Painted Faces
A Hard Rock KISS KISS is an American rock band formed in New York City in 1973. KISS is known for its members’ black and white face paint and extravagant stage outfits. The band grew popular in to the mid 1970s with their embellished live performances. They entertained the crowds with various tasks such as fire breathing, blood spitting, smoking guitars, shooting rockets, levitating drum kits and pyrotechnics. The band has sold over 40 million albums in the United States, and their worldwide sale exceeds 100 million records, making them one of the world’s best-selling bands of all time. The original band included Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss. With their makeup and costumes, they took on the personas of comic book characters: Starchild (Paul Stanley), The Demon (Gene Simmons), Spaceman or Space Ace (Ace Frehley) and Catman (Peter Criss). Paul Stanley got his nickname the “Starchild” because of his impulse to be referred to as the “starry-eyed lover”. Gene’s “Demon” makeup reflected his his inner cynicism, an inclination to believe that people are motivated purely by self-interest, and his dark sense of humor. Frehley’s makeup was a reflection of his fondness for science fiction and his supposedly being from another planet. Criss’ “Catman” makeup is reflected with his belief that he had nine lives because if his rough childhood in Brooklyn. KISS was at their commercial peak by 1978. In just under two years, the band came up with their fourth platinum album. Their tour had the highest average attendance (13,550) in the groups history. KISS’ income for 1977 was about $10.2 million.