[rocknation]

Kiss says it won't play at Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction

The 40-year-old group is unable to agree on which lineup should perform during the April 10 ceremony in New York City, and has decided not to plug in at all.

The dispute concerns whether original members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss would join Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley in a live performance, or whether the current lineup of Stanley, Simmons, Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer would play instead.

In a message on its website, Kiss said it won’t perform with any lineup, calling it “an emotional situation where there is no way to please everyone.”

The band made no mention of former guitarists Vinnie Vincent, who helped kick off the band’s unmasked era, or Mark St. John, who was with the band briefly in 1984 and who died in 2007.

...The festering dispute was brought to a boil when Frehley called into the Eddie Trunk’s syndicated radio show Friday night to say that Simmons and Stanley had rejected a reunion with the original four members for the induction.

“They just shot down any type of reunion with us,” Frehley said during the broadcast. “It’s very frustrating. It’s what the fans wanted, it’s what the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame wanted, and it’s not gonna happen. You don’t want to do something for the fans after 40 years of them supporting you?”

Criss...said he wanted to let fans know there would be no reunion before they bought tickets for the induction ceremony, which range from $120 to nearly $600.

“This is disgraceful, and I feel bad for the fans who were looking forward to the four of us being inducted together,” he said.

...The band’s statement said it has never refused to pay with Frehley and Criss.

They finally make it in after all these years, and this happens? Why can't they have all the members, and play a couple of songs with each lineup from each era?

The good news is, maybe this will finally clear the decks for Bon Jovi getting in. They can figure out whether Al or Hugh plays at the induction ceremony in the meantime!

[Iceman]

Originally Posted by rocknation

They finally make it in after all these years, and this happens? Why can't they have all the members, and play a couple of songs with each lineup from each era?

Because the RRHOF only wanted the original four to play. So the band decided that if they're not allowed to do it the way they want to, they will not do it all. It's rumoured that only the original four will be inducted, I guess we'll see.

Oh, and where's Vinnie Vincent?

Ice

[rocknation]

Originally Posted by Iceman

RRHOF only wanted the original four to play. So the band decided that if they're not allowed to do it the way they want to, they will not do it all. It's rumoured that only the original four will be inducted...

I remember something about the Hall refusing to allow one of the replacement members of The Supremes to even attend the ceremony, never mind perform. And while I don't have a problem with the Hall inducting the original four, they should take what they can get as far as the induction performance -- they've disrespected Kiss long enough!

[rocknation]

According to Ace Frehley:

"I don't think KISS fans are gonna be too excited and happy...Paul...and Gene...have decided to perform with [current KISS members] Tommy [Thayer, guitar] and Eric [Singer, drums], and it looks like the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame is going along with it...

"The last time I was on [this radio show], it was a very exciting and happy call. And the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame was very excited about having the four original members who are being inducted to perform at the ceremony. And that was shot down by Paul and Gene."

According to Peter Criss:

"It’s disappointing to have to say to you, the fans, that as of today, Ace and I have been denied a performance with Gene and Paul for our Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction.

"Tickets go on sale on Monday, Feb. 24th, and I wanted to make sure that fans understood that no original performance, in or out of makeup, has been offered to us before they purchased their tickets. This is disgraceful and I feel bad for the fans who were looking forward to the four of us being inducted together."

According to Gene and Paul:

"Our intention was to celebrate the entire history of KISS and give credit to all members including long time present members Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer, and additionally Bruce Kulick and Eric Carr all who have made this band what it is, regardless of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame's point of view...

"Ace and Peter are at the very foundation of what we have built and this would all be impossible had they not been a part of it in the beginning. It is over 13 years since the original lineup has played together in make-up and we believe the memory of those times would not be enhanced.

"Contrary to claims made through the media we have never refused to play with Ace and Peter... To bring this to a quick end, we have decided not to play in any line-up and we will focus our attention on celebrating our induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

"We have...dedicated...40 years...to building KISS without quitting or wavering...KISS has always been a band unlike any other...This is understandably an emotional situation where there is no way to please everyone...

"We are...looking forward to seeing you all on the KISS 40th Anniversary worldwide tour."

Kiss is indeed a band unlike any other, and as Gene and Paul suggest, they didn't get where they are by jumping through other people's hoops -- up to and including the Hall's.

As I said, I think the Hall would have gone with any live lineup that Kiss wanted to offer -- and if not, all Paul and Gene would have had to do was publicly declare that the Hall should take their induction and shove it. Yet Ace and Peter's statements strongly imply that it was Gene and Paul who did the "shooting down."

[Iceman]

You read them any way you like, but to me those quotes are clear: TRRRHOF wanted only the original four, G&P wanted everyone. RRHOF didn't budge so KISS told them to shove it. And kudod to G&P for doing this. RRHOF is a joke.

And all this is being discussed on much better KISS forums than this one. You'll get the same interpretation there.

Ice

[Supersonic]

Aloha !

Originally Posted by Iceman

And all this is being discussed on much better KISS forums than this one.

This is a Kiss forum? Didn't know so many Kiss fans on here had such a fascination for Bon Jovi.

Then again, Bon Jovi are probably everything Kiss fans would like Kiss to be. Real. Genuine. Not money grabbing sell outs like Kiss are. Oh nooooo...

Salaam Aleikum,
Sebastiaan

[brighton84]

Originally Posted by Supersonic

Aloha !
Then again, Bon Jovi are probably everything Kiss fans would like Kiss to be. Real. Genuine. Not money grabbing sell outs like Kiss are. Oh nooooo...

Salaam Aleikum,
Sebastiaan

Always been a proud KISS fan,always will be. No other band comes close!!!

Bon Jovi,real and genuine??....tell it to the fiddle player!!!

[Iceman]

Originally Posted by Iceman

Because the RRHOF only wanted the original four to play. So the band decided that if they're not allowed to do it the way they want to, they will not do it all. It's rumoured that only the original four will be inducted, I guess we'll see.

http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1.../p2p-79453336/

What did I say? :P

Ice

[brighton84]

If i didnt know better I would suggest this entire debacle is a well staged publicity move. Gene and Paul arent dumb,they knew what the hall's demands were. Now with Ace breaking his silence last week and the fan's backlash() it would appear they were forced to pull out of performing thus creating a media storm.

As soon as the induction was announced and it was obvious that not all KISS members past and present were to be included Gene and Paul should have politely refused to accept the award. The hall never wanted the band inducted in the first place,it is an award from a bunch of suits.

The KISS army doesnt need an insignificant award like this to tell us KISS have influenced a generation,their place in the history of rock music is undeniable.

[rocknation]

Originally Posted by Iceman

http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-79453336/
What did I say? :P

Negotiations with the Hall of Fame stalled, say Simmons and Stanley, who wanted to include Singer and Thayer, while the Rock Hall wanted a reunion of the original quartet in makeup.

"Imagine getting onstage and playing with a lineup that does not exist," says Simmons, 64, comparing the situation to a forced reunion with an ex-spouse. Both have bad memories of years of substance abuse by their former partners but say they are happy and proud to accept the award with the former members. Putting the original quartet in makeup was "a nonstarter," says Stanley.

What did I say? Gene and Paul are proud to ACCEPT the award with Ace and Peter -- as long as it doesn't result in publicity for them!

Originally Posted by brighton84

...Gene and Paul arent dumb,they knew what the hall's demands were. Now with Ace breaking his silence last week and the fan's backlash() it would appear they were forced to pull out of performing thus creating a media storm.

As soon as the induction was announced and it was obvious that not all KISS members past and present were to be included Gene and Paul should have politely refused to accept the award. The hall never wanted the band inducted in the first place,it is an award from a bunch of suits.

The KISS army doesnt need an insignificant award like this to tell us KISS have influenced a generation, their place in the history of rock music is undeniable.

I agree one million per cent.

While I still think the root of the problem is that Gene and Paul didn't want to perform with Ace and Criss, they should have refused both the induction and the performance if they felt that strongly about Kulick, Singer, Thayer, and presumably the late Eric Carr also being inducted.

Are we supposed to "admire" Kiss for refusing to accept this indisputably-deserved, long-overdue but ultimately insignificant honor in person? I say it makes a mockery of their legacy of refusing to "kiss" the asses of "the suits!"