KISS’s Gene Simmons says original members Peter Criss and Ace Frehley both turned down the offer to play at the band’s final shows in New York
Speaking with Linea Rock in a recent interview, Gene Simmons was asked if original KISS members Ace Frehley (guitar) and Peter Criss (drums) would be making appearances at the band’s final concerts in December at Madison Square Garden in New York City. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “For the fans — the older, older fans — the ones who’ve been around for 50 years, they’re old, and some of them wanna see Ace and Peter. The newer fans never saw them and they don’t know. But the older fans wonder about Ace and Peter.
“Well, I asked both Ace and Peter a few times: ‘Do you wanna come out for the encores? Do you wanna do some shows?’ And they both said ‘no.’ So, I don’t know what to say about that… But it’s always welcome. But there are many other big stars, superstars, who wanna jump up onstage and play a song. But we’re not sure about that. Maybe the best thing to do is to end the way we started: four guys with guitars. No keyboards, no synthesizers — nothing. Just playing.”
Back in April, Ace Frehley told SiriusXM‘s “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk” something quite different that what Gene claims. Ace told host Eddie Trunk that he was actually open to playing with KISS at the band’s final shows in New York City. “Money motivates me, just like it motivates them, but I don’t put money before God,” he explained. “If I got a quarter of a million dollars a night, and I can make half a million dollars for playing three or four songs, five songs, I’d take the money. [I’d] buy a Ferrari… buy a Maserati. [Laughs] I don’t really wanna play with those guys ever again after what they’ve done, but money can change my mind.”
Frehley continued: “Look, I’m a capitalist. I grew up in America. But I’d never put money before people’s feelings. I like money as much as the next guy does, but money isn’t my God, like it is theirs. They’re all atheists. Whatever they can do or say, whether it’s true or false, as long as it makes them the most amount of money, they’re gonna do [it].”
When Ace was asked about what he thinks the odds are of him playing with KISS at the final concerts in New York, Frehley replied: “It all depends on money. If I get a formal invitation with a check, I’ll be there. But they’ve gotta have deep pockets… If they don’t wanna pay me, I won’t be there, ladies and gentleman.”
The final dates for KISS‘s North American tour will commence in October and finally wrap at the Madison Square Garden concerts on December 1 and December 2.
