Andy Greene of Rolling Stone reports:
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s President and CEO Joel Peresman had to deal with the wrath of KISS frontman Paul Stanley, who has gone very public with his anger over the Hall of Fame’s decision to only induct the band’s original lineup. “I don’t need the Hall of Fame,” Stanley told Rolling Stone. “And if there’s not reciprocity, I’m not interested. The Red Hot Chili Peppers, practically every member was inducted, and virtually all 175 members of the Grateful Dead. Rules need to apply to everybody.”
“I don’t like all the sniping back and forth, though mostly it’s been forth,” says Peresman. “And I totally understand his point of view. What he’s failing to understand is that there are certain acts that are nominated and brought in on their entire body of work, up until the day before the nominating committee meets. They are still evolving bands that are breaking new ground. With KISS, there wasn’t a single person we spoke to that didn’t feel the reason these guys were being inducted was because of the four original members. It’s an incredibly unique situation. I can’t think of another band, outside of Gwar, that has members that are dressed up in costumes. You basically have these new members that are replicating exactly and playing the music that was created by the two other members that are being inducted.”
KISS has invited current members Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer to sit at their table, along with former guitarist Bruce Kulick. “I appreciate how Tommy and Eric have filled in and the way they do things,” says Peresman. “They are fine musicians and I’m sure they’re lovely guys, but they are basically replicating the two members that are getting inducted. How could we have asked Ace and Peter to accept the award and then have other people in their guise playing their music? They probably wouldn’t have even come. They were very clear about that. . .Frankly, I’m really, really happy that KISS are being inducted. It should have happened a while ago. The four of them will get up, accept their award, say what they want to say and then we’ll move on.”
Read more at Rolling Stone.
source: rollingstone.com
121 Responses
How about this: instead of having Tommy and Eric be spaceman and catman, create personas that make Tommy and Eric be related to spaceman and catman. (Tommy could be Ace’s relative from jendell or something) I’m reminded of the Pepsi commercial back when the original four were together and the Pepsi girl had her own makeup design that made her look similar to Ace without actually being him. Something space related (maybe even that lightning bolt over the eye like the Pepsi girl) for Tommy and something feline related for Eric. New merchandise for Gene and Paul. Ace and Peter keep their own designs, Tommy and Eric get to be their own characters. Everyone wins.
Listen to Sonic Boom and the guitar playing. It is nothing more than a total imitation of Ace. To have Singer and Thayer inducted would be a crime. I am sure they are nice guys but the original KISS is what the public cares about. If the reunion never happened, KISS would have been on the county fair circuit the last 20 years and the original band didn’t resort to the co-headlining tours with Crue and Leppard. When Paul and Gene discuss the value of these tours, I would point out Van Halen, AC/DC, Bon Jovi and others of the era don’t have to resort to these tours. Just telling the truth here. Still love KISS but can’t see inducting the two acting as the originals.
They should just treat their induction the way that the Academy Awards treats the “Technical Merit” awards and have them inucted at “a ceremony held earlier.” Eff em.
Who the hell is Joel Peresman and what has he ever done?
Was an agent, worked for MSG, in music business for a long time
So lets leave Bruce Dickinson out of Maiden when inducted, and Brian Johnson out of ACDC. Kiss has made twice as many albums without Ace and Peter as with. And sold quite respectably. Send in the haters, but theres a ton of crap songs from Peter and Ace on those first few records, theres a reason they’re songs didnt make the cut.