Cassius Morris (Creatures Of The Net podcast) Interview

When and how did you become a KISS fan?

I became a KISS fan back in 2008. Well, actually, I was first exposed to KISS around 2005 from the KISS - Gold compilation CD (great stuff, eh?) and then went on to become a serious fan of the band in '08. I remember being confused by the whole makeup situation with Tommy & Eric and being confused at the weird guy on the cover of KISSOLOGY 2 (Eric Carr, a foreign name to me at the time).


What are some of your favorite KISS albums/songs and why?

I really like Alive!. As a matter of fact, I was just listening to it this morning. Great stuff. I am quite fond of "Parasite" too. Awesome track. Did you know that Ace is the one who played bass on it? Yeah, it’s not as much of a Gene song as it seems to be.


Do you have a favorite KISS member or members? If so, who and why?

Paul Stanley is my hero. He has always been my favorite member of the band. I look up to him with starry eyes (pardon the pun) and it makes me happy that he’s such a great role model. I also really look up to Eric Singer. Eric follows my show (to a degree) and is unbelievably kind to me. It blows my mind when I log on to Facebook and the Catman sent me a message just to see "how I’m doing lately".


How many times have you seen KISS in concert, what were some of your favorite KISS concerts/tours and why?

I saw KISS for the first (and only) time on the Alive 35 tour in 2009. It was the Halifax show on Saturday, July 18th to be exact. The band absolutely blew me away. The energy was amazing and so was their playing.


I vividly remember being scared to death of KISS (particularly Gene) when I was a child in the 1970s. Were you ever scared of KISS? Why or why not?

I first read that question as "scared of the death of KISS (particularly Gene)". All kidding aside, I have never been scared of the band. I discovered Gene Simmons Family Jewels before I started listening to KISS. It’s hard to be scared of a man that you just saw walking around in his red footy pajamas.


What were the circumstances that led you to create Creatures Of The Net, your KISS podcast?

It started as a desire to create my own fanzine. However, to be honest, I am too lazy to keep one going, so I started the podcast. It’s so much fun to do. I would never have it any other way!


What sort of criteria do you use when determining the content for each episode of COTN?

Good question. Well, in the beginning, I would sit down, pick a theme and write out some different segments and "bits" (meaning easily digestible/funny content) for the episode. Now, I just turn on the mic and talk about my favorite band, The Beatles. All kidding aside, most of the shows are spur of the moment but I still do many themed shows. I have an "Alive! Special" in the works right now.


What are some of your favorite COTN episodes and why?

I could pull a Gene Simmons answer and say "the ones with the most hits" but that’s not the case. I like the Black Veil Brides interview because it was released at
the perfect time. BVB was blowing up in the KISS community with the news of their cover of "Unholy", so everything fell in place like clockwork. I also like the "KissFAQ Allstars" episode. That was a cool idea and I’ll probably record a second part to it sometime soon.


You've had several special guests on COTN. How much of a challenge has it been for you to get people to appear on the show?

To be honest, it’s been easy. I get asked that question a lot and to be honest, it’s not me who does most of the work. I ask, their publicists go to their management, they run around like chickens with their heads cut off and then I get an answer. It has been fun to hunt down the interviews, especially when I get them. I am still working hard to get Gene and Paul on the show. They are tough ones to get!


Who have been some of your favorite special guests on COTN and why?

Eric Singer was a fun one because it was an interview that I wasn’t prepared to conduct. I asked questions that I actually wanted the answers too. They came from the heart. A lot of other fans wanted those answers too, so it ended up great. Eric is such a great guy. To be so kind to a "KISS Kid" like me makes me happy every single day. Thank you, Catman!


What are some of your other favorite bands/artists besides KISS and why?

I really like the rapper Drake. His rhymes are really cool and his voice is scratchy but smooth. I love most of the big rock and metal bands too: Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath, etc. I like a little bit of everything here and there. Even some Ke$ha evey blue moon to feed my guilty sweet tooth!


Feel free to discuss and/or shamelessly plug any of your other endeavors here.

Plugging things is a talent of mine! If you like the podcast, then you will also like my YouTube channel. It features interviews with other artists never before heard on the podcast. Some of them are sitting on a couch with meone on one! Thank you for having me as an interviewee, Andrew and Decibel Geek! You guys rock!