In a new interview with Artist Friendly With Joel Madden, Paul Stanley discussed KISS‘s recent announcement that the band’s “KISS Army Storms Vegas” event will “transform” into “KISS Kruise: Landlocked In Vegas”. Set to take place November 14-16, 2025 at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas, this special fan experience is being created with co-producers Pophouse, creators of boutique music vacations Topeka and music-led destination experience company Vibee.
Paul said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “It’s the hotel. It’s everything everybody has expected in the [KISS] Kruises. And we’ve sold out these cruises for, I think, 11 years. So Gene [Simmons, KISS bassist/vocalist] and I just got involved and rolled up our sleeves, because nobody can do us better than we can. And we felt very much that certain things were missing. And that’s what we’ve kind of re-christened this experience.”
Newly included activities include a special acoustic KISS “kick-off” set on Friday, November 14, along with performances from former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick, Stephen Pearcy and Warren DeMartini performing the music of RATT, ex-SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach, QUIET RIOT, BLACK ‘N BLUE, Chris Jericho‘s KUARANTINE, KISS tribute bands MR. SPEED and KISS NATION, School Of Rock, comedian Craig Gass and DJ Noiz.
There will also be question-and-answer sessions with Simmons and Stanley, as well as longtime KISS guitarist Tommy Thayer manager Doc McGhee. Other panelists include KISS producer Bob Ezrin, KISS photographer Lynn Goldsmith and KISS Army founders Bill Starkey and Jay Evans.
Regarding what fans can expect to see at “KISS Kruise: Landlocked In Vegas”, Paul told Artist Friendly With Joel Madden: “It’s gonna be awesome. And we’re gonna play all the songs that we normally play, but I’ll be more like this [without any makeup] than I am… The KISS gear is hung up and that will stay in the bat cave.
“Look, I’ve always thought that you can get the biggest production and put on a big show and a band still sucks,” he continued. “A band that’s no good is still no good with all the trappings. And you could take a car, an old beat-up car without an engine and paint it any color you want, it may look beautiful, but it ain’t going anywhere. So, I’ve always thought that the band at its core has always been a kick-ass band.
“I grew up going to the… I saw [Jimi] Hendrix twice in New York,” he added. “[It was] unbelievable. It was life changing. And that was at a college and at the Fillmore East. And I saw [LED] ZEPPELIN. I saw THE WHO, all these bands, in ’69. DEREK AND THE DOMINOS, HUMBLE PIE — you name ’em, I saw all these bands. And that’s what I wanted to be. Yeah, we dressed it up, but it comes down to people committed to the music, people on stage preaching what they believe.”
The “everything KISS” paradise, which also includes support artist meet-and-greets, curated KISS gifts and so much more, will take place in celebration of KISS Army‘s 50th anniversary and the 30th anniversary of the first KISS fan convention. Since retiring from touring in December 2023, this will be the first time KISS has performed together and will be a one-of-a-kind moment for fans to experience KISS “unmasked” acoustic and electric shows featuring Simmons, Stanley and Thayer as special guests.
Official Experience Packages for “KISS Kruise: Landlocked In Vegas” — offering the KISS Army a bucket list-worthy, rock ‘n’ roll-packed weekend adventure — are available exclusively through Vibee. All Vibee packages include a suite of enviable perks including a three-night stay at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, access to the KISS unmasked acoustic and electric live shows, question-and-answer sessions with members of KISS, all panels, artists sets on the lineup and activities, a curated “KISS Kruise: Landlocked In Vegas” gift and event poster signed by members of the band, photos with KISS memorabilia, and a collectible laminate and lanyard.
For more information and to secure prime seating closest to the stage, book now at kisskruisevegas.com.
During the band’s 50-year history, KISS was known for exceptional and first-of-its-kind fan events that always put the fans first. Events like the KISS Kruise were yearly fan get-togethers that created a community and connection to the band. With the band’s final shows on the “End of The Road” world tour, KISS Army members have anxiously awaited news of continued exciting events.
Known for their trademark larger-than-life blistering performances, KISS has proven for decades why they are hands down the most iconic live show in rock n roll. The Rock And Roll Hall Of Famers who have sold more than 100 million albums worldwide have said this tour is devoted to the millions of KISS Army fans.
Last month, Stanley told Justin Richmond of the Broken Record podcast about “KISS Kruise: Landlocked In Vegas”: “ It started off as something, honestly, that Gene and I kind of took a back seat in, and, honestly, we reached a point not too far in the past where we both said, ‘You know what? This isn’t the way we want it.’ And it’s going to go through some major changes to be what we think it should be.
“We spent 12 years nurturing a KISS Kruise and what that means and what goes into it and what you get to participate in and the social aspects between fans from 33 countries,” Paul explained. “So, this virtually will become a KISS Kruise in Vegas. [It] doesn’t need a ship. It will have all the familiar touchstones that people love about a KISS Kruise, whether it’s bands playing, Q&As, contests, food available, good drinks, social aspects to it.
“So, it started in a way that we kind of took a step back to see what some other people might do. And then we recently found ourselves going, ‘No. This isn’t what we want to do or the way we wanna do it.’ So there’ll be some announcements forthcoming and a lot of stuff where people are gonna be very happy, as I am, that.
“A KISS Kruise — there was no ships available, but a KISS Kruise can take place anyway,” Stanley added. “And to do it in Vegas at the Virgin Hotel, it’s gonna be everything that people want and have been hoping for.”
When Richmond noted that a KISS event in Vegas sounds just as good as, or better than, a cruise, Paul concurred. “It will be great, and it’ll be a great, fantastic weekend of all the things that we’ve loved and that people loved,” he said. “So whether you’re KISS Army, Navy, cruiser, whatever you are, this is about to become much more. We’re really excited. So I think people should just stay tuned.”
Asked if he and Gene will perform at all at “KISS Kruise: Landlocked In Vegas”, Paul said: “We’re going to do a no-makeup set. We’ll play 15 songs, whatever. And Tommy — we’re all geared up to do it. We really look forward to it.”
After Richmond asked if the performance will be “acoustic”, Stanley clarified: “No. That’ll be electric… So it’s gonna be great. And the other bands that are gonna be announced, it’s gonna be everything that everybody loves on the KISS Kruises. I think that was missing from what was being planned. And we needed to put our big hands into this and we needed to steer the ship.”
In May, Stanley was asked by The 500 With Josh Adam Meyers podcast who created the KISS Army and when. Stanley responded: “The KISS Army, like the best armies, was volunteer. KISS Army started in Terre Haute, Indiana when Bill Starkey, a resident, and his friends weren’t getting any KISS music on their radio station and they called the radio station as the KISS Army and said, ‘If you don’t start playing KISS music by a certain time, we’ll surround the building.’ And, of course, everybody chuckled, until they surrounded the building. So that was the start of the KISS Army. KISS Army started as not a calculated fan club, but as an uprising of the army.”
Earlier in May, Simmons told Greg Schmitt of Noize In The Attic about “KISS Kruise: Landlocked In Vegas”: “People misunderstand what that is. The Virgin event in November is really the fans, the KISS Army — they’re taking over the hotel. This ain’t a concert. No [makeup]. Certainly not. We promised we would never do that again. No touring. We’ll get up and jam. In fact, I’m not even sure how many of us are gonna be there. I know Paul and I are gonna be there. I think Tommy‘s gonna come, but [former KISS guitarist] Bruce Kulick might pop in. It’s very informal.”
Asked if original KISS members Ace Frehley (guitar) and Peter Criss are “welcome” to appear at “KISS Kruise: Landlocked In Vegas”, Gene said: “Of course.”
After Schmitt noted that KISS is one of the last bands of his generation that have all living members and that “it’d be great if somebody could really utilize that still,” Simmons said: “I like the way you think, but it’s dreamland, my friend. That’s not how life works. You can lead a horse to water, but that’s all you can do. We invited — I personally invited Ace and Peter to jump up on stage with us at Madison Square Garden [for the final KISS concert]. ‘Hey, why don’t you invite him on the show?’ I did, but they said no. ‘I want this and I want that.’ ‘Well, you can’t have that, but join us to celebrate the beginning.'”
Simmons previously discussed “KISS Kruise: Landlocked In Vegas” in a separate interview with the “Jim Kerr Rock & Roll Morning Show” on New York City’s Q104.3 radio station. Simmons said at the time: “Well, this is not a KISS concert. We promised when we sold the IP [KISS intellectual property rights] to Pophouse, an amazing company — they’re futurists — about a year and a half ago when we finished touring at Madison Square Garden. There’s gonna be a film and there’s a lot of stuff coming up. We promised we would never tour again, because, as you noticed, I’m stunning in real life and that’s when you want it… While you’re on top, get out of the ring. Don’t wait for some chump to knock you out. We’ve all seen boxers and rockers and everything that stayed around too long. 50 years, half a century is plenty of time.”
Simmons went on to say that he and his KISS bandmates still want to honor the group’s fans. “So that’s what we’re doing,” he explained. “We are showing up for a fan-run event. Three days in November at the Virgin Hotel. Be there or be square. And it’s really for the fans. There’ll be lots of questions — if they want a back rub or anything. But it’s not a KISS concert. We will jump up [and] jam, but certainly we are not bringing the flying rigs and 60 people on the crew and the jets and all that stuff… Other bands will pop up on stage and stuff, but it’s really a chance to be more intimate with the fans — actually, to be cornball about it, to our bosses. Because without the fans, I would surely have been asking the next person in line, ‘Would you like some fries with that?'”
KISS had previously set a 12-show residency at Planet Hollywood Las Vegas in 2021 and 2022 but ultimately canceled all of the dates.
Simmons told Rolling Stone in a November 2023 interview that the second Madison Square Garden “End Of The Road” concert would mark “the final KISS-in-makeup appearance.”
Kulick was a member of KISS from 1984 until 1996.
According to Billboard, Kulick is one of only two musicians to have not worn makeup while a member of KISS, the other being Mark St. John.
Kulick had performed with the band again at their Kiss Kruise events in 2018 and 2021.
