ACE FRHELEY ON TOMMY THAYER: “HE’S JUST A GUY UP THERE COPYING ME”
Eddie Trunk interviewed KISS guitarist Ace Frehley for his podcast. Quotes from the interview, courtesy of blabbermouth.net, appear below.
Frehley discussing what he thinks about current KISS guitarist Tommy Thayer wearing his makeup:
“[Tommy is] not Ace Frehley by any stretch of the imagination, number one. Number two, what bothers me the most is that I know the new fans that KISS are getting don’t know it. A lot of people that see Tommy up there think he’s the original guy that created the makeup, that wrote great songs and wrote all those solos that he’s performing, but he’s not. He’s just a guy up there copying me and trying to move like me and trying to sing like me and trying to play like me. And that’s what bothers me the most. I mean, the real hardcore fans know. But the new fans, a lot of them don’t know.”
On the fact that he played with drummer Eric Singer who was wearing Peter Criss’ Catman makeup:
That was okay. I mean, Eric’s such a solid drummer, he’s a pleasure to play with, because you know the beat’s always gonna be there.” When asked if it was weird seeing someone else play in Criss’ makeup Ace said, “Well, you know, I don’t see as good as I used to, so when I look back, I can’t tell the difference. [laughs] Just like a lot of fans don’t know…I can’t tell you how many times I get phone calls and people say,’ Hey, Ace, I heard you’re playing here, I heard you’re playing there. Can you get me tickets?’ I go, ‘I’m not in the band anymore.’ Some people, still, are oblivious to that whole thing.”
To listen to Eddie’s podcast with Ace Frehley, please click here.
additional source: blabbermouth.net
Why should Ace have cared if Eric was in Peter’s makeup back then? Kiss was supposedly winding down and RETIRING, not relaunching their career and making new albums with impersonators. Plus Ace was probably bombed out on drugs and alcohol at the time, which obviously would have clouded his judgment.
That is one hell of a point. Remember the band only had a few shows left at that time in their career when Eric replaced Peter.. But that $$$$$ thing all of a sudden just decided to get in the way of their “Farewell” saga…lols
And Peter rejoined in time for the Aerosmith tour with Tommy in the Ace makeup, so your points are absurd…you don’t even know the history and you’re spouting it out like it is fact…just stop commenting if you don’t know what you’re talking about…
Oh and Peter did an album with Tommy in Aces makeup, so again you and the dude in Aces camp should learn facts before commenting…but I guess on Eddie’s site this kind of garbage is not only tolerated but encouraged…why let the facts cloud your brain…
uhh meathead George…the point was AT THAT TIME there was NOTHING SCHEDULED after that tour for Kiss when Ace was playing with Eric….and to clarify your “facts” blah blah comment….that was a live concert (symphony show) that was taped….it wasn’t a planned studio album done with Tommy…..seems like the brain that had the cloud surrounding it was yours……nice try
Peter rejoined AFTER the supposed last tour to tour with Aerosmith and Tommy in Ace makeup so my facts are correct and your comment on the Symphony album is hysterical…yeah, they just setup a mic and a few video cameras last minute…No, they planned that as an album…go watch the making of it…your boy Pete sured seemed thrilled about it at the time….Why make stuff up?? for you or anyone to claim Ace and Peter are not hypocrites is absurd..
no George your so called “facts” are very misleading & basically….BS….again ….NICE TRY. Now go back to your Justin Bieber youtube videos….
Ace buried himself in that Podcast. Gene & Paul will rip him to shreds. The guy blew off his town’s freaking tax bill, get a clue, financially he’s a wreck. His record companty probably forced him to do covers to get units sold, anything. He shoulda offered himself freakin free as the opening act for Kiss Vegas ’14, lobby swag and signings woulda been more than U-Hauling to Greensboro to 222 people. Hope he’s at that Philly convention the Trunkster is MCing, I’d drive 6 states for it. I love conventions…Chillah/Courts/LAX Weston/Comicons.
AHHH Courts!!!!!!!! Right on!!!!! I love Ray!! I was a dealer and fan at most of the Courts Hollywood shows in Chicago!!! You’re awesome Lee!!
Ed,
Why didn’t you say to Ace why is it ok for Eric to wear Pete’s makeup but not ok for Tommy to wear yours?
You gotta stop talking over your guests!
Talking over guests?? I give my guests TONS of time to talk! At the end of the day though on my shows I need to steer the conversation. As for your question it is valid but my take is Ace is fighting his own battles for his own makeup, not Peter’s. And he clearly liked playing with Eric, both Carr and Singer by the way.
Eddie gave me lots of time to talk when I was a guest on his show.
Eddie…still, that’s your take on it, what about the listeners? Sorry but Ace served up it and you avoided it. Again, I have respect for you, I fully understand there’s only so far your going to go with guests whom you depend on to be on your show but Peter, Ace…these guys lob things out there all the time and nobody calls them on it. To me this was a no brainer, really an easy follow up question…but hey, I’m not in your shoes. Regardless it’s classic hypocritical Ace.
It sounds like Ace thinks he can’t be replaced, but Peter can. JERK!!!!!!
Then I guess there’s no problem with the so-called imposters?? Come on Eddie, you don’t have to talk over the guest to do a follow up question…why don’t you ask Peter the same thing…tour and album with Tommy?? Oh that’s right, money…the exact thing people talk about Gene and Paul doing it for the money…hmmmm, why no problem with your boy Pete or Ace for the same things? The hypocrisy of how vocal you are about Gene and Paul, yet you actually say you didn’t want to talk over the guest?? Eddie, you gave a freakin monologue twice during the podcast on the new Kiss imposters but couldn’t do a follow up on this one?? All I can say is WOW??!!?
George, not exactly sure what all your issues are here but as for Peter playing in the band with Tommy he stated many times he signed the contract for that tour being told Ace was in. I can tell you for a fact on that tour I had an incident I witnessed myself in Vegas where Peter made his displeasure well known that he had been duped into thinking Ace was on as well for those dates. Honestly, believe and like what you want. And yes, news flash, 99% of EVERYTHING around EVERY band comes down to money!
If you say that happened,then it happened,but that sounds really ridiculous that Peter would be that clueless. I know everything about most bands is about money, especially Kiss…that’s my point. Peter and Ace are no better than Gene and Paul so everyone should stop making this Kiss thing into how bad G and P are for selling out, but the other two are no angels at all and played a huge part in the route G and P had to take this band. I hate that Tommy and Eric are not in their own makeup, but I understand the position G and P were in…I just wish you would be more vocal toward Ace or
Peter in that when money was there, they were ok with someone else in their makeup but then afterward they tell the fans how pissed they are and how wrong it is…that is hypocritical. Not saying you or I have to like the current Kiss, just saying I can’t stand how much crap people give G and P, while giving Peter and Ace a pass…
I mis-read your comment about talking over the guests…that I retract…but I still stand by your hypocrisy in not pushing Ace or Peter in questioning. You did talk to Pete on TMS about it and he said something similar to Ace in regard to money…All Kiss members have made money off of the band (brand) but Peter and Ace seem to only care about the makeup due to money, not the sacredness of the persona or the fans and you do not EVER bring that up…you say you want to keep it real, then let’s keep it real…not that you care, but on every post I’ve made about this same issue, I show you respect and still love your shows and think you are the premier rock and roll “CEO” but when you constantly call out people on this site for hypocrisy, I can’t ignore yours…I love Kiss and Ace (not Peter) and don’t like the makeup at this point since it’s not the originals, but I can not stand fanatics on either side of this argument because the media portrays this feud and this interview proves there is no real riff between them, and Ace is not nearly as upset about G and P as Peter…maybe because he hasn’t had nearly the solo career of Ace…
From the Ace podcast, I feel there is a rift between Ace and Peter on some level.
Maybe it still stems that Ace was paid more for shows.
Or maybe it is Ace preferring Eric on drums than Peter.
I think Ace doesn’t like always being in the same grouping as Peter. He loves him but he feels they are always lumped together and are very different people. He has said that in the past on my shows.
I think many people perceive that it was Ace and Peter vs. Gene and Paul. Ace and Peter had some similar issues relative to substance abuse. But the idea that it was 2 vs 2 is incorrect. Peter has rarely, if ever, owned up to his issues that lead to his departure from the band several times. Even his ex-wife disputes claims made by Peter in his biography. Whereas Ace has owned up to his issues while in the band and admitted that he had substance abuse issues that contributed to strife between him, Gene and I think in particular Paul. I don’t think Ace accepts full blame, nor do I think he should. But the thinking that Ace and Peter have been or were on the same page as artists while in the band is wrong. They had a common enemy, that was all.
It’s hard to imagine being asked the same questions fifty times a day…
How many times will Ace have to say the same thing about Tommy Thayer and it’s obvious he’s friends with Eric Singer, so why throw him under the bus, but it makes Ace look bad and his relationship with Peter look worse…
Ace should just let it go and focus on his own stuff.
The media should ask about Ace’s life and music and quit the BS already…
Very bizarre response Ace, you couldn’t see who was behind the drum kit so it didn’t matter? I don’t get it. I bought Space Invader out of respect for Ace’s work in KISS and his 78 solo album, hoping that it would surprise me, it didn’t. It’s not a bad album, but it isn’t even as good as Frehley’s Comet (87) or even Trouble Walking. No idea where all these rave reviews are coming from. Maybe I need to listen to it more. Thanks for the podcast Ed.
MetalRob67
MetalRob: The more you listen to it, the better it gets. It’s one of those.
I agree. took me a few listens to get into Space Invader but now think is a solid record from Ace.
However, I disagree with a lot of people on here where I believe Anomaly is a much better album than Space Invader. Space Invader rocks more….but Anomaly is a more consistent and varied offering from the Space Man.