KISS bassist Gene Simmons wishes original members Ace Frehley And Peter Criss could be a part of band’s farewell tour
Gene Simmons discussed his dissatisfaction with Peter Criss and Ace Frehley refusing to join KISS on stage during the band’s final concerts in a recent interview with told 519 Magazine.
“I feel sad. I feel sad and angry that both Ace and Peter aren’t here.” Gene said . “I mean, they’re alive, but they’re not here to enjoy this unbelievable journey with us. They were there at the beginning and deserve all the credit. And when they look in the mirror, the only reason they’re not here with us is themselves.”
Simmons previously said prior to the band launching their current “End Of The Road” tour: “We’d love to have Ace and Peter join us here and there. And if they don’t, it’s not going to be because of us. But they’re never going to be in KISS again.”
Ace Frehley recently said in a talk with Muncie, Indiana radio station 93.5, while discussing his upcoming solo album: “It was hard in the beginning, but now I’ve picked up a lot of steam. In fact, I remember when I first signed with eOne Music — now they sold the record company to MNRK Music Group, and I’m still working with the same people — but I remember the guy that got me signed to the label, he told me that, before [2009’s] ‘Anomaly’ came out, he said a lot of people said to him, ‘You’re not even gonna get the record.’
“Because [KISS founders] Paul [Stanley] and Gene [Simmons] have pretty much tried to destroy my credibility by calling me a drunk and a drug addict and somebody who’s not dependable. But if that were the case, how did I make five albums? And I’ve been touring steadily for the last 10 years plus. It doesn’t make any sense.
“They contradict themselves all the time. Now they’re putting me down and saying if I came up and played with them on the farewell tour, it would mar their performance. Paul said on ‘The Howard Stern Show’, you might as well call the band PISS instead of KISS if I got up on stage with them. Well, when this album comes about, it’s gonna make him look like an imbecile.”
The concluding performance of KISS‘s nearly five-year-long End of the Road farewell tour, featuring Simmons and fellow founding member Paul Stanley, is set to take place at New York City’s Madison Square Garden on December 2. The sold-out show will be available for live viewing through PPV.
The band’s current lineup, which has become the longest-running in their 50-year history, includes guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer. Both Thayer and Singer have been integral members of the group for over two decades.
