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
Let a KISS cover band play four songs-Black Diamond, Hard Luck Woman, Parasite, and Great Expectations!!!!! chaim and stanley are greedy sons of guns!!!!!
All this bitching and moaning about something every KISS fan said sixth months ago they were happy to go without. I don’t get it. We all know the RNRHOF is a joke, they ignored KISS for over a decade, and being inducted doesn’t mean shit, it don’t change a thing for anyone, fan, current KISS member, former KISS member, or anyone else. Honestly, I’m glad they’re not performing at this joke of a HOF…all those bastards would do is package a DVD of the concert and make money off of a band they’ve despised since the band first came into being. Screw that.
Eddie, I understand your reluctance to support the band as it is now… you at least understand that its a business, and I think your explanation as to why to feel as you do fails to register with most people, who seem to rely on their emotions to do their thinking for them. It’s not a big deal to me, and I’m a big fan of Ace’s , but I think in this he (and Peter) has come off as a whiny has been, and that saddens me. He and Peter left the band, they gave up on the whole thing long ago, and no matter how many reunions they are a part of, it’s not KISS anymore. They should have been the bigger men in this, let KISS be KISS, and let Paul and Gene take the heat for not letting them be on stage, if that was to happen. But they made a stink, just as they did in the past, lined the band up against a wall with a public ultimatum, essentially, using the fans in the process, and now, it’s no show. They’re all to blame, and I’m not going to blame Paul and Gene any more or any less than I will Ace and Peter.
But like I said, it’s the RNRHOF… who gives a fuck?
OH, yeah, and I don’t have much respect for either Paul or Gene anymore, anyway… Gene’s been pussywhipped by Shannon and he’s just embarrassing as a man now. I wouldn’t pay to see them myself anymore, either, just saying they’re all to blame in this.
The, “Real KISS,” circa 2014, sucks. Period. I hate to day it, but it’s true.
Why?
Peter is a pathetic excuse for a drummer now. He was bad during the reunion era, and after over a decade of inactivity he’s gotten even worse.
Paul’s voice is shot. He can barely make it through songs (and sometimes he really can’t) and sounds strained with his now raspy voice cracking and squeaking.
Ace is fat. He’s Leslie West 2014. He should call his next album, “Mountain.” And Ace, while not as sloppy a player as he was from 1998-2001, is still sloppier than he should be. And at his new weight he can’t move.
Gene has lost a little weight (not a lot, but a little), but even with the weight loss he still can’t move nearly as well as he did during the Reunion era, and even then he couldn’t move as well as he did in the early 80’s. AND Gene’s bass playing is slipping. He’s getting sloppier as a player.
Gene, Paul, Peter, and Ace – that band SUCKS. In 2014.
Anyone who wants that band to play together wants them to be embarrassed and have their last impression on their peers and heroes (and critics, for that matter) be one of complete inteptitude. If they do play, and they still might, it will be nothing short of a train wreck musically. An utter disaster that will go a long way towards permanently discrediting their music among those who doubt them now (and many of those doubters are VERY influential within the industry).
Don’t get me wrong, these guys were GREAT from ’73 through ’77, but after that the wheels fell off. The Reunion was fun, but just a pale shadow of ’73 – ’77. And now? Come on, let’s be real – without Tommy and Eric holding things together KISS would be a terrible live band musically. (And it’s not just Eric and Tommy holding things together on their instruments, where they are rock solid, but also vocally – covering for Paul’s voice to a degree that Ace and Peter can’t).
I don’t want that band to play. Not by themselves. The ideal situation would be for the band to play WITHOUT make-up so that everyone could get up on stage. A song with the current line-up, a song with the originals, and a song with all of them might work – without makeup. But the HOF guys don’t want that…
Now, maybe some of my previous comments were a little out of line, but the fact is the original line-up is in no shape to play live in 2014. That was my basic point, and that part still stands.
SOLUTION: As KISS is famous for stealing everything they do from other bands who proved successful in their own merits (make-up from Alice Cooper, NY Dolls, “Live” album from Peter Frampton, acoustic album from Rod Stewart, Telsa, Nirvana, etc.. reunion tour from you-name-it, farewell tours, etc.), here’s an idea in which they can steal from themselves. Remember their pathetic “Acoustic” show on MTV? They had Ace and Peter walk out and join the band for a few songs which triggered a reunion tour. Do the same thing with all the members at the RNRHOF. Play songs starting with original line-up, move to replacements and then finish with original. Shake hands and get on with your lives. NO MAKE-UP unless… KISS would like to be somewhat original and make Tommy and Eric develop new characters ala Vinnie Vincent and Eric Carr, so there is no more comparisons to the Cat and Spaceman and fans will not look at them as their own tribute band! Again, they intoduce the new characters and move on. End one era, continue with another era. That is exactly what the fans want and NEED. What a fitting way to acknowledge the original musical KISS and the current touring band KISS all at the same time. Now that’s closure!