KISS’ GENE SIMMONS SAYS THAT FORMER BANDMATES ACE FREHLEY, AND PETER CRISS, COULD NOT DO THE ENTIRE FAREWELL TOUR BECAUSE “THEY’RE COMPLETELY UNDEPENDABLE”
Simon Hemelryk of Go London writes:
KISS bassist, [Gene Simmons] is turning 70 in August and his band’s current tour, which arrives at the O2 on July 11th, will be its last.
“It’s time,” he says. “This tour will take three years and I’ll be 72 when it finishes. That’s a good point to get off the stage…I’m up there every night in 8in platform boots and 40lbs of armour. I did five-mile walks almost every day for a year to get in shape…”
…KISS…have had a turbulent past, with founding guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss famously leaving the band three times under a cloud of drugs, alcohol and recriminations. There was vague talk of them rejoining for this one last tour. But though Simmons still talks reasonably warmly of them — despite Frehley’s recent Facebook outburst where he accused Simmons of groping his wife — that won’t be happening.
“They were as important as any one of us in the early days of the band and they’ve both been invited to come on stage at some point in the tour. But we couldn’t do the whole thing with them. They’re completely undependable.”
Instead, Simmons and Stanley are performing with the altogether more reliable Eric Singer and Tommy Sayer. “Eric’s played with everybody: Brian May, Black Sabbath, Alice Cooper, you name it. He and Tommy have a love of labor. They show up on time, do the work and are thrilled to meet the fans. Other members, without naming names, have been miserable.”
Simmons had a poor early childhood in Israel before moving to the US, and his mother, Flora, survived a Nazi concentration camp. She drummed into him how precious life is. So while he’s had plenty of encounters with groupies, a relationship with Diana Ross and is now married to former Playboy Playmate of the Year, Shannon Tweed, he’s been otherwise abstemious.
“The truth is that no one in the band even smokes cigarettes,” he says. “Nobody drinks either. They’re just not interested. I’ve never been drunk in my life. The drug thing isn’t a discussion.”
So how does he unwind after an adrenaline-fuelled epic gig in front of 20,000 people? “I like cake. I really do. On days off, I binge-watch Game of Thrones…”
…Will he miss donning the armour and make up to become the Demon? “I don’t know,” he reflects. “On the day that Superman decides to stop guarding the earth, he’s still Superman underneath, but will he miss that outfit? I don’t know.”
Read more at Go London.
Here’s the old banter yet again … same phrases, exact same words, I get so tired of it … hey Gene, what about Paul’s voice these days: is it dependable?? And talking about five mile walks, Gene, did that make you walk around more on stage on this tour? I can tell you what actually is completely dependable and forerseeable: 95% same show, 95% same set list, 95% same bashing of former members for no verifiable reason (except that profit is much bigger for P & G with Thayer and Singer than with Criss and Frehley), 95% not for the fans but for the wallet, same bragging and boasting about the so-called biggest show ever (Gene, have you seen T. Swift’s stage lateley? Or U2, Metallica, Rammstein? THAT is what a top of the line show is today – but, okay, this is of course really expensive stuff) … so , there somehow must be a reason that these guys always need to glorify themselves … that they do need that is also absolutely undependable – and boring.
Well said.
I do like their stage show – from the video clips I have seen.
Whose stage show do you mean? – I gave my ticket to a stadium show here in Europe to a friend. It was the highest categorie. There were no big screens to the left and right of the stage, in fact, the stage was so comparatively small (for such a big venue) that he could not even see the big screen behind Eric and only half of Eric’s kit. The same rather small production is being used on a race track venue as we speak. No screens, small stage for a big field. Add lip-syncing and what not, it is sad. Call that a big show? It wouldn’t all fell so awkward had they not boasted to give the fans the biggest show ever one last time … when they don’t. Watch Rammstein clips on YT (I know the music style is diferent, but I am just talking about the production here and what people get for their money) from the latest tour in June, bombastic. Fireworks galore. Band members taking real risks handling fire to give it something special. I saw Taylor Swift’s latest stadium tour on Netflix, it certainly not my kind of music, but the production design was just magnificent (as in magnum = big) – So to quote Gene: “This is (not) how the bog boys do it!” 🙂
Just because Ace and Peter didn’t show up at Gene and Paul’s homes to mow their lawns and clean their rain gutters, the way both Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer did, doesn’t mean they’re “undependable”.
That’s not true, Gene, you have been drunk before, drunk on money and power! I’ll bet you’re drunk right now! 😉
I dont think simmons could sound more ridiculous if he tried – they are running goddamn tracks , talk about being undependable- I want to see an honest great live kiss show but at this point I just cant depend on kiss to deliver it – simmons , stop slagging ACE and PETE its been played out now for years and it just makes you sound small , desperate and stupid-
Gene knows that the original lineup is the best one…he almost said it during his Hall of Fame induction speech but he stopped himself because he looked out and saw the other guys sitting there….lol..it almost came flying out of his mouth anyway.