“We certainly had differences, but that’s what family is about”: Kiss honor Ace Frehley with candlelit tribute at their first show in nearly 2 years

Kiss have marked their first show in nearly two years by paying tribute to the late guitar hero Ace Frehley.

The Spaceman, who was absent from the band’s 2023 farewell tour, died aged 74 last month, with his death ruled to be accidental.

And while the American rock giants are enjoying a reunion of sorts at the latest – and now landlocked – iteration of their Kiss Kruise event, the band preluded an unplugged performance with a candelit two-minute silence for their founding member.

Electric candles, handed out to the crowd before the show, were held aloft as the band took to the stage. It was Paul Stanley, flanked by Gene Simmons, Tommy Thayer, and Eric Singer, who spoke to the crowd.

“We certainly had differences, but that's what family is about,” he says. “Why don't we take a moment to think about him looking down on us, and let's have a moment for Ace.”

Indeed, Frehley, who left Kiss for the last time in 2002, was rumored to perform at their final show at Madison Square Garden in December 2023. However, he said that they later changed their mind.

Tributes to Frehley have come pouring in since the news of his death. Tom Morello said he owed Frehley a “life debt,” while Justin Hawkins reflected on his unusual run-in with the guitarist. Guitar World correspondent Andrew Daly, who spoke to Frehley a dozen times over the last few years of his life, also looked back on their friendship and reflected on the guitar great's legacy.