2/23: EDDIE’S TAKE ON KISS AND NO PERFORMANCE AT HALL.

Wanted to post earlier today but we had to actually upgrade our server because of all the activity on the site this weekend (thanks webmaster David for your help!). Now that Gene and Paul have weighed in on the HOF drama of the weekend we have a pretty clear picture on the eve of tickets going on sale that Kiss is not playing at all now in any form. Clearly they had to make some statement here after all the fallout from Ace on my radio show Friday night and Peter’s statement yesterday. So now that all sides have weighed in here is MY analysis of all of this for those interested as far as what has gone on.

Gene and Paul were never going to play with Ace and Peter at this event. Just wasn’t ever going to happen. Look no further than Paul’s official Twitter a few weeks ago when he essentially said as much. Ace, Peter, and MANY members of the HOF I spoke to over the last few weeks confirmed they wanted to play with the current band and had no intention of an originals reunion. The Kiss statement saying “we don’t believe the memory will be enhanced” in playing with Ace and Peter really translates to Gene and Paul not wanting to open a can of worms, and honestly likely not thinking they can cut it with them anymore. They know this can’t be a jump up and jam thing. They need to rehearse and prepare to do it right. That would require them reconnecting for a few days. That opens cans of worms so to speak. So they were never going to go down those roads with the original band. In their view too complicated and just like at MTV unplugged, it would make it very hard to continue to sell what they are now doing afterwards. Ace, Peter and the HOF didn’t just make it up that they didn’t want to play with them. Perhaps they would have allowed Ace and Peter to come up at the group jam at the end, but Gene, Paul, Peter and Ace alone on stage playing a song was something Gene and Paul were never going to allow or have happen. To them it’s complicated on way too many levels. So once Ace and Peter released their statements Gene & Paul’s only way out of the backlash was to check out of playing all together which they did today. And you know what? No matter how this was arrived at it is the best available scenario given they won’t play with the original band. Since the original four are being inducted out of respect no performance is better than Ace and Peter having to watch the current band. I think this also makes it likely (but far from 100%) that everyone at least shows up and speaks. So what we hopefully end up with is a photo op of the original guys, a few words from each, then some sort of all star Kiss tribute band or video package. The HOF will now have to figure that out. But I can tell you this is a victory of sorts for Ace and Peter who now may attend and will not feel dissed having to see personas they created playing at their induction. But it is clear, and I have confirmed with many over the last month involved with the HOF, that Gene and Paul would not play with only the original band at this event. The HOF wanted that, Ace and Peter were up for it (as Ace said on my show when first announced as going in) but Gene and Paul would not have it and wanted to play with the current band. Again, Paul said “very unlikely” over a month ago on Twitter when asked about a reunion and “no way” to them wearing makeup. So where this is all coming from should not be a surprise. It’s pretty clear and honestly it is Gene & Paul’s right at this point, even if you disagree strongly with it. They own Kiss like it or not. To me anything else is spin and damage control at this point. But again, to me, this is the second best scenario given only the originals are being inducted. At least it gets them all there hopefully!

A few other things; do Gene and Paul attend? They say in their statement they will “celebrate” the induction but that doesn’t always mean show up. I would assume they would, but none of the original four have clear cut said yet “we will be there”.

Clearly Gene and Paul are annoyed (and you can make the case rightfully so) that only the original four are being inducted. However their statement left out Vinnie Vincent (a HUGE contributor to Kiss comeback of the 80’s) and the late Mark St John. We all know Kiss and Vinnie had their issues, but if they truly wanted to celebrate KISStory completely Vinnie would certainly at least deserve an invite and mention? I have said all along I think it had to be only the original guys or EVERYONE who was in Kiss to do this right. Kind of hard to pick and choose. The HOF decided only originals. So when they said in their statement “the entire history”, they are still leaving out some gaps.

And that’s another issue. Kiss in their statement continue to allude to all the success they have had without Ace and Peter. Relatively speaking that is true. But you can not discount the fact that the bands biggest periods by far were with the original band. The 70’s were most iconic, then the 90’s reunion was equally huge. Who knows if Ace and Peter didn’t do the reunion tour in ’96 if there would even still be a Kiss today? Reunions happen because bands need them and they are much bigger than whatever that band is doing at the time. Nobody does a reunion tour because it means less people or interest. Current Kiss does very well in festivals and some parts of the world. But to say in America the band is as big as ever (as I have heard stated) is just false. The last full US tour was a CO HEADLINE. You don’t go 50/50 with another band unless you need the help. On the flipside it is without question true that Gene and Paul have kept this alive for 40 years and steered the ship (with good and bad decisions in my view), so without that commitment who knows what would have happened? There were several versions of Kiss. I was a fan of many. But the simple truth is nothing was or will be bigger than the original four guys. That is just fact if you really take in the history.

If the HOF had decided to induct all the members then for sure the case could be made that everyone plays. But they decided to induct the four that started it all only. It sucks for us fans that the powers that be here wouldn’t make that work for at least a song or two, but I think where we arrived at today with no performance is the second best scenario. Now let’s see if they all show, who does the induction (I know but can’t say!) and what the HOF does as a tribute. It’s been a wild weekend since Ace started this with his announcement on my radio show late this past Friday night (audio on the home page) and where we go from here should be interesting as well. I’ll be live on SiriusXM channel 39 6-10P ET tomorrow and will take your calls. That’s MY take, look forward to yours here on the site or on the radio.

Oh, one last thing. Much has been made about the impact all of this will have on sales to the event tomorrow. The timing here was key since MANY were going to come from around the world assuming a performance by the original band one last time. So clearly it’s great those people now know the deal. I think it will for sure change the dynamic of the crowd makeup in the building that night. But as long as the original four show up I’d say a good showing from Kiss fans will be there. But nothing like if it was a reunion performance. Also remember there are many other bands being honored that night. Nirvana and Springsteen also have pretty big bases. So I suspect ticket sales will be just fine when that is all factored in. I’m sure there will be much more to discuss. Never dull being a Kiss fan!

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185 Responses

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  • Cody on

    This seems like a literal version of robbing Peter to pay Paul…


    • Tommy Fiore on

      They don’t deserve to be inducted. If I want a stage show I go see the man who invented it. Alice Cooper. Gene Simmons is a horrible bass player and a below average singer. He has enough money to take bass and singing lessons. Maybe the show polish he puts in his thinning hair has effected his brain. Paul Stanley (Pumpkin Head) is not a real singer and nothing more than a puppet for Gene Simmons and his massive ego. Why are real hard rock bands like Deep Purple sitting on the side lines and not being inducted? I could not care about Kiss.


    • Jason Pinkney on

      Say what you want about Gene, but Paul cloud sing the phone book and I’d listen. That dude can sing his ass off


    • Zach on

      Whether or not you liked Kiss’ music, it can’t be denied that they were hugely influential. The real question is why are bands like Deep Purple, Yes, King Crimson, etc. sitting on the sidelines while bands of the 90s like Nirvana are getting in already?


    • adrian faz on

      that is a wig that gene wears outside of his kiss character. There is a TMZ picture posted of Gene bald as a penis head. and although at this point I hate everything about Kiss I have to disagree on the Paul not a good singer. He is a good singer but not from anything played after the Revenge album. But Paul live is awful. He can’t sing for crap..


    • JB on

      The TMZ pictures were fakes. Regardless Gene is extremely follicly challenged…with a mix of dye and transplanted hair and who knows what else. Onstage he wears a wig and has all the way back since Animalize tour. For Paul…same as Gene in the hair dept. although offstage he wears a combo of wig and transplants for his frontal hairline. On stage…wig. Paul has worn a stage wig for many tours…started with extensions on the HITS tour to full blown wig. I don’t even think he cares anymore…saw him backstage on the Farewell tour without his stage wig…just very short thinning hair.
      As for Pauls voice…yes, it’s gone now but in the day…one of the best in Rock n Roll. On the Creatures tour…best i ever heard it. Paul lost his voice after the solo tour…not been the same since even after surgery.


    • BeagleDawg007 on

      Then why even comment on this?


    • Kelly on

      Tommy, you’re ridiculous. I agree that Alice Cooper and Deep Purple are great, but its difficult to make a list of bands that have had the influence on hard rock that KISS has had. Gene and Paul know they are middle of the road musicians, and that is not their point. They want to be great ENTERTAINERS, and that’s exactly what they are.


    • pete lytel on

      Gee “tommy” I saw Alice in a club a couple years ago, wasnt even sold out. When was the last time he had a successful album? Your opinions are troll-like, angry and just that, opinions. Get off the site please.


    • Bill Wilson on

      Another mental midget I see


    • metal markus!!!! on

      whatever is going on oh!!! well!!! kiss deserves to be here!!!! they played to over a billion people with or without the originals!!! and eddie trunk you say in this article and i quote lol!!! “There were several versions of Kiss. I was a fan of many” a true kiss fan will be a fan of it all hey when i heard the peter criss solo album i sucked it up and said it was good and the dynasty album!!! you calling it a kisco album was just very annoying to hear from you!!! a true kiss fan will love all there work!!!! learn a instrument and get a band going eddie and see it’s not as easy playing with other members of a band all the time!!!! bottom line is this!!! if this was IRON MAIDEN there wouldn’t be any problems unless sharon osbourne was running the show lol!!! well that’s another story!!!! and dude when are you going to get overkill on your show i mean your studio is pretty close to slayerville to get bobby blitz on that show i mean there’s no way he would turn that down!!! who was the guy on the show just recently some musician that doesn’t even play metal but he had on a that metal show shirt on from another show common’ very week season so far minus zakk and nugent!!! i mean trixter on guitar what the fuck lol!!! well that’s my 10 cents to this and everything else!!! music should always be fun not turn into he said she said bullshit!!!! that’s what girlfriends are for lol!!!


    • Charles manzanares on

      Very well said!!


    • Nic Bongers on

      Ace and Peter should be allowed to play as KISS just like everyone from GnR sans Axl Rose did last year.


    • Nic Bongers on

      Having two fakers in Ace and Peter makeup didn’t help the situation.


  • Michael M on

    Eddie, why are certain groups only inducted with original members and with cases like Fleetwood Mac, they induct their 5th incarnation (they include Peter Green but dis Bob Welch and Larry Kirwin), not to mention only the original members of Sabbath and giving the finger to Dio and Vinny Appice. No rhyme or reasoning. In KISS, Vinny Vincent and Eric Carr must also be honored.


  • Mike on

    I was pissed on Friday, but I tend to see Paul and Gene’s point. They wanted all members in, in which case they might have preformed with everyone and it would have been a big party.

    Instead the hall treated KISS like crap, and not like they treated other bands where they let in multiple members. Therefore, KISS told them to shove it. I can’t blame them for that.


  • sean e bones on

    I hold the RRHOF just as much at fault for this debacle as I do ALL four of the original members of KISS. Your 4 senior citizens acting like assholes. ALL of you. You were, for a brief moment in time, the biggest band in the world. That is not the case anymore. You had one last shot at reliving that, and you all shoved it straight up the ass of the people that made you millionaires. Good job.


    • Cali on

      I really don’t think Peter and Ace have been acting like assholes this time around.


    • Cali on

      I don’t think Ace and Peter have been acting like assholes this time around.


  • Ken on

    Nobody would ever make the argument that Vinnie Vincent is more important in KISS than Gene Simmons. Or that Mark St. John’s contributions equal what Paul Stanley has brought to the table. The RRHOF needs to just accept that most major bands have undergone some kind of lineup change during their careers. Grateful Dead, Metallica, Heart, KISS, Fleetwood Mac, the list goes on and on. The RRHOF could do us all a favor and induct every performer that’s ever recorded with the band that’s being inducted.

    If you deem KISS worthy of induction, you need to induct Paul, Gene, Ace, Peter, Vinnie, Mark, Bruce, Eric Carr, Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer. That’s the entire KISS family for better or worse. Even if the current KISS lineup performed live, the remaining members could all be there to celebrate what got them to this moment.


    • paul stanley on

      RRHOF is at fault NOT kiss NOT paul NOT gene NOT ace NOT peter
      This is what should have happened nothing more NOTHING less
      If you deem KISS worthy of induction, you need to induct Paul, Gene, Ace, Peter, Vinnie, Mark, Bruce, Eric Carr, Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer. That’s the entire KISS family for better or worse.
      AS for you kiss haters , Gene haters Paul haters go f*k yourself and stop writting sh*t no one wants to read and go back to playing video games in your moms basement.


    • Cali on

      And this comes from someone masquerading as ‘Paul Stanley’.


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