Via a conversation with Let There Be Talk, Kiss bassist Gene Simmons reflected on his relationship with ex-band members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss.
Simmons starts off by talking about how thankful he is to have met Ace and Peter, but then ends up going into the topic of substance abuse. He talks about having been “burned” before, along with Ace and Peter’s involvement with Kiss over the years. The following was transcribed by Metal Injection.
“I’m so proud, so lucky and blessed to have met Paul, Ace and Peter. Without them, I wouldn’t be here. I’d be asking the next person in line, ‘Would you like fries with that?’ And that’s not even like a funny joke. But, ‘Ye reap what ye shall sow.’ How many chances do you get in life? The first time I stuck my hand in fire – I got burned, the very first time. It can be an accident or you can do it on purpose.
“So, drugs and alcohol, you can’t say, ‘I didn’t know about that.’ Sure you did, everybody knows exactly the same thing. If you get kicked out or be asked nicely to leave a band because of substance abuse where you can’t do your job and everything. The first time you can almost excuse it, almost. How do you get asked to leave the band three different times over three decades? How do you do that? You get to sleep in the bed you make, and love Ace and Peter to this day, but also you don’t want to lie to yourself and the fans. The only reason they’re not in the band, and were in and out of the band so many times is because of themselves. I don’t know where else to point. I didn’t swallow that crap. You did.”
Prior to this conversation, Simmons has shared why he feels both Ace and Peter can’t be part of the Kiss farewell tour. Do you think Gene’s points regarding both ex-band members are valid? You can check out the full interview with Gene Simmons via the video below.
Dave Mustaine Was Very Bothered By A Crude Joke Gene Simmons Made After Cliff Burton’s Death
‘It can never compete with the past’: Paul Stanley Says Why He Isn’t Making Any New Kiss Music
Gene Simmons Says Kiss Will ‘Continue’ Even After The Touring Band Stops Playing
If you are interested in seeing the band on the North American run of their farewell tour, you can find their upcoming dates and locations below.
9/9 – Irvine, CA – FivePoint Amphitheatre
9/10 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre
9/12 – Wheatland, CA – Toyota Amphitheatre
9/17 – Ridgefield, WA – Sunlight Supply Amphitheater
9/18 – George, WA – Gorge Amphitheatre
9/21 – Boise, ID – ExtraMile Arena
9/22 – West Valley City, UT – USANA Amphitheatre
9/23 – Sparks, NV – Nugget Event Center
9/25 – Chula Vista, CA – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
9/26 – Phoenix, AZ – Ak-Chin Pavilion
9/28 – Hidalgo, TX – Payne Arena
9/29 – Del Valle, TX – Germania Insurance Amphitheater
10/1 – Fort Worth, TX – Dickies Arena
10/2 – Tulsa, OK – BOK Center
10/5 – Biloxi, MI – Mississippi Coast Coliseum
10/6 – Lafayette, LA – Lafayette Cajundome
10/8 – West Palm Beach, FL – iThink Financial Amphitheatre
10/9 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
10/10 – Atlanta, GA – Cellairis Amphitheatre at Lakewood
10/13 – Burgettstown, PA – The Pavilion at Star Lake
10/15 – Clarkston, MI – DTE Energy Music Theatre
10/16 – Tinley Park, IL – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
10/17 – Dayton, OH – Wright State University Nutter Center