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It's time to meet the men behind the makeup.
In A&E's four-hour, two-night documentary "Biography: Kisstory," premiering Sunday (9 EST/PST), co-founders Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons get candid about making one of the most iconic rock bands of all time. The film charts the group's humble origins in New York in the 1970s, as they crafted their signature looks and pyro-filled stage shows, and broke through with classic songs "Rock and Roll All Nite," "Detroit Rock City" and "Beth."
"We're approaching 50 years of doing this, wearing more makeup and higher heels than your mommy ever did," Simmons told USA TODAY. "We have not played by anybody's rules, we hardly had any hit singles, but it bears noting (Led) Zeppelin didn't have hit singles either. It was more about the totality of the band and the culture and what it stood for.
"The things that stand the test of time are these larger-than-life personas, because there is such a thing as stagecraft. God bless him, but Jerry Garcia (of the Grateful Dead): the beards and potbellies, they look like pizza delivery boys or garbage collectors. I remember as a kid saying, 'Take my garbage out and get off the stage.'"
The documentary also delves into their falling out with original members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss. (The current lineup is rounded out by guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer.) Simmons, 71, and Stanley, 69, discuss touring, inner-band strife and more.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
Question: What was the impetus for this documentary?
Paul Stanley: We've done documentary pieces in the past, but they've always had a certain amount of P.T. Barnum (showmanship). At this point in our career, it was important to put everything into perspective and have an overview that bookends our history. It began and it ends with Gene and I. The relationship of the two of us is the one constant.
Question: Paul, you say in the film that simplicity does not equal stupidity. Have you always been able to brush off critics?
Paul Stanley: I certainly was shocked early on by some of the venom critics displayed, because for God's sake, we're just a band. Getting so worked up over four guys in paint is probably a good subject for the psychiatrist. It was baffling to me and then it just became funny.
Q: Is there a song or album you're proudest of?
Stanley: "Kiss Alive!" is such a cornerstone for us. It really took us light-years from where we were to being a phenomenon. Before "Kiss Alive!", people were frustrated with the fact that they loved us live, and yet when they bought the albums, they were not representative. Ultimately, we're a live band, so it took a live album that was enhanced to really bring across what it means to experience a Kiss concert.
In terms of a wealth of songs that have endured, I would have to say "Destroyer." And "Sonic Boom," which really was a chance for the current band to put a stamp on some material and on our identity so it wasn't purely about the past.
Q: Gene, you've been sober your whole life. Are you surprised you never tried drugs or alcohol, given how much you were surrounded by that stuff?
Simmons: I wasn't surprised, in the same way that if you're standing on a street corner and you're tempted to cross while the light is red, but just before you do that, you see a truck run over a guy who decided to cross. When the light is red, you think twice about it. You're just not going to say anything clever when you're high or drunk. You're probably going to throw up on your girlfriend's shoes. The next day, you're going to wake up dazed or with a headache. And it costs money! I don't get it.
Q: At what point did you know that Peter and Ace's partying was a problem for the band?
Simmons: The drugs and alcohol started to take effect within two years. It started to affect the band, and the only reason we kept the boat afloat and tried to pretend there's no trouble in paradise is that we didn't want to upset the fans. When we were recording "Destroyer," Ace didn't show up. It was time for him to play solos and I literally called him and said, "Hey you got to be down here," and he told me, "I can't, I got a card game." And Peter was furious that Bob Ezrin, our producer at the time, was telling him how to drum. There were shouting matches and we had to leave the studio.
The Jekyll and Hyde of chemicals and alcohol really changes people. You're possessed. And being in a band is much harder than marriage. You're with each other 24 hours a day, and you gotta be professional. Not everybody has the DNA to run a marathon. Some people can just run short sprints and that's it.
Q: Peter barred you from using "Beth" in the documentary. And yet, Paul, you say that you're not hurt by that.
Stanley: It's sad, because it's a snapshot of somebody who has made a life of shooting themselves in the foot. When you do things like that, the only person who ultimately gets hurt is you. I don't want to throw stones and I don't want to disparage anybody, and at the same time, the truth is the truth. The band could never have existed without Peter and Ace in the beginning, and the band also couldn't exist today with them.
Q: Did you guys personally ask Peter and Ace to participate in the film?
Stanley: We had numerous people ask them and unfortunately, their demands were unrealistic. (They wanted) editing approval and final approval. Once again, it's the usual nonsense and we'll just go forward.
Q: How do you feel about getting back on the road in August?
Stanley: To be honest, it's daunting. It's like looking up at a mountain you climbed and knowing you can do it, but it takes a lot of effort to get to that point. Luckily, I ride a bike two to three times a week for 25 miles and and I stay in shape. But nonetheless, (it's intimidating) to live up to what people are expecting, particularly on the End of the Road tour. It's one last chance to give all the fans who have stood by us for so long the show and the setlist that highlight who we are and what we've done.
Q: Beyond this next year of shows, would you like to keep the tour going for much longer?
Simmons: No, because there's a pride and self-respect. When you get to a certain age, you really should get off the stage. And in all honesty, I could have been smarter about this. I could have been like Keith Richards: You pull out a pair of sneakers and a shirt, strum your guitar and you don't have to sweat. No, I had to wear seven-inch platform dragon boots – each one weighs as much as a bowling ball – and armor and studs and two hours of makeup, and then spit fire and fly through the air. And I've continued to do all that stuff for close to 50 years.
If Bono, who's fantastic, or (Mick) Jagger, who's still doing great stuff, stepped into my outfit and did what I do, they'd pass out in a half hour. The physicality of what we do prevents us from doing this longer. And you know what? Half a century is plenty of time.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley talk 'Kisstory' doc, ex-bandmate 'nonsense'
