KISS main men Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons refused to regroup the original KISS line-up for a performance at the band’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction because they were afraid fans would demand a reunion tour, according to guitarist Ace Frehley.
Stanley and Simmons pulled the plug on a performance at induction in April after the Hall of Fame bosses refused to honor their current bandmates alongside original members Frehley and drummer Peter Criss, so the live spectacular fans had hoped for was nixed – and now the group’s original guitarist tells WENN the KISS army will never forgive his old bandmates.
He explains, “After 40 years, you think they could have given the fans 15 minutes that night. Peter and I wanted to perform, the Hall of Fame wanted us to do it, but Paul and Gene shot it down. It was a moment in history that was lost and some of the fans will never forgive them for that.
But I’ll tell you why Paul and Gene didn’t wanna perform with me and Peter – they were afraid of history repeating itself. When me and Peter performed with them on the MTV Unplugged sessions in 1995, the place went completely crazy and they had to scrap their album that they had just recorded with Bruce Kulick and Eric Singer and they had to do a reunion tour.
They’re on tour right now with Tommy (Thayer) and Eric (Singer) and they didn’t want anything to overshadow that. They were afraid that everyone was gonna demand a reunion again if we played.”
And Frehley has used his new WENN interview to respond to fresh criticism from Stanley, who recently stated his former lead guitarist was not fit “to wear the uniform,” explaining, “If you no longer can uphold your end or live up to the stature that we set for ourselves in the beginning, if you are compromised by drugs or alcohol, if you’ve lost sight of how lucky we are to be in this position, then you no longer deserve to wear the uniform.”
Frehley insists he was never as bad as his former bandmates paint him – and he hopes his new album Space Invader, due August 19th and his first solo album in five years, will prove he’s still got what it takes.
He adds, “It’s a joke. In concert, I always delivered, and 95 per cent of the time I delivered on record. It’s there, it’s history. All they’re trying to do is discredit me, so it validates the new line-up. They’ll look foolish when my new album comes out.
“I think they’re just cranky that every time they go on the Internet they have to read fans saying, ‘Get Ace back’.”
source: express.co.uk
187 Responses
I made the mistake in buying Monster! It was really bad! I gave it away and the person I gave it to tossed it. I have problem buy a kiss CD with this line if it was worth. The last kiss CD I could stomach was the circus CD! I just bands by the music not the line up. I really I really joyed Anomaly. If you like kiss that’s fine but don’t knock others for liking what they like! Theres more than enough music to go around. When Ace’s CD drops we will see what the sales are. Till then we should keep quiet and talk about after it drops.
if both sides are happy with what they ara doing why throwing s at each other. Good luck to Kiss playing in arenas and to Ace doing little bars!!! life goes on.
Ain’t that the absolute f’n truth. Not sure why soooooo many people feel the need to pick sides. It’s not KISS ‘or’ Ace. Its KISS ‘and’ Ace. Like one, like both, like none. Hilarious some of the vitriol on the subject. If you’re gonna hate one and speak your mind on it, lets at least try and be factual on the subject mater, as opposed to making up stuff just to make yourself feel a little bit better in the anonymous world here at Trunk Nation. If you’re gonna hate on someone, pick Peter Criss.
Why hate on anyone?
True…
Just Peter. He’s a whiny douche. Although I will say he’s the only one I want singing Black Diamond.
I agree on the Black Diamond part….but Paul is also whining much more than Peter lately…..Joe in The Cuse
The mudslinging among 4 guys who stopped playing together over 12 years ago is really REALLY getting old…be happy and content for once..you’re all still alive and wealthy.. enjoy the time you all have left to play and create ..life is too short!!
Ace, imitated but never duplicated!!! They should have played the HOF. Paul needs to be quiet now and carry on. Patiently waiting for Ace’s album, I hope it is great!
Ace is healthy, looks cool, and sounds great. Awesome album cover and the material showing great promise of becoming another Ace classic. Seeing how everything played out, I’m glad Ace is doing his own thing and nothing else beyond accepting his award at the HOF where Kiss is concerned. As it is, Ace doesn’t need his album to come out to make that camp look anymore “foolish” at this point.
This fall while Ace is showing everyone that hears his album that he’s still got what made classic Kiss great, the cover band will be in Vegas somewhere following the Elvis impersonator. Best case they’ll get the likes of Steele Panther to co-headline with them, driving that final nail in their own Kiss coffin. Space Ace be glad you’re no longer with those guys. I sure am.
WOW. Clearly you didn’t see Ace at the Golden Godz Award show.
Ace has always been like that. He is one of those guys people think is wacked and loaded even when he isn’t. Just his personality. As for how he looks I don’t think anyone is winning any beauty contests these days. Or they have distorted themselves with a ton of plastic surgery..
Interesting that you mention Steel Panther, the great thing about that band is, besides their great musicality, that they always to some extent putting themselves on (but still being ble to be taen seriously and taking their music and show serioulsy) while the current Kiss is taking themselves so seriously that they unvoluntarily ridicule themselves.