January 21, 2003

Aerosmith, Kiss Hitting The Road Together

By Jon Wiederhorn (MTV.com)

In the latest leg of what must be the longest farewell tour in rock history, Kiss will play arenas in North America this summer with Aerosmith.

No dates have been scheduled yet, and it is unknown whether the bands will co-headline or if Kiss will go on last every night, according to a source close to Kiss.

The planning has been long in the works. For more than a year, rumors have circulated that the two rock legends wanted to hit the road together, but their schedules didn't synchronize until now. Neither Kiss nor Aerosmith were available for comment.

Kiss bassist and vocalist Gene Simmons originally went public on the issue in a February 2002USA Todayweb chat."Would we like to play with Aerosmith? Sure,"he wrote."We've known each other for 30 years and actually played together for the first time three decades ago. We think they're terrific."

The members of Kiss are currently preparing for a show with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in Australia on February 28."I promise the result will be no less than a symphonic sonic boom,"vocalist and guitarist Paul Stanley said on the band's official website, www.kissonline.com."Beethoven and Mozart will rise up dancing with fists raised as we unleash a spectacle that will be both classic and classical. This time it's black tie and black leather."

Just because Kiss are planning a symphony spectacular and a summer extravaganza doesn't mean they can't still find time for self-promotion. On January 10, Simmons and Stanley shot a TV spot for the Universal Orlando Resorts, and Simmons is still plugging his magazine Gene Simmons Tongue, which is currently working on its fourth issue.

Kiss will also play three reunion shows at Budokan Hall in Tokyo on March 11, 12 and 13. While drummer Peter Criss will play these gigs, guitarist Ace Frehley has not yet officially signed on, the band's publicist said.

When Aerosmith join Kiss on the road, they'll likely be supporting their upcoming blues-based album, on which they've recently started work.