Kiss band without makeup

However, the group eventually found their own take on the trend. They ended up using makeup too —but in a different way. Covering their faces with black-and-white paint, the band masked their own facades and taking on stage identities: vocalist and bassist Simmons was the Demon, guitarist and vocalist Paul Stanley became Star Child, kiss band without makeup, guitarist Ace Frehley turned into Spaceman and drummer Peter Criss took on Catman.

Kiss performed their first show without their trademark face paint on Oct. The change helped revitalize the band's sagging commercial fortunes, but it also marked the beginning of an extended "troubling time" for Gene Simmons. This inaugural live unmasked appearance — in the unlikely and remote setting of Lisbon, Portugal — came just three weeks after Kiss, long famous for hiding their identities in public and onstage behind elaborate costumes and makeup, first revealed their real faces on national television during a special MTV appearance. By this point, only two of the group's original members were around for the unveiling, with founding drummer Peter Criss departed in and guitarist Ace Frehley following him out the door in The "hottest band in the land" had also fallen from the height of its massive '70s popularity. This was partially because of the lineup changes, and also because they spent the early '80s dabbling in disco-influenced rock or making a much-derided concept album. Even when they did get their act together — and how!

Kiss band without makeup

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Photo: Getty Images.

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The once-unthinkable took place on Sept. Granted, the news wasn't as earth-shaking as it would have been if the group had come clean a few years earlier. After all, in the mid-to-late '70s, they were the hottest band in the land. Internal tensions and a series of questionable disco and pop -influenced albums subsequently crippled their commercial standing. Original members Peter Criss and Ace Frehley had also departed the group, and even the back-to-basics creative triumph of 's Creatures of the Night failed to reignite their career. In his book Kiss and Make-Up , Gene Simmons reveals how the band's other remaining founding member, Paul Stanley , convinced him it was time for a big change while they were recording Lick It Up , their 11th studio album:.

Kiss band without makeup

On September 18, , the unfathomable happened. On that fateful day, they revealed themselves during a press conference on MTV. I hope it seems that way. I feel fine about it. When the band released Lick It Up in , it was time to come clean , so to speak, and reveal their faces. There was nowhere else for us to go. We did a photo session just to see what it would look like. We looked straight into the camera lens.

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As the new millennium began, KISS started their long goodbye, with the Farewell tour starting in John and more permanently by Bruce Kulick. As he details in his book Kiss and Make-Up , Simmons "didn't know how I was supposed to act, because the non-makeup version of the band was an entirely new idea. Guns Tour Kickoff: Exclusive. They released seven albums during this time, several of which went platinum and spawned hit singles such as "Heaven's on Fire" and "Forever. First, in August , Criss and Frehley returned for a mini-reunion of the founding members for an MTV performance, and on February 28, , the original four made a surprise appearance at the Grammys — in full costume and makeup for the first time in 17 years. To keep their longevity, they felt the new image had to emerge. I think it's time for them to notice a little bit more. It had to happen. And it worked. But people get onto a train at different times. Their success spiked and the album Lick It Up went platinum.

However, the group eventually found their own take on the trend. They ended up using makeup too —but in a different way. Covering their faces with black-and-white paint, the band masked their own facades and taking on stage identities: vocalist and bassist Simmons was the Demon, guitarist and vocalist Paul Stanley became Star Child, guitarist Ace Frehley turned into Spaceman and drummer Peter Criss took on Catman.

Covering their faces with black-and-white paint, the band masked their own facades and taking on stage identities: vocalist and bassist Simmons was the Demon, guitarist and vocalist Paul Stanley became Star Child, guitarist Ace Frehley turned into Spaceman and drummer Peter Criss took on Catman. Photo: Getty Images. Categories: Anniversaries , First Shows. It was nearly a decade before the first Simmons-fronted single of the non-makeup era 's "Unholy" was released. The following year, Frehley left again and was replaced by Tommy Thayer, taking on the Spaceman look. But it also signified another shift in the already fractured band's power dynamic, with Simmons finding himself uncomfortable in his new non-Demon persona. The pair would depart again a few years later. Vincent, who had taken over for Frehley only a year earlier, would soon be replaced even more briefly by Mark St. Despite new guitarist Vinnie Vincent 's insistence that it was "time to grow and change" by unmasking, the move was most likely borne at least partially to try and garner a higher level of attention for their highly deserving new album, Lick It Up. Famous Musicians. While they still wore makeup throughout the release of the Unmasked album and their Brazil show in June , things were about to change. This was partially because of the lineup changes, and also because they spent the early '80s dabbling in disco-influenced rock or making a much-derided concept album. Paul [Stanley] was in his prime. By this point, only two of the group's original members were around for the unveiling, with founding drummer Peter Criss departed in and guitarist Ace Frehley following him out the door in Their success spiked and the album Lick It Up went platinum.