"He sings to tracks" - manager clears up confusion over Paul Stanley vocals, kind of

Paul Stanley onstage
(Image credit: Francesco Prandoni)

Kiss manager Doc McGhee has seemingly admitted that Paul Stanley uses vocal backing tracks onstage, but insists they're only used to enhance his live vocal.

McGhee made the revelations in a short interview with Syncing Stanley, a YouTube channel run by a "parody character who exposes and makes fun of current Kiss and Paul Stanley’s lies and hypocrisy".

"He sings every track, says McGhee. "So he sings to it. So he's not lip syncing. He fully sings. It's enhanced. It's just part of the process to make sure that everybody hears the songs the way they should be sang to begin with. Nobody wants to hear people do stuff that's not real, that's not what they came to hear."

Pressed to confirm whether this meant that Stanley was using backing tracks, McGhee added, "He'll sing to tracks. It's all part of a process, because everybody wants to hear everybody sing. He sings. He fully sings to every song."

Rumours surrounding Kiss's alleged use of backing tracks have circled for some time, and last June footage emerged that showed Stanley briefly standing off-mic during a show in Antwerp, Belgium, while his vocals continued to be broadcast through the PA system.     

Kiss's farewell tour, which began in 2019, heads to South America in April for a series of outdoor shows, and reaches Europe in June. Dates below. 

Kiss European Tour 2023

Apr 12: Manaus Arena Da Amazonia, Brazil
Apr 15: Bogota Estadio Nemesio Camacho El Campin, Colombia
Apr 18: Brasilia Arena Brb Mane Garrincha, Brazil
Apr 20: Belo Horizonte Esplanada Do Mineirao, Brazil
Apr 22: Sao Paulo Allianz Parque, Brazil
Apr 25: Florianopolis Hard Rock Live, Brazil
Apr 28: Buenos Aires Parque De La Ciudad, Argentina
Apr 30: Santiago Estadio Santa Laura, Chile
May 27: Columbus Historic Crew Stadium, OH, USA
Jun 03: Plymouth Home Park, UK
Jun 05: Birmingham Arena, UK
Jun 06: Newcastle Utilita Arena, UK
Jun 10: Prague O2 Arena, Czech Republic
Jun 12: Amsterdam Ziggo Dome, Netherlands
Jun 13: Brussels Palais 12 Arena, Belgium
Jun 17: Munich Königsplatz Germany
Jun 19: Krakow Tauron Arena Poland
Jun 21: Dresden Messehalle, Germany
Jun 22: Berlin Max-Schmeling-Halle, Germany
Jun 27: Lyon Halle Tony Garnier, France
Jun 29: Tuscany Piazza Napoleone, Italy
Jul 01: Mannheim SAP Arena, Germany
Jul 02: Cologne Lanxess Arena, Germany
Jul 05: London The O2, UK
Jul 07: Manchester AO Arena, UK
Jul 08: Glasgow OVO Hydro, UK
Jul 12: Rättvik Dalhalla Sweden
Jul 13: Rättvik Dalhalla Sweden
Jul 15: Tonsberg Kaldnes, Norway

Tickets are on sale now

Fraser Lewry

Online Editor at Louder/Classic Rock magazine since 2014. 38 years in music industry, online for 25. Also bylines for: Metal Hammer, Prog Magazine, The Word Magazine, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Saga, Music365. Former Head of Music at Xfm Radio, A&R at Fiction Records, early blogger, ex-roadie, published author. Once appeared in a Cure video dressed as a cowboy, and thinks any situation can be improved by the introduction of cats. Favourite Serbian trumpeter: Dejan Petrović.