Last month, Gene Simmons revealed that a three-year long KISS tour is set to launch in January. Now, in a recent interview, he addressed whether any former members of the band would be taking part in the shows, saying that the subject has been discussed, though no plans have been set in stone.
“We talked about it. But we have not decided anything,” Simmons tells Imperiumi. “The problem is if you bring out a special guest, they come on without makeup. They do. We have not really gotten that far. You can not put on the makeup. You’ve been out of the band 20 years. It’s not going to happen. And it’s a difficult question because if we did bring anybody who was in the band, they could not put on the makeup.”
Simmons has been on the road as part of the celebration of his 50 years in rock and roll where he does meet and greets and delivers his 150 track box set The Vault to fans who have purchased the collection. At designated locations, buyers of the set receive a pre-pack and join a small group of other fans for “Songs and Stories” from The Vault and a Q&A with Simmons.
Original KISS members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss have taken part in recent Vault events; even long estranged guitarist Vinnie Vincent has joined the Demon in the intimate setting. Simmons has also co-written two songs for the next Frehley solo album.
Earlier this year, it was revealed that the band had filed for a trademark to the title “End of the Road,” which led many to speculate there would be a pending announcement of a KISS farewell tour. Last month however, guitarist Paul Stanley said that wasn’t the case, and that it was simply a preemptive move.