Big Trouble With Little KISSes

Two pint-sized KISS tribute acts have been at odds in recent weeks, complete with a cease-and-desist order and a confrontation at a nightclub.

The alleged confrontation took place recently at Beacher’s Madhouse variety show inside Las Vegas’ Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. Joey Fatale, who plays “Mini-Gene” in the band Minikiss, snuck into Beacher’s Madhouse looking for a fight with his former drummer, “Little” Tim Loomis, who started TinyKiss after a rift, according to show host Jeff Beacher.

Fatale told Pollstar the newspaper reports about a confrontation were fabricated to bring publicity to TinyKiss and Beacher’s Madhouse.

“We did about five shows for [Beacher’s Madhouse] about two months ago, and what [Jeff Beacher] did was steal the whole concept,” Fatale said, adding that the host needed an idea for his variety show.

Minikiss has been together for seven years and has the name trademarked and registered, Fatale said.

“[Fatale] came out here and tried to cause trouble, so I had him 86’d from the Hard Rock,” Loomis told the New York Post. “The impression I got was that he was looking for a fight. He’d been threatening me over the phone.”

Fatale denied threatening the drummer, and said he still considers him a good friend.

“Someone told me TinyKiss was doing a show that night,” he said. “I was in town, and I was there to approach him as a gentleman, me by myself.”

Beacher said Fatale had to be escorted by force.

Fatale said Beacher previously told him the variety show was going to do “Tiny Legends,” not TinyKiss.

Beacher told Pollstar that TinyKiss is part of Tiny Legends, which also does Tiny Bon Jovi, Tiny Mötley Crüe and is putting together a theatrical show with the tiny rockers. The band plays with a 350-pound woman on stage and is a house band for Beacher’s Madhouse.

“To say that this is his idea, did he create the Leprechaun also?” Beacher said.

Commenting on the cease and desist, he said it’s a “joke” because it says Minikiss has a trademark on the name, which he said actually belongs to the real KISS. He said he has checked with attorneys about trademark rules and “they’ve all cleared” his mini acts.

TinyKiss drummer Loomis reportedly met Fatale 15 years ago. He said Fatale felt threatened by the new little guy in town.

Beacher told Pollstar that Fatale kicked Loomis out of Minikiss. He said the two don’t get along at all, and that Fatale “hates Timmy” since the drummer went to work for Beacher in Las Vegas.

Fatale said he considers Loomis a friend and thinks the drummer is just doing what Beacher says since he’s now his boss.

Fatale claims he was the one who hooked up Loomis and Beacher, and “gave him a good life in Vegas.” Beacher confirmed that, but said it happened six years ago and has nothing to do with TinyKiss.

Commenting on the new little KISS tribute and recent reports in the media about the confrontation, which he said are lies, Fatale said, “For them to turn around and do this, it’s pretty pathetic.”

If this all seems like small potatoes, Beacher said he and TinyKiss have negotiated a two-year, $1.5 million contract making the act the nightly house band.

– Ryan Borba