They’ve all contributed to cancer care fundraising album A World With Heroes, the brainchild of rock journalist Mitch Lafon, which will soon be released via a PledgeMusic campaign.
As the musicians emailed each other to discuss arrangements, they realised their belief in Kiss music – and particularly the band’s early 70s material – was so strong that they’d have to take it further. Their determination was only strengthened when they discovered Bumblefoot sounds like Paul Stanley and Brown sounds like Gene Simmons on the recordings.
The result is ALIVE, also featuring Kill Devil Hill guitarist Mark Zevon, who play The Whiskey in Hollywood on July 24 and LVCS in Las Vegas on July 25.
Brown says: “We got asked to play on the album to benefit cancer research. It was a great cause and we wanted to be part of it – but I think it also came from a place of real passion too.
“I remember I was in seventh grade and this chick had a copy of Alive! I swiped it, and it changed the future of rock’n’roll as I know it. They are one of the reasons I jam to this day. It’s the attitude and the songs, not the schtick, that I go back to every time.
“After we’d heard what we’d recorded, we thought it would be a lot of fun to do it live. As it turned out, Mark and I had just finished recording the upcoming Kill Devil Hill album, and had a small window of time this summer before we head out on the road again. The timing perfectly coincided with breaks in Ron and Brian’s schedules as well, so we decided to put this thing together.”
Bumblefoot says: “Hearing the Kiss Alive! album at the age of five is what made me want to play guitar and join a band. I’m looking forward to playing the songs that launched my life.”
Tichy adds: “Kiss was the first band I got into. Peter Criss was my first drum idol. When the idea of going for this together was brought up we all reacted with unbridled excitement.”
