Good to be back home. Made it back from M3 last night. If you follow on Twitter or check my Twitter feed you will see many photos I just posted with more to come. It was a pretty crazy 2 weeks with Golden Gods, M3, and of course the new TMS tapings which are now done and start airing June 1. We will discuss it all and much more live tonight from 6-10P ET / 3-7 Pacific on SiriusXM channel 39 Trunk Nation (Hair Nation). Also Ratt singer Stephen Pearcy will drop by around 6:30P ET and we will take calls for him. Tons to catch up on over the next week, we will get into some of it tonight for sure! Way too many stories to type, and I suck at typing!
Less than 3 weeks away from this years Rocklahoma which I am thrilled to once again be hosting. See you all in Pryor very soon!
If you follow on Twitter you know that last Thursday I did indeed sit and talk with Gene Simmons to clear the air with him face to face about exactly what I have said about Kiss as a fan and what my feelings are, cutting out the insane and inaccurate accounts usually posted on the internet. Gene was cool enough to invite me in his booth to sit and chat for about 10 minutes and clear the air to some degree. I did not back down from my own personal thoughts about what the band is doing, just relayed them ACCURATELY to Gene since the 99% of positives from the last 30 years as a Kiss fan that I have said and done are of course NEVER acknowledged anywhere. As I have also stated MANY times I have NO issue with Tommy or Eric in the band. My issue is and always has been with the fact that they are not their own personalities and for me I choose not to see it. But the whole thing has become so silly and blown out of proportion by a hyper sensitive few that it felt good to sit with Gene man to man and explain this clearly (something I asked Paul to do the last time I ever spoke with him and never happened). Gene claimed he has no issue at all with me and is very happy doing what he is doing, and then in typical Gene fashion started quoting how good business is LOL. I explained to Gene if he has no issue he should come back on my shows where his fans want to see and hear him and have a respectful discussion. He said he would not rule it out and as has always been the case my door is open to all past and present members of the band. I honestly don’t know anyone who loves every single thing any band they ever loved has done, and I pride myself on giving my honest opinion when asked.I have no idea if anything will change but I’m glad I was able to sit with Gene, who I have known a long time and who also loves to speak his mind, and have a discussion. I may not be a fan of what the band currently does but respect their right to do it and Gene’s willingness to sit and chat like two adults.
60 Responses
Ace Frehley maybe sober but he still failed to turn up for UK gigs 2 years in a row without a valid reason,he is finished in this country,unlike KISS who are doing very well in the whole of Europe.
Ace has always been my hero but he is unreliable and you can’t treat fans that way,as for Peter,he simply cannot play to a suitable standard any more.Tommy and Eric are doing a great job,ask the new generation of 14 yr old fans and they couldn’t give a shit who first wore the make up,they just want a good time the same way i did at their age.
Hi Eddie. I understand your point of view(don’t agree).Ace played with Eric in make-up,Peter played with Tommy in make-up.Didn’t bother either of them to not perform.Actually it gave Gene & Paul a test run to see if fans would accept other players in original make-up. Ace,Peter could have not sold the rights to the make-up. Isn’t it a little late to add new characters now? I think Eric,Tommy have been wearing the make-up longer than Ace & Peter’s stint in the band(maybe not combined but it’s now getting close). May be it should be viewed as honoring the org members,no other new characters could measure up.Eddie I enjoy your show,You gave us your thoughts,Let it rest now.
Excellent points…
Surely you asked him to appear on TMS??? What did he say about that????
” I explained to Gene if he has no issue he should come back on my shows where his fans want to see and hear him and have a respectful discussion. He said he would not rule it out and as has always been the case my door is open to all past and present members of the band.”
There is your answer, ANDY. Eddie mentioned it in the article above.
Short and sweet…take the make up off, make it about the music. Yes, Tommy and Eric are great musicians, let them be Tommy and Eric, not force them to play the role of guys in the band 30 years ago. The makeup nostalgia has run its course
Clearly it hasn’t run it’s course as they continue to do incredible business with the makeup. At this point, it’s all nostalgia. And nobody knows that better than them.
Let’s remember last US tour was a CO Headline with Motley in sheds VS 4 nights at MSG in ’96 as a headline.
Kiss deserve to be in the rock and roll hall of fame. How do the likes of Madonna, Abba, and Grandmaster Flash get in? They are not rock and roll. Kiss meet every criteria for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Sell out concerts, Millions of records sold, Influenced many musicians to play music. Members of Soundgarden and Metallica cite Kiss as a reason they learned to play music and start bands. The Rock and Roll Hall of Shame is a big joke. Not to mention…. How is Deep Purple, Judas Priest, Scorpions, UFO, Thin Lizzy, Cheap Trick, Foreigner, Journey, Styx, Kansas, Blue Oyster Cult, Emerson Lake and Palmer, REO Speedwagon, Jethro Tull, Peter Frampton, Rainbow, Ted Nugent, and many others not in the Hall of Shame?