Former KISS bandmates Gene Simmons and Ace Frehley shared a stage last night for the first time in 16 years. Watch their performances of Parasite, Cold Gin and Shock Me below.
Frehley guested with Simmons’ solo band at a fundraising show for victims of Hurricane Harvey in St Paul, Minnesota, a bill that also featured Don Felder and Cheap Trick.
As Frehley walked onstage, Simmons told the crowd, “Before you were born, 1973, this guy and I, the two of us, put together the band.” When Simmons introduced the original Space Ace, the guitarist took a bow as his former bandmate added, “He still looks great, doesn’t he?”
Frehley left KISS in 2001 after a second stint that lasted six years. A great deal of acrimony followed, but relations warmed up again in recent times. There had been some speculation in recent months that Frehley could rejoin Kiss this year on either a permanent or temporary basis.
Even though Frehley and Simmons co-wrote two songs for an upcoming Frehley album, and Paul Stanley also collaborated with him on a track, that looks like it might be the extent of their reunion. “I have the connection and the re-connection, and to celebrate the good things we’ve done together is terrific,” Stanley said in February. “I have no thoughts of revisiting the past. I am happy to do whatever i can for anyone who has helped put me where I am – but that doesn’t include getting hitched again to somebody I unhitched from.”
source: ultimateclassicrock.com
30 Responses
RTunes, every band has an image. For Paul & Gene to think no one would notice or care, better musicians or not, is absurd. Of course a big part of KISS’ appeal was their image/show, but without the music to back it up, it wouldn’t be or mean anything. When Jimmy Crespo replaced Joe Perry, and nothing against Crespo, believe me, real Aerosmith fans like me, noticed. It just wasn’t the same, even though he looked like Perry (intentional or not) until Joe, and Brad came back, I temporarily lost interest in Aerosmith. Replacing band members is one thing, but trying to replace legends, is another.
Well said, Doug R. Your comment about “Replacing band members is one thing, but trying to replace legends, is another” is perfect! That is exactly how i feel about the the original Spaceman and Catman characters being replaced by people other than Ace and Peter. I’m not a hater of Tommy and Eric, both very talented musicians, but I do hate the situation of the original Spaceman and Catman being replaced. Gena and Paul may have the legal right to use the Spaceman and Catman makeup and characters, but in my opinion, it just not right.
Exactly, Rattle! I agree 100%. As I’ve said many times before, if Tommy & Eric were allowed to be themselves, I’d have no problem with them being in KISS. I’ve loved, and supported almost everything Gene & Paul have done with KISS since the beginning, but I could and would not support or approve of Tommy & Eric impersonating Ace & Peter. That’s what they’ve been doing, impersonating Ace & Peter, not just the characters! Like I said, you CANNOT replace legends, especially icons like Ace “The Spaceman” Frehley, and Peter “The Catman” Criss! Rock on, Rattle, cheers!
But then you’re sitting at the show, and what else is there to do that night? watch TV? you could hang out with your girl or whatever, but, what if there really is nothing else going on? So…you’re at the show, and Kiss is about to come on..they’re past their prime, two replacements…but you still want to enjoy the show….you’re a huge fan….they go into Love Gun, and Singer is just driving the band (and this is me, who thinks Criss IS Kiss) like he’s Mario Andretti or something….Tommy is acceptable…they go into their classics (albeit in the wrong key..but, it doesn’t affect them like say..Megadeth or Whitesnake, or even Priest), and they still played longer and put on a more grueling show than the guys half their age….what the hell? you just have to salute Paul and Gene in the end.
i could not agree more.the thing esp with this band is that for all of the make up years there whole shitck was that the make up was an extension of there inner personas.thats why vinny and eric carr had there own,at least it was trying to keep it honest.but when they let someone else into those costumes and make up,it just made it all look so dishonest.i love tommy and eric too,but to suit up in ace and peters stuff,is just wrong .they are a tribute band at this point,and a bad one at that,paul is just painful to listen too,they mike him down when he is singing,its just sad…..
for years I would not see kiss with tommy and eric imitating ace and peter, {I have seen them 8 times 70’e era, 80’s era , 90’s and reunion era} I know a lot of you have that beat by a lot lol – kiss as they are now is just so wrong to me on every level , at least eric seems to be totally himself as he plays from all the clips and videos ive watched , but tommy tries to physically move and behave just like ace { sad really } that is whats wrong at the core of the charade – anyway I was sucked in last summer family and friends wanted to go see kiss so I went, and of course it was awful- all of us felt cheated ,well I cant say all, 2 of the group liked the effects a lot ! paul couldn’t sing anything , his voice is totally shot & his raps sounded foolish as he croaked his way through another “people how ya doin” and he didn’t really move much just posed, as for gene at least he still could still sing , he didn’t really move either, then there was tommy stumbling around knock kneed trying his damndest to imitate ace I was actually laughing at one point , eric was great, amazing drummer and singer, the only person for me worth watching , his backup vocals saved kiss’s ass ! kiss is done- even if ace and pete came back for one last fling , how do they do it with pete being 71 and pauls voice as it is ? he cant sing anymore- I still hope for a miracle of some kind to wake these guys up and shake some sense into them about what the four of them together have meant to the business of music and to millions of fans around the world , paul maybe just needs to rest his voice maybe another procedure ? and then put aside everything and do six or seven select dates with the original four , then a final make up free show with everyone , just wishful thinking……..
this is a setlist I think Paul could reasonably get through with rest and sound decent enough with out killing his voice to make another final reunion work – Deuce, DETROIT ROCK CITY- C’MON AND LOVE ME- Cold gin- HOTTER THAN HELL- strange ways- -parasite – nothing to lose -mainline -STRUTTER- shock me- new York groove – DO YOU LOVE ME – larger than life – rocket ride – 2000 man – hard luck woman – I love it loud- beth- encore : shout it out loud, rock n roll all night- black diamond – {go back to the really cool rap style from the first alive album }
Good point, Jeffrey, about the original KI$$ characters being an extension of their inner personas. I had forgotten about that….Further evidence to support dressing musicians, other than the original creators, as the Spaceman and Catman is not right. The Ahnk Warrior and the Fox were fine characters created by new band members and the band continued, albeit not as successful. But at least it was real.
Paul Stanley had previously said that introducing those new characters became disingenuous, and it took on an air of ‘fake’. In my opinion, what is “fake” is dressing up other musicians to impersonate Ace and Peter’s original characters.
amen
Leave the KISS politics out of it and just enjoy the fact that these two hooked up for a solid performance. This is as good as it could be, and that probably means alot to both of them.
As a side, Paul tweeted a photo of him, Singer, and Thayer in rehearsal the same week Gene was doing this gig. Coincidence?
Lastly – I agree with Staten Island Clown on who goes to a KISS show nowadays and why. They know who they’re appealing to.