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KISS and Motley Crue will hit the road together this summer.
By Steve Baltin, Rolling Stone
KISS and Motley Crue gathered today at L.A.'s Roosevelt Hotel to announce "The Tour," a joint summer package that kicks off July 20th in Bristow, Virginia and runs through September 23rd in Hartford, Connecticut. Each band will play about 90 minutes and KISS will close every night.
Calling it "The Tour" is a bold proclamation. But after more than 60 combined years on the road, both bands feel comfortable with living up to that title. "You will scream your head off until it’s no longer on your shoulder and then you’ll feel great. You’ll be drenched, exhausted, and completely satisfied without ever having anyone touch your [expletive]," Gene Simmons told Rolling Stone.
KISS' Paul Stanley has loftier goals though, namely surpassing the band's reputation as one of the great live acts. "What we’re hoping for, and certainly I am, is whatever people’s expectations are, we blow them out of the water," Stanley told Rolling Stone. "I want people to hope for the legend that they’ve heard about and find out it’s greater than that. I think that the longer we’re around the more invincible we become."
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This marks the first time the two acts have shared the same stage since Crue opened five dates for KISS on 1982, 30 years ago. And while Crue have since become hard rock icons in their own right, they are still the same KISS fans as back then. In a joint conversation with RS, Crue drummer Tommy Lee turned to KISS drummer Eric Singer and asked, "Are you guys gonna play 'Firehouse'?'" When Singer responded yeah 'cause Simmons was gonna blow fire, Lee's inner child started air drumming. "I [expletive] love that song," he said, tapping his hands excitedly.
The admiration and respect are mutual. "I'm a big Motley Crue fan," Singer said. "I've always been a fan of Tommy's and a fan of the band, so I think it's really cool."
A double bill of KISS and Motley Crüe promises to be over the top, "Elvis on steroids," it was called in the press conference. "I want people to leave and go, 'so this is what rock & roll is,'" Stanley said. "It’s dangerous, it’s loose, it’s not perfect. So whatever pop artist you see dancing around on a stage lip synching, that’s a con game and that’s not a live concert. If you want karaoke, go to a karaoke bar."
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Simmons fired shots at pop singers in the press conference, saying, "We're sick and tired of girls getting up there with dancers and karaoke tapes in back of them. No fake [expletive]. Leave that to the Rhianna, Smhianna and anyone who ends their name with an 'A.'"
Crue's Nikki Sixx didn't disagree, but took the more positive route, hoping it inspires young fans to see two bands who've persevered in both up and down times. "What I would like to see people take away from it is that if you actually practice your instrument and practice writing songs and put a hundred percent into your show and every aspect of it, from your clothes to your lyrics, if your singers sing, then this is what happens -- you have a long career and you get to go out and do the real deal," he told us. "It’s real rock & roll."
Lee suggested those youngsters seeing both bands for the first time will be speechless. "They're gonna be tripping, for somebody who hasn't seen either band," he said. "They're gonna be walking out of there flipped out. I would."
It was the always quotable Simmons though who summed up what people can expect from a night with Motley Crue and KISS. "Come out, we’ll blow [expletive] up, go home and [expletive] your girlfriend, that’s it," he said. That's exactly what we'd hope for.
Are you interested in this double bill? Which band is better? Tell us on Facebook.
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