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
When you see Ace’s 2014 tour you’ll think what Paul has said. I wish Paul would come on Wayne’s World and tell why Peter and Ace are clowns compared to Singer & Thayer. Phil Rudd, meth addict.
The control and blowing his own horn “fit” once again saying (quote) “a disservice to something that I worked at for 40 years” – that is all that obviously matters to him, he is in control. I’d rather say his own vocal decline is a sure disservice to the band’s current status and recognition. From looking at him from afar (which is all we can do) the more I hear from him the sadder it gets looking at someone who could be so happy with his life but is making a parody of himself and his band and actually gaming away what he so urgently wants to preserve and be recognized by the public when he says it would (quote) “dilute what I’ve worked on all these years”. It may have taken a bunch of members in the band 40 years to build the legacy, now it takes him a year of strange and self-serving press interviews to ruin it.
Kiss should of been done after a farewell tour that’s a lie. Paul lives in his own bubble and only he is right. Kiss does not care about you the fan. Some of you jackasses will say this site posts kiss stories just to get traffic on this site. Mr. Simmons since rock is dead maybe he should promote newer bands and push em over the top if he’s such a rock god. Many other bands that can actually play music unlike Kiss. Come on Gene and Paul defenders. Sounds great just discredit two members like they did nothing in the history of kiss.
Ace Frehley circa 2014 looks like he ate Ace Frehley circa 1977. Kudos to Paul Stanley for not allowing Fat Elvis in Space Man makeup and costume to be trotted out onstage!
Friggin classic! And, there are a lot of Friendlys on Jendel
I’d rather have a bloated Stanley than a hoarse and desperately screaming Stanley.
Mini Kiss laughs at Kiss……..
Mini Paul sounds better than the real RuPaul
Mini Kiss and Kiss mini golf should be the only Kiss related things in Las Vegas. Maybe someday there will be a Kiss themed casino and wedding chapel.