June 4th-
Here is the forthcoming cover of Beer magazine. This is to promote our Rock and Brews.com restaurant chain.
June 3rd-
Hi Gene!
In his book, Ace says that you saved his life literally sometimes in the late 70`s when he was near drowning in the pool and you noticed that and you saved him with fast movements. I guess it is true, well done Gene!
See ya in Norway soon!
Regards:
Saku from Finland
Response from Gene:
We love Ace, and while I did save his life more than once. His recollection of a swimming pool incident where he was drowning, actually never happened.
It was Peter's life I saved. Peter was drunk and dove into the pool, where he almost drowned. I dove in and pulled him out.
Ace told me over lunch before the book's release that he didn't recall decades of experiences, because he was "..out of it".
June 2nd-
June 2nd-
Here is the proud Dad and his beautiful and talented daughter, Sophie. We are right in the middle of soundcheck for Nick and Soph singing tonight at Jacqui Cohen's Charity Event.
And here is young Nick and his Dad, taking a breather at the charity event.
June 2nd-
June 2nd-
Nick Tweed-Simmons, son of legendary KISS icon Gene Simmons and Canadian actress Shannon Tweed, has become a TV staple through his appearances in the A&E reality series, Gene Simmons Family Jewels. On Friday, Tweed-Simmons and younger sister Sophie belt out an evening of standards in Lulu’s Lounge at the River Rock Casino Resort. Joe Leary spent 24 Seconds with the budding crooner.
24: What made the two of you decide to team up?
NST: Our whole family have been fans of old music. We’re all kind of old souls in a lot of ways, Sophie least of all, but we all love the Rat Pack and rhythm and blues music. We found that there’s a big culture of it L.A., a culture of rediscovering vintage things in general. We always liked singing but never had a reason to do it other than for fun; sometimes we’d sing in clubs around Hollywood. Our parents got married last year and Howard Blank (Great Canadian Gaming Corp vice president) saw us perform at the wedding and decided it would be a good thing. He saw the whole vibe there and thought it could work.
24: So you perform the standards of that genre?
NST: Yeah, like the old big band shows. Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin and Sammy Davis used to do the same covers, but it was the performance that was the point. It’s a lot of fun.
24: Given your lineage and the type of music that your dad is associated with, are people surprised that you perform this style of music?
NST: My dad actually did a big band show in Las Vegas awhile back just for fun, so people who know about that aren’t surprised but considering that on my own, I’ve done a little bit of music – not professionally – but I had a band in high school that was on the TV show. That was profoundly different; it was straight ahead blues-influenced rock music. It’s a little odd. We never really expected to do this for real. We had a place at the W Hotel here in L.A. where we used to do it for fun on their jazz night on Sunday. We used to jump up for fun. We didn’t expect it to turn into anything other than a light-hearted karaoke-type thing.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
June 2nd-
Here's Sophie's dressing room at River Rock Casino in Vancouver, Canada...right before Nick and Soph go on stage to play in front of 1,000 people.
And here's Nick's dressing room.
June 1st-
The Groupies have invaded, and Shannon Tweed has had enough! Cougars, tramps, beauty queens, and bimbos--they all want a shot at the fame that comes with getting a rockstar. These groupies are relentless and Shannon isn't going to back down without a fight. Join her in her battle to stop crazed groupies from getting her man! It's not going to be easy, but with a little help from some celebrity friends, you can help Shannon end the groupie invasion. Unlock celebrity characters, earn hilarious new power-ups, and battle crazy groupies. Play Shannon Tweed's Attack of the Groupies now!
May 31st-
May 31st-
How hard would it be to be Nick Tweed-Simmons, son of rock legend Gene Simmons and former Playboy Playmate Shannon Tweed? Well, financially, it wouldn’t be hard at all. Anyone who’s seen the reality-TV show he costars in—Gene Simmons Family Jewels—knows that they’re doin’ all right in that mansion of theirs, with all those gold and platinum KISS albums on the walls.
But what about lifestyle-wise? You can have all the cash and music-biz trophies in the world, but not having a life of your own could take away from the enjoyment, you’d think. Fortunately for Tweed-Simmons—as he explains from the mansion on a call promoting an upcoming Richmond concert with his little sister Sophie—being on reality TV doesn’t necessarily mean having cameras in your face 24/7.
“It’s not all the time,” he points out. “We schedule days to shoot, and we tell them when we’re gonna do stuff together—it’s not when we go off and do our own thing. So actually we have a pretty good amount of privacy when it comes to day-to-day things.”
Once or twice Tweed-Simmons has slept in and woken up to cameras rolling, which the show’s producers feel just makes for good TV. “They think it’s funny ’cause I’m kind of a vampire,’’ he says, adding that there haven’t been many times when the intrusive aspects of the show have upset him.
“There’s a few things that I didn’t expect to happen,” he recalls, “in the later seasons, especially. In the beginning it wasn’t, in my opinion, the best representation of who we really are, but by the third season or so it was really getting to the core of who we are most of the time. So, yeah, it caught a lotta real shit.”
Tweed-Simmons’s life doesn’t entirely revolve around Family Jewels, which is now into its seventh season. The 23-year-old—who earned a B.A. in English lit last year—has done voice-over work for Robot Chicken and contributed a story for the comic-book anthology Gene Simmons House of Horrors. He also likes to sing whenever he can.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
May 31st-
Here is Simmons/Universal recording artist Kobra Paige, who writes the songs and fronts KOBRA & THE LOTUS. Their first album is coming out this summer.
Already on tour in Europe doing all the big festivals and playing alongside Metallica, Judas Priest and others.
This is the post in Metal Hammer magazine.
CLICK THE PHOTO TO READ MORE
May 30th-
May 30th-
May 30th-
Season 7 of the A&E reality show Gene Simmons Family Jewels aired this past Monday night. As one of the “cast” of characters in the show, Sophie Tweed-Simmons has quite literally grown up in public. When the 20 year-old isn’t studying at Pitzer College in Claremont, CA., she lives in Whistler with boyfriend Nick “Mosh” Marshall and two big dogs. This weekend, she and her brother Nick reprise their version of the Donny & Marie Show first presented at Lulu’s Lounge as part of last year’s Grey Cup Festival, kidding around and singing Rat Pack classics and blues standards rather than any of that old time rock ‘n’ roll.
With one more year remaining for finishing her degree in computer engineering and religious studies, she’s looking ahead to a lot of changes.
“I was ready to stop growing up in public when I turned 13, but we’re a family and three out of four votes trumps mine,” says Tweed-Simmons. “This is how my life has been since we shot the pilot at age 12, so I don’t know anything else. I’m sure it will be weird not having cameras following me around all the time.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
May 30th-
KISS will be doing a one off concert prior to the upcoming Summer tour. June 30th, 2012 = Oslo Stadium. The folks there did a terrific promo video. Have a look.
Meantime, the KISS Tour starts mid July (check out the dates on the left hand side of the page, or go to KISSonline.com). Joining us will be Motley Crue.
May 29th-
Just did a photo session for a forthcoming Elvis Tribute book.
I was proud to wear Elvis' glasses.
Coming soon.
May 29th-
River Rock Casino, Van BC, Canada
"Where The Stars Come Out To Play"
Indeed.
May 29th-
Memorial Day was a busy one. We went to a BarBQ, and then headed over to our ROCK AND BREWS (rockandbrews.com) site to eat a mouth watering turkey burger, with grilled onions. Yum.
Want 100 craft beers to choose from? Want to bring your kids? Your dog? Want gluten free pizza you get to make?
Come on out to ROCK AND BREWS.
New sites being born all the time.
El Segundo, Calif.
Tokyo, Japan.
Maui, Hawaii
Delta Terminal, LAX
Int'l Terminal, LAX
Many more coming.
May 28th-
The all-new season of A&E’s hit series “Gene Simmons Family Jewels,” premieres tonight with a special one-hour episode at 9:00 PM ET/PT. Season seven, which continues the longest running celebrity family-based series on television, begins with a shocking moment for America’s most traditional, non-traditional family. After going through their most tumultuous year of their 28-year history, Gene and Shannon finally tied the knot. However, that doesn’t mean all their troubles have magically gone away.
May 28th-
To the proud men and women - past and present of our Military. We Honor you.
May 28th-
Hungry. Think I'll go down to ROCK AND BREWS (rockandbrews.com) and get a mouthwatering Burger with grilled onions.
May 28th-
Sophie and Nick Tweed-Simmons will sing at River Rock Show Theatre this Friday.
The budding singers, whose parents are KISS bassist Gene Simmons and former Playmate Shannon Tweed, are also stars on the A&E reality TV series Gene Simmons: Family Jewels, which returns Monday for Season 7.
Sophie and Nick last sang in Richmond at River Rock's Lulu's Lounge in November 2011.
Tickets to the 9 p.m. show are $20, available at ticketmaster.ca or 1-855-985-5000.
May 27th-
The kids of KISS frontman Gene Simmons and former Playboy playmate Shannon Tweed are making a special appearance in Surrey next weekend.
Sophie and Nick Tweed-Simmons, who star alongside their parents in A&E’s television series Gene Simmons Family Jewels, will be at Fraser Downs Racetrack and Casino on June 3.
The pair plans to enjoy a day at the races and host a public meet-and-greet that’s scheduled to start at about 2:30 p.m.
Sophie and her parents were in town earlier this year for the opening of Sophie’s Place, the region’s first multidisciplinary child protection centre for kids who have been abused. The centre was named after Sophie when she got involved in the project after meeting with Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts.
Sophie and Nick will be performing at the River Rock Show Theatre in Richmond on June 1, singing standards such as Etta James’ “At Last” and Dean Martin’s “Sway” as well as some blues and jazz numbers.
Fraser Downs Racetrack and Casino is located at 17755 60 Ave. in Cloverdale.
May 27th-
And it has begun. Kobra & The Lotus, Simmons/Universal band is getting huge buzz... currently opening for Judas Priest in England and playing the metal festivals...
May 26th-
May 25th-
The kids of KISS main man Gene Simmons and model Shannon Tweed will meet fans in Surrey on Sunday, June 3.
Sophie and Nick Tweed-Simmons will be at Fraser Downs Racetrack and Casino in Cloverdale that afternoon, according to a release from Great Canadian Gaming Corporation.
"Sophie and Nick will take the time to enjoy the day at the track and host a public meet and greet starting at approximately 2:30 p.m.
"Media members are invited to attend this special event as Sophie and Nick will be available for limited commentary after the photo session."
The pair, along with their parents, star in the TV show "Gene Simmons Family Jewels."
The siblings will be in town that weekend for a June 1 performance at River Rock Show Theatre in Richmond, to feature "classic standards such as Etta James' 'At Last' and Dean Martin's 'Sway,' along with some blues and jazz selections."
Earlier this year, the region's first child-protection centre, Sophie's Place, opened in Surrey with backing from Sophie, who is currently studying computer engineering and religion at Pitzer College in Claremont, California, according to the press release.
Meanwhile, Nick recently graduated from Pitzer with a degree in English and celebrated his 23rd birthday in Vegas with a performance at the Hyde nightclub at the Bellagio casino.
Fraser Downs is located at 17755 60th Ave.
May 24th-
Part of U.S. Chamber’s Hiring Our Heroes Program
Gene Simmons Makes Exclusive Announcement Live on NBC’s ‘TODAY’
As part of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and National Chamber Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes program, world-renowned rock band KISS hired a veteran to serve as a roadie on its 2012 concert tour. Gene Simmons made the announcement this morning live on NBC’s TODAY.
“We should all step up and give our heroes, our vets, a job,” said Simmons on TODAY. “It’s the least we can do. They volunteered for us. Our heroes go and represent us on the field of battle, voluntarily. Then they come back and we throw them back out here, good luck, get a job. They should have guaranteed jobs, and you out there, get off your behinds and give our heroes a job. This is in conjunction with the Chamber of Commerce.”
Army veteran and longtime KISS fan Paul Jordan was selected after a review of 1,900 applications received by Hiring Our Heroes. Jordan, who is from Buford, Georgia, served three tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. He will start in July as a tour carpenter on the 44-city KISS tour. “It’s a dream come true,” said Jordan on TODAY. “I’ve always wanted to be involved with KISS somehow. I mean, I’ve been a fan since I was four years old. And wow, this is incredible.”
KISS made the commitment to hire a veteran for its upcoming tour on March 28, the day Hiring Our Heroes, the National Chamber Foundation, and Capital One announced the “Hiring 500,000 Heroes” campaign. The goal of the initiative is to engage the business community in committing to hire half a million veterans and military spouses by the end of 2014. In less than two months, the campaign has received more than 181,000 commitments.
May 24th-
Gene appeared on the Today Show to announce the winner of KISS' "Hiring Our Heroes" contest! KISS is hiring a veteran to join their road crew for the summer tour. Paul Jordan was brought out under the guise that he would be announced as a finalist... and Gene revealed that not only was he a finalist, he is the WINNER! Congratulations, Paul!
May 24th
Now that Gene and Shannon are happily married, they need to keep the honeymoon going! Enter the Renew Your Vows Sweepstakes, submit your #1 tip for a strong marriage and you could win a trip for 2 to renew your wedding vows in Las Vegas!
CLICK HERE TO ENTER. MUST BE LOGGED IN TO FACEBOOK TO ENTER!
May 24th-
During a day full of media to promo our new Gene Simmons Family Jewels season, we ran into the powerful and attractive Slash at Sirius... Here we are.
May 24th-
The one thing the Kiss Army has lacked in recent years is personnel with actual combat experience in Iraq and Afghanistan. Thankfully, members of the hard rock band have now fixed that problem.
During an appearance on the “Today” show Wednesday morning, Kiss frontman Gene Simmons announced the winner of the band’s “Hiring Our Heroes” contest: Army veteran Paul Jordan, a wounded warrior who served three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan before retiring two years ago.
Jordan will serve as a roadie (with full-time pay and benefits) during the band’s 2012 concert tour, which starts in July. The band received about 1,900 applications for the position, but Simmons said Jordan’s enthusiasm and military experience (and the tattoo of Simmons that Jordan has on his chest) set his apart from the rest.
Jordan, who said he has been having trouble finding a job since leaving the service, called the announcement a dream come true.
“I’ve been a fan since I was 4 years old,” he gushed after the announcement. The band’s effort was part of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce initiative to spur veteran hiring. Officials did not disclose whether Jordan will be required to work in full stage makeup as part of his duties.
May 24th-
This is Brendan Clark and his lovely bride to be, in Zambia, Africa. They are doing wonderful work bringing am ambulance full of medical equipment to those in need -- mostly children. And he and I are teaming up to bypass corporate entities and go directly to those in need.
May 23rd-
Back in March, NBC News teamed up with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to launch Hiring Our Heroes, an initiative to get veterans back into the workforce. Among the many organizations to step forward and pledge to hire vets and military spouses was the rock back KISS.
KISS's job opening was for a roadie to work their upcoming summer tour with Motley Crue, and more than 1,900 hopefuls applied. And this morning on the plaza, The Demon himself, Gene Simmons was on hand to give veteran Paul Jordan a big surprise: He had been chosen to the new KISS roadie!
Paul has logged in over 27 years of military service, and served three tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has had even more service as a veteran in the KISS Army (with a tattoo of Simmons to prove it), having been a rabid fan of the band since he was 4. So when Simmons told him on-air that the coveted job was his, Paul was ecstatic – particularly since he'd been looking for work for a year and a half.
"Since I retired, I've had a really hard time trying to find a find a job," Paul told the TODAY anchors. "It's tough for veterans out there sometimes." He called the KISS roadie job a "dream come true. I've always wanted to be involved with KISS somehow ... This is incredible!"
Simmons, whose reality series "Gene Simmons Family Jewels" is starting a new season, said that hiring veterans "is the most important thing that we can do," and warned: "If you don't give him a round of applause right now, I'm going to find out where you live."
May 23rd-
Kind-hearted rocker Gene Simmons has offered one lucky U.S. war veteran his dream job of joining KISS as a road crew member on their upcoming tour.
The hitmaker and his band are set to kick off their summer tour with Motley Crue in July, and, in a bid to give back to retired members of the armed forces, he launched a contest to find one die-hard fan in need of work. And on Wednesday Simmons unveiled his new employee on U.S. breakfast show Today – in a bid encourage other Americans to lend a hand to struggling veterans.
Introducing Paul Jordan as the winner, Simmons said, “Here’s a gentleman who’s had three tours of duty voluntarily. Paul has been in Iraq and Afghanistan three times. He’s volunteered to risk his life for you and I. He’s been wounded twice. He’s been in the U.S. Army (for) 22 years – voluntarily. If you don’t give him a round of applause now I’m gonna find out where you live.”
And Jordan was elated: “(It’s a) dream come true! I’ve always wanted to be involved with KISS somehow. I mean I’ve been a fan since I was four-years-old.”
Simmons signed off, adding, “Our heroes go and represent us on the field of the battle, voluntarily, and then they come back and we throw them back out: ‘Here, good luck, go get a job.’ They should have guaranteed jobs… Give them a job, it’s the least you can do.”
May 23rd-
Simmons/Universal act, Kobra And The Lotus is currently being featured on the Vevo Canada homepage.
May 23rd-
Simmons/Universal act, Kobra And The Lotus have been voted into Classic Rock Magazines ‘Track Of The Week’ for ‘Forever One’.
May 23rd-
Here we are about to do a day's worth of radio media for the new season of Gene Simmons Family Jewels. What's on my arm? The FIFTH or SIXTH DOG Shannon adopted. Plus two cats. One is named Chairman Meow.
We need a name for the little knucklehead.
Ideas?
May 23rd-
Get Ready to Rock for $50,000 with KISS Scratch & Win!
With over $1.9 Million in prizes, KISS Scratch & Win will rock you! Get your tickets at any lottery retailer in British Columbia now!
Check out the promo clip below that Paul and Gene filmed for these new scratch off tickets.
May 21st-
KISS's Gene Simmons liked Kobra And The Lotus so much, he signed them to his label, Simmons Records. Come inside to find out if you agree with The Demon's twisted tastebuds. Track: Kobra And The Lotus - Forever One
For fans of: scary, pierced-lip, fist-pumping, headbanging frenzy (along with a smidgeon of Judas Priest-like pomposity)
Kobra And The Lotus, the five-piece Canadian group fronted by the mildly aggressive Kobra Paige, will release their debut, self-titled album for Simmons Records (via Spinefarm) on August 6.
Forever One, the lead single/video from the new album, will be released digitally on May 28 and you can get a sneak preview below.
Trust us when we say it's a classic heavy metal video in the best possible hair-flailing, teeth-baring, standing-in-the-window-of-a-ruined-castle sense.
Kobra And The Lotus will be coming to the UK to guest with both Judas Priest and Guns N' Roses in late May; they then appear at the Download Festival in June.
May 21st-
May 20th-
This is Esther. She is barely in her 20s and she is HIV positive. We were in Zambia, Africa with our TV show...but were confronted by poverty the likes of which we have never seen. So, we are going to do something about it.
More than the 140 kids we have sponsored for 20 years.
We are going to feed 1,200 kids a hot meal, when they come to school.
And we are going to build a 4 room home for a deserving young man and his family.
And we are going to pay the college fees of a young lady who has dreams of becoming a nurse, so she can help people.
Everyone has to do something.
May 20th-
May 20th-
Here is our wonderful Sophie in Whistler...uh "shredding"... Only a few weeks till Sophie appears at River Rock Casino to perform in front of 1,000 people. Go to RiverRock.Com
May 20th-
Here we are in Zambia at the Child Fund headquarters...where we see 30,000 (!!!) Toms shoes that are being given out to poor kids. Good to see.
May 20th
ROCK AND BREWS.COM -- go there. Find out the amazing story of our new venture. I'm partnered with Dave Zislis, and Dave Furano. We opened March 16th. And we are already on the cover of FRANCHISE TIMES and have, or will soon have locations in: El Segundo, Calif
LAX Airport - Delta Terminal
LAX Airport - Int'l Terminal
Maui, Hawaii
Tokyo, Japan
And as many as 12 other locations about to launch.
If you're in the area, come down and experience what it feels like to be treated like a Rock Star.
May 20th
Rock star, concert promoter and celebrated restaurateur team up for Rock & Brews The stucco walls, primed a Pepto-Bismol pink, were slowly giving way to the topcoat, a robust red hue. Potted succulents lined the sidewalk, awaiting planting. A mature, fruitless olive tree, rescued from Disneyland for $2,000, dangled precariously from a crane lowering it into a prepared hole where the parking lot meets the building's entrance. Flat-screen TVs were hoisted into high places, picnic tables arranged and window glass installed. The "marquee," spelling out Rock & Brews, was lifted into place above the street-corner entrance.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
May 18th-
Simmons/Universal Records is proud to announce the signing of Kobra & The Lotus. There is more metal per square inch on their debut album, as the Gods in heaven can endure. Led by Kobra Paige, who writes and performs the songs, this band will destroy all in its path.
Kobra & The Lotus are currently touring Europe, opening for the likes of Judas Priest and Guns N' Roses, as well as playing all the major Euro Festivals.
Keep your eyes peeled for this very important band.
May 18th-
KISS Meet & Greet and VIP packages for 'THE TOUR' are selling quickly! Only a limited number of packages remain for most shows. Act now if you plan on having the ultimate KISS experience!
The following cities are either SOLD OUT or only have a few packages remaining.
Virginia Beach (7/21), Atlanta (7/25), Charlotte (7/25), Birmingham (7/31), The Woodlands, TX (8/3), Dallas (8/4), Englewood (8/8), Las Vegas (8/11), Irvine (8/14), Tulsa (8/26), St. Louis (8/27), Cincinnati (8/31), Indianapolis (9/1), Detroit (9/5), Chicago (9/7), Toronto (9/13), Mansfield (9/16), Camden (9/19) and Wantagh (9/22).
Here's your chance to have the ultimate KISS experience on "THE TOUR" 2012 tour! Enjoy a KISS VIP Tour package, or a KISS Meet & Greet package that includes exclusive access to KISS' preshow soundcheck!
KISS - Meet & Greet + Soundcheck Package
Package includes:
- One reserved tickets located in the first 10 rows of the stage
- Exclusive Meet & Greet with KISS
- Personal Photograph with KISS
- Autograph Session with KISS
- Exclusive access to KISS's Preshow Soundcheck
- Specially Designed KISS Tour Shirt
- Custom Designed, KISS Ring (18k gold plated, exclusive to ticket packages)
- Set of Official KISS Guitar Picks (with custom case)
- Official Meet & Greet Laminate
- Commemorative VIP Ticket
- Crowd- free merchandise shopping
- On-site VIP Host
KISS - VIP Tour Package
Package includes:
- One reserved tickets located in the first 15 rows of the stage
- Specially Designed KISS Tour Shirt
- Custom Designed, KISS Ring (18k gold plated, exclusive to ticket packages)
- Set of Official KISS Guitar Picks (with custom case)
- Official VIP Laminate
- Commemorative VIP Ticket
- Crowd- free merchandise shopping
- On-site VIP Host
Visit www.vipnation.com to order!
May 17th-
A sad goodbye to Donna Summer. Gracious. Caring. She sang on Burnin' Up With Fever on my solo album. She will be missed.
May 17th-
Here we are on a nice, sunny day in Cannes, France. Yes, I'm holding a nice, fashionable handbag.
What of it.
May 17th-
While filming our TV show in Zambia, Africa...Francisco, our sound guy came across this -- a Ten Trillion Dollar bill from Zimbabwe. It is now out of circulation. But folks, this is real. It bought you a loaf of bread. Believe it or not. Francisco is the one with the hat.
And that's Francisco showing a little girl in Zambia how a soundman from LA does his job.
May 17th-
What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas or so they say! Celebrating our 15th anniversary, Rock N Roll Fantasy Camp is proud to announce the next installment of our highly successful music-magic experience taking place in sin city this coming Fall. Headlining the October camp at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas will be co-founder and bassist for KISS and the face of A&E's Gene Simmons Family Jewels iconic rock god and media mogul Gene Simmons.
"I can't think of a better way to kick off our next installment of Rock & Roll Fantasy Camp in Las Vegas with none other than rock god Gene Simmons," says Rock & Roll Fantasy Camp founder David Fishof.
"I can't wait to reveal the secrets of becoming a rock star," says Gene Simmons. "Rock & Roll Fantasy Camp is a grueling, military style musical training process. And I'm just the guy to be your Sergeant. Now, drop and give me twenty."
Kicking off October 10th and culminating October 14th Gene Simmons will jam with campers of all talent levels providing them a taste of what it's like to live the rock and roll lifestyle and a memory that will last a lifetime. The camp will host special rock stars including Zakk Wylde (Ozzy Osbourne guitarist, Black Label Society), Vince Neil (Motley Crue), and Sebastian Bach (Skid Row).
The rock camps allow music fans a chance to jam nightly with legendary rock stars, write and record an original song and perform live on stage in front of family and friends. Campers have the option of purchasing a three-day rock star package or five day headliner experience. Both packages will cover hotel accommodations, breakfast/lunch, daily classes and jam session, opening night dinner and cocktail party as well as a DVD copy of the final concert performance. To celebrate the camp's culmination on October 14th, campers will jam at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas during a live concert.
The Rock N Roll Fantasy Camp is the world's only place where real people get the life-changing experience of meeting, writing songs, recording and performing with their musical heroes. Celebrating its 15th anniversary, the Rock N Roll Fantasy Camp has helped make millions of dreams come true for rock & roll lovers around the world. Created by veteran music producer David Fishof to be the ultimate music-making experience these camps provide once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for musicians of all skill levels. Rock star camp counselors have included Bill Wyman (The Rolling Stones), Slash, Roger Daltrey (The Who), Bret Michaels (Poison), Brian Wilson (The Beach Boys), Cheap Trick, Dr. John, George Thorogood, Jack Bruce (Cream), Mark Farner (Grand Funk Railroad), Jane Wiedlin (The Go Gos), Joe Satriani, Joe Walsh, Meatloaf, Mickey Hart (The Grateful Dead), Lita Ford (The Runaways), Steve Vai, Todd Rundgren, Vince Neil (Motley Crue), Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum (Both of Guns N? Roses and Velvet Revolver), Michael Anthony (Van Halen), Rudy Sarzo (Ozzy Osbourne, Quiet Riot) and many more.
We can't wait to see everyone there to help us celebrate our GRAND OPENING at the MGM Grand Las Vegas! To purchase, please visit www.rockcamp.com or call 1-888-762-2263.
May 16th-
With over 100 million albums sold worldwide, KISS is arguably one of the biggest and most successful bands on the planet. Led by the marketing genius that is Gene Simmons, they continue to reach new audiences while engaging lifelong fans. Gene Simmons may be best known as the fire-breathing, bass playing demon in one of the most influential rock bands in history, but he can also teach us a thing or two about content marketing. KISS is a rock n? roll band, but it is also a business and Gene Simmons is the CEO. Gene has showcased his entrepreneurial expertise through interviews with such influential publications such as Forbes and Business Week just to name a few.
Below are five business quotes from Gene that translate into great advice for B2B marketing professionals looking to build or improve their current content marketing strategy.
1) ?We need the people to like what we do. The more they like us, the more they will buy.? Producing quality content that adds value, solves problems, is consistent, and entertains can have a humanizing effect making your business more likeable. Likeable content translates to likeable business and of course more adoring fans that are much more likely to buy your product.
2) ?The most important thing is to use the right language.? When creating content for your business, you have to understand your target audience. What topics are relevant to them and what their pain points are. Monitor the conversations that are taking place in the social world then write your content addressing hot topics and providing solutions to their problems.
3) ?If you want to hit the bull?s eye you should do it with a bomb instead of a bullet.? Having a solid inbound marketing strategy behind your content is important to get the maximum reach. It allows you to canvas a much larger online presence and boosts the likelihood of your content being found.
4) ?In a stadium, you know the first rows of fans have all your records.? It?s important to produce content for your close community, but it?s equally important to push the boundaries of the content to reach outside of your immediate base as well. Doing so will keep your immediate fans engaged while amplifying your messaging.
5) ?You have to understand that nothing appeals to everybody.? Your content cannot be everything to everyone. This is my favorite quote and it?s incredibly relevant to content marketers. KISS has always maintained a steady fan base by giving their fans what they wanted, and knew that they would never be able to please everyone. You are inevitably going to have critics; the important thing is to not let them derail your strategy.
May 16th-
Sophie Tweed-Simmons delivered her first concert in Canada last November with brother Nick at River Rock Casino Resort.
The venue? The intimate Lulu's Lounge. Now she's preparing to sing in the 950-seat show theatre.
"Don't remind me," laughs Sophie in a telephone interview from Los Angeles. "It's really nerve-racking. A formal concert? I don't know how people do it. I'm just sweating bullets backstage waiting to go on."
Bright and articulate, Sophie is the 19-year-old daughter of KISS bassist Gene Simmons and former Playmate Shannon Tweed. She's best known for her role in the A&E reality TV series Gene Simmons: Family Jewels, which returns May 28 for Season 7. She regularly sings with Nick in a couple small L.A. nightspots, but the shows are informal and a fraction of the Richmond theatre's size.
Most of her energy these days goes to studying. Sophie is completing a degree in computer engineering and religious studies at Pitzer College in Claremont, Calif. Nick, 23, finished his English degree last year. She's also managing a long-distance relationship and plays on her college volleyball team.
Cameras began following her around at age 12 when Family Jewels made its television debut.
"It's basically my formative years, becoming a woman in front of everyone, which is embarrassing, and also fun when I look back on it when I'm older. But currently, it's just embarrassing."
She's famous as a result. But it's a different kind of fame, she explained, and one she doesn't seek out.
"It's not like we're movie stars. My family's my family, and the people who watch, they know us as family," she said. "I do this thing that whatever hair colour I have in the currently airing season, I dye it the opposite colour when the season airs. People will often come up and say, "You look so much like Sophie, but she's blond. I'm like, Yeah, I get that all the time."
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May 15th-
Sunset Blvd, Hollywood, California
Here is the Billboard advertising Season Eight of Gene Simmons Family Jewels. Actually, it's Season Nine -- A&E ordered a double series in one of the seasons...
In either case, we hope you like our little show...seen in 84 countries around the world.
May 14th-
Here we are in a land rover, at Legend Golf & Animal Sanctuary Resort in South Africa.
We are in an open, unprotected small truck. The animals, including lions, zebras, giraffes, cheetahs and God knows what else, roam freely.
Right in front of us.
Here...we have to stop. Traffic jam.
We dare not make a sudden move, because the Rhinos can just as easily attack.
And, what you see here, is HALF the size they will eventually become.
Amazing.
May 11th-
The brewpub chain launched by Kiss rocker Gene Simmons could move Inland with a location in Redlands. The first Rock & Brews opened last year in El Segundo, an entrepreneurial experiment by Simmons and his brewpub partners, concert promoter Dave Furano and restaurateur Michael Zislis.
Based on strong early response, the partners decided to rebuild the site, reopening the family-style restaurant in April 2012 with a 5,000-square-foot seating area, half of it outdoors, and about 50 beers on tap. Its rock ?n? roll theme is captured in a ?Great Wall of Rock? mural depicting Michael Jackson, Madonna, Jimi Hendrix and other iconic performers.
Rock & Brews locations already are in the works in Maui and Tokyo and at Los Angeles International Airport. Furano said those are tentatively set to open in summer and fall. Other sites are planned in Las Vegas and Denver, he said, and the partners are scouting sites for a handful of additional Southern California locales.
Furano said the team is eyeing Redlands because it offers attractive properties ? including the former train station downtown -- and because its demographics and small-town feel are appealing.
?We want to be known as a restaurant that?s fun to go to and bring your family to,? he said. ?We want to be known for great food and great beer.?
Temecula, Anaheim and Sherman Oaks are among other possible locations, he said.
Furano said future restaurants could range in size from 3,000 to 10,000 square feet, depending on the location. The rock mural in El Segundo will continue to evolve, he said, and such murals are intended to be centerpieces of each Rock & Brews restaurant.
Carl Baker, a Redlands spokesman, said the city has heard rumors of Rock & Brews? interest but has not been in contact with the group. Redlands is ?always looking for good, exciting new business to come into the city, and this sounds like something we would welcome,? he said.
May 11th-
Here we are on the cover of Franchise Times, barely a month after we opened our first Rock & Brews site.
May 11th-
This photo is real. An English dish called Spotted Dick is... well, do some research and find out.
May 10th-
Brought to you by FANGORIA, the planet's number one cult film, horror and fantasy culture entertainment magazine, KISS: MONSTER - The Official Album and Tour Magazine is a KISS magazine made by KISS fans for KISS fans. Celebrating the upcoming release of MONSTER, the band?s 20th album and their upcoming summer tour with Motley Crue, this glossy, 72 page collector?s magazine features dozens of rare, new and never before published photographs as well as new interviews with KISS members Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer, wherein they muse on the past, reflect on the present and look to what lies in store for ?the hottest band in the world?KISS!? You?ll also get a thorough, critical look at the full KISS discography; a preview of MONSTER written by the band; secrets behind THE TOUR; a look at the design of the new KISS costumes as well as their costumes worn through the ages; Gene and Paul remembering classic KISS albums like CREATURES OF THE NIGHT and ALIVE; in-depth retrospective of the delirious KISS TV movie KISS MEETS THE PHANTOM OF THE PARK and so much more!
Edited by FANGORIA editor-in-chief (and lifelong, card-carrying KISS ARMY member) Chris Alexander, this towering salute to the ever-evolving KISS mythology is one that every self respecting KISS fan MUST have.
KISS: MONSTER ? The Official Album and Tour Magazine will be on newsstands EVERYWHERE late June, and will be available to order through KISSONLINE.COM
and FANGORIA.COM.
May 10th-
May 10th-
Those of you who have waited patiently for the next glimpse into the lives of Gene Simmons and Shannon Tweed will not have to wait much longer. A&E announced that the eighth season of ?Gene Simmons Family Jewels? will premiere on May 28 at 9PM with a special one-hour episode. Last season ended with Tweed finally making an honest man out of the Kiss bassist after 28 years together. The final two episodes, which dealt with the engagement and the wedding, were the show?s two highest-rated broadcasts ever, averaging 1.8 million viewers. The upcoming season looks to build upon the show?s new success by showing if/how marriage has affected their lives.
One of the main plots will involve Shannon?s desire to adopt a child despite the objections of Gene and their children, Nick and Sophie. The show will also take viewers on their honeymoon in Africa, tackle Gene?s first tour as a married man and watch Nick as he comes to terms with how similar he is to his father.
Watch a Sneak Peak of the Season Premiere of ?Gene Simmons Family Jewels?
May 9th-
So I went up to Saskatoon, Saskatchwan, Canada with Shannon -- where she spoke to 1,000 women -- sold out. Anyway, I stop off at Tweed Lane, a street named after Shannon, and headed off to Grandma Louise's home, where niece Kyla had a baby shower.
The Tweed clan is all there having a wonderful time. And joking. And eating.
And then Shannon takes me upstairs and I see TWO small dogs.
Shannon went to visit the ASPCA and.... fell in love with TWO dogs and... took 'em with her.
She gave one away to family.
The other one? She decided to bring it home. Only one problem. We were going from Saskatoon to New York and then to Zambia, Africa (!!!) with our TV show.
So, last minute we had to find a dog babysitter in New York to hold on to it until we got back.
And then take it back with us to LA... Where there are four other dogs waiting (Snippy, Lucky, Darby and Squirrel) -- not counting Jet, which Sophie bought as a companion to Angus, a 120 pound Alaskan Malamute, which poops horse size presents.
Plus two cats, including Chairman Meow.
It's Animal House, folks.
So, here is the little knucklehead on the floor of the NY hotel.
We need a name for it.
Ideas?
May 9th-
Shannon Tweed has jumped into the video game realm with Attack of the Groupies, a new mobile game which offers fans the opportunity to battle it out with hordes of groupies. In the game, which is available for the iPad, iPhone and PC, Shannon enlists the help of a few trusty sidekicks, daughter Sophie Tweed-Simmons and her sister Tracy Tweed, who are in game as focal characters. Featuring stereotypical groupies inspired by Tweed's stories of her years being with KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons, the game allows players to unlock exclusive, rarely seen content of the life of the starlet.
As design of the game neared completion, Gogii CEO and founder George Donovan visited the family and made a surprise appearance on Gene Simmons Family Jewels, the popular A&E reality show that features the Simmons clan, to demo the game. The episode featuring the game will air early in the upcoming season.
Noisecreep had the extreme pleasure of talking with Shannon herself about the game, the show's new season and more.
Shannon, what's it like to finally get some revenge against the groupies?
Believe me, you can't make this shit up. These girls are out of their minds. So this feels really good right now. The characters were my ideas, and Sophie's, and they are true to form. As far as choice of weapons, we kept it PG this time so kids can play with it, but I'd like to do a more hardcore version of the whole thing down the line. Basically it's a power game - these are bitches from hell we deal with, just like in real life.
What are the challenges like in real life?
The difference, for me, between a fan and a stalker, is that one of them buys your albums, and goes to the shows, and buys the merchandise. That's the fan. The other one dresses up like a hooker and goes to the shows, doesn't buy anything, tries to sneak backstage and steal your boyfriend. So we've got a problem. This is where we cross paths. In the game we try to keep them from getting anywhere near the stage and there are several ways and weapons for us to do that. They know who they are. And they've had this coming for a while [laughs].
How does Gene like the game?
Gene has not tried it yet! He's chicken! And he's not that technologically savvy in terms of gaming and stuff. Then again, Gene Simmons may not want to actually kill the groupies
Shannon, kidding aside, is the game also a cautionary tale?
It is. I mean look, this stuff is true. But I never noticed it much before our TV show. You know, you're living your life and you just don't notice as much. But when the reality show kicked in, looking at so much of the footage, I started seeing things that were not so cool. I was raising my kids most of the time, you think most of what you hear is just bravado, but then you see it on tape and it is very real and something has to give. That's where this game comes in ? it's my way of taking care of business that I know goes on.
Speaking of the show, anything you can tell us about the upcoming season?
Well, the new season focuses a little on the video game and also on Gene as he has promised to try to revamp his life as it were. And I am trying to encourage him that he can still take pictures with fans and even groupies without grabbing them or doing other things - there's a happy medium between not taking any pictures at all and taking care of your fans and then being stupid! Depending on how he does will determine whether I decide to kill him in his sleep [laughs]. And Nick has got to move out of the house. He is 23 and I cannot get rid of him! Not that I really want to, but I know it's the healthy thing to do.
May 8th-
I donated 2 Gene Simmons Basses to the KIDS WITH CANCER SOCIETY... And we've received this nice note
from the television anchor regarding one of the basses.
Hey, Gene?s second bass went for 20 grand!!! (The Punisher) for Kids With Cancer Society, and then the dude who bought it gave it back to me to auction off again in July!! Those two guitars are doing a lot of good for the kids.
The Organizers would like to send Gene a big thank you again.
All the best,
Gord
May 8th-
I will be hosting the Rock And Roll Fantasy Camp in Las Vegas -- October 10-14, at the MGM Grand. Want to sign up?
Click Here
Limited attendance.
May 5th-
CLICK BELOW TO WATCH VIDEO
May 5th-
According to Blabbermouth.net, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons spoke to Billboard.com about the band's recently completed 20th studio album, "Monster", which is scheduled for release in July. The follow-up to 2009's "Sonic Boom" was again produced by KISS fronman Paul Stanley and was described by Simmons as "either the best or one of the top three records we've ever done. It's like 'Revenge' meets 'Destroyer' - just guitar and drums, nothing else. No keyboards, no little boys' choir, no strings, no nothing. Band-written; literally we'd get in and strum guitars like the old days." "Monster" will be accompanied by an over-sized art book containing paintings, drawings, photos and other impressions by various artists, inspired by KISS. According to Simmons, the book "should weigh 100 pounds or more" and come with its own stand. "It's something you can't put on your coffee table, 'cause it'll crush it. It IS the coffee table," he said.
Songtitles set to appear on "Monster" include "It's A Long Way Down", "Back To The Stone Age", "Shout Mercy", "Out Of This World", "Wall Of Sound" and "Hell Or Hallelujah".
Speaking to VH1 Radio Network's Dave Basner following the March 20 press conference at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, California to officially announce details of KISS' summer co-headlining tour with Mtley Cre, KISS vocalist/guitarist Paul Stanley stated about the band's new CD, "'Monster' is really the culmination of everything this band has been in the past and where we're going. When we did [2009's] 'Sonic Boom', it was a big task for us because we were saying, 'How do we define who we are today without losing who we've been?' So, that was a tall order for us, but once we got that under our belts, we wanted to go back in and 'Monster' is far, far beyond anything we've done in terms of 'Sonic Boom' and yet it's right up there with some of the best stuff we've done. It's KISS."
In a 2011 interview with Classic Rock magazine, Stanley stated about the band's decision to return to the studio so soon after releasing "Sonic Boom", "I wasn't interested in making an album unless I was in charge and no one agreed to it half-heartedly. The band's all there, all the time, and we cut the tracks all facing each other in the same room. Chemistry and camaraderie, that's essential. That's what made 'Sonic Boom' so great, and this album is thunderously better."
May 5th-
It?s about time! Season 7 of Gene Simmon?s Family Jewels FINALLY has an air date. We can welcome back the demon and his new bride May 28th on A&E. Whew, I was starting to get worried. The seventh season follows the most successful season ever that Gene, Shannon, Nick and Sophia had together on the show. I guess Gene and Shannon finally getting married after 28 years together will help build excitement. So what comes after a wedding? Babies of course! Wait a minute?
Shannon wants to adopt; Gene and the two children, Nick and Sophie, do not. Care to wager who gets their way? If this clip from the premiere is any indication, Gene better start practicing diaper duty. He and Shannon play Good Cop, Bad Cop with Nick, who?s still living at home after recently graduating from college. One of them is armed with compliments and a ?nice, big, fat, healthy? check; the other opts for the more blunt suggestion that it?s time for Nick to ?scoot on out there.? Any doubt who the Bad Cop is? [EW]
Tune in to A&E on May 28th.
May 4th-
KISS CONFIRMS ONLY 2012 SCANDINAVIAN SHOW KISS will headline the 2nd night of the Kollen Summer Festival in Oslo, Norway on Saturday, June 30th, 2012. The concert will take place at the Holmenkollen National Arena - the roof of Oslo - made world famous by its iconic ski jump that can be seen from all over the capital. This new two day festival will feature 26 artists on three stages!
?KISS Saturday on the big stage at Kollen is a dream come true. To really experience a band like KISS you need a stage that justifies the greatness of the band, and Kollen is the only festival in Norway that can provide just that. It?s flat out extremely cool to be able to give Oslo an exclusive concert with the worlds largest rock ?n? roll circus as the grand finale on the first edition of Kollen ever.? ? Pl Jakobsen, head of booking Kollen.
Visit www.kollenfest.no/
for more information on the show, or www.billettservice.no/
to purchase tickets.
May 4th-
'I'm Gonna Be the Drill Sergeant,' Rocker Says 
KISS' Gene Simmons is prepping the whip for his role mentoring the next batch of Rock & Roll Fantasy Camp attendees. "I intend to be a hard taskmaster," Simmons, who joins the camp Oct. 10-14 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, tells Billboard.com
"The guy you hate the most when you go off into war is your drill sergeant, and he's the guy you love the most when you get on the battlefield and all that hard work he put you through saves your life, or at least made you a better soldier. So I'm gonna be the drill sergeant and take these guys through it. They may not be able to perform in an arena, play in the band of their dreams or become big rock stars, but they'll certainly be able to step up on their local stages everywhere and be 10 times the performer they were before."
Simmons also notes that he's "going to be insulting some people, because in the real world when you get up on stage, sometimes the audience will insult you. All they're doing is telling you how they really feel -- 'Aw, you suck!' "
Simmons will be joined at the fall camp by Black Label Society leader Zakk Wylde, former Skid Row singer Sebastian Bach and Vince Neil of Motley Crue, which will be touring with KISS during the summer, wrapping up Sept. 23. Simmons says most of his lessons will be pragmatic -- "Less about celebrity and more like, 'OK, here it is,' " he notes -- teaching the campers to "know about your instrument and know how to play," develop some sense and appreciation for the business side of music and know that "you'll be judged by not only how you sound but also how you look, how you dress, how you talk, what you say. I really want to treat this seriously." Details about the fall camp are available at RockCamp.com
Simmons' camp gig will come after a serious summer for KISS that will see not only the tour with Motley Crue but also the July release of the group's 20th studio album, "Monster." The follow-up to 2009's "Sonic Boom" is again produced by the band's Paul Stanley and is, in Simmons' words, "either the best or one of the top three records we've ever done. It's like 'Revenge' meets 'Destroyer' -- just guitar and drums, nothing else. Nokeyboards, no little boys' choir, no strings, no nothing. Band-written; literally we'd get in and strum guitars like the old days." Co-produced, like "Sonic Boom," by KISS co-founder Paul Stanley, "Monster" "was written very fast," according to Simmons and includes at least one track, "Are You Ready?," that he describes as "an old song that was torn apart and re-written."
"Monster" will be accompanied by a "monstrous book" of the same name, an over-sized art book that Simmons says "should weigh 100 pounds or more" and come with its own stand. "It's something you can't put on your coffee table, 'cause it'll crush it. It IS the coffee table." The book will include paintings, drawings, photos and other impressions by various artists, inspired by KISS. The group will also be rolling out a new 10-hour DVD this year, a KISS golf course in New York, a series of comic books and a product line in conjunction with Hello Kitty that will include "everything from back to school items to bed sheets, bedspreads, you name it." And its KISS Kruise takes launches Oct. 31 from Miami.
On the horizon, meanwhile, is the 40th anniversary of KISS' formation in 2013 and of the release of its first album 2014. Simmons says "there are a lot of plans" to celebrate both. "Let's just say it's going to be a two-year long tour," with details still to come.
May 3rd-
The family of Dick Clark invited us to attend the Dick Clark Memorial. He was a good man. Always offered a kind word.
The event was kept a secret, and no cameras were allowed. At the event we saw and spoke with ? Chubby Checker, who changed everything when he brought out the twist and then, let's twist again. He became so famous, that he had a daily afternoon show on TV where he taught people how to twist... Gary US Bonds, who had many hits including Quarter to Three... Stevie Wonder, who has had many, many hits starting with 1963's Fingertips Pt 1 and Pt 2, got up to say a few kind words about Dick Clark. Jerry Weintraub, who produced all of the Oceans 11, 12, and 13 movies ? got up to say how much he missed Clark. David Foster, who produced everyone from Barbara Streisand, Celine Dion and others. Berry Gordy created Motown. He was also a former boxer, and songwriter. His career started with writing hit songs for Jackie Wilson, like Reet Petite, Higher And Higher, and Do You Love Me for the Contours. And the powerful and attractive Paul Stanley and his beautiful wife Erin were also there. Larry King got up to say a few words, as did Marie Osmond... and we saw Frankie Vallie of the Four Seasons wishing everyone well.
We walked over to a wall where artists had signed photos of themselves posing with Dick Clark. There were about 30 photos. You would recognize every single one of them. Spanning decades. And there, up towards the top, was a photo of Dick with Paul and myself.
We were blessed to have known him. I have learned humility from a man who never wavered from offering a kind word.
May 3rd-
By Duff McKagan
I grew up in a really great time for rock and roll. Three-chord songs with a couple mean riffs and rebellious lyrics were the audible backdrop to my formative years. KISS' first live record, Alive! (duh), was an epic collection of riffs and chords that filled in a few questions I had about chicks and fire. Saddled up next to my Sex Pistols, Cheap Trick, and Stooges records, KISS was the needed antidote to the likes of Styx, REO Speedwagon, and Kansas (nothing personal here, guys . . . I just couldn't relate). I don't take much for granted these days. My music career has been sprinkled with fairy-dust. I do realize this. At this point, I've had the opportunity to play music with many of my boyhood heroes: Iggy Pop, Steve Jones and Paul Cook from the Pistols, and the Cheap Trick Zander/Nielsen duo. These are the dudes I once air-guitared too.
Last month, I got a call to do some gigs in South America -- which, as I've said many times before, is a kick-ass place to play -- with a mishmash of musicians: Glenn Hughes of Deep Purple, Joe Elliott of Def Leppard, Billy Duffy of the Cult, GNR's Gilby Clarke and Matt Sorum, Mike Inez from Alice in Chains, Ed Roland of Collective Soul, Sebastian Bach, Billy Idol's Steve Stevens, and yes . . . Gene Simmons of KISS.
I'd never played with the KISS guys. They didn't have guys like me play on their records, and they don't do side projects. That's OK too, of course.
Here it was, in South America, finally a chance to see THE Gene "God of Thunder" Simmons in action. But would he be cool to travel with? Would he see right through all my rock bluster and into my teenage geekdom? Would I be shooshed or made small by the dude who I dressed up as for Halloween in sixth grade? I hoped for the best as we boarded the plane in Los Angeles bound for Paraguay.
Long-distance air travel with a ton of people shoved together can really "thin out the pack." You can see into the soul of a man on an 18-hour flight. As some got tired and cranky after fuel stops in San Salvador and Lima, Mr. Simmons just settled in, as if being stuck in a metal tube with strangers were a common everyday experience. I suppose it probably is for him and his wife Shannon. They told jokes and stories -- and wrestled. For me, this initial experience provided a first look at how this guy would lead by calm example on this whole trip. I like that stuff.
Backstage, at the second gig in Buenos Aires, Sebastian Bach plugged in his iPod to a rather large boombox, and cranked up some Boz Scaggs, and then some Sly and the Family Stone. Gene Simmons suddenly appeared, and started dancing . . . really well. He did some disco dancing, the "mashed potato," the "twist," the "hustle," and some good ol' stripper dancing. We all stood rather agape at this spectacle. The God of Thunder has real and bona fide SOUL. What the?
Gene's whole life story is fascinating. Born in Israel, he moved to Brooklyn with his mom when he was 8. He spoke not a word of English, and had to learn about life on the mean streets of New York as his mother toiled away in a button factory. His first real American inputs were burgeoning rock-and-roll pioneers like Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley. Middle-school dances were next, and he instantly noticed that if he learned to move the lower part of his body while dancing, the girls would go crazy. Ah HAH! Starting a rock-'n'-roll band was the natural next step for our young protagonist.
Gene has a natural love for music to this very moment. He can name just about any hit song, who produced it, who played on it, and who wrote it. He knows the little rock factoids that I had never heard about before (Doris Day + Sly Stone? Awesome!). His sense of humor was always on point and sharp as shit.
Gene is a rock-'n'-roll hero to me because he is just simply a stand-up fucking dude. That is the good stuff, if yer asking me.
I'm going to dust off my KISS Alive double record and crank those jams up. I know how to play guitar these days, but I think the air version of my chosen profession may just make a reappearance.
May 3rd-
After the show?s most successful season ever ? wedding drama can do that ? Gene Simmons Family Jewels returns for its seventh season on Monday, May 28 with a special one-hour premiere. The long-running A&E reality show, about the KISS frontman?s family, is not settling into marital bliss ? after all, he and newlywed Shannon Tweed have two kids from their 28 years together as a couple. The thing is, she wants another child.
Shannon wants to adopt; Gene and the two children, Nick and Sophie, do not. Care to wager who gets their way? If this clip from the premiere is any indication, Gene better start practicing diaper duty. He and Shannon play Good Cop, Bad Cop with Nick, who?s still living at home after recently graduating from college. One of them is armed with compliments and a ?nice, big, fat, healthy? check; the other opts for the more blunt suggestion that it?s time for Nick to ?scoot on out there.? Any doubt who the Bad Cop is? Watch below to find out:
CLICK BELOW TO WATCH VIDEO
May 2nd-
SEASON SEVEN PREMIERES MONDAY, MAY 28
AT 9PM ET/PT WITH
A SPECIAL ONE-HOUR EPISODE
Legendary rock god and multi-hyphenate Gene Simmons returns with his unconventional family for an all-new season of A&E's hit series "Gene Simmons Family Jewels," premiering with a special one-hour episode on Monday, May 28 at 9:00 PM ET/PT. Season seven, which continues the longest running celebrity family-based series on television, begins with a shocking moment for America's most traditional, non-traditional family. After going through their most tumultuous year of their 28-year history, Gene and Shannon finally tied the knot. However, that doesn't mean all their troubles have magically gone away.
In what promises to be the most explosive season ever, Shannon decides she wants to adopt a child, and the entire family battles over her decision. Gene, Nick and Sophie are against the adoption, and for the first time in her life, Sophie is at drastic odds with her mother. Meanwhile, Gene is trying to learn to be a better husband but is still battling with his rock-star ways as Nick is striving to emulate his father's good qualities, yet finding it hard to avoid the bad ones. From the family's adoption battle, to Gene and Shannon's honeymoon in Africa (where Shannon has an ulterior motive planned), to Gene on tour for the first time as a married man, fans will have an all-access pass as America's favorite rock family unfolds personal layers of their lives that they have yet to reveal.
"Gene Simmons Family Jewels" is produced by Thinkfactory Media and the Gene Simmons Company. Adam Freeman, Adam Reed, Gene Simmons, Erin Kelly, Moriah Muse and Leslie Greif are the series executive producers. David McKillop and Neil A. Cohen are the A&E executive producers.
May 2nd-
Shannon and I went to the W Hotel in Hollywood, to hear Sophie jump up on stage and sing a Sam Cooke song. Before I left, I ran into Pam Stanley and Dr McCoy Moretz, and we all went to the gig. Here we are sitting, waiting for Sophie to jump up on stage ? from left to right ? Pam, me, and Shannon. Dr. Moretz is taking the photo.
May 2nd-
ARCHIE MEETS KISS COLLECTOR'S EDITIONS IN STORES NOW! The biggest band in rock history invades Riverdale! When the Archies find their town overrun by monsters because of a spell gone wrong, can rock legends KISS save the day? Sabrina the Teenage Witch is also featured adding a magical touch to this epic crossover. Prepare for the craziest match up in Archie history since Archie Meets The Punisher! This collects all four parts of the storyline, reprints of the variant covers by Francesco Francavilla, and a foreword by Gene Simmons. The hardcover Collector's Edition also contains 48 pages of extras not found in the regular trade paperback edition including a KISS photo gallery, the original pitch and script and other bonus material! A must-have full-color edition for KISS and Archie fans alike!
Written by Alex Segura, art and cover by Dan Parent.
Hardcover, 160 pages; trade paperback, 112 pages
Both Collector's Editions are available at retailers and online stores.
May 1st
Rock star, concert promoter and celebrated restaurateur team up for Rock & Brews The stucco walls, primed a Pepto-Bismol pink, were slowly giving way to the topcoat, a robust red hue. Potted succulents lined the sidewalk, awaiting planting. A mature, fruitless olive tree, rescued from Disneyland for $2,000, dangled precariously from a crane lowering it into a prepared hole where the parking lot meets the building's entrance. Flat-screen TVs were hoisted into high places, picnic tables arranged and window glass installed. The "marquee," spelling out Rock & Brews, was lifted into place above the street-corner entrance.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
May 1st-
Here is cell video of us going through the airport in Lima, Peru?to board our 737 Rock 'N Roll All Stars jet. Fans descended on the airport, and the great security staff that came with us did a magnificent job of helping us get to the jet, and at the same time, not insulting the fans. In South America, our Gene Simmons Family Jewels is dubbed in Spanish. On Bio.
May 1st-
Here is a backstage cell phone video taken at the Soccer Stadium in Lima, Peru of the Rock 'N Roll All Stars singing Rock And Roll All Night? with the fans. Joe Elliott, Billy Duffy, Steve Stevens, Matt Sorum, Glenn Hughes, Gilby Clarke, Sebastian Back and yours truly.
May 1st-
Here is KISS #1 of the new generation of comics. We've been in comics since 1978, when Marvel Comics brought out our first comic books. Then, with McFarlane/Image for 33 issues. Then with Dark Horse for 15 issues. Then with Platinum Comics for 15 issues. Now, with IDW. This is the beginning. Oh, and don't forget a new ARCHIE/KISS COMICS series -- second series coming soon.
May 1st-
Hi, I'm writing in regards of a WWII veteran who was the victim of a home invasion. He is around 90 years old and served during D-Day. He has lived a wonderful life with his wife until robbers intruded his home, beat him and his wife, robbed them, and raped his wife to death. I am writing because I wish to spread this information to the public. The main news media has done nothing and I have no other power other than to reach out to those who do, so that word can go out regarding this incident.
I know Mr. Simmons is busy, but I also know that he values the contributions made by our patriots so I was hoping that maybe -somehow- it can be mentioned so that the public is more aware of what is happening. No matter whether one hates the military or even the country, they should still respect the actions of WWII soldiers and what they have done for us.
Please and thank you.
The link below is the article regarding the incident. Only minor news outlets or perhaps blogs or video blogs are the ones talking about it. I have yet to see one on a major news website.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2012/04/gannett-army-101st-airborne-veteran-beaten-wife-killed-robbery-042112/
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