While original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley plans to be with his bandmates in Washington, D.C. in December when they are presented with the Kennedy Center Honors, he won’t be joining Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley in November for their KISS Kruise: Land-locked in Vegas event at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.
Frehley tells Guitar World, “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 5000-seater, or whatever it is.” Frehley is referring to the band’s final two End of the World tour shows at the New York City arena on December 1st and 2nd, 2023.
“There are multiple reasons,” adds Frehley. “You know, 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.’
“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.”
But, he makes it clear that he’s “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.”
Frehley resumes touring on August 30th in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
