4/13: RECAP OF KISS AT THE HOF, MEXICO, JOE ELLIOT, MORE
Just back from another crazy run of travel and rock insanity over the last few days. It started Thursday night with the HOF ceremony in Brooklyn. If you followed on Twitter you saw a ton of great photos and coverage I sent out as it happened from the very first row of the arena. I also have the complete Kiss induction speeches on my Iphone from the first row. I will post when I can. It was a great night and I am grateful Ace and Peter included me among a very very small amount of people they had sit with them at their tables. The HOF only gives every inductee a plus one for free. Everyone else they bring as guests must pay an extreme amount of money per seat. Ace and Peter’s tables were at opposite ends of the very first row. Nothing in front but the stage. Just an awesome view. I mostly hung with Ace and sat with him since that was where my seat was. But I did walk over and sit with Peter for a bit as well. The Kiss table with the current band and Bruce was slightly behind Peter’s. I did say hi to Bruce briefly but there was no interaction with any of the other guys which honestly I did not expect or seek out. I was there as a guest of Ace and Peter’s to celebrate this historic and long overdue moment. There was no real interaction I was aware of between Ace and Peter and Gene and Paul until they went up on stage. From my view it seemed at times awkward while they were all up there and at times okay. Obviously there was a ton of drama leading up to this with all kinds of things said from all corners, but in the end it was fairly uneventful as far as them all standing there and accepting. I thought they all looked good, said good stuff, and did the best they could under a fairly stressful build up to the induction. A few observations:
*Kiss was pretty much the only band who played by the rules and kept their speeches to the 2-3 minute time limit. They were up there maybe a total of 10 minutes. Most artists took a TON of time, especially the E Street Band.
*Tom Morello did a GREAT induction speech. Really fired up the Kiss fans and captured the moment perfectly!
*Paul Stanley’s speech was last and very very good. Loved how he called out the HOF
*Because Kiss choose not to perform they really ended up being somewhat of a footnote in a very long night. All the other acts had much longer inductions and played 3 songs or so. Kiss’s moment was all of 15 minutes total with a simple video package, Morello and the speeches. Could only think if Gene and Paul would have allowed just one song with the original four they could have blown the place up! Sucks to think what could have been.
*As a result of no performance from Kiss the Kiss fans in the building were much less than I expected. Maybe third biggest reaction from the crowd after E Street band and Nirvana to be honest. I also know some tickets were given away to help fill the building at the last minute. No way that happens if original four did even one song.
*The original four did pose for photos in the press room after their speeches but did not take questions. I tweeted out some of these shots which likely will be the last time the original four are photographed together.
*I was stunned in Gene’s speech when speaking about Ace how many guitarists try to imitate him but none come close. I’m sure Tommy Thayer sitting right there loved that!
*Ace stayed until the end of the very long night. He was asked to jam with Nirvana and Tom Morello to close the night on a cover of “Highway To Hell” but at the last second the jam was called off by the HOF because the event ran way too long. Ace was ready to go and even had his guitar with him! He would have been the only member of Kiss to play on stage if it had happened and was clearly bummed when it was cancelled.
*Bill Aucoin’s sister and partner were also at our table along with a photo of Bill. Ace said he was really thinking of Bill all night.
*Tommy, Eric, Vinnie, Mark, Bruce and Eric Carr were all mentioned during the induction to minimal reaction from the crowd. A few cheers, a few boos, and many cries of “Ace” and “Peter” from the stands.
*All four members of Kiss wore sunglasses on stage. Weird but I guess they thought it looked cool?
For me it was a weird night in the sense that I had been screaming so hard for so long like many fans to see this finally happen, but then we only got an abbreviated section for Kiss since they wouldn’t play. But there were also times I went back to being that kid in high school made fun of for liking this band and relished the moment and let out a cheer when they all stood on stage. It was sweet vindication for Kiss fans to see this happen right in front of the critics who tried to keep them out. But you can’t help but to think how much more special this night would have been if Kiss would have taken the stage to play. They were the only band to not have some music represented on the stage. As Kiss continues to inch closer to being a full time sanctioned tribute band (and that is what is in the works soon) I have to think this may have been the last great moment for fans of the original band to see them at least standing there one final time. So much more to discuss but that’s how I saw it. I’ll take your calls on all of this live Monday 6-10P ET on SiriusXM 39 TRUNKNation. Joe Elliot and Chris Von Rohr of Krokus will also be guests.
As of the rest of the night all the performances sounded good from the other artists inducted. I thought Joan Jett with Nirvana sounded really good and was a cool surprise.
My thanks also to Matt Swanson for his hospitality at the HOF event and the many fans I met that night who thanked me for pushing to help get Kiss and other hard rock bands in. The HOF still has so much wrong with it but progress being made with Alice, Rush and Kiss now in. Purple MUST go next!
Thanks to all in Mexico City and Puebla! Just returned home from live shows there this weekend with Don & Jim. Was a blast and the Mexican TMS fans were amazing and sold out both of our appearances. Thanks also to Christian Beristain and his entire team for having us and treating us well. We will be back Mexico, thank you!
See you live on the radio tomorrow night!
Im having a hard time believing that someone would go see kiss as a full blown tribute band… boy their show is so stale now its pathtetic….I still dont get why P/G wont do your show eddie?
Threatened by tough questions that don’t serve the current agenda.
Kinda the opposite of those softballs lobbed to Peter a few weeks back. Seriously, Ed…you should have at least questioned him a little more when he said he’d never been in another band after Kiss.
Yes, I’m sure Paul and Gene are threatened by you and your tough questions. A tad bit delusional.
Really? That’s why they do shows like CNN and things that won’t ask them anything that would question what they do now and ask all layups from the one sheet they just read? That’s why the interviews they did recently were all non music platforms? That’s why they didn’t allow phone calls on shows like Ron & Fez? That’s why they passed on Stern and Opie & Anthony, etc. Wake up dude!
I don’t Think Gene cares one way or the other but Paul is really insecure, the fact he had to have a shrink for all those years says he has something scrambling around up there that he can’t deal with. I think Gene would come on if he could make a $ out of or it served his purpose. Gene did go on Sharon Osborne’s talk show even after he took shots at Ozzy and his family and apologized even after Sharon took shots at Shannon Tweed. made for interesting TV. Paul is burning a lot bridges I guess he is at the end of his career and he doesn’t care or He’s venting out frustration and compensating for his own insecurity.
Again though Ed…where were the tough questions for Peter. Why not ask him point blank “if the makeup was so important to you, why sell your rights”. Why no rebuttal when Peter said he’d never played in another band after Kiss, making it sound like whoa is me. When in fact we all know he did play in several bands. I love the show and I like what you do but lets face it, Peter and Ace have it pretty safe on your shows. It’s pretty obvious they’ve taken your platform to “air” grievances.
Eddie,
With all due respect, because I love your show and respect your opinions, I think this issue is for Paul and Gene, like kicking a dead horse. They have answered the questions that need answering. The only difference if they were to come on your show is that they would be ambushed by fans on your show who only want Ace and Peter in the makeup they created. That does not sound like a fair debate. It sounds like disaster. Maybe its time to either accept KISS in their current lineup with the makeup as is, or just move on. You will never change their minds–and in my opinion (even though I love the original lineup) they shouldn’t change their minds. Their plans for the makeup are much bigger than just the four original guys. The idea is that someone can come in, replace any member when the time is right, and be the character each of them (Paul, Gene, Peter, and Ace) created. I see the big picture and where Paul and Gene are going with this idea. I also understand the argument that each character was an extension of the original four. It doesn’t work that way anymore for better or worse. I think its time to either stay on board or jump ship, but you cant stir up a mutiny and force them to do things the way you think are right. That will only continue to alienate you from them. Personally, I wish they each could have thanked you for being so vocal about the RRHOF. Lets not forget who the enemy is–it was the ones who orchestrated this by limiting who could and could not be inducted by calling other alternatives a non starter.
Mike, I made my decision over 10 years ago. I did jump ship. I don’t and won’t go see the band live anymore. Last time I did it was 2003 and cracks were already showing and I could not stomach the impersonation. My opinion has been clear and consistent. That doesn’t mean however I can not and will not provide a form for discussion and debate for all sides. That is what I do. Much like sports radio covers sports. As for Kiss being “ambushed” on my shows that is utter nonsense. I find it mind boggling that nobody ever acknowledges my 30 plus years of support of 98% of Kiss related things. That is NEVER discussed. Weird how my post saying I loved Paul’s HOF speech got no mention or traction anywhere huh? It’s all about pouncing on one thing negative, blowing it up, and making it some weird rally cry for those who can’t respect opinions. Pretty sad if someone would rather run than sit and discuss like an adult if there is nothing to worry about. But my shows are fine without Kiss on them. It is their FANS that make those requests. But the truth is it isn’t really about the fans because the overwhelming majority wanted one song with the original band and they would not let that happen at the HOF either..
@Mike B…if Ed ever got Gene and Paul on the show the fans would go nuts. Further it would be the biggest coup for TMS ever. Ed knows that. I promise you, any of these fans posting on here spewing hate for those two guys, if they ever met them would they’d freak out. It’s easy to sit here behind a keyboard and express feelings but if they ever met them they’d act like little kids.
And frankly, I doubt there’d be any tough questions from Ed either. Nothing personal but Ed’s had plenty of chances to dig deeper with Peter and Ace and he hasn’t done so. I doubt he’d throw Gene and Paul under the bus if they ever decided to open the door back up to Ed.
I also agree with Ed in that his comments about Paul’s HOF speech, which he praised, generated little support on this forum. And the fact is Paul’s speech was taken up for the fans of music in general. Sad that many on here that blindly follow Ed didn’t pick up on that.
Sadly this was the only shot to see original 4 ever play something again….o well a bitter sweet moment for a fan like myself who has supported hem since the 70s
Looking forward to Aces new album and hopefully he will do some live dates to support it…Ace still has the goods …….When u hear Ace play live you can clearly hear what Kiss is missing besides Paul’s voice.
If kiss was smart they would call Ace back and try split up the vocal duties I know he can still do it now that he is sober.
If it does become a full on tribute kiss it will never go further than a long running Vegas act.
Ed thanks for your updates during the show and after a true fan…
Boos? Did you completely ignore the Peter Criss speech? In or out of makeup I will always be the cat man. That shit was unnecessary. I heard the crowd reaction Eddie. But let’s not let facts get in the way of your asskissing. Gene and Pail kept this band alive despite you drug buddies doing their worst to destroy it.
So Peter does not have the right to claim ownership of what HE created? Drug buddies, wow, grow up. Guess it doesn’t work for your agenda that they have been sober for almost 10n years…
Hard to claim ownership when you sold something. I somehow can’t get past the point, that if it meant that much to him, why’d he sell it? I love ya Ed, but you have your own agenda when it comes to Pete and Ace. Hey, when you own the playground you make the rules. I understand that.
He didn’t intend to sell from what I’ve read. When he was in the hospital trying to get clean, he was duped out of his rights.
He WAS and IS the original Catman. He has certainly earned that title.
No…not what happened. Lydia has even stated that after he left the band, she told him it was stupid idea to sell it. Peter wasn’t duped.
JB, I think Peter WAS duped.
Go back an read his book.
So—don’t believe everything you read. If Peter has a case against KISS for the circumstances in which he signed his rights to the makeup away, he can file a case against them and possibly win his rights back. I think your argument serves your purpose, but I am not seeing critical thinking here…
What about your personal agenda here? Absolution for Paul and Gene? Calling those who still favour Ace and Peter stupid or biased? You are obviously biased yourself.
Schoco, the only agenda I have is Kiss. I support them all. I can’t help it that I have the mental capacity to see all sides. I’ll defend Peter and Ace as much as the others guys when need be. So am I biased? Why yes I am, I’m biased towards Kiss.
The mental capacity!! Ha, best joke so far today. You really should listen to yourself, but that is probably what you like best. You see it all, you are ominscient, you should sit down and write the DEFINITIVE book on Kisstory. And sell it to the people here you are instructing, they will follow you:-)
Why thank schoco…I probably could. At least I didn’t show up to the party a couple years ago. Omniscient …good word. I bet you searched long and hard for that one, next time try spelling it correctly.
To grand master JB below who is so way above other posters here, including Eddie himself: have you noticed that English is not my mother tongue? You never mistype words you know? No, you are just trying to find something to shoot back at me, what a petty and lame way of behaviour. Can YOU read or write my language (as you are so clever you might detect what it is from my mistakes, yeah??!!) , or even understand something that is beyond your own imagination or experience in your native tongue, like that one would defend his heroes while still being completely aware that it is a bit irrational – I do not think so from your biased and snotty posts here, so shut up and get back behind your keyboard shooting at people that have different opinions. Maybe that is your meaning of life. Fill your day with correcing people’s spelling, you will have a lot of work to do here and elsewhere to feel good. And to close this case, I got my university degree,and even beyond that. I can even talk to you in your mother tongue, what about you? So you stay in the Kiss camp and support G and P for whatever reason without becoming aware of the fact that you fell for their little trap, they need people like you to argue their case on forums like this where more critical people and also (maybe irrational) fans of the original two show up, while I will go see Ace when his coming on tour with his new album, so both of us will be satisfied.
Amen Eddie. Im glad Peter said it right in front of them. Its what the real fans think anyway, I for one have no problem if Gene and Paul continue without Ace and Peter. What I do have a problem with is 2 other hired hands using their likeness.
Eddie… did you read Peter’s book? I just finished it and Peter is not a nice man. There are countless examples of him being a dick… in HIS own book. He is the luckiest man to ever have a career in music. A fair drummer at best and just an ungrateful jerk. As Paul says in his book… why should Ace and Peter make as much money as Gene and I… WE are the ones that kept the KISS name alive for 15 years while Ace and Peter floundered. I couldn’t agree more. I’m glad Peter didn’t get to play at the HOF… he didn’t deserve to.
I thought his book was incredibly honest and he pointed a finger at himself as much as anyone. EVERYONE seems to need to take a side with all the Kiss books when the fact is they ALL paint the version of the story that person wants to tell
Michael, here’s the deal: Peter created the character and that makeup. For whatever reason (of which I don’t know if there has STILL been a proper explanation), Paul & Gene own his makeup trademark. I don’t think Peter will ever be confused for a music lawyer and he obviously made some poor choices in who he wanted to represent him and his interests. However, he does take issue with someone else wearing his makeup and has a difficult time understanding why today’s KISS can’t succeed or fail on it’s own merits rather than continuing to use his face paint to sell concert tickets and merchandise. The Farewell Tour concluded in 2001 or so and Peter’s time with the band ended around 2003-04.
Paul & Gene if nothing else are good students and good businessmen. They knew after releasing ‘Revenge’ that the band was going nowhere. I saw that tour at the Meadowlands and it was maybe half full. The reunion filled arenas, stadiums, drew press interest, both main stream and international, cleared them of any debt and guaranteed and more than comfortable financial future. Despite the fact that Ace & Peter were apparently racists before any of this happened and despite the fact that they all knew that Ace was Ace and what that brought with it, they still decided to forget the bigotry and addiction and go forward because it was a financial decision. Nothing more and nothing less. So, please don’t come back and call them racists to sell a book or to draw attention to yourself.
Rightly or wrongly, Peter felt slighted in terms of compensation, respect and what he thought was a bond of ‘brothers’ who created this band. IN his book, he sought to address the criticisms brought on him by Gene & Paul as to why he was complaining all of the time and quite frankly if a lot of it is true, then I don’t blame him. Some things I do blame him. But he is what he is. He wanted to make that point about “being the cat” because it’s a part of him. Not Eric. Eric is portraying a role for the band. Peter lived that part. It wasn’t a role for him. That’s the difference and that’s the point Peter was trying to make. And really; about the drug thing. get over it, already. You sound as obnoxious as Gene does.
Thanks Stevedrums, well said.
You can’t keep something alive that is already dead…Paul & Gene have just been milking the name for all it’s worth. They’ve done more to harm KISS and destroy it’s legacy than anyone else has.
I don’t know how Peter could be anything but upset about someone else in his make up.
I’m sure he is upset Jim, he created it, developed it…it was an extension of his personality. I have no problems with any of that…but at the end of the day, if it meant that much to him, why did he sell it. And regardless of the why, once he did, then you move on.
He signed it away. No one forced him to. He wanted the money more than his own legacy. Read his book and you will walk away not liking him at all. I dumb guy who blames everyone but himself. A total ungrateful dick.
Loved Peter’s dig, especially after every bad thing they said about him, he was the only one that night who had the guts to say anything to their faces, as the rest of them are cordial but as soon as they’re off the stage they take to the media and are back to slamming each other again.
I loved Gene’s digs on Ace and Peter. They weren’t compliments at all. Bravo Gene.
I disagree–I think Gene spoke sincerely and truthfully. Remember the comment “the powerful and attractive, Peter Criss!” That phrase is reserved for people he cares about. I think that comment came from his desire to see it be true and from the fonder memories he and Paul share of the days they traveled in a station wagon or milk truck etc… Don’t forget these guys–despite the problems–deep down are like family. We don’t always get along with family but we always care about them. I think some of these conversations would make more sense if we could imagine ourselves in those situations.
I agree.
Eddie, I make Gene’s basses, and would have invited you to be my guest at the Gene Simmons GSAXE banquet on Saturday morning. I also would have loved for you to have been live at the Tonight Show. The current Kiss lineup and show is pretty awesome. The tour starts soon, and the Kruse is happening again in October. Check out http://www.caraguitars.com and http://www.gsaxe.com
Thanks for the offer Jim but this version of Kiss not for me with all respect. Enjoy.
I’ll bet Genie would’ve loved it 🙂