The OC Weekly spoke with KISS frontman Paul Stanley about his new autobiography, Face The Music: A Life Exposed.
In it the singer recounts many stories including one that claimed drummer Peter Criss went on a racist rant at a Chinese restaurant and quitting the band for a few days and crawling back. “[Peter] didn’t crawl back,” Stanley says. “He swallowed his pride and pseudo machismo and came back. But part of the dynamic of the band was to have to pragmatically deal with the fact that two of the guys were often times more interested in sabotaging the band, sabotaging [bassist/vocalist] Gene [Simmons] and I, than doing the right thing. And they (Criss and guitarist Ace Frehley) also wanted equal say when they didn’t do equal work.”
He continued: “Part of what we gave the public was the myth that the four of us did everything together and contributed equally. That was something we wanted to maintain in the spirit of the bands that we loved and pictured doing that. The problem was that the guys in the band began to believe it themselves!”
When asked what it is about he and Simmons that they have managed to stay together over 40 years, Stanley said: “It’s hard to define and distinguish between friendship and brotherhood. I certainly see him as a brother, although we don’t always agree on how to treat your brother. At the end of the day, I know he will be there for me and me for him. My issues have always been more rooted in participating evenly and equally and still ending up with a equal share of money. I didn’t want it with Peter and Ace, why would I want it with Gene? He wasn’t doing his job and he was off doing other things and being paid for those things. I felt like if he wasn’t going to do his job and gonna go elsewhere. It was like he took less here or he gave me some of what he was doing elsewhere. That was an ongoing problem. But look, at this point we made the life for each other that each of us could only have dreamed of, and those lives have very little in common. I’m sure Gene would no more want to live my life than I live his. But there’s a bond there because we made it possible for each of us.”
source: ocweekly.com
192 Responses
Gene & Paul would have driven Jimi Hendrix out of the band. GASP! Rock stars on drugs and booze? How dare they, Paul & Gene?!
Stupid
Can we all move on. There are so many Bands out there making great music (This is not one of them). Lets move on. Hey Eddie you told us over Two years ago that you and the Kiss ship had sailed. So how about never talking about them again. Please
We get it Paul, you don’t like Peter or Ace. But your getting to sound like a bitter old man.Enough with it already..You talk about how “Ace and Peter can’t play anymore and would look like fools in makeup” But how’s your voice been the last few years Paul?????You have NO voice anymore and I have seen you guys 24 times over the last 16 years and I’m as big a fan as any but damn it Paul, its really getting old..STOP WITH THE PETER AND ACE BASHING!!!!!!!!!! Because Paul those who throw rocks shouldn’t live in glass houses..
“Your” Paul Stanley. Nice grammar. Kiss running huge box office. Gene & Paul would laugh at this Wayne’s World stuff. Ace: 35,000 units times $2 per, minus expenses/manager/tour up-front cost: “Anybody want my signature guitars, signed?” Kiss ’14: One show merchandising is more than Ace makes in months. Kiss ’14: kickin ass, top of their game…Singer risin up from the stage with fireworks erupting, 20,000 going wild! Kiss!!!!! Coming to your city loud & proud.
…and you can thank Def Leppard for making all this possible. Last year Motley carried them, this year Def Leppard, and my future guess goes to Gene and Paul trying to hit up Axl to see if GnR would do them the honor.
Thank Leppard? Crüe carried them last year? Holy shit you are one hateful and ignorant person. How nice of Crüe and Leppard to do this for KISS and carry them thru these hard times. Cause you know both those bands were doing so well on their own and selling out all over the world. They would have never had to stoop to a Vegas residency or something……if you wanna hate, that’s your prerogative. But don’t be a dumbass while your doing it.
This version of Kiss can easily sell close to 8000 seats a night without Motley Crüe or Def Leppard…..Eric & Tommy have solidified their place in the band. As much as I support the original 4…..Eric & Tommy are critical for Kiss and I have (finally) excepted them in the band…..of course I really don’t think they need my opinion…….Joe in The Cuse
DR…you clearly just revealed everything you accused me of in your own statement. I’m feeling rather benevolent on this occasion, so tell you what DR, I’m going to give you the fifteen minutes you so desperately crave. I’m going to break down reality for you, so that some day you too may grow up to be a man, learn to articulate your points rather than come across like a reactionary redneck, and maybe you will be inspired to join society as a contributor in the working, taxable segment.
DR, anyone that’s even an occasional visitor on this site knows that you evidently don’t work since you seem to be better at counting the number of comments on a news post more than having anything meaningful to say. Poor Dana has what, like two hundred comments from you in any given week she has to deal with. If these Kiss posts haven’t led to premature gray hairs, it’s certainly from your plethora of comments sharing your two cents worth. In fact, not only do you prove your unemployment status from living on this site, Eddie and Dana should be charging you rent at this point. You have the gentleman by the name of Richman on here that must feel like he’s being stalked by a teenage girl with the way you pander for his friendship.
My suggestion is you get a job as a ticket taker for one of these venues where the Kiss cover band will be performing. There you can count everyone that comes through the door; earn a paycheck – I’m sure mom would like a few bucks compensation for her basement every now and again; and you could hear first hand at these shows why they are co-headline gigs. You’ll understand the difference between bands that are progressive and living in 2014 vs. the brand that is living on the legacy of the characters, theatrics, and music that once made it great four decades ago. This isn’t some tour of Peru, they need these co-headline bands that have solid fan bases vs. the very fractured fan base that Kiss has today – just look at these comments on here!
So DR when you grow up and reach manhood and/or become a contributor in the workforce, hopefully by then you will have at least enough education and common sense to know how to make a comment without unwarranted insults that ironically reflect your own asininity. Do yourself a favor this week, try to cut your comments down from a couple hundred to say one hundred; go out and talk to a girl even if she more than likely will reject you – hey, it’s a start; put in an application for a job, they just might need that ticket taker; try to make a friend in the real world and not just cyberspace – I’m sure Richman is a wonderful guy, but it’s healthy to have real human interaction; and pick up a dictionary and learn some new words, so you don’t open your mouth and reveal who the obvious “dumbass” on here is.
And last, but not least, you say I was “hateful” simply because you disagreed with a point I was making. This is coming from a guy that has so much avarice toward Bill Ward, one would think the guy owed you money. Anyway, there’s your fifteen. May you one day have a life with the rest of us and be happy. In fact, I hope everyone on here shows this kid some love and gives him a shout out before he kills himself. Peace.
Nic, thanks for your note and for reading my millions of posts. Always great to converse with all the fans out there who enjoy my many thoughts. I appreciate your concerns about my social and employment status. You can rest easy my dear friend as I am gainfully employed and very socially active. The fact that I’m able to peruse Eddie’s site as I do at any give time merely suggests that I have a rather executive position and based on your jealousy of my time, must suggest that I am of higher earning levels than you. But that’s ok Nic, because we need the ditch diggers out there too. I respect anyone with an occupation. Now in defense of myself, your original post claimed that Leppard is carrying KISS on this tour and Crue did such last year. Clearly you have venom towards the Demon and Starchild and it is forcing you to just throw out emotional accusations with no factual merit whatsoever. That makes sense though, cause usually people in your income level with very little education stoop to those levels. Its not you Nic, its the system. Earlier up in the posts, our dear friend Ken referenced a number of acts that are now touring together. You seemed to ignore that and specifically highlight KISS as the lame duck touring machine that needs several other has been bands to ‘carry them’. I’m sorry, but that line of thinking and general statement making just doesn’t work for me. I still think you are one hateful and ignorant person, and your follow up post simply proved my point even further. But hey, now we no why you are so hateful and ignorant. Its the system Nic. If you hate KISS so much, and all the opinions that come with, I friendly suggest you abstain from reading and or posting on them. I’ll try and work with you Nic, but I can only do so much with the supreme level of ignorance you so powerfully control. Take care friend.
Don’t be too hard on Nic. It took him 4 hours and a Thesaurus to draft that masterpiece of a post. (that smile and feeling of pride as he clicks the Post Comment button) “Look Mom and Dad… I’m somebody now…… I’m not a loser…. my work has been “published”!!!! lol
DR I gave you way too much credit earlier, I had assumed you were some kid maybe 18 or 19, lacking education, and trying to figure his life out. The guy that just needs someone to talk to. Your inability to address anything factual in example or otherwise, has not only revealed your educational level (again), but the absurdity that you’ve indicated, while trying to validate the obvious in your sedentary nature says it all. In fact, you’re probably more like 12 or 13. Then it all clicked, he’s into this cover band thing as he is… well of course, the kid probably hasn’t even hit puberty yet. No wonder he acts like the touch of a woman has escaped him as much as having any degree of common sense or tact at this stage.
You’re that child that happened by the Monster display in Walmart while trying to slip toys into mom’s cart and says, “I think I’ll try this new band out instead.” I give you credit kid for trying to hang with the big boys on here. It’s ok to like Kiss, but I suggest just learn the history of the band if you’re going to be into them. Though I still think you should spend less time on here and probably more time doing your homework instead.
Oh… and by the way, if you’re into these classic rock bands, you should also check out Queen. Not only are they good, but you’ll understand that not all classic bands have to co-headline, some can do it just fine on their own too. For that matter there is this band AC/DC you should check out. Again, great band and no problem headlining on their own. Wait before you go, there’s this little band Metallica that… nevermind. I’m sure I’ve kept you past your bedtime, don’t worry kid you’ll eventually get this stuff and figure it out. There’s a whole world out there.
Never happen…Axl actually plays 3 hours a night and doesn’t go through the motions like Kiss does.
Nic todays version of Kiss could sell (IMO) close to 8000 seats a night without co-headlining. They came to the Turning Stone Casino a few years back & couldn’t sell out the 3500 seats there….but I kinda blame that on the timing of the Godsmack show that was in Syracuse the same night…..Joe in The Cuse
Idiot…there we go, now the real fools are out…motley Crüe carried them? …did Kiss carry Aerosmith when they did a double bill?? Have opinions, but this stuff is pure nonsense and to think any of these bands could fill arenas alone shows you are clueless…almost no one can do that now..and whether you like it or not, Kiss still has a massive following…
Paul has low esteem yet a huge ego – not a good combination.
Ace and Peter, while self admitted screw-ups, made Gene and Paul very rich during the Reunion Tour.
Paul should be classy and wish Ace and Peter well if there are those kind of questions directed at him.
He comes off small and weak in his responses.