KISS Star Peter Criss Plans Surprises At Farewell Shows

Original KISS drummer Peter Criss is gearing up for what he is billing as the final live performances of his career and he says that he is planning some surprises at the farewell gigs.

The iconic drummer will be making his final live appearance in Australia during the Konvention Australia next week and his final U.S. performance on June 16th, following the New York Kiss Expo.

He explained what fans can expect at the farewell shows in a new interview with the Australian outfit Loud Mag. "I've got some surprises, so it should be very cool. I have other things to do that I've always wanted to do. A lot of times I think people forget� I love the fact that I'm a fourth member of the biggest band of all, Kiss. But I'm a musician, man, and when I started out, I started out a few years before the guys and I did a lot of clubs in my day. So that's why I want to go out in more of a club fashion and play a more intimate arena than a big whoop-dee-doo place, and I didn't want to do that.

"So even in New York I'm playing a very small, intimate place. And I want to do that because that's where I really started my career in places like that. I haven't always been doing rock 'n' roll; I started as a jazz musician and I had to learn how to play Latin jazz. Then I had to learn how to play country. I had to learn to play everything if you wanted to work in the music business back in the '60s.

"So I have a lot more facets in me than just rock 'n' roll all night and party every day. Not that that's bad - that's cool. But I wanted to show my fans that I have a lot of other stuff in my arsenal than just bangin' 'Black Diamond' (laughs)."

He also revealed his plans following the final gigs. "I've been working on a couple of books that I really want to finish. I've been back to my art, so I've been painting again. My wife really loves the way I paint so I've gone back to that and really enjoying it. I have an album I've been sitting on for nine years now, a rock thing that I started before my cancer. I didn't really finish it, but all the music's done. And I feel I'm going to come home after my last show and I'm gonna finish it. Hopefully it'll come out next year.."