Message From Bruce

- January 25, 2012 -

Hello everyone! This was a very exciting and busy weekend for me, so let me get started with the news.

The NAMM show is always a huge event, so many people I know, and of course the best new gear around in abundance featured in 5 giant convention hall rooms and more. Naturally I go for the networking, and I do love checking out the gear. Some highlights for me were doing a FaceBook Photo event with George Lynch, Alex Skolnick, and Cesar Rosas from Los Lobos at the Seymour Duncan booth, as well as my SIT Strings signing later on in the day. I also jammed with great guitar player and friend Rafael Moreira, who toured with Paul Stanley for Live To Win, at the Duncan booth. That was cool jamming on a rare Hendrix tune.

In between taking time to thank all my endorsement companies, I was going crazy over all the amazing instruments and amplifiers I saw at the manufacturers' booths. ESP had some great new models, and I'm looking forward to playing them soon. PRS was colorful as always, with some new options and models, and Gibson was busy with all they are offering for 2012. I was fortunate to be invited to the Gibson Custom shop room, which was impossible to find, intentionally I am sure!

They had some amazing looking new vintage models that bring back the "Golden Years" of that iconic company, including showcasing Ace's new Budokan model three pickup LP. Rickenbacker had their Beatles style guitars, and Gretsch had a new spin on some painted models. Fender had a huge buzz at their booth, as they seem to have one foot in the past and one in the present with all they have to offer with their guitars and amps.

I attended both Thursday and Friday, but that Friday evening I was also invited to Paul Stanley's 60th Birthday Party. After a long rush hour commute to Beverly Hills from Anaheim, the party was held at a club situated on the top floor of a large office building on Sunset. All the arriving guests were excited, as it was a surprise party for Paul. When he arrived we all yelled "SURPRISE!" and he was in great spirits, as his wife Erin made sure the evening was spectacular. The cake was amazing, the food wonderful, and the band, Vintage Trouble, played their hearts out for the crowd.

I chatted with my old friend Nikki Sixx, and of course saw the rest of the KISS band as well as all the people in Paul's life that mean a lot to him. It was very touching to see Erin address the crowd telling Paul how much she loved him and how her life truly began when she met him. Gene was even more emotional. After 43 years of being Paul's brother, he was very happy to share his affection for his partner. Paul sang a great rendition of "You Shook Me" with the band, and the place went crazy. It was hard to leave, but I had another day of NAMM to attend on Saturday. Really a very memorable evening in the KISS camp.

Saturday was very busy at NAMM, as that day seems to draw the most people. Again I had fun seeing the gear and hanging with friends, but I had to leave early to get to the Key Club in West Hollywood for sound check for the jamming I would do on stage later that night. The evening turned out to be a HUGE success, with many people really loving all the guitar music. Tony MacAlpine's band performed, then I joined them on "Going Down" by the Jeff Beck Group with Marq Torien of The Bullet Boys on vocals. The crowd loved the jam, and then it was time for Uli Jon Roth, who is a magician on the guitar, followed by my friend Richie Kotzen. Great night on the strip, and all I can say is all my senses were highly stimulated from that long weekend.

Off to a GFR gig in Florida, and then clinics and gigs in Australia. The clinics are gonna be very interesting as I will be discussing the magic of my fave KISS disc, REVENGE. The gigs will also feature some songs I have never done before from that KISS era.

See you all in Oz soon!

Bruce Kulick