Name   SIMONE – ACE BUC

Birth date  08-08-1973

Band’s name STILL ALIVE

Role/instrument SPACEACE

Brief band history

STILL ALIVE project was born in November 2004. The target was to be able to build up the ultimate PowerShow where everything must reflects the full KISS philosophy: from costumes to make up, from instruments to special effects, stages and shows!

January 2005:first show in a rock pub in Romagna: great and unexpected response from the audience, Still Alive are considered one of the best new Cover act in Italy

March 2005: the show is implemented and the guys realize it’s time to do it right.

September 2005: the band performs in front of an excited crowd of more then 700 persons, an unforgettable night for the band and moreover an incredible night for the fans.

It’s now time for STILL ALIVE to get out of their familiar places and conquer the nation: an amazing DVD live was born from that mystic September night and this is the weapon to win the battle, a vast number of Italian Kiss-fans was hit by the power of STILL ALIVE, from north to South of Italy.

January 2006, Rome, also thanks to the KissWeb Italia, STILL ALIVE are asked to headline a promotional event organized by Sony Music to promote the KISS DVD “Rock The Nation”.

with an amazing and unique PowerShow the band collect more then 2500 fans from all over Italy!

media start to get interested on the band activities and so STILL ALIVE are selected among the best Italians talent for the tv show Talent1 for the MEDIASET network.

March 2008:STILL ALIVE are invited by MEDIASET to perform live for the ITALIA1 show.

Febuary 2008 STILL ALIVE headline the Kiss Party 2008 organized in Switzerland (by  Jotty Loreno)*, with an enormous echo all over West Europe; STILL ALIVE are “under investigation” by all Europe now. The European campaign is commented this way “something amazing, engaging and devastating. A pure Kiss-Style show!”

Current job

Controller

What/who leaded you to KISS

A friend of mine just 5 years ago… I knew the unmasked KISS, but I was fascinated by the masked KISS!

Most important KISS event

24-06-08 Milano concert (the first an only KISS concert I saw)

What is the most difficult part of the show you recreate in your shows?

The whole show organization and the timing on stage.

A technical comment on KISS member, past and present

PAUL STANLEY: probably the best KISS stage-man, he improved a lot both technically then vocally through the years.

He is a really talented author, really into today but keeping in touch with the original KISS sound.

GENE SIMMONS: technically not a “monster” but also not so bad. His production goes from high points to unbelievable low levels… Actually I believe that his more valued job is to be found out of the recordings sessions. I think that Simmons made the difference between KISS and all the numbers of the American glam-rock bands in those days.

ACE FREHLEY: the right guy in the right place at the right time. Technically valid for his times, he gave that characteristic sound to KISS up to the 80s. It’s a pity he played in a band that was considered in many ways expect for his musical and technical aspect. Normally I like guitar players that grow as time goes, but there’s a bunch of guys that are out of this “rule”, Ace is one of them. Just like Slash… I can’t see them, 20 years from now, playing different things then what they played in the last 20 years.

PETER CRISS: a very important piece in a perfect machine. Technically not bad, not so rock, actually, but his background had nothing in common with rock… But I think that his groove was exactly what was needed … I believe none of them was able to write something like Beth. And everybody knows the importance of that tune in the KISStory.

His vocals are what I like the most anyway: really rock n’roll indeed!

Unfortunately today it seems is completely out of the band games.

ERIC CARR: probably the drummer everybody had whished to see on the KISS stool since day one. Definitely more “rock”, faster and technically better then Criss. A totally different person, so great he gained a piece of the heart of all the KISSArmy without hurting Peter’s followers. He had been always at band service, precise and great, R.I.P.

VINNIE VINCENT: good guitar player, not an interesting guy, bat really well prepared technically wise, personally I think he drove KISS to a new era, good or bad as you like. The experiment had some good points but I feel the responsibilities for that had to be shared among all the parties involved. Good author also. All his following projects (after KISS) remained almost obscure.

MARK St.JOHN: I never liked his style, but to be honest we had few chances to listen to him.…

I think he had been the less interesting guitar hero in KISStory. R.I.P.
ERIC SINGER: I do not think there’s lot to say about him as drummer&singer.

He is almost perfect in everything he does. Great impact on stage and a killer rhythm section for the band.

Probably the best KISS ever.

BRUCE KULICK: the most balanced guitarist among all line ups.

He has the right style all over the years, the right sound and the necessary technique.

Probably Bruce is the one really next to my personal tastes.

I would have liked to see him more secure on stage … He always delivered good things to the band, nothing to be compared with Ace obviously, but I believe that he was the right guitarist for the band KISS was in the late’80 and beginnings of the ’90, a band who was starving to show the world that after a 15 years career KISS was not only about 4 good boys with war paint on.
TOMMY THAYER: I like him. I think he does right what he does. We may debate about why it was asked Tommy “to be” Ace while Ace is still around. Two are the reasons probably:

1 Ace is no longer able to give a constant level of performances J

2 Because Tommy is not the only Ace substitute

I feel that behind this new success KISS is having (also commercially) we can easily find Tommy.

Tommy is that bright person that knows the rockstars game without never exceed too much.

Would be Ace able to do so? Impossible, it would not be Ace!

New concerts under your belt?

We are still waiting our Starchild after the surgery he had at his knee …* (interview is dated end of august)

There are negotiations on their way right now anyway, and are “strange” interesting things (we are getting specialised on “strange” interesting things J)!

Dreams?

Can’t talk about dreams… they will not become real! ;-)

(*)note from Deuce