Former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick has offered a candid retrospective on the turbulent period in 2001 when the band transitioned away from original guitarist Ace Frehley for the final time. In a new interview with SiriusXM‘s “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk” aired on December 16, Kulick admitted that while the allure of returning to the fold was strong, he ultimately feels relieved he wasn’t asked to don the iconic makeup.
When Frehley‘s departure became imminent and Tommy Thayer began stepping in, Kulick confessed to feeling a mix of confusion and temptation regarding his potential place in the lineup.
“Clearly, when I heard that Ace was probably not showing up [for the gigs in 2001], and all of a sudden the understudy, Tommy [Thayer], who could throw the outfit and the makeup on to pop in on a few things before Ace just left, I was, like, ‘Are they gonna ask me?'” Kulick told host Eddie Trunk (via Blabbermouth). “I remember talking to a couple of my friends that had the inside scoop on the band, and I don’t know what they were gonna do, but I thought about it and I was, like, ‘Could I do that? Could I become the Spaceman? That seems not really right.’ I remember [feeling] conflicted. On the other hand, I was, like, ‘I’d really enjoy being back in KISS, playing huge arenas and private jets and all the perks and what fame comes with that. And then, of course, I was not considered, which was a blessing in disguise.”
Despite the potential financial and lifestyle rewards, Kulick harbors no resentment over the decision to install Thayer permanently. He acknowledged that Thayer‘s background made him a logical fit for the specific requirements of the “Spaceman” character, a role that differed significantly from Kulick‘s own tenure in the band.
“No. I really did understand them going to Tommy,” Kulick said when asked if he felt hurt by the snub. “I knew Tommy very well. He used to work a lot with the band creatively — write songs and tour manage, and he worked on ‘Kisstory‘, the big nine-pound book or whatever. And knowing that he was in a tribute band [called] Cold Gin, for KISS, and could play the Ace riffs…”
Kulick drew a sharp distinction between his recruitment in the 1980s and the criteria used for Thayer‘s hiring.
“Here’s a perfect example: when Paul Stanley told me, ‘You’re the new guitarist of KISS,’ back in ’84, days before ‘Animalize Live [Uncensored]‘,” Kulick explained. “‘We want you to play competitive. You know what’s going on in the guitar world. You know what we need. You have one foot in the kind of vintage material, and then I need you to play like the modern guitar players.’ And clearly Tommy got a little different kind of job application kind of checkbox: ‘Play Ace‘s riffs.'”
Looking back, Kulick believes that accepting the role would have compromised the integrity of his unmasked era, which spanned twelve years and albums like Asylum, Crazy Nights, and Revenge.
“So, in conclusion, knowing that that mine was be me with my face with no confusion, no character, and the other side of it being… I would’ve pooped on my era if I suddenly did take that job, if it was offered to me,” he stated. “And I couldn’t tell you, I swear to you, if they said, ‘No, we really want you. And here’s the pay and here’s your commitment.’ I might’ve said yes. I mean, how could I deny that I would love to be in the band? But at that cost…”
With the KISS catalog and brand now under the ownership of Swedish firm Pophouse, Kulick is optimistic that the band’s non-makeup years will receive renewed attention, free from the narrative constraints of the past.
“Looking back all these years and seeing how my era has been more embraced and more celebrated, and I also think Pophouse really wants to support all 50 years of the band, meaning my era will get more of a spotlight than during those makeup years where Gene [Simmons] and Paul and Doc [McGhee] were controlling basically the narrative of the band. Understandably. I was never bitter at them. Why should they do Revenge songs if they don’t want to or if it doesn’t feel right? I get it. But boy, it makes it special when I play that stuff.”
