For some of us, a kiss at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve is the perfect way to end the year. For everyone else, I suggest an even more memorable kiss: Yoshikiss. Take a moment to imagine what that word might mean ... and then brace yourself for something better.
This year, Japan's public broadcaster, NHK, has seen fit to stride confidently down a new avenue of attracting audiences by bringing aging 1970s metal monsters Kiss to the 70th anniversary edition of its perennial New Year's Eve show, "Kohaku Uta Gassen." Wait, it gets better. The masked musicians will be joined by none other than X Japan drummer Yoshiki — thus creating Yoshikiss.
The merging of these two powerhouses came about after Yoshiki made a guest appearance with the band at a recent gig in Tokyo. One thing led to another and, hey presto, your usual stock of veteran enka singers and shiny pop groups now get to share a stage with Gene Simmons and his infamously long tongue. And the rest of Kiss, of course.