Two years after closing the book on their “End Of The Road” farewell tour, KISS unexpectedly signaled that their creative spark is still burning. The band reunited in Las Vegas this past weekend for the “KISS Kruise: Landlocked In Vegas” event at Virgin Hotels, where they not only performed together but also hinted that new music may be on the horizon.
On November 16, fans packed the venue for a special Q&A session featuring Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Tommy Thayer, and Eric Singer, with Chris Jericho of FOZZY serving as moderator. The discussion touched on their upcoming biopic, the long-awaited avatar show, and how much involvement the band members might still have going forward. That’s when Stanley revealed one of the night’s biggest surprises.
Asked whether those new projects could include fresh KISS material, Stanley didn’t shy away from giving a real answer.
“There may be some music in the works,” he said. “We like to tell you what we’re doing, the things that are planned. The problem is that so much of what we may bring up never comes to fruition, [but] music, yeah, that looks pretty damn… more than possible. Probable. I’m not going to give you any hints, but I only write when there’s a project — and I’ve been writing.”
The band had just finished performing two sets — one acoustic and one electric — entirely without makeup, costumes, or stage production. According to Stanley, playing in such a stripped-down format reaffirmed the band’s confidence in their musicianship.
“It was special for us because we know — and there’s no false modesty — we’re really good as a band, and really solid,” he explained. “You can put smoke bombs on stage and you can put on makeup and boots and all that stuff, and at the end of the day, a crappy band is a crappy band. For us to get up and play just like this… it feels really good for us… We wanted to be as good as we are.”
Even after two years apart from the stage, the group instantly locked back into their familiar groove.
“[It was] interesting for us after two years to get into a rehearsal room. It’s like riding a bike. We are who we are, and as soon as we plug in, that’s what we sound like.”
The more minimal setup also brought renewed attention to some of the band’s older lyrics — particularly those from the 1970s that haven’t aged quite as gracefully. Stanley joked about performing “Take Me” from Rock And Roll Over.
“It’s really funny because some of those songs are not really age-appropriate anymore,” he said. “I couldn’t imagine writing a song today [saying], ‘Put your hand into my pocket / grab on to my rocket.’ A nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there.”
The Q&A also allowed the members to shine a spotlight on each other’s musicianship — something that often gets overshadowed by KISS’s larger-than-life image. Drummer Eric Singer took the opportunity to acknowledge Gene Simmons’ strengths as a bassist.
“Gene is a great bass player. I’ve played with a lot of great musicians, and Gene is as solid as a rock. He doesn’t speed up; he doesn’t slow down… Gene’s very creative and melodic. Listen to ‘Goin’ Blind’ as a good example,” Singer noted. “Gene is so easy to play with, it’s, like, effortless.”
Stanley echoed that praise, suggesting Simmons’ onstage persona sometimes overshadows his talent.
“I have to say, I don’t think that Gene ever gets his due because Gene loves doing shtick. All that Gene does as far as his personality and the things he says, somehow gets in the way of certain people listening and going, ‘He’s a fantastic bass player.’”
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