Bruce Kulick excited about his new band and would love to see what can come of it
Bruce Kulick excited about his new band and would love to see what can come of it
Former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick made quite the splash at the KISS Kruise VIII that was held from October 31 to November 4, 2018. The guitarist played two sets of rarely to never played non-makeup era KISS songs with drummer Brent Fitz, guitarist and singer Todd Kerns and bassist Zach Throne. The band played songs from KISS albums Asylum (1985), Crazy Nights (1987), Smashes, Trashes & Hits (1988), Hot In The Shade (1989), Revenge (1992) and Carnival Of Souls: The Final Sessions (1997).
Kulick was recently interviewed by Ultimate Classic Rock about the experience and asked whether he (and his band) would play a show on “dry land” (rather than the KISS Kruise) in the future. Kulick replied: “Well, you know, first I’m letting everybody absorb this, of course. But I’ve never felt stronger about my brand, if you wanna call it that. I’ve always said that I wave the flag of the non-makeup era, and I know that flag was flying pretty intensely on the cruise. Obviously I’d love to see what can come of it. I have so much respect for the guys in my band. Brent and Todd are always committed to Slash, that’s a great gig and Slash, I presume, is quite excited to have them as his rhythm section. They have commitments, I have Grand Funk. I’m thrilled to be the guitarist in that band. So whatever could happen, we’d all have to look at our schedules. And I’d love to use this exact band, if there are any proper opportunities. But for the first time in a long time, instead of not knowing who I would play with or how I would do it, I have a lot more of a solid footing now. If everyone’s schedule permits, I know exactly how to make a real impact. I don’t like to do things half-assed – why would I want to do it any less amazing than I was able to do on this cruise? So, we’ll see what the future brings, but it’s an exciting time in my life, to be honest with you.”
In regard to playing his flashier guitar licks from his KISS days, Kulick advised: “For the last 18 years with Grand Funk, I’ve been that strong classic rock guitar player, lead playing in a more straight-ahead head manner. No Floyd Rose whammy bar, no hammer-ons, no intense flurry of riffs. I was clearly ordained to do that stuff in the ’80s with Kiss. Sometimes the solos were ‘King of the Mountain’ style, which were really intense. I’d be like, ‘How am I gonna do that?’ I’m a perfectionist, I’m very picky, I like things to be just right. That’s a challenge that can drive you crazy. So I had to be a little more lenient, and say, ‘As long as I’m doing something that’s reminiscent of what I did before, it’s OK.’ Some of that stuff, I don’t even know what I did, It was in the studio and it was 30 years ago.”
You can read the rest of the interview with Bruce Kulick at Ultimate Classic Rock.
Entire set from Bruce Kulick and his band at KISS Kruise VIII on November 3, 2018:
Bruce Kulick Band on KISS Kruise VIII 11.03.18
Complete 2nd set from Bruce Kulick’s new band playing rarely played KISS songs on KISS Kruise VIII, November 03, 201801. (00:00:00) King Of The Mountain02. (…