Paul Stanley is a rock icon. Along with him have been many other rock icons that have put on the KISS makeup. Many wondered, however, how close have KISS been with one another? With Gene Simmons seemingly never interested in anyone outside of on stage; how close does the band actually work? Better yet, do they even like each other?
During an appearance on yesterday’s episode of SiriusXM’s “The Howard Stern Show”, KISS frontman Paul Stanley spoke very heavily about the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. This isn’t the first time that Paul Stanley has gone at the academy over at the Hall Of Fame either.
Paul was fuming at the fact that the Hall did not induct current KISS members Eric Singer (drums) and Tommy Thayer (guitar) along with the original lineup when the band was welcomed into the institution back in 2014. Paul took the opportunity to attack his original KISS bandmates, calling them ‘PISS.’
As reported by Blabbermouth – He stated: “The hypocrisy is that we’re not a band they like. They purposely kept us out for 15 years. And other bands that they embrace, they induct people’s moms and songwriters and all these people. And with us, it truly was unfair.”
What many KISS fans noticed was that Stanley did not perform at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony. This was very odd because you can’t have KISS without Paul at front and center. He was asked about this by Howard Stern.
Stanley said: “Because we had too much pride in this lineup, which is KISS, and has been KISS for 20 years. It’s not newcomers. This is the band. We’ll be back in the stadiums of South America next month. We were there five months ago. We were in Japan. This is the band that has carried the flag and taken it, really, to another level. This is the band I always dreamed it would be, and for us to go onstage… They were demanding, quite honestly, that we play with the two original guys, Peter [Criss] and Ace [Frehley], and at this point, that would be demeaning to the band, and also would give some people confusion. ‘Cause if you saw people on stage who looked like KISS but sounded like that, maybe we should be called PISS.”
Very big words thrown by Paul in the above statement.
Gene Simmons echoed this statement by Stanley as he said: “We’ve been all over the world, through decades, with this present lineup. It bears noting I’ve never seen a single banner or sign that mentions any other lineup. When Tommy takes a solo, ‘Tommy! Tommy!’ That’s me backstage going, ‘Tommy!’ When Eric takes a solo, ‘Eric! Eric!’ They’re pumping their fists. It’s legitimate. Nobody is in KISS and doing it by the numbers.”
When it comes to any upcoming KISS tour news, here’s what we’re looking at.
The last leg of KISS’s 19-date North American tour will kick off in October in Texas and culminate in the MSG concerts on December 1 and December 2.
Tickets will be available starting Monday, March 6, with a KISS Army presale at 10 a.m. local time. Additional presales will be available throughout the week before the general on sale starting on Friday, March 10 at 10 a.m. local time at livenation.com.
.@PaulStanleyLive explains why @KISS didn’t perform when the band was inducted in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. pic.twitter.com/aUOJdQPT0a
— Stern Show (@sternshow) March 2, 2023