Brian Hiatt of Rolling Stone reports:
Current KISS guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer aren’t going to be inducted with the band at this year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony, and they won’t perform, either – but they’re showing up, nevertheless.
Gene Simmons confirmed to Rolling Stone via e-mail that he and Paul Stanley have invited Singer and Thayer to sit at their table during the April 10th ceremony, along with guitarist Bruce Kulick, who played in KISS during its make-up-free period, from 1984 to 1996. “The fact that they want me at their table means the world,” says Kulick.
With founding members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss also on hand, that means all surviving KISS members will be at Brooklyn, New York’s Barclays Center, except for hard-to-track-down guitarist Vinnie Vincent. “He’s kind of the Howard Hughes of KISS,” says Kulick.
Simmons and Stanley are upset with the Hall of Fame’s decision to induct only the four original members. “Tommy has been in the band 10 years,” Stanley told Rolling Stone in interviews for their current KISS cover story. “Eric’s been in the band 20 years.” (Minus a five-year interlude when the original band reunited.) “The idea of no one being even a candidate for induction into the Hall of Fame other than the four original guys is hogwash.”
Not surprisingly, Kulick, Thayer and Singer all endorse that sentiment. “Even if I was an outsider,” says Thayer, “I would say that all of the guys that have been in KISS over 40 years, all of the members, should be inducted into the Hall of Fame.”
As of last month, Singer was somewhat reluctant to attend. “If the choice is up to me, do I want to attend or not, then I don’t wanna go,” he told Rolling Stone before Simmons and Stanley invited him. “I personally don’t care about attending, but if Gene and Paul say, ‘No, we want you there,’ no problem. I’m there for you guys. I’m there for Gene and Paul and Tommy. For Kiss, the way it stands now, no problem. Or if they just want me to be there to celebrate Kiss in general, and that means everybody, fine, great, because I’m part of the whole story.”
There is no KISS performance slated for the ceremony. As reported in our cover story, Stanley and Simmons offered to allow the former members to jam with Kiss’ current lineup, featuring Thayer and Singer, who wear Frehley and Criss’ makeup, respectively. Frehley and Criss found that proposition deeply insulting. “I won’t be disrespected,” Criss says. “How can you put me in the Hall of Fame and then tell me to go sit over there in the corner while another guy puts on my makeup and plays? That’s an injustice. To the fans, too.”
source: rollingstone.com
149 Responses
I can understand that Ace & Peter were screw-ups. The fact that Ace doesn’t play on a lot of the Kiss records from Destroyer on, and the accusation that Peter screwed up intentionally during at least 1 show of the DYNASTY tour, both testify to their being screw-ups. When Stanley & Simmons talk about them shooting themselves in the foot, I get it. (Although I do question why all of this dirt didn’t come out in 1983, 1988, 1990, etc – it waited till things fell apart in the late ’90’s.) Anyway, Stanley & Simmons do nothing but trash Ace & Peter in almost every interview dealing with the original band. They never share good memories – and surely there were some – and yet they keep releasing coffee table books that are all about the original band.
This is just my opinion, but I think this is how they could have done things to honor the past and preserve the controversial current version of the band. Get up with the original band – doesn’t even have to be in make-up – and play 2 iconic songs, maybe “Detroit, Rock City” and “Rock & Roll All Nite”. Not including a couple rehearsals, you’re done in 10 minutes. At the same time, have an official statement posted to the Kiss website the very next day that reads something like, “It was nice to bid a fond farewell to the original band last night. And now onward to the future with Tommy and Eric.” That way you honor the history of the original band with a performance by the original 4, and you also clearly endorse the current lineup.
A couple of other points. There were comments during the Kiss/Motley Crue tour that Kiss doesn’t move around, they just kind of stand there or walk around slowly. Kind of sad considering how groundbreaking they were back in the day, how they moved all over the place. And now, you have a band – whose most identifiable trait is (was) its live shows – that is not performing live. So 2 key things the band was known for are not happening, when they could have shown the R&RHOF how it’s done. Maybe it’s finally time to hang up the 7″ boots, put a lid on the greasepaint jar, and call it a day.
It’s all about the $$$$ now.
Always been since the late 70s, but especially since the reunion.
I can think of a million people instead of Tom Morello to induct Kiss. I suppose Dave Grohl was busy that night. Why is it these are the only 2 supposedly qualified to induct hard rock bands into the hall? Because they’re “approved” by the East Coast/Rolling Stain/RR HOF establishment.
Yes.
Eddie should induct them. I cannot think of a bigger KISS fan.
Paul and Gene want nothing to do with Eddie. You’re right, but Gene and Paul don’t really care what we think.
Maybe no one of stature and self-respect and respect for the original lineup wanted to??
Hey anyone notice that the speeches honoring the fans were by paul and gene and that as usual it was peters speech that was full of his usual self serving bullshit