Make no mistake: Iron Fist is a working BAND, made up of four musicians who are basically looking to conquer the galaxy - and beyond! - with high-octane rock & roll. However, we also recognize the importance of making ourselves a BRAND, because, of course, half of the "music business" is "business."
I'm "that kind" of Kiss geek who understands perfectly well what branding your band can mean. On the good side, the legal ramifications of trademarks and copyrights and all the other hoo-hah means that we, the band, own what we do, and can control how our product is used. On the bad side…well, let's just say that we have no plans in the works for Iron Fist coffins, condoms, or any sort of Hello Kitty! crossover. 40 years of Kiss has taught me that much, if nothing else!
So: what kind of "brand" can Iron Fist fans expect? Well, in the meta-view, the IF brand is one that emphasizes positivity, belief in the self, and looking forward to a bright and successful future. We believe that these ideas are cross-generational, meaning that it doesn't matter whether you're 15 or 50, the future should look GOOD. Keeping a positive outlook is of primary importance. And, if you're not the first in line to believe in yourself, there won't BE a line at all!
Carrying forward from that idea of cross-generational interest: we want to emphasize a family-friendly atmosphere. Yes, yes, we're down-&-dirty, dangerous rock stars, of course. That goes without saying. (Or, not…since I just said it. Ahem.) But, lyrically, you won't find a bunch of needless swearing in our tunes. Or onstage, for that matter. We're not prudes: we just don't see the need. Folks who know me personally are WELL aware that I'm casually foul-mouthed; not to be impressive, or edgy…it's just how I developed after filling my teenage years with the comedy of George Carlin and a stupefying number of low-rent buddy-cop movies. Whatever. At this stage of the game, I'm way too mature to feel any need to pepper my onstage banter with f-bombs and crude synonyms for the female genitalia. I remember seeing Kiss in the '80s, when Paul Stanley began cursing from the stage, and I thought it was silly. It seemed out-of-character for him, a conscious decision to try to shy away from the kid-friendly crowd the band had attracted with their late-'70s branding. That's fine. We'll take the kids…if only because their parents identify with us and bring them to our shows!
We'll also be upfront about our age. It is, after all, MIDDLE AGE mettle, and we're all solidly there. We're finding a "unified" look onstage that's appropriate for that setting, with an emphasized avoidance of skinny jeans and vest-over-shirtless-torsos. (We'll let Phil Collen corner the market on middle-aged shirtless rockers.) Our songs, too, tend to focus on where we are in our lives right now. A tune like "On Its Way" should be approachable by anyone, but we wrote it from OUR current viewpoint. Songs about girls are fine, but really, is anyone NOT creeped out by "Christine Sixteen?" "I saw you comin' out of school that day, and I knew…I KNEW…I got to have ya! I GOT to HAVE ya!" Erm…no. That's gross, dude. We like teenage girls - a couple of us are PARENTS to girls who are about to leave their teens - but we don't LIKE them, like them. We like grown-up girls. And, that's what the song will be about.
So, then: middle-aged men who are out to rock your sox off, with no hiding who we are. Looking to control and capitalize on our brand. Bringing you frequent words that support how great you are, how awesome life is, and the bright future ahead of you. How's that sound?
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