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Lick It Up

from Lavatory by Sam Pocker

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Before the KISS reunion tour in 1996 I basically knew nothing at all about this band. As of this writing in 2018 I am overqualified to write a book about them.

While they are fairly controversial musically (it's generally believed that they never wrote most of their songs, the songs are not of any great quality, and they have passionate fans who disagree with these statements), the stage show that was created (either by them or someone else) is probably the longest-running stage show performed by any act in history other than the now defunct Ringling Brothers circus.

In 1996 a ticket broker who owed me money offered to settle up by paying me in KISS tickets and I accepted. With a few friends I attended their performance at the then Fleet Center (Now TD Garden) in Boston.

I thought the show was unwatchable and yet I was compelled. What were all these other people seeing that I was missing? I went back again several times to see the show in multiple cities. One night at Nassau Coliseum I was in the third row and the whole thing just clicked.

I went out and bought every KISS album the next day. Each one was worse than the last. I was confused as to how this incredible show I had seen the night before translated so poorly into recorded music.

I continued to see KISS, read books about KISS, attempt to listen to their albums for a long time. I wanted to learn as much as I could about how this show worked. In the mid-2000's they released a series of concert DVDs called Kissology. These DVDs (and I'm sharing this for anyone going through the same thing that I went through in learning about KISS from a theatrical perspective) were worth more to me than any college education. On the discs there are commentary tracks wherein the members of KISS walk you through everything.

I've literally had Gene Simmons spit Listerine on me after breathing fire at least fifty times, maybe more. I never knew why or how any of it worked in the show. It's all there. Want to know how I can get a room full of apathetic aspiring musicians at a Wednesday night open mic to do pretty much anything I say? I took the KISS masterclass on that.

I debated including this song for a long time and had to speak with a couple of people about it. Everyone else felt it was OK because this was from the unmasked KISS era, and was very much the start if not a major inspiration for hair metal itself.

On YouTube I love to watch compilations of KISS concert mishaps. I find it hard to believe such a well-rehearsed show that's gone on for so many years sometimes still gets it wrong occasionally and it reminds me that practicing even the most minor detail is still important.

I understand that Gene Simmons is not a well-liked person by a lot of society for a lot of reasons but I've learned to appreciate his perspective on entertainment business matters. I don't agree with all of them, but I understand and appreciate them.

I've learned a lot from KISS, and I just wanted to share my enthusiasm for the stagecraft that they taught me.

credits

from Lavatory, released March 2, 2018
By Paul Stanley and Vinnie Vincent
Copyright Universal-Polygrm Intl Pub Obo Hori Productions America, Inc. And Universal-Songs Of Polygram Street Beat Music

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Sam Pocker Los Angeles, California

Sam Pocker is an award-winning author, filmmaker, and musician. Pocker’s songwriting catalog covers over 8 albums worth of material, released by his bands The Pretty Colors, The Pregnant Vegans, and The Agoura Hills PTA. His most recent book “Where Do Incorrect Ideas Come From?” was released in January 2020. ... more

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