2/22: NEW TMS TONIGHT, MORE.

In all the Kiss craziness just a quick reminder ALL NEW That Metal Show tonight 11/10C on VH1C with Charlie Benante on drums, Scorpion Child on Metal Modem and Chris and Randy from Lamb Of God as the guests. Even if you are not a fan of LOG music I think you will find this story interesting to say the least.

 

Amazing amount of comments about the Ace stuff. Appreciate all the interaction and debate. For those that think this might be some sort of misdirection tactic I can tell you Peter is in the same boat and will release his statement soon and the HOF confirmed Kiss’ position with me last night. That’s not to say things can change. It is just where things stand now on the eve of tickets going on sale, which is why Ace went public last night.

 

I’m off to see Buckcherry in NJ. Comments will be posted ASAP as they come in. Enjoy TMS and have a good weekend. More soon no doubt.

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2/22: SOME THOUGHTS ON LATEST ACE / KISS HOF NEWS.

Wow, just waking up after a very late night last night and seeing the incredible response to Ace’s announcement on my show last night that he and Peter are not being allowed to play with the original band being inducted by Gene and Paul. I was aware this was coming and have been a sounding board in many conversations with many different parties ever since the HOF was announced for Kiss. Nobody was going to say anything publicly because everyone had hoped an announcement like Ace made could be avoided and at least the original band could do a song or two. The news had to come from Ace or Peter when they were ready and Ace asked me last night if he could come on because he needed to let the fans know what they were dealing with before they purchased tickets to attend (they go on sale Monday). That’s why this happened somewhat last minute on my show late last night. Tons of fans were going to come from all over and pay God knows what to see the original band, the band being inducted. Now there is transparency as to what is going on and that there are no plans for a reunion that night. As a fellow Kiss fan and someone who has been extremely vocal about them getting into the HOF for years, I join the MANY really disappointed today. The comments section of my site has blown up about this as well as my social media. Everyone has their view here and all opinions welcome as always. My understanding is Peter will also be posting a statement soon on his site if not already and is in the same position as Ace.

 

A few things now that this news is out:

 

Gene and Paul had to know this was coming at some point. What is strange however is that Gene in his initial RS interview seemed open to playing. It was Paul who had a different take via Twitter. The word out there for a while now is Paul is calling the shots in Kiss world. Wonder how much internally they are on the same page on this? Especially with the fallout so far from fans?

 

Does Kiss play at all? Could be one solution to all of this. That nobody plays. That would likely maybe get Ace and Peter to at least attend. Would the HOF accept a tribute vs a Kiss performance? If current Kiss plays, as it looks now, this also puts Tommy and Eric in quite a spot. They take their orders from above but hard to imagine they would want to be in that spot. But who knows? They did it during VH1 Rock Honors, but this is much bigger and only original band going in.

 

I was contacted last night by the HOF producer Joel Gallen. He may come on the air with me at some point. He said the HOF position is that they are inducting the original 4 and that is who they would like to play. But the HOF will not dictate Kiss can not play if they are only willing to do it with the current band. Meaning they will accept current Kiss if that is all the owners of Kiss (Gene & Paul) are willing to do, but it is not their preference. He also said nothing was decided as to what will now happen with the Kiss performance and he was hoping maybe something could still be worked out. Seems unlikely at this point since this event is rapidly approaching, Ace and Peter would need time to reconnect and rehearse with Gene and Paul, and needless to say feelings are very bruised at the moment. My take is you will either see the current band or no version of Kiss play. Also will be interesting to see if the massive backlash from fans about no original performance pressures what happens now in some way.

 

I have read many comments saying Gene & Paul’s decision is ego driven. While that may play some role if you read previous posts here about this I have written I truly think it is more BUSINESS driven. When you spend over ten years selling the “it doesn’t matter who is in the band” concept, and rebranding Kiss to be a franchise where they say members don’t matter, this is not good for that master plan. Why? Because it wipes all that work away and shows it DOES matter! Look no further for proof than the MTV unplugged taping. When Ace & Peter walked out for 2 songs at the end they saw how huge it was and had to do a reunion in ’96. In other words it’s a big can of worms to open and hurts their ultimate plan to sell Kiss as a franchise where members are interchangeable. No matter what, unlike ’96 there would never be a reunion tour no matter what happened. As a fan honestly I wouldn’t even want to see it. In your 40’s possible, 60’s now, no way. A show? A few songs? Sure. But fans thinking there could be a full reunion tour? Never saw that remotely possible.

 

Do Ace & Peter go now? I feel this is a personal decision that only they can make. There is no right or wrong answer. It is their honor and up to how they feel if they want to stand up there even for 3 minutes. Time will tell as we get closer what they do. With performance off the table as of now they can make a decision I would think right up to a day or two before. I see both sides of it and the feelings involved and really think it is all up to how they feel.

 

Do Gene and Paul go? Sounds crazy but who knows? Paul clearly has no love for this process from his recent interview in RS. Do they send a statement and just check out of the whole thing? Unlikely but who knows?

 

Much of the blame here is being pointed toward Gene and Paul. And rightfully so in the sense that according to Ace and all sources they are the ones saying they won’t play with the original band, but the HOF has plenty of blame here also. Why? BECAUSE THEY WAITED 15 YEARS TO PUT KISS IN! Think about this; if they put Kiss in in 1999 when they first became eligible (and SHOULD have gone in), this would be a non issue! Because the original band was together then! The HOF can also be blamed for just caving to what Gene & Paul want and not considering Ace and Peter in this. If they said to Kiss (G&P) only band being inducted or nobody plays at least it would have been a level playing field. But as the HOF told me they will not do that because whoever controls the name is who they ultimately leave the performance parameters up to.

 

Much can still happen here. Remember although we are focused on Kiss as Kiss fans, there are 7 other bands going in that have to play as well. Although Kiss fans may dominate this event (how much so now with no reunion I don’t know), the other inductees need their moment and performance too. So who knows when it gets to budgets and stage specs what whatever version of Kiss plays agrees to and if it all works out.

 

All of this can be debated and discussed forever but those are some of my thoughts. As always my doors remains open to ALL to discuss and debate and members of the HOF may very well come on the air with me as they have in the past when I was screaming to get Kiss in the damn thing! Ace and Peter are scheduled to come on TMS together next month. More on that when we get closer. For most Kiss fans this news sucks big time, but there’s still about 7 weeks left to see what unfolds.. All we know as of now is that their is no performance for the original band planned or being allowed by Gene and Paul. We have been told for decades that the FANS are the boss of Kiss. Judging from the reaction to this news this is one instance that clearly does not apply..

 

Sorry for any typos, been a long late night last night. All comments welcome and being posted ASAP.

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2/22: ACE FREHLEY CONFIRMS NO ORIGINAL KISS PERFORMANCE AT HOF

Exclusive new late tonight. Ace Frehley called into my radio show live tonight and confirmed that he and Peter are being denied the opportunity to perform at the R&R Hall Of Fame ceremony by Gene and Paul, who will perform instead with the current band. Ace said (and the HOF confirmed to me directly) that the HOF wants the original band. However Gene and Paul to date have declined to allow this to happen. Ace said it was important he let the fans know exactly what was happening since tickets are about to go on sale to the public and he didn’t want fans to purchase them expecting a reunion performance even for a song or two. Ace said he is undecided if he will even attend in light of this decision. Even though the HOF would prefer the original band, they will not stand in the way of the current band playing if that is all Gene and Paul are willing to do. Assume anything is possible that something could change, but at this time there are no plans at all for Ace and Peter to play, or perhaps even be there depending what they decide. As I have said consistently when there was news to share I would let it come directly from a member, and tonight Ace let everyone know exactly what was going on. Said he was most upset for the fans who voted them in and were hoping to see a song or two, but also said it is now time to move on. He is working on a new album and said the stress was really killing him about the HOF and he needed to let fans know what was up before tickets went on sale. Peter will likely have a similar statement on his site tomorrow. I’ll continue to keep you posted as more info develops but that’s where things are at now. I’m sure the audio will be on YouTube of Ace’s call but you can hear the entire show next weekend as usual on all affiliate stations and online outlets as well. Sad day for long time Kiss fans but at least we know where things stand as of now. The producer/director for the HOF show Joel Gallen expressed an interest in coming on the air soon. As usual my door is open to any and all to discuss. More soon.

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2/21: ACE FREHLEY TO MAKE HOF ANNOUNCEMENT ON MY SHOW TONIGHT!

JUST IN: Ace Frehley will be calling my radio show live tonight to make a statement on the R&R Hall Of Fame! Ace told me he needs 5 minutes to update everyone on what is going on with the induction. Ace is expected to call in during the last hour of the show. Don’t miss this exclusive news tonight live on my Q104.3 NYC show. You can listen in the NYC tri-state area on 104.3 FM, outside of NYC listen to the free stream at www.q1043.com or use the free iHeartradio app. Just dial up Q104.3/NY/Classic Rock. The show is live from 11P-2A ET tonight!

Also tonight Adrenaline Mob live in studio and world premiere of a new song from the Dio tribute. Motorhead and Biff from Saxon doing Starstruck!

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2/20: STATION FIRE, KISS, H&H FEST, MORE.

Today is the 11th anniversary of the tragic fire in Rhode Island at the Station night club where so many rock fans perished. I will never forget the images of the news footage and seeing the horror of that evening unfold. It resonated with me and so many that attend rock shows on a regular basis in clubs. Just thought it important to take a second to remember those that lost their lives and the families and friends impacted. Hard to believe 11 years have passed already. RIP to those who passed on that horrific night.

 

Tons of people asking me what’s going on with Kiss and the HOF. Do I know stuff? Yes. Am I saying anything, no. Not trying to be cryptic but stuff has been changing ever since it was announced the band were to finally be inducted. There are no doubt very different opinions and feelings about how it should all go down. All you need to do is read or listen to interviews that have come out by the various members or read some of the posts on their Twitter, etc. Once official statements are made I’ll certainly comment as a fan. For the time being I am letting the process play out and helping behind the scenes when asked. All that is set in stone at this moment is that Ace, Peter, Gene & Paul are being inducted (no other members in the bands history are being inducted, but that does not mean they might not be represented in some way). Who plays, if they play, if they all show, all still to be announced. The person inducting them will be announced soon. Everything else is still being sorted behind the scenes and I expect an announcement of some sort to come from someone very soon. Wish I could tell you more but there is much going on behind the scenes and whatever happens will come from official channels likely sooner than later. There has been lots of rumor and speculation out there and much of it not accurate. Like many of you who have waited and pushed for this for a very long time, I also hope it goes off in the best of ways. After all we can all agree it’s happening about 15 years later than it should have!

 

Checked out some new music from a new band called KXM featuring George Lynch, Dug Pinnick and Ray Luzier. Some slamming playing!

 

TONS of response coming in from all the great Mexican fans about my appearance at the Hell & Heaven Festival next month. An honor to be a part of it. To those asking about meeting me or getting a photo I hope to have details on a brief meet & greet opportunity soon. I am there at the direction of the promoter and will let you know more when we get closer. Also just added an appearance in Largo FL hosting Jake E Lee gig at the Cultural Center March 28th. Then off to host the MOR Cruise from there. Many gigs coming, keep an eye on the home page listing of appearances.

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2/19: NEW TMS W/LAMB OF GOD, ADRENALINE MOB, DIO TRIBUTE, MORE.

Shot this weeks new TMS last night. Great episode with Randy and Chris from Lamb Of God as the featured guests. What Randy went through in Prague is an incredible story documented in a phenomenal new film called As The Palaces Burn. The film open in theaters end of the month then on DVD. Even if you are not a fan of the bands music it is a must see! Incredible how Randy handled this and what he and the band went through and it’s all in the movie! There is also a bonus interview with the band that will be an extra on the DVD and run in theaters as well when the movie is complete. I was honored to host this and we shot it last November. Keep an eye out for this moving film directed by Don Argott who also did a great job with the Bobby Liebling film Last Days Here that I also loved. In addition to LOG this weeks TMS also includes Charlie Benante on drums and Aryn from Scorpion Child on Skype. See it this Saturday 11P ET on VH1 Classic!

 

Live show on Q104.3 this Friday night 11P-2A ET. I’ll world premiere a track from the new Dio tribute album. Motorhead & Biff Byford doing Starstruck! Hear it for the first time anywhere this Friday night! Also Russell Allen and Mike Orlando from Adrenaline Mob will pay a visit to the studio. You can also listen to the free stream at www.q1043.com or use the free iHeartradio app.

 

MANY gigs being booked for this Spring and Summer, keep an eye on the home page appearances. PLEASE NOTE ANY CLUN SHOWS WITH DON & JIM ARE NOT TMS TAPINGS BUT STAND UP COMEDY SHOWS. THANKS.

 

To all the great TMS fans in Mexico I will be seeing you at the Hell & Heaven Fest! More soon.

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