In speaking with with KNPR News, KISS guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley was asked why he declined to perform with fellow original KISS members Peter Criss and Ace Frehley at the band’s Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction in April. His answer has been transcribed by blabbermouth.net and can be read below.
Stanley said, It’s a tough question to answer, but there’s so much involved in it. Firstly, the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame wanted nothing to do with us; they begrudgingly let us in. And my sense was that we were going to be a dog-and-pony show. They wanted to have the original guys play in the band, and all of us in makeup, and, quite honestly, I think it would have done the band a disservice. That lineup has not been together for 14 years, and physically, perhaps, wouldn’t have looked that great, and musically, undoubtedly, probably, would have sounded a bit suspect. So, to have people watch it on television and identify that as KISS because there’s four guys in makeup would not send a great signal to the people who are not following the band in its current permutation, or what it is today.”
He continued, “Look, we just did 42 shows and played to 600,000 people in America, and I would hate for those people to turn on a TV show where we were an unwanted guest in the first place and see us strong-armed into doing something that really does a disservice to something that I worked at for 40 years. I never quit the band twice, once, and to dilute what I’ve worked on all these years just to make a committee happy that really was not all that thrilled that we were there in the first place, it sent the wrong message and it endangered something that I hold very dear to me.”
KISS begins their three week Las Vegas residency, Kiss Rocks Vegas, at The Joint inside Hard Rock Hotel & Casino today (November 5th).
additional source: blabbermouth.net
204 Responses
More bullsh*t –
Gene & Paul didn’t want to perform with Ace and Peter because it would open up a can. They are mean, lying, greedy, phony, unethical egomaniac bastards and are diluting the legacy of my all time favorite band.
Stick a fork in Scab Kiss and put and end to this joke.
Absolutely, just like when they did Unplugged. You can’t have Ace and Peter onstage with them and not have to do a reunion. The original lineup is the only real lineup, G&P know this, and don’t want to open Pandora’s Box.
… and we know that out of this box all hell is breaking loose …
Peter could barely get through the shows in 1996, what makes you think he’s better in 2004? And guess who’s gonna look bad if they sucked? Gene & Paul, they’re the frontmen and leaders of the band. Ace & Eric would be cool to see though…
With makeup I agree the originals are it…but let’s not forget about the 80’s lineup with Carr and Kulick…without that lineup Kiss would’ve been done years ago and there would be no reunion…
It’s tactics like everytime Paul does an interview.
Mr. stanley some of us fans want Deep Purple in the hall of fame.
The only would have sounded badly if Paul had sang. gen, Ace, or Peter would have sounded great!
While I have my doubts about Peter being able to perform well at 68 now, the problem would rather have been that there would not have been Tommy and especially Eric making up for Paul’s deteriorated voice. Paul needs their voices to get through the show more than ever as footage from the last tour and the Heaven and Hell festival clearly shows. Also, with Ace and Peter on board, it would take part of the spotlight away from the man who now does not let an opportunity pass to say that he has always beent he most dedicated, ergo most important member in Kiss. – Btw, listening to footage from the special show for ticket holders at Honda center yesterday, I found that Gene’s voice was really good, he sounded fresh and like having fun, and when were are two songs, one by Gene, next by Paul, Paul’s voice issue became totally apparent. No wonder that on the last tour Gene sang 50% more songs than on the tours before, which for me is a good thing because I have always liked the character of his voice better.
Before anyone says anything, get over it. The Gene and Paul faction doesn’t get along with the Ace and Peter faction. You wouldn’t continue to date your nagging-ass ex girlfriend because your parents loved you two together.
I didn’t realize Paul and Gene had a romantic relationship with Ace and Peter. I guess you learn something new every day.
me hasn’t seen the picture of paul and gene together holding babies in a hospital.
That analogy is completely irrelevant, and telling people to “get over it” is a bit childish. Nobody was asking the original 4 to be best friends, so ‘getting along’ has nothing to do with fans wanting one last shot to see the original 4 play together. Gene and Paul were too hung up on the politics of it and not wanting to exclude Tommy and Eric to care about what the fans wanted. Paul is probably proud of himself for sticking to his guns and not caving in but all he and Gene did was show how petty they are and how little the fans mean to them.
faction is a combination of fact and fiction.
The committee may not have wanted the band there but the original kiss army wanted you there, the same army and hard core fans that put the band in places where nobody wanted you and the same fans who helped make you millions, total disrespect to the army, also to Ace and Peter