KISS’ TOMMY THAYER DEBUNKS ACE FREHLEY’S CLAIM THAT KISS COULD NOT SELL OUT NYC’S MSG ON THIER “END OF THE ROAD” TOUR
KISS’ Tommy Thayer was recently interviewed by 4Sound at the Sweden Rock Festival, where he disputed KISS’ original guitarist, Ace Frehley’s claim that the band couldn’t sell out New York City’s Madison Square Garden during the first leg of the band’s End Of The Road farewell tour.
Frehley reportedly stated on Oklahoma’s KATT Rock 100.5, that it was “a sad commentary” that KISS “didn’t sell out Madison Square Garden” when it played at the iconic venue in late March. “When I was in the band, we used to do three nights [at Madison Square Garden].
Thayer countered by saying [via blabbermouth.net], “This tour, the End Of The Road world tour that we’re doing, we just did 45 shows in North America [to] over half a million fans,” Tommy said. “Most of all of ’em were sold out, including Madison Square Garden [which] was actually sold out. But it’s been a great tour.”
According to Billboard, KISS’s March 27th concert at Madison Square Garden grossed $1.947 million and sold 13,359 tickets. The same venue still holds the record for the band’s highest-grossing engagement ever, when they earned $3.3 million over four shows from July 2th5-28th, 1996 during the Alive/Worldwide tour (this was the band’s first tour since 1979’s Dynasty tour with Frehley and drummer Peter Criss).
tonight on “fake news”, we hear this story from our “ace” reporter, tommy thayer.
again i say this,most of the tickets at least the good ones were sold pre tour,while paul was running his mouth about a great new set list,and past members showing up for shows ect,i was also at the msg show,it was sold out indeed,but everyone i talked too and there were many said they were hoping for past members to show up,and were not that thrilled about the set list,many after the show were not happy at all,although the show was great (pyro ect).most if not all of the fans i talked too were upset that no one showed up,and the set list was tired ,and paul def was using backing tracks on some of the songs.so if all this was known before the tickets were on sale,im sure the numbers would be a whole lot different.lets see how good the 2nd leg sales go ,if there is even a second leg.
That was exacty how and why they sold me a ticket … which I regret … they knew how to get those old-time sentimental fans like me …
My buddy recently walked out of Kiss’s recent show in Michigan when he realized Paul was lip syncing most of his vocals and a bunch of other tracks were running- his wife paid big bucks for close floor seats he was a die hard and did not believe kiss was lip syncing and would irrationally argue with me lol until… this show, he said it was very very obvious -he was pretty upset about it- he also said he was not the only one who walked out , and he got his ticket refunded in full – If I were Tommy or anyone in kiss for that matter I would just keep quiet and play the shows collect the money and thank god so many people dont care about tracks or lip syncing …
Wow, I am surprised he got a refund, but good for him.
I had a ticket for a stadium (small stadium, that is, maybe 20,000 capacity, it was like 80% sold out) show here in Germany (if you wanna search on YT, town is called Essen), but being totally annoyed by the discrepancy between the hype and the bragging etc. before the tour and the disenchanting reality from all the YT videos of the American leg, not to mention the lip-syncing disaster, I passed the ticket on to a friend. He went and he sent pictures and posts: even though it was the most expensive category apart from the front-of-stage tickets, the stage was so small (ie. too small/not wide enough for a stadium size gig where you usually add a few elements to adjust), that he could not see the big screen behind Eric from where he stood, and only part of the drum riser and this saucer-shaped prop that holds the fire canons. So, 50% of the “big production” was invisible to him and many more. For this final Kiss experience, I’d paid 109 Euros, which is about 125 Dollars. Also, there were no additional video screens left and right like there usually are in such a venue to at least make up for what I said and give all the people, to the sides and in the back, a good view. So the same small production, be it medium size concert halls or (smaller) stadium gigs being used – now what kind of “biggest show we’ve ever done” is this?? Also, for the American leg, we know, and not only from Eddie’s broadcast, that many tickets were given away for way less than the actual price to “sell out” the arenas when the date approached, as well as sometimes curtaining the upper stands. So, what do we have here? It’s the employee defending his employer when the employer himself does not want (or dare, or care) to defend himself against well-earned criticism. So, I am glad I did not go and did not get angry about this hoax of a farewell tour – it is sad that my favourite band does not find away to “go out on top”, like they so eloquently promised. Just one more “normal” tour (or skimming the fan base) – why they did not revamp the iconic stage from the Alive II album/tour I just do not know, it would have been the perfect way to do it. Everyone would have love it. That would have been going out in style. Oh, okay, it would have cost much more so the profit margin would have been thinner … okay, I see, they need to fill their pension funds … on the other hand, I am also fed up with Ace whining that he should have been part of this and that it would’ve been much better with him in the band again … I am not so sure, ticket sales may have been a bit better, the vibe might have been better and more like the original Kiss sound we came to love when we were young, but I think he can be thankful in a way that Paul did not (and will never) allow him to do this. So he will not be part of this self-embarrassment. And maybe he will do a tour of Europe again/instead and do some nice 500 seaters where I can closely see him and just rock. The rest I will gladly watch on some bluray that will certainly come out later to make a last dollar or two.
Back in ’96 I paid 200 for a 4th row seat to see Kiss.