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
Kiss has become the biggest joke band out there these days. They were once a great arena rock band. Now they are a clownshow. I gave up on them years ago after Peter and Ace left. I rather suport Ace & Peters music then give two big crybabies any of my hard earned money.
Hey I will be singing Shock Me at the next Vegas show. I want to thank Ace Frehley for my wonderful life. I have copied everything that he does since I have been young. I even copied Aces’ thumbs up move. Hell even our new fans believe that I, yeah I Tommy Thayer am the real Space man. Eric and I are Peter Criss and Ace Frehley. Paul is right, this is the best version of Kiss, and all of those years of imitating Ace Frehley has final paid off in my life. Im The Spaceman woooooohooooooooo
Why in the hell do I want to go see Kiss in Vegas? Damit!! Me and my beautiful wife saw Motley Crüe in 2012 and it was the best show I’ve ever been to. I’m mad at Paul and Gene but still it’s part of Kiss. And I know it’s gonna be over soon. And I love Vegas. Damit. What to do? I just wish Ace and Peter were there. I’ve seen this version of Kiss and as much as Paul keeps bullshitting everybody the show wasn’t even close to the show with Ace and Peter. Gene said it himself “everything else pales in comparison to Ace, Peter, Paul and Gene in full makeup!! He said it. And he was so right. Gene and Paul know. Can you fucking imagine the excitement if the original band dd this Vegas run? They would be back to packing arenas sold out on their own!!
Gene said that during their announcement of the reunion tour on The Intrepid aircraft carrier. Long time ago, but true nevertheless.
Bryan: I recognize a snow job when I see one: “my beautiful wife”. Bet your ass she read that line, and now forgives you. You may come out of the dog house now. : )
OK…here is my poll question (I just heard Paul sing Lick It Up in Vegas from last nights show on Kissonline.com)….
Does Paul really think he sings better in 2014 than Ace can play guitar in 2014? I love Paul, but I think he is either disillusioned or lost his ability to reason. C’mon Paul, get real.
REALLY? They’re doing a run in Vegas and they’re STILL playing Lick it up? Way to dig into that back catalog of great songs either never or rarely played!
Why would he bother to be reasonable, when everyone around him who is also making money off Kiss will tell him it is all fine, when he himself obvioulsy likes to see himself as number one in the band still, so let’s go on and on and on …
Kiss ’14 or a bloated Ace who can’t sing. I think I’ll pick Kiss ’14. Gebert saw the mess….he escaped.
Amazing anyone can talk about Ace’s vocal limitations which were always there and not talk about Paul literally croaking on stage now for the last 5 years +
I agree eddie. Pauls voice sounds worse than aces guitar playing (which aint that bad these days). Paul drags down the whole sound of the band these days. I watched a kiss performance on yahoo not long ago and because of pauls voice the band had to play a step down and this weak sound was made during the opening song psycho circus. It was REALLY bad!
Paul ruined his voice by performing for 40 years. It happens. Just ask the following :
Vince Neil
Robert Plant
Joe Elliot
Ozzy
James Hetfield
David Lee Roth
Axel Rose
Not everybody can be Sammy Hagar.
Sammy is a phenomenon – but the fact that other singers have voice issues too does not alter the fact that Paul keeps telling us everything is fine or even better than ever. THAT is the real problem, not that singers get problems the oldere they get and the more they have been wastung their voice on tour. I would accept that his voice and blame it on old age just inevitably taking its toll is shot if he only stopped telling me it is not.
Brian, I totally agree with you and appreciate the different train of thought. But Paul is talking ‘better than ever’ – and he quite simply is not. I’m not expecting Joe Elliot to sing like he did in the Pyromania days. But Elliot isn’t making the claims that Paul is making. I hate to go with the flow on this site, but listening to how much Creatures of the Night is tuned down in Vegas so Paul can get through it is truly horrific. I’ve never understood bashing Ace’s voice. Ace has a certain style the way he ‘talk-sings’. He’s always done it that way, like it or not. RnR is full of guys who can’t sing. He hasn’t deteriorated like the Starchild has. I’m going to totally agree with the Guitarslinger on this one. If Paul would shut up about the current and past band, he might get a pass. But he’s the one raising the stakes on this topic, and he’s getting burned for it.
Who the hell would ever entertain the idea of wanting to be Sammy Hagar? Yeesh…
Awesome Eddie lol
Ace never could sing well, but we’ve always known that. But it’s always been cool when he did. Songs like Shock Me just don’t sound right without his vocals and never will. But after all, he’s a lead guitarist first and foremost, not a singer. Paul, on the other hand, had an amazing voice with incredible range but not as much now. Ace still sounds like Ace and his guitar playing is still great. That’s not a complete knock on Paul because he’s older and many, many vocalists that sing like him lose some of their abilities once they get up there in age. With Ace, the bar wasn’t set nearly as high.
Lee most likely you and Lap dog G G Gebert are the same person