You're revisiting the Kiss Symphony concept with the MSO doing half hour sets on this tour, but going back to the original gig at The Telstra Dome… what were the issues that you needed to sort out before you'd be comfortable going live with an orchestra?

PAUL STANLEY - KISS: There were a few things which were key elements and one of them was finding an orchestra that not only had the ability to play the arrangements, but also wanted to, and I mean that in the best way. Interestingly there is a certain amount of snobbism in the classical community and that may well be based perhaps of ignorance of other music forms. The MSO is much more adventurous and open in terms of their path. I think that’s commendable. So first and foremost is was finding an orchestra who would not only do this, but do it with the right spirit. This wasn't going to be a chore, this was going to be an adventure. Secondly it was a matter of coming to the project with great arrangements and David Campbell did a splendid job of writing the sheet music. Then when we all got into the same room together, it was a matter of trying to find a common language, because for lack of a better term, we are street musicians. When you are dealing with a classical lot like the MSO, we don't really speak the same language. We can all get to the same place, but we may take different roads. We needed an interpreter so to speak, and again that was David Campbell. I might say let's take this from the bridge, and for the orchestra it would be Bar 39. Then it was just a matter of rolling up our sleeves.

Did you go back and listen to what other bands had done with orchestras, such as Elton John with the MSO or what Metallica did with the San Francisco orchestra, Deep Purple?

I think Elton was very successful in what he did. Other projects might not mean that much to me, or impress me as much. Part of it (Kiss Symphony) was the way it was recorded. We had Mark Opitz an Aussie engineer/producer who did a spectacular job of recording and mixing. I think too often when rock musicians try to marry themselves with classical music, the results are often quite muddy. What we wanted to make sure was that you heard every instrument. And I think that was well accomplished. When I listen it is so grand in scope and it's not because there's an impression of an orchestra, but because you can make out the parts that each musician is playing.

You've said that the Kiss sound, apart from the solos, is always One Big Guitar! Was the idea for the orchestra to be part of that one big guitar or to work outside of it?

It was to embellish and to take something that was on a large movie screen and turn it into Imax. To broaden, give more of a cinematic quality, and to heighten and widen what we already do. The idea wasn't to change the arrangements and come up with something new, it was to add more colour and layers to what we do. In the best sense I think it took what we do and made it greater as opposed to diluting it.

What measures were taken to ensure you could hear the orchestra?

They were well miked and they were certainly in our monitors. You don't want to miss the thrill of playing with an orchestra only to hear it back when you get back in the studio. Part of the rush and excitement was due to being immersed in it, while we were doing it.

Is there a more relaxed feel this time around with the orchestra parts?

Of course. When we first agreed to do the Kiss Symphony at the Telstra Dome, we did it like many things we do, without full knowledge of what we were getting ourselves into. Had we known how involved it would be, we still would have sad yes, but I think we would have taken a deep breath before we did. We committed to something and it was only afterwards as we started piecing it together, the structure of it, that we began to realise how large a project it was. This time around we've done it and we're on familiar ground with the musicians in terms of, you know, all of us having accomplishing something great together. Kind of like a reunion of sorts.

I was speaking with one of the MSO guys and he said one thing he noticed about your music was the keys you played the songs in (E flat or G flat or D flat) down a semi tone, were they the original keys some of the songs were written in?

Yes. It was very interesting because in hindsight ultimately, a lot of other bands ended up doing the same thing. We used to tune down a half step because in the early days of the band, my range wasn't what it is today. It just made some of the vocals easier to sing. By coincidence it also gave a greater tonality to the guitars. But we've done that more out of tradition than anything else.

He was also saying that he learned a great deal from you guys, like having greater respect for the audience… how to have a great time on stage and not being afraid to show it. What have you taken out of the experience?

I have to say that, without seeming egotistical, it kind of reaffirms for me that I have always been right, in the sense that there are only two kinds of music, good and bad. You can't take something that isn't great, and make it great by embellishing it, but you can take a concept, and music like Kiss and marry it to something equally credible and great, and come out with something that is much greater. It's interesting for a member of the MSO to say he has learned something. I mean respect for the audience is paramount and I think that part of the joy of music in any field is to let your audience know that you are enjoying what you do. There is nothing greater than watching an orchestra member smiling as they play. When a violinist exudes joy … giving something from within and doing it effortlessly, it should warrant euphoria. The joy you can convey to your audience will take them with you that much further.

You guys are comfortable with explosions going on around you on stage, did you have fun watching the orchestra guys jump?

I was worried about that but they have become old pros. It's fabulous to see musicians playing 300 year old violas and cellos and to see that work in harmony, no pun intended, with a bunch of guitarists plugged into huge hundred watt amplifiers.

You were kind enough to do a rave on stage about people experiencing the MSO in their own concerts after Kiss had gone, were you a fan of classical music prior to kiss Symphony?

It was the first music I ever heard. It's so important to break down these barriers. Many people are intimidated by the idea of classical music, opera and even theatre. There is a perception that it's a white glove affair for the elite who sit quietly and politely clap their hands together. Theatre began as entertainment for the common man. I think the more people are exposed to it and realise how much it has to offer… you know it was much the same when I did Phantom of the Opera. Primarily members of the audience were theatre people but I urged fans to come along. You know if you love this, then there's Puccini, there's Verdi, for stirring music you can't beat Beethoven and there's great musical theatre as well. So any way you can open the door and show people it is friendly on the other side is a good thing. I want to make sure the MSO gets the attention and the commendation for … really being trailblazers.

Did you need to consider any new gear or adjustments in any way to cut through the orchestra?

No. We have enough power on stage to give someone a sonic lobotomy. If it comes to sheer volume, we will always win.

You've used many different guitars over the years, is it an Ibanez PS10 you're using for this tour?

What I am using now and for the past year and a half are my Silvertones. My new line of guitars. There are two Paul Stanley models, the Sovereign and the Apocalypse.

What about amps?

My amps have been Randalls for quite some time

What is it about the Randall that you liked?

I designed it (laughs). It had all the qualities I loved in the Marshall amplifiers but instead of being a valve amp, it's solid state

You've done the orchestra thing successfully, were there ever any other concepts the band discussed that didn't get off the ground?

Too many to mention! This was so natural. It was so typical Kiss. I'm a big believer in not failing. Anything that is worth taking on, must be seen all the way through. Whatever it takes for something to succeed must be done. So once we agreed to this, as I did when I did 'The Phantom', it became do or die. There's never any reason to do anything if you're not doing it two hundred percent.

What's the one thing that stands out in your mind about the Telstra Dome gig?

That it was ground breaking for all, and I think the MSO saw that intimacy can be had on any scale, and that 40,000 people can have a more intimate experience than 4,000 who are kept at a distance.

You're working on your second solo album, what can you tell me about that?

My solo album is about great songs done with a lot of passion. It's not about doing a one man Kiss album, which would be easy for me to do but would be boring and redundant. The idea is to make music with no concessions to anyone's preconceived notions or ability, or lack of. There are strings, it's orchestrated… I think one thing that people thought when we played with the MSO is that you have to sacrifice the emotion, passion or intensity just because you add strings. For some people the idea that you add an orchestra to rock dilutes it or you're wimping out, you're actually adding strength and emotion. So that's really what I'm aiming for with my solo album.

Are you exploring different guitar sounds that perhaps you wouldn't with Kiss?

I see the guitar in the song as the driving force but in no way something at the forefront. It certainly might be propelling things but I don't want it to over shadow anything else. I am trying to paint a big picture.

Gene visits Australia quite often, will we see the Paul Stanley band playing in Australia?

It's certainly possible. We present ourselves in very different ways, and conduct ourselves in very different ways. What I would do down here, I can't tell you. Will I come back on my own? Absolutely, there are too many avenues worth exploring.

What advice would you give to a band starting out today?

First of all if you have any doubts about whether a career in music is for you then you should quit. I don’t think that music or any of the arts is something you do as a choice, not because you have to. If it's not in your blood and you're not obsessed by it, then you should find another occupation. The arts are driven by people who live it and bleed it. It's not always an easy or successful road so you have to do it because you are propelled to, not because you choose to. Then after that, It’s a matter of belief in yourself at all cost. No one else will believe in you if you don't believe in yourself. There's no substitute for substance. You can fool people for a short time., You can dazzle them with special effects or grandeur bur ultimately it's going to come down to content. Other than that my advice would be not to listen to advice (laughs)

What does music mean to you?

Music is the most primal and basic catalyst for emotion. I still hear certain musical passages or arias or songs that either make the hair on the back of my neck stand up or bring tears to my eyes. It's not something that is a choice or that I have control over, it’s a basic touching of peak emotions. That is a miracle. Much the same as great art. You may not know why something effects you but it goes somewhere deep inside you that you may not visit any other way.

You're off to do a tour with Poison, which finishes up in August, what then for Kiss?

Its hard to say at this point. I think all bets are off in terms of what we do or where we go or when we do it. Once it became clear that the farewell tour was not a farewell after all, it became clear that … we'll see where this road takes. It'll be over when we just don't come back anymore. It's not something planned, I think that's the lesson learned. Every thing is always in a state of flux and change.