While I was at the Summer Disco Extravaganza, benefitting The American Cancer Society, produced and co-hosted by superstar SoHo Johnny with co-host Deney Terrio, I ran into some of the most intriguing people who resembled the rock band Kiss, only condensed. I thought that they had dressed up for the 12 hour disco party but upon further investigation I discovered that they were the members of Mini Kiss, the biggest “Little People’s ” tribute band on the planet. After hearing them I further discovered that they were indeed better than Kiss.
The Disco Extravaganza was without a doubt the party of the year with artists including, Harold Melvin’s Blue Notes, Monti Rock lll, Tavares, Instant Funk, Constantine Maroulis, Planet Patrol, Double Exposure, Sharon Brown, Jimmie Bo-Horne, Star Hanson, and so many more, of course including Mini Kiss. SoHo Johnny, having orchestrated the entire barrage of food and entertainment at his own cost with proceeds benefitting The American Cancer Society, is one of the most sincere, cordial, kind, hardworking and generous men that I have ever encountered. His goals in life are to share the music that he loves and help those less fortunate. Soon to be releasing a debut record himself, it was through his personal assistant Gayle Serle that I secured the contact for Mini Kiss, manager and honorary member Lou Fatale.
Founded by Joey Fatale, (who has since passed away), Mini Kiss is made up entirely of Little People and is the most popular little people tribute band in the world having made appearances on the revival of “I’ve Got A Secret”, the film “Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2”, and a cameo appearance on the Dr Pepper Commercial sharing the stage with the real Kiss. The band continues to tour and do appearances. I spoke with manager Lou who was kind enough to give me the scoop……
So Lou how do you fit in with all this?
I’m the manager and owner of Mini Kiss. My brother was a little person. His name was Joseph and he started Mini Kiss like 20/25 years ago. Unfortunately, he passed away eight years ago in August. I was working with him and continued it because after 9/11 I had lost my job. I came aboard as a sales-person and the rest is history. We landed the Dr. Pepper commercial with Kiss in 2010. From there everything just snowballed into this creation of this Mini Kiss thing. People are just infatuated with it. When I stepped into it to be honest, I didn’t know anything about Kiss. I was a DJ and my brother was the rock and roller. When I asked him if I could make money with him, he said that they had audiences with 5000 people attending. I told him he had something there with Mini Kiss. People were just infatuated with the whole thing.
Personally I think you guys are better than Kiss…shhhhhhh
I won’t say that to Gene, but a lot of people have said that.
You can’t say it but I can.
You have to understand that when people book us, they are purchasing five round-trip airline tickets. For example, next month we are booked all month doing all these big casinos. They are investing a lot of money in backline, advertising, and we have to produce. We have 75 minutes and these guys never let me down. The last event we did there was 500 seats and they had to add 400 more. They really give it everything they’ve got. It’s just total high energy. There is nothing like Mini Kiss, it’s such a high energy, fun show.
I’ve seen the videos.
Sometimes the biggest ideas come when you’re not thinking. This all started in 1998 and my brother was doing mini Elvis, a leprechaun etc. In the Lava Lounge, the owner said to my brother
that he wanted to book him for Halloween but that he wanted something different. I’ll never forget we were moving and my brother had these crates of his rock ‘n’ roll albums and I had to help him carry them. He was looking through them and came across the “Kiss Alive” album. It had the pictures of all the members from Kiss. That’s when he came up with Mini Kiss. He actually did the gig there and the next day the owner called him and told him that people were asking for him. That’s how it kind of started. That was just an idea that we never anticipated would become a business. But it was more fun back in the day when there were no contracts and when we drove down south to Georgia and Arkansas and we toured and slept in a car. Of course there is a history and a lot of hard work. It was grueling, a lot of days away from family and holidays. It’s a big sacrifice.
Are you all married with families?
OMG, we’ve been hit up by like four reality shows already. Mini Paul the drummer he’s divorced, his wife is average. He’s got two children and works 9 to 5 Monday through Friday to take care of his children. He does Mini Kiss on the weekends with us. The guy with the fur who plays Paul Stanley, he really works hard. They are just like you and I, they are just little people. They have lives and they have jobs and families and they do the entertainment on the side.
Kiss in itself was unusual but Mini Kiss is something the average person doesn’t get to see too often.
Right! Again it’s a novelty act. There are so many tribute bands out there in every state. There’s about four or five really good Kiss tribute bands. Some have even emailed me and asked me to manage them. The bottom line is a lot of them are really great, but they are a dime a dozen. Mini Kiss is the only little people Kiss tribute band. My brother was a real musician. He played guitar, piano, drums and he tried a few bands with no make-up. He told me that without the make-up they were just four little people that people are going to laugh at. With the make-up they are really tiny gods of thunder. With Mini Kiss they get all of this positive attention. People love them, people want pictures with them and it gives them a chance to shine. They aren’t being laughed at and they are actually being looked up to. We went to a Kiss concert a few months ago. Gene gave us tickets and my boys came dressed up. Everybody was taking pictures with them at the Colosseum. It gives him that confidence, like “I am somebody.” When we go to the airport people are constantly wanting pictures with them. They know who they are.
So basically, you own the management company?
My Brother and I were partners and after he passed away I just kept it down.
What type of entertainment do you manage?
Mini Kiss was the main thing that myself and my brother did. I had ventured off and built another website called “Mini Acts.” I do that all over the country. I even have people that come from Europe. A lady today just emailed me, she’s coming from Canada and going to Vegas because they need somebody there to do a Mini Elvis. I built the website on my own and I had the Mini Kiss platform to promote it. The past eight years I’ve built it up to be a very good company and I’m booked every weekend. I have little people out everywhere doing all kind of gigs.
WWW.MINIKISS.COM– the hottest, littlest band in the world.
WWW.MINIACTS.COM– Visit MINI-ACTS for all your mini entertainment