul Stanley was asked if there are any songs he is particularly excited to do at the band's New Year's Eve concert after not getting to play them for almost a year. He responded: "I never found any of the songs we play to be a chore. We are very lucky that we have so many songs that are considered classics, and that alone makes it exciting for me to play them, because I know the joy that it's giving other people and the pride I have in having a hand in those songs. So it's never been a chore for me and we've never thought, 'Hey, let's turn 'Shout It Out Loud' into a reggae tune cause we're bored.' You owe your audience exactly what they expect and more. For us, if somebody's been waiting, and I remember from when I was a kid going to concerts and even in the last few years, if you go to see somebody and you're anticipating hearing a song, by god, you want to hear it the way you expect to be, not changed because they're tired of playing it. This is my only night at your show, you damn well should play the song the way I know it. Stanley went on to say that he has a new appreciation for some of the KISS songs after performing them for more than 40 years. "Certainly with 'Rock And Roll All Night', it's amazing over the decades how it's resonated and only built in stature," he said. "And I remember sitting in a hotel room on Sunset Blvd. and coming up with the chorus. So that's the power of music. It's not lost on me and yes, when we're rehearsing, I go, 'Wow, we're KISS and these songs are great.' When we start 'Detroit Rock City', I go, 'Wow, this is potent stuff.'" Last month, KISS announced a New Year's Eve concert at the Atlantis resort in Dubai. Landmarks Live Presents will produce the show live from The Royal Beach at Atlantis Dubai. The show producers claim the event, which will apparently attempt to set the world's record for largest pyro, will be filmed with more than 50 cameras and 360-degree views. It will be seen via livestream, with a ticket purchase on any computer, mobile device, or Apple TV. KISS launched its farewell trek in January 2019 but was forced to put it on hold earlier this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "End Of The Road" was originally scheduled to conclude on July 17, 2021 in New York City but is now expected to last well into 2022. KISS's current lineup consists of original members Stanley and Gene Simmons (bass, vocals), alongside later band additions, guitarist Tommy Thayer (since 2002) and drummer Eric Singer (on and off since 1991). Formed in 1973 by Stanley, Simmons, Peter Criss (drums) and Ace Frehley (guitar), KISS staged its first "farewell" tour in 2000, the last to feature the group's original lineup. In its 47-year career, KISS has accumulated 23 gold and platinum albums — more than any other U.S. band.