It’s safe to say that the Kiss universe is never short of drama between the behemoth outfit’s various members.

The latest? Many fans have been left wondering why Ace Frehley wasn’t invited – or seemingly declined the opportunity – to join his former bandmates at the Kiss Kruise: Land-locked in Vegas event at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas this November, which will also include Bruce Kulick, Kiss’ guitarist between 1984 and 1996.

“They asked me and I declined,” he tells Guitar World matter-of-factly. “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.”

When GW points out that Frehley has participated in Kiss Kruises – the long-running Kiss-themed cruise excursions – before, he replies, “There are multiple reasons. You know, Paul [Stanley], towards the end [of the End of the Road World Tour], about nine months before Kiss was going to play Madison Square Garden [for its final shows], both Paul and Gene [Simmons] 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.”

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KISS has been one of rock music’s most iconic bands for over 50 years. See photos of Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, and more over the years.

“You wanted the best? You got the best!” That electrifying intro is instantly recognizable to fans of Kiss, one of the most iconic rock bands in history. Formed in New York City in 1973, the group quickly made a name for themselves with their larger-than-life personas, explosive live shows, and unforgettable anthems. Founding members Gene Simmons (bass/vocals) and Paul Stanley (vocals/guitar) joined forces with guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss to create a band that blended hard rock with theatrical spectacle — complete with over-the-top pyrotechnics, wild stage acrobatics, and Simmons’ signature blood-spitting act.

Beyond their music, Kiss became pioneers in band branding and merchandising, putting their name and logo on everything from action figures to comic books. Their bold, distinctive makeup became a cultural phenomenon, with each member creating their own unique persona. Over the years, the band has gone through multiple lineup changes, including a brief makeup-free era in the 1980s, but Simmons and Stanley have remained the group’s core.

The band announced their End of the Road farewell tour in 2019, culminating with their final performance on December 2, 2023, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In August 2025, Kiss was named one of the recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors in 2025—an accolade celebrating lifetime contributions to the performing arts. They’ll join legends like George Strait, Gloria Gaynor, and Sylvester Stallone at the December ceremony, now hosted by President Donald Trump.

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Despite the fact that Kiss have always embraced the character element of their band, they are still humans under the make-up, and like all humans, they were prone to a fight.

Kiss may well have tapped into a minor cheat code when they first put on the face paint, and it’s something that some bands might want to consider. While Kiss originally decided to wear the make-up in a bid to look like a unified band, they ended up making the audience obsessed with characters rather than them as individuals.

The benefit that came with this side of the band is the fact that when members left, people didn’t criticise the new lineup quite as much. While they might have known people in the band were changing, so long as the characters that they knew and loved were still taking to the stage every night, the audience was happy to keep going along with it.

As a result, there have been a range of different line-ups in Kiss, but the band have never struggled to sell out every arena that they travel to. That being said, while fans are aware there have been plenty of different line-ups, they tend to prefer the original group. This consisted of the two constants in the band, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, as well as guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss.

Frehley and Criss both had good runs with the band and enjoyed the spoils of being in one of the greatest rock outfits of all time, but their stint with Kiss came to ugly ends, particularly with Criss, who decided to sabotage one of Kiss’s sets in a bid to be kicked out. Despite the fact there was already rising tension between members, very few could believe what Criss was actually doing when he played out of time on purpose.

During a show in December 1979, shortly after the band had released Dynasty, an album which is no doubt a fan favourite but also a haphazard record which reflects the growing divides within the band, Criss had had enough. He was ready to leave the band and resented everyone he was sharing a stage with. Given his feelings were so strong, having Paul Stanley on stage and telling him to play slower in front of the crowd didn’t just get under his face paint, but his skin.

“What that says to everybody in the arena is that I’m the one fucking up the band,” recalled Criss when talking about his resentment towards Stanley’s actions. In response, he did as Stanley asked and slowed the playing right down, too far down, so far down that the song was basically operating at a crawl, and Paul Stanley had to ask him to speed back up again.

“I’m like ‘Make up your motherfucking mind!’” Recalled Criss, “People in the audience could hear me screaming that at him. I just stopped playing; I didn’t care anymore.”

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It’s no secret that Kiss’s 1975 album Alive! was doctored in the studio with overdubs. Guitarists Paul Stanley and Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss have confirmed it in their autobiographies, while bassist Gene Simmons has discussed it elsewhere.

While the album was intended to capture the energy of a live Kiss show, getting all the pieces to work with a group like Kiss proved difficult. Stanley’s animated stage moves meant he wasn’t always on mic, and the heat from the stage lights could throw the guitars out of tune.

Overdubbing and re-creating those parts in the studio allowed them to rectify the issues while maintaining the live energy of the original recording.

Alive! producer and engineer Eddie Kramer confirms that the shows’ production elements were largely to blame.

“Bombs going off, Gene spitting fire, rockets from Ace’s guitar. And imagine leaping about the stage in those super-high-heeled boots!” he tells Guitar Player today. “It’s no wonder things got a little bit out of whack.

“Kiss was a new band and the effort they put out in those shows was monumental, so we did a bunch of guitar and vocal overdubs at Electric Lady Studios,” he says, referring to the facility he helped Jimi Hendrix build in the heart of Greenwich Village.

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• Funko Pop! Soda KISS – Starchild
• Introducing for the first-time ever our newest form factor: Vinyl SODA. Included with each purchase is a “POG“-shaped collector’s card and a 4.25” vinyl figure all nicely packaged inside a collectible SODA can.
• New Funko Pop soda exclusives! Each figure comes packaged in a soda can.
• Limited edition, only 12500 made.
• All figures have a 1:6 chance to be a chase figure. Chase is random and not indicated on the outside of the can! Starchild chase is Glow in the Dark

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KISS will get their flowers at the upcoming Kennedy Center Honors … and, the band members couldn’t be more grateful for the accolade.

We spoke to Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss from the iconic band … and, they all expressed gratitude after being bestowed with the institution’s highest honor by President Donald Trump.

Simmons tells TMZ … “KISS is the embodiment of the American dream. We are deeply honored to receive the Kennedy Center Honor.”

Stanley adds, “From our earliest days, KISS has embodied the American ideal that all things are possible and that hard work pays off. The prestige of the Kennedy Center Honors cannot be overstated and I accept this on behalf of the long legacy of KISS and all of the band members who helped create our iconic band.”

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20 assorted bandz in each pack. Three different packs available!

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Episode 631. We talk about two KISS products… a Hot In The Shade pin and some brand new KISS 70s costume action figures. What do you think of each item? That Hot In The Shade pin is a trainwreck, the product copy is so wrong and the pin looks like crap. But… the action figures, wow! Mark isn’t a big fan, but Michael can’t wait to buy them. One product appears someone who knows a loves KISS was involved, the other product… do they have a clue?

@kissfan777

Paul Stanley and Evan Stanley Wouldn’t You Like To Know Me 2025 #paulstanley #evanstanley #fyp #kissfan777

♬ original sound – KlSSFan777

When your father was the frontman of the iconic ’70s glam rock band Kiss, as a music love, you can’t miss an opportunity to jam. That’s exactly what Evan Stanley, 31 did recently with his rockstar dad Paul Stanley, 73. The song they chose was from Stanley’s solo career entitled “Wouldn’t You Like to Know Me” that he hard-launched in 1978.

The solo album reportedly ended up being the vessel the singer used to work through the turmoil of being caught in a love triangle involving a woman from his manager Bill Aucoin‘s publicity department, according to UltimateClassicRock.com.

“I basked in the drama of that classic love triangle,” Stanley explained in his 2014 book Face the Music. “But I was desperate to pull her away from him. ‘Tonight You Belong to Me’ and ‘Wouldn’t You Like to Know Me’ are about her. ‘Tonight’ remained one of my favorite songs because of that tear-your-heart-out passion and pain that I knew so well.”

The two seemed to be able to capture that together with their acoustic set, and fans were all about the memorable mashup.

“This is awesome! I’ve been a KISS fan since the late 70’s. Y’all sound great together! And the song choice is on point. One of the best tunes, if not THE best, off the ‘78 solo album,” wrote one dazzled fan.

“Love the song from Paul’s 1st solo album, love to see more of Paul and Evan singing together,” added another.

“Paul’s voice still fantastic!! This is awesome,” cheered another.

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KISS’ music video for “Rise To It” is now available in high-definition. The track opens up 1989 album Hot In The Shade. The video shows Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons in makeup for the first time during their unmasked era.

KISS are putting their unmistakable mark on the highly anticipated KISS Army Storms Vegas event, recently announcing the new brand, KISS Kruise: Landlocked In Vegas. The news arrived with several exciting updates to their upcoming fan experience coming this November 14-16, 2025 at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. This special fan experience is being created in conjunction with co-producers Pophouse, creators of boutique music vacations Topeka, and music-led destination experience company Vibee.

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Thirty-plus years of pyrotechnics and psycho-circus showmanship have created a wild and devoted population of KISS fans. In Warmans style, this handy and spectacularly illustrated book gives members of the KISS Army a resource as devoted as they are. Collectors will find a list of every U.S. KISS recording, including background and pricing, plus more than 400 color photos! Production details and values for thousands of licensed KISS collectibles including action figures, Beanies, costumes, die-cast cars, posters and much more is also featured! As one of the leading collectibles on the market, behind the Beatles and Elvis, this must-have reference captures the raging hysteria of KISS like nothing else. 400 color photos show details of favorite collectibles, Contains band and recording history to give collectors a glimpse behind the make up and Affordable and portable size makes it a perfect gift.

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