Days of Lore

KISS Army=Trekkie convention It’s a little sad, but definitely not shocking that some 200 KISS fans protested in front of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland last weekend. According to an Associated Press story, it was the first time there has been a demonstration by fans trying to get a band into the Hall of Fame.

Only a KISS fan would do this, I tell you … white, male, probably in his late 30s to early 40s, calling in sick to his dishwashing job, borrowing a couple hundred bucks from his girlfriend and driving 2,500 miles across the country in his hoopty equipped only with a black wig, face paint and Spandex body suit.

And leave it to the members of the KISS Army to travel that distance to the HOF museum, when the foundation that selects inductees is actually located in New York City.

Hall of shame You have to give KISS fans credit … wait a second, no you don’t.

What does the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame mean, anyway? Black Sabbath has been eligible since 1995 (bands are first eligible 25 years after the release of their first record) and wasn’t inducted until this year.

But, as horrible as things have gotten—like the band still touring with the guys who do Gene Simmons’ dry-cleaning—KISS should be in the Hall of Fame. It’s like the Grammy Awards, anyway … who cares? In the words of the recently inducted Sex Pistols, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is “a piss stain.”

Don’t touch the family jewels I can’t talk about KISS without mentioning Simmons’ zany new reality show on A&E. My question is: What the hell took him so long? Being the consummate money-grubbing businessman that he is, Gene should have followed in Ozzy’s slovenly footsteps years ago.

Now, having followed KISS since I was young enough to wear their pajamas (signed by Gene and Paul Stanley; I’ll make you a sweet deal for $500), I realize that Simmons is really a boob, and that the cocky rock-star posturing, annoying as it is, is all part of his act—so the fact that his kids, 17-year-old Nick and future hottie 14-year-old Sophie, are normal is not really surprising. But using the whole rock-star father dynamic is a great way to sell the show to dumb Americans. Hey, count me in. I think I hear a cash register in the background.

But unlike The Osbournes, I don’t foresee any issues with drugs on the show—Gene still claims to this day that he’s never been drunk or high, and all he has to do to keep his kids clean is show Nick and Sophie photos of original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley today.

For the love of Manson Arthur Lee, the eccentric leader of legendary ’60s psychedelic band Love died Aug. 3 at the age of 61 after a lengthy battle with leukemia. The band was known not only for its music but for the intraband drama that played out over the years—most notably a drug-filled Lee firing all of the original members after putting out the band’s first record, and on-and-off-again guitarist Bobby Beausoleil later joining the Manson Family (he was convicted of the murder of Gary Hinman on July 25, 1969, and even has his own MySpace page).

Yet the band influenced everyone from The Doors to Led Zeppelin, and Love’s self-titled 1966 debut is brilliant—a prototype for psychedelic rock and punk. You should own it.

Ace Frehley for president—<script type="text/javascript" language="javascript"> </script>