Ethan Sacks of the New York Daily News reports:
KISS may not have performed together on stage at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, but they managed to put their ugly feud behind them long enough to accept their statuettes Thursday night.
The four original members of the band who had been trading barbs ever since news of their induction broke — Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley on one side and their ex-bandmates, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, on the other — took the high road to the stage at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, trading conciliatory speeches that honored each other’s history with the band.
“This is a profound moment of all of us. We are humbled that the fans ever gave us the chance to do what we love doing,” Simmons told the audience after a rousing induction speech from Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello.
“To Ace Frehley, whose iconic guitar playing has been imitated but never equaled … to Peter Criss … there’s not a guy who beats the sticks who sounds just like Peter,” he continued. “Something happened 40 years ago, I met the partner and brother I never knew I had: Paul Stanley. You couldn’t ask for somebody more awesome to work with.”
Simmons then skirted dangerous territory — name-checking all of Frehley and Criss’s successors who were not named to the Rock Hall, but rebounded with one last olive branch.
“We wouldn’t be here today without the original fantastic four,” he concluded.
Criss then took the microphone, thanking everyone who’s ever worked with the band and discussed how he’s been been seven-years healthy after a battle with male breast cancer. He took the evening’s only shot at the drama surrounding Kiss, referencing Eric Singer’s use of Criss’ famous cat makeup. “I want to say, in or out of makeup, I’ll always be the Catman, so it really doesn’t matter. I also want to say, you gotta forgive to live. It’s really important.”
Frehley cut the tension by admitting that he couldn’t read his speech because his sunglasses weren’t prescription, before discussing his seven years of sobriety and how the country needs more education about substance abuse.
Finally, Stanley wrapped it up, saying, “For us, this is a special night but it’s really a special night for our fans because this is vindication. Peter, Ace, Gene, we are the original foursome. We couldn’t have done this if we hadn’t started together. Everything we’ve done is built on the past. We’ve got a great, great legacy.” Then he took a dig at the Hall, and all the critics who’ve denounced them and voted against them. “The people pay for tickets, the people buy albums, the people who nominate [Hall inductees] do not.”
Frehley told the Daily News back stage that he was disappointed that a compromise couldn’t be reached.
“It wasn’t my choice,” he said of not getting the chance to perform. “I wanted to do it. But the bottom line is we’re still brothers in rock ‘n’ roll. And even though we don’t see each other for five, 10, 15 years, it’s just like yesterday.”
Read more at the New York Daily News.
source: nydailynews.com and billboard.com
109 Responses
My sentiments exactly Frank T….well said !!!!
KISS is in, im happy! next up:Deep Purple!
Thank god that’s all over!! I must say looking at pix I don’t get a good warm fuzzy feeling. They don’t look happy at all. Looks more like a funeral to me. Peter looks very uncomfortable and so does Gene. These guys don’t love each other!! Paul may of made a good point about tarnishing the image of the band playing with Ace and Peter. Ace is way over weight. No way he would of looked right in his Spaceman suite. Ace needed to lose at least 30lbs. Mabe 50. Peter on the other hand would of looked dead on. He’s in really great shape. Looks like Paul has lost some of the weight he was gaining. Paul may have made the right call after all. Im really looking forward to the new Ace record at this point. Current Kiss? I really don’t care or have any interest anymore at this point. The constant bashing of Ace and Peter and not somehow playing one more time for the fans pretty much ha put a real bad taste in my mouth. PETER GET YOUR ROCK RECORD DONE!!!
I think Paul’s performances are what’s tarnishing the band at that this point.
Agreed!
Hey, they are lined up exactly like Destroyer!
Correct me if I’m wrong but I believe Nils Lofgrin and Patty Scialfa were inducted with the E Street Band. They are NOT original members of that band. Just thought I’d throw that out there.
LMAO WOW , YOU’RE REALLY REACHING NOW ,HUH?
How is that reaching? The E Street Band formed in 1972. Lofgren and Scialfa joined the band in 1984. That’s a fact. Obviously, not part of the original band, but yet they were inducted. Instead of bad-mouthing Paul, you should be lauding him for taking a stand against those HOF assholes.
Agreed! Fuck Bruce Springsteen! He’s no “boss” of mine!
She got inducted because she’s married to Bruce.
Wasn’t Nils Lofgren a solo artist before joining the E street band?
These noobs on here don’t care Truth…they think the Hall cares about Kiss because they finally got in. The RRHOF is a joke…and you just pointed out why. What’s funny is I can see true Kiss fans having a disagreement about things within the family…but “some” on here, the ones I question even have any real knowledge of Kiss can’t see that Marsh, Wenner, RRHOF and all those cronies completely disrespected Kiss. Clearly obvious when they can’t even give kudos to Paul for basically telling the establishment to suck it. Again, your post is proof…Kiss can’t get members like Carr or Kulick in but I’m sure in a few years Springsteen will be getting his roadies inducted. Sad how blind or just stupid some people are. Ridiculous.
Noobs indeed!
You really believe Paul as taking a stand,huh? Is that why he was willing to play, but only with the current band? Let see, he was willing to accept the award with Ace & Peter but not play with them. How about Gene being all for playing with Ace & Peter until Paul cracked the whip on him? Paul is upset because he didn’t get his way. He knew if he played with Ace & Peter there would be a demand for the real KISS . Oh, and for you so called fans who keep saying that people still want to see them, Is that why they have to co-headline tours now? Last time they came around on a headline tour they gave away their remaining tickets to first responders and their families the night before the show. Guess what? Up to five tickets per person. Nice that they gave them to them, but very indicative of their current drawing power.
E Black, your arguments are weak and tenuous at best. You’re an Ace/Peter guy, which in my opinion, gives us a glimpse into your own personal life. You are, more than likely, a f-up in your life (like Ace and Peter). You probably don’t understand the importance of a strong work ethic (which is why you can’t relate to Paul and Gene). You tend to live in the past. (that’s why you’re an advocate of the original 4 members with no compromise) Now, this doesn’t just apply to you. It also applies to all the other Ace/Peter posters on this board. But on the other hand, if it doesnt apply (doubtful)…………. Disregard
LMFAO
TRUTH you are an ASSCLOWN of the highest order! OMG are you delusional or what? “gives us a glimpse into your own personal life” ARE YOU HIGH? LOL DUDE, GO PUT ON YOUR UNDEROOS AND GO TO BED. LMFAO
LMFAO
THERE IS NO WAY YOU ARE SERIOUS WITH THAT POST.
If Paul was so offended then why show up at all? KISS should have got in 15 years ago but KISS shoots themselves in the foot with crap like Dolls and Hello Kitty and all the other crap over the years it is hard to take them serious if your not a fan.
Well…first of all, there’s maybe a handful of bands that can tour on their own now. Something Eddie brought up recently on one of his shows…so that is a mute point.
2nd…do you really wanna see Pete back there…he can barely raise his arms. Watch any number of tours with him upon his return. Besides…Eddie, who appears to be one of his PR people has stated, Peter doesn’t want to do it anymore…so mute point. Doors been open to Ace several times to return. As for Paul…thank god someone shut playing down. Ace is huge, Pete is a fragile 68 year old man, Paul’s voice is gone, Gene can barely move. Eric and Tommy essentially carry those guys now. Hell no I didn’t want to see them give a second rate performance giving more fodder for Wenner, Marsh and the RRHOF cronies. Where were those dickheads 15 years ago when Kiss were rehearsed and really could have blown the roof off. Screw the RRHOF…and thank you Paul for shutting it down. I certainly don’t need to see them play to stroke my ego.
Lastly…if you don’t like the current product then don’t watch, don’t follow, don’t buy, don’t go but why bitch about it? Plenty of people still do or they wouldn’t be touring or selling merchandise etc… How is that bad, how has that tarnished Kiss…it’s a freaking rock n roll band, they aren’t the messiah. I don’t like the current Kiss, I do like Eric because he’s a brilliant drummer but I don’t like Tommy, not as a guitarist, not in Kiss and not as a person. I’ve met him several times. Further I haven’t bought anything (barring the books) or seen the band since the Farewell Tour but get this…I still support them. I support the fact that they’ve earned the right to do whatever the hell they wanna do with Kiss and say whatever they want to say. It won’t change my opinion on them in the least. I love all the original guys been with them since 75, I’ve loved many lineups…the COTN lineup was untouchable when it came to great albums, tours and musicianship, I loved the Revenge era but they aren’t sacred in any way…at the end of the day, they’re just a rock band who’s given a helluva a lot of people a soundtrack for my life and still make a lot of people happy.
I’m guessing that Ace and Peter would have come in for a song or two without makeup was likely Gene’s idea while Paul only wanting to play with the current lineup in makeup. Of course, Ace and Peter were right in turning down both of these ideas.