There’s still no love lost between founding KISS guitarist Ace Frehley and his ex-bandmate Paul Stanley. In a new interview with Chaoszine.net, Frehley again expressed his disdain for Stanley after the KISS frontman made insulting remarks about him and original KISS drummer Peter Criss not long before the group played the last show of its farewell tour this past December.
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During the interview, while mentioning Stanley’s insults, Frehley also took a dig at the singer/guitarist’s musical and vocal talents.
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“I can play rings around Paul Stanley on guitar,” Frehley declared, adding with a laugh, “I can even sing better than him and don’t have to use backing tracks.”
The latter part of the comment refers to the rumors that KISS used pre-recorded vocal tracks during their concerts to enhance the performances.
Paul Stanley’s Insulting Remarks
Just before his poke at Stanley, Frehley discussed how Stanley and bassist Gene Simmons had initially talked about inviting him, Criss, and former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick to join the band for a few songs at the finale of the farewell tour. Frehley said that once the concert was sold out, however, Stanley and Simmons changed their tune.
“Paul Stanley went on The Howard Stern Show and said, ‘Well, if Ace and Peter got up on stage with us, you might as well call the band P-ss,” Frehley noted, referring to an appearance KISS actually made on the show in March 2023.
“That was completely opposite from what he was saying 6-7 months ago,” Frehley continued, “and I don’t know why he said it, but it p-ssed me off, and after hearing that, I decided I wasn’t going [to the final concert.”
He added, “Even if he had invited me and given me a personal invitation after he had hit us below the belt with that comment, I would not have gone there.”
Frehley’s Relationship with Gene Simmons
In the same interview, Frehley revealed that he had no beef with Simmons.
“Me and Gene are still very close,” Frehley reported. “When I heard that he collapsed on stage in Brazil [in April 2023], I was concerned because I’ve known Gene since 1973. I immediately emailed him and said, ‘Gene, are you OK?’ And miraculously enough, he got back to me in 5 minutes and said, ‘Hey, so I’m doing fine.’”
Frehley recalled that Simmons explained that it was 106 degrees at the concert and he hadn’t hydrated enough before hitting the stage. The guitarist said he then emailed Simmons again to tell him he was “glad it wasn’t anything more serious.”
Frehley’s 10,000 Volts Solo Album
As previously reported, Frehley will release his latest solo album, 10,000 Volts, on February 23. The record features Frehley collaborating closely with Brown, lead guitarist of the veteran New Jersey glam-metal band Trixter.
2024 Tour Plans
Frehley will be touring in support of 10,000 Volts throughout 2024. He currently has nine confirmed U.S. concerts, according to his official website’s tour page. The trek is plotted out from a January 25 show in Frankfort, Kentucky, through a June 28 gig in Marion, Illinois.
In addition, Frehley also is taking part in the 2024 Monsters of Rock Cruise, which is scheduled for March 2-7. Visit MonstersofRockCruise.com for more details.
Tickets for the Frehley’s shows are available via various outlets, including StubHub.
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