THE ROCK N’ ROLL HALL OF FAME’S PRESIDENT ON THE KISS DRAMA: “I DON’T LIKE ALL THE SNIPING BACK AND FORTH, THOUGH MOSTLY IT’S BEEN FORTH”
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
A little off-topic, but I’m starting to feel bad for the other inductees, with the Kiss soap opera stealing all the headlines. And while I’m at it, I think the fact that a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame even exists is tantamount to a slap in the face of rock & roll itself. What ever happened to the rebellion, the fist in the air, the middle finger at “the man?” Now we sit in ballrooms at $2500 tables wearing suits and ties while we “golf clap” and enshrine people for their artistic merits. I’d be happier if Kiss showed up in full costume and makeup and started flipping tables over, or skipped the induction altogether and be playing an arena in Duluth, Lakeland or Walla Walla. That would show all these suits what Rock & Roll is about, and what they can do with their Hall of Fame.
The thing with the New Kiss, is that Eric is “Peter Criss” and Tommy is “Ace Frehley” and they are filling in for two founding members, who don’t give a shit anymore about being in Kiss. So, what Paul and Gene have done is put two guys in there who do care. Paul and Gene see the big picture, that Kiss has to be presented in a way where there is an accountability from the performers to the fans. Ace and Peter are two guys, who, if they ain’t feelin’ it, won’t pretend for the sake of the performance, and they are both very in tune with their inner feelings, flip side being that when they are feeling it, there is this very strong connection to the audience. So, the show must go on. If Paul really wanted to screw Ace he could’ve not called him when he failed to show up for that Irvine show and just said “screw him, put Tommy on.” Then the real story would have unfolded, that Ace flaked, and then the New Kiss would have had a much more solid ground to stand on. Flaking on a gig in the middle of a tour is serious enough to where taking steps like having Tommy fill in would have been much easier for the fans to process. But no, Paul (through intermediaries) kept trying to get in touch with Ace, had a helicopter take him to the show, basically bent over backwards to accommodate Ace, so he wouldn’t look bad to the fans. I get it now, but they should still stop trying to minimize Ace and Peter’s legacy.
THAT is what I have an issue with, not the New Kiss. The point being, that Tommy and Eric are better at being “Peter” and “Ace” than either Peter and Ace now, because they give their full commitment to it. They consistently care, day in and day out, which that job requires. You listen to their new records and go to their shows and it’s like Ace and Peter are still in the band, their contributions are still very much a part of the Kiss show. So, it would be better if Eric didn’t sing “Beth?” Then Peter’s song wouldn’t be featured. It’s still Peter’s song, no matter who sings it. It’s still his makeup. Eric is doing his job, so is Tommy, there is a commitment to excellence there that I can appreciate. Kiss will go on the same without Paul and Gene. This should have just been explained better to their fans, instead of, “go away,” and then bashing Ace and Peter in the press. If Ace and Peter could get on board with the New Kiss, that would be the best outcome. Anyway, some stuff to think about.
Great post. Tommy and Eric are just doing their job and are doing it well. Ace and Peter’s legacy in KISS is still being felt through in the current KISS. But what you have in the original lineup are four large egos that can’t be contained.
By “do care” you probbly mean “do care about their paycheck and money savings for retirement”?!
It’s funny when Paul says that the New Kiss is better live than Kiss, and that we just don’t remember. Well, it’s all over youtube, so we don’t have to remember. .the evidence is accessible, and it’s not even in the same league as Kiss. It’s when he says that stuff that he loses me.
Not just Paul, but Gene too.
One thing about their live show now compared to the 70s–the 70s were more spontaneous. There was a different energy, and Peter and Ace were at the peak of their abilities. Now, they have Tommy and Eric, but the songs are more polished sounding live. This occurred to me when I saw them on “The Tour” with Motley Crue. Both bands were excellent, but whereas Motley was spontaneous and brutally loud, KISS had a more polished, sort of precise sound to their show. Like I said, both were great, but just two different extremes as far as sound and presentation. Actually, to the casual observer, there would seem to be a difference. My point is, the new KISS and old KISS from the 70s are not better than each other, but they are definitely different from each other.
We were created by Gene Simmons. Just ask your girlfriend!
Ace,Peter,gene and Paul Were KISS
all the rest were/and always will be considered employees of Gene and Pauls’ 2 man KISS team PERIOD