Last April 10, fifteen years after becoming eligible for the first time, the legendary New York quartet KISS was finally induced to rock and roll hall of fame. It is well known to those of us who moderately understand the workings of the industry that inductions and nominations for the Hall of Fame are entirely controlled by Jann Simon Wenner, founder of the magazine Rolling Stone and sworn enemy of the band, which explains why they have induced pop and rap performers - like Madonna, Donna Summer, ABBA, and the Bee Gees- before KISS. Yes, the quartet's musical limitations are evident, not even the most recalcitrant fan can describe them as virtuous, but their contributions to Rock And Roll as business and entertainment they are more than evident. Also, as he very well mentioned Tom Morello - Of Rage Against the Machine- in his speech by inducing the band, "The influence of KISS it's everywhere, from Metallica to Lady Gaga. They have inspired artists of diverse genres [and] They have been a formative influence on members of Tool, Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, Slipknot, Garth Brooks, Pantera, Foo Fighters, Motley Crue, Lenny Kravitz, White Zombie, Soundgarden, Nine Inch Nails…and Rage Against The Machine, to name just a few"
The influence and trajectory of KISSThen, then, they are undeniable. But beyond these factors, this keyboard player has asked himself, repeatedly and increasingly, if they justify that KISS continue to be an active band, when currently music - which should be the guiding axis of the life of any rock band - is the last thing you think of when KISS it is about.
We could list a huge number of songs from KISS that occupy a prominent place among what is called –mammonly- as “classics”Of rock. But we will not. We will simply note that all of these "classics”Correspond to their seventies and eighties records. The band's record efforts after 1983 - the year they released "Lick it up", the only great hit of the second half of his career- have passed practically at night, and from almost a dozen later records we could hardly extract the same number of memorable songs. Everything else is filler.
Then then, after decades without producing a round record plate –in the metaphorical qualitative sense of the term-, it is inevitable that when speaking of KISS, the first thing that comes to our mind are their scandals; Their permanent war of declarations against each other; the inexhaustible, recurring battle between the two sides -Ace and Peter against Gene and Paul-, and above all, the enormous, massive amount of bullshit -excuse you, the outburst, kind reader- that come out of the mouth and head of Gene Simmons.
Oh, Gene. Who on stage is an iconic figure - not just for fans of KISS, but for rock fans in general- below this it becomes an absolute jerk. Stripped of makeup and without a shoulder strap, Mr. Simmons It is an entity thirsty for attention and money, capable of stamping a logo of KISS to a chuck's ass and sell it. We cannot deny that his business vision and huge marketing fang were indispensable ingredients in the success of the band, but currently things have reached ridiculous extremes, such as Kiss KruiserWhere, for a hefty amount of dollars, you can enjoy a cruise trip with the band members - in Hawaiian shirts, flower garland and all. But if this was not enough, Mister Simmons He loves -in addition to the dollars- to make public his person, via a series of pathetic reality shows that we will not cover in detail, since they have already been the subject of articles in this three times H. Magazine. And we leave the best for last: His statements. Every time you open your mouth and there's a camera or microphone in front of you, the good Gene Simmons he shows an absolute lack of tact, delicacy, and even reasoning. Among the latest pearls of brand wisdom Simmons, we can include your statement that "rock was killed by all those who download songs without paying for them" Or his racist message to illegal immigrants asking that before arriving in the United States "learn damn english”–Forgetting that he was an immigrant himself. Or the most recent one, in which he suggested to people with depression that "they will kill”And for which he even apologized.
And it is here where the question that gives life to this text arises: Yes KISS it has been decades without producing a genuinely good album, and if its members, outside the stage, are unbearable prima donnas and egotistical, how is it that KISS still valid, cramming stadiums wherever it occurs?
The only explanation can only be offered by those who have already had the experience of witnessing a live show of KISS. When the lights go down and you listen "Alright, Mexico city ... you wanted the best, you got the best!" your skin bristles and at that moment you have the same feeling you experienced when you first heard them. The show goes on and the world disappears into a vortex of blood, fire, laser beams, explosions and Rock And Roll. At that moment you forget to shit on you Gene Simmons. You forget everything. They stop the old neighborhoods they became and switch back to the cat, the man from space, the son of the stars and the demon.
And you become a 12 year old in front of them. Those are the pitfalls of nostalgia. And no matter how hard I try to avoid them, I always fall for them when I KISS it is about.
