Kiss frontman Paul Stanley has insisted he and Gene Simmons were never going to allow Ace Frehley and Peter Criss to take part in their cancelled Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction performance.
And he adds that while they’re still welcome to attend the ceremony in April, there’s no chance they’ll be allowed to wear the make-up that made them famous.
Stanley and Simmons last week stated that no line-up of the band would play, following previous comments which had offered fans some hope the four original members would take the stage together.
The frontman’s latest comments come after the partner of Bill Aucoin, the manager who helped make the band’s name, called for them to stop their “nonsense” and find a compromise.
Stanley tells the LA Times: “Imagine getting on stage and playing with a line-up that does not exist.” He compares the situation to being forced to reunite with a former spouse.
He adds that he’d still be happy for Frehley and Criss to take part in the actual induction – but he’ll accept no argument that current members Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer should not be there too. “The naysayers talk about Tommy or Eric being impostors,” Stanley says. “I think an impostor is a guy up there doing it for a pay cheque.”
Meanwhile, both ex-members have expressed their disappointment. Guitarist Frehley says: “For years, Gene and Paul have been trying to minimise my contributions to the band, even though I designed the famous Kiss logo and the trademarked make-up for the Spaceman character.”
Criss comments: “We should have been able to work it out as grown men. It’s a shame we couldn’t.”