Never have seen this before. Its a record store promo poster. Very cool and its the shape of the Frehleys Comet logo. Measures 22 x 14 inches. See photos for condition. Ace signed this for us in Franklin, OH at JD Legends on August 31, 2024. Signed in black Sharpie pen. Includes our Certificate of Authenticity. Only 1 Available!
.And he nearly took out Gene Simmons with his rocket-firing guitar!
Former Kiss star Ace Frehley has told MusicRadar that he was lucky to survive an onstage accident in the ’70s – and says that his brush with death inspired him to write one of the band’s classic songs.
Ace had two periods in Kiss – from 1973 to 1982, and then from 1996 to 2002. He was a founding member of the band alongside guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley, bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons and drummer Peter Criss.
Speaking to MusicRadar, Ace begins by admitting that wearing platform boots on stage was always problematic for him.
“I used to fall a lot in those boots,” he says. “A lot of times. Paul would cover for me by walking over to me like it was part of the show. He made it look like it was choreography or something.
“If nobody realised I’d fallen, I play on my knees and get back up. It was just part of the show!”
In the ’70s and also after the band’s original line-up reunited in the ’90s, Ace would drop to his knees during the outro solo of the song Black Diamond. This was planned… and painful.
“I screwed my knees up doing that,” he says. “I would drop to my knees, and the weight of the Les Paul really killed them.
“During the Reunion Tour, I ended up chipping a bone in my knee, and the doctor said, ‘Listen, you gotta stop doing that, or you’ll end up in a wheelchair.’
“We ended up putting a pad under the carpet where I’d fall. I tried to hit it—and if you look at old videos, you can see that I’d go down one knee at a time.”
Ace’s famous stage prop was his rocket-firing guitar, which almost led to disaster.
“I fired one of those rockets at Gene and it almost f**king hit him,” he laughs. “It flew right by his head. It would have burned him pretty bad.”
Ace himself wasn’t always so lucky. The rocket-firing guitar was also fitted with smoke bombs, of which Ace says: “I burned my leg real bad once back in the ‘70s, man. A smoke bomb ignited too early inside the cavity of the guitar, and it melted the asbestos—which our f**king costumes were made from—to my thigh.”
But the closest shave for Ace came during a show in Lakeland, Florida in 1976, when he was electrocuted due to a grounding issue, which left a staircase rail electrically charged. It nearly killed him.
“I should have been dead that night,” he says. “The fact that I got electrocuted and didn’t fall forward was a godsend. There must have been angels pushing me back.
“I was standing on top of four Marshall cabinets on a staircase when I got shocked. I had a heavy Les Paul around my neck, and my body should have fallen forward—but I didn’t.”
Remarkably, Ace not only survived to tell the tale, but he finished the show.
“If I fell forward, I would have broken my f**king neck,” he says. “But I fell back, and the road crew dragged me back off of the staircase. I had no feeling in my hands for five to ten minutes.
“I went on to finish the show,” he says proudly. “But I maybe had feeling in half of my fingers by the time it was done. It was crazy shit, man, but I did get Shock Me out of it. So, I guess it wasn’t all for nothing.”
The song Shock Me was included on the band’s 1977 album Love Gun, and was the first Kiss track to feature Ace on lead vocals.
CLEVELAND, Ohio – Gene Simmons — bassist-singer-songwriter for Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees Kiss — is coming to the MGM Northfield Park on Wednesday, May 14.
Tickets for the show go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, January 17, at ticketmaster.com. Presale tickets will be available at 10 a.m. on Thursday, January 17 via the code “OCTAVE.”
Simmons was inducted into the Rock Hall alongside his Kiss bandmates, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss in 2014. The band spent more than two years on its farewell “End of the Road Tour” which included two stops at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in 2019 and finally in October of 2023.
Very cool item! These were signed by Ace Frehley at a private signing in Nashville, IN in January 2024. Signed in black Sharpie. Eric Singer signed these in Sarasota, FL December 2024. He signed in green paint pen. Includes our Certificate of Authenticity for both signatures.
This was technically Ace’s last show with the band before leaving for the last time. These press kits were on the seats of the venue before the show started. Very rare item! Do not miss out! Includes two press releases, several photos and of course the signed folder. Definitely a piece of KISStory!
Order today at KISSArmyWarehouse.com!
In a recent interview on the Adam Carolla Show, KISS bassist Gene Simmons shared a story about the night he stumbled upon Van Halen back in 1976, with the actual intention of checking another band out.
Simmons helped Van Halen land their first recording contract, and even bought DLR his first heels and leather pants. “I buy Dave [Lee Roth] his first, I don’t know, high heels or whatever, leather pants and all that. Because I want them to audition for Aucoin, our manager and all that. But before then, decide to go into Electric Lady and do 15 songs, a 24-track demo using a guy named Dave Whitman who mixed Humble Pie and all that legitimate, y’know, stuff,” he explained.
“And one of the 15 songs was a song called ‘House of Pain.’ Now, for all you Van Halen fans, this is not the ‘House of Pain’ that they eventually wound up recording. This is the original version, which bears no resemblance,” Simmons revealed. “In fact, that song under the name ‘House of Pain’ was never recorded, and it’s a steamroller. I can’t believe that the band never used that. So that’s the version we do live. And I’m telling you, as soon as it starts, it’s like zero to 60.”
In Simmons’ words, Eddie Van Halen had a reputation for keeping some of his playing techniques secret during the band’s earlier days. Recognizing the band’s potential, Simmons took action and signed Van Halen to his production company, ‘Man of 1,000 Faces,’ and arranged for the band to fly to New York to record a demo at the famous Electric Lady Studios. Simmons was proud of the track ‘House of Pain,’ and even considered it Eddie’s defining moment.
“The version of House Of Pain they recorded with me is the most powerful thing they ever did. It erupts from zero to 60mph in a second. Play it loud; it’s like a steamroller over your face and the band performed it completely live in the studio,” he said previously on Classic Rock.
However, even the ‘quality of those tracks’ wasn’t enough to convince Bill Aucoin, his manager at the time, or his bandmate Paul Stanley. “And of course Ace Frehley and Peter Criss had bigger things on their minds, they were too busy making bad decisions about life,” he added.
While Simmons claimed that the demo was the band’s best work, the song was re-recorded years later for their 1984 album. The music in the 1984 version is quite similar to Simmons’ demo, but the lyrics are different.
1. KISS
Ah, Kiss—those face-painted rock stars who set the world on fire with their over-the-top performances and glittery outfits. While their theatrical stage presence and pyrotechnics earned them a massive following, they also sparked a lot of eye rolls. The flashy outfits, the ridiculous amount of hype surrounding their image, and the constant self-promotion turned off plenty of classic rock fans. Critics often pointed out that the band’s emphasis on spectacle seemed to overshadow their musical talent, and let’s not forget the infamous “Kiss Army” that some people found more cult-like than fan base. Despite selling millions of albums, the band became the epitome of style over substance in some people’s eyes.
But to be fair, they certainly knew how to market themselves. Kiss’s success wasn’t about pushing boundaries musically—it was about creating a brand. With their antics and larger-than-life personalities, they gained a massive following. However, for those who preferred music to marketing, Kiss just wasn’t the real deal. They were more about the glitter than the grit, and that turned many off. It’s that unapologetic commercialism that makes them a classic example of a love-it-or-hate-it band.
Gene Simmons has added more dates to his solo band’s upcoming tour.
The Kiss icon has now confirmed a total of 19 dates during April and May. The full list, including the new shows in Anaheim, CA, Magna, UT, and Rockford, IL, can be seen below.
Tickets for all dates can be purchased via the Gene Simmons Band website.
The band lineup includes guitarist Brent Woods (Sebastian Bach, Vince Neil), guitarist Jason Walker and drummer Brian Tichy (Whitesnake, Billy Idol).
In a 2024 interview with Guitar World, Simmons recalled why he’d decided to play bass. “When I was a kid I noticed that everybody wanted to be a guitar player, and I did initially learn to play a few chords,” he said. “But I picked up bass because there were fewer bass players, and it increased my chances of being in a band – which is what I really wanted.”
He added of his keep-it-simple approach to playing: “I was never really interested in being a bass virtuoso. I don’t like showoffs in music. I’m much more attracted to things that are memorable. The guy who came up with hamburgers is worshipped around the world. If you go to a French cooking school, they’d never cook a hamburger – but who the fuck puts frog legs in their mouth? I’m a Burger King Whopper; that’s all the credibility I would ever want.”
4/03 – House Of Blues – Anaheim, CA
4/05 – The Event at Graton Resort & Casino – Rohnert Park, CA
4/10 – The Great Saltair – Magna, UT
4/25 – Ruth Eckerd Hall – Clearwater, FL
4/26 – Fillmore – Miami Beach, FL
4/28 – The Moon – Tallahassee, FL
4/29 – Florida Theater – Jacksonville, FL
4/30 – Hard Rock Live – Orlando, FL
5/03 – Beaver Dam Amphitheater – Beaver Dam, KY
5/05 – Basie – Red Bank, NJ
5/06 – Wellmont – Montclair, NJ
5/08 – Wind Creek Casino – Bethlehem, PA
5/09 – Paramount – Huntington, NY
5/15 – Fallsview Casino – Niagara Falls, ON
5/18 – Hard Rock – Rockford, IL
5/20 – Brown County Music Center – Nashville, IN
5/22 – House of Blues – Dallas, TX
5/23 – Tobin Center – San Antonio, TX
5/24 – House of Blues – Houston, TX
This KISS babydoll features the band photo artwork on front. Pink 100% cotton. Model is a size Medium in Juniors wearing a large.
Kiss recently played their final show as human beings, but vowed to continue on as digital avatars “performing shows” into eternity. Because really, who the hell thought that Kiss as a brand of live music in any form was actually going away?
The avatars have drawn mixed reactions from a lot of folks, with former Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley falling firmly into the “not a fan” category. Frehley told Rock Antenne in an interview that he feels the avatars looks like they’re “geared towards children” and that they’re simply “not rock and roll.”
“I’m happy it’s over, because I’m not gonna be compared to them anymore… But I don’t get this avatar thing that they’re gonna do,” he said. “I mean, I saw some of it on a video on YouTube last night. It kind of looked like it was geared towards children. And it’s not rock and roll. I get up on stage without backing tracks, plug my amp into it, plug my guitar into a Marshall and go. That’s it. It’s always been that way and always will be.”
Frehley was then asked if he watched any of Kiss‘ final show online. Frehley said he only caught some of the band’s Indianapolis show on YouTube and wasn’t impressed.
“I watched [a video of] Indianapolis, and I’m not impressed. But that’s me. Tommy Thayer is not a bad guitarist. He just is more mechanical than me. Nobody can copy my solos the way I play them, because I’m sloppy and nobody can move like me. Nobody. And I’m surprised the fans bought Tommy pretty much, because I think for several years that Tommy was in the band, people didn’t even know it wasn’t me.
“I used to get phone calls from people and say, ‘Hey, Kiss is playing in town. Can you get me tickets?’ I go, ‘I’m not in the band anymore.’ They go, ‘You’re not?’ Because when I quit the band the second time, they did not make a big press release. They kind of buried it and just made the transition. But the last tour I did with Kiss, Tommy Thayer was bringing me sandwiches and he was a tour manager and a gofer. But he’s not a bad guitar player. I’m actually friends with Tommy — just all the guys in the band.
“I’m good friends with Eric Singer. Me and Gene are very close. When Gene put out his ‘Vault Experience’, I went on the road with him. I went to Australia with him. Before we made it really big, me and Gene used to room together. So Gene has a soft spot in his heart for me.”
As for Frehley outside his opinions on Kiss, he just put out a new single called “10,000 Volts”. The single comes alongside a music video directed by Alex Kouvatsos, which you can check out below.
A dispute between Kiss and a fired wig roadie was settled out of court, after the presiding judge had warned the band it would be a “serious risk” if it proceeded.
David Mathews, who’d worked with Kiss for 30 years, had claimed mistreatment on tour followed by wrongful dismissal with a trial set to begin this month.
But a clerk of court confirmed to Rolling Stone yesterday (Jan. 6) that the procedure had been called off, to be replaced by a hearing in March to confirm the unreleased details of the settlement.
Mathews had filed a six-point complaint, stating that he’d been forced to work in close proximity with Gene Simmons during COVID exposure rules.
He also claimed he’d been fired after manager Doc McGhee decided he’d leaked information to the press regarding the band’s health security measures. Those measures were the subject of speculation after another crewman, Fran Stueber, died of Covid mid-tour in 2021. Mathews had denied he was one of those who’d spoken to reporters.
At the preliminary hearing, L.A. County Superior Court Judge Armen Tamzarian had said: “If this goes to trial, it would not surprise me if Mr. Mathews got nothing. It would not surprise me if he made a big pot of money.”
He continued: “This is the kind of case any rational person would settle. There’s a big risk this could swing dramatically one way or the other.”
The judge added that if Mathews managed to win, “there are deep, deep pockets there, and there could be a big result.” He told lawyers on both sides: “You’re both overconfident in your positions.”
Fan-filmed video of Ace Frehley‘s December 27, 2024 concert at The Token Lounge in Westland, Michigan can be seen below.
The setlist for the show was as follows, according to Setlist.fm:
01. Shock Me (KISS song)
02. Deuce (KISS song)
03. Cherry Medicine
04. Rock Soldiers (FREHLEY’S COMET song)
05. Love Gun (KISS song)
06. Rocket Ride (KISS song)
07. Parasite (KISS song)
08. Detroit Rock City (KISS song)
09. Rip It Out
10. She (KISS song)
11. New York Groove (Russ Ballard cover)
12. Cold Gin (KISS song)
13. Ace Frehley Guitar Solo
14. Shout It Out Loud (KISS song)
15. Rock And Roll All Nite (KISS song)
Last month, Ace confirmed to Meltdown of Detroit’s WRIF radio station that he has commenced work on “Origins Vol. 3”, the sequel to Frehley‘s 2016 and 2020 collections of cover songs that inspired the former KISS guitarist. “I’m working on ‘Origins Vol. 3’, ’cause that’s the next record I’m putting out next year in 2025,” he said. “So, we’re starting to gear up for that and figuring out which songs [to include on the LP]. I have a long extensive list and we’re slowly whittling it down to which ones we’re gonna track.”
Frehley went on to say that he is once again working with TRIXTER‘s Steve Brown, who produced and co-wrote all the material on Ace‘s latest solo album, “10,000 Volts”, which was released in February via MNRK Music Group (formerly eOne Music).
