May 4, 2000 "Hello, Greenfield!" uhhh, Greenville, that is... KISS had to apologlize to the residents of Greenville, South Carolina after erroneously labeling the town Greenfield on a giant screen at a concert there on April 22. The band sent a letter to the local newspaper blaming a video technician for the mixup while assuring fans that "it has always been KISS' mission to give you the greatest rock 'n' roll and to treat you with the respect you deserve."
In related news, KISS, one of the most successful and outrageous rock groups, is auctioning off pretty much everything it owns from its touring days -- from guitars to sexy costumes, auction officials said on Wednesday. The auction will take place June 24-25 at Paramount Studios' Theater in Hollywood. Bids can also be made on the Internet. Auctioneers presenting the event, Greg Manning Auctions, Inc., and Butterfields Auctioneers, a division of eBay, say it will be a multimillion dollar affair, with prices on nearly 1,000 items expected to fetch between $100 and $100,000. One of the least expensive items for sale will be Gene Simmons' black leather "codpiece" belt adorned with metal studs, plates, buckles and straps, auction officials said, estimating it will go for a modest $750. At the other end of the scale, the original costumes worn by Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss in their breakthrough 1975-1976 Alive! tour could bring up to $100,000. For the man who wants to stand tall, Simmons' circa 1974 platform shoes, may go for between $1,000 and $1,500, according to the "KISS. The Auction" catalog. The group's guitars are each expected to fetch between $5,000 and $7,000, while jackets are expected to go for $1,000 apiece and other sets of tour costumes for up to $80,000. "We don't want this stuff -- the great outfits and guitars -- to be mothballed," Simmons, a founding member of the group and a singer, songwriter and bassist, said in a statement. "We would rather the world have it. We've always been of the people, for the people, and by the people. We would like as many people as possible to have a piece of KISS." Auction information can be obtained at www.butterfields.com/KISS and www.gregmanning.com.
If you caught STAIND on KORN's recent Sick & Twisted tour and find yourself in dire need of more from the band, you'll be glad to note that "Staind All-Access TV" will debut Thursday on Staind's official Web site. According to staind.com, the streaming video extravaganza captures the making of the band's video for "Home," including interviews with Staind and the video's director, LIMP BIZKIT frontman Fred Durst. If you'd rather see the band in person, Staind is currently making the rounds with DOPE and PRIMER 55, and will soon welcome THE STEP KINGS into the opening slot for two dates.
A PERFECT CIRCLE, the new band featuring Maynard from TOOL is offering a free medley of their new music at rockuniverse.com. A Perfect Circle features the emotional vocals of Tool's Maynard James Kenan, the songwriting of Billy Howerdel, the fierce drumming of Josh Freese (Vandals), Paz Lenchantin on bass/violin and Troy Van Leeuwen (ex-Failure & Enemy) on guitar. The download is a medley of songs ( "Judith," "The Hollow," "Magdalena" and "Thinking of You") which will appear on the group's debut album Mer de Noms, due out May 23rd on Virgin records. Enjoy.
DOKKEN has recorded three acoustic tracks for inclusion in a live video, to be added to the material recorded for the Live From the Sun album. According to bassist JEFF PILSON, the band wanted to give fans additional, rarer material that the band rarely performs live, so "Will the Sun Rise, " Walk Away," and "Dream Warriors" were taped last weekend. "Hopefully it will be out for the tour," says Pilson, referring to Dokken's summer trek with POISON, CINDERELLA and SLAUGHTER.
