KISS have released a statement on their official website addressing the Rock Hall induction. Here is what it states:
“To All Our Fans In Regards To The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame:
Out of respect, Ace and Peter’s recent statements demand a quick response to you, our fans.
Our intention was to celebrate the entire history of KISS and give credit to all members including long time present members Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer, and additionally Bruce Kulick and Eric Carr all who have made this band what it is, regardless of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame’s point of view.
Although KISS has moved forward far longer without them, Ace and Peter are at the very foundation of what we have built and this would all be impossible had they not been a part of it in the beginning.
It is over 13 years since the original lineup has played together in make-up and we believe the memory of those times would not be enhanced. Contrary to claims made through the media we have never refused to play with Ace and Peter.
We have spent 40 years dedicated to building KISS without quitting or wavering as the band has moved forward with huge tours and platinum albums through different important lineups for forty years, to this day.
KISS has always been a band unlike any other. That is why we started KISS. That is why we continue KISS. Being unlike other bands also means making choices and decisions unlike other bands.
This is understandably an emotional situation where there is no way to please everyone.
To bring this to a quick end, we have decided not to play in any line-up and we will focus our attention on celebrating our induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
We are excited and are looking forward to seeing you all on the KISS 40th Anniversary worldwide tour.”
source: kissonline.com
201 Responses
Good luck selling tickets on the next (and last) tour.
Such B.S. from Paul & Gene as usual. Never refused to play with Ace & Peter? Really? Then play. It’s that simple. So Kiss, who is refusing them? The HOF? No. Are we to believe Ace & Peter are calling up Eddie Trunk’s show to make up stories that they’re not allowed to play? The refusal information has come from someplace significant. The HOF isn’t making up these stories. They want them to perform. So who is refusing them? It’s Kiss who has the say in all of this. They have the power. What they said in their statement didn’t say or change anything if you read between the lines. They spun the truth like they always do. It’s a real cop-out and a lie for them to say they want to celebrate the entire Kiss history, instead of just coming out and saying what’s what behind this. They know the other line-ups aren’t Hall worthy. You may like them but you know that they aren’t Hall worthy, and the HOF knows the other line-ups aren’t hall worthy. Kiss knows they wouldn’t even be in consideration if it wasn’t for what the ORIGINAL members achieved. Again, the HOF are inducting the ORIGINAL members, not the entire Kiss work force. There is a reason behind that. Look at the history and numbers. The real truth (in my opinion) is that both Gene & Paul know they have a watered-down product called Kiss. I can say their sales from the last 2 records did very poorly (but in their defense the record business is dead for everyone). No one sells records anymore. The fact is is that Kiss doesn’t need to sell records anymore. They live off of the royalties. BUT they cannot fill an American arena on their own anymore without trying to get 2 or 3 “past-their-prime” former headlining bands to help fill the bill. They do well outside the country… but so does David Hasselhoff . But they still need to sell the brand Kiss. Playing with Ace & Peter (up on the HOF stage) will destroy any progress they have made with this current line-up. That’s the truth. It’s business. Both gene & paul have publicly slandered Ace & Peter as much as they could over the years. They keep talking about drugs & alcohol, and will say anything to make you forget the Peter & Ace line-up. For some (the newer fan) it’s worked. For the other fans who have been there from day one… we know better, and we’re pretty pissed off with the continuous nonsense. So Kiss released their statement… and said what? Nothing. They are good spinners of the truth. I am happy that the majority of Kiss fans & now former Kiss aren’t fooled. Kiss is being laughed at by thousands of music fans. They have made their bed…. we have just witnessed the lowest point this band has ever had… and Ace & Peter aren’t in the band to take the blame. Kiss is a joke.
Well said and fully agreed to.
Gene and Paul must think the fans are truly as dumb as their wigs look at this point. Anyone that knows anything about this can smell their bluff a mile away with using other former members of Kiss not being inducted as some bs excuse. The HOF was clear from day one, it was only the original members being inducted. If they really felt the way they say they do about the other members, then they should’ve drawn the line from the start – all of us, or none of us. Maybe they overestimated the value of their cover band, or more likely they just underestimated the value that Ace and Peter still have in the minds and hearts of the vast majority of Kiss fans. Gene and Paul realized the fate their imitation clones and their cover band faced, so they started all this backtracking bs. I’ve been there and appreciate all the eras of Kiss, but saying that guys like Mark St. John and Vinnie Vincent belong in the HOF to the point that they won’t perform over it, is beyond ridiculous. While the HOF is clueless to a lot of things, the bands of the hard rock/metal genre and respective lead guitarists of those bands that they do have in there definitely deserve to be there. You’ve got guitarists like Page, EVH, Joe Perry, Angus Young, Alex Lifeson, Toni Iommi, and Kirk Hammett in there and then you’d have according to Gene and Paul, Mark St. John. This is a guy that played on one non-makeup era album and wasn’t even able to do the tour behind it?! Sure, I’m a fan of Animalize, but come on now. It’s even more laughable them saying Vinnie Vincent should be inducted, when Gene and Paul themselves didn’t have enough faith and respect toward Vinnie to picture him on Creatures of the Night. When they repackaged that album years later, they even pictured Bruce on the cover?! At least Ace did some promotional stuff for the album, but what did Bruce have to do with that. Oh, that’s right Bruce just happened to be their lead guitarist at that time they re-released it. The writing was on the wall 30 years ago with those two, so it doesn’t surprise me in the least what they’re doing today. Gene and Paul are so full of sh*t with their desperate attempt to come up with an excuse that the world’s most powerful, industrial-strength laxative couldn’t clear all the sh*t out of them at this point.
Hi everyone. It’s Eric Carr. I’m with Mark St John…We’re the only 2 dead kiss members and we’re quite happy.
I was told if you erect a statue of Gene Simmons he will show up to admire it.. Is that true?
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