4/2: BACK FROM THE CRUISE, FULL UPDATE ON ALL KINDS OF STUFF!
Just back from hosting this years MOR Cruise. Amazing 3 1/2 days hanging with so many fans and bands! I can not thank all the fans on board for the amazing love and support they show me. Pretty sure I took photos with every person on board! Was an honor indeed! SO many highlights, way too much to type here. This is very much a working gig for me running around this huge ship and hosting shows and Q&As, so I don’t get to see every artist or band sadly because the promoter makes my schedule. But some things I did se that I can comment on:
*Tesla: Did one acoustic and one electric set. Still one of the best bands to come from the 80’s. They also played me their new album coming in June called “Simplicity”. Really strong!
*The Winery Dogs/Richie Kotzen. Kotzen was THE guy everyone was asking me about. So many people are now discovering him after more than two decades because of TWD and are being blown away. Since my involvement with the band was mentioned often in the press by the guys everyone was asking where he came from. So thrilled to see so many finding out about his brilliance. In addition ton two TWD gigs (both AMAZING), Kotzen also did two shows with his own band and just annihilated the room! Every guitar player on the ship was watching and amazed. Many joked after seeing TWD they are wanted to toss their gear overboard and give up. Amazing and so happy for Richie to finally be getting the attention he is long overdue through TWD success. Contrary to what some think I have NO business dealing at all with this band, just a fan who helped out three friends and glad to see it working so well for all. The cruise performances were the latest example.
*Loudness. One word: Akira. The guy is unreal to watch play and the band is so good and so heavy. They come from Japan just for the cruise and kill it every time. New album coming soon.
*Y&T: Meniketti still delivers vocally and playing. Band sounds great and so many great songs. See them this Saturday at Stage 48 NYC.
*Kix: They are still so much fun and great energy from Steve as always.
*Red Dragon Cartel: Night and day difference from the first show. More energy from Jake and singer Darren Smith WAY better. I knew as I stated earlier he would be fine with a little more experience and he is now dialed in. Jake has cancelled some dates due to some back pain issues but has really gotten this band humming. Great set of material too.
*Faster Pussycat: Played two late night sets and KILLED it. This is a perfect band to play late when everyone is buzzed and wants sleazy hard rock and Taime and the boys were great both shows I saw!
*Cinderella: Only shows of the year for them on the cruise. Band was tight and Tom sounded great.
SO many bands on this cruise. If I didn’t mention them it’s because I didn’t see them or saw much of them. There is stuff overlapping and going non stop so very tough to get it all in. Also had a great chat with industry legend Tom Zutaut who signed Tesla, Motley and GnR to name a few. Great swapping stories over lunch. I’ll get into more when I can. Just wiped out now and preparing to leave for Seattle tomorrow where I have gigs with Don and Jim this weekend (Portland on Saturday, see the home page). Thanks to all who came out to MOR Cruise, was a blast!
Live SiriusXM show this Monday with Ace Frehley in studio! As has now been announced Tom Morello is inducting Kiss. Not what many guessed but I can tell you the HOF loves Tom and he had a big role behind the scenes finally getting Kiss in. The Kiss drama is reaching new heights of craziness as the HOF draws closer. Unfortunate to see some of the barbs being tossed in so many directions with these guys. Even Paul selling his book has said stuff about Gene that surprised me. Not to mention the harsh critique in Guitar World of Mark St John, a guy they hired and who sadly passed away. I will be attending the ceremony as a guest of Ace and Peter and will keep you posted as I learn more and as things transpire that night best I can. Just hope for us fans the night is respectful for the legacy of the band and glad to hear Bruce Kulick will be in attendance. He deserves it for sure, as well as some acknowledgement of the late great Eric Carr.
More soon including tons of pro photos from the cruise. Updates when I can and see you this weekend I hope if in Seattle or Portland. Also a quick thanks to all who came to my signing in Largo FL last Friday and the Cultural Center for having me. Great venue!
Eddie, love the uncompromising journalism.
It’s not “craziness”, it’s out an out stupidity and two people who are being bullies because they can. I must say that up until the whole HOF process, I supported Paul & Gene if for no other reason, than from a business and practical matter. I understood why they kept Peter & Ace’s “characters” even if I personally didn’t like it. But I “got” it. I understood their reliance on the 70’s nostalgia. I understood taking the brand into different avenues and supported them through all of it. What I don’t like are bullies. When Paul & Gene continually refer to Ace & Peter as “cancers”, perhaps they ought to re-think their verbiage as Peter actually had cancer. The fact that Paul or Gene can’t simply point to Peter’s current endeavors in raising awareness for breast cancer research, offer support for him in this endeavor and move on absolutely stuns me. The fact that Ace has allegedly been sober 7-8 years now and yet Gene still refers to him as a drunk and whatever else is simply lying for the sake of his own interests. I resigned my “membership” from KISS and I had been a fan since 1977 (and recently unearthed an audio cassette tape from me and my sister watching ‘The Phantom of the Park” as it was on t.v. in 1978. I was 8 and she was 14!). It takes no guts or strength to endlessly mock and berate when you don’t have to answer to anyone for it. Whatever Ace & Peter’s issues then and now, Paul & Gene have shown absolutely no class, no gratitude, no grace and no maturity despite the proclamations otherwise. As for the current tour they are doing w/ Def Leppard, I have absolutely no desire to see two bands whose singers can no longer sing and whose reliance on pyro has become the focus of the show and not an extension of it. If I want to hear someone croaking, there are plenty of frogs in the area who do it better and if I want to see fireworks, there’s always Disney on YouTube. Paul & Gene at this stage of the kind of make me sick.
Wow, well said Steve! I have to say I am right there with you; a fan since 1976 and just really done with this version of KISS and Gene/Paul altogether. I was going to go to the HOF induction if the original 4 were to reunite for even one tune but G/P could not throw the fans a bone so I am not interested. By the way, it is BS for them to even suggest Ace and Peter could not rehearse for a few weeks and be able to perform a couple of songs. G/P just didn’t want the insane applause at the HOF if this came off to detract from their latest tour with Current KISS; that’s really all there is to it. You are right on the money about the bullying tactics and it really is too bad; Peter has had his problems and is candid about them in his book but G/P’s holier-than-thou attitude has really worn thin and it is classless for them to not acknowledge Peter’s illness at all. I just wonder if all this dickery on Gene and Paul’s part will be reflected in how they are greeted at the HOF?
Bongi: Unfortunately, I think that there are enough robots who will buy whatever Paul & Gene are selling to applaud wildly as Jim Baker’s robots applauded him decades ago. It doesn’t nor did it ever matter to me if they played together or not, but I thought it would have been a nice way to close the ‘Original 4’. Play ‘R&R all Nite’ without the makeup for 4 minutes or whatever. My beef is two-fold: If you are going to church, but don’t like the message or the preacher or the bibles they use, then you don’t go. The only reason Paul & Gene are going at all has nothing to do with the fans. Only to do with the fact that Ace & Peter are going and they don’t want to run the risk of them carrying the evening. The Sex Pistols stayed home because they were true to their convictions. These two frauds aren’t. The other reason is that I simply don’t understand the vitriol they still have for Peter & Ace. I don’t want another reunion. None of them could handle it. Paul’s hypocrisy here is so blatant because of the quality of his voice. It’s not his fault. It’s age. Give it up! Ace & Peter have been out of the band for an extended period of time. Keep your mouth shut, do the predictable hug, thank each other and be on your way. This constant bitching, moaning, crying and insulting is the work of a bully because he can. I honestly thought Paul was better than this. I was wrong. being I was wrong, “fool me once”. But I won’t spend another dime on any of them. As mentioned, I resign.
Steve: once again, great stuff. Very well said; I suppose if I had my way, I would have had the Original Four suck it up for a few weeks, rehearse, slap on the makeup and outfits and blast out “Deuce”, drop the instruments and walk off stage. The End. Just to stick it to the “the critics” and haters.
Amen, brother. I’ve been in the KISS Army so long I should be a 5-star general by now, and up to this point I’ve always excused Gene’s and Paul’s haughtiness and condescension, but this whole RRHOF incident has taken it to a new level. I think the sole reason they don’t want to do it, despite what they say, is that it will serve as a grim reminder that the current KISS lineup is nothing more than half a tribute band. With all due respect to Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer, who are both great players, they’re still up there “pretending” to be Peter and Ace. I can put a star over my right eye and stand on a stage singing “Detroit Rock City,” but it still doesn’t make me Paul Stanley. I believe it was Paul who said recently that Batman was still Batman no matter if it was George Clooney, Val Kilmer, or Christian Bale playing him. But Batman was never a real person, Ace and Peter are. If he wants to use a Batman analogy, what’s happening in KISS right now would be like Christian Bale pretending to be Adam West. If that’s the way Gene and Paul want to conduct KISS business these days, that’s their prerogative. But don’t constantly denegrate two guys without whom you wouldn’t have that Ivory Tower from which to be looking down upon everyone with which you disagree. If it’s really about the fans, which you always claim, put aside your differences, slap on the greasepaint, and show those fools at the RRHOF why you should have already been inducted years ago.
Great post man. I like the fact that Paul and Gene still tour, but your remarks are very on point.
Even though I’ve always been in camp Ace & Peter, there’s a big part of me that was glad KISS was still out there in makeup, even if in a reconstituted form, because it was a link back to my days growing up. But the more Gene and Paul spew their venom at two guys who were instrumental (pardon the pun) in helping them get where they are, the further they drive me into the waiting arms of Ace and Peter. Gene and Paul always claim it doesn’t matter who’s under the makeup. Well, if that’s the case, why don’t you spend 20 bucks to see one of the many tribute bands instead of forking out a couple of hundred bucks to see the real KISS, that is if it truly doesn’t matter who’s under the makeup.
I agree with all of you. I am getting tired of reading new negative comments about Ace and Peter from Paul and Gene!! Enough already!! I do agree that the HOF has not been consistent with inducting former members of bands; Eagles and Lynyrd Skynyrd I am sure had all former and current members included. But Paul and Gene took this thing to a totally different level with constant slams on Peter and Ace. Have been a fan since 1976 and actually like some of the songs on Sonic Boom and Monster but this whole childish attitude thing has been a real turn off. Very disappointing to see the band I followed so closely back in the day resort to this type of behavior. You say you owe it all to the fans, well a lot of those fans are sick and tired of hearing all this crap!!
Eddie,
Which critique are you talking about regarding Mark St. John?
Read Guitar World and the cut away where they review past players in the band
I knew that he did not get along with the other members, but wow.
Eddie – any chance of you “live tweeting” during the HOF ceremony? Would be great for the fans.
Yes!
any chance that you will be on the Motorhead Cruise come September. Your friends in Megadeth, Anthrax, Zack Wylde, Danko Jones and of course Motorhead will be there..