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
Let me put myself in a tiny minority here. I think Tommy should go back to BlacknBlue, which in my opinion kicks the crap out of anything Kiss ever did!!! Yeah, yeah, I know, he actually needs a paycheck, right? BlacknBlue were truly one of the kick ass 80s bands to never realize any sort of large scale success.
Wow, this topic is always one filled with passion from fans. Eddie I just want to say I appreciate everything you do and the platforms you have on radio and Television. I have been on your radio show when Jericho was on and TMS is mandatory viewing for me. Thanks to your show I have been exposed to so many great bands (Rush, UFO, Y and T, etc) its crazy good. And everybody knows you love Kiss, regardless of your opinions (and everybody is entilted to them). I personally can go either way with the Kiss issue: I have all their albums and love the music (music first and foremost) and have seen them live with Eric and Tommy in the band. It was a great show. They should be in the band and the chemistry is there, however yes they should have their own characters. I think we can listen to the music of all eras of Kiss and enjoy it. I also hope that the band goes on TMS because its the one show that respects the music, and it would be the biggest rating grabber ever I think jajajaa. So again Eddie, thanks for doing what you do its much appreciated.
If Eric and Tommy had their own personas, it would be viewed as ridiculous at this point… When Eric Carr and Vinnie Vincent had their own, it was cool because they were the “first” new members…it made sense, but now the characters created by the original 4 are just that…characters, once “played by Ace and Peter, and by Eric and Tommy…and a shout out to Chris Medek who above commented that Ace has played with Eric in catman makeup and Peter who has played with Tommy in the spaceman makeup..I made those points months ago here, but of course I was sensored by the website and my comments were not posted…Finally, Eddie… You are certainly one of the few still waving the metal flag proudly, and I do love TMS, but, you talk about having balls to confront all guests and proclaim to keep it real, but Peter and Ace have never been confronted on playing with these so called “impostors” and especially Peter in his book wined about so many things, that I actually have no respect for him…He did a freakin album with Tommy, and also I am staring at an autographed pic on my wall of Peter, Gene, Paul and , Tommy…so he did press with him too… Not to mention it was Bob Kulick or Tommy filling in for drunken Ace…Get over it Eddie… Why didn’t you confront either of them about that hypocrisy? Kiss is the most unique band ever in regard to it’s members…I wish they wouldn’t perform Shock Me because that was Aces signature song and it doesn’t help Tommy be his own member, I get it, but to basically boycott them as you have Eddie is ridiculous… No matter what Gene and Paul do, they will never please everyone, and I don’t think they care..
I respect all opinions but then in your logic it would be fine if Angus leaves AC/DC to dress a new guy in the school boy outfit? And I never called them impostors, impersonators yes. Exactly what else is it if not impersonating what others created? As for Tommy, Eric or anyone past, present in Kiss I have NO personal issue with any of them and ALL welcome on my shows anytime if THEY want to come on! Of course all the positives I say about them are NEVER reported for some reason….
Hi Ed; glad you and Gene cleared the air a little and I hope you have a chance to do so with Paul in the near future. As an old school Kiss fan myself, I am not a big fan of seeing Eric and Tommy dressed like Peter and Ace either, although Im willing to bet those two felt awkward themselves when they were first asked, (and who could blame them from taking the opportunity).
Last time I saw Kiss , it was the ‘farewell tour’ with the original four, and Ive been set against seeing them with the current status. However lately I am reconsidering for the reason that my kids are getting bigger and are approaching the age that they want to see their first Kiss concert. I don’t want them to miss the Kiss experience , and lets face it unless Ace and peter rejoin, this may be the closest they may get to being at a Klassic Kiss show. So for their sake, may have to suck it up next time Kiss comes to the New York area.
Your story is what I hear from so many. Also hear tons of kids in the audience these days for that reason. Respect all sides, opinions.