Original KISS drummer Peter Criss joined frontman Rob Zombie on stage last night (Saturday, May 10th) at 93.3 WMMR MMR*B*Q 2014 at Susquehanna Bank Center in Camden, New Jersey to perform a cover of the KISS classic God Of Thunder.
According to blabbermouth.net, Zombie introduced Criss by telling the audience: “Ladies and gentlemen, if you are anything like me, you were very disappointed a little while ago, because I tuned into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, and I did not get to see my favorite drummer get behind the motherfucking drums. So tonight, it is our great honor to bring to you the one and only Catman, Mr. Peter Criss.” Watch fan filmed footage below.
Rob Zombie has just completed a short 12-stop tour and will next head over to Europe for a run of festival dates beginning with the Sweden Rock Festival on June 5th.
Zombie is promoting the upcoming release of his first-ever concert Blu-ray/DVD, The Zombie Horror Picture Show, which will be released on May 19th.
143 Responses
That was sad, time to take up the tamborine.
Ok…here’s the truth, coming from a guy who picked up the drums because of Peter Criss and defended him from 1979 (when I got Alive II at age 4)-2000 (when I saw PC on the Farewell Tour).
The guy DOES NOT HAVE IT. Take away the fact that Ginger was playing behind him…PC’s mix was…off?!? Or maybe at ‘1’ on the board? You couldn’t hear that fill at 4:06 and then you heard the ambient cymbal hit. Same When PC played with Mike Portnoy at Eddie’s 30th Anniversary…he could in no way tour with Kiss. When I saw him in 2000 I was SO excited because I was seeing my drum hero for the first time. He barely hit the drums…triggers had to be cranked and he did hardly any fills. I couldn’t believe it..reality hit me that day that Peter Criss simply cannot play drums anymore.
Think about it…he really hasn’t played a full album since Love Gun in ’77. And everyone talks (including himself) about playing jazz…when did you ever….EVER…here Peter Criss play jazz?!
Sorry but everything Gene and Paul says seems true…this PLUS he blames everyone else for his problems. After reading his book I couldn’t imagine being on tour with him. PC’s output since 1977 has been disappointing. He was lucky to make $$ on the reunion tour. Get over it people. PC is done.
As a drummer who has played professionally for at least 30 years (I am 48….but I look GOOD…clean living and marathons baby) I can tell you that there does in deed come a point when it is very hard to play the drums….it is a young man’s sport so to speak. Oh, sure. I will always be a drummer and I can hold my own. But, I would have to be a fool to think I could get up with a powerful band and pull off a good sound unless I worked really hard to stay in shape and keep up my chops. Peter is nearly 70 now? God bless him…he was the part of the reason why I became a drummer and I have a TON of respect for what he has done. But, he simply does not have the chops anymore…and let’s face it…he was always a Ringo Starr type rock drummer and not a Mike Portnoy rock drummer to begin with. Therefore, if he loses any of that…..the problem is compounded because he was a minimalist player anyway. Said with love and just my opinion.
Scott, that is the smartest post i read on the page. You are 1000% correct.
i second that emotion
Excellent post Scott. I feel the same.
“But, he simply does not have the chops anymore…and let’s face it…he was always a Ringo Starr type rock drummer and not a Mike Portnoy rock drummer to begin with. ”
Drummer here to, and that’s a ridiculous statement. Kiss plays extremely simple songs, and the drumming is 4 on the floor and very basic, it always has been. You’re comparing apples and oranges.
Ringo was the perfect drummer for The Beatles. Peter was the perfect drummer for Kiss.
Kiss was a cool band, and was a huge fan as a kid, but I don’t care who they have drumming and playing guitar. Without Ace and Peter, it isn’t Kiss, it’s a cover band. It reminds me of all the 70’s and 80’s bands that have one or two original members, then bill themselves as “the band”, as they play state fairs, casinos, and backwater bars.
Gene does very little, besides plucking out simple bass lines, posing and churning out mediocre vocals. Paul has it sometimes, but when I last saw them, he could not sing. None of these guys are at the top of their game, yet still they go out and play. Why? So Peter is older? They all are.
Hang it up.
I thought this was pretty cool & it took balls to get up & play with a band like that (so far removed from KISS, let alone your own style).
How much advance notice did Peter have regarding this? I doubt it was much & any other drummer would have sounded similar in terms of precision. It looked like little more than an improvised jam out of respect for your hero in his hometown.
Peter sure looked like he was having a good time though. Seeing the others put on the cat mask was a nice touch. I’d rather see the original Catman do stuff like this over that other guy playing around in the kitty litter. God Bless Peter Criss!!
Still do not understand why Peter and Ace haven’t done anything together (outside Kiss). It doesn’t have to be a longterm project. Maybe a tour or cd. I heard Ace say they have different tastes, but they managed in KISS didn’t they?
Peter is going to retire for one and Ace had no desire to rehash the past.
That’s why Ace should just let the Tommy thing go…doesn’t make sense. They offered you a chance to stay, with a huge paycheck, more than your making now and you declined. Fair enough. So…he needs to let the Tommy thing go instead of getting his digs in…Kiss replaced Ace with Tommy because Ace didn’t want to play the band anymore. Logical yet Ace doesn’t see it that way.
Great to see Peter Criss on stage, period.
I agree with that, but I disagree with how Rob Zombie presented it onstage. Everyone knows the reasons Paul Stanly would not agree to have Peter and Ace without also having Tommy and Eric–he was not going to let the RRHOF have there way with KISS. I am a fan of old and new KISS, but to call Peter the one and only Catman is a load of crap!
Im going to stick with peter criss as the one and only catman..just like im going to stick with eric singer as the one and only imposter..