Kiss have announced that their upcoming Kiss Kruise: Land-locked in Vegas, taking place between November 13 and 15 at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, will feature a historic Ace Frehley All-Star Tribute.

The one-night-only celebration will see Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Tommy Thayer, and Eric Singer come together with special guests to honor the memory and legacy of the late Frehley, their founding lead guitarist.

These guitarists and artists – whose names have not been announced yet – were personally handpicked by the band and will be supported by the Ace Frehley Band. Furthermore, each current member of Kiss has personally selected and will individually perform a song from the Spaceman’s vast repertoire as part of the tribute.

“Another year of the Kiss Kruise experience and the best one yet is on the way. Everything we’ve learned at sea and on land over the past years is going into making this the ultimate weekend with us,” comments Stanley.

“We can’t wait to be back together with the Kiss Army and Navy from around the world for more killer performances, incredible artists, events, and exclusive experiences you won’t find anywhere else.”

In addition to the Ace Frehley All-Star Tribute, fans can expect two unmasked Kiss sets – one acoustic and one electric – and ’80s nostalgia galore, with performances from the likes of Bruce Kulick, Slaughter, and Night Ranger.

Frehley had previously joined his former bandmates during the Kiss Kruises, most notably in 2018, when he performed four songs with the band – 2000 Man, New York Groove, Nothin' to Lose, and Rock and Roll All Nite, with Kulick also on guitar.

Following his death on October 16 last year, Kiss also paid tribute to their late guitarist during an “unmasked” show at last year’s Kiss Kruise. It also happened to be their first live performance in nearly two years, following the final show of their 2023 farewell tour.

For more information about this year’s Kiss Kruise, head to its official website.

Kiss had a rotating roster of lead guitarists over the decades – but one player in particular may very well have comfortably taken the crown for the shortest stint with the band.

Lauded L.A. studio musician and founding member and lead guitarist of the ’80s rock band Mr. Mister, Steve Farris, had the enviable, or – depending on who you ask, the unenviable – opportunity to join Kiss, at least for a few odd weeks.

Back when rumors were swirling that Ace Frehley was on the way out, Farris was well plugged into the Los Angeles music scene and, at the time, was playing with a couple of members of the country-rock band Poco.

“We started doing original shit and rehearsing down in Playa del Rey… or playing a gig at the Blue Lagune Saloon in Marina del Rey when that was still around, and [we were] playing original shit, [we had] a set,” Farris tells Vertex Effects.

However, the opportunity of a lifetime presented itself after one of those sets…

“Some tall guy comes up to me and says, ‘Hey, Ace Frehley is leaving Kiss. Would you be interested in auditioning for them? And I’m like, ‘Well, I eat peanut butter and jelly every day, and my Volkswagen Rabbit doesn’t start unless I push it off the clutch. Yeah, I would do that.’

“He writes down on a napkin – that's what you did those days – he goes, ‘Call this number; she’s handling all the auditions.’”

Farris frantically put together an audition tape with the help of his friend – record producer and Carpenters lead guitarist Tony Peluso – consisting of “demos I played with, songs I’d written while I was living in the Midwest, recorded in Chicago, instrumentals, things I sat in… just anything I could find that I showed I could play guitar well.”

Farris immediately drove down to an office on Sunset Boulevard, where he found the person who was handling Kiss’ auditions. “I gave her the tape, and she went and played it while I was there, which is kind of weird. So I sat there listening to the tape while she was listening to it.”

He drove off and didn’t think much of it until two weeks later, when he got an unexpected phone call.

“‘Is this Steve Farris?’ ‘Yeah.’ He said, ‘This is Paul Stanley from Kiss.’ He said, ‘Gene and I listened to the tape last night. We really liked it. We're down at the Record Plant, cutting a record, and we just have guys come play on the records, kind of an audition. Want to come down? Come down tomorrow at 2[pm].’”

Valley Arts Strat, Goodrich pedal, and CE-1 Chorus in hand, Farris made his way to New York’s famed Record Plant studios. What he witnessed next is forever imprinted in his memory.

“There's four studios there. I’d been in there where somebody had some free time in the middle of the night, but I [had] never been in there to see anything real. They go to Studio D, and that's where Kiss was… sliding glass doors… You look through there, you see these tall guys with black hair, but at that time [1982] you’ve never seen them without makeup.”

After waiting for three hours, and even spotting a certain Bob Kulick – Bruce Kulick’s brother – being ushered out, Farris was finally summoned.

“Paul goes, ‘Hey, I got a Marshall out there, just plug into this.’ I got the engineer sitting here, Gene’s standing up, Paul’s on the other side, looking at me. He goes, ‘We need an eight-bar solo, it's in D or G – I can’t remember – We’ll scroll up the bridge, and I’ll count you in.’”

This turned out to be the title track of 1982’s Creatures of the Night – and, spoiler alert, his solo even made it onto the final record.

In fact, Stanley and Simmons were so impressed that they called it there and then.

“They go, ‘You dye your hair black?’ I go, ‘Yeah.’ ‘So you wear high heels.’ I said, ‘I’ll give it a try,’ and they go, ‘Don’t do a fucking thing, man. We got the guy.’”

“I was the guy,” Farris asserts. “Played two solos. So the next week, I go in and play a little more with them.”

Farris thought it was a done deal until around a month later, when he was asked to sing – a request which was less than ideal considering he didn’t see himself as a singer.

“I realized at one moment, ‘Well, I’m gonna take a stab at this… but if I don't sing, I don’t get the gig.’ So I have the dubious distinction of having played Honky Tonk Women with Kiss, with me singing lead vocal. I wish I had that tape.”

Alas, Farris’ strong suit wasn’t singing, and unfortunately, two or three weeks later, he got the dreaded call.

“Paul calls me and goes, ‘We don’t think you're the right guy for the band. We love your playing. We want to hire you to keep you in session.’”

While Farris ended up playing on a couple of other tracks as a hired gun, the job went to Vinnie Vincent, who stayed with the band until mid-1984.

And, speaking of guitarists who nearly joined Kiss, Punky Meadows, best known as the guitarist for glam-rock outfit Angel, recently discussed the time he accidentally turned the band down.

It’s hard to know why some bands don’t hit big, even when they have all the goods, like great songs and fantastic singers and players. Back in 1979, Shoes were one of those next-big-things after their indie release Black Vinyl Shoes generated positive industry buzz. It resulted in their signing with major label Elektra, and an album, Present Tense, stuffed full of winning and melodic power pop classics produced by Mike Stone (Queen, Journey).

Maybe they were caught up in The Knack backlash – who knows? But singer/guitarist Gary Klebe, along with partners Jeff and John Murphy on additional vocals, guitar, and bass, put out two more equally good albums before rejoining the indie ranks.

They built the well-regarded Short Order Recorder studio, recording and producing LPs for a bevy of up-and-coming bands, including Material Issue’s landmark International Pop Overthrow. Somehow, three guys from the musical nowhere of Zion, Illinois made their Beatles/Big Star dreams more or less come true.

Shoes never stopped making music, and now Klebe has released a solo album, Out Loud, which he recorded himself with some help on drums from John Richardson (formerly of Gin Blossoms).

What prompted you to do a solo album now?

You’d think that with three songwriters in a band, there would be a plethora of songs that were shelved and available to use at some point. But we’ve never operated that way. We write songs for projects. Once we decide that we want to release a record, we start writing songs for it.

So, the answer is that I’ve never had extra songs. These were all written after the last Shoes record. I had a couple of things and I could just tell we weren’t ready to record yet – the timing just wasn’t right. I had nearly half an album. I thought, ‘Well, I’ll keep writing,’ and pretty soon I had close to a whole album.

I never had the confidence to even think about doing a solo record. It kind of took me by surprise in a way. It was suddenly almost there, and so I finished it off.

I’ve read that all the guitars on the early Shoes LP Black Vinyl Shoes were recorded direct. What are your thoughts on that approach?

There’s no one way of doing things that’s the best. As far as direct versus emulations or micing a real amp, one’s not better than the other. They all have their strong points. I’ve done many direct guitars through an MXR Distortion+ for leads. Other times I’ll use a Marshall.

There are no rules with that. Don’t listen if anybody tells you there’s one way of recording. I do like the combination of textures when you mix clean and distorted or acoustics together. I tend to mic cabs close and off-axis and angled in right on the edge of the speaker, which is the way a lot of people do it when they’re playing live.

Steve Albini said there’s just one way to record a guitar – it’s to go right down the center, down the axis, and have two different mics, two different distances. I’ve never done it that way.

When people hear their guitars and get used to their sound, they’re usually standing up and the speakers are blasting under them about knee level. That’s their reference as to what a guitar should sound like. All their EQ, controls, compression and everything is based on that particular setting. I think when you record that, you have to simulate that to a certain extent.

You produced Spooner, the band Butch Vig was in back in the early ‘80s, and helped him get started as a producer.

It was at the old studio of the Playboy Club in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. They had a really nice studio there. Every Corner Dance was the name of the record; Spooner were a great band – much different than Garbage. The common thing is they both have strongly written songs.

Butch had some experience with recording, but not a lot. He was always asking questions about things. Eventually I said, “You know, you work with a lot of other bands that come into your little setup and stuff. You should look at yourself as a producer.”

He says that moment put it in his head that maybe he would be a producer. I don’t know if I believe that – he's probably embellishing that a bit! But he’s given me credit for getting him going.

When I went to see Garbage and got on their tour bus, he said to me, “You know, you’re the reason I’m doing this.” But he’s overly kind; just a great human being. I’m glad to see that he didn’t give up the band part either. He did both. I respect him a lot, and he turned into one hell of a producer. He surpassed me by a long way in a short period of time.

Shoes were early users of Hamer Guitars. Do you still have them?

Oh yeah, I have lots of Hamers! They’re based in Illinois, less than hour’s drive from me. We first heard about Hamers seeing Cheap Trick in the clubs. Rick Nielsen played a Hamer and so did Tom Peterson, and that’s all we needed because we worshipped those guys.

Somehow I ended up at a party with Jol Dantzig, who was one of the co-owners of Hamer. He talked about the possibility of having us play his guitars. That's when we were getting ready to sign with Elektra. We went to the factory and saw the whole production process, including a few of Nielsen's guitars, like the five-neck one and the one where his head is on the bottom upside down.

It was cool seeing things being made. We became friends with Paul Hamer and Jol Dantzig and pretty soon, we were buying the guitars. I still have a lot of them.

Shoes opened for Kiss once in 1982. What was that like?

It was a New Year’s Eve show in Rockford, Illinois, and somehow our agent got us on the bill. We thought, “Talk about a mismatch!” But it was cool – it was a nice big arena and everything; it just seemed like quite a mismatch.

But when we recorded our debut Elektra LP with Mike Stone, at The Manor in England, one of the women who worked there said she’d heard Gene Simmons on the radio, and he’d said we were his new favorite band.

We thought, “Gene Simmons? Kiss? What the hell?” So when we had a chance to play with them, we think he might have been behind that. He's very much into melodic rock – much more than what Kiss is.

A few years later on, we were about to record Stolen Wishes, which was an indie record. He suddenly decided he wanted us to be on his new label. I talked to him almost every night for a long time. He’d say, “Call me on the road. Let's talk about music.”

He wanted us to do a record – but he also wanted us to do some things that we didn’t want to do, like redo some old Shoes songs and do some covers. We said, “We just can’t do it.” Eventually it just kind of fizzled out. But it was cool talking to him.

Many artists don't like the power pop label. How do you feel about it?

After a while you just kind of give into it. I will say, if someone asks for a description, I kind of wince when I say it. I always thought all the bands I loved weren’t in any category other than rock ‘n’ roll. Power pop just seemed to be kind of limited.

People say we're right down the power pop pipeline – but that range must be pretty wide. I accept it as a good thing overall. But I think the biggest bands that have been around aren't categorized like that, whether it's Cheap Trick, Genesis, The Beatles or whomever.

What category would you say The Beatles are in? You would say; it’s “The Beatles” – that’s the category. And that’s what every band wants to be. I’m just glad we fit into something; some club.

Looking beyond your solo record, will Shoes put out any new music?

We’re best of friends. We have our ups and downs; we don’t always agree. But when we’re together, every conversation comes back to, “Should we do another record?”

It’s a lot of drudgery and it’s a big commitment. And there’s really not an audience. We end up doing records just because we want to do it; we do them for ourselves. So I can’t imagine there won’t be another Shoes record. In fact, I know there will be!

• Klebe’s solo album Out Loud is out now.

Gene Simmons Band guitarist Jason Walker was born to play music – literally. “One of my first memories is actually me singing in my crib,” he tells Guitar World. “It woke my parents up – I found this thing I liked to do!” That “thing” soon became less of a habit and more of an aspiration, though it wasn’t the guitar that initially piqued his interest.

“My first instrument was a coffee and creamer tin drum kit I fashioned on the floor from various cans. I used welding rods for drumsticks. I even used a can opener on the bottom of an empty one to loosen a makeshift cymbal – my young ingenuity! Then I would play along to tapes.”

Like many rock-afflicted types, Walker grew up loving “Hendrix and a steady diet of ‘60s and ‘70s rock” which eventually led to guitar. “After my first concert, which was Crosby, Stills and Nash, I knew it was what I wanted to do.

“My father had this 12-string acoustic that he kept in their bedroom and I would get at it sometimes. I remember him picking it up occasionally and playing a thing he’d written here and there.”

From there, Walker learned to tune his guitar and started learning chords. “As far as deciding what type of player I wanted to be, I never made a conscious choice. I just wanted to do the best I could.”

By 14, he was being paid to play music, toting around a late ‘70s 50-watt Marshall JMP and a Les Paul Standard from 1990. “The Les Paul was always my first-choice guitar,” he says.

Around 2005, he met a man who had already changed and shaped many guitarists’ lives, Mike Varney. “I was at a guitar jam at a sports bar. Mike and I talked about Stephen Stills and Jimmy Page, then he donated a few choice CDs to me. It was very generous.”

This encounter stuck with Walker, so when he ran into Varney 10 years later at Guitar Center – of all places – he made sure it stuck.

“We’ve kept in touch since. He invited me to jams and it changed my course. His guidance and friendship have been crucial. He’s an amazing person and a genius. Many things improved in my life because of his friendship.”

One of those improvements is Walker’s membership of Kiss star Simmons’ solo band. “I was playing gigs at Count’s Vamp’d in Vegas. I’d opened for a band that [Simmons bandmates] Brian Tichy and Brent Wood were in. When they were trying to figure out who to get to sing the high harmony stuff for Gene’s band, Brian said, ‘What about the guy who opened for us?’”

Not long after, Walker auditioned and passed with flying colors. And it’s a prime gig: “I knew about some Kiss songs growing up, of course. A lot of my influences were also influences for members of Kiss, like Zeppelin and The Beatles. Gene knows his Beatles. There are a lot of parallels of influence with these guys and me. And I hear a lot of Page in Ace Frehley’s choices and feel, for sure.”

But Walker had to lay down his Les Paul. “I eventually settled into the Flying V,” he says. “It goes well aesthetically and sonically with Brent’s Les Paul on stage left. It’s a great blend. It doesn’t make any sense to have two Les Pauls up there.” Beyond that, it’s a typical array of Marshall 50- and 100-watt jobs, with a few boutique pedals by Interstellar Audio Machines and Mayasonic for taste.

Walker is excited about the future of guitar-driven music. “The guitar is more popular than ever right now,” he says. “It is not going anywhere. There are going to be some interesting players coming out in the next decade that will redefine the instrument. It’s already happening!”

As for what else is happening in Walker’s world, he has “a couple of lanes being paved at the moment” – his band, Gravity Amplifiers, will release their debut this November on Ripple Music.

“It’s called Disclosure Vol. 1. Half of the bass tracks feature Nick Oliveri. It’s a project with an underlying purpose that’s close to my heart. And I’m fronting a Soundgarden set from time to time, called Jason Walker’s Badmotorfinger. I love singing the Cornell stuff because it’s so demanding.”

But for now, his attention is on the task at hand. “The Gene Simmons Band have shows coming up in May and throughout this year, so that’s where my energies are focused – because this band is so great.”

• The Gene Simmons Band’s next tour kicks off on May 2.

Former Kiss guitarist Bruce Kulick has revealed he’s recovering from a “heart valve surgery.”

Sharing the news on social media on April 22, Kulick wrote, “Heart valve surgery is a success! On the road to recovery. Taking it one step at a time. Grateful for [his wife] Lisa and all your love and support.”

Kulick went on to thank the “heart surgeon and their fantastic staff for looking after me like a rockstar.”

After a media outlet erroneously reported that Kulick had undergone an emergency surgery, the guitarist clarified that “this was NOT emergency surgery” but rather, “an aortic birth defect caused a valve to become a danger.”

Among the many fans and friends offering words of encouragement was Kiss’ very own Gene Simmons, who wrote, “Go Bruce, Go. With Lisa by your side, you can lick anything. You know we're all rooting for you. And can't wait for you and Lisa to cook up a new batch of pancakes for all of us.”

In an exclusive interview with Guitar World last year, Kulick looked back on his impressive career, and specifically, the moment he joined the Kiss circus.

“I really wanted to prove myself worthy of being Kiss’s new guitarist,” he asserted. “I’d toured for Animalize and was appreciated by Gene [Simmons], Paul [Stanley], and the fans, but could I co-write songs and contribute solos that were memorable?”

Elsewhere in the interview, Kulick revealed why Simmons and Stanley didn’t expect – or want – Ace Frehley throwback, and how his gear differed from the Spaceman’s.

In 1982, Kiss found themselves at a crossroads when founding member Ace Frehley decided to leave the band. In search of their next lead guitarist, the band made several calls – including to Slash and Richie Sambora – before settling on Vinnie Vincent.

Punky Meadows, the guitarist of glam-rock band Angel, was also in the mix, although, as legend has it, he was the one who actually rejected Kiss. Now, Meadows is setting the story straight on what actually happened during the auditions and why he never ended up joining Kiss.

“Angel was broken up, and Gregg [Giuffria, keyboardist] and I had a band called Legend,” he tells Guitar World. “And then, Barry Levine, a photographer who did all the Casablanca stuff and did the Kiss and Angel photos back in the day, called me up. He said, ‘Listen, Punky, Kiss is looking for a guitar player. Ace is gone.’

“I said, ‘Yeah, I kind of heard something about that, but I didn’t pay much attention to it.’ He said, ‘Well, they’re looking for a guitar player. I’m at The Record Plant right now with Gene and Paul. I mentioned your name, and Gene said, ‘That’s a great idea!’’ I said, ‘Okay, well, have Gene call me.’”

Turns out, Simmons did indeed follow through, as Punk Meadows recalls: “He goes, ‘Hey, we’d like you to come down and sit in with us. Learn one side of Alive! We don’t care which, just learn one side and come down.’

“I probably learned the first side, went down to their rehearsal space, walked in, and Gene, Paul, and Eric Carr were there, playing Zeppelin’s Communication Breakdown.

“I just walked in, plugged up, played, and it sounded really great. Everybody was really happy, and so I sat down on the drum riser with Gene, and he said, ‘You got the gig. Let’s talk.’ I go, ‘Well, Gregg and I are shopping a deal. I have to talk to Gregg… I gotta let him know.’”

However, Meadows' reluctance to accept the gig on the spot ultimately cost him the spot as Frehley’s successor.

“As soon as I said that, Gene got up and said, ‘Come on, Paul. Let’s go.’ They stormed outta there, and just left me sitting on the drum riser, talking to Eric for about a half hour, or so. Anyway, I got home, and Barry called me up, saying, ‘Punky… what’d you do?’ I said, ‘What do you mean?’”

He continued, “He said, ‘Gene and Paul came back to the studio with their jaws on the floor. Gene said, ‘No one has ever turned down Kiss.’ I said, ‘Barry, I didn’t turn them down. I just said I had to let Gregg know.’ But I guess I insulted Gene so much by not just taking it and saying ‘yes’ right away.

“Barry then said, ‘Well, they were going to offer you $200,000 a year plus points…’ And at the time, I was broke, you know?” he concludes with a laugh.

And, speaking of Kiss near-hires, Marty Friedman also revealed that he once nearly auditioned for Kiss but was turned down before that even happened because of his height.

Guitar World's full interview with Punky Meadows will be published in the coming weeks.

Evan Stanley and Nick Simmons are part of a newer crop of musicians continuing their parents’ legacy through their own music. And if their surnames sound eerily familiar to those of legendary guitar and bass slingers Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, it’s because, well, they’re their sons.

The two youngins have known each other all their lives, but making music together didn't happen until a chance hangout in December 2024, followed by an Instagram cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s The Sound of Silence.

“We were always homies but had our own things going,” Stanley tells Guitar World. “Then, since I moved back to L.A., we’ve hung out way more and were always kicking it. One day in December, we were hanging out. I thought, ‘I saw what he was doing, and I liked it.’ He saw what I was doing and said nice things, and we were like, ‘We should jam.’”

“It wasn’t a big idea,” Simmons relates. “It was just, ‘We should film a reel or something… people do that, right?’ We got together and figured, ‘Let’s do something we both love.’” And, just like that, Stanley Simmons was born.

Hailing from such a lineage comes with certain privileges that the two are quick to admit to, but Simmons also says that, “It's a double-edged sword. Doors are immediately opened for us because of our family relationships, like with any business. So, in entertainment and music, we get to meet these people. But once you're in the room, they don't necessarily give you the benefit of the doubt.”

“What’s working well for us is that at the end of the day, people will decide what works,” he continues. “It’s not the executives. They’re either gonna like the songs or not.

“If they connect with it and it moves them, it’s just a matter of time before people in the industry catch on,” adds Stanley. “For us, the whole thing has been about having fun.”

For more about the new dynamic duo, and new interviews with fast-rising band Geese and pop-star-sideman-turned-solo-artist Mateus Asato, pick up issue 601 of Guitar World from Magazines Direct.

Kiss guitarist Tommy Thayer has said there is still a future for the band, despite the fact they've officially retired from touring – and that could include new music, additional live performances, and more.

The glam rock giants supposedly finished for good with a blockbuster show at Madison Square Garden in 2023, which brought their exhausting End of the Road tour – their second farewell tour – to a close.

Last month, however, they played two unmasked concerts at a Kiss fan event in Las Vegas. Their unplugged performance was preluded by a candlelit tribute to founding lead guitarist Ace Frehley in the wake of his tragic passing, and there was a reunion of their unmasked line-up as Bruce Kulick made a special appearance during their electric set.

Speaking to MusicRadar, Thayer believes they could still have quite a busy future.

“There’s a lot in the works for Kiss moving ahead,” he confirms. “We’re not touring anymore, of course, but there’s still a ton happening behind the scenes.”

More live shows, it seems, are on the menu, with the guitarist saying that “the Vegas event was fantastic, and it really exceeded our expectations.

“You could feel that everybody was having a great time. I know the fans absolutely loved it, and I can definitely see it happening again.”

He isn’t ruling out more activity beyond that. He’s already opened up about the avatar versions of the band are in the works, and while reuniting in the studio isn’t completely out of the question, he admits it isn’t a certainty.

“As for another Kiss record, I’m honestly not sure yet,” Thayer says. “It really depends on where things go and how everything evolves over the next year or two. But I do feel like we all still have a lot of great ideas and a desire to keep creating and doing all the things we love doing.”

If rock n’ roll has taught us anything, it’s that farewell tours are very rarely a last goodbye. Just look at Mötley Crüe, who have welcomed John 5 into the band and released new music, since their retirement party in 2015.

Elsewhere, Gene Simmons has apologised for his comments that Ace Frehley died from “bad decisions,” having previously also said that he wished he had shown him more tough love in their heyday.

Gene Simmons has issued an official apology after suggesting that a series of “bad decisions” led to Ace Frehley's death in an interview with The New York Post.

“He refused [advice] from people that cared about him – including yours truly – to try to change his lifestyle,” Simmons said.

“In and out of bad decisions. Falling down the stairs – I’m not a doctor – doesn’t kill you. There may have been other issues, and it breaks my heart.

“Peter Criss, our founding drummer, Paul [Stanley] and myself went to the funeral, open casket,” he continued.

“It was just heartbreaking. Saddest of all perhaps is that Ace just couldn’t stay alive long enough to sit there proudly at the Kennedy Center and listen to – I can’t even tell you who’s going to come out… really impressive people, just to say how much Kiss meant to them.”

After his comment went viral – with many fans saying his take was insensitive considering Frehley has just passed away – Simmons took a step back and apologized in a social media statement.

“On reflection, I was wrong for using the words I used,” Simmons wrote on X (on December 10). “I humbly apologize. My hand to God, I didn’t intend to hurt Ace or his legacy, but upon rereading my words, I see how it hurt everyone. Again, I apologize. I’ve always loved Ace. Always.”

Frehley passed away on October 16, with an autopsy report revealing the 74-year-old died from blunt force injuries to the head he suffered in the fatal fall at his home studio in Morristown, New Jersey.

His death caused an outpouring of love from the guitar community, with his former Kiss bandmates, Tom Morello, Nuno Bettencourt, Steve Vai, and Slash (among many others) all paying their respects.

Gene Simmons has reflected on his early days with Kiss, and says he regrets not being tougher on Ace Frehley as the late guitarist immersed himself in the darker side of the rock ’n’ roll lifestyle.

Speaking with Classic Rock once (via Guitar Player), Frehley – who died earlier this year at the age of 74 – had said, “Alcohol and drugs were my constant companion, my best friend – and worst enemy.” Simmons, who is famously lifelong sober, saw how Frehley's predilections for excess were harming his “brother”.

“If I have any regrets, my hand to God, it’s that I sometimes wish we were smarter and better at trying to help Ace and Peter [Criss, original Kiss drummer] have better lives,” Simmons said at the recent Kiss Kruise event in Las Vegas (via People). “I wish I had practiced more tough love and been more in the face of people that we cared about.”

During the recent Kiss Kruise, the band played their first shows since their blockbuster The End of the Road tour concluded at Madison Square Garden in 2023. Their unplugged show was preluded by a candelit tribute to Frehley.

“All of us are guilty of it, and so am I,” Simmons confesses, saying how such harmful behaviours and issues were never tackled. “Because you want to get through [the tour] for selfish reasons. Because it’s working, and the chicks, and the money, and you don’t want to ruin anything.

“Meantime, somebody who might be your brother is ruining their life by making bad decisions.”

Just months before his death, Frehley was eager to set the record straight regarding his relationships with Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, as well as his two departures from the band in 1982 and 2002.

Speaking to Guitar World' correspondent Andrew Daly – who penned a heartfelt eulogy to his friend in the wake of his death – Frehley was happy to admit he'd had his demons.

“I used to be a bad drunk and did a lot of drugs,” he said. “I lost it – a couple of times I overdosed, had several car accidents; just crazy shit. I wouldn’t be here talking to you right now if I didn’t get sober 17 years ago.

“Sometimes people come backstage and show me their Alcoholics Anonymous coin and ask me to rub it for good luck,” he added. “It’s unbelievable that today I’m having a positive influence on people, instead of being known as the maniac trying to outrun a police force in White Plains, New York!”

Meanwhile, Tom Morello has led the tributes to the guitarist, saying he owes Ace a “life debt”.

Ace was working on a new album, Origins Vol. 3, at the time of his passing, and John 5 has now confirmed that he was set to star on the record.

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.

Gene Simmons is recovering at home after a car crash in Malibu, California, with reports saying the Kiss bassist/vocalist passed out at the wheel, swerving across several lanes of traffic on Pacific Coast Highway before plowing his SUV into a parked vehicle.

NB4 Investigates reports that Simmons crashed his car at 1pm on Tuesday, October 7. A witness made the 911 call, police and firefighters responded, and Simmons was rushed to hospital.

The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department told NBC4 Investigates that Simmons said he “passed out or fainted” at the wheel. Simmons’ wife, Shannon Tweed, says the 76-year-old had just been prescribed new medication and he had been told to drink more fluids.

Simmons was driving a Lincoln Navigator at the time, which is just as well: the luxury SUV has a five-star safety rating.

But it would take more than that to stop the God of Thunder. In a somewhat sheepish message posted to X/Twitter, Simmons thanked well wishers and suggested that a career as an Uber driver now Kiss has played their last show might not be the best idea.

“Thanks, everybody, for the kind wishes,” wrote Simmons. “I’m completely fine. I had a slight fender bender. It happens. Especially to those of us [who are] horrible drivers. And that’s me. All is well.”

Kiss might have called it a day, at least in the traditional sense of their physical forms putting on the stagewear, makeup and playing the music.

But Simmons has been keeping his chops up in 2025 playing with his solo band, with his May shows drawing heavily on the Kiss catalog as you would expect, but also including covers of Motörhead’s Ace of Spades, Van Halen’s House of Pain, Thin Lizzy’s Bad Reputation and the Beatles’ And Your Bird Can Sing.

And this string of dates made one Kiss superfan’s day (make that life), when he paid $12,495 to be Simmons’ roadie for a day. Dwayne Rosado said it was worth every cent.

“You only live once, and I want to experience life. I’m not going to die with a lot of money. I’m going to die happy,” he told the New York Times. “Nothing can beat tonight. It’s cemented in Kisstory now because it’s going to be on YouTube and everything else. So I’ll get to look back and see that moment forever.”

Twelve-and-a-half grand? Nice work if you can get it. It might make Simmons losing his no-claims discount on the Lincoln a little less painful.

Reminded that Kiss’ iconic Alive! album was released 50 years ago now, Ace Frehley cackles. “Man, it seems like another lifetime – but I believe it!” It’s an influential record, but detractors over the years have made much of the less-live elements it contains.

The band and engineer Eddie Kramer hit the studio to add a series of overdubs – and Frehley doesn’t deny it. “My parts are mostly live,” he states. “I did the least amount of overdubs … I’ll let the fans decide on why that is!” He continues: “But I think we did the best we could, and thank God people responded in a positive way.”

Frehley, 74, has a number of irons in the fire – new music, a travel guitar and more touring are on the horizon. But he won’t be seen at Kiss’ Landlocked in Vegas event in November.

“There’s no way I’m doing that,” he insists, citing “multiple reasons.” He’s previously referred to negative comments by Paul Stanley; but he says he’s over those, and that he’s open to reconciliation. “Jealousy can make you say stupid things,” he shrugs, dismissing his former bandmate’s words.

What are you working on now?

“I’ve been touring and now I’m working on Origins Vol. 3. I have a secret project that I don’t want to reveal too much about… it’s a collapsible guitar that fits in a briefcase. Like a travel guitar; but when it’s put together you can use it on stage, and you wouldn’t know the difference.”

Are you designing it yourself or working with a company?

“I’m not sure how that’s gonna work at this juncture. I’ve tried other travel guitars on the road and I don’t find them satisfactory. So I’m designing a nice prototype. There will probably be a cheaper version overseas and a high-end version here in the US. That’s all I can say now.”

The first two Origins volumes did well. What can you tell us about the third?

“It’s coming along nicely. It stays with the theme that Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 had, which was to mostly recording songs that influenced me in the late ‘60s when I was an aspiring guitar player.”

Why do you think fans enjoy your cover songs?

“I just have a knack for taking a song and making it my own, while still making it recognizable. But my approach depends on the song – for example, when I did a Paul Revere and the Raiders song, I added a guitar solo that wasn’t there. It was a harmony solo in three parts.

“It depends on how a song is built. If I can improve the arrangement, I do. But it’s funny – a lot of people still think I wrote New York Groove! But I never take credit for anything that I didn’t write.”

Is there a release date for Origins Vol. 3?

“By the time it’s finished, mixed, mastered and we have the artwork, it won’t be until next year. A lot of people put out records right before Christmas, so there’s a lot of competition then. After new year is when we’ll do it – probably sometime in the spring.”

Elsewhere, 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of Alive! album. In 1975 did you have an idea that you were onto something special?

“Well, we felt that our studio albums were good, but they didn’t capture the essence of our concerts. I think Alive! did. And a lot of people jumped on the bandwagon.”

It seems that after Alive! everyone was releasing live records.

“Yeah, they were. But that seems to have fizzled out because of YouTube. Every time I do a concert it’s on YouTube the next day. When I was gearing up to start Origins Vol. 3 my co-producer, Steve Brown, wanted me to do a live album. He was trying to talk my record company into it.

“I held my ground and said, ‘You know, live albums aren’t what they used to be.’ In recent times, I can’t think of anybody that’s done a live album that’s really been a big hit like Alive! was.”

The matter of studio overdubs in Alive! always comes up.

“Well, not so much for me and my playing – let’s put it that way!”

Does it bother you when people say it isn’t a true live album because of those overdubs?

“Let them try and go make a record as successful as that, you know? It’s what – triple or quadruple platinum? [It’s quadruple.] Everybody likes to criticize when someone’s successful. It never bothers me.”

In all fairness, despite the studio cleanups, Alive! does a good job of capturing Kiss at the time, which was the point.

“Yeah, and it was not only the music; it was the whole package. Alive! was a complete package that captured the essence of Kiss as a live band. Prior to that, a lot of people who hadn’t seen us live weren’t aware of the fact that we were such a good live band.”

Have you considered its impact on guitar music?

“A lot of players have told me it was the record that made them want to pick up the guitar. Years ago I was in Texas and I saw Mr. Big. When Paul Gilbert did a solo, he pretty much did a complete copy of a solo from Alive!. He’s a very accomplished musician, but instead of coming up with his own solo, he copied mine. It was a form of flattery!”

Your solos on Rock and Roll All Nite, Black Diamond and Deuce, to name a few, are quintessential.

“I learned by copying guys like Page, Beck, Clapton, Townshend, The Beatles and The Stones. My style is just a conglomeration of all those great players. There were so many great guitar players in the ’60s who had their own style and technique. There will never be another Jimi Hendrix.”

The studio version of Rock and Roll All Nite had no guitar solo, but the live version did.

“I think the band pushed me in that direction because they thought it needed one when we played live. When we were recording it we thought of it as a single. Back then you tried to keep it short – for radio, the shorter the song, the more DJs would play it.

“So in the studio I kept it to the bare minimum. But live, yeah, I ended up adding the solo. Things change; you do things for certain reasons. With that song and the solo, everything just kind of worked out in the end.”

Fans have been wondering if you’ll be joining Kiss for their Landlocked in Vegas event this fall.

“They asked me and I declined. There’s no way I’m gonna be involved with that, you know? Their biggest mistake is that they should have done that at Madison Square Garden – not in Las Vegas in a 5,000-seater, or whatever it is.”

You’ve done Kiss Kruises before, so why not do this?

“There’s multiple reasons. About nine months before Kiss was going to play Madison Square Garden, both Paul and Gene were saying, ‘We’re going to bring everybody out on stage.’

“Then a few months before the concert, they both changed their tune and said, ‘Ace and Peter aren’t going to do it.’ In fact, Paul went on to say, ‘If Ace and Peter got on stage with us, the band could be called Piss.’ So, I kind of got into an argument with him.

“Ed Trunk let me use his show as a platform. But it was just… I got upset, and then I just kind of let it go. Paul says things off the top of his head without thinking sometimes.”

Is your relationship with Paul salvageable to where you’d consider participating in future Kiss-related events?

“Yeah; I’m the kind of guy that never says ‘never.’ I don’t hate Paul or Gene, you know? We’re rock and roll brothers. And Peter, too. So, anything can happen, just not at this point. I’m having too much fun doing my own thing. Maybe I’ll get inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist!”

Do you see yourself stopping at some point, or will you rock until you drop?

“I’m probably gonna go until the wheels come off! But I’m contracted to do another studio record after Origins Vol. 3, so that’ll be next. After that, my contract runs out, but the sky’s the limit. Maybe I’ll start my own record label. Who knows?”

It's safe to say that the Kiss universe is never short of drama between the behemoth outfit's various members.

The latest? Many fans have been left wondering why Ace Frehley wasn't invited – or seemingly declined the opportunity – to join his former bandmates at the Kiss Kruise: Land-locked in Vegas event at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas this November, which will also include Bruce Kulick, Kiss’ guitarist between 1984 and 1996.

“They asked me and I declined,” he tells Guitar World matter-of-factly. “There’s no way I’m gonna be involved with that, you know? Their biggest mistake is that they should have done that at Madison Square Garden, not in Las Vegas in a 5000-seater, or whatever it is.”

When GW points out that Frehley has participated in Kiss Kruises – the long-running Kiss-themed cruise excursions – before, he replies, “There are multiple reasons. You know, Paul [Stanley], towards the end [of the End of the Road World Tour], about nine months before Kiss was going to play Madison Square Garden [for its final shows], both Paul and Gene [Simmons] were saying, ‘We’re going to bring everybody out on stage.’

“And then, a few months before the concert, they both changed their tune and said, ‘Ace and Peter [Criss] aren’t going to do it.’ In fact, Paul went on to say, ‘If Ace and Peter got on stage with us, the band could be called Piss.’ So, I kind of got into an argument with him.”

Despite their arguments throughout the years, Frehley isn't ruling out the possibility of reuniting with Stanley, despite their complex relationship.

“I’m the kind of guy that never says never,” he adds. “I don’t hate Paul or Gene, you know? We’re rock and roll brothers, and Peter, too. So, anything can happen.”

However, Frehley admits that, at this point, he's “having too much fun doing my own thing.”

“And maybe, I’ll eventually get inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist,” he quips.

Guitar World’s full interview with Ace Frehley will be published in the coming weeks.

Kiss bassist Gene Simmons made headlines earlier this year when he announced an ultra-exclusive tour package where fans could pay $12,495 to be his roadie for a day.

Naturally, some shrugged the stunt off as being a bit bonkers. Guitar World did the math and found out such an outlay was roughly equivalent to six months' worth of roadie wages (depending on the size of the job). But one Kiss mega fan has paid for the experience and says he can “die happy” as a result.

The opportunity was limited to one per show of Simmons’ 26-date US solo tour, but it reportedly took until the 13th date for any takers to emerge from the woodwork.

Retired correctional facility employee Dwayne Rosado was the one to shatter his piggyback, joining proceedings on May 5 at the Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank, New Jersey, with his 13-year-old son in tow.

“You only live once, and I want to experience life. I’m not going to die with a lot of money. I’m going to die happy,” Rosado told the New York Times. “Nothing can beat tonight. It’s cemented in Kisstory now because it’s going to be on YouTube and everything else. So I’ll get to look back and see that moment forever.”

For approximately the price of a 2010-2016 Honda Civic or a month's long cruise, Rosado got the chance to haul gear, set up amps, oversee soundcheck, and, vitally, be introduced onto the stage by Simmons and join the God of Plunder for a good old sing-song.

“It felt awkward, because I have a whole crowd in front of me, and all I wanted to do is hug him,” Rosado said of his time on stage. “I didn’t care about anything else that was going on.”

At one point on stage together, which you can see in the above video, Simmons asks Rosado Jr. what he thinks of his father, and he responds, in a Kiss-like manner, with “the best dad ever!”

Apparently, there are a few other, erm, perks of the fan package. There’s also the small matter of having breakfast with Simmons on the day of the show – there’s no mention of whether it's continental or American – and each lucky customer will walk away with a bass Simmons had used during a Kiss rehearsal.

Simmons himself has defended the package after the news of the savings-demolishing experience found itself at the end of backlash online.

“When I was a kid and went to see shows, I was always curious, ‘What’s it like when they’re in a hotel? What’s it like when the stage is set up?” he says. “I decided, ‘You know what, nobody’s ever done it. Why not open the idea to be my personal roadie for the day?’

“You meet at the hotel where you have breakfast together. You ride with me to the gig. You can set up amplifiers and drums to your heart’s content.”

Gene Simmons has told the story of a guitar solo merry-go-round, after revealing that Pearl Jam’s iconic Alive lead effort closely followed in the footsteps of a Kiss solo – which Ace Frehley had previously lifted “note-for-note” from another classic rock heavyweight.

Guesting on Billy Corgan’s The Magnificent Others podcast, the Kiss bassist pointed out Frehley’s plagiarism.

The track in question is Kiss' 1975 cut She, which found Frehley apparently so enamored with Robby Krieger's lead playing on The Doors' Five to One, from 1968's Waiting for the Sun, that he lovingly copied and pasted it onto the Kiss song.

Unaware of this, Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready then followed a similar tact when piecing together the solo for Alive, only for Simmons to drop a truth bomb later down the line.

“I said, ‘Mike, I don’t know how to tell you this, but that’s a note-for-note guitar solo from the Doors,” Simmons tells Corgan. “Ace liked it so much, he just reproduced it. He goes, ‘No!’”

Discussing the genesis of some of his biggest hits with Guitar World, McCready now doesn't hide from this fact. All he has to say of the song is, “I copied Ace Frehley’s solo from Kiss’ She, which was copied from Robby Krieger’s solo in the Doors’ Five to One.”

Speaking to Rolling Stone in 2014, McCready waxed lyrical about Kiss and the impact they had on him during his formative years.

“I remember being on a school bus in sixth grade in 1976, with my friend Rick Friel, who eventually played in my high school band, Shadow,” he said. “He had a lunchbox that had Kiss on it. ‘What is that?’

“Then he played me some music and I was hooked immediately.” So it's no surprise there's more than a little Kiss style sprinkled across Pearl Jam's discography.

Going off his comments on the podcast, Simmons seemingly picked up on She’s likeness to Five to One at the time. But he doesn’t see the solo-swapping saga as much of an issue.

“My point is, it’s always very appreciated when somebody says, ‘Loved your stuff,’” Simmons says. “Everybody’s got bits and pieces of stuff. Listen to Zeppelin songs, you’ll hear lots of blues, very recognizable, blues songs.”

McCready has also downplayed the drama to be drawn from their similarities, telling Chris Shiflett’s Shred With Shifty podcast, “I don't do the solo the same live all the time.”

With a career that spans six decades, Mick Rogers – best known as the lead guitarist and vocalist of Manfred Mann’s Earth Band between ’71 and ’75, and again since ’84 – has seen his fair share of bands come and go, and with that, a boatload of anecdotes. One such band was a nascent Kiss – who joined his group on their first tour, in support of their self-titled debut album.

“I had to use the same microphone that Gene Simmons used with all the blood coming out of his mouth,” Rogers tells Guitar World. “Can you imagine that! I remember Simmons saying to me: ‘We’re [Kiss] either going to be the next biggest thing, or we’re going to die on our ass!’

“They came on stage with all the makeup and stuff. I think people were quite silent because they just couldn’t believe what they were seeing… nor could we! They were scary, I mean, Gene Simmons was a scary-looking image, but he was lovely.”

Between May 16 and June 1, 1974, Kiss opened for Manfred Mann's Earth Band and Savoy Brown, hitting cities such as Vancouver, Portland, Seattle, San Diego, and San Francisco – an experience Simmons later described in the 2019 End of the Road World Tour program [as per by Far Out Magazine] as one that finally made the band feel “like we were taking off.

“It was like somebody pushing you into the deep end of the pool whether you can swim or not. The early years of Kiss were far from glamorous. We rode in a station wagon hundreds of miles every day.”

“We would take turns driving and sleeping in the back,” he continued. “We ate burgers at roadside taverns. We stopped and peed on the side of long stretches of a highway when we couldn’t find a town anywhere near. We ate beans and franks because we couldn’t afford better food as we were on an $85-a-week salary! Becoming a rock star was better than anything and beyond anything I ever imagined.”

Despite wrapping up their second farewell tour in 2023, Kiss just announced a one-off unmasked show in November – with a “special live performance” from former Kiss guitarist Bruce Kulick.

Gene Simmons has never been accused of missing a marketing opportunity. Even so, the Kiss bass guitar player raised eyebrows earlier this month with the news he was charging fans $12,495 for the opportunity to be his roadie for the day.

Now the God of Plunder has defended himself in an interview with the New York Post. “When I was a kid and went to see shows, I was always curious, ‘What’s it like when they’re in a hotel? What’s it like when the stage is set up? What’s it like being onstage when they’re performing and seeing the audience from the stage?’” he explained.

“I decided, ‘You know what, nobody’s ever done it. Why not open the idea to be my personal roadie for the day?’”

The “Ultimate Gene Simmons Experience” is available to one fan per show on his solo tour.

Simmons said select lucky fans would have the opportunity to travel in the bus and haul gear. “You ride with me to the gig. You can set up amplifiers and drums to your heart’s content.

“You’re onstage, right offstage to my right. You can video the crowds, whatever. And I pull you onstage to sing a song with me.”

For those who fear this sounds like servitude, Gene stressed that participants would be allowed to eat. “You meet at the hotel where you have breakfast together or, you know, whatever floats your boat,” he said.

Purchasers of the experience would also leave with a signed bass.

Simmons recently cancelled multiple shows until early 2026, but assured fans his health was not an issue. Purchasers of the Ultimate Gene Simmons Experience for cancelled shows may choose between a refund or moving their experience to one of the remaining dates.

Kiss, meanwhile, have announced an unmasked Vegas show with former guitarist Bruce Kulick – the band's first gig since their farewell tour ended in 2023.

Having wrapped their second farewell tour in 2023, Kiss has announced a one-off unmasked show in November to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Kiss Army fan club.

The show, taking place at a weekend-long event at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas on November 14-16, will see Bruce Kulick return to the band, having spent the best part of 12 years in the glam rockers, between 1984 and 1996.

An email sent to fans promises “a special live performance from former KISS member Bruce Kulick, along with other special guests, activities, exclusive experiences, and more.”

Kulick and the man he replaced, Mark St. John, are famously the only two Kiss members to have never donned make-up during their time in the band. The former Meat Loaf and Grand Funk Railroad guitarist is fondly remembered for his multi-album contribution during an experimental time for the band.

Speaking to Guitar World last year, Kulick said he’d “always missed being in Kiss,” despite having been left out of both the band's farewell expeditions, in 2000-01, and 2019-2023 respectively. Tommy Thayer has been Kiss guitarist since 2002.

“I’ve made peace with not being included in Kiss’s End of the Road,” Kulick says. “That said, no, they never called me... but if that meant being the Spaceman like Tommy, I wouldn’t want to do it.”

By his own admission, Kulick has seen a revival of his Kiss era in recent years, believing it’s not just the music that moved them – the guitars I played also matter”. His comments came as he launched a new '80s-style line that tips its hat to his eight years in the band.

Kulick's namesake axes hark back to his employment of an ESP M-1 guitar while in Kiss. It was a move that came after Paul Stanley wanted to create a clear distinction between Kiss' make-up and non-make-up eras.

“Gibson guitars represented vintage makeup-era Kiss guitars,” he told Guitar World. “But in early December 1984, Paul [Stanley] said, 'You're the new guitarist of Kiss,' and wanted me to know the vintage material and be part of the new generation of guitar players. I was keenly aware of the balance between the makeup years and my non-makeup years. ESP would bring me all these options!”

Despite his tenure in the band coming to an unceremonious end, he insists that he wasn't fired.

“I’ve always looked at it as I was never fired from Kiss; I was left behind for a wildly successful commercial venture,” he believes. “You don’t have to be an accountant to understand Paul and Gene.”

Ace Frehley has recently made a similar claim, although under slightly different circumstances: he alleges Kiss lied when they said he was fired in both 1982 and 2002, insisting he quit, and Gene Simmons wanted him to reverse his decision.

Of course, this isn’t the first time Kiss had returned to the stage after their final curtain had supposedly been drawn – Kiss were touring again just two years after their first farewell show wrapped. Tommy Thayer, though, who played across Kiss’ final two decades, has hinted that their long-term future exists in the virtual realm.

The news comes as Gene Simmons has postponed 17 of the solo shows during which fans had the chance to be the Demon’s roadie for the day, for the cool sum of $12,495.

A statement provided by Christina Vitaglano, who handles Simmons' backstage VIP fan experience packages, says the shows have been put back “until early 2026.”

The decades-spanning beef in the Kiss universe is well-documented. With insulting remarks, jabs, and dirt being traded freely in the media, one thing is for sure – Ace Frehley, Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Peter Criss and their various successors, always keep things interesting.

Now, the former Kiss guitarist is setting the record straight on his (multiple) departures from the legendary band – and how his truth differs greatly from what has been propagated over the years.

“Well, a lot of the misconceptions were created by Paul [Stanley] and Gene [Simmons],” Frehley says matter-of-factly in a new Guitarist interview.

“They still say in interviews that they fired me, but I was never fired from Kiss. I hate when I hear that. And they say that both times I was fired; I quit both times [in 1982 and 2002].

“They didn't want me to leave; the first time I quit, Paul showed up on my doorstep, took me out to lunch, and was trying to change my mind, but I had already made up my mind.”

When asked whether it was better for him to go at it alone, Frehley responds with a resounding yes. “The success of my [1978] solo album [Ace Frehley] made me realize that I was more creative away from Paul, Gene, and Peter than I was around them,” he explains.

"And so, time marches on, but yeah, they've said shit, like, I'm late, and I'm lazy, and yeah, maybe not as much as they've said it, but it's true. As far as when I'm working, and I've got an idea, and I'm excited about it – I have tunnel vision.”

As for his former bandmates, Gene Simmons – ever the entrepreneur – is offering fans the unique opportunity to be his roadie and personal assistant for the day. The catch? It'll cost $12,495 for the privilege.

Gene Simmons is offering fans the unique opportunity to be his roadie and personal assistant for the day... but it will cost you $12,485.

The Kiss bass player is calling the package – which offers the chance for someone to carry his amps and brew his coffees – 'The Ultimate Gene Simmons Experience'.

So, what makes it so ultimate? Well, the lucky roadie-for-a-day will be tasked with assisting with loading gear into the venue, setting up the stage, helping oversee soundcheck, and, the icing on the cake, will be introduced by Simmons during the show, so thousands of people will know you’ve just emptied your bank account.

In other words, “You can get up there and be a rockstar,” Simmons sells it in an Instagram post.

But wait, there are perks! The lucrative package also includes lunch with The Demon, and at the end of a hard day’s work, you’ll get to walk away with a bass guitar that Simmons, at one point or another, used during a Kiss rehearsal session.

The exclusive package is available across all dates on his upcoming solo tour, which begins at the House of Blues in Anaheim, CA, on April 3, but only one Ultimate package will be available per show.

According to Indeed, an average roadie gig pays around $500 a week, depending on the specific role. That means the package costs approximately six months' worth of roadie wages. Tidy.

For those enticed by the opportunity but suffering from much shallower pockets, fear not. The Gene Simmons Bass Experience simply removes the manual labor from the package, offering a meet-up with the Kiss man, and you still get to return home with one of his rehearsal-used four-strings.

That’s set to cost $6,500, but it will rise to $12,500 if you’d rather grab a bass that was used on stage.

If any of that tickles your fancy, head over to Gene Simmons' website.

In related Demon news, Simmons recently guested on Billy Corgan's podcast to reminisce on Ace Frehley's Kiss audition, during which Simmons nearly punched his lights out.

Tommy Thayer remains the longest-serving Spaceman in Kiss, but his relationship with the glam rock giants extends way before the time he officially donned the iconic outfit for the first time in the early 2000s.

Speaking about how he made the transition in a new interview with Guitar World, Thayer admits there was little discussion before he first stepped out on stage in his new role... save for a crucial request from Gene Simmons.

Thayer made a name for himself with a lyrical, melody-first approach to guitar playing and songwriting during the 1980s, a decade dominated by incendiary fretboard bothering. But Thayer wasn't going to abandon his influences in favor of such a trend.

His chops and style eventually put him in touch with Gene Simmons, who would go on to produce Thayer’s previous band, Black ’n Blue. In 1989, Thayer was working with Simmons again, this time demoing material for Kiss’ album Hot in the Shade.

“Gene had been producing Black ’n Blue and eventually asked if I’d be interested in writing for their next album,” Thayer tells Guitar World. “I went over to his place, and we sat down with a couple of guitars and wrote two songs. I remember recording demos for The Street Giveth [and The Street Taketh] and Betrayed at Cherokee Sound in Hollywood.”

Thayer’s creativity shone through and both songs made the cut, with much of the demo recording – including vocal and acoustic guitar parts – making it on to the studio version proper.

Then, from 1994, Thayer was drafted in to work on the book Kisstory and later helped Ace Frehley relearn parts from the band’s 1970s discography. Thayer was proving indispensable, and as uncertainty around Frehley’s future in the band grew, it felt like a matter of time until Thayer made the step up.

First, he lay in the wings as an emergency guitarist, but it quickly evolved into a full-time gig – and the change came naturally.

“There wasn’t much discussion,” Thayer goes on. “It was more about stepping in and filling the spot. I remember sitting with Gene and him saying, 'You need to start growing your hair again...' That was the discussion! [laughs] They needed to do something because it was becoming impossible for the band to move forward at that point.”

Thayer, a Kiss expert, felt tailor-made for the role. But that didn’t make joining any less daunting.

“I jumped in and did the best I could,” he responds when asked if the size of the task made him nervous.

“To be honest, it was tough at first, and I had a lot of anxiety. The playing part came easily, but stepping into that role and meeting the expectations that came with it was what made it challenging.”

It would be fair to assume that, if a guitarist is successful in their audition to join a band, things must have gone rather well – but although Ace Frehley ultimately passed his try-out for Kiss in 1973, his relationship with Gene Simmons got off to a rather rocky start.

The blood-gargling bass player recently relayed the tale of Frehley’s fiery audition during an appearance on Billy Corgan’s new YouTube series, The Magnificent Others.

Naturally, throughout the chat, much ground is covered. But it’s Simmons’ words on Frehley’s playing – and what it meant for the success of the band – that especially stands out, along with the story of an audition that almost became a physical altercation.

“He immediately tore open the doors of what could be, and what should be,” Simmons says of Frehley’s impact on the band. “We were in a rat-infested loft with egg crates on the wall that still had cracked eggs inside. At night, huge dinosaur cockroaches came out, but we didn’t care. We were doing this thing and we auditioned players.”

Simmons, Paul Stanley, and drummer Peter Criss had already formed an allegiance by this point. A second guitarist was to be the last piece of their face-paint-wearing puzzle.

“This guy comes in, plugs in, and starts playing, while we’re talking to another guy,” Simmons exclaims. “I walked up to him and said, ‘Buddy, you better sit down before I knock you out! What are you doing?’ He was oblivious that there was another meeting going on, and that he would have to sit there and wait for his turn.”

The tension in the room soon cooled off. When it was Frehley’s turn, they quickly ran him through Deuce, and the auditionee was teed up for a guitar solo in the mid-section.

Before Frehley played a note, Simmons looked the guitarist up and down: “He’s a weird guy,” he remembers. “He’s got one orange sneaker, one red, pigeon-toed, and then he dug in [on the guitar]. Paul and I looked at each other like, ‘Wow.’

“You don’t know what you’re looking for, then you hear it, and see it.”

After the audition, Frehley’s dedication to his craft continued to impress his new bandmate.

“Ace was so serious about his guitar playing that he would go home and work out the guitar solos so he would play them note-for-note, with the right vibrato,” he tells Corgan. “Live, that’s something fans kept pointing to: ‘Wow, it sounds just like the record.’”

Frehley would leave the band in the early 1980s, only to rejoin for a second stint between 1996 and 2002. Since then, their relationship has soured.

As Frehley readied the release of his latest solo album, 10,000 Volts, in late 2023, he said: “Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons have tried to destroy my reputation over the years. 10,000 Volts is going to make them look like imbeciles.”

While drop D tuning was originally introduced by classical and blues guitarists, early examples of its incorporation into the rock canon include The Beatles' Dear Prudence (1968) and Led Zeppelin's Moby Dick (1969). Tony Iommi continued to take things down a notch – sometimes as far as three semitones below standard guitar tuning – on 1971's Master of Reality.

Dropped and downtunings later became a defining characteristic of many ’90s guitar bands, but Gene Simmons recently stressed that Kiss was early to the detuning party.

“Unlike other bands, we were running around on stage on seven and eight-inch platform heels,” Simmons says on The Zak Kuhn Show. “And the weight and the physicality of doing this stuff, you're constantly out of breath.

“And we noticed early on that our voices started to go if you tune ‘A440,’ which musicians will understand. And so we started to detune half a step down. So all the strings on the guitar went up, but we all went down half a step so we could reach the high notes. And by the time we quit, we actually tuned down a full step.

“We detuned the instruments so that our voices wouldn’t break,” he adds matter-of-factly. “Not only we started doing that before there was a thing called ‘metal’ or the Seattle stuff, we just did it to save our voices.

“And then it became commonplace. So, when you hear Metallica and everybody else, they're detuned because it sounds thicker and bigger,” he concludes.

One of the biggest proponents of the '90s alternate tunings movement was undoubtedly Soundgarden’s Kim Thayil, who, in a Guitar World interview, acknowledged Kiss’ role in popularizing what were once off-kilter tunings.

“I can’t say we invented or designed these tunings,” he said.

“You’d hear stories about players like Keith Richards playing in open [tuning] and maybe only using five strings instead of six. I also remember reading about Kiss dropping their guitars half a step down and realizing a lot of rock players were doing that.”

In Gene Simmons’ recent interview with Bass Player the Kiss icon explained how Ronnie Wood is a better bassist than guitarist, why he can’t recall anything John Paul Jones played, and what makes him the Burger King Whopper of bass players.

As the owner of Skip's Music, a renowned music store in Sacramento, California, the late entrepreneur and local music legend Arthur “Skip” Maggiora amassed a treasure trove of vintage guitars, including countless instruments played by top-tier talents such as Eddie Van Halen and Gene Simmons.

Now, his extensive guitar collection – tallying up to around 150 instruments – will be sold in a live charity auction beginning December 17. Maggiora passed away last year after a long battle with kidney disease. In alignment with his vision, all proceeds from the auction will benefit music and youth charities.

The collection includes several bona fide rare guitars, such as a 1954 Fender Stratocaster Sunburst, dating back to the first year of the instrument’s production, and a 1955 Fender Strat in a rare metallic green finish.

Also included in the collection are also some Van Halen gems, such as a Kramer EVH Prototype from the 1980s, signed and smashed by Eddie Van Halen, and a late ’80s Kramer Monsters of Rock Baretta guitar, signed by Eddie Van Halen, Alex Van Halen, Michael Anthony, and Sammy Hagar.

There’s also an early ’80s Kramer Gene Simmons Axe bass, signed and dated by Simmons himself, and an early Mosrite Ventures model, believed to be either a 1963 prototype or one of the first 80 produced in 1964.

Maggiora's son, Creed, expressed hope that these prized instruments will go to actual guitar players, honoring his father’s wishes, stating, “A lot of them need to be played. They have souls.”

Aaron Piscopo, from Heritage Auctions – the auction house in charge of selling this collection – commented, “Skip was a legend in Northern California and across the country, with Skip’s Music standing as a landmark in Sacramento.

“Cataloging and showcasing these guitars has been a true pleasure. This treasure trove of vintage guitars is truly a dream come true for collectors and enthusiasts.”

Anyone keen to get their hands on one of these guitars are encouraged to bid through the start of the auction on December 17, at 12pm PT/3PM EST.

For more information, visit Heritage Auctions.

What is it?

Show us a bassist who doesn’t have at least a little bit of affection for the original Gibson Grabber and we’ll show you a bassist without a heart. The choice of axe for Gene Simmons, Krist Novoselic and Mike Dirnt among others, it’s one of the wonders of the bass world.

The latest version from Gibson’s more affordable off-shoot Epiphone looks to offer the same timeless look and feel at a more wallet-friendly price tag, but can it compete in terms of tone?

There is no escaping the appeal of the classic Grabber design, which for many remains unrivalled in its mix of functional simplicity and rugged elegance.

The fact that this latest model is built in China might raise a few eyebrows, but the truth is that a guitar's country of origin is no longer the yardstick of quality that it once was – the Epiphone Grabber has been put together very nicely.

Epiphone Grabber Bass: Playability and sounds

The alder body comes equipped with a maple neck and fingerboard, with a 34-inch scale length and 20 frets. With its lightweight build and thin body profile, the headstock does tend to drop the second you let go of the neck, but I must confess that I'm quite smitten with the way this bass plays.

I'm reminded that Gene Simmons used a Grabber for a reason – because they play like nothing else on earth.

The original Grabber Simmons played boasted a slidable pickup that could be ‘grabbed’ and moved up and down the body for extra treble and bass as required. Devotees, and there are many, swore by this cunning device.

Sadly, the Epiphone Grabber doesn’t have this feature. Instead, there’s a mini switch for coil-splitting the single humbucker, as well as the standard master volume and tone controls.

The bridge is fitted with a nickel cover and though there’s less scope for intonation adjustment here, it feels like a solid design. The clover tuners have a smooth and positive action, while the strings pass smoothly across a bone nut. The factory setup is very good, which is always a reassuring sign.

With its low action and slim neck profile, the Epiphone Grabber is immediately inviting to play. Through a decent bass amp , the single pickup is surprisingly effective, yielding a distinctively clean and honest amplified version of the acoustic tone.

I wasn't expecting miracles from the relatively simple electronics, but there’s a good range of bass sounds available from both the tone control and the coil-splitting toggle switch.

Some may view this setup as rather limiting, and maybe the Grabber won’t make for a great studio bass when it comes to versatility, but having one or two really good sounds will be more than enough to win over bassists looking for a more traditional voice.

Add in your own physical technique and the sonic options soon begin to add up. This works to your advantage when you bring in some overdrive; the Grabber works especially well with some vintage-style crunch.

Verdict

Despite the ‘spin off’ status of the Epiphone range, this isn’t a downmarket beginner axe, though it must be said that it isn’t priced to compete with entry-level fare.

I may have wished for a little more harmonic complexity and depth, but don’t be fooled into thinking it can’t cut it in a live environment. Similarly, I could scrutinize the vintage accuracy of every component, but that would be missing the point.

Given the budget-friendly price tag compared to original Gibson models on the vintage market, the Epiphone Grabber is well-built, and aside from it being a little neck heavy, very enjoyable to play.

Specs

Price: $999 / £929
Type: 4-string solid body bass guitar
Body: 3-piece alder
Neck: 3-piece maple
Fingerboard: maple
Nut/Width: Bone/41 mm
Scale Length: 34" (86.36cm)
Frets: 20
Pickup: 1 x Epiphone humbucker
Controls: Master volume, tone, mini switch for coil split
Hardware: Epiphone bridge with nickel cover, die-cast tuners
Finishes: Natural (as reviewed), Ebony
Case: Gig bag included
Contact: Epiphone

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Riffs, Bears & Gear

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From his earliest days, Gene Simmons intended to keep it simple when it comes to bass playing. “I’ve always been a pragmatist,” he says. “Pragmatism rules.

“When I was a kid I noticed that everybody wanted to be a guitar player, and I did initially learn to play a few chords. But I picked up bass because there were fewer bass players, and it increased my chances of being in a band – which is what I really wanted.”

Amid the kabuki cladding, flash and explosions of Kiss, it was easy to focus on Ace Frehley’s pyrotechnic lead guitar, Peter Criss’ off-the-rails fills, and Paul Stanley’s soaring vocals. But it was Simmons’ basslines that buoyed many of the band’s Klassics.

“The original-cookie cutter design that other bands seem to ignore was this idea that everybody in a band could be a star,” he says. “All those bass parts that became Firehouse and Love Her All I Can – they’re my bass riffs that the guitars would jump on and double up.”

But he continues: “I don’t consider myself, and was never really interested in being, a bass virtuoso. I don’t like showoffs in music. I’m much more attracted to things that are memorable. It’s part of the joy of music for me. There are very few bass players that are memorable.”

Still, without meaning to, he’s influenced droves of would-be four-stringers. “I don’t mean this to be flippant,” he counters, “but I don’t care. The guy who came up with hamburgers is worshipped around the world. If you go to a French cooking school, they’d never cook a hamburger – but who the fuck puts frog legs in their mouth? I’m a Burger King Whopper; that’s all the credibility I would ever want.”

He puts it another way: “You can be a jazz player and be respected by musicians, but the rest of the world doesn’t care. We’re going to play a game: name a jazz player that means something. How about John McLaughlin? He’s a great player.

“But here’s a question: can you hum any melody that he’s ever played on a solo? Of course not. All due respect, but that music is intended to show off how well you play, and I don’t care about that. The hardest thing to do is write a good simple song or riff – and it’s really hard.

“There are an awful lot of amazing bass players, like Jaco Pastorius and the jazz guys. Or guys like Flea, who is really good on his instrument. But I can’t remember anything he plays. And I also do not like the sound of a bass being slapped.”

Moving on, Simmons continues: “Clapton – before he went pop, when he was considered ‘God’ – said something very profound: ‘The hardest thing to do is to know what notes to put in a solo, and what notes not to put in a solo.’ Sometimes if it’s shockingly simple, barely moving at all, but I can hum it; that’s what matters, because it’s memorable.”

1. Paul McCartney

“McCartney is probably the most influential bassist for me. The biggest compliment I can give Paul McCartney is that you can pick the vast majority of Beatles songs and you’ll remember what the bass was playing.

“There’s not a lot of movement on bass. The bass locks in with the drums, and that’s the railroad track on top of which the train goes. AC/DC do it probably better than anybody in that style and genre – but Paul McCartney and The Beatles were closer to a string quartet, where the violin and the cello have their own melody.

“While the instruments were doing melodies, the bass was, too. It wasn't tied to the drums. I got inspiration for songs that were hopefully so memorable that it inferred, ‘Well, maybe the guitars should double up and play those bass parts.’

”McCartney would come up with these riffs, and sometimes Lennon would too.”

“With all these beautiful songs, you remember the basslines because McCartney’s not sticking to the root. He’s moving around the fretboard and coming up with his own melodies, which is a lot harder to do because you’ve got to be creative and still stay within the harmonic confines of the song.

“So McCartney is hands and feet above the other guys. He’s a triple threat – he wrote songs that were unmatched, became the most successful songwriter of all time, and he wrote them by himself.”

2. Ronnie Wood

“One of the top guys I listened to early on was Ronnie Wood, but only in his stint in the Jeff Beck Group. Those first two records were pivotal. They came out before Led Zeppelin; I heard that stuff and was awed by how free-flowing they were.

“Jeff Beck, of course, soared above everything else, while the bass had its own tone. It took me a while to find the tone that I had in my heart in my head. You have to find the right instrument, the right piece of wood and all that, to get anywhere close.

“So Ronnie Wood – not his guitar playing, which is okay – but his bass playing on both those records is superb. In my estimation he’s a far better bass player than he is a guitar player.

“John Paul Jones from Led Zeppelin was also terrific, but you can’t really hear what he’s playing. The tone is sort of lower, and a muffled kind of R&B bass playing. I can’t really recall in my mind anything John Paul Jones played.

“But when you hear that Jeff Beck Truth record, I distinctly recall the bass playing. Ronnie Wood’s approach to bass playing, and his tone, sounded like a cross between a bass and a guitar.”

3. Felix Pappalardi

“Felix Pappalardi from Mountain had a similar approach on bass, and a tone which was distorted – but there was a lot there. There was Leslie West’s guitar, and keyboards, but I remember Felix’s basslines.

“Again, there’s a lot of really good bass players like that: you hear the riff, and then the bass comes in, and it’s like a train track that locks in with the drums, which is very effective, and you pump that one note. Very seldom do I play like that – the best lines often would become the riff of the song, like Black Diamond.

“Paul wrote that all by himself; I didn’t contribute melody, chords or anything. He played it for me and I said, ‘That’s really good. Let’s run it down once.’ And I came up with the bass riff that descends from the C to the B, A to the F. That melody just came to me, and it became the pivotal hook.

“It was the same when Paul came in with Firehouse and Hotter Than Hell. We liked the bass part so much that the guitar just started playing the bass part. I’ve got too many melodies in my mind; it’s how my mind works.”

4. Chris Squire

“I never paid attention to anybody as far as what I wanted to do. My one piece of advice to anybody is to go into the jungle and find out for yourself what the best path is for you. But another influential guy is Chris Squire from Yes.

“You remember the Yes bass parts, like in Roundabout; you certainly remember what Chris Squire was playing. But strangely, when you hear his solo record, there’s that unique, authentic, personal bass playing and sound. It’s his Rickenbacker bass, distorted and way up in the mix.

“So what does Chris Squire have in common with Ronnie Wood and Paul McCartney? They’re individuals. You can hear what they’re playing; and what they’re playing is iconic. The most memorable thing is often the melody, but it’s that Chris Squire bass lick that stands out.”

5. Carol Kaye

“You can’t say ‘bass playing’ without Carol Kaye. People thought it was an African American gentleman playing bass on those Motown Records – but there was a short Jewish woman doing that. And I knew her, and we played bass together.

“She taught me stuff. She taught me real hard, telling me, ‘No, no, you’re playing the notes but you’re not playing the feel.’ She approached bass – yes – as the low-end of the spectrum. However, with The Beat Goes On, the bassline is the whole song. That’s the most memorable thing, and Carol Kaye came up with that.

“You’ve got to hand it to her. She brought that to whatever record she recorded. You had rooms filled with African American musicians and this little blonde Jewish woman doing all of that.”

6. Michael Anthony

“Michael Anthony from Van Halen never got a lot of attention – but he’s really good. I remember being impressed with him when I produced that first Van Halen demo.

“Of course, with a band like that there’s a lot of room because Eddie is doing his part, especially live. They basically played live at Electric Lady Studios, and Michael – I didn’t tell him to – but he was using an Ampeg, which I also used early on.

“There was that sound, that approach, where Eddie would have a riff, but Michael is playing around it. It’s like people trying to chase a fox and get it in the trap, which is much more interesting to me than walking a straight line where you know where it’s going.”

Gene Simmons is one of music’s most decorated bass guitar players, and across his career with Kiss has had a hand in shaping an absolute boatload of hits.

But he is clear that he’s no virtuoso of his chosen instrument. In fact, Simmons never really wanted to be considered as such, and – while he respects virtuosos themselves – doesn’t value “virtuosity” as a concept, preferring instead to pursue memorability over technical skill.

In a new interview with Guitar World, Simmons discusses how he doesn’t like “show-offs in music” – which, he believes, is what virtuosos are – and articulated his point by taking aim at jazz players.

“I don't consider myself – and was never really interested in being – a bass virtuoso,” he explains when reflecting on his catalog of hits. “I don't like show-offs in music. I'm much more attracted to things that are memorable. It's part of the joy of music for me.

“You can be a jazz player and be respected by musicians, but the rest of the world doesn't care,” Simmons adds. “We're going to play a game: name a jazz player that means something.

“How about John McLaughlin? He's a great player. But here's a question: can you hum any melody that he's ever played on a solo? Of course not.

“All due respect, but that music is intended to show off how well you play – but I don't care about that. The hardest thing to do is write a good simple song or riff. That's really hard.”

It wasn’t just jazz guitarists who were caught in the line of fire, with Simmons later extending his observations slightly closer to home turf.

“There are an awful lot of amazing bass players, like Jaco Pastorius and the jazz guys. Or guys like Flea, who is really good on his instrument, but I can't remember anything he plays – and I also do not like the sound of a bass being slapped.”

For Simmons, the adage “less is more” is gospel, and he’d much rather fewer notes that everyone remembers, as opposed to 100 notes that are easily forgettable.

He reflects, “Clapton, before he went pop, and when he was considered 'God,' he was interviewed, and he said something very profound: 'The hardest thing to do is to know what notes to put in a solo, and what notes not to put in a solo.'

“Sometimes, if it's shockingly simple, and barely moving at all, but I can hum it, that's what matters because it's memorable.”

Gene Simmons has recently revealed that Jimmy Page is a fan of his bass playing. In an interview with Adam Carolla, Simmons waxed lyrical about the moment Page gave his seal of approval, describing it as the most iconic moment of his entire life.

“He came to see us quite a few times, and we became, you know, friendly. Page came to see us the first time when we played Wembley, and he came to see us some other times when we were there.

“And he came up to me after the show, my hand to God, and – without doing an English accent – he says, ‘Mate, you can give [John] Entwistle a run for his money,’ and I'm just about ready to pass out,” recalls Simmons.

For Simmons, that was one of the highest compliments he could have ever received. “The only higher one might be McCartney coming over and saying, ‘You're doing a good job,’ because nobody played bass the way McCartney does,” he continues. “You can hear a song and remember the bass parts.”

The KISS bassist is gearing up for a European tour with his solo project this summer, just a few months after KISS completed their mammoth End of the Road World Tour.

As for whether KISS will tour again, Simmons gave his answer in a 2019 interview with Guitar World.

“People might not believe it. But let’s just call it for what it is – it’s the final tour. Because you want to go out on top. I’m 69. Still strong. Still look good. Still have hair on my head… although I have a lot more on my back now.

“But by the time this tour finishes I’ll be 72. We all love Jagger and Bono, but if they put in the amount of work we put in, they’d drop dead in a half hour.”

Next year, Ace Frehley will release his eighth solo studio album, 10,000 Volts – and it’s set to make a strong statement aimed at his former Kiss bandmates.

Last week, Kiss brought a close to their 50-year career with their last-ever live performance (sort of) at New York’s Madison Square Garden. Though Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons were present, there were two notable omissions: fellow founding members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss were not there.

Though Simmons originally said the pair were invited to join, that apparently wasn’t the case, with the band's former electric guitar player later claiming in a conversation with SiriusXM that Gene’s comments were merely a ploy “to sell tickets”.

“You know what it is? Those guys used my name and Peter’s name months ago,” he said at the time. “They said that they invited us to perform at that show. “I never got a phone call. Peter never got a phone call. They just said that to sell tickets.”

The result was a fairly sour footnote in the end of Kiss and Frehley’s intertwined journey, but not one that came completely out of the blue: for years now, the two parties have been locked in a less-than-amicable war of words.

One point of contention concerns the respective record release and creativity levels from each faction, with Frehley noting on many occasions now that Stanley and Simmons have been quick to critique his output.

This is where 10,000 Volts comes into play: the upcoming album, due February 2024, will be used in part to make a statement to his former Kiss bandmates and, in Frehley’s own words – taken from an upcoming Guitar World interview – “shut them up”.

When asked about the apparent perception generated by his former Kiss bandmates regarding a lack of creativity, Frehley responded, “Paul [Stanley] and Gene [Simmons] have tried to destroy my reputation over the years, we know that. 

“And unfortunately for them, 10,000 Volts is going to make them look like imbeciles. Kiss hasn't put out a record since 2012 [Monster], and here I am, 17 years sober, and it's my sixth record since leaving Kiss,” he went on. “I keep chugging along, and nobody can stop me. Creating amazing music is the best way to combat someone putting you down. That's how I shut them up.”

That Frehley claims he will let 10,000 Volts make the statement comes as no surprise, especially since the guitarist maintains that he’s “always been the kind of guy to let the music do the talking”.

“I think that sometimes, that's the best route to go,” he told Guitar World. “Paul and Gene always like to elaborate and put people down; not only me but if you listen and read back to old interviews through the years, they're constantly putting other musicians down, too. 

“Maybe it makes them feel better, or perhaps it's because they're just insecure. I don't know what the reason for it is.”

It’s not the first time Frehley has incited the name of 10,000 Volts as evidence of the differing levels of his and Kiss’ creative output over the years.

“I’ve been touring without Kiss for years,” he said in his previous interview with SiriusXM. “I mean, Kiss hasn’t put out an album in, what, nine years; I’ve put out five or six. And my [upcoming] album [10,000 Volts] I think is gonna really turn heads.

“I know Gene’s gonna really like it and tell the press he does like it. I have no idea what Paul Stanley’s gonna say. He usually holds back on any deep praise for me because he’s jealous of me.”

Keep your eyes on Guitar World for the full interview with Ace Frehley.

With a dad like country great Steve Wariner, it’s no surprise that Ryan Wariner ended up flanking music royalty – including the likes of Gene Simmons, Dave Mustaine, Chris Cornell, and Ann Wilson.

But while Wariner shares his dad’s passion, he doesn’t share his affinity for chicken pickin’ licks, instead choosing to rock out – though his dad did influence him to pick up the guitar in the first place: “The first thing was seeing my dad play electric guitar,” Wariner says. “I thought it was the coolest thing, and I wanted one.”

“I had toy guitars as a kid in diapers, so I guess I was collecting guitars even then,” he laughs. “And I remember hearing White Room, and it being like a lightning bolt. I begged my parents for an electric guitar and never looked back.”

The youngster soon traded in his toy guitars for a real one, which his dad loved: “My dad was all about it,” Wariner says. “But he pushed me in the direction he went. I was into rock from the start.”

Through his father is a bona fide legend, Wariner erred toward his mother’s music taste, shaping his career: “The drive for the rock thing came from my mom,” he says. “She doesn’t have any musical talent but had that taste.”

He continues, “When I was nine, she said, ‘Have you heard Eddie Van Halen?’ I said, ‘No,’ and she said, ‘Oh, you’re going to like Eddie.’ She was right, and I never went down my dad’s path. I love it when I hear it, but all I ever cared about was rock.”

These days, Wariner is an established Nashville session player, though not for the same reasons as his dad. He’s bucked the trend in a city known for its twang by injecting power chords into the mix.

He’s become a go-to hired gun in situations that call for rock delivered through a Marshall stack, leading to a spot in Ann Wilson of Heart’s solo band: “Ann was working with Tom Bukovac, and he’d let her know he couldn’t do it anymore. So, word traveled through the grapevine, and eventually, my friend Rob McNelly told them I’d be good for the gig.”

“So, they called me,” he continues. “We jammed on some classic Heart songs, like Crazy on You and Barracuda, and it went great. The gig was a no-brainer, and really, the gig of a lifetime. I don’t just play shows; I get to be a band member and help write songs. I’m the luckiest guy, and it keeps getting better.”

One of your highlights is working with Gene Simmons. How did that happen? 

“I got that gig through some friends of mine who live in Nashville, Jeremy Asbrock, and Phil Shouse. They were playing with Gene and had some gigs they couldn’t do. But I wasn’t a diehard Kiss guy like them; I knew the staples.

“So, when I got there, the preparation was knowing that I had to play the songs exactly as the fans expected to hear them. Jeremy and Phil were keyed in on every nuance, and I needed to be, too. That was the most I ever dug in regarding playing everything as it was on the record.”

Was Gene easy to get along with?

“I didn’t meet Gene until the afternoon before the first show when he came into the dressing room to hang out. He brought a bass, went through a few things, and said, ‘Wow, you did your homework.’ After that, we did the show, and he spent the rest of the night telling us stories. Despite having a big personality, Gene was very kind and gracious.”

Tell me about playing slide guitar on Megadeth’s Poisonous Shadows.

“I was playing a show with my dad in Nashville – I was playing slide – and Dave [Mustaine] was there. So, afterward, he got a hold of me, saying, ‘I’m in Nashville working on a record [Dystopia], and I have a song that I don’t want any shredding on,’ and then he said, ‘I need some slide. Would you come down and play?’”

Why did Dave choose you?

“He said, ‘I love your intonation and touch on the slide,’ which was terrific. It was an immediate ‘yes’ from me, as I’d loved Megadeth since I was a kid. I can tell you that eighth grade me would never think something like that would happen.”

What gear did you use?

“The same Gibson Les Paul I’m using with Ann Wilson, plugged into Dave’s rig. I’ve had many Custom Shop Les Pauls, but there’s something about that one. But anyway, Dave gave me the melody, and we did it in about 20 minutes, and said, ‘Okay, let’s go to lunch.’ We hung out, and he was very appreciative, but they forgot to add me to the album credits… but it was still amazing.”

How did you find yourself in the studio with Chris Cornell? 

“The Chris Cornell thing was one of the best experiences ever. Chris’s voice was unreal, and Soundgarden was my favorite band of that era. The project was a Johnny Cash thing called Forever Words, and Chris was there to cut this track, You Never Knew My Mind, comprised of unfinished [Cash lyrics] from the ‘70s. Chris’s track was dark and slow-paced, and they chose me because they didn’t want a typical Nashville session guy; they wanted a rock guy.”

Was it nerve-wracking stepping into the studio with Chris?

“Well, my friends sold them on me, telling them, ‘Ryan is the guy, and he’s a rock guy.’ So, I just showed up with a couple of guitars and got set up. But Chris was super-cool and friendly, and within 10 minutes, we were rolling. I tried to treat it like any other session, started to think about the arrangement, and stayed ready.”

And was it easy to catch Chris’s vibe?

“I was sitting in this chair and getting dialed in, and we did the first take with headphones on. I was so focused that I didn’t even notice Chris entering the booth. But when he started singing, I heard it through the headphones and got cold chills. I almost stopped playing because I’d never heard his voice like that. After that, we cut the acoustic stuff with an old Gibson J-45 in two takes and then did overdubs.”

You laid down some incredible electric work there, too. Was that with a Strat?

“It was. It was a maple neck ’59 Strat that my uncle gave me. It’s a guitar that my dad also used a lot in the ‘80s, so it’s been on several famous records. My buddy Stanton [Adcock], from The Wallflowers, actually played that guitar once and said, ‘Dude, I have to stop – I’m never gonna want to play my guitars again!’”

How did you create the spooky vibe throughout the track?

“I pulled out my Prescription Electronics Experience Fuzz, my favorite secret weapon in the studio. I used that to make the spooky sounds, with a ton of delay and reverb. It’s to the point that you could barely tell what I did, and it sounds like weirdness permeating the track.”

Did you receive any feedback from Chris?

“I found out later that what I did there was Chris’s favorite thing about the track. Chris had said I created ‘a symphony of chaos,’ which is crazy because I was just trying to stay above water. Hearing that meant the world to me. It meant even more because he was gone less than a year later. Some days are like that, where they’re just pure magic.”

You’ve mentioned a few guitars you’re partial to, but what amps do you rely on? 

“I’m a real amp-head, man. I’ve been collecting vintage amps forever. My favorite is a purple ’68 100-watt Marshall Plexi. It’s the holy grail, and I’d never trade it. I’ve had a ton, but that one is the one that I can’t live without. I randomly found it on eBay, took a chance, and it paid off.

“It’s got the old Van Halen Sylvania tubes, and it’s my favorite color, so it’s an absolute powerhouse. I’ve got old Supros, Vox AC30s, and used old black-panel Fenders a lot, but I always seem to go back to my purple Marshall.”

What are your greatest challenges as a session player?

“Man, the biggest challenge is not getting stuck in my head. Not all sessions are created equal regarding their coolness, but that doesn’t matter, because everyone in the room is top-notch. And that’s another thing I need to overcome: feeling like I’m not as good as the others in the room. I have to remember that I wouldn’t be there if I couldn’t keep up. I often remind myself that I’m good enough to be there.”

And what’s your greatest triumph?

“The session with Chris Cornell. The fact that we nailed it in two takes while dialing in the sound, and that the fuzz thing was Chris’s favorite meant a lot.

“But also, working with Ann Wilson. Touring and recording with a legend is not something I take lightly. I’m very proud of Another Door because some of that stuff is my favorite to play live; everyone reacts so well to it. So, working with Ann is deeply rewarding. It’s a high-water mark.”

• For more information, head to RyanWariner.com.

Last year, Gibson and Gene Simmons teamed up for the G² Thunderbird bass guitar – the Kiss icon’s first signature guitar with Gibson, following the announcement of the pair’s multi-year partnership in 2021.

At the time of the announcement, it was revealed Simmons and Gibson would collaborate on an entire range of G² models, which would span multiple Gibson Brands, including Epiphone and Kramer.

Well, the two parties have now reignited their partnership for another signature four-string – but this time, it isn’t a G².

Instead, Simmons’ second signature model is a limited-edition EB-0 variant, which doubles as the Gibson custom shop’s first 30.5”-scale bass guitar.

Now, this arguably sounds like a bigger deal than it actually is. After all, many of Gibson's standard-run bass models already come equipped with a 30.5" scale length. That includes the SG Standard Bass and Les Paul Junior Tribute DC Bass, the latter of which shares many similarities with this EB-0.

Still, it's new for a custom shop model, so worth shouting about. Plus, as well as offering up an unorthodox custom shop spec on the functional front, the EB-0 is also a throwback model, taking inspiration from the instrument that the Kiss maestro played throughout the 1970s.

That particular model was a heavily modded example from 1959, which looks practically identical to this new-for-2023 creation. For the original EB-0, Simmons reshaped the neck, refinished the body, replaced and relocated the pickup, added body binding, installed a custom pickguard, swapped out the tuners, and drafted in a replacement high-mass bridge.

All of these quirks are represented in the EB-0, which is limited to only 100 units – making it, consequently, the custom shop’s first bass model to be produced en masse.

A double-cut mahogany body (finished in Ebony and complemented with single-ply white binding) is joined by a “Gene Simmons 1959 EB-0”-profile neck and 12”-radius Indian rosewood fretboard. A Corian nut, acrylic dot inlays and 20 low profile frets complete the ‘board.

Elsewhere, Grover Mini Bass tuning machines make the cut, as does a Kluson High Mass bridge (which can be top- or through-body-loaded), black four-ply pickguard and “Gene”-embossed truss rod cover.

Tones come by way of a sole SG Bass pickup – situated closer to the bridge, naturally – which is controlled by master volume and tone parameters.

It's also worth noting that the guitar comes in a custom hardcase, and with a load of case candy, including a tin of signature guitar picks.

All things said, it looks like an incredibly classy bass in its own right, and we’d wager those low-end lovers who are nonplussed about the Kiss connection would be tempted by the uniquely spec’d instrument.

Having said that, since this EB-0 is a limited custom shop model – and a signature guitar, no less – all of the above comes at quite a price. $6,499, to be exact.

To find out more, head over to Gibson.

As improbable as it may seem today, there was a time when Kiss and Rush – two bands that would each go on to sell tens of millions of albums – used to frequently share bills, with the latter opening for the former. 

At the time, Rush bass guitar player Geddy Lee hadn't yet grown into the low-end legend he is today and, reportedly, played mostly by ear. According to Kiss bassist Gene Simmons, for that matter, Lee – during Rush's early days – didn't even know what a blues scale was.

In a recently-published interview with Ultimate Guitar, Simmons said, “One night back at the hotel or backstage someplace [when the bands were touring together], Geddy and I were sitting down, trading licks, and I said, 'Do you want to do a blues scale? You go first, and then I'll continue the chord pattern,' and he said, 'I don't know what you mean'.

“At least from what I recall, Geddy didn't understand what a blues scale was or what '1, 4, 5' meant,“ Simmons maintains. “That also bears noting – when you go '1, 4, 5' to a musician, that means something, it's a relationship of notes or chords.

“So I go, 'Well, okay then, you hit a G, either octave or low,' and he said, 'Which one is that?' Geddy played purely by ear. Now, of course, later on, he learned what the notes were and stuff like that.“

Green in his scale knowledge early on or not, Lee would go on to become one of rock's most celebrated bassists.

“His phrasing is unbelievable,“ Primus's Les Claypool said of Lee's bass playing in a Bass Player interview last year. “It’s different than anybody else. It’s almost like Paul McCartney, in that he is very melodic and in the way he phrases it. It’s almost lyrical, the way he [McCartney] phrases his parts, and Geddy has that kind of phrasing.“ 

Gene Simmons recently spoke to Louder to offer his reflections on the late, great Eddie Van Halen. In the piece, Simmons recalls witnessing early Van Halen shows, his friendship with EVH and, in the process, dismisses comparisons to the late electric guitar icon’s own hero, Eric Clapton.

Instead, says Simmons, “Eddie was a complete guitar symphony in his own right” and, as such, the frontman maintains EVH had more in common with classical composers than blues-based players.

“What really intrigued me about Van Halen was that they came out of nowhere,” says Simmons. “Edward has talked about being a fan of [Eric] Clapton. I’m sorry, I don’t see that. Where other guitarists were inspired by B.B. King or Albert King, Edward was playing majors and minors and flat-thirds. What he did was closer to classical music.”

Elsewhere in his Louder interview, Simmons recalls the first time he saw Van Halen perform (at Hollywood club The Starwood in 1976) and says that – contrary to popular myth – he did not discover the band, stating “I just happened to be there.” 

That popular myth, of course, may have been down to Simmons previously telling Howard Stern “I discovered Van Halen” – but either way, he was there. 

“I saw them that night and was left incredulous,” recalls Simmons in his Louder interview. “I stood at the front of the stage and couldn’t believe my eyes and ears. This was one man making all of these sounds with his bare human hands?”

At that point, Simmons says, Van Halen’s talent was already clear, and the guitarist had already started trying to protect some of his trade secrets.  

“In those early days Ed would sometimes stand with his back to the audiences because he didn’t want to give his tricks away,” remembers the Kiss icon. “But even if you saw how he played those licks, how could you possibly emulate them?”

Later in the piece, the frontman argues that the quality of Van Halen’s compositions is often overlooked, and says he is concerned about modern audiences overlooking the legacy of the guitar icon. 

“As much as his death was upsetting, it also made me a little furious that so many of our so-called ‘younger generation’ remain unaware of his talents,” says Simmons. 

“For fuck’s sake, parents should be slapping mobile phones out of their kids’ hands and telling them to check out this guy. Our millennials need to know about the most important musician since Jimi Hendrix. There will never be another like him.”

Most millennials are now pushing 40, so Simmons' rant is seemingly actually aimed at Gen Z, or maybe just yunguns’ in general. 

Regardless, given that cohort seems to contain some of the more technically gifted and musically open-minded players we’ve seen yet – not least of them Eddie Van Halen’s own son, Wolfgang – perhaps that legacy is not in as much danger as the Kiss man fears.

Indeed, Eddie Van Halen’s Hot For Teacher Kramer recently sold for almost $4,000,000, suggesting he’s hardly fallen off the radar….

To read Gene Simmons' full interview, head to Louder.

"I don’t buy into the idea that the bass player is the quiet one,” said New Order and Joy Division bassist Peter Hook in an interview for MusicRadar. “I’ve never liked to be hidden and I don’t like to be patronised.”

Frequently viewed as the quietest member of any band, bass players have historically been pigeon-holed as reluctant rock stars. “This is an important thing to remember,” said Duff McKagan. “If you are a bass player and you want to be the front-centre guy… Well, let’s just say that usually won’t happen for you. Unless you’re Lemmy! If you want to do that, use him as your guy.”

While many bass players choose to blend into the background rather than take center stage, there are some with a hard-earned reputation for going overboard. From Gene Simmons, to Nikki Sixx, to Duff McKagan. In their prime, this elite group became icons of spectacularly bad behavior. Luckily their bass playing was always a thing to behold. You can make your own mind up as you peruse this list of the 5 most notorious bass guitarists in rock and metal.

1. Nikki Sixx – Mötley Crüe

Never has one man left such a slipstream of carnage in his wake as Nikki Sixx, bassist for metal icons Mötley Crue. Reflecting in Neil Strauss’s book The Dirt, Sixx recalls swallowing light bulbs, biting Eddie Van Halen on the stomach and nailing someone’s head to a table. The band were thrown off a KISS tour, and banned from drinking by Sharon Osbourne while playing alongside Ozzy.

Finally after one titanic hit, Sixx’s heart stopped. Pronounced medically dead, he was shocked back to life by doctors. His reaction to his near-death experience was to slip on a pair of leather trousers and discharge himself from hospital.

Heroin made Sixx a somewhat patchy songwriter, but his bass playing was always tight and in the pocket. “I get grief sometimes,” he told BP. “Some people say, ‘Oh you’re not a real bass player because you’re not all over the place’, but my job is to support the song.” He might be humble in his outlook, but Sixx still rates himself highly as a bass player. Back in 2020, in response to a tweet asking who the most underrated bass guitar player ever is, he replied, “Me”. 

2. Duff McKagan – Guns N’ Roses

Nicknamed the ‘King of Beers’ by his bandmates, Duff McKagan moved to Hollywood in the mid 80s, joined Guns N’ Roses and became a huge rock star. As the band’s success snowballed into the '90s, Duff claims he was drinking a gallon of vodka a day. Something had to give, of course, and it turned out to be Duff’s pancreas, which burst in 1994 due to the abuse.

“The amount of alcohol that I drank wasn’t just a nice go-to-the-pub-for-a-couple-of-pints type of thing,” said Duff. “It was full-on. A gallon of vodka a day, plus whatever drugs I could ingest. That will take its toll on your body pretty quick.”

Fortunately, Duff was in control of his intake during the band’s glory years, resulting in Appetite For Destruction and Use Your Illusion double albums, on which the bass playing always stood out among the layers of screaming guitars. “My drinking somehow never got in the way of writing bass parts. I was writing with other drunks at the time, ha ha! So we were all on the same playing field.”

3. Lemmy – Motörhead 

“Many of us play rock ‘n’ roll, but a rare few among us are rock ‘n’ roll,” said Dave Grohl when asked about the contributions of Ian ‘Lemmy’ Kilminster. “His bass playing was just so insane,” added Duff McKagan. “You can’t talk about distorted bass guitar without mentioning Lemmy.”

After his spell with psychedelic rock group Hawkwind ended in Canadian jail, Lemmy returned to England to form Motörhead in 1975. Describing his new band as ‘the kind of band that if we moved in next door to you, your lawn would die,’ Lemmy began a heady program of alcohol abuse, running up a bar tab that could be seen from space.

The crunch came in 1980. Having applied for a blood transfusion, Lemmy was told by doctors that he couldn't. Lemmy recounted the story in his autobiography, White Line Fever. "Pure blood will kill you," the doctor said. "You don't have human blood anymore. And you can't give blood either. Forget it, you'd kill the average person, you're blood is so toxic." While others may take this as their cue to hit the treadmill, Lemmy merely saw it as confirmation of his immortality. He remained the yardstick for anyone who thought they could handle their drink until his death in 2015.

4. Sid Vicious – Sex Pistols

Without question, Sid Vicious is the worst technical bassist on this list. Generally regarded as the worst bassist of his generation, even Lemmy couldn’t teach him to play. "I tried to teach him to play bass one time," he told Classic Rock, "it was fucking hopeless. We did two days and I said, ‘Sid, you can’t play bass,’ so he said, ‘I know,’ and he went off all sad. The next thing I know, I was in The Speak[easy], and he comes up to me and says, ‘Hey Lemmy, guess what? I’m in the Pistols.’"

Drafted into the Sex Pistols to replace Glenn Matlock, Vicious reputedly learned his instrument by playing along to Ramones records on speed. While gigs would often find him playing the wrong song, in the wrong key, often with his amp turned off.

Lemmy recalled Vicious squaring up to The Jam bassist Bruce Foxton at the Marquee club, an encounter that ended with Vicious picking shards of pint glass out of his face, and later battering a bouncer who tried to stop him entertaining a groupie in a venue toilet.

In February 1979, aged just 21, Sid was found dead from an accumulation of fluid on the lungs, prompted by a heroin overdose. A suicide note requested he be buried in his boots, jeans and leather jacket. 

5. Gene Simmons – KISS 

Ever since making their debut in 1974, Kiss’s blood-spitting, fire-breathing, make-up slapping, six-and-a-half-foot-tall bassist, Gene Simmons has always had a keen interest in blood. For years the group’s stage show featured Simmons – in full devil regalia – puking up lungfuls of it. It was fake, of course, but convincing enough to have America’s Christian fundamentalists denounce him as the devil.

Simmons has always abstained from alcohol and drugs, but his serial womanising, as Simmons attests, is precisely why he formed the band in the first place. Not a master technician, but puking up blood while keeping the rhythm takes some doing.

As you probably know, Gene also has his own line of bass guitars, including the Axe and the Punisher, and a range of basses in collaboration with Gibson. How else does a bass player amass a personal fortune said to be in excess of $300m?

Nikki Sixx’s autobiography, The First 21: How I Became Nikki Sixx, is available now.

Kiss have announced the next installment of their Off the Soundboard live bootleg series, this time showcasing the band’s gig at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie, New York on November 28, 1984.

Arriving April 7, the bootleg – which was recorded during Kiss’s Animalize world tour – will be the fifth in a series of live bootleg releases by the band, and will be available to stream and download, and in 2-LP standard vinyl, CD and limited-edition 2-LP custard yellow vinyl formats.

Notably, the upcoming release showcases the band’s only known soundboard recording that features guitarist Mark St. John, who appeared on the band's 1984 album, Animalize, but only performed with them a small handful of times.

With St. John in tow, the band tore through an 18-track set that fall evening, featuring energetic performances of Kiss favorites like Detroit Rock City, Creatures of the Night, Love Gun, Lick It Up and more.

Most of the tracks are intact, though performances of Young and Wasted, from 1983’s Lick It Up, and the classic Rock And Roll All Nite, from 1975’s Dressed to Kill, are incomplete due to tape changes.

See below for the bootleg’s full track list.

1. Detroit Rock City
2. Cold Gin
3. Creatures Of The Night
4. Fits Like A Glove
5. Heaven’s On Fire
6. Guitar Solo
7. Under the Gun
8. War Machine
9. Drum Solo
10. Young and Wasted (Incomplete)
11. Bass Solo
12. I Love It Loud
13. I Still Love You
14. Love Gun
15. Black Diamond
16. Oh! Susanna
17. Lick It Up
18. Rock And Roll All Nite (Incomplete)

For more information, and to pre-order Off the Soundboard: Poughkeepsie, New York, 1984, head to Kiss's official web store.

In a classic 2014 interview with Guitar World, in which Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons waxed lyrical on Kiss’s past lead guitarists, the pair had some rather choice words for the late St. John, who would go on to be replaced – after his brief tenure – by Bruce Kulick.

“My classic story with Mark is that during the making of Animalize I sent him home one night to come up with a solo to one of the songs,” Stanley recalled. “And the next day he came back and played me something that was at least a start. Then I said, 'Play it again.' And he said, ‘I can’t.’ 

“The guy could never play the same thing twice, because he was just puking notes. There was no structure to any of it. So I told him, ‘Go home and listen to Eric Clapton. Listen to Paul Kossoff. Listen to Jimmy Page.’ And he looked at me and said, ‘I can play faster than them.’ So that about sums it up. Check, please!”

“Mark’s guitar playing was like an angry bee flying around your head,” Simmons added. “The most irritating sound. And he would show you that his fingers could stretch 11 frets. He could play very fast, but he was all technique. He did not have a style or soul.”

“Obviously health issues derailed his being in the band,” added Stanley, referring to when St. John developed Reiter’s Syndrome, an arthritic condition that left him unable to play, “but I don’t know how long he could have been in the band. He was the poster child for, as far as I was concerned, not understanding what great guitar playing was about.”

In the wake of Jeff Beck’s tragic passing, countless names from the bass world have paid tribute to one of the most influential guitarists in the history of rock. Bootsy Collins, Billy Sheehan, Duff McKagan, Suzi Quatro, Stanley Clarke, Will Lee, and many more have offered heartfelt tributes. “Jeff Beck has left the building and it is a lonelier place without him,” Paul McCartney posted on social media. “God bless Jeff and his family.”

Gene Simmons called it “heartbreaking news … no one played guitar like Jeff. Please get ahold of the first two Jeff Beck Group albums and behold greatness.”

Beck, who rose to fame with the Yardbirds before fronting the Jeff Beck Group, worked with a series of phenomenal bass players during his career. One of those privileged few was Tal Wilkenfeld. “Playing in Jeff’s band was so fun,” said Tal. “It was never about playing for the sake of playing. Everyone had something to say, and something to learn from the conversation. We’ve lost our favorite guitarist, and one of the most intelligent, intuitive and hilarious people I’ve ever met.”

Doug Wimbish, who was hired to play on Beck’s 1985 album, Flash, wrote, “I will never forget Jeff and how kind he was to me. A great person, a great spirit and a total legend to the core.”

“He taught a lot while never claiming to be a teacher,” said Bootsy Collins, who recorded with Jeff for Malcolm McLaren’s House of The Blue Danube, at Pearl Sound studios in Detroit. “Thxs for the gifts u left us with.”

“Nobody had a sound or a soul to match what he had,” said Will Lee. “There’s never going to be another voice like his on any instrument. He was truly amazing.”

More tributes can be found below.

Paul Samwell-Smith      

“What a genius. We wrote Shapes of Things together and Jeff had a blank sixteen bars for a solo in the middle of the song. He not only played an extraordinary solo, but he changed the nature of guitar playing ever after. Jeff was a lot of fun, and very naughty, both in life and in music. What a great life he enjoyed."

Flea

In 2009 Flea joined Jeff Beck, Metallica and a few other very special guests for a rowdy performance of Train Kept A-Rollin at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Ceremony. “What an absolutely brilliant musician who carved out a world all his own. A huge influence on a zillion guitarists and a deep part of who I am as a bassist. We will listen to you always, Jeff. Thank you for your gifts. What a rocker. This is the end of an era.” 

Rhonda Smith

“I first met Jeff in 2009 in Montreux, Switzerland. I was there with Prince and I had just had my hair done. I was on my way back to my hotel room when I entered the elevator and there was Jeff Beck all by himself. I knew who he was, but I said nothing… I was in awe.  Who knew that we would spend the next 13 years together? Thank you Jeff for all the special moments and the invaluable things that I learned from you.”  

Will Lee

“Nobody had a sound or a soul to match what Jeff had. When I asked him to play a solo for my album cut of Driftin by Jimi Hendrix, I was blown away that he said yes. And once I heard the solo, I was literally on my knees crying. I replayed it over and over again in disbelief. His solo is the musical equivalent of the sun breaking through clouds. It only takes two notes and you’re on a magic carpet of sound, soaring across the sky on the Jeff-stream.”

Suzi Quatro

“I remember Jeff Beck was in Detroit with producer Mickie Most to record at Motown with Cozy Powell. They were all together in the audience watching me with Cradle when Mickie picked me out as ‘the one’, and the rest is history. I ended up going to the studio with them after the show and jamming on Cissy Strut. It was one of the fondest and most surreal moments in my younger life. Jeff did me the honour of playing on my version of Desperado.”

Duff McKagan

"I got to know Jeff ever since he tried to play with GNR in Paris in the early 90’s. He had to back out because his tinnitus flared up at the soundcheck. A few weeks later he came to a studio in London and played on my Believe In Me record. His guitar playing has remained some of my very favorite of all time.”

Doug Wimbish

“Jeff Beck was one of a kind. A true genius who played from the heart. In the Fall of 1984 I was working in NYC with Arthur Baker, who asked me to play bass on Jeff’s Flash album, which Arthur was producing. Arthur set up a jam session with Jeff, myself and Zack Alford over at Electric Lady Studios and Jeff and I hit it off.

"Flash was released in 1985 and was followed by a tour of Japan. Following the tour, Jeff and I started recording with Mick Jagger on his Primitive Cool album. A great person, a great spirit and a total legend to the core.”

Tal Wilkenfeld

“Jeff Beck’s light and power were so strong. I was convinced we’d be goofing around and making music until the day I leave this planet. Jeff, thank you for believing in me before anyone else did. You treated me like a daughter to the point where Wikipedia actually thought that was true!”

Stanley Clarke

"Jeff had so much fire and patience at the same time in his playing along with an unmatched uniqueness. I remember staying at his place outside of London in Tunbridge Wells along with Mike Garson. We were rehearsing for something and Jeff had his guitars laid out all over the place. We went from playing music to messing around with what I believe was Jeff’s greatest love…. his cars. He had this beautiful brown Roadster. I believe it had red fire decals on the side. I have so many great memories with him.”

Billy Sheehan

“Having a Rave Up with the Yardbirds is one of the most important records in my musical life. Paul Samwell-Smith is the inspiration for the neck-position EBO pickup on my original P Bass, and then, of course, Jeff Beck. Of the ‘Big Three’ (Page, Clapton and Beck), Jeff was my guy. From jamming Rice Pudding in a High School band, as well as performing so many others of Jeff’s songs. He was a beacon of creativity and improvisational expertise. Like no other.”

Gail Ann Dorsey

“Arguably the greatest guitarist ever? If not, very close to it. I got to witness his genius here in my hometown of Kingston NY back in 2010 at UPAC. I spent a few moments after the show in his gracious company. I am forever grateful for the innovative, captivating and passionate music he has blessed us with.”

Brian Ray

“For me, Jeff Beck was the true king of the electric guitar. He was a man who spoke a language no one else could speak, but one that we can all understand. Even Jimi Hendrix called him ‘the best living guitar player.’ He was the guitarist's guitar hero.”

Bryan Beller

“You can pretty much draw a line from everyone of note I've ever worked with straight back to Jeff Beck. His boundless creativity and inventive sonic artistry made instrumental guitar-driven rock and fusion a thing in the first place.”

Darryl Jones

“We have lost one of the most singularly gifted guitar masters ever to play the instrument. Jeff Beck influenced generations of players because of his completely unique approach to guitar playing. In my opinion, there is no one that comes close to playing the way he did. The music world has lost an irreplaceable talent.”

Paul McCartney

“Jeff Beck was a lovely man who played some of the best guitar music ever to come out of Great Britain. He was a superb technician and could strip down his guitar and put it back together again in time for the show. His unique style of playing was something that no one could match, and I will always remember the great times we had together. He would come over to dinner at our place or he and his wife, Sandra, would host an evening at their house. I will cherish forever the moments we spent together.

Jeff Beck has left the building and it is a lonelier place without him. God bless Jeff and his family.”

Back in 1974, Kiss – then a new band hellbent on conquering the world of classic rock – released their eponymous debut studio album. 

The group originally featured guitarists Paul Stanley and Ace Frehley, bassist Gene Simmons and drummer Peter Criss, but has undergone a considerable number of lineup changes over the years.

The lead guitar spot has been the most volatile, with a host of shred-savvy six-stringers taking the post since Frehley's first departure in 1982, second only to the role of drummer, which has been filled by only three men, Criss, Eric Carr and now, Eric Singer.

But the two pillars keeping the temple of Kiss standing all these years have been Stanley and Simmons, The Starchild and The Demon, respectively.

In this Prime Cuts feature, originally printed in the August 1992 issue of Guitar World, the pair reflect on Kiss's first two decades of music, diving deep on the likes of Strutter, God of Thunder, I Was Made For Lovin' You and more.

1. Deuce

Album: Kiss (1974)

Gene Simmons: “That was the first song I ever wrote for Kiss; it was thrown together in about half an hour. I ripped off the lick from Bitch by The Rolling Stones and changed it so it starts in A and goes to a C. 

“I purposely set out to create a repetitive lick – like in Satisfaction or Bitch. Lyrically, I had the slight thread of a story line, but I was more concerned with conveying attitude than making sense of the word ‘deuce’. I'm not quite sure what the line, ‘You know your man is working hard, he's worth a deuce!’ means, but it sounded right.”

2. Strutter

Album: Kiss (1974) 

Paul Stanley: “This was one of the first songs I ever wrote for Kiss. It started with an old chord progression Gene had written five or six years earlier for a song called Stanley the Parrot, which, by the way, had nothing to do with me. [laughs] 

“We sped the Parrot song up and gave it a Stones-ish strut, hence the name. At that point I was using a Les Paul TV model. I was already real keen on vintage guitars – although my extremely limited finances meant that I could only afford one guitar at a time. 

“So I went from a Les Paul/SG that I bought for $120 in a pawn shop to a double-cutaway Les Paul Special that cost about $200.”

3. Black Diamond

Album: Kiss (1974)

Stanley: “Kiss was originally heavily influenced by Humble Pie. We wanted to make two guitars sound like one – it was the ‘Big Guitar’ theory. Ace [Frehley] and I worked hard on blending our rhythm parts on a lot of those early songs. We experimented with doubling rhythms, writing counter-rhythms, or playing different inversions against each other. 

“Black Diamond was one of the earliest songs Gene and I wrote together, even though it's credited to me. Gene came up with the riff that's incorporated into the chords. The tag at the end of the song reminds me of early Neil Young or Stairway to Heaven. It needed something extra, because we just didn't think the song was over.”

4. Goin' Blind

Album: Hotter Than Hell (1974)

Simmons: “The idea here was to create something that sounded like a theme to a Western by strumming minor chords on an acoustic guitar. There's a lick in the chorus that I ripped off from Layla and played backwards. 

“The bassline doesn't have anything to do with the melody or the chords. I was listening to a lot of Cream, and although I never really understood what songs like Tales of Brave Ulysses were about, they still summoned up strong images in my mind. The lyrics to Goin' Blind are like that – they don't make a whole lot of sense, but at least lines like, ‘I'm 93, you're 16’ are easy to visualize.”

5. Hotter Than Hell

Album: Hotter Than Hell (1974)

Stanley: “I was always a big fan of Free, and All Right Now really meant a lot to me – it was a perfect song. Hotter than Hell was basically me re-writing that song. There's nothing wrong with stealing, as long as you do it right – and make sure that you're stealing a diamond, not a piece of glass. 

“All bands start off being fairly derivative, and copying others is the first step toward developing your own style. At that point I had gotten my first real custom guitar. A guy in New York named Charles Lobue built me something similar to a ’58 Flying V with two humbuckers – pretty similar to what Albert King was playing, but with one wing shorter than the other. Randy Rhoads’ Jackson V had a similar design.”

6. C'mon and Love Me

Album: Dressed to Kill (1975)

Stanley: “We were in LA on the Hotter than Hell tour, and the president of Casablanca Records, Neil Bogart, came to us after the show and said that Hotter Than Hell wasn't selling anymore. He wanted us to go back to New York the next day and start working on another album. 

“It was a real interesting concept – especially since we hadn't written any new songs yet. [laughs] So we packed our bags and went home, and every morning Gene and I would write. When Peter [Criss] and Ace would show up, we'd say, ‘Okay, guys, here's today's song.’ It wasn't unusual for us to write a song in an hour and a half.

“The verses to C'mon and Love Me were probably written in half an hour, and yet it's one of my favorite songs to this day – in fact, we may bring it out on the next tour. It sounds every bit as good today as it did back then.”

7. Alive! (1975)

Simmons: “We were at the peak of our career when we recorded Alive!, and we knew it. Alive! was real, and was very much a product of its time – it wasn't just Kiss, it was the mid-'70s. People had had enough of the hippie, political thing and just wanted to rock out and have a good time.

“At that time live records didn't sell, and we knew we were doing something that the industry thought was stupid. But Alive! changed all that. Frampton Comes Alive was released shortly thereafter, and then everybody started putting out live records. But we weren't aware of it as a marketing thing; it was just real – a lot like our first record. To me, it's one of the two or three records we've done that still holds up.

“With anything good, there's always more than ingredients – it's how long you cook it and how hungry you are when it's ready. As much as I'd like to take all the credit for Alive!, it was a lot more than just Kiss. All the planets lined up, the fans were right, radio didn't matter and there were great rock and roll magazines like Creem. 

“It was just a very pure, innocent time. And the music reflected that, which is why that album works so well. A lot of the musicians who are happening now wanted and needed what we gave them then. It made kids want to pick up the guitar and put a band together.

“It was recorded mostly at Detroit's Cobo Hall, as well as in Wildwood, New Jersey and Davenport, Iowa. Detroit Rock City was written as a result of those shows, because we did three nights in an 11,000-seater. People thought we were out of our minds for playing there, because up until then we had been playing the 5,500-seat Michigan Palace. But in those days we thought excess was best.”

Stanley: “We didn't think that any of the first three albums captured what we were about – being a live band. To this day, most of the studio versions pale in comparison to those on Alive! Our live show was akin to four people leading 12,000 in a church revival. Everybody there had tremendous commitment.

“The cover of that album was shot at the Michigan Palace in Detroit. We did it in the afternoon while our crew was setting up the stage at the Cobo Hall, which is where we recorded most of the album. We wanted the perfect live shot, so we set everything up and played in an empty theater. We got our picture.”

8. God of Thunder

Album: Destroyer (1976)

Simmons: “By the end of our third record [Dressed to Kill], we had gotten very used to each other's songwriting styles. Paul's songs were always a little snappier and happier, and mine were always darker and gloomier. So we'd poke fun at each other sometimes, and Paul once said to me, ‘Anybody can write a Gene Simmons song.’ To prove his point, he came back the next day with God of Thunder. I changed some of the lyrics, and sang it.

“When I first heard the song, I immediately had visions of the scene in Fantasia where the mountain top opens and this big winged thing is standing there – something from the dark shadows. But Paul's God of Thunder lyrics totally missed the point – they were all about Aphrodite and love.

“The sound effect of the little kid was actually done by Bob Ezrin's two sons, who ran into the studio wearing toy helmets and carrying walkie-talkies and ray guns. The weird voice on the song is one of the kid's voices coming through a helmet, which we miked. It wasn't planned, and we had no idea what it all meant, but it seemed right. It's real Twilight Zone stuff – very weird.”

Stanley: “I won't say that Gene is lying about God of Thunder, but maybe he was trying to entertain you. It's in Gene's nature to glamorize a story and make it more interesting than it really is. 

“Here's the real story: I wrote that song about myself, and the original lyrics were almost identical to what was recorded. ‘Hear my word and take heed’ was originally ‘We make love 'til we bleed,’ but that was the only thing that was changed. 

“When I wrote it, I had every intention of singing it, but Bob Ezrin thought that it would be more appropriate for Gene to sing. Although it became known as a Gene Simmons song, it certainly wasn't written for him or as a joke.”

9. Detroit Rock City

Album: Destroyer (1976)

Stanley: “From the very beginning, the people of Detroit took us in as one of their own. While we were still an opening act in most parts of the country, we were headlining there, and I wanted to write a song about that. Then someone was hit by a car and killed outside one of our concerts in Charlotte, North Carolina. 

“I found it very strange that somebody on his way to see something that would have been so much fun, something that was such a testament to being alive, would get killed – which is where the song's car crash intro comes from. The whole song is really about somebody getting ready to go to a concert to have a great time, and ending up dying.”

10. Shout It Out Loud

Album: Destroyer (1976)

Simmons: “Before Kiss started, Paul and I had a group called Wicked Lester, which recorded a never-released album for Epic Records. We already had She and Love Her All I Can, but the producer was screaming that we didn't have any singles and suggested that we find another song at a publishing house. 

“When we did, we heard a Hollies song that wasn't quite good enough to record. It had a chorus that said, ‘We want to shout it out loud, but we can't let people know.’ I thought the idea of shouting out loud was great, so I ripped off the title.”

11. Calling Dr. Love

Album: Rock and Roll Over (1976)

Simmons: “This is gonna sound warped, but Calling Dr. Love started off with the title, which I stole from an episode of The Three Stooges. I also had that silly little word rhyme, ‘They call me Dr. Love/I've got the cure you're thinking of.’ I went into the Record Plant in New York and recorded the song as a demo, playing all the instruments myself, and then I took it to the band – and that was it.”

12. Hard Luck Woman

Album: Rock and Roll Over (1976)

Stanley: “I was a big fan of Rod Stewart, who around that time had a big hit with Maggie May. I figured I could write a similar song, and came up with Hard Luck Woman with the idea of giving it to Rod. But we recorded it ourselves because we needed a follow-up to Beth, which had just been a huge hit for us. 

“We wanted something similar to Beth, so we let Peter sing Hard Luck too. He had a real raspy voice, and when people heard it on the radio, they thought it was Rod Stewart. I also used my Guild 12-string acoustic, which helped it sound like a Rod Stewart song.”

13. Christine Sixteen

Album: Love Gun (1977)

Simmons: “That song started as another great conversation with Paul: ‘You write dumb songs!’ ‘No, you write dumb songs!’ Paul had stolen some of my titles, like Black Diamond, and when he came up with the title Christine Sixteen, I stole it. I had just discovered Van Halen, so I had Eddie and Alex play on the demo. They also played on the original demo of Got Love for Sale.

“For the spoken part in the middle that goes ‘When I saw you coming out of school that day, I knew I've got to have you – got to have you!’ I always pictured myself in a black car across the street from a school, watching a young girl.”

14. I Was Made For Lovin' You

Album: Dynasty (1979)

Stanley: “Dance music was so big at that point that every band from the Stones on down seemed to be having hits with dance material. I would listen to it in New York clubs like Studio 54, always thinking it was very simple music and that I could write songs like that. 

“So I went home, set my drum machine to the 126 tempo – like every damn song during that period – and worked on a chord progression with Desmond Child and Vini Poncia. The first line of the song was ‘Tonight, I wanna give it all to you’ – which is basically what club people were thinking in those days.

“We stopped playing it live a decade ago, but people started saying we should bring it back. We said, 'Are you crazy? That's a dance song!' We finally tried it again when we were doing the Monsters of Rock tour in Europe in '89. We were ready to put the guitars up in front of our faces to keep the tomatoes from hitting us, when, instead, we had a sea of fists in the air. And this was in front of hardcore headbangers!”

15. A World Without Heroes

Album: Music from the Elder (1981)

Simmons: “That started out as a mushy Paul Stanley song – stuff like, ‘With every bit of my heart, I love you and can't live without you.’ I just wanted to throw up in his lap. I thought the music was cool, but he was just singing about crap. So I said, ‘You spineless excuse for a man, you're just drooling over this girl. Have some balls!

“But I thought the chord changes were fantastic, so I started fooling around with the melody. Bob Ezrin had flown Lou Reed up, and we sat down to talk about some ideas. Lou had a scrap of paper with 'a world without heroes' written on it. 

“I asked what it was, and he said it was just an idea he had about how awful the world would be if we didn't have heroes like John Wayne, Superman or King Kong. That gave me the idea for the lyrics: ‘A world without heroes, is like a world without sun, you can't look up to anyone, in a world without heroes.’”

16. Creatures of the Night

Album: Creatures of the Night (1982)

Stanley: “We were coming off the Music from the Elder album, which was a left turn down a very dark street for us. After that, who we were and who we weren't became clearer to us. 

“We needed to get back home – and I think we did it with a vengeance with Creatures of the Night. It was a very heavy, dark album, and it was probably my first real declaration of who we were. There's a certain ferocity to a lot of that material, like the title track, Danger and War Machine.”

17. Domino

Album: Revenge (1992)

Simmons: “This song started out with a bass lick, much as Deuce did. Once I had the meter down, I started writing rhyming words, but without a melody – so it was almost a rap. 

“Then I talked the song through with the lick, and the melody just came naturally. The melody that came to me was the bass lick, so I just shadowed my melody with the lick on guitar. The spoken part sort of reminds me of Christine Sixteen.”

18. Tough Love

Album: Revenge (1992)

Stanley: “I wrote that with Bruce [Kulick] and Bob Ezrin. I alternated between a two-piece Les Paul maple top reissue – which can be a good substitute for a ’58, ’59 or ’60 – and a Steinberger, which recorded fabulously through a Marshall. 

“The Steinberger was the only guitar that really held its tuning well when dropped down a whole step to D – probably because it's made of graphite. I've always been a fan of hearing every string when you play a chord, and on this album my sound is very big and clear – the attack is great.”

The passing of time has proved fruitful for Kiss' 1982 heavy metal hammer, Creatures of the Night. And if you ask most Kiss fans – even original lineup diehards – quite a few will probably cite Creatures as one of their favorites in Kiss's catalog.

It wasn't always that way for the masked crusaders, as back when Creatures of the Night was released, most pundits deemed Kiss a band on the rocks. From the outside looking in, things seemed dire for Kiss, and internally, according to bassist Gene Simmons, things weren't much better.

"We were walking on one leg," Simmons says. "If I could paint you a picture, it would be of us being completely unsure of ourselves. By the time Creatures happened, we were barely a band. It was just Paul [Stanley] and me, with a cast of musicians around us that we brought in to help us record. Of course, we had Eric Carr, who was a great drummer, but he was still very new."

"For the first time ever, we had outsider writers coming to help us write songs," Simmons continues. "It really was a difficult time for us because, for the first time in history, we felt extremely unsure of what we were doing in Kiss. We'd always believed in the vision of Kiss, but things had gone so far off course, and we weren't sure how to right the ship."

With the release of Music from "The Elder" in 1981, Kiss lost their credibility not only with fans and critics, but also their lead guitarist, Ace Frehley. After years of pleading with his bandmates to return to the bread and butter-hard rock that granted Kiss fame and fortune, Frehley had become wildly disillusioned with Kiss's direction. Moreover, his substance abuse and erratic behavior further exasperated an already troubled situation.

"By the time Creatures happened, Ace was already gone," recalls Simmons. "Ace doesn't appear on a single song on Creatures of the Night. His only appearance was in the promotional shots, and he did us a favor by appearing in the I Love it Loud music video. But even that was a mistake because he clearly didn't know the song and had to fake his way through the entire thing. So, not only were we feeling very unsure of what we were doing, we didn't even have a lead guitarist."

With Kiss's back against the wall, the bonded-through-music duo of Simmons and Stanley rallied. Ever resolute, albeit with outside help, the longtime bandmates set to work on creating a record that would not only bring Kiss back to the forefront of rock music, but would be remembered for years to come.

"Even with all that was happening, the magic of Kiss shined through," relishes Simmons. "We were down two original members and had no guitar player, but the songs surprisingly turned out just fine. And I have to say, we couldn't have done it without Eric [Carr]. He worked very hard to bring in that heavier drum sound, and with his help, many of those songs like War Machine, and I Love It Loud became staples that are still in our set to this day."

Of the many memorable and poignant moments that manifested from the Creatures of the Night sessions, Simmons and Stanley's approach to "replacing" Frehley was the most interesting. Instead of hiring a new six-stringer, Kiss held open auditions in concert with the recording of Creatures of the Night.

"We had to find a workaround for the Ace issue," recalls Simmons. "And that wasn't easy because, for all his issues, Ace was a unique player. We held open auditions out in L.A., and everyone from Richie Sambora to Slash to Doug Aldrich to Punky Meadows came down. None of them were a fit, but we couldn't wait around for the right person. 

"So, we went ahead and recorded Creatures with session players. Guys like Steve Farris, Robben Ford, and a guitarist who at the time was called Vincent Cusano."

Depending on who you talk to, Vincent Cusano, aka Vinnie Vincent, either saved Kiss or was akin to a stomach-churning plague on earth. Of course, if you asked Vincent, he'd probably agree with the former. Regardless, one thing is certain – Vincent added much-needed texture and color to an era shrouded in darkness. But are his contributions overstated?

"I do feel Vinnie's contributions are overstated," asserts Simmons. "I feel they're overstated, and I'll tell you why: to begin with, that's not even Vinnie playing on the entire record. He played on a few tracks in total. And Vinnie will often talk about his songwriting on Creatures, and yes, he helped with several, but the contributions of Adam Mitchell are there, too. But even that was an issue because we were writing at Adam's house, and Vinnie cornered me and said, 'Hey, forget about this Adam guy. I should be writing the songs. We don't need him.'”

"Looking back, I thought that was pretty sneaky," continues Simmons. "It was sneaky and an early indicator of Vinnie's character, but we went along with it. And one of the first things we came up with was I Love It Loud. I was living with Diana Ross and I was at her Beverly Hills house one day, and I remembered coming up an early version of that song. 

"It was a simple thing – I was referencing the melody of The Who's My Generation, and I came up with the chords and the melody. And I remember calling Vinnie, getting him involved, and he actually wrote most of the lyrics."

As creative as Vincent was and fruitful as his relationship with Simmons and Stanley could be, problems were immediately apparent. A war of clashing styles erupted in the studio, with Simmons and Stanley fighting with Vincent to amalgamate him into the Kiss machine.

"I remember that Vinnie brought in Killer." recounts Simmons. "We liked it, but he fought tooth and nail over the solo. Vinnie wanted to make every solo this massive thing. But Paul and I would bring him specific solos; we gave them to him and asked him to play them verbatim, but he refused. 

"He didn’t want to do that, but honestly, everything that Vinnie did sounded like Yngwie Malmsteen on crack. You know, the kind of stuff that the rest of us normal human beings hate. It was ridiculous, and it certainly wasn't Kiss."

"It got to the point where we had to put our foot down," Simmons continues. "We said, 'Look, you're going to play the notes exactly as we tell you to.' And that's how the solo for I Love It Loud came together. We didn't need to be ripping apart the puzzle pieces of his solos and trying to splice them together, and that's what was happening. 

"We didn't feel we needed to be in a situation where we were fighting with Vinnie Vincent over how the songs should sound. He wasn't a member of Kiss – to remind everyone, Vinnie Vincent was never an official, legal member of Kiss. To this day, Vinnie Vincent has never signed a contract with Kiss."

With the sessions for Creatures of the Night breaking down into a battleground, Kiss had every reason to fold their tent, but miraculously, they came out the other side. That luster of self-assurance, however, quickly wore off in the months that followed Creatures of the Night's release, with Kiss running headlong into hordes of non-believing fans and indifferent critics.

"Even after we finished Creatures, Kiss were in flux," Simmons says. "We were by no means out of the woods. We didn't know who would be in the band, and the times were changing. Hair metal was coming in – bands younger than us – and when Creatures came out, it didn't do well at all. But we liked the record, and we stood by it. 

"We had this great stage show with a tank – we called it the 'Tank Tour' internally – but it was poorly attended in the US," Simmons laments. "But strangely, when we went to South America, places like Brazil, we played to the largest crowds Kiss had ever played for. 

"We had a show where we played for 135,000 people and another with over 200,000. And after that, we looked at each other and finally thought there was some hope. We knew we still had an audience, but we also knew we would have to make changes."

Now, 40 years after its release, Creatures of the Night is no longer a forgotten record in the Kiss discography. The near-death backstory, messy exit of Ace Frehley, and the blustering entrance of Vinnie Vincent all provide a colorful backdrop to a truly outstanding record. As for Simmons, when asked, the bassist quipped that Creatures of the Night is "one of my favorite Kiss records," a sentiment many fans seem to share. 

It seems that the drama, infighting and uncertainty surrounding Creatures have washed away, leaving fans to relish the spoils of an outstanding heavy metal record. What’s more, Creatures is an interesting case study on success, overindulgence and the pitfalls of the rock 'n' roll lifestyle. And, of course, there's the malevolent Vinnie Vincent and his gunslinging exploits. Vincent might not have saved Kiss, but Creatures of the Night, in many ways, did.

"When I look back, despite his demons, in some ways, Ace was right," admits Simmons. "We did need to make a rock record. And he had said that all along; Ace had said that The Elder was not the record that Kiss should make, and he was right. But the thing is, we had people around us telling us it was a good idea, and things didn't go according to plan. We got off track. That happens in bands, and Kiss is no exception. So, where Ace was wrong was, he didn't stick with the band.”

"Having said that, when I look back on Creatures, even though it wasn't successful initially, I look at it as us finding our footing again," Simmons reflects. "And when you look at Animalize, Asylum and Crazy Nights, these are all gold and multi-platinum records. We went on to sell out arenas and headlined outdoor festivals worldwide. I don't think many bands could have gone through the changes we have, as many times as we have, and still come out successful.

"We have defied what managers would recommend time and time again, and Creatures was the start of that second era of success for Kiss. We said, 'We're sticking to our guns, and we'll tread water as the grounding is shaking, knowing that we will come out the other side.'"

• The 40th anniversary edition of Kiss' Creatures of the Night is available now.

Less well-known than other Kiss lead electric guitar players like Tommy Thayer, Bruce Kulick and, of course, the original, Ace Frehley, Vinnie Vincent nonetheless came along at a crucial point in the band's history.

It was 1982, and Kiss's commercial fortunes had yet to recover from their disastrous, widely-mocked 1981 concept album, Music from "The Elder." Though publicly a member of the band until the end of that year, Frehley was for all intents and purposes out of the picture, leading Kiss to cycle through a number of session guitarists for their new recordings in 1982. 

Soon though, the band settled on one Vincent John Cusano, who immediately made his mark on that year's Creatures of the Night album, playing lead guitar on all but three of the LP's tracks, and even co-writing three. Soon re-named Vinnie Vincent, the guitarist brought an explosive, of-the-moment edge to the band's sound, one that stood in marked contrast to Frehley's more old-school leanings. 

His no-holds-barred solo on A Million to One, from 1983's Lick It Up, in particular, still stands tall as one of the finest six-string moments in the Kiss catalog that don't feature Frehley.

Vincent brought that same lightning-rod energy to the stage, where – during the band's tours from 1982 through 1984 – he took center stage night after night with frenzied guitar solos that grew increasingly outlandish as his time with the band went on.

The below example – captured at the band's March 12, 1984 concert at the Colisée de Québec in Québec City, Canada – is one of the best-preserved ones on the internet. 

While flying around the fretboard, Vincent gives an A+ lesson in showmanship, falling to his knees while holding single notes for all they're worth, pausing for dramatic effect, and incorporating the crowd throughout. The solo also shows how Vincent wasn't afraid to explore dissonant sounds either, with some particularly daring and cacophonous moments that wouldn't sound out of place on a Sonic Youth album. 

As much as the audience seems to enjoy the display of fretboard pyrotechnics, the rest of Kiss – particularly the band's co-leaders, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley – were significantly less impressed. 

As Vincent's solos, such as the Québec City example above, grew wilder and longer, Simmons and Stanley in turn became increasingly irritated with what they saw as the guitarist's excessive showboating.

In his 2014 memoir, Face the Music, Stanley wrote that Vincent "was hell-bent on using every solo as an opportunity to showcase himself.

“We used to call it the high point of the show," Stanley wrote (via Rolling Stone), "because everybody in the audience left to go get high.”

"He [Vincent] could play rings around most anybody," Simmons offered in a 2014 Guitar World interview. "But with all due respect to Vinnie, it was a fucking nightmare."

Stanley, for one, shared Frehley's love of the late '60s/early '70s blues-rock guitar heroes, and had little regard for the shred tidal wave sweeping the guitar world at that point (an issue that, as Stanley pointed out in a 2014 Guitar World interview, reared its head again with Vincent's eventual, short-lived replacement in the band, the similarly speed- and flash-minded Mark St. John.) 

“He had no sense of what to play or when,” Stanley wrote in regards to Vincent, “and he had no ability to self-edit.”

Inevitably, Vincent wasn't long for the band, and parted ways with them just days after the March 12, 1984 Québec City show, when the band wrapped up the North American leg of their Lick it Up tour. 

Despite his one-time bandmates' dim view of his onstage soloing though, and their acrimonious parting of ways, Vincent has expressed few regrets about his playing with the band in the years since.

“I’m an over the top kind of guy,” Vincent said in a 1987 radio interview (via Rolling Stone.) “I like it. It’s extreme and excessive. I think as spectacular as Kiss was with their live show, they were conservative musically. I think they were looking for more a generic, old school kind of guitar player. I think that’s what they wanted me to do. But that wasn’t in my blood.”

Gene Simmons has played all sorts of instruments over the years, from the Charlie LoBue custom bass guitar heard on the early Kiss albums to his own Punisher and Axe signatures, although for a while in the mid-’70s Simmons did experiment with Gibson Grabbers and Rippers. 

Last year’s news that he was launching his own G2 brand – pronounced ‘G squared’ –through the American giants nevertheless came as a surprise, the new collaboration pledging to release a whole range of guitars and basses built with the Demon’s personal seal of approval.

Build Quality

On first glance, this debut in the series—not in the form of a Grabber or Ripper, but a Thunderbird, interestingly – is certainly impressive. The contrast between the ebony nitrocellulose lacquer finish against the mirrorplex pickguard and truss-rod cover is eye-catching, treading the fine line between modern edge and classic finesse.

As well as the pearloid reverse split diamond inlays, it’s also nice to see the Gibson logo on the front of the headstock, with the G2 logo on the back side near the nut – a reassuring consideration given this instrument’s price.

The laser-engraved skull logo on the pickguard may not be to everyone’s taste, so you’ll either love it or hate it, though it does tie in with the rock’n’roll aesthetic associated with Kiss and therefore has its merits.

More importantly, however, this feels like a real Thunderbird – and being handmade in the USA, it very much is one, with an incredibly resonant mahogany body that rings loud acoustically before you’ve even plugged it in. 

Once you do, the ceramic magnets in the Rhythm and Lead T-Bird humbuckers pack a powerful and immediate response, with no shortage of punch and depth, making for a bass that sounds, much like the American group’s landmark 1975 release, truly alive.

Unlike the EMG PJ set typically found in Simmons’ Punisher and Axe, however, these high-output humbuckers aren’t active, so there’s no need to worry about battery power.

The two volume controls allow for a blend of either or both pickups, with the rhythm unit alone bringing a wonderfully articulate sound that has enough brightness to retain definition and clarity.

More highs can then be cut using the master tone knob, allowing for softer, jazzier tones when dialled in clean – a nice option to have, even if Simmons himself tends not to go there. 

Sounds and Playability

Switching to just the bridge pickup, there’s a huge shift in the midrange and a noticeable drop in the low-end that’s perfect for chords or riffs that need less sonic boom and more snarl, such as Simmons’ opening lines to Love Gun and Shout It Out Loud, played higher up the neck on the first string.

Together the two pickups complement each other very well indeed, with serious weight and bite that can be easily tamed through the respective volume controls.

They cover the classic Kiss tones, from the walking lines of Strutter through to heavier hits like Creatures Of The Night and beyond. Add in a healthy dose of compression or overdrive, as well as some heavily repeating delays, and it’s hard not to picture a possessed Simmons spitting out blood in front of you, screaming ‘Oh yeah!’ before attacking that open low note in God Of Thunder. 

Like the best signature models, this is an instrument that ultimately inspires you to sound and play like the musician behind it, while also being capable of a lot more, from Motown to country, and with the right kind of EQ scoop and compression, even slapped funk – even if it’s not aimed at such musicians.

Every manufacturer will tell you that they try to ensure their guitars feel playable, but greater care needs to be taken with larger-bodied instruments like this Thunderbird, or they can end up feeling bulky and demanding. Gibson haven’t let themselves down here at all, with this review model feeling lighter than it looks. 

It also arrives with a low enough action for more technically ambitious styles of playing, as well as basic root-noted rock, making bends, stretches and hammer-ons more comfortable than expected. Tuning stability and intonation also feel impeccable: This is definitely a ‘set and forget’ kind of bass that allows the player to focus on their performance, undistracted and with confidence. 

Conclusion

All in all, this first offering from G2 delivers on virtually every front, from the dazzling black diamond aesthetic through to playability and versatility. Perhaps most importantly of all, it’s a bass that’s tailor-made for conjuring this larger-than-life character’s earth-conquering tones. He is the God Of Thunder, after all. 

Specs

• PRICE: $2799
• MADE IN: USA
• BODY: Mahogany
• NECK: Mahogany, 34” scale
• NECK JOIN: Set neck
• FINGERBOARD: Ebony, 20 frets
• PICKUP: Rhythm (neck), Lead (bridge)
• CONTROLS: 2 x Volume, Master Tone 
• HARDWARE: Hipshot bridge and tuners
• WEIGHT: 9 lbs (approx)
• LEFT-HAND AVAILABLE?: No
• CASE/GIGBAG: Yes
• CONTACT: Gibson

Gene Simmons has suggested Kiss could continue as an entity even after he, Paul Stanley, Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer play their final show.

The legendary rock band will shortly embark on the Australian leg of their End of the Road world tour, marketed as their “final tour ever”. 

Currently, the tour has no finalized end date, with Simmons telling YouTube channel Chaoszine back in June that the band had decided to add 100 more dates to the tour. 

So while the four-piece appear serious about retiring this time around, it seems they’re not intent on hanging up their silver-studded boots just yet. But what will become of the band’s legacy when they do ultimately call it quits?

In a new interview with YouTuber/podcaster Dean Delray's Let There Be Talk show, Simmons says it’s possible the band could continue, describing its future state as somewhat of a rock ‘n’ roll franchise.

“The important thing is when it’s the last show, it’ll be the last show,” he says. “Kiss the touring band will stop. But Kiss will continue in other ways. I have no problems with four deserving 20-year-olds sticking the makeup back on and hiding their identity. Mark Burnett [chairman, MGM Television producer of Survivor] shopped Kiss: The Next Generation, which was going to be a competition show to find out who's worthy to wear the crown.”

Sadly, Simmons and Burnett did not manage to sell the show. But Simmons revealed that he had other plans. He says Kiss could continue in the same way as other traveling productions that feature a rotating cast.

“Kiss will continue in ways that even I haven’t thought of,” Simmons adds. “But I can conceive of… Y'know, the Blue Man Group and Phantom of the Opera, tours around the world with different personnel. There could and should be a Kiss show, kind of live on stage with effects and everything else, but also [a] semi-autobiographical thing about four knuckleheads off the streets of New York that ends with the last third as a full-blown celebration of [Kiss]... A full-on performance. Not with us. Although, not a problem stepping in every once in a while.”

Back in April, Gene Simmons reiterated his invitation for Frehley to play live with the band on their End of the Road world tour.

“Jump up on stage with us for encores,” Simmons told Frehley on Twitter. “The fans would love it.”

His comments came after a 2019 Guitar World interview, in which he said Frehley was undependable and would never be able to fully rejoin the band.

“Ace and Peter Criss have gotten three chances,” he said. “They were in and out of the band – fired – three times. For drugs, alcohol, bad behaviour, being unprofessional. So the only reason Ace and Peter were let go the first time, and then the second time and then the third time, is that they weren't carrying their load.”

He added: “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... 

“Would we welcome Ace or Peter to jump up onstage for a song or two? Of course. Could we depend on either Ace or Peter to do a full set night after night? Not on your fucking life.”

Frehley subsequently retaliated to Simmons' comments, asserting that his “slanderous remarks” had cost him “millions of dollars”.

But things seem sweet again on Frehley's side, too. Last year, the guitarist said that “anything's possible”.

“I said, ‘I never closed the door on anything,’” he told Eddie Trunk. “If the money's right and it's presented to me in the right way, anything can happen.”

Kiss bassist and frontman Gene Simmons has left an open invitation to Ace Frehley to play the encores during the band’s epic End of the Road world tour, but argues that Frehley lacks the “physical stamina” to play a full show.

The God of Thunder claims Frehley stipulated that he would only return on the condition he'd replace Tommy Thayer as full-time guitarist, resuming his Spaceman persona and, presumably, rigging his electric guitar with a range of wild pyrotechnics.

However a full-time return, explains Simmons, is not on the table: “I asked Ace and Peter [Criss, co-founder and former drummer], ‘Come out on tour. We’ll get you your own room and everything, come out on the encores.’ 

“Ace said, ‘No, the only way I come out is if I am the Spaceman and you asked Tommy to leave.’ Well, that’s not going to happen. First of all, I care about Ace, but he is not in shape. He can’t play that way and doesn’t have the physical stamina to do that.”

The interview with Chaoszine sees Simmons speak about the End of the Road world tour – to which 100 dates have just been added – and the demands it asks of the band to fulfill its grueling schedule. He says the trek is making Olympians of the hard rock institution.

“The band is strong,” Simmons says. “We feel good. We’re playing strong. So we are going to stretch it out a little more. But once we stop, of course, it will be like in the Olympics, when you win a race, sometimes they just fall to the ground exhausted because of the physical demands of the race. Even though you are dead tired, you feel exhilarated.”

While the touring lifestyle is not for everybody, having the enthusiasm and energy of Thayer on guitar and Eric Singer on drums is one of the reasons why Kiss can sustain it, Simmons explains.

“Tommy and Eric are the best things that happened to us,” Simmons says. “They gave us new life, new appreciation for what we do because they were fans first, and every once in a while, Eric or Tommy will turn around and say, ‘Wow! Isn’t this great?’ And it makes us realize, ‘Yeah! Wow! Isn’t this great!?’”

Simmons describes Kiss as a fan-owned business. “The fans are the bosses; we just work here,” he says. “Without the fans, we’re nothing.”

Although he recognizes the fans’ appetite to see a cameo from Frehley and Criss, he sounds philosophical about the reality of that happening, admitting that Frehley and Criss are an indelible part of Kiss history, but lacked the staying power.

“We care about them,” he explains. “We started this thing together and they were equally important to the beginning of the band with Paul and I. No question. But as time went on, not everybody is designed to run a marathon. 

“Some people are designed to be in a band for a year or two, a few years, and that’s all they can do. So, the answer is, the door is always open. If they want to jump onstage at any time and do the encores with us? Terrific. But, no, we are not going to get rid of Tommy or Eric.”

Kiss will take to the stage tonight (June 30) in France, before playing Rock Fest in Barcelona, Spain, on July 2. See Kiss's website for a full list of dates.

Gene Simmons has once again invited former Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley to play with the band during their ongoing farewell End of the Road World Tour.

In a tweet marking Frehley's 71st birthday yesterday (April 27), Simmons wrote that the “invitations still stand”, inviting him to “jump up on stage with us for encores”. “The fans would love it,” he added.

Frehley co-founded Kiss in 1973 with current members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, and former drummer Peter Criss. His initial tenure lasted almost 10 years, before he left the band in 1982. He rejoined in 1996, and left again in 2002, following the conclusion of what was originally planned to me the band's farewell tour.

Since then, Frehley and Simmons have worked together on multiple occasions, including on Frehley's 2018 solo album Spaceman, for which Simmons cowrote two tracks: Without You I'm Nothing and Your Wish Is My Command.

The pair also joined forces in 2017 for a benefit concert for victims of Hurricane Harvey, in which they played three classic Kiss songs, Parasite, Cold Gin and Shock Me.

But their relationship hit rockier territory in 2019, after Simmons told Guitar World that Frehley was undependable and that he would never be able to fully rejoin the band.

“Ace and Peter Criss have gotten three chances,” he said. “They were in and out of the band – fired – three times. For drugs, alcohol, bad behaviour, being unprofessional. So the only reason Ace and Peter were let go the first time, and then the second time and then the third time, is that they weren't carrying their load.”

He added: “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... 

“Would we welcome Ace or Peter to jump up onstage for a song or two? Of course. Could we depend on either Ace or Peter to do a full set night after night? Not on your fucking life.”

Simmons' comments sparked the retaliation of Frehley, who in a now-deleted Facebook post said his “slanderous remarks” had cost him “millions of dollars”.

“I'm over 12 years sober [and] you're still saying I can't be trusted to play a whole night's show!” he said. “Well, that's exactly what I've been doing for the last 12 years with different configurations of The Ace Frehley Band to you and Paul's dismay!”

The pair's relationship has sweetened in recent years, however, with Frehley last year saying “anything's possible” regarding a reunion.

“That's the first question so many people have asked me over the years: ‘Would you ever consider doing a Kiss reunion?’” he told Eddie Trunk. “I said, ‘I never closed the door on anything.’ If the money's right and it's presented to me in the right way, anything can happen.”

He added: “I’m on good terms with Paul and Gene, which is nice, because we created something really special in the early ‘70s that has outlasted so many other bands.

“And God bless ‘em. They’re still doing it; I’m still doing it. Peter [Criss, drums] is still around. I’m not quite sure why Peter hasn’t toured over the years as much as I have, but it is what it is.”

Last January, Gibson announced a multi-year partnership with Kiss bassist Gene Simmons.

The partnership, Gibson said at the time, would involve a new signature G² line of bass guitars, the first of which – the G² Thunderbird – the guitar giant has finally launched in full today. 

First teased upon the announcement of Simmons' deal with Gibson, the G² Thunderbird is built with your traditional mahogany body and mahogany neck, but features an ebony fretboard with pearloid reverse split diamond inlays.

Like your typical T-Bird, the bass is outfitted with a pair of Gibson Thunderbird pickups – each with their own volume knob, plus a master tone knob. 

In the hardware department though, the bass features a Hipshot bridge and Hipshot Mini Clover tuners (rather than the respective 3-point adjustable bridge and Grovers you'd find on a standard T-Bird) and a Graph Tech nut.

The mirror plex pickguard, meanwhile, features Simmons' skull-'n'-guitars logo, with all hardware finished nicely in black chrome.

Given that this is the signature instrument for a man who once sold a box set of his solo material in a $2,000, 38-pound literal vault, the G² Thunderbird is surprisingly devoid of flashy touches, but it does – aside from the aforementioned pickguard logo and inlays – feature the G² logo on the back of the headstock.

More colorful than the bass itself, however, is the '80s-style infomercial Gibson released to commemorate its launch. In it, Simmons describes his signature four-string as a "vehicle for maximum self-confidence" and something that can cure "Ugly Bass Syndrome," which is said to result in a lack of bottom end and punch, and poor intonation.

As far as we can tell, there are no side effects from the acquisition of the bass, either.

“Gibson is an outstanding company and has earned its place as a leading guitar brand with fans around the world,” Simmons said in a press release. “The new G² Thunderbird basses are all handmade in the USA, with a sound that is off the charts. The design is so beautiful and collectible, they are simply works of art.”

The Gibson Gene Simmons G² Thunderbird bass guitar is available now – in an Ebony finish and with a modern hardshell case included – for $2,799.

For more info on the bass, point your browser on over to Gibson.

Kiss founding guitarist Ace Frehley has spoken of his keenness to reunite with the band’s original lineup, saying that “anything’s possible”.

In a new conversation with SiriusXM’s Trunk Nation with Eddie Trunk, the guitarist speaks on the potential reunion, and offers an update regarding his relationship with co-founding members Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons.

“That’s the first question so many people have asked me over the years: ‘Would you ever consider doing a Kiss reunion?’” Frehley says. “I said, ‘I never closed the door on anything.’ If the money’s right and it’s presented to me in the right way, anything can happen.”

He continues: “I’m on good terms with Paul [Stanley, guitar/vocals] and Gene [Simmons, bass/vocals], which is nice, because we created something really special in the early ‘70s that has outlasted so many other bands.

“And God bless ‘em. They’re still doing it; I’m still doing it. Peter [Criss, drums] is still around. I’m not quite sure why Peter hasn’t toured over the years as much as I have, but it is what it is.”

When Kiss announced their End of the Road farewell tour in 2018, fans speculated as to whether Ace Frehley and Peter Criss would take part. In a 2018 interview with VintageRock.com, Frehley said that the “only way” he would consider taking part in the trek is “if I took back my make-up and costume and my character – which I designed”.

He also spoke of current Kiss lead guitarist Tommy Thayer. “[He’s] not a bad guitar player,” he said, “but he basically just mimics everything I wrote, and tries to imitate my persona. He’s been doing it for 15 years. But the reality is I’m the original guy. And nobody can really copy the way I play guitar.”

The End of the Road tour isn’t the first farewell trek Kiss have embarked upon. Speaking on the band’s 2000 farewell tour with Guitar World in 2019, Gene Simmons explained that “the circumstances were so different”. 

“I was short-sighted and it wasn’t too long after we finished with it we realized we didn’t want to say farewell to Kiss, we wanted to say farewell to the two people [Ace Frehley and Peter Criss] who had become a ball and chain on Kiss.”

Gene Simmons has become the latest member of the Kiss touring party to test positive for Covid-19, resulting in the postponement of four more shows in the band’s End Of The Road tour.

Simmons is fully vaccinated and is reportedly experiencing mild symptoms, but is following guidance from doctors to isolate for 10 days.  As a result, the band will have to reschedule the four shows due to occur in that period.

The four postponed shows include:

• September 1 – Clarkston, MI – DTE Energy Music Theatre
• September 2 – Dayton, OH – Wright State University Nutter Center
• September 4 – Tinley Park, IL – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
• September 5 – Milwaukee, WI – American Family Insurance Amphitheater - Summerfest Grounds

The band made the announcement via their own channels yesterday, stating:

“KISS will postpone their next four tour dates. While Paul Stanley recently tweeted that he has recovered from COVID, Gene Simmons has now tested positive and is experiencing mild symptoms. 

“The band and crew will remain at home and isolate for the next 10 days and doctors have indicated the tour should be able to resume on September 9th at FivePoint Amphitheatre in Irvine, CA. All previously purchased tickets will be honored for the new dates once announced. More information will be emailed to ticketholders directly.”

Paul Stanley tested positive last week and has since posted an update on Twitter informing fans that believes he is through the worst of the virus, but that it still “kicked my ass.” Here’s wishing Simmons a speedy recovery...

For more information, head to the official Kiss site.

You probably already have an opinion on Gene Simmons. To some, he is no more than a cash-hungry, egocentric loudmouth in a distinctly average band. 

Conversely, to the Kiss faithful Gene is the Demon, the instantly-recognizable face, the fire-breathing, blood-spitting God Of Thunder who wrote the Kiss classics Deuce, I Love It Loud, War Machine and Unholy, all loaded with those heavy, chunky, often Beatles-indebted bass parts. 

Whatever your opinion – and you can be sure that he doesn’t care either way – you have to admit that Gene Simmons is a man who thinks big. How else does a child immigrant into America rise to the very top of the music business in the '70s, rewrite the rules of band merchandise, define the scale of the modern stadium-rock show, run record labels, and amass a personal fortune said to be in excess of $300m?

As you probably know, Gene already has his own line of bass guitars, including the Axe and the Punisher. You can buy them at meet-and-greet events as Kiss make their way around the world for one last hurrah with their currently-postponed End of The Road Tour. 

Despite this, 2021 sees another new venture, G², a collaboration with Gibson formed with the aim of producing a range of basses and guitars across the Gibson, Epiphone, and Kramer catalogs. 

My phone rings late on a Friday night: “Hello. It’s Gene Simmons,” says the unmistakable voice on the other end of the line. He’s calling to talk about the first launch from G², a Thunderbird bass guitar in fetching black and silver or black and blood red. 

Gene and his family have escaped the Covid hotspot of California, and he’s calling tonight from the safer environment of Whistler, Canada. He’s on friendly form as we chat. This isn’t the combative Demon of old. Kiss are now on their victory lap, and it’s noticeable that both he and the band’s co-founder Paul Stanley have softened their stances over the last few years. 

And why not? They won. Forget the haters – after almost 50 years, they’ve made it to the finish line. 

Why embark on this venture now, Gene? 

“Why not? Cesar Gueikian, Gibson’s CEO, reached out, I asked if he wanted to push the level of quality up, and improve on what Gibson had done but not forget their legacy, that was my style. I said okay, let’s think about it, if you’re amiable to pushing the limits of what you can do, let’s take a look at the quality of the wood and the pickups and make some minor changes in terms of the presentation, the colors, using different kinds of things to enhance without being overly aggressive about changing the model.“ 

What’s the first step? 

“The first instruments are the Thunderbird basses, which will come in a few different colors. There will be a guitar version and left-handed versions. By the time we’re through, there will be a Flying V, and there’s even going to be a double-neck guitar and bass. That is probably going to be a very big item. 

“It’ll be as cool as hell and I’m going to make sure I get the first one. This is a big commitment on both sides, and it’s going to be called G² – G to the power of 2. I have to say I’m pretty creative. I come up with a lot of my own stuff, but it was Cesar who came up with the name.“ 

Will there be different prices for the Gibson, Epiphone, and Kramer instruments? 

“That’s right. I’ve used Epiphone before. When I was a kid, I had an Epiphone bass and a small Silvertone amp, as a matter of fact. I liked them all. The very first guitar I ever had other than a bass was an SG Standard, like the one that Angus Young uses in AC/DC. That’s what I learned to play the guitar on.“ 

What price point will the Thunderbirds start at? 

“The people at Gibson will give you all the specifics. My mind reels and my ears start to bleed when I get into the specifics. I can drive my truck, but when you lift the hood and start talking to me about the engine, I’m like a deer in the headlights. It’s not what I do. 

“What I do is to make sure the quality is there, so when somebody buys one of our instruments, they’re proud. The minutiae is left to the devil, because as you know, the devil lives in the minutiae.“ 

Will the basses come in five-string and fretless versions? 

“Yes. We’re doing a lot of different versions, but the mainstay will be the four-string bass. We’re doing left-handed versions too, because they are underserved. People like Paul McCartney and Jimi Hendrix had to play right-handed versions upside down, so we’re going to do legitimate left-handed versions.“ 

In the movie Kiss Meets The Phantom Of The Park, you play a Thunderbird. Is this new model based on one of your old basses? 

“No, these are completely new. We’re going to keep modifying it and making it better. A lot of it has to do with the kind of lumber you use and how the strings attach to the bridge. It’s a very finicky kind of thing. You can have the same instrument, exactly the same, but with slightly different lumber, and it can sound completely different.“ 

Is Kiss currently waiting out the coronavirus before resuming the End Of The Road Tour? 

“We are. As soon as we can restart the tour, it will be going to as many as 150 cities around the world after the pandemic. We want to make the last show into an event. With modern technology we will be able to broadcast it around the world, because there are a lot of people that want to see it.“ 

Personally, I’m looking forward to travelling again. I was in the original home of Kiss, New York, a while back.

“When you came out to New York, did you enjoy yourself?“ 

I loved it. I did some nerdy stuff. I went to CBGBs, the Iridium Club, and the Punk Exhibition at one of the museums. 

“It’s a weird city. San Francisco had that hippy-dippy kinda thing, Seattle had the grunge bands. Los Angeles had those Beach Boys, Crosby, Stills & Nash kind of Californian bands. New York has nothing, it has no personality. Kiss came out of there, Blondie came out of there, Talking Heads came out of there, the New York Dolls came out of there. 

“They’re all completely different bands, and Kiss is by far the largest one that came out of New York. New York was always a disco town, all about fashion, models, and Wall Street. New York is closer to Paris, although no great rock band came out of France.“ 

I think I could live in New York, but I don’t think I could live in Los Angeles. In L.A. I just want to go to the beach. 

“And also, California has that yellow light in the sky. [adopts English accent] ‘Mummy, I’m scared. What’s that yellow light in the sky?’ ‘I think it’s called the sun, dear’... Yes, it’s completely different. America is so decidedly different from one coast to the other, but then you’ve got the middle, which is meat and two veg. You’ve got Chicago, and you’ve got Las Vegas. There is no city like that in the world.“

I visited Nashville last year and really liked it. 

“Every single bar has live music there, every night of the week. I wish more cities had that. New York used to have that. You know, we played in Dubai this past New Year’s Eve. I played the very first finished G2 Thunderbird bass there.“ 

Congratulations on breaking the world record for most pyrotechnics at a gig. 

“Yeah. People think it’s about beer, no, the Guinness Book Of Records isn’t about beer – they keep track of records. The usual gigs are child’s play compared to the Dubai thing. Usually, there is a ceiling, but here you can go 100 to 300 feet above the stage, and we did. 

“No-one really talks about it much, but the enormous heat from the 40 big projectiles we had was just scary, I have to say. I will say one thing. No matter how difficult it is, we are the hardest-working band in show business, but we do have an awful lot of fun. I have more fun than the Pope does!“

• See KISS for more details on the End of The Road Tour.

Kiss will pick back up on their End of the Road final tour soon, and the long-running rockers are set to continue the career-spanning celebration with a new four-hour documentary set to air this June.

Biography, the A&E channel’s long-running documentary series, will present a two-part feature on the band, titled Biography: KISStory on June 27 and 28.

The four-hour doc is directed by D.J. Viola and chronicles the band’s 50-year history. There will also be interviews with Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, as well as current members Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer.

Additional figures interviewed for the program include Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl and Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello, as well as Kiss manager Doc McGhee and producer Bob Ezrin.

“Through the Biography lens we are able to give fans a backstage pass to a two-night event that honors the legacy of the rock icons behind Kiss,” said A&E’s Head of Programming, Elaine Frontain Bryant. “This documentary event is a special tribute to a one-of-a-kind band and the incredible Kiss Army fanbase that has idolized them for generations.”

For more information, head to A&E TV.

Recently, Gene Simmons announced a multi-year line of custom guitars and basses with Gibson. He spoke to Guitar World regarding the collaboration, and you can read all about it here.

Alice Cooper has offered a retort to Gene Simmons' recent comments on the death of rock music.

In a new interview with NME, the School's Out rocker says “Gene Simmons – I would like him to do my taxes because he’s a businessman and that’s valid, but I guarantee you right now that in London somewhere, in garages, they’re learning Aerosmith and Guns N' Roses.

“There’s a bunch of 18-year-[old] kids in there with guitars and drums and they’re learning hard rock. It’s the same with the United States: there’s all these young bands that want to resurge that whole area of hard rock.”

Simmons has expressed his views on the death of rock music on several occasions. Last year, the Kiss bassist told Gulf News: “Rock is dead. And that's because new bands haven't taken the time to create glamour, excitement and epic stuff.” 

More recently, in an interview with the Q104.3 radio station, Simmons blamed young fans for making the genre financially unfeasible by using streaming services.

Elsewhere in the interview, Cooper opined that while rock music isn't at the heart of the mainstream, it's “where it should be right now”.

“We’re not at the Grammys… Rock ’n’ roll is outside looking in right now, and that gives us that outlaw attitude,” he says.

“The one kind of music that started and never ended was hard rock. It went to punk, it went to disco, it went to hip-hop, it went to grunge, but the one thing that went through the middle of it was hard rock.”