PAUL STANLEY On The End Of KISS's 'End Of The Road' Tour: 'We Have A Final Date Pretty Much Planned'

KISS vocalist/guitarist Paul Stanley recently spoke with Shawn Quinn of the Daytona Beach, Florida radio station 95.7 The Hog. The full conversation can be streamed below. A few excerpts follow (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On the vibe backstage before a KISS concert:

Paul: “For me, and I think for the guys, it’s kind of the calm before the storm. Once we get ready, once we’re in our war paint and fully suited up, before we enter the arena, we’re kind of just kicking our legs and moving around. It’s kind of like the fighter in the corner before the bell rings. Those moments leading up to it are all prep. It’s like putting your foot on that launch before you run the race.”

On KISS‘s induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2014:

Paul: “It was validation for our fans, who it meant the world to. Tom Morello did just a brilliant job. It was vindication in the sense that the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame kept us out for 17 years, and were really left with no choice but to begrudgingly let us in. They treated us like crap, even that night. We had trouble — how about this? — getting into the arena. We had no idea about the rundown of the show or when we were getting on stage. It was disgraceful what they did, but we won. It’s the story of KISS from the beginning – that people who believed in themselves and who were told that what they were doing wasn’t worth anything and wouldn’t succeed came out on top.”

On “Backstage Pass”, his new follow-up book to 2014’s “Face The Music”:

Paul: “What people loved about [‘Face The Music’] when I spoke with them was that it really was pretty raw in terms of getting a glimpse into who I am and what I’ve been through. I’m deaf on my right side. I was born without an ear. Life wasn’t great, and there were all kinds of struggles, but my choice was to either roll up my sleeves and play with the cards that I was dealt and do my best to win, or to wallow in self-pity. We’re all faced with that to some degree or another. ‘Backstage Pass’ is a continuation. Is it a self-help book, a self-improvement book? Yeah, in the sense that the only person who can improve you and help you is you, so my book is really about how I dealt with things, because I can’t tell you how to live your life. Maybe I can inspire you a little by what I’ve done, and it hasn’t always been easy. Life is an ongoing challenge, but I want to break down that barrier between me and people who look up to me and let them know that we’re walking the same road.”

On his father:

Paul: “My dad’s 99 now, and I have a relationship with him that I never could have imagined. He’s everything to me. I was with him yesterday. He’s totally all there. He reads The New York Times every day. He goes out to lunch. He was at our Los Angeles show [in February] and is coming to the next one. If you’d told me 10 years ago that it would be like that now, I’d say you’re crazy. The interesting thing even between ‘Face The Music’ and ‘Backstage Pass’ is how life goes on and evolves. That’s part of the interesting and exciting part about it.”

On the song “Detroit Rock City”:

Paul: “We wanted to have the beginning of it be kind of cinematic and set up the story, so the beginning of the song actually tells the narrative and the story of what happens during the song. The song really, although it’s a song that sings about the incredible town of Detroit and how rock means so much to them and to us, it’s also about somebody trying to get to a concert who doesn’t make it.”

On when the band’s ongoing “End Of The Road” farewell tour will wrap up:

Paul: “We do have a final date pretty much planned. We’re not announcing it yet, but it would be crazy to have the ‘End Of The Road’ tour that never ends, so yes, it does end.”

On whether KISS will record any new music before or after the tour’s finale:

Paul: “I can’t really see it at this point, but then again, I never thought I’d write a book, let alone two books. I don’t see it, but who knows?”

On his previous comments suggesting that KISS could continue without any original members:

Paul: “A band, an army, a team is about spirit. It’s not about the individuals, because members come and go in sports. If somebody falls on the field during a battle in an army, someone else picks up the flag. What I do on stage, I didn’t invent the wheel. I’m a combination of all the people who inspired me, and hopefully there’s someone else out there who could pick up the guitar and run with it also. A lot of of bands over the years [have changed members]. Steve Perry — brilliant singer, but Arnel‘s [Pineda] doing a great job. I would be full of myself to say that this can’t continue without me.”

“Backstage Pass” was released on April 30 via HarperCollins.

KISS kicked off the initial European leg of its “End Of The Road” farewell tour on May 27 in Leipzig, Germany. The tour is expected to continue through 2020.

Fonte: Blabbermouth.net