Canoe.ca's Jam! Showbiz column recently caught up with KISS frontman Paul Stanley. An excerpt from the story is available below:.

By Jane Stevenson

Is veteran hard rock act KISS recession-proof? Singer-rhythm guitarist Paul Stanley certainly seems to think so.

"For all the talk about bands doing horrific business, we're doing terrific business," says Stanley, 58, down the line from Raleigh, N.C., recently, leading up to the band's only Canadian summer date on Sept. 10 in Toronto.

"We had 14,000-15,000 people last night, and the night before pretty much the same. I think the only thing that's changed is that people don't want to pay a lot of money. You know if you pay for a Rolls Royce and you get a Chevy, then you kind of feel cheated. So if you're paying to see something, you damn well better see something.

"I have nothing against a guy who sits on a stool with an acoustic guitar, but to pay the same amount for that as you pay for a spectacle is insanity. When you come to a KISS concert, you know where you're money just went 'cause it's blinding you, deafening you and pummeling you."

When it comes to spectacle, few acts can measure up to the face-painting, costume and platforms-wearing KISS, who have been major road warriors of late. They staged their Alive/35 tour last year which morphed into their Sonic Boom tour (named for their 2009 studio album), which is being called The Hottest Show on Earth tour in 2010.

Still, Stanley said the platform boots, combined with the physical nature of the KISS show, have definitely taken their toll over the last three and a half decades with him undergoing two hip replacement surgeries.

"It wasn't the platforms, it was years of doing a lot of roundhouse kicks, and basically you just wear out your hip, ultimately you wind up with bone on bone so I continued for years and finally it just reached a point where it needed to be replaced -- but I'm basically good for another 50,000 miles."

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As previously reported, the KISS merchandising empire has grown a little larger with the launch of official KISS LED televisions. They com ein three sizes - 32", 40" and 46" - and are limited to 15,000 each worldwide:

"Introducing the new line of RTC officially licensed KISS HDTV LED televisions. Featuring the legendary logos of KISS, the KISS LED TV is one of the finest LED televisions on the market. These televisions will make the ultimate statement in your home, bar, restaurant or wherever the KISS HD LED televisions find their homes."

Click here for details and to purchase.