Kiss’s farewell shows at Madison Square Garden in December 2023 were meant to be a grand sendoff for a band that has defined rock spectacle for half a century. But for many, there was one noticeable absence: the band’s former members.
During a recent appearance on Talk Is Jericho, hosted by wrestling superstar and Fozzy frontman Chris Jericho, Paul Stanley addressed why past Kiss members weren’t included in the band’s final bow.
“To be somewhat diplomatic, there were people who made unrealistic demands of what they required. And it’s not about that. It wasn’t, for example, a celebration of the beginning of the band; it was a celebration of 50 years of a band, as opposed to a tribute to the start.”
He specifically addressed the absence of original guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss, saying, “So, as far as Ace and Peter, they weren’t there for many reasons. And I’ve said it a hundred times and I’ll say it another hundred times. We couldn’t be here today without what those guys did, and we couldn’t be here today with them.”
Beyond Frehley and Criss, fans also wondered why other former members, such as Eric Carr, Bruce Kulick, and Mark St. John, were not acknowledged. Stanley responded:
“What are you gonna do? I think the best way to honor everyone is to be the best we can be. What are we gonna have — videos up on the screen or draped photos? The fact that we were there, we were there because of everybody who participated, some more than others, but the tribute to everyone is us existing.”
Despite the band’s farewell, Stanley believes Kiss’s legacy will only grow over time, even drawing a comparison to The Rolling Stones.
“I think the legacy is only gonna grow. I think it’s only gonna get bigger. The Stones are an interesting one. At some point, what’s it gonna be? The Stone? ‘I’m gonna see The Rolling Stone.’ They have survived more decades than us, certainly, and are an institution. People go to see them because it’s The Stones. So, I think that over time we’ll only get bigger because you become more powerful the longer you exist.”
As for the band’s End Of The Road tour, Stanley reflected on how the group became almost mythical in its final stretch: “When we were doing the End Of The Road tour, I think we became almost superheroes because we were timeless and we didn’t change that greatly. People would come to see us and go, ‘Wow, they look like they did 40 years ago.’ You didn’t get that close to us. But, yeah, I think Kiss is timeless and that Kiss will just transcend everything it’s been.”
