Kiss fans eager for a final reunion of the original members are feeling that much more hopeful after reading Gene Simmons‘ Twitter feed. Simmons, who along with Paul Stanley, has been alternately demeaning towards — and nostalgic about — co-founding guitarist Ace Frehley over the years, but now seems to want him on board for the band’s final victory lap.
On Wednesday (April 27th), Gene Simmons tweeted well wishes to Frehley for his 71st birthday and posted an open-ended offer to the guitar legend: “Happy Birthday Ace. And many more… The invitations still stand. Jump up on stage with us for encores. The fans would love it. – Gene Simmons (@genesimmons) April 27, 2022
Kiss kicks off its North American farewell dates on May 11th at Milwaukee’s American Family Insurance Amphitheater.
FAST FACTS
- Back in 2017, Paul Stanley chatted with Billboard and spoke frankly about reuniting with the original members of Kiss: “I sang on Ace (Frehley‘s) most recent album and did a video with him. I have the connection and the reconnection and to celebrate the good things we’ve done together is terrific. The band as it is — I’ve played with (current Kiss drummer) Eric Singer for, I think, 25 years and Tommy (Thayer has) been in the band probably 15 years at this point. I have no thoughts of revisiting the past. With that said, I am happy to enhance or do whatever I can for anyone who has helped put me where I am, but that doesn’t include getting hitched again to somebody I unhitched from.”
SIDE NOTES
- Coming on June 10th is the latest release in Kiss‘ official live bootleg series, “Off The Soundboard,” Live At Donington 1996, recorded during the Monsters Of Rock Festival at Donington Park in England on August 17th, 1996 and featuring the then-recently reunited original lineup of Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss.
- The set will be available to stream and download, with a triple-LP standard black vinyl set, a double-CD set, and a limited edition triple-LP set pressed on 180g red vinyl available exclusively through the official Kiss online store.
CHECK IT OUT: The reunited Kiss in 1996 performing “Rock And Roll All Nite” live at the MTV Video Music Awards: