Kiss band without makeup

However, the group eventually found their own take on the trend.

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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Their success spiked and the album Lick It Up went platinum. The same energy and drive and commitment to doing everything short of killing ourselves to give people the best show in the world. Photo: Getty Images.

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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. We were defiant. I made one small concession to the fans: I stuck out my tongue, to try to keep something that connected us with the past.

Kiss band without makeup

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:. I didn't know if it was going to work, but I heard what Paul was saying — 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. We were defiant.

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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. It was nearly a decade before the first Simmons-fronted single of the non-makeup era 's "Unholy" was released. When you saw photos of Kiss, they tended more and more to be photos of Paul. 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. The change helped Kiss regain some, but certainly not all, of the popularity they had lost during the past few years. It had run its course. Guns Tour Kickoff: Exclusive. Categories: Anniversaries , First Shows. But people get onto a train at different times. 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 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. What you see is really what just happened.

However, the group eventually found their own take on the trend.

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 John and more permanently by Bruce Kulick. The stunt paid off. 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. How Did Bob Marley Die? 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. 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. He was very comfortable being who he was — because, in some ways, Paul is the same offstage as onstage. Categories: Anniversaries , First Shows. But people get onto a train at different times. 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.